SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT "Healing Autism:

No Finer a Cause on the Planet"

________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, October 15, 2002 Promote Your Event - Free! - Send a

CALENDAR LISTING: SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCT. 25

RESEARCH

* NAAR Announces Project to I.D. Genetic Component of Common

Symptom of Autism

* Stem Cells May Rescue Ailing Neurons-Study

* Marijuana Study Tries To Bring Facts To Heated Debate

* Jasmine-Sniffing Snoozers Catch Higher Quality Z's

PUBLIC HEALTH

* MMR Vaccine Does Not Cause Autism

* Stung by Courts, F.D.A. Rethinks Its Rules

CARE

* Soccer Club A Win-Win Situation

* VIP Soccer Is A Kick For Special Players

* Readers' Posts

RESEARCH

NAAR Announces Project to I.D. Genetic Component of Common Symptom of Autism Scientists Eric Lander, Ph.D. & David Skuse, M.D., Ph.D. Team Up to Lead Study

[From an organization announcement.]

The National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) recently invested $480,400 to launch a new study led by renowned scientists Eric Lander, Ph.D. and David Skuse, M.D., Ph.D. that aims to identify a genetic component of a common symptom of autism: the inability to recognize fear as a facial expression.

In order to achieve its goal, the study will focus on Turner Syndrome, which shares a common phenotype with autism: people with autism and Turner Syndrome typically have difficulty identifying fear as a facial expression in other people.

Dr. Skuse, of the Behavioral and Brain Science Unit at the Institute of Child Health in London, has located a region on the X chromosome that appears to be related to the facial recognition phenotype. He and Dr. Lander, director of the Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, will map this region of the chromosome in the hopes of locating a susceptibility gene for Turner Syndrome, which could play a vital role in determining susceptibility for autism, or at least, an often-observed symptom of autism.

“By using Turner Syndrome – a disorder with a well-defined diagnostic criteria and a disorder that is possibly less genetically complex than autism, the research team hopes to establish as simple a model for gene behavior association as possible,” said Andy Shih, Ph.D., director of Research & Programs at NAAR. “It is likely that more than one gene causes autism. Information derived from this study will offer a potential window of insight into the genetics of autism."

The discovery of the genes responsible for this phenotype may lead to the identification of susceptibility genes for both Turner Syndrome and autism and could lay the foundations for a neurological explanation of the key aspects of autism itself.

Turner Syndrome is a disorder of the chromosomes affecting females, where one of the two X chromosomes is partially or completely absent. Most commonly, a patient with Turner Syndrome will be born with 45 chromosomes in each cell rather than 46. The missing chromosome is an X chromosome. Turner Syndrome occurs in approximately one out of every 2,500 births and is associated with normal intelligence.

Because Turner Syndrome occurs only in females, researchers hypothesize that the genes related to the phenotype – the inability to recognize fear as a facial expression – is likely to be linked to the X chromosome.

Along with providing funding for the project, NAAR actually played a critical role in the project forming at all. Dr. Skuse and Dr. Lander met at this year’s annual retreat of the Autism Genetics Cooperative at Callaway Gardens in Georgia, which is sponsored by NAAR and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation. Dr. Skuse made a presentation on Turner Syndrome and the shared phenotype, which attracted the attention of Dr. Lander – a member of the cooperative.

“We are excited to fund this dynamic project between Dr. Skuse and Dr. Lander that aims to explore the genetic roots of autism as well as Turner Syndrome,” said Prisca Chen Marvin, NAAR president. “From the start, NAAR has been a strong supporter of research that focuses on the genetics of autism and we remain committed to our search for the answers.”

* * *

Stem Cells May Rescue Ailing Neurons-Study

Two new studies in mice strengthen hopes that stem cells may one day be used to treat brain injuries and brain degeneration in humans, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School.

Stem cells are immature cells capable of developing into different types of body tissue. In the study, researchers treated mice with neural stem cells, a type of cell found in the fetus and embryo that gives rise to all types of brain cells during brain development. Such neural stem cells can also be found in the central nervous system at all ages, although it's not clear if the cells play a role in brain repair.

