SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT "Healing Autism:

No Finer a Cause on the Planet"

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September 17, 2002 CALENDAR LISTING: EVENTS@doitnow.com

TREATMENT

* Sensory Haven For Disabled: Snoezelen Room

* Marijuana for Behavior Problems?

* "Secretin Is Effective For A Subgroup"

CARE

* Ways to Spot Cluster of Autism-Related Disorders

* Are Your Patient's Parents Depressed?

PUBLIC HEALTH

* Autism Surprise Sparks Call For Greater Funding

* "Autism Rates Soaring" States Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

ADVOCACY

* PA Mother Sues Agencies, Officials For Taking Away Her Disabled Daughter

RESOURCES

* Vaccine Conference Promises "To Separate Fact From Fiction"

LETTER

* Appalled by Appalled Letter Writer

* Readers' Posts

TREATMENT

Sensory Haven For Disabled: Snoezelen Room

The Snoezelen room (Snoezelen is a combination of two Dutch words meaning "sniff" and "doze") is equipped with soothing music, kaleidoscope-like wall shows, aromatherapy, a ball pit and other unusual toys that light up the eyes of the severely disabled students who use it.

"I've never seen a single child that doesn't love this room," Jordan Valley principal John Gardner said.

Mariana Popescu says her autistic daughter Ramona, 18, enjoys lying on the vibrating massage pad, burying herself in the lighted ball pit and listening to music when she visits the room.

"I think she finds the dark and the music very soothing," Popescu said. "When she's upset, they take her over there, and the music and the lights calm her down."

And it benefits children with all kinds of disabilities. In addition to autistic children, the school serves deaf and blind students, children who have cognitive disabilities and traumatic brain injuries.

For children who are normally subdued and have limited communication abilities, the room awakens their senses and helps them to interact and communicate. For children who are aggressive or upset, the room has a calming effect, assistant principal Wendy Bills said.

"We had this one boy who was really quite aggressive and he was throwing a fit in the office," Bills said. "I said 'Do you want to go in the Snoezelen room?' and he said 'Room, yes.' "

He soon became calm enough to go to his work site for the rest of the day, she said.

"They just get so wound up inside they can't calm down," Bills said. "It's just made such an impact."

Amberlee, who can't move any part of her body but her head, uses eye movement to indicate what color she wants the bubbles to be.

"Any kind of reaction is just really neat for us," Heckel said.

Equipment for the room cost upwards of $10,000, Bills said. The school tried out elements of the room several years ago, then made it a permanent structure about three years ago when the school was remodeled because it was such a success. Each child in the school uses the room at least twice a week, Bills said.

One class last week used the room just before heading to a music lesson as a way to prepare the students for their next class.

Autistic children often crave sensory feedback, and they poke their eyes, bang their head or wave their hands in front of their faces to alter the light, Bills said.

"They are trying to get that kind of sensory to their brain," Bills said. "(The room) takes care of that craving so they can work at a desk."

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Marijuana for Behavior Problems?

[This letter, and response by Dr. Bernard Rimland, appears in the current edition of the Autism Research Review International. This is presented for our reader's information only and is not meant as medical advice.]

To the Editor:

I have a very large autistic son. About a year ago he changed from a sweet, loving individual to a very anxious teenager. His behavior would often escalate into frequent and unpredictable rages, which were usually associated with self-injury, aggression, and property damage. At times I had to lock myself in the bathroom; otherwise, he would attack me. We gave him many medications to stop the anxiety, but nothing worked.

A few months ago a friend of mine gave me a marijuana-containing brownie to give to him. The brownie was baked for her sickly dog who had recently died. And guess what? Soon after he ate the brownie, my son’s anxiety disappeared, and his sweet, loving behavior returned. He shows no signs of being under the influence of a drug. He now receives one marijuana brownie and several doses of Marinol (contains the active ingredient in

marijuana) each day. This has clearly saved my child’s life and my family’s life.

- A Florida Parent

Rimland’s note: According to a March 2002 double-blind, placebo-controlled study [Muller-Vahl et al., Pharmacopsychiatry] of 12 adults with Tourette syndrome, the use of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol(the major psychoactive ingredient of marijuana) led to significant improvement in tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior while causing no severe adverse reactions. The researchers reported “a significant correlation” between tic improvement and maximum plasma concentrations of a metabolite of the drug.

To ARI’s knowledge, Marinol is currently approved by the FDA only for use in treating anorexia due to AIDS or cancer, but is being tested for other purposes. Our review of its side effects suggests that it is far safer than most of the drugs currently used to treat the behavior problems of autistic individuals.

