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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Sunday, December 2, 2001
INDEX:
* Anti-MMR doctor resigns
*
ABC of the upper gastrointestinal tract
* Artificially intelligent or autistic?
* Plea to
Scots parents over MMR
* Boy's airport injury
still a mystery
* Boy may have been struck by airplane
*
Autistic runner ready for his first marathon
* 11-year-old
writes about brother's autism in new book
******************************
Ananova : 
Anti-MMR doctor resigns
The medical expert who first raised
concerns about the controversial MMR vaccine has resigned from post.Dr Andrew
Wakefield who claimed there could be a link between the jab and autism left his
job at the Royal Free and University College Medical School.The organisation
said in a statement: "Dr Andrew Wakefield has resigned from his post at
the Royal Free and College Medical School.It added: "Dr Wakefield's
research was no longer in line with the department of medicine's research strategy
and he left the university by mutual agreement."There have been claims the
combined measles, mumps and rubella jab was not adequately tested before being
launched in the UK and may be linked to autism and bowel disease.Story filed:
22:44 Saturday 1st December 2001CHECK FOR MORE ON:
Parenthood
Lifestyle
MMR
Doctors
Health
UK
Ananova
- Anti-MMR doctor resigns
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_463289.html?menu=news.latestheadlines.uknews
******************************
ABC of the upper gastrointestinal tract
Indigestion: When is
it functional?
Nicholas J Talley, Nghi Phung,
Jamshid S Kalantar. Patients often complain of indigestion, but what do they
mean? Indigestion is an old English word that means lack of adequate digestion,
but patients and doctors interpret this in different ways. Many patients mean
heartburn or acid regurgitation, the classic symptoms of gastro-oesophageal
reflux disease. Some describe belching, abdominal rumblings, or even bad breath
as indigestion. Others mean pain localised to the epigastrium or a non-painful
discomfort in the upper abdomen which may be described as fullness, bloating,
or an inability to finish a normal meal (early satiety). Dyspepsia is best
restricted to mean pain or discomfort centred in the upper abdomen.
To See The Rest Of This Story:
bmj.com Talley et
al. 323 (7324): 1294
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/323/7324/1294
******************************
Artificially intelligent or
autistic?
Autistic Thinking--This is the Title
Peter Vermeulen. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2001. Pp 159. $18.95.
ISBN 1853029955. If someone asked a person with an autistic spectrum
disorder, or autism, to write a book review chances are that they would do just
that; grab a pen and a bit of paper and jot down "a book review". As
a result of the way in which people with autism interpret words and actions,
literally and directly, "neurotypicals", such as myself, often find
communicating effectively with them difficult, frustrating, and sometimes humorous.
In Autistic Thinking--This is the Title Peter Vermeulen tries to explain
to us how the autistic mind works, and succeeds in doing so through the use of
straightforward language, humour, illustrations, analogies, and many amusing
anecdotes, for example: "Two carpenters are at work in a carpentry shop.
One loses his ear in an accident. The other goes searching around and finds the
ear. His injured partner says: 'No, that isn't mine. Mine had a pencil stuck to
it'." Unfortunately, Vermeulen gives little introduction to the disorder
itself; we are not told how to identify someone with autism, what might have
caused their disease, or how they can be helped by us to live in our complex,
fluid world, where rules are often broken. In his final chapter, Vermeulen
frustratingly mentions that central coherence, the ability to integrate
objects, instructions, or people as part of a bigger picture, is not something
that you are born with or without, but that it is something that people
develop. Yet throughout the book Vermeulen emphasises that this skill is what
is missing in autism. Can we therefore teach a person with autism to recognise
context? Is the disorder eminently curable? Finally, the book revisits topics,
sometimes repeating ideas clearly explained in a previous chapter, as if
Vermeulen lacks confidence in his audience's ability to grasp a particular
notion first time round. There is no doubt, however, that Vermeulen, who has
worked with and written extensively about autistic individuals, both respects
and understands the autistic mind, into which his short book offers a clear
insight. He has avoided, as far as possible, technical language, and uses
anecdotes and everyday examples whenever possible, making Autistic Thinking
accessible to a wide audience. Whether you are a parent of a child with autism
or a specialist you should probably read this book. Abigail Pound
Lancet The Journal :
Current Issue
http://www.thelancet.com/journal/journal.isa
******************************
Plea to Scots parents over MMR
Parents fear a link between MMR and autism
Combined measles, mumps and rubella immunisation for young children is
"vital", Scotland's chief medical officer has warned. Dr Mac
Armstrong's plea to parents to immunise their children comes as new figures
show that one in eight toddlers have not received the triple MMR injection.
