AutismParents.NET!

Related:

• Kim Stagliano Blog
• Age of Autism
• Kim Stagliano at Huffington Post

1 Comment »
Filed under: Andrew Wakefield, Autism in the news, Biomedical Intervention, CDC, Center for Destroying Children, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Combating Autism, Enivronment, Family, Green Our Vaccines, NIH, Vaccination Schedule, Vaccine Court Omnibus Autism Proceeding, Vaccine Precautionary Principles, Vaccine Safety Datalink, Vaccines

Autism Sunday 2010 - The International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome falls on 14th February. The Founders of Autism Sunday,parents and carers of a teenager with autism, Ivan and Charika Corea of the United Kingdom, have urged campaigners around the world to use the occasion to campaign and lobby on the serious issues of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

There are over 60 million people with autism around the world. Many suffer without proper public services. The current credit crunch and recession has devastated many families with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome around the world.

Autism Sunday - The International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome was founded by autism campaigners Ivan and Charika Corea in 2002 Autism Awareness Year with a historic Service at St.Paul’s Cathedral in London. Since then the occasion has become a huge worldwide event with Cathedrals, churches, religious organisations participating in it from the United States of America to India.

Ivan and Charika Corea have urged autism campaigners, disability organisations, parents groups, Aspergers groups, voluntary sector groups, community organisations, autism related organisations to make use of Autism Sunday by lobbying hard on the serious issues dealing with autism and Aspergers Syndrome.

They have recommended the following campaigning activities to mark Autism Sunday:

*WRITE to the President or the Prime Minister or the Head of State in your country - urge them to speak out on autism and Asperger’s Syndrome on Sunday 14th February 2010 and ask them to spell out their plans to help parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

*CONTACT LEADERS OF FAITH COMMUNITIES - ask them to issue a message on Autism Sunday and show how they would encourage faith communities to support the marginalised, the vulnerable and the poor - particularly during the current recession affecting many parts of the world.

*WRITE prayers/poems for autism and Asperger’s Syndrome and ask your church or religious organisation to feature them on Autism Sunday.

*WEAR YOU AUTISM AWARENESS RIBBON to raise awareness of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome on Sunday 14th February 2010.

*CONTACT THE LOCAL/NATIONAL MEDIA IN YOUR COUNTRY -Press, Radio and Television- ask them to feature autism and Asperger’s Syndrome on Sunday 14th February - share your story for Autism Sunday.

*ORGANISE AWARENESS RAISING EVENTS ON AUTISM AND ASPERGER’S SYNDROME on the weekend of Saturday 13th February leading to Autism Sunday.

*ASK THE HEADS OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES to speak about autism and Asperger’s Syndrome leading up to Autism Sunday in assemblies and school meetings.

*CONTACT YOUR MINISTER/PASTOR/FAITH LEADER about Autism Sunday and ask them to highlight Autism Sunday in services.

*‘OPEN EVERY DOOR’ THE SONG FOR AUTISM HAS BEEN RE-RELEASED FOR AUTISM SUNDAY 2010 ask your local radio station to feature this moving song for autism sung by Gresha Schuilling and written by singer/songwriter, Nimal Mendis. The song can be downloaded from iTunes.

*WRITE TO YOUR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT/LOCAL COUNCILS/CONGRESS/SENATE - urge them to raise matters concerning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

*CONTRIBUTE YOUR FILMS FOR AUTISM SUNDAY ON YOUTUBE - add your films for Autism Sunday and a call to the leaders of nations to speak out on autism and Asperger’s Syndrome leading up to Autism Sunday 2010.

*DISTRIBUTE LEAFLETS ON AUTISM AND ASPERGER’S SYNDROME in events leading up to Autism Sunday in order to raise greater awareness of the issues.

Campaigners and organisations have been asked to use the opportunity and campaign on autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in events leading up to Autism Sunday across the nations of the world.

Related:

• Autism Sunday Official Website
• Autism Sunday Blog
• Autism Sunday - Act on Autism Church Urged - Church Times UK Feature
• Autism Sunday - Church Leaders Urged to Speak Out (BBC)“. 2008
• Autism Sunday - Early Day Motion 874 in the House of Commons (UK Parliament)“. 2008.
• “David Cameron And Leaders Back Autism Sunday, UK“. 2009.
• David Taylor MP on Autism Sunday in a debate in the House of Commons (UK Parliament)“. 2008.
• “Harriet Harman MP, Leader of the Commons on Autism Sunday in a debate in the House of Commons (UK Parliament)“. 2008.
• Autism Sunday Blog
• “MPs call for urgent action on Autism and Winter Fuel Poverty“. 2008.
• “Pope to Pray for People with Autism on Autism Sunday 2009“. 2009.
• “Autism Sunday: World Church Leaders send messages of support“. 2009.

