Items 1 through 5 have been deleted, since they are primarily for families
living in Virginia and Maryland, and I did not want to send useless
information to the folks in the rest of the country. However, please let me
know if you live in Virginia, Maryland or DC; so that I can add you to my
private email distribution list for events in those states.



6. Year 2005 Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Learning
Disabilities at <http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=1065>
http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=1065.

7. Paul Harvey announcement : Vaccines and Autism. Go to the link below,
click on Friday-noon. this announcement plays on windows Media Player only.
The whole show is good, of course, but if you slide the bar to the 6 minute
mark, you'll get to hear the announcement on vaccines and Autism at
http://www.paulharvey.com/index.php <http://www.paulharvey.com/index.php> .

8. "The Age of Autism: Less is beautiful" dated 1 March 2006 by Dan Olmsted
in Monsters and Critics.com at
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/lifestyle/consumerhealth/printer_1133599.
php
<http://news.monstersandcritics.com/lifestyle/consumerhealth/printer_1133599
.php> .

"Whatever the reason, a big decline in autism diagnoses would be welcome
news to anyone who cares about the nightmarish prevalence of the disorder.
The latest signal that something may be going on comes from the
father-and-son research team of Dr. Mark R. Geier and David A. Geier. They
report in the spring issue of the Journal of American Physicians and
Surgeons that \'significant decreasing trends in newly diagnosed NDs
(neurodevelopmental disorders) were observed ... from mid-2002 through
2005\' in two separate databases. The first is kept by the California
Department of Developmental Services and is widely regarded as the most
accurate barometer of full-syndrome, professionally diagnosed cases of
autism. Those qualifiers are important because autism spectrum disorders run
the gamut from severe (full-syndrome) to milder (Asperger`s disorder) to
hard to define (the awfully named PDD-NOS, or pervasive developmental
disorders, not otherwise specified). So focusing on the full-syndrome cases
-- the most easily identified and indisputable -- is a smart way to go.
The other database is the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System maintained
by the federal government, to which health professionals, parents and anyone
else can report what they believe are side effects of vaccines. That`s much
less consistent and credible, of course, but the Geiers see the VAERS
information as an informal confirmation of the California data --companion
graphs printed side by side in the study show remarkably similar
rise-and-falls in autism. ..."

9. "Tuition Grants Considered For Disabled Va. Students- Dissatisfied
Parents Would Have Option" dated 2 March 2006 by
<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/Maria+Glod+and+Rosalind+S.+H
elderman/> Maria Glod and Rosalind S. Helderman from The Washington Post at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030102
133.html
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR200603010
2133.html> >

"Virginia lawmakers are considering using state money to help pay private
school tuition for disabled students whose parents are unhappy with the
public schools. Parents of about 175,000 students with disabilities ranging
from speech problems to mental retardation could apply for the money. The
proposal has sparked sharp resistance from many school officials who said it
is a voucher program that would siphon money from public classrooms. But
supporters said the grants would provide much-needed help to parents who
feel that public education is failing their children. Fairfax County School
Board member Stuart D. Gibson (Hunter Mill) has labeled the effort a
"stealth voucher program" and called on his colleagues to lobby hard for its
defeat. School officials in Arlington and Alexandria also said they oppose
the program. "Anything that takes money away from public education and puts
it toward private education . . . is not right," said Alexandria School
Board Chairman Mary "Mollie" Danforth. But Sen. Walter A. Stosch
(R-Henrico) said the program would mean a better education for a minority of
disabled students who are not thriving in public school classrooms. "This
is not going to cause a mass exodus of students," he said. "It will position
a few students so they can be cared for differently." ..."

10. "The Age of Autism: Pay no attention" dated 2 March 2006 by Dan Olmsted
from United Press International in The Washington Times at
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20060302-111157-7494r.htm
<BLOCKED::http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20060302-111157-7494r.htm> .

