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. Thanks!

> 5. Catholic University of America is conducting a study involving people
> with AS, HFA or PDD-NOS, ages 12 to 23. The Catholic University of
> America (CUA) will be conducting a study using eye-tracking technology to
> learn about how individuals with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome look at and
> recognize faces and objects. Participation involves one two hour session
> at The Catholic University of America. Participants will look at pictures
> on a computer monitor while an eye-tracking device continuously records
> where they are looking. There will be no contact between the eye-tracking
> device and the participant. The participant will also be given clinical
> measures of face processing, visual/spatial processing and social and
> communication skills. More info is at
> http://www.naar.org/news/render_pr.asp?intNewsItemID=257.
>
> 6. Be A Part of Brain Research!
>
> Dr. Stewart H. Mostofsky and Dr. Melissa Goldberg of the Kennedy Krieger
> Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are recruiting children
> with high-functioning autism between 6 and 12 years of age to participate
> in a study of attention, learning, memory, and motor skills. The study
> involves paper and pencil tasks, computer activities and an MRI of the
> brain. None of the tests are harmful or painful and are done free of
> charge. The duration of the study is two to three sessions conducted on
> separate days. Participants will receive a $50 check and a picture of
> their brain. Parents will receive a report summarizing the IQ testing
> administered to their child. All testing is done free of charge. For more
> information about this valuable study, please contact Megan Roeder at
> (443) 923-9254.
>
> 7. Cool Cat's Hockey:
> Special Goals is a new program sponsored by the Potomac Valley Amateur
> Hockey Association and the Washington Capitals in conjunction with Special
> Hockey Washington. The Cool Cats "adaptive" ice hockey team is based in
> Ashburn VA, but they have received donated ice time at Ashburn, Reston and
> in Laurel. The program uses "buddies" to allow individuals with
> disabilities to participate in weekly games or practices, special events,
> tournaments. Team members have Cool Cats jerseys and socks. Contact Randy
> Brawley, Head Coach at 703-395-6278 or jarlids@... or Bob Banach,
> Hockey Director at airdalebob22@... or Ken Bagnoli, Administrative
> Director at Kennth.E.Bagnoli@.... Web site at
> <http://www.specialhockey.org/Cool%20Cats.htm>.
>
> 8. Therapeutic Yoga for Kids at Mindful Yoga Studio, 5615 39th Street,
> NW, Washington 20015. Phone number is 202 686-1104.
>
> This class is designed to increase self-esteem and physical and social
> growth in children with special needs, including children diagnosed with
> ADHD, Asperger's, SI, anxiety, depression, or LDs. This class is by
> application only and an intake meeting will be required. Please call or
> email the studio to schedule an intake meeting. We will have a maximum of
> 5 children per class, in order to give specialized attention to each
> child. Many of the techniques used in this therapeutic yoga class are
> based on the principles of Integrated Movement TherapyTM (IMT) as created
> by Molly Kenny. Please see www.samaryacenter.org for more information on
> IMT. $25/class or $250 for 10-week session.
>
> 9. Easter Seals Camp web link at
> <http://va.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=VADR_camp_es>.
>
> 10. Jon Wiger, a teacher at the Center for Autism Research and Development
> (CARD) is also an adaptive swim instructor through Arlington County Parks
> and Rec. He offers private and semi-private swim lessons for children of
> all ages. He has over 10 years of experience. Per Jon's email: "for your
> information, so that you can share this with those parents that may be
> interested, Arlington County charges $25 per half hour session. At this
> point, I am not certain when I am going to hold those sessions. It will
> depend on the number of parents that are interested and what times they
> are available. Please feel free to email me if you have any additional
> questions." For more information, contact Jon Wiger at 612-875-3794 or
> djwiger@....
>
> 11. TOPSoccer Saturdays until mid-June at Woodlawn Park, Arlington, VA
> from 4-5pm. (behind the Hospice). In case of inclement weather, check the
> Arlington County Hotline (703) 228-4715. If the fields are closed we will
> be meeting at Thomas Jefferson Community Center. Just a reminder, please
> park in the neighborhood, we will not be allowed to use the field if
> buddies/players park in the hospice lot. More info from Despina Raizes at
> (703) 536-5954 or draizes@....
>
>
> 12. "Specific behaviours in babies could signal autism, Canadian study
> shows" dated 29 April 2005 by Sheryl Ubelacker from the Canadian Press at
> http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=c5dc4d65-d674-47dc-a01f-c6f3d54
> 00fa7.
>
> Jodie Kushneryk has already gone through the devastation of learning that
> her first child is autistic. Now she's facing the possibility her second
> son may also have the disabling neurological disorder. But the Brantford,
> Ont., mom hopes groundbreaking Canadian research that has identified early
> signs of possible autism in siblings could help two-year-old Landon - by
> giving him a head-start with behavioural therapy even before a definitive
> diagnosis is made. ..."
>
> 13. "The Age of Autism: Sick Children" dated 28 April 2005 by Dan Olmsted
> from Science Daily at
> http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20050
> 42
>
> "Part 2 of 2. Dr. Elizabeth Mumper, a pediatrician in Lynchburg, Va.,
> thinks the increasing number of childhood vaccinations in the 1990s may
> have triggered a huge increase in autism and other developmental
> disorders. This article looks at treatment strategies she and others are
> trying based on that view. Mumper has just been named top adviser on
> autism treatment at the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, a group
> that suspects mercury in vaccines, and in some cases vaccines themselves,
> have triggered neurological and physical damage in susceptible children.
