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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Saturday January 19, 2002
Special Edition
INDEX:
* Free New Online Autism
Book "Saving Zachary" A Must Read
* Urgent! - Baby Hair Samples Needed For Thimerosal (Mercury) Study:
* Hard-hitting Ads Aim To Heighten Awareness
* Leading Article: A Great Society
* Autism - America's New War on Drugs
* Short Letter for Legislation in Support of The New War On Drugs
*
******************************
Free New Online Autism Book "Saving
Zachary" A Must Read
"A mother discovers the key to
contolling 99% of her autistic son's
behavioral issues. Her book, Saving Zachary: The Death and Rebirth of A
Family Coping With Autism, is being made available free of charge on her
web site: autismhelpforyou.com. Exercises she used with
her son are
also provided on this site. A new way to look at one piece of the
autism puzzle."
Author: Jeanne A. Brohart
This book
is not only very well written, but very hard to put down. It has many good
facts and details which can assist a family to gain much needed ground with
their child with autism spectrum disorders. My personal favorite chapter is the
Revelation chapter. In this chapter Jeanne figures out how to help her son and
others like him! In This chapter she discusses the lack of order vs the lack of
routine. This is a must read autism book for families and professionals of
individuals with autism spectrum disorders. This courageous woman has put her
heart into this book and strength into her child! Keep up the great work!
The Free Book Saving Zachary is located online at: Your Heading Goes Here http://www.autismhelpforyou.com/
Peacefully,
LD Wedewer, Iowa and United States Autism Ambassador
******************************
Urgent! - Baby Hair Samples Needed For
Thimerosal (Mercury) Study:
[This Research
Action Alert is from Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. of the
Autism Research Institute.]
A small group of concerned researchers and
physicians, including Amy
Holmes, M.D., has been invited to meet with government officials in
mid-February to hear our objections to the continued use of
mercury-containing vaccines. Dr. Holmes will be presenting her important
research findings onthe mercury levels in the hair of young autistic and
non-autistic, normal children. Dr. Holmes has enough autistic ‘baby hair’
for her study but she needs more ‘baby hair’ from non-autistic, normal
children (boys only). Note that hair is needed from the baby’s VERY
FIRST-EVER HAIRCUT.
I am asking parents throughout the United States
to assist, if
possible, with this very important research study. Please ask your friends
and neighbors to help.
The normal control children must meet the
following criteria:
A -- boys, born in the U.S. between 1988 and 1999
B -- does NOT have autism, PDD, ADD/ADHD, asthma,
retardation,
diabetes or any other diagnosable condition
C -- does not have a close blood relative with
autism or similar
disorder
D -- prior to the date at which the hair sample
was cut, had received
all of the required vaccinations on schedule, according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
E -- at least a tablespoonful of hair from the
FIRST haircut is
available
The hair sample should be placed in a plastic
baggie and mailed in an
envelope with the following information:
1 -- "Non autistic child hair sample’: and
child’s name (nickname or
alias okay)
2 -- Sex (boy)
3 -- Date of Birth
4 -- Date (approximate is okay) at which the hair
sample was cut
5 -- Did child receive all scheduled vaccines
prior to the first
haircut? __ Yes; __ No; or ___ child had not been vaccinated prior to
haircut
6 -- Child’s home address with zip code,
telephone, and email address
(if any)
7 -- Your name, mailing address, telephone, and
e-mail address
Mail by January 24, 2002 to:
Amy S. Holmes, M.D.
7777 Hennessy Blvd., Suite 101
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
The laboratory technicians will analyze only as
much hair as they need
to use. Any surplus hair will be saved and returned to the family, along
with a copy of the laboratory findings for that child and a small gift for
both you and the parents of the normal (control) child as a token of
appreciation for your help.
******************************
Hard-hitting Ads Aim To Heighten Awareness
[By Helen Rumbelow, from the Times Christmas
Appeal.]
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002029260,00.html
A small boy shown banging his head violently against a wall
is the
subject of a series of television advertisements marking the National
Autistic Society’s 40th anniversary. “Now you know what it’s like trying to
understand autism,” say the adverts, which are too disturbing to be shown
before the 9pm watershed.
The campaign, starting this week and supported by
celebrities such as
Katie Derham, the newsreader, Joanna Lumley and Esther Rantzen, aims to
raise money and awareness of the condition. There are currently only 4,000
specialist places for the 25,000 autistic children who need them, and the
diagnosis of autism is on the increase. No one knows for certain how many
people in Britain have autism, and a third of local authorities do not know
how many autistic children are in their care.
Figures suggest that autistic people are more than five times
more
likely than average to attempt suicide; the strain on their families is
depressing. Since autism was only routinely diagnosed in the last three
decades, no one has made provision for the half a million autistic people
when their parents are too old to care for them.
