AUTISM OPTIMISM

Autism Optimism is moving!

2010-04-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Autism Optimists,

Autism Optimism is now .ca!

I'm building a new website and blog here:
www.autismoptimism.ca

Join the Autism Optimism Facebook Group to share stories, pictures, links, books, poetry and your thoughts on the spectrum!

Follow Autism Optimism on Twitter: @AutismOptimism

Cheers,
Wanda

Vaccination Deliberation?

2009-10-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Parents are concerned about the safety of vaccinations and the autism community has an on-going debate whether there is a the link between vaccines and autism. Ultimately, it's a parents decision to have their children vaccinated or to abstain from the popular practice. As a parent to a young man with autism I choose to put my younger son on a delayed vaccination schedule - just in case. That was our decision as a family and I do not feel the need to side with either extreme points of view in the vaccination debating community. Dr. Joe Schwarcz, author of the bestselling books, An Apple a Day, Foods That Fight Cancer brings us Science, Sense and Nonsense: 61 nourishing, healthy, bunk-free commentaries on the chemistry that affects us all. Feel free to read the excerpt below and use the information as you see fit.

A Case for Vaccination

By Joe Schwarcz, PhD.
Excerpt from Science, Sense and Nonsense (09/08)

AVOID! One of the most common words of advice heard these days. Avoid tap water. Avoid bottled water. Avoid butter. Avoid margarine. Avoid the sun. Avoid sweeteners. Avoid genetically modified foods. Avoid plastic bags. Avoid paper bags. Avoid preservatives. Avoid dairy. Avoid meat. Avoid soy. Avoid— ah, never mind. I could go on and on with a litany of such “avoids.” There are some valid points to be made with some of these, but there is one avoid that I cannot stomach. Advising parents to avoid childhood vaccination is scientifically unjustified and dangerous.

Vaccination just may be the most significant medical advance in history. It is difficult to estimate the number of lives saved, but it is in the many millions, to say nothing of the countless number of people who have been spared the misery of mumps, measles, whooping cough and polio. I can vouch for the agony of whooping cough myself. Feeling as if you are going to cough your lungs out is a memory that doesn’t leave you easily. I survived, but one of my classmates in grade two did not. And how often can one say that a disease has been completely wiped off the face of the Earth by a medical intervention? The last case of smallpox was recorded in 1978. The World Health Organization estimates that smallpox killed as many as 500 million people in the twentieth century and that as recently as 1967 it was responsible for two million annual deaths.

Other vaccines may not have eradicated diseases, but they have curbed their incidence very significantly. Cases of whooping cough in North America have declined from a pre-vaccination peak rate of about 300,000 per year to 10,000. Measles from a million cases a year to a hundred. Diphtheria and polio are almost nonexistent today in developed countries. The incidence of hepatitis B and tetanus have been reduced by a factor of forty, rubella by two hundred and mumps by four hundred. The effectiveness of immunization is simply beyond argument. How can there be an issue here? How can some parents choose not to vaccinate their children?

It really is a conundrum. But the answer likely lies in a growing distrust of the “medical establishment,” a discredited but widely publicized scientific study, inaccurate information being spread on the Internet, and a lack of understanding of the difference between an association and a cause-and-effect relationship. Although we may not think of it in such terms, the decisions we make in life often come down to a risk-benefit analysis. Whether it is flying in airplanes, eating smoked meat, taking cholesterol lowering medication, or vaccination, there are always pluses and minuses to consider. There is no denying that immunization does come with some risk. Rashes, joint pain and fever are well documented, as are occasional lapses in the speed with which safety issues concerning vaccines have been addressed. Oral polio vaccines, which were more convenient to administer than the injected form, were responsible for actually causing the disease in rare cases. Yet some twenty years were allowed to pass before switching back to the safer, injectable form. An infant vaccine against an intestinal infection that struck roughly four million babies a year in North America was found to cause an increase in life-threatening cases of bowel collapse and had to be abandoned. Although there is no scientific evidence linking the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal to any disease, it probably should have been removed from vaccines more speedily when ill effects attributed to mercury in other contexts became apparent.

Vaccines, in a sense, are becoming victims of their own success. As memories fade of the horrors of the original diseases that they prevent, more attention is being focused on possible harmful side effects. Indeed, one can judge the progress of society by looking at its worries. Instead of having to be concerned about millions dying from smallpox or coming down with measles or whooping cough, we worry about the possibility of vaccination being linked with some cases of autism. That suggestion was raised in 1998 by a paper published in the British medical journal The Lancet. Andrew Wakefield and twelve colleagues claimed that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) caused a bowel disease that then caused autism.

The report received extensive publicity and triggered public demonstrations against mandatory vaccination. Most scientists were skeptical of the Wakefield study, and their skepticism was borne out by the results of an investigation published in 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Danish researchers had examined immunization records and autism diagnoses for all children born between 1991 and 1998 and found that unvaccinated children were just as likely to be diagnosed with autism as those who had received immunizations. The Lancet study was further discredited when it was revealed that Wakefield had failed to disclose he had received a large grant from a group of lawyers who were looking for ammunition in a lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers. In the end, ten of Wakefield’s co-authors retracted their support for the original research, saying that in retrospect the results as reported were not valid.

Other studies around the world also refuted the link between vaccines and autism, but a vocal group of anti-vaccine advocates maintains that a witch hunt has been organized against Wakefield to protect vaccination interests. Humbug. The fact is that autism commonly shows up at roughly the same age that vaccines are given, and an association can readily be mistaken for a cause-and effect relationship. But even if there really were a link between autism and vaccination, the anti-vaccine movement would still not be justified. The benefits overwhelm the risks.

In Britain, the consequences of the vaccine scare are already being seen in rising rates of mumps, rubella and measles. And Britain faces another problem: homeopaths are recommending that tourists travelling to malaria-stricken destinations use homeopathic remedies instead of well-tested prescription prophylaxis. This is ludicrous. Homeopathic products contain no active ingredient of any kind, so it comes as no surprise that a number of travellers have already paid for their folly with their health. Many homeopaths also advise their patients to avoid vaccines in lieu of a cacophony of implausible homeopathic medications. If indeed you are looking for something to avoid, how about this silly and dangerous advice?

Excerpted from Science, Sense and Nonsense Copyright © 2009 by Dr. Joe Schwarcz.

Excerpted by permission of Doubleday Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

Hex on Rex!

