In case you miss any of these email over the last year, they are all
archived in the Military Family Network at
<http://www.emilitary.org/forums/index.php?showforum=664>
http://www.emilitary.org/forums/index.php?showforum=664 and also at the
POAC-NoVA website of
<http://www.poac-nova.org/base.cgim?template=news_and_events>
http://www.poac-nova.org/base.cgim?template=news_and_events.


Items 1 through 4 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.

5. This study at
<blocked::http://www.csef-air.org/publications/related/LAUSD%20FINAL%206-10-
04.pdf>
http://www.csef-air.org/publications/related/LAUSD%20FINAL%206-10-04.pdf was
recently posted on the CSEF/SEEP web site. CSEF/SEEP is an OSEP-funded
outfit which does special ed. finance related studies for OSEP and various
other entities. The Los Angeles district provided a bit less than 50% of
the IEP-mandated related services its kids were supposed to receive.
Many studies and audits in the past decade or so have shown that the NYC DOE
provides around 30% less related services than its students' IEP's
"mandate." The Medicaid Inspector General's audits have disallowed 30-50% of
all NYS school Medicaid reimbursement claims for related services on the
ground that there was no documentation that the service was actually
provided. So if you think your child won't, or isn't getting all the
related services his/her IEP requires:

1. You're in good company.
2. You should complain: loud, often and fast.
3. If complaining doesn't work, and your child is Medicaid-eligible, you
should assume that Medicaid is being billed for services not actually
provided. The best thing you can do about this is a Medicaid fraud
complaint. Here's the page where the information on how to file these is
listed: <BLOCKED::http://oig.hhs.gov/hotline.html.>
http://oig.hhs.gov/hotlinehtml. You can complain anonymously. If you want
confidential assistance in doing this, feel free to contact the original
author off list at <BLOCKED::mailto:editor@...>
editor@....
4. You need to check with your child every single day to see if s/he has
been seen by a related service provider as per an IEP and you need to insure
that your child is being seen on a 1:1 basis, if that's what the IEP calls
for, or in the proper group size if the IEP calls for group services.

6. Wrightslaw Alert - BM_1JP v. School Board of Hanover County VA. On
Monday, August 28, in JP v. County School Board of Hanover County, Judge
Robert Payne of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia
issued another powerful pro-child decision on behalf of a child with autism.
<http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/06/al.0901.jp.hanover.htm> Download this
Alert. JP v. School Board of Hanover County VA is a case about autism, ABA
therapy, and reimbursement for a private special education program. J.P. v.
Hanover also demonstrates why schools should use objective tests to measure
a child's progress (or regression), discrete trial data, and why schools
must provide children with the services in their IEPs. In his decision,
Judge Payne describes weight due to the State hearing officer's decision and
why testimony by the school witnesses was impeached. The decision includes
charts of J.P.'s progress and regression on objective standardized
educational tests. In J.P. v. School Board of Hanover County VA, the
parents lost at the due process hearing, but prevailed in the U.S. District
Court. <http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/06/peterson.hanover.va.pdf>
Download the decision in JP v. County School Board of Hanover County VA
<http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/06/peterson.hanover.va.pdf>
http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/06/peterson.hanover.va.pdf. Note: The
Order and Decision are 88 pages in pdf and a very large file (1.5 mb).
Please do not try to open this document online. Instead, download the file
to your hard drive, then open it.

7. "EFMP seminar teaches Marines about extended care" dated 25 May 2006 by
Lance Cpl. Sha'ahn Williams from MCB Quantico in the Marine Corps News at
<http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/86D42AC852291E588525717F00
42148A?opendocument>
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/86D42AC852291E588525717F004
2148A?opendocument.

"Most Marines are familiar with Tricare healthcare and its different
coverage programs such as Tricare Standard, Prime and Extra. But few
families know about the Tricare Extended Care Health Option, which is
available for certain active duty family members. ECHO provides financial
assistance to beneficiaries who qualify based on specific mental or physical
disabilities, and offers integrated services and supplies beyond the basic
Tricare program. In an effort to inform Marines about ECHO, the Exceptional
Family Member Program sponsored a seminar Friday at the Gen. Alfred M. Gray
Research Center. Gloria Watkins, Quantico's EFMP coordinator, said she
feels it is important to enlighten Marines and their families about the
benefits ECHO has to offer. In our role as advocates for the base's
families, we try to make sure they are aware of services that may help
them," she said. Sandi Johnson, a registered nursed and special needs case
management coordinator for Tricare Regional Office - North, gave a
presentation about the program which became effective last September. New
benefits under ECHO include home health care and respite care, training to
use assistive technology devices and even transportation under certain
circumstances, but all services must be rendered by a Medicare certified
agency, Johnson explained. "One of the most notable benefits of ECHO is
that it offers financial assistance to pay for access to services not
otherwise available through Tricare," Johnson said. She went on to discuss
who is eligible for benefits under ECHO and what medical conditions
qualified. The two most important items of criteria are family members of
active duty service members and a qualifying condition she said. The member
must also be registered with the EFMP. Although the turnout was small, the
Marines and civilians who came to the seminar learned much they wanted to
share with their families, friends and fellow Marines. ..."

8. "Metabolic endophenotype and related genotypes are associated with
oxidative stress in children with autism" dated 17 August 2006 by
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22James+SJ%22%5BAuthor%5D> James SJ,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Melnyk+S%22%5BAuthor%5D> Melnyk S,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Jernigan+S%22%5BAuthor%5D> Jernigan S,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Cleves+MA%22%5BAuthor%5D> Cleves MA,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Halsted+CH%22%5BAuthor%5D> Halsted CH,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Wong+DH%22%5BAuthor%5D> Wong H,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Cutler+P%22%5BAuthor%5D> Cutler P,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Bock+K%22%5BAuthor%5D> Bock K,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Boris+M%22%5BAuthor%5D> Boris M,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Bradstreet+JJ%22%5BAuthor%5D> Bradstreet JJ,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Baker+SM%22%5BAuthor%5D> Baker SM,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pu
bmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Gaylor+DW%22%5BAuthor%5D> Gaylor DW from
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Hospital
Research Institute in PubMed at
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=A
bstractPlus&list_uids=16917939&query_hl=3&itool=pubmed_docsum>
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Ab
stractPlus&list_uids=16917939&query_hl=3&itool=pubmed_docsum.

