Items 1 through 8 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.


9. "Get A Life!": A Model For Enhancing the Quality of Life for Adults with
Autism and Their Families" by Ann and Rud Turnbull from the Beach Center on
Families and Disability at The University of Kansas at
http://www.partoparvt.org/getalife.html
<http://www.partoparvt.org/getalife.html> . For more info, go to
www.beachcenter.org <http://www.beachcenter.org> .

10. "Autism: Seeing through the heart" dated 21 June 2006 by Jeanne Tan Te
from Sunstar at
<http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2006/06/21/oped/jeanne.tan.te.html>
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2006/06/21/oped/jeanne.tan.te.html.

"Having a son with autism comes with as much difficulties and continuing
challenges as there are quite a number of blessings. Three years ago, after
my son was officially diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), I
must have misunderstood my readings about the said disability and the expert
advices I received saying that "autism (was going to be) a lifetime
condition". My son, Jay who was 3 years old at that time, did not speak any
comprehensible word -- not even "mama" -- except some barbaric syllables. He
would run around the house aimlessly, stare at a Sesame Street box cover,
roll himself on the sand, cry endlessly with almost impossible remedies,
giggle without any cause, urinate just about anywhere, would not excrete in
the toilet bowl and refuse to sleep until the next early morning. He would
evade looking at me or anyone else when spoken to and this made teaching him
any skill simply difficult. He stopped taking any solid meal except milk
from a feeding bottle. And then I pictured Jay behaving the same way, this
time at the age of 40... I felt my heart getting crumpled. On the first two
years of his therapies, I would cling to every little improvement that Jay
would show. Deep inside my heart, however, I knew that as a human being, he
deserved to be in a better condition at the very least. I had this aching
desire in my heart that one day, Jay would suddenly snap out of the autism
syndrome... Impossible? At the very moment that I'm writing this article,
Jay has just finished eating his dinner -- rice and crispy fried chicken. He
has set-up his eating utensils and fed himself just like any independent
kids of his age -- he is now six and a half years old. He can also bathe and
get dressed by himself, among other life skills. He is already potty
trained. ..."

11. "Painful questions of blame- Parents, doctors and the disputed link
between vaccines and autism" dated 25 June 2006 by Meg McSherry Breslin from
the Chicago Tribune at
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0606250053jun25,0,1989112,pr
int.story?coll=chi-newsopinionperspective-hed>
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0606250053jun25,0,1989112,pri
nt.story?coll=chi-newsopinionperspective-hed.

"It has been nearly 50 years since mothers shouldered the blame for their
children's autism. Yet for many parents, echoes of that painful era remain.
In the 1950s and '60s, the medical community accepted University of Chicago
psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim's assessment that "refrigerator
mothers"--those with a supposedly cold, unloving demeanor--brought on their
children's disorder. Although we now know that autism is a neurological
disorder and not the result of bad parenting, the exact cause remains a
mystery. Many parents, however, are convinced they've found the answer. And
most experts are on the opposing side. Indeed, few medical battles are more
charged than that between parents who believe mercury in their children's
vaccines brought on autism and the medical establishment that has found no
evidence to support that claim. Not only do these families feel enormous
frustration with the many doctors who dismiss their theories, but they
sometimes blame themselves for what happened while also struggling with the
terrible stress of caring for an autistic child. This sensitive issue was
brought into sharp relief last month after a 37-year-old Peoria area doctor
was charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 3-year-old autistic
daughter, who was suffocated. Police say the doctor confessed to the murder,
though she has entered a plea of not guilty. Friends of Karen McCarron said
the murder charges came as a shock. Still, many said they recognized
emotional turmoil in McCarron in the months before Katie's death. Some who
knew McCarron through her work with an autism support group say the
physician blamed herself for allowing her daughter to be vaccinated, and
feared that the available remedies wouldn't make enough of an improvement to
her daughter's quality of life. Others suggest that perhaps working among
other doctors skeptical of the vaccine connection created an emotional tug
of war for McCarron. "I just think she had a lot of guilt," said Dr. David
Ayoub, a radiologist and associate professor at Southern Illinois University
who occasionally talked with McCarron. Ayoub is a leading supporter of the
mercury-causes-autism theory and is trying to dig up evidence to prove it.
Much of the passion surrounding this issue stems from the fact that autism
can be one of the most difficult disorders to manage. Though cases range
from mild to severe, the toughest ones can be harrowing for parents, some of
whom have to watch their children constantly for fear they will jump in
front of a car, bang their head against a wall, or lash out at others. Some
parents describe the most extreme cases as being like having a hyperactive
2-year-old who never grows out of his impulsive, risky behaviors. ..."

12. "Feds ask state to meet No Child testing law- Virginia must show by
August that it applies the same standard to all K-12 pupils, regardless of
English proficiency, or risk losing aid money" dated 8 July 2006 by Angela
Forest from the Daily Press at
<http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-69135sy0jul08,0,3868734.story>
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-69135sy0jul08,0,3868734.story.