2009-08-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

First it was Michael Savage, then Denis Leary and now we have Rex Reed adding himself to the list of recent celebrity autism bashers. I'm very dismayed by the circumstances surrounding Reed's comments considering he was reviewing a movie called Adam which involves the topic of Aspergers. To add insult to injury, Reed comments that he knows people with Aspergers. So let me get this straight, this makes it alright for you to slam everyone on the spectrum then? Reed's stereotypical statements are hurtful and politically incorrect to say the least. I'm not sure if this haggard hasbeen is looking to get some attention- you know that old saying, "any press is good press" -or if he has a giant chip on his shoulder for individuals with ASD. I'm not going to repeat his comments here. If you want to bother reading Reed's review then click on my title Hex on Rex! To view an insiders review of the movie Adam then check out Jake Crosby in Age of Autism.
Picking up the pieces and moving on, once again.

For the Love of Sports

2009-06-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you give a boy with autism the opportunity to play sports? Optimism!

My son Kyle has been a sports fan, I would say since way back in the womb. I think he wanted to play soccer for all the kicks I had to endure! One of Kyle's first words in his very limited vocabulary as a child was- wait for it- hockey! It was the first word he learned to spell. His Dad had to cut down a hockey stick to fit his short stature and we lost a few vases but c'est la vie.

Flash forward to when Kyle was in his last year of a life skills program in high school. He was being prepared for the real world. They call it mainstreaming or transitioning into society. We all knew his graduation was going to be bitter sweet. It's a sad thing for some special needs students when their whole world is school staff, classmates and a safe environment. There isn't too many possibilities to look forward to in their post high school future. The fortunate can fit into an adult life skills or work training program but not all services and classes are available for all abilities. There's lots of fear, uncertainty and worst of all alienation.

Kyle is one of the lucky ones. He is very verbal and enjoys socializing. He loves physical activities, likes to be busy and he can be trained to do jobs with some supervision. Did I mention he loves sports? In preparation for Kyle's transition from high school to the real world we signed him up for a Support Worker with the VON. It was touch and go with a few candidates. Some didn't want to commit and some just didn't fit. Then there was Ian. Our VON coordinator said he was perfect for Kyle and guess what, he was all that and a bag of chips, as Kyle would say! Ian was in teacher's college and looking forward to coaching and teaching phys. ed. plus he was interested in the field of special needs. Well, as you can imagine the two guys got on like a house on fire! The one thing we all noticed was there was no communication gap between the two guys. Ian and Kyle participated in typical stuff like hanging out with Ian's friends, going to the movies, Tim Hortons, ball games, bowling, tennis, mini golf, horse racing, and billiards - just to name a few. Ian was a regular part of Kyle's life for the better part of two years but then Ian had to go and get a job, (bleep)! Actually, we were all very proud to hear that he started teaching high school in his home town. Unfortunately, it's an hour and a bit away but the guys still keep in touch through Facebook. I think the students in Ian's classes are a very privileged bunch to have him for a teacher even if they don't know it yet. Ian is also a sports writer for the Chatham-Kent Daily Post. He's written an awesome article about Kyle and how he was influenced by his unique view of sports. Kyle rarely keeps score, he's been known to root for both teams and it's high fives all around when a bowling buddy gets a strike! For Kyle it's all about the love of the game. That old adage, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" really does apply here. Kyle would tell you that word for word and actually believe it too.

To see Ian's article click the blog title or go here:
http://ckdp.ca/autism-sports-optimism/

Teen with Autism Spectrum Disorder Missing in Toronto

2009-05-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Toronto police have been searching for 16 year old autistic teen since Wednesday, May, 27. On Tuesday evening Mason MacPhail was attending an all ages concert with his friends on Polson Street at The Docks. Mason became separated from his three friends at 9:30 p.m. Mason was supposed to meet friends at the venue's parking lot at 11:30 p.m. but he didn't show up. The last communication with Mason was through a text message to his mother that evening. Mason McPhail lives in Lindsay, Ontario and he is unfamiliar with Toronto and has a limited sense of direction.

See the story below.
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090527/090527_missingboys/20090527/?hub=CP24Home

Missing Autistic Boy Found Wimpering In The Woods

2009-05-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

SUN MEDIA PHOTO

On Sunday evening in London, Ontario, four year old Daniel Connor went missing from his family home. His disappearance set off panic in his parents since the boy has autism. The nature of autism can make a child more vulnerable and gullible. After a search party involving volunteers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and an RCMP helicopter, it was a neighbor who found Daniel. The neighbor, Al Tipping, participated in the all night lookout for Daniel. It was in the early hours of Monday morning that Tipping was alerted by the boy's wimpers in the woods. It's been reported that Daniel was missing for eleven hours and he is the youngest of eleven children. Daniel's mother Debora Connor is thankful for the quick response and assistance in her son's search.

All About Autism

2009-04-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Recently I was researching autism statistics in Canada and came across a catch-all website called Love To Know. Along with a myriad of other topics, the site has a great collection of reference material about autism and autism related issues. In particular I would like to recommend the Diagnosing Autism section for those parents concerned about their child. I can imagine that at times a parent may question their child's atypical behavior and wonder if it's "normal" so to speak. Sometimes a parent may have an inkling that their child might be displaying a typical autism behavior. If you arm yourself with autism terms or lingo, then this information can be a helpful tool when communicating with teachers or medical professionals. For instance, as a young mother, I didn't know that tip toe walking was a trait of autism. Before my son's diagnosis, not one therapist thought to ask or noted my son's peculiar walk. I thought my son's style of walking was just part of his unique offbeat nature. He would grow out of it, right? Twenty years ago I studied Child Psychology, but back then the information about autism gave only examples of the two extremes of the spectrum. I read about the autism trait of hand flapping but my son didn't display this behavior. He did, however, hold objects close to his ear and scratch them. As a child my son loved it when his Nana showed him how to hear the ocean in a conch shell! Now that my son is a young man I can ask him about his old autism behaviors. He says that he liked to scratch things because it was relaxing to concentrate on the sound. He says that he walked on his tip toes because it felt better to be taller!

So, if there's things you need to know then check the link below for more info.
If you know of any other great autism sites then add them by way of a comment below this post.

http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Main_Page

Yoko's Autism Art Auctioned off Peace by Peace

2009-04-03T13:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I reported that Yoko Ono's artwork mural called "Promise Piece" is being auctioned off, (ahem) peace by peace so to speak, in support of Autism Speaks. I had to check around to confirm the spelling because I thought Yoko might have spelled it peace in homage to her late husband's famous song "Give Peace a Chance". Puzzles, pieces, peace, whatever, it's all good if it's support of autism right? See the link below for more information on the auction and to view the mural in it's completed form.

http://imaginepeace.com/news/archives/6206

Yoko Ono Auctions Artwork for Autism Awareness

2009-04-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Today is World Autism Awareness Day! During the month of April, artist and singer Yoko Ono is holding an auction of her artwork in support of the non-profit organization Autism Speaks. The mural entitled "Promise Piece" is divided into 58 puzzle pieces, each signed by Ono who is famously or infamously recognized as the widow of former Beatles band member John Lennon.

