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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Sunday December 9, 2001
INDEX:
* Winter Fun Activities
For Kids
* Letter: Heavy Metal Clarification
* Harvard Clinic Scientist Finds Gut/Autism Link, Like Wakefield
Findings
* Commentary on Andrew Wakefield[By Barbara Loe Fisher, President,
National Vaccine Information Centerin the NVIC
* Living Without Vaccinations
* Using Research to Improve Education for Low-Income and Minority
Students
******************************
Winter Fun Activities
For Kids
1. Winter is a
great time of year to take a walk and collect things. Look for nuts, pine
cones, seed pods, dried weed flowers, milkweed pods, cat tails, or anything
else that catches your fancy.
2. Make a small collage from the many kinds of hitchhiker seeds. (These are the
seeds that stick to your clothes or the dog as you're walking through a pasture
or wooded area.)
3. A very simple pine cone wreath can be made by gluing pine cones onto a
wreath form cut from heavy corrugated cardboard. Use a small wreath form and
small pine cones with a pillar candle placed in the middle for an attractive
table decoration. Stick a little evergreen or holly in between the pine cones.
4. If you live in the country or know someone who does, look for very small (6
to 8 inches) pine tree sprouts. Dig one up (Be sure to ask for permission if it
is not your property!) and plant it in a pot. Decorate it with small ribbon
bows and paper snowflakes. Plant it again in the Spring.
5. If your yard has that dreary winter look, cheer it up with a tree decorated
for the birds! String popcorn and cranberries. Hang scooped out orange halves
filled with peanut butter and birdseed. Make suet balls and hang them in the
mesh bags in which oranges and onions are packaged. Cut attractive shapes from
paper plates, spread them with peanut butter and bird seed and hang them on
your tree. Don't forget to put out some fresh water for the birds, also.
6. Put together a feeding station for the squirrels so that you can watch their
antics through a window.
7. Check the seed catalogs or local nurseries for flower bulbs to force during
the winter. Amaryllis are pretty. So are crocuses and narcissus. You can also
force a branch from a flowering bush like pussy willow and forsythia in a
bucket of water.
8. Make candles! Okay, this is not a garden or outdoor activity. But, it is a
fun thing to do during the winter. One of the cutest candles I ever made looked
like an ice cream soda. Carefully pour some colored wax 3/4 up in a drink glass
(the old - fashioned Coke type glasses look nice) that has a wick placed in it.
Whip some cooling plain wax with an old hand beater until it's foamy. Scoop the
foamy wax on top of the candle. Stick in a cut piece of straw and top of with a
cherry made from red wax rolled into a ball shape while warm. You could
probably forego the wick with this candle because it's just too pretty to burn.
9. If you haven't cleaned out your garden area yet, now is a good time to do
so. Even the youngest kids in the family can help pull up old plants and weeds.
And the best part is that you don't have to worry about anyone pulling up the
wrong plants!
10. January is a great time to look through all those seed catalogs you've been
getting in the mail with the whole family. Plan next year's garden, order the
seeds, and start any plants you need to start early like tomatoes and peppers.
Pick out something fun and different to try this year like yard long beans or
chocolate colored peppers.
11. Do you still have any of those baby pumpkins around clashing with the Christmas
decorations? Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake them. (Of course,
this is only if they are not rotten or mildewed anywhere.) Throw the seeds out
in a corner of the yard somewhere and see if they sprout in the spring.
12. If you have snow, look for animal prints from birds, squirrels, rabbits, or
deer. Of course, if you see a lot of footprints from a dog, you probably won't
see many of anything else!
13. Spray paint the dried weeds you collected. Make a vase for them from a
large white paper cup. Decorate the paper cut with a glued-on mosaic of tissue
paper or construction paper pieces.
14. Make some snow candy. Cook up some molasses to the hard ball stage and
drizzle it over a pan of clean snow just like Laura Ingalls Wilder!
15. Remember, spring is never far away! Look for the beginnings of spring on a
nature walk in February or March. If you don't have any crocuses or other early
bulbs sprouting, be sure to plant some for next year!
