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July 9, 2002 CALENDAR LISTING: EVENTS@doitnow.com

EDUCATION

* Schools Show Gender Gap In Special Education

* Pills or Patience: More Kids On Drugs For Behavioral And Emotional

Problems

RESEARCH

* UC Davis Girds For 10% Cut In Research Funds, Includes M.I.N.D.

Institute

CARE

* Camp Empowers The Disabled in Michigan, Outside Detroit

* Texas Contract With Adult-Care Home Canceled After Death

TREATMENT

* Preliminary Survey On Enzyme Usage For Treatment Of ASD Kids

* Readers' Posts

Schools Show Gender Gap In Special Education

Some Say Boys Singled Out For Wrong Reasons

[By Anand Vaishnav and Bill Dedman, of the Globe.]

http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/ap_sped07082002.htm

Public schools in Massachusetts and nationwide place twice as many

boys as girls in special education, a gender gap that extends from the

biggest cities to the toniest suburbs to the tiniest towns, according to a

Globe analysis of state and federal data.

But the size of the gender disparity in special education is not

uniform from district to district. For example, for children diagnosed as

emotionally disturbed, one special-education category, boys make up 90

percent of emotionally disturbed students in Kansas City, but only 55

percent in Milwaukee.

The more subjective the diagnosis of the student, the wider the gender

gap, records show. In Massachusetts schools, boys are slightly more likely

than girls to be identified with hearing or vision problems, and 11/2 times

as likely to be retarded. But boys are twice as likely to be labeled with a

learning disability, and more than three times as likely to be called

emotionally disturbed.

Such differences raise a recurring worry: that special education is a

way to push misbehaving students - mostly boys - or slower ones out of

regular classrooms. Superintendents and special-education advocates insist

this isn't commonplace, but Massachusetts Education Commissioner David P.

Driscoll said the gap suggests it.

"More boys get referred because they tend to act out. And it's an

overidentification, because very often they don't necessarily have a

disability at all. It's just that they're active," Driscoll said. "Young

girls tend to be passive and underidentified, because they're compliant, and

sometimes it hides a disability. ... We have a responsibility to respond to

these kinds of statistics, which we see all the time."

Of the Commonwealth's roughly 160,000 disabled public school students,

66 percent are boys, according to 2000-01 enrollment figures from the state

Department of Education. That figure matches national numbers that show that

two-thirds of boys are classified as special-needs, receiving help for

anything from severe physical impairments to behavior disorders.

The disparity in special education seems to depend as much on

geography as disability. For example, in affluent Sherborn west of Boston,

77 percent of the town's special-education students last year were boys.

Next door in Dover, the number dropped to 68 percent. In Burlington, nearly

70 percent of the town's special-needs students were boys - but just across

Route 128 in Woburn, it was 60 percent. There's one elementary school in

Orleans on Cape Cod, and boys comprised about 80 percent of its

special-education enrollment. There's also one elementary school in Nahant

on the North Shore - and boys made up 60 percent of the special-needs

students, figures show.

The disparity from town to town flummoxes superintendents and

authorities on special education. They say they are aware of cognitive,

medical, and psychological reasons for the overall 2-to-1 gender gap. But

those well-researched differences between boys' and girls' development do

not explain why a boy in Deerfield is almost twice as likely to end up in

special education as his peer in Williamsburg, according to the data. The

gap persists even though special-education referrals are governed by state

and federal laws.

"I suspect you get varying histories from town to town and varying

cultures around special ed," said Martha Ziegler, founder of the Federation

for Children with Special Needs, a Boston advocacy group. "It always comes

down to what's going on in the regular classrooms plus the outlook and

practices of the administrators all the way to the superintendent."

Nationally, special education is largely a boys club, with 1.9 million

girls and 3.8 million boys classified as special education in 2000,

according to numbers compiled by the US Department of Education's Office for

Civil Rights. The gap in Massachusetts is about as wide, with 54,000 girls

and 105,000 boys in 2001.

