Monday, August 3, 2009
Safe Haven Farms - 1st Annual Run/Walk
Safe Haven Farms 5k Run/Walk
Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 9:00 am
Lakota West Football Stadium
8940 Union Centre Blvd.
Union Center Blvd., West Chester
Come join your family, friends and neighbors for the 1st Annual Safe Haven Farms 5k Run/Walk. Men, women and children are invited to share in the excitement as we come together to raise awareness and support for Safe Haven Farms. The “flat and fast” race route begins at the Lakota West Football Stadium and runs NW along Union Center Blvd. towards Mulhauser Barn then loops back to finish at the stadium.
Safe Haven Farms is a non profit organization offering residential, day and community service for individuals on the autism spectrum. It provides a variety of meaningful living, working, learning and leisure activities in a safe and accepting farm environment, where every individual is respected as a valued and contributing community member.
Awards: First male/female runner and walker, plus top finisher in each division.
Runner Division: 14 & under 15-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 and over
Registration: Pre-registration available by mailing entry form & fee, postmarked by September 9, 2009. Register online @ www.active.com Search words: Safe Haven Farms.
Pre-race packet pick-up: Saturday September 19th, 10am-6pm at Mojo Running
Individual $25 Kids 14 & under $10
Kids 10 & under Fun Run~Free (takes place after the 5k; no t-shirt)
Race day registration begins at 7:30am $30 t-shirt (t-shirt while supplies last)
Make checks payable to SAFE HAVEN FARMS INC.
Send registration to: Mojo Running Store
9318 Union Centre Blvd.
West Chester, Ohio 45069
Questions or concerns please contact Jill Wojno @ 513-870-9299
Save Haven Farms
Safe Haven Farms
A community of choice for adults with autism
Being established in southwest Ohio in 2009
Mission
Safe Haven Farms is a non-profit organization offering residential, day and community services for individuals on the autism spectrum. It provides a variety of meaningful living, working, learning and leisure activities in a safe and accepting farm environment, where every individual is respected as a valued and contributing community member.
History
Safe Haven Farms, Inc. was founded by a group of local parents with young adult children with autism in response to the lack of residential and vocational services for persons with autism.
They visited the few existing farmsteads in other parts of the country to gain first-hand experience and advice from groups who have been successful with the farming model. Safe Haven Farms, Inc. is working to create a model program for adults with autism in rural southwest Ohio.
Service Model
Save Haven Farms offers an integrated day vocational and residential setting where each individual is part of a close-knit supportive farm family. Their participation in the therapeutic cycle of farm life fosters self-sufficiency, independence, and a sense of achievement.
A 60-acre farm property is being purchased in rural Butler County and closing is currently targeted for the summer of 2009. The working farm is being funded and developed by Safe Haven Farms, Inc. A maximum of 24 adults with autism will eventually live and work on the farm. Homes will be constructed in two phases. During phase 1, four homes serving four residents each will be built, along with buildings for the day services. Construction for phase 1 is expected to be completed by late 2009.
During phase 2, an additional two homes will be completed for the final eight residents. Phase 2 is expected to be completed by early 2011.
The homes have been designed to meet some of the special needs of adults with autism, with ample community and private space. They will be universally accessible and energy efficient.
The residents of Safe Haven Farms will be served by staff extensively trained in autism. There will be significant opportunities to learn new skills and develop friendships with their housemates, staff and neighbors. Safe Haven Farms, Inc. has selected an experienced service agency partner to provide around-the-clock support for residential and day programs. The service provider will be responsible for hiring and training direct care staff, and providing on-site management oversight.
Once built, Safe Haven Farms will be self-sufficient utilizing each individual’s existing funding streams from federal, state and local Medicaid, Social Security and MRDD funding.
Community Interaction
Those living on the farm, along with staff, will participate in community events and volunteer opportunities. The community will be invited to attend special events on the Farm and to volunteer their farming expertise, interacting with and teaching residents.
Beyond the immediate project goals, the organization plans to educate and train future professionals and direct care staff about autism. Toward that end, local universities have been contacted to promote opportunities for students with an interest in autism seeking a meaningful work/study experience.
To address a critical community need, training programs and seminars will periodically be held at Safe Haven to teach direct care staff, professionals and parents from throughout the area about autism and how to help and care for individuals with autism. These goals constitute ways of giving back and reaching beyond the farm to make lives better for individuals and families living with autism.
Residential and Day Programs
Residential Programs
In the home environment, staff will work with residents to develop their skills and independence in the areas of:
• Personal care – grooming, toileting, dressing
• Homemaker skills – cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, home landscaping
• Socialization skills – communication, social rules, cooperative behavior in a group setting
Day Programs
In addition to the on-site residents, an additional eight to ten individuals who live off-site will also be served in the day programs. Resident and day participants can enjoy:
• Craft center – for fun and enjoyment
• Learning center – for lifelong learning
• Life skills center – cooking and independence skill building
• Sensory room – a calming place
• Gardens – raising vegetables, fruits, flowers
• Greenhouses – extended growing season
• Animal care – feeding, exercising, grooming, cleaning of pets and farm animals
• Landscaping – taking care of the property
Therapeutic Riding Program
Several horses will be maintained on site to provide therapeutic riding for individuals with disabilities of all ages living in the surrounding area. A trainer certified by NARHA will lead riding sessions in the indoor and outdoor arenas. Daily care of the horses will be provided by on-site residents and staff.
Recreation/Leisure Opportunities (on site)
• Softball, basketball, volleyball
• Fitness center
• Swings
• Walking paths
• Future tennis court and indoor pool
Community Programs
Residents, to the extent they are willing and able, can also access the surrounding community with staff:
• Social and sports events at nearby Miami U.
• Zoo, Circus, Kings Island, Reds in Cincinnati
• Local dances, movies, roller skating, parks
• Grocery and personal shopping, restaurants
• Church, medical appointments, visits with friends
Staff will …
• Be extensively trained in autism
• Use structured teaching methods like TEACCH and PECS
• Utilize a Gentle Teaching model of mutual respect and interdependence between staff and residents
• Average 2-3 staff per 4 residents on 1st and 2nd shifts, with 1 awake staff per house overnight
• Have on-site management support during the week for training, coaching, problem solving and program development
• Collaborate closely with parents and the county MRDD to develop individualized service plans leading to enhanced quality of life for each participant
Residents and Day Participants
• Will come mainly from Butler, Hamilton, Warren and Preble counties in Southwest Ohio
• Must be at least 18 years old and out of school
• Must have an autism spectrum diagnosis
• Must have a Medicaid Individual Options waiver with funding sufficient to pay for staffing needs (or ability to private pay)
• Must have sufficient funds to pay living expenses
• Will be selected by the service provider using an interdisciplinary evaluation committee
Our Needs
As a new venture just starting up, our needs are many. Donations are needed to help us keep our debt to a manageable level, furnish the houses, equip the day programs, provide vehicles and supply the animals.
In addition, we need funds to build a recreation center and a future indoor pool. We need volunteers to help with many projects, to assist in the therapeutic programs and to participate in social events on the farm. Please contact us to see how you can help!
Safe Haven Farms, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) corporation
For more information, contact
Dennis.Rogers@safehavenfarms.org
4/25/09
A community of choice for adults with autism
Being established in southwest Ohio in 2009
Mission
Safe Haven Farms is a non-profit organization offering residential, day and community services for individuals on the autism spectrum. It provides a variety of meaningful living, working, learning and leisure activities in a safe and accepting farm environment, where every individual is respected as a valued and contributing community member.
History
Safe Haven Farms, Inc. was founded by a group of local parents with young adult children with autism in response to the lack of residential and vocational services for persons with autism.
They visited the few existing farmsteads in other parts of the country to gain first-hand experience and advice from groups who have been successful with the farming model. Safe Haven Farms, Inc. is working to create a model program for adults with autism in rural southwest Ohio.
Service Model
Save Haven Farms offers an integrated day vocational and residential setting where each individual is part of a close-knit supportive farm family. Their participation in the therapeutic cycle of farm life fosters self-sufficiency, independence, and a sense of achievement.
A 60-acre farm property is being purchased in rural Butler County and closing is currently targeted for the summer of 2009. The working farm is being funded and developed by Safe Haven Farms, Inc. A maximum of 24 adults with autism will eventually live and work on the farm. Homes will be constructed in two phases. During phase 1, four homes serving four residents each will be built, along with buildings for the day services. Construction for phase 1 is expected to be completed by late 2009.
During phase 2, an additional two homes will be completed for the final eight residents. Phase 2 is expected to be completed by early 2011.
The homes have been designed to meet some of the special needs of adults with autism, with ample community and private space. They will be universally accessible and energy efficient.
The residents of Safe Haven Farms will be served by staff extensively trained in autism. There will be significant opportunities to learn new skills and develop friendships with their housemates, staff and neighbors. Safe Haven Farms, Inc. has selected an experienced service agency partner to provide around-the-clock support for residential and day programs. The service provider will be responsible for hiring and training direct care staff, and providing on-site management oversight.
Once built, Safe Haven Farms will be self-sufficient utilizing each individual’s existing funding streams from federal, state and local Medicaid, Social Security and MRDD funding.
Community Interaction
Those living on the farm, along with staff, will participate in community events and volunteer opportunities. The community will be invited to attend special events on the Farm and to volunteer their farming expertise, interacting with and teaching residents.
Beyond the immediate project goals, the organization plans to educate and train future professionals and direct care staff about autism. Toward that end, local universities have been contacted to promote opportunities for students with an interest in autism seeking a meaningful work/study experience.
To address a critical community need, training programs and seminars will periodically be held at Safe Haven to teach direct care staff, professionals and parents from throughout the area about autism and how to help and care for individuals with autism. These goals constitute ways of giving back and reaching beyond the farm to make lives better for individuals and families living with autism.
Residential and Day Programs
Residential Programs
In the home environment, staff will work with residents to develop their skills and independence in the areas of:
• Personal care – grooming, toileting, dressing
• Homemaker skills – cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, home landscaping
• Socialization skills – communication, social rules, cooperative behavior in a group setting
Day Programs
In addition to the on-site residents, an additional eight to ten individuals who live off-site will also be served in the day programs. Resident and day participants can enjoy:
• Craft center – for fun and enjoyment
• Learning center – for lifelong learning
• Life skills center – cooking and independence skill building
• Sensory room – a calming place
• Gardens – raising vegetables, fruits, flowers
• Greenhouses – extended growing season
• Animal care – feeding, exercising, grooming, cleaning of pets and farm animals
• Landscaping – taking care of the property
Therapeutic Riding Program
Several horses will be maintained on site to provide therapeutic riding for individuals with disabilities of all ages living in the surrounding area. A trainer certified by NARHA will lead riding sessions in the indoor and outdoor arenas. Daily care of the horses will be provided by on-site residents and staff.
