Musings and What-not

"Shh!  It's library time, and we must be quiet," the mother says to her child.  The child responds by becoming frustrated because he has autism and doesn't understand. I love books.  My son loves them too.  Yet, we don't spend a lot of time in the library.  Nicholas understands what a whisper is, and he also knows what "library time" means.  If he isn't overstimulated or tired, I know it's going to be a good visit. I would love to take him to the library more often, but librarians aren't trained in accommodating someone on the spectrum. As parents, teachers, educators, and providers, it is our responsibility to ensure that they are. We need to take the first step... and maybe, if we're lucky, the library might beat us to it. Well, guess what? Two of them did.   It's just up to us to spread the word and get our local libraries on track. School Library Journal , The World's Largest Reviewer of Books, Multimedia, and Technology for ...

It's pretty obvious my pogo stick is fixed tonight because I found this one when I ventured over to WorldNetDaily . I'm not going to say much because you already know where I stand.  I just found this article interesting... and I think you will too. Here's a little teaser for you. For some reason, however, otherwise rational human beings seem to suspend their better judgment where medical technology is concerned. I refer specifically to the growing movement whose members are today spreading the false notion that getting your children vaccinated will somehow give them autism . Some frightened parents are reacting by applying lengthened vaccination schedules – or skipping certain vaccinations completely. Is it me, or does the author, Phil Elmore, look a little like Savage? Sans glasses? Never mind... I found Savage's twin.  Sorry about that, Phil.

Sounds like a bad recipe. Like me, you are probably wondering what autism, cow's milk, and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have in common? In a press release earlier today, PETA announced the message of its new billboard. In light of two scientific studies that link milk consumption to autism in children, PETA will be displaying a new billboard parodying a ubiquitous milk ad.  The ad shows a bowl of milk and cereal next to the tagline, "Has Your Child Got Autism?" "Milk may do a body good", but I haven't drank it since I was a kid, and my son is allergic to dairy.  And my "no milk" decision was not based on any scientific study. The release goes on to say, The bad news is that data from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that metropolitan St. Louis' rate of 7.3 cases of autism per 1,000 8-year-old children is one of the highest among the 14 areas studied. The good news is that a study conducted i...

I haven't followed Dr. Paul Offit's career, but I do know where he stands where vaccines and autism are concerned.  I also know that his latest book, False Prophets , refutes any connection between autism and vaccines. TODAY talked about Offit's book in today 's Health (no pun intended). In the prologue, Offit states, Since the late 1990s, many studies have shown that the rates of autism are the same in vaccinated and unvaccinated children. This bit o' info isn't anything new to me, but what I did find ridiculous is the fact that people have taken to threatening not only his life but the lives of his family as well. When Offit appeared on MSNBC for a congressional hearing, he was asked if he had vaccinated his own children.  He stated, "yes" and offered up their names and ages.  During one of the breaks, Congressman Tierney pulled him aside and said, “Never,” he said, breathlessly, “never mention the names of your own children in front of a group like...

I'm tired.  It feels like I'm getting blisters from all the walking I've been doing tonight.  It also seems like I stumbled upon a theme with tonight's posts. With so many children being diagnosed with autism each day, how can we expect the public school systems to keep up with the demand for autism classes? How can we expect them to keep up when there aren't enough special education teachers to go around? Some of us have taken matters into our own hands and have taken to homeschooling our children.  But what about those parents who don't or can't homeschool their children?  What are they to do? What happens to their children? I feel a song coming on... "New York, New York.  So good, they named it twice." I love New York. New Yorkers aren't shy people.  They're risk-takers... and they don't take no mess from nobody! So, it came as no surprise when I read that a New York couple saw that our children needed help, and they stepped up to th...