About 12 percent, or 1 in 8 children, in US public schools was

disabled enough to require special education in 2000, the latest year for

which national figures are available. In Massachusetts, a greater share of

children were placed in special education: 1 in 6, or 17 percent, in 2001.

For more than 25 years, Massachusetts had one of the nation's most

generous special-education laws, requiring districts to provide the "maximum

feasible benefit" to disabled students. But two years ago, amid soaring

costs and worries that some students received the often expensive services

without truly needing them - the state Legislature enacted stricter

eligibility requirements.

The new rules took hold in January, but educators say it is too early

to gauge their effect.

Meanwhile, wide differences from town to town persist. Take Norfolk

and Lincoln, both outside Route 128 and each with about 1,200 students. Both

superintendents say they try to ensure that students don't end up in special

education for the wrong reasons, such as academic problems that aren't

driven by disabilities.

But last year, 73 percent of Norfolk's special-education students -

compared to 57 percent of Lincoln's - were boys.

"I really wonder why this is true," said Norfolk School Superintendent

Marcia A. Lukon, who has testified before the Legislature in favor of

tightening special-education eligibility. "We have a few severe behavior

cases, but in general it's not the naughty little boys that get put in

special ed."

Jeanne Whitten, interim superintendent of schools in Lincoln, is

equally baffled by her district's smaller gender gap: "I'm wondering if

perhaps we just abide by the rules and regulations of the Department of

Education more so than others. There's no magic formula, clearly. We try to

treat all children, all genders, all ethnic groups the same."

Boys do exhibit some disorders with higher frequency - four times as

many boys are autistic, specialists say, and three to four times as many

boys are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Biologically, boys have more birth defects and mature at slower rates than

girls. And in classrooms, boys are more prone to disrupt lessons if they

struggle with learning, while girls turn more inward and simply tune out the

teacher.

"Girls might sit quietly in the regular-ed classroom appearing as if

they're getting it, but not causing behavioral disruptions because it's not

part of their repertoire," said Jerome J. Schultz, a clinical

neuropsychologist and director of the Learning Lab at Lesley University in

Cambridge. "Boys frustrated by reading or math or who find school a toxic

place because of a lack of appropriate education might be more likely to act

out physically - and do so in ways that would get the notice of the

teacher."

The gap cannot be explained entirely by the fact that boys develop

more slowly because it persists throughout all ages. In Massachusetts, at

age 6, the male-female ratio is 2.4 to 1, leveling off by age 9 at 1.9 to

1 - but it remains at that level through high school.

Orleans school officials insist they gauge first whether struggling

students would be better off with extra attention or different teaching

styles instead of special education. Moreover, some disabled students get

special-education help but take regular-education classes. "Just because

students are referred doesn't mean they qualify," said Ann Caretti, director

of student services for the Nauset Regional School District, which includes

Orleans.

In the end, the strength of the local parent councils or parents'

familiarity with complex educational law also can affect who gets

special-education services.

When she lived in Burlington, Caroline Pooler resisted the district's

suggestions that her second-grade son, who has a speech and language

disorder, be transferred from regular-education classes into special-needs

classes. After mediation and a lawyer's help, Pooler moved to Andover so her

son could remain in regular-education classes while also getting

special-education services.

"I do believe sometimes special education is a crutch," Pooler said.

"Some kids do need it. But there are times when kids could be in a

regular-ed classrooms with the right accommodations."

The Globe calculated disability rates by gender and diagnosis in each

of the nation's 14,681 public school districts using information from the

2000 Elementary and Secondary School Survey by the Office for Civil Rights.

For Massachusetts schools, later figures were available, for 2001 by

district and for 2002 statewide, from the Massachusetts Department of

Education. Figures for every school are at http://www.boston.com. ©

Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

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* * *

Pills or Patience: More Kids On Drugs For Behavioral And Emotional Problems

[By Dorsey Griffith in the Sacramento Bee.]

www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/medication/story/3315731p-4344565c.html

From fidgety preschoolers to anxious teenagers, American children are

being prescribed mood-altering drugs more often, at younger ages and in

increasingly complex combinations, a three-month Bee analysis has found.

