By Melanie Phillips
Daily Mail, 31 October 2005
Since Dr Andrew Wakefield first triggered the furore over a possible link between autism, bowel disease and the measles, mumps and rubella triple jab in 1998, the controversy has never died away. Now a study by the respected Cochrane Library has said, on the basis of 31 pieces of research into the possible side effects of MMR, that it found no association between MMR and autism.
Cue a frenzy of gloating by Wakefield’s enemies, ripe denunciations of those like this newspaper who took his concerns seriously and demands that we apologise for creating a scare that left children unvaccinated and at risk of measles, mumps and rubella. The Cochrane Library study, they shrieked, had found MMR to be ‘safe’, given it the ‘all clear’ and declared all such fears to be ‘unfounded’.
This is a load of old baloney. These people should start by reading the actual study rather than lazily recycling the press release.
For the study didn’t say anything like this at all. Certainly the lead Cochrane reviewer Vittorio Demicheli said in that press release: ‘We conclude that all the major unintended events, such as triggering Crohn’s disease or autism, were suspected on the basis of unreliable evidence.’
But Wakefield never suggested a link between MMR and Crohn’s disease, a disorder of the bowel. Wakefield reported instead the discovery of an entirely new syndrome, autistic enterocolitis, which produced distressing bowel symptoms along with a number of developmental problems resembling autism — but which the Cochrane report did not even mention.
Moreover, it did not conclude that Wakefield’s evidence was unreliable. On the contrary, it said that no fewer than nine of the most celebrated studies that have been used against him were unreliable in the way they were constructed. As a result, it said, their conclusions that MMR was ‘safe’ or ‘well-tolerated’ need to be ‘interpreted with caution’.
Next, the press release said: ‘There was no credible evidence behind claims of harm from the MMR vaccination.’ But the study did not say that. It did not even examine those claims of harm, which arose not from the epidemiological studies of patterns of disease which Cochrane investigated, but from clinical investigations of actual children.
What the report did say but was not mentioned in that extremely odd press notice was this: ‘The design and reporting of safety outcomes in MMR vaccine studies, both pre-and post-marketing, are largely inadequate’. And just as significant, this: ‘We found only limited evidence of the safety of MMR compared to its single component vaccines…’
In other words, far from saying MMR was safe the study said explicitly that the evidence for its safety was not good enough. Yes, it also said the evidence it looked at did not support any association between MMR and autism. But that does not mean it said the vaccine was safe. It was rather that it didn’t find anything to suggest that it was not.
And that was because the epidemiological studies that it examined are intrinsically unlikely to reveal the truth about the effects of MMR. For a start, they rely on medical records. But the parents complained that their children’s doctors dismissed all their concerns about autistic symptoms or bowel disease. So they never entered anything out of the ordinary on their medical records.
Furthermore, for the vast majority of children, the vaccine poses no problem at all. Only a very small proportion are said to have been badly affected, possibly through a combination of environmental or genetic factors. But population-wide studies are considered too large and insensitive to pick up small numbers like this.
It is the evidence that Cochrane did not examine that is the only material worth studying. This is the clinical evidence obtained not just by Wakefield and his associates but by others, which has posed alarming questions that have never been answered.
Wakefield’s discovery of autistic enterocolitis as a completely new syndrome has now been replicated in studies around the world as a new and so far unexplained disease in patients with autism.
It has also been discovered that autistic symptoms have got far worse in a number of children after they received booster jabs — and such booster jab evidence has been accepted by the American Institute of Medicine, at least, as an indication of cause and effect.
Most explosively of all, vaccine-strain measles virus has been found in the cerebro-spinal fluid of some autistic children — which suggests that in those cases the vaccine may have had a catastrophic effect on the brain.
None of this proves that MMR has caused autism in some children. But it does raise questions which need to be resolved as a matter of urgency. The only way to do so is to conduct large-scale clinical trials, which the government has consistently refused to do.
Hopes of examining the existing clinical evidence were pinned on the legal case being brought by parents claiming compensation on behalf of children said to have been damaged by the vaccine. But this case foundered when the parents’ legal aid was abruptly withdrawn.
Now Wakefield himself is being arraigned before the General Medical Council on eleven counts of serious professional misconduct, including an alleged conflict of interest over receiving funding from the parents’ lawyers, which he has strenuously denied.
Compare this with the Cochrane paper, where under the rubric ‘potential conflict of interest’ Dr Tom Jefferson, who is listed as the study’s second author, acknowledges that in 1999 he acted as a consultant for a legal team advising the MMR vaccine manufacturers.
Another researcher who helped with the Cochrane paper was one of the authors of a prominent study which rubbished Wakefield’s research -- a study which the Cochrane report itself then investigated.
And a number of epidemiological studies which the government has used to state that MMR is safe have been written by researchers with links to drug companies or to governmental bodies with an interest in disproving Wakefield’s concerns.
Are these not real conflicts of interest which should be investigated, rather than hounding the doctor whose discoveries have raised concerns over public health which have never been addressed?
Read full article at: http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles/archives/001468.html
For information, resources and practical strategies related to autism, please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Alive and Well: The MMR-Autism Connection
Zero x 31 is still zero
and if it is not the MMR,
then what was it that damaged our children?
By Red Flags Columnist, F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP
(tlautstudy@aol.com)
Many parents believe that one or more of their children regressed after receiving the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. No one knows exactly the number of these children, but they probably constitute 10 to15 percent of children with regressive autism. The majority of children appear not to react unfavorably to the triple vaccine. Obviously, for a couple whose only son is fascinated with garage doors, or makes strange whirling noises all day, or hits his head against the wall to keep entertained or answers by pointing to pictures in a book, the percentage jumps to 100 percent.
The poor parents of affected children, particularly those living in England, woke up on Oct. 18 to the news that yet another "definitive" epidemiological study - the most thorough survey of MMR vaccination data - had concluded that there is no credible evidence behind claims of harm from the MMR vaccine. The news had been carefully leaked with an impressive notice that it should be "strictly" embargoed until 00:01 hours (BST), Oct. 19, 2005. This was the most effective way to guarantee that it would spread like a California wild fire on Tuesday the 18th. After all, with everything happening around the world, from earthquakes to hurricanes, wars, elections and bird flu, it was not safe to take a chance that some new calamity would distract people on Wednesday from appreciating the important findings of the study.