When the researchers injected mouse-derived neural stem cells into injured or degenerated brain tissue in mice, they appeared to interact with the host cells and one another, according to Dr. Evan Snyder, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

"The brain and the stem cells cross-talk and send messages to each other," he explained in an interview with Reuters Health.

In the first study, the researchers injected neural stem cells into the skulls of mice with severe damage to large areas of their brains. A similar type of damage occurs in people with severe cerebral palsy.

While stem cells on their own were unable to restore brain tissue, the researchers found that stem cells contained in a special "scaffold" of biodegradable material formed many interconnections with the host tissue. And as the scaffold broke down, new brain tissue supplied with blood vessels formed to take its place.

"In this case, the brain tells the cells to send out their connections and at the same time, the stem cells make the brain send connections to themselves and to the rest of the brain," Snyder explained.

In the second study, the team introduced neural stem cells into the brains of mice treated with chemicals to mimic the process of aging or Parkinson's disease in humans. In this case, the cells were found to "rescue" the dysfunctional neurons, which were reactivated.

"What these findings show is that stem cells and injured organs talk together in a way that allows reconstruction," said Snyder, "and we think that this process is not only applicable to the brain but also to the heart, the lungs or the gut."

These applications could one day be tested humans, according to Snyder, and would not require overly invasive procedures. "It would be an operation, but not a difficult operation," he said.

SOURCE: Nature Biotechnology 15 October 2002 doi:10.1038/nbt751; nbt750.

* * *

Marijuana Study Tries To Bring Facts To Heated Debate

A doctor takes a scientific look at the illegal drug's effects on HIV patients with painful symptoms.

=la%2Dheadlines%2Dhealth

In March, in a hospital room tucked in a quiet corner of San Francisco General Hospital, a 39-year-old AIDS patient made history of sorts when he lighted a marijuana cigarette -- legally. He is the first of 16 volunteers participating in a study of whether the illicit herb can relieve the pain in the hands and feet that afflicts people with HIV.

Although anecdotal stories abound about marijuana's therapeutic powers, there is no data to support such claims. Dr. Donald I. Abrams, who's heading the study at UC San Francisco, says his research -- and similar studies that are getting underway -- are an attempt "to inject some facts into this very emotionally charged debate."

Scientific interest in medicinal marijuana is blooming. It has been kindled, in part, by the recent discovery of a molecular signaling system in the brain and other parts of the body activated by cannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds that are chemical cousins to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana, according to Abrams. Research suggests this system affects movement and emotional excitability, appetite and the growth of cancerous tumors -- and may be as potent as morphine in reducing pain. These findings may explain why smoking marijuana has a calming effect, combats nausea or gives users the munchies.

Smoking, of course, is a crude and hazardous way of delivering THC, and scientists eventually hope to synthesize marijuana's medicinal compounds into a pill. But right now, Abrams' main objective is doing bulletproof science. Because of the tremendous controversy, he says, "we have a burden to do this correctly."

An AIDS doctor since the epidemic began, Abrams knew many of his patients smoked pot to curb nausea and stimulate their appetites, which is why he wanted to study its medicinal potential. In 1998, after a lengthy battle to get funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Abrams conducted the first test of pot on people with HIV. That study showed marijuana helped patients gain weight without weakening their immune system.

If all goes well, his current study will be broadened to involve 100 subjects, half of whom will receive a placebo or dummy cigarette. Abrams is also in the initial phase of tests that use cannabis to ease pain in patients with bone metastases from advanced breast and prostate cancer. "We're looking to see if there is a beneficial interaction between cannabis and morphine, and if pot can decrease the side effects of these opiates," he says.

A potential powerhouse

The San Francisco study is the first sponsored by the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research. Managed by the University of California, the center is funded by a 1999 state law that provides $3 million annually for three years to study marijuana's potential use.

The active ingredient in marijuana appears to be the Swiss Army knife of therapeutics: a powerful painkiller that also can combat cancer, curb nausea, stimulate appetite, reduce anxiety, ease joint stiffness and control muscle spasms.

The center has so far given the go-ahead to 15 projects, two-thirds of which have cleared many federal regulatory hurdles, including scrutiny from the Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Food and Drug Administration. Four studies -- on AIDS patients, multiple sclerosis sufferers and people with metastatic cancer -- are already underway, and several more are gearing up, making this "the largest program ever done in the U.S. on this topic," says Dr. Igor Grant, a psychiatrist at UC San Diego.