In just five years, the number of prescriptions or refills doubled for

stimulants such as Ritalin for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD) in patients younger than 18.

The same is true for antidepressants, according to data evaluated for

The Bee by the federal government, which collected it from doctors' offices

and hospitals in 1995 and 2000.

Yet most psychiatric drugs -- developed for adults -- do not carry the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration seal of approval for all children, whose

brains, bodies and coping skills are still developing. Even with new

government-created financial incentives to test drugs for children, research

is outpaced by the medicine marketplace, which churns out and aggressively

advertises new psychiatric drugs.

A backlash is building, from suburban dining rooms to statehouse

hearing rooms. One bill making its way through the California Legislature

would require a parent's signed consent before stimulants could be

prescribed for children with ADHD. Several states have passed laws limiting

the role schools play in recommending medication.

Caught in the middle are parents of troubled kids. Eager to address

their children's problems, they face wildly differing views on the role of

medication and confront a dearth of scientific information on its safety and

effectiveness.

Some parents feel they have no choice but to medicate their children;

others will try anything else.

Jessica Holland of Sacramento was told by her son's pediatrician that

4-year-old Avery might benefit from medication for his attention-deficit

hyperactivity disorder and what his psychologist labeled "oppositional"

behaviors.

ADHD, Holland knew, is a disorder where kids act impulsively and have

trouble focusing. Kids with oppositional behavior, the psychologist told

her, are unwilling to conform to others' demands.

True, Avery has been booted out of seven preschools, kicked holes in

the walls at home and once urinated on another child. But Holland does not

believe her son has mental problems.

"I am adamant about not putting him on medication," she said in March.

"I don't believe in drugging kids. I think I just need parenting

instruction."

The range of opinions about the role of psychiatric drugs is as broad

as the array of available medications. At one extreme are groups such as the

Citizens Commission on Human Rights, founded by the Church of Scientology.

It distributes bumper stickers that read "Psychiatry Kills," characterizes

psychiatrists as "pushers" in its literature and promotes legislation

curtailing the role of schools in psychiatric evaluation of children.

At the other end of the spectrum are people such as Russell Barkley of

the University of Massachusetts. An ADHD expert, Barkley has responded to

the backlash with an "international consensus statement" signed by more than

75 scientists that blasts critics of the disorder. The statement argues that

ADHD is real and that medicine works.

And then there are other mental health experts, who agree that drugs

help many children with behavior and emotional problems, but acknowledge

major gaps in knowledge about how the drugs work and whether they circumvent

children's ability to learn to cope without them.

None of that appears to be slowing the use of psychiatric medications

in young people.

Even the experts don't know precisely how many children are taking

psychiatric drugs, although one study in Virginia found 12 percent of

elementary students were receiving medication to treat ADHD alone.

The National Center for Health Statistics tracks "drug mentions" that

occur during a hospital or office visit when a doctor provides or prescribes

a medication, or orders it refilled.

According to data the national center tallied for The Bee, between

1995 and 2000 mentions of antipsychotics and antianxiety drugs surged the

most, more than tripling for patients under 18.

Mentions of antidepressants such as Prozac and Paxil more than doubled

in the five-year span. That doubles an already record high: Prescribing of

antidepressants jumped four-fold between 1990 and 1995.

Stimulants, the psychiatric drugs most often prescribed, were

mentioned 5.3 million times in 2000, nearly twice as often as they were in

1995. Part of the growth in stimulant prescriptions stems from the

popularity of Adderall, an amphetamine approved in 1996 for ADHD and

aggressively marketed ever since.