To read the full story view the link below.

http://www.looktothestars.org/news/2222-yoko-ono-to-auction-artwork-on-world-autism-awareness-day

Fire-Man / Spider-Man Rescues Autistic Student

2009-03-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

The first day of school proved to be too scary an ordeal for an autistic student in Bangkok, Thailand. The teacher from a special needs class alerted the local fire department that a boy was on the third floor balcony and could not be coaxed back inside. After a few failed attempts to coerce him off the balcony, his mother mentioned her son's superhero- Spider-Man. A quick witted fireman rushed back to the firehouse for an outfit change and returned as Spider-Man to rescue! To much relief, the boy succumbed to the safety of Spidey's arms. Kudos to the fireman for using his ingenuity and his costume collection to save the day!

To read more on this story see the links below.

http://cbs2.com/watercooler/spiderman.autism.thailand.2.966363.html

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/sns-ap-as-thailand-spiderman,0,2401231.story

Obama Goes For the Gutter with his "Special Olympics" Bowling Joke

2009-03-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

It hasn't even hit the 100 day mark for the new President and already the honeymoon is over. It's way over for me and thank you very much I'm Canadian!

This morning I received a few e-mails containing links concerning President Barack Obama's recent stint on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. To say the least I find it very disappointing and somewhat surprising that Obama would be so insensitive to the learning disabled community. In an attempt to make fun of himself, Obama commented that his low bowling score was suitable only for the Special Olympics. If a world leader finds it acceptable to be so callous then how can we expect the rest of society to be more sensitive when he sets such a poor example? In his effort to come off as self deprecating he ended up insulting a large segment of people and their supporters. As the mother to an autistic young man who participates in Special Olympics Bowling I find the President's comment to be offensive and disparaging. All I can say is, shame on you Barack Obama. Shame, shame, shame!!!

See the story and video links below.

http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_obama_special_olympics.html

http://video.ap.org/?g=0319dv_pol_obama_calif

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/19/obama-compares-bowling-score-special-olympics-tonight/100days/

Fantasy and Mystery in a Sea of Self-Discovery Second Edition

2009-03-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Anastasia Project by Loren John Presley is a science fiction fantasy that is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. The author takes us on a fantastic journey told through the eyes of a dolphin named Anastasia. The reader is introduced to Anastasia as a lost, lonely, and confused dolphin who awakens from a strange sleep. She can’t retrieve her memories or recall her name and doesn’t recognize her surroundings.

On the surface the story is presented as a dolphin’s mysterious adventure but there is a deeper meaning to be found in this dolphin’s tale. The author is also giving the reader a glimpse into his struggles with Clinical Depression. The dolphin travels deep into the ocean in search of her home, which is a metaphor for the author’s experience dealing with depression that sent him descending into the depths of despair “…all the way down to the dimly lit ocean floor.” Anastasia and Presley draw upon their strengths and courage to persevere and navigate through their strange new worlds. Both the dolphin and the author are on personal quests. As Anastasia searches for her lost memories and the safety of home, Presley is on his own mission of self-discovery and on his way to self-acceptance.

Presley portrays Anastasia feelings of hopelessness with her futile exploration of the ocean, “She almost would have liked to give up, not thinking of what she would do with herself if she did, but she felt inside she had to keep going. She must see herself through. Her innate determination would not let her give in so easily.”Presley’s rare insights can be attributed to his unique personal perspective living on the autism spectrum with the diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome. The author describes a common autistic trait through the dolphin’s experience with auditory sensitivities,

“The shrill ring pierced her sound-sensitive brain and throbbed sorely in her head.”The author expresses Anastasia’s loneliness and her desire for a sense of belonging, “Although a sense of serenity and beauty suffused the water and the reef, a disquieting sense of fear began to rise in her core; she found that she was alone.”

The Anastasia Project is written for young readers but I would recommend it to any adult who feels young at heart. The book is well written and eloquently descriptive. A delightful attention to detail can be seen with the bonus of wonderful illustrations sketched by the talented artists, Loren John Presley and Robyn Olague. If you have an appreciation for science fiction or you have a particular affinity for dolphins then this read will keep you riveted. If you are interested to learn from the author’s mixture of creative interpretation and personal experience dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome and Clinical Depression then this book is a definite must read. Loren John Presley is a unique author and artist with a brilliant mind, a creative spirit, an artistic flair, and so many insights to share! Fans of Presley’s writing will be looking forward to more stories from him in the near future!

Visit Loren John Presley's web page links here:

http://www.lorenjohnpresley.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=98379175857&h=PN0hS&u=C0NQN

Drug to Cure Learning Disabilities on the Horizon?

2009-03-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

A Canadian research team discovered a link to a missing protein in the brain and the development of learning disabilities. The brain cell protein is known as Neto1 and it's job is to help the brain cells communicate with each other. Toronto researchers have also been testing drugs known as ampakines on Alzheimer's patients and witnessed promising results. The patients show improvement in the same area of the brain called the hippocampus which deals with learning and memory. It is undetermined which learning disabilites could also benefit from the drug but the researchers have expressed their guarded optimism.

For more information about the research see the CTV news health article at the link below.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090224/learning_disabilities_090224/20090224?hub=Health

Fantasy and Mystery in a Sea of Self- Discovery

2009-01-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Fantasy and Mystery in a Sea of Self- Discovery

The Anastasia Project by Loren John Presley is a science fiction fantasy that is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. The author takes us on a fantastic journey told through the eyes of a dolphin named Anastasia. The reader is introduced to Anastasia as a lost, lonely, and confused dolphin who awakens from a strange sleep. She can’t retrieve her memories or recall her name and doesn’t recognize her surroundings.

On the surface the story is presented as a dolphin’s mysterious adventure but there is a deeper meaning to be found in this dolphin’s tale. The author is also giving the reader a glimpse into his struggles with Clinical Depression. The dolphin travels deep into the ocean in search of her home, which is a metaphor for the author’s experience dealing with depression that sent him descending into the depths of despair “…all the way down to the dimly lit ocean floor.” Anastasia and Presley draw upon their strengths and courage to persevere and navigate through their strange new worlds. Both the dolphin and the author are on personal quests. As Anastasia searches for her lost memories and the safety of home, Presley is on his own mission of self-discovery and on his way to self-acceptance.