You may be thinking, "Wow!  She has way too much time on her hands.  Where does she find this stuff!??!" Well, you're right.  I do have too much time on my hands, and I'm not sure how in the world that happened.  Seems like I have so much going on at once, so I don't really know where all this "extra" time comes from. Anyhoo, I was trolling the Information Superhighway by way of the Shoe Leather Express (that's on foot, in case you were wondering) today because my pogo stick broke {sigh}, and I came across this tidbit of autism news. I'm not writing this post to make a big deal out of possibly nothing, but let's see what your thoughts are after you finish reading it. Considering the fact that autism is, sadly, the fastest growing developmental disability in the nation, one would think that any college offering a course on autism would be one that also offered the student credit for taking it. The Daily Dispatch reported earlier today that, A...

I know I didn't read that right.  I can't believe the pressure actually got to thick-skinned Denis.  I can't believe it. About an hour ago, Boston Herald reported, C omedian Denis Leary , best known for pushing the envelope of convention, apologized yesterday “to all parents of children with autism” after the mother of a stricken Saugus 6-year-old dared him to spend just one hour of challenging daily life with her son. “I have nothing but admiration and sympathy for the people I know who are raising children with autism. In fact, they were the inspiration for the chapter I wrote about the subject,” the Worcester native and author of the provocative forthcoming book “Why We Suck” said in a statement to the Herald. I don't know what to say.  I'm actually at a loss for words. Hold up!  Hold up! His book's coming out on the 18th (21 days from now)!  What better way to get us to buy his book than to publicly apologize for insulting our children.  Good try, Denis, bu...

My son is one of the fortunate ones. The Oklahoma Health Authority (aka SoonerCare ) covers his twice weekly speech and occupational therapy sessions.  Who knows, they may even cover a third speech session.  We'll see because it doesn't hurt to ask. Like I said, he's one of the fortunate ones. But things aren't going so well for other Oklahoman children who are also on the spectrum. The Developmental Disabilities Division of our state's Department of Human Services is about to let a pilot program expire "sooner than expected" due to the lack of behavioral specialists. What does this mean exactly? The program had offered a budget of $12,360 to spend on services.  As for the 30 families who were selected to participate?  They will be left, once again, to fend for themselves. Michael McNutt of The Oklahoman reports , Oklahoma lacks enough therapists and behavioral specialists to take care of the state’s autistic children, according to the preliminary finding...

Is it weird of me to be thinking about this poem by the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou simply because I'm baking bread? I mean, one has nothing to do with the other. But here I am, listening to my bread machine finish the "rise" cycle, wondering why this poem came to mind. I listen as my beloved prince is watching one of his favorite DVDs which happens to be the entire collection of  School House Rock . I listen as he scripts some of the scenes.  His new thing is have the captions active, so he can read a long with the characters.  Not sure who taught him how to use a remote.  Guess he inherited that 'innate ability to figure stuff out' from me. {smile} His precious voice fills our home like a beautiful melody.  If not for the sound of the heater, his voice would be the only sound I'd hear. I am not in any rush for him to grow up.  Each day is appreciated and celebrated.  Today was a good day, and I am grateful. So, what's any of this have to do with Dr. ...

My husband, the professor, thinks too much. I told him I needed a new title since Mother Warrior was already taken.  Here's what he came up with.  Pure genius! Here's an idea: Autism's Avenging Angel (AAA)--sort of a play on Jenny's Rescue Angel. You're not rescuing, but avenging a community from the misconceptions, misunderstandings, and misnomers around autism. You're trying to move toward a more nuanced, reasoned, informed, and considerate understanding of autism without dehumanizing and belittling the autistic community. I wonder if I need a cape? UPDATE: Did a little tweaking, and here's the improved version? ... is sort of a play on Jenny’s Rescue Angels. The key difference is we are not rescuing our children, but avenging our community from the misconceptions, misunderstandings, and misnomers around autism. By educating the public in a positive manner, we’re moving toward a more nuanced, reasoned, informed, and considerate understanding of autism wit...

