AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER     
Wednesday December 26, 2001  


INDEX:
*   Lights in the darkness
*   
How seeds of doubt were sown by doctor
*  
 Daring to Dream of Frankie's Future
*   
First lessons in integration
*  
 Did Kohl Around Bin Laden's Eyes Poison His Brain? Regarding Lead in
     Body

*   
Camp Isanogel running out of money
*   
HALF-DAY PROGRAM IN GREENSBORO, NC

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Lights in the darkness
London Evening Standard Editorial Comment


The lights are blazing, the passengers in festive mood, the band playing Nearer My God To Thee. If we are to credit the economic doom-mongers, Britain, like the rest of the world, is on board a global Titanic, heading for the iceberg of a sharp and deep recession. However, as David Aaronovitch noted on this page last week, the tills are ringing as if there were no tomorrow. The high streets of London and the South-East are crowded; shopping malls like Bluewater in Kent are reporting turnovers up by nearly 15 per cent on last year.Are people having one last Christmas fling before they face a new year of lay-offs and repossessions, or do shoppers sense something which the economists in their counting-houses have missed? The answer seems to be - a little of both. The spectre of mass unemployment remains well over the horizon. People still feel prosperous; they have plenty of spending money in their pockets; borrowing rates are at an almost record low, and inflation has become something you do to balloons after the Christmas pudding.But there is another factor at work, which bears directly upon the terrible events of 11 September. Those shocking, suicidal acts of terrorism, which in a few instants snuffed out 2300 lives, rocked our comfortable universe and made millions of us realise how easily we had taken for granted the fragile bonds of peace which have sustained our prosperity in the West since the end of the Cold War. The military victory over the Taliban in Afghanistan has been a cause for thankfulness which must indirectly contribute to the high-street sales figures.But this year more than most, Christmas spending and giving is accompanied by a spirit of sober reflection - on what has happened and what else may yet happen - which will see churches fuller than usual in the next few days, carols sung with grateful fervour and prayers for our families offered with special intensity. The band plays Nearer My God To Thee, but the iceberg is nowhere in sight. With a bit of luck by the time we get there, warm currents will have swept all trace of it away. A happy Christmas to all our readers. Private lives The Prime Minister and his wife stand accused of hypocrisy by shadow ministers and a host of outraged Conservative columnists for refusing to reveal whether or not their 19-month-old son Leo has been inoculated with the triple MMR vaccine. Using a baby as a stick with which to beat the Blairs leaves a bad taste. Mr and Mrs Blair are right to insist that this is a private matter and that medical information about a child is nobody's business but the parents' - even if the family concerned happens to live in Downing Street.Many parents are understandably worried about the safety of the triple vaccine, which the Government recommends as the most efficient inoculation against mumps, measles and rubella. Some research has suggested that it is connected with a higher incidence of autism and bowel disorders in older children and that it is safer to take single jabs instead. However, there is no incontrovertible evidence to establish these claims. The jury of scientists is still out on the vaccines. For parents making decisions about their own children, it is difficult to see how the Blairs' choice for Leo should be a factor one way or the other. Reliable and trustworthy information from doctors is what confused parents need - not gestures from politicians. The Conservatives, in particular, should need no reminding of this. It did little good for the reputation of John Gummer, when he was Agriculture Minister at the beginning of the BSE scare, that he had his daughter photographed unhappily munching into a hamburger.The Blairs should not be bullied by an insatiable media into intruding on their son's privacy. The demands would be incessant - how many vitamins is he taking? Is he eating recommended levels of protein? There are certain things the public does not have a right to insist upon knowing. These are among them
.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=485033&in_review_text_id=441945

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How seeds of doubt were sown by doctor