Recreation/Leisure Opportunities (on site)
• Softball, basketball, volleyball
• Fitness center
• Swings
• Walking paths
• Future tennis court and indoor pool
Community Programs
Residents, to the extent they are willing and able, can also access the surrounding community with staff:
• Social and sports events at nearby Miami U.
• Zoo, Circus, Kings Island, Reds in Cincinnati
• Local dances, movies, roller skating, parks
• Grocery and personal shopping, restaurants
• Church, medical appointments, visits with friends
Staff will …
• Be extensively trained in autism
• Use structured teaching methods like TEACCH and PECS
• Utilize a Gentle Teaching model of mutual respect and interdependence between staff and residents
• Average 2-3 staff per 4 residents on 1st and 2nd shifts, with 1 awake staff per house overnight
• Have on-site management support during the week for training, coaching, problem solving and program development
• Collaborate closely with parents and the county MRDD to develop individualized service plans leading to enhanced quality of life for each participant
Residents and Day Participants
• Will come mainly from Butler, Hamilton, Warren and Preble counties in Southwest Ohio
• Must be at least 18 years old and out of school
• Must have an autism spectrum diagnosis
• Must have a Medicaid Individual Options waiver with funding sufficient to pay for staffing needs (or ability to private pay)
• Must have sufficient funds to pay living expenses
• Will be selected by the service provider using an interdisciplinary evaluation committee
Our Needs
As a new venture just starting up, our needs are many. Donations are needed to help us keep our debt to a manageable level, furnish the houses, equip the day programs, provide vehicles and supply the animals.
In addition, we need funds to build a recreation center and a future indoor pool. We need volunteers to help with many projects, to assist in the therapeutic programs and to participate in social events on the farm. Please contact us to see how you can help!
Safe Haven Farms, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) corporation
For more information, contact
Dennis.Rogers@safehavenfarms.org
4/25/09
Monday, July 20, 2009
Clippard YMCA - NEW Ohio Autism Scholarship Provider
Clippard Family YMCA’s Expanded Fall Preschool - Now To Be One Of Only A Few State Approved Preschool Providers for Autism Scholarship Program
Already with a long history of providing socialization and support opportunities for families who have a child with autism, the Clippard Family YMCA has just been approved by the Ohio Department of Education as a private provider for the Autism Scholarship Program – making it one of the area’s few preschools providing students with all of the therapy and other services that are written into their Independent Education Plan (IEP).
As part of its expanded all day inclusive preschool, the Colerain based YMCA branch will operate an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Learning Center including 1:1 instruction using ABA, speech and occupational therapy, swimming, music, and sensory and gross motor gym activities. Children with autism and other disabilities will also be included with other YMCA preschool students for social and peer interaction.
ABA is a positive reinforcement approach that teaches behaviors and skills by reinforcing desired or acceptable behaviors. Because children with autism are less likely to learn from everyday environment, this approach fills in that gap by focusing on simplified instruction and consistent reinforcement.
In addition to the Clippard Family YMCA’s inclusive preschool, the branch also offers Autism Family Nights where siblings and parents can participate in recreational activities or simply visit with one another. The FREE monthly events for YMCA members and non-members host more than 200 families on average.
The efforts of the YMCA to create an environment where kids with and without disabilities, and their parents, can thrive is a very personal one for David Martorano, YMCA district vice president overseeing the branch, and his wife. They are the parents of four children, two of whom have autism.
“I know firsthand the challenges faced by families like ours. Most insurance companies don’t cover costs of early intervention and some children require intensive therapy that many families can’t afford,” said Martorano. “Our approval as a provider for the Autism Scholarship Program will offer parents a preschool option where they know their kids will receive the most critical intervention and education during these early years.”
About the Clippard Family YMCA preschool: Beginning this fall, the expanded preschool will be able to serve 60 kids daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in newly renovated classrooms. With a continued emphasis on character values and early learning content standards (kindergarten readiness) activities will be focused on fostering creativity, self-esteem, cooperation and independence. Unique to the Clippard Family YMCA’s preschool will be weekly swim lessons, exercise in the gymnasium, technology-based equipment, and daily interaction with seniors.
To register a child or learn more, the public can call the Clippard Family YMCA at 513-923-4466. Hamilton County vouchers will be accepted.
As the area’s largest youth and family-focused not-for-profit, the YMCA reinforces character values through assets-based programs and services to more than 143,000 individuals, kids and families annually. Adult mentors encourage young people to be caring, responsible, respectful, and honest through sports, summer camps, structured child and afterschool care, and leadership building programs. Branches offer quality time for families, resources for parents, and a variety of opportunities for seniors to be active. The Membership for All sliding scale fee structure means everyone, no matter their ability to pay, can always benefit from the YMCA. Last year alone more than 17,400 families and individuals enjoyed healthier and happier lives because generous partners helped the YMCA in its vision to be accessible to all.
Already with a long history of providing socialization and support opportunities for families who have a child with autism, the Clippard Family YMCA has just been approved by the Ohio Department of Education as a private provider for the Autism Scholarship Program – making it one of the area’s few preschools providing students with all of the therapy and other services that are written into their Independent Education Plan (IEP).
As part of its expanded all day inclusive preschool, the Colerain based YMCA branch will operate an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Learning Center including 1:1 instruction using ABA, speech and occupational therapy, swimming, music, and sensory and gross motor gym activities. Children with autism and other disabilities will also be included with other YMCA preschool students for social and peer interaction.
ABA is a positive reinforcement approach that teaches behaviors and skills by reinforcing desired or acceptable behaviors. Because children with autism are less likely to learn from everyday environment, this approach fills in that gap by focusing on simplified instruction and consistent reinforcement.
In addition to the Clippard Family YMCA’s inclusive preschool, the branch also offers Autism Family Nights where siblings and parents can participate in recreational activities or simply visit with one another. The FREE monthly events for YMCA members and non-members host more than 200 families on average.
The efforts of the YMCA to create an environment where kids with and without disabilities, and their parents, can thrive is a very personal one for David Martorano, YMCA district vice president overseeing the branch, and his wife. They are the parents of four children, two of whom have autism.
“I know firsthand the challenges faced by families like ours. Most insurance companies don’t cover costs of early intervention and some children require intensive therapy that many families can’t afford,” said Martorano. “Our approval as a provider for the Autism Scholarship Program will offer parents a preschool option where they know their kids will receive the most critical intervention and education during these early years.”
About the Clippard Family YMCA preschool: Beginning this fall, the expanded preschool will be able to serve 60 kids daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in newly renovated classrooms. With a continued emphasis on character values and early learning content standards (kindergarten readiness) activities will be focused on fostering creativity, self-esteem, cooperation and independence. Unique to the Clippard Family YMCA’s preschool will be weekly swim lessons, exercise in the gymnasium, technology-based equipment, and daily interaction with seniors.
To register a child or learn more, the public can call the Clippard Family YMCA at 513-923-4466. Hamilton County vouchers will be accepted.
As the area’s largest youth and family-focused not-for-profit, the YMCA reinforces character values through assets-based programs and services to more than 143,000 individuals, kids and families annually. Adult mentors encourage young people to be caring, responsible, respectful, and honest through sports, summer camps, structured child and afterschool care, and leadership building programs. Branches offer quality time for families, resources for parents, and a variety of opportunities for seniors to be active. The Membership for All sliding scale fee structure means everyone, no matter their ability to pay, can always benefit from the YMCA. Last year alone more than 17,400 families and individuals enjoyed healthier and happier lives because generous partners helped the YMCA in its vision to be accessible to all.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Summer Bridges Leisure Expo 8/1/09
RHC CITE Services Presents: Summer Bridges Leisure Expo
CITE Mission: To empower children and adolescents with developmental disabilities to achieve their life goals by partnering with the individual and their support network at home, at school and in the community.
Participating in ongoing leisure and social activities at home and in the community improves the overall quality and enjoyment in our lives.
This Leisure Expo provides an opportunity for teens and adults of all abilities to observe and participate in a variety of leisure, fitness and hobby activities. Participants will increase their awareness of a range of activities they might enjoy so they can identify, expand and build their leisure interests and skills.
Members of o ur local community who are skilled in specific leisure, fitness, and hobby areas will provide demonstration as well as hands-on opportunities for participants to explore activities of interest.
Participants will also receive a resource list with information on where and how they can continue to pursue the leisure activities they enjoyed.
3500 Madison Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
Expo will be held at Crossroads Community Church August 1, 2009
1st Experiential Opportunity from
9:30 — 12 Noon
2nd Experiential Opportunity from
1:00 — 3:30 PM
Note: Both Experiential Opportunities are Identical, but offered at different time slots in order to meet your scheduling preferences.
RSVP to Sally Kilcoyne at RHC CITE Services
Phone: 513-619-2945
E-Mail: skilcoyne@rhcorp.org
Note: While the Expo is being offered at this location, please note that RHC, CITE Services and the Summer Bridges Leisure Expo are not affiliated with Crossroads
Community Church.
CITE Mission: To empower children and adolescents with developmental disabilities to achieve their life goals by partnering with the individual and their support network at home, at school and in the community.
Participating in ongoing leisure and social activities at home and in the community improves the overall quality and enjoyment in our lives.
This Leisure Expo provides an opportunity for teens and adults of all abilities to observe and participate in a variety of leisure, fitness and hobby activities. Participants will increase their awareness of a range of activities they might enjoy so they can identify, expand and build their leisure interests and skills.
Members of o ur local community who are skilled in specific leisure, fitness, and hobby areas will provide demonstration as well as hands-on opportunities for participants to explore activities of interest.
Participants will also receive a resource list with information on where and how they can continue to pursue the leisure activities they enjoyed.
3500 Madison Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
Expo will be held at Crossroads Community Church August 1, 2009
1st Experiential Opportunity from
9:30 — 12 Noon
2nd Experiential Opportunity from
1:00 — 3:30 PM
Note: Both Experiential Opportunities are Identical, but offered at different time slots in order to meet your scheduling preferences.
RSVP to Sally Kilcoyne at RHC CITE Services
Phone: 513-619-2945
E-Mail: skilcoyne@rhcorp.org
Note: While the Expo is being offered at this location, please note that RHC, CITE Services and the Summer Bridges Leisure Expo are not affiliated with Crossroads
Community Church.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Cincinnati Center for Autism Charity Ride 6/21/09
CCA Charity Ride
General June 21, 2009; 9:00am
The first annual charity ride leaves Kings Island at 11:30 am, and ends at the Kentucky Speedway, where all ride participants will have the opportunity to take 3 laps on the track upon arrival. Entertainment and music will be available at the speedway, and the festivities will continue until 5:00 pm.