It was Tuesday when I received the embargoed press release. It started, "There was no credible evidence behind claims of harm from the MMR vaccination. This is the conclusion drawn by the Cochrane Review Authors, an international team of researchers, after carefully drawing together all of the evidence found in 31 high quality studies from around the world."
The lead author of the study, Vittorio Demicheli, MD, of the Servizo Sovrazonale di Epidemiologia, Alessandria, Italy, promptly tempered the initial sweeping statement by adding, "In particular we conclude that all the major unintended events, such as triggering Crohn's disease or autism, were suspected on the basis of unreliable evidence."
He then was quoted as saying, "Public health decisions need to be based on sound evidence. If this principle had been applied in the case of the MMR dispute, then we would have avoided all the fuss."
The fuss!
Is that what it was all about?
Is that what regressive autism is? A fuss!
Now Demicheli had my attention.
What was not mentioned in the widely circulated embargoed press release was the actual first conclusion listed by the authors in their abstract: "The design and reporting of safety outcomes in MMR vaccine studies, both pre- and post-marketing, are largely inadequate."
Full article at: http://www.redflagsdaily.com/yazbak/2005_oct28.html
For more information, resources and practical strategies on autism, please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
and if it is not the MMR,
then what was it that damaged our children?
By Red Flags Columnist, F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP
(tlautstudy@aol.com)
Many parents believe that one or more of their children regressed after receiving the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. No one knows exactly the number of these children, but they probably constitute 10 to15 percent of children with regressive autism. The majority of children appear not to react unfavorably to the triple vaccine. Obviously, for a couple whose only son is fascinated with garage doors, or makes strange whirling noises all day, or hits his head against the wall to keep entertained or answers by pointing to pictures in a book, the percentage jumps to 100 percent.
The poor parents of affected children, particularly those living in England, woke up on Oct. 18 to the news that yet another "definitive" epidemiological study - the most thorough survey of MMR vaccination data - had concluded that there is no credible evidence behind claims of harm from the MMR vaccine. The news had been carefully leaked with an impressive notice that it should be "strictly" embargoed until 00:01 hours (BST), Oct. 19, 2005. This was the most effective way to guarantee that it would spread like a California wild fire on Tuesday the 18th. After all, with everything happening around the world, from earthquakes to hurricanes, wars, elections and bird flu, it was not safe to take a chance that some new calamity would distract people on Wednesday from appreciating the important findings of the study.
It was Tuesday when I received the embargoed press release. It started, "There was no credible evidence behind claims of harm from the MMR vaccination. This is the conclusion drawn by the Cochrane Review Authors, an international team of researchers, after carefully drawing together all of the evidence found in 31 high quality studies from around the world."
The lead author of the study, Vittorio Demicheli, MD, of the Servizo Sovrazonale di Epidemiologia, Alessandria, Italy, promptly tempered the initial sweeping statement by adding, "In particular we conclude that all the major unintended events, such as triggering Crohn's disease or autism, were suspected on the basis of unreliable evidence."
He then was quoted as saying, "Public health decisions need to be based on sound evidence. If this principle had been applied in the case of the MMR dispute, then we would have avoided all the fuss."
The fuss!
Is that what it was all about?
Is that what regressive autism is? A fuss!
Now Demicheli had my attention.
What was not mentioned in the widely circulated embargoed press release was the actual first conclusion listed by the authors in their abstract: "The design and reporting of safety outcomes in MMR vaccine studies, both pre- and post-marketing, are largely inadequate."
Full article at: http://www.redflagsdaily.com/yazbak/2005_oct28.html
For more information, resources and practical strategies on autism, please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
A Guide To Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage
New Web-Based Tool Helps People with Developmental Disabilities Transition From Medicaid To Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
In less than three months an estimated half a million people with developmental disabilities will transition from Medicaid prescription drug coverage to Medicare's new prescription drug coverage. Now, there is a way to find the answers to the many complex questions.
Ensuring Continuity of Care for Dual Eligibles: A Guide to Transition From Medicaid to Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage is now available at http://www.theDesk.info/PartD. This guide was developed by the Disability Policy Collaboration, a partnership of The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy and the Web-based tool was developed by TheArcLink Incorporated.
What you should do: Visit the Web site at http://www.theDesk.info/PartD, download the PDF copy of the guide, and develop an understanding of this information, which is vital to transitioning dual eligibles from Medicaid to Medicare's new prescription drug coverage.
Please forward this bulletin to constituents and encourage affiliated organizations to post a link to http://www.theDesk.info/PartD on their Web sites.
In less than three months an estimated half a million people with developmental disabilities will transition from Medicaid prescription drug coverage to Medicare's new prescription drug coverage. Now, there is a way to find the answers to the many complex questions.
Ensuring Continuity of Care for Dual Eligibles: A Guide to Transition From Medicaid to Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage is now available at http://www.theDesk.info/PartD. This guide was developed by the Disability Policy Collaboration, a partnership of The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy and the Web-based tool was developed by TheArcLink Incorporated.
For more than six million dual-eligibles, their Medicaid prescription drug coverage will end as of December 31, 2005 and be replaced on January 1, 2006 by the new Medicare Part D coverage, provided by private prescription drug plans (called PDPs). The new Web-based tool addresses complex questions, such as:
- Who is a Dual Eligible? Find the answer by clicking here.
- Is Medicare prescription drug coverage voluntary? Can a dual eligible decide not to participate in it? Find the answer by clicking here.
- What are the key differences between Medicaid prescription drug coverage and the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs)? Find the answer by clicking here.
- What are the key things to think about when choosing a PDP? Find the answer by clicking here.
What you should do: Visit the Web site at http://www.theDesk.info/PartD, download the PDF copy of the guide, and develop an understanding of this information, which is vital to transitioning dual eligibles from Medicaid to Medicare's new prescription drug coverage.
Please forward this bulletin to constituents and encourage affiliated organizations to post a link to http://www.theDesk.info/PartD on their Web sites.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
HELP IMPROVE THE COMBATING AUTISM ACT 2005
Dear Parents,
This is vitally important. Please read.
