SchaferAutismReport: The Age of Autism: Something Wicked -- 1

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SAR "Healing Autism:Schafer Autism Report No Finer a Cause on the Planet"________________________________________________________________Thursday, August 17, 2006 Vol. 10 No. 144>> PROMOTE YOUR FALL EVENTS NOW - FREE <<Conferences * Presentations * Parent MeetingsDEADLINE FOR SEPTEMBER SAR AUTISM CALENDAR ISAUGUST 25!Submit listing here:http://www.sarnet.org/frm/cal-frm.htmPUBLIC HEALTH* The Age of Autism: Something Wicked -- 1 ADVOCACY* Parents of HF Autistic Boy Sues So. California Boy Scout Troop* Family May Sue Over Timeout RoomCARE * Ohio Parents Charged After Boy Found In Street * Dog Dispute Leaves Autistic Boy Caught In Middle* Kids Who Witness Abuse At Home Bully Others - Girls More Likely To BullyMEDIA*

Autism One Radio Schedule Aug 18-Aug 31 O’Meara Aug 30LETTERSPUBLIC HEALTHThe Age of Autism: Something Wicked -- 1 By Dan Olmsted for UPI http://tinyurl.com/e7danThe Combating Autism Act passed by the U.S. Senate earlier this monthincludes millions of dollars for research into possible environmental causesof autism.It's about time.Specifically, the bill authorizes $45 million to the NationalInstitute of Environmental Health Sciences to spend over five years inclinical research on possible environmental factors.While that may sound like a good chunk of change, it's minusculecompared with spending on (so far) fruitless searches for an "autism gene."In previous installments of this column, I've sketched the naturalhistory of the disorder beginning with child psychiatrist Leo Kanner'slandmark 1943 paper, "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact."And I've suggested that from

the very beginning, an environmentaltrigger -- something harmful coming from the outside in -- was alarminglyevident. As Macbeth put it, there's reason to worry that "Something wickedthis way comes."Kanner identified 11 children with what he called the "markedly anduniquely" different disorder of autism. The first child in his case serieswas born in 1931, the last in 1938. While Kanner focused on the parents'high educational attainment, we proposed a different way of connecting thedots: -- Case 1, T., grew up in Forest, Miss., which is smack in themiddle of national forest land that was being replanted by the CivilianConservation Corps during the early 1930s.-- Case 2, Frederick W., was the son of a plant pathologist.+ Read more: http://tinyurl.com/e7dan-- > DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW < --SUBSCRIBE. . . !. . .Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.To

Subscribe http://www.SARnet.org/ $35 for 1 year - 200 issues, or No Cost Review Sub.!• • •ADVOCACYParents of HF Autistic Boy Sues So. California Boy Scout Troop http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local & id=4471018The parents of a high-functioning boy with autism say they will file adiscrimination suit against a Pacific Palisades Boy Scout troop Thursday,alleging discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.The suit was prompted by a Scout decision allegedly barring the11-year-old boy from meetings and a camping trip unless his father camealong.The family says that as a result of not being allowed to attendfunctions by himself, the boy was excluded from the camping trip, whichmeans he is unable to move to the next scouting level.A representative for Boy Scouts of America's Western Los AngelesCounty Council could not be immediately reached to comment on the

federalsuit being brought on the family's behalf by the Disability Rights LawCenter.N. Jane DuBovy said in a statement that she and her son's father"know that our child is capable of handling the rigors of scouting withminor accommodations."They say he attended an overnight event with his sixth-grade classwithout incident.The suit - which alleges violations of the Americans with DisabilitiesAct, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress - was filedWednesday.It was refused by the court for a technical reason, according to McGann, spokeswoman for the disability law center, who said it willbe filed again Thursday.(Thanks to Clara Sturak.)• • •Family May Sue Over Timeout RoomBy Sinco Kelleher for Newsdayhttp://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liboy0815,0,6004171.storyA 9-year-old special education student was forced to spend hours alonein