"Autism is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder usually
diagnosed in early childhood that is characterized by impairment in
reciprocal communication and speech, repetitive behaviors, and social
withdrawal. Although both genetic and environmental factors are thought to
be involved, none have been reproducibly identified. The metabolic phenotype
of an individual reflects the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors
on genotype. As such, it provides a window through which the interactive
impact of genes and environment may be viewed and relevant susceptibility
factors identified. Although abnormal methionine metabolism has been
associated with other neurologic disorders, these pathways and related
polymorphisms have not been evaluated in autistic children. Plasma levels of
metabolites in methionine transmethylation and transsulfuration pathways
were measured in 80 autistic and 73 control children. In addition, common
polymorphic variants known to modulate these metabolic pathways were
evaluated in 360 autistic children and 205 controls. The metabolic results
indicated that plasma methionine and the ratio of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)
to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), an indicator of methylation capacity, were
significantly decreased in the autistic children relative to age-matched
controls. In addition, plasma levels of cysteine, glutathione, and the ratio
of reduced to oxidized glutathione, an indication of antioxidant capacity
and redox homeostasis, were significantly decreased. Differences in allele
frequency and/or significant gene-gene interactions were found for relevant
genes encoding the reduced folate carrier (RFC 80G > A), transcobalamin II
(TCN2 776G > C), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT 472G > A),
methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR 677C > T and 1298A > C), and
glutathione-S-transferase (GST M1). We propose that an increased
vulnerability to oxidative stress (endogenous or environmental) may
contribute to the development and clinical manifestations of autism. (c)
2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc."

9. "Stem cell 'breakthrough' more hype than hope- New technique raises more
ethical questions than real answers" dated 24 August 2006 in oped article by
Arthur Caplan, Ph.D. in MSNBC at <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14502237/>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14502237/.

"Bleary-eyed, I was about to turn off my TV after watching just about every
person in America speculate on the guilt or innocence of John Mark Karr when
a news story flashed in front of my eyes. "A scientist," the announcer
breathlessly pronounced, "has discovered a way to generate stem cells from
human embryos without destroying them." I sat back down. If true, this is
indeed big news. It would be a rare case in which a scientific advance
breaks a moral logjam. Sadly, despite the hype surrounding this story, that
has proven to be far from reality. I went online to see what other news
organizations were saying about this new way to make stem cell lines. Words
like "breakthrough," "major advance" and "very significant research" were
flying all over my computer screen from all the major newspapers, wire
services and news outlets. The media hype machine was running full
throttle. But, why? The science involved is not going to lead to any sort of
ethical breakthrough. The chief scientist involved in the highly publicized
research is Robert Lanza who works for Advanced Cell Technology, a company
that has been in the news before and not always in a positive way. Its
announcement a few years ago that it had cloned human embryos turned out to
be more heat than light. Lanza's current research involves pulling cells
known as blastomeres out of human embryos. He took a human embryo in a lab
dish to the eight-cell stage of development and took off a single cell. Then
he reported growing stem cells from that single cell. Lanza declared that
"this removes the last rational reason for opposing" embryonic stem cell
research. ..."

10. "Vaccines, Friend or Foe?" dated 24 August 2006 by Richard Shuster from
The Conservative Voice at
<http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/17562.html>
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/17562.html.

"For millennia, plagues have ripped at the fabric of civilizations and
decimated untold populations. The Black Plague, perhaps best known in modern
history, may have been a relatively small outbreak when comparing it to even
earlier periods of antiquity.Man has always hoped to be able to avoid the
ravages of such devastation of human life. With the advent of modern science
came great promise to minimize or eradicate the effects of such killing and
crippling diseases. Polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps,
rubella and a host of influenzas were now considered plagues of the past. As
new vaccines were developed and introduced to larger and larger populations
and multiple generations were vaccinated, it seemed that we could be
protected from nearly everything, as long as we received boosters at
prescribed time points. New vaccines continue to be developed at a dizzying
rate as do refinements of existing vaccines with additives called adjuvants
and their components have forged ahead. It is estimated that vaccine
development today may be the single largest area of biomedical development
and R&D budgets. As with the new vaccines and vaccine refinements, the
additives used to enhance their action have become more diverse and widely
used. These additives or adjuvants are primarily added to vaccines either to
suppress or to excite the recipients' autoimmune process, thereby allowing
the vaccine to do its intended job. Generations of people have been born
and vaccinated during the "Vaccine Age". For over 50 years, childhood
vaccinations have been commonplace. So what's the problem, one might
ask?Necessity, safety and efficacy are key thoughts to consider when taking
the measurements of a vaccine's worth. Are all of the vaccines being offered
or in development really necessary? Are all of these vaccines and their
additive ingredients safe for all people who will take them? Will the
vaccines' promises be realized when enough time has passed to measure those
results? Evolving events have prompted thorough consideration, asking
meaningful questions before blindly accepting vaccines for self or loved
ones. Initial and cumulative effects of vaccines are being scrutinized as
populations appear to be exhibiting negative symptoms. Childhood vaccines
have been tagged with growing numbers and percentages of autism, ADD and
other developmental disabilities. Military members from the Gulf War Era and
since are presenting with multiple symptoms and syndromes, leaving them
weakened or incapacitated following administration of anthrax and other
experimental vaccines. Large populations are suffering multiple excruciating
health conditions such as CFS (ME), FMS, and other debilitating ailments. In
all of these scenarios, the only common denominators appear to be vaccines
received. Even populations who are suffering MCS (Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity) symptoms are asking why they now should be so sensitive to
chemicals when they were not so affected earlier in life. Could that too be
an effect of vaccines or their adjuvant additives? Adjuvant additives
including mercury, aluminum and squalene have raised reasonable consumer and
researcher concerns over the past several years. Do any of us wish to see
the return of widespread plagues? Of course not, but, on the other hand, we
do not wish to suffer the manmade plagues from unnecessary, unsafe, or
non-efficacious vaccines and adjuvant products. Vaccines, Friend or Foe? In
large part is yet to be determined. More research is needed. More questions
need to be asked. More serious consideration by all of us is needed before
we roll up our sleeves for another round of vaccines."

11. "Did the Good Doctor Doctor Records At P.S. 276?" dated 31 August 2006
by Tom Tracy from the Canarsie Digest at
<http://www.canarsiedigest.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=17137610&BRD=2384&PAG=46
1&dept_id=552849&rfi=6>
http://www.canarsiedigest.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=17137610&BRD=2384&PAG=461
&dept_id=552849&rfi=6.

"A Canarsie school psychologist is facing seven years in prison after she
allegedly admitted to doctoring records of special education students,
prosecutors charge. Officials said that Shari Lovenheim of P.S. 276,
located at 1070 East 83rd Street, was taken into custody and charged with
falsifying business records and forgery for signing the names of a special
education teacher and a general education teacher who were responsible for
reviewing and approving Individual Education Programs (IEP) of special
education students. The IEP reports are individualized written evaluations
that describe the education programs designed to meet the needs of students
with disabilities or those enrolled in special education classes. By
Department of Education (DOE) mandate, these IEP reports are supposed to be
"developed and revised in a conference which includes parents, both general
education and special educations teachers, school staff and often the
students." Educational professionals attending the meetings are supposed
to sign the IEP report to show that they were there, according to DOE rules.
But a recent evaluation of the IEP reports conducted by school
administrators allegedly showed that several of these evaluations didn't
take place, although the reports sported the signatures of both the special
education teacher and the general education teacher. According to police
and published reports, Lovenheim admits that she forged the signatures on at
least 20 of these reports because she was "overwhelmed with work" and had to
cut corners. Investigators charge that some of the forged IEP reports
ensured that students received services that they did not necessarily need.
Administrators of P.S. 276 forwarded their findings to Special Schools
Investigator Richard Condon, who brought the case to the Kings County
District Attorney's office. Lovenheim, who had worked at P.S. 276 from
September 2005 to April 2006 and has since resigned her position with the
DOE, was released on her own recognizance following her arraignment Tuesday.
She is expected to come back to court to face the charges in October. "We
expect our employees to follow the law, especially when it comes to services
for our children," said DOE General Counsel Michael Best. "This is
unacceptable behavior, and we hope the District Attorney will prosecute this
case vigorously." Robert Ryba, Lovenheim's attorney, declined to comment
about the case when called by this paper."

