SchaferAutismReport: The Painful Parallel Universe of Special Ed Parenting

[Guest guest]

SAR " Healing Autism:

Schafer Autism Report No Finer a Cause on the Planet "

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Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Vol. 11 No. 3

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EDUCATION

* The Painful Parallel Universe of Special Ed Parenting

* Mom Plans School For Autistic Kids in Florida

* Tax Dollars Paying for Private Education in Texas

* Shock Therapy For Kids To Be Phased Out In NY

RESEARCH

* Think Tank to Examine Link Between Autism & Lyme Disease Jan 26-28

TREATMENT

* Give Your Brain The Right Feedback

MEDIA

* Autism Asperger’s Digest Wins Award

* Autism Documentary World Premiere at 2007 Sundance Film Festival

* FEAT Newsletter Returns Online

COMMENTARY

* The Crappy Life of the Autism Mom

EDUCATION

The Painful Parallel Universe of Special Ed Parenting

By Bob Sipchen in the LA Times.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/schoolme/2007/01/emotions_best_d.html#more

Emotions best described as fatherly push at Alfredo Reyes' face.

He is among two dozen or so parents gathered in a hotel conference

room for an L.A. Unified School District-sponsored " Training for Parents of

Students With Disabilities. " Most, including Reyes, have children who have

just entered or are about to enter public schools, and these anxious moms

and dads have reason to think their child is somehow different from other

students.

They want to know what's wrong. They want to know what can be done.

Reyes, 28, is still trying to sort out where his 3-year-old son,

Lenny, fits on the spectrum of human behavior. He's also struggling to

understand where he, himself, fits into the parallel universe of special

education parenting. The fact that he came out on this rainy Saturday

morning offers a pretty good clue.

He and his wife, Miriam Covarrubias, 29, noticed early on that Lenny

was not like his cousins. The boy loves the Tank Engine. But whenever

toppled off his tracks on TV, Lenny would topple onto the floor. The

sound of a passing motorcycle or television static terrified him. He was

slow to speak. He learned some things then quickly forgot them. Covarrubias,

who packages frozen foods, speaks no English. Reyes, a metal cutter, has

been working hard on his, in part because it's the language of so many of

the people who hold keys to his son's future, he says.

About a year ago, Reyes had district specialists assess his son. The

boy began receiving weekly speech therapy at his preschool, but the father

still has lots of questions. As he asks the district representatives about

options and the inconsistencies in his son's diagnosis, I can almost see

Reyes envisioning his enthusiastic, difficult son in classrooms two, five,

10 years from now.

He looks worried. A bit puzzled. That's understandable.

Until about 50 years ago, schools tended to exclude students who were

too far out of step with their peers. Today, laws require public schools to

educate kids with disabilities while treating them, as much as possible,

like any other student.

L.A. Unified was slow to embrace such reforms, and for a decade the

federal courts have exerted pressure on the district to do a better job of

complying with the myriad rules concerning disabled students. For once, I

have a measure of sympathy for what the bureaucrats are up against.

About 84,000 L.A. Unified students receive some type of special-ed

intervention. About three-quarters of them have relatively minor problems

processing what they see or hear, says Donnalyn Jaque-Antón, the district's

associate superintendent for special education. The rest have more severe

disabilities, such as Down syndrome or total blindness.

All are entitled to some services, ranging from, say, a few visits

with a speech therapist to full-time enrollment in specialized nonpublic

schools at district expense — including, in some cases, specialized

residential programs in other states.

Tensions arise when parents and the district have different ideas

about a child's abilities or how much help a school should offer. Given the

fuzziness of diagnoses, the range of professional opinion concerning how to

educate these students, and the fact that there's not really a magic ATM

with an infinite supply of cash atop the district's Beaudry Street

headquarters, full agreement isn't all that common.

A couple of weeks after that Saturday morning, I stop by Reyes' neat

two-bedroom home in South Los Angeles.

With Lenny and his younger sister, , alternatively climbing

onto Reyes' shoulders and playing with a box of blue the Tank Engine

tracks, the father opens an accordion file and pulls out his son's 24-page

Individualized Education Program.

An IEP is the document that determines how a child will progress

through the system, and Reyes has clearly spent many hours going over this

one.

Although no one can seem to fully agree on a diagnosis, the current

consensus is mild autism, he says.

As it happens, one of my Times colleagues has a son with a similar

diagnosis. For years she has struggled on two fronts: to raise a boy whose

behavior problems seem all too obvious and to persuade the district that the

child has problems and is entitled to additional help.

