Rethink Autism Launches First Website Empowering Families And Professionals With Science-Based Techniques To Confront The Daily Challenges Of Autism

Yesterday Rethink Autism, Inc., an educational technology company based in New York City, launched http://www.rethinkautism.com the first online resource to offer parents and professionals immediate access to effective and affordable treatment tools for the growing population affected by autism spectrum disorders. Rethink Autism's methods and resources are based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the only scientifically-validated treatment for children with autism and the only intervention endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the New York State Department of Health, and the United States Surgeon General. Read on....

Earliest Possible Causes Of Autism Studied

A network of leading autism researchers from three regions across the country has launched one of the largest research studies of its kind to investigate early risk factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The network, called the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI), will follow a cohort of up to 1,200 pregnant women who already have a child with autism. The study is considered one of the best-equipped to discover biological markers and environmental risk factors for autism due to its elevated autism risk pregnancy cohort, wide ranging data collection with extensive bio-sampling, length of time it follows pregnant women and their babies, and multi-disciplinary team of expert investigators. Read on...

National Autism Association Teams Up With 12 Organizations To End Abusive Restraint And Seclusion In Schools

The National Autism Association (NAA) along with 12 other organizations launched a campaign this week to spur letter writing and raise awareness about dangerous restraint and seclusion practices in schools. The initiative comes on the heels of the May 19th GAO Report that revealed no federal laws regulating restraint and seclusion in schools, no laws in 19 states, and "widely divergent" laws in remaining states.

It also investigated cases where two children died from "mechanical compression to the chest" and being "smothered to death," one died from restraint following a seizure, another died from hanging himself in a seclusion room. Other cases included a four-year-old girl who was tied to a chair and abused, five children who were duct-taped to their desks, and a ten-year-old boy who was put in a seclusion room "75 times over a 6-month period for hours at a time for offenses such as whistling, slouching and hand-waving." Read on...

Alert! Call To Action on Thursday, July 9 IDEA Fairness Restoration Act (H.R. 2740)

The IDEA Fairness Restoration Act will override the Supreme Court's decision in Arlington Central School District v. Murphy (2006) and allow parents who prevail in due process or litigation to be reimbursed for their expert witness fees.

When prevailing parents cannot recover expert costs, the playing field is neither level nor fair, and children are denied a free appropriate public education and other fundamental IDEA rights.

* Hiring qualified medical, technical, and other expert witnesses can cost many thousands of dollars. Few parents can afford this high cost, putting due process out of reach for most parents, who struggle to afford what their children with disabilities need.
* School districts use tax dollars to pay for psychologists and other paid experts. Parents have fewer resources and yet must bear a greater financial burden. Approximately 36% of children with disabilities live in families earning less than $25,000 a year; over 2/3 earn less than $50,000 a year.
* Congress intended for parents to recover their expert witness fees in the Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986. Allowing parents to recoup their expert fees simply restores Congress' original intent.
* If due process is not affordable, the IEP process becomes even more one-sided and unfair. School personnel control the IEP process and often vastly outnumber parents. When the right to due process is meaningful, it helps ensure that school districts provide appropriate educations to children with disabilities.
* Most parents turn to due process and litigation only as a last resort. In 2003, the GAO reported that there were only 5 hearings per 10,000 special education students. But when parents are forced into due process, they should be able to afford expert witnesses.

Read on....

Vaccine Expert Reveals What You Should Know Before You Roll Up Your Sleeve

(NaturalNews) A study by the Harvard Medical School of Public Health confirmed that public health officials could convince most people in the U.S. to alter their daily lives, follow government mandates and do as they are told after only a small amount of hyping that a deadly global pandemic was eminent. It documented that people tend to look to the government as a sort of Big Daddy who has their best interests at heart. People think Big Daddy will take care of them and they don't have to bother taking care of themselves. This mentality has led to an open season of government and government backed corporate abuse resulting in a decline in the standard of life and health in America. It suggests that people will willingly take vaccines they believe have been sponsored by the government without investigating these vaccines on their own. However, a new paper from leading vaccine authority Dr. Sherri Tenpenny shows this may be unwise. She reveals that flu shots merit close examination by those wanting to retain their health.

