|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Saturday December 15, 2001
INDEX:
* No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, H.R.1
(long with links included)
* AIT session
* S-1133 for Autism Biomedical Research funding to be posted
for a vote in
the Senate on Monday
* Iowa And World Legislative MAJOR EVENTS OVER THE LAST WEEK
* POEM: Present From up Above
* Autism "No Longer A Rare Condition"
* Judge Upholds Decision To Keep Boy Without Vaccine Out Of School
******************************
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 
H.R. 1
Members in
photo from left are: Mark Green (WI), Sam Johnson (TX) (behind Castle), Mike
Castle (DE),
John Culberson (TX), Buck McKeon (CA), Patrick Tiberi (OH), Chairman Boehner
(OH) (speaking),
Judy Biggert
(IL), Vern Ehlers (MI) (behind Biggert), Cass Ballenger (NC), Ric Keller (FL),
Johnny Isakson (GA).
H.R. 1 Conference Report (House Report
107-334)
Joint
Explanatory Statement of the Committee on Conference
Legislative
Bill Text (pdf) H.R.
1 Conference Report Summary - December 10, 2001
Statements in Support of H.R. 1 Conference Report:
President
George W. Bush - December 11, 2001
House
Speaker J. Dennis Hastert - December 13, 2001
Education
Secretary Rod Paige - December 13, 2001
Education Conference Committee Report Highlights (December 10, 2001):
Accountability
State/Local
Flexibility
Expanded
Parental Options
Consolidation
Bilingual
Education
Charter
Schools
Reading
First
Family
Protections
Teacher
Quality
Education
Funding
What the H.R. 1 Conference Report Means For:
Parents
and Taxpayers
Local
Schools
Poor
Students and Poor Schools
Families
and Communities
Disabled
Students
States
Teachers
Rural
Schools
Home
Schools and Private Schools
America's
Economy H.R. 1
Conference Report Charts (pdf format):
Education
Spending vs. Education Achievement
GOP
Strives to Fulfill IDEA's Promise
New
Flexibility for States, Local Schools in H.R. 1
ESEA
Program Consolidation Fact Sheets on Bipartisan Committee Agreements: (pdf format)
Bush
Testing Plan Measures Results, Empowers Parents
Unprecedented
Flexibility for America's Local Schools
A
“Safety Valve” for Students Trapped in Failing Schools Fact Sheet: (pdf format)
President
Bush's No Child Left Behind (H.R. 1): Fueling Education Reform by Empowering
Parents Fact Sheet:
Why
Local School Leaders Oppose the Torricelli Pesticides Amendment Text of H.R. 1 (introduced version): (pdf format)
Beginning
of bill including the table of contents
Title
I -- Improving the Academic Performance of the Disadvantaged
Title
II -- Preparing, Training, and Recruiting Quality Teachers
Title
III -- Education of Limited English Proficient Children; Indian and Alaska
Native Education
Title
IV -- Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs
Title
V -- Safe Schools for the 21st Century
Title
VI -- Impact Aid Program
Title
VII -- Flexibility and Accountability
Title
VIII -- General Provisions
Title
IX -- Miscellaneous Provisions See Full
Committee markup of H.R. 1 for the Committee reported version of the bill.Original
Cosponsors of H.R. 1Link to H.R. 1 on
the LOC Thomas systemCharts (pdf format)
International
Math and Science Proficiency Scores - 8th Grade
NAEP
Test Results: Reading Scores 1971-1999
NAEP
Test Results: Math Scores 1973-1999
NAEP
Reading Scores 1999 by Race Press Releases:
House
Approves Landmark Education Reforms
H.R.
1 Education Reforms Would Mean Immediate New Options for Students in Thousands
of Failing Public Schools
House-Senate
Panel Approves H.R. 1 Education Reform Bill
House-Senate
Education Panel Approves Landmark Reforms to Teach Children English, Support
Highly Qualified Teachers
House-Senate
Education Conference Makes Major Progress
House-Senate
Education Conference Approves President's Reading Initiatives, Other Agreements
Joint
Statement by House-Senate Education Conference Leaders
House-Senate
Education Conference Makes Early Progress
House,
Senate Education Leaders Begin Final Work on President Bush’s Education Plan
Statement
by Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) on Opening of House-Senate Conference on President
Bush’s No Child Left Behind Education Bill
Statement by
Chairman Boehner on Motion to Go to Conference with Senate on H.R. 1
“No
Child Left Behind” Education Bill Introduced as H.R. 1
Statement
of U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige Regarding Introduction of H.R. 1 (pdf)
House
Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) Endorses President’s Education Proposal (pdf) Summary
of H.R. 1: No Child Left BehindSummary:
Bush Education BudgetH.R.