Although stimulants would seem to be the last thing parents would give

hyperactive children, the drugs actually stimulate the part of the brain

that allows them to be more attentive, while putting the brakes on

impulsiveness.

As another measure of the growing emphasis on medication, California

spent $24.6 million last year on psychiatric drugs for kids covered by

Medi-Cal, the state's insurance program for the poor -- a 32 percent jump

over 2000.

In Sacramento County, doctors wrote nearly 5,000 stimulant

prescriptions for children ages 5 and under in 2000, according to state

Department of Justice records. That included 458 prescriptions for

2-year-olds.

Even the director of Sacramento County's Child and Family Services,

Dr. Joseph Sison, was floored when he learned of the numbers last week.

"I am concerned about these 2-year-olds," said Sison, a child

psychiatrist. "I wonder if everything has been tried before using

medication."

The phenomenal increases only began to be noticed two years ago, with

the wide publicity of a study highlighting a surge in use of psychiatric

drugs in preschoolers. Around the same time, women's magazines began to

feature advertisements for stimulants with pictures of young boys and

messages such as "One dose covers his ADHD for the whole school day."

Pamphlets about the latest antipsychotic and antidepressant

medications line the walls of child psychiatry offices. Doctors find they

can prescribe from a dizzying selection of new medications for very specific

symptoms, from fear of social situations, to an especially hot temper.

Herb Kutchins, author of "Making Us Crazy," a book that criticizes the

criteria used to reach a psychiatric diagnosis, says that what passes today

for a mental disorder used to be fairly routine childhood and adolescent

behavior.

To be diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, for example, four

or more of the following must happen frequently for at least six months:

loses temper, argues with adults, actively defies or refuses to comply with

adults' requests or rules, deliberately annoys people, often blames others

for his or her own mistakes or misbehavior, is touchy or easily annoyed by

others, is angry and resentful, is spiteful or vindictive.

"This behavior is a teenager," said Kutchins, a social work professor

at California State University, Sacramento. "It's the monster everybody has

to raise. If the kid is going to amount to anything, this is the least you

can expect."

The disorder often is treated with clonidine, a blood pressure

medication, as well as antipsychotics such as Zyprexa and Seroquel.

Kutchins is among those who believe the pharmaceutical industry is

driving the treatment of such behaviors.

"As a drug becomes useful and popular, the disorder for which it is

useful and popular gains currency," he said.

Barkley, the ADHD expert, argues that drugs are being used more

because more is known about the nature of psychiatric illnesses and their

treatment. For instance, scientists already have identified one gene

associated with ADHD and are searching for more.

Sison, the child psychiatrist, said criticism of child psychiatric

treatment is discrimination that would not occur if the child had a disease

such as diabetes.

"The brain is like any other organ in the body," he said. "Something

can go wrong with it."

Jessica Holland has her doubts. She believes that her son, Avery, acts

the way he does because of her own chaotic lifestyle and shortcomings as a

parent.

A 26-year-old single mother, Holland has bounced from apartment to

apartment, leaving failed relationships and staying with friends while

trying to save up for a permanent place. In the midst of the frequent moves,

she has maintained her full-time job as a credit union debt collector, but

Avery has tried and failed in preschool after preschool.

Holland and Avery's father, who cares for him part time, do not agree

on how to handle their son's aggression. Holland tries to keep him on a

strict sugar-free diet, but she said Avery's father will buy him bubble gum.

Holland's own family criticizes her for "raising a monster."

Holland's response to Avery's diagnosis was to build her own kit to

cure him. She bought two books: "Back in Control: How to Get Your Children

to Behave" and "Unraveling the ADD/ADHD Fiasco." She picked up soothing

lavender oil for Avery's bath, lavender lotion and a bottle of herbal

supplements that claim to enhance mental concentration.

But she worries that her home remedies won't make up for the deficits

in their home life. "Your environment has a lot to do with your behavior,"

she said.