Growing numbers of parents are choosing not to have their children vaccinated
with the combined vaccine because of fears it causes bowel disorders and
autism. Figures from NHS Scotland showed that at the end of September this year,
13% of two year-olds had not been immunised with the vaccine.
Some doctors have in the past risked disciplinary action by
offering separate vaccinations. But the Scottish Executive continues to insist
that the combined jab is the safest. Dr Armstrong said the time lags between
three separate injections left children at risk of death or serious illness.
Ninety-five per cent of children need to be vaccinated to avoid the spread of
the three illnesses. Dr Armstrong said expert advice
from around the world showed MMR was the safest and most effective way to
protect
children. 
Dr Mac Armstrong issued a warning to parents
"We want to re-assure parents about the safety of the MMR vaccine and
continue to recommend it as the most effective way of protecting children from
these three potentially serious diseases," he said. The Scottish
Parliament's Health and Community Care Committee published a report on March 28
this year saying there was "no proven scientific link between the MMR
vaccine and autism". Dr Armstrong said: "Offering single vaccines,
with the suggested time lags between the three, would leave a child at risk
from mumps, measles or rubella, which could result in death or serious
illness." He said children would also suffer increased trauma with three
jabs between 12 to 18 months and another three injections, instead of one
booster, between the ages of three and five. He added: "It is therefore
vital that we now start to reverse the current downward trends in uptake rates
and return to a level of around 95%, which is required to ensure we protect all
children and avoid the spread of these illnesses."
BBC
News | SCOTLAND | Plea to Scots parents over MMR
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_1684000/1684831.stm
******************************
Boy's airport injury
still a mystery
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Thursday's showers probably washed away key blood stains, so police now hope
medical records will provide clues as to how a 6-year-old autistic boy was
injured after he wandered onto a runway at the Santa Maria Public
Airport.Tucker Sheller is in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and his condition
was upgraded Thursday from serious to fair. He suffered a head wound and a
broken elbow in the unexplained incident Monday night. The boy lived in a
trailer park on airport property. He slipped away as his mother, Theresa
Sheller, was in the process of moving out of her mobile home on Blosser Road.
