FEAT DAILY NEWSLETTER Sacramento, California

"Healing Autism: No Finer a Cause on the Planet" ________________________________________________________________

PUBLIC HEALTH

* Bill Would Boost U.S. Government Studies on Toxins

EDUCATION

* DOE Services Concern Parents Of Autistic Kids in Hawaii

CARE

* Statement From World Wrestling Entertainment

AUTISM AWARENESS

* Autism Awareness - A Long Journey Ahead

Bill Would Boost U.S. Government Studies on Toxins

A bill introduced last Thursday on Capitol Hill would step up federally funded research into the effects of industrial pollutants and toxic chemicals on human health.

The proposal would authorize the US Congress to steer $500 million over the next 5 years to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study chemicals that many researchers believe may contribute to rising rates of cancers, autism and other diseases.

North American rates of testicular cancer have increased 60% to 70% over the last 40 years, while rates of childhood autism have also increased drastically. Reported cases of diabetes, infertility and some birth defects are also on the rise, according to figures from the World Wildlife Fund.

Some of the increases are due to better disease detection, and not necessarily to higher disease rates. But activists remain concerned that environmental toxins known to affect hormone function in animals may be having similar effects in humans.

For example, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to cause prenatal damage in animals by disrupting thyroid function. The thyroid is a gland in the throat of animals and humans that is key to producing and regulating hormones.

PCBs are also thought to cause impaired reproduction and developmental delays in the children of mothers who are exposed to the chemicals during pregnancy.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), commonly used as flame-retardants in furniture and electrical equipment, are also known to disrupt thyroid function in animals.

Still, the effect of these chemicals on human health remains largely unstudied, said Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), the bill's sponsor.

"Are there connections between rising levels of chemicals in the environment and increasing rates of certain disorders in humans? In many cases, we simply don't know," she said.

Under the bill, NIH would direct money to researchers through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Theo Colborn, a pharmacologist with the World Wildlife Fund, urged Congress to support the measure in order to "clean the womb environment" that fetuses encounter during development. The organization tracks the effects of trace industrial chemicals in animal species.

Slaughter's bill also gained an endorsement from the United Nations Environmental Programme.

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DOE Services Concern Parents Of Autistic Kids in Hawaii

The education department is holding meetings to address their worries

When Tess Cruz's son Gabriel Tyler was diagnosed with an autism-related disorder two years ago, he was chronologically behind in his speech and had uncontrollable behaviors like rocking back and forth.

But after a hard-fought battle to get special-education services, the 5-year-old is talking and is better able to control his rocking. His mother hopes he will be able to attend kindergarten next fall.

"They say it's like a miracle," the Kapolei woman said. "Now I can say that we have our son back. We feel we have our lives back, and it's like a new beginning and wish all parents could have that opportunity."

But Cruz and other parents worry about their autistic children's future progress under the Department of Education.

Beginning July 1, the DOE assumes responsibility from the Department of Health for delivering services to autistic children as part of the Felix consent decree, the 1994 court order to bring the state into compliance with federal law.

The parents plan to attend statewide community informational meetings with state education and health officials on the transition, with the first Oahu meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Kaiser High School's library.

Autism, as defined by federal law, affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. Generally evident before age 3, autism adversely affects a child's educational performance.

State officials have planned nine meetings to tell parents about the transition to the DOE.

Some parents who attended meetings on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai last week said they came away unsatisfied.

"They want you to take a leap of faith that everything is going to work out, but if you have an autistic kid, you're not going to take a leap of faith into anything," said Mark Isenmann of Wailuku, who attended the meeting on Maui last week.

Dozens of people attended the meeting in Hilo, said Becky Nakasone of Keaau, the mother of 13-year-old twin daughters who are autistic.

"My big question was, convince me that we're not going in two years where we were six years ago," Nakasone said. "Parents are panicked because of the fear of what's going to happen to their child if it goes right back to where it came from -- the DOE."

Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto said she was aware that the changes were causing a lot of anxiety on the part of the parents and that the meetings are meant to answer their questions.

While parents fear that services they have fought for will be reduced or lost, Hamamoto said "our goal is to ensure that there would be no disruption of services" during the transition.

Joyce Allen's 8-year-old daughter has made tremendous progress and is now attending class part of the time with regular-education second-grade students. The Honolulu woman said part of the credit goes to her daughter's therapeutic aide, who has worked with her daughter for four years. It is that consistency and continuity that may be lost in the transition, she said.

"We're just blessed that it's gone full circle for her," said Allen, former president of the Autism Society of Hawaii. "My main concern is how these changes are going to affect my daughter."

Allen said she wants officials at the meeting to tell her the exact plan of action.

Hamamoto said some confusion is as a result of the DOE modifying its language to conform with the Individuals with Disabilities Act; for example, changing the title of a therapeutic aide to skills trainer.