Those all-important IEPs are done annually, and she now has a small

stack of the intricate forms. Thumbing through, she points to a page listing

all the people — therapists, an attorney, a psychologist, etc. — who

attended one meeting on her son's behalf. This one cost $300, this one $150,

this one $50, she says, running down the list. So far, she figures her

head-butting with the district has cost her well over $20,000, not counting

the days of missed work.

My colleague's a journalist, adept at sorting through complex

information. Her ex-husband is a Harvard-educated attorney. They find the

process daunting, frustrating, infuriating, befuddling.

Reyes, who came to the U.S. from Mexico 11 years ago, remains

determined. He has been researching autism, along with all the other

possibilities of what could be wrong (schizophrenia causes the greatest

concern, he says, gazing again at the grinning boy). He has joined a support

group down the street. Eager to share what he has learned, he talks to every

parent of a special needs child he can find. He stays in touch with his

son's doctor and preschool teachers. A while back he quit his second job to

spend more time trying to understand how to get the help Lenny will need to

live the best possible life.

I watch him try to stoically suppress the intensity of emotion on his

face, and believe him when he says: " I will never give up. "

(Thanks to Bruce Kaminiski.)

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• • •

Mom Plans School For Autistic Kids in Florida

By Trimble for the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

http://tinyurl.com/yav82w

Deland, Fla. -- Seven-year-old Chase Lundell can do math problems in

his head but he can't tie his shoes, ride a bike or snap his pants.

The contrasts are just one symptom of Chase's autism, the driving

force behind his mother's plan to team up with other Volusia County parents

of autistic children to develop a private, nonprofit school to serve their

needs.

Mimi Lundell has been working on plans for the private school -- to be

named Chase Academy in her son's honor -- for more than a year and hopes it

can open as soon as August if the right facility and financing can be lined

up. Chase now attends Woodward Avenue Elementary School.

Lundell, herself a language arts teacher at Southwestern Middle

School, believes public schools are too restricted by legal requirements to

focus on children's academic success to foster autistic children's overall

development to their full potential.

" I haven't met any public education professional who's any less than

dedicated, " Lundell said. " My forming of the Chase Academy isn't because I'm

a disgruntled parent. "

Autism is a developmental disorder marked by problems with social

interaction, communication and unusual, repetitive or severely limited

activities and interests.

It's the fastest growing developmental disability in the nation,

according to the Autism Society of America, and occurs in one of every 166

births with the severity of its effects on the individual covering a wide

range.

As proposed, Chase Academy would serve " high-performing " autistic

children, including those with Asperger syndrome, from first grade through

high school.

Its educational program would be based on Florida academic standards

but without the high-stakes testing found in public schools.

Requiring children like Chase to repeat third grade or withholding a

regular high school diploma if they can't pass the Florida Comprehensive

Assessment Test makes no sense, Lundell said.

" It's a ridiculous notion that ESE (exceptional student education)

kids can take FCAT and score on grade level, " she said. " It's because they

can't score on grade level that they're in ESE. "

While parents can apply to have their child judged on a portfolio of

work instead, Lundell said that would happen automatically at Chase Academy.

The school would hire teachers specially trained to work with autistic

children, Lundell said, and offer small classes and a " quiet environment "

designed to limit distractions from learning.

Lundell also envisions the school offering instruction to help

children like Chase learn to tie their shoes, ride a bike and follow rules

for appropriate social interaction.

None of that is cheap and Lundell expects annual tuition at Chase

Academy to run $23,000. She expects some parents to qualify for

state-financed McKay Scholarships to pay part of the cost.

Some also may be eligible for scholarships through the state corporate

tax credit program, said Eileen Taft, Lundell's sister and director of

funding for Chase Academy. Beyond that, the school is soliciting community

donations to underwrite scholarships and will sponsor a fund-raising cruise

aboard the Sun Cruz casino boat out of Ponce Inlet on Feb. 10.

Chase Academy supporters also are talking with a representative of

Volusia's Association for Retarded Citizens about how the two groups might

work together on projects -- including the school -- but no final decision

has been made.

While those discussions continue, some parents are already thinking

about enrolling their children at Chase Academy for what they believe will

be a more individualized learning program than what they're getting in

public schools.

