SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT "Healing Autism:

No Finer a Cause on the Planet"

________________________________________________________________

Thursday, November 28, 2002

AWARENESS

* Learning How to Be Mother and Son: NY Times

* Williams World: Sacramento Bee

ADVOCACY

* Advocacy Groups Call for Congressional Invest. of Attempt Evidence Coverup

* Law Firms Continue Thimerosal Litigation

* Parents of Autistic Children the "Real Threat"

EDUCATION

* Make Special Education Special at Budget Time: Blame Autism

* Special Ed Driving Up Deficit

* Inclusion Initiative: Schools Strive To Integrate Special-Ed Students

CARE

* Group Home Learns Bitter Lesson In Causes Of Abuse

LETTERS

* Vaccine Provision Not Complicated

* Put People First, Not Money

* Vaccinegate

* Bad Medicine, Worse Omission

* Wrong Look at Sensory Integration

* Dear Mr. President

AWARENESS

Learning How to Be Mother and Son: NY Times

Neediest Cases

Leo was born in an ambulance. He weighed four pounds and was addicted to crack. His biological mother left him at the hospital. Leo spent much of his infancy shaking from withdrawal.

About the same time, in early 1998, Gina Horton, now 48, who raised one son and had herself been in foster care as a child, read a newspaper article about a baby who had been beaten to death by a foster mother. She was horrified. She had been thinking of adopting a baby.

The story compelled her to make a decision.

Ms. Horton, a self-employed party planner, combed through the yellow pages, calling social service and adoption agencies until she reached the Jewish Child Care Association, a beneficiary of the UJA-Federation of New York, one of the seven local charities that benefit from The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. Sarah Wolfe, a caseworker at Jewish Child Care, told her about Leo, explaining that he would need special attention and encouragement.

In September 1998, Ms. Wolfe arranged for Ms. Horton to bring Leo home. He was 2 months old.

"He was so little," Ms. Horton said. "The foster mother gave me a tiny little bag and a tiny little bottle. I had never seen anything like that."

It was a happy day for Ms. Horton, but it was also the beginning of many problems. Leo stopped taking a bottle at 8 months, she said. He had trouble sucking and could not drink milk.

Leo showed signs of being seriously developmentally delayed, which often happens with children born to crack users, Ms. Wolfe said.

But after he turned 2, Leo's problems became more severe. He could not make eye contact, or respond when called.

Around that time, Ms. Horton started training Leo to use the toilet. It took him a year to learn. Ms. Horton, who had not officially adopted Leo yet, knew that something was not right, and she took him to see a neurologist.

"He said, `You know, your son has autistic tendencies,' and I was floored," Ms. Horton recalled. "He said it very casual, like I just knew it."

Ms. Horton researched autism on the Internet, in magazines and books. "I had to do something but I didn't know what to do," she said. "I went to the agency and I said, `Listen, if you don't help me I won't adopt this child. I don't know how to raise this child. You need to teach me.' "

Sharon Goldstein, the administrative supervisor for Jewish Child Care's foster home services, and Ms. Wolfe listened to her concerns.

"This presented a whole new reality for her," Ms. Wolfe said.

She referred Ms. Horton to Jay Goldwein, a behavior therapist. In her research, Ms. Horton had read about applied behavior analysis and she immediately agreed. Ms. Wolfe and Mrs. Goldstein secured $1,000 from the Neediest Cases Fund for 10 therapy sessions for Leo, who was 3.

Mr. Goldwein helped Ms. Horton learn behavioral techniques to manage the daily problems she faced with Leo.

Leo would echo words but could not ask for a glass of juice. He would throw tantrums but could not communicate with anyone.

Mr. Goldwein used positive reinforcement to reward Leo when he took a step closer. He used Leo's echolalia, a parroting of words, as a tool to teach Leo how to phrase his words.

"You would enter the room and Leo might or might not have taken notice," Mr. Goldwein said. "He might not even look at you."