******************************
Letter: Heavy Metal Clarification
Just a clarification re the following note from the IMFAR AutismResearch
Presentations article published December 2, 2001:" C. Halloway and a group
of Arizona-based researchers presentedpreliminary work on heavy metal toxicity
in people with autism. Theyhypothesize that there may be a statistically
significant associationbetween levels of heavy metal toxicity and the severity
of autism, asmeasured by the GARS. If such an association is observed, it could
warrantfurther research into the mechanism of effect that involves exposure to
oneor more heavy metals and the development of autism."Actually, our
group's preliminary results on 50 autism families and 30control families found
that:1) Maternal consumption of seafood over 2 servings/month led to a
3.5xincreased risk of having a child with autism.2) Children with autism have
10 ear infections during their firstthree years, compared to 2 for the
controls; more than 8 ear infectionsyields an 8x increased risk of having
autism (presumably because oralantibiotics almost completely stop excretion of
mercury).3) Children with autism excrete slightly less mercury and lead intheir
hair than average, which coupled with Bradstreet's data on increasedexcretion
with DMSA suggests that children with autism have an inhibitedability to
eliminate heavy metals.4) Children with autism have more severe reactions to
vaccinationsthan the controls (P<0.02)5) 40% of children have pica (eating
non-food items), which willincrease exposure to heavy metals. Thus, we
hypothesize that stoppingmaternal consumption of seafood during pregnancy,
greatly reducing use oforal antibiotics, and eliminating mercury from
vaccines could greatly reducethe number of children with autism.The statistical
analysis was done by a psychiatric epidemiologist onour team at ASU.James B.
AdamsProfessorChemical and Materials EngineeringArizona State UniversityPO Box
876006Tempe, AZ 85287-6006
******************************
Harvard Clinic Scientist Finds Gut/Autism Link,
Like Wakefield Findings
Dr. Timothy Buie, a pediatric gastroenterologist from Harvard/MassGeneral
Hospital has performed over 400 gastrointestinal endoscopies withbiopsies, as
well as evaluation of digestive enzyme function in childrendiagnosed with
autism and finding a connection. The results of his testingare similar to the
observations made by Dr. Andrew Wakefield regarding thepresence of chronic
inflammation of the intestinal tract, although theincidence was noted to be less
frequent in his group.Dr. Buie announced his findings last Saturday at the
Oasis 2001Conference for Autism in Portland, Oregon, the day before the
announcementof Wakefield's forced departure from Royal Free in the UK.The
biopsy results indicated the presence of chronic inflammation ofthe digestive
tract including esophagitis, gastritis and enterocolitis alongwith the presence
of Iymphoid nodular hyperplasia in 15 of 89 children.Additionally the results
of the enzyme testing of Dr. Buie’s patientsparalleled that of Dr. Karoly
Horvath and colleagues at the University ofMaryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Buie found that the autistic children heexamined showed
disaccbaride/glucoamylase enzyme levels below normal. Some55% of these children
had lactase deficiencies (which breaks down lactose inmilk) as well as
deficiencies of the enzyme sucrase (responsible fordigestion of table
sugar).The findings also lend support to anecdotal reports of improvement
ofsome autistic children on wheat and dairy (gluten, casein) free diets.