_______________________________________________________

>> DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW <<

Subscribe, Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

No Cost!

_______________________________________________________

* * *

Jasmine-Sniffing Snoozers Catch Higher Quality Z's

People who sleep enveloped by the soothing smells of jasmine may get a more restful snooze than others, new research suggests.

Dr. Bryan Raudenbush and his colleagues at the Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, found that people who slept in rooms infused with jasmine appeared to sleep more peacefully and report higher afternoon alertness than when spending the night in a lavender-scented room, or one with no added smell.

"We found they were just laying there, as opposed to tossing and turning," Raudenbush told Reuters Health, speaking of the nights when people slept in a jasmine-infused space.

And scent really does matter, Raudenbush added: jasmine eased sleep better than not only no scent, but also lavender, an equally pleasing odor, he noted.

"Which shows that it's not just the application of the pleasant odor," Raudenbush noted. "It has to be something specific to each odor."

The researcher explained that the purpose of the study was to investigate some of the beliefs behind aromatherapy, a form of medicine in use since 3000 BC that is based on the practice of treating patients with essential oils extracted from plants. Previous investigators have suggested that jasmine and lavender can help people relax and feel less anxious, as well as improve their spirits.

During the study, Raudenbush and his team monitored the sleep of 20 people over 3 nights. Each night, the investigators infused the sleeping quarters with a faint odor of jasmine or lavender or, as a comparison, no scent. The amount of added aroma was so small, Raudenbush noted, that some sleepers said they couldn't smell anything different.

The authors presented their findings at the recent annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research in Washington, DC.

The researchers found that when people slept in a jasmine-infused space, they moved less during the night. Although people slept the same amount each night, jasmine-smellers reported feeling less anxiety when they woke up.

Raudenbush and his colleagues also gave study participants a test of mental function after they woke up, in which they had to match numbers to a symbol using a key that showed which number was linked to which symbol. Raudenbush and his team found that after sleeping in a jasmine-infused space, people could complete the test more quickly and accurately than in they did after other nights.

This finding suggests that people who sleep with jasmine scents experience a more productive sleep, enabling them to wake up more refreshed and alert than after sleeping the same amount on other nights, Raudenbush noted.

Jasmine smellers also reported feeling more alert during the afternoon hours of the next day than after other nights.

Lavender also appeared to help with sleep and later awareness, Raudenbush added, but its benefits were not as noticeable as those seen with jasmine.

Although the reasons for why certain smells produce physical changes remain unclear, Raudenbush suggested that jasmine may help improve a smeller's mood, which may then induce physical changes in the body.

While most people probably can't pump traces of jasmine into their sleeping quarters throughout the night, Raudenbush said there may be easier ways to obtain the scent's benefits. Many products contain jasmine, he said, and a shower using jasmine-scented soap before bed or the strategic placement of jasmine potpourri around the house could benefit sleep.

Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited.

* * *

PUBLIC HEALTH

MMR Vaccine Does Not Cause Autism

YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH with Dr. Robert Dershewitz

Not a week goes by without at least one parent expressing to me grave reservations about a toddler's receiving a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. They read about and hear so much "out there" about MMR causing autism in children. I will devote the rest of this column dispelling that false rumor.

As with many false facts, the "link" between autism and MMR has taken on a life of its own. No sooner than it gets beaten down by a good scientific study than some TV show features "new" data on this association. In my opinion, this is irresponsible TV journalism because it creates the widespread illusion that something new has been discovered. What really is being reported is bad science or opinion disguised as scientific proof.

When a doctor states he has a hunch, or has seen a group of children who received MMR vaccine develop autism and therefore concludes MMR must have caused it, this is NOT proof. It is intuition or an observation leading to inductive reasoning that provides no proof one way or another. It is not science or fact; it is just opinion which in our society one is free to make.

As with any opinion, we must examine its merit carefully before accepting a statement as gospel.