One theory about the increase in use of behavioral drugs is that kids

and their parents can't cope with the mounting stresses of modern life.

Los Angeles psychologist Jack Wetter, former director of pediatric

psychology at UCLA Medical Center, said kids are "over-programmed" with too

many activities and too much homework. "These kids burn out very quickly and

then they turn off, tune out or go into illicit drugs," he said.

At the same time, schools are adopting zero-tolerance policies for

unconventional behaviors, said Pam Wright, a psychotherapist who edits an

online newsletter for parents of children with special needs.

"No one sits down and talks with the kid and uses (these behaviors) as

a learning experience," she said. "I think we are at risk for trying to come

up with a simplistic answer."

Lew Mills, a Bay Area family therapist who specializes in ADHD, said

psychiatric diagnoses and treatment may be appropriate now for problems that

were not disabling in the past.

"Five thousand years ago dyslexia wasn't a problem because there

wasn't reading," he said. "Being in a society where people are expected to

organize tasks and get things done ... makes ADHD an impairment in a way

that it would not be an impairment in a tribal or hunter-gatherer

civilization."

Mills backs his conclusions with personal experience: He himself takes

medication for attention-deficit disorder, as do his two children, ages 9

and 16.

Some parents welcome a psychiatric diagnosis. When Michael Nalewaja

was struggling in school, his mother found a label reassuring.

Michael was very withdrawn. He didn't make eye contact, rarely raised

his hand to respond to a question and lacked reading comprehension and

spelling skills. He was not a candidate for the prestigious gifted and

talented classes at his Carmichael school.

When the boy reached third grade, his pediatrician diagnosed him with

anxiety and attention deficit disorder -- or ADHD without the hyperactivity.

At first, the family "welcomed it as 'Thank God, there is a reason my child

is not GATE,' " said Kelley Nalewaja. But the third day Michael was on

Ritalin he became wild, throwing things, threatening to kill his sisters.

A psychologist later determined that Michael had been misdiagnosed --

he did not have ADD after all. He was, nevertheless, put in special

education with a modified program which, his mother said, "made him appear

very successful. In reality, I have a 12-year-old son with a fourth-grade

education."

Today, Michael takes no medication and is home-schooled with the help

of a teacher and regular curriculum, including eighth-grade math. Next fall

he'll go to a Catholic school. His mother has joined the chorus critical of

psychiatric drug therapy for most children.

Resisting the pressures to medicate a child diagnosed with any

psychological disorder can be difficult, as Jessica Holland found out during

her first parenting class at Kaiser Permanente's psychiatric facility in

Sacramento.

She listened as parents of children with ADHD and other disorders

shared the latest war stories from home: The boy who can't sleep alone at

night, the girl who pulls people's pants down, the girl who pees on the

floor.

Holland could not hold back. Tears streaking her cheeks, she blurted

out, "My son kicks holes in walls. He stomps on toys. He's on me, and he

weighs 70 pounds. ... I don't like to be around him."

All eyes turned toward her. Kaiser psychologist Joe Riddle suggested

she pick winnable fights with Avery, then use timeouts to enforce simple

rules. Other parents chimed in with examples.

Gradually, the discussion turned to medication. Holland remained

opposed, saying her son is not sick. "Are we giving medication because it is

going to make our lives easier, or because it is making his life easier?"

she asked the group.

Parents peppered her with responses:

"It helps them with friends."

"It helps him focus."

"I did it when my daughter was 6. I wish I had put her on it at 3."

Added Riddle: "I think about medication if they are having a lot of

failures. Medication gives them the control to think ahead a little."

But even Riddle and others who regularly refer children to physicians

for prescriptions acknowledge that the information used to diagnose the

disorders is not always thorough, consistent or accurate.

+ Article continues at:

www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/medication/story/3315731p-4344565c.html

* * *

UC Davis Girds For 10% Cut In Research Funds, Includes M.I.N.D. Institute

[By Crystal Ross O'Hara/Enterprise.]

http://www.davisenterprise.com/display/inn_news/179NEW1.TXT

While California legislators play politics with the budget, UC Davis

is bracing itself for a 10 percent cut in state research funding.

