Re: CAA>> Finding a drug for autism could prove quite lucrative

August 24, 2006

Needed to point this out..the search for the magic pharmaceutical drug.

Still, the businesses that have the biggest chance to make a

difference are the pharmaceutical companies. This is ironic, since

many blame them for producing vaccines that contain toxic levels of

metals and preservatives that have been linked with triggering the

autism. Finding a drug that will help the s of the world could

prove quite lucrative. Especially in light of the fact that the

Combating Autism Act of 2006, which is currently making its way

through Congress, will provide close to a billion dollars in

autism-specific funding.

>

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/spotlight/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10\

03051771

>

> 's Not Such A Bad Guy After All August 23, 2006

>

> By Hein

>

> NEW YORK -- When 16-year-old Fabio applied for a job at the

Mc's near her home in a suburb of Boston, she was merely

following the lead of her peers. After all, it's almost a rite of

passage for American teenagers to flip burgers once they're old enough

for working papers.

>

> But one aspect of Fabio's life sets her story apart. Fabio suffers

from autism, the complex neurological disorder previously known to

most Americans courtesy of Hoffman's quirky " 10 minutes until

Wapner " portrayal as Rain Man. Back in 1988 when that film was made,

roughly one in 10,000 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with the

disorder. Sadly, that number has only grown. Today, one in 166 kids

will be clinically placed somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Not so

long ago, these kids weren't expected to work anywhere or do

anything. Most have trouble learning, completing tasks and engaging

with other people socially. Many of them have difficulty even talking

to others.

>

> Fabio, then, is special. But so is the Mc's in

Medway, Mass., for its willingness to give her a chance. " She told

her teachers when she was 5 that she was going to work at

Mc's, " said her mother, , just after dropping off

at the restaurant for her three-hour shift. " She loves it. She is so

pleased with herself. "

>

> If only the public could express those same sentiments toward the

Golden Arches. Few companies expose the irony of Americans' selective

judgments better than Mc's. From Spurlock's slam flick

Supersize Me to Merriam-Webster's recent addition of " McJob " to

signify a dead-end position, Mc's has become everyone's

favorite punching bag. But while society shakes its fists about fat

content or the purported evils of minimum-wage work, precious little

attention has been paid to the fact that Mc's is one of

relatively few employers willing to give workers like a

chance. We also forget that the burger chain has been at the

forefront of aiding youth in other ways. Since 1974, Mc

House charities have housed 10 million families with terminally ill

children while they undergo treatment. Many restaurant chains are

involved with charities to some degree, but how many of them can say

they've raised a half-billion dollars?

>

> Consider, too, that in Fabio's case, Mc's is helping

the cause of autism with something more durable than a donation; it's

allowing a kid with an isolating neurological condition to experience

the pride of earning a paycheck. " reminds us that we are

indeed in the people business, " said Rich Floersch, Mc's chief

human resources officer. " This story is representative of the

opportunities Mc's provides all of our people, not just some. "

>

> Conscientious Corporations

>

> Of course, Mc's isn't the only company doing its part for

those with autism. Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus donated $25

million in seed money to start Autism Speaks, which was co-founded by

NBC's CEO, Bob , and his wife. Bloomingdale's has since

partnered with the organization. Kellogg, another partner, included

an educational message on more than five million cereal boxes this

summer alerting parents to the fact that a new case of autism is

diagnosed every 20 minutes. General Motors is working with Cure

Autism Now; Samsung included the Dan Marino Foundation within its

Four Seasons of Hope charity efforts. Former Dolphins quarterback Dan

Marino, whose son has autism, told Brandweek that companies like

Samsung " have the ability to bring national attention to the issues

faced by children and families affected by autism. " Marino added that

" research progress is tied directly to research funding. When

corporate partners become actively involved in

> raising funds, scientists are able to explore bold new ideas. "

>

> Questions of direct funding aside, the larger point may be that,

when a corporation like Mc's puts autistic Americans on its

payroll, it's not only helping them to support themselves

financially, it's making a very public statement: employment, in

essence, becomes empowerment.