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"Secretin Is Effective For A Subgroup"

I would like to call attention to two approaches to autism as summarized in the recent newsletter and would like first to state that secretin's usefulness in a subgroup of autistic children is a wonderful advance. That Repligen, Walter Herlihy, et al are proceeding to a larger trial is tremendous news (2). Information thus far suggests that, indeed, secretin is effective for a subgroup, and that fact emphasizes the summary by George and Tory Mead, who wrote an important and concise summary of how autism can be approached from now on:

"Recent developments in medicine clearly show that, with biomedical intervention and early aggressive educational therapies, children can and do make dramatic progress toward achieving their full potential, often fully recovering. Now, in changing the paradigm, what was once viewed as an absolutely hopeless affliction, is now being seen by a small group of educated health care providers as a complex metabolic system breakdown. By treating each system, by rebuilding immunity, and addressing the body’s metal metabolism issues, gradual change and improvement is possible." (1) Importantly, the approach summarized by Mead & Mead is not a one-size-fits-all mode of treatment. Too many autistic children -- each as a specific individual -- are remarkably unique. Lab-tests and biomedical evaluations are crucial. And the medications and other treatments, while not approved as "special for autism", nonetheless are important and, for many such children, remarkably effective. Teresa Binstock Researcher in Developmental & Behavioral Neuroanatomy schafer wrote:

SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT "Healing Autism: September 13, 2002

* Light At The End Of The Tunnel - A Story About Hope And Recovery And Autism

* Autism Clinical Trial - Secretin Autism Clinical Trial – Secretin

(1) Light At The End Of The Tunnel - A Story About Hope And Recovery And Autism

Recent developments in medicine clearly show that, with biomedical intervention and early aggressive educational therapies, children can and do make dramatic progress toward achieving their full potential, often fully recovering. Now, in changing the paradigm, what was once viewed as an absolutely hopeless affliction, is now being seen by a small group of educated health care providers as a complex metabolic system breakdown. By treating each system, by rebuilding immunity, and addressing the body’s metal metabolism issues, gradual change and improvement is possible. <much deleted from fine essay.

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There's encouraging advances to report in a baffling medical condition that affects nearly a half million children in the U-S, Autism. A research study is currently underway to evaluate the investigational use of the drug, Secretin, as a potential treatment for Autism.

To date, there are no medical treatments approved for Autism. Now, the drug, Secretin, is being developed by Repligen Corporation for the improvement of social interaction in children with Autism. Earlier study results of 3-doses of Secretin appear promising. Now, researchers at 20-medical centers across the United States will enroll patients in a phase 3 clinical trial to confirm these results.

During the study the children will be evaluated before and after treatment with Secretin, using standardized Autism diagnostic tools, in which the team will focus specifically on social interaction and communication. Researchers will recruit 300-young children ages 2 1/2 to five who will receive 6-doses of Secretin or a placebo over a 20-week period. The study's principal investigator is Dr. Margaret Bauman, a leading neurologist in the field of Autism, affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

If this trial is successful, Secretin has the potential to be the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of Autism.

For information on study participation, parents can call Puget Sound Neurology at 425-697-2162.

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CARE

Ways to Spot Cluster of Autism-Related Disorders

Rett, childhood disintegrative disorder

Several distinguishing features can help pediatricians recognize a cluster of autism-related pervasive developmental disorders that are much less well known than autism itself, Dr. Susan Buttross commented at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

National statistics suggest that when diagnoses such as Asperger's disorder and pervasive developmental disorder are considered along with classic autistic disorder, the prevalence for the disorders approaches 1 in 2,000 births, making them more common than Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, cystic fibrosis, or childhood cancer.

Yet some of the disorders within the autism umbrella remain unfamiliar to medical professionals as well as to the general public.

Dr. Buttross, a specialist in the division of child development and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, offered these guidelines to aid in recognition of Asperger's disorder, Rett syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, and childhood disintegrative disorder.

* Asperger's disorder. Children diagnosed with Asperger's disorder generally have average or above-average intelligence.

“The interesting thing ... is that you probably went to school with someone who had Asperger's,” Dr. Buttross said. “They're the seemingly smart guys with the pocket rulers—in the old days, the slide rule guys. They're individuals who just seem kind of ‘disconnected socially.’”

Children with Asperger's disorder have basically normal speech and language development, although they have difficulty with pragmatic language use and social interaction. “They're the ones who don't get the jokes,” she said.