" We could tailor the curriculum for him, " said Eileen Zimmerman of

Deltona, whose 11-year-old son is autistic. " He's an average student

with the exception of history. That's his love; he'll quote you anything you

can imagine on any world war. "

• • •

Tax Dollars Paying for Private Education in Texas

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=5916248 & nav=3w6y

If passed this session, your tax dollars could pay for others children

to attend private schools. School vouchers is one of the hot button topics

facing Texas lawmakers this session.

Proponents of the voucher program are pushing two bills; one to help

disadvantaged students and the other to improve the education of those with

autism. But some in Lubbock tells us there's more to the bill than meets the

eye.

Some proponents of school vouchers say it will help students get a

step up. However, the Superintendent of Lubbock Independent School District

says, that's not the case.

" Just a fabricate of some people wanting to recreate that elitists

school system that we used to have in the US. So they're going to go after

anything just to get in the front doors, " Wayne Havens, LISD Superintendent.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation tells NewsChannel 11 the first bill

would allow students in low performing public schools use tax money to

attend a private school. That spokesperson is in favor of the bill, says

students education is what's important, not the setting: be it public or

private.

Another voucher bill expected to be up for debate would provide

Autistic children with tax dollars to attended the best serving public or

private school. But the All Saint's Episcopal School Headmaster says not all

private schools have the funding to serve students with disabilities.

" Not every private school is equipped to deal with Autism, " Dr. Mike

, headmaster of All Saint's Episcopal School.

A special education teacher says it could compromise the needs of the

children.

" This has nothing to do with special education children. It has only

to do with getting vouchers and the needs of the special children are not

being closely look at, " , LISD special education teacher.

And some private schools are concerned the money could cause

regulations in their programs.

" We enjoy having chapel every morning and at All Saints. It's the

start of our day. And we're not going to give that up. We wouldn't

participate in a voucher system before we'd give that up, " said Dr.

. A number hasn't been assigned to this voucher program yet. But we

do know L.I.S.D. gets about $2,600 per student from the state each year and

that's money they could stand to lose, should the voucher program pass.

We'll continue to follow this issue and more as the legislative

session continues.

• • •

Shock Therapy For Kids To Be Phased Out In NY

By Bill Lambdin http://www.wnyt.com/x11565.xml?ag=x995 & sb=x183

It's a practice many people probably didn't know was going on—using

electric shocks to control especially difficult students. For many years

New York has allowed the treatment.

Now that's changing. The Board of Regents voted to phase out most

electric shocks.

Not everyone says that's the right decision.

Those pushing to do away with the shock therapy say it is a brutal way

to treat human beings, especially children. But there are others—including

some parents—who say nothing else has worked.

When a school district had a developmentally disabled student who

continued to act out or attack others, where normal discipline wasn't

working and positive reinforcement was unsuccessful, they'd sent the child

out of state to a Boston-area facility—the Judge Rotenberg Center.

“We have not yet developed institutions that can handle these kids. I

wish we could. We are spending a fortune,” Westchester County Regent Harry

said.

At a cost of $209,000 a student, New York is spending a total of $52

million a year. To change the bad behavior, kids at the Rotenberg Center

would be hooked up with electrodes to their stomachs and legs and required

to wear a back pack at all times. Then if they misbehaved, staff would give

them a two second jolt of electricity, described as a static shock times 10.

Some students were getting 40 shocks a day.

The Regents were persuaded to phase out the electro shocks by

advocates like Dr. Alisha Broderick of Columbia University.

“I think it requires seeing them as somewhat less than fully human in

order to be able to, in any good conscience, apply these kind of

dehumanizing techniques,” Broderick said.

But as strongly as some believed this was a barbaric practice, others

argued it was the only thing that was getting through. The family of

Shears says she was hitting herself so often she was going blind.

“And if this is going to be so severe that it’s going to hurt her

enough to think ‘I don’t want to get that thing. So I will do anything I

can. I will stop hitting myself. I will do whatever it takes so I don’t

get that shock.’ And you know something? It worked,” ’s mother

said.

Students currently receiving electro shocks can continue with the

treatment, although the regents significantly tightened up the procedures

and rules.

But as of 2009 no new students are supposed to receive the shocks.

The special schools will be required to use positive reinforcements only.

• • •

RESEARCH

Think Tank to Examine Link Between Autism and Lyme Disease January 26-28

http://tinyurl.com/yzzpmw

PRWEB - New reports indicate up to 90% of children with autism are

infected with Lyme disease. With autism at a staggering 1 out of 166

children, parents are questioning this new finding.

The Think Tank is an opportunity to bring the Lyme disease

specialists and the autism specialists together to create testing and

treatment options for our kids.