"The federal government wants Virginia to prove that it tests students who
don't speak English as a first language as well as it tests students who
take the state's Standards of Learning exams. That sticking point is the
main reason why the U.S. Department of Education has said Virginia did not
meet the mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Virginia is one
of 34 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, that did not
fully meet expectations of the law, which requires states to assess how
students do each year in reading and math. "What they currently have does
not give them enough evidence that this is an equivalent test to be a
substitute," for the Standards of Learning, said Julie Grimes, spokeswoman
for the Virginia Department of Education. "We're going to do what the law
tells us to do." Virginia has used the Standards of Learning exams since
1998 to annually measure student learning in numerous subjects, including
reading and math. No Child Left Behind expects the alternate tests for
students who don't speak English well or for those with disabilities to
compare to tests for the general student population. The state has until
the first week of August to show federal education officials that they are
adequately testing limited-English students. It must also answer other
questions on how effectively it tests other students, showing how its
methods meet SOL standards and federal ones. Under the federal law, states
by the end of the 2005-06 school year had to start annually testing students
in grades three through eight and once in high school in reading and math.
The end of the school year was also the federal government's trigger to
review states to see if they were following the law's guidelines. "This is
something that states have known about and we've been working with them on
for quite some time," said Valerie Smith, a spokeswoman for the U.S.
Department of Education, which monitors whether states are following the No
Child Left Behind law. States use their own academic assessment programs to
test students, who must achieve federal pass rates. In Virginia, that means
most students get tested through the SOL exams. State officials don't know
if its "approval pending" status with the federal government will affect the
release of scores this summer that show which schools and school districts
made adequate yearly progress under the law, Grimes said. "It depends on
how quickly they respond to us," she said. If Virginia fails to satisfy
federal requests to explain how it tests students, the U.S. Department of
Education can withhold 10 percent, or $208,000, in funds now available to
run schools that serve large numbers of poor students. The money would then
go directly to the school districts."

13. "Discovering the causes, treatment of autism" dated 9 July 2006 by
David Ayoub, MD in an Chicago Tribune editorial at
<http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_opinion_letters/2006/07/discoverin
g_the.html>
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_opinion_letters/2006/07/discovering
_the.html.

"This is regarding "Painful questions of blame; Parents, doctors and the
disputed link between vaccines and autism" (Perspective, June 25), by Meg
McSherry Breslin, a Tribune staff reporter. I am glad you have decided to
take on this controversial topic, but I want to clarify some of the comments
the reporter made, particularly about my own involvement, which I think are
misleading, particularly regarding my own work. First, I am no longer
"trying to dig up evidence to prove" vaccines cause autism. There is
already abundant evidence, the same conclusion made by a 2003 U.S.
Congressional Committee. This debate is not scientific but is political. I
am trying to encourage physicians who have been badly misled by nothing less
than spin and propaganda to review the extensive scientific evidence for
themselves showing the vaccine-autism link, even though "experts" disagree.
I am also lobbying to get mercury removed from vaccines. The statement
indicating "mercury has been phased out of most childhood vaccines" is a
gross distortion of the truth. The flu vaccine contains mercury and the
number of flu shots given to children has increased dramatically since 2004.
The "passion" that Breslin wrote of that provides my motivation does not
come from the fact that this disorder of autism is difficult to manage. Many
illnesses are difficult to manage. The passion comes from the fact that
this is a preventable disorder, we are still harming children by injecting
them an amount of mercury that some believe is unsafe and the disorder is
treatable. Everyone in Breslin's article who denies the link in fact has a
conflict of interest or strong bias to not believe it is a vaccine issue.
There are many peer-reviewed papers on the success of treating children
through a variety of interventions, mostly dietary and biological
supplements aimed at treating measurable biochemical abnormalities. If
autism is a psychiatric disorder, then why do children have abnormal
laboratories in dozens of tests that evaluate the immune system, biochemical
derangements, nutritional deficiencies, infectious agents and toxicological
abnormalities, to name a few. Autism is beyond the expertise of
psychiatrists and psychologists who can only use behavioral therapy or drugs
to treat. The idea that mercury is associated with a neurodevelopmental
disorder is not restricted to parents. There are more than 500 physicians in
the U.S. treating children and improvements can be substantial and total
reversals are possible. This is not a wishful-thinking statement coming
from a parent but from a physician who has witnessed this happening
firsthand."

14. "Teacher pleads guilty to assault for hitting autistic student" dated
9 July 2006 from the Associated Press in the Duluth News Tribune at
<http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/15001323.htm
>
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/15001323.htm.

"A former special education teacher in Fergus Falls is prohibited from
teaching in public or private schools for two years for slapping an autistic
kindergartner in the face. Patrick Sagerhorn entered an Alford plea Friday
in Otter Tail County District Court, acknowledging there might be enough
evidence to convict him in a trial, but not admitting that he slapped the
5-year-old boy. In addition to the teaching ban, Sagerhorn was ordered to
pay $500 in court costs and not have a similar violation for two years. The
Minnesota Department of Education and the state Board of Teaching will
decide whether Sagerhorn will be allowed to teach after the two-year ban.
The Fergus Falls school board fired Sagerhorn in December. He had been with
the school for 28 years. According to the complaint, another teacher saw
Sagerhorn give the boy a tissue outside a classroom on Oct. 18. After the
boy threw the tissue on the floor, the witness said Sagerhorn slapped the
boy across the face and told him sternly, "You don't do that."

