Fw: PARENT GROUP AND 11-YEAR-OLD CHILD ESCORTED FROM AAP CONVENTION

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PARENT GROUP AND 11-YEAR-OLD CHILD ESCORTED FROM AAP CONVENTION

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

October 11, 2005

Contact:

Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO)

Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI)

PARENT GROUP AND 11-YEAR-OLD CHILD ESCORTED FROM AMERICAN ACADEMY OF

PEDIATRICS CONVENTION

" WE HAVE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUT NOT THE FREEDOM TO BE HEARD, " SAYS

ONE PARENT AFTER BEING THROWN OUT OF CONFERENCE IN DC

Washington, DC - On Saturday morning, six parents and an 11-year-old

child were removed from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Convention.

They were escorted by security officers after being told by coordinators that

they were not welcome. The parents, two of which are medical professionals, were

pre-registered to work at a booth and hand out materials to pediatricians about

autism. Two camera crews were also escorted out prior to the ouster of the

parent group so that the AAP's actions could not be recorded by the media.

According to parents, Airhart, AAP Director of Division of

Convention and Meeting Services, said that even though the group was

pre-registered, their badges would not be issued because the group had broken

the AAP rule of disseminating information at a demonstration outside of the

conference. When it was pointed out to her that not all of the parents had done

so, she changed her reason for banning them and said it was because they took

part in Friday's " Power of Parents " rally, a non-hostile and family-friendly

event on Capitol Hill which focused on the association between mercury and

autistic-like symptoms.

One of those asked to leave was an 11 year old child who had been

previously diagnosed with autism and was subsequently found to have suffered

from mercury toxicity. After biomedical treatments aimed at correcting the many

known sequela of mercury exposure, the child has made remarkable improvement.

His plan was to hand brochures to doctors in order to spread awareness about

autism and the potential for effective biomedical treatments. After he was

escorted from the premises, the young boy was terribly upset. " He only wanted to

help raise awareness and felt like he had failed in doing so, " said his mother.

" It is a sad day when a child is asked to leave a meeting which is supposed to

be about the care of children. "

Not all participants of the conference agreed with AAP's actions. Many

of the pediatricians were surprised and gave the escorted parents words of

encouragement for their work in speaking about the disorder. Many also signed a

petition at the booth.

Rita Shreffler was allowed to stay, but was accused of stealing

someone else's badge in order to enter the conference. After she showed proper

identification, Ms. Shreffler, a mother of two vaccine-injured children, was

followed around the conference for the remainder of the day. " I feel as though

the AAP violated our civil rights and grossly overreacted to an embarrassing

level, " says Shreffler.

Other parents expressed similar dismay over first amendment rights

violations after being escorted out by AAP security for wearing T-shirts with

messages regarding the role of mercury-containing vaccines in the development of

their children's neurological disorders.

Parents traveled from as far away as Hawaii to have the opportunity to

address pediatricians and ask for help for their autistic children. Several

political figures were also on the list to be banned. Although Congressman Dave

Weldon, Congressman Dan Burton, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Representative

Carolyn Maloney had no intention of going to the conference, the AAP stated that

they would be turned away after delivering speeches at Friday's rally.

" We came here today asking for help for our injured children. We

brought with us relevant new research and information that the AAP denied its

members access to. Why? " asks parent and president of the National Autism

Association, Fournier. " The AAP should be ashamed of the treatment we

received here today. I hope its members will look beyond their leadership in

search of treatment options for their patients with autism. "

Last year, the AAP refused to print an ad in their journal that

thanked pediatricians for their work and dedication to the autism cause and

asked them to request mercury-free vaccines from vendors. Just this year, the

New York AAP fought a measure that, starting in 2008, would limit mercury

exposure in vaccines given to children under three and pregnant women. Governor

Pataki was asked by the AAP to veto the measure after it passed unanimously in

the State Senate and passed 147-3 in the State Assembly.

For more information on autism, visit www.nationalautism.org.

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