Presley portrays Anastasia feelings of hopelessness with her futile exploration of the ocean, “She almost would have liked to give up, not thinking of what she would do with herself if she did, but she felt inside she had to keep going. She must see herself through. Her innate determination would not let her give in so easily.”

Presley’s rare insights can be attributed to his unique personal perspective living on the autism spectrum with the diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome. The author describes a common autistic trait through the dolphin’s experience with auditory sensitivities, “The shrill ring pierced her sound-sensitive brain and throbbed sorely in her head.”

The author expresses Anastasia’s loneliness and her desire for a sense of belonging, “Although a sense of serenity and beauty suffused the water and the reef, a disquieting sense of fear began to rise in her core; she found that she was alone.”

The Anastasia Project is written for young readers but I would recommend it to any adult who feels young at heart. The book is well written and eloquently descriptive. A delightful attention to detail can be seen with the bonus of wonderful illustrations sketched by the talented artists, Loren John Presley and Robyn Olague.

If you have an appreciation for science fiction or you have a particular affinity for dolphins then this read will keep you riveted. If you are interested to learn from the author’s mixture of creative interpretation and personal experience dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome and Clinical Depression then this book is a definite must read. Loren John Presley is a unique author and artist with a brilliant mind, a creative spirit, an artistic flair, and so many insights to share! Fans of Presley’s writing will be looking forward to more stories from him in the near future.

Vist Loren John Presley's web page here:
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=98379175857&h=PN0hS&u=C0NQN

Did Jett Travolta Have Autism?

2009-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

After hearing the news about Jett Travolta's death, seeing the photos and file footage of the Travolta family both my husband and I looked at each other and said "Jett had autism." As parents to an autistic child we can spot the signs. We later found out that Jett suffered from seizures which is common for some people on the autism spectrum. We were expecting over the next few days to hear some sort of public statement from a family member or representative stating that Jett had been diagnosed with autism and had died as a result of a seizure. Instead of this revelation there has just been gossip surrounding the 16 year old's untimely death and rumours about his nannies and Scientology's stance on treatments. I recently read an article reporting that John Travolta's brother Joey Travolta believed that Jett had autism and as a former teacher to special needs students he would know.

"John and Kelly have long denied suggestions that Jett had autism, saying instead that he suffered from seizures brought on by Kawasaki Syndrome."

I'm not sure if Jett was on the spectrum or if he had some other learning disability but it would surely help the autism community if this matter could be cleared up. It would be so disappointing if we learned that John and Kelly ignored their son's disability because their religion didn't recognize it or worse, decided to adopt a shame and secrecy stance in an attempt to hide their son's learning disability. So many celebrities come forward and help raise money and awareness for autism and other learning disabilities. It would be a real travesty if the Travoltas' fears of labelling their son outweighed the good they could have done to help the autism community. Maybe it's really none of our business and they do have their right to privacy even if they put themselves out there in the public eye for us all to gawk. Maybe my take on this is totally wrong and far be it for me to judge any family's decision when dealing with a disability. Stay tuned for more updates if the family decides to address their son's disability any further. I chose to post the photo above as it shows the tip-toe walking that tends to be a common autistic trait.

See the link below for the Joey Travolta story.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/01/john-travolta-1.html

Celebrities Sound Off On Leary's Autism Comments

2008-10-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid that Denis Leary is getting just what he wanted which is public exposure for his new book. Slamming the autism community with comments about lazy children and competitive parents, Leary resorted to the shock jock approach to getting . All the talk about the chapter Autism Schmautism in Leary's book "Why We Suck: A Feel-Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid" is better than doing a book tour for sure. To make matters worse he tried to dissuade the backlash mentioning his involvement with a friend of an autistic child. It's kind of like a racist saying " I'm no bigot, I have black friends." In any case, we're not buying it Denis! This comedian's attempt to make a funny at the expense of the autism community has resulted in adding to the public's misconceptions about the true nature of autism. Shame on you Denis! Hope you get burned trying to put the flames out on this one!

See comments from Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete in the links below.
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/jenny-mccarthy-takes-on-denis-learys-autism-comments/14285

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27229732/

Be Leery of Denis Leary!

2008-10-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Another public figure has gone and done it again and by this I mean opening his mouth and spouting off gibberish as if he has any authority or clue to voice his opinion on the topic of autism! Actor Denis Leary has written a book and decided to mouth off about autistic children and basically he is full of sh*t! I don't know if he did this just to get people all rilled up so they would talk about him and his book or if he's trying out some new material for his stand up routine. Whatever the reason it's destructive to the autism community! I hope Jenny McCarthy gets a hold of his cell phone number and gives him a right good blasting! I used to be a fan but now I despise the man!
See the dumb ass' quote in the story links below.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008/10/denis-leary-you.html

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/b64077_denis_leary_tries_defuel_his_autism_fire.html

Jenny McCarthy Changes Her Tune From Cure To Recovery

2008-10-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

I was doing some crunches this afternoon when I heard that Jenny McCarthy was going to be a guest on Ellen. I've been a supporter of her autism crusade efforts and I'm eager to read and review her new book. The only thing I've taken issue with in the past was Jenny's use of the word cure when referring to her son's autism. It was interesting to note that right at the top of the interview Ellen states something like " you're not claiming your son has been cured are you?" It seems as if Jenny's prior use of the word cure has given her some flack and a reason to backtrack on her previous claims of a cure. I'm glad to hear that she is now using the word recovery instead. Some may say I'm just arguing about semantics but I think it's important to use the correct terms so we don't give false hope. I'm all for recovery and wish all people with autism could be given the opportunity to do so!

See my earlier blog story here:

http://autismoptimism.blogspot.com/2008/04/autism-in-news-april-3-2008-jenny.html

See the links below for the Ellen show and Jenny's website.

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/10/jenny_mccarthy_lands_in_ellens.php

http://www.generationrescue.org/

A New Weapon for the Brave Autism Crusade: Jenny McCarthy's MOTHER WARRIORS

2008-09-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

Great news for Jenny McCarthy fans! The best selling author, autism advocate and actress has written a new book about courageous mothers in Mother Warriors. Jenny and her partner Jim Carrey appeared on the Oprah show to share inspirational stories of incredible women who have triumphed over the turmoil in their lives. I've been anticipating this book after reading and reviewing Jenny's last book about her son Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey In Healing Autism.
See the review here: http://wandalynnesbooknook.blogspot.com/

For details on the Oprah show see the link below:
http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20080910_jenny

Autistic Man Swims Across Lake Ontario

2008-07-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough couple of weeks dealing with the rotten smell from Mike Savage's garbage. Pheeew!!!