They typically have obsessive and compulsive behaviors; they have restricted interests.

For example, she described a patient who could not interact with her until he examined every lightbulb in a room and categorized them by energy type and wattage.

* Rett syndrome. This disorder, seen only in girls, is “uncommon, thank goodness,” Dr. Buttross said.

The girls generally appear to develop normally until between 5 and 48 months; they suddenly plateau and begin losing skills, eventually reaching a very impaired level of neurodevelopmental functioning.

They may exhibit repetitive gestures such as hand-wringing and may have breathing problems, spasticity, and EEG abnormalities that may or may not be associated with seizures. Other features may include dystonia, peripheral vasomotor disturbances, growth retardation, and skeletal abnormalities.

* Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. These are children with impaired reciprocal social interaction and communication skills, along with stereotyped behavior and interests. However, they do not meet all of the criteria for autism or another pervasive developmental disorder.

* Childhood disintegrative disorder. This disorder was once considered a variant of early-onset psychosis in childhood, but it is seen in much younger children and has a mean age of onset of 3 years.

These children become resistant to change, hyperactive, and they begin to display affective symptoms.

Seizures are seen in about one-fourth of these patients.

As symptoms develop, the child begins losing self-help skills previously attained until functioning is at a level of moderate to severe mental retardation. At that point, the neurodevelopmental deterioration stabilizes.

Autism-Related Developmental Disorders

Asperger's Disorder

First Described or Identified: 1944

Prevalence: 10-25 per 10,000

Male-to-Female ratio: approximately 4:1

Intelligence: average to above average

Communication and Language Skills: basically normal, but has difficulty with pragmatic use of language

Rett Syndrome

First Described or Identified: 1966

Prevalence: 1 per 15,000

Male-to-Female Ratio: Affects females only

Intelligence: eventually extremely impaired

Communication and Language Skills: eventually extremely impaired

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

First Described or Identified: 1908 Prevalence: less than 1 in 10,000 Male-to-Female Ratio: 6:1

Intelligence: eventually moderate to severe mental retardation Communication and Language Skills: impaired

Source: Dr. Susan Buttross

Copyright © 2002 by International Medical News Group.

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Are Your Patient's Parents Depressed?

Pediatrics as a specialty focuses on children, but we all know that children develop within the context of families.

That's why I believe that questions about major family stresses, violence in the home, discord, and parental health—especially depression—have a rightful place in the annual visit of every child. Although a comprehensive list of family-oriented questions would be much longer, these four areas are both prevalent in society and potentially harmful to children, so they're the ones that I consider priorities.

It is abundantly clear that when a parent is depressed, it can have a profound impact on a child. Epidemiologists tell us that 10% or more of parents will face depression at some time in the lives of their children, and most will never receive treatment. Yet it's a disorder that is eminently treatable, with a success rate of over 70% when the proper therapeutic approach is employed.

Sometimes all it takes for a pediatrician to uncover depression in a parent is to ask: “How's your mood? Are you having any difficulties or feeling depressed for extended periods of time?”

The question is especially appropriate after childbirth or when parents are caring for a toddler. Some pediatricians ask about any family history of depression when they meet with expectant parents joining their practice.

If you pick up on postpartum depression, you may be protecting the child from both physical and emotional harm. A new mother overwhelmed by depression may not be able to respond to her child's needs or recognize symptoms of illness. Her judgment and concentration may be impaired. Most critically, she may be unable to manage the stress of caring for a child, especially a crying newborn, and she may respond abusively.

A depressed parent may have a lasting impact on a child's emotional development well beyond infancy. He or she may not have the energy or drive to stimulate a child's imagination, to recognize the child's achievements, or to provide consistent praise or discipline.

On the most fundamental level of establishing self-esteem, children who feel loved, noticed, and well cared for feel that they have value. When a parent's response to a child is flat and seemingly uninterested, the child comes away from interactions feeling unworthy of being loved.

By adolescence, children may understand that a parent's problem is not necessarily a reflection on their own worth, but they may worry about the parent. Anxiety itself can interfere with learning and development.

Beyond the direct and very real impacts of a parent's untreated depression, there may be significant repercussions that indirectly hurt the child. These may include heightened family tension, employment problems, and economic consequences of a parent's long struggle with a disease that can take a significant toll on daily functioning.

I think it's important for pediatricians to remember that the natural history of depression often involves long cycles of illness punctuated by natural remissions and, often, recurrences.