>

> Good Sense, Good Cents

>

> While nobody would argue that doing good for autistic kids makes

sense from a humanitarian perspective, Mc's understands that it

makes sense from a marketing one, too. It's an old bit of business

wisdom that still holds: doing good is good for business. This is

especially true for businesses that get involved with autism. Parents

of autistic children are often well networked as they scour the

Internet for new information about the disorder, which becomes

available almost every day. These parents know which brands are

helping, they are thankful and will likely reward companies that are

supportive with their business. " Since autism is now so prevalent,

sponsoring an event or conducting a cause marketing campaign with an

autism organization will help the company reach a rather large, loyal

demographic, " said Bell, CEO of Cure Autism Now.

>

> Like Mc's, Wal-Mart and Publix supermarkets have taken the

lead in providing opportunities for people with developmental

disabilities. Marino said that " many have not been given the

opportunity to work [even though they] make reliable and loyal

employees. "

>

> Still, the businesses that have the biggest chance to make a

difference are the pharmaceutical companies. This is ironic, since

many blame them for producing vaccines that contain toxic levels of

metals and preservatives that have been linked with triggering the

autism. Finding a drug that will help the s of the world could

prove quite lucrative. Especially in light of the fact that the

Combating Autism Act of 2006, which is currently making its way

through Congress, will provide close to a billion dollars in

autism-specific funding.

>

> In the meantime, companies like Mc's deserve more

recognition than they are getting, and for reasons that go beyond the

pride of a 16-year-old pulling down a paycheck. By 2010, thousands of

people with some grades of autism will be attempting to enter the

workforce, people much like Fabio. When her school contacted

her mother to discuss 's future, Fabio told them not to

worry: , she told the administrators, has already secured her

own employment. " They were surprised, baffled, " Fabio recalled. " I

knew what was capable of. "

>

> So go ahead, call it a burger-flipper job if you want;

Fabio and her daughter call it progress.

>

> Hein is a senior editor at Brandweek. He can be reached at

khein@...

>

> ---------------------------------

> How low will we go? Check out Messenger's low PC-to-Phone

call rates.

>

August 24, 2006

Maybe they could come up with a vaccine to protect against vaccine

damage? Hey, is that a win-win, or what? ( <-sarcasm)

Might as well let the irony come full circle.

Lenny

> >

>

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/spotlight/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10\

03051771

> >

> > 's Not Such A Bad Guy After All August 23, 2006

> >

> > By Hein

> >

> > NEW YORK -- When 16-year-old Fabio applied for a job at the

> Mc's near her home in a suburb of Boston, she was merely

> following the lead of her peers. After all, it's almost a rite of

> passage for American teenagers to flip burgers once they're old enough

> for working papers.

> >

> > But one aspect of Fabio's life sets her story apart. Fabio suffers

> from autism, the complex neurological disorder previously known to

> most Americans courtesy of Hoffman's quirky " 10 minutes until

> Wapner " portrayal as Rain Man. Back in 1988 when that film was made,

> roughly one in 10,000 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with the

> disorder. Sadly, that number has only grown. Today, one in 166 kids

> will be clinically placed somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Not so

> long ago, these kids weren't expected to work anywhere or do

> anything. Most have trouble learning, completing tasks and engaging

> with other people socially. Many of them have difficulty even talking

> to others.

> >

> > Fabio, then, is special. But so is the Mc's in

> Medway, Mass., for its willingness to give her a chance. " She told

> her teachers when she was 5 that she was going to work at

> Mc's, " said her mother, , just after dropping off

> at the restaurant for her three-hour shift. " She loves it. She is so

> pleased with herself. "

> >

> > If only the public could express those same sentiments toward the

> Golden Arches. Few companies expose the irony of Americans' selective

> judgments better than Mc's. From Spurlock's slam flick

> Supersize Me to Merriam-Webster's recent addition of " McJob " to

> signify a dead-end position, Mc's has become everyone's

> favorite punching bag. But while society shakes its fists about fat

> content or the purported evils of minimum-wage work, precious little

> attention has been paid to the fact that Mc's is one of

> relatively few employers willing to give workers like a

> chance. We also forget that the burger chain has been at the

> forefront of aiding youth in other ways. Since 1974, Mc

> House charities have housed 10 million families with terminally ill

> children while they undergo treatment. Many restaurant chains are

> involved with charities to some degree, but how many of them can say

> they've raised a half-billion dollars?