After an initial 10 hours of therapy, Ms. Horton paid on her own for five hours a week with Mr. Goldwein until her local school district on the Upper West Side agreed to pay for that counseling, back at 10 hours a week.

"A lot of people didn't believe," Ms. Horton said. "But I believe in my child. And Jay believed."

Ms. Horton officially adopted Leo on March 29. Leo, now 4, is in a regular preschool that he could not have attended before because of his learning delay.

"He's a different child," Ms. Horton said. "He'll bring his clothes in to me in the morning and say `Get dressed Momma, school.' He knows about Santa this year, and you know how many times I put cookies out there and he wouldn't know. Every holiday went by and he had no clue. It was heartbreaking."

"I couldn't have done this without Jay," Ms. Horton said. "I want other mothers to know that there's hope for these children."

In the living room of their home last week, Leo played with an electronic keyboard. He chose different songs and then danced to them.

"Leo, where did you go yesterday with Momma?" Ms. Horton said.

"In the circus."

"And what did you see at the circus?"

"A dog," Leo said. "And a cat."

"Can you give me a hug, Leo, please?" Ms. Horton asked. "Do you love Momma?" Leo nodded.

"Tell me a secret, Leo, tell me a secret," Ms. Horton said.

"I love you," Leo whispered.

"I love you," Ms. Horton said. "I love you, too."

_______________________________________________________

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* * *

William's World

The Townley family's struggle shows that early treatment can help free an autistic child from a life of isolation

The Townleys were celebrating Thanksgiving Day at a relative's house, a brand new home with cream-colored carpets. Children played happily while the grown-ups readied the turkey and trimmings for the table.

Except for William. From the kitchen, Relene Townley could see that her 2-year-old son was oblivious to the festivities. He stood alone in the front room, flapping his arms, jumping feverishly, his eyes fixed, his jaw slack, humming in a low and rhythmic monotone. After a time, the humming turned to sobbing, and then, still flailing, he threw up, all over the new carpet.

As Relene tried to settle the child, pulling him to her lap, she wished she could pack up the family and leave.

"There was no calming him down," she said. "It was so abundantly clear to me, being around all these other children, that he was so completely different from the rest of the kids." On the drive home, she vowed they'd stay home for future holidays.

Two months earlier, William had been diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that can lock a child into an alienating world where words may be elusive and the most mundane objects can hold endless fascination.

Autism affects as many as 20 of every 10,000 children, and by most accounts, its incidence is on the rise. In California, the number of reported cases has jumped 275 percent since 1993 - from a caseload of 4,911 to 18,460 today.

But if the caseload is surging, so is the recognition that an autism diagnosis should not commit a child to lifelong isolation or institutionalization as it has historically. Increasing evidence shows that most children diagnosed and treated early can gain the skills they need to function well in school and society.

That has pushed parents such as David and Relene Townley, a young couple from the Yuba County town of Olivehurst, into an all-consuming drive for intensive therapies they believe will help William. Theirs has been a quest fraught with frustration, and, thankfully, peppered with small but promising victories.

William was the second child for Relene Townley, the first for her husband, David. William's birth was difficult: His umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around his neck, and he came out a frightening shade of purple. It got worse from there.

"There were times he would cry and there was nothing you could do to calm him," Relene said. "We were up five times a night with him until he was 10 months old."

+Article continues:

* * *

ADVOCACY

Advocacy Groups Call for Congressional Invest. of Attempt Evidence Coverup Big Government Moves to Suppress Evidence Linking Mercury Preservative in Vaccines to Autism

E-Wire - On Monday, Department of Justice lawyers asked a federal court "task master" to withhold from the American public documents on hundreds of lawsuits filed by parents of injured children claiming mercury-induced autism resulting from childhood vaccines. Autism and mercury advocacy groups expressed outraged at this legal maneuver by the Bush Administration to conceal evidence linking the mercury preservative in childhood vaccines with autism.