I've never been ashamed of my son or embarrassed by him.  And I've never wanted to "fix" him. A part of me feels like I can no longer hold my head high when I say that he has autism. A part of me feels like the weight on his shoulders has increased in mass. A part of me feels that I should keep our really cool Autism t-shirts tucked away in a drawer... never again to see the light of day. A part of me feels like if I say the word, "Autism", people look at me with disgust as if my son is contagious. A part of me wants to forget I transitioned to a holistic lifestyle and Jackie Chan some folks. The media controversy doesn't help. Breathe in.  Breathe out. I guess I'll have to wait for the magazine cover that declares, "Autism Community Rejoices!  Scientists Finally Have Answers!" Hope I don't have to wait too long.

According to Jenny, autism is caused by vaccines. But she's not just suggesting that vaccines may have an unintended impact on some children. In Jenny's mind, it seems, vaccines are quite literally a thief of souls (which, of course, suggests that people with autism are soulless). Here's what she said to Oprah, in describing her son's autism: “The nurse gave (Evan) the shot... and soon thereafter—boom—the soul’s gone from his eyes.” Read the rest of what Lisa had to say... and don't forget to read the comments.  They're particularly interesting.

I'm a Rescue Angel . Unlike Jenny , I did not and do not use biomedical intervention to 'recover' my son from the bowels of Hell aka autism. So, you're probably wondering why "in Sam Hill" did I connect myself to her organization? I became a Rescue Angel because I wanted to be a listening ear for ASD families.  Unfortunately, I am not  the "angel" who would tell you that biomeds worked for my son. I also don't think a Rescue Angel is qualified enough "to guide" any family "through the recovery process". Hmmm, that would probably explain why I'm not getting a whole lot of calls or emails. It's just a matter of time before I receive my Donald Trump -like email announcing my termination, and to be honest with you, I'm not going to lose any sleep thinking about it. I have often wondered if Generation Rescue even looked at my "angel application" because of my answer to the first question regarding " child...

I know the importance of exercise.  I also know that it should be part of our daily lives.  But why is it so important for a child with autism to exercise? According to Daniel Hawthorne , ... it is my heart-felt conviction that physical activity of some kind is vital to helping autistic children, like me at one time, function. By observation in my own life, I have long felt strongly that aerobic exercise of any kind played a valuable role in my being able to function on a relatively high level as an autistic child and now as well.

I miss Boston. Not because I miss hangin' out and listening to Denis talk trash. (note to self... tell other personalities to stay out of my blog posts.  {sigh}). I miss Boston for more important reasons. I miss the funny way Bostonians talk. I miss picking fresh apples for my apple pies. I miss my friends and family. I miss having white Chrismases. And I miss my Boston sports fans.  I should I say fanatics?!?! But more than that, I miss their news reporting . It seems as it parents of auties spend most of our time talking about the children who have autism and not as much time talking about their neurotypical siblings (I only have one child, but I've read comments of those who have more). What's it like for these siblings?  How has autism affected their lives?  Who's helping them cope? Today, The Boston Globe reported, ... it was because of these kinds of concerns that the Autism Resource Center launched these monthly “Sibshops” to help them cope. Blending information...

Luke Skywalker called.  He wants his Landspeeder (hovercraft) back.  {sigh}  He's such a brat!  I need to take one more spin 'round the block then, maybe , I'll give it back to him.  {sigh} Do you know what's sad? I can't even say, "I googled it" anymore when I'm asked where I find information to blog about. Why is that, you ask? Seems that folks are using it as their sole source to find data, and I ain't mentioning any names. No!  I won't say! I.  Can't.  Hear.  You.       (la la la la la la la la) I'll be serious for a moment. I'm glad more of us, on the other side of the lawn, are stating that there are other contributing factors to autism... besides vaccines. I believe that the folks blaming them for their child(ren)'s autism are actually doing us more harm than good, because now we have a whole new set of parents becoming paranoid about vaccinating their children. I don't think this is helping our cause at all. In fac...

A wicked cool Twitter, @autismfamily , brought this series to my attention today.  She's a wealth of information for autism, and I suggest you check out her blog and her online editorial . She tweeted about Good Morning America doing a feature on autism this morning entitled, "10 Myths about Autism: Experts examine the Misconceptions about Autism". She also told followers about ABCNews's upcoming OnCall+ series on Autism.   So, check it out . Looks to be interesting.