12. "EPA: Quit using mercury in your Voodoo rituals- Despite health
hazards, playing with poison seen as religious freedom" dated 31 August 2006
from Reuters at <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14606749/>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14606749/.

"Ritualistic use of toxic mercury by followers of Voodoo and other religions
is dangerous but regulating it could drive the practice underground and
possibly violate U.S. guarantees of freedom of religion, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. Mercury can be worn in
amulets, sprinkled on the floor, or added to an oil lamp as part of some
Latino and Afro-Caribbean practices including Santeria, Palo, Voodoo, and
Espiritismo, according to the EPA's inspector general. Some practitioners
believe that the mercury, which forms tiny droplets in liquid form, can
attract love, luck or riches, and even ward off evil, the report said. But
mercury's toxic effects are pronounced in the nervous systems and brains of
exposed children, and can damage organs and cause seizures in adults.
"Mercury vapors resulting from ritual uses can pose a health risk," the EPA
said. "Persons involved in such rituals should be aware of these risks."
There could be a legal basis for the EPA to regulate mercury use, but
"starting the process to establish such regulations would drive the practice
underground," EPA staff said. Staff also warned that "restricting the use
of mercury might be challenged as a violation of the First Amendment" to the
U.S. Constitution, which guarantees U.S. religious freedoms, among other
things. EPA staff decided to study the issue after the Mercury Poisoning
Project in February 2005 warned of "widespread mercury contamination in
Latino and Caribbean homes in the United States as a result of rituals."

13. "Ontario removing age limit for autism therapy" dated 3 September 2006
from CTV News (Canada) at
<http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060901/autism_aba_the
rapy_060701/20060903/>
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060901/autism_aba_ther
apy_060701/20060903/.

"CTV News has learned that Ontario has decided to pay for special therapy
for all autistic children in the province, instead of cutting off funding at
age six. In an exclusive interview, Ontario Minister of Children and Youth
Services Mary Anne Chambers promised changes are on the way. "They will not
be discharged on the basis of age," Chambers told CTV's Rosemary Thompson in
Ottawa. "They will not be cut off." The decision ends a legal battle with
parents of autistic children who say applied behavioural analysis (ABA)
therapy is crucial to help their children develop, learn, and interact with
other children. Like many 6-year-olds, Amjad Yassine is a little nervous
about starting Grade 1. But ABA has made it possible for him to go to a
regular school. "My son at the age of four did not speak a word," said his
father, Dr. Sam Yassine. But "after two years in the publicly funded
pre-school autism programme, Amjad is thriving." The government started
paying for the therapy for autistic children from ages two through five in
2000. But when they turned six, the money was cut off. "It's causing us a
lot of concern," said Yassine. "My son did improve quite a bit, but he still
has autism ... and he needs applied behavioural analysis to continue to
learn and develop." ABA therapy is an intensive programme designed
specifically for autistic children. It's expensive, with the cost ranging
from $30,000 to $80,000 per year for each child. But it works. "Within one
year of applied behavioural analysis treatment, my son was speaking in full
sentences," said Yassine. "His behaviour changed from banging his head on
the floor to interacting with children." Parents remain doubtful regarding
the promise to continue to fund the therapy after age six. "We're a little
bit skeptical of this premier," said Laura MacIntosh, parent of an autistic
boy. "We've been lied to before." During the last provincial election,
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty promised to extend ABA therapy into the
school system -- and to end long waiting lists. But the waiting list for
Ontario's pre-school autism programme has since grown from 79 children to
753 children in 2006, and $67 million committed to autism programmes
languished, unspent. "I understand that there are kids on a wait list and
that is not acceptable to me either," said Chambers. "We will continue to
work hard to correct that and we'll continue to work hard to make sure that
all kids regardless of their age will have the supports they need."

14. "House Weighs First Autism Measure" dated 4 September 2006 from the
Connecticut Business News Journal at
http://www.conntact.com/article_page.lasso?id=40216
<http://www.conntact.com/article_page.lasso?id=40216> .

"More than $1 billion in funding for research and treatment of autism hangs
in the balance this autumn as the U.S. House of Representatives considers
the first-ever standalone bill to address the devastating malady. The
Combating Autism Act sets aside $1 billion for research, screening, services
and education for the disorder, which is estimated to affect one in 166
children born today. "Our efforts now are largely focused on achieving
House passage before we adjourn," says Jim Fenton, on the staff of
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, who co-sponsored the bill. Fenton
says Dodd was inspired to push for the measure after hearing of a reported
1,300-percent increase in autism diagnoses in Connecticut since 1993. "The
rates are just truly alarming," Fenton says. Dodd is working with parents
and members of the autism advocacy community to rally support in the House,
he adds. The Children's Health Act of 2000 funded some autism programs, but
this year's bill is the first standalone effort to address the disorder. Of
the total allocated under the bill, $643 million would go to research at the
National Institutes of Health, $210 million would go to services for
autistic children and adults and $75 million would go toward public
awareness of the disorder, Fenton says."

15. "Treatment with 'friendly' bacteria could counter autism in children"
dated 5 September 2006 by IAN JOHNSTON from The Scotsman at
<http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1308572006>
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1308572006.

"Probiotic bacteria given to autistic children improved their concentration
and behaviour so much that medical trials collapsed because parents refused
to accept placebos, a scientist revealed yesterday. The effect of the
bacteria was so pronounced that some of the parents taking part in what was
supposed to be a blind trial realised their children were taking something
other than a placebo. A number then refused to give their children the
placebo when they were due to switch, resulting in the collapse of the
trial. Glenn Gibson, a microbiologist who ran the study of 40 autistic
children aged between four and eight, said this meant it was difficult to
draw any firm conclusions and he is planning to carry out further research.
However, he said parents had told him the probiotic bacteria was having a
beneficial effect, resulting in "better concentration and better behaviour".
One parent said it was "heartbreaking" to have to stop their child taking
it. "It was really challenging for us and the parents. I'd really like to
go back to it and do it in a better way, with perhaps more professional help
from people who know how to deal with autistic children," said Prof Gibson.
"The trial ultimately failed because of the large number of drop-outs. About
half the kids dropped out. Some of the parents worked out their child was on
the test and didn't want to move on to the placebo." Autistic children
often suffer bowel conditions and Prof Gibson said a previous study had
found high levels of a "bad" bacteria called clostridia in the gut. The
probiotic was then designed to reduce the levels of clostridia and promote
"friendly" bacteria instead to see what effect this would have. Prof
Gibson, from Reading University, said the children appeared to show fewer
signs of autism when taking the probiotic supplement, which was given in a
powder once a day. "Very subjectively, we asked the parents to fill in
diaries about the mood of the children. We got very positive feedback
generally," he said. He said that certain kinds of clostridia produced
neuro- toxins, which potentially could be the cause of autism or a
contributory factor. However, he said this was speculation and the apparent
improvement could also simply be because the children had felt better. "If
your gut is not behaving yourself, you feel rough," Prof Gibson said. The
first bacteria in the gut is received from the mother during birth and then
comes from the outside environment, with diet playing an important role.
"They [infants] may be under medication for an infection and that may have
an effect," Prof Gibson said. "There are all sorts of different factors
that may affect that [the bacterial make-up of the gut]." ..."