15. "Flu vaccine problems possible this fall" dated 10 July 2006 by Bill
Hendrick from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/0710fluvaccine.html
<http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/0710fluvaccine.html> .

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has "heightened concern"
that the nation will not receive all the seasonal influenza shots it needs
this fall after the Food and Drug Administration's stern warning over
contamination issues against Sanofi Pasteur, the country's largest flu
vaccine maker. Sanofi, which is producing 50 million doses of injectable
influenza vaccine at its Swiftwater, Pa., manufacturing plant, was slapped
by FDA last week for what the regulatory agency called "a number of
significant objectionable conditions" at the plant. Among them were findings
that 11 lots of Fluzone concentrate used to make the seasonal flu doses were
contaminated with an unnamed microbe, out of 250 to 300 lots needed to make
the promised vaccine. We are concerned," said Dr. Lance Rodewald, director
of the CDC's immunization services division. "We are always concerned. Now,
concern is heightened." Since problems have hit the nation's seasonal flu
vaccine program in four of the last six years, Rodewald said CDC is watching
Sanofi "very closely," not just because the firm is America's largest
producer, but because it also produces vaccine for children under age 4, one
of the groups at highest risk for seasonal influenza. The FDA would not
identify the contaminant but agreed with Sanofi that the problem appeared
unlikely to prevent Sanofi Pasteur from making its 50 million doses. That
amount is about 40 percent of the 120 million total flu shots expected for
the United States this year. "With regard to the upcoming influenza season,
we are confident that we will meet our manufacturing goal of approximately
50 million doses of influenza vaccine for the U.S. market," said Sanofi
spokesman Len Lavenda. "... The amount of material impacted is minimal
relative to our overall manufacturing capacity, and none of this material
has been or will be used in the manufacture of this year's vaccine." ..."

16. "FDA waits for vaccine maker's response to warning" dated 11 July 2006
by Anita Manning from USA TODAY at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-07-11-vaccine_x.htm
<http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-07-11-vaccine_x.htm> .

"A major flu vaccine maker says it has resolved concerns about the sterility
of a vaccine component that prompted a warning letter from the Food and Drug
Administration. An FDA official, however, says problems at the company's
plant in Swiftwater, Pa., are "systemic" and corrections have not been
verified. Sanofi Pasteur reported to the FDA on March 31 that 11 batches of
one of three main components being produced for its annual flu vaccine had
failed sterility tests. The company is expected to produce 50 million doses
this fall, half of the nation's expected supply. FDA officials say they do
not expect problems at the Sanofi plant to cause any delay or shortfall in
the vaccine supply. The FDA inspected the plant in April and informed the
company of technical and quality-control problems it needed to correct. Then
it issued a warning letter June 30, citing "significant deviations from
current good manufacturing practices," and advising, "you should take prompt
action." David Johnson, Sanofi's director for scientific and medical
affairs, says the company has made changes and is confident there will be no
delay in production. "We found it early enough that we were able to make up
for it and will still be able to produce 50 million doses," he says. Flu
vaccine contains three strains of flu virus. Each strain is grown
independently in eggs; then the virus is extracted, inactivated, filtered to
remove biological impurities that are naturally found in eggs and combined
with the other strains to create the vaccine. Johnson says the 11 failed
batches from one of the virus strains were destroyed. "We believe we have
found the root cause" for the failure, he says. "It was in the filtration
process, and in particular, a filtration device. We have corrected that
problem." FDA official Mary Malarkey says the agency has not yet received
Sanofi's official response to the warning letter, though talks with the
company continue. But the agency's concerns go beyond a single
malfunctioning filtration device. "I can't speak to our internal
discussions with the firm, but the warning letter was issued because we
found significant regulatory violations," she says. "These are issues that
are far-reaching." The FDA's warning letter and inspection form cite
problems involving equipment maintenance and procedures to assure sterility
and compliance with technical specifications, not only for flu vaccine but
also for other vaccines made at the plant, including those for yellow fever,
meningitis and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis. ..."

17. "Woman and son run to raise awareness about autism" dated 11 July 2006
by Amber Shea from The Journal-Pioneer at
<http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=365&sc=1>
http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=365&sc=1.

"When Janet Norman-Bain found out her son was autistic, she felt only
happiness. "I thought great," she said. "(Personally), I thought. . . we're
going to lead a more interesting life." Norman-Bain says autism is not
something to be ashamed of nor is it a "life sentencing, horror story,
family-wrecking disease." Unfortunately, she said that is not the view of
most people, but Norman-Bain hopes she and her son, Alex Bain, can change
that. Last year, Bain, 18, decided he would be the first autistic person to
run the Island tip-to-tip. But he would not be alone. Norman-Bain, who has
Aspergers - a mild case of autism - decided to take her bike and join her
son on his trek across P.E.I. Together the two are trying to raise money in
order to raise awareness about autism. Norman-Bain explains their aim is to
collect $6,000 so they can pay to have Dennis Debbaudt come to P.E.I. and
educate the public on autism. Debbaudt is a private investigator based out
of the United States, who teaches the law enforcers and medical personnel
how to interact with people with autism. Bain and Norman-Bain set out on
their journey July 2. They have endured thunderstorms and rain, but they
also had some more pleasant company. They were joined by a man and his son
who ran with them from St.Louis to Alma and on July 7 they ran into
Summerside accompanied by Scott Clark. While in Summerside Friday, they
collected a $100 donation from deputy mayor Bruce MacDougall on behalf of
the city. From the sidelines Bain's father proudly watched his son. "I'm
doubly proud because she's doing this with him," he said pointing to
Norman-Bain. ..."

