Facing Autism in New Brunswick

An Open Letter to Dr. Steven Novella Concerning His Positions on Vaccines and Autism and Dr. Novella's Reply

2009-11-27T05:40:00.011-04:00

UPDATE: See end of this comment for Dr. Novella's reply

Dear Dr. Novella

I am a parent of a 13 year old boy with Autistic Disorder. I also have a blog site on which I commented unfavorably on your response to the possibility that the IACC might recommend some vaccine autism research. I ask your response to a few questions if you have the time and are inclined to respond.

One is your apparent opposition to any further research exploring possible vaccine autism connections. I am not an "anti-vaxxer". I have never attributed my son's autism to vaccines. Until recently I accepted the official view that vaccines play no role in causing autism. More recently my views have moved toward an undecided position. This change began when reading Dr. Bernadine Healy's observations about the limitations of the epidemiological studies which are usually used to allegedly "debunk" any vaccine autism connection. In her comments she indicated that such studies are not specific enough to address the possible impact of vaccines or their ingredients on potentially vulnerable population subsets.To this layperson Dr. Healy's criticism seems reasonable as does her call, a call also made by Dr. Julie Gerberding, that an observational study comparing autism rates in existing vaccinated and non vaccinated populations could and should be done. Your opposition to further vaccine autism study does not, with respect, seem either reasonable OR science based. I ask if you could provide a clear rationale for opposing a study which has been called for by two prominent health authorities and which might provide useful information to what is a heated debate on all sides.

The second question I have for you concerns the increase in autism diagnoses which has really been quite startling by any measure. In my son's lifetime the figure has changed from 1 in 500 to 1 in 150 with the two recent studies indicating it might now be 1 in 91. Many authorities dispute though that the increases are real pointing to the autism definition changes in the DSM and ICD diagnostic manuals in the 1993-4 period and increased social awareness as the reasons for the increases in diagnoses. Is it your view that the increase in autism diagnoses does not reflect a real increase in autism disorders? If so what are the implications of that position for the argument that epidemiological studies have disproved any thimerosal vaccine link because autism rates increased after removal of thimerosal from MOST vaccines?

Also if you have the time and inclination do you think Dr. Healy's observations that thimerosal which continued to be found in flu vaccines, some of which historically were administered to pregnant mothers, was a matter worthy of investigation given that the thimerosal crosses the placenta is a legitimate concern worthy of further investigation? This is an important matter here in Canada where the squalene adjuvant was removed from the vaccines given to pregnant women but there has been no indication that thimerosal has been removed.

I would genuinely appreciate your responses to these questions which I am posting on my blog site. If you do me the courtesy of an informed reply I would be happy to post that reply as well.

Respectfully,

Harold L Doherty

cc. Facing Autism In New Brunswick

UPDATE:

Dr. Novella's Reply:

Harold,

Thanks for your thoughtful e-mail. I would be happy to address your questions.

Regarding further research - it is always possible, in the face of negative results, to call for still more research. And it is easy to make this seem like the default scientific position. ESP proponents, after a century of failed research, call for still more research, and accuses anyone who says further research is not worthwhile of being unscientific.

Also, to clarify my position, I am not categorically against further research into vaccines and autism. I think any such research is most likely to confirm the lack of a correlation. And if there is a susceptible sub-population, of course it would be good to know about it to make the vaccine program even safer. (But keep in mind - it is a common form of special pleading to argue that, when the effect you are looking for is absent, that is only exists is a subpopulation that existing data was not powerful enough to detect. This may be true, but it is just post-hoc speculation, and doesn't change the fact that the data is negative.)

My position is that ideological groups should not be dictating how scarce research funds are allocated. When we put money, people, and resources into chasing down an unlikely hypothesis those resources are not available for what might be more promising research. My position is that objective scientists, justifying their position with a careful analysis of the research, should decide how best to allocate scarce research funds. The anti-vax movement, however, is trying desperately to put their thumb on the scale - and that is what I oppose. They are trying to subvert autism activism to serve an anti-vaccine agenda - and they are hurting the autism community as a result, in my opinion.

I respect Healy and Gerberding, but I disagree with their approach in that they think more research will satisfy vaccine critics, but this is a naive position. The anti-vaccine movement has already demonstrated that they are impervious to facts and evidence, and spending time and money trying to placate them is a fool's errand. The CDC even went as far as to include them in designing a trial looking at vaccines and neurological disorders, and then only after the results came back negative, did they criticize the study.

You specifically mention an observational study comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children - I do not oppose this. If it can be done with reasonable resources, there are scientists willing to carry out such a study and think it is worthwhile, and the results will be useful, then I fully support it and await the results. (And in fact I have never opposed such studies.) What I and others have written is that an experimental (not observation) comparison of vaccinated vs unvaccinated children is unethical, because it would randomize children to no get standard preventive care, and that directly violates human research ethical guidelines. Observational studies are fine, but they are never definitive, and they will not, in my opinion, change or end the debate. They will not move the anti-vaccinationists one bit

The increase in autism diagnoses has been studied from multiple angles - not just the expansion of the diagnosis.

You will find a summary of relevant research here: http://sciencebasedmedicine.org/reference/vaccines-and-autism/

So far, every way it has been looked at the hypothesis that the increase in diagnosis of ASD is due to increased surveillance and expanded diagnosis has been confirmed. There is evidence of diagnostic substitution (as ASD numbers increase, the numbers of other similar diagnoses decrease). There is evidence that different age groups have the same prevalence of ASD (rather than increasing with younger age, as would result from a true increase in ASD). And if you apply the same diagnostic and surveillance methods to a cohort over time, you get the same ASD prevalence. The data is actually quite convincing that true autism rates are not significantly increasing (you cannot rule out a small real increase, or decrease for that matter, that the data is not powerful enough to detect) but that there has been expanded diagnosis with diagnostic substitution and increased surveillance.

I discuss this further here ( http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95) and here ( http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=340)

The implications of this position to the alleged thimerosal link is complex, but supports a lack of correlation. What the data shows is that in various countries ASD diagnoses began to rise around the same time (as diagnostic patterns changed), in the early 1990s, and have continued to rise through today. Meanwhile, vaccine policies have varied considerably with regard to total thimerosal dose, with several countries, at different times, removing most thimerosal from vaccines. Every study looking at the data shows no correlation between the steadily increasing ASD diagnostic rates with the rising and falling thimerosal doses at different times in different countries. This is powerful evidence for a lack of correlation. As you likely know, toxicity is always about dose, and seeing a proper dose-response is essential to proving toxicity causation. What we have with thimerosal is an absolute lack of any dose-response, in many studies and sets of data.