"There's a Steely Dan album called Pretzel Logic that could be the theme
song of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as it struggles with
concerns over vaccines and autism. At least in our view, it is a bit
twisted -- logically speaking -- to simultaneously spend taxpayer money to
keep studying whether a mercury preservative causes autism, yet recommend
that pregnant women and children get vaccines containing that preservative.
Especially so when alternatives are available that are free of the
preservative, called thimerosal. It is puzzling to urge, as the CDC did in
1999, that thimerosal ought to be phased out as soon as possible from all
childhood vaccines used in the United States -- yet successfully fight
efforts this year by state legislatures to codify a ban. It is peculiar to
issue an "Autism Alarm," as the CDC did in 2004 -- then publish a 72-page
annual report in 2005 that mentions the perils of Rocky Mountain Spotted
Fever, cryptosporidiosis, leprosy and the four people "killed by rabies
transmitted through transplanted organs or tissues in 2004," yet never use
the word autism, not once. (Check it out at www.cdc.gov/cdc.pdf
<http://www.cdc.gov/cdc.pdf> ) Perhaps the oddest, though subtlest,
anomaly is the seeming resistance by the CDC to the idea that the autism
rate might be declining. Our last column reported a new study that suggests
it could well be. The study's authors are firmly convinced a drop in autism
cases in two separate government databases -- one run by the CDC, the other
by the state of California -- proves thimerosal is the big culprit in
autism. That's a step we're not ready to take, to the consternation of some
in the anti-thimerosal movement. ..."

11. "Plan opens door to vouchers, public school advocates say" dated 2
March 2006 by DEIRDRE FERNANDES from The Virginian-Pilot at
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=100445
<http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=100445&ran=98303>
&ran=98303.

"A major battle is brewing over legislation that aims to give parents of
children with disabilities money to attend private schools. Fearing that
the measure would be the first step toward vouchers that would siphon
resources from public school divisions, educators from across the state have
sent e-mails and made phone calls to their lawmakers, and railed against the
proposal in public meetings.

<http://m.hamptonroads.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.hamptonroads.com/n
ews/2021622630/Middle/default/empty.gif/39336631303030363434306363306630>

<http://m.hamptonroads.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.hamptonroads.com/n
ews@Middle?x>
"Something isn't right," said Chesapeake School Board Chairman Thomas
Mercer. "Someone has got to have some sense in Richmond." Public education
advocates expected a low-key General Assembly session this year, one
dominated by transportation issues. I n the past few weeks, however, they
have found themselves battling some of the state's most influential
lawmakers as they push for private school grants, tuition tax credits and
school choice in Virginia. Public school advocates complain that they have
been left out of discussions, not allowed to testify during hearings and
notified at the last minute about committee meetings on the issue. ..."

12. "CDC links at least two deaths to lead-removal treatment" dated 2 March
2006 by MIKE STOBBE from the Associated Press at
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/14000874.htm
<http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/14000874.htm> .

"A drug that is sometimes used to treat lead poisoning - and is also
believed by some parents to be effective against autism - caused the deaths
of two children last year, the government said Thursday. One youngster was
from Pennsylvania and was autistic; the other had lead poisoning. The deaths
mark the first documented link between a chelation drug and cardiac arrest
in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Both children were treated with a product called Endrate. CDC officials are
also looking into the 2003 death of a 53-year-old woman in Oregon who was
given chelation therapy by a practitioner of natural medicine. Mary Jean
Brown, chief of the CDC's Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, said hospital
pharmacies should consider whether stocking Endrate is necessary, given its
risks and the availability of other treatments. The maker of Endrate,
Hospira Inc., had no immediate comment. ..."

13. "Parents Credit Chelation With Autism Cure" dated 3 March 2006 from NBC
11 at http://www.nbc11.com/health/7660909/detail.html
<http://www.nbc11.com/health/7660909/detail.html> .

"A treatment for lead poisoning that's been around for decades is now being
used to treat autistic children. Some parents say chelation is bringing
about dramatic change, but it is also bringing about controversy. Josh
Shoemaker, almost 4, is not his old self, his parents are happy to say.
Angie Shoemaker, Josh's mom, said, "It's just not even comparable. He's just
not the same child." Josh was diagnosed with autism a year ago. His parents
say Josh barely spoke, rarely responded and had slid into his own world, as
was captured in home video from June. His father, Scott, said, "He used to
spin himself in circles constantly, we were losing him daily." But within
five months, Josh was talking and responsive. The Shoemakers credit a
treatment called chelation, outlined in a recent edition of Mothering
Magazine. Josh's parents spread a sulfur-based cream on his skin, a
compound that they and doctors who prescribe it say roots out toxins like
mercury from the body, which they blame for Josh's autism. Dr. Phil De Meio
believes in chelation therapy for autism. "The sulfur grabs onto the
mercury like a magnet, so our body can excrete it. Where it would never have
the ability to do that on its own without something like this," De Meio
said. There is far from consensus about what causes autism, NBC11's Brooke
Hart reported. ..."