18. "Young and abusive - bullies rule" dated 11 July 2006 by Anna Patty
from The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) at
<http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/young-and-abusive--bullies-rule/2006/07
/10/1152383677671.html>
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/young-and-abusive--bullies-rule/2006/07/
10/1152383677671.html.

"Playground bullying can cause the same level of psychological damage as
child abuse, a study of 3000 Sydney high school students has found. One in
five of the children surveyed had suffered psychologically damaging levels
of bullying in Sydney schools. But some teachers had failed to report
serious cases to police. In one case, a boy had rubbish forced into his
mouth and was admitted to hospital three times. But his school dismissed the
attacks as playground squabbles. Jean Healey, an educational psychologist
from the University of Western Sydney, surveyed the students from four high
schools in the private and public sectors. The schools included a
single-sex, co-educational and a denominational school. The study found
bullied children felt unsupported and unprotected at school. "We found that
peer abuse can be equally damaging as child abuse," Dr Healey said. "Not
only are the actual behaviours often the same, there is plenty of evidence
that peer abuse can have equally serious and permanent repercussions as
other forms of abuse." Both forms of abuse were similar in their
psychological impact and in the power relationship between the victim and
abuser. Child abuse data showed that 36 per cent of abuse carried out on
children up to the age of 17 was of a physical nature. "In comparison, 33.3
per cent of males and 15 per cent of females from our bullying survey said
they had endured physical abuse," Dr Healey said. More children may now be
at risk of abuse from peers than from abusive adults. "It's clear young
people are being physically abused to a much greater extent than is
currently acknowledged," Dr Healey said. Under existing child protection
legislation, teachers are required to report all forms of child abuse.
However, school data gathered on bullying was not given the same status as
child abuse data. "Legislation mandates early notification of all forms of
abuse and increases both the level of responsibility and liability for
litigation of teachers and schools for failure to offer an appropriate level
of protection to victims," Dr Healey said. One student recently
successfully sued the NSW Department of Education after he was admitted to
hospital three times as a result of bullying. Teachers had suspected
bullying but described the incidents as "fighting" in school incident
reports. The student developed severe anxiety, depression, migraines and
was ultimately forced to leave school after having garbage forced into his
mouth and being thrown against a wall. He was pushed to the ground, punched
and kicked and verbally abused. He suffered concussion, and had a seizure
after one incident. "The error of interpretation was in seeing each of the
incidents as a separate assault rather than an ongoing and systematic
process of peer abuse," Dr Healey said. "The same criteria would not
usually be applied in the case of child abuse by adults where a record of
incidents would become a cumulative indicator of abuse and would be unlikely
to be viewed as unrelated." ..."

19. "Editorial: Time to deliver on autism promise" dated 11 July 2006 in
the Toronto Star at
<http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Arti
cle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1152569410326&call_pageid=970599119419>
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Artic
le_Type1&c=Article&cid=1152569410326&call_pageid=970599119419.

"Dalton McGuinty promised during the 2003 election campaign to extend
government funding for intensive autism therapy, then limited to children
ages 2 to 5, to older children. Since then, however, the premier has fought
legal efforts by parents to force him to do just that, arguing judges
shouldn't tell governments how to spend their money. Last week, the Ontario
Court of Appeal agreed, overturning a lower-court ruling that had found the
age cut-off discriminatory and ordered the province to fund the costly
therapy for children older than 5. The appeal judges said the Supreme Court
has recognized that governments with limited resources must "make difficult
policy choices and that the government is in a better position than the
court to make such choices." Despite the ruling in its favour, the Ontario
government says it will continue to pay for the autism therapy, known as
Intensive Behavioural Intervention or Applied Behaviour Analysis, for all
children who can benefit from it, regardless of how old they are. That is
encouraging. But saying you will do something and actually doing it are two
different things. McGuinty must now follow through. The signs, however, are
not promising. Despite new provincial funding, too many autistic children
who qualify for the intensive treatment are still not receiving it. Around
750 autistic children in Ontario are waiting for the therapy, almost as many
as are currently getting it. Some frustrated parents are selling their
houses to pay for the treatment themselves, at a cost of $40,000 to $60,000
a year. Others are pulling up stakes and moving to Alberta, where it is more
readily available. The government says the number of children waiting for
assessments has fallen drastically in the last two years. It also says it
will fund intensive therapy for 120 more autistic children this year. But
that will barely make a dent in the waiting list for treatment, which
continues to rise with the incidence of the disorder. True, the intensive
therapy is extremely expensive. There is also some debate over whether it is
as effective for older children as it is for preschoolers, a fact that
caught the attention of the appeal court. Down the road, experts in the
field may develop less costly treatments, or cheaper ways of delivering the
same treatment. But for now, this method appears to be the most effective
way to reach many autistic children. McGuinty had to have known all this
when he made his election promise. But after dragging dozens of families of
autistic children through the courts to prove a point, it would be unseemly
now if he does not deliver."