One English physician has published two papers since 1998 attempting to show he found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Objective accounts assessing his work showed the studies were severely flawed, thus negating all claims because results were not credible. Yet, these two papers received wide attention and fueled parental fears of the MMR vaccine.

Currently, there has been no proven association between autism and MMR vaccine. This statement represents the conclusion of several studies designed to uncover an association, careful review of the world's medical literature on this topic, and the convening of expert panels to examine the issue.

Autism is not a single entity, but rather a group of related developmental disorders. Its cause or causes are not known, but evidence is mounting that the root of autism is established early in pregnancy while the fetus is developing.

Autism usually becomes apparent when a child is between 18 and 30 months of age.

Since MMR is given at around 15 months of age, it is easy to see how it would be (mistakenly) thought to be related to autism, especially since autism seems to be on the rise.

In fact, autism has been around long before the MMR vaccine. The likely reasons to explain its increase are: 1) better detection because of greater public awareness; and 2) better diagnosis. For example, more children who used to be labeled as "learning delayed" or as having "behavioral problems" are thought to better fit into the mild form of the autism spectrum.

Parents should not fear the MMR. It is a good vaccine -- effective and acceptably safe. The vaccine may lead to complications, but the major serious one -- encephalitis -- occurs in about one out of a million doses. Fever and rash occur in 5 to 15 percent of recipients.

Although measles, mumps and rubella are now quite uncommon, children should continue to be vaccinated because these diseases are worldwide. If the unprotected are exposed, they are at risk of contracting the disease, which may lead to more cases and then possibly create an epidemic.

When there was a measles outbreak in 1998-99 in the U.S., one out of 500 people who developed measles died and about one out of 800 developed encephalitis.

Robert A. Dershewitz, M.D., Sc.M., FAAP, is a pediatrician at Healthy Kids Care Center in Munster and is affiliated with The Community Hospital in Munster. He also is editor of Ambulatory Pediatric Care, a major textbook in Pediatrics and Associate Editor of Journal Watch, an international medical newsletter.

* * *

Stung by Courts, F.D.A. Rethinks Its Rules

After losing a series of court decisions that found it in violation of the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech, the Food and Drug Administration has begun a wide-ranging review of regulations that control what the makers of drugs, supplements, food and cosmetics can say about their products.

At issue is the delicate balance between a company's right to communicate with its customers and the food and drug agency's mandate to protect the public.

But the court decisions, which included a stinging rebuke from the Supreme Court in April, have prompted the agency to ask whether it may, at times, have gone too far in its insistence that it decides when scientific truth has been established and what companies can say. At issue are regulations governing everything from what a drug company can print on a T-shirt to what a sales representative can say in the privacy of a doctor's office.

No one is advocating that false or inaccurate claims be permitted. But agency officials are asking questions like whether they can continue to prevent food companies from making health claims for their products and whether they can continue to insist that drug advertising include a full accounting of side effects and conditions that may make the drug inadvisable.

The review began with a notice in The Federal Register on May 16 inviting interested parties to comment on "First Amendment issues." Hundreds replied, with wish lists, cries of alarm, hefty documents from drug company lawyers and notes from consumers who want the agency to take all shackles off the supplement industry. The comment period ended on Sept. 13, and those who wish to respond to comments have until Oct. 28.

Over the next few months the agency will review the comments and decide what changes, if any, to propose in its regulations. It also expects to get a new commissioner, Dr. Mark B. McClellan, who was nominated by President Bush late last month and seems headed for a speedy confirmation. "No decision will be made without his involvement and approval," said Daniel Troy, the agency's chief counsel.

The review is not just an academic exercise, warns Dr. David A. Kessler, who was the agency's commissioner from 1990 to 1997.

"It represents a frontal attack on the fundamental responsibilities of the agency under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act," said Dr. Kessler, who is now the dean of Yale's School of Medicine. "I have great concerns that this is simply an attempt to deregulate while doing it in the name of the First Amendment."

Others say the review is long overdue.

Jonathan Emord, a lawyer who sued the F.D.A. on behalf of the First Amendment rights of supplement manufacturers and won, says the the agency has long been treading on shaky legal ground.

