Friday, November 25, 2005

Voucher plan revived, with focus on autistic students

IndyStar.com
November 24, 2005

Proposal would let state pay for private education of children with autism
By Staci Hupp
staci.hupp@indystar.com

"There's a moral imperative of assisting these families in the way that they believe is best and, second, it has the added benefit of being a very fiscally sound program," said House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, one of four Republican lawmakers who met this week with a legislator from Ohio, where school voucher programs have mushroomed. "I'm certain if we do this, some schools will choose to concentrate in this, which will bring the cost to educate students down for the state."

Voucher advocates say some private schools, hospitals and therapists are better equipped to meet the special needs of children with autism, a developmental brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others.

The plan's financial details haven't been worked out. Lawmakers estimate it costs up to $40,000 a year to teach one child with a severe form of autism.

Excerpt from full article available at: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051124/NEWS01/511240447/1006

For information, resources and practical strategies on autism please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

FDA Discusses Tamiflu Adverse Events in Children

Committee Discusses Tamiflu Adverse Events in Children

On Nov. 18, the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee met to discuss adverse events reported in children taking Tamiflu and seven other flu treatment drugs. In conjunction with the meeting, FDA has posted questions and answers that give background on several reported cases of skin reactions, neuropsychiatric events, and deaths in Japanese children who took Tamiflu.

Questions and answers about pediatric Tamiflu use: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/tamiflu/QA20051117.htm

General Tamiflu information: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/tamiflu/default.htm

For information, resources and practical strategies on autism please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.

Post Schaffer: New Era

By Bob Witanek
http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
advocate@studentadvocate-nj.org

Indeed, she said, "there is reason to believe that a great deal is already spent on IDEA administration, and Congress has repeatedly amended" the law "to reduce its administrative and litigation-related costs." Washington Post quoting Sandra Day O’Connor’s majority opinion
Jerry B. Weast, superintendent of the Montgomery County Public School System, called the court's decision "a victory for special education teachers in Montgomery County and across the nation who work hard everyday to provide the best possible education for students with disabilities."

He added, "We defended this case for one simple reason -- we didn't want our teachers and staff spending more time in the courtroom instead of the classroom."Washington Post quoting Superintendent Weast.

The impact of today’s announcement of a Supreme Court decision in Brian Schaffer et al v. Jerry Weast could have dire consequences for millions of current and future special education students across the United States. The impact will be felt not only by those parents who are forced to or choose to file for due process but for all parents whose opinions might differ with school district personnel at the IEP table. For some, the impact will be swift and immediate. For others, the impact will creep into the IEP process for years to come. For all of us – the results will be that districts are further empowered to override and disregard our concerns. A process already warped in favor of school districts and state departments of education will tilt ever further in that direction.

Bob Witanek
http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
advocate@studentadvocate-nj.org
908-881-5275

Read full article at:
http://www.studentadvocate-nj.org/post_schaffer.htm

Brian Schaffer et al v. Jerry Weast
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14nov20051045/www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/05pdf/04-698.pdf

Washington Post article:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/14/AR2005111400690.html

For information, resources and practical strategies on autism please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.

Friday, November 18, 2005

ALERT: EPA TO ALLOW PESTICIDE TESTING ON ORPHANS & MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

Public comments are now being accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its newly proposed federal regulation regarding the testing of chemicals and pesticides on human subjects. Earlier this year, Congress had mandated the EPA create a rule that permanently bans chemical testing on pregnant women and children, but the EPA's newly proposed rule actually creates gaping loopholes for the chemical industry. The rule allows for government and industry scientists to treat children as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments in the following situations:

1) Children who "cannot be reasonably consulted," such as those that are mentally handicapped or orphaned newborns may be tested on. With permission from the institution or guardian in charge of the individual, the child may be exposed to chemicals for the sake of research.

2) Parental consent forms are not necessary for testing on children who have been neglected or abused.

3) Chemical studies on any children outside of the U.S. are acceptable.