"This cover-up attempt by the Bush Administration at the apparent behest of Eli Lilly and others is appalling," said Michael Bender director of the Mercury Policy Project. "All parents - not just those with autistic children - have the right to be informed about exposure risks from mercury that may affect their children. We have to ask: what are in these documents that they are so desperately trying to hide and suppress?"

The groups questioned the Bush Administration's motivation and apparent close-knit ties to the drug industry. The primary beneficiaries of sealing the records are manufacturers who added thimerosal to their vaccines, and, in particular, Eli Lilly, the developer of thimerosal. Lilly's chairman, president and CEO, Sidney Taurel, was recently given a coveted seat on the president's Advisory Council on Homeland Security and Mitch Daniels, former president of Lilly's North American operations, is now the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Bush Administration. The pharmaceutical industry as a whole, and Lilly in particular, were major donors during the last elections, contributing around $14 million.

Safe Minds and the Mercury Policy Project believe that corrective action is needed. "We want Congress to investigate why the Bush Administration is bending over backwards to help thimerosal vaccine makers and Eli Lilly to the point that they would grant them total immunity from civil action. We didn't let 'Big Tobacco' of the hook, why are we letting the drug makers?" said Lyn Redwood, president of Safe Minds. "Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) has requested an explanation from the Bush White House, and we call on Congress to conduct a thorough investigation."

The US government legal action comes on the heels of last week's 11th hour insertion of a rider to the Homeland Security Act, apparently at the

request of the Bush White House. The provision's intention is to

unilaterally deprive parents of autistic children of their right to bring civil action against the thimerosal-based vaccine manufacturers and Eli Lilly in Federal Court.

Safe Minds and the Mercury Policy Project are asking Members of Congress to repeal the thimerosal liability shield provision from the Homeland Security Act, a step supported publicly by several Republican and Democratic legislators. Both organizations are in favor of the bipartisan Burton-Waxman legislation to reform the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act.

The Mercury Policy Project and Safe Minds are non-profit organizations dedicated to reducing and eliminating mercury exposure and improving children's health and environmental outcomes through the elimination, treatment, and scientific investigations of mercury, regardless of its source, including thimerosal in medical products.

* * *

Law Firms Continue Thimerosal Litigation

Business Wire - A consortium of law firms representing children exposed to mercury in vaccines, led by attorneys Michael Williams, of Portland, Oregon, and Richard S. Lewis of Washington, D.C., have vowed to continue litigation against manufacturers of thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative found in some childhood vaccines, despite the "Eli Lilly" rider attached to the Homeland Security Bill and signed into law by President Bush yesterday.

The national consortium, lead by Williams, of Williams, Dailey, O'Leary, Crane & Love, and Lewis with Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, is seeking to have vaccine manufacturers set up court-administered funds that would allow children to get needed medical tests in order to mitigate potential neurological damage caused by thimerosal exposure.

Thimerosal, which is fifty percent mercury, was added to vaccines to prevent bacteria contamination when a doctor repeatedly drew vaccine doses from the same vial. After scientists and parents raised concerns about injecting children with mercury, thimerosal was taken out of vaccines in the late 1990s. Lawyers contend, however, that thimerosal and vaccine manufacturers' documents indicate that these companies knew about the health problems associated with thimerosal since at least the early 1970s. The Institute of Medicine has also concluded it is "biologically plausible" that thimerosal is causing neurodevelopmental disorders.

While the rider attached to the Homeland Security Bill forced thimerosal personal injury claims into the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a federal program designed to protect vaccine manufacturers from liability and reduce compensation levels for victims, the rider will not have any effect on cases seeking "medical monitoring" injunctive relief which gives medical tests to children, not cash awards. Lawyers contend, however, that it is likely that lobbyists will push for additional special interest legislation in the new session of Congress to wipe out the medical monitoring cases, completely depriving mercury-exposed children of any remedy in the court system and shutting down fact investigation into what the drug companies knew about the dangers of thimerosal and when they knew it.