16. "Yoga joins treatment for kids with disabilities" dated 5 September
2006 by Rona Marech from the Baltimore Sun at
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060905/LIFE/609050306
/1005
<http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060905/LIFE/60905030
6/1005> .

"Riley Jackson and Shane Perlow, both 7 and ordinarily full of energy, were
lying on their backs and taking deep yoga breaths while little plastic frogs
on their bellies steadily rose and fell. Soon, they were wobbling and
grinning through "tree pose" and hissing enthusiastically for "cat pose."
Riley, who has missing front teeth, gaily sang "London Bridge is Falling
Down" as he wiggled into bridge posture. Yoga is a part of the occupational
therapy the boys do at Hands On Therapy in Pikesville, Md., where Riley is
being treated for a sensory disorder and Shane gets help for handwriting
problems and some related spatial issues. As the half-hour yoga session
wrapped up, Shane, a sweetly polite kid with wavy brown hair, declared that
he felt good. "I feel more quieter," he said. "More calmed down." Giggling
and croaking like frogs may not be precisely what ancient Hindu
practitioners had in mind, but as yoga continues to boom in popularity in
the West, a new sort of follower is scurrying onto mats and into
downward-facing dog position: a child with disabilities. A growing number
of kids with attention, anxiety and learning disorders, as well as diseases
such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, are
embracing yoga. Their parents are reporting physical, mental and emotional
benefits. "People are calling about kids with almost every kind of
diagnosis," said Annie Mahon, who offers what she calls "therapeutic yoga"
for children at her Chevy Chase studio, Circle Yoga. "It's definitely
blossoming." Yoga teachers are beginning to add a "special needs welcome"
tag on their advertisements, and a variety of pediatric therapists are
integrating yoga into their treatments. "There are so many parents with kids
with special needs. I don't want to say they're desperate, but they really
want to find ways to help their kids," Mahon said. "They may want to find
complements to medication, to find natural ways to help them, and ways the
kids can be empowered, too." Some of the "yoga" done with children can look
a little more like plain old playing: running, wriggling, pretending to be
animals. But many of the postures adults do are embedded in there - just
with extra barking, snorting and chants with Sesame Street overtones. And
just like adults ensconced in an incense haze, children learn to meditate
and to pay attention to their breathing. Teachers sneak in strands of yoga
philosophy, reminding children to breath through the scary parts or to be
present. "We feel like all our kids are true yogis. We see in them a sense
of their belonging in this world, and that they are valued in this world,"
said Molly Kenny, a Seattle-based pioneer in the field, who has trained many
of the people who work with disabled children. ..."

17. "Autism: New Study Discovers Statistically Significant Link Between
Abnormally Low Cholesterol Levels And Autism Spectrum Disorders" dated 5
September 2006 in a press release from the Kennedy Krieger Institute at
<http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_news.jsp?pid=5841>
http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_news.jsp?pid=5841 and
<http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852571E2006F2
657>
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852571E2006F26
57.

"Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) will be diagnosed in more children this
year than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, yet researchers and physicians
can identify medical causes in only 10 percent of cases. But, a study
published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B
(Neuropsychiatric Genetics) found that a small subgroup of children with ASD
have abnormally low cholesterol levels (hypocholesterolemia), leading
researchers to believe cholesterol may play a role in the cause of some
cases of the disorder. The children's low cholesterol levels were apparently
due to a limited ability to make cholesterol. Nineteen of the 100 children
who participated in the study were found to have total cholesterol levels
below 100 mg/dL, which is lower than that found in 99 percent of children.
The average cholesterol level for children between 4 and 19 years of age is
165 mg/dl, as determined by the Center for Disease Control's National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (2006). The study authors found evidence
that the low cholesterol levels were caused by a reduced ability of the body
to naturally produce cholesterol, and not by inadequate amounts of
cholesterol in the diet or gastrointestinal problems that interfere with
cholesterol absorption, two of the more common causes of low blood
cholesterol levels. Of the 19 individuals in the low cholesterol group, 13
(68%) met criteria for an autism diagnosis and 6 (32%) met criteria for a
different disorder on the autism spectrum, such as Asperger syndrome or
pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). We know
that people can tolerate having low cholesterol, so we suspect that
deficiencies in cholesterol combined with mutations to a specific gene may
have resulted in autism spectrum disorders in these children," said lead
author <http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_staff.jsp?pid=1062> Elaine
Tierney, M.D., Director of the Autism Metabolic Research Program at the
Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. "Our next steps are to determine if
other abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism can be risk factors for the
development of autism." ..."

18. "Shapes and Colors- Special Education Earns Extra Credit From the
Fanciful Vision of Michael Graves" dated 6 September 2006 by Jennifer Frey
from The Washington Post at
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR200609050
1321.html>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090501
321.html.

"Across the street from the D.C. Armory, down the road from RFK Stadium and
sharing a neighborhood with blocks and blocks of traditional brick
rowhouses, the new occupant at Independence Avenue and 19th Street SE
invariably draws curious stares. Its face combines several geometric shapes
-- four cubes turned to various angles, and a cylinder -- and a full palette
of color, ranging from Carolina blue to deep burnished orange to sea-foam
green. One side is brick-red and creamy vanilla. Windows come in rectangles,
squares, circles. The impression is almost whimsical, like a child's
elaborate drawing come to life. The building's pedigree, however, is far
more impressive than that. The design firm is headed by Michael Graves, the
architect famed for his postmodernist style and powerful use of color (and
that popular line of housewares at Target). Still, it was the children
shaking off the rain and streaming through the doors yesterday morning who
provided the inspiration for the place. It was the first day of classes at
St. Coletta Special Education Public Charter School, a brand-new facility
that will serve close to 260 of the most severely mentally disabled children
(and some adults) in the area. "Hampton! We're so happy you're back!" said
a smiling teacher, leaning over a young boy in a wheelchair. "Look, Dad's
videotaping!" pointed out another staff member, as a little boy with a
Thomas the Tank Engine backpack proudly walked to his new classroom, his
tiny hand clutching that of an escort. A little girl with braids and a pink
Disney Princess backpack preened as she greeted her teacher. A severely
autistic boy threw himself on the floor in a tantrum -- new places being
scary and all -- but was quickly calmed and led off to see his new school.
While the exterior of St. Coletta has been generating buzz in the city --
particularly in its Capitol Hill neighborhood -- for some time now, it's the
world inside that has truly stunned the families of its students, many who
have had nothing but negative experiences involving the D.C. public school
system. "Truthfully, I just wanted to cry," said Doreen Hodges, whose
6-year-old son, Titus, suffers from Down syndrome. "It's so beautiful and
you could just feel the love in the building. . . . You never thought
anything like that was ever going to be available to kids like this in D.C."
..."