Everyone can register for the Charity Ride online now at www.cincinnaticenterforautism.com
Then, click on fundraiser.
This ride is $25.00 if you pre register and $35.00 the day of the ride.
Cost: $25/bike
Ride Benefits: Cincinnati Center for Autism
Ride Origin: Kings Island
Ride Destination: Kentucky Speedway
3 laps at track with pace car upon arrival.
Music by : Sonny Moorman, 80’s Proof and Dallas Moore
Approximately 1500 to 2000 motorcycles
Goal: $50K
General June 21, 2009; 9:00am
The first annual charity ride leaves Kings Island at 11:30 am, and ends at the Kentucky Speedway, where all ride participants will have the opportunity to take 3 laps on the track upon arrival. Entertainment and music will be available at the speedway, and the festivities will continue until 5:00 pm.
Everyone can register for the Charity Ride online now at www.cincinnaticenterforautism.com
Then, click on fundraiser.
This ride is $25.00 if you pre register and $35.00 the day of the ride.
Cost: $25/bike
Ride Benefits: Cincinnati Center for Autism
Ride Origin: Kings Island
Ride Destination: Kentucky Speedway
3 laps at track with pace car upon arrival.
Music by : Sonny Moorman, 80’s Proof and Dallas Moore
Approximately 1500 to 2000 motorcycles
Goal: $50K
Monday, April 13, 2009
Ohio Autism Scholarship - Important Information!
Autism Scholarship
Fifth Third Center
21 East State Street, Suite 900
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 6142231555
Fax: 6142231565
Would your child with Autism be better served by a private school or a specialized private service provider?
For more information about the Ohio Autism Scholarship Program, which can provide scholarships up to $20,000, or to receive a list of the private schools and providers in your area, please contact School Choice Ohio:
6142231555
autisminfo@scohio.org
These forms are available online at www.ode.state.oh.us (search keyword “Autism”).
Expanding Options for Families of Autistic Students Across Ohio
If the needs of your child with Autism are not being met in his or her current
public school, the Ohio Autism Scholarship may be the answer.
The Ohio Autism Scholarship:
• Allows you to send your child to a private school or service provider
• Provides scholarship funding of up to $20,000 annually
• Pays for tuition to cover the services outlined in the child’s IEP
• Requires service providers to be approved by the Ohio Department of Education
• Empowers you, the parent, to guide your child’s education
Autism Scholarship Program
On the web at:
www.scohio.org
Preschool Children—Eligibility
Preschool students (ages 3‐4) are eligible for the Autism Scholarship if they have a medical diagnosis of Autism and identified deficits in communication and adaptive behavior. Inclusion of preschool students in the scholarship program is designed to
encourage early intervention. Many current Autism scholarship recipients are preschool students.
SchoolAged Students—
Eligibility
Students with Autism in grades K‐12 (or up to age 21) who have a current agreed‐upon Individual Education Program (IEP) from their resident public school district are eligible for the Autism Scholarship. A child with “pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified (PDD‐NOS)” is also eligible for the scholarship.
A list of approved registered private providers is listed by county on the ODE website:
(www.ode.state.oh.us)
The provider list includes both nonpublic schools and private service providers who
meet the participation requirements. Parents may use more than one approved registered provider to provide the services listed on their child’s IEP. However, the scholarship may not be used for supplemental services if the child continues to
attend their public school of residence.
How To Apply:
• Your child must be enrolled in their public school district of residence and meet all eligibility criteria.
• Fill out the Scholarship Application and District Assurance forms.
• Find a private provider(s) like schools, therapists, or agencies to provide the services listed on your child’s IEP. A list of approved providers is available online
through ODE’s website.
There are no application deadlines for the Autism scholarship, so families can
begin using the private services at any point during the year. To get started, please either call School Choice Ohio or get in touch with one of the approved private service providers in your area who can assist you with the application process.
Interested in learning more? Need help with the application process? Contact School
Choice Ohio today for assistance. 16142231555
Fifth Third Center
21 East State Street, Suite 900
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 6142231555
Fax: 6142231565
Would your child with Autism be better served by a private school or a specialized private service provider?
For more information about the Ohio Autism Scholarship Program, which can provide scholarships up to $20,000, or to receive a list of the private schools and providers in your area, please contact School Choice Ohio:
6142231555
autisminfo@scohio.org
These forms are available online at www.ode.state.oh.us (search keyword “Autism”).
Expanding Options for Families of Autistic Students Across Ohio
If the needs of your child with Autism are not being met in his or her current
public school, the Ohio Autism Scholarship may be the answer.
The Ohio Autism Scholarship:
• Allows you to send your child to a private school or service provider
• Provides scholarship funding of up to $20,000 annually
• Pays for tuition to cover the services outlined in the child’s IEP
• Requires service providers to be approved by the Ohio Department of Education
• Empowers you, the parent, to guide your child’s education
Autism Scholarship Program
On the web at:
www.scohio.org
Preschool Children—Eligibility
Preschool students (ages 3‐4) are eligible for the Autism Scholarship if they have a medical diagnosis of Autism and identified deficits in communication and adaptive behavior. Inclusion of preschool students in the scholarship program is designed to
encourage early intervention. Many current Autism scholarship recipients are preschool students.
SchoolAged Students—
Eligibility
Students with Autism in grades K‐12 (or up to age 21) who have a current agreed‐upon Individual Education Program (IEP) from their resident public school district are eligible for the Autism Scholarship. A child with “pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified (PDD‐NOS)” is also eligible for the scholarship.
A list of approved registered private providers is listed by county on the ODE website:
(www.ode.state.oh.us)
The provider list includes both nonpublic schools and private service providers who
meet the participation requirements. Parents may use more than one approved registered provider to provide the services listed on their child’s IEP. However, the scholarship may not be used for supplemental services if the child continues to
attend their public school of residence.
How To Apply:
• Your child must be enrolled in their public school district of residence and meet all eligibility criteria.
• Fill out the Scholarship Application and District Assurance forms.
• Find a private provider(s) like schools, therapists, or agencies to provide the services listed on your child’s IEP. A list of approved providers is available online
through ODE’s website.
There are no application deadlines for the Autism scholarship, so families can
begin using the private services at any point during the year. To get started, please either call School Choice Ohio or get in touch with one of the approved private service providers in your area who can assist you with the application process.
Interested in learning more? Need help with the application process? Contact School
Choice Ohio today for assistance. 16142231555
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Sensory Friendly Films - Autism Society & AMC Theaters!
AMC Entertainment® and the Autism Society of America Announce Partnership
Organizations Team Up to Promote Social Inclusion for Individuals with Autism in their Communities
Kansas City, Mo. – Las Vegas, NV (April 2, 2009)—AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society of America (ASA) announced, on World Autism Awareness Day, a formal commitment to their current partnership that aims to include people with autism in their community through work and play. The AMC Sensory Friendly Films announcement occurred at ShoWest, the movie industry’s largest convention, in Las Vegas at Paris.
For nearly a year, the two organizations have brought a pilot program to communities across the United States, giving families affected by autism a chance to go to the movies together – most for the first time. Now, with the formalization of their partnership, the two organizations will continue to bring the popular AMC Sensory Friendly FilmsTM program to families while planning for a workforce program to address the needs of those children as they grow up. With support from ASA, AMC will begin an employment program that will help individuals on the autism spectrum participate as visible, valued members of the workforce.
“We are proud to expand this partnership into a program featuring multiple ways for our organization to make a difference in the lives of the estimated 1.5 million people in the U.S. living with autism spectrum disorder,” said Gerry Lopez, chief executive officer and president, AMC. “Not only will we continue to offer families affected by autism the chance to enjoy a special movie experience in a safe and accepting environment, but we look forward to launching our employment program, which will offer those affected by autism the opportunity to contribute to the AMC workforce in a meaningful manner.”
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disability that typically appears during the first two years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It often comes with sensory sensitivities, which is why for the Sensory Friendly Films program, the lights are slightly turned up and the sound slightly turned down. But perhaps the most significant accommodation for families affected by autism is the suspension of AMC’s “Silence is Golden” policy – guests are allowed to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing, creating a safe and accepting environment for families that might otherwise never be able to attend a movie due to the challenges of autism. With two shows this April, National Autism Awareness Month – Monsters v. Aliens on April 4 and Hannah Montana: The Movie on April 18 – the program will continue to bring joy to families across the country.
- more -
Page 2, AMC Entertainment & Autism Society of America Announce Partnership
In addition to the recreational opportunity of AMC Sensory Friendly Films, the partnership will create a new employment opportunity for people on the spectrum. According to a 2008 Easter Seals/Mass Mutual study, 76 percent of teenagers with autism over the age of 16 have never looked for a job, and 76 percent of parents of children with autism are concerned about their child’s future employment. With help from top experts in the field, ASA will support AMC in developing a workforce program in their theatres that aims to change that landscape for families today.
“ASA is thrilled to have AMC as a partner in our efforts to improve the lives of all affected by autism,” said ASA Board Chair Dr. Cathy Pratt. “The new workforce initiative is especially exciting because not only does it offer people with autism a much-needed opportunity for employment, but communities will be able to see that those on the spectrum can take steps toward independence by becoming valued members of the workforce.”
About AMC Entertainment Inc.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., AMC Entertainment Inc. is a leading theatrical exhibition and entertainment company. With a history of industry leadership and innovation dating back to 1920, the company today serves more than 235 million guests annually through interests in 309 theatres with 4,628 screens in five countries. www.amcentertainment.com
About Autism Society of America
ASA, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy. For more information, visit www.autism-society.org.
Organizations Team Up to Promote Social Inclusion for Individuals with Autism in their Communities
Kansas City, Mo. – Las Vegas, NV (April 2, 2009)—AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society of America (ASA) announced, on World Autism Awareness Day, a formal commitment to their current partnership that aims to include people with autism in their community through work and play. The AMC Sensory Friendly Films announcement occurred at ShoWest, the movie industry’s largest convention, in Las Vegas at Paris.
For nearly a year, the two organizations have brought a pilot program to communities across the United States, giving families affected by autism a chance to go to the movies together – most for the first time. Now, with the formalization of their partnership, the two organizations will continue to bring the popular AMC Sensory Friendly FilmsTM program to families while planning for a workforce program to address the needs of those children as they grow up. With support from ASA, AMC will begin an employment program that will help individuals on the autism spectrum participate as visible, valued members of the workforce.
“We are proud to expand this partnership into a program featuring multiple ways for our organization to make a difference in the lives of the estimated 1.5 million people in the U.S. living with autism spectrum disorder,” said Gerry Lopez, chief executive officer and president, AMC. “Not only will we continue to offer families affected by autism the chance to enjoy a special movie experience in a safe and accepting environment, but we look forward to launching our employment program, which will offer those affected by autism the opportunity to contribute to the AMC workforce in a meaningful manner.”
