Re: Autism info..........

[Guest guest]

Karac would have loved that years ago; now he is too damaged. Pat K

Autism info..........

Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free.

  

The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000

Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25 

LIST HERE

TREATMENT

Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?

      By FoxNews.com  xrl.in/7f62

  Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic

3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their

son's illness.

      Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of

autistic children, it actually might be.

      Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder,

helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense " curing "

the disorder, one parent says.

      That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson

was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started

screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening.

The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and

had a hard time communicating with him.

      " The iPad has given us our family back, " told FoxNews.com.

" It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and

given us insight into the way he connects with his world. "

      Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is

built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is

about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say

complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic

needs.

      “Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has

four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would

point to things without asking for them. "

      A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the

Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend

used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and

Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate

about ideas and even make puzzles.

      says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device.

      The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an

assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore,

who wrote the book " Understanding Autism for Dummies, " agree about the

iPad’s usefulness.

      The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in

the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the

pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They

are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has

more control.

      Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the

iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside

world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it

might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from

some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those

that augment speech, will also help.

      Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne

Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as

part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic

kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses

a keyboard and mouse.

      Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids

with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not

be possible otherwise, Coppin said.

      There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids

including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports

spoken text and other aids for those with special needs.

      Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a

13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the

iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high

“cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication

devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the

child, she said.

      Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is

not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into

another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of

any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being

used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward.

      Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and

teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the

iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect

over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same

app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help

prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life.

      “Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore

said.

“People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course,

they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic

child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the

outside world.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids

       By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn

       Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her

hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old

autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions

and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.

      " She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even

initiate the embrace, " said Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

      The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age,

north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking,

child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children,

whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to

10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote

control.

      The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile,

frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a

baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red

socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at

a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118).

      There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced

enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental

stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few

hundred dollars.

      " Children with autism don't react well to people because they

don't understand facial expressions, " said Ben Robins, a senior

research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire

who specializes in working with autistic children.

      " Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to

interpret and they are very predictable. "

      There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the

British one is the most advanced according to other European robot

researchers not connected with the project.

      Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a

version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone

patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable

with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a

disorder that affects development of social interaction and

communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific

research.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn

• • •

PEOPLE

Pa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison

      By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i

      Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless

autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison

Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance.

      " ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less

remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced, " Judge Albert

J. Cepparulo told her.

      He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for

involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for

that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one

year or less.

      Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged

from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently

in handcuffs.

      Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges

stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of

Oceanside, N.Y.

      Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting

with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the

97-degree day.

      Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old

Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and

pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment.

      The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a

residential facility in Langhorne.

      says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her

cell phone use.

The

Autism Community

Supports the

Schafer Autism Report

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law

       By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b

      In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in

Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education

officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever

an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at

home.

      The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday

by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children

& Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona.

      The 10-year-old girl was " unenrolled from public school " sometime

after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the

house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told

she was being schooled at home.

      There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were " repeatedly hit,

punched beaten…bound and left for days on end " and locked inside a

bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police

      The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to

death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck

alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a

chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder.

      " By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people

removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids, " said o

ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state

Board of Education. " These kids were not home schooled. They were

home-detained, tortured and executed. "

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b

• • •

Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids

      By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com  xrl.in/7f57

  Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in

the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two

siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other

Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor

Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers.

      Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to

touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food.

      If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts

program.

      Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier.

      That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and

satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such

programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts.

      Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of

media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen

windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or

backyard pools.

      Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m.

      It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is

locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes.

      A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at

St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic

children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen

Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland

Medical Center in Derry.

      The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care

for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s

wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to

stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism

when she gets upset.

      As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty

home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in

Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state

program that provides at-home services to families with children having

mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism.

      Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the

N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend

those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater

Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the

proposals.

      “I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said.

      Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of

families that are going to be affected. "

      Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state

budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department

of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million.

      The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for

family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and

independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent.

      Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services

offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries

that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still

needs constant supervision.

      Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their

families say the cuts would be devastating.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57

• • •

Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is Found

Diabetes patient was gone 6 days

       By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y

       Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in

finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on

the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany,

N.Y., man, who had diabetes.

       The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before

8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking

park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said

there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted.

      Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for

the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing

since last Wednesday.

      His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not

have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma.

In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger

syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction.

      Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support

from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many

people who were looking for , " Mark said. “The police, the

public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with

tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the

police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton

police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body

in the water. "

      Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from

many local residents, including those who distributed posters and

others who posted his missing status on Facebook.

      “There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it, "

Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all

these people tried to help to find our son. "

      Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age

and that he loved the city.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y

• • •

RESEARCH

Researchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shots

xrl.in/7f8m

      PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and

the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the

health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known

neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system

disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a

mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu

vaccines.

      Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against

the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens

belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free

Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization.  This is

because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal

continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call

by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health

Service to remove it from vaccines " as soon as possible. "    Dr. G.

King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this

use of mercury in flu shots: " We have scientific studies clearly

demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a

cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace

Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines. "

      One recent example of these studies was published in Folia

Neuropathologica in December 2010.  That study's scientific data led

the authors to conclude, " On the whole, the results of this study argue

for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant

women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics. "

      The second new study, published this year in the journal of

Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could

be the culprit behind autism.  Noting that mercury-based compounds are

used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed,

" Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms. "

      In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in

early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and

autism is explained: " Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of

autism.  Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases

of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are

very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself. "

      The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of

removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later.  Yet, Thimerosal

is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women,

children, and the elderly.

      Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist

Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the

use of Thimerosal, warns, " Research continues to prove that mercury is

hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots.  What

are we waiting for when so many people are at risk? "

• • •

Lois Noland 240-420-6120

Always in search for the " cure "

 

 

 

Lois Noland

240-420-3692

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take no for an answer

Always looking for the " Cure "

 

 

 

 

 

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take NO for an answer.

 

If God Brings you to it,

He will Bring you though it.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat,Has Karac had the opportunity to try one? Kids across the Spectrum — regardless of severity or types of issues — seem to be really interested in trying the iPad. Even kids like Ben, who originally did NOT like computers, seem drawn to the iPad. I would be interested to hear how Karac would react to one.Heidi Autism info..........

Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free.

The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000

Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25

LIST HERE

TREATMENT

Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?

By FoxNews.com xrl.in/7f62

Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic

3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their

son's illness.

Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of

autistic children, it actually might be.

Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder,

helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense "curing"

the disorder, one parent says.

That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson

was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started

screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening.

The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and

had a hard time communicating with him.

"The iPad has given us our family back," told FoxNews.com.

"It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and

given us insight into the way he connects with his world."

Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is

built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is

about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say

complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic

needs.

“Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has

four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would

point to things without asking for them."

A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the

Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend

used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and

Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate

about ideas and even make puzzles.

says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device.

The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an

assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore,

who wrote the book "Understanding Autism for Dummies," agree about the

iPad’s usefulness.

The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in

the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the

pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They

are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has

more control.

Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the

iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside

world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it

might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from

some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those

that augment speech, will also help.

Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne

Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as

part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic

kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses

a keyboard and mouse.

Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids

with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not

be possible otherwise, Coppin said.

There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids

including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports

spoken text and other aids for those with special needs.

Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a

13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the

iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high

“cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication

devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the

child, she said.

Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is

not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into

another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of

any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being

used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward.

Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and

teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the

iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect

over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same

app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help

prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life.

“Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore said.

“People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course,

they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic

child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the

outside world.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids

By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn

Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her

hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old

autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions

and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.

"She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even

initiate the embrace," said Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age,

north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking,

child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children,

whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to

10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote

control.

The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile,

frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a

baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red

socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at

a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118).

There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced

enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental

stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few

hundred dollars.

"Children with autism don't react well to people because they

don't understand facial expressions," said Ben Robins, a senior

research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire

who specializes in working with autistic children.

"Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to

interpret and they are very predictable."

There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the

British one is the most advanced according to other European robot

researchers not connected with the project.

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a

version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone

patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable

with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a

disorder that affects development of social interaction and

communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific

research.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn

• • •

PEOPLE

Pa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison

By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i

Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless

autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison

Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance.

"ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less

remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced," Judge Albert

J. Cepparulo told her.

He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for

involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for

that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one

year or less.

Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged

from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently

in handcuffs.

Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges

stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of

Oceanside, N.Y.

Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting

with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the

97-degree day.

Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old

Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and

pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment.

The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a

residential facility in Langhorne.

says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her

cell phone use.

The

Autism Community

Supports the

Schafer Autism Report

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law

By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b

In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in

Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education

officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever

an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at

home.

The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday

by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children

& Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona.

The 10-year-old girl was "unenrolled from public school" sometime

after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the

house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told

she was being schooled at home.

There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were "repeatedly hit,

punched beaten…bound and left for days on end" and locked inside a

bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police

The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to

death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck

alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a

chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder.

"By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people

removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids," said o

ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state

Board of Education. "These kids were not home schooled. They were

home-detained, tortured and executed."

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b

• • •

Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids

By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com xrl.in/7f57

Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in

the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two

siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other

Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor

Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers.

Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to

touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food.

If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts

program.

Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier.

That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and

satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such

programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts.

Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of

media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen

windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or

backyard pools.

Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m.

It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is

locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes.

A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at

St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic

children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen

Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland

Medical Center in Derry.

The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care

for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s

wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to

stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism

when she gets upset.

As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty

home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in

Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state

program that provides at-home services to families with children having

mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism.

Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the

N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend

those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater

Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the

proposals.

“I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said.

Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of

families that are going to be affected."

Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state

budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department

of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million.

The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for

family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and

independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent.

Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services

offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries

that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still

needs constant supervision.

Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their

families say the cuts would be devastating.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57

• • •

Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is Found

Diabetes patient was gone 6 days

By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y

Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in

finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on

the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany,

N.Y., man, who had diabetes.

The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before

8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking

park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said

there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted.

Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for

the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing

since last Wednesday.

His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not

have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma.

In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger

syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction.

Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support

from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many

people who were looking for ," Mark said. “The police, the

public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with

tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the

police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton

police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body

in the water."

Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from

many local residents, including those who distributed posters and

others who posted his missing status on Facebook.

“There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it,"

Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all

these people tried to help to find our son."

Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age

and that he loved the city.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y

• • •

RESEARCH

Researchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shots

xrl.in/7f8m

PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and

the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the

health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known

neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system

disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a

mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu

vaccines.

Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against

the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens

belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free

Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization. This is

because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal

continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call

by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health

Service to remove it from vaccines "as soon as possible." Dr. G.

King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this

use of mercury in flu shots: "We have scientific studies clearly

demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a

cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace

Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines."

One recent example of these studies was published in Folia

Neuropathologica in December 2010. That study's scientific data led

the authors to conclude, "On the whole, the results of this study argue

for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant

women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics."

The second new study, published this year in the journal of

Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could

be the culprit behind autism. Noting that mercury-based compounds are

used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed,

"Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms."

In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in

early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and

autism is explained: "Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of

autism. Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases

of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are

very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself."

The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of

removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later. Yet, Thimerosal

is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women,

children, and the elderly.

Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist

Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the

use of Thimerosal, warns, "Research continues to prove that mercury is

hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots. What

are we waiting for when so many people are at risk?"

• • •

Lois Noland 240-420-6120

Always in search for the "cure"

Lois Noland

240-420-3692

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take no for an answer

Always looking for the "Cure"

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take NO for an answer.

If God Brings you to it,

He will Bring you though it.

[Guest guest]

I was so happy to see that " shabbysheep " ; it seems like a long time

since I have seen anything from you.

I have an Ipad; I haven't tried it with Karac, but I'll see how he

likes it today. Thanks for the encouragement. Pat

Re: Autism info..........

Hi Pat,

Has Karac had the opportunity to try one?  Kids across the Spectrum —

regardless of severity or types of issues — seem to be really

interested in trying the iPad.  Even kids like Ben, who originally did

NOT like computers, seem drawn to the iPad.  I would be interested to

hear how Karac would react to one.

Heidi

Autism info..........

Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free.

  

The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000

Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25 

LIST HERE

TREATMENT

Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?

      By FoxNews.com  xrl.in/7f62

  Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic

3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their

son's illness.

      Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of

autistic children, it actually might be.

      Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder,

helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense " curing "

the disorder, one parent says.

      That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson

was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started

screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening.

The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and

had a hard time communicating with him.

      " The iPad has given us our family back, " told FoxNews.com.