Richard S. Lewis responded to the Homeland Security Bill signing by stating that, "We are troubled that this provision was made a part of this bill; we will actively continue our efforts to seek testing for kids who were exposed to excessive mercury levels so that we can mitigate brain damage before it becomes irreversible."

Michael Williams added, "The `Eli Lilly' rider merely reinforces the importance and public health necessity of this law suit. The back-room deal that put these anti-child amendments into the Homeland Security Bill is just the first step in the drug companies' efforts to completely avoid any responsibility for what they did to a generation of children."

Other members of the consortium include: Larry Cohan of Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman & Smalley in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tobias Millrood of Schiffrin & Barroway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and David Klein of Klein and Lyons of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

* * *

Parents of Autistic Chilren the "Real Threat"

Congress cheapens government

Thank God our leaders in Congress were wide awake and working day and night, fingers to the bone, to protect us from the scourge of terrorism by trying to prevent parents of autistic children from suing a drug manufacturer that may have caused their children’s autism.

Thank God our leaders in Congress were able to see the threat to our security and safety posed by parents of autistic children.

Thank God our leaders in Congress tried to act decisively to keep us safe from parents of autistic children.

Whew.

That was a close one.

We can now feel safe from the threat of parents of autistic children because as we all know — without getting into stereotyping here — parents of autistic children are the real threats to our well being and safety as a nation, and a world, for that matter.

Of course, not all parents of autistic children are working to destroy our way of life, and life on this planet in general. No, some parents of autistic children are fine, upstanding Americans, patriotic Americans who are just as concerned as anybody about the threat to our national security posed by other parents of autistic children.

What? You didn’t know of the terrible, terrible threat parents of autistic children pose to our national security? That’s why you’re sitting there in your pajamas reading this and not striding through the halls of power in your pajamas right now.

Our members of Congress, in their deep and infinite wisdom, clearly saw the threat of the parents of autistic children and acted accordingly. They made sure that, when they voted to approve the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security, they’d take care of those parents of autistic children.

What they did is slip an amendment into the bill to create the department that would, essentially, forbid parents of autistic children from suing pharmaceutical companies.

OK, it was a little more specific than that. According to The Washington Post, the amendment forbids parents from suing the manufacturer of a vaccine that contained a mercury-based preservative that some believe may cause autism.

OK, it was a little more specific than that. The amendment, backed by President Dubya, expanded liability protection for vaccines to ingredients of vaccines, language specifically targeted at helping Eli Lilly and Co., which is being sued by parents of autistic children for its manufacture and sale of a preservative called Thimerosal.

* * *

EDUCATION

Make Special Education Special at Budget Time: Blame Autism

3nov23&section=%2Fnews%2Fprintedition%2Fopinion <- - address ends here.

The reports about a dramatic increase in childhood autism may baffle scientists scrambling to identify causes, but they are not surprising to school districts. As president of the California City Schools Superintendents Assn., I know that my colleagues are following the issue with apprehension.

My 50,000-student district in southern Orange County has gone from having 18 autistic students in 1995 to 223 in 2001, an increase of more than 1,100% in less than six years. The strain on our staff and our budget has been enormous as teachers and administrators balance their struggle to give these students the best possible chance for a productive future with the reality that special education funding is woefully inadequate. These children must be served now. The search for a cause and for potential cures cannot allay the urgency of our mission.

The annual cost of the necessary services for one autistic child runs as much as $33,760 in our district; overall, this class of disability is the most costly one for schools to serve well. We provide an assessment center for infants and their families. We have trained a cadre of specialists to apply the intensive behavior intervention that experience shows will work with autistic students. Our teachers have incorporated specialized techniques in their classrooms, such as one-on-one lessons that are broken down into small, highly structured steps. One example is a series of lessons teaching younger children what a color is. We have expanded the number of speech pathologists and occupational therapists.

My district undertakes all of these services not simply because of federal requirements for comprehensive special education for those children who need it but because we are, first and foremost, educators who wish to serve every child in our system.