Also, please keep in mind that the anti-vaccine movement used the increase in ASD in the 1990s as their original justification for the claim that thimerosal causes autism. They predicted that autism rates would decline after thimerosal was removed from the childhood vaccine schedule, and we agreed that if that happened we would need to rethink the possibility of a connection. Well, rates continued to rise without a blip, effectively putting the final nail in the coffin of the thimerosal hypothesis.

Regarding thimerosal and pregnancy, to the extent that this has already been studied (again, you can find references in the vaccine-and-autism link above) there has been no correlation. I do not oppose further research, however, if the CDC or others think it is warranted and feasible.

Thanks again for the interesting questions, and I hope this adequately clarifies my position.

Regards,

Steve Novella

PS - You can publish my response on your blog, and I will do likewise.

autism

Autism Rising or Not? Mercury Disproved as Autism Cause or Not?

2009-11-25T09:27:00.026-04:00

In an exchange at About.com: Autism AutismNewsBeat, the host of a blog which claims to serve as an evidence based autism resource for journalists, (it is really more of an ideologically driven Neurodiversity blog), has taken the position that there has been no real increase in autism over the past two decades. Yet ANB fails to understand that in taking that position he is disavowing the assertion by many that a thimerosal (mercury preservative in vaccines) causal connection to autism was disproved by the increase in autism rates after the removal of thimerosal from vaccines in 2002:

"(10) AutismNewsBeat says:

“Will the media herd ever note that the same authorities who say that they can’t be sure that autism is really increasing today because of the 93-94 diagnostic definition changes state that that thimerosal was disproven as an autism trigger because autism increased after the alleged removal of thimerosal from vaccines in Denmark in 2002?”

Harold knows that there is a difference between an increase in “autism”, and an increase in “autism diagnoses”. There are no data to show one way or another that autism prevalence has increased much over the last two decades. But it is indisputable that autism diagnoses have grown considerably.

ANB simply fails to grasp, or more likely acknowledge , that by claiming there is no real increase in autism diagnoses he is trashing the claim that autism continued to increase after removal of thimerosal from vaccines. By doing so he is arguing against the claim that any thimerosal (mercury in vaccines) autism connection has been disproved. (Except for flu vaccines but no one gets flu vaccines right?).

Perhaps AutismNewsBeat should tell Dr. Paul Offit to change the title to Chapter 6 of his novel "Autism's False Prophets" from "Mercury Falling" to "Mercury Falling, Autism Who Knows".

One point on which everyone, except perhaps AutismNewsBeat, should be able to agree is that if autism was rising after the removal of thimerosal there is no reason to assume that autism is not rising today. Conversely, if autism is not rising to day there is no reason to conclude that a causal connection between thimerosal and autism has been disproved.

Which is it folks? Autism Rising or Not?. Thimerosal (Mercury) as Autism Cause Disproved or Not?

autism

Autism Research, Treatment and Cure

2009-11-25T06:35:00.015-04:00

My son Conor is 13 and has a diagnosis of Autistic Disorder. He is assessed with profound developmental delays. His initial diagnosis of PDD-NOS at age 2 was changed to Autistic Disorder a short time later. In the 11 years since his diagnosis there have been significant changes in autism service delivery for children here in New Brunswick and elsewhere in Canada and the United States. But there has been almost no effort made at all to find new treatments or cures for autism disorders.

The latest mainstream media discourse on autism treatment and cure arrives courtesy of the Chicago Tribune which has published a series of articles beginning with criticism of the Autism One conference and continuing this past week with a generalized attack on alternative treatments, particularly those advanced by DAN practitioners. While the Tribune has spilled much ink attacking what it calls alternative autism treatments, and DAN practitioners, it has not printed a single period, comma or question mark asking why there has been no serious research seeking autism treatments or cures by establishment medical authorities.

In the eleven years since my son's autism diagnosis autism researchers have continued their obsession with genetic autism research. While there had been some hints of a new Autism Research Paradigm Shift that would explore the interaction of genetic and environmental research it has not matured into a prevailing mindset. Genetic research is still out funded by as much as 20 to 1 over environmental research. There is not so much as a hint of a possible new, evidence based, treatment or cure for autism on the research horizon. And there are few signs of research aimed at providing treatment or cure.

The Chicago Tribune is outraged at parents and professionals seeking and providing alternative treatments for autism. Yet it does not even dawn on the Tribune journalists to ask why this situation exists. The answer is simple. For decades health authorities and researchers have abandoned parents to their own devices to find help for their autistic children. They have failed to spend significant resources searching for possible causes, treatments or cures for autism and now parents who don't have the luxury of ignoring the realities of their child's autism disorders, who don't want to abandon the field are under attack.

The journalists who chronicle current events fail to ask why treatments are not available and they will not ask why. Environmental research whether it arises from vaccines, power plants, plastics, children's toys or pesticides could have a negative impact on economic interests. The health interests of children particularly if they are not properly explored and proven will always be trumped by major financial interests.

Whether the Chicago Tribune likes it or not though parents will not quit on their children. While the health establishment and researchers dawdle in genetic past times parents of children with autism disorders will continue to try and help their children with the resources available whether the Tribune and health establishment like those resources or not.

.

autism

Kevin Leitch Goes Overboard, Opposes Interests of Children with Autism

2009-11-24T06:37:00.017-04:00

Yup Kevin Leitch opposes the interests and well being of autistic children.

That is the logical conclusion of the false dichotomy Kevin Leitch creates when he accuses Bob Wright of opposing the interests ofautistic adults. Mr. Leitch has his knickers in a knot because Mr. Wright commented on the activities of a few autistic adults in disrupting a benefit and therefore in Kevin's mind he is opposed to the interests of all autistic adults. Using Kevin Logic, in attacking Bob Wright for defending a benefit for autistic children, Kevin Leitch opposes the interests and well being of autistic children.

Autism is a spectrum and some like the ASAN supporters who stepped away from their keyboards to try and disrupt a benefit to help autistic children, have abilities lacking in many severely autistic children and adults. Bob Wright said, much more politely than I would have done, that he wished his more severely impaired grandson had their abilities. That is all he said.