20. "Autistic boy with service dog turned away from school" dated 12 July
2006 by ANDREA BUSHEE from the Nashua Telegraph at
<http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEWS01/1
07120098/-1/community07>
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEWS01/10
7120098/-1/community07.

"Cole Austin sat quietly on the sidewalk in front of his school Tuesday
morning as the adults around him talked about whether he and his new service
dog Zeke would be able to enter the building. The 5-year-old's face, shaded
by his Red Sox baseball cap, showed no sign of emotion during the half hour
it took school officials to decide that he and the dog had to leave. The
autisitc boy's mother, Michelle Austin, was told Cole and Zeke could not
attend the extended-year program at Dr. Crisp Elementary School because she
refused to sign a contract saying the decision to allow the dog in school
was only temporary. "They just told my son he can't have his education
because he has a service dog," she said. But the boy and his dog will be
able to attend school together as soon as today, since acting Superintendent
Christopher Hottel said Tuesday afternoon that he's decided any student with
a service animal will be let into school as long as all the parties involved
meet and feel comfortable with the situation. Hottel said he could not
discuss any specific case involving a student, but said the district is
trying to accommodate students with service animals, as well as the other
students. The board of education is considering a policy dealing with
service animals in schools. Until the board approves the policy, Hottel
said, signing a contract will not be required if all parties involved feel
comfortable with a service animal in the classroom. Austin said Hottel had
called her to say both Cole and Zeke would be allowed in school today. "I'm
very relieved that he will be able to go to school tomorrow," she said late
Tuesday afternoon. "It's been a very emotional day. I think we've turned a
corner." Outside Dr. Crisp on Tuesday morning, Austin said she did not want
to sign the contract because it said the district had not decided whether
Cole needs the service dog at school. That is "just not their job," she
said. Austin and Eric Schroeder, the district's director of special
education, discussed the situation on the sidewalk as Cole and his
classmates sat nearby. Schroeder told Austin that she could sign the
contract "under protest," and that he wanted things to work out. "Can you
understand I don't want to deny you entrance into the school?" he said.
..."

21. "Study expands knowledge about autism" dated 12 July 2006 from United
Press International at
<http://news.monstersandcritics.com/health/article_1180289.php/Study_expands
_knowledge_about_autism>
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/health/article_1180289.php/Study_expands_
knowledge_about_autism.

"U.S. researchers say they believe they`ve identified why people suffering
from autism think in pictures. The researchers in the National Institutes
of Health-funded study found autism might involve a lack of connections and
coordination in separate areas of the brain. In people with autism, brain
areas performing complex analysis appear less likely to work together during
problem-solving tasks than in non-afflicted people. The researchers found
communications between those brain centers in autistics appear to be
directly related to the thickness of the anatomical connections between
them. In a separate study, the same research team found that, in people
with autism, brain areas normally associated with visual tasks also appear
to be active during language-related tasks, which might explain a bias
toward visual thinking common in autism. 'The findings may one day provide
the basis for improved treatments for autism that stimulate communication
between brain areas,' said Dr. Duane Alexander, director of NIH`s National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The research was led by
psychology Professor Marcel Just at Carnegie Mellon University and Dr. Nancy
Minshew, professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of
Pittsburgh School of Medicine."

22. "Woman places dead dog in roadside box" dated 12 July 2006 Jim Maniaci
from the Gallup Independent at
<http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/july/071206deaddog.html>
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/july/071206deaddog.html.

"Ann Dillard-Hancock received a bizarre education recently. "I didn't
realize the mess I would create. I made a really stupid decision you're
never too old to learn, and I'm 64." Dillard-Hancock of Cantina Acres, a
subdivision 10 miles up Lobo Canyon, made the comment a few days after the
shooting death of a 3-year-old female Shar Pei dog specially trained for her
16-year-old autistic grandson, Danny. She said that after "Kisses" was
placed in a box with a sign, where she had found the lifeless dog shot in
the head out by the unnamed street by Mile Marker 10 on State Highway 547,
Danny went out at least 10 times to pet the temporary casket. She said she
made the temporary casket with the sign after holding a family meeting.
When a person is autistic, she explained, "They have a longer grieving
period than you or I. That's why he was out there petting the box, thinking
it was good." According to the report by Deputy Mike Oelcher the Cibola
County Sheriff's Office K-9 officer the owner arrived home around 11 p.m. on
July 3 to find the dog shot to death. She said the animal had been dragged
to the street and believes it was to make it look as if the canine the breed
is famous for its heavily wrinkled skin had been hit by a vehicle. The
deputy was sent to the home around 6 p.m. two days later and found flies
infesting the pool of blood which had leaked through the cardboard box
wrapped in plastic, with a sign on top which indicated no one would be able
to hurt Kisses any more. "She was upset and did not know what to do. So she
placed the dog in the box with the message so the person (who) did this
would see it," the deputy said. Dillard-Hancock added that if the shooter
had waited only a few more days, there would have been no target, as she is
moving into Grants. "Kisses was a loving dog who never hurt anyone," she
lamented. ..."