Doctors and parents alike have been examining the potential causes of

autism for years, some of which include thimerosol filled injections,

environmental factors and most recently Lyme disease. With more doctors

supporting the link between Lyme disease and autism, parents have joined

forces to create the Lyme Induced Autism Foundation.

The foundation is holding a physicians' Think Tank on January 26-28th

in San Diego, CA to discuss this recent finding. Co-founder Tami Duncan

states, " The Think Tank is an opportunity to bring the Lyme disease

specialists and the autism specialists together to create testing and

treatment options for our kids. " This is a groundbreaking effort which

hopefully will analyze this even further to provide some answers to

families.

Duncan says, " We are not saying that Lyme disease is the exact cause

of autism for every single child. Let me clarify; what we are saying is that

Lyme Disease could be an inciting factor that is suppressing the child's

immune system, which would make them more susceptible to heavy metal

toxicity, environmental factors, etc. There are a large subset of autistic

children in which this is happening. However, most children with Lyme

Induced Autism cannot begin to heal until this infection is under control.

Parents want their children healed of autism. "

Where is the proof that Lyme disease is a factor in autism? Currently,

several doctors have stepped forward talking about this. Dr. Warren Levin of

Vienna, VA recently appeared on the online radio show on www.autismone.com

hosted by Duncan called " The Lyme-Autism Connection " . He stated that of the

10 children with autism he tested for Lyme disease, 100% of them also came

back positive for Lyme disease.

But more proof is needed to convince parents and the medical community

to take action. The Lyme Induced Autism Foundation has announced its first

fundraiser called " Laughter for Healing " at the Improv comedy club in

Irvine, CA on February 24th, 2007.

Duncan states, " The whole goal of the fundraiser is to raise money for

our research program. We would like to fund a study that will test children

with autism for Lyme disease to determine what actual percentage of children

are infected. Only then will we be able to pull the top researchers and

physicians together to come up with some answers. Lyme disease can be fatal,

parents are scared, we need to help these kids now. "

For more information on Lyme Induced Autism, please log onto

www.lymeinducedautism.com. Interested parties may also purchase tickets or

become a sponsor for the " Laughter for Healing " Improv comedy event online.

About Lyme disease

Lyme disease is generally caused by a tick bite. Symptoms of Lyme

disease include, achy joints, confusion, slurring words or word retrieval

problems, brain fog, sensitivity to light and sound. Lyme disease in its

late stage can be fatal, causing MS like symptoms and debilitating its

victims. Treatment for Lyme disease consists of antibiotic therapy.

EVIDENCE OF HARM DISCUSSION LIST HEATS UP

AS MERCURY LINK TO AUTISM QUESTION SPREADS

>> PAPERBACK BOOK NOW OUT - CHECK AMAZON.COM

An Evidence of Harm email discussion list has

been created in response to the growing interest

in the book and the issues it chronicles. Now over

1,470 subscribers. Here is how to subscribe

(no cost): EOHarm-subscribe

• • •

TREATMENT

Give Your Brain The Right Feedback

By Dr ph Guan.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/guide/story/0,4136,121006,00.html

There is a new option for children with special needs.

Neurofeedback has been widely-researched and proven to be an effective

treatment for the disorders of early childhood, such as attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder, Asperger's disorder, autism, sleep problems,

epileptic seizures, dyslexia, learning disorders and developmental delay.

Mind games: Electrodes placed on the head send information to the

Brainmaster device. When the right brainwaves are detected, the user is

given visual or auditory rewards.

So what exactly is neurofeedback?

It is a process of training the brain in order to improve its ability

to regulate all bodily functions and to take care of itself.

Neurofeedback also provides the neurotherapist with feedback from the

brain in the form of various brainwave activities.

This process has been found to be useful for stroke victims to improve

their cognitive functioning and physical movements.

Besides rehabilitation, neurofeedback is also useful in helping you

reach your peak performance and optimal productivity.

Executives from Fortune 500 companies, professionals from PGA

tournaments, Olympic teams, astronauts, musicians from Imperial College, UK,

and the recent football World Cup champions in Italy used neurofeedback as

part of their overall strategy to enhance performance and focus.

So how is neurofeedback done?

Electrodes or sensors are placed on the head as seen in the picture

above.

The electrodes pick up the brainwave activity and relay this to a

special device (Brainmaster) and the reading is seen on the computer screen.

Training Criteria

The therapist sets certain training criteria in the computer software,

and if the brain fulfils these criteria, it gets rewarded in the form of

auditory or visual cues.