Long battle to quell fear over controversial theory left department

Sarah Boseley, health editor
Monday December 24, 2001
The Guardian


Seeds of doubt over the safety of the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine were planted in 1998 by the researcher Andrew Wakefield at the Royal Free hospital, who was backed in some aspects of what he said, but not all, by colleagues. The Department of Health, the public health laboratory service and the medical research council have expended much time and effort over three years to establish that there is nothing for parents to fear, but the genie firmly refuses to go back in the bottle. Dr Wakefield's field of research was the gut. He became concerned when he saw a small number of children suffering from Crohn's disease - which inflames the bowel - who had also developed autism some time after they were given their MMR innoculation. The vaccination is usually administered before the second birthday, which is also when autism first becomes apparent. Dr Wakefield, however, believes there is a connection. His 1998 paper, which was published in the Lancet - the journal has taken a lot of flak from some scientific quarters because of its decision to run it - focused on 12 children with gut disorders, nine of whom were also autistic. Eight out of the nine started to show a loss of developmental skills after the MMR jab and one after catching measles. The paper acknowledged that the link was no more than a theory. "We did not prove an association between MMR vaccine and the syndrome described," it said. The Lancet also ran two critical commentaries from US experts in the same edition. But despite the caution, the idea was out and it has proved im possible for health officials to assuage public fears. Dr Wakefield has continued to pursue this line of research and recently left the Royal Free where tensions had developed over his work. Timing alone - the fact that parents noticed developmental problems in their children shortly after the MMR jab when they may have been looking for an explanation - is not proof of any link. Much of Dr Wakefield's work before the Lancet publication had focused on whether measles virus was responsible for an increase in Crohn's disease. Scientists from the PHLS say that he has not established that measles virus can cause bowel disease, let alone that it can cause autism. The Royal Free group claimed that they found measles virus in inflammatory bowel tissue affected by Crohn's disease, but other scientists could not replicate the results. Dr Wakefield's theory was that MMR vaccine might damage the bowel, causing lesions through which opioid chemicals occurring in the bowel could escape. Opioids, it is suggested, might reach the brain and affect development. But his opponents say there is no evidence that this can or does happen. They claim that the epidemiological evidence is also against the theory. There has been a steep rise in cases of autism, but the PHLS which collects the data on the prevalence of disease in the UK, says the rise began 10 years before the MMR was widely introduced in 1988, and that when every child began to be vaccinated, there was no significant change in the incidence of autism. But however much evidence the Department of Health puts out against the Royal Free theories, the row over the MMR refuses to die down. The crisis in confidence has been made worse because of the issues over individual rights raised by the government's refusal to allow parents to have the three vaccines given separately. Dr Wakefield, launching his 1998 Lancet paper, suggested it might be better to have them separately, although his colleagues disagreed. Parents have latched on to this idea as a means of safeguarding their child, in spite of all the evidence assembled by the Department of Health to prove the three vaccines do not interact. The government refuses to budge, on the grounds that a child who is given one vaccine is left exposed for longer to the other diseases.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,624562,00.html
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Daring to Dream of Frankie's Future


By FRANK del OLMO
This year I finally allowed myself to start dreaming about my son's future again.

Although Frankie continues to struggle against the effects of autism, a mysterious neurological disorder, his improvement has been so steady that at times he seems a completely normal 9-year-old, right down to braces for his teeth and a growing interest in video games and the latest cartoon series (his favorite is "SpongeBob SquarePants").

I sometimes find myself musing about Frankie's future not with the concern and fear I often felt when he was first diagnosed with autism six years ago. Now I can envision him achieving things once thought impossible for all but the most exceptional autistic children. People with autism cope with a complex brain disorder that interferes with their ability to process stimuli like light, sound or touch. It affects one in 500 children, according to public health statistics, and the incidence is rising. In severe cases, victims are institutionalized. But even in its mildest form autism interferes with the ability to learn and interact socially.

Despite his challenges, Frankie is now reading and doing math at third-grade level, thanks to home schooling by my sister, Lisa Garcia, an experienced Head Start teacher. While Aunt Lisa focuses on the education basics, my wife, Magdalena, and I continue to seek new or innovative therapies that will help Frankie prepare for his eventual return to the classroom.

Recently, Frankie's therapists at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Encino have been trying to teach him to understand another person's perspective, something most children learn naturally but that people with autism must be taught. On the medical side, our pediatrician, autism specialist Dr. Ricki Robinson, has Frankie in two therapies intended to help his brain better process what he hears. She explains that Frankie's problem is not that he can't hear certain things but that he hears everything too well, so he sometimes isn't able to distinguish important sounds from background noise and gets easily distracted.

One therapy Robinson has prescribed for Frankie is Tomatis auditory training, which teaches him to focus on a primary sound, such as a teacher's voice. The other is an experimental therapy called interactive metronome. It requires that Frankie clap his hands or tap his feet in time to a metronome. The exercise trains his brain to ignore distractions. Just as important are classes Frankie takes to strengthen muscles and increase coordination and confidence and to give him positive experiences interacting with other kids. With the help of his gymnastics coach, Rory Baggao, he has become adept at forward rolls. He also enjoys an exercise and movement class taught by former Dodgers pitcher Jim Gott, himself the father of children with autism.

But life is not all work for Frankie. This year he has made great strides in learning how to play. Lots of the fun is provided by Chocolate, the Labrador retriever we got him last Christmas. Chocolate is now much bigger but still playful and eager for his young master's attention.