Buiesays that Harvard wants to do research into the use of protein
enzymesupplements, which aid in the digestion of wheat and milk products
fortreatment.Buie echoed the opinion of other a growing number of
clinicalresearchers and practitioners treating autistic patients, "these
childrenare ill, in distress and pain, and not just mentally,
neurologicallydysfunctional."[The FEAT Newsletter will provide more
details of Dr. Buie's researchshortly. For more information on enzyme
supplements, contacthttp://www.gfcfdiet.com/Enzymes.htm#*
******************************
Commentary
on Andrew Wakefield[By Barbara Loe Fisher, President, National Vaccine
Information Centerin the NVIC
newsletter.]http://www.909shot.com
Whenever ignorance, envy, greed and suppression dominate the businessof a state
(or a profession), there will always be heroes who step forwardto challenge the
status quo. They are usually individuals who lead ordinarylives until, one day,
they are faced with an extraordinary situation andmake a conscious decision to
do the right thing no matter what price theyhave to pay.Andrew Wakefield, a
brilliant young British gastroenterologist risingquickly in the ranks of his
peers, made a conscious decision in 1997 that hecould not turn away from a
truth he had discovered during the course of hisscientific research, even
though he knew it could cost him his career. Whenhe realized the lives of
children depended upon his having the courage torefuse to remain silent about
the association he found between MMR vaccineand autism, he chose to do what was
right instead of do what was safe.Now he is paying the price being exacted by a
scientific professionand militarized public health infrastructure that cannot
tolerateindependent thought and scientific investigation for fear it will lead
tochange. Like all those involved in perpetuating totalitarian systems
thatsuppress free thought, expression and action, those who have tried
tosilence and destroy Andrew Wakefield have only succeeded in revealing to
thepeople how afraid they are of what he has to say.Dr. Wakefield will not only
survive what they have done, he willtriumph over it. The truth about vaccines
and neuroimmune damage, likeautism, will shine bright and clear in the end, no
matter how many try tohide it because of the courage of individuals like Andrew
Wakefield
******************************
Living
Without Vaccinations[By Dorsey Griffith, front page of the Sunday Sacramento
Bee.
]http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/1257991p-1326537c.htmlThey
are as lively and rosy-cheeked as any 5- and 6-year-old girls,their long, blond
hair gleaming in the sun as they swing upside down fromthe monkey bars at the
playground.But Skyla and Iris Foxfoot are not like most 5- and 6-year-olds
inAmerica. The Nevada County children have not been immunized againstchildhood
diseases such as measles, chicken pox and haemophilus meningitis."I think
they are healthier for it," said their mother, Cindy Foxfoot,a licensed
midwife. "I think their immune systems are stronger for it."Foxfoot
and her husband are among a relatively large number of parentsin rural Nevada
County who, based on personal beliefs, have chosen to exempttheir children from
vaccinations otherwise required by state law. InCalifornia, people can exercise
that option simply by signing the back of aschool immunization record.Last
year, California had its highest rate of "personal beliefsexemptions"
in 20 years, at just more than three-quarters of a percent ofall entering
kindergartners, or about 4,000 children.Even so, Nevada County stands out. Last
year, the Sierra foothillscounty had the highest rate of exempted
kindergartners and thesecond-highest rate of exempted seventh-graders in
California. More than 6percent, or 54 out of 848 kindergartners, were exempted,
and more than 11percent, or 126 out of 1,130 seventh-graders. Statewide, just
over 1 percentof seventh-graders were exempt last year.Nevada County's
exemption rates are unusual even among the state'srural counties. Tehama
County, which has nearly the same number of enteringkindergartners, had a 1.3
percent exemption rate last year; Yuba, with justover 1,000 entering
kindergartners, had a 1 percent rate.According to many in Nevada County, the
difference has a lot to dowith the character of the place and its people. Many
residents have adopted"holistic" lifestyles, educating their children
at home, eating organicfoods and preferring natural remedies to pharmaceuticals
for what ails them."To me, (worrying about these diseases) is not what
life is about,"said the mother of a 2-year-old boy who has not had his shots,
"because Ihave the knowledge of using herbs, I live in a community where
alternativehealth is supported, and I have a close group of other parents who
don'tvaccinate."Since the beginning of the last century, vaccinating
children againstpotentially deadly or disabling diseases has been a widely
accepted medicalpractice. The eradication of smallpox through worldwide
vaccinationcampaigns is hailed as one of the greatest public health triumphs of
thelast century. The polio vaccine, introduced in 1962, has eliminated thedisease
from the Western Hemisphere.But in recent years, vaccinations once considered
routine have comeunder attack, mainly from parent groups. The trend stems, in
part, from agrowing interest in holistic medicine. But with so many diseases
undercontrol, some parents also feel freer to weigh the potentially
dangerousside effects vaccines can pose."Because of our success in
immunizations, we have lost our memory ofhow bad these diseases really
are," said Dr. Natalie Smith, chief of theimmunization branch of the state
Department of Health Services.Californians have been able to opt out of
childhood vaccinationprograms since the early 1970s. California is among 22
states that offerpersonal-belief or religious exemptions in addition to medical
exemptions.Efforts to establish exemption programs in New Jersey and Texas
weredefeated in recent years. In Iowa, on the other hand, the state
Legislaturerecently killed an attempt by health officials to end religious
exemptions.Perhaps the most high-profile debate involving vaccines stems
fromsuspicions linking measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism.