A depressive cycle of 9 months to 1 year is not uncommon, and that's a long time in the life of a child. When you consider that a child's whole second, fifth, or ninth year could be dominated by a parent's depression—when counseling or medication could provide substantial improvement—it seems like a very high price to pay.

If a parent tells you that your hunch is correct, that they have in fact been feeling depressed, a couple of questions are in order. Ask the parent whether this is the first time they've felt this way and whether they previously sought help. Clarify any family history of depression, because this may be a relevant genetic risk factor for childhood depression. Approximately 40% of children with a depressed parent will suffer a depression prior to age 20.

Finally, depending on your comfort level, try to assess the severity of the parent's depression and make an appropriate referral, either to the parent's primary care physician, the person who treated them previously for depression, or mental health services in your community.

Even after you've encouraged the parent to seek help, make that follow-up phone call or schedule a visit in about a month.

Remember that there is much at stake for the parent who is struggling with depression and for your patient.

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PUBLIC HEALTH

Autism Surprise Sparks Call For Greater Funding

A new Australian study has found a surprising number of children are autistic.

The Autism Council study reveals about 17 children are diagnosed with autism every week in Australia.

It is the first major study into the incidence of autism in Australia, a condition affecting people's ability to relate to the world around them.

The president of Autism Victoria, Laurie Bartak, says the results are a surprise and reveal a need for greater services.

"The problem is that it's subtle," Dr Bartak said.

"It's not like kids who can't walk properly or, you know, are clearly mentally retarded, intellectually disabled, things like that where you can see the disability.

"This is a disability or a pattern of disability that really seriously impairs people's capacity to relate to the world.

"In the same way that a child who can't walk properly needs a wheelchair or an aid to help them up stairs or help them up ramps or things like that, these children will need people to support them so that they can attend in class and so that they can understand what's being asked of them."

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"Autism Rates Soaring" States Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers Incidence Of Disability Rises Across Region

Twelve-year-old Michael Raith cooks every Thursday in summer school. He cannot speak, but gladly takes his turn stirring, preheating the oven, flipping pancakes and setting the table for a feast.

This reinforcement of life skills is one of the things his mother, Terri, likes best about the Appleton Area School District’s programming for children with autism.

When the Raith family relocated to the Fox Valley in 1994, she and her husband, Greg, chose to live in Appleton largely because of what they had heard about the school district’s autism program, which enrolled about 30 children at the time.

As Appleton’s reputation spread, more families moved in. The rapid rise in what was once a low-incidence disability also caused enrollment to grow.

Today Appleton serves 70 pupils with autism, evidence of an epidemic in identification across Wisconsin and the United States.

Berttram Chiang, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh special-education professor, who heads a research team studying special-education identification, said that while other disabilities have remained fairly level in recent years, autism has risen consistently.

Autism is a complex neurological disorder that affects individuals in the areas of social interaction and communication. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning symptoms can occur in any combination and in varying degrees of severity.

Terri Raith knew “something was not right” with her third child when Michael was an infant.

“He just didn’t give me eye contact when I interacted with him,” she recalled.

At age 4, after early-intervention and early-childhood program placement, Michael got a label. But the Raiths, like many other parents, received no prognosis of what he would be able to learn.

Nonverbal with cognitive delays, Michael communicates with pictures to express his choices to eat, drink or use the bathroom. He likes playing computer games, loves the TV Weather Channel and bobs his head to just about any kind of music.

Despite difficulties — epilepsy and grand mal seizures that started in first grade, aspiration pneumonia, and years of regulating medication — Michael continues to progress and the Raiths have learned to be grateful for every small gain.

While autism remains something of a mystery, the explosion in identification has become a public health issue, said Paul Shattuck, Autism Society of Wisconsin board member.

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PA Mother Sues Agencies, Officials For Taking Away Her Disabled Daughter

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Williamsport, P.A. — A Coal Township woman has filed a lawsuit against two county agencies and four individuals she alleges unlawfully took away her disabled daughter and falsely accused her of child abuse.

Susan C. O’Neil-Krankowski of 923 W. Walnut St., Coal Township, filed the suit on behalf of herself and her 6-year-old daughter, Kaitlin O’Neil, on Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

Named as defendants in the suit are Northumberland County Children and Youth and its director, Jane Kearney; Northumberland County Mental Health/Mental Retardation and its director, Judy Davis; Diana Stine, a supervisor with Children and Youth; and Beth Miller, a former Children and Youth caseworker.

When contacted about the lawsuit Friday, Kearney and Davis reserved comment.