Frankie takes an art class for children with special needs at Education Spectrum in Altadena. His teacher, Vicki Howard, has nurtured an artistic streak in him. He loves to draw and paint and does so with a precise style. Could it be that his artistic and visual skills are developing more rapidly to compensate for the difficulty he has processing sound? Only the future will tell.

But at least I now find myself thinking about Frankie's future and feeling hopeful about it.

I'm confident that he will be back in a classroom someday. He may be older than his classmates due to his developmental delays. And his peers may find his behavior eccentric. But with proper support, he'll be able to hold his own academically. College or trade school and a career are not out of the question.

Of course, I am not so naive as to think there are no more struggles ahead. If the last six years have taught Magdalena and me anything, it's that nothing will ever come easily or quickly for Frankie. But good can come, if we are patient and persevere.

Frank del Olmo is the associate editor of The Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-000101420dec23.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Dcomment%2Dopinions
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First lessons in integration

Preschool combines special-needs, other pupils in classroom


By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff Correspondent Column: Northborough, 12/23/2001

T
wo months ago, Hannah Moran, a 4-year-old with a motor-skills impairment called sensory integration dysfunction, couldn't pedal a bike or put on her shoes. Frustrated, she resisted her prescribed work on a balance beam, just inches off the ground. Today, after twice-weekly sessions with physical and occupational therapists at the Northborough-Southborough school district's inclusive preschool, Hannah's coordination has improved markedly. Just as important, her confidence has never been higher. ''She wouldn't get near that beam before,'' said her mother, Shawn Gillespie. ''Now she'll go forward, backward, every which way on it. Her progress has been amazing.''Gillespie and other parents credit the school with helping pupils like Hannah reach their potential. The inclusive preschool, held at the Zeh Elementary School in Northborough, teaches both special-needs children and normally developing children 3 to 5 years old. By providing pupils with individual instruction, special-education expertise, and increased interaction with their peers, the school enhances children's social and intellectual development, parents say. For children with special needs, attending school with more advanced pupils boosts them beyond what they would have probably achieved in a segregated setting, teachers say.Observing how typical pupils work through a problem or respond to social situations encourages them to emulate that behavior, teachers say. And normally developing youngsters, known as ''neighborhood kids'' among parents, often go out of their way to help less-skilled children complete tasks, find the right word, button their coats, or play on the swings. ''In noninclusive classrooms, all of the learning comes from the adult,'' said preschool coordinator Diane Dunham. ''Here, students learn from their peers as well. And because of where they are, even students functioning at a low cognitive level rise to the occasion.''At the same time, normally developing children benefit by attending small classes with as many as four teachers, all of whom hold degrees with special education training. While all pupils receive a good deal of individual attention, more advanced students are encouraged to work more independently than in typical preschools, teachers say. ''I think what happens in a segregated system is that teachers wind up doing more of the work,'' Dunham said. ''One of our goals is not to overteach.''Lynda Van Kuren, a spokeswoman for the Council for Exceptional Children, says fears that inclusive programs slow - or give less attention to - brighter pupils are unfounded. Pupils of all abilities, say advocates for children with special needs, benefit intellectually and socially from such interaction. ''[Special-needs] students are going to want to emulate their peers as much as adults, if not more so, and they raise the bar as to what their expectations are,'' she said. By the same token, normally developing pupils have the chance to hone their skills by explaining certain concepts.''When you teach it, you learn it better yourself,'' Van Kuren said. ''And they start learning very young not to categorize people.''Most preschool teachers are less qualified than inclusive teachers with special-needs expertise, Van Kuren added. Northborough's preschool includes teaching assistants, and speech, physical, and occupational therapists. Parents of normally developing children rank the program's excellent teacher-pupil ratio and diversity as its primary draws.''At this age, socialization is as important as learning the ABCs,'' said Loni Sotir, whose 4-year-old daughter, Carly, is a normally developing child. ''This gives her a great opportunity to work with different types of children. It's one of the best programs the town offers.'' The classes also help ease pupils' transition to kindergarten, teachers and parents say, by acclimating them to the elementary school building, administrators, and some of the older pupils. In its sixth year, the program has grown from one class with a handful of pupils to six classes with 72, 34 of whom have special needs including Down syndrome; autism; poor language, spatial, or motor skills; and other developmental disabilities.In the Nashoba Regional School District, which draws students from Bolton, Lancaster, and Stow, educators are weighing lowering elementary school class sizes in an effort to improve MCAS math and science scores.Some pupils are referred to the preschool after attending early intervention special-education classes, while others' parents approach the school believing their children may have developmental problems.Classes are offered two to four times a week in both the morning and afternoon. Tuition ranges from $900 a year for the two-day program to $1,800 for the four-day program. The state pays tuition for special-needs pupils.At first glance, the preschool looks like any other. Pupils work in small groups on the alphabet, draw pictures, play with blocks. But upon closer inspection, some differences emerge. There is more individual instruction, peers interact more with each other, and lessons are more structured to meet a wider range of development.Teachers say the gap between pupils, with some learning the alphabet and how to write their names and others learning to speak, makes designing lessons a balancing act. ''It can be a difficult thing,'' Dunham said. ''You want to challenge all the children, but at times you have to realize what's too much for some.'' No matter how intensive the instruction and peer reinforcement, some pupils' development will inevitably plateau, teachers say. But inclusion from an early age can extend their time and improve their achievement in mainstream classrooms. Though teachers say pupils know which children catch on quickly and which need more time, episodes of teasing or unkindness to special-needs children are rare. From the start of school, teachers seek to foster tolerance for ''learning differences,'' and many describe heartwarming incidents of pupils reaching out to struggling peers. ''The kids know. Even at a young age, they pick up on it,'' Dunham said. ''But everyone works together. My hope is that being exposed to such a variety of people early in life will help them develop a better understanding for those who aren't like themselves.''Parents say the opportunity for children with special needs to attend a typical public school sharpens their social skills and bolsters their self-confidence as they reach an age where they become conscious of their disabilities.''My greatest fear as a parent is that my child will feel different than the others,'' Gillespie said. ''But the teachers here make sure to tell each special-needs kid what they're good at, what their special quality is.''''At the preschool level, all children need the same thing,'' said Heather Smith, a teacher. ''The outcome may vary, but they all need to feel loved and nurtured.''
This story ran on page W1 of the Boston Globe on 12/23/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.