23. "Assembly member saves the best for last- It took Matthews 20 years,
but she kept her promise to secure funding for disabled" dated 12 July 2006
by Aaron Swarts from Inside Bay Area at
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_4040358
<http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_4040358> .

"Calling it the "single most significant accomplishment" of her career,
Assembly member Barbara Matthews, D-Tracy, along with four other members of
the Assembly, has managed to secure $110.5 million in funding for the
developmentally disabled in this year's state budget. The accomplishment
represents the first time in 20 years that the state has committed
substantial funding increases for the developmentally disabled community,
Matthews said. "The state already doesn't have enough money to go around,"
Matthews said. "And there are a lot of competitive interests in the state
budget. But we were determined to keep a promise we made to that community."
The issue couldn't be any closer to Matthews' heart. She is the parent of an
adult son with disabilities who has had several jobs in the community thanks
to state programs. "Many persons with disabilities just want to work, yet
it's often hard to get employers to see through their disability and see
that they've got skills to offer," she said. "Once my son was able to start
working, it made his life complete - he felt like a contributing adult."
More than 86,000 adult Californians have cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy,
Down syndrome or other forms of de-velopmental disabilities that make them
eligible for the state programs. ..."

24. "J-Mac wins Espy" dated 12 July 2006 from the Rochester Democract and
Chronicle at
<http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEW
S01/60713001/1002/NEWS>
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEWS
01/60713001/1002/NEWS.

"J-Mac's minutes turned out to be the year's best moment in sports. Jason
McElwain, the autistic manager of Greece Athena High School's basketball
team who scored 20 points as a substitute, won the ESPY Award on Wednesday
night for best moment in sports. He completed high school in June.
McElwain beat out Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant's 81-point game last
season. Other nominees were George Mason University's NCAA Final Four run
and 13-year-old Dakoda Dowd's LPGA appearance for her mother, who has
terminal bone cancer. "To be in the same category as my idol, Kobe Bryant,
is another dream come true," McElwain said of his nomination. McElwain
attended the show with his family. His autism , is a disorder of brain
function that affects social interaction, communication, imagination and
behavior. The show was taped in Los Angeles. It airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on
ESPN (cable channel 24)."

25. "Three girls give the gift of research" dated 13 July 2006 by Bethan
Jones from the Lexington Minuteman at
http://www2.townonline.com/lexington/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=535536
<http://www2.townonline.com/lexington/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=535536
> .

"When you look at the three of them, you can tell it's a long-worn,
comfortable friendship. They can finish each other's sentences, have
similar tastes and expressions. They also share the same birthday month.
When Charlotte Cramer, Julia Harden and Sarah Perlta all turned 13 last
month, the girls decided to act out their longtime wish of having a joint
birthday party. They hired a DJ, prepared Perlta's backyard and invited
more than 60 kids. The one thing missing: gifts. Instead of asking each
person to bring three separate birthday presents, the girls asked for money
which would be donated to Autism Speaks, a nonprofit working to raise
awareness and find a cure for autism. The selection of autism as the choice
cause was not random; Perlta's younger brother Evan, 11, has been diagnosed
as autistic. When she was younger, though she does not like to talk about it
now that she's officially a teenager, Perlta wrote a short book about having
a brother with autism. While teens don't always get a good rap for their
impact on society, the 52 kids who showed up on June 17 to party came
prepared. Some brought coins and random change collected over time, others
brought crisp bank notes. Others had checks. By the end of the night, the
three girls had raised $555.30 for the cause. ..."

26. "Father Kills Self After Shooting Son" dated 14 July 2006 by
<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/tom+jackman,+stephanie+mccru
mmen+and+daniela+deane/> Tom Jackman, Stephanie McCrummen and Daniela Deane
from the Washington Post at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071400
502.html
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR200607140
0502.html> .

"An apparent domestic dispute in McLean ended early this morning when police
entered a home after hearing gunshots hours before and found a 12-year-old
boy and his father shot to death. Fairfax County police identified the
victims as William Lash III, 45, a law professor at George Mason University
and a former Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and his 12-year-old son
William Lash IV. Police said in a statement that a "preliminary
investigation indicates this case is a murder/suicide with William Lash III
shooting his son, William Lash IV, and then himself." A Fairfax County
police spokesman said police were called to the 1400 block of Pathfinder
Lane in west McLean at about 9:53 p.m. yesterday and were told that Lash was
barricaded inside the home with his son. Police said the man's wife, the
mother of the slain boy, had called police following a domestic dispute with
her husband. Neighbors said the boy, known as "Will," was autistic. A George
Mason University colleague and neighbors described Lash as devoted to his
son, often taking him to Nationals games. Police said they heard two
gunshots fired inside the Cape Cod with blue siding minutes after they
arrived at the scene following the mother's call. Negotiators tried in vain
to make contact with Lash for hours before entering the home at 3:45 a.m.
and discovering the bodies in a first-floor bedroom. ..."