It touches every educator when a parent writes to say "our hearts are full and appreciative, because we know the program is expensive, and you have reached out and made our boy a happy one who is fully included in school, who has a good relationship with schoolmates, and even a best friend in the neighborhood."

But we cannot continue to shoulder the dramatically increased costs to cover special education for autistic and other special-needs children without additional help from Congress -- help that was promised more than a quarter of a century ago when the Individuals With Disabilities Act was passed. The act promised that school districts would be reimbursed for 40% of expenses beyond those normally incurred for other children. This year, the federal government has paid 17%.

For my district, Capistrano Unified, about $16 million must be taken from regular education funds this year to pay for the high expenses of autistic and other special-needs programs, resulting in fewer educational programs overall and -- most tragically -- further pitting the needs of one segment of our school population against those of another segment. The result, if no help is forthcoming, is likely to be increased class size in all grades and, in the future, deeper cuts.

The new data about autism add urgency to the plea from my school district and thousands of others that special-education funding be at the front of the public debate about serving the education of all children.

* * *

Special Ed Driving Up Deficit

tm

Dover - More new special education costs may result in a larger than anticipated school budget deficit.

Superintendent of Schools Perry Davis said an audit of costs by special education director Anna Thorpe revealed an additional $50,000 in special education spending this year. The extra costs are the result of changes to special education programs for a small number of students. As a result, Dover School Department business manager Mary Will projects this year's budget could fall short by as much as $222,898.

"We really need to know in January and February what's on the chart," said Davis. "Especially children on the autism track who need intensive services."

Davis said students with autism typically require occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis, all of which are normally taught in a one-on-one setting. It can cost as much as $20,000 in purchased services to send an autistic child to a school which provides these services.

* * *

Inclusion Initiative: Schools Strive To Integrate Special-Ed Students

His Junior ROTC uniform and all that goes with it give Milas Thompson an extra sense of confidence and belonging.

"When I'm in uniform, I feel like I'm a regular person," said Thompson, 16, who lives with a learning disability.

As much as reading and writing frustrate him, ROTC offers a chance for him to enjoy something and excel at Manteca's East Union High School.

The first-year cadet is earning an A-minus.

"It's fun and interesting," he said. "It's a new challenge. Each day we do something different."

Reserve Officers Training Corps is one of the regular classes Milas is taking this year. That's in addition to his special-education courses in language arts and world history.

His 17-year-old sister, Adel'a, takes a similar mix of regular and special-education subjects at East Union.

That combination in their schooling is a key requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The 1975 federal law seeks to integrate special-needs children academically and socially with the general student population.

Meeting the provisions of IDEA remains a constant struggle for schools nationwide, though. They also battle with concerns that there is a racial imbalance in special-eduction programs.

"Many children are being included in general-education events," said Ann Cirimele, executive director of the Family Resource Network, which serves special-needs students and their families in San Joaquin and surrounding counties.

"But we still have a long way to go."

Still progressing

By 1999, nearly half of special-education students nationwide spent more than 80 percent of their school day in regular classes, compared with 25 percent in the mid-1980s, a U.S. Department of Education annual report to Congress in May showed.

While that's an improvement, there is still progress to be made.

The 1997 update to IDEA and a report by the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education this year both urge the need for disabled students to be even more involved and progress in a regular curriculum.

Earlier this year, Los Angeles Unified School District launched a dramatic overhaul of its special-education services as a result of a 1996 settlement of a federal lawsuit.

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* * *

CARE

Group Home Learns Bitter Lesson In Causes Of Abuse

Jane Parlee of the Gateway Society says changes have been made to prevent any recurrence of abuse in Gateway's care homes. As things stand, however, other homes may also learn the hard way.

-AE5F6F151DED%7D

A six-month Province investigation into licensed community care facilities has uncovered serious flaws in the system of care for troubled or disabled youth and adults with mental disorders or physical and mental disabilities.