http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/357/west/First_lessons_in_integration+.shtml
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Did Kohl Around Bin Laden's Eyes Poison His Brain? Regarding Lead in Body

UniSci has a communication from Karl Simanonok, Ph.D., a space physiologist, who asks the question, Does lead poisoning explain Osama bin Laden's madness? Dr. Simanonok writes, "When I managed the blood lab at a northern California clinic for the poor, Pakistani children were often found to be contaminated with lead from the black makeup called 'kohl' that their mothers applied around their eyes. Middle Eastern mothers use it on their boys just as much as their girls. "Lead poisoning is especially bad for children because it can reduce their IQs dramatically and cause developmental problems. In both children and adults, problems associated with lead poisoning increase with blood levels, from behavioral and learning disorders to various physical ailments including high blood pressure and kidney problems, even at moderate levels. At very high levels, lead can cause convulsions, paralysis, coma or death."Besides the fact that many Arab cultures have a history of prolonged lead exposure through kohl (with nothing like our EPA or FDA to limit any of it), lead poisoning should especially be considered a possible factor in recent events because many Arab fighters, including some of the Taliban, traditionally use kohl around their eyes. "Some pictures of Osama bin Laden certainly suggest he might be wearing kohl, and it is known that he suffers from kidney problems. Lead poisoning could explain bin Laden's kidney problems and could only contribute to the madness of suicide bombers under the influence of malignant religious views."In support of his hypothesis, Dr. Simanonok cited several reports, including Roger D. Masters' Sept. 1999 Plenary Address to the Annual Conference of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences. Masters is Nelson D. Rockefeller Professor Emeritus in the Dartmouth College Department of Government and head of the Dartmouth Foundation for Neuroscience and Society. At this URL there is a copy of Masters' address, which states in part: "Heavy metals compromise normal brain development and neurotransmitter function, leading to long-term deficits in learning and social behavior. At the individual level, earlier studies revealed that hyperactive children and criminal offenders have significantly elevated levels of lead, manganese, or cadmium compared to controls; high blood lead at age seven predicts juvenile delinquency and adult crime. At the environmental level, our research has found that environmental factors associated with toxicity are correlated with higher rates of anti-social behavior. "For the period 1977 to 1997, levels of violent crime and teenage homicide were significantly correlated with the probability of prenatal and infant exposure to leaded gasoline years earlier. Across all U.S. counties for both 1985 and 1991, industrial releases of heavy metals were -— controlling for over 20 socio-economic and demographic factors -— also a risk-factor for higher rates of crime. "Surveys of children's blood lead in Massachusetts, New York, and other states as well as NHANES III and an NIJ study of 24 cities point to another environmental factor: where silicofluorides are used as water treatment agents, risk-ratios for blood lead over 10µg/dL are from 1.25 to 2.5, with significant interactions between the silicofluorides and other factors associated with lead uptake. Communities using silicofluorides also report higher rates of learning disabilities, ADHD, violent crime, and criminals who were using cocaine at the time of arrest."These statements are based upon research Masters conducted with Myron J. Coplan (Intellequity, Natick, MA) and Brian Hone under grants from the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Earhart Foundation, and the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences, Dartmouth College.(Editor's Note: UniSci readers might want to check out one or two UniSci articles on lead and its effects, including Exposure To Lead Proves Bad In Short And Long Term and Link Seen Between Lead Level In Air And Homicide Rate.)