" It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and

given us insight into the way he connects with his world. "

      Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is

built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is

about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say

complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic

needs.

      “Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has

four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would

point to things without asking for them. "

      A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the

Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend

used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and

Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate

about ideas and even make puzzles.

      says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device.

      The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an

assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore,

who wrote the book " Understanding Autism for Dummies, " agree about the

iPad’s usefulness.

      The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in

the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the

pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They

are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has

more control.

      Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the

iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside

world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it

might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from

some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those

that augment speech, will also help.

      Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne

Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as

part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic

kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses

a keyboard and mouse.

      Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids

with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not

be possible otherwise, Coppin said.

      There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids

including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports

spoken text and other aids for those with special needs.

      Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a

13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the

iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high

“cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication

devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the

child, she said.

      Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is

not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into

another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of

any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being

used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward.

      Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and

teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the

iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect

over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same

app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help

prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life.

      “Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore

said.

“People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course,

they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic

child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the

outside world.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids

       By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn

       Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her

hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old

autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions

and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.

      " She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even

initiate the embrace, " said Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

      The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age,

north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking,

child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children,

whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to

10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote

control.

      The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile,

frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a

baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red

socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at

a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118).

      There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced

enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental

stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few

hundred dollars.

      " Children with autism don't react well to people because they

don't understand facial expressions, " said Ben Robins, a senior

research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire

who specializes in working with autistic children.

      " Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to

interpret and they are very predictable. "

      There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the

British one is the most advanced according to other European robot

researchers not connected with the project.

      Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a

version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone

patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable

with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a

disorder that affects development of social interaction and

communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific

research.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn

• • •

PEOPLE

Pa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison

      By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i

      Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless

autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison

Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance.

      " ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less

remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced, " Judge Albert

J. Cepparulo told her.

      He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for

involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for

that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one

year or less.

      Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged

from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently

in handcuffs.

      Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges

stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of

Oceanside, N.Y.

      Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting

with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the

97-degree day.

      Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old

Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and

pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment.

      The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a

residential facility in Langhorne.

      says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her

cell phone use.

The

Autism Community

Supports the

Schafer Autism Report

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law

       By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b

      In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in

Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education

officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever

an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at

home.

      The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday

by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children

& Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona.

      The 10-year-old girl was " unenrolled from public school " sometime

after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the

house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told

she was being schooled at home.

      There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were " repeatedly hit,

punched beaten…bound and left for days on end " and locked inside a

bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police

      The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to

death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck

alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a

chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder.

      " By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people

removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids, " said o

ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state

Board of Education. " These kids were not home schooled. They were

home-detained, tortured and executed. "

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b

• • •

Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids

      By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com  xrl.in/7f57

  Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in

the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two

siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other

Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor

Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers.

      Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to

touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food.

      If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts

program.

      Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier.

      That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and

satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such

programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts.

      Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of

media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen

windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or

backyard pools.

      Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m.

      It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is

locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes.

      A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at

St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic

children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen

Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland

Medical Center in Derry.

      The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care

for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s

wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to

stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism

when she gets upset.

      As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty

home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in

Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state

program that provides at-home services to families with children having

mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism.

      Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the

N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend

those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater

Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the

proposals.

      “I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said.

      Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of

families that are going to be affected. "

      Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state

budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department

of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million.

      The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for

family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and

independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent.

      Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services

offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries

that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still

needs constant supervision.

      Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their

families say the cuts would be devastating.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57

• • •

Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is Found

Diabetes patient was gone 6 days

       By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y

       Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in

finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on

the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany,

N.Y., man, who had diabetes.

       The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before

8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking

park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said

there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted.

      Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for

the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing

since last Wednesday.

      His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not

have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma.

In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger

syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction.

      Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support

from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many

people who were looking for , " Mark said. “The police, the

public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with

tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the

police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton

police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body

in the water. "

      Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from

many local residents, including those who distributed posters and

others who posted his missing status on Facebook.

      “There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it, "

Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all

these people tried to help to find our son. "

      Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age

and that he loved the city.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y

• • •

RESEARCH

Researchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shots

xrl.in/7f8m

      PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and

the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the

health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known

neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system

disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a

mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu

vaccines.

      Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against

the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens

belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free

Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization.  This is

because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal

continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call

by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health

Service to remove it from vaccines " as soon as possible. "    Dr. G.

King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this

use of mercury in flu shots: " We have scientific studies clearly

demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a

cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace

Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines. "

      One recent example of these studies was published in Folia

Neuropathologica in December 2010.  That study's scientific data led

the authors to conclude, " On the whole, the results of this study argue

for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant

women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics. "

      The second new study, published this year in the journal of

Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could

be the culprit behind autism.  Noting that mercury-based compounds are

used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed,

" Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms. "

      In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in

early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and

autism is explained: " Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of

autism.  Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases

of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are

very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself. "

      The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of

removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later.  Yet, Thimerosal

is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women,

children, and the elderly.

      Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist

Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the

use of Thimerosal, warns, " Research continues to prove that mercury is

hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots.  What

are we waiting for when so many people are at risk? "

• • •

Lois Noland 240-420-6120

Always in search for the " cure "

 

 

 

Lois Noland

240-420-3692

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take no for an answer

Always looking for the " Cure "

 

 

 

 

 

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take NO for an answer.

 

If God Brings you to it,

He will Bring you though it.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat!I know, I don't post very often, but I'm always lurking! ;-)If you need any advice for apps, let me know. I'd start off with something fun and very simple, to get him interested. There are a lot of free ones out there and some very inexpensive (like a $1-$2 ea.). He might like "Talking Tom" (you tickle or tap on the cat and the cat reacts) or iWash (where you "wash" a dog), or Ben (the ultimate train-addict) likes "Iron Horse," where a train is moving along and you use your finger to link the cars to the train. If he's got specific interests, let me know, and I'll see if I can find something he may like.Good luck!Heidi Autism info..........

Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free.

The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000

Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25

LIST HERE

TREATMENT

Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?

By FoxNews.com xrl.in/7f62

Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic

3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their

son's illness.

Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of

autistic children, it actually might be.

Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder,

helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense "curing"

the disorder, one parent says.

That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson

was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started

screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening.

The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and

had a hard time communicating with him.

"The iPad has given us our family back," told FoxNews.com.

