December 12, 2004

Dear Autism One Community Member -

Autism One Radio
I am tremendously pleased to let you know about the upcoming launch of Autism One Radio, a worldwide, web-based, autism radio station for the care, treatment and recovery of children with autism.

We will begin broadcasting Tuesday, January 11, 2005. It works much like a radio, but you listen on your computer. And because it’s on the web everyone in the world can tune in. There are no geographic boundaries; there are no FCC rules and regulations; there are no vested interest groups to hijack our message. Folks can listen from Michigan to Melbourne and every spot in between. Our voice will be heard worldwide.

The media has mangled the message
Mainstream media has made a mess of autism. There is not one useful piece of information the public can take from these reports. Parents are more confused than ever after listening to most broadcasts.

News stories typically identify a child and a mother struggling to cope. The diagnosis was autism; the prognosis is known - lifelong and forever. A little boy or girl, shown toe-walking, is receiving an hour a week of speech therapy. Interviewed doctors discuss psychotropic drugs and the big promise of genetic research in ten to twenty years. A puzzled school official admits the county has experienced an explosion in autism over the last decade-why? who knows-proudly pointing to a new classroom for children with autism and Down syndrome. As an added bonus, the official declares, every child with autism will receive free snacks from the school cafeteria. Could this mainstream media hair shirt get any worse? You bet!

Officious-sounding professionals talk about the increased circumference of our children's heads and brain inflammation airily dismissing any new research, science, or interventions which do not directly benefit them. County health personnel explain how greater public awareness and better diagnosis, unlike the bad-old days, is identifying children before they "fall through the cracks." In hushed tones, mostly reserved for the deceased, a round of thank yous from the anchor to the reporter for filing this important story. Six months later the same story airs with a different cast of characters, identical, however, in its destructive message to parents, "We have it under control and there is nothing more you can do to help your child."

Mainstream communication channels burdened by agencies and agendas which are at best inept and at worst antithetical to autism continue to force feed our community retro-1960s messages of hopelessness. Empathetic "we feel your pain" stories are not a suitable substitute for reporting on effective treatments which help our children and real issues.

Unfortunately, our community has always lacked an ability to respond, educate, and advocate in real time. Flat-footed, we are reduced to a defensive posture. Left unchallenged many ideas gain currency and become accepted as fact.

Web Radio
Text is fine for many things. Documents, however, are not well suited to reach and teach parents, professionals, and a public struggling to understand the many uncertainties of autism.

Voices reach deeper than text. Voices teach, nourish, calm, and nurture making complex ideas understandable. Talk is our common denominator. Voices are rich in ways text cannot begin to capture. While the web does a tremendous job in getting information to parents, asking a mom, overcome with exhaustion, to read a 20-page medical report to understand the benefits of omega-3 is not the best answer.

By their nature documents can discourage response. Documents are static and formal. Voices are active. Talk encourages the free flow of ideas, education, and greater understanding.

The flexibility of web-based radio will allow us to broadcast live from events as they happen, like IOM meetings and congressional hearings. As wireless becomes increasingly popular folks will be able to listen on their laptops and palm tops. Cars will soon be manufactured with web-radio receivers.

A New Normal Is Needed
Our children get better. Our enemies are time and ignorance; our allies are treatments and therapies. Hope is real. Recovery is real. Education is necessary.

The rate of discovery for treatments which help our children is quickening. We need to get this information to our community and the public. Each day issues which impact our community are decided, often without our involvement and to our detriment. We need to amplify the thousand separate conversations into a message our entire community can hear.

Bigger truths are necessary to help our children and families; truths not found on TV, radio, newspapers, almost all magazines, most school districts, in the medical establishment and among the various government agencies. Institutions have largely failed our community.

Yet we continue to make progress. We plan to be a powerful voice of change, bringing you the most up to date information. We will launch with over 45 programs, hosted by many of the best and the brightest in our community. We plan to expand and include hosts from the UK,  Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, all over. The rate of autism in Turkey is now 1 in 200 (which is probably conservative).

A partial list of program hosts include
Lisa Ackerman
Christina Adams
Jim Adams, PhD
Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD
Jeff Cantor, DDS
Laura Cellini
Lujene and Allan Clark, MD
Peta Cohen, MS, RD
Barbara Loe Fisher
Donna Gates
Elaine Gottschall
Doreen Granpeesheh
Kathie Harrington
Betsy Hicks
Vicki Isler
Diane Kennedy
Kelly Kerns
Michael Lang
Amy Lansky
Patty Lemer
Carolyn Lewis
Joy Lunt
John Melynchuk
Suzanne Messina
Seth Pearl, DC
Cindy Peters
Jo Pike
Rick Rollens
Mary Romaniec
Brian Rubin, Esq.
Rachel Salanda
Lenny Schafer
Jeff Sell, Esq.
Stephen Shore
Chantal Sicile-Kira
Teri Small
Byron Strain, MD and Danise Strain
Ted Rubenstein
Denise Tarasuk, ND

While the programs will be live, we will also record them for subsequent listening. In addition to the regularly scheduled programs we plan to bring you breaking news alerts and specials which will cover a variety of topics.

Programs are divided into the following four categories to help you listen and learn in the areas of most interest and concern to you.

• Biomedical Treatments
• Behavior and Education
• Family and Home Health
• News / Legal / Advocacy

Autism One Radio’s Mission

• Reach a worldwide audience via the Internet;
• Feature unique shows hosted by leading authorities;
• Provide live programming;
• Interview the most knowledgeable experts;
• Be interactive: email us your questions;
• Cover breaking news;
• Be a voice of hope, effective options, treatments and therapies;
• Provide indepth analysis of complex issues;
• Present the highest-quality information and education;
• Energize the autism community;
• Support advocacy;
• Challenge baseless criticisms;
• Promote change;
• Help more children and their families.