14. "Autism Rates Drop After Mercury Removed From Childhood Vaccines" dated
3 March 2006 in Medical News Today at
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=38784
<http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=38784&nfid=rssfeeds>
&nfid=rssfeeds.

"An article in the March 10, 2006 issue of the Journal
<http://www.jpands.org/jpands1101.htm> of American Physicians and Surgeons
shows that since mercury was removed from childhood vaccines, the alarming
increase in reported rates of autism and other neurological disorders (NDs)
in children not only stopped, but actually dropped sharply - by as much as
35%. Using the government's own databases, independent researchers analyzed
reports of childhood NDs, including autism, before and after removal of
mercury-based preservatives. Authors David A. Geier, B.A. and Mark R. Geier,
M.D., Ph.D. analyze data from the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS) and the California Department of Developmental Services
(CDDS) in "Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following
Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines." The numbers from California
show that reported autism rates hit a high of 800 in May 2003. If that trend
had continued, the reports would have skyrocketed to more than 1000 by the
beginning of 2006. But in fact, the Geiers report that the number actually
went down to only 620, a real decrease of 22%, and a decrease from the
projections of 35%. This analysis directly contradicts 2004 recommendations
of the Institute of Medicine which examined vaccine safety data from the
National Immunization Program (NIP) of the CDC. While not willing to either
rule out or to corroborate a relationship between mercury and autism, the
IOM soft-pedaled its findings, and decided no more studies were needed. The
authors write: "The IOM stated that the evidence favored rejection of a
causal relationship between thimerosal and autism, that such a relationship
was not biologically plausible, and that no further studies should be
conducted to evaluate it." As more and more vaccines were added to the
mandatory schedule of vaccines for children, the dose of the mercury-based
preservative thimerosal rose, so that the cumulative dose injected into
babies exceeded the toxic threshold set by many government agencies. Mercury
is known to damage nerve cells in very low concentrations. ..."

15. "J-Mac's meaningful message for autism" dated 3 March 2006 by Wayne
Drehs on ESPN.com at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2352763
<http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2352763> .

"It took four minutes. Four measly minutes for high school senior Jason
McElwain to morph from a relatively unknown student manager of the Greece
Athena basketball team into a nationwide inspiration. In those 240 seconds,
the 5-foot-6 kid with autism, in his first-ever appearance in a high school
game, scored 20 points and tied a school record with six 3-pointers. The
grainy video clip of his jaw-dropping accomplishment -- and the pandemonium
that ensued in the gym -- has made its way from Greece Athena in Rochester,
N.Y., to "Good Morning America," "SportsCenter" and CNN. And as much as it
tugs at the emotions of sports fans all across the country, its most
significant impact might be felt within the autism community, where doctors,
parents and educators are still buzzing about what this all could mean for
the treatment of this disease. "A lot of us feel like this is our gift to
have this happen and to have it receive so much nationwide publicity," said
Dr. Catherine Lord, a professor of psychiatry and the director for the
University of Michigan's Autism and Communications Disorders Center. "There
are thousands of Jasons out there, carrying the net for the soccer team,
keeping statistics for the baseball team, playing the drum for the school
band. This serves as a reminder to give these kids a chance whenever
possible." ..."

16. "D.C. Gets Warning On Care Of Wards- Judge Impatient For Group Home
Improvements" dated 3 March 2006 by Karlyn Barker from The Washington Post
at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030202
367_pf.html
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR200603020
2367_pf.html> .