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disability that typically appears during the first two years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It often comes with sensory sensitivities, which is why for the Sensory Friendly Films program, the lights are slightly turned up and the sound slightly turned down. But perhaps the most significant accommodation for families affected by autism is the suspension of AMC’s “Silence is Golden” policy – guests are allowed to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing, creating a safe and accepting environment for families that might otherwise never be able to attend a movie due to the challenges of autism. With two shows this April, National Autism Awareness Month – Monsters v. Aliens on April 4 and Hannah Montana: The Movie on April 18 – the program will continue to bring joy to families across the country.
- more -
Page 2, AMC Entertainment & Autism Society of America Announce Partnership
In addition to the recreational opportunity of AMC Sensory Friendly Films, the partnership will create a new employment opportunity for people on the spectrum. According to a 2008 Easter Seals/Mass Mutual study, 76 percent of teenagers with autism over the age of 16 have never looked for a job, and 76 percent of parents of children with autism are concerned about their child’s future employment. With help from top experts in the field, ASA will support AMC in developing a workforce program in their theatres that aims to change that landscape for families today.
“ASA is thrilled to have AMC as a partner in our efforts to improve the lives of all affected by autism,” said ASA Board Chair Dr. Cathy Pratt. “The new workforce initiative is especially exciting because not only does it offer people with autism a much-needed opportunity for employment, but communities will be able to see that those on the spectrum can take steps toward independence by becoming valued members of the workforce.”
About AMC Entertainment Inc.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., AMC Entertainment Inc. is a leading theatrical exhibition and entertainment company. With a history of industry leadership and innovation dating back to 1920, the company today serves more than 235 million guests annually through interests in 309 theatres with 4,628 screens in five countries. www.amcentertainment.com
About Autism Society of America
ASA, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy. For more information, visit www.autism-society.org.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
ANOTHER AUTISM CASE WINS IN VACCINE COURT
On February 12, the federal "Vaccine Court" in Washington issued a sweeping ruling in three highly touted "test cases" against families who claimed that their childrens' autism had been caused by vaccines. The Special Masters in those three cases found that Petitioners failed to establish causation between MMR vaccines, the mercury-laced vaccine preservative thimerosal, and autism (the court decision, which is under appeal, deferred any finding on a thimerosal-only theory of causation). The rulings could have a significant precedential impact on some 5,000 families who opted to bring their cases in the Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP) hoping that the vaccine court would officially hold that the MMR vaccine or thimerosal had caused autism in their children.
The New York Times joined the government Health Agency (HRSA) and its big pharma allies hailing the decisions as proof that the scientific doubts about vaccine safety had finally been "demolished." The US Department of Health and Human services said the rulings should "help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism." The Times, which has made itself a blind mouthpiece for HRSA and a leading defender of vaccine safety, joined crowing government and vaccine industry flacks applauding the decisions like giddy cheerleaders, rooting for the same court that many of these same voices viscously derided just one year ago, after Hannah Poling won compensation for her vaccine induced autism.
But last week, the parents of yet another child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were awarded a lump sum of more than $810,000 (plus an estimated $30-40,000 per year for autism services and care) in compensation by the Court, which ruled that the measels-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine had caused acute brain damage that led to his autism spectrum disorder.
The family of 10-year-old Bailey Banks won their case quietly and without fanfare in June of 2007, but the ruling has only now come to public attention. In the remarkably clear and eloquent decision, Special Master Richard Abell ruled that the Banks had successfully demonstrated that "the MMR vaccine at issue actually caused the conditions from which Bailey suffered and continues to suffer."
Bailey's diagnosis is Pervasive Developmental Disorder -- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) which has been recognized as an autism spectrum disorder by CDC, HRSA and the other federal health agencies since at least the 1990s. In his conclusion, Special Master Abell ruled that Petitioners had proven that the MMR had directly caused a brain inflammation illness called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) which, in turn, had caused the autism spectrum disorder PDD-NOS in the child:
The Court found that Bailey's ADEM was both caused-in-fact and proximately caused by his vaccination. It is well-understood that the vaccination at issue can cause ADEM, and the Court found, based upon a full reading and hearing of the pertinent facts in this case, that it did actually cause the ADEM. Furthermore, Bailey's ADEM was severe enough to cause lasting, residual damage, and retarded his developmental progress, which fits under the generalized heading of Pervasive Developmental Delay, or PDD . The Court found that Bailey would not have suffered this delay but for the administration of the MMR vaccine, and that this chain of causation was... a proximate sequence of cause and effect leading inexorably from vaccination to Pervasive Developmental Delay.
The Bailey decision is not an isolated ruling. We now know of at least two other successful ADEM cases argued in Vaccine Court. More significantly, an explosive investigation by CBS News has found that since 1988, the vaccine court has awarded money judgments, often in the millions of dollars, to thirteen hundred and twenty two families whose children suffered brain damage from vaccines. In many of these cases, the government paid out awards following a judicial finding that vaccine injury lead to the child's autism spectrum disorder. In each of these cases, the plaintiffs' attorneys made the same tactical decision made by Bailey Bank's lawyer, electing to opt out of the highly charged Omnibus Autism Proceedings and argue their autism cases in the regular vaccine court. In many other successful cases, attorneys elected to steer clear of the hot button autism issue altogether and seek recovery instead for the underlying brain damage that caused their client's autism.
Medical records associated with these proceedings clearly tell the tale. In perhaps hundreds of these cases, the children have all the classic symptoms of regressive autism; following vaccination a perfectly healthy child experiences high fever, seizures, and other illnesses, then gradually, over about three months, loses language, the ability to make eye contact, becomes "over-focused" and engages in stereotypical head banging and screaming and then suffers developmental delays characteristic of autism. Many of these children had received the autism diagnosis. Yet the radioactive word "autism" appears nowhere in the decision.
Instead the vaccine court Special Masters rest their judgments on their finding that the vaccines caused some generalized brain injury, mainly Encephalopathy/encephalitis (brain inflammation) or "seizure disorders" -- conditions known to cause autism-like symptoms. A large number of the children who have won these judgments have been separately diagnosed with autism. HRSA acknowledged this fact in a recent letter, but told us it does not keep data on how many of these children were autistic.
The Vaccine Court, in other words, seems quite willing to award millions of dollars in taxpayer funded compensation to vaccine-injured autistic children, so long as they don't have to call the injury by the loaded term "autism." That hazard is particularly acute for vaccine victims who appear before the Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP). Since that body's decisions are closely watched, published and accorded the weight of precedent, many lawyers consider the burden of proof for petitioners to be impossibly high before the OAP Panel. It was for this reason that Bailey's attorney, Mark McLaren, elected to opt out of the OAP and try his case separately, even though Bailey has been receiving autism-related services in his home state and was eligible to file a case in the Court's Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP).
McLaren told us he wanted to avoid the added burden facing petitioners under the media glare and precedential weight attending OAP panel trials. "We considered because is on the autistic spectrum of disorders, but we thought we could try it separately and apart from the Omnibus, and not as a test case," explained McLaren. "We thought we'd have a better chance if we tried to on its own merit, away from the spotlights and the precedent setting pressures that attend these OAP test cases - and it worked."
Bob Krakow, a leading attorney for vaccine damaged children told that many lawyers are now convinced that filing a claim in the OAP is a losing proposition. "There's a growing conviction that if you have a autistic client who has also been diagnosed with encephalopathy/encephalitis or seizure disorder, you are better off not mentioning the word "autism" if you want to win the case." He recommended instead filing a non autism claim like "mental retardation with seizure disorder" for an autistic client.
Although the vaccine court is mandated to fairly serve the victims of vaccine injuries, their primary purpose and raison d'etre is to protect the vaccine program and vaccine makers. Damages are doled out from a 75-cent tax on every vaccine sold and not from the vaccine makers. "You can understand why special masters, burdened with their duty to protect vaccine programs, might be unwilling to make the direct causal link between autism and vaccines," Krakow observed. "If you ask the big question and answer it in the affirmative, there is a sense that it will damage the vaccine program irreparably."
Vaccine Court judges are equipped with a draconian armory of weapons deployable against plaintiffs intent on proving the causal connection between vaccines and autism. Jury trials are prohibited. Damages are capped; awards for pain and suffering are strictly limited and punitive damages banned altogether. Vaccine defenders have an army of Department of Justice attorneys with virtually unlimited resources for expert witnesses and other litigation costs. Plaintiffs, in contrast, must fund the up front costs for experts on their own. In a cultural choice that clearly favors defendants, vaccine court gives overwhelming weight to written medical records which are often inaccurate -- over all other forms of testimony and evidence. Observations by parents and other caretakers are given little weight.
Worst of all -- plaintiffs have no right to discovery either against the pharmaceutical industry or the government. Since autism is a behavioral affliction rather than a precisely defined biological injury -- epidemiological studies are critical to establishing its causation. But the greatest source of epidemiological data is the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) -- the government maintained medical records of hundreds of thousands of vaccinated children -- which HHS has gone to great lengths to keep out of the hands of plaintiffs' attorneys and independent scientists. Unfortunately the vaccine court has judicially anointed this corrupt concealment by consistently denying every motion by petitioners to view the VSD. The raw data collected in the VSD would undoubtedly provide the epidemiological evidence needed to understand the relationship between vaccines and autism. The absence of such studies makes it easy for judges to say to plaintiffs they have not met their burden of proving causation.
Meanwhile, CDC has actively, openly and systematically suppressed and defunded epidemiological studies that might establish a causal link. CDC has ignored repeated pleadings that it fund peer reviewed studies of unvaccinated American cohorts like the Amish and home-schooled children. At the same time the agency has worked overtime ginning up a series of fatally-flawed European studies purporting to dispute the link. Even a cursory critical examination reveals that the oft-cited Danish, English, and Italian studies are rank tobacco science. Many of them were funded by CDC, a badly compromised agency, performed by vaccine industry scientists, and published in miserably conflicted journals.
Needless to say, the existence of these phony studies, combined with the deliberate dearth of epidemiological evidence makes it easy for the special masters to dodge a politically explosive finding by holding that there is "insufficient evidence."
And, speaking of tobacco, it's worth recalling that for sixty years the tobacco industry successfully defended a product that was killing one out of every five of its customers against thousands of legal actions brought by its victims and their families. Tobacco lawyers protected the cigarette companies by arguing that there was no proven link between tobacco and lung cancer. Bob Krakow sees many parallels. Big tobacco uses the same tactic of manufacturing research that seems to dispute the connection to exploit the burdens on plaintiffs to prove causation. Big tobacco prevailed for six decades even without the help of supportive government agencies deliberately suppressing real science and research. In that sense vaccine victims must leap a much higher hurdle.