The protesters subscribe to an ideology promoted by a few high functioning adults with autism and Aspergers who oppose the idea of curing autism. They are not content to oppose cures for themselves. They oppose cures for other people's children and for other adults more severely impaired then them. Mr. Leitch also subscribes to this ideology and is opposed to Autism Speaks and Bob Wright. Kevin Leitch is so tied to this anti-cure ideology that he is willing to shred whatever remains of his credibility and accuse Bob Wright of being opposed to autistic adults.

Kevin Leitch's comments about Bob Wright are nonsense, pure and utter nonsense, and should not be taken seriously. Give your head a shake Kev. You are losing it.

autism

Conor Returns to the Circle Place

2009-11-23T21:29:00.014-04:00

Conor returned to the Circle Place, the Nashwaaksis Commons, today for the first time in almost two years. He used to love going to the Circle Place and then he just stopped and refused to go back.

Today though we were in the area anyway and with some gentle urging from Dad Conor revisited his old haunt and had a blast. He has grown at least half a foot since his last visit and his footing was a little wobbly to start but he got it back quickly and had lots of fun.

Dad was happy too.

autism

Autism Speaks' Bob Wright Speaks Autism Truths

2009-11-22T13:49:00.024-04:00

"The protesters are lucky. They're well off enough, healthy enough, to do it. I wish my grandson were able to join them."

Bob Wright, New York Post, November 19, 2009

Bob Wright of Autism Speaks has called out the handful of protesters, barely autistic members or followers of the Autism Spectrum Self Advocacy Network, who made yet another attention grab by protesting a celebrity benefit held to raise funds and awareness for autism disorders. Autism Speaks has critics from various points in the world of autism but its events are attended by thousands of participants while ASAN is lucky to haul an even dozen away from the comfort of their keyboards.

These very high functioning, self identified, autism "spectrum" dwellers don't appreciate how lucky they are and go all out to disrupt efforts to help all persons on the autism spectrum including the low functioning, severely autistic children and adults who actually need the help. Self advocacy? Far from it.

ASAN is an oppressive group. Its barely autistic leaders identify with the "autism spectrum" concept and want to promote a view of autism which supports their own self image. To that end they suppress any portrayal of the negative realities that afflict those with severe, low functioning autism disorders.

ASAN protesters advocate against the rights and interests of the severely autistic, those who would have been diagnosed as autistic BEFORE the expansion of the diagnostic definitions of autism disorders in 1993-4. They seek to prevent research that could lead to treatment or cure of autism disorders. They, the very high functioning barely autistic, do not need treatment to attend university, establish corporate organizations, meet with high level politicians, write lengthy essays and of course, pose for photo ops and interviews with high profile, but autism ignorant, mainstream media publications like the New Yorker, the NY Times, Newsweek and the CBC.

ASAN does not want research to be conducted that could help cure those autistic persons, including children, who suffer from severe self injury, lack understanding of language, wander off into dangerous traffic, drown in neighborhood pools or live their lives in institutional care after their parents can no longer care for them.

Like Bob Wright I wish my son was able to join them in their protests. I wish my son was able to understand why they feel that their self identification with the word "autism" is so important that they are entitled, under the pretense of "autism spectrum" self advocacy, to suppress his rights and interests.

autism

Chicago Tribune Says Autism Treatment Uneccessary, Just Let It Be

2009-11-22T04:30:00.016-04:00

Apparently the Chicago Tribune is of the view that the only real concern facing autistic children and their families is the risks faced by treatments, and DAN doctors in particular. In two very superficial articles, yesterday's Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in science and an article today titled Autism treatment: Success stories more persuasive to some than hard data the Tribune continues its war against Defeat Autism Now and DAN doctors by ridiculing anecdotal evidence of successful autism treatment.

Although the Tribune has now published articles on two consecutive days on the subject of autism treatments it makes no mention of the most evidence based autism intervention ... ABA. While the Tribune is concerned about telling parents of autistic children what it feels is wrong in the world of autism treatments it doesn't consider it important enough to mention the widespread public health support for the evidence based effectiveness of ABA as an autism intervention.

And once again the Tribune makes no mention of the failure by public health authorities and researchers to seek all causes of autism or to attempt to find actual cures. Instead the Tribune simply ignores the real issues presented by autism disorders and sings "let them be, Lord them be" providing anecdotal evidence from Doctors that autistic children as they age will progress without intervention:

"But in evaluating a therapy, the challenge is determining how much, if any, of the progress can be credited to the treatment.

That is because, over time, children with autism do develop, said Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist and an autism expert at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. They make leaps; some may plateau or regress, but they show improvement.

"Kids are at their worst in the second and third year of life," Wiznitzer said. "That is when they are not talking. That is when they are most into themselves."

But around age 3 the children often begin to talk, he said. "Over 3 to 5 years, you see an improvement in communication skills. ... By school age, they have language to get needs and requests met," Wiznitzer said.

Between 10 percent and 20 percent of children with autism who were diagnosed early may make so much progress that they are indistinguishable from their peers and may "lose" the diagnosis.

This happens regardless of whether the child is undergoing alternative therapies, said Dr. Susan Levy, director of the Regional Autism Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. But parents may credit treatments for the gains."

And there we have it. In Chicago Tribune Autism World autism disorders do not require treatment. The solution to the challenges facing autistic children and their families can be found in the lyrics of John Lennon and Paul McCartney:

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah

There will be an answer, let it be.

No autism treatment, no ABA, no "alternative" treatment, no autism research into environmental causes or possible cures. the Chicago Tribune has "an answer" for parents concerned about their autistic children .... let it be.

autism

Autism Rising in Chicago: Tribune Investigation Determines Autism Increase is Real

2009-11-21T12:46:00.017-04:00

For the most part the article Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in science goes over old ground in attacking alternative autism therapies. At times it appears that the article is actually going to send current autism knowledge back to 1999 when Teresa Binstock outed the medical establishment for insisting that only genetic based autism research receive scarce funding dollars and that , by implication, environmental factors played no role in causing autism.

All of a sudden, almost out of the blue, the Tribune investigative report answers in the affirmative a question many have been asking by declaring that the startling rates of increase in autism over the past decade are real:

Chelation's popularity as a treatment for autism is driven by the unproven idea that the disorder is tied to accumulation of heavy metals in the body. Mercury, once common in vaccines as part of a preservative called thimerosal, is often pegged as the culprit. Yet the federal Institute of Medicine reported in 2004 that a review of dozens of studies had failed to show a link between vaccines, thimerosal and autism. Subsequent studies also found no connection. After thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines except for some flu shots, autism diagnoses continued to rise.