The Combating Autism Act (S. 843 and H.R. 2421) will determine:
1. The amount of research money spent on autism for the next five years.
2. Where the money is spent
3. What types of research we can expect to see for our children
The bill is a good start but falls far short of what the autism community needs to help our children suffering now.
The bill allocates a total of approximately $900 million for 5 years (or $180 million per year). Currently autism gets $93 million per year.
Considering that autism is at epidemic proportions and is the largest public health disaster ever to occur among children, this figure is pitifully below the amount needed. (AIDS affects roughly the same number of people in America, yet receives over $900 million for ONE year (or $4.5 BILLION for 5 years). Juvenile diabetes also gets more money than autism as well even though there are more autistic children than children with juvenile diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer combined.) We don’t want to take away money from others. We just want our fair share! We need to stand up for our kids now—or wait another five years.
RE: The Combating Autism Act—Of the $900 million over five years, the CDC will get over $550 million for epidemiology studies, early detection, and early intervention. (Intervention in the bill is described as, “Intervention includes referral to schools and agencies, including community, consumer, and parent-based agencies, and organizations and other programs mandated by part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which offer programs specifically designed to meet the unique needs of children with autism.” (In other words, the CDC will count our children and diagnose new children with hundreds of millions of dollars, give the new children they find very little or no intervention and have practically nothing left for treating the children suffering now.)
Furthermore, there is no mechanism for oversight stated in the bill. We’ve seen some questionable maneuvering from the CDC in the past, and must have transparency and accountability built into this legislation before giving them any more autism-related funding.
Only $36 million per year (3% of all the money) goes to actual biomedical research. $30 million is to be split among the 10 NIH STAART (Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment) centers. And even this inadequate figure includes more screening and data collection activities that already dominate this legislation. There is another $6 million for 3 NIEHS centers. And, there is an additional $14 million allocated to 10 CPEA’s (Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism) centers but sadly this money is earmarked for coordination and data sharing between centers – not actual research. Averaged among 23 centers, this means that each center will get LESS than $2.17 million a year to develop treatments for an epidemic of children. If any of this money is used for salaries and overhead, even less will go to help our children. This is just not enough to address the immediate medical research our kids must have if they are to reach their full potential!!
Also, studies by experienced researchers regarding the effects of ethyl mercury / thimerosal exposure are already being turned away by the NIH. We are quite concerned that if the bill doesn’t spell out that research must be done to examine these toxic exposures, such studies will not be done at all. The scientists whose work has shown the most promise for devising real treatments for our injured children are currently receiving NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING to further this most critical research.
What can you do:
Contact the current co-sponsors. Tell them these four things:
1. We need amendments in the bill to provide more money for biomedical research, services and treatments. Less than $36 million earmarked for biomedical research and $14 million for the collaboration/coordination that goes with it – split among 23 centers for 5 years ($2.17 million / autism center/year) is just not acceptable. Even more of an insult is the provision stating that research addressing environmental concerns will start AFTER July 2008. With proposed CDC/HRSA funding at 18 times higher than research funding geared towards developing treatments, we think the scales are overwhelmingly tipped away from what is most promising for our children.
2. We need research in these areas now: developmental neurobiology, immunology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, epigenetics (the study of heritable changes in gene function that occur without the change in sequence of the DNA, i.e. DNA methylation) and toxicology (with emphasis upon researching the environmental factors / mercury / thimerosal connection). Those at US health agencies in a position to help our children must follow the truth—no matter where it leads.
3. We must fund biomedical research of treatments that are actually helping our children. (Methylation protocol, chelation, diet, supplements, etc.) Why are they helping? Is there more we can do in this fruitful area?
4. Current services for autistic individuals are not enough in communities, schools, districts and states to meet the needs of our population. We need help. 80% of all autistic individuals in America are 16 years old and younger. Current housing is inadequate. What are we going to do with all of these children as they get older?
5. We must pass the Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2005 – Bills HR 881 and S 1422. The House bill has 70 co-sponsors. The Senate has ZERO.
The list of sponsors and co-sponsors of the Combating Autism Act (S. 843 and HR 2421) are below. Contact information is available by going to http://capwiz.com/a-champ/dbq/officials/ and typing in the legislators’ last names.
S. 843
Sponsor: Sen. Rick Santorum (PA)
Co-Sponsors:
Sen. Akaka, Daniel (HI)
Sen. Cantwell, Maria (WA)
Sen. Clinton, Hillary (NY)
Sen. Cochran, Thad (MS)
Sen. Coleman, Norm (MN)
Sen. Collins, Susan (ME)
Sen. Corzine, Jon S. (NJ)
Sen. Dayton, Mark (MN)
Sen. Dodd, Christopher (CT)
Sen. Isakson, Johnny (GA)
Sen. Jeffords, James (VT)
Sen. Johnson, Tim (SD)
Sen. Kerry, John (MA)
Sen. Landrieu, Mary (LA)
Sen. Lautenberg, Frank (NJ)
Sen. Leahy, Patrick (VT)
Sen. Leiberman, Joseph (CT)
Sen. Pryor, Mark (AR)
H.R. 2421
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Bono (CA)
Co-Sponsors:
Rep. Bishop, Sanford (GA)
Rep. Boswell, Leonard (IA)
Rep. Butterfield, G.K. (NC)
Rep. Calvery, Ken (CA)
Rep. Crowley, Joseph (NY)
Rep. Davis, Tom (VA)
Rep. DeGette, Diana (CO)
Rep. Fortuno, Luis (PR)
Rep. Fossella, Vito (NY)
Rep. Gordon, Bart (TN)
Rep Issa, Darrell (CA)
Rep. Kennedy, Patrick (RI)
Rep. Langevin, James (RI)
Rep. Lantos, Tom (CA)
Rep. Lowey, Nita (NY)
Rep. Lynch, Stephen (MA)
Rep. McCotter, Thaddeus (MI)
Rep. Mollohan, Alan (WV)
Rep. Moore, Dennis (KS)
Rep. Price, David (NC)
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (FL)
Rep. Rothman, Steven (NJ)
Rep. Sanders, Bernard (VT)
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice (IL)
Rep. Schiff, Adam (CA)
Rep. Strickland, Ted (OH)
Rep Van Hollen, Chris (MD)
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie (FL)
Additionally, if your Senator or Representative isn’t on the list, send them a copy of your concerns. Their contact information is available at http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/congress.php
Please help now by asking co-sponsors and others to add amendments that will go to the heart of need in the autism community. Otherwise this bill may go into effect and it could take another five years to get another opportunity to make such a positive difference in the research, service and treatment allocations needed for our children.