19. "The Age of Autism: About those 'old dads'" dated 6 September 2006 by
Dan Olmsted from United Press International at
<http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060906-021517-677
6r>
http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060906-021517-6776
r.

"The study released this week that found older fathers more likely to have
autistic children has created a media stir. But there may be less to the
story than meets the eye. "Autism Risk Rises With Age Of Father -- Large
Study Finds Strong Correlation" was the headline on the top left of the
Washington Post's front page. It's nice to see autism on the front page
and, yes, the study drew from a large pool, "an enormous sample of
17-year-olds" in Israel over a period of six years in the 1980s, as the Post
put it. The researchers were able to determine the age of both parents for
132,271 draft candidates. And yes, older men were found to have a greater
risk of fathering an autistic child than men under 30. Yes, but: The study
was done in another country, involving kids born 20 years ago when the
autism rate was much lower. Plus, there's something called the "confidence
interval" -- basically, the margin of error -- in scientific studies, and it
comes into play here. In a letter to Britain's Daily Mail, researcher
Clifford Miller wrote: "There were only 13 autistic children born to
fathers 40 and over considered in the study -- there were 128,000 children
with fathers under 40 but only 4,000 with fathers over 40." Given that
not-so-enormous number in the key demographic, the margin of error in
calculating the increased risk is ... well, enormous. "The lowest risk
figure of 2.65 times for fathers 40 and over fathering an autistic child is
exactly the same as the highest risk figure for fathers between 30 and 39."
Those overlapping figures "could be used to argue that there is no
significant difference between dads in their 30s and 40s," said Mark
Blaxill, a vice president of the advocacy group SafeMinds, which believes
that an environmental factor -- possibly the mercury in vaccinations -- is
behind the huge rise in U.S. cases over the past 20 years. Still, Blaxill
calls the result "interesting" -- "All data is good, in my view, and this is
data." He notes that previous studies of parental age and autism risk have
had mixed findings. "If it's a factor, it's certainly not an overwhelmingly
large one." The most important issue is what the study appears to suggest:
"Autism Study Hints at Genetics," as the Wall Street Journal's story put it.
The idea is that spontaneous mutations in the dad's genes would, as time
goes on, raise the risk of autism-inducing errors. Yes, but: Even assuming
larger, more current studies in the United States exactly replicated these
findings, why would they hint at genes more than an environmental cause? The
longer someone lives, the likelier they are to get all kinds of exposures
that could affect their DNA. (Or, older parents could differ in some other
way that would raise their child's risk of autism.) This column recently
has been highlighting a "chemical connection" that early researchers turned
up, a link that was all but abandoned in favor of gene theories. ..."

20. "Scientists identify brain's concept control core" dated 6 September
2006 by Jeremy Lovell from Reuters at
<http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/06/eline/links/20060906elin001
.html>
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/06/eline/links/20060906elin001.
html.

"Scientists believe they may have finally identified the part of the brain
that deals with the critical issue of matching words to everyday objects.
Using brain scans of people suffering from semantic dementia -- the second
most common form of dementia after
<http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc02.html>
<http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc02.html> Alzheimer's disease
in people under 65 -- they have found that the front end of the temporal
lobe seems to be crucial to conceptual application. "People have been
talking about how the brain encodes concepts for 150 years. We believe we
have found it," Matthew Lambon-Ralph of Manchester University told the
annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science on
Wednesday. Previously the part of the brain dealing with concepts was
thought to be Wernicke's area, which is further back on the temporal lobe,
but scans and experiments showed degradation of the front end seemed to be
key. Patients, while being able to carry out everyday mechanical activities
like making a cup of tea -- as long as it was done in the same order each
time -- were unable to match abstract ideas to concrete actions. One woman
accurately drew a duck when a photograph was in front of her, but within a
minute of the image being removed she was able to sketch only a four-legged
creature with chicken and cat-type features. "They can identify general
types but not specifics," Lambon-Ralph said, noting that the same applied to
smell and touch when taken in isolation. "I have always been fascinated
about how the brain gives meaning. We have made some strides toward that,"
he added. Patients with semantic dementia demonstrate a progressive
deterioration in their ability to understand and recognize words, while
other functions often remain unimpaired. However, much remains to be
discovered about this particular brain function. Not only do scientists not
know which of the two temporal lobes is involved, they also do not know if
other parts of the brain are also part of the conceptual process. Only when
they have discovered the answers to those crucial questions will they be
able to work out how they can start to develop therapies to counteract the
destructive effects of the progressive disease that eventually kills."

21. "New NIMH Research Program Launches Autism Trials" dated 6 September
2006 in a press release from NIMH at
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/autism.irp.trials.cfm>
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/autism.irp.trials.cfm.

"The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched three major clinical studies on
autism at its research program on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
These studies are the first products of a new, integrated focus on autism
generated in response to reported increases in autism prevalence and valid
opportunities for progress. Initial studies will define the characteristics
of different subtypes of
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/autismmenu.cfm> autism spectrum
disorders (ASD) and explore possible new treatments. One study will define
differences-both biological and behavioral-in autistic children with diverse
developmental histories. Increasingly, scientists are considering the
likelihood of "autisms," that is, multiple disorders that comprise autism.
These studies seek to better define the subtypes within autism. Children
with regressive autism appear to develop normal language and social skills
but then lose these with the onset of autism before age 3. Non-regressive
autism, the more common form of the disorder, begins early in life, possibly
before birth, with evidence of subtle deficits throughout development.
Children with these two forms of autism will be compared with those who have
other developmental disorders, including various forms of developmental
delay, as well as children with typical development. In addition,
researchers will study a subset of the children in this study to investigate
environmental factors that may trigger symptoms of autism. In another
study, NIMH researchers will examine the use of the antibiotic minocycline
to measure its usefulness in treating regressive autism. Past research
suggests that autism may be linked with changes in the immune response that
cause inflammation in the brain. Minocycline has known anti-inflammatory
effects and has been shown to be helpful in other brain disorders such as
Huntington's disease. The third study seeks to address the widespread but
unproven theory that autism may be treated successfully by chelation
therapy, which seeks to remove heavy metals from the blood. Chelation is
more commonly used to treat lead toxicity, but currently, many families seek
the treatment to try to remove mercury and other metals from their autistic
children's blood. This practice is based on the belief that many cases of
autism were caused by exposure to thimerosol, a mercury-based preservative
previously used in childhood vaccines. According to the Food and Drug
Administration, since 2001, all vaccines recommended for children 6 years of
age and younger have contained either no thimerosal or only trace amounts,
with the exception of inactivated flu vaccine, which is manufactured in
formulations both containing and free of thimerosal. Thimerosal-free
influenza vaccine licensed for use in children six to 23 months of age is
available in limited supply. Additionally, new pediatric vaccines that have
received licensure do not contain thimerosal. Regardless, many families
continue to turn to chelation as a therapy for autism. NIMH will conduct a
controlled study to test the efficacy and safety of chelation for children
with autism spectrum disorders. However, the chelation also can remove
essential mineral nutrients, such as calcium, iron, and zinc. "Because
chelation therapy is not specific for mercury alone, it is important to
conduct a systematic, controlled trial to determine whether or not chelation
therapy is beneficial or potentially harmful to children with autism," says
Susan Swedo, M.D., who leads the branch on pediatric behavioral research in
the <javascript:popWindow('http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/')> NIMH Division
of Intramural Research Programs, where the autism studies are being
conducted. ..."