> >

> > Consider, too, that in Fabio's case, Mc's is helping

> the cause of autism with something more durable than a donation; it's

> allowing a kid with an isolating neurological condition to experience

> the pride of earning a paycheck. " reminds us that we are

> indeed in the people business, " said Rich Floersch, Mc's chief

> human resources officer. " This story is representative of the

> opportunities Mc's provides all of our people, not just some. "

> >

> > Conscientious Corporations

> >

> > Of course, Mc's isn't the only company doing its part for

> those with autism. Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus donated $25

> million in seed money to start Autism Speaks, which was co-founded by

> NBC's CEO, Bob , and his wife. Bloomingdale's has since

> partnered with the organization. Kellogg, another partner, included

> an educational message on more than five million cereal boxes this

> summer alerting parents to the fact that a new case of autism is

> diagnosed every 20 minutes. General Motors is working with Cure

> Autism Now; Samsung included the Dan Marino Foundation within its

> Four Seasons of Hope charity efforts. Former Dolphins quarterback Dan

> Marino, whose son has autism, told Brandweek that companies like

> Samsung " have the ability to bring national attention to the issues

> faced by children and families affected by autism. " Marino added that

> " research progress is tied directly to research funding. When

> corporate partners become actively involved in

> > raising funds, scientists are able to explore bold new ideas. "

> >

> > Questions of direct funding aside, the larger point may be that,

> when a corporation like Mc's puts autistic Americans on its

> payroll, it's not only helping them to support themselves

> financially, it's making a very public statement: employment, in

> essence, becomes empowerment.

> >

> > Good Sense, Good Cents

> >

> > While nobody would argue that doing good for autistic kids makes

> sense from a humanitarian perspective, Mc's understands that it

> makes sense from a marketing one, too. It's an old bit of business

> wisdom that still holds: doing good is good for business. This is

> especially true for businesses that get involved with autism. Parents

> of autistic children are often well networked as they scour the

> Internet for new information about the disorder, which becomes

> available almost every day. These parents know which brands are

> helping, they are thankful and will likely reward companies that are

> supportive with their business. " Since autism is now so prevalent,

> sponsoring an event or conducting a cause marketing campaign with an

> autism organization will help the company reach a rather large, loyal

> demographic, " said Bell, CEO of Cure Autism Now.

> >

> > Like Mc's, Wal-Mart and Publix supermarkets have taken the

> lead in providing opportunities for people with developmental

> disabilities. Marino said that " many have not been given the

> opportunity to work [even though they] make reliable and loyal

> employees. "

> >

> > Still, the businesses that have the biggest chance to make a

> difference are the pharmaceutical companies. This is ironic, since

> many blame them for producing vaccines that contain toxic levels of

> metals and preservatives that have been linked with triggering the

> autism. Finding a drug that will help the s of the world could

> prove quite lucrative. Especially in light of the fact that the

> Combating Autism Act of 2006, which is currently making its way

> through Congress, will provide close to a billion dollars in

> autism-specific funding.

> >

> > In the meantime, companies like Mc's deserve more

> recognition than they are getting, and for reasons that go beyond the

> pride of a 16-year-old pulling down a paycheck. By 2010, thousands of

> people with some grades of autism will be attempting to enter the

> workforce, people much like Fabio. When her school contacted

> her mother to discuss 's future, Fabio told them not to

> worry: , she told the administrators, has already secured her

> own employment. " They were surprised, baffled, " Fabio recalled. " I

> knew what was capable of. "

> >

> > So go ahead, call it a burger-flipper job if you want;

> Fabio and her daughter call it progress.

> >

> > Hein is a senior editor at Brandweek. He can be reached at

> khein@

> >

>

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > How low will we go? Check out Messenger's low PC-to-Phone

> call rates.

> >

>

August 24, 2006