On the hit list is the School of Medicine's MIND Institute, which

studies and treats autism and other neurological disorders. A reduction of

$500,000 is expected at the institute, founded in 1998. Despite the cuts,

the institute will continue to expand its clinical program as well as

clinical research trials. Administrators at the MIND Institute said they

plan to leave open positions vacant and look at reducing operating expenses

as a way to deal with the budget cut.

In a June 18 letter, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Virginia

Hinshaw asked campus deans and vice chancellors to submit plans for a

one-time reduction in their 2002-03 state-funded research budgets by July

15. Hinshaw requested that administrators focus on mitigating immediate

impacts on staff by using "carry-forward" funds and salary savings from open

positions as well as looking at ways to reassign staff to other positions on

campus.

Hinshaw noted that the state is proposing permanent cuts in UC's

organized research budget.

"However, I do not believe it is appropriate to assign permanent cuts

on this order of magnitude on such short notice," she wrote.

Hinshaw added that she will ask the entire campus to join in

developing a plan for implementing permanent reductions effective July 1,

2003.

* * *

Camp Empowers The Disabled in Michigan, Outside Detroit.

Students learn in fun, social atmosphere

[By Janet Sugameli / Special to The Detroit News.]

At SCAMP, a Bloomfield Hills-based summer program, the minorities

become the majority and limitations are no more.

More than 300 special-needs students, mostly from Oakland County,

attend the camp, immersing themselves in fun, educational activities and

recreation.

Entering students, whose disabilities range from autism to speech

impairments, leave their status as a minority at the gate.

"Here they are the majority and we build the camp around them, from

the activities to the games," said SCAMP coordinator Chandra Hoftey. "This

builds so much self-esteem and confidence because here they're not

different."

Paul Boker, 15, a student at Royal Oak Kimball High School said: "This

year (in high school) I only knew the people I had class with. But here, I

feel like I'm an important part of SCAMP."

And campers learn without the academic pressure, too.

"We just sneak in the learning," said Hoftey. "They might sing a math

song, or an alphabet; they might paint or draw letters or numbers without

being at a desk."

They also learn social skills such as teamwork, taking turns,

completing tasks and following multi-step instructions.

"You can just have fun and don't have to worry about doing school

work," Paul said. "At school, you go to swimming for credit; here we get to

do it for fun.

"And you don't have to worry about getting a good or a bad grade. If

you like what you made, that's all that matters," he added.

SCAMP activities include language enrichment, art, music therapy,

outdoor activities, swimming and interactive computer lessons.

As a means to integrate the curriculum, Caitlin Scholl placed a few

beans inside an empty water bottle, decorated with red, white and blue

stickers, then shook her maraca.

"Tomorrow we will be using them for music," explained Caitlin, 11, of

Novi.

SCAMP, started in 1967, is a nonprofit organization supported by

donations and tuition. A large portion of the organization's money is

distributed as scholarships. The Bloomfield Hills School District supplies

the program with space at West Hills Middle and Lone Pine Elementary schools

as well as some support services. The program accepts students from

preschool age to 26-year-olds.

Hoftey, who is also a special education teacher for Novi Community

Schools, said the program's goal is to offer students exciting summer

recreation.

Students look forward to attending the camp throughout the school

year.

"Many of our children would not have the recreational opportunities if

it were not for SCAMP," Hoftey said. "And you can see the excitement just

looking at their faces when they get off the bus that first day. That's why

I'm here."

The full-day program runs four days a week during the course of five

weeks.

Paul said he would rather be with fellow campers than playing video

games or watching television at home.

"I have friends here that I don't see during the school year, and I

get to hang out with them here."