"An exasperated federal judge warned the District government yesterday that
it is running out of time to demonstrate that it can make meaningful
progress in improving care for physically and mentally disabled residents in
its long-troubled group homes. U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle
expressed frustration on being told that the city had failed to meet a
90-day deadline on a court order to move a designated number of group home
residents into better, safer housing; help others find assisted employment
opportunities; improve health care for at-risk clients; and recruit new
group home operators to provide higher-quality care. "The fact that you
can't do the things that you promised to do is a terrible indictment,"
Huvelle told a packed courtroom. "It's a pretty devastating admission."
Huvelle's comments came during the latest hearing in a 30-year-old
class-action lawsuit that centers on the quality of care for people who are
mentally disabled wards of the District, many of whom also have severe
physical disabilities. The lawsuit was filed in 1976 on behalf of hundreds
of residents of Forest Haven, the city's former institution for people with
mental retardation. The judge listened as various parties in the lawsuit,
including those representing the District, recounted their disappointment at
the city's inability to complete several initiatives aimed at showing that
it could improve services for its most vulnerable citizens. Attorneys for
the plaintiffs said they plan to return to court in the next few weeks to
seek additional legal remedies for their clients. Among the options, they
said, is filing a request to have the judge place the city's Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration in receivership --
a move that could result in an outsider overseeing responsibilities. "The
time has come for a new approach," plaintiffs' counsel Cathy Costanzo of the
Center for Public Representation told the judge. "Something more and
something different must happen. . . . Our class members suffer daily."
..."

17. "Church denies Communion to autistic boy" dated 4 March 2006 by Michael
Clancy from The Arizona Republic at
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0304communion0304.htm
l
<http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0304communion0304.ht
ml> .

"The Catholic Church has told the parents of a 10-year-old autistic boy
that, because the child cannot consume the host, he is not receiving
Communion properly. Until he does, church officials say, he cannot partake
of the church's most meaningful sacrament. According to a letter from
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, delivered to the Lake Havasu City family on Feb.
12, the boy cannot accept Communion in the Catholic Church until he can
"actually receive the Eucharist, actually take and eat." Because of his
condition, Matthew Moran cannot swallow foods with certain textures. So
Matthew, who received his First Communion nearly three years ago in
Pennsylvania, participates in Communion in an unusual way. As his father
watches, the boy takes the Communion wafer and places it in his mouth. His
father, Nick Moran, then removes it and consumes the host himself.
Otherwise, Matthew would spit it out, his father says. Moran, who takes
only the one host for himself, says it remains in the boy's mouth for
several seconds. He says the bishop's letter has caused anger, anxiety and
frustration in his home. "We are out of our minds over this," said the
father, who with his wife, Dr. Jean Weaver, has two other children, one of
them also disabled. Phoenix Diocese officials contend that Matthew has not
been prohibited from Communion, only that the bishop is "not able to approve
the present practice," according to his letter. He offered assistance, which
has come in the form of various hosts for Matthew to try, educational
material and other recommendations for the parents, including respite care,
in which trained personnel would look after the children while the parents
took time for themselves. ..."

18. "Autism and the role of Aquatic Therapy in Recreational Therapy
Treatment Services" dated 6 March 2006 by Laurie Jake from the Therapeutic
Recreation Directory at
http://www.recreationtherapy.com/articles/autismandquatictherapy.htm
<http://www.recreationtherapy.com/articles/autismandquatictherapy.htm> .

"Imagine a world where you did not see, hear, smell, feel and taste the way
everyone else does. Imagine a world where lights and sounds bombard your
senses and frighten you. This is often the world that children with autism
live in. ... Recreational therapy interventions can help address many of
these affected life areas. Recreational therapy can play a primary role in
enhancing the quality of life and productivity of a child with Autism.
According to the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, Recreational
therapists offer individuals with disabilities the opportunity to resume
normal life activities and to establish/re-establish skills for successful
social integration. Among the range of interventions that a recreational
therapist might choose, one unique and very successful alternative for
individuals with autism is aquatic therapy. Water activities provide
autistic children with proprioceptive and tactile input. Children with
Autism have significant sensory difficulties, and are very distractible.
These children over or under react to stimuli in their environment and have
very strong reactions to certain textures. The warm water provides a safe
and supported environment, which not only supports the children, but also
provides them with hydrostatic pressure that surrounds their body in the
water. This pressure actually soothes and calms the children, providing the
necessary sensory input they crave. ..."