On a more positive note, Jay Serdula has challenged himself and the world to take notice of his learning disability and his athletic ability by swimming across Lake Ontario. A brave undertaking to say the least and certainly a more welcome positive light to shine on autism for a change!
See the links below.
http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/07/30/6306471.html

http://swim4aspergers.wordpress.com/about/

Let's Take The Mike Away From Mike!

2008-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not familiar with radio talk show host Mike Savage but I do know that he is sadly misguided and misinformed when it comes to the topic of autism. Apparently he referred to the autism epidemic as a fraud and the people diagnosed with autism as brats! Wow, isn't it a shame that people with a public platform are free to make general statements on asinine whims just because they sit in front of a mike and broadcast out over the airwaves? This kind of nonsense is harmful. It can put autism crusaders back a few steps because undoubtedly some listeners will agree with this jack a**'s point of view! I agree with the National Autism Association that there needs to be a retraction, an apology and equal time given in support of autism awareness. Looks as if I'm not missing much being deprived of the Savage talk show. Who's the real brat in this story?

Go to the link to read the full story.
http://www.healthinformer.net/parents-of-children-diagnosed-with-autism-demand-retraction-and-apology-from-mike-savage.html

Child With Autism Voted Out Of Classroom

2008-05-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

What is the world coming to?! I couldn't believe what I was reading when a fellow autism mom alerted me to this sad story. A particularly insensitive Florida teacher, Wendy Portillo, decided to resort to Survivor style voting tactics in her classroom. Apparently a 5 year old boy named Alex with high functioning autism was being a disturbance in her classroom so she instructed the students to humiliate him with insults and vote whether to keep him in the class. The children were each given a chance to say what they didn't like about their classmate. The class voted and all but 2 said he had to go. Alex has been victimized and traumatized by both his teacher and his peers. The PATHETIC EXCUSE for a teacher has been reassigned. Hopefully this is just a step the board is taking before they fire her cruel @$$.

To see video of the boy's mother click below.
http://www.cbs12.com/video/index.php?bcpid=1137883291&bclid=1143359274&bctid=1576242234

Article to be seen below.
http://www.cbs12.com/news/port_4707872___article.html/teacher_behavior.html

Autistic Teen Banned From Church

2008-05-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

This story makes me sigh with exasperation. In this case a 13 year old boy with autism attends church services with his family. You would think that in this setting every accommodation should be made or at least attempted to let the youth and his family participate in the mass. Reports state that he was banned from attending the church after restraining was warranted. I just wonder if the congregation was frustrated by the disturbance and decided he just had to go. There is no mention of special accommodations being offered like a space or room available for disabled people or a volunteer to help assist the family during their time of worship. I don't know all the details but the end result points to a failure of a solution. As usual one of the bigger problems is public reaction to demonstrative individuals with autism or any person with a disorder that makes them stand out from the crowd. Instead of sympathy sometimes you get sneers.

See the link to the story below:
http://www.startribune.com/local/19085694.html?location_refer=Homepage

Autism Hunger Strike

2008-05-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

Autism in the News

May 10, 2008

Stefan Marinoiu is a father of a 15 year old boy with autism. Along with many others parents, Stefan is frustrated with the Ontario Provincial Government's lack of commitment to families living and struggling with autism. To show his level of desperation and garner some much need attention Stefan has resorted to going a hunger strike at Queen's Park in Toronto. On day 6 of his autism protest Stefan has gained some media attention and support from visitors and on-line fans. This tenatious man's actions go to the core of just how desperate the situation really is for autism funding and awareness.

See Stefan's story covered by the Toronto Sun at the link below.

http://www.torontosun.ca/Video/?fr_story=21d53247c78b07225dafce4bb0d1748056b36f8b

Walk Now For Autism

2008-05-06T07:44:00.001-07:00

Just thought to mention that Autism Speaks is running it's Walk Now For Autism on Sunday June 8th @ Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto.

See the link below for a list of all event locations and more information.

http://www.walknowforautism.org/site/c.ghKKIUPFIuE/b.3948809/

Jenny McCarthy On CBC Show The Hour

2008-05-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Jenny McCarthy's autism crusade is going strong and gaining momentum with her frequent tv appearances and the ever-present support of her partner Jim Carrey. She is going to be an interesting person to follow and probably one of the loudest celebrity to make some noise about autism awareness. See my You Tube Video Bar for proof! Recently I saw her on the CBC television show The Hour and thought it was one of her most candid interviews to date. Host George Stroumboulopolos must have put her so at ease that she felt comfortable enough to slap both his cheeks with her own enthusiasm! Jenny later says "it takes a bit of crazy to change the world". You go girl!

Click on my title to visit CBC'S "The Hour" or search on You Tube.

Autism Signs

2008-04-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Autism Facts

Autism spectrum disorders, commonly referred to as autism, are brain based developmental disabilities categorized by language/communication problems, impaired social interaction, and repetitive, rigid behaviors and interests.

The symptoms of autism vary widely from child to child and range from mild to severe.
Once considered rare, autism is now estimated to affect 1 in every 150 children in the United States; every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed.

Autism is four times more common in boys than in girls, and occurs in children of all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Symptoms can often be detected by 18 months of age or earlier. When parents first suspect the first signs of early autism may be present they should discuss these concerns with their pediatrician and ask for an autism screening.

Research indicates that early identification and intensive early intervention can result in significant positive outcomes for many children with autism.

Early Signs Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

By four months of age:
Does not make eye contact or makes little eye contact
Does not seem interested in other people
Does not react by looking at people when they are making social "sounds", such as humming or clapping
Does not show much interest in people as objects
Does not have a social smile (smiling back to someone who smiles at them without being cooed or touched)
Does not show interest in watching other peoples' faces

By 12 months of age:
Does not combine eye contact with smiling
Does not babble (or the babble does not sound like "talking")
Does not look at objects that another person is looking at
Does not try to engage other people in what he/she is looking at or doing
Does not follow a person's eye contact when the person points out an object and says, "Look at the airplane!"
Does not engage in back-and-forth gestures, such as giving, showing or sharing toys
Does not respond when name is called
Does not point using the index finger
Does not show a caring or concerned reaction to other people crying
Does not use gestures, such as waving "hi" or "bye"

By 24 months of age:
Does not point to share interests with others, such as pointing to an airplane
Does not imitate common activities of others, such as sweeping the floor
Does not develop pretend of make-believe play
Does not use single words by 16 months, no two-word spontaneous phrases ("go car" or "look doggie") by 24 months

Other developmental signs:
May develop language and/or social skills normally and then lose some or all of these skills
Has repetitive body movements (hand flapping, spinning)
Fixates upon a single object, such as a spoon or book
Cannot tolerate change in routine or environment, such as a new toothbrush or a replacement for a lost toy
Has oversensitivity to texture, lights and/or sounds
Has delayed motor skills (late walking, riding a tricycle or learning to jump)
Prefers to play alone or does not interact with peers as expected, such as asking for friends to come over, playing together or taking turns
Lines items up or puts things in order repeatedly
Has excessive tantrums and is difficult to console
Walk on tiptoes
May not enjoy cuddling or being touched unless it is on own terms

The presence of any one or a combination of these warning signs does not necessarily mean that your child has an autism spectrum disorder. If your child demonstrates any of these signs, please discuss your concerns with your pediatrician and ask for a referral for further evaluation.