Congratulations to the Chicago Tribune for its investigation confirming that autism is indeed rising; that the increases in autism are indeed real. Since genetics can not explain these startling increases it should be clear, based on the Chicago Tribune's conclusion, that the autism increase is real, that environmental factors have to be involved in causing autism disorders. Maybe the Tribune can now do an investigative piece explaining why health authorities have discouraged environmentally based autism research over the past decade and more.

Maybe if health authorities pushed research of some of those potential environmental causes or triggers they could find cures and parents would not be left on their own trying to help their autistic children without the benefit of help from, and usually under attack by, scientific and health authorities.

Maybe.

autism

Homeostasis Model of Autism Causation - Is Autism Triggered By Glutamite and Glycine Imbalance?

2009-11-19T04:00:00.015-04:00

In a press release from PR Newswire, a New Jersey based business oriented think tank, The Center for Modeling Optimal Outcomes® LLC, outlines what it believes is a model of autism causation discovered while researching neuroscientific principles in business. The think tank members themselves are not scientists but had the assistance of various scientists at different stages of developing their model which they believe has widespread applicability to other disorders and to other areas of science.

The model appears to be focused on a concept called "homeostasis" and views autism disorders as triggered by disruptions in the homeostatic relationship of several variables:

"The Center's Life Sciences group was able to formulate a scientifically verifiable model for the highly probable causal path of autism. Through the application of their model, it became apparent that autism is an outcome of several variables that, when the homeostatic relationship of each one is disrupted, a "perfect storm" scenario results in autism. The application of the model identified several of the variables that account for why boys have a 4 to 1 ratio of instances over girls as well as why not every boy is affected.

While the scientific community will have to validate The Center's findings, the model for assessing homeostatic relationships indicates the "trigger" behind autism is an imbalance between a pair of amino acid neurotransmitters; glutamate and glycine.

The Center, perhaps naively, offers its homeostasis model of autism causation to the scientific community. Two problems emerge immediately that will cause problems for this model in being taken seriously by the "scientific community".

One problem for the homeostasis model is the focus on glycine which brings the model into potential breach of the 1st commandment of modern public health authorities - thou shalt not speak evil of vaccines, vaccine ingredients or vaccine injection schedules.

The second problem for the model is that the think tank members actually listened to, and received information from ...... parents of autistic children .... definitely a No No in the Vaccine Cult Era:

"According to The Center's founder, William McFaul, a retired business person and not a member of the scientific community, "Because of its universal applicability, our Life Sciences group has already used the model as a tool to identify highly probable causal paths for several illnesses and disease entities. Autism was one of most difficult illnesses The Center had attempted to analyze. If it hadn't been for so many parents insisting that vaccines were responsible for the condition, we might never have found the fact that the stabilizer in MMR and a few other vaccines is hydrolyzed gelatin; a substance that is approximately 21% glycine. It appears that, based on readily verifiable science, the use of that form of glycine triggers an imbalance between the amino acid neurotransmitters responsible for the absorption rate of certain classes of cells throughout the body. It is that wide-spread disruption that apparently results in the systemic problems that encompass the mind and the body characterized in today's 'classic' autism." He also added, "The use of our model indicates each of the disorders within Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is attributable to different disruptions in homeostasis. We look forward to sharing our findings relative to each disorder with the scientific community."

The Center members do not fashion themselves as scientists but offer their model for use by the scientific community. The press release offers a link to the Center web site for more details, and an email address, that of Linda Oliver Perrier, for more contact information:

The homeostasis model looks interesting. Hopefully it will be considered seriously by researchers actually trying to discover causes of, and cures for, autism disorders before it gets trashed by the Vaccine Cult defenders who have declared vaccines off limits for scientific inquiry as possible causes of autism disorders.

autism

Adult Autism Care in New Brunswick Is Our Top Autism Priority

2009-11-17T05:56:00.015-04:00

The Daily Gleaner makes brief mention of the Oscars for Autism event held Saturday Night at the Delta Fredericton.

Neil Lacroix and Kim Gahan of Autism Connections Fredericton, and Brian Jones of TD Waterhouse, deserve applause for their hard work in making the Oscars for Autism event a huge success. Stan Cassidy Centre developmental pediatrician, Dr. Tara Kennedy, a great asset for New Brunswick's autistic children, gave an excellent overview of autism disorders. Psychologist Paul McDonnell was recognized for his outstanding contributions to autistic children in NB. Parents of autistic children who fought for autism services, the many civil servants and front line workers who provide them, and the leaders who responded, former Premier Lord and Premier Graham, were all saluted.

NB is literally a world leader in providing evidence based services to autistic children and the people of NB as a whole deserve credit. We must focus now on those autistic youths and adults who require what is currently lacking - a decent residential care system to provide for them when families no longer can.

autism

Saskatchewan Still Canada's Autism Wasteland

2009-11-16T05:33:00.013-04:00

More than two years since I described Saskatchewan as Canada's Autism Wasteland the government of Saskatchewan is still dithering, and delaying instead of putting a quality system of autism services in place to help that province's autistic children.

In all fairness to Saskatchewan's political and public service elite they may not know much about autism disorders, or the importance of timely early intervention in helping autistic children live fuller, richer lives. Their failure to provide an autism intervention system with quality and integrity for autistic children across Saskatchwan appears to indicate a lack of any real understanding about autism disorders or the importance of early intervention in helping autistic children make real gains that will help them live fuller lives.

The Leader-Post reports that parents of autistic children rallied at the Saskatchewan legislature Thursday to protest lack of funding and provision of properly trained autism support workers. Tim Verklan, president of SaskFeat, Saskatchewan Families for Effective Autism Treatment, commented on the lack of properly trained help:

"We get warm bodies — with good intentions, but warm bodies — working with our children and they just fall farther behind.”

Apparently the Saskatchewan government has a plan in place but does not understand the urgency, the time sensitive element of providing intervention to autistic children:

"NDP health critic Judy Junor said parents aren’t getting access to adequate treatment.

“It’s very time sensitive. These children can really progress so quickly with intensive therapy that meets their particular needs,” Junor said outside the assembly.

Parent Arden Fiala, whose daughter has Asperger syndrome, said she wants government to know there’s an urgency to the call for a strategy and for “individualized” funding in the interim that is not income-tested.

“The start of the action plan of the (Premier Brad) Wall government is just that — a start. It is not addressing the immediate and critical needs on the front lines and we’ve yet to see the benefits,” Fiala said."