To address these problems the charity’s campaign
aims to double the
numbers of callers able to get through to the helpline to 40,000 a year, and
train an extra 40 practitioners in its EarlyBird programme, which assists
the parents of newly diagnosed children.
The charity also wants to create 40 new places
for autistic children
at its specialist schools.
Those wishing to donate or get more information
from the charity can
contact it through its website, www.nas.org.uk, or its helpline, 0870
6008585, from Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. Copyright 2002 Times Newspapers
Ltd.
******************************
Leading Article: A Great Society
[Times
readers have responded generously to our appeal.]
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,56-2002029264,00.html
You cannot catch autism and you are in no danger of dying unexpectedly
from it. You do not meet articulate young sufferers from autism because
their condition prevents most autistics from communicating easily with the
outside world. There is no hope of a simple cure and mere understanding of
the condition eludes most people. All these things mean that autism is not a
fashionable cause or one for which it is easy for campaigners to raise
money.
The response of readers of The Times to our
Christmas Appeal has
therefore been particularly gratifying. The National Autistic Society is to
receive £150,000, twice what it was expecting. This generosity will help it
to buy essential equipment for its schools, it will improve the life of
desperately ill children and bring relief to parents who feel very much
alone. Yet while these are the immediate results of the appeal, they are not
the only positive outcomes.
Those who work with autistic people believe that
increasing awareness
of the condition is almost as important as raising money. An autistic child
stands a better chance in life the earlier the condition is diagnosed. The
more parents learn to recognise the signs of autism, the greater the
probability that they will seek help at the right time. Beyond the
possibilities of treatment, the lives of autisitic people can be greatly
improved by the understanding of others. Many who suffer from the condition
are afflicted by a relatively mild form of it, known as Asperger’s syndrome.
Some of these people struggle on in life, ridiculed by others and sometimes
bullied, finding it difficult to keep a job or a friend. Many sees them as
misfits, perhaps being deliberately contrary. They are cast out by the
society of which they try to be a part, and while their autism may be milder
than others, their suffering is nearly as great. With greater awareness may
come greater sensitivity and compassion.
A Christmas Appeal by its very nature comes to an
end. The work of the
National Autistic Society, naturally, carries on. It is important that this
work is not forgotten or ignored. It was not just its cause that recommended
the society to this newpaper or encouraged such a response from our readers,
it was the society itself. A highly professional body created by the most
committed volunteers, it yesterday celebrated its 40th birthday. Since its
birth it has been a tower of strength for many thousands who need it
desperately. Long may it continue to be so.
******************************
Autism - America's New War on Drugs
Interesting
War Statistics
There is a new “war on drugs” in America. This “war” is subtle.
Yet, it is slowly devastating our country, more and more each year.
Because it is an “unseen war” its effects are not clearly
understood by the majority of Americans, our legislators, our insurance
and healthcare providers and our school systems. Yet, this “war on drugs”
is very real currently impacting 1 in 150 children - some estimate 1 in 53 children by 2005 - and the numbers get bleaker as the
years go by and more and more children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum
disorder (i.e., "autism", "P.D.D.", "A.D.H.D.").
The losses to society as a whole and to families can not begin to be
counted in dollars!
Let me explain this “war” to you and why we, as a nation, need parents and
those in the highest offices of the land fighting this “war on drugs” because
its victims are the most innocent of all: our infants, our toddlers, our young
children and the countless adults who have been institutionalized because this
“war” has not been recognized for what it is and the battle has not been fought
– and it needs to be, now more than ever!
Approximately 10% of autistic children are said to be "born with
autism". The rest "develop it over time".
Many parents attribute autism in their children to vaccinations.
Clearly, there is a genetic predisposition to an autism spectrum
disorder as, in the majority of cases, it is believed victims had a weak immune
system and that any "assault" to that system can be enough to trigger
"autism". For far too many who have autism or
an autism spectrum disorder (such as the label, “Pervasive Developmental
Disorder”, and perhaps, countless other “labels” due to misdiagnoses) there
were medical histories that included countless earaches. With the
earaches came antibiotics. With the antibiotics came the destruction
not only of what caused the earache, but also the destruction of the “healthy
bacteria” in the intestinal wall. As a result, a yeast overgrowth
occurs and “bores” holes through the intestinal wall. This allows
undigested proteins to pass into the bloodstream...proteins that act like
hallucinogens on the brain of these children....yes, HALLUCINOGENS!!!
What are these proteins? They are known in the research community
as casein and gluten. Casein is a dairy protein. Gluten is a
grain protein found in wheat, oats, barley, rye, bulgar, triticale,
kamut, spelt. These innocent victims are impacted by these proteins
at molecular level. Just a trace amount is enough to
provide the “high” that sends these children “into their own world” and puts them,
literally, in a drug-induced state. But, that is only half the story. You see, the other
half is the fact that gluten,
in addition to being found in our most popular grains, is also sprayed on
everything we eat (to prevent
things from sticking), down to salt, pepper, spices, fries...everything.