a small elevator closet at Seaford Harbor Elementary School as a form of"time-out" for bad behavior, the boy's parents claimed Monday in a notice tosue the district.While the state Education Department condones the use of "time-out"rooms on a limited basis only if parents are aware of the treatment and haveconsented, the boy's parents argue that they never approved the use of it ontheir son. Grogan, who has a form of autism, and his parents described intheir Melville attorney's office Monday the fear the boy felt inside the8-by- 8-foot space, which serves as a vestibule to the building's elevator."I was very, very scared," said. "I was trying to get the dooropen."The Grogans, of Seaford, intend to sue the Seaford district fornegligence and emotional distress. They claim their son was forced into thecloset several times beginning in October.While district officials would not comment Monday and

referredquestions to an attorney, who did not return phone calls, a Feb. 28 letterto the Grogans from Assistant Superintendent Conboy concedes that was placed in the time-out area three times. The letter describes itas "the entry vestibule leading to the Harbor School elevator. It is alighted and heated area of 64 square feet (8' x 8')."Conboy wrote that was sent there for inappropriate behavior,including refusing to complete assignments and throwing a computer to thefloor. The letter states that was always accompanied by an adult andspent no more than an hour there.However, said he was alone and left there for about two hoursat a time, sometimes in the dark.The Grogans first heard about the punishment around November when theysent to his bedroom and he pleaded not to be taken to the elevatorcloset. a Grogan, the boy's mother, said she was so shocked at firstshe

didn't believe he was telling the truth until school officials finallyadmitted to inflicting the punishment. Cort, deputy commissioner of the state Office of Vocationaland Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, said it would betroubling if it's true the Grogans were not told before was sent to"time-out."The Grogans' attorney, Mollins, said it is believed thepunishment was initiated by a behavioral consultant, Maureen Rockwood, whowas contracted through Metro Therapy, which has locations on Long Island andin Queens. The Grogans asked that Rockwood no longer work at the school.Mollins said Rockwood continues to work at the school. He said heplans to name her and Metro Therapy in the lawsuit, which he expects to filein about a month. Rockwood could not be reached Monday. Metro Therapy's vicepresident, Conrad Kupferman, said he would not comment until he sees thesuit.• •

•CARE Ohio Parents Charged After Boy Found In Street http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/320038333175671.phpThe mother of an 8-year-old boy was charged with child endangeringafter the boy was found in the middle of a busy intersection in Boardman,OH, (outside Youngstown).Amy Gaudio, 32, of Stanton Avenue, was released on a summons.Police were called to Market Street and Shields Road about 9 a.m.Tuesday on a report of a child in the road who had narrowly escapedbeing hit by traffic.Officers removed the boy, who was wearing a dirty diaper and believedto be autistic, from the road. Shortly after, Gaudio called police to reporther son missing.When they arrived at her house, police found no additional locks onthe back door and the door of the attached garage open.While police were there, Gaudio called her husband to come home fromwork.Dominic Gaudio, 29, was charged with misdemeanor

counts of disorderlyconduct, obstructing official business and resisting arrest after police sayhe was combative and ignored officers' commands.He was lodged in the Mahoning County Justice Center.• • • Dog Dispute Leaves Autistic Boy Caught In MiddleKDKA, West Mifflin, PAhttp://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_229192648.htmlA battle is brewing between a family pet and a federal housingagency.The family is facing eviction because they have a dog.It's a dog that 8 year-old Khalil needs as part of his Autismtherapy.Roxy weighs less than five pounds but the tiny dog has made a big timedifference in the way a young boy acts and talks.The dog is his best friend, his protector.Regardless, a West Mifflin public housing development wants to takethe dog away from him or evict his family from the apartment."Roxy protects him," said Khalil's mother Terra . "When he goesoutside, he

feels safe now. Whereas, he didn't before we had him."The dog has made a huge difference."He was outside playing -- trying to play with the other kids," saidTerra. "This was before we got the dog and they took him around the back andbeat him up."For autistic children dogs are much more than pets.Khalil acts out then withdrawals.He can sit in silence or run into the street without notice.That has all stopped since Khalil got Roxy.Terra described it this way, she said, "These dogs provide away for these children to talk to other children. Other children see her andthey talk to him. He plays with her every day. She wakes him up everymorning for school...she greets him every day when he comes home."Management at the Monview Heights Apartments in West Mifflin doesn'tsee it that way.They sent a letter to the family stating "your tenancy will beterminated" and that "no pets of any kind are permitted

in the units".That would okay if her lease agreement didn't have a provision thatstates: "The landlord will allow the tenant to keep an animal needed as areasonable accommodation to the tenant's disability."There's also another letter from specialists at UPMC.They are doctors who state: "This letter supports Khalil and hismother in maintaining a dog for Khalil in their home.""They way they act towards this dog, I would hate to have somebodymove here that has a child that's blind or can't hear because there are dogsfor all those disabilities and how would they be treated," said Terra.Administrators with the Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corporation,which is a federally funded housing company, run Monview Heights.They have been told by federal authorities to not do anything at thistime with the family until federal authorities conduct a completeinvestigation.EVIDENCE OF