Timid, incremental, baby steps will preclude many autistic children in Saskatchewan from obtaining the help they need.

autism

An Autism Honor I Truly Value

2009-11-15T15:13:00.023-04:00

Last night I was honored with an award, for autism parent advocacy, as part of the Autism Connections Fredericton fundraiser and autism awareness event Oscars for Autism. I have in the past expressly avoided such recognition for fear it would be a distraction that would prevent me from doing what had to be done in advocating for autism services in New Brunswick. Last night's award though originated with people whom I have stood beside for many years in fighting for better lives for New Brunswick's autistic children and adults; people for whom I hold the highest regard and respect.... and it gave me a chance to take the stage and reinforce the reality that right now our priority should be in improving New Brunswick's youth and adult residential care system.

I enjoyed the opportunity to publicly thank Premier Shawn Graham for all that he has done for autistic children and students in New Brunswick. I was particularly pleased to thank former Premier Bernard Lord for everything his government did in laying the foundation for the progress that has been made in provision of autism services for New Brunswick children. In those first years when little in the way of services were available, and knowing the importance of time in obtaining intervention for autistic children as early as possible, things were at times a bit ... intense. Premier Lord left NB politics before being properly thanked for listening and responding in a considered, informed fashion ... despite the intensity. It was, and is, my pleasure to thank both of these leaders and the people in cabinet and the civil service who have made it happen.

"Oscars" were given out to persons with New Brunswick roots who have made outstanding community contributions including NB Premier Shawn Graham, former NB Premier Bernard Lord, Steve Murphy of CTV News, Bernard Richard, NB Child Advocate and Ombudsman, Reid Manorebusinessman (Tim Horton's), Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside, Dr Eddy Campbell (President UNB) Cathy Hutch, musician and mother of a young autistic woman, the Lapointes (music group), Marc Roberts ( East Coast Music Show) and Sheree Fitch (Author).

Dr. Tara Kennedy was the keynote speaker and gave an excellent presentation providing a basic overview of autism disorders and interventions and commenting on New Brunswick's leadership role as a small province which has done very well in providing early intervention services for autistic children and autism trained teacher assistants for New Brunswick's autistic students.

Photo 1 - My buddy Conor, holding my award today, the reason I have been actively involved with autism advocacy in New Brunswick during the past decade.

Photo's 2,3,4 courtesy of Dawn Bowie:

Photo 2 - Me, posing with award recipient, and Atlantic Canada's prominent news anchor Steve Murphy of CTV/ATV news. It was a pleasure having the opportunity to meet and talk with Steve.

Photo 3 - I had the privilege of standing with some of the people who have contributed much in autism advocacy in New Brunswick: L to R - Paul McDonnell, Gil Blanchette, Nancy Blanchette, Albert Bowie, Dawn Bowie and me.

Photo 4 - Neil Lacroix of autism connections fredericton, Kim McKeigan Speech Language Pathologist, Stan Cassidy Centre, Dr. Tara Kennedy, developmental pediatrician, Stan Cassidy Centre, Kim Gahan, autism connections fredericton,Elizabeth McDonnell, B.Sc.,OT (C), Occupational Therapist and Paul McDonnell Ph. D. clinical psychologist, professor emeritus (psychology) and the "Godfather" of New Brunswick's autism advocacy movement.

IACC Autism Research Plan: Dr. Steven Novella Throws a Tantrum

2009-11-13T05:25:00.026-04:00

Steven Novella MD, author of the NEUROLOGICA blog, doesn't like the recent IACC Statement on Autism Research and is throwing a tantrum. In IACC Statement on Autism Research Dr. Novella objects to the inclusion of research into possible links between vaccines and autism. Specifically he objects to language, approved unanimously by the IACC, that:

"calls for studies to determine if there are sub-populations that are more susceptible to environmental exposures such as immune challenges related to naturally occurring infections, vaccines or underlying immune problems."

In Dr. Novella's view this statement represents:

"the infiltration into the autism community of anti-vaccinationists – who have an agenda other than researching autism. In fact, the anti-vaccine movement has been unfortunately successful in branding themselves as autism activists and experts. This decision by the IACC represents the fruits of that infiltration – a distortion of funding for autism research to suit their anti-vaccine agenda. In fact, two members of the IACC – Lyn Redwood and Lee Grossman, were added specifically to represent the anti-vaccine movement in the (probably misguided) hope of placating that group."

It looks, at first reading, as though Dr. Novella has become, in the oft used words of his fellow "science" blogger Dr. David H. Gorski, aka Orac, a conspiracy theorist. Rather than do a full Orac on Dr. Novella though I think it is probably too early to tell just from his initial reaction. It is probably fairer to say, at this time, that Dr. Novella simply did not get what he wanted ... the exclusion of any reference to vaccines in the IACC strategic research plan, and his response is much like what any child who does not get his way might do ... he is lashing out ... he is throwing a tantrum.

Like many people who do not like the result or outcome of a process Dr. Novella is now furious and screams that the process itself was flawed from the outset. The inclusion of ... ugh... public representatives on the IACC is reprehensible to the good Doctor. After all Doctors should never have to listen to their patients right? No longer content to question the ability of public representatives to think about science Dr. Novella now feels that he has the expertise to determine who is, and who is not, a legitimate member of the "autism community".

Apparently it is no solace to Dr. Novella that Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the American Red Cross and the NIH, has articulated the premise that the existing vaccine autism studies were not specific enough and did not examine the possible impact of vaccines on vulnerable population subsets. Apparently it is no solace to Dr. Novella that Dr. Healy, as well as former CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding and neurologist Dr. Jon Poling have all stated that autism research should included further vaccine autism research.

Dr. Novella may be on the road to becoming what Dr. Gorski might call a conspiracy theorist but for now only one thing is certain ... the good Doctor does not like the result and he is screaming foul ... after the fact .

The Doctor is throwing a tantrum.

autism

Ontario Health Official Calls H1N1 A Dud Pandemic

2009-11-12T23:29:00.006-04:00

CBC interviewed Dr. Richard Schabas chief medical officer of health for Hastings and Prince Edward counties in eastern Ontario and former chief medical officer of health for the Province of Ontario about the H1N1 Pandemic and he called it a Dud:

""It's really not causing — and is not going to cause and nowhere has caused — significant levels of illness or death," said Dr. Richard Schabas, Ontario's former chief medical officer of health.

"But governments moved ahead regardless. They ramped up their response, spent a huge amount of money on vaccines and other things. I'm not sure the $1.5 billion includes the cost of new ventilators, the cost of Tamiflu stockpiles … the huge investment that's been put into planning for what has ultimately turned out to be, from a pandemic perspective, a dud."