Epigenetics? I love my readers; you are quite the knowledgeable bunch.  Just when I get comfortable with one topic, the most recent being Multiple Chemical Sensitivities , you throw me another bone. Fetch, girl, fetch!!! Not knowing what in the world 'epigenetics' was, I jumped in my hovercraft and headed back down the Information Superhighway. I took an exit that seemed to offer the best explanation, we laypeople, might understand. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it: The modern usage of the word is more narrow, referring to heritable traits (over rounds of cell division and sometimes transgenerationally) that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence. Still confused?  Here's another way to look at it. The Greek prefix epi- in epigenetics implies features that are "on top of" or "in addition to" genetics; thus epigenetic traits exist on top of or in addition to the traditional molecular basis for inheritance. Still not getting ...

I thought I would share a communique between me and the folks of the title of this post. My note to them: It is of my opinion, that if we focused more on bringing the dire need for funding for autism research (to find the true cause),  just maybe we'd see a decline in the media coverage for the great celebrity-vaccine debate. There is a saying that says, "What you think about, you bring about." Perhaps, having a site titled, "Stop Jenny" will only fuel the fire she's started. Perhaps, having a site titled, "Stop Jenny", will only bring her further attention to her 'cause'... and even increase the size of her "army". These are just my thoughts.  I'm just a mom... raising a son with autism... and I don't think he's vaccine-injured.  :) Their response: We do hope to bring more attention to Jenny, and to her misinformation.  We hope that by bringing attention to the reasons why she is wrong, that it will help people to fig...

Until two days ago, I had never heard of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).  Wanting to know more about it, I decided to do some light research. Here's a little something that offers a brief explanation for what MCS is. MCS means an unusually severe sensitivity or allergy-like reaction to many different kinds of pollutants including solvents, VOCs, perfumes, petrol, diesel, smoke, "chemicals" in general regarded and often encompasses problems with regard to pollen, house dust mites, and pet fur & dander. MCS unlike "true" allergies - where the underlying mechanisms of the problem are relatively well understood & widely accepted - is generally regarded as "idiopathic" - meaning that it has no known mechanism of causation & its processes are not fully understood. {Source: www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.org} This brings me back to a previous post where I mentioned Karen Slimak and a study of VOCs and their effects on humans (It appears ...

I know I'm going to get hate mail for this post, and to that, I can only sigh.  But I want you to remember one thing as you read this post... this is MY healing journey. It seems that everyone I talk to wants to know how Nicholas "got autism". How the heck do I know? Have you heard reference to my name as being an expert in the field of communication sciences and neurological disorders? Have you read pages upon pages of research data that I've written regarding autism and its cause? No. Unlike a lot of parents out there, I didn't lose my son after he received his MMR.  He's still the same perky, curious, entertaining boy he was back then. But there is one thing that hasn't changed for him through the years, and that's his level of communication.  Although, he's a HUGE scripter, it has only been recently that we've been hearing a lot of spontaneous speech... which is groovy! I know you've heard me bring up Jenny before, but I need to make...

I can't take credit for this headliner. A TwitterMom left a comment for me when she visited my page, stating her curiosity about whether there was "any research on VOCs in the home and autism". Her comment made me think... even more than I already do when it comes to autism and its causes. To be honest with you, I had never really thought about VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and their connection with autism before. Sure, I've done a lot of research over the years, but I somehow missed this one. I researched the best car for my family and the best car seat for my son, so I knew I was okay in those areas. I only clean my home and launder our clothes with eco-friendly products (vinegar & water, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda , Seventh Generation , Clorox's Green Works™ , just to name a few). My family uses natural and/or organic products on our bodies ( Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap All-In-One , Alba 's lotions). I've donated 98% of my son's toys b...