22. "Some online games may enhance sociability" dated 6 September 2006 from
the August 2006 edition of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication on
Reuters at
<http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/06/eline/links/20060906elin025
.html>
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/06/eline/links/20060906elin025.
html.

"Video games involving multiple players serve as informal gathering places
akin to old-time pubs and coffee shops, and can thereby boost the players'
social connections, researchers argue in a new study. In their report,
Constance Steinkuehler of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dmitri
Williams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign question the
perception that kids who play computer games are isolating themselves, at
least when they are playing so-called massively multiplayer online games
(MMOs). "By providing spaces for social interaction and relationships
beyond the workplace and home, MMOs have the capacity to function as one
form of a new 'third space' for informal sociability," Steinkuehler and
Williams write. While such sociability won't offer "deep emotional support,"
they add, it has the benefit of exposing players to a wide range of
viewpoints and a more diverse social environment. The effects of the
Internet on society are still being debated, the researchers note in an
article in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Some claim the
Web allows people to build connections and communities, while others say
such virtual links are just a poor substitute for the real thing. The
researchers sought to investigate the role of MMOs, in which players inhabit
"avatars" or on-screen representations of characters within virtual worlds
and chat with other players by text or voice, in players' social lives.
They studied whether one game, "Asheron's Call I and II," built players'
"social capital" by dividing 750 people into game-playing and non-playing
groups. They also conducted a two-year study of the activities and
perceptions of a group of people playing the MMO "Lineage." Steinkuehler
and Williams conclude that the games helped players gather a type of social
capital known as "bridging," which involves making informal connections with
others, while they didn't generally help people build stronger social bonds.
Such "weaker" social links are important, the researchers say, because they
offer players the opportunity to be exposed to diverse worldviews that they
may not encounter in the real world. Players who did become more deeply
involved in the games did run the risk of having virtual relationships
replace real-life ones, however, the researchers note. However, to see these
online communities as an entirely bad thing is short-sighted, they say. "To
argue that MMO game play is isolated and passive media consumption in place
of informal social engagement is to ignore the nature of what participants
actually do behind the computer screen," they state. "In the case of MMOs,
game play is more akin to playing five-person poker in a neighborhood tavern
that is accessible from your own living room."

23. "Epilepsy surgery can lead to memory loss" dated 6 September 2006 from
the 22 August 2006 edition of Neurology on Reuters at
<http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/06/eline/links/20060906elin028
.html>
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/06/eline/links/20060906elin028.
html.

"Severe <http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc44.html>
<http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc44.html> epilepsy that can't
be controlled with anti-seizure medication may require a brain operation,
but in such cases there's apparently a trade-off. Surgery, especially on the
left temporal lobe, can results in long-term loss of verbal memory, Dutch
researchers report. Dr. Willem C. J. Alpherts, from the Epilepsy Institute
of the Netherlands, in Heemstede, and his associates evaluated long-term
outcomes for 85 patients who had undergone brain surgery for epilepsy.
After repeated evaluation with a verbal test, the team found that patients
operated on the left side exhibited a decline in acquisition, learning and
in consolidation of verbal memories compared with those treated on the right
side. This decline appears to have leveled off after two years, the
researchers report in the medical journal Neurology. For example, the
average sum of scores on five tests declined from 49.4 prior to surgery, to
46.6 at 6 months, 42.7 at two years, and 42.6 at six years for those
operated on the left side. Corresponding scores for those treated on the
right side were 49.2, 52.5, 48.6 and 49.1. The investigators conclude that
the problem of memory loss following epilepsy surgery "has to be weighed
against the possibility of becoming seizure free."

24. "Foster parents now charged with murder- A Clermont County grand jury
adds to charges the Carrolls face in Hamilton County in the death of Marcus
Fiesel" dated 6 September 2006 by David Greber from the Dayton Daily News at
<http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/09/06/ddn
090706fieselcharges.html>
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/09/06/ddn0
90706fieselcharges.html.

"The foster parents charged in Hamilton County in the killing of 3-year-old
Marcus Fiesel were indicted Wednesday in Clermont County on charges that
include murder. A county grand jury also indicted Liz and David Carroll Jr.
on felony charges of involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping, assault and child
endangering. David Carroll Jr. was indicted additionally on a charge of
gross abuse of a corpse, accusing him of taking the body to an abandoned
chimney in Brown County and burning the remains. "Putting everything in
this indictment, I would obviously hope there would be a conviction of
murder," county Chief Deputy Prosecutor Woody Breyer said. The Carrolls
will be arraigned today in Clermont County Common Pleas Court, where each
likely will face a similar bond of $10.1 million set in Hamilton County,
said Breyer and Clermont County Prosecutor Donald White. The murder count
carries a sentence of 15 years to life. With convictions on other charges,
the Carrolls could each face sentences of 35 years to life, Breyer said.
The death penalty will not be sought, Breyer said, because prosecutors
cannot prove intent. The Carrolls will be tried separately. They have
pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges filed Aug.
28 in Hamilton County, where a massive search was launched after Liz Carroll
claimed the Middletown boy disappeared Aug. 15 from a park in suburban
Cincinnati when she said a heart condition caused her to pass out. Because
of the new charges, the involuntary manslaughter charge filed in Hamilton
County will be dropped, said Mark Piepmeier, assistant prosecutor in
Hamilton County. But other charges will be pursued in that county,
including making a false alarm and inducing panic, Piepmeier said.
Additionally, Liz Carroll faces two counts of perjury. The Carrolls, with
whom Marcus was placed in May through a private foster agency hired by
Butler County, are accused of binding the autistic youngster with packing
tape in a blanket and locking him in a closet Aug. 4 in their Union Twp.
home while they went to a family reunion in Kentucky, according to police
and court reports that suggested Marcus died there - his arms restrained
behind him. ..."