Autistic Boy Saves Mom In Labour

2008-04-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

April 1st is known as April Fools Day but this day was no joke for 11 year old Craig Draper. Craig's mother went into premature labour and he knew something had to be done. Craig's situation was complicated by the fact that he has autism and finds it difficult to communicate. He knew it was an emergency and ran to an nearby neighbor's home for help. To get the attention of the family friend all he could think to yell was "there's a bomb!" over and over again. Craig is now the proud brother to sister Rachel who will certainly look up to her big brother as her hero. Mother Michelle is very proud of how cool Craig stayed under all the pressure.

See the story below.
http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b1062624-2dff-4fcd-a281-8da107c4a77a

Ever Visited Holland?

2008-04-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

I recently reconnected with a dear school friend on facebook. She reminded me of a story that highlights the adventures found raising a child with autism. As it turns out my friend and I have more in common than some shared childhood memories. Her son has autism too.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND by Emily Perl Kingsley. c1987

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Early Autism Intervention Is Crucial

2008-04-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
April 4, 2008

I don't think there's anyone out there who would dispute that getting the news your child has autism would be a hard pill to swallow. As hard as it is to face the facts that come with the diagnosis once it's made it's crucial that the disorder is detected and intervention is started as early as possible. Some very young children are even put on an "autism watch" when they start to show developmental delays but it's deemed too early to test or tell. In my son's case he was given the incorrect diagnosis of ADHD along with the now laughable guess that he was hearing impaired. Yes, we actually had to put him through a battery of hearing tests and he actually wore hearing aids for a period of wasted time. I'm not too bitter really, but it's too bad we didn't used that time more productively with a speech therapist. We also wasted too many hours travelling to Psychiatrist appointments all for the sole purpose of messing around with medications and doses. Oh, if only I had my time back I would have asked more questions and rejected more suggestions!
See the story below.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080402.wlautism02/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home

Jenny's Autism CURE Claims

2008-04-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
April 3 ,2008

Jenny McCarthy is on a crusade to help parents with autistic children. She's even recruited her new beau Jim Carrey. Recently, Jenny has been all over the talk show circuit; timed to coincide with the first World Autism Awareness Day. Her young son Evan has been diagnosed with autism and she's claimed to have cured him. I've watched several of Jenny's interviews and she does indeed use the word "cure" and the word "fix" when referring to her son's autism. I must say that Jenny's repeated use of these words doesn't sit very well with me. I wish she would use the term recovery instead. I know what she means to portray but I feel it comes off the wrong way especially to people dealing with everyday autism struggles. Jenny has managed to control some of her son's behaviors with ABA therapy and a special diet to control food allergies so his symptoms have subsided. The real truth is that Evan will always be autistic. Autism is not cancer. It can't be cured and people with autism don't need to be fixed. The word cure is misleading and the word fix is insulting. Autism exists for a person's lifetime and the best we can do is help the autistic person develop skills to cope and manage in the world. If the medical community developed a pill to cure autism and I gave it to my autistic son then I imagine he would become a totally different person wouldn't he? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Evan, Jenny and Jim but I think her miracle claims of a cure are doing the autistic community a major disservice. Should we all be searching for a miraculous combination of therapies and services in order to cure our loved ones of autism? What if we don't succeed? Are we all not doing the best that we can with our limited resources? Evan is one lucky boy. Jenny is a very devoted mother but she needs to act responsibly and edit herself if she's putting herself out there as an autism advocate.

Above is a recent picture taken at the movie premiere of Horton Hears A Who with Evan, Jim, Jenny and Jim's daughter Jane
See recent news on Evan, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey below.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/02/mccarthy.autsimtreatment/?iref=hpmostpop#cnnSTCVideo

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/02/mccarthy.autsimtreatment/?iref=hpmostpop

WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY

2008-03-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
April 2 , 2008

It's been a long time coming but it's finally here!

World Autism Awareness Day

Check out the sites that are promoting autism awareness around the world.

http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org/site/c.egLMI2ODKpF/b.3917065/

http://www.autism.net/content/view/912/668/

http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/world_autism_awareness_day_2008.php

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=836501&sourceType=3

Autism The Musical Is A Hit!

2008-03-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

I can't rave enough about the documentary Autism The Musical! I was very impressed with the insights that came from Wyatt. He delves into his history dealing with bullies and moving schools. He's very eloquent and descriptive with his take on what it's like for him to be autistic. I also appreciated the views from Lexi's mother who wishes her daughter and all autistic people were valued in society. The documentary highlights the unfortunate trend for parents dealing with autism which is separation, divorce or crumbling relationships. Sleep deprivation is another thing these families have in common. Countless sleepless nights can be spent struggling with a restless child or lying awake with your own worries about your child's future. Although the documentary shows the struggles with the autism families it also shows a great deal of compassion and hope. The point of the Miracle Project musical was to give kids on the spectrum a chance to show their talents in an non judgemental, caring environment. All these kids need is to be given a chance to show their abilities and talents. Kudos to Elaine Hall and all the Miracle Project staff.

See the links below.