On June 11th, the decision was made by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization to declare a Level 6 Pandemic. This is a pandemic alert of the highest order possible. Under Level 6 conditions, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HSS) is able to declare mandatory vaccination under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP). There is no criteria listed stating what constitutes a threat.

The HHS web site says the Secretary may "issue a declaration...that provides immunity from tort liability (except for willful misconduct) for claims of loss caused, arising out of, relating to, or resulting from administration or use of (vaccine or other pharmaceutical) countermeasures to diseases, threats and conditions determined by the Secretary to constitute a present, or credible risk of a future public health emergency..." This means that if you or your child is harmed by a vaccine during these conditions, there is nothing you can do about it.

With this declaration, Big Daddy has made it clear that it would rather protect corporate interests than your interests. This means it is time to stop giving the government your blind faith. It is time to become educated about flu vaccines.

Here are Dr. Tenpenny's well documented findings in the form of questions everyone should be asking.

What is in the regular flu shot?

What we have come to know as the seasonal flu shot is made from:

Egg proteins: including avian contaminated viruses

Gelatin: known to cause allergic reactions and anaphylaxis usually associated with sensitivity to egg or gelatin (anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reaction)

Polysorbate 80, (trademarked at Tween 80): a preservative that can cause severe allergic reactions including anaphylaxis.

Formaldehyde: a known carcinogen.

The shot also contains Triton X100 (a strong detergent), table sugar, resin that is known to cause allergic reactions, and an antibiotic (Gentamycin). Multi-dose vials also contain thimerosal, a preservative made with mercury, a known neurotoxin. Infants and children are most at risk for neurological damage from mercury because their nervous systems are still developing. Neurological dysfunctions are also common in adults who have ingested mercury.

Do flu shots work?

The flu shot does not work for babies. In a review of 51 studies involving more than 294,000 children, it was found there was "no evidence that injecting children 6 to 24 months of age with a flu shot was any more effective than a placebo. In children over the age of 2 years, it was effective only 33% of the time in preventing the flu. ("Vaccines for preventing influenza in health children", The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2008)

The flu shot does not work in children with asthma. In a study of 800 children with asthma in which one half were vaccinated and the other half were not, the two groups were compared with respect to clinic visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations for asthma. The researchers concluded that no evidence was provided that the influenza vaccine prevented pediatric asthma exacerbations (Christly, C. et al, "Effectiveness of influenza vaccine for the prevention of asthma exacerbations." Arch Dis Child, August, 2004, 734-5)

"The inactivated flu vaccine, Flumist, does not prevent influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the ones with asthma...In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than children who do not get the vaccine." (The American Thoracic Society's International Conference, May 15-20, 2009, San Diego)

Adults are also not protected by flu vaccine. In a review of 48 reports including more than 66,000 adults, "Vaccination of healthy adults only reduced risk of influenza by 6%, and reduced the number of missed work days by less than one day (0.16). It did not change the number of people needing to go to a hospital or take time off work." ("Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults," The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006)

Although the hype is that the elderly must be protected, in a review of 64 studies in 98 flu seasons, for elderly living in nursing homes, flu shots were non-significant for preventing the flu. For elderly living in the community, vaccines were not significantly effective against influenza, ILI or pneumonia. ("Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly," The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006)

What about the new "Swine Flu" shot?

A new report from a World Health Organization advisory group predicts that global production of vaccine for the novel H1N1 influenza virus could be as much as 4.9 billion doses a year, far higher than previous estimates. The new H1N1 ("swine flu") vaccine is being made by the pharmaceutical company Novartis. It will contain MF59, a potentially debilitating adjuvant.

MF-59 is oil-based and composed of squalene, Tween 80 and Span85. All oil adjuvants injected into rats were found to be toxic. All rats injected developed a disease similar to multiple sclerosis which left them crippled and dragging their paralyzed hindquarters across their cages. (Kenney, RT. Edleman, R. "Survey of human-use adjuvants," Expert Review of Vaccines, 2003 p171)

Squalene causes severe arthritis (3 on a scale of 4). Squalene in humans at 10-20 parts per billion leads to severe immune responses, such as autoimmune arthritis and lupus. (Matsumoto, Gary. Vaccine A: The Covert Government Experiment That's Killing Our Soldiers and Why GI's Are Only the First Victims of this Vaccine, New York: Basic Books. P54)

Federal health officials will probably recommend that most Americans get three flu shots this fall: one regular flu shot and two doses of any vaccine made against the new swine flu strain. (Washington Post, Wednesday, May 6)

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is talking to school superintendents around the country, urging them to spend the summer planning what to do if the government decides it needs their buildings for mass vaccinations and the vaccinations of children first. (CBS News, June 12)

Is mandatory vaccination possible?