Manyparents of autistic children say their children seemed normal until
soonafter the first inoculation, typically given between 12 and 18 months
ofage.Last year, Congress' Committee on Government Reform held lengthyhearings
to explore the possible link. The committee chairman, CongressmanDan Burton,
R-Ind., told the story of his own grandson who was diagnosedwith autism soon
after getting immunized, and called for more research.Because of increasing
concerns, the federal government has asked thenational Institute of Medicine to
set up a committee to analyze theoriesabout immunization safety
concerns.Meanwhile, the 20-year-old National Vaccine Information Center, aparent-led
safety organization, has called for a congressional investigationinto the
nation's mass vaccination program. They argue that not enough isknown about the
potential harm vaccines may cause to justify routineimmunization of every
child."We believe the one-size-fits-all approach does not
acknowledgebiodiversity," said Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and
president of thecenter. The center played a role in the Food and Drug
Administrationdecision in 1996 to develop a safer vaccine against pertussis, or
whoopingcough.Over time, concerns have been raised about possible links
betweeninoculations and a range of conditions, including juvenile diabetes,
asthma,attention deficit disorder and sudden infant death syndrome.Medical
experts say there is no firm evidence to support such claims.They say all
vaccines carry some risks, but only for a fraction of thepopulation. According
to the federal Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, for example, serious
allergic reactions that can result in braindamage occur in fewer than one in 1
million children who get the diphtheria,tetanus and pertussis vaccine and the
measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.Dr. Bruce Gellin, executive director of the
National Network forImmunization Information, an organization that promotes
vaccinationeducation, said vaccines today are safer than ever."We have the
best system in the world to assure they are as safe asthey can absolutely
be," he said. "But no medical product is 100 percentsafe."Gellin
points out that the dangers posed by vaccine-preventablediseases are much
higher than the risks posed by the vaccines. Measles, forexample, kills one in
500 children. One in 1,000 will get encephalitis frommeasles.Beyond concerns
about safety, many parents believe the relatively newimmunizations against
diseases such as chicken pox and hepatitis B areunnecessary for young children:
They survived chicken pox, they figure, sowhy wouldn't their children? And they
argue that small children are hardlyat risk for hepatitis B, which is spread
through sexual contact andinjection drug use."Parents want to have
choices," Fisher said.What troubles disease-prevention experts about the
trend is thepotential erosion of what is known as herd immunity, in which
immunized kidsserve as a protective barrier for kids who aren't.Smith calls it
the "free-rider effect," and says herd immunity onlyworks to prevent
outbreaks when enough children are fully immunized.Children who haven't had
their shots are more likely to get sick themselves,and spread infectious
diseases to infants and other children who haven'tbeen immunized. They also
pose a threat to adults and children who have beenimmunized, but for whom the
vaccines were not 100 percent effective.In 1998, Foxfoot said, her daughters
contracted pertussis, apotentially dangerous disease preventable with the DTap
(diphtheria,tetanus, pertussis) vaccine typically given at 15 months.The
bacterial disease, which in about 9 percent of cases leads topneumonia and,
more rarely, seizures and brain disorders, is particularlydangerous to infants.