"It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and

given us insight into the way he connects with his world."

Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is

built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is

about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say

complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic

needs.

“Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has

four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would

point to things without asking for them."

A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the

Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend

used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and

Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate

about ideas and even make puzzles.

says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device.

The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an

assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore,

who wrote the book "Understanding Autism for Dummies," agree about the

iPad’s usefulness.

The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in

the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the

pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They

are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has

more control.

Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the

iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside

world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it

might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from

some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those

that augment speech, will also help.

Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne

Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as

part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic

kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses

a keyboard and mouse.

Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids

with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not

be possible otherwise, Coppin said.

There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids

including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports

spoken text and other aids for those with special needs.

Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a

13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the

iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high

“cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication

devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the

child, she said.

Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is

not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into

another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of

any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being

used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward.

Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and

teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the

iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect

over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same

app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help

prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life.

“Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore said.

“People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course,

they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic

child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the

outside world.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids

By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn

Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her

hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old

autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions

and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.

"She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even

initiate the embrace," said Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age,

north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking,

child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children,

whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to

10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote

control.

The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile,

frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a

baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red

socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at

a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118).

There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced

enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental

stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few

hundred dollars.

"Children with autism don't react well to people because they

don't understand facial expressions," said Ben Robins, a senior

research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire

who specializes in working with autistic children.

"Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to

interpret and they are very predictable."

There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the

British one is the most advanced according to other European robot

researchers not connected with the project.

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a

version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone

patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable

with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a

disorder that affects development of social interaction and

communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific

research.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn

• • •

PEOPLE

Pa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison

By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i

Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless

autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison

Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance.

"ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less

remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced," Judge Albert

J. Cepparulo told her.

He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for

involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for

that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one

year or less.

Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged

from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently

in handcuffs.

Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges

stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of

Oceanside, N.Y.

Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting

with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the

97-degree day.

Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old

Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and

pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment.

The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a

residential facility in Langhorne.

says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her

cell phone use.

The

Autism Community

Supports the

Schafer Autism Report

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law

By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b

In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in

Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education

officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever

an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at

home.

The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday

by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children

& Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona.

The 10-year-old girl was "unenrolled from public school" sometime

after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the

house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told

she was being schooled at home.

There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were "repeatedly hit,

punched beaten…bound and left for days on end" and locked inside a

bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police

The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to

death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck

alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a

chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder.

"By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people

removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids," said o

ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state

Board of Education. "These kids were not home schooled. They were

home-detained, tortured and executed."

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b

• • •

Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids

By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com xrl.in/7f57

Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in

the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two

siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other

Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor

Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers.

Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to

touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food.

If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts

program.

Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier.

That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and

satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such

programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts.

Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of

media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen

windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or

backyard pools.

Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m.

It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is

locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes.

A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at

St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic

children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen

Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland

Medical Center in Derry.

The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care

for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s

wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to

stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism

when she gets upset.

As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty

home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in

Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state

program that provides at-home services to families with children having

mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism.

Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the

N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend

those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater

Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the

proposals.

“I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said.

Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of

families that are going to be affected."

Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state

budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department

of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million.

The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for

family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and

independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent.

Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services

offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries

that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still

needs constant supervision.

Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their

families say the cuts would be devastating.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57

• • •

Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is Found

Diabetes patient was gone 6 days

By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y

Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in

finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on

the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany,

N.Y., man, who had diabetes.

The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before

8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking

park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said

there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted.

Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for

the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing

since last Wednesday.

His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not

have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma.

In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger

syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction.

Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support

from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many

people who were looking for ," Mark said. “The police, the

public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with

tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the

police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton

police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body

in the water."

Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from

many local residents, including those who distributed posters and

others who posted his missing status on Facebook.

“There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it,"

Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all

these people tried to help to find our son."

Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age

and that he loved the city.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y

• • •

RESEARCH

Researchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shots

xrl.in/7f8m

PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and

the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the

health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known

neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system

disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a

mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu

vaccines.

Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against

the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens

belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free

Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization. This is

because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal

continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call

by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health

Service to remove it from vaccines "as soon as possible." Dr. G.

King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this

use of mercury in flu shots: "We have scientific studies clearly

demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a

cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace

Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines."

One recent example of these studies was published in Folia

Neuropathologica in December 2010. That study's scientific data led

the authors to conclude, "On the whole, the results of this study argue

for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant

women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics."

The second new study, published this year in the journal of

Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could

be the culprit behind autism. Noting that mercury-based compounds are

used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed,

"Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms."

In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in

early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and

autism is explained: "Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of

autism. Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases

of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are

very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself."

The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of

removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later. Yet, Thimerosal

is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women,

children, and the elderly.

Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist

Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the

use of Thimerosal, warns, "Research continues to prove that mercury is

hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots. What

are we waiting for when so many people are at risk?"

• • •

Lois Noland 240-420-6120

Always in search for the "cure"

Lois Noland

240-420-3692

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take no for an answer

Always looking for the "Cure"

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take NO for an answer.

If God Brings you to it,

He will Bring you though it.

[Guest guest]

I have one with a barn that has all the animals and their names and

sounds. You knock on the barn door and it opens and shows one of the

animals that makes its noise and then the word appears. I had it for

my great grandson. Karac got a big kick out of it. He of course knows

all the animals, their sounds, names, and how to spell them. I think

he was amused that I would show him that one. It was cool. I think if

I got something a little more advanced. He would really like. I also

had one with colors and names. That amused him too. It totally

entertained him

while I was busy. The one about the trains that you link the cars I

think would interest him Thanks so much for your encouragement. We

may on to something.

I think Karac liked it because he can handle it; He can recline on the

sofa and play with it. Love and blessings, Pat K

Re: Autism info..........

Hi Pat!

I know, I don't post very often, but I'm always lurking! ;-)

If you need any advice for apps, let me know.  I'd start off with

something fun and very simple, to get him interested.  There are a lot

of free ones out there and some very inexpensive (like a $1-$2 ea.). 

He might like " Talking Tom " (you tickle or tap on the cat and the cat

reacts) or iWash (where you " wash " a dog), or Ben (the ultimate

train-addict) likes " Iron Horse, " where a train is moving along and you

use your finger to link the cars to the train. If he's got specific

interests, let me know, and I'll see if I can find something he may

like.