HARM DISCUSSION LIST HEATS UPAS MERCURY LINK TO AUTISM QUESTION SPREADS>> PAPERBACK BOOK NOW OUT - CHECK AMAZON.COMAn Evidence of Harm email discussion list hasbeen created in response to the growing interestin the book and the issues it chronicles. Now over1,300 subscribers. Here is how to subscribe(no cost): EOHarm-subscribe • • •Kids Who Witness Abuse At Home Bully Others - Girls More Likely To BullyBy Anne Harding. http://tinyurl.com/fr72gReuters Health - Children who witness abusive behavior in the home aremore likely to bully other children, and are at greater risk of depressionand anxiety, a new study shows.In comments to Reuters Health, Dr. Nerissa S. Bauer said she hopesparents who are experiencing violence in the home and who have youngchildren "will consider the effects of the violence on the children. It canmanifest itself in various

different ways, one of which is actual physicalbullying of other children."A number of studies have shown that children exposed to domesticviolence are at increased risk of behavior problems, but there has beenlittle specific research on bullying, noted Bauer. In many ways, she added,bullying mirrors abusive relationships between adults, in that it involvesrecurrent aggression by a more powerful person over a less powerful one,with the intent to harm.In the current study, Bauer and colleagues from the University ofWashington in Seattle looked at the relationship between exposure tointimate partner violence and bullying involvement in 112 children aged 6 to13. Half of their parents reported perpetrating verbal, physical or sexualviolence against an intimate partner, or experiencing this type of violence,at least once in the past five years.About one third of the children said they bullied other children inthe past

year, with girls more likely to bully others than boys. Nearlythree quarters of the children said they had been victims of bullying byothers.Bauer's team found that children exposed to intimate partner violencewere no more likely to be victimized by others or to exhibit relational-typebullying behavior, meaning teasing or excluding others without physicalviolence.However, they were more likely to be physically aggressive to otherchildren, and were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety or depression."Teachers who deal with children who consistently bully others maywant to consider circumstances in that child's life including the homeenvironment," Bauer said.SOURCE: Pediatrics, August 2006.• • •MEDIAAutism One Radio Schedule Aug 18-Aug 31 O’Meara Aug 30A Worldwide, Internet-Based Radio Station for the Care, Treatment, andRecovery of All Children with

Autismhttp://www.autismone.org/radioSPECIAL DEBUT - & Dillan Bono: The Next Generation.Monday, August 21, 2006 4:00pm - 4:30 ET and Dillan Bono are students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Their brother, , was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age. They have watched and supported their parents, activists and Bono, fight for the rights of their brother and others like him. They believe that it is the youth of this world that can bring about change and that it is the responsibility of thesiblings of Autistic children to help fight for their loved ones. Their show will talk about Autism from the siblings' perspective, offer advice, and give ideas as to how kids can get involved in the battle for Autistic children's rights. Fri, Aug 1811am-11:20 Rob Sidell and Teri Small: Autism Global Week in Review2pm–2:30 Amy Lansky:

There’s Hope with HomeopathySat, Aug 191pm-1:30 Dr. Holmes: Adults on the Autism Spectrum Today! 2pm-2:30 Geri Brewster, RD, MPH, CDN: Healing the Whole Person,Healing Whole FamiliesSun, Aug 2011am–11:30 Jack & Sytsema: Children of Destiny: SpiritualStrength and Hope for Families Struggling with Autism1pm-1:30 na Moses: Hand in Hand Mon, Aug 2110am-10:30 ET Underwood, PhD: Understanding the “Hows” and“Whys” of Biomedical Interventions for Treating Autistic Spectrum DisordersDEBUT 4pm - 4:30 ET - & Dillan Bono: The Next Generation.See details above9pm-9:30 Terri Killin: Developing a cooperative relationship betweenparents and teachers Tues, Aug 2210am–12pm Teri Small: Autism: Help, Hope, and Healing. Encore: GuestDr. Dan Rossignol. Topic: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Improves Symptoms inAutistic Children, an HBOT study.Wed, Aug