"We are advocating that the F.D.A. undergo a change in regulatory mind-set, a First Amendment sensitivity training," Mr. Emord said. "They take the position that science must be interpreted for the public and given to them piecemeal when the regulators decide it is proven. That role of being a gatekeeper is precisely what the First Amendment was designed to prevent."

Until now, the agency's position has been that it decides what companies can say and how they can say it. Its mission of protecting the public health, the agency argued, gives it broad authority to regulate commercial speech.

But Mr. Troy says recent court rulings have given the agency pause.

On April 29, the Supreme Court bluntly informed the agency that it was being overly paternalistic.

The question before the court was whether pharmacies that made specialized mixtures of prescription drugs could advertise or promote their products. Mr. Troy, arguing for the F.D.A., said that if pharmacies were allowed to do so they would essentially be selling prescription drugs without demonstrating safety and efficacy.

"Why spend the millions of dollars to come through our approval process?" Mr. Troy asked. "It's our fundamental power to approve drugs before they come on the market."

But the Supreme Court said that restricting free speech should be a last resort, writing, "We have previously rejected the notion that the government has an interest in preventing the dissemination of truthful commercial information in order to prevent members of the public from making bad decisions with the information."

Two other rulings by lower courts rebuked the agency on similar grounds. In 1998, the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia overturned F.D.A. regulations preventing companies from freely distributing information about unapproved uses for approved drugs and devices. (The agency's challengers were represented by Mr. Troy, a constitutional lawyer who was in private practice before coming to the F.D.A. in 2001.) The court said it was not enough for the agency to argue that it was protecting the public. "To the extent that the F.D.A. is endeavoring to keep information from physicians out of concern that they will misuse that information," the federal court said, "the regulation is wholly and completely unsupportable." The decision was vacated on appeal.

Another ruling, in 1999, involved the F.D.A.'s refusal to allow dietary supplement makers to put four health claims on their labels. The agency said the claims failed its test of "significant scientific agreement." But the United State Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that the First Amendment requires a "preference for disclosure over outright suppression."

With this background, Mr. Troy remarked, "some have said that it would be almost legal malpractice if we did not think about the implications of the First Amendment decisions that came down recently."

He added, "As a lawyer, my job is to prevent the agency from being sued, and losing."

In comments to the F.D.A., many companies said regulations were needed to protect the public health, but asked that some of the current ones be relaxed.

Dr. Rhona Applebaum, executive vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the National Food Processors Association, describes agency regulations as "command and control."

Dr. Applebaum added: "The way it stands now, any type of implied disease benefit, the agency throws it into our faces: `No, you can't do it. You need a new drug approval.' We're saying no way, not if the information we are providing is substantiated by science."

For example, Dr. Applebaum said, many studies suggest that dietary calcium is associated with lower blood pressure. But the F.D.A. does not find the evidence conclusive. Food manufacturers would be happy to put in disclaimers, she said. "You could say, `While inconclusive, new research seems to indicate . . .' or `Preliminary evidence suggests that calcium promotes healthy blood pressure.' But right now we can't say it."

+ Article continues at:

_______________________________________________________

>> DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW <<

Subscribe, Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

No Cost!

_______________________________________________________

* * *

CARE

Soccer Club A Win-Win Situation

Disabled kids, volunteers learn from each other on, off the field

Six-year-old Ben Meinzer may be too shy to talk to strangers, but put him on the soccer field and he rules.

"Ben believes he's very good," said his mother, Shelly Meinzer. He's so confident that sometimes she has to tell him to tone it down, she added.

But what makes this first-grader unique is not his passion for the game, but that he plays it wearing leg braces and using crutches. Ben, who has spina bifida, plays soccer every week with about 70 other children with disabilities at Templeton Middle School, N59-W22490 Silver Spring Drive, Sussex.

The fall session, through the Sussex Soccer Club, began Oct. 5 and continues through the winter.

Soccer has helped Ben with his physical therapy, which can be a chore for a little boy, his mother said.

He used to rely on a walker with his leg braces. Six months ago he got the crutches and he's already adapted so well that his mother says she has to run to keep up with him.

"Soccer is also great for his independence," Meinzer said.

He sees his brother, Patrick, 10, and sister, Ashley, 13, playing sports and wants to play, too, she said.

"He now does something that he's good at," Meinzer said.