Our community needs to prove once again that we are, as the New York Times said earlier this year, a “potent national force.” Let’s get those Capitol Hill phones and fax machines working overtime! Make your phone calls and write your letters today!
National Autism Association
A-CHAMP
Autism One
Autism Research Institute
Dads Against Mercury
Generation Rescue
Moms Against Mercury
NoMercury
TACA - Talk About Curing Autism
For information, resources and practical strategies,
please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
This is vitally important. Please read.
The Combating Autism Act (S. 843 and H.R. 2421) will determine:
1. The amount of research money spent on autism for the next five years.
2. Where the money is spent
3. What types of research we can expect to see for our children
The bill is a good start but falls far short of what the autism community needs to help our children suffering now.
The bill allocates a total of approximately $900 million for 5 years (or $180 million per year). Currently autism gets $93 million per year.
Considering that autism is at epidemic proportions and is the largest public health disaster ever to occur among children, this figure is pitifully below the amount needed. (AIDS affects roughly the same number of people in America, yet receives over $900 million for ONE year (or $4.5 BILLION for 5 years). Juvenile diabetes also gets more money than autism as well even though there are more autistic children than children with juvenile diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer combined.) We don’t want to take away money from others. We just want our fair share! We need to stand up for our kids now—or wait another five years.
RE: The Combating Autism Act—Of the $900 million over five years, the CDC will get over $550 million for epidemiology studies, early detection, and early intervention. (Intervention in the bill is described as, “Intervention includes referral to schools and agencies, including community, consumer, and parent-based agencies, and organizations and other programs mandated by part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which offer programs specifically designed to meet the unique needs of children with autism.” (In other words, the CDC will count our children and diagnose new children with hundreds of millions of dollars, give the new children they find very little or no intervention and have practically nothing left for treating the children suffering now.)
Furthermore, there is no mechanism for oversight stated in the bill. We’ve seen some questionable maneuvering from the CDC in the past, and must have transparency and accountability built into this legislation before giving them any more autism-related funding.
Only $36 million per year (3% of all the money) goes to actual biomedical research. $30 million is to be split among the 10 NIH STAART (Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment) centers. And even this inadequate figure includes more screening and data collection activities that already dominate this legislation. There is another $6 million for 3 NIEHS centers. And, there is an additional $14 million allocated to 10 CPEA’s (Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism) centers but sadly this money is earmarked for coordination and data sharing between centers – not actual research. Averaged among 23 centers, this means that each center will get LESS than $2.17 million a year to develop treatments for an epidemic of children. If any of this money is used for salaries and overhead, even less will go to help our children. This is just not enough to address the immediate medical research our kids must have if they are to reach their full potential!!
Also, studies by experienced researchers regarding the effects of ethyl mercury / thimerosal exposure are already being turned away by the NIH. We are quite concerned that if the bill doesn’t spell out that research must be done to examine these toxic exposures, such studies will not be done at all. The scientists whose work has shown the most promise for devising real treatments for our injured children are currently receiving NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING to further this most critical research.
What can you do:
Contact the current co-sponsors. Tell them these four things:
1. We need amendments in the bill to provide more money for biomedical research, services and treatments. Less than $36 million earmarked for biomedical research and $14 million for the collaboration/coordination that goes with it – split among 23 centers for 5 years ($2.17 million / autism center/year) is just not acceptable. Even more of an insult is the provision stating that research addressing environmental concerns will start AFTER July 2008. With proposed CDC/HRSA funding at 18 times higher than research funding geared towards developing treatments, we think the scales are overwhelmingly tipped away from what is most promising for our children.
2. We need research in these areas now: developmental neurobiology, immunology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, epigenetics (the study of heritable changes in gene function that occur without the change in sequence of the DNA, i.e. DNA methylation) and toxicology (with emphasis upon researching the environmental factors / mercury / thimerosal connection). Those at US health agencies in a position to help our children must follow the truth—no matter where it leads.
3. We must fund biomedical research of treatments that are actually helping our children. (Methylation protocol, chelation, diet, supplements, etc.) Why are they helping? Is there more we can do in this fruitful area?
4. Current services for autistic individuals are not enough in communities, schools, districts and states to meet the needs of our population. We need help. 80% of all autistic individuals in America are 16 years old and younger. Current housing is inadequate. What are we going to do with all of these children as they get older?
5. We must pass the Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2005 – Bills HR 881 and S 1422. The House bill has 70 co-sponsors. The Senate has ZERO.
The list of sponsors and co-sponsors of the Combating Autism Act (S. 843 and HR 2421) are below. Contact information is available by going to http://capwiz.com/a-champ/dbq/officials/ and typing in the legislators’ last names.