There is a chain-link fence between the trailer park and the runways. But the
boy, who is unable to speak due to his autism, may have squeezed through the
bars of a gate loosely chained shut. Or he may have entered through a nearby
vehicle gate at the end of Blosser Road by walking in behind an unsuspecting
driver who had punched a code to get inside.There is speculation that the boy
may have been drawn to the airport by the presence of Monster.com's orange
blimp, lit up that night like a huge pumpkin. What police do know for sure is
this: Just before 6 p.m. Monday, a Marine Corps pilot practicing take-offs and
landings radioed the air traffic tower that he had flown over a child just as
he was about to touch down.Then, about 6:30 p.m., Tucker's mother checked him
into the emergency room at Marian Medical Center. He had a broken left elbow
and a jagged inch-long vertical gash in the middle of his forehead, and his
face and sweatshirt were covered in blood.At first, the pilot thought he may
have hit the boy. He told investigators he was about 10 feet off the ground
when he glimpsed Tucker off to his left. "He was close enough to see that
it was a child and that he was wearing a green sweatshirt," said Lt. Mike
Cordero of the Santa Maria Police Department
To See the FUll Story:
Boy's airport
injury still a mystery
http://news.newspress.com/topsports/1130airport.htm
******************************
Boy may have been struck by airplane
11/28/01By ANN GRIFFITH NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITERA 6-year-old boy from
Santa Maria was in serious condition with head and other injuries Tuesday as
officials investigated whether he was hit by a plane at Santa Maria
Airport.Tucker Sheller was found by concerned family members Monday evening
along an old, overgrown runway that is no longer in use. He later lost
consciousness due to serious head injuries.Severe autism prevents Tucker from
speaking and has complicated the investigation, said Lt. Mike Cordero of the
Santa Maria Police Dept.Suspicions that Tucker may have been hit by a plane
hinge on a call from a U.S. Marine Corps pilot, who told air traffic
controllers that he saw a young child on an active runway as his plane was
landing just before 6 p.m.The pilot was taking part in routine training
exercises. After taking off in Monterey, he touched down at the Santa Maria
Airport and then completed his mission at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar, said Lt. Cordero."I've been here almost 30 years and I've never
heard of anyone getting hit by an airplane," he said. Police also are
looking for other ways the boy might have injured himself.Within an hour after
the Marine Corps pilot spotted the child on the runway, Tucker was found and
taken first to Marian Medical Center, then transferred to Cottage Hospital.
Police say the boy may have gotten into a restricted area of the airport through
two chain-link gates fastened shut with a chain. The gates can be pushed open
eight inches.
To See The Rest Of This Story:
Boy may have been
struck by airplane
http://news.newspress.com/topsports/1128boy.htm
******************************
Autistic runner ready for his first marathon
David Thordarson of Modesto displays singlet he'll
wear in marathon on Sunday, as his mom Toni and stepfather Ed Lorenzen look on.
ADRIAN MENDOZA/THE BEE
December 1, 2001 Posted:
07:20:05 AM PST
By
TOM HOLLIDAY BEE STAFF WRITER David Thordarson has a form of autism, a developmental
disorder. He "doesn't show emotion," says his stepfather, Ed
Lorenzen.Not usually. But you should have seen the 19-year-old at October's
Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon, after he learned he'd won the
19-and-under boys division."He got this big ear-to-ear grin," says
his dad, displaying a pretty good smile himself. "He was glowing. When he
started glowing, we knew he was happy. And everyone on the team came up to
congratulate him.""The team" is the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society "Team in Training" program dedicated to fund-raising,
training and running a marathon.David, a Modesto High grad, is part of it. He's
raised $1,705 to fight leukemia.The marathon part comes Sunday when David
tackles the California International Marathon that starts near Folsom Lake and
finishes in downtown Sacramento.
To See The Rest Of The Story:
Modbee.com
| Sports
http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/1252150p-1320616c.html
******************************
11-year-old writes about brother's autism in new book
11/27/01
By Katie V. Jones
Email
this story to a friend
Eve Band, Ph.D., who
practices as a therapist in Owings Mills, has co-authored a book with an
11-year-old called ``Autism through a sister's eyes.''
Emily Hecht is like many 11-year-olds. She plays soccer, basketball and
softball, enjoys being with her friends. She thinks one day she may be a
teacher. But unlike many peers her age, Emily is a co-author of a book that
deals with something very personal: her brother Daniel and his autism.``Autism
Through a Sister's Eyes" reveals Emily's feelings and her ability to
accept her brother's differences; a process that took Emily some time and
started with the help of Eve Band, a clinical psychologist and Ph.D based in
Owings Mills.``It traces her (Emily's) evolution of her understanding of
autism, her different feelings and her attempts to cope with it," said
Band about the book, which she wrote with Emily.
To Read The Rest Of
The Story:
Owings
Mills Times
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=809&NewsID=217281&CategoryID=9115&on=0
******************************
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