Good luck!

Heidi

Autism info..........

Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free.

  

The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000

Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25 

LIST HERE

TREATMENT

Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?

      By FoxNews.com  xrl.in/7f62

  Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic

3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their

son's illness.

      Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of

autistic children, it actually might be.

      Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder,

helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense " curing "

the disorder, one parent says.

      That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson

was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started

screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening.

The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and

had a hard time communicating with him.

      " The iPad has given us our family back, " told FoxNews.com.

" It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and

given us insight into the way he connects with his world. "

      Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is

built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is

about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say

complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic

needs.

      “Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has

four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would

point to things without asking for them. "

      A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the

Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend

used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and

Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate

about ideas and even make puzzles.

      says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device.

      The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an

assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore,

who wrote the book " Understanding Autism for Dummies, " agree about the

iPad’s usefulness.

      The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in

the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the

pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They

are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has

more control.

      Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the

iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside

world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it

might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from

some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those

that augment speech, will also help.

      Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne

Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as

part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic

kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses

a keyboard and mouse.

      Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids

with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not

be possible otherwise, Coppin said.

      There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids

including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports

spoken text and other aids for those with special needs.

      Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a

13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the

iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high

“cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication

devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the

child, she said.

      Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is

not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into

another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of

any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being

used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward.

      Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and

teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the

iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect

over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same

app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help

prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life.

      “Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore

said.

“People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course,

they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic

child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the

outside world.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids

       By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn

       Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her

hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old

autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions

and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.

      " She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even

initiate the embrace, " said Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

      The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age,

north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking,

child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children,

whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to

10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote

control.

      The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile,

frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a

baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red

socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at

a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118).

      There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced

enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental

stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few

hundred dollars.

      " Children with autism don't react well to people because they

don't understand facial expressions, " said Ben Robins, a senior

research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire

who specializes in working with autistic children.

      " Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to

interpret and they are very predictable. "

      There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the

British one is the most advanced according to other European robot

researchers not connected with the project.

      Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a

version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone

patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable

with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a

disorder that affects development of social interaction and

communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific

research.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn

• • •

PEOPLE

Pa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison

      By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i

      Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless

autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison

Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance.

      " ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less

remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced, " Judge Albert

J. Cepparulo told her.

      He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for

involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for

that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one

year or less.

      Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged

from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently

in handcuffs.

      Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges

stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of

Oceanside, N.Y.

      Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting

with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the

97-degree day.

      Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old

Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and

pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment.

      The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a

residential facility in Langhorne.

      says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her

cell phone use.

The

Autism Community

Supports the

Schafer Autism Report

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

www.sarnet.org

• • •

Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law

       By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b

      In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in

Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education

officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever

an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at

home.

      The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday

by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children

& Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona.

      The 10-year-old girl was " unenrolled from public school " sometime

after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the

house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told

she was being schooled at home.

      There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were " repeatedly hit,

punched beaten…bound and left for days on end " and locked inside a

bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police

      The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to

death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck

alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a

chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder.

      " By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people

removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids, " said o

ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state

Board of Education. " These kids were not home schooled. They were

home-detained, tortured and executed. "

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b

• • •

Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids

      By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com  xrl.in/7f57

  Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in

the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two

siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other

Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor

Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers.

      Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to

touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food.

      If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts

program.

      Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier.

      That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and

satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such

programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts.

      Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of

media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen

windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or

backyard pools.

      Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m.

      It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is

locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes.

      A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at

St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic

children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen

Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland

Medical Center in Derry.

      The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care

for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s

wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to

stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism

when she gets upset.

      As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty

home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in

Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state

program that provides at-home services to families with children having

mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism.

      Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the

N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend

those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater

Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the

proposals.

      “I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said.

      Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of

families that are going to be affected. "

      Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state

budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department

of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million.

      The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for

family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and

independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent.

      Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services

offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries

that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still

needs constant supervision.

      Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their

families say the cuts would be devastating.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57

• • •

Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is Found

Diabetes patient was gone 6 days

       By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y

       Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in

finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on

the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany,

N.Y., man, who had diabetes.

       The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before

8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking

park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said

there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted.

      Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for

the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing

since last Wednesday.

      His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not

have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma.

In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger

syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction.

      Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support

from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many

people who were looking for , " Mark said. “The police, the

public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with

tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the

police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton

police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body

in the water. "

      Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from

many local residents, including those who distributed posters and

others who posted his missing status on Facebook.

      “There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it, "

Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all

these people tried to help to find our son. "

      Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age

and that he loved the city.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y

• • •

RESEARCH

Researchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shots

xrl.in/7f8m

      PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and

the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the

health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known

neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system

disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a

mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu

vaccines.

      Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against

the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens

belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free

Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization.  This is

because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal

continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call

by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health

Service to remove it from vaccines " as soon as possible. "    Dr. G.

King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this

use of mercury in flu shots: " We have scientific studies clearly

demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a

cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace

Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines. "

      One recent example of these studies was published in Folia

Neuropathologica in December 2010.  That study's scientific data led

the authors to conclude, " On the whole, the results of this study argue

for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant

women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics. "

      The second new study, published this year in the journal of

Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could

be the culprit behind autism.  Noting that mercury-based compounds are

used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed,

" Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms. "

      In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in

early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and

autism is explained: " Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of

autism.  Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases

of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are

very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself. "

      The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of

removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later.  Yet, Thimerosal

is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women,

children, and the elderly.

      Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist

Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the

use of Thimerosal, warns, " Research continues to prove that mercury is

hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots.  What

are we waiting for when so many people are at risk? "

• • •

Lois Noland 240-420-6120

Always in search for the " cure "

 

 

 

Lois Noland

240-420-3692

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take no for an answer

Always looking for the " Cure "

 

 

 

 

 

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take NO for an answer.

 

If God Brings you to it,

He will Bring you though it.