On Kauai, attorney Linda Nuland-Ames, the mother of a special-needs child, said parents also are concerned that the DOE may not have enough personnel on Kauai to follow through with the transition.

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* * *

Statement From World Wrestling Entertainment

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Business Wire - The following is a statement from World Wrestling

Entertainment:

"WWE just learned of Mr. Rubin's statements today, in which he suggested he would be calling The Rock as a defense witness. It is obvious on its face that The Rock has nothing to do with this matter.

This is another regrettable instance of media grandstanding by an attorney with a documented history of other frivolous claims, such as when Mr. Rubin blamed the television character Kojak when his client shot the next-door neighbor.

This death occurred when a 5-year-old autistic boy was thrown into the muck of a Florida canal, while Mr. Rubin's 17-year-old client reportedly laughed at his drowning. It has nothing to do with professional wrestling."

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Autism Awareness - A Long Journey Ahead

Imagine you were in a foreign, noisy and crowded city at night, not understanding the language spoken, recognizing a few words but not really comprehending situations taking place around you, wanting to express a need for help but not being able. This experience may begin to help you relate to what a child with autism feels on an ordinary day.

Wednesday began a two-day seminar on Adolescents and Autism. The Al-Faisaliya Women’s Welfare Society sponsored this event as part of their Autism Awareness Campaign. The Society established the Jeddah Autism Center in 1993, the first one of its kind in the Middle East. The seminar’s guest speaker was Dr. Samira Al-Saad, one of the founders of the Center. Autism has been ignored and misunderstood and the most crucial issue is that most people are unfamiliar with the disease even though it has been estimated to occur in as many as 2 to 6 in 1,000 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2001). “How can a community, teachers or even parents deal with a disease that is not understood?” Seham Basrawi, head of the Faisaliya ’s handicap committee explained to ArabNews, “This seminar is an opportunity to raise awareness about autism as a disease, and Jeddah Autism Center as an organization dedicated to helping autistic children maximize their potential but our role alone will never be enough."

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ali Al-Namla estimates that there are 42,500 diagnosed autistic children in the Kingdom, yet there remain many undiagnosed cases. Its prevalence rate makes autism one of the most common developmental disabilities. Yet most of the public, including many professionals are still unaware of how autism affects people and how they can effectively work with individuals with autism.

The Society’s goals include providing information and education, supporting research, writing, translating and publishing books and research and advocating for programs and services for the autism community. “Princess Fahda bin Saud, president of the society, plays a great role by not taking a traditional path of treatment alone, there is a strong focus on awareness,” explains Ms. Basrawi. The Society also tries to raise and allocate funds to implement their goals and assist families with autistic children. “The financial burden on these families is great, and tuition at the center is much higher than ordinary schools because of the one or two to one teacher-student ratio.”

The Society supports research to address the many unanswered questions about autism. They aim to provide information to parents and teachers regarding intervention and treatment strategies for children with autism. “I did not know about the high occurrence of autistic adolescents and seizures - this lecture open my eyes to possible answers for so many unanswered questions, “Nuha G., mother of an autistic teenager, who attended Wednesday’s seminar.

How can you help?

Education is the first step to help society understand the nature of this common developmental disorder.

As a community – private companies can follow the example of Alhamrani-Fuchs Petroleum Saudi Arabia, which chose the Jeddah Autism Center to be one of the recipients of proceeds from a promotional campaign. Individuals can educate themselves more on autism, they can volunteer their time, skills, and/or donate funds. People can sponsor an autistic child’s education or fund a research project. “We want all the members of the community to be involved with us, not to wait until somebody they know has autism, don’t underestimate the help you can offer,” invites Ms. Basrawi.

Experts advise "when you meet a child with autism treat them with patience and understanding, because they may not understand you."

Teachers…..research and never stop learning…new discoveries are being made constantly and relying on the degree you may have earned years ago will not serve justice to these children. Read and learn on a regular basis, and if you have made some discoveries or observations be sure to publish it, even if it just on the internet so that other people can share in the knowledge.

Parents of children with autism can experience high levels of stress as a result of the challenging behaviors of their children, attempting to secure appropriate services, resulting financial hardships, or very busy schedules. They need support as well, from family friends and the community at large. No single program or treatment will benefit all individuals with autism, therefore, the recommendation of what is "best" or "most effective" for a person with autism should be determined by those people directly involved—especially the parents and families.

“A message to parents of children with Autism: your role is the most important. You should not wait for others to offer a service or rights in a community to be equal to everyone else. You are the ones who should ask and ask and ask – never relent or give up. If the Faisaliya Society opened the center it is your responsibility to improve it – to make it attain the best standards in the world. Around the globe this is how people get their voices heard and their rights.” Seham Basrawi.

Individuals who wish to know more should contact Ms. Basrawi by phone at (02) 661-4433 or by email at bsaj1@yahoo.com.

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