In 1946, the U.S. Public Health Service was established and Executive Order 9708 was signed, listing the communicable diseases where quarantines could be used. Between 1946 and 2003, cholera, diphtheria, TB, typhoid, small pox, yellow fever, and viral hemorrhagic fevers were added to the list. In April, 2003, SARS was also added through Executive Order 13295.

In January, 2003, Project BioShield was introduced during Bush's State of the Union Address. This created permanent and indefinite funding authority to develop "medical countermeasures". The National Institute of Health was authorized to speed approval of drugs and vaccines. Emergency approval of a "fast tracked" drug and vaccine can be given without the regular course of safety testing.

In April, 2005, Executive Order 13295 added "Influenza caused by novel or re-emergent influenza viruses that are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic." Under this order, the president gave the secretary of HHS the power to quarantine, at his or her discretion.

The secretary of HHS has the power to arrange for the "apprehension and examination of persons reasonably thought to be infected." A cough or a fever could put a person at risk for being quarantined for an extended period of time without recourse.

December 17, 2006, Division E: The Public readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act was added as an addendum to Defense Appropriations Bill HR 2863 at 11:20 on Saturday night, long after House Committee members had signed off on the bill and gone home for the holidays. Section (b)(1) states that the secretary of HHS can make a determination that a "disease, health condition or threat" constitutes a public health emergency. He or she may then recommend "the manufacture, testing, development, administration, or use of one or more covered counter measures..." A covered countermeasure is defined as a "pandemic product, vaccine or drug."

Division E also provides complete liability protection for all drugs, vaccines or biological products deemed a "covered counter measure" and used for an outbreak of any kind. Complete liability protection has been given to drug companies for any product used for any public health emergency declared by the secretary of HHS. This means that pharmaceutical companies are now protected from all accountability, unless "criminal intent to do harm" can be proven by the injured party. They are protected from liability even if they know the drug will be harmful.

What can I do about all this?

Here are a few of Dr. Tenpenny's suggestions. You can add your own ideas to this list once you let your mind wrap itself around this issue.

Give this information to everyone you know and love. Contact local first responders (EMTs, paramedics, fireman, etc). Tell them what will be in the flu shots and that they will be the first ones to get them. Tell local police and discuss your concerns about mandatory vaccination. Contact local city council members about your desire to preserve your liberties. You will need their support to maintain your right to refuse vaccination.

Write an article for your local community newspapers. Samples will be posted soon on www.DrTenpenny.com. Go towww.oath-keepers.org. A PDF of their oath for easy printing will be posted on Dr. Tenpenny's site. Connect with other activist organizations, such as those supporting 2nd amendment issues, the environment and animal rights. Help spread the word about their passion and get them involved with yours.

Bug Spray: A safe alternative

My tots are very sensitive to everything from cinnamon to pull ups, so I have to use caution when using any type of products on them. We have had a TON of rain, so much so that we are growing mushrooms all over our yard....and creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes. My little guy swells up horribly from these bites. I just don't want to use a bug spray laden with chemicals that he may react to...so a friend of mine suggested this product and I will be giving it a try. I will let you know how it goes...please just remind me.

The ingredient list seems pretty benign and includes:

Soybean Oil, Purified Water, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Geranium Oil, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Bicarbonate and Vanillin

Sudden Death from ADD Drugs OK. Treatable Chicken Pox and Measles Not.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A study that found possible heart risks with attention deficit drugs had limitations and should not prompt parents to stop giving the medications to children, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday. The FDA said the study published on Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry found there may be an association between use of stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sudden cardiac death in healthy children...Read On...

Note: ADHD medication risks are posted all over the internet...valid points raised within this post...it is a must read!

Will One Hour a Week of ABA help?

Social communication may be improved in children with autism when their parents learn applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy methods to use at home at least one hour a week.