The TOP-Soccer program, sponsored by the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association, started in Wisconsin in 1992 and has grown to include 300 children at nine sites, said John Janasik, TOP-Soccer coordinator for Wisconsin. TOP, which stands for The Outreach Program, has leagues in almost every state.

Sussex has the largest program in the state and the third largest in the country, Janasik said. Programs in Pennsylvania and Texas rank first and second, respectively.

Three of the nine programs are in Waukesha County. There are also TOP-Soccer programs in Brookfield and Merton, but the Merton program has been temporarily discontinued.

Other programs operate in Walworth County and Appleton, Cedarburg, Madison, Milwaukee and Racine.

Players, helpers benefit

Janasik said the program's benefits are far-reaching.

"This is a program that brings out the best in everyone," Janasik said of volunteers involved with the program.

"We're doing this for the children, but you learn that you benefit, too," he said. "It makes you a better person."

TOP-Soccer was formed with the same objective as many regular soccer programs, he said. The aim is "to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of all America's youth through the sport of soccer at all ages and levels of competition."

Janasik started the state's first TOP program at Hamilton High School, 6215 W. Warnimont Ave., Milwaukee, in 1992. He says the program got better when Tom Kaupp got involved in 1997.

Kaupp, came to watch a game with an eye toward signing up his daughter, Katie, now 13, who has cerebral palsy. He liked what he saw, but he suggested changing the rules to adapt the game to the children, rather than expecting the players to adapt to the game.

"He made it fun," Janasik said.

Teams match up by ability

Coaches divide participants according to physical ability.

Children in wheelchairs play together, and those with few or no physical limitations but who may have cognitive disorders are placed together. And because the program accepts children up to 18, sometimes players are separated by age.

The balls, donated by Uniroyal Tire Co. and Adidas, are also custom-made for the disabled. For the children who are sight impaired, there are balls with bells, and for those in wheelchairs, there are larger balls that won't get caught in the chairs.

"And no one leaves without scoring a goal," Janasik said.

Sarah Morton, of the Town of Delafield, said her son, Kyle, 5, who is autistic, needed something of his own. His older brother, Connor, 8, plays hockey and his little sister, Aly, 2, wants to do everything.

"Kyle is either in therapy or school," she said. "He needs accomplishments of his own." He joined the program this year.

Morton heard about TOP-Soccer from her neighbor, Heidi Jonet, whose son Kyle, 9, also is autistic.

"It's nice to get out in the community and be active," Jonet said. "It's just fun."

Another neighbor, Michele Davis, also has a son with autism. This is 5-year-old Morgan's second year of soccer.

"They see their siblings doing these things," Davis said. "Now they can, too."

Players learn independence

Kaupp says the experience of playing soccer helps children become more independent.

"New players tend to gravitate toward their parents in the first few sessions," Kaupp said. That ends in a few weeks when the children are focused on having fun.

He also wants the program to provide an opportunity for parents to network and support each other.

Kaupp attributes the success of the Sussex program to the time it is held - 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday mornings - that it is held indoors and that it accepts children with any disability.

What the program needs is buddies, organizers say.

Janasik said children bond much better with other children than with adults. Siblings of many of the players help out, he said. Ben Meinzer's brother and sister volunteer as buddies, for example.

Buddies also benefit

Tommy Giljohann, 16, volunteered to be a buddy at his mother's suggestion.

Giljohann, a Brookfield Central junior varsity soccer player, said he didn't really know what to expect.

At the end of the hour session, he was all smiles, and his mother, Diana, told him, "I think you have a calling here."

Giljohann was a buddy for Meinzer's group, which was largely made up of players with cognitive disorders including autism.

+ Article continues at:

* * *

VIP Soccer Is A Kick For Special Players

AYSO program puts challenged kidson teams, in games

ml

Four years ago, when Paige Morin joined a soccer team in Simi Valley, she spent most of her time on the sidelines, frustrated by the game and the heat.

Today, the biggest frustration faced by the 10-year-old soccer player is finding a nearby hand to slap with a high-five when she kicks a goal.

"You can see on her face that she's happy with herself," said Paige's mom, Monica Morin.