[Guest guest]



I know........To late for JJ too.....Lois ):

Autism info..........Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free. The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25 LIST HERETREATMENTIs the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism? By FoxNews.com xrl.in/7f62 Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic 3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their son's illness. Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of autistic children, it actually might be. Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder, helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense "curing" the disorder, one parent says. That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening. The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and had a hard time communicating with him. "The iPad has given us our family back," told FoxNews.com. "It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and given us insight into the way he connects with his world." Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic needs. “Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would point to things without asking for them." A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate about ideas and even make puzzles. says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device. The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore, who wrote the book "Understanding Autism for Dummies," agree about the iPad’s usefulness. The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has more control. Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those that augment speech, will also help. Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses a keyboard and mouse. Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not be possible otherwise, Coppin said. There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports spoken text and other aids for those with special needs. Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a 13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high “cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the child, she said. Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward. Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life. “Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore said. “People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course, they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the outside world.DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW. . . Read, then Forwardthe Schafer Autism Report.$35 for 1 year - or free!www.sarnet.org• • •Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone. "She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even initiate the embrace," said Sawczenko, Eden's mother. The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age, north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking, child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children, whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to 10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote control. The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile, frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118). There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few hundred dollars. "Children with autism don't react well to people because they don't understand facial expressions," said Ben Robins, a senior research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire who specializes in working with autistic children. "Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to interpret and they are very predictable." There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the British one is the most advanced according to other European robot researchers not connected with the project. Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a disorder that affects development of social interaction and communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific research.+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn• • •PEOPLEPa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance. "ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced," Judge Albert J. Cepparulo told her. He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one year or less. Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently in handcuffs. Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of Oceanside, N.Y. Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the 97-degree day. Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a residential facility in Langhorne. says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her cell phone use.TheAutism CommunitySupports theSchafer Autism Report. . . Read, then Forwardthe Schafer Autism Report.$35 for 1 year - or free!www.sarnet.org• • •Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at home. The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children & Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona. The 10-year-old girl was "unenrolled from public school" sometime after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told she was being schooled at home. There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were "repeatedly hit, punched beaten…bound and left for days on end" and locked inside a bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder. "By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids," said o ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state Board of Education. "These kids were not home schooled. They were home-detained, tortured and executed."+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b• • •Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com xrl.in/7f57 Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers. Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food. If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts program. Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier. That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts. Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or backyard pools. Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m. It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes. A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland Medical Center in Derry. The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism when she gets upset. As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state program that provides at-home services to families with children having mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism. Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the proposals. “I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said. Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of families that are going to be affected." Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million. The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent. Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still needs constant supervision. Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their families say the cuts would be devastating.+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57• • •Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is FoundDiabetes patient was gone 6 days By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany, N.Y., man, who had diabetes. The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before 8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted. Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing since last Wednesday. His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma. In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction. Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many people who were looking for ," Mark said. “The police, the public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body in the water." Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from many local residents, including those who distributed posters and others who posted his missing status on Facebook. “There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it," Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all these people tried to help to find our son." Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age and that he loved the city.+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y• • •RESEARCHResearchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shotsxrl.in/7f8m PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu vaccines. Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization. This is because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service to remove it from vaccines "as soon as possible." Dr. G. King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this use of mercury in flu shots: "We have scientific studies clearly demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines." One recent example of these studies was published in Folia Neuropathologica in December 2010. That study's scientific data led the authors to conclude, "On the whole, the results of this study argue for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics." The second new study, published this year in the journal of Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could be the culprit behind autism. Noting that mercury-based compounds are used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed, "Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms." In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and autism is explained: "Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of autism. Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself." The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later. Yet, Thimerosal is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women, children, and the elderly. Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the use of Thimerosal, warns, "Research continues to prove that mercury is hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots. What are we waiting for when so many people are at risk?"• • •Lois Noland 240-420-6120Always in search for the "cure" Lois Noland240-420-3692I don't give inI don't give upAnd I don't take no for an answerAlways looking for the "Cure" I don't give inI don't give upAnd I don't take NO for an answer. If God Brings you to it,He will Bring you though it.

[Guest guest]

Sorry to jump in, but if anyone is interested some of the kindergarten.com apps (flashcard and ABA apps) are free right now. Sent from my iPhoneOn Mar 12, 2011, at 3:15 PM, theshabbysheep@... wrote:

Hi Pat!I know, I don't post very often, but I'm always lurking! ;-)If you need any advice for apps, let me know. I'd start off with something fun and very simple, to get him interested. There are a lot of free ones out there and some very inexpensive (like a $1-$2 ea.). He might like "Talking Tom" (you tickle or tap on the cat and the cat reacts) or iWash (where you "wash" a dog), or Ben (the ultimate train-addict) likes "Iron Horse," where a train is moving along and you use your finger to link the cars to the train. If he's got specific interests, let me know, and I'll see if I can find something he may like.Good luck!Heidi Autism info..........

Promote your autism event, fund raiser, conference here free.

The Autism Calendar is emailed out Monthy to 20,000

Autism Calendar Deadline for April is March 25

LIST HERE

TREATMENT

Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?

By FoxNews.com xrl.in/7f62

Holmquist The parents of Hudson Holmquist, an autistic

3-year-old, say the iPad has been a tremendous help dealing with their

son's illness.

Steve Jobs called it a magical device. For the parents of

autistic children, it actually might be.

Experts say the Apple iPad lessens the symptoms of the disorder,

helping kids deal with life's sensory overload -- in a sense "curing"

the disorder, one parent says.

That's what Holmquist believes, at least. Her son Hudson

was having 8 or 9 violent meltdowns per day. One morning he started

screaming in his bedroom -- and didn't stop until late that evening.

The family of eight could not go to public events or out to dinner and

had a hard time communicating with him.

"The iPad has given us our family back," told FoxNews.com.

"It's unlocked a new part of our son that we hadn't seen before, and

given us insight into the way he connects with his world."

Diagnosed with autism about ten months ago, 3-year-old Hudson is

built like a Mack truck and has a disarming smile. His brother Zane is

about the same age (both are adopted) and can ask for toys and say

complete sentences, but Hudson has trouble communicating about basic

needs.

“Originally, we thought he wasn't talking to us because he has

four big sisters and they would help him out,†said. “He would

point to things without asking for them."

A school therapist suggested using the Apple iPad; amazingly, the

Holmquists say Hudson took to the device immediately. A family friend

used the site Chipin.com to raise funds for a new iPad for him, and

Hudson now uses the iPad daily as a way to play games, communicate

about ideas and even make puzzles.

says the touchscreen tablet is a miracle device.

The experts weigh in Autism experts like Dr. Martha Herbert, an

assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, and Shore,

who wrote the book "Understanding Autism for Dummies," agree about the

iPad’s usefulness.