Almost as stunning as Dr. Schabas comments in breaking ranks with the medical establishment is the willingness of the CBC to air an interview with Dr. Schabas.

Maybe there is still some hope for Mainstream Media journalism.

Maybe George Orwell's 1984 has not yet arrived in an H1N1 vaccine needle after all.

autism

Coincidence Says CDC When Young Athlete Suffers Guillain-Barre Syndrome After H1N1 Shot

2009-11-12T05:50:00.019-04:00

MSNBC reports that a 14 year old high school athlete in Virginia is struggling to walk after coming down with Guillain-Barré Syndrome within 18 hours after receiving an H1N1 flu shot:

Jordan McFarland, a high school athlete from Alexandria, Va., left Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Tuesday night in a wheelchair nearly a week after developing severe headaches, muscle spasms and weakness in his legs following a swine flu shot. He will likely need the assistance of a walker for four to six weeks, plus extensive physical therapy.

CDC spokesperson Dr. Claudia J. Vellozzi, deputy director for immunization safety provided a response heard often in possible vaccine autism cases, the usual it's all just a coincidence:

“We know that GBS and other illnesses occur routinely in the U.S.,” Vellozzi said, noting that 80 to 120 cases are diagnosed each week in the general population.

“There are events that follow vaccination. That’s what they are, they happened to follow vaccination.

Coincidence. Yeah, sure.

autism

Remembering, Giving Thanks and Enjoying What We Have Today

2009-11-11T21:17:00.033-04:00

This morning I remembered, in the comfort of my home, the sacrifices of those who have risked, and in too many cases given, their lives for our freedom. I am thankful and I am grateful for all that they have given and for all that they continue to give so that Canadians and other people can enjoy fundamental freedoms.

We often think of freedom in grand social, political or legal terms. The freedom to express oneself, to have a say in choosing those who will govern us, to try and influence the decisions of those who govern us. In my case the autism advocacy that I, and other parents, have been engaged in for the past 11 years would not be happening without the sacrifices of those that we pause to remember each year on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

This afternoon I remembered their sacrifices in a different way by enjoying the freedom that I sometimes take for granted, the freedom to walk with my son Conor and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us here in Fredericton. And I did think of those young men and women who never enjoyed these simple freedoms and pleasures that I enjoyed this afternoon. The young people who have given their lives would not be able to enjoy the sight of their son or daughter stopping at a local video store for a gumball treat as I did today with my buddy Conor; or see them run excitedly across the store parking lot to the trail back home.

To all of those who risked, or made, the ultimate sacrifices, to all those who continue to put yourselves in harm's way so that we can all be free, I remember and I say thank you.

FEAT BC Autism Rally Update Friday, November 13

2009-11-11T12:04:00.010-04:00

Parents of autistic children and their supporters will rally outside Premier Gordon Campbell’s constituency office this Friday, November the 13th at noon to protest the provincial government’s attempt to begin to dismantle individualized treatment funding and to mark the 5th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Auton decision.

FEAT of BC (Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC) is a not-for-profit volunteer organization of parents and professionals working towards universal access to effective, science-based treatment for all Canadians diagnosed with autism.

Louise Witt, board member and spokesperson for FEAT of BC states that “The recent tragic deaths of two Canadian children with autism, killed at the hands of their own parents, are a wake up call. The status quo is putting the health of children and their very lives in jeopardy. At present, no mandate exists to deliver healthcare to children with autism or to enshrine their right to this medically necessary treatment.”

“It’s been five years since the Auton decision was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada and kids with autism are still being denied their treatment” says Bev Sharpe, one of the founding members of FEAT of BC. “How many more children have to die? It’s long past time for the government to do the morally right and economically sensible thing, which is to provide treatment to these vulnerable children.”

For more information, contact Louise Witt at 778-999-0971 or www.featbc.org

autism

Neurodiversity's Extremist Autism Cure Opponents - By What Right Do They Object?

2009-11-11T09:40:00.016-04:00

The declaration has been made by celebrity "autists"or "autistics" like Michelle Dawson, Amanda Baggs, Ari Ne'eman and various Neurodiversity bloggers that ""We", persons with autism spectrum disorders, do not want to be cured".

These persons with mild autism spectrum disorders, including Aspergers, routinely declare that "autistics" do not want to be cured, should not be cured, and in fact can never be cured. Their implied claim to omniscience aside, by what right do these people purport to speak on behalf of other people's children, on behalf of people much more severely affected by autism disorders than they with whom they have little in common, and even on behalf of higher functioning autistic persons who oppose their ideological opposition to curing autism?

The same people who object to Autism Speaks, who turn out in massive droves of 5, 6 and even 7 people to protest at large Autism Speaks rallies of thousands of parents and autistic people, and who dwell in the lavish attention of CNN, the NYT, CBC, the New Yorker and other mainstream media outlets, demand the right to impose their ideological opposition to autism cure on my severely autistic son and the children of other people with autistic children. On what grounds do they claim this right?

Do I have the right to demand that Ari Ne'eman seek a cure for his very high functioning Aspergers? Do I have the right to tell Michelle Dawson who excelled in the challenging work environment at Canada Post, appeared as an "autistic" in the Supreme Court of Canada and before a Canadian Senate committee to oppose ABA for autistic children in Canada that she must seek a cure for her unspecified autism spectrum disorder? Do I have the right to tell Amanda Baggs, the author of many very sophisticated disability essays on autism and other medical conditions and the producer of videos depicting what she considers autistic stimming, that she must seek a cure for her autism spectrum disorder?

The answer, of course, is NO. And Ari, Michelle, Amanda and other ideological opponents of curing autism have no right to oppose or interfere with attempts by families, governments and society to cure their own autistic children or to cure those autistic adults like Jake Crosby and Jonathan Mitchell who seek cures for themselves.

I have a message for Ari, Amanda and Michelle: I do not seek to cure you of your Aspergers or high functioning autism disorders. Do not claim the right to speak on behalf of my severely autistic son. You have no right to interfere with efforts by me, or other parents, seeking to help or cure our autistic children. None at all.

Someday, hopefully, even if you do not, the dilettante autism journalists at the NYT, the CBC and other MSM outlets will come to understand that you are interfering with the basic rights of families and parents to help their own children.

autism

FEAT BC Autism Rally At Premier Campbell's Office Friday November 13 at 12 Noon

2009-11-10T20:23:00.015-04:00

FEAT Rally

Friday, November 13^th, 2009

12:00 Noon

Premier Gordon Campbell’s Constituency Office

3615 West 4^th Ave

Vancouver, BC

Why should you attend?