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/autism/index.html

http://www.themiracleproject.org/home.html

Virtual World For Autistics

2008-03-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 30, 2008

Naughty Auties is a Second Life virtual world for people with autism. A place for autistic people to connect was started by David Savill, 22, who lives in Gloucester, England. He lives with Asperger's Syndrome. "Residents of this digital realm can represent themselves with 3-D images called avatars and connect with each other over the Internet." See the news story below.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/28/sl.autism.irpt/index.html

Autism Is A World on CNN Monday

2008-03-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News

March 29, 2008

Sue Rubin is a special young woman living a full life with autism and a life full of challenges. We get a glimpse into her special world with the Oscar nominated documentary Autism Is A World. CNN is broadcasting the insightful documentary about Sue's life and it airs commercial-free on Monday, March 31, from approximately 4:00-5:00 a.m. ET. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program). You might want to record this one unless you just happen to be up that early. I watched Sue's story in the past and found it to be very enlightening even with my own expertise dealing with my autistic son. See the 2 news stories here.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.autism.world.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/studentnews/03/26/cnnce.autism/index.html

Autism: The Musical

2008-03-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News

March 19, 2008

I've been anticipating the release of the documentary film Autism: The Musical. The movie takes us on year long journey in the life of five autistic children in Los Angeles, California as they write and rehearse for an original stage production. The movie has made it to the Oscar shortlist. At the recent premiere HBO's Nancy Abraham sees the film "as less a documentary about a disability and more a film about people you can connect with." Film producer Sasha Alpert says "We wanted to do a film about autism but make it entertaining." She adds, "We wanted to leave people with a little more knowledge and a smile on their face." All I can say is "Bravo!"

See the movie link below.

http://www.autismthemusical.com/index.php?session=myhomepage&id=

Autism Song "Open Every Door"

2008-03-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 18, 2008

A song "Open Every Door" is being re-released to mark the first UN World Autism Awareness Day. Sri Lanka-born singer/songwriter Nimal Mendis' song is being recorded by south asian star Gresha Schuilling. The song is available for download on April 2nd through the website www.mediaeyeproductions.com

http://top40-charts.com/news/Pop-Rock/UN-WORLD-AUTISM-DAY-AND-THE-AUTISM-SONG-OPEN-EVERY-DOOR/39060.html

Autism Over The Loudspeaker

2008-03-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 15, 2008

Once again celebrity attention is being given to autism but this time in a much louder package. Jenny McCarthy resently released her book Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey In Curing Autism. McCarthy goes into detail about raising her young autistic son. Earlier this week McCarthy was a guest speaker at the Toronto Convention Centre's Holistic World Expo where she spoke about her struggles with her son Evan. She preached about the toxins in vaccines and the need to use diet and suppliments to help cure autism. I've read her book and know how passionate she is about curing autism but somehow the word cure doesn't sit too well with me. For all her efforts I believe that Jenny will eventually come to realize that autism is a lifelong disorder. Her son may be able to blend into society as an adult but autism will always be a part of him.

See the news story below.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jhRlvPhbpETHoiBWvmjpfUq2vhMQ

Addressing Autism Myths

2008-03-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 15, 2008

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a very puzzling developmental disorder that carries with it a myriad of myths. CNN Medical News is promoting a special "The Myths Of Autism" to help dispel the common myths associated with autism and the people affected by it. For example, not every autistic person is a sauvant and their behaviors and abilities vary all along the spectrum.

See the story below and read or send comments to Dr. Gupta.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/2008/03/myths-of-autism.html

Golf Pro Ernie Els Reveals His Son Has Autism

2008-03-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 13, 2008

Life's not so easy for "The Big Easy."

Golf master Ernie Els recently showed up to pratice for the US Open with an Autism Speaks logo on his golf bag. This of course started the press asking questions. He revealed that his son Ben has autism and he wants to riase money to find a cure.

It's always interests me how putting a celebrity's face and story to a disorder helps to raise the public interest. With the increasing rise in the autistic population I'm sure more and more people will get to know children and parents dealing with autism in their own community. We tend to pay more attention to celebrities and it's more fashionable to talk about the plight of the famous over the water cooler. Whatever the initial fascination may be at least it helps to draw some attention and put autism out there for public awareness. See Ernie's story below.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/11/sgels111.xml

Artist Paints A Picture Of Autism

2008-03-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News

March 12, 2008

Artist Megan Tollefson is a Arizona State University grad. She also has 2 cousins with autism. She's seen first hand how the disorder can affect the whole family and wanted to bring about more public awareness. She painted a picture commemorating the States recent Autism Candlelight Vigil.

See the story below.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/ahwatukee/articles/0311tr-autismartist0312.html

Autism Book For The Classroom

2008-03-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 11, 2008

One of the biggest challenges for teachers and parents to an autistic student is dealing with the classmates. Navigating the school playground and recess social scene can be daunting even for the regular population but imagine having communication difficulties or ticks that make you stand out in a crowd. In my experience it's best to introduce and explain the classmate's autism as early as possible and to encourage inclusion. The parents and teacher need to be on the same page about this mind you. Communication is vital and best if it's daily in written form. The teacher shouldn't wait for a problem to go away or get out of hand to start addressing the issue. An example of this would be to ignore instances of teasing and bullying. A recent book "A Is for Autism, F is for Friend: A Kid's Book on Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism" by Joanna Keating-Velasco was developed as a resource for teachers and students. See the article below.

http://speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=109072

Jon Stewart Hosts Autism Benefit

2008-03-10T03:58:00.000-07:00

Autism In The News
March 10, 2008

"A Night Of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit for Autism Education" will be held on April 13 in New York with Jon Stewart as the host to a bevy of Hollywood comedians and stars. Robert Smigel of Saturday Night Live fame started the first benefit in 2006 to help raise awareness and funds for autism education. His son Daniel has autism.
See the story below:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4PWHbqQ7fnPpKGirYMhb6ShWoGAD8VAC7U80

New Autism Film: The Black Balloon

2008-03-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

Autism in The News
March 7, 2008

Rain Man and What's Eating Gilbert Grape are well known movies that help to put autism out there but they also end up adding to the stereotypes. In the recent movie Black Balloon, Elissa Down lets us peek into her life growing up with two autistic brothers. The coming of age movie stars Rhys Wakefield, Gemma Ward, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Toni Collette. The film promises to show a more true-to-life version of a family dealing with autism.

See the story here:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/auteurs-autism-artistry/2008/03/06/1204402629681.html

Autistic Girl Types Her Story

2008-03-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

Autism In The News
March 4, 2008

Here's an uplifting story about a 13 year old girl who gives us a peek into her world. Carly has autism and uses her computer to communicate. Communication can be a struggle for the non-verbal autistic person and their family. Carly types, "It is hard to be autistic because no one understands me."