The disorder, which affects as many as one out of 110 children in

the U.S. according to a CDC study, means kids have “no control over the

pace of information coming at them,†Herbert told FoxNews.com. “They

are not distracted by context.†With the iPad, she said, the child has

more control.

Shore, who struggled with autism as a child himself, said the

iPad might be the difference between communicating with the outside

world and being locked into a closed state. Interestingly, he says it

might be the first of several gadgets that actually free a child from

some effects of autism -- and that additional devices, including those

that augment speech, will also help.

Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the Anne

Carlsen Center in town, North Dakota -- which uses the iPad as

part of their special education programs -- said the iPad lets autistic

kids have direct control over the interface, unlike a laptop that uses

a keyboard and mouse.

Apps like Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare provide a way for kids

with autism to communicate desires and feelings in a way that would not

be possible otherwise, Coppin said.

There are at least three dozen apps designed for autistic kids

including ones for music and reading. And the device itself supports

spoken text and other aids for those with special needs.

Areva , an attorney turned autism advocate who has a

13-year-old son with autism, said one of the most important reasons the

iPad works so well as a communication device is that it has a high

“cool factor†and doesn’t make the child stick out. Other communication

devices, such as the $7,000-$10,000 Dynavox, call attention to the

child, she said.

Dangers of using the iPad? As with any gadget, over-exposure is

not a good thing. As points out, any child will retreat into

another world using a Nintendo DS or an Xbox 360. She said parents of

any child, autistic or not, need to monitor how much a gadget is being

used, similar to how they use candy as an occasional reward.

Shore explained that there is an opportunity for parents and

teachers to get more involved with how the autistic child uses the

iPad. Currently, there are no apps that let a parent or teacher connect

over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad and participate in the same

app. He says that participation is still critical, though, to help

prevent the iPad from being just a distraction from normal life.

“Still, it’s okay to use the iPad as a distraction,†Shore said.

“People use BlackBerrys on planes that way all of the time. Of course,

they don't have meltdowns when the battery dies! But with the autistic

child, it could be their only way to communicate and understand the

outside world.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW

.. . . Read, then Forward

the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

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• • •

Kaspar The Friendly Robot Helps Autistic Kids

By Cheng, AP xrl.in/7exn

Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her

hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old

autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions

and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.

"She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even

initiate the embrace," said Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in age,

north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking,

child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children,

whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to

10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote

control.

The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do things like smile,

frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a

baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red

socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at

a cost of about 1,300 pounds (US$2,118).

There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced

enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental

stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few

hundred dollars.

"Children with autism don't react well to people because they

don't understand facial expressions," said Ben Robins, a senior

research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire

who specializes in working with autistic children.

"Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to

interpret and they are very predictable."

There are similar projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the

British one is the most advanced according to other European robot

researchers not connected with the project.

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a

version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone

patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable

with touching people. So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a

disorder that affects development of social interaction and

communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific

research.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7exn

• • •

PEOPLE

Pa. Caregiver in Autism Death Sent To Prison

By Larry King, Inquirer xrl.in/0 also from xrl.in/7e9i

Stacey Strauss, a former caregiver who fatally forgot a helpless

autistic man inside a hot van last summer, was sent to state prison

Monday by a Bucks County judge clearly miffed at her lack of repentance.

"ly, Ms. Strauss, I don't believe I've heard . . . a less

remorseful statement from someone about to be sentenced," Judge Albert

J. Cepparulo told her.

He then slapped her with a two- to five-year sentence for

involuntary manslaughter, six months short of the maximum allowed for

that misdemeanor crime. Her lawyers had argued for a sentence of one

year or less.

Strauss, 41, whose courtroom statements to Cepparulo had ranged

from sobs to frosty denials, showed no emotion as she departed silently

in handcuffs.

Strauss earlier Monday pleaded guilty or no contest to charges

stemming from last summer's death of 19-year-old Nevins of

Oceanside, N.Y.

Bucks County prosecutors say Strauss was busy talking and texting

with her boyfriend the day she left Nevins in a locked van on the

97-degree day.

Assistant District Attorney says the 41-year-old

Strauss pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and neglect, and

pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment.

The defense has blamed a system-wide failure at Woods Services, a

residential facility in Langhorne.

says Woods Services previously disciplined Strauss over her

cell phone use.

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Autism Community

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the Schafer Autism Report.

$35 for 1 year - or free!

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• • •

Girl's Death Could Spark Review Of Florida's Home Schooling Law

By O'Matz, Sun Sentinel xrl.in/7f9b

In the aftermath of the horrific Barahona child abuse case in

Miami, an investigative panel is urging child welfare and education

officials to set up an alert system and follow-up inspections whenever

an at-risk student is suddenly pulled out of school to be educated at

home.

The recommendation is among a host of reforms proposed Thursday

by a three-member review committee set up by the Department of Children

& Families in response to the calamity that befell Nubia Barahona.

The 10-year-old girl was "unenrolled from public school" sometime

after June of last year, according to police, and hidden inside the

house of her adoptive parents. State child welfare officials were told

she was being schooled at home.

There Nubia and her twin brother, Victor, were "repeatedly hit,

punched beaten…bound and left for days on end" and locked inside a

bathroom by their adoptive parents, according to police

The parents are now in jail and charged with bludgeoning Nubia to

death. Her body was found Valentine's Day in the back of a pickup truck

alongside Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. Victor barely survived a

chemical dousing. Both parents are charged with murder.

"By taking these kids out of the school setting, these bad people

removed a level, a layer, of protection for these kids," said o

ez, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who also serves on the state

Board of Education. "These kids were not home schooled. They were

home-detained, tortured and executed."

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f9b

• • •

Proposed NH Cuts Threaten Family With 3 Autistic Kids

By Meighan by nashuatelegraph.com xrl.in/7f57

Staff Photo by Grant Count plays with Jon Doherty in

the kitchen of his Merrimack home, Wednesday evening. Jon and his two

siblings, Rob and Bonnie have Autism and rely on Count and two other

Gateway employees for in-home support. Proposed cuts in Governor

Lynch's budget would affect both clients and caregivers.

Bonnie Doherty, 16, likes to cook. She just has to learn not to

touch her hair or her mouth when she’s preparing food.

If she gets that down, she would do well in a culinary arts

program.

Her brother Rob, 19, has dreams of becoming a chocolatier.