1, No Child Left Behind: Questions and Answers (pdf)Summary of House-Senate
Conference AgreementsIssue Summaries (pdf format)
H.R.
1 Enhances Accountability
H.R.
1 Helps Close the Achievement Gap
H.R.
1 Enhances State and Local Flexibility
H.R.
1 Improves Math & Science Education
H.R.
1 Promotes Reading First
H.R.
1 Enhances Education Technology Programs
H.R.
1 Promotes English Fluency
http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/107th/education/nclb/nclb.htm
******************************
AIT session
coming up December 22-31.
I have 2 spaces open at this time, I would love to have children to fill those
spaces. If you know of any family who would like to have AIT and find
that $1350 ($1400 in 2002) is way beyond their budget, but would really
like to try it, I can give a scholarship to a family. I have the
flexibility to do that, because I have such a large group of kids coming
as it is.
If you know of anyone, can you let them know to contact me
ASAP
terries@execpc.com 262-569-7828-- I will discuss with them their
financial situation and their child's needs, and I'm sure we can come up
with a fee that is comfortable for them and for me.
Thanks. Terrie Silverman
******************************
S-1133 for Autism Biomedical Research
funding to be posted for a vote in the Senate on Monday
We received good news from Governor DiFrancesco's office
yesterday. His
office agreed to allow S-1133 for Autism Biomedical Research funding to be
posted for a vote in the Senate on Monday! We need to get confirmation of
this verbal approval, but we do not have any reason to doubt the
representative we spoke with, as he is a very high ranking person in the
Governor's office.
This move forward on our bill is a direct result of all the calls and
faxes which the autism community and its supporters have sent to Trenton
over the past week. Because of these efforts, we have been able to
communicate the benefits of the legislation and its importance to families
with autism in NJ. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CALLED OR FAXED, OR WHO URGED
OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION! THIS IS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT! Very few spending
bills are getting through Trenton.
We still have more work to do -
1. We must get confirmation that the bill will in fact be posted. We
should know this by Thursday, December 13th, and will let everyone know
when we know.
2. We have to make sure the Senate votes Yes on the bill on Monday,
December 17th, which is the last legislative session for this year.
3. We have to make sure Gov. DiFrancesco signs it. And even if he signs
it, he has the power to lower the requested amount of $1.5 million. Given
current economic conditions, this may be a reality.
We are asking parents, friends, professionals and other autism supporters
to consider coming to the Statehouse in Trenton for the Senate vote on
Monday, December 17th. By displaying a show of strength, we send a message
to (a) the Senate to vote Yes, (b) the Governor to sign the bill into law,
and (c) the Governor to weigh the needs of autistic individuals along with
economic considerations. It would be helpful to inform your local Senator
that you are coming so they know to vote Yes!
The Senate session on Monday does not begin until 2:00 pm. Once we have
confirmation that S-1133 will be posted, we will send out directions,
times, and other details for those who can make it to Trenton.
Again, congratulations to all of you who moved S-1133 forward. In today's
politic and economic environment in NJ, this can be considered a major
accomplishment.
Note for those missing earlier posts on this initiative:
S-1133 appropriates $1.5 million for each of five years to autism research
at UMDNJ through the NJ Governor's Council on Autism. The bill has passed
the NJ Assembly and the Health and Budget Committees of the Senate. It
must be posted for a
vote in the Senate, voted on by the Senate and signed by the Governor by
the end of this year, or we'll have to start all over again and will miss
an entire year of funding. There is only one more Senate session left this
year - on December 17th - this is our deadline. The autism groups of NJ
have gotten single year appropriations of $1.5 million for autism research
for the past two years. Our Senators, Assemblymen, and Governor Whitman
have been very supportive. Since its inception, the NJ Governor's Council
has awarded 23 peer-reviewed research grants, assisted in the
establishment of a state autism registry, supported the development of the
first campaign among parents and physicians for early diagnosis, and has
helped UMDNJ to obtain Federal research funds. A new innovative treatment
center in Newark is also being formed. S-1133 will continue and expand
these efforts.