Eight families of toddlers with autism took part in 1-hour therapy sessions for 12 weeks. The parents and children were together during the sessions and the parents learned about therapy techniques. Parents learned how to use methods from the Early Start Denver Model of ABA in their daily routines at home. After 12 weeks, children were speaking more often and interacting more with their parents and therapists. Children continued to improve in 4 more follow-up sessions over 3 months with no therapist help. The techniques were also helpful for children with aggressive behaviors. Read on...

Note: It would be absolutely wonderful if insurance companies would cover ABA therapy, if only for 12 weeks with one hour a week. If in that time frame, parents could be taught the tools specific to their child, we could see immense therapeutic responses. Parents are more than willing to learn and implement what they have learned but there has to be a starting place.

Evaluating Language In Children With Autism

A new parent questionnaire, developed at the University of Waterloo, will help health practitioners to more accurately gauge the acquisition of language skills in children with autism.

The pioneering Language Use Inventory (LUI) is among a set of measures for evaluating spoken language development in children with autism spectrum disorders, recommended by an expert panel.

The experts' report, Defining Spoken Language Benchmarks and Selecting Measures of Expressive Language Development for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, appears in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. The report was commissioned by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

"This is very exciting news," said UW professor Daniela O'Neill, a developmental psychologist who created the LUI. "This report will be of tremendous help to researchers, clinicians and speech-language professionals involved in intervention with young children with autism and we are very proud to see the LUI included among the measures recommended for evaluating the efficacy of interventions that target spoken language." Read on...

Study To Follow Pregnant Women To Better Understand Causes, Early Signs Of Autism

NIH and the advocacy group Autism Speaks are enrolling 1,200 pregnant women who have other children with autism spectrum disorders to participate in a large study that aims to identify early signs of the condition and its possible causes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Women who participate in the study -- known as the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation, or EARLI, study -- will be monitored throughout their pregnancies, and their infants will be monitored until age three. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 150 children in the U.S. has an autism spectrum disorder, which includes autism, Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders. The study will focus on women who already have one child with an autism spectrum disorder because such women have a higher chance of having another child with the condition. Craig Newschaffer, the study's lead investigator and a department chair at Philadelphia's Drexel University School of Public Health, said, "By studying families who are already affected by autism, we feel we have the best chance at learning how genetics and environmental factors could work together to cause autism." Autism usually is characterized by social interaction and communication impairments, as well as unusual interests or behaviors. Although there is no cure for autism, its symptoms can be improved through therapy and medication, the Journal reports. Read on...

Brain Waves Shed Light on Autism

Unique brain wave patterns, spotted for the first time in autistic children, may help explain why they have so much trouble communicating.

Using an imaging helmet that resembles a big salon hair dryer, researchers discovered what they believe are "signatures of autism" that show a delay in processing individual sounds.

That delay is only a fraction of a second, but when it's for every sound, the lag time can cascade into a major obstacle in speaking and understanding people, the researchers said.

Imagine if it took a tiny bit longer than normal to understand each syllable. By the end of a whole sentence, you'd be pretty confused.

The study authors believe that's what happens with autistic children, based on the brain wave patterns detected in school-age children in their study. Read On...

Note: Perhaps this is why Listening Therapy is so beneficial! It is like an exercise to strengthen the brain waves....I have been looking into getting certified.

5 Year Old Voted Out of Class, Survival Style

PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.

After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.

Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said. Read on...

Using Joint Activity Schedules to Promote Peer Engagement in Preschoolers with Autism

Children with autism may be more involved in behavior therapy activities and complete more of them if they are paired with another child.

Three pairs of children with autism (4-5 years old) used joint activity schedules during applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. The joint schedules seemed to help the children be more involved in the activity. This included taking turns, playing games, and setting up and cleaning up games. When the joint schedules were changed to individual schedules for one pair of children, their involvement dropped. As soon as they switched back to a joint schedule, they became involved again. Therefore, joint schedules may be a useful autism therapy tool and may also increase interactions between children during treatment. Read on...

Note: This concept fits neatly into the category and the benefits of a social skills program. Behavior therapy is part of a good social skills program that helps our children learn appropriate social behavior. I would think that when the child is paired with a neuro-typical peer, the results would be even more dramatic. Also great for teaching the neuro-typical peers about acceptance.