S. 843
Sponsor: Sen. Rick Santorum (PA)
Co-Sponsors:
Sen. Akaka, Daniel (HI)
Sen. Cantwell, Maria (WA)
Sen. Clinton, Hillary (NY)
Sen. Cochran, Thad (MS)
Sen. Coleman, Norm (MN)
Sen. Collins, Susan (ME)
Sen. Corzine, Jon S. (NJ)
Sen. Dayton, Mark (MN)
Sen. Dodd, Christopher (CT)
Sen. Isakson, Johnny (GA)
Sen. Jeffords, James (VT)
Sen. Johnson, Tim (SD)
Sen. Kerry, John (MA)
Sen. Landrieu, Mary (LA)
Sen. Lautenberg, Frank (NJ)
Sen. Leahy, Patrick (VT)
Sen. Leiberman, Joseph (CT)
Sen. Pryor, Mark (AR)
H.R. 2421
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Bono (CA)
Co-Sponsors:
Rep. Bishop, Sanford (GA)
Rep. Boswell, Leonard (IA)
Rep. Butterfield, G.K. (NC)
Rep. Calvery, Ken (CA)
Rep. Crowley, Joseph (NY)
Rep. Davis, Tom (VA)
Rep. DeGette, Diana (CO)
Rep. Fortuno, Luis (PR)
Rep. Fossella, Vito (NY)
Rep. Gordon, Bart (TN)
Rep Issa, Darrell (CA)
Rep. Kennedy, Patrick (RI)
Rep. Langevin, James (RI)
Rep. Lantos, Tom (CA)
Rep. Lowey, Nita (NY)
Rep. Lynch, Stephen (MA)
Rep. McCotter, Thaddeus (MI)
Rep. Mollohan, Alan (WV)
Rep. Moore, Dennis (KS)
Rep. Price, David (NC)
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (FL)
Rep. Rothman, Steven (NJ)
Rep. Sanders, Bernard (VT)
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice (IL)
Rep. Schiff, Adam (CA)
Rep. Strickland, Ted (OH)
Rep Van Hollen, Chris (MD)
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie (FL)
Additionally, if your Senator or Representative isn’t on the list, send them a copy of your concerns. Their contact information is available at http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/congress.php
Please help now by asking co-sponsors and others to add amendments that will go to the heart of need in the autism community. Otherwise this bill may go into effect and it could take another five years to get another opportunity to make such a positive difference in the research, service and treatment allocations needed for our children.
Our community needs to prove once again that we are, as the New York Times said earlier this year, a “potent national force.” Let’s get those Capitol Hill phones and fax machines working overtime! Make your phone calls and write your letters today!
National Autism Association
A-CHAMP
Autism One
Autism Research Institute
Dads Against Mercury
Generation Rescue
Moms Against Mercury
NoMercury
TACA - Talk About Curing Autism
For information, resources and practical strategies,
please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
UPDATE: Free AWARES.org Online Autism Conference now till 11/11/05
** NOW OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER 11th- DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND **
Please visit the first free AWARES.org Online Autism Conference (available until Nov. 11, 2005).
http://www.awares.org/conferences/
There are some very useful and informative articles available to read, and interesting posts on the discussion groups.
For information, resources and practical strategies,
please visit: http://www.autismconcepts.com/.
Please visit the first free AWARES.org Online Autism Conference (available until Nov. 11, 2005).
http://www.awares.org/conferences/
There are some very useful and informative articles available to read, and interesting posts on the discussion groups.
For information, resources and practical strategies,
please visit: http://www.autismconcepts.com/.
NY Times Article, Modern Love - Adolescence, Without a Roadmap
October 16, 2005
By Claire Scovell LaZebnik
At least he's good-looking," I say to my husband whenever the subject of our oldest son's dating future comes up. And he is good-looking, our son, with his blue eyes, wavy hair, broad shoulders and warm smile. He's also got a deep voice (he works at it) and a gentle manner. It's hard to believe girls won't fall in love with him. And maybe they will.
But he also has autism. When he's tired or sick, he forgets words or uses them incorrectly; often it requires enormous effort just for him to maintain a conversation. It's as if he has no native tongue and essentially has had to memorize our language word by word.
Now he's working on our customs. You see him eagerly watching other kids, looking for clues and lessons, signs he can follow into the world of the average teenager. It's a world he's desperate to be part of. He dresses like them, adopts their gestures, mimics their rudeness and even douses himself, as they do, with Axe deodorant body spray. ("Look at the other kids," we're always telling him. "Watch them, play like them.")
He'll be in the middle of a group of kids and they'll laugh. Then he'll laugh, a second too late and too loud. He knows he needs to laugh to fit in; that much he's learned from observation. What he can't seem to learn is what made the joke funny and why everyone gets it but he.
For a long time our son was a little boy with autism, which was a certain kind of challenge. Now that he's a teenager with autism - and a teenager who notices girls - we're faced with something else altogether.
Full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/fashion/sundaystyles/16LOVE.html?pagewante=d=3Dall&oref=3Dlogin#
For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
http://www.autismconcepts.com/
By Claire Scovell LaZebnik
At least he's good-looking," I say to my husband whenever the subject of our oldest son's dating future comes up. And he is good-looking, our son, with his blue eyes, wavy hair, broad shoulders and warm smile. He's also got a deep voice (he works at it) and a gentle manner. It's hard to believe girls won't fall in love with him. And maybe they will.
But he also has autism. When he's tired or sick, he forgets words or uses them incorrectly; often it requires enormous effort just for him to maintain a conversation. It's as if he has no native tongue and essentially has had to memorize our language word by word.
Now he's working on our customs. You see him eagerly watching other kids, looking for clues and lessons, signs he can follow into the world of the average teenager. It's a world he's desperate to be part of. He dresses like them, adopts their gestures, mimics their rudeness and even douses himself, as they do, with Axe deodorant body spray. ("Look at the other kids," we're always telling him. "Watch them, play like them.")
He'll be in the middle of a group of kids and they'll laugh. Then he'll laugh, a second too late and too loud. He knows he needs to laugh to fit in; that much he's learned from observation. What he can't seem to learn is what made the joke funny and why everyone gets it but he.
For a long time our son was a little boy with autism, which was a certain kind of challenge. Now that he's a teenager with autism - and a teenager who notices girls - we're faced with something else altogether.
Full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/fashion/sundaystyles/16LOVE.html?pagewante=d=3Dall&oref=3Dlogin#
For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
http://www.autismconcepts.com/
Monday, October 17, 2005
Study: Administration of secretin for autism alters dopamine metabolism in the central nervous system.
1: Brain Dev. 2005 Sep 14; [Epub ahead of print]
Administration of secretin for autism alters dopamine metabolism in the central nervous system.