See the story below.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080217/favaro_carly_080217/20080217?hub=TopStories&s_name=

IBI ISSUES

2008-03-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Autism In The News
March 3, 2008

IBI or Intensive Behavioral Intervention treatments are crucial for some children with autism. The treatments help to bring the children out of their enclosed world so they can learn and relate to others in a social way. The problem and ongoing concern for parents is the aging out of the IBI elligibility. Parents fund huge out of pocket costs to keep the therapy going and invariably go into debt due to the lack of funding. See the story link below.
http://www.yorkregion.com/article/69049

Jenny McCarthy's Book On Autism

2008-03-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey In Healing Autism

Real Women Magazine Jan/Feb 07
Optimism in the Face of Autism
by Wanda Lynne Young

You may be familiar with the name Jenny McCarthy but I must admit that I haven’t been following her career too closely. McCarthy is a comedic actress, television personality, Playboy playmate and a best-selling author. She’s written about pregnancy, motherhood and marriage in her books, Belly Laughs, Baby Laughs and Life Laughs. I never thought she and I would have anything in common other than our mutual appreciation for Jim Carrey movies. As it turns out, we both have sons with autism. In her recent book, Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey In Healing Autism, McCarthy takes a departure from her usual humourous tone. In the book, she gives readers a brutally frank and honest account of her struggles in dealing with her son’s condition, a failing marriage and a spotty career. The book starts with the harrowing tale of when McCarthy finds her two-year-old son Evan laying in his crib having a life-threatening seizure. McCarthy later reflects on this incident as being a giant wake-up call. Dealing with the wrong diagnosis of epilepsy, Evan then goes through a terrible ordeal of trying different medications and dealing with the wildly varying side-effects; at one point McCarthy wonders if she’ll have to choose between having a psycho kid or a zombie kid. Readers go on a very bumpy ride along McCarthy’s journey to the world of autism. After her son’s delayed diagnosis, the author gains insight through another celebrity, Holly Robinson Peete, who has an older son with autism. Robinson Peete tells McCarthy to imagine her son is stuck behind a window that she needs to pull him through. This image works well if you consider the common belief that there’s a limited window of opportunity to get through to autistic children.McCarthy jokes that she deserves a degree from the “University of Google” after all the Internet researching she did in her quest for answers and treatments to help her son. One thing the author swears by is her son’s gluten and casein-free diet which limits wheat and dairy products. Evan, who is now five, still maintains this diet. McCarthy also credits her son’s continued improvement to Intensive Behavioral Intervention, or IBI therapy. McCarthy gives her opinion on a variety of treatments, therapies and sounds off about the long wait lists and inordinate costs to treating autism. She strives to keep a level head throughout her ordeal but continues to question why or how her son developed autism in the first place. As far as the controversial vaccine theory, she weighs in on this topic, too, her wish being there was a test available to assess a child’s vulnerability before getting a vaccine.McCarthy credits her tenacious drive to her strong maternal instinct and deep connection to her son and sees herself as a messenger of hope and help for other “autistic moms” to find faith that their child can get better. McCarthy isn’t wearing a pair of rose-colored designer shades here either. She notes that there are children who never seem to improve or advance in therapy and warns that early intervention is crucial. McCarthy insists that all parents and pediatricians need to be aware of the signs or red flags that could be characteristics of autism; she reflects on missing her son’s signs such as his excited hand flapping, tip toe walking, lack of eye contact, spinning objects and fixating on moving parts, just to name a few. McCarthy wanted to share her story not to evoke sympathy but to raise awareness and encourage parents to become strong advocates for their children. As for my personal experience, I’ll save my son’s story for another time, but my advice to parents is to hold on to hope and harness every bit of help you can. Come to think of it, maybe it’s time I write my own book. Something to think about...

Autism Speaks Info Kit

2008-03-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

Autism In The News
March 4, 2008

Autism Speaks has developed an information kit for parents dealing with the autism diagnosis for the first time. I wish this kit or any kit was available for us way back about 15 years ago. Basically parents get the diagnosis at some doctor's office and then you're on your own. No kidding! You end up leaving stunned with all kinds of questions. What is autism? Who do we talk to? When can we get help? Where can our child go to school? How do we cope? Apparently they can customize the kit to fit you're family and area. This is the type of thing that can help soften the blow a bit. One of the biggest problems dealing with autism is the maze of services and professionals. The first challenge is knowing where to find the maze before you can start weaving your way through it.
See the story below.

http://autism.about.com/od/autismmultimedia/fr/100daykit.htm

J Mac Story

2008-03-03T12:08:00.001-08:00

Autistic Basketball Star

Neurofeedback Study

2008-03-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

Autism In The News
Feb. 28, 2008

Neurofeedback is a treatment for autism symptoms. In layman's terms, the autistic person's brain is wired differently and the feedback therapy claims to help with the social confusion associated with the disorder. I wish my son, now 21, was given the opportunity to try the technique but he "aged out" before we had access to the treatment. See the story below.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/02/27/neurofeedback-study.html?ref=rss

Drowned Girl Update

2008-03-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

Autism in The News
March 3, 2008

Xuan Peng, 36 was found guity of second-degree murder in the drowning of her autistic daughter, Scarlett. The automatic life sentence carries a minimum 10 year sentence. Reports indicate that the Peng had suffered from depression and bipolar disorder. Scarlett's father and grandmother appeared to be holding it together, so to speak. Scarlette, 4 at the time of her death, had spent time in her grandmother's care. Peng had called her husband several times on that fateful day. I have to question the family's level of support or help from their community. Where's the social workers? Where's the respite services? Did the family ignore these options or were they even aware of the services available? Were they on a waiting list? I'm just wondering if the family was going it alone. The stress of raising an autistic child can make a stable person crack. It's a fact. Xuan Peng, with her psychological problems, must have been a ticking time bomb! The key is to know when to ask for help.

See the news story here:
http://news.therecord.com/article/317383

Mother Drowns Autistic Daughter

2008-02-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

Autism In The News
Feb. 28, 2008

I was hoping for something good to report on in the world of autism but not today. It's a sad, sad, state of affairs when a parent resorts to drowing her autistic daughter instead of reaching out for help. I'm sick with sadness and can't write anymore. God bless Scarlett. See the story below.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2008/02/28/4881885-sun.html

Big Brother in Big Trouble

2008-02-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

AUTISM IN THE NEWS
February 18, 2008

My Response To Comments Made on CBS Show Big Brother
As a parent to an autistic young man I'm very dismayed to hear about the insensitive nature of a special needs worker. The comments he made are utterly asinine and very disappointing considering his training. The use of derogatory slang "retards" is offensive and should not be tolerated. Shame on you Adam! Let's hope this lousy excuse for a human being gets kicked off the show and loses his job to boot.
See the story below.
Autism group demands apology from CBS for offensive remark http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080218/entertainment/big_brother_autism_protest

Autistic Basketball Star

2008-02-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

Autism In The News
June 11, 2007

Jason McElwain is living the life! Basketball hero, Hollywood knocking on his door and now an author of a book about his life living with autism. Read his inspirational story about defying the odds and making success out of whatever life dishes out.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17166929/