Soccer has been a learning experience for Paige, who has Down syndrome. She's learned to socialize, understand the value of commitment and discover how to work as a team. Above all, she's learned she isn't that much different than other kids her age.

"This helps her self-esteem because she's doing what other children are doing," Monica Morin said. "She's being included."

Including children with special needs is the goal of the American Youth Soccer Organization's Very Important Player program, a program that gives challenged children the opportunity to play on a typical team, said Shawn McCormick, commissioner of AYSO Region 121. The league covers southeastern Ventura County, including Agoura, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Simi and Moorpark. Simi's team, launched five years ago, now has a dozen players 5 to 12 years of age.

There are eight other VIP teams in McCormick's region that cater to children with a variety of challenges, from autism to cerebral palsy. VIP teams typically compete against each other, but when they are pitted against a team of non-disabled peers, the non-disabled players go easy on the challenged teams, he said.

"VIP kids want the same things as any other kid; they want acceptance and encouragement," McCormick said. "They want to have fun, and this is a chance for them to do that."

The VIP team has its own curriculum, McCormick said, with special training for coaches, referees, and "buddies," the nickname given to parents who assist children on the field during games.

Not only does the VIP program engage children in physical activity, it gives them meaningful time with friends, McCormick said. They learn aspects of the game, like kicking, passing the ball, shooting, dribbling and sportsmanship.

Unlike with traditional soccer teams, winning is not the goal of the VIP teams, McCormick added.

"They play the game for the fun of the game," he said. "They do not argue or fight about a call, and the parents are involved, not just dropping off their child."

Such is the case for Millette Arredondo, who was on the soccer field one recent day showing her 8-year-old son, William, where to run and how to kick the ball. Born with Fragile X syndrome -- a genetic form of mild to severe mental retardation -- William is non-verbal but has cognitive understanding, his mom said. Before he joined the VIP team, the boy experienced sensory overload whenever he was in a crowd, a reaction that has diminished during his two-year stint in soccer.

Though he hasn't learned how to kick the ball yet, William knows how to stop the ball and not to pick it up during game play.

His team involvement, she said, has helped her son make great strides, including how he has learned to express his enthusiasm for the game.

"When I go to get his uniform, he gets his shoes and socks," Arredondo said. "He knows where we're going."

To learn more about the ASYO Very Important Player team program in Simi, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Agoura, or to join, call 527-5811.

* * *

Readers' Posts

We may be moving to the Toronto Canada area from Los Angeles. Anyone have any information about how good the services are there? We will be visiting some private schools and interviewing some home-based services as well. pmguyer@yahoo.com

******

In answer to a recent reader's post: "L-CARNOSINE: a dipeptide (two amino acids)consisting of alanine and histidine. Naturally occuring in skeletal muscle tissue, it is an antioxidant that stabilizes cellular membranes. It is especially important for persons who don't eat meat to take a supplement of L-carnosine to protect their cellular structures from free-radical damage." I bought a bottle of capsules (that I open and mix with my son's

food) at the local health food store. I just started, so no word yet on how he does. torresd53

******

Rockland County, NY Social Skills Programs starting Oct. 23. The Junior Group (ages 6 to 9) will be from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. The Senior Group (ages 10 to 13) will be from 7:30 to 8:45 PM. The fee for the group is $50 for the entire eight-week session. For an application email info@parentsupportnetwork.org

******

******

I have a "ball pit" for sale. It's an inflateable pool that measures 60"X60" on the outside. There had 800+ balls in it. Included also is a spare pool with a canopy in case the first one gets a leak, but it seems to be pretty tough. The spare is because you can't find a pool in the middle of winter for anything. This ball pit was invaluable for my sons when they were younger. The sensory input was great for them and also a pretty good stress reliever for me to throw them into it! I want $175.00 for all. jsl89@colescomputers.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:

-------------------- other addresses

* SUBSCRIPTIONS: SUBS@doitnow.com

* NEWS: POSTNEWS@doitnow.com

* EDITORIAL: Schafer@sprynet.com

_________________________________________________________________

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

CALENDAR EVENTS@doitnow.com Michelle Guppy Ron Sleith

++ To Unsubscribe, Send an email to unsubscribe@doitnow.com ++