This initiative is being supported by the following organizations -
Cure Autism Now; COSAC; NAAR; Autism Autoimmunity Project; Unlocking
Autism; Safe Minds; IMPACT; POAC; MOSAIC; Noah's Ark; PACT
Elizabeth Kilpatrick
Director of Development
Cure Autism Now
1-888-8AUTISM
******************************
Iowa
And World Legislative MAJOR EVENTS OVER THE LAST WEEK
* The Congress passed a sixth Continuing Resolution keeping federal agencies
operating until Dec. 21.
* Conferees working on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) finally reached agreement. The resulting conference
report was approved by the House on Dec. 13 by a vote of 381-41 and is
scheduled to be approved by the Senate tomorrow. Unfortunately,
full-funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is missing
from the bill. On the other hand, dangerous IDEA discipline amendments
were also left out of the final bill.
* Paul Marchand represented The Arc at a forum held by the Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services. The forum was designed to help
frame the U.S. Department of Education's position on the reauthorization of
IDEA scheduled for next year. Paul's comments focused on mental
retardation IDEA issues, such as over-representation of minorities, the lack of
inclusion, and untrained regular educators. He also asked the Department
to study school systems' use of IDEA funds.
* The President's Commission on Strengthening Social Security met to finalize
its report to the President. The Commission discussed the draft, made
some changes, and unanimously adopted the draft final report. The report
outlines three different models for creating private accounts, all of which
rely on substantial funds from the general revenues, despite the fact that
there is no federal surplus outside of the Social Security Trust Funds. The
plans would result in substantial reductions in Social Security benefits
including benefits for people with disabilities. The Commission is making
final edits and is expected to issue the report on Dec. 21.
MAJOR EVENTS AHEAD
* House and Senate Conferees on the FY 2002 Labor-Health and Human
Services-Education appropriations bill are expected to complete action on the
bill tomorrow. A House vote on the conference report will take place on
Wednesday and a Senate vote is likely on Thursday.
* The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is holding a
toll-free teleconference today from 3:00 - 3:45 EST focused on Medicaid
External Quality Review of Managed Care Organizations. The call-in number
is 800-779-0488 and the code is HCFACALL. A toll-free replay of the call will
be available 24 hours a day until December 31, 2001 at 5pm by calling 800-
282-5593. CMS has established a new website with notices of
teleconferences and presentation materials at www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/teleconf.
* Finally, this is the week when the First Session of the 107th Congress
adjourns. The Congress hopes to complete action on several priority bills
(all FY 2002 appropriations, economic stimulus package, ESEA reauthorization,
etc.). However, much will be left on its plate for action next year
******************************
POEM: Present From up Above
We
got a present today from up above
A child sent down for us to love
He's not the one we were waiting for
But through his life we'll learn much more
Some days we will laugh
Some days we will cry
Other days we will ask God why
It matters not what people say
Some will never understand anyway
You have a gift unlike all the rest
With this child you have been blessed
There's so much love inside this child
This little one so meek and mild
We will have times when life is tough
So be prepared when things get rough
And remember no matter what they do
Its worth it all when they say I love you
Ron
******************************
Autism "No Longer A Rare Condition"
[By Emma Young.]
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991687
A massive and co-ordinated research effort to
identify the causes of
autism is urgently needed, say the authors of a major UK Medical Research
Council review of autism research.
The review concludes that autism and related
disorders are far more
common than previously thought - and that there is no firm evidence to date
linking any environmental trigger with the disease.
Autism and related disorders affect six in every
1000 children aged
under eight, the team found. The previous figure accepted by the MRC was
between one and two per 1000. The increase is bound to altered ideas about
what constitutes an "autism spectrum disorder", as well as increased
awareness of the condition, the group says.
Their review of previous research revealed no
evidence of a link
between the controversial MMR vaccine and autism. The group also found no
firm evidence linking immunological or bowel problems with the disorder -
links that have been suggested by some researchers.
"There have been some recent very high
quality epidemiological studies
in the UK, but individually, these studies are quite small. We need future
research that is interdisciplinary and has the strength of being
population-based, so we're not studying biased samples of children," says
Carol Dezateux, a consultant paediatrician at the Great Ormond Street
Hospital in London, and a member of the review group.
Nature vs nurture
Judith Barnard of the UK's National Autistic
Society, who took part in
the review, says: "We're very pleased with this report, which has been
long
overdue. It's an area that has been woefully under-researched in the UK in
the past. Most importantly for me, the report formally recognises that
autism can no longer be considered to be a rare condition."
The group says it is increasingly clear that
there is a genetic
component to autism. But long-term prospective studies of large numbers of
children, including genetic, as well as detailed health and lifestyle data,
will be needed to help tease apart the genetic and environmental components
of the disorder, says Dezateux.