As such, these children should not be eating 98% of what is in a
“regular food store”. But, it gets worse, yet. Due to
the impact on their senses, and their intense dislike of certain textures, many
autistic children refuse to eat many of the foods they can eat. In
addition, research is showing
that foods high in phenols are also not good for autistic children. These foods
include bananas, apples, tomatoes and grapes. Since autistic children can’t eat most of what is in
a “regular food store”, they most certainly should not be “eating out”
either! As such, all their foods/snacks should be packed, down to
the salt and pepper, for any trip/family outing! But, it gets worse
still.
A few vendors/manufacturers/ small family owned businesses have recognized the
need for “special foods” for those who are casein and gluten intolerant (and
that includes many who are simply allergic to these proteins). The
problem is that these vendors are often small organizations and as such
advertising budgets are pretty well non-existent. Thus, although they recognize
the need in society, most of those who need their products don’t even know how
to find them. As a result, they often go out of business. So,
the vendors lose...and the families of those who need these products lose out,
too. But, it gets worse, yet!
After innumerable hours just trying to find these vendors, parents then have to
“get the food” to their house. For the most part, that means United
Parcel Service and shipping costs can add another 20% to the food bill!
And, "regular food stores", because they are "out of
the loop" have yet to "recognize this huge unmet need".
But, it gets worse, yet!
As limited as an autistic child’s diet can be, the concern then becomes:
How do we ensure our children are at least getting the appropriate
vitamins/minerals so that further complications do not occur? It is
a well known fact that autistic children do not absorb Vitamin B. This
vitamin is critical for neural development. Dr. Rimland, the
founder of the Autism Research Institute, has worked with a company called
Kirkman Labs to provide supplements to meet the needs of these children.
The Vitamin B dose
in these supplements can be up to 25,000 times the required daily value for a
“normal person”. Yet, again,
because of a lack of public awareness, most Americans, and indeed, most parents
of autistic children are unaware of this fact simply because they are caught up
in the “whirlwind” of daily life with an autistic child (and many families have
two autistic children, some three). The exhaustion that sets in each day,
unfortunately, doesn’t allow for much “research” on the part of most parents
and as such, too many are still unaware of a great many of these issues.
But, it gets worse, yet!
Health insurers see autistic children as a “big loss” generators.
As such, many families end up losing their health insurance.
A simple broken arm can now cost a family up to $5,500 due to a
lack of insurance. The irony is that these children can be helped simply
by dietary intervention. But, that doesn’t go over well with big
pharmaceuticals or those who allocate funding for research grants.
Yet, Dr. Rimland and many others, including parents, have shown
that dietary intervention is critical for these children. Many
autistic children recover almost fully with dietary intervention.
Indeed, if you look at "where parents are
aligning", overwhelmingly, you will find they are aligning on the side of
"dietary intervention" because this is the one alternative that can
definitely show "recovering children" whereas other
"alternatives" can only show "children subdued by
medication" or children who have mastered a "learned response"
based on "reward" or, at times, "punishment" systems.
We, as a nation, need to increase autism awareness. We need to
increase awareness as to the downside of "over-indulgence" or
dependence on antibiotics as the "cure all" for many childhood
problems. Doctors need to be trained in the recognition of warning
signs, signs so easily missed or dismissed, but yet, when taken together,
clearly expose those children who are most "at risk".
Indeed, an infants first blood work, as research is now
showing, may help screen for "at risk" children based on glucose and
iron levels. Tests exist to screen for autism or developmental
disorders by the age of 18 months. But, these tests are not
mandatory, and thus, they are not given. They need to be mandatory for
all children in order to begin early intervention as soon as possible. Parents,
particularly, need to be made aware of the early warning signs of autism.
Thus, expectant mothers need to be provided with information brochures on
autism, outlining early warning signs, such as red ears and cheeks, diarrhea,
history of earaches, etc., prior to the birth of their child.
Parents need to be taught to take these signs seriously and
not to dismiss them to "simple childhood ailments". All of
these are potential signs of "food intolerances".
Pharmaceuticals need to provide single dose vaccines as opposed to the
"triple shot MMR2" (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), for example. These
single dose vaccines are available through the manufacturer, in the U.S., yet,
perhaps not a single clinic provides them to the American public. Why is that?
Single dose vaccine supplies appear to be "earmarked" for
other nations. There is "no demand" for these single
doses in the U.S. Perhaps the "lack of demand" is due to the fact
that it is more costly to have three visits as opposed to one to have such
vaccinations given. But, is it really more cost effective given the
possible link of vaccines to autism for some children? Don't our
children deserve this lower risk alternative also? Children with a weak immune
system often can not tolerate the "attack" to their immune
system by multiple dose vaccines.