The investigation has also revealed the extraordinary difficulties faced by staff and managers trying to provide the best care for often extremely challenging residents. There is great stress and the constant danger of staff burnout.

In the final instalment of a four-part series, Province reporter Ann Rees looks at a home for autistic teenagers that learned a hard lesson following three cases of physical abuse by staff.

---

A Ladner group home for teenagers with autism failed "to protect the spirit, dignity, health and safety of its disabled young residents."

The children were physically abused by two staff members at Holly House, run by the Gateway Society for Autistic Children, which operates the home and two others.

The damning indictment was revealed in records obtained from the Fraser Health Authority under Freedom of Information legislation.

Following lengthy investigations last year, the authority's community care licensing branch informed the Gateway Society that it had contravened three fundamental sections of the Community Care Facilities Act: - It failed to "only employ ... persons of good character who meet the standards for employees."

- It failed to "operate the facility in a manner that will maintain the spirit, dignity and individuality of the persons being cared for."

- It failed to "operate the community care facility in a manner that will promote the health and safety of persons in care."

One of the abusers was fired. The other was suspended after abusing one resident and then resigned after abusing another.

The home has since been closed and the four teens moved to other homes operated by Gateway.

"I am interested in making sure this stuff never happens again," said Jane Parlee, the newly appointed executive director of the Gateway Society and a former member of the Children's Commission.

+ Article continues:

-AE5F6F151DED%7D

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* * *

LETTERS

Vaccine Provision Not Complicated

Other than those alleged between pharmaceutical companies and Republican lawmakers, Bob Herbert (column, Nov. 25) sees no connection to legislation establishing a Department of Homeland Security and a section therein shielding certain drug companies from some lawsuits.

Mr. Herbert writes: "This is not a provision that will in any way protect us from the ferocious evil of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. So why is it there?"

Isn't it obvious? Because fair-minded Americans shouldn't demand that pharmaceutical companies continue producing affordable miracle drugs that save us from our unhealthy habits and vaccines that shield us from bioterrorism while also bringing speculative lawsuits intended to cripple these companies financially.

Inclusion of litigation protection in the homeland security bill is no more complicated than that.

- Darren McKinney, Director of Media Relations

National Assn. of Manufacturers

* *

Put People First, Not Money

To: Darren McKinney From: Father of an autistic child, presuming caused by Mercury in Vaccine until this theory is proved wrong Re: your letter responding to the "Whose Hands Are Dirty?," column by Bob Herbert. Fair minded people, all over the world, want safe products and all the information necessary to make a decision.

At the Doctor's office for a regularly scheduled vaccine shot, I was not provided with any material referring to the use of Mercury and its side effects. Had I known about the use of Thimerosal, the choice would have been

simple: wait until there is an alternative, a vaccine that does not use this very contaminating element on children.

Next time my child has a sleepless night, I will think of you.

Next time my child has a tantrum because her face got wet while brushing her teeth , I will think of you.

Next time my child spends three day without a bowel movement, I will think of you.

Next time my child urinates on herself, I will think of you.

Next time my child defecates on herself, I will think of you.

Next time my child has unable to communicate her needs, I will think of you.

Next time my child can not participate in a simple game of Simon says with her brother, I will think of you.

A business needs to make money but it also must not deceive its customer and its products must not cause harm. I hope, that if it comes to be true that Mercury is the cause of the Autism epidemic or one of its factor, that you become a life long prisoner of your mind, unable to communicate with the world. Then you will realize how it is to be stuck in the world of Autism.

A question for you: do you know who was responsible of attaching the Vaccine rider to the Homeland Security bill? No one seems to claim responsibility of this outstanding piece of gamesmanship.

- Milvio Diaz, Father of 6 year old Autistic daughter

* *

Vaccinegate

The parents and their attorneys apparently have assembled the strongest data ever collected in one findable place regarding the dangers of thimerosal, its history (including the facts that the dangers were long known), and the cumulative effects of early exposures. And the government doesn't want other people to have easy access to this information.