27. "Study of the Relationship Between Tuberous Sclerosis Complex & ASD" by
Virginia Wong MBBS, FRCP from the Journal of Child Neurology at
<BLOCKED::http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/537232?src=mp>
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/537232?src=mp.

"Abstract. There has been increasing awareness that there are behavioral
phenotypes in tuberous sclerosis complex with neuropsychiatric symptom
complex such as autistic disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). However, the neurobiologic basis of autistic disorder in
tuberous sclerosis complex is still unknown. We studied two cohorts of
children followed up since 1986 until 2003, one cohort with tuberous
sclerosis complex and another cohort with autistic disorder, to determine
the incidence of autistic disorder in tuberous sclerosis complex and the
incidence of tuberous sclerosis complex in autistic disorder respectively.
We established a Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Registry in 1985 at the
University of Hong Kong. In 2004, 44 index cases (the male to female ratio
was 0.75:1) were registered. Three had a positive family history of
tuberous sclerosis complex. Thus, the total number of tuberous sclerosis
complex cases was 47. We adopted the diagnostic criteria of tuberous
sclerosis complex for case ascertainment. The period prevalence rate of
tuberous sclerosis complex for children and adolescents aged = 20 years is
3.5 per 10,000 (on Hong Kong island, excluding the eastern region with
125,100 aged = 20 years in 2003). Of 44 cases with tuberous sclerosis
complex, 7 had autistic disorder. Thus, the incidence of autistic disorder
in tuberous sclerosis complex is 16%. During the 17-year period
(1986-2003), we collected a database of 753 children (668 boys and 84 girls;
male to female ratio 8:1) with autistic disorder and pervasive developmental
disorders. For all children with autistic disorder or pervasive
developmental disorders, we routinely examined for any features of tuberous
sclerosis complex by looking for neurocutaneous markers such as depigmented
spots, which appear in 50% of children with tuberous sclerosis complex by
the age of 2 years. For those with infantile spasm or epilepsy, the
clinical features of tuberous sclerosis complex were monitored regularly
during follow-up. Of these, seven had tuberous sclerosis complex. Thus,
the incidence of tuberous sclerosis complex in autistic disorder is 0.9%.
All of these children are mentally retarded, with moderate to severe grades
in an intellectual assessment conducted by a clinical psychologist. Future
studies should be directed toward looking at the various behavioral
phenotypes in tuberous sclerosis complex and defining these with
standardized criteria to look for any real association with the underlying
genetic mutation of TSC1 or TSC2 gene or even the site of tubers in the
brain."

28. "Adderall XR Demonstrated Improved Productivity in the Classroom
Throughout the Day" in a press release from the drug manufacturer to
physicians at
<http://www.medscape.com/infosite/adderall/article-adhdandadderall#productiv
i>
<http://www.medscape.com/infosite/adderall/article-adhdandadderall#productiv
ity>
http://www.medscape.com/infosite/adderall/article-adhdandadderall#productivi
ty.

"To be successful in the classroom, children must have good focus and
attention, as well as good behavior. In a recent study, children taking
Adderall XR experienced significant improvement in academic productivity, as
measured by the PERMP scale, that was sustained throughout the day.[8][10]
Significant improvement in academic productivity demonstrated in the
Adderall XR group-on average, patients in the Adderall XR treatment group
completed 26 more math problems correctly throughout the day compared with
the placebo group. Adderall XR also demonstrated improvement in the core
impairment of inattention. In a recent clinical study, efficacy in treating
inattention was seen at the first postdose assessment (1.5 hours) and
maintained throughout the day.[8,10] SKAMP (Swanson, Kotkin, Agler,
M-Flynn, and Pelham) rating scale deportment score assesses classroom
manifestations of ADHD, including not staying seated, not staying quiet, not
following rules, etc. Adderall XR was generally well tolerated in clinical
studies. * 97% of adverse events were mild or moderate, and most were
reported during the first 3 months[11] * Adderall XR showed no clinically
significant changes in mean heart rate or blood pressure over 2 years[11] *
Over half of the patients receiving Adderall XR were treated for ?12
months[1] Adderall XR is contraindicated in patients with symptomatic
cardiovascular disease and moderate to severe hypertension Adderall XR
generally should not be used in patients with structural cardiac
abnormalities Low Incidence of Adverse Events in an Open-Label,
Noncomparative, Community Assessment Trial (LADD.CAT*)[4,17] -Incidence of
adverse events was low, regardless of previous therapy[4] * - Most adverse
events were mild in nature. * More than half of patients receiving Adderall
XR were treated for 12 months[8] * The most common adverse events in
pediatric trials included loss of appetite, insomnia, abdominal pain, and
emotional lability * In a 24-month, open-label extension study, 97% of
adverse events were mild or moderate, and most were reported during the
first 3 months[11]"

29. "Writers of Major Antidepressant Study Paid By Drugmakers" from the
Wall Street Journal at <http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/dXtEhMrCDQkbyVtTmG>
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/dXtEhMrCDQkbyVtTmG.