Toda Y, Mori K, Hashimoto T, Miyazaki M, Nozaki S, Watanabe Y, Kuroda Y, Kagami S.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima-shi, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
We evaluated the clinical effects of intravenously administered secretin in 12 children with autism (age range: 4-6 years, median age: 9 years, boy:girl=8:4). In addition, we investigated the association between improvement in symptoms and changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homovanillic acid (HVA),5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA), and 6R-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (BH(4)) levels after administration. After administration of secretin, the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) score improved in 7 of the 12 children. However, the score deteriorated in 2 of the 12 children (in the item of 'restricted and repetitive, stereotyped interests and behaviors'). The HVA and BH(4) levels in CSF were increased in all children with improvement in the ADI-R score. In contrast, no patient without the elevation of the BH(4) level showed improvement in the score. These findings suggest that secretin activated metabolic turnover of dopamine in the central nervous system via BH(4), improving symptoms.
PMID: 16168596 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
For information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com.
Administration of secretin for autism alters dopamine metabolism in the central nervous system.
Toda Y, Mori K, Hashimoto T, Miyazaki M, Nozaki S, Watanabe Y, Kuroda Y, Kagami S.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima-shi, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
We evaluated the clinical effects of intravenously administered secretin in 12 children with autism (age range: 4-6 years, median age: 9 years, boy:girl=8:4). In addition, we investigated the association between improvement in symptoms and changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homovanillic acid (HVA),5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA), and 6R-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (BH(4)) levels after administration. After administration of secretin, the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) score improved in 7 of the 12 children. However, the score deteriorated in 2 of the 12 children (in the item of 'restricted and repetitive, stereotyped interests and behaviors'). The HVA and BH(4) levels in CSF were increased in all children with improvement in the ADI-R score. In contrast, no patient without the elevation of the BH(4) level showed improvement in the score. These findings suggest that secretin activated metabolic turnover of dopamine in the central nervous system via BH(4), improving symptoms.
PMID: 16168596 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
For information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Training parents aids autistic kids' language
Last Updated: 2005-10-13
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Training parents to better communicate with their autistic preschoolers can spur children's language development, according to a study of one such training program.
Though parental training courses are a growing part of managing autism spectrum disorders, there has been little evidence from clinical trials that the approach aids children's language, behavior and social skills.
"The evidence base has been very limited, so our study is a major contribution," Dr. Helen McConachie, of the University of Newcastle in the UK, told Reuters Health.
Specifically, she and her colleagues found that a program known as More Than Words helped parents build their 2-, 3- and 4-year-old children's vocabularies. The program, which was developed by Canadian doctors, teaches parents how to interact with their autistic children in a playful way-using "fun" words, games, musical speech and other tactics to aid their language development.
The findings are published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Read article at:
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2005/10/13/eline/links/20051013elin002.html
For information and resources on autism, please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Training parents to better communicate with their autistic preschoolers can spur children's language development, according to a study of one such training program.
Though parental training courses are a growing part of managing autism spectrum disorders, there has been little evidence from clinical trials that the approach aids children's language, behavior and social skills.
"The evidence base has been very limited, so our study is a major contribution," Dr. Helen McConachie, of the University of Newcastle in the UK, told Reuters Health.
Specifically, she and her colleagues found that a program known as More Than Words helped parents build their 2-, 3- and 4-year-old children's vocabularies. The program, which was developed by Canadian doctors, teaches parents how to interact with their autistic children in a playful way-using "fun" words, games, musical speech and other tactics to aid their language development.
The findings are published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Read article at:
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2005/10/13/eline/links/20051013elin002.html
For information and resources on autism, please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
High Court Upholds Ruling School Programs Must Meet Needs of Children with Autism
Oct. 11, 2005 -- The United States Supreme Court today refused to hear the appeal of the Hamilton County (Tennessee) Department of Education in a landmark "autism" case that had been brought under the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA").
This decision will effect how children with autism, as well as those with other disabilities, receive educational services in public schools. The decision makes clear that parents must be meaningfully included at their child's IEP meetings, that educational decision must be personalized and individually tailored to meet the child's needs, that educational programs may not be "predetermined" or the result of an official or unofficial policy by the school district, and that cost cannot be the driving factor in deciding what kind of program a child should receive. The Sixth Circuit also held that educational programs must be "meaningful".
Hamilton County Schools had filed a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking permission from the Supreme Court to appeal a unanimous decision that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had rendered in favor of a Chattanooga boy diagnosed with autism, Zachary Deal.
Gary Mayerson, of Mayerson & Associates and a member of the Autism Speaks board of directors, represented the Deal family. "Hamilton county took the position that a 'meaningful benefit' standard was too much to expect from a school district," said Mayerson. "We disagreed and took the position that a meaningful benefit test is what is required pursuant to earlier Supreme Court precedent in order to individualize a child's IEP. As a results of this decision, parents across the country are able to invoke the Sixth Circuit decision for its important principles to secure appropriate intervention programs for their children."
Mayerson added that parents should not hesitate to bring a copy of the Sixth Circuit's decision to their IEP meetings if they believe that their school district is not upholding the letter and spirit of the IDEA statute. A copy of the decision is available at: http://www.mayerslaw.com/<http://www.mayerslaw.com/> .
Read full article at: http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/supreme_court_hamilton.php
Wrightslaw website:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/04/6th.deal.hamilton.tn.htm
For information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com.
This decision will effect how children with autism, as well as those with other disabilities, receive educational services in public schools. The decision makes clear that parents must be meaningfully included at their child's IEP meetings, that educational decision must be personalized and individually tailored to meet the child's needs, that educational programs may not be "predetermined" or the result of an official or unofficial policy by the school district, and that cost cannot be the driving factor in deciding what kind of program a child should receive. The Sixth Circuit also held that educational programs must be "meaningful".
Hamilton County Schools had filed a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking permission from the Supreme Court to appeal a unanimous decision that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had rendered in favor of a Chattanooga boy diagnosed with autism, Zachary Deal.
Gary Mayerson, of Mayerson & Associates and a member of the Autism Speaks board of directors, represented the Deal family. "Hamilton county took the position that a 'meaningful benefit' standard was too much to expect from a school district," said Mayerson. "We disagreed and took the position that a meaningful benefit test is what is required pursuant to earlier Supreme Court precedent in order to individualize a child's IEP. As a results of this decision, parents across the country are able to invoke the Sixth Circuit decision for its important principles to secure appropriate intervention programs for their children."