In other words, now that the "word is out" and the evidence is collected in one place, then the next step (after CDC et al lying about thimerosal's adverse effects) is to attempt to suppress that body of information -- and now, circa 2002, clumsy, open-handed tactics are needed. Thus we're in the situation wherein parents are wise to protect their children from people like HHS' Thompson and physicians who remain vaccine-zealots while wanting evidence suppressed.

I envision an autism-parents' march to and from the White House and the HHS building several blocks away. The march's several themes would

include: protect our children from HHS Director Thompson and from CDC personnel such as Walter Orenstein, MD, of the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices).

The government's attempt to hide evidence is an attempt to *cover-up* the damning data -- a cover-up that certainly is *not* in the best interests of children and their families, whether part of the thimerosal lawsuits or not. What's the government's approach? When sufficient data implicate thimerosal, suppress those data! The cover-up continues.

- Teresa Binstock Researcher in Developmental & Behavioral Neuroanatomy

* *

Bad Medicine, Worse Omission

Regarding the excerpt on Vaccines from this book, Bad Medicine, the author does not mention the key arguments that parents have against them:

1.The number of Vaccines has been increasing

2.The time at which they are administered, a few weeks after birth

3.The preservatives, Thimerosal in particular, used in the vaccines

The ancient world was dirtier and tougher to live on, but there was no relying on drugs, antibiotics and surgery for cures. I appreciate the progress of medicine but not at the price of destroying lives especially when we are not, as parents, given enough information or are deceived by manufacturers; are pushed by a medical system concerned with profits; pushed by doctors that must meet a quota of patients to keep their income.

Growing up, my mother did not have much money to buy medicine let alone go to the doctor, and she relied heavily on herbal teas and chicken soup to relieve most childhood afflictions.

- Milvio Diaz, Father of 6 year old autistic daughter,

presuming caused by Mercury in Vaccine

until this theory is proved wrong

* *

Wrong Look at Sensory Integration

We have to respond to this report/article as a strong force. Perhaps you could suggest to your readers that they respond to the bozos who formulated this report just so they could stir the pot, create a big stink and give fuel to school districts to cut SI and OT programs to children with autism all over the country. Readers should respond to Steven R. Shaw from the National Association of School Psychologists about their opinions of his report and how SI has helped save their own children. Have them share their letters to the Schafer Autism Report so that they can motivate other parents to write letters as well. We can't let this one go!

- Respectfully yours, Viki Gayhardt, mother of Justine and Vince

* *

Dear Mr. President;

"For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury" are words found in the "Declaration of Independence". Today, I find these words to be very ironic. Why so? Well, if you look about 3-4 names below John Hancocks' famous signature on this sacred document you will see the signature of "Charles Carroll of Carollton". This great man not only risked his vast fortune, but indeed his very life in order to give us the right to a "Trial by Jury". Unfortunately, our federal government has decided to take that right away when you sign the Homeland Securiy Act this coming Monday. My son Lenny was damaged by the vaccine preservative thimerosal, which is 50% toxic mercury.

We were in the process of seeking justice and compensation to provide for our son's future, but we no longer can proceed as the Homeland Security Act has granted immunity to vaccine manufacturers from the damage caused by thimerosal. Our precious son will never have the right of a "Trial by Jury" to determine if his injury was indeed due to negligence.

So why is this so ironic Mr. President? My 4 year old autistic son, who apparently is a threat to our national security to be denied his legal rights, is a direct descendent of Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

- Charles A. Hoover HMCS(SW) USN RET 103 Brook Woode Avenue,

Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411

CONGRESSMAN DAN BURTON IS CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO HAVE A WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AUTISM. YOU CAN SUPPORT REP. BURTON BY SENDING YOUR LETTER URGING HIM TO DO SO AS WELL: President George W. Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500

EMAIL: President George W. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov

(Make sure you send a copy of your letter to us: edit@doitnow.com)

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