Much more basic biological work, to investigate
differences between
autistic and healthy brains, for example, is also necessary, she says.
Dedicated funding
How that research will be co-ordinated is another
matter. The MRC can
boost "robust" inter-disciplinary autism research proposals by
targeting
funds at these projects, Dezateux says.
But, says Barnard: "Two years ago, the MRC
issued a report on autism
and bowel disorders and called for specific research. Nothing on that list
has yet been done, because they are waiting for 'robust' proposals."
"We are asking the Department of Health for
a dedicated funding stream
for autism research," she says, "and raising the issue of a need for
a
pro-active body to implement the findings of these review."
The review is published on the MRC's website:
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/PDFs/autism_report.pdf
******************************
Judge Upholds Decision To Keep Boy Without
Vaccine Out Of School
[By Associated Press, Dec. 13, 2001.]
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/347/region/Judge_upholds_decision_to_keep:.s
html
Morristown, N.J. (AP) A Superior Court judge has upheld a school
district's decision to keep a sixth-grader out of class because he hasn't
been vaccinated for Hepatitis B. Superior Court Judge Kenneth MacKenzie
dismissed a petition by 11-year-old Zachary Shaftan's parents to reinstate
their son to Sparta Middle School. The decision was dated Thursday.
The boy was suspended Nov. 2 after he did not
receive the first in a
series of three inoculations. His parents, Richard and Donna Shaftan,
believe the vaccination rule violates their son's rights and is unnecessary,
unrelated to education and invasive. The Shaftans said they plan to appeal
MacKenzie's decision. The regulation, which took effect in September,
requires vaccinations for all children who were born in or after 1990 and
are entering sixth grade.
The Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through
blood products, bodily
fluids and needle pricks, and can lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis
and liver cancer.
* * *
Pediatricians Acknowledging Parent Leadership of Medical Reform
[Thanks to Nancy D. Wiseman.]
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v155n12/ffull/ped10016.html
In this month's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine is an
editorial "Child Development in Pediatrics: Beyond Rhetoric" by
Barry
Zuckerman, MD; Marilyn Augustyn, MD; and Steven Parker, MD. In part, they
are alerting their colleagues to a pediatric care reform movement being lead
by parents and acknowledging a large prevalence rate for autism.
Mentioned
by name is First Signs of New Jersey who is promoting early detection and
treatment awareness for that state.
Below is an excerpt.
. . .A parent group for children with autism has
started a national
organization called First Signs to call for regular systemic screening by
pediatricians with validated instruments, emphasizing the social and
emotional aspects of development, to identify autism spectrum disorder.
Among its many initiatives is a statewide pediatric effort in New Jersey.
Systematic screening by pediatricians has also
been recommended by the
American Academy of Neurology (St Paul, Minn) and other professional
organizations in response to research showing an approximately 10-fold
increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder.8 Because parent
groups have a long and special tradition of improving care for children, it
is likely that they, rather than professional organizations, will be more
effective in changing practice.
+ Full article available at:
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v155n12/ffull/ped10016.html
******************************
Autism Awakening, Autism FIrst Steps Newsletter, or any staff do
not endorse any individuals, groups or programs. References regarding
programs, meetings, resources, research, opinions, treatment, etc., should not
be interpreted as an indication of endorsement. They are provided for
informational purposes only. This is an attempt to keep the nation advised to
all diagnostic, treatment, therapy, educational,
options available as well as legislative autism updates and more.
To View Newsletter Policies they are located at the Newsletter Website:
Direct Link:: Autism
First Steps Newsletter
http://autismawakeninginia.bizland.com/autismfirststepsnewsletter/
To have
friends, Family, or professionals join:
1. they can go to the above link
2. They can go to the Newsletter Group page located at:
Direct Link::
Yahoo!
Groups : AutismFirstStepsAutismNewsletter
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AutismFirstStepsAutismNewsletter
3 Send a e-mail to AutismAwakening@aol.com and ask to be subscribed to
the free online daily newsletter
Visit one of the largest
websites Commited to bringing you the latest in news, options, and techniques,
and more on Autism located at:
Direct Link:: Autism Awakening 4 Kids
www.AutismAwakening.com
To Submit a
story, alert, readers post, or advertisement please e-mail AutismAwakening@aol.com
To be removed reply to this e-mail and requested to be removed from the list.
To
unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
AutismFirstStepsAutismNewsletter-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Your use of
Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
Terms of Service.
ALL
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.