http://unisci.com/stories/20014/1221016.htm
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Camp Isanogel running out of money

By SETH SLABAUGH MUNCIE - A budget deficit is threatening to end Camp Isanogel, which began in the 1950s, and other Isanogel Center programs that benefit hundreds of mentally and physically disabled children and adults throughout Indiana. That comes as bad news to Cathy Ryan, 40, a Tipton resident who has cerebral palsy and needs a wheelchair to get around. It also concerns her parents, Alice and Lester, a recently retired carpenter foreman."It has been a lifesaver for our daughter," Alice Ryan said. "Before she started going there, she had no social outlets. It gave her some place to meet new people and have new experiences without Mom and Dad. She's our daughter and our responsibility, but if you had to still do things with your mom and dad at her age. . ."More than 200 people attended Camp Isanogel last summer from Delaware, Marion, Madison, Henry, Wayne, Allen, Wells, Franklin, LaPorte, Howard, Lake and other counties. The campers, including those with Down's syndrome, autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, ranged in age from 8 to 74. The center provides other services year-round.Cathy Ryan travels to Isanogel events in Muncie and elsewhere about three times a month."She attends practically everything they have," Alice Ryan said. "She went with a group to Chicago a year ago January. She's been to Las Vegas and Disney World. She's been to Colt games, Pacer games and Muncie Civic Theatre."Isanogel Center is facing a financial shortfall brought on by deteriorating facilities, a decline in the number of campers, difficulty finding and paying for qualified camp attendants, declining revenues and increased repair costs.The center, operated by three year-round paid staff, isn't ready to throw in the towel; after pursuing other avenues, the non-profit organization is now appealing to the public for financial aid."There are not many programs like this," said Karen Kovac, executive director. "We serve people in their 40s and 50s who have been coming here since they were 10 or 11. It means the world to them, and it gives a much-needed respite for their aging parents."The organization's annual budget is about $335,000.Isanogel employs 30 full-time staff during the summer. Besides the three full-time paid staff, expenses include $50,000 for camp salaries, $35,000 to recruit camp staff from foreign countries, food, auditing, gas, electric, maintenance, entertainment and insurance.Major sources of income include $120,000 in fees and $75,000 from United Way.The campers are primarily adults, some of whom need toileting, showering, lifting and other assistance, and some who have seizures."We are more medically oriented than a typical camp," Kovac said. All of that makes it harder to find qualified attendants for the camp.Donors have been generous, allowing the center to buy two newer vans, handicapped-accessible platform tents and new swings, and to improve sewage treatment and the swimming pool.But more revenue is needed for next year's camp, for other programs and for more improvements, including a new walk-in freezer, beds and repair of water-damaged walls.If the center were to close, Cathy Ryan would have to go back to depending primarily on her parents and brothers for entertainment, "which is not the same as being with your friends," Alice Ryan said.
Contact Seth Slabaugh at seths@thestarpress.comor 213-5834.Donations sought

To make a donation to the Isanogel Center, call 288-1073, or write to Isanogel Center, 7601 W. Isanogel Road, Muncie, 473

http://www.thestarpress.com/tsp/news/local/01/dec/1221isanogelcenter.php

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HALF-DAY PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM OR OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES OPENING IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUCTION FOR CHILDREN AGES
3-6 IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

      - INCLUSION OPPORTUNITIES IN A PRESCHOOL SETTING
      - EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES WITH A FOCUS ON      
        LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
      - BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS
      - SUPPORT IN TRANSITIONING FROM ONE SETTING TO ANOTHER

** CAP and MEDICAID Clients Eligible
* Private clients accepted

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS OF NC at ESNC1@aol.com
OR
TRIAD COORDINATED SERVICES at Triad Coordinated@aol.com
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