2310am–10:30 Peta Cohen, MS, RD: Nutritional Approaches to TreatingAutism11:30am–12 Seth D. Pearl, DC, CCN, CNS: Health and Wellness with Dr.Seth Pearl 1:30pm-2:30 Betsy Hicks: Autism One: A Conversation of Hope.Guest: Pace-Safe Building SolutionsThurs, Aug 2412:30pm–12:50 Dennis Debbaudt: Autism Risk And Safety Show2:30pm-3 Boll, MA and Sparapani, CCC-SLP: Moving YourChild up the Spectrum! 3:30pm-4 Nicki Fischer: Get Real Fri, Aug 2511am-11:20 Rob Sidell and Teri Small: Autism Global Week in Review1pm–1:30 Ackerman: Coffee Talk with Ackerman8pm–8:30 Herskowitz, MA CCC-SLP: Embracing the JourneySat, Aug 26In Portuguese:10am-11 EST Dr. João Felipe Franca e Simone Filomeno: Autismo éTratável, há esperança! Atravessando Fronteiras. (Autism is Treatable andthere is hope! Crossing Borders.) 12pm-12:30 Lynette : Through Our Eyes: Autism and

the Military3pm-3:30 Marie A. Sherrett: How To Be a Change Agent For Your ChildWith AutismSun, Aug 2711am–11:30 Jack & Sytsema: Children of Destiny: SpiritualStrength and Hope for Families Struggling with Autismen Español 1pm-1:30 na Moses: Mano en Mano ¡Estimulo, Inspiración y Esperanza!2pm-2:20 Byron Strain, MD & Danise Strain: Autism Recovery IS Possible! 9pm–9:30 Lang, MFA: Pathways of RecoveryMon, Aug 2812:30pm–1 ET Iland: Growing Up with Autism: What to Expect 10am-10:30 and Sandy Waters: The Candy Store: Music, Art,Inspiration, and Information. Guest: Kennedy, Esq, LegislativeDirector of the Autism Society of Illinois.Tues, Aug 2910am–12pm Teri Small: Autism: Help, Hope, and Healing. Encore: Kenitz, Exec Dir, International Hyperbarics Assoc, did not accept therecommendation to stop life support for her daughter, but took

Gracie forhyperbaric oxygen therapy with wonderful results.1:30pm–2 Chantal Sicile-Kira: The Real World of Autism with Chantal.Topic: music therapy 8pm-8:30 Lina , DDS: Holistic Dentistry and Your HealthWed, Aug 3011:30am–12 Seth D. Pearl, DC, CCN, CNS: Health and Wellness with Dr.Seth Pearl1:30pm-2:30 Betsy Hicks: Autism One: A Conversation of Hope. Guest:award-winning author, investigative reporter O'Meara. Topic: her newbook, Psyched Out: How Psychiatry Sells Mental Illness and Pushes Pills ThatKill.Thurs, Aug 312:30pm-3 Boll, MA and Sparapani, CCC-SLP: Moving YourChild up the Spectrum! 3:30pm-4 Nicki Fischer: Get Real 7pm–7:30 Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD: Unlocking Autism: the ABA piece ofthe puzzle-- > DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW < --SUBSCRIBE. . . !. . .Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.To Subscribe

http://www.SARnet.org/ $35 for 1 year - 200 issues, or No Cost Review Sub.!• • •LETTERSImportant Information on Primary Immunodeficiency and AutismSince Monday, when I told my daughter's doctor about primaryimmunodeficiency, they have scrambled to get us to an immunologist and aninfectious disease doctor. Suddenly the theory that she has suffered anadverse event from a vaccine, that may have contributed to her condition,currently diagnosed as autism, is credible. I did mention to various doctorsthat I knew there was something abnormal with my immune system, as I hadbeen hospitalized 23 times in the past 13 years for bacterial infectionsrequiring IV antibiotics to clear. This should have been a red flag for PI.I have contacted the CDC's Immunization Safety Office, and the onlyvaluable info they will give me is that individuals with primary=== message truncated

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