The Role of Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin B6 and magnesium therapy may help some children with autism.

In one older study, 42% of children with autism had low levels of vitamin B6. These results prompted doctors to try vitamin B6 therapy for patients with autism. Parents of some children with autism reported improvements in behavior with vitamin B6 treatment alone. Some children also showed improvement after combined treatment with vitamin B6 and magnesium. A recent large study (Rimland and Edelson) of 5,780 autistic children and adults reported clinical improvement in 47% of the patients who received combined vitamin B6 and magnesium therapy.
Read on...

Notes:

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency may include agitation and anxiety, restless leg syndrome (RLS), sleep disorders, irritability, nausea and vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, confusion, muscle spasm and weakness, hyperventilation, insomnia, poor nail growth, and even seizures.

Foods rich in magnesium include unrefined grains, nuts and green vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are particularly good sources of magnesium because of their chlorophyll content.

Caution: It is extremely rare to overdose on magnesium from food alone. However, people who consume excessive amounts of milk of magnesia (as a laxative or antacid) or epsom salts (as a laxative or tonic) may overdose on this magnesium, especially if they have kidney problems. Too much magnesium can cause serious health problems, including nausea, vomiting, severely lowered blood pressure, slowed heart rate, deficiencies of other minerals, confusion, coma, and even death. More common side effects from magnesium include upset stomach and diarrhea.

Magnesium competes with calcium for absorption and can cause a calcium deficiency if calcium intake levels are already low. Magnesium may be depleted from the body due to certain medications. Medications that may decrease magnesium levels in the body include chemotherapy drugs, diuretics, digoxin (Lanoxin), hormonal supplementation, steroids, and certain antibiotics.

It is a good idea to take a B vitamin complex, or a multivitamin containing B vitamins, because the level of vitamin B6 in the body determines how much magnesium will be absorbed into the cells. More Magnesium info HERE

Vitamin B6 overdose symptoms include, problems with sense of position and vibration, reduced tendon reflexes, numbness in hands and feet, problems walking, problems with memory, depression, headache and tiredness. Most of these symptoms may be hard to communicate as a child with autism.

Eamon takes a good daily multivitamin and we use Epsom Salt baths. As a nurse, I am very cautious about supplements. If their levels are a within normal limits and you over-supplement, you can create a new array of complications. So with Magnesium, I had his levels checked. Eamon is within normal limits. So, for this mineral, I rely on our multi-vitamin and I play "Sneaky Chef" and sneak vegetables into him through baked goods so he can absorb the mineral the most natural way. Vitamins and minerals obtained from food is the absolute best source for absorption.

Before you begin supplementation, ask your pediatrician to check your child's existing levels.

Do Doctors Have a Financial Incentive to Get Their Patients Fully Vaccinated?

Do Doctors Have a Financial Incentive to Get Their Patients Fully Vaccinated? Dr.Sears investigates and finds that two physicians in different states that told him the HMO plans that they contract with do chart reviews and patient surveys at the end of each year. If their office scores high enough on these reviews, the HMO plan gives them a several thousand dollar bonus. This bonus varies depending on the number of patients the doctor sees. One of the requirements for a patient’s chart to pass the test is that they are fully vaccinated. WOW! Read full article

Also from Dr. Sears, a way to find a vaccine friendly doctor in your area.

You may ask yourself, "What is a vaccine-friendly doctor?" Some parents choose not to vaccinate their kids. Others want to partially vaccinate. Some aren't sure what they want to do, and they want help figuring what will be best for their child. If you fit into any of these categories, you may have a hard time finding a doctor. Most doctors kick patients out of their practice for not vaccinating, or for asking too many questions. The doctors listed will have read, or be familiar with, Dr. Bob's book and contacted Dr. Bob to have their practice listed here as a place such patients can come and feel welcome.

To Order Dr. Bob Sear's Book, click here!

Autism Centers of Excellence and Autism Speaks Announce the Most Comprehensive Study of Early Risk Factors for Autism

A network of leading autism researchers from three regions across the country has launched one of the largest research studies of its kind to investigate early risk factors for autism spectrum disorders. The network, called the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI), is considered one of the best-equipped to discover biological markers and environmental risk factors for autism due to its elevated autism risk pregnancy cohort, wide-ranging data collection with extensive bio-sampling, length of time it follows pregnant women and their babies, and multi-disciplinary team of expert investigators. Read on...