The recent tragic deaths of two Canadian children with autism, killed at the hands of their own parents, is a wake up call! The status quo is putting the health of children and their very lives in jeopardy.

September’s announcement by the Ministry of Children and Family Development has shown that our government is not concerned about the rights and needs of some of its most vulnerable citizens.

No legislation or mandate exists to deliver health care to children with autism or to protect and enshrine their right to their medically necessary treatment. What little individualized funding being provided now is in jeopardy of being taken away.

Autism is an epidemic! According to the Center for Disease Control, it now affects one in every 100 children in North America.

It is time for our provincial government to recognize its responsibility to act and to demonstrate leadership for the rest of Canada!

Who should attend?

-parents, grandparents, friends, consultants, therapists, anyone who is concerned about this injustice to our children. We urge you all to attend this rally!

Featured Speakers will include:

Jean Lewis – Vancouver parent, board member, Medicare for Autism Now!

Bev Sharpe – Vancouver parent, board member, Families for Early Autism Treatment

Louise Witt – Surrey parent, spokesperson, Families for Early Autism Treatment

(To RSVP or for more information email abarocks@gmail.com )

autism

End the Vaccine-Autism War Now: Do The Comparative Study and Quit Demeaning the Parents Who Actually Care for Autistic Children

2009-11-10T04:19:00.015-04:00

The vaccine-autism war has continued unabated, primarily because of the actions of Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Thomas Insel and the IACC. It will continue until a credible observational study comparing autism rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations is done.

The IACC ventured near a possible end to the war when it contemplated doing an observational study comparing autism rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. Instead, under Dr. Insel's direction, it engaged in procedural shenanigans to take the option off the table, aggravating hostility and suspicion amongst those who observed the onset of autism symptoms in their children after vaccination.

Dr. Insel added to the mess by informing Senator Harkin's committee that such a study could not be done. Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the NIH, and Dr. Julie Gerberding, formerly of the CDC, have both stated that the observational autism study could and should be done. Dr. Duane Alexander has also stated that such a study could be done.

Dr. Paul Offit signaled that it was OK for the media to heap scorn on vaccine concerned parents when he painted himself as a martyr and began a crusade to silence any criticism or questioning of vaccines. Now mainstream media and bloggers, including alleged science bloggers , routinely demean and admonish the people who are actually helping autistic children ... their parents. In doing so they are hurting those same autistic children and elevating hostilities in the vaccine-autism war.

It is parents, not Dr. Paul Offit, who actually do the day to day caring for autistic children and who represent their children's interests. In telling these parents to sit down and shut up, in mocking these parents, the "vaccines above all else crowd" are in fact signaling their contempt for the role of the family, the role of parents, in caring for and raising children.

The IACC can continue to sit by and hope that the current Offit inspired media offensive against parents of autistic children who question whether vaccines caused or triggered their child's autism will silence those parents. It is a false and futile hope. Not because these parents are inherently stubborn but because they require more than condescension , flawed, conflicted, statistical massages, and trite cliches (correlation does not imply causation) before they will be persuaded.

If the IACC wants to end the vaccine-autism war it will recommend funding to do the comparative study called for by Dr. Healy and Dr. Gerberding and have it done by credible, conflict free, research authorities. The more the IACC resists calls for such a study the more it will appear it has something to hide. If it wants the vaccine-autism war to continue it will refuse to conduct the study.

It's that simple.

autism

Autism Is Rising And We Still Don't Know Why

2009-11-08T06:23:00.009-04:00

“What bothers us is that we really don’t know why it [autism] is increasing"

Dr. Alexis Reyes, November, 2009

The above quote by Dr. Alexis Reyes, President of the Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, is taken from an article in the Manila Bulletin, Help sought as autism cases rise. Dr. Reyes discusses the rise in US autism statistics from 0.4 to 0.5 per 1,000 in population in the 1960's to 0.71 to 1.1 per 1,000 in 1990 to 1 in 150 a few years ago to current estimates of 1 in 91.

Dr. Reyes' honesty in admitting candidly that autism experts really can't explain the startling increases in autism is unusual and refreshing. Many experts point to the DSM and ICD diagnostic changes in the early 1990's to explain increased reports of autism and couple that with increased social awareness and diagnostic substitution. But the truth is that while it seems obvious that a substantial increase in reported cases of autism would result from such factors, particularly the diagnostic manual changes, it does not seem obvious that those factors explain all of the increase. In particular, no one can honestly say that autism figures are still being revised upwards every two years solely because of social factors and diagnostic changes made 15 years ago.

The truth is exactly as stated by Dr. Reyes, autism is increasing and we don't know why. What Dr. Reyes doesn't state is the reason we don't know why autism is increasing: funding authorities have refused to back research into non genetic causes of factors involved in autism over the past two decades.

Teresa Binstock reported in 1997 that the "it's gotta be genetic" official model of funding autism research precluded research involving environmental factors in autism. Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Researcher, stated in 2009 that even today "about 10 to 20 times more research dollars are spent on studies of the genetic causes of autism than on environmental ones".

Hopefully Dr. Thomas Insel of the IACC and other "experts" charged with recommending which autism research projects get funded and which do not will finally have an awakening, will come to their senses and start funding environmental autism research.

Maybe someday years from now, after the necessary research is finally done, we will begin to truly understand why autism is rising and what we can do to treat and cure the autism disorders that restrict the lives of so many. Maybe ... hopefully.

autism

CARD Study Finds Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Ineffective Treatment for Children with Autism

2009-11-07T05:19:00.007-04:00

CARD, the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc., has conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial which found that HBOT, consisting of 24% oxygen delivered at 1.3 atmospheres of pressure, does not have a significant effect on symptoms of autism. The study is summarized on the CARD blog.

autism

Respectful Insolence Is A "Science" Blog?