The Coal Township woman is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, including emotional stress, mental anguish, humiliation, attorney’s fees and violations of her constitutional rights.

O’Neil-Krankowski alleges the defendants violated her procedural and substantive due process rights, conducted an unreasonable search and seizure, committed false imprisonment and conspiracy and abused her due process rights.

According to the lawsuit, the child, who is autistic, received services through the county’s Mental Health/Mental Retardation department prior to Sept. 11, 2000, that her mother was displeased with. The plaintiff said she made complaints to numerous state and federal agencies claiming Mental Health/Mental Retardation violated the civil rights of her daughter and herself.

O’Neil-Krankowski said Mental Health/Mental Retardation officials became aware of her complaints, which threatened the integrity of the agency. After meeting to discuss the allegations, Kearney and Davis decided to seek removal of the child from her mother, the suit alleges.

On Nov. 7, 1999, Northumberland County Children and Youth alleges it received a general protective services referral claiming O’Neil-Krankowski was having trouble caring for her daughter due to her disability.

On Aug. 25, 2000, Children and Youth allegedly received another general protective services referral claiming the plaintiff was locking her daughter in a playroom and utilizing caregivers found in the newspaper.

On Sept. 11, 2000, Children and Youth claims it received a child protective services referral claiming that O’Neil-Krankowski was physically abusing her daughter by locking her in at night, not providing adequate supervision and giving her Nyquil, Benadryl and an unknown substance to make her drowsy.

Agency workers went to O’Neil-Krankowski’s home to investigate the allegations and, on Sept. 11, 2000, Northumberland County Judge William Wiest allegedly issued a verbal order permitting Children and Youth to remove O’Neil-Krankowski’s daughter from her home. The order was never memorialized, except by reference in future orders, into written form, the plaintiff claims.

On the basis of the order, Kearney, Miller, Stine, police and other officials allegedly went to the plaintiff’s home, forcefully entered it and forcefully removed her daughter from her care. The plaintiff claims the allegations against her were not sufficient to remove the child.

After being removed from the home, the plaintiff said her daughter was taken to a place unknown to her and held there against her will. She said the actions were not authorized by the father of the child.

O’Neil-Krankowski also maintains that no factual hearing, beyond a hearing conducted by the Department of Public Welfare on an abuse determination, was ever held in relation to the matter.

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Vaccine Conference Promises "To Separate Fact From Fiction"

On November 7-9, 2002, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) will mark its 20th year of preventing vaccine injuries and deaths through public education by hosting the Third International Public Conference on Vaccination at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia (just minutes from Reagan National Airport). In what promises to be its most historic conference yet, NVIC will explore the association between vaccination and chronic disease and disability by bringing together distinguished speakers from the United States and around the world to once again shine a bright spotlight on vaccine injury and death and questionable one-size-fits-all mass vaccination policies.

The conference will feature more than 27 speakers with a broad spectrum of expertise, including immunology, epidemiology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, chiropractic, family practice, psychology, constitutional and public health law and bioethics. Topics will range from mercury-in vaccines and autism; anthrax vaccine and Gulf War illness; SV-40 in vaccines and cancer to conflicts of interest in clinical trials.

A special fund raising dinner will be held Friday night for British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, M.D., whose ground breaking research into MMR vaccine and regressive autism has made him the best known MMR vaccine critic. Dr. Wakefield will speak out about "Truth and Consequences in Science" as he relates what happened to him personally and professionally when he tried to tell the truth about what he discovered during the course of his research. Saturday night's dinner speaker will be best selling medical novel author, Michael Palmer, M.D., whose vaccine thriller, FATAL (Bantam), made it to the New York Times best seller list this past May after only four days on the market. Special awards will be presented to Bernard Rimland, PH.D., and Rick Rollens.

In what promises to be an important public statement on the threat to freedom in America posed by the CDC-funded Model State Emergency Health Powers Act being enacted in almost every state, internationally renowned public health law and bioethics expert, George Annas, J.D., MPH, will speak on "Bioterrorism, Public Health and Civil Liberties." The threat to the religious exemption to vaccination will be analyzed by constitutional lawyer Mathew Staver, J.D., of Liberty Counsel. Lynn Friedman, D.C., whose son was thrown out of school after his religious exemption to vaccination was revoked and whose federal court case is on appeal in New York, will talk about the harassment she has suffered at the hands of state officials zealously enforcing mandatory vaccination laws.