No Comments »
Filed under: Autism Awareness, Autism Sunday, Autism around the world, Autism in the news, Combating Autism, Family, God and Autism, International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, Politics

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Related:

• Get Food, Inc. - DVD
• Get Food, Inc. -Blu-ray
• More detailed information about the issues raised in Food Inc.
• Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It
• Food, Inc. – A MUST WATCH MOVIE!
• LeslieKellywhininganddining: Digesting Food Inc.
• Food, inc. - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum
• Food, Inc. - DVD review - Page 1 of 2 - DVDTOWN.com

No Comments »
Filed under: Diet

Make a donation to this cause here.  Oregon has been selected as the first state for attempted passage.

Source: AofA: A Simple Plan by By Kent Heckenlively, Esq.

Proposal Ideas and Areas for Inclusion in Green Vaccine Bill

1.    Research/Testing

a.    Opening the Vaccine Safety Database to Independent Researchers - Compel the   state of Oregon to petition the federal government to assist in the return of the records of the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) files concerning childhood vaccination records from private industry and to make them available to independent researchers to determine the     possible links between increased vaccinations and autism and other neurological disorders.  (Background:  In approximately 2004 the CDC turned over the VSD developed at taxpayer expense to a private agency, America’s Health Insurance Plans, which has denied access to medical researchers.)

b.    Unvaccinated Children – Oregon Department of Health must conduct an independent study of unvaccinated children in Oregon and compare their rates of ASD, asthma, diabetes, and food allergies to vaccinated children.

c.    Aluminum Research – Oregon Department of Health must study the safety of using aluminum in vaccines (presuming mercury now banned) and either certify its safety or         warn parents through disclosure of any ongoing safety issues.  (Aluminum was   “grandfathered” into vaccines and has never undergone safety testing.)

2.    Disclosure/Informed Consent

a.    Comparison of CDC recommended schedules to vaccines required to attend school in Oregon.

b.    Comparison of CDC, Oregon vaccine schedules with schedules from first world countries in Western Europe, as well as a comparison of child mortality and rates of autism and other neurological disorders among the differing groups.

c.    Explanation of philosophical, religious, and medical exemptions to vaccinations.

d.    Explanation of “Vaccine Precautionary Principles” for pediatricians and parents to consider in administering vaccines.

e.    Disclosure of any and all toxic ingredients in vaccines, including aluminum and mercury, as well as levels and comparison to EPA/FDA safety standards, and whether such safety testing has been done or the ingredient has been “grandfathered” into the vaccine, which means full safety testing has not been done.

f.    Disclosure of death rates from vaccine-preventable diseases.

3.    Banning

a.    Thimerosal Ban for Children and Pregnant Women - Vaccines given to Oregon children and pregnant women must be 100% free from Thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative also used in manufacturing) with absolutely no exceptions.  This includes a ban on the use of thimerosal in manufacturing of the vaccines.

b.    Flu Shot Ban for Pregnant Women - Flu shots have NOT been safety-tested or approved by the FDA for use in pregnant women.  Oregon must abide by this lack of   approval from the FDA and ban the flu shot for pregnant women.

c.    Simultaneous Administration Ban - Vaccines have never been tested or approved by the FDA to be co-administered.  The new law will allow only one vaccine to be administered per pediatric visit.  A minimum of one week must be observed between vaccines.

d.    Premature Birth Vaccine Ban - Vaccines have not been safety-tested for premature infants.  Any child born premature may not receive a vaccine until they reach a minimum     age of 6 months.

e.    Infant Vaccine Ban – An Oregon child may not receive any vaccines until they reach a minimum age of 3 months.

4.    Changes to Existing Law

a.    Addition of Philosophical Exemption to Vaccination - The addition to Oregon law of a philosophical exemption to vaccination as currently allowed in Arizona, Arkansas,                 California, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

b.    Reduction in Required Vaccines – Reduce the number of required vaccines in Oregon to attend school to the following list: DTaP, polio, MMR, and HiB.

c.    Future Vaccine Addition Threshold – No future vaccines may be added to the   required list by the Oregon Department of Health unless at least 50% of the 30 countries     in the first world (see attached list) have added the vaccine to their country’s schedule first.

d.    “Precautionary Principles” Guidelines - The Oregon Department of Health will develop     a list of precautionary principle guidelines for safe vaccine administration to be shared with all healthcare professionals and to be disclosed to all Oregon parents.  The   guidelines from Japan can serve as a helpful example.