Worldwide, 30,000 people die each year from pertussis,according to the CDC.The
Foxfoot girls became sick along with several other unimmunizedchildren who live
or attend alternative schools in the scenic hills alongthe North San Juan Ridge
in the far northwestern corner of the county.Foxfoot said that when her
daughters became ill, they developed thetelltale cough with a whoop as they
tried to catch their breath. She keptthe girls at home for nearly six weeks
while they recuperated, as requiredby law for unimmunized children with
vaccine-preventable diseases. She alsoisolated them from older adults --
including her own parents -- and anyonewho hadn't been immunized against the
disease.Foxfoot put her children on a diet without dairy and wheat products,and
made sure they consumed plenty of clear broth to reduce the mucous thatshe said
exacerbated the coughing. They recovered fully."I was never worried for
their lives," she said. "They were strong andhealthy."Her
children, whom she educates at home, remain healthy; neither hashad an ear
infection and neither has ever seen a primary-care physician, shesaid.Feeding
the immunization debate on both sides are numerous Internetsites devised to
support one or the other side.The Web site for Thinktwice Global Vaccine
Institute, for example,provides personal stories about adverse reactions to
vaccines and allowsreaders to post questions about immunizations, which are
answered by thepeople who run the site.The Immunization Action Coalition site
does the opposite, providinghorror stories from parents whose children
contracted vaccine-preventablediseases.Kris Jessen-Mather is a pediatric nurse
practitioner in the NevadaCounty town of Grass Valley. Many of her patients are
the children ofparents who are opposed to vaccination. It is her practice to
listen totheir concerns, then try to convince them of the importance of
immunization."I just try and educate them," she said. "But I
can't make a parentimmunize."Not all parents want to talk about immunization
with medicalpractitioners.Foxfoot, for example, said she based her decision on
her own research,which included articles in Mothering magazine, a periodical
dedicated to"natural parenting" and books such as "The
Immunization Decision, What EveryParent Should Know," by a practitioner of
homeopathic medicine.Like others who do not immunize their children, Foxfoot
has come tobelieve that the immune systems of infants are not ready to process
theincreasing number of vaccines now recommended.Foxfoot cannot explain why
that would be true, but she is satisfiedwith her understanding of the process.
Most important, she said, is that shetakes her decision not to immunize
seriously, and feels prepared to dealwith the medical consequences."If
you're not going to educate yourself, and know the diseases andsymptoms and how
to treat them," she said, "maybe you should vaccinate."Nevada
County health officials are aware of their high exemption ratesand have made it
a goal to increase immunization rates by 20 percent by theend of 2004. School officials
say they plan to operate a van to bring shotsand vaccination education to rural
communities where the immunization ratesare especially low.Even with additional
support, Christina Garner, the countyimmunization coordinator, knows it could
be an uphill battle with theparents who refuse to immunize. "They are very
educated on what theybelieve," she said. "You cannot for the life of
you get them to change theirmind.
******************************
Using Research to Improve Education for
Low-Income and Minority Students
"Written by Anne Lewis in collaboration with Sandra Paik; Foreword by
Judith Johnsonfrom the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (as seen in
PEN Weekly NewsBlast) A
good education, one that overcomes the burdens on children of racial
discrimination and poverty, is the hope of every parent in schools where too
many children are failing. This new guide clearly explains new research on
turning around low-performing schools. It also examines the effectiveness of
the standards movement and Title I programs. View or print the PDF
version View the Table of ContentsVisit
http://www.prrac.org/additup.html
for more details or to order the print version."Add It Up is a comprehensive, readable guide to proven
strategies and policies that help schools succeed with all their students. It
is a valuable resource for educators, policymakers, parents and community
members who know their young people can meet high standards and want to make
sure that they will." Kati Haycock
Director, The Eduation Trust
"The national school reform community overflows with
optimism that 'reforms du jour' and quick fixes will result in high achievement
for every child. Add It Up dismantles that fantasy. Despite many amazing local
success stories, the absence of an accepted set of research-proven reform
practices and policies has led to fragmented educational systems and a loss of
public faith in the ability of leaders to fix low-performing schools. PRRAC has
taken an important step in using rigorous research as a means of rebuilding
civic confidence in the ability of school and political leaders to set schools
on the path toward high achievement for all." Wendy D. Puriefoy
President, Public Education Network
******************************
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INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.