In addition, food stores need to recognize the fact that there is a huge need
that is yet unmet in the food industry. Casein and gluten free products need
to be available in "regular food stores" for these children.
School lunches need to provide casein and gluten free selections.
Insurers must be prevented from dropping health insurance coverage due to
an autism diagnosis. Financial relief must be provided
for families of autistic children who bear huge additional expenses just to
feed their children. Unfortunately, it is perhaps because of this
added expense that so many choose to simply put their children on medication in
order to "control behavior". Yet, new insights are gained
with each passing day, each passing year and as such, understanding autism and
the behaviors of these children is becoming more clear. Behavior
therapy needs to be refocused and adapted to these new insights. Quality training centers need to be made
available to all families, in a cost effective manner. A family
should not have to go bankrupt or, as often happens, turn custody of their
child over to the state, in order to get help. This is absolutely
outrageous and it needs to stop!
We need to refocus research funding where it is most beneficial, to get the
biggest "bang" for each dollar spent. Taking MRI
scans is very intriguing from a technology perspective, but in actuality, even
the world's best in MRI research will themselves admit that it is most
difficult to obtain a base image of the "at rest" brain.
As such, MRI technology, although most impressive, is in effect not
contributing "that much" to actually "saving" these
children since cause/effect relationships are pretty well out of the question.
Also, the fact that such technology is often funded by large
pharmaceuticals also helps propel the "pill" approach over the
dietary intervention approach. For these children, a pill
simply masks the problem, or makes it worse, yet - it doesn't address it.
We, as a nation, need to get to the underlying source of the problem, and
in many, many cases, parents are finding food intolerances to be the problem.
Many parents report their children improved tremendously,
with dietary intervention contributing 90%+ to their children's recovery,
and behavior therapy, 10%. So, let the pharmaceuticals fund their
projects, but at least reallocate public funds where parents of these
children want to see them allocated, to further research in dietary factors as
they relate to autism.
It is time for America to see this "new war on drugs" for what it
truly is! Please, help us address these issues by
writing to your state and federal representatives asking that America increase
its awareness, financial relief, research fund allocation, legislation, etc.,
and help us save the every growing number of autistic children in America!
This is a “war on drugs” we can, and must win! The
"bombs" to defeat autism need to start dropping now!
http://www.autismhelpforyou.com/TheNewWarOnDrugs.htm
******************************
Short Letter for Legislation in Support of The
New War On Drugs
As a parent of an
autistic child, I am writing to you on an urgent matter. I recently
became aware that a new organization exists, whereby each state will be getting
its own "Autism State Ambassador" under the direction of the US
Autism Ambassador, L.D. Wedewer.
It is my firm belief that the needs of autistic children and adults are not
being properly met in this nation. As such, I am requesting, as a
taxpayer, that you work with the State Autism Ambassador to help pass
legislation, provide financial relief, increase public awareness and provide
cost effective behavior therapy and dietary intervention for these affected
citizens. By 2005, it is estimated that 1 in 53 children will be
diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. It is time for the
battle to begin now. Each state is currently in the process of obtaining
a State Autism Ambassador and this effort should be completed in full during
2002.
Casein (dairy protein) and gluten (grain protein in most common grains) act as
a natural opiate or hallucinogen for persons with autism. "Normal
foods" are literally "dope" for these persons.
It is time America's new "war on drugs" was fought
and I fully expect my representatives at State and Federal level to take this
"war" seriously and act to pass proposals/resolutions that will be
put forth within the each state by the State Autism Ambassador program.
I think, at minimum, current programs need to remain in effect.
But, also, I believe that to fight this war, we need to be equipped
for the battle, and that means serious funding needs to be provided in each
state to address issues relating to autism. I realize that 13
billion was allocated to help the autism community last year.
However, these funds care for "autism issues" primarily
after the fact...very little is done to increase autism awareness, educate
healthcare professionals, educators, health insurance providers and parents as
to the best treatment alternatives for autism. As a taxpayer, I am
asking that funds be allocated to fund the Autism State Ambassador programs
that are currently being put in place across the nation under the direction of
the US Autism Ambassador, L.D. Wedewer. This non-profit
organization works with government officials to pass appropriate
legislation/resolutions specifically to increase autism awareness/education and
to raise funds to provide better treatment options for the public in the form
of dietary intervention and behavior therapy.
It is time this new "war on drugs" was recognized for what it truly
is, a war slowly devastating our nation! I urge you to work closely with your
State Autism Ambassador in providing appropriate legislation and funding for
this organization and for all victims of autism.
Sincerely,
http://www.autismhelpforyou.com/ParentLetterShortForm.htm
To View the long letter it is located at:
http://www.autismhelpforyou.com/LetterConcerned%20Citizen.htm
******************************
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