Despite the perilous odds stacked against them in vaccine court, the evidence of a vaccine/autism link is so strong that vaccine court judges and government agencies have now recognized at least two theories of how vaccines cause autism: the Vaccine-to-ADEM-to-ASD link in Bailey Banks' case, and vaccine-induced aggravation of an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction that caused full-blown autism in the Hannah Poling case. Both theories are different from those rejected in the three cases last week.
Perhaps, these new disclosures will prompt The Times, with all its influence, to actually make prudent journalistic inquiries into the phony science CDC uses to defend its claims of "vaccine safety." If it does, the paper will realize it has once again been ill used by government agencies in a tragic campaign of public deceit. The Times should make the reasonable demand that the government health agencies finally release the Vaccine Safety Datalink for independent scientific research and that CDC and HRSA lift their opposition to genuine epidemiological studies that might finally provide real scientific answers to this debate.
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A NEW THEORY OF AUTISM CAUSATION?
By David Kirby
A ruling from Federal Vaccine Court -- that MMR vaccine caused an autism spectrum disorder in a young boy named Bailey Banks -- flies directly in the face of the triple-play decision against a vaccine-autism link issued by the Court on February 12.
The Special Masters in those three cases inferred that the vaccine-autism theory was the stuff of Alice in Wonderland fantasy, and virtually accused the childrens' physicians of medical malpractice. (CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta called the Court's language "snide," and we agree).
Meanwhile, the US Department of Health and Human services said the rulings should "help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism." But why should parents feel reassured when two out of five autism cases (40%) - that we know of - have won taxpayer-funded compensation in Vaccine Court?
The Ruling
In his decision, Special Master Abell ruled that the MMR vaccine produced a side effect in Bailey called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). ADEM is a neurological disorder characterized by inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The disorder results in damage to the myelin sheath, a fatty coating that insulates nerve fibers in the brain. ADEM can be caused by natural infections, especially from the measles virus. But it also is a recognized post-vaccination injury, especially from vaccines for rabies, pertussis, influenza, and MMR.
Evidence presented to support an MMR-ADEM link was compelling. It included a 1994 report from the Institute of Medicine that said it was biologically plausible for a vaccine to "induce... an autoimmune response... by nonspecific activation of the T cells directed against myelin proteins."
In fact, both parties in the Banks case agreed "that the IOM has cited demonstrative evidence of a biologically plausible relation between the measles vaccine and demyelinating diseases such as ADEM," the Court wrote.
Most cases of ADEM (80%) are in children. Symptoms usually appear within a few days to a couple of weeks. They include: headache, delirium, lethargy, seizures, stiff neck, fever, ataxia (incoordination), optic nerve damage, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, irritability and changes in mental status.
I know of thousands of parents who witnessed many of these same symptoms afflict their children shortly after vaccination, most typically the MMR. Did these children with autism also suffer initially from ADEM or some subclinical version of the disorder? We may never know (physical signs like myelin damage are transitory).
Bailey Banks was given an MRI when his parents brought him to the hospital 16 days after his MMR vaccine, and that helped confirm his diagnosis. The children I know who were brought in with similar symptoms were instead given Tylenol and told to go home.
(Interestingly, Tylenol can affect production of glutathione, an essential antioxidant and detoxifier. A preliminary study from UC San Diego showed that children who were given Tylenol after their MMR vaccine were several times more likely to develop autism than other children. "Tylenol and MMR was significantly associated with autistic disorder," the authors wrote. "More research needs to be completed to confirm the results of this preliminary study.")
Is vaccine-induced ADEM (and similar disorders) a neurological gateway for a subset of children to go on and develop an ASD? That question will now become subject to debate. Thousands of parents have reported similar reactions and symptoms following vaccination, yet they lack radiological proof of ADEM or related disorders in the form of an MRI. Meanwhile, most children with autism do not present with myelin damage, but many do test positive for antibodies to myelin basic protein (MBP).
Also worth noting is that ADEM causes an inflammatory response in the brain, primarily in the microglial cells. It is also associated with abnormal cytokine levels in the brain, and with autoimmunity. Autism, meanwhile, has been linked to brain inflammation, microglial cell activation, cytokine imbalances, and autoimmunity.
In most cases, symptoms of ADEM disappear within a few weeks or so, and the disorder may be treated with IV cortisone to help reduce inflammation. But none of the children with autism that I know were ever examined or treated for a possible case of ADEM or other acute cases of encephalitis/demyelinating disorder. By now, their myelin damage may have repaired itself, yet the damaging agents, (MBP antibodies), persist.
ADEM is said to be rare, but the disorder may be grossly under-diagnosed (or misdiagnosed). Even the government's chief witness against Bailey's case testified that he sees patients with ADEM "on a fairly regular basis." What's more, Bailey's was the third successful vaccine-ADEM case argued in Vaccine Court (that we know of) so far.
Can ADEM Cause PDD/ASD?
Special Master Abell had no trouble linking MMR to ADEM in Bailey Banks' case. But linking his ADEM to PDD/ASD was more difficult.
There is no medical literature to support an ADEM-PDD link. The government's expert witness, Dr. John MacDonald, testified that "all the medical literature is negative in that regard." Instead, he proposed an alternative hypothesis for Bailey's PDD (he suggested it was caused by glucose transporter 1 deficiency).
But Special Master Abell berated the government's witness in much the same way that Hastings et al. had criticized witnesses for the families in their three cases.
"This (glucose) hypothesis, which (MacDonald) declined to incorporate as a plausible, probable theory of explanation, was used by Respondent to blunt Petitioner's theory of ADEM," Abell wrote. "This hypothesis was not given to a reasonable degree of medical probability or certainty, and Respondent's expert admitted that it was merely 'a possible, not necessarily a probable diagnosis.'"
Abell also chided MacDonald for his assertion that "all the medical literature is negative" in regards to an ADEM-PDD link. "However, soon thereafter, he corrected this statement by clarifying, 'I can find no literature relating ADEM to autism or ,'" Abell wrote. "It may be that Respondent's research reveals a dearth of evidence linking ADEM to PDD, but that is not the same as positive proof that the two are unrelated, something Respondent was unable to produce. Therefore, the statement that 'all the medical literature is negative' is incorrect."
The Court also took MacDonald to task for insisting that Bailey's initial symptoms were not 100% consistent with the signs of ADEM. "His distinction seems one of degree, not of type, and strikes as a trifle semantic," Abell sniffed. He also noted that McDonald was having a hard time determining Bailey's current diagnosis. "He ultimately concluded that 'Bailey falls into the large group of children with autism/PDD in which by our current evidence-based medicine we rarely can make a specific diagnosis.'"
Special Master Abell seemed to lend more credence to witnesses for the Banks family.
Chief among them was Dr. Ivan Lopez, a neurologist and psychiatrist. Dr. Lopez testified that "the majority of patients with ADEM improve significantly," but added that "the exception to this rule is when patients have been exposed to measles, just like in the case of MMR vaccine," in which case subsequent brain damage "may occur in up to 50 percent of patients." He said such events include "mental syndromes such as PDD and others," and opined that "up to 50 percent of patients...who have had ADEM will show (PDD) as a consequence."
Dr. Lopez, a member of the US Military, gave his testimony by phone from Mobile, AL where, the next day, he was to ship out for a tour of duty in Iraq.
In his conclusion, Special Master Abell wrote:
The Court found that Bailey's ADEM was both caused-in-fact and proximately caused by his vaccination. It is well-understood that the vaccination at issue can cause ADEM, and the Court found, based upon a full reading and hearing of the pertinent facts in this case, that it did actually cause the ADEM. Furthermore, Bailey's ADEM was severe enough to cause lasting, residual damage, and retarded his developmental progress, which fits under the generalized heading of Pervasive Developmental Delay, or PDD. The Court found that Bailey would not have suffered this delay but for the administration of the MMR vaccine, and that this chain of causation was not too remote, but was rather a proximate sequence of cause and effect leading inexorably from vaccination to Pervasive Developmental Delay.
And he added this:
Petitioner's theory of PDD caused by vaccine-related ADEM causally connects the vaccination and the ultimate injury, and does so by explaining a logical sequence of cause and effect showing that the vaccination was the ultimate reason for the injury.
Does Bailey Banks Have Autism?
Bailey Banks does not have "classic" or full-blown autism. But he has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS, which is squarely on the autism spectrum of disorders. There was quite a bit of back-and-forth on Bailey's diagnosis in the ruling, whose heading included the term "Non-autistic developmental delay." At several points in the proceedings, witnesses took great pains to say that Bailey does not have "autism" which, technical speaking, is true.
On the other hand, Special Master Abell included notations declaring that "Pervasive Developmental Delay describes a class of conditions, and it is apparent from the record that the parties and the medical records are referring to Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)."
Even so, some will argue that Bailey does not have an ASD. They are simply wrong. The diagnosis of PDD-NOS was added to the list of autism spectrum disorders in the 1980s. It was precisely from the inclusion of these "milder" cases into the total number, that the CDC came up with the estimate of 1-in-150 US children with some form of "autism/ASD."
So, if Bailey does not have ASD, then the number of "autism" cases is well below the 1-in-150 mark and needs to be revised downward (the CDC once estimated that 40% of ASD cases were "non-autistic" in the classic sense).
What's more, Bailey does not have a "mild" form of ASD -- he struggles every day with endless challenges. He receives autism services in his home state and attends a special school for children with autism. Bailey was also completely eligible to file a case in the Court's Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP), along with 5,000 other claims.
And besides, if the government chooses after-the-fact to argue that Banks simply has another form of brain damage but not, specifically "autism," is that really any comfort?
This particular theory of causation -- Vaccine-to-ADEM-to-ASD -- is different from the three cases that lost, and different than the theory in the Hannah Poling case (vaccine-induced aggravation of an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction caused full-blown autism).
So we now have two novel theories of how vaccines might contribute to ASD -- both ADEM and mitochondrial dysfunction are recognized by the Court as contributing factors.
And yet the government insists it has never made an award for vaccine induced ASD, just vaccine related ASD.
"The government has never compensated, nor has it ever been ordered to compensate, any case based on a determination that autism was actually caused by vaccines," said David Bowman, a spokesman for HHS's Health Resources and Services Administration. "We have compensated cases in which children exhibited an encephalopathy, or general brain disease. Encephalopathy may be accompanied by a medical progression of an array of symptoms including autistic behavior, autism, or seizures."
"Some children who have been compensated for vaccine injuries may have shown signs of autism before the decision to compensate," he added, "or may ultimately end up with autism or autistic symptoms, but we do not track cases on this basis.
Unfortunately, the track record on vaccines is cloudy in this particular Court: Three out of four ADEM cases have been successful; and (at least) two out of five ASD cases have also won.