"A study in a prestigious medical journal warning against taking pregnant
women off antidepressants failed to disclose most of the study's 13 authors
received money from makers of the drugs. In addition, The Wall Street
Journal reports, some of the co-authors earned additional income on the
lecture circuit telling physicians about their findings and pointing out
flaws in contrary studies."

30. "Mother Searches For Alternatives In Autism Treatments Beyond the
Limits support group formed" by Tena Lee from the Hendersonville Star News
at <http://tinyurl.com/fe3vq> http://tinyurl.com/fe3vq.

"Looking at the raw statistics, Hendersonville resident Antoinette Pazdro
knows she's not alone. While one in every 160 school-aged children has been
diagnosed with some form of autism, she knows she's not the only parent
dealing with the disorder. However, what does make Pazdro different, in
some ways, is how she views her daughter's diagnosis and what treatments she
is seeking for 17-year-old Amanda. Through these treatments, Pazdro has
seen a dramatic improvement in her daughter. And with her new non-profit
group, 'Beyond the Limits,' Pazdro wants to share Amanda's results with
other parents and raise funds for these costly, alternative treatments that
are often not covered by insurance companies. According to local physician
Michael Bernui, the prevalence of autism is estimated to have risen from one
in 10,000 births in the mid-1980s to about 1 in 150 today. "The big
question is 'why?'" he says, adding he believes in the theory that there are
biological causes for autism. Bernui admits this theory is not widely
accepted in the conventional medical community. Autism is currently
classified as a behavioral disorder, he notes, and many of the treatments
Pazdro has found to be successful for Amanda are still considered to be on
the cutting edge. Some of the treatments include IV Detoxification, also
known as IV Kilation; Mild Hiberbaric Oxygen Therapy and IV Mineral Therapy.
Most of these treatments, Pazdro noted, are not covered by insurance and can
be rather costly. The central theory behind these treatments that often rid
the body of toxins is the belief that autism is caused by biologic
components such as a virus or toxins like mercury. Whether or not there is
a link to thimerosal - a mercury-based preservative once found in nearly all
childhood vaccines - and autism is still a topic of hot debate in the
medical community. Both Bernui and Pazdro believe there is a link and site
several studies including journalist David Kirby's book, "Evidence of Harm."
Pazdro admits she is less concerned with the cause than she is with finding
a treatment that works for her daughter. ..."

31. "For Autistic Children, Relating to Others Is Life's Greatest
Challenge" by Laura Schreibman from the Summer 2006 edition of the American
Federation of Teachers at
<http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/summer06/autism.ht
m>
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/summer06/autism.htm
.

"Peter is a beautiful 5-year-old boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and
freckles. He looks like many other very cute kids. He is well coordinated,
active, and agile. However, while Peter looks perfectly normal, it soon
becomes apparent as you watch him that Peter does not behave like a typical
child. He does not interact with the other children in his class, and in
fact he avoids contact with them. He is not attached to his parents or
anyone else, preferring to be alone. Rather than playing appropriately with
toys, he puts them in his mouth or flaps them in front of his eyes. He does
not communicate but instead parrots TV commercial jingles or bits of
conversation he hears from others. He throws frequent and intense tantrums,
often lasting over an hour and precipitated by nothing more severe than the
discovery of a drawer left open, the disruption of a precise line of toy
cars he has arranged by color, or the removal of one of the McDonald's
mustard packets that he insists on carrying with him at all times. Sometimes
during these tantrums Peter bangs his head against the floor or the wall or
bites his hand. He has calluses on his hands from repeated biting. When not
otherwise engaged, he will jump repeatedly while flapping his arms and
whistling. The teachers in his school try a variety of techniques in an
effort to help him. Understandably, his parents are immensely frustrated.
They cannot reach their son emotionally despite endless attempts. Their
lives are complicated further by the fact that they avoid taking him places
because of his disruptive, bizarre, and embarrassing behavior. Their son has
autism. Autism is a severe form of psychopathology evident before the age
of 3. It is a disorder characterized by a unique constellation of severe and
pervasive behavioral deficits (e.g., lack of communication) and excesses
(e.g., ritualistic and repetitive behaviors). Because of the extremely broad
range of behaviors and abilities among people with autism, it is likely that
what we call "autistic disorder" is really a diagnostic category made up of
several as-yet-undetermined subgroups. The subgroups have many similar
features, but future research may find that they have distinct causes.
Therefore, "autism" is really short for "Autistic Spectrum Disorder," a term
that is applied to all of the various subgroups. In turn, Autism Spectrum
Disorder falls under an umbrella category of "pervasive developmental
disorders." Although this article is limited to discussing autism, readers
should be aware that there are three other pervasive developmental disorders
that share some features with-but are distinct from-autism: Rett's Disorder,
Child Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder.* To learn more about
these disorders, visit the Autism Society of America's Web site at
<http://www.autism-society.org> www.autism-society.org. ..."


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