That may not be possible, though getting a meaningful and

satisfying job through a training program would be – unless such

programs are dismantled through proposed budget cuts.

Then there’s brother , 14. He’s sociable and a master of

media. Trouble is, he’s drawn toward wandering away, pushing out screen

windows in early morning hours and ambling into neighbors’ homes or

backyard pools.

Once, police found him at a highway overpass at 5 a.m.

It’s because of that the Dohertys’ Merrimack home is

locked up like Fort Knox, Bill Doherty jokes.

A few years ago, Bill Doherty quit a counseling job he loved at

St. ph Hospital in Nashua to take care of his three autistic

children – a challenging job he also loves. His wife, Ellen

Doherty, continues to work as an emergency room nurse at Parkland

Medical Center in Derry.

The Dohertys would not be able to manage their household and care

for their three children without substantial help. Not with ’s

wanderlust, or his penchant for tunnelling through sheetrock to

stimulate himself. Or Bonnie biting her wrists as a coping mechanism

when she gets upset.

As many of eight support staff members help out at the Doherty

home. They’re all hired through Gateways Community Services, based in

Nashua, and paid out of a budget for the Dohertys through a state

program that provides at-home services to families with children having

mental disabilities such as brain injury and autism.

Now, Gov. Lynch has proposed cuts to such programs, and the

N.H. House of Representatives is debating a measure that would extend

those cuts. Bill Doherty is one of at least 30 people from Greater

Nashua who plans to travel to Concord today to testify against the

proposals.

“I’m angry. I’m afraid. I’m petrified,†Bill Doherty said.

Added his wife, “It’s so big, and multiply it by the hundreds of

families that are going to be affected."

Lynch proposed cutting $200 million from the biennial state

budget, and then the House Finance Committee asked the state Department

of Health and Human Services to cut an additional $346 million.

The DHHS response to the request would eliminate funding for

family support programs, such as the one that helps the Dohertys, and

independent living supports. It would reduce day services by 44 percent.

Another provision would eliminate a waiting list for services

offered to individuals after they reach age 21. Bill Doherty worries

that would impact his son, Rob, who could be trained to work but still

needs constant supervision.

Professionals who work with mentally disabled people and their

families say the cuts would be devastating.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f57

• • •

Missing Autistic Man’s Body Is Found

Diabetes patient was gone 6 days

By M. Guilfoil and Bishop Boston Globe xrl.in/7f4y

Only days after his parents made a tearful plea for help in

finding their son, police identified a body found yesterday morning on

the shore of the Chelsea River in East Boston as the missing Albany,

N.Y., man, who had diabetes.

The body of Mark, 24, was found by a passerby just before

8 a.m. on the shore of city-owned land between Urban Wild, a walking

park, and a commercial fishing business off Condor Street. Police said

there were no signs of trauma, and that an autopsy will be conducted.

Mark’s parents made emotional pleas on Saturday and Sunday for

the public’s assistance in finding their son, who had been missing

since last Wednesday.

His parents had worried that the Type 1 diabetes patient did not

have enough insulin and could become disoriented or lapse into a coma.

In addition, Mark told the Globe that his son had Asperger

syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that affects social interaction.

Mark said last night that his family is thankful for the support

from everyone who helped in the search. “We deeply appreciate the many

people who were looking for ," Mark said. “The police, the

public, and the news media. All the people who called the police with

tips. The Boston Beer Works, who answered my fax, that helped the

police have some idea of where to look, all the hard work the Newton

police did in trying to find him, and the person who sighted his body

in the water."

Mark said he was also grateful for the outpouring of support from

many local residents, including those who distributed posters and

others who posted his missing status on Facebook.

“There’s been a lot of love and generosity and we appreciate it,"

Mark said. “ was a wonderful and loving person and I’m glad all

these people tried to help to find our son."

Mark said his son had been coming to Boston since an early age

and that he loved the city.

+ Read more: xrl.in/7f4y

• • •

RESEARCH

Researchers Urge the Removal of Mercury From Flu Shots

xrl.in/7f8m

PRNewswire - As the United Nations, the European Commission, and

the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the

health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known

neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system

disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a

mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu

vaccines.

Publicizing the recent international studies that caution against

the use of mercury in medicine has been left to doctors and citizens

belonging to independent groups such as the Coalition for Mercury-Free

Drugs (CoMeD), a land-based, non-profit organization. This is

because much of the American public is unaware that Thimerosal

continues to be present in most U.S. flu shots, in spite of a 1999 call

by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health

Service to remove it from vaccines "as soon as possible." Dr. G.

King, PhD, Science Advisor to CoMeD, cites the urgent need to stop this

use of mercury in flu shots: "We have scientific studies clearly

demonstrating that mercury causes neurological damage, and we have a

cost-effective alternate that has already been used to replace

Thimerosal as the preservative in vaccines."

One recent example of these studies was published in Folia

Neuropathologica in December 2010. That study's scientific data led

the authors to conclude, "On the whole, the results of this study argue

for urgent removal of THIM from all vaccines for children and pregnant

women, as well as from other medicinal products and cosmetics."

The second new study, published this year in the journal of

Middle East Current Psychiatry, also supports claims that mercury could

be the culprit behind autism. Noting that mercury-based compounds are

used as preservatives in several vaccines, the investigators stressed,

"Mercury poisoning and autism have nearly identical symptoms."

In a third study, published in the Journal of Immunotoxicology in

early February 2011, the causal connection between Thimerosal and

autism is explained: "Thimerosal has been implicated as a cause of

autism. Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases

of mercury poisoning but also biological abnormalities in autism are

very similar to side effects of mercury poisoning itself."

The 1999 statement made by the PHS and AAP about the urgency of

removing Thimerosal from vaccines is still posted on the website of the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over a decade later. Yet, Thimerosal

is now added to most of the flu shots given to pregnant women,

children, and the elderly.

Rev. Sykes, President of CoMeD, ordained United Methodist

Minister, parent of an autistic child, and an outspoken critic of the

use of Thimerosal, warns, "Research continues to prove that mercury is

hazardous to human health, and Thimerosal is still in flu shots. What

are we waiting for when so many people are at risk?"

• • •

Lois Noland 240-420-6120

Always in search for the "cure"

Lois Noland

240-420-3692

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take no for an answer

Always looking for the "Cure"

I don't give in

I don't give up

And I don't take NO for an answer.

If God Brings you to it,

He will Bring you though it.