Mayerson added that parents should not hesitate to bring a copy of the Sixth Circuit's decision to their IEP meetings if they believe that their school district is not upholding the letter and spirit of the IDEA statute. A copy of the decision is available at: http://www.mayerslaw.com/<http://www.mayerslaw.com/> .
Read full article at: http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/supreme_court_hamilton.php
Wrightslaw website:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/04/6th.deal.hamilton.tn.htm
For information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
A New Distinct Website For Families Living With Autism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2005
CONTACT:Wanda Brown
ASD Concepts, LLC
info@autismconcepts.com
www.autismconcepts.com
A NEW DISTINCT WEBSITE FOR FAMILIES LIVING WITH AUTISM
Middletown, NY (BlackNews.com) - With 1 in 166 children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, and 1 in 6 children diagnosed with a developmental disorder and/or behavioral problem, many families may not know what to do or where to go for help. A new website AutismConcepts.com created by an African American family raising an adolescent child with autism, shares credible and relevant information with other families.
The Internet is an easy and convenient way for parents to meet, share their experiences and other information. In addition to the usual facts found on autism-related websites, AutismConcepts.com also shares information, research and resources related to African Americans, directly linking to the source.
Research has revealed disparities in early detection of autism, treatment and special education:
-- African American children with autism are diagnosed nearly two years after children of all other ethnic groups. Black autistic children received more misdiagnoses than Whites. Early diagnosis and intervention leads to a better way of life for children with autism. Excerpts from Race Differences in the Age at Diagnosis Among Medicaid-Eligible Children with Autism, David S. Mandell, Sc.D., John Listerud, M.D., Ph.D.
-- Minority children with disabilities all too often experience inadequate services, low-quality curriculum and instruction, and unnecessary isolation from their nondisabled peers. Moreover, inappropriate practices in both general and special education classrooms have resulted in overrepresentation, misclassification, and hardship for minority students, particularly black children.
-- African American and Latino students are about twice as likely as white students to be educated in a restrictive, and separate educational setting.
-- Among high school students with disabilities, about 75% of African Americans are not employed two years out of school. Three to five years out of school, the arrest rate for African Americans with disabilities is 40%. Minority disabled students also have much higher rates of school disciplinary action and placement in correctional facilities. Excerpts from Racial Inequity in Special Education, 2002, Daniel J. Losen & Gary Orfield, Editors, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
"Serious changes for reform must be made so that all people with autism can live up to their fullest potential. Autism is not hopeless and parents are not helpless. We can learn about important issues and how to advocate for our loved ones to make immediate changes for a better outcome," says mother, Wanda Brown.
AutismConcepts.com is a large collection of basic information of vital interest to families to help empower, support, network and inform.
For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact Wanda Brown at 845-978-3182 or visit www.autismconcepts.com
About ASD Concepts, LLCASD Concepts, LLC is a new business formed by a sibling of an individual diagnosed with autism, after identifying a need in minority communities for parent and sibling support, networking, information and practical strategies to help manage day-to-day living with autism, by way of AutismConcepts.com, a non-commercial website.
-END-
October 5, 2005
CONTACT:Wanda Brown
ASD Concepts, LLC
info@autismconcepts.com
www.autismconcepts.com
A NEW DISTINCT WEBSITE FOR FAMILIES LIVING WITH AUTISM
Middletown, NY (BlackNews.com) - With 1 in 166 children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, and 1 in 6 children diagnosed with a developmental disorder and/or behavioral problem, many families may not know what to do or where to go for help. A new website AutismConcepts.com created by an African American family raising an adolescent child with autism, shares credible and relevant information with other families.
The Internet is an easy and convenient way for parents to meet, share their experiences and other information. In addition to the usual facts found on autism-related websites, AutismConcepts.com also shares information, research and resources related to African Americans, directly linking to the source.
Research has revealed disparities in early detection of autism, treatment and special education:
-- African American children with autism are diagnosed nearly two years after children of all other ethnic groups. Black autistic children received more misdiagnoses than Whites. Early diagnosis and intervention leads to a better way of life for children with autism. Excerpts from Race Differences in the Age at Diagnosis Among Medicaid-Eligible Children with Autism, David S. Mandell, Sc.D., John Listerud, M.D., Ph.D.
-- Minority children with disabilities all too often experience inadequate services, low-quality curriculum and instruction, and unnecessary isolation from their nondisabled peers. Moreover, inappropriate practices in both general and special education classrooms have resulted in overrepresentation, misclassification, and hardship for minority students, particularly black children.
-- African American and Latino students are about twice as likely as white students to be educated in a restrictive, and separate educational setting.
-- Among high school students with disabilities, about 75% of African Americans are not employed two years out of school. Three to five years out of school, the arrest rate for African Americans with disabilities is 40%. Minority disabled students also have much higher rates of school disciplinary action and placement in correctional facilities. Excerpts from Racial Inequity in Special Education, 2002, Daniel J. Losen & Gary Orfield, Editors, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
"Serious changes for reform must be made so that all people with autism can live up to their fullest potential. Autism is not hopeless and parents are not helpless. We can learn about important issues and how to advocate for our loved ones to make immediate changes for a better outcome," says mother, Wanda Brown.
AutismConcepts.com is a large collection of basic information of vital interest to families to help empower, support, network and inform.
For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact Wanda Brown at 845-978-3182 or visit www.autismconcepts.com
About ASD Concepts, LLCASD Concepts, LLC is a new business formed by a sibling of an individual diagnosed with autism, after identifying a need in minority communities for parent and sibling support, networking, information and practical strategies to help manage day-to-day living with autism, by way of AutismConcepts.com, a non-commercial website.
-END-
To Stretch Their Attention: UO professor's exercises show possibility of
By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard
Published: Saturday, October 8, 2005
Teachers may one day be able to train youngsters to pay better attention,and in a way they'll have space monkeys to thank for it.
But it was University of Oregon psychology professor Michael Posner who adapted exercises once used by NASA to train monkeys for space travel to show that young children can strengthen the attention centers of their brains. In recently published research with colleagues at Cornell University's medical school, he showed that attention improved after just a few training sessions.
The improvement was slight, but given the short period the children spent on the exercises Posner said it's clear that the therapy has potential.
"This is a feasible idea," he said. "I think we have shown pretty convincingly we can train attention in this way."