You can learn more and take action here:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/epa6.cfm

For information, resources and practical strategies related to autism please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

New Web-Based Tool Helps People with Developmental Disabilities Transition From Medicaid To Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

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.

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.

This Web-based tool has a downloadable PDF copy of the guide, a timeline of key dates, a glossary of terms, and additional resources to guide users. The Disability Policy Collaboration will continue to update the website with additional information about this critical issue.

For information, resources and practical strategies please visit www.AutismConcepts.com.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Study: Thimerosal induces neuronal cell death

"Thimerosal Induces Neuronal Cell Apoptosis By Causing Cytochrome C AndApoptosis-Inducing Factor Release From Mitochondria"

International Journal of Molecular Medicine 2005 Dec;16(6):971-7.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed

Yel L, Brown LE, Su K, Gollapudi S, Gupta S.
Immunology/Medicine, C240 Med Sci I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. lyel@uci.edu.

There is a worldwide increasing concern over the neurological risks of thimerosal (ethylmercury thiosalicylate) which is an organic mercury compound that is commonly used as an antimicrobial preservative. In this study, we show that thimerosal, at nanomolar concentrations, induces neuronal cell death through the mitochondrial pathway. Thimerosal, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, decreased cell viability as assessed by calcein-ethidium staining and caused apoptosis detected by Hoechst 33258 dye.

Thimerosal-induced apoptosis was associated with depolarization of mitochondrial membrane, generation of reactive oxygen species, and release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria tocytosol.

Although thimerosal did not affect cellular expression of Bax at the protein level, we observed translocation of Bax from cytosol to mitochondria. Finally, caspase-9 and caspase-3 were activated in the absence of caspase-8 activation. Our data suggest that thimerosal causes apoptosisin neuroblastoma cells by changing the mitochondrial microenvironment.

PMID: 16273274 [PubMed - in process]

For information, resources and strategies related to autism please visit: www. AutismConcepts.com

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

How Will the New Medicare Drug Benefit Impact African Americans?

ADVISORY FOR: Monday, November 14, 2005

The National Caucus and Center on Black Aged and The Kaiser Family Foundation to Hold Nov. 14 Telephone Briefing for Journalists to Highlight What Seniors Need to Know

In just a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on nearly 4 million African American seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than four in 10 African Americans with Medicare lack coverage for their prescription drugs for at least part of the year. Many others will need to make decisions about their existing coverage and the new Medicare benefit.

Starting Jan. 1, Medicare will cover outpatient prescription drugs, but many seniors don’t even understand the basics about what the new benefit offers or how it works. Helping African Americans who rely on Medicare to understand how this program will work is critical to ensuring they make good decisions about this coverage. Why is this important for African Americans?

African Americans suffer more from certain illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension, than their white counterparts. Medicare’s drug coverage can help these people afford the drugs they need to manage these diseases.

Compounding these health problems, African Americans on Medicare are far more likely than whites to have low incomes. In fact, six in 10 African American beneficiaries have incomes below 150 percent of poverty, which means they are more likely to qualify for additional help paying for their drugs – but only if they know how to apply for it.

This year, more than one in three African Americans with Medicare rely on state Medicaid programs for their drug coverage. That will end Jan. 1, when Medicare instead will cover their drugs. Understanding this change will help ensure a smooth transition for these beneficiaries.

To raise issues and answer questions about how the Medicare drug benefit affects African American Medicare beneficiaries and their families, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged and the Kaiser Family Foundation will hold a conference call for journalists on Monday, Nov. 14, 2005 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

Moderated by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, the discussion will focus on the way this change affects African American Medicare beneficiaries, highlight ongoing community efforts to help beneficiaries understand their options, and offer some practical advice for those making decisions about this new Medicare coverage. Panelists include Daniel R. Wilson of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, and Michelle Kitchman Strollo and Linda Elam of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The panel will also take questions from the participants.

To participate in the conference e-mail Sarah Carkhuff at scarkhuff@kff.org or by calling (202) 347-5270. For more information e-mail Craig Palosky at cpalosky@kff.org or by calling (202) 347-5270.

For autism information, resources and practical strategies
please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.