There is no electrical input to the brain at all, so neurofeedback is

a totally non-invasive procedure.

Once the brain gets the reward, there is a great tendency for the

brain to continue to move in this direction, to self-regulate.

Neurofeedback is the direct exercise of the brain.

As the brain continues to get the reward, neural networks on the area

where the electrodes are placed are activated.

With repeated neurofeedback sessions, these newly formed neural

networks become more permanent and the dysfunctional symptoms of the client

are steadily being reduced.

Since the brain is the command centre of the whole body, good

self-regulation of the brain promotes optimal brain function, thus enhancing

mental performance, emotional control and physiological stability.

The June/July 2006 issue of Scientific American Mind magazine has an

article, Beyond The Neuron Doctrine, on how neurons communicate.

It states: 'The unparalleled abilities of the human mind arise not

from neurons but from the coherence of brain waves.'

There was an exhibition on neurofeedback at the Science Museum in

London recently.

Dr Mackey of Stanford was one of the participants and when asked

about neurofeedback, he said: 'In the future, a brain workout may be just as

commonplace as a session on the treadmill.'

The quotes above seem to indicate that neurofeedback is becoming more

acceptable in the scientific and medical community. It certainly holds a lot

of promise for all of us. We can all benefit from neurofeedback.

For those of us who suffer from any kind of mental deficits,

neurofeedback can greatly reduce the symptoms and move a person towards

normal functioning.

For others, it can be an effective procedure towards enhancing mental

functioning, focus, concentration, emotional well-being and peak

performance.

Dr ph Guan was a principal and vice-principal of various secondary

schools. He is a corporate trainer and currently runs the Brain Enhancement

Centre, providing services for peak performance and for children with

special needs. He uses neurofeedback, energy psychology and energy medicine

modalities to promote optimal health.

• • •

MEDIA

Autism Asperger’s Digest Wins Award

MarCom Creative Awards, an international awards competition, has

selected the Autism Asperger’s Digest as a Gold award winner in their 2006

competition. The magazine is owned by Future Horizons, Inc., the world’s

largest publishing company devoted to books and materials on autism spectrum

disorders.

Winners were selected from over 5,000 entries in 200 categories from

throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries. This year about 15% of

the entries won the coveted Platinum Award, with another 16% capturing a

prestigious Gold Award.

MarCom Creative Awards recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing

and communication professionals. Entries come from individual freelancers to

corporate marketing and communication departments, media conglomerates and

Fortune 500 companies.

The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals

administers and judges the competition. Judges are industry professionals

who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard

of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry.

The Autism Asperger’s Digest is a bimonthly magazine for parents and

professionals in the autism community. It debuted in 1999 as the first

national magazine devoted to autism and since then, has presented more than

600 articles offering positive, practical information on living with or

working with individuals on the autism spectrum. “It’s so exciting to

receive this award,” stated Zysk, award-winning book author,

founder and Managing Editor of the magazine. “Parents and educators often

tell us how much they like the Digest, and how vital the information is to

helping their spectrum child. Capturing a Gold Award from our communication

industry peers brings a new level of recognition to the magazine and the

work we do. We couldn’t be more delighted! "

For more information on the Autism Asperger’s Digest and subscription

options (including new lower renewal rates), visit

http://www.autismdigest.com .

• • •

Autism Documentary World Premiere at 2007 Sundance Film Festival

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/1/prweb495647.htm

PRWEB - Milestone Video, a video production boutique, today announced

that " Autism Every Day, " the short film it produced for the Autism Speaks

organization, will make its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film

Festival on January 21 and 22 in Park City, UT and January 27 in Salt Lake

City.

Our passion is to make the audience care about our client's passion.

Selected by the Sundance Institute from among 3,287 international

feature submissions, Milestone Video's film will be showcased as a special

screening in the out-of-competition section of the festival. The emotional

impact of the film is conveyed with unwavering passion through Milestone

Video's signature unscripted, documentary-style approach.

The short film has drawn praise from the autism community for its

dramatic portrayal of a day in the life for children with autism and their

families. Copies of Autism Every Day were also given to members of Congress

ahead of voting on the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (S. 843), which was

recently signed into law by the President.

" Milestone Video is proud of the impact and message Autism Every Day

has delivered for Autism Speaks and the families of children with autism, "

said Carol , president of Milestone Video. " Our passion is to make

the audience care about our client's passion. "

The 2007 Sundance Film Festival runs January 18-28 in Park City,

Sundance, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah.