People will argue that ADEM is rare; that vaccines "only" caused PDD in Bailey; and that this was a legal and not scientific decision. The problem is we don't know how prevalent ADEM is because we never looked; while "PDD" is interchangeable with "ASD" in the language of public health. And, the three cases that lost were also "legal" decisions.
Robert Kennedy, Jr. and I would love nothing more than to reassure parents that the nation's current vaccine program is 100% safe for all kids, and that zero credible evidence has been presented to link vaccines with autism. But that simply isn't true -- as at least two court cases have found.
The New York Times joined the government Health Agency (HRSA) and its big pharma allies hailing the decisions as proof that the scientific doubts about vaccine safety had finally been "demolished." The US Department of Health and Human services said the rulings should "help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism." The Times, which has made itself a blind mouthpiece for HRSA and a leading defender of vaccine safety, joined crowing government and vaccine industry flacks applauding the decisions like giddy cheerleaders, rooting for the same court that many of these same voices viscously derided just one year ago, after Hannah Poling won compensation for her vaccine induced autism.
But last week, the parents of yet another child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were awarded a lump sum of more than $810,000 (plus an estimated $30-40,000 per year for autism services and care) in compensation by the Court, which ruled that the measels-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine had caused acute brain damage that led to his autism spectrum disorder.
The family of 10-year-old Bailey Banks won their case quietly and without fanfare in June of 2007, but the ruling has only now come to public attention. In the remarkably clear and eloquent decision, Special Master Richard Abell ruled that the Banks had successfully demonstrated that "the MMR vaccine at issue actually caused the conditions from which Bailey suffered and continues to suffer."
Bailey's diagnosis is Pervasive Developmental Disorder -- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) which has been recognized as an autism spectrum disorder by CDC, HRSA and the other federal health agencies since at least the 1990s. In his conclusion, Special Master Abell ruled that Petitioners had proven that the MMR had directly caused a brain inflammation illness called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) which, in turn, had caused the autism spectrum disorder PDD-NOS in the child:
The Court found that Bailey's ADEM was both caused-in-fact and proximately caused by his vaccination. It is well-understood that the vaccination at issue can cause ADEM, and the Court found, based upon a full reading and hearing of the pertinent facts in this case, that it did actually cause the ADEM. Furthermore, Bailey's ADEM was severe enough to cause lasting, residual damage, and retarded his developmental progress, which fits under the generalized heading of Pervasive Developmental Delay, or PDD . The Court found that Bailey would not have suffered this delay but for the administration of the MMR vaccine, and that this chain of causation was... a proximate sequence of cause and effect leading inexorably from vaccination to Pervasive Developmental Delay.
The Bailey decision is not an isolated ruling. We now know of at least two other successful ADEM cases argued in Vaccine Court. More significantly, an explosive investigation by CBS News has found that since 1988, the vaccine court has awarded money judgments, often in the millions of dollars, to thirteen hundred and twenty two families whose children suffered brain damage from vaccines. In many of these cases, the government paid out awards following a judicial finding that vaccine injury lead to the child's autism spectrum disorder. In each of these cases, the plaintiffs' attorneys made the same tactical decision made by Bailey Bank's lawyer, electing to opt out of the highly charged Omnibus Autism Proceedings and argue their autism cases in the regular vaccine court. In many other successful cases, attorneys elected to steer clear of the hot button autism issue altogether and seek recovery instead for the underlying brain damage that caused their client's autism.
Medical records associated with these proceedings clearly tell the tale. In perhaps hundreds of these cases, the children have all the classic symptoms of regressive autism; following vaccination a perfectly healthy child experiences high fever, seizures, and other illnesses, then gradually, over about three months, loses language, the ability to make eye contact, becomes "over-focused" and engages in stereotypical head banging and screaming and then suffers developmental delays characteristic of autism. Many of these children had received the autism diagnosis. Yet the radioactive word "autism" appears nowhere in the decision.
Instead the vaccine court Special Masters rest their judgments on their finding that the vaccines caused some generalized brain injury, mainly Encephalopathy/encephalitis (brain inflammation) or "seizure disorders" -- conditions known to cause autism-like symptoms. A large number of the children who have won these judgments have been separately diagnosed with autism. HRSA acknowledged this fact in a recent letter, but told us it does not keep data on how many of these children were autistic.
The Vaccine Court, in other words, seems quite willing to award millions of dollars in taxpayer funded compensation to vaccine-injured autistic children, so long as they don't have to call the injury by the loaded term "autism." That hazard is particularly acute for vaccine victims who appear before the Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP). Since that body's decisions are closely watched, published and accorded the weight of precedent, many lawyers consider the burden of proof for petitioners to be impossibly high before the OAP Panel. It was for this reason that Bailey's attorney, Mark McLaren, elected to opt out of the OAP and try his case separately, even though Bailey has been receiving autism-related services in his home state and was eligible to file a case in the Court's Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP).
McLaren told us he wanted to avoid the added burden facing petitioners under the media glare and precedential weight attending OAP panel trials. "We considered because is on the autistic spectrum of disorders, but we thought we could try it separately and apart from the Omnibus, and not as a test case," explained McLaren. "We thought we'd have a better chance if we tried to on its own merit, away from the spotlights and the precedent setting pressures that attend these OAP test cases - and it worked."
Bob Krakow, a leading attorney for vaccine damaged children told that many lawyers are now convinced that filing a claim in the OAP is a losing proposition. "There's a growing conviction that if you have a autistic client who has also been diagnosed with encephalopathy/encephalitis or seizure disorder, you are better off not mentioning the word "autism" if you want to win the case." He recommended instead filing a non autism claim like "mental retardation with seizure disorder" for an autistic client.
Although the vaccine court is mandated to fairly serve the victims of vaccine injuries, their primary purpose and raison d'etre is to protect the vaccine program and vaccine makers. Damages are doled out from a 75-cent tax on every vaccine sold and not from the vaccine makers. "You can understand why special masters, burdened with their duty to protect vaccine programs, might be unwilling to make the direct causal link between autism and vaccines," Krakow observed. "If you ask the big question and answer it in the affirmative, there is a sense that it will damage the vaccine program irreparably."
Vaccine Court judges are equipped with a draconian armory of weapons deployable against plaintiffs intent on proving the causal connection between vaccines and autism. Jury trials are prohibited. Damages are capped; awards for pain and suffering are strictly limited and punitive damages banned altogether. Vaccine defenders have an army of Department of Justice attorneys with virtually unlimited resources for expert witnesses and other litigation costs. Plaintiffs, in contrast, must fund the up front costs for experts on their own. In a cultural choice that clearly favors defendants, vaccine court gives overwhelming weight to written medical records which are often inaccurate -- over all other forms of testimony and evidence. Observations by parents and other caretakers are given little weight.
Worst of all -- plaintiffs have no right to discovery either against the pharmaceutical industry or the government. Since autism is a behavioral affliction rather than a precisely defined biological injury -- epidemiological studies are critical to establishing its causation. But the greatest source of epidemiological data is the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) -- the government maintained medical records of hundreds of thousands of vaccinated children -- which HHS has gone to great lengths to keep out of the hands of plaintiffs' attorneys and independent scientists. Unfortunately the vaccine court has judicially anointed this corrupt concealment by consistently denying every motion by petitioners to view the VSD. The raw data collected in the VSD would undoubtedly provide the epidemiological evidence needed to understand the relationship between vaccines and autism. The absence of such studies makes it easy for judges to say to plaintiffs they have not met their burden of proving causation.
Meanwhile, CDC has actively, openly and systematically suppressed and defunded epidemiological studies that might establish a causal link. CDC has ignored repeated pleadings that it fund peer reviewed studies of unvaccinated American cohorts like the Amish and home-schooled children. At the same time the agency has worked overtime ginning up a series of fatally-flawed European studies purporting to dispute the link. Even a cursory critical examination reveals that the oft-cited Danish, English, and Italian studies are rank tobacco science. Many of them were funded by CDC, a badly compromised agency, performed by vaccine industry scientists, and published in miserably conflicted journals.
Needless to say, the existence of these phony studies, combined with the deliberate dearth of epidemiological evidence makes it easy for the special masters to dodge a politically explosive finding by holding that there is "insufficient evidence."
And, speaking of tobacco, it's worth recalling that for sixty years the tobacco industry successfully defended a product that was killing one out of every five of its customers against thousands of legal actions brought by its victims and their families. Tobacco lawyers protected the cigarette companies by arguing that there was no proven link between tobacco and lung cancer. Bob Krakow sees many parallels. Big tobacco uses the same tactic of manufacturing research that seems to dispute the connection to exploit the burdens on plaintiffs to prove causation. Big tobacco prevailed for six decades even without the help of supportive government agencies deliberately suppressing real science and research. In that sense vaccine victims must leap a much higher hurdle.
Despite the perilous odds stacked against them in vaccine court, the evidence of a vaccine/autism link is so strong that vaccine court judges and government agencies have now recognized at least two theories of how vaccines cause autism: the Vaccine-to-ADEM-to-ASD link in Bailey Banks' case, and vaccine-induced aggravation of an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction that caused full-blown autism in the Hannah Poling case. Both theories are different from those rejected in the three cases last week.
Perhaps, these new disclosures will prompt The Times, with all its influence, to actually make prudent journalistic inquiries into the phony science CDC uses to defend its claims of "vaccine safety." If it does, the paper will realize it has once again been ill used by government agencies in a tragic campaign of public deceit. The Times should make the reasonable demand that the government health agencies finally release the Vaccine Safety Datalink for independent scientific research and that CDC and HRSA lift their opposition to genuine epidemiological studies that might finally provide real scientific answers to this debate.
---
A NEW THEORY OF AUTISM CAUSATION?
By David Kirby
A ruling from Federal Vaccine Court -- that MMR vaccine caused an autism spectrum disorder in a young boy named Bailey Banks -- flies directly in the face of the triple-play decision against a vaccine-autism link issued by the Court on February 12.
The Special Masters in those three cases inferred that the vaccine-autism theory was the stuff of Alice in Wonderland fantasy, and virtually accused the childrens' physicians of medical malpractice. (CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta called the Court's language "snide," and we agree).
Meanwhile, the US Department of Health and Human services said the rulings should "help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism." But why should parents feel reassured when two out of five autism cases (40%) - that we know of - have won taxpayer-funded compensation in Vaccine Court?
The Ruling
In his decision, Special Master Abell ruled that the MMR vaccine produced a side effect in Bailey called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). ADEM is a neurological disorder characterized by inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The disorder results in damage to the myelin sheath, a fatty coating that insulates nerve fibers in the brain. ADEM can be caused by natural infections, especially from the measles virus. But it also is a recognized post-vaccination injury, especially from vaccines for rabies, pertussis, influenza, and MMR.