2009-11-06T21:18:00.013-04:00

Respectful Insolence is reportedly a "science" blog. Orac the blog author is a medical doctor, a surgeon who uses the internet to do nothing more than trash and smear anyone who disagrees with his "scientific" views or whom he disapproves of for any reason. Most of his blog comments are unsupported by anything other than childish name calling. His 1o most recent blogs starting with November 6, 2009:

1. Desiree Jennings "cured" of her "vaccine-induced dystonia"? November 6, 2009

Despite the comment title Orac actually spends the first few paragraphs attacking Suzanne Somers before moving on to smear Desiree Jennings. When he does get around to attacking Ms Jennings, the beautiful cheerleader who developed dystonia after receiving a seasonal flu vaccine shot, he challenges her medical diagnosis, apparently without ever actually meeting her himself. The failure to actually meet the person whose diagnosis he ridicules does not stop the pompous Orac from insinuating that whatever is wrong with Ms Jennings it is all in her head. Of course the doctor who actually did see and treat Ms Jennings is called incompetent. In Orac world incompetent doctors actually see the patient they are diagnosing and treating. Competent doctors/surgeons simply read things on the internet and mock the individual from the certainty and clarity of their keyboard. I guess medical practices are different in the US of A than what we are used to here in Canada.

2. An Age of Autism commenter destroys yet another irony meter November 6, 2009

This one touches on "science" only in the sense that playground tough guy Orac brags about a writer at the Age of Autism " it's just J.B. spewing the same pseudoscientific nonsense that I've slapped down over and over." Oooooh. Lots of science there Orac.

3. The 123rd Congregation of the Skeptics' Circle... November 5, 2009

Orac coasted on this one, simply directing readers to another blog which, like Respectful Insolence, confuses schoolyard name calling for skepticism.

4. The anti-vaccine movement, cranks, and "pseudo-expertise" November 5, 2009

The title says it all here. Orac's science consists of calling anyone who asks questions about vaccine safety quacks and pseudo-experts. But there is more Orac style "science":

cranks, staring down the barrel, if you will, of a crank shotgun, one barrel being the anti-vaccine movement in general, ... unreason, conspiracy mongering, and pseudoscience ... the arrogance of ignorance ... endanger public health .. J.B. Handley's misogyny/

5. Has Desiree Jennings' VAERS report been found? November 5, 2009

This is the first Orac post in which he speculates about Desiree Jennings medical condition without having actually met with her. In this he offers the following speculation about this woman that he has never met, based on records the he thinks MIGHT be hers:

If it is, it's seeming more and more likely that Jennings probably doesn't have a "true" dystonia, but rather one with a significant psychogenic overlay.

There it is. The scientist/surgeon/blogger speculates that Ms Jennings condition is all in her head, without having met her and without even being sure that records he is relying on are hers or that they represent her complete medical file.

6. Holocaust Denial on Trial podcast November 4, 2009

In this comment Orac refers readers to some outside sources dealing with Holocaust Denial. The Holocaust is indisputable historical fact and the deniers of the Holocaust deserve to be called out for denying the atrocities of the Holocaust but it is not science and Orac acknowledges that.

7. Another celebrity anti-vaccine moron: Billy Corgan November 4, 2009

The name calling in the title is repeated and throughout the comment with some intellectual analysis Orac style thrown in for good measure: "Bullshit, Billy. Bullshit."

8. Blogging Suzanne Somers Knockout, part 1: How cancer testimonials mislead , November 3, 2009

In this one Orac spreads his usual litany of insults rambling away from the Somers book to attack anyone who dares question the safety of vaccines. The usual unsubstantiated ranting takes place:. quackery and medical pseudoscience, empty-brained celebrities, the bubble of woo-friendly southern California, celebrity woo promotion.

9. On why misogynists shouldn't mess with the Goddess... November 2, 2009

In this one Orac, who suggests that Desiree Jennings difficulties following vaccination were psychogenic without meeting her, and without being sure the documentation he examined was actually hers, takes JB Handley to task over his criticisms of Amy Wallace of Wired. He then goes on to indicate, without substantiation, that the entire anti-vaccination movement is misogynist.

10. Data weeps: Does Brent Spiner have anti-vaccine proclivities? October 29, 2009

I skipped a few because they were covered in the first posts on this page dealing with Desiree Jennings or self congratulatory bragging from Orac. In the Brent Spiner post he mocks Spiner and insults him with his usual insults: Malibu-inspired woo, ... Brent Spiner appeared on the surface to have drunk deeply of the anti-vaccine Kool Aid. But was it just on the surface, or is Spiner really an anti-vaccinationist? Let's see if we can figure it out. I waded into the Twitter exchange that followed--and was appalled.

Respectful insolence is not a science blog. It is, for the most part, simply a forum for attacking anyone who asks any questions about vaccines. Silly insults are a staple at RI, insults hurled by a medical doctor who questions the diagnosis of a woman he has never met, using records which he is not sure are hers. It is a vaccine cult blog where all vaccines are assumed to be safe and effective and where anyone who dares question a vaccine is mocked with childish schoolyard insults. But you will have to look long and hard to find any actual science. And there is nothing respectful about his insolence, nothing at all.

autism

Up All Day and Night - Severe Autism Self Injurious Behavior Video From CDFoakley

2009-11-06T10:23:00.010-04:00

The following video from CDFoakley is not easy to watch. The severely autistic youth featured is engaged in serious self injurious behavior. Those who love and care for him pay a huge price. The video talks of families struggling alone and government agencies that just don't help.

Maybe if the media would stop promoting the self indulgent agendas of the barely autistic and started focusing on the harsh realities of the severely autistic governments would get the message.Maybe they would understand the truth about severe autism realities and stop focusing on real autism issues.

Maybe media and government should watch this and other videos by CDFoakley and learn the truth about severe autism disorders.

autism

Autism Priorities and the DSM V: Media Ignores Invisible, Severely Autistic in DSM V Discussions

2009-11-06T06:28:00.008-04:00

The invisible autistics, the severely autistic, those with Autistic Disorder, profound developmental delays, cognitive and intellectual deficits, those who can not live independently, who live on hospital wards and in large, antiquated psychiatric institutions do not make regular appearances in the New York Times and its junior Canadian cousin the Globe and Mail. Nor do they appear regularly on the various CBC television and radio shows that have fawned over Michelle Dawson, Amanda Baggs and more recently Ari Ne'eman.

In the big, mainstream media discussions, and opinions about the proposed changes to the developmental disorders section in the DSM V nothing has changed. Ari Ne'eman and other barely autistic, very high functioning persons with Asperger's Disorder continue to receive all the considered attention of the big media while the severely autistic remain, as always, invisible. There is scant mention in any of the mainstream media commentaries of those whose lives are most severely restricted by autism disorders. The Globe and Mail breathes hot air about "a culturally rich autism" while ignoring those severely autistic persons living in institutional care throughout Canada.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

autism