The following are the screening times and locations for Autism Every Day:

Sunday, January 21, 10:00 a.m., Holiday IV

Monday, January 22, 2:30 p.m., Holiday I

Saturday, January 27, 7:30 p.m., Broadway 6

• • •

FEAT Newsletter Returns Online

The newsletter for Families for Early Autism Treatment has returned to

the internet. This version is the local online quarterly serving nearly

1,000 families with autism in the greater Sacramento California area. The

Schafer Autism Report published as the national FEAT Daily Newsletter from

1997 to 2002. http://www.feat.org/FEAT/Newsletters/tabid/84/Default.aspx

• • •

COMMENTARY

The Crappy Life of the Autism Mom

By Kim Stagliano on the Huffington Post web blog.

http://tinyurl.com/ykdzxx

Well, that title should set off alarm bells in the Neurodiverse (ND)

autism world.

Autism is like a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (from the

Harry Potter books.) Some autistics got the raspberry cream or root beer

flavor. They can speak eloquently, write blogs, move out on their own,

marry, have children and manage their autistic traits.

Others with autism, like my three girls, got the ear wax/vomit/dog

poop flavor. They need help 24/7 to navigate the world. When I talk about

autism, I mean the version that my three girls got. I'm not talking about

the sort of autism that encompasses quirky kids with some social deficits

who are otherwise brilliant.

The ND community tells me and tens of thousands of other parents that

we are disrespecting our kids by trying to help them. The ND blogs berate us

as wanting to change our kids because we don't accept them. Here's a " taste "

of what autism looks like in the Stagliano household. Would you want

something better for your kids?

Twice last month, we had a " crapisode. " What is a crapisode? (This is

where you might want to stop eating and put down your beverage.) My 10 year

old (#2, appropriately for the purposes of this entry) pooped in the toilet.

That is reason to cheer, believe me. Toilet training is a major issue in my

section of the autism community. Our kids can wear diapers into their teens

and beyond. So Miss G pooped. Hooray! But Miss G forgets to flush. And she

rarely closes the lid. Not hooray.

Miss Peanut, my 6 year old, seems to believe that being a Virgo means

she simply MUST swim in any puddle larger than spit. The toilet is like an

Olympic sized pool to her. So Peanut goes into the toilet after Miss G has

had her, ah, success. Peanut flings kaka everywhere and gets it all over

herself, the floor, the walls, the tub, the baseboards and the window. Wes

Craven could not film anything scarier than what I saw that school morning,

35 minutes before the bus was due to arrive. That's a " crapisode. " It

happens in the blink of an eye while I'm washing dishes or doing laundry.

I'm alerted by a splashing sound that drops a brick into my stomach. Miss G

doesn't understand to flush and close the lid. Miss Peanut doesn't realize

that a face full of feces is rarely considered a way to amuse oneself

outside of the fetish community.

I will never stop trying to help my girls recover from their autism. I

can not tell you what recovery means. It varies by kid and according to

God's grace. If recovery means only that Peanut understands she should sit

on the toilet, not play in the toilet, I'll take it.

Recovering your kids doesn't mean denying their value as people. To

the contrary, it means we are willing to devote our lives, our savings, our

sanity to their improved health, development and well being.

Maybe we need an expanded vocabulary. The ND's can keep the word

autism and my kids get a new label. Fine by me. Just don't tell me to give

up on my girls and accept their version of autism (remember the Bertie

Bott's beans) as simply a different type of personality. Because THAT'S a

load of crap.

Public Service Announcements to the Reader:

AUTISM IS TREATABLE. Consult these sources:

. Autism Research Institute http://tinyurl.com/ccxco

. Generation Rescue http://www.generationrescue.org

. UK - Big Biomedical Conf. http://www.treatingautism.com

. UK - Autism Treatment Trust http://www.autismtrust.org.uk

WAS YOUR CHILD MERCURY/VACCINE DAMAGED? How to File in the US.

Filing a Short Form Autism Petition without an attorney.

If you have a child with autism and you feel that the autism was

caused by vaccinations that the child received, you may be able to file a

Short Form Petition with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

(Link here to see Opinion of the Chief Special Master concerning this

procedure. http://tinyurl.com/ynyfgg ) While we recommend that you find an

attorney to represent you, if you cannot find an attorney, you can file the

Petition yourself by following these instructions. There are three forms to

download. There is a three year statute of limitations from time of damage!

For more information: http://www.attorneyaccess.net/ProSe.cfm

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