Scott Zeigler, a special education teacher at Royal Oak Dondero, also

is a SCAMP instructor. His students, ages 12-16, are mentally impaired, but

can be educated.

"It's important for the students to continue to have a routine in the

summer," he said. "They still hop on the bus or Mom drops them off and ...

(they) have activities planned during the day. They also have interaction

with peers and ... kids in other age groups. The whole social aspect is good

for them."

Zeigler started volunteering with SCAMP as a 13-year-old. That passion

snowballed into a career in special education. He now has been at the camp

for 18 years.

Farmington Hills mother Ruth Kocab said her 13-year-old daughter,

Annemarie Kocab, has benefited from her experience at SCAMP. Today she works

as a volunteer, helping other hearing-impaired students.

"Since she was deaf, she was socially isolated in the hearing world,"

Kocab said. "This was a way for her to spend her summertime ... with other

deaf kids and also get an academic start, when she was a toddler. I think

SCAMP has been partially responsible for her academic success as she

increased her knowledge and use of sign language."

Joan Cox's son, Matthew Fletcher, has been a camper for several years.

"It's very hard to find a summer program for children with special

needs," she said. "When you have a child with special needs, you can't run

next door and play with your friend. You need to have play dates."

Cox added, "This is a place for them to be with their friends from

school and friends that they see from summer to summer."

* * *

Texas Contract With Adult-Care Home Canceled

Violations found after death of autistic patient

[By Eric Hanson in the Houston Chronicle.]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1484651

The death of a patient who had been restrained by staff members has

prompted the state to cancel its contract with an adult-care facility here

after a probe revealed numerous rule violations.

The investigation of Jireh Home Care began May 27, two days after the

death of Matthew Vick.

The 23-year-old patient, who was mentally retarded and autistic, died

at a local hospital after being restrained by employees at the care center.

No ruling has been made on the cause of death, pending release of the full

autopsy report.

State inspectors came to the small facility, at 2306 Buttonhill in a

residential neighborhood, after Vick's death and found numerous violations

of the state code governing such operations, said Rosemary Patterson,

spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Human Services.

"They have done some things wrong," Patterson said. "We went back on

June 21 and we found they were not in compliance."

The center's owner, Sam Lazarus, said a state inspection in April

found no violations.

"After this death they came back with a fine-tooth comb and found

these deficiencies, which are very minor," he said Friday. "We were OK

before, but now they say there are problems."

The state, through Medicaid, had paid for the care of several

residents but canceled that contract last week, Patterson said. She said the

home had six patients at the time of the death, but she had not determined

how many received state funding.

The home, which is still operating, also could face civil penalties,

Patterson said.

State inspectors issued a 48-page report listing lapses in training,

staffing and procedures.

According to their report, Vick was restrained after he became

aggressive and a staff member called for help in controlling him.

"As a result of improper physical restraint for inappropriate

behaviors, (Vick) stopped breathing and was pronounced dead by the emergency

room physician," the report states.

Among the violations noted were:

* Staff inability to demonstrate proper emergency restraint

procedures.

* Absence of systems to identify employees and screen prospective

employees for criminal history.

* Inadequate monitoring of drug regimens.

* Lack of active treatment for patients, who inspectors said watched

television and were allowed to wander the facility without purposeful

activities.

Missouri City police are conducting a criminal investigation, said

Sgt. Gerald Broussard.

Vick was restrained on the floor, Broussard said, but exactly how he

was restrained and how many staff members were involved is still under

investigation.

Lazarus said Vick had become very violent and staff members used

minimal force.

"While he was jumping and doing all that, he collapsed and they called

911," Lazarus said.

Vick died a short time later at Memorial Fort Bend Hospital.

Lazarus said other facilities had not been able to treat and control

the young man.

Vick's mother, Linda Chamberlin of Houston, said a staff member told

her that her son had collapsed and been taken to a hospital.

Chamberlin, 48, said she was stunned to learn that police were

investigating and that there were reports that her son, who had lived there

for almost a year, had been improperly restrained.