25. "Judge says state agency lacks 'compassion' for children- A foster-care
judge seeking help for 35 disabled foster children tells a state agency it
lacks 'even one iota of caring or compassion for children" dated 7 September
2006 by CAROL MARBIN MILLER from the Miami Herald at
<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15457959.htm>
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15457959.htm.

"Diagnosed with profound mental retardation, Andrew cannot speak, write,
read or feed himself. In a few months, the foster child will turn 18 and be
thrust into a world where he has no home, no family, no friends -- and
apparently no safety net. At a hearing before an angry juvenile court judge
Wednesday, a lawyer for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities -- the
state department created to care for people like Andrew -- would say only
that Andrew is No. 249 on a waiting list of disabled foster kids who need
help. And the lawyer, Hilda Fluriach, has no idea when he'll get it.
''This is willful and unconscionable refusal to even reply to the most basic
questions, and a failure to demonstrate even one iota of caring or
compassion for children,'' Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said
after Fluriach could offer no information about 35 disabled foster children
who have been languishing, some for years, on a waiting list for state
services. Under a federal program, the state receives hundreds of millions
in Medicaid dollars to pay for services designed to allow disabled children
and adults to live in their own homes or community settings and avoid living
in more costly institutions. Wednesday's hearing was the most recent in a
line of skirmishes between foster-care judges and the APD, which maintains
it has only enough money in the next budget year to help existing clients of
the state and about 500 additional people deemed to be ``in crisis.'' At
the end of an hourlong hearing, Lederman signed an order requiring APD
officials to appear in court in November to answer questions or be held in
contempt of court. Lederman had scheduled hearings for all 35 children, but
after getting no answers for the first six or seven, she canceled the rest.
''I'm getting more depressed by the moment,'' the judge said. ``I think
everybody is. This is a waste of everybody's time, and an embarrassment for
the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.'' Lederman appointed Charles
Auslander, a former Department of Children & Families district head who now
is chief operations officer for The Children's Trust, to represent the 35
Miami children at the hearing in November. Fluriach said children in state
care have priority over almost everybody else on the state's waiting list
for disability services, which contains between 14,000 and 16,000 names. But
state law requires APD to serve people who are in ''crisis'' first, and only
about 500 additional people this budget year will get help. ''We do not
know when these children will receive services,'' Fluriach told the judge.
..."

26. "Center for the disabled asks for rehearing in negligence case" dated 7
September 2006 from the Associated Press at
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/APN/609070
528
<http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/APN/60907
0528> .

"A facility that cares for people with mental retardation and other
disabilities is asking the state Supreme Court to reconsider its decision
that the center and the state agency that sends it clients had a duty to
provide care. Babcock Center attorneys say the court's ruling failed to
"determine the precise extent and nature" of the duty Babcock owes to its
clients. Babcock, which gets about $45 million a year through the state,
argues that existing case law says the agency has responsibility to provide
"slight care" to its patients but not an "extreme duty" to prevent all
manner of harm to its clients. The center, a 40-year-old, private,
nonprofit corporation in Columbia, says state law does not require such a
standard of care. "This statement comes dangerously close to establishing a
system of strict liability for entities like Babcock with regard to the
clients living in their facilities," the center's attorneys said in court
briefs for a rehearing. It is rare that the Supreme Court rehears a case.
"We believe there is one substantive issue that was not addressed in the
court's opinion," said Columbia attorney R. Hawthorne Barrett, representing
Babcock and its employee, Michelle Batchelor. The state Department of
Disabilities and Special Needs had claimed it had no duty of care for the
young woman, whose family sued after they say she was raped, because she
voluntarily admitted herself to state care. Justices disagreed, saying in
their ruling that "Babcock Center and its employee have a common law duty to
exercise reasonable care in supervising and providing care and treatment."
The case was remanded to Circuit Court for a jury trial. Babcock contracts
with the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs to provide housing and
medical services for people with autism, mental retardation, head and spinal
cord injuries and other disabilities. Attorneys for the state agency have
asked the Supreme Court for more time to file its motion - most likely also
for a rehearing. In 1997, Lexington County resident Brenda Bryant sued the
Babcock Center and the state Department of Disabilities and Special Needs,
claiming her 21-year-old mentally retarded daughter was raped by at least
one man after she left a Babcock home with them in 1995. ..."

27. "Newfoundland center helps disabled adults find independence, purpose"
dated 7 September 2006 by CAROL O'NEILL from the Pocono Record at
<http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/NEWS01/6090
70302/-1/NEWS>
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/NEWS01/60907
0302/-1/NEWS.

"After William and Sandra Brinker's third child, Todd, was diagnosed with
autism at 2 years old, the Stroudsburg couple did everything they could to
provide the best care for their son. Mentally retarded and unable to speak,
Todd was enrolled in an Early Intervention program for preschool children.
At 5, he began attending Northampton Colonial Intermediate Unit 20. At 8,
Todd transferred to Centennial School of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, a
specialized school for children with educational disabilities. In
Pennsylvania, children with developmental disabilities can attend school
until they reach 21, but as Todd approached his 20th birthday, he began to
resist getting on the school bus. "He refused to go to school and he was
physically difficult to manage," Sandra Brinker said. "His brother and
sister had moved on. Everything was directing us to find a way for Todd to
move on." The Brinkers realized they were no longer capable of providing
care 24 hours a day, seven days a week for their son. "He was up in the
night and you had to be on duty all the time," Sandra said. Four other
families the Brinkers knew were in the same predicament at the same time.
They all looked to Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health/Mental Retardation
Program for help. MH/MR referred the Brinkers to three different
organization that provide services for adults with developmental
disabilities. One of those was the Devereux Pocono Center in Newfoundland.
"Devereux fit our needs. We never believed we would find anybody we could
trust with him, but we did. We were blessed to find such a place that's not
far away," Sandra said. At the junction of routes 191 and 507, Devereux
Center is less than an hour's drive for the Brinkers. "He's still our
family," William Brinker said. "We can visit him any time we want. We can
bring him home any time we want. It's not a jail sentence." Now 29, Todd
has been living at Devereux for about nine years. He lives with six other
developmentally disabled adults in Hilltop House on the Devereux Pocono
campus, a home-like environment with kitchen, living room, bedrooms and
bath, supervised by staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ..."

28. "Brain protein implicated in memory loss" dated 7 September 2006 from
United Press International at
<http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060907-115648-9475r>
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060907-115648-9475r.

"A U.S.-led study suggests defects in a crucial brain protein level is
involved in memory loss, similar to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
The Duke University Medical Center research shows the ability to recognize
familiar objects is lost when levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
are reduced. Mice genetically engineered to have modest defects in
acetylcholine display symptoms resembling those of Alzheimer's, such as the
inability to remember familiar faces, according to the team of international
researchers. "By using these genetically engineered mice as models of
Alzheimer's, we can learn more about the neuronal circuitry of the brain and
perhaps even discover new ways to alleviate the symptoms of this devastating
disease," said senior study investigator Marc Caron, a professor of cell
biology. "Acetylcholine is important for every function in the body --
breathing, eating, walking, practically everything," Caron said. "If we
(eliminated) the protein completely, then the mice would die. So instead, we
just knocked its function down to a low level." The U.S.-Brazilian team
reports its findings in the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Neuron."