I'm heading down under! Ok, not really, but I love what their academia community is doing for our community. Professor Robin Young has been making some pretty significant strides all in the name of autism.  She developed a program that recognizes autism in one-year-olds. In a recent interview with ABC News, she made the following statement: She says her program - used in South Australia - works to get 12-month old children to engage in more social behaviour. Professor Young feels that diagnoses at age 3 or 4 are too late for early intervention to be successful. Imagine a world... Where children are diagnosed within their first year of life. Imagine a world... Where parents don't have to argue with pediatricians. Imagine a world... Where voices are heard and care is... readily available. Imagine.

Jenny McCarthy was smart when she chose the title to her latest release. She knew the reaction she would receive from those of us walking this path. She totally knew what she was doing. When the world looks for the nurturing parent, they don't look towards the father (even though there are some amazingly nurturing ones out there). They look at us. After all, the saying isn't, "Don't Mess with FATHER Nature!" As a mother of a child on the spectrum, I do feel as if I am always on guard.  I do feel like I'm always dressed for battle. After all, my son cannot fend for himself.  At least, not right now. It seems that whenever I "stumble" upon an article of a parent fighting for their child... it seems like, oftentimes, it is the mother who's the one on the frontlines. (Dads, please don't send hate mail.) Our latest warrior is Tina Dula . Tina's a mom who knew she couldn't leave her son in the hands of those who "just didn't get i...

Children are unique. Add autism to the mix, and life is even more unpredictable. Holidays aren't always celebrated in the same way. Explaining why people do what they do at certain times of the year can be a challenging task. But, our children know more than we realize.  And being the good parents that we are, we give them credit where credit is due. It's nice when someone, other than us, wants our children to have the same holiday experiences as neuro-typical children. It's nice when someone else sits back, and thinks, "Wow!  There has to be another way." It's nice when someone else finally realizes that our children matter. Well, sometimes that realization comes when you least expect it. If you're a family living with autism, and you just so happen to be in the (859), consider yourself fortunate. Your local YMCA has acknowledged your cries for help, and they are now offering FREE services! Many families with autism do not get the opportunities for soci...

Not only does Arianna Huffington , co-founder and editor-in-chief of the internet newspaper, The Huffington Post (HuffPo), support autism by covering stories that matter to our community, she has recently deepened that support by giving us our own page . Did you know that actress, Claire Danes , will be playing the role of an autistic woman in an upcoming HBO film?  Read on! If you're like me, and you don't have a lot of time to peruse every website/page looking for autism news, then HuffPo is the place to be.

The circus is in town this weekend, and my husband really wanted to take our son. While fetchin' dinner, he told me he saw a group of circus protestors, hanging out across the street of the BOK Center . He told me they were holding signs that spoke of animal abuse... If I hadn't have transitioned to a holistic lifestyle, I wouldn't be sitting in front of my PC right now, blogging about animal abuse and circuses. But I did. And here I am. Fired up. How do I explain this to my son? He doesn't always grasp the other things I try to explain to him.  But abuse, in all its forms, is something I am ill-prepared for. How do I look into those amazingly big, brown eyes, and tell him that I'll never take him to the circus? That it will be a cold day in hotsville before I pay to see abused animals perform for my or his delight? That the elephant isn't trumpeting because she's happy... she's trumpeting because she's been wounded by a bullhook meant to make her ...

Come on, everyone. Won't cha sing along with me???  I'm sure John Paul Young won't mind if we change a word of the 70s hit, Love is in the air , will he? Imagine this if you will... You're autistic. You've been placed on a bus... heading off to school. Your parents, who love you dearly, leave you in the loving care of your bus driver and bus monitor. They, in turn, take that trust... and reject it. They abandon you on a bus... for several hours. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been confirmed.  The world has truly gone mad, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this isn't not an isolated case! Seems like October is the month where we'll have to stop thinking about Halloween and start thinking about keeping our children out of school for fear that they'll be tagged for what seems to be an annual event for abusing our children. 2007 2008 Is this going to be the norm when we leave our children in their care? Is this what's become of all t...