NVIC's First and Second International Conferences on Vaccination, held in 1997 and 2000 were attended by more than 1,000 parents, health care providers, legislative staff members, lawyers, media representatives, public health officials and members of health and vaccine safety advocacy organizations from the U.S., Canada and Europe. The vaccine conference, which is the only one of its kind coordinated by non-governmental, non-industry sponsors, is distinguished by the unique energy and excitement generated when the brightest and bravest of health care professionals and vaccine safety advocates come together to speak out about one of the most controversial health care topics today.

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LETTER

Appalled by Appalled Letter Writer

If Angel Bennett is appalled by Annie Ogle's letter expressing her despair over her son's behavior and the lack of any kind of companionship or support in her life, I am equally as appalled by M's Bennett's lack of compassion or empathy for a fellow parent who is clearly nearing the end of her coping abilities.

Having a child with autism does not automatically turn a mother into superwoman. I thank Annie Ogle for her frankness in sharing what must be very painful truths about her life. I do not see her as a person who is giving up on her child at all.

I see her as a person who is exhausted from years of battling and as a normal human being who craves companionship in the midst of the isolation that autism can bring.

Joyce Worsley (single mother of two, one with severe autism)

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Readers' Posts

Bioscreen Labs, Australia have made some great discoveries RE: gluten intolerance = leaky-git syndrome. Contact Libby Ellis 0249217894 or Bioscreen Labs 0249616467

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I am wondering if anyone has used the Distar Language For Learning program after their child completed the ABLLS and if it was helpful. Also interested in possibly purchasing a used copy of the program. Laura@atticusproductions.com

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We are looking for housing for our 27 year old autistic son. He's sweet natured, nonviolent and categorized as severe and profound. We live in the suburban Chicago area. Contact Gstrav@yahoo.com

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Looking for an energetic person to teach our outgoing, people-loving son, age, 5, with moderate autism and functional language, various forms of play, including gymnastics, other children. Santa Cruz, Calif. Hrs. 2:30 - 5:30 2 or 3 days during the week and 3 hours on Saturday morning. Nickipeck@aol.com

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Looking for high school-aged sitters who will come play with my 5 1/2 year old son 4-5 pm each weekday, emphasis on outdoor, active play. Wellesley, MA area. dakemper00@aol.com

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We are looking for ABA therapists to work with our 3 year old son who is autistic. The Lovaas program will start in the middle of October (next month). Contact Joy Johnson, Crofton, Maryland joyxie@yahoo.com (410)451-3368

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Looking to move to a relatively rural area in Canada or the US where it is possible to fairly quickly find care for a severely autistic 6 year old so that I can work and support myself and my two children. I am a physical therpist by profession & have no family ties that might dictate areas. jentrask@yahoo.com

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We are having a march to Downing Street on the 18th of September and handing in a petition asking for urgent help for our vaccine damaged children. If you know of any parents or have contacts of parents who would like to support us on this March let me know. We gather at Whitehall at 12noon and march off at 1pm. Contact Isabella isabellathomas@yahoo.co.uk

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Last year on my child's IEP we agreed the home program my daughter was receiving from the school district needed supervision. On my daughter's IEP they listeded it as up to 2 hours supervision per week by a person. This year they omitted it and sent me a form letter stating supervision will be 2 hours per month. I called the school, wrote letters stating this does not meet my daughters educational needs and we need to go back to committee to discuss the matter. The chairperson from my school told me to file for due process because he was sure I would not win. My daughter is in a 1st grade regular education placement, so wouldn't supervision hours be able to go on an IEP under Supplementary aids and services? It seems that was written for kids being educated in regular education settings. Advice? Lauri rlrjkny@aol.com

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Son is diagnosed with PDD. My daughter is now pregnant, her blood type is O negative, and the doctors say she needs an injection of rhogam at 28 weeks pregnant and immediately after delivery. From my search of Rhogam on the internet, it appears that it contains Thermerasol! I have not seen this mentioned in the numerous debates of mercury, vaccinations, and autism. Can anyone offer me any factual information concerning the effects of Rhogam injections? Seiber@msn.com

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The Breakfast of Hope scheduled for 9/25/02 is moving along nicely and the ad journal is close to being sold out. We do still have seats available and our goal is to fill the room to make a difference in the lives of our children. In addition this is the last Tri-State CAN fund raising event until the spring of 03. We have re-scheduled the Knight To Fight Autism Wednesday, September 25, 9:00 am - 11:00 am The Penn Club of New York City 30 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avens.) For more info. 877-879-2873.

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