"Up until this point I had no complaints about Jireh Home Care. They

took good care of Matthew," she said. "There was no indication of

incompetent care."

* * *

Preliminary Survey On Enzyme Usage For Treatment Of Children With Autism

Parents' experiences collected

The usage of enzymes for the treatment of symptoms related to autism

has been of growing interests to the autism community, especially over the

last two years. The following simple survey questionaire has been proposed

as a means of collecting preliminary information on the anecdotal

observations from families who have been using these enzymes. What products

are people using? How effective do they appear to be? Are there emerging

patterns of problems releated to enzyme usage we might be able to spot?

To facilitate the collection of information, the survey is simple and

short.

Because it is important to validate the indentity of respondents, the

researchers require Names and phone numbers. All collected information will

be held in strict confidence. The results will be published in the Schafer

Autism Report.

Here is a listing of the questions as they appear on the survey. To

fill out and submit a survey, please go to the website:

http://click.topica.com/maaaqRaaaSJyAa4JkGDb/

_______________________________________________________

>> DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW <<

Subscribe, Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

To Subscribe http://home.sprynet.com/~schafer/index.html

No Cost!

_______________________________________________________

* * *

Readers' Posts

As a parent of a child with MR, I was at first excited when I read your

title "Mental Retardation Gene" from the 'Science' publication, however; I

became deflated as I read on. There are thousands of genetic/chromosomal

disorders that cause Mental Retardation, this is another one. Please check

the 'UNIQUE' website for listings of many such genetic/chromosomal

disorders, some of which are often misdiagnosed as ASD's; www.rarechromo.org

and www.idic15.org

******

My thirteen year old has a horrible time during the summer months when it is

hot and there are buzzings of bees and other flying objects. He has a

complete meltdowns as well with the sound of a crying child. We are to the

point that we don't go hiking, camping, to the mall, large events with

families and many other normal activities. I am feeling so locked in and

trapped and I don't know how to break him free of these sensitivities. Does

anyone have any recommendations? The summer months are starting to feel like

how some people feel about Christmas."Daunting" Please help! Christinna

Guzman [christinnaguzman@yahoo.com ]

******

My sister's family lives in the Norfolk, VA area and is looking for

Developmental Pediatrician, Psyc, etc. to help her get a correct diagnosis

for my nephew (11). She believes he has Asperger's and ADHD but can not get

a Dr. to take her seriously. I live in Atlanta and have 2 sons (10 & 4)

with Asperger's and I agree with her. Denise dcgdev@bellsouth.net

******

Seeking information from parents who have tried chelation therapy on their

child. My wife & I are considering the therapy for my 6 year old son who is

fairly verbal; but I'm terrified about the effect of releasing the trapped

Mercury, in my mind re-introducing it throughout his body, in order to get

it out of his system. shade@tst.tracor.com

******

I believe that the Schafer Autism Report had an article about a restaurant

chain that offers gluten free items on their menu. Would someone please

tell me the name of that restaurant again? D. Gaskill

[dcgdev@bellsouth.net ]

******

>> FREE (Almost) READERS' POSTS <<

For Individuals, organizations, non-commercial and

commercial. Limit your posting to no more than 60

words please. There is no charge for this service,

but posters are obligated to thank all those who take

the time to answer your ads. This is a consideration

for others with autism after you and yours, who seek

assistance from appreciated readers. Send submissions to:

POSTINGS@doitnow.com

OTHER ADDRESSES:

* SUBSCRIPTIONS: SUBS@doitnow.com

* NEWS: POSTNEWS@doitnow.com

* EDITORIAL: Schafer@sprynet.com

* READERS' POSTS POSTINGS@doitnow.com

_________________________________________________________________

Lenny Schafer, schafer@sprynet.com  Kay Stammers Edward Decelie

CALENDAR EVENTS@doitnow.com  Michelle Guppy Ron Sleith