DES MOINES, Iowa – After failing to finish a reading assignment, 8-year-old Isabel Loeffler was sent to the school's time-out room — a converted storage area under a staircase — where she was left alone for three hours. The autistic Iowa girl wet herself before she was finally allowed to leave. Appalled, her parents removed her from the school district and filed a lawsuit. This is very disturbing. Is this the direction our school's are going?  Is this the treatment our children can expect to receive? I'm not always going to be homeschooling my son.  One of these years, he's going to have to return to "typical" school life. However, this article leads me to wonder what that life will be like for him. I don't know if Isabel is considered high-functioning or not, but I do want to know how someone justified leaving her, alone, under a stairwell, for 3 hours because she failed to complete a reading assignment? I also want to know if she hadn't wet herself,...

My husband is a coffee addict. He can drink coffee all day, every day, and still sleep like a baby. Although, he loves the french press I bought him, he loves Starbucks more. I have my work cut out for me. {wink} I think it's great whenever a conglomerate does anything worthwhile that positively impacts the environment.  They're always so quick to announce it, how can one not give them their moment in the spotlight? However, I am always fascinated as to why we don't immediately hear about whenever they're doing something that negatively impacts us. Sure, Starbucks had the first-ever post-consumer, recycled beverage cup. Sure, they carry fair trade coffee (at the insistence of its patrons). Sure, they tout themselves as " contributing positively to our community and the environment ". What they won't tell us is that they're wasting MILLIONS of gallons of water EVERY day at EVERY location. That's right.  I said millions , and the reason for the wast...

There isn't much I can say after watching this amazing video . There isn't anything for me to complain about. There isn't. For today... I am humbled.

Courtesy of a wicked net savvy mom, aka autismfamily on Tweetsville, I was introduced to another cool social network for Auties and those who love and support them. While browsing, I came across a group who reminded me of one of my previous posts regarding vaccines not being the cause for autism , and the comment I received from a reader.  The group was aptly named, "I'm Autistic.  Don't Cure me! " I began reading the article titled, " My thoughts and feelings about those Autism cure groups and other stuff " Here are a few highlights: 1st of all, I don't think those curing Autism groups ever considered the thoughts and feelings of Autistic individuals like myself that do not wish to be cured, in fact those curing Autism groups send out several wrong messages and I can name these wrong messages that are sent out. 4. Having Autism is a bad thing and we need to cure it (Although there have been some cons to having Autism, there are also some pros to having...

The people who are criticizing the "Autism Schmautism" chapter in my new book "Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid" clearly have not read it. Or if they have, they missed the sections I thought made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child. Okay, Denis.  You got me.  I didn't read your book.  I saw the comment, put on my armor, and was prepared to battle... major battle! Do I owe you an apology?  I'll concede.  I do.  I should have done what I normally do, and that's to get the facts BEFORE I react. But you see, I wasn't only reacting for myself.  I was reacting for my son who does not and would not understand that those few lines were "teasers" to something "meaningful". Does this mean that I will g...

You are probably wondering about the meaning of the title. I am an autism warrior. I am a mother to a handsome, smart, funny, charming, affectionate young man... who has autism. I am part of an amazing community who sees as part of its mission the promotion of tolerance, compassion, empathy, and understanding for a generation of people who are oftentimes, misunderstood and persecuted by ignorant, misinformed, ill-educated folks like Michael Savage , Amanda Peet , and Denis Leary . (click their names to read their remarks against the autism community) I am an author who hopes that my work will inspire readers to learn more about the autism spectrum disorder. I am an author who hopes that my work will encourage readers to be more compassionate, empathetic, and tolerant of others who seem "different" than themselves. I am a blogger . I blog for peace (because I know now that my son's autism was not my fault). I blog for answers (to questions I have on regarding how I can b...

There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both." - Denis Leary The Autism Society of America responded: "For Mr. Leary to suggest that families or doctors conspire to falsely diagnose autism is ridiculous . . . [His] remarks reflect the same misconceptions of autism being caused by bad or unemotional parenting that were held over 50 years ago. I don't even know where to start. Prior to reading his remarks, I actually liked Denis.  Yes, I know he's crass and a bit hard on the ears, but his style was one I used to laugh at.  I think it was his New England accent and hard appr...