e.    Restriction of National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act of 1986 to Strict Liability for Unavoidably Unsafe Products – The state of Oregon and the Oregon Attorney General will take the position that the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation         Act of 1986 (NCVICA) does not preempt design defect claims and that those who claim vaccine injury due to design defects can bring their case in the traditional civil court system and be accorded the rights of full discovery against all parties, including pharmaceutical companies and the federal government.  The state of Oregon will take  the position that plaintiffs need only bring their action under NCVICA if the injurious side-effects of the particular vaccine were unavoidably unsafe under the meaning of strict liability as found in Section 402A, comment k of the Restatement (Second) of Torts.  The state of Oregon and the Oregon Attorney General will actively assist Oregon plaintiffs in these efforts.  (For further explanation of what’s intended, please refer to the unanimous decision of the Georgia Supreme Court in American Home Products Corporation v. Ferrari, 284 Ga. 384, 668 S.E.2d 236, 2008 WL 4452358 (Ga.))

f.    Vaccinations and Military Personnel - Given that a recently released 452 page Congressional report found that approximately 25% of U.S. Gulf War veterans (173,000 service members) suffer from  Gulf War Syndrome and the illness resulted from some combination of chemicals, anti-nerve gas vaccinations, and possibly multiple vaccinations given in a short period of time, the state of Oregon will urge the federal government to allow citizens of Oregon serving in the United States military/Reserve United States Military/Oregon Guard and their families to either decline vaccination or choose an alternative vaccination schedule.

5.    Consumer/Parental Choice

a.    Choice of Aluminum and Formaldehyde Free Vaccines – Parents will have the option of getting aluminum and formaldehyde free vaccines for their children for an additional         cost.

b.    Choice of a Different Vaccination Schedule from First World Countries – Parents will  be given the option of choosing a different vaccination schedule from the top 20 industrialized countries after examining their rates of child mortality and neurological   disorders.

c.    Choice of Getting a Titer check before Vaccination - Prior to giving a booster shot for the MMR and Varicella vaccines, titers must be checked by a pediatrician to see if   immunity has already been achieved.

d.    Choice of a Test Screening for Mitochondrial Disorders before Vaccination - Prior to a first vaccination, children must be screened for mitochondrial disorders.  If any are   present, an alternative vaccination schedule must be developed with the doctor and parent/guardian.

e.    Choice of Dividing the MMR Vaccination into Individual Doses – The state of Oregon will demand of the pharmaceutical companies that they give parents a choice of breaking     the MMR shot into individual shots (measles, mumps, rubella) so they can be given over a     period of time, in addition to the single MMR shot.

No Comments »
Filed under: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Autism in the news, Combating Autism, Flu Shot, Green Our Vaccines, Green Vaccines Ballot Initiative, Informed Consent, Mitochondrial Disorders, NCVICA, National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act of 1986, Politics, Vaccination Schedule, Vaccine Court Omnibus Autism Proceeding, Vaccine Precautionary Principles, Vaccine Safety Datalink

Teaching Reading to Children with ASD. What’s The Best Way?

There is no one way to teach reading to children with ASD. Learning styles vary between children so a range of strategies should be tried. Some children find reading remarkably easy, and very quickly learn to read far beyond their ability to understand the words they are reading (this is called hyperlexia), while others find it much more difficult to learn to read.

One approach is to use phonics, which means learning the letter sounds and blending them together to decipher words. Another approach is to learn to read whole words, and to be able to recognize them on sight.

I have found that, on the whole, teaching phonics can be more difficult than is normally the case with typically developing children. Many young children with autism have little or no language, and may not be able to repeat the letter sounds accurately or at all. It is a task all in itself to get some children just to repeat something when directed to. For you to be able to teach them to not only repeat those sounds but to use them as a decoding strategy in reading can be a big task indeed.

Some children learn the letter sounds quite easily, but find it much more difficult to use their knowledge of these sounds to blend them into words when reading. However, strategies that you would use with other children may still be useful even though they may take a bit longer: such strategies might include developing an awareness of the initial letter sounds of words, and playing with rhyming and alliteration.

Many children have a learning style based on their visual strengths, and may find it easier (especially at first) to learn that words are meaningful, and are useful in getting their needs met. Such children may benefit from being taught to learn to read a core vocabulary of words by sight. Your child may already have noticed the print in the environment, especially in areas in which they have a particular interest.

Once a child has learnt that words are meaningful, you can then increase their sight vocabulary by including other words that are of less direct interest to the child, but are nonetheless important for them to learn.

Motivation is everything … [More]

No Comments »
Filed under: Parent Tips, Phonics, Reading