Evidence presented to support an MMR-ADEM link was compelling. It included a 1994 report from the Institute of Medicine that said it was biologically plausible for a vaccine to "induce... an autoimmune response... by nonspecific activation of the T cells directed against myelin proteins."
In fact, both parties in the Banks case agreed "that the IOM has cited demonstrative evidence of a biologically plausible relation between the measles vaccine and demyelinating diseases such as ADEM," the Court wrote.
Most cases of ADEM (80%) are in children. Symptoms usually appear within a few days to a couple of weeks. They include: headache, delirium, lethargy, seizures, stiff neck, fever, ataxia (incoordination), optic nerve damage, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, irritability and changes in mental status.
I know of thousands of parents who witnessed many of these same symptoms afflict their children shortly after vaccination, most typically the MMR. Did these children with autism also suffer initially from ADEM or some subclinical version of the disorder? We may never know (physical signs like myelin damage are transitory).
Bailey Banks was given an MRI when his parents brought him to the hospital 16 days after his MMR vaccine, and that helped confirm his diagnosis. The children I know who were brought in with similar symptoms were instead given Tylenol and told to go home.
(Interestingly, Tylenol can affect production of glutathione, an essential antioxidant and detoxifier. A preliminary study from UC San Diego showed that children who were given Tylenol after their MMR vaccine were several times more likely to develop autism than other children. "Tylenol and MMR was significantly associated with autistic disorder," the authors wrote. "More research needs to be completed to confirm the results of this preliminary study.")
Is vaccine-induced ADEM (and similar disorders) a neurological gateway for a subset of children to go on and develop an ASD? That question will now become subject to debate. Thousands of parents have reported similar reactions and symptoms following vaccination, yet they lack radiological proof of ADEM or related disorders in the form of an MRI. Meanwhile, most children with autism do not present with myelin damage, but many do test positive for antibodies to myelin basic protein (MBP).
Also worth noting is that ADEM causes an inflammatory response in the brain, primarily in the microglial cells. It is also associated with abnormal cytokine levels in the brain, and with autoimmunity. Autism, meanwhile, has been linked to brain inflammation, microglial cell activation, cytokine imbalances, and autoimmunity.
In most cases, symptoms of ADEM disappear within a few weeks or so, and the disorder may be treated with IV cortisone to help reduce inflammation. But none of the children with autism that I know were ever examined or treated for a possible case of ADEM or other acute cases of encephalitis/demyelinating disorder. By now, their myelin damage may have repaired itself, yet the damaging agents, (MBP antibodies), persist.
ADEM is said to be rare, but the disorder may be grossly under-diagnosed (or misdiagnosed). Even the government's chief witness against Bailey's case testified that he sees patients with ADEM "on a fairly regular basis." What's more, Bailey's was the third successful vaccine-ADEM case argued in Vaccine Court (that we know of) so far.
Can ADEM Cause PDD/ASD?
Special Master Abell had no trouble linking MMR to ADEM in Bailey Banks' case. But linking his ADEM to PDD/ASD was more difficult.
There is no medical literature to support an ADEM-PDD link. The government's expert witness, Dr. John MacDonald, testified that "all the medical literature is negative in that regard." Instead, he proposed an alternative hypothesis for Bailey's PDD (he suggested it was caused by glucose transporter 1 deficiency).
But Special Master Abell berated the government's witness in much the same way that Hastings et al. had criticized witnesses for the families in their three cases.
"This (glucose) hypothesis, which (MacDonald) declined to incorporate as a plausible, probable theory of explanation, was used by Respondent to blunt Petitioner's theory of ADEM," Abell wrote. "This hypothesis was not given to a reasonable degree of medical probability or certainty, and Respondent's expert admitted that it was merely 'a possible, not necessarily a probable diagnosis.'"
Abell also chided MacDonald for his assertion that "all the medical literature is negative" in regards to an ADEM-PDD link. "However, soon thereafter, he corrected this statement by clarifying, 'I can find no literature relating ADEM to autism or ,'" Abell wrote. "It may be that Respondent's research reveals a dearth of evidence linking ADEM to PDD, but that is not the same as positive proof that the two are unrelated, something Respondent was unable to produce. Therefore, the statement that 'all the medical literature is negative' is incorrect."
The Court also took MacDonald to task for insisting that Bailey's initial symptoms were not 100% consistent with the signs of ADEM. "His distinction seems one of degree, not of type, and strikes as a trifle semantic," Abell sniffed. He also noted that McDonald was having a hard time determining Bailey's current diagnosis. "He ultimately concluded that 'Bailey falls into the large group of children with autism/PDD in which by our current evidence-based medicine we rarely can make a specific diagnosis.'"
Special Master Abell seemed to lend more credence to witnesses for the Banks family.
Chief among them was Dr. Ivan Lopez, a neurologist and psychiatrist. Dr. Lopez testified that "the majority of patients with ADEM improve significantly," but added that "the exception to this rule is when patients have been exposed to measles, just like in the case of MMR vaccine," in which case subsequent brain damage "may occur in up to 50 percent of patients." He said such events include "mental syndromes such as PDD and others," and opined that "up to 50 percent of patients...who have had ADEM will show (PDD) as a consequence."
Dr. Lopez, a member of the US Military, gave his testimony by phone from Mobile, AL where, the next day, he was to ship out for a tour of duty in Iraq.
In his conclusion, Special Master Abell wrote:
The Court found that Bailey's ADEM was both caused-in-fact and proximately caused by his vaccination. It is well-understood that the vaccination at issue can cause ADEM, and the Court found, based upon a full reading and hearing of the pertinent facts in this case, that it did actually cause the ADEM. Furthermore, Bailey's ADEM was severe enough to cause lasting, residual damage, and retarded his developmental progress, which fits under the generalized heading of Pervasive Developmental Delay, or PDD. The Court found that Bailey would not have suffered this delay but for the administration of the MMR vaccine, and that this chain of causation was not too remote, but was rather a proximate sequence of cause and effect leading inexorably from vaccination to Pervasive Developmental Delay.
And he added this:
Petitioner's theory of PDD caused by vaccine-related ADEM causally connects the vaccination and the ultimate injury, and does so by explaining a logical sequence of cause and effect showing that the vaccination was the ultimate reason for the injury.
Does Bailey Banks Have Autism?
Bailey Banks does not have "classic" or full-blown autism. But he has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS, which is squarely on the autism spectrum of disorders. There was quite a bit of back-and-forth on Bailey's diagnosis in the ruling, whose heading included the term "Non-autistic developmental delay." At several points in the proceedings, witnesses took great pains to say that Bailey does not have "autism" which, technical speaking, is true.
On the other hand, Special Master Abell included notations declaring that "Pervasive Developmental Delay describes a class of conditions, and it is apparent from the record that the parties and the medical records are referring to Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)."
Even so, some will argue that Bailey does not have an ASD. They are simply wrong. The diagnosis of PDD-NOS was added to the list of autism spectrum disorders in the 1980s. It was precisely from the inclusion of these "milder" cases into the total number, that the CDC came up with the estimate of 1-in-150 US children with some form of "autism/ASD."
So, if Bailey does not have ASD, then the number of "autism" cases is well below the 1-in-150 mark and needs to be revised downward (the CDC once estimated that 40% of ASD cases were "non-autistic" in the classic sense).
What's more, Bailey does not have a "mild" form of ASD -- he struggles every day with endless challenges. He receives autism services in his home state and attends a special school for children with autism. Bailey was also completely eligible to file a case in the Court's Omnibus Autism Proceedings (OAP), along with 5,000 other claims.
And besides, if the government chooses after-the-fact to argue that Banks simply has another form of brain damage but not, specifically "autism," is that really any comfort?
This particular theory of causation -- Vaccine-to-ADEM-to-ASD -- is different from the three cases that lost, and different than the theory in the Hannah Poling case (vaccine-induced aggravation of an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction caused full-blown autism).
So we now have two novel theories of how vaccines might contribute to ASD -- both ADEM and mitochondrial dysfunction are recognized by the Court as contributing factors.
And yet the government insists it has never made an award for vaccine induced ASD, just vaccine related ASD.
"The government has never compensated, nor has it ever been ordered to compensate, any case based on a determination that autism was actually caused by vaccines," said David Bowman, a spokesman for HHS's Health Resources and Services Administration. "We have compensated cases in which children exhibited an encephalopathy, or general brain disease. Encephalopathy may be accompanied by a medical progression of an array of symptoms including autistic behavior, autism, or seizures."
"Some children who have been compensated for vaccine injuries may have shown signs of autism before the decision to compensate," he added, "or may ultimately end up with autism or autistic symptoms, but we do not track cases on this basis.
Unfortunately, the track record on vaccines is cloudy in this particular Court: Three out of four ADEM cases have been successful; and (at least) two out of five ASD cases have also won.
People will argue that ADEM is rare; that vaccines "only" caused PDD in Bailey; and that this was a legal and not scientific decision. The problem is we don't know how prevalent ADEM is because we never looked; while "PDD" is interchangeable with "ASD" in the language of public health. And, the three cases that lost were also "legal" decisions.
Robert Kennedy, Jr. and I would love nothing more than to reassure parents that the nation's current vaccine program is 100% safe for all kids, and that zero credible evidence has been presented to link vaccines with autism. But that simply isn't true -- as at least two court cases have found.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Families with ASD - Sponsorship Opportunities
Dear Families,
Families with ASD is kicking off the 2009 Fund-raising Campaign to raise funds for the Autism Family Resource Center, the Annual Autism Expo, and the many other services we offer families in the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area. We would really appreciate any help that you and your families can have with our fund-raising Campaign. Families with ASD understands that times are tough. We also know that our families need help from our organization and services NOW more than ever before. Please know that any donation you make is not too small and will help us continue to do what we do best: Helping Families with ASD.
With warmest regards,
Julia Ann Smith
Families with ASD
President/Founder
Who is Families with ASD?
Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders was founded by Julia and Gregory L. Smith on March 4, 2005. Their son, Luke, was having sudden medical and behavioral issues on top of his autism. At the time, the doctors were unaware of what was going on with Luke, so the Smith’s reached out to other families who lived with autism 24/7. Their first autism support group meeting had only 7 families attend, and that was including their own. There were other autism support groups in Cincinnati, however, Families with ASD was the first group that was free and family centered. They encouraged the whole family to attend! They wanted a group to serve the whole family.
What started out as a desperate search for answers and support for their son, has transformed into a huge network of families that has surpassed their wildest dream with 500 + families that are now members; families from all over the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Area. They are the creators of the Autism Expo, the Autism Yellow Pages ©, and a Yahoo on-line autism support group with over 460 members. In 2008, they opened the first Autism Family Resource Center in this area helping reach more families. New in 2009, Families with ASD has just started an On-line Yahoo Marriage with Autism support group.