29. "Brain changes may help explain teenage behavior" dated 7 September
2006 by Patricia Reaney from Reuters at
<http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/07/eline/links/20060907elin033
.html>
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/09/07/eline/links/20060907elin033.
html.

"It's not just hormones that kick in during adolescence, the brain also
undergoes massive development, which might help to explain teenage behavior,
a British scientist said on Thursday. Until recently it was assumed that
the brain stopped developing before puberty, but new research shows there
are changes in areas of the brain linked to decision-making, planning and
social awareness in adolescence. "What this brain imaging data ... suggests
is that it is just not hormones that are causing teenagers to be their
typical selves it could also be the fact that their brains are developing as
well," said Dr Sarah Blakemore, a neuroscientist at University College
London (UCL). "Their brains are works in progress at age 16," she added.
Blakemore and her team did functional MRI scans of the brains of adolescents
and young adults who were told to think about their own intentions, such as
wanting to go to the cinema and what they needed to do. "We know that kind
of task involves the prefrontal cortex," Blakemore said, referring to a
region of the brain involved in understanding other people and social
cognition. She found that a network of brain areas are used. The prefrontal
cortex activity involved in the task increased with age while use in a
region in the back of the brain declined. Adults used the prefrontal cortex
more than adolescents. "It is as if the pattern of brain activity shifts
from the back of the brain to the front of the brain during adolescence to
do these kinds of empathy tasks," Blakemore said at the British Association
for the Advancement of Science meeting. In a second study that analyzed the
development of perspective, she asked 150 adolescents to make decisions
about how they would feel and how other people would feel in certain
situations. "We found that that decision-making process became quicker with
age. It suggests that the ability to take someone else's perspective is
refined with age. It becomes more efficient," she explained. Blakemore said
there is no obvious time at which the brain stops developing and there are
probably differences in individuals. "This research is showing that after
puberty there is a whole new wave of development," she added."

30. "Health advisers reject government report that says mercury fillings
are safe" dated 7 September 2006 by Andrew Bridges from the Associated Press
at http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/09-06/09-08-06/03health.htm
<http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/09-06/09-08-06/03health.htm> .

"Government health advisers rejected a federal report that concluded dental
fillings used by millions of patients are safe, saying further study of the
mercury-laden amalgam is needed. A joint panel of Food and Drug
Administration advisers did not declare the so-called "silver fillings"
unsafe. But in a 13-7 vote yesterday, the advisers said the federal report
didn't objectively and clearly present the current state of knowledge about
the fillings. In a second 13-7 vote, the panelists said the report's
conclusions about safety weren't reasonable, given the quantity and quality
of information currently available. The FDA had asked the panel of outside
advisers to weigh the report, a review of 34 recent research studies. The
report had found "no significant new information" that would change the
FDA's earlier determination that mercury-based fillings don't harm patients,
except in rare cases where they have allergic reactions. But panelists said
remaining uncertainties about the risk of so-called silver fillings demanded
further study. In particular, research is needed on the effect of
mercury-laden fillings on children and the fetuses of pregnant women with
fillings. "There are too many things we don't know, too many things that
were excluded," said Michael Aschner, a professor of pediatrics and
pharmacology at Vanderbilt University and a panel consultant. He cast two
"no" votes. Panelists also said more study was needed on whether mercury
fillings give off more vapors when they're being placed or removed. Dr.
Ralph Sacco, of Columbia University, said consumers shouldn't panic and that
there was no need to have their amalgam fillings removed. The votes were a
"start" to sparking greater dialogue and awareness of the issue, said
consumer activist Sara Moore-Hines, 57. "If we don't want it in our fish,
we don't want it in our thermometers, what is it doing in our heads?" said
Moore-Hines, a Pennsylvania counselor. She and other activists had pressed
the panel to recommend the FDA ban mercury fillings. "Do the right,
decent, honorable and God-loving thing: There needs to be an immediate
embargo on mercury fillings for everyone, or at least pregnant women and
children, because they are our future," said Michael Burke, who blamed
mercury fillings for the early onset Alzheimer's disease diagnosed in his
wife, Phyllis, in 2004. Dr. Michael Fleming, a Durham, N.C., dentist and
the consumer representative on the panel, asked the FDA to consider
restricting the use of amalgam in children younger than 6 and in pregnant
women. The activists - dozens attended the two-day meeting - met his
proposal with applause. ..."

31. "A True Story of Surfer's Healing" by Michele Iallonardi in the Summer
2006 edition of The Autism Perspective magazine at
<http://www.autismtoday.com/tap/TAPVolume2Issue3-SurfersHealing.pdf>
http://www.autismtoday.com/tap/TAPVolume2Issue3-SurfersHealing.pdf.

"Surfer's healing was coming to New York. My oldest son, Jackson, loves the
water. He was still pretty young- not yet four- but I decided to try it. I
was brave enough to sign him up, anyway. It was still a few months away, so
I could always change my mind. As the day approached, I mentioned the event
to my friend Jennifer, whose husband is a surfer. Brian has been surfing for
almost 15 years. I thought Brian might be interested in helping out that
day. We discussed it briefly, a few times, and she vaguely said he might
come. I thought that Brian would be a great volunteer. Brian's younger
brother, Michael, had suffered from multiple disabilities growing up.
Because of this, Brian understood what the families participating were going
through. I didn't know if Brian was going to come. Michael had unexpectedly
passed away less than a year ago. Brian had always wanted to take Michael
surfing, but felt that his disability made it too dangerous. Michael had a
seizure disorder, which could be triggered by things like heat, a fall, or
even low blood sugar. Taking him out in the ocean, on a surfboard, didn't
seem safe. Especially not alone. There had never been a program like
surfer's healing available for Michael to participate in. We arrived at the
beach around 11 o'clock that day. I called Brian, but got no answer. I
figured he probably decided not to come, that it would be too hard for him.
I shrugged it off and focused on my son; playing with him and getting him
acclimated to the beach. Everything was so organized. There were t-shirts,
food, special visitors (Elmo & Sponge bob). There were so many families
enjoying themselves. It was a beautiful day. Suddenly I saw Brian run by.
He was in his surfing gear. He was helping out one of the kids who was
surfing. I was completely surprised. I wasn't even sure if he was going to
make it down there to see Jackson surfing- I never expected him to come
earlier. When I got a hold of him, he told me he came down at 7 a.m. Now
since this was our first time there, he started to tell me about the
program. Where to go, what to do, who to speak to. Jackson got a life jacket
on and was assigned a surfer. Brian was his spotter- he was there whenever
they came back in to help Jackson out of the water and back on to the board.
Jackson did amazing. ..."


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