June 15th, Senate Committee Hears Bill 1651

On the heels of an overwhelming victory in the New Jersey Assembly, autism insurance reform legislation is now moving forward in the Senate. Senate Bill 1651 will be heard before the Senate Committee on Budget and Appropriations this Monday, June 15th. The members of this committee will determine whether or not private health insurers should be required to cover autism treatment. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:00, but due to a very full agenda, S1651 might not be heard for several hours. Please attend if you can. If this is not possible it is even more important that you take action and ask everyone you know to do the same.
Now is the time New Jersey. Your support is needed to help ensure victory for families dealing with the challenges of autism in every corner of the Garden State.

1. Contact the members of the Senate Committee on Budget and Appropriations today! We need to fill their voice mail and e-mail inboxes with messages asking for their support. Our message should be clear and strong: Autism is treatable. It is time for insurers to cover treatment in New Jersey.

Please call the members of the committee:
Buono, Barbara - Chair (732) 205-1372
Sarlo, Paul A. - Vice-Chair (201) 804-8118
Bucco, Anthony R. (973) 627-9700
Cunningham, Sandra B. (201) 451-5100
Haines, Philip E. (609) 654-1498
Karrow, Marcia A. (908) 782-5127
O'Toole, Kevin J. (973) 237-1360
Oroho, Steven V. 973) 300-0200
Pennacchio, Joseph (973) 984-0922
Redd, Dana L. (856) 225-9068
Ruiz, M. Teresa (973) 484-1000
Stack, Brian P. (201) 861-5091
Sweeney, Stephen M. (856) 251-9801
Turner, Shirley K. (609) 530-3277
Vitale, Joseph F. (732) 855-7441

2. Follow up your phone call with an e-mail. Please make sure to personalize your e-mail here. Be polite and persistent. Make sure that these legislators are aware that New Jersey families are being financial devastated attempting to pay out of pocket for medical treatment that should be covered by health insurance.

3. Please forward this e-mail to every New Jersey resident you know and them to take action too. You don’t have to be personally affected by autism to ask these legislators to support the bill. This is a great opportunity for friends, neighbors, family and teachers to provide support.

4. Register at Autism Votes to stay up to date on late-breaking news regarding S1651. Things are moving quickly now and we need everyone to be on high alert.

New Online Resource Created to Aid First Responders

Autism Speaks today launched the Autism Safety Project, an online tool kit for individuals with autism, families, and first responders that provides information and strategies to promote safety in emergency situations. The kit was created to educate and inform emergency personnel about the different challenges faced by individuals on the autism spectrum. Get your FREE kit.

Susan Boyle: An Amazing Woman

I have recently came across some great reads online about the hub-bub surrounding Susan Boyle, the woman with the amazing voice that has everyone talking!

"It is assumed that a person who appears unconventional will have limited ability, and it is assumed that a person with exceptional talent will have limited vulnerability.

The fact is that neither are true. Somewhere in between is the reality 1) we can do stuff, sometimes as well as others, and sometimes much better than others, and 2) we need appropriate support for some stuff we can't do. Somewhere in between is the reality that we are human beings with unique abilities and vulnerabilities and specific needs, just like anyone. Assumptions and stereotypes don't lead anywhere good." Full read....

"Individuals may say they are not biased against people with disabilities, but large scale social behavior suggests otherwise. If there was no underlying negative bias, then people might expect just as much singing talent from the middle aged woman with learning disabilities as they do from the model who aced finishing school.

My judgement on the performance? Susan Boyle gets an A for her very real talent. Mainstream culture gets an F for disablist attitudes." Full read...

My thoughts....EVERYONE has talents. Everyone is unique in their own way and that uniqueness needs to be fostered and encouraged. Accentuate the positives, Eliminate the negatives...find each child's strength. We need to step away from the lemming mentality because whether we are willing to admit it or not, we are not all the same, if we were, then Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream would not be as successful as it is with as many flavors as they offer.

Susan Boyle: An inspiration. Whatever challenges she faces, whatever supports she needs...give them to her...because that woman is blessed with God given talent that many of us without disability could only dream of.

Must Watch: Autism & Insurance

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