What is Autism?
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees, affecting the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.
Autism Statistics You Should Know
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (CDC, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise. Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.
Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries; family income levels; lifestyle choices; or educational levels, and can affect any family and any child. And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.
80 % of marriages end in divorce
within 5 years of diagnosis
The Rate of Autism in 1998: 1 in 10,000
The Rate of Autism today: 1 in 150
Find Out More About Autism
• Autism Society of America
• Autism Society of the Bluegrass
• Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati
• Cincinnati Center for Autism
• ComeBackJack.org
• Familieswithasd.org
• KidPowerTherapySolutions.org
Families with ASD’s
2009 Fundraising
Pledge Drive
Help Families with ASD continue to support families living with Autism here
in the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky area.
Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a Cincinnati based non-profit, 501 (c ),(3), public charity. Only four years old, Families with ASD has already helped the Autism Community by offering families the following services:
• FREE Monthly Autism Support Group Meetings for the Whole Family
• FREE Autism Friendly Group outings: (Kings Island, Skating parties for all)
• FREE Autism Friendly Halloween Party (Every child/adult with autism &
siblings receive free pumpkin and treat bags).
• FREE Autism Friendly Christmas Party with a Sensitive Santa (Every
child/adult with autism & siblings receive a Christmas present from a
Sensitive Santa & families receive a free dinner).
• FREE Annual Families with ASD’s Autism Expo’s filled with FREE information
and FREE Guest Speakers.
• FREE Families with ASD’s Autism Yellow Pages © given out to families,
schools, organizations.
• FREE training for parents on IEP issues.
• FREE-Online Autism Support groups for families living with autism.
• FREE membership to the Families with ASD’s Autism Family Resource Center
located in Milford, OH.
• Autism Friendly Movies at the Midway Theater in Bethel, OH.
• Autism Friendly Group Trips to the Kindervelt North Pole Express Train
Families with ASD needs your help to continue serving the 500 plus families in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. All funds donated will stay in Cincinnati and fund the before-mentioned services. In addition, Families with ASD would like to offer new and exciting services to our families; such as: respite, marriage support, more autism guest speakers, and new autism trainings for families. In order to do this, we need your help.
Families with ASD would like to thank all the 2008 Families with ASD Sponsors.
Without their support many of these activities would not have been possible.
• Impact Autism
• Kid Power Therapy Solutions
• Cincinnati Center for Autism
• The Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati
• First Watch
• Moonstone Salon
• Team Luke Flying Pig Relay Runners
• Smitty’s Barber Shop
• Terri and Paul Hogan
• Pierce Point Cinema 10
• Lutz, Cornetet, Meyer & Rush Co., L.P.A. Attorneys at Law
• oSo Screenprinting and Sign Company
• Springdot Printing
• Trying 4 Bryan: Jenni Miller Family
• Quality Exteriors and Remodeling LLc: Ray Autenrieb
• Colleen McSwiggin Family
• Anne and Rick Stratman Family
• Judy & Andy Lloyd Family
The Families with ASD’s Fundraising Drive Goal for 2009 is $70,000.
How Can You Help Families with ASD?
Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Inc: is recognized as a 501 (c ) (3) non-profit, public charity of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Families with ASD are deductible under section 170 of the Code. Families with ASD is also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code. Tax ID number: 20-475-8474.
Families with ASD is a grass-roots organization that has no paid staff or annual funding. The Families with ASD Board must work diligently all year to raise funds so that we can continue to offer FREE services to our families.
All board members are on volunteer status, and most board members are parents with a child/adult with autism. We have one board member with autism. All funds donated stays HERE in Cincinnati to better serve the families in the Greater Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky area living with Autism 24/7.
Families with ASD understands that times are tough. We also know that our families need help from our organization, now more than ever before.
Please know that any donation you make is not too small and will help us continue to do what we do best; Helping Families with ASD!
Families with ASD is kicking off the 2009 Fund-raising Campaign to raise funds for the Autism Family Resource Center, the Annual Autism Expo, and the many other services we offer families in the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area. We would really appreciate any help that you and your families can have with our fund-raising Campaign. Families with ASD understands that times are tough. We also know that our families need help from our organization and services NOW more than ever before. Please know that any donation you make is not too small and will help us continue to do what we do best: Helping Families with ASD.
With warmest regards,
Julia Ann Smith
Families with ASD
President/Founder
Who is Families with ASD?
Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders was founded by Julia and Gregory L. Smith on March 4, 2005. Their son, Luke, was having sudden medical and behavioral issues on top of his autism. At the time, the doctors were unaware of what was going on with Luke, so the Smith’s reached out to other families who lived with autism 24/7. Their first autism support group meeting had only 7 families attend, and that was including their own. There were other autism support groups in Cincinnati, however, Families with ASD was the first group that was free and family centered. They encouraged the whole family to attend! They wanted a group to serve the whole family.
What started out as a desperate search for answers and support for their son, has transformed into a huge network of families that has surpassed their wildest dream with 500 + families that are now members; families from all over the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Area. They are the creators of the Autism Expo, the Autism Yellow Pages ©, and a Yahoo on-line autism support group with over 460 members. In 2008, they opened the first Autism Family Resource Center in this area helping reach more families. New in 2009, Families with ASD has just started an On-line Yahoo Marriage with Autism support group.
What is Autism?
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees, affecting the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.
Autism Statistics You Should Know
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (CDC, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise. Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.
Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries; family income levels; lifestyle choices; or educational levels, and can affect any family and any child. And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.
80 % of marriages end in divorce
within 5 years of diagnosis
The Rate of Autism in 1998: 1 in 10,000
The Rate of Autism today: 1 in 150
Find Out More About Autism
• Autism Society of America
• Autism Society of the Bluegrass
• Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati
• Cincinnati Center for Autism
• ComeBackJack.org
• Familieswithasd.org
• KidPowerTherapySolutions.org
Families with ASD’s
2009 Fundraising
Pledge Drive
Help Families with ASD continue to support families living with Autism here
in the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky area.
Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a Cincinnati based non-profit, 501 (c ),(3), public charity. Only four years old, Families with ASD has already helped the Autism Community by offering families the following services:
• FREE Monthly Autism Support Group Meetings for the Whole Family
• FREE Autism Friendly Group outings: (Kings Island, Skating parties for all)
• FREE Autism Friendly Halloween Party (Every child/adult with autism &
siblings receive free pumpkin and treat bags).
• FREE Autism Friendly Christmas Party with a Sensitive Santa (Every
child/adult with autism & siblings receive a Christmas present from a
Sensitive Santa & families receive a free dinner).
• FREE Annual Families with ASD’s Autism Expo’s filled with FREE information
and FREE Guest Speakers.
• FREE Families with ASD’s Autism Yellow Pages © given out to families,
schools, organizations.
• FREE training for parents on IEP issues.
• FREE-Online Autism Support groups for families living with autism.
• FREE membership to the Families with ASD’s Autism Family Resource Center
located in Milford, OH.
• Autism Friendly Movies at the Midway Theater in Bethel, OH.
• Autism Friendly Group Trips to the Kindervelt North Pole Express Train
Families with ASD needs your help to continue serving the 500 plus families in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. All funds donated will stay in Cincinnati and fund the before-mentioned services. In addition, Families with ASD would like to offer new and exciting services to our families; such as: respite, marriage support, more autism guest speakers, and new autism trainings for families. In order to do this, we need your help.
Families with ASD would like to thank all the 2008 Families with ASD Sponsors.
Without their support many of these activities would not have been possible.
• Impact Autism
• Kid Power Therapy Solutions
• Cincinnati Center for Autism
• The Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati
• First Watch
• Moonstone Salon
• Team Luke Flying Pig Relay Runners
• Smitty’s Barber Shop
• Terri and Paul Hogan
• Pierce Point Cinema 10
• Lutz, Cornetet, Meyer & Rush Co., L.P.A. Attorneys at Law
• oSo Screenprinting and Sign Company
• Springdot Printing
• Trying 4 Bryan: Jenni Miller Family
• Quality Exteriors and Remodeling LLc: Ray Autenrieb
• Colleen McSwiggin Family
• Anne and Rick Stratman Family
• Judy & Andy Lloyd Family
The Families with ASD’s Fundraising Drive Goal for 2009 is $70,000.
How Can You Help Families with ASD?
Families with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Inc: is recognized as a 501 (c ) (3) non-profit, public charity of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Families with ASD are deductible under section 170 of the Code. Families with ASD is also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code. Tax ID number: 20-475-8474.
Families with ASD is a grass-roots organization that has no paid staff or annual funding. The Families with ASD Board must work diligently all year to raise funds so that we can continue to offer FREE services to our families.
All board members are on volunteer status, and most board members are parents with a child/adult with autism. We have one board member with autism. All funds donated stays HERE in Cincinnati to better serve the families in the Greater Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky area living with Autism 24/7.
Families with ASD understands that times are tough. We also know that our families need help from our organization, now more than ever before.
Please know that any donation you make is not too small and will help us continue to do what we do best; Helping Families with ASD!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Children's Buy-In Program - *IMPORTANT MEDICAID GUIDELINES & UPDATES*
Children's Buy-In Program (CBI) from Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services
As you may know, the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services began the Children's Buy-In (CBI) program in April. CBI was expected to cover 5,000 kids with special health needs whose working parents were struggling to cover their health care costs. So far, only two children have successfully been enrolled. Part of this is due to the eligibility requirements and the other is simply because families aren't aware of the program. CBI targets working families with income ABOVE $42,000 per year. To date, 90 percent of those who have applied have actually been under income. Anything you can do to spread the word to eligible families would be greatly appreciated.
Here is the link to the CBI Web site:
http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/cbi/index.stm. Families can only apply online.
Feel free to add this link to your Web site or in any newsletters/mailings you may send to families and providers working with children. Since CareSource will be the providing access to the services, a marketing brochure is available that includes income requirements, covered services and associated costs.
As you may know, the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services began the Children's Buy-In (CBI) program in April. CBI was expected to cover 5,000 kids with special health needs whose working parents were struggling to cover their health care costs. So far, only two children have successfully been enrolled. Part of this is due to the eligibility requirements and the other is simply because families aren't aware of the program. CBI targets working families with income ABOVE $42,000 per year. To date, 90 percent of those who have applied have actually been under income. Anything you can do to spread the word to eligible families would be greatly appreciated.
Here is the link to the CBI Web site:
http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/cbi/index.stm. Families can only apply online.
Feel free to add this link to your Web site or in any newsletters/mailings you may send to families and providers working with children. Since CareSource will be the providing access to the services, a marketing brochure is available that includes income requirements, covered services and associated costs.
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