Read full article at:
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/10/08/d1.cr.attention.1008.p1.php?section=cityregion
For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com
The Register-Guard
Published: Saturday, October 8, 2005
Teachers may one day be able to train youngsters to pay better attention,and in a way they'll have space monkeys to thank for it.
But it was University of Oregon psychology professor Michael Posner who adapted exercises once used by NASA to train monkeys for space travel to show that young children can strengthen the attention centers of their brains. In recently published research with colleagues at Cornell University's medical school, he showed that attention improved after just a few training sessions.
The improvement was slight, but given the short period the children spent on the exercises Posner said it's clear that the therapy has potential.
"This is a feasible idea," he said. "I think we have shown pretty convincingly we can train attention in this way."
Read full article at:
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/10/08/d1.cr.attention.1008.p1.php?section=cityregion
For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com
Controversy over vitamin jab for autism
By Rachelle Money
A CONTROVERSIAL vitamin injection claimed to help autistic children recoveris to be promoted in Scotland by its American developer.
Dr James Neubrander, who will discuss the injection at a conference onautism in Edin burgh this week, has a private clinic in New Jersey where he says he has given more than 75,000 shots of methyl cobalamin B12 since May 2002, with, he claims, 94% of children showing improvement.
Methylcobalamin B12 is a type of vitamin B12 produced naturally by bacteriain the colon and then absorbed. Some scientists believe that people withautism are unable to absorb this material.
Neubrander said one injection is given every three days and the effects canbe seen within five weeks. "My kids can lose their diagnosis [as autistic]within a year and a half to two and a half years and be in a normalclassroom where nobody would know they had autism. When they stop the shotsthey regress in the same manner a diabetic who stops taking insulin would regress.
"When we first see these kids they can't talk and now they are totally recovered. This is to the autism world what antibiotics was to the modern world."
Read full article at: http://www.sundayherald.com/52157
For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com
A CONTROVERSIAL vitamin injection claimed to help autistic children recoveris to be promoted in Scotland by its American developer.
Dr James Neubrander, who will discuss the injection at a conference onautism in Edin burgh this week, has a private clinic in New Jersey where he says he has given more than 75,000 shots of methyl cobalamin B12 since May 2002, with, he claims, 94% of children showing improvement.
Methylcobalamin B12 is a type of vitamin B12 produced naturally by bacteriain the colon and then absorbed. Some scientists believe that people withautism are unable to absorb this material.
Neubrander said one injection is given every three days and the effects canbe seen within five weeks. "My kids can lose their diagnosis [as autistic]within a year and a half to two and a half years and be in a normalclassroom where nobody would know they had autism. When they stop the shotsthey regress in the same manner a diabetic who stops taking insulin would regress.
"When we first see these kids they can't talk and now they are totally recovered. This is to the autism world what antibiotics was to the modern world."
Read full article at: http://www.sundayherald.com/52157
For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
www.AutismConcepts.com
Thursday, October 06, 2005
New Vocational Website For Adults On The Spectrum
New Vocational Website For Adults On The Spectrum
From Donna Williams, author of several autism books.
I am writing to you all to please ask you to tell your members about our new website www.auties.org.
This website is very exciting because it has been made by people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
It has been made to help all people on the Autistic Spectrum all over the world to find work and employment.
The website lists people for free if they are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Condition.
It allows people to find and support the work and skills of people with Autism Spectrum Conditions around the world.
There are categories of work for those with ALL levels of skills.
The website is not just for the most able people on the Autistic Spectrum. It is for all people on the Autistic Spectrum.
The website is not political and provides equal opportunity to all people on the Autistic Spectrum around the world.
The site is also open to businesses which consider themselves 'Autie Friendly' as part of us trying to make the mainstream world more accessible to people on the autistic spectrum.
Please do come and visit us at www.auties.org.
From Donna Williams, author of several autism books.
I am writing to you all to please ask you to tell your members about our new website www.auties.org.
This website is very exciting because it has been made by people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
It has been made to help all people on the Autistic Spectrum all over the world to find work and employment.
The website lists people for free if they are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Condition.
It allows people to find and support the work and skills of people with Autism Spectrum Conditions around the world.
There are categories of work for those with ALL levels of skills.
The website is not just for the most able people on the Autistic Spectrum. It is for all people on the Autistic Spectrum.
The website is not political and provides equal opportunity to all people on the Autistic Spectrum around the world.
The site is also open to businesses which consider themselves 'Autie Friendly' as part of us trying to make the mainstream world more accessible to people on the autistic spectrum.
Please do come and visit us at www.auties.org.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Study: The Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions on Dropout for Youth with Disabilities
Study: The Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions on Dropout for Youth with Disabilities
Abstract
The relationship between cognitive-behavioral interventions/therapies (the intervention) and dropout outcomes and violent verbal or physical aggression (the outcomes) for secondary aged youth with disabilities was explored in this systematic review. A total of 16 studies intervening with 791 youth with behavioral disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, and learning disabilities were reviewed. The findings of this review strongly support the efficacy of the use of cognitive-behavioral interventions across educational environments, disability types, ages, and gender in the reduction of dropout and correlates of dropout. A series of more detailed implications for practice are suggested as well as directions to the reader to locate more detailed descriptions of how these interventions might be implemented in their secondary educational environments.
Read full Text at: http://www2.edc.org/ndpc-sd/cognitive/report.pdf
For more information and resources on autism,
please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
Abstract
The relationship between cognitive-behavioral interventions/therapies (the intervention) and dropout outcomes and violent verbal or physical aggression (the outcomes) for secondary aged youth with disabilities was explored in this systematic review. A total of 16 studies intervening with 791 youth with behavioral disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, and learning disabilities were reviewed. The findings of this review strongly support the efficacy of the use of cognitive-behavioral interventions across educational environments, disability types, ages, and gender in the reduction of dropout and correlates of dropout. A series of more detailed implications for practice are suggested as well as directions to the reader to locate more detailed descriptions of how these interventions might be implemented in their secondary educational environments.
Read full Text at: http://www2.edc.org/ndpc-sd/cognitive/report.pdf
For more information and resources on autism,
please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