19. "New Jersey Boy's Love Of Buses Causes Scare For Father" by Lynda Cohen
at http://tinyurl.com/lnbst <http://tinyurl.com/lnbst> .

"Uriel Hernandez knew the silence wasn't good. He had heard his 4-year-old
son, Arie, playing in the living room of their home on the 3300 block of
Atlantic Avenue while he took a bath and his wife was cleaning in another
room. Then it was quiet. "I went in and said, 'Where's Arie?'" Hernandez
said. When he went in the living room, the boy was gone and the door was
open. Hernandez ran outside and began searching for his son, who is
autistic. After about 15 minutes, he said, "I thought, No, I can't wait
anymore. I saw a police officer and told him what was going on." At about
12:50 p.m., police arrived on the scene and Sgt. Richard Schall set up a
search of the neighborhood. Several officers - including Acting Chief John
Mooney, joined in the search. Then a witness told Officer Anthony Gettle
that he had seen a young boy matching Arie's description get on a New Jersey
Transit bus headed toward Ventnor. A short time later, Margate police
called to say they had found a child. ..."

20. "Team Brings Out Autistic Teen's Talent- Lenny Mills isn't just a
manager for his baseball team; he's a motivator" by Liz Babiarz from the
South Florida Herald-Tribune at http://tinyurl.com/qyyvl
<http://tinyurl.com/qyyvl> .

"By now, many have heard the story about Jason McElwain, an autistic team
manager for the Greece Athena High School basketball team in New York, who
scored 20 points with four minutes left in the final home game of the
season. McElwain's extraordinary display wowed the nation, capturing the
attention of the media and Hollywood producers alike. But McElwain isn't
the only teen with autism overcoming the odds. Other students, including
North Port High School's Lenny Mills, are proving they have a place in
athletics, both on and off the field. Lenny, a junior at North Port High
School, is the equipment manager for the Bobcats baseball team this season.
He hands out helmets, lines up bats, fills water bottles and sets aside
extra balls. Perhaps the most important part of his job goes beyond the
equipment. Lenny says he goes to every home game to cheer on the Bobcats in
their pursuit of the district title championship again this year. "I help
support our team and win," said the 6-foot-2, lanky young man with sandy
blond hair sticking out from under his Bobcats baseball cap. ..."

21. "A Poisonous Move for Kids by CDC" by by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at
http://tinyurl.com/zwbbw <http://tinyurl.com/zwbbw> .

"On February 22, CDC announced that it is dramatically expanding America's
flu vaccination program to include all children between six months and 5
years and their siblings and caretakers. But, guess what
CDC forgot to mention? There is not nearly enough thimerosal-free flu
vaccine to go around. Vaccine makers produced fewer than 8 million
thimerosal-free flu doses this season, which doesn't bode well for the
more than 17 million children designated to receive flu shots under CDC's
new protocol. Thimerosal is the mercury-based preservative that has been
linked to the epidemic of neurological disorders including speech delays,
language delays, hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder, and autism in
American children born after 1989. CDC recommended the removal of thimerosal
from children's vaccines by 2001, but most flu vaccinations still contain 25
micrograms of thimerosal in every 0.5ml dose. Under CDC's new
recommendations, every American child under five will be injected once each
year, with a double dose for first-timers. By his fifth birthday, a child
whose parents cannot obtain the child-safe vaccine will have received up to
100 micrograms of thimerosal, which is half ethyl mercury. A recent
scientific study indicates that many children will retain the
tissue-destroying toxin in their brain and organs for years. CDC has moved
aggressively to cut funding and derail follow-up studies that examine the
impacts of retained mercury in
children's brains. In its announcement, CDC admitted that the health risks
from flu to children do not justify the dramatic expansion of the
vaccination program. For the first time in history, CDC rationalized the new
protocols by arguing that the inoculations will spare parents and the health
care industry significant lost work time now spent taking care of sick
children. Although framed as a recommendation, CDC's new
protocols function as mandates, since they establish the standards of care
for the medical profession. Doctors who fall short of that standard are
liable if a patient were to die from flu. Since CDC is not requiring
production of thimerosal-free children's flu vaccines, its expanded
recommendations are bound to provoke a scramble among parents, pediatricians
and HMOs to get their hands on the limited stashes of thimerosal-free flu
vaccines. ..."


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