> Mumper was chief resident at the Medical College of Virginia while
> completing her medical degree at the University of Virginia. This
> weekend, at a conference in Charlottesville, she and other doctors and
> scientists who advocate this approach will outline their strategies for
> treating autism as a biomedical disorder. Mainstream medical and
> scientific groups say autism is primarily a genetic disorder and there is
> no link between vaccines and autism or other mental or physical problems.
> ..."
>
> 14. "FDA should take closer look at Thimerosal" dated 27 April 2005 by
> Dave Drown from the Suburban Chicago News at
> http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/opinions/columnists/drown/drown0427.htm
> .
>
> "When you think of the Food and Drug Administration, what image comes to
> mind? For some, it is a bloated bureaucracy that tries to regulate every
> substance entering our bodies. For others, it is a necessary
> administration that keeps us safe and healthy. Taking the latter into
> consideration, did you know that the FDA has issued 87 product recalls,
> market withdrawals and safety alerts since January? Almost daily, some
> food or drug is either mandated or voluntarily recalled by the FDA, often
> without a single case of a health problem. The FDA just wants to be safe.
> Sometimes, it is nothing more serious than undeclared pistachios in a box
> of Jell-O. Other times, it is as serious as unsterile magnesium sulfate in
> 5 percent dextrose solutions distributed to hospitals. In this case, five
> people became ill in a New Jersey hospital, prompting the recall. Either
> way, they are quick to act. As I say, just looking out for our health and
> best interests. So what's their problem with Thimerosal? Thimerosal has
> been used since the 1930s as a preservative in many biological and drug
> products, including many vaccinations. It was deemed safe after being
> tested on a grand total of 22 adults, who displayed no adverse effects.
> However, there is one tiny little problem: Thimerosal is 50 percent
> mercury by weight. ..."
>
> 15. "Autism: New Insights But Cure Still an Elusive Goal" dated 28 April
> 2005 by Dennis Thompson from HealthDay at
> http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/04/28/hscout52541
> 8.html.
>
> "Autism is a confusing and frustrating developmental disorder, one that is
> hard to diagnose, hard to treat and impossible to cure. "It was poorly
> recognized by medical professionals, particularly in the early days," said
> Andy Shih, chief science officer of the National Alliance for Autism
> Research in Princeton, N.J. "Autism was once called youth schizophrenia,
> and there's been a lot of conflict over whether or not autism is an
> independent disorder." ..."
>
>
> 16. "Take care seeking help for child" dated 4 May 2005 from the
> Republican at
> http://www.masslive.com/metroeastplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-0/11
> 15106776215540.xml&coll=1.
>
> "How can parents of children with autism and related disabilities choose
> the best treatment for their children? Recognizing that some treatments
> have evidence showing their effectiveness and that others do not is an
> important part of this decision. Many educational procedures for children
> with autism are based on good research that has been tested and shown to
> be effective. Good research involves testing theories, describing
> procedures in explicit detail (so they can be repeated by others), and
> measuring results objectively and accurately. Before theoretical
> treatments may be described as "scientifically sound," researchers'
> findings must be replicated and critically reviewed by other
> professionals. ..."
>
> 17. "Err on the side of caution: Get mercury out of vaccines" dated 30
> April 2005 by Laura Brod from the Star Tribune at
> <http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5377453.html>.
>
> "One side of an important debate was printed in the April 19 Star Tribune
> article, "Parents lobby against mercury." Contrary to what was presented,
> the bills in the Legislature to eliminate mercury in vaccines are about
> creating further confidence and public trust in our immunization program
> by assuring parents that the vaccines mandated for their children and
> available to family members are as safe as possible. The Star Tribune
> article discussed an Institute of Medicine report that concluded there is
> no evidence of harm from mercury in vaccines. However, the story failed to
> mention a key acknowledgment by the IOM: "the committee cannot rule out,
> based on the epidemiological evidence, the possibility that vaccines
> contribute to autism in some small subset or very unusual circumstance."
> It is precisely this "small subset" of people that has been the focus of
> important biological studies that raise concern about mercury. ..."
>
> 18. "Kin rage over kid's cuff" dated 2 May 2005 by Franci Richardson from
> the Boston Herald at
> http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=81202.
>
> "The parents of the 7-year-old special-needs boy handcuffed after he threw
> a tantrum his first day at a Fall River elementary school are outraged
> officials called police who used force instead of a counselor who might
> have been more understanding. ``If a police officer cannot hold onto a
> child, then maybe he should turn in his badge,'' Stacey Bernier, mother of
> Adam Joseph Torres, told the Herald yesterday. ``(Adam's) not a little
> wild man. He's a very sweet little boy that needs to get some help. ``I'm
> absolutely disgusted,'' she said. ``As far as I'm concerned, the school
> system handled it improperly.'' ..."
>
> 19. "The Age of Autism: Educated Guesses" dated 2 May 2005 by Dan Olmsted
> in the Washington Times at
> http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050222-010118-1074r.htm.
>
> "There was something similarly strange about the children who caught Leo
> Kanner's attention starting in 1938. He called their behavior "autistic."
> There also was something strangely similar about the families they came
> from. "There is one other very interesting common denominator in the
> backgrounds of these children. They all come of highly intelligent
> families," child psychiatrist Kanner wrote at the end of his historic
> study of 11 children, published in 1943. ..."
>
>
> 20. FOR A COMPILATION OF MOST OF THE RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS THAT I HAVE
> SENT OUT SINCE 7 DECEMBER 2004 ON VARIOUS LIST SERVS, PLEASE GO TO THE
> POAC-NoVA WEB LINK OF:
> http://www.poac-nova.org/base.cgim?template=news_and_events.