What Fathers Think: Quotations from Ordinary Fathers by Robert Naseef, Ph.D.  Often times men seem to have a more muted language, so it is no surprise when others wonder what a man really thinks. I asked a number of men who have children with special needs about their reflections on fatherhood. Here's what they told me: "Now that I am a father, I have a different relationship with work. It's not my whole life anymore." "Having a daughter with Down syndrome has changed my notion of what comprises a bad day. I appreciate life in such a different and more profound way." " I have learned to see past what my son (who has autism) isn't and focus on who he is. It takes time to find it in your heart."  "My children's smiles are my smiles—the one who has CP and the one who doesn't. They light up my life." " My father was a hard worker and he taught me to be. He required it. Now I have a child with special needs, and I work hard to be the best father I can for him." "I grew up without my father because my parents divorced when I was very young. I was always determined to be there for my children. Now that I have two boys with special needs, they need me more than ever." "My father had a horrible temper. I was determined to do better. My daughter's disability taught me such humility as I learned to accept what I could not change." " I am a fixer, and I can't fix this. There is not a wrench to pull out of my toolbox." "When I get home at night and my kids run to greet me and laugh – that is the best part of my day." As you can see, there is much wisdom in the observations and reflections of these fathers. They are fairly typical of many fathers I have met both with and without children with special needs. Fathers are vital. When a child is diagnosed with special needs, it can be a grief like no other. It is an event that changes and transforms us. It will drive us places we never wanted to go. Men and women alike look to their fathers for comfort and strength and acceptance. As hard as it has been, I must say that my son, autism and all, is a good son and loving him has taught me to be a better father.       .

What Siblings Would Like Parents and Service Providers to Know In the United States, there are over six million people who have special health, developmental, and mental health concerns. Most of these people have typically-developin g brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters are too important to ignore, if for only these reasons: These brothers and sisters will be in the lives of family members with special needs longer than anyone. Brothers and sisters will be there after parents are gone and special education services are a distant memory. If they are provided with support and information, they can help their sibs live dignified lives from childhood to their senior years. Throughout their lives, brothers and sisters share many of the concerns that parents of children with special needs experience, including isolation, a need for information, guilt, concerns about the future, and caregiving demands. Brothers and sisters also face issues that are uniquely theirs including resentment, peer issues, embarrassment, and pressure to achieve. Despite the important and life-long roles they will play in the lives of their siblings who have special needs, even the most family-friendly agencies often overlook brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters, often left in the literal and figurative waiting rooms of service delivery systems, deserve better. True "family-centered" care and services will arrive when siblings are actively included in agencies' functional definition of "family." The Sibling Support Project facilitated a discussion on SibNet, its listserv for adult siblings of people with disabilities, regarding the considerations that siblings want from parents, other family members, and service providers. Below is a discussion of themes discussed by SibNet members and recommendations from the Sibling Support Project: The Right to One's Own Life. Throughout their lives, brothers and sisters may play many different roles in the lives of their siblings who have special needs. Regardless of the contributions they may make, the basic right of siblings to their own lives must always be remembered. Parents and service providers should not make assumptions about responsibilities typically-developin g siblings may assume without a frank and open discussion. "Nothing about us without us"— a phrase popular with self-advocates who have disabilities — applies to siblings as well. Self-determination, after all, is for everyone — including brothers and sisters. Acknowledging Siblings' Concerns. Like parents, brothers and sisters will experience a wide array of often ambivalent emotions regarding the impact of their siblings' special needs. These feelings should be both expected and acknowledged by parents and other family members and service providers. Because most siblings will have the longest-lasting relationship with the family member who has a disability, these concerns will change over time. Parents and providers would be wise to learn more about siblings' life-long and ever-changing concerns. Expectations for Typically-Developin g Siblings. Families need to set high expectations for all their children. However, some typically-developin g brothers and sisters react to their siblings' disability by setting unrealistically high expectations for themselves — and some feel they must somehow compensate for their siblings' special needs. Parents can help their typically-developin g children by conveying clear expectations and unconditional support. Expect Typical Behavior From Typically-Developin g Siblings. Although difficult for parents to watch, teasing, name-calling, arguing and other forms of conflict are common among most brothers and sisters -– even when one has special needs. While parents may be appalled at siblings' harshness toward one another, much of this conflict can be a beneficial part of normal social development. A child with Down syndrome who grows up with siblings with whom he sometimes fights will likely be better prepared to face life in the community as an adult than a child with Down syndrome who grows up as an only child. Regardless of how adaptive or developmentally appropriate it might be, typical sibling conflict is more likely to result in feelings of guilt when one sibling has special health or developmental needs. When conflict arises, the message sent to many brothers and sisters is, "Leave your sibling alone. You are bigger, you are stronger, you should know better. It is your job to compromise." Typically-developin g siblings deserve a life where they, like other children, sometimes misbehave, get angry, and fight with their siblings. Expectations for the Family Member with Special Needs. When families have high expectations for their children who have special needs, everyone will benefit. As adults, typically-developin g brothers and sisters will likely play important roles in the lives of their siblings who have disabilities. Parents can help siblings now by helping their children who have special needs acquire skills that will allow them to be as independent as possible as adults. To the extent possible, parents should have the same expectations for the child with special needs regarding chores and personal responsibility as they do for their typically-developin g children. Not only will similar expectations foster independence, it will also minimize the resentment expressed by siblings when there are two sets of rules — one for them, and another for their sibs who have special needs. The Right to a Safe Environment. Some siblings live with brothers and sisters who have challenging behaviors. Other siblings assume responsibilities for themselves and their siblings that go beyond their age level and place all parties in vulnerable situations. Siblings deserve to have their own personal safety given as much importance as the family member who has special needs. Opportunities to Meet Peers. For most parents, the thought of "going it alone," raising a child with special needs without the benefit of knowing another parent in a similar situation would be unthinkable. Yet, this routinely happens to brothers and sisters. Sibshops, listservs such as SibNet and SibKids, and similar efforts offer siblings the common-sense support and validation that parents get from Parent-to-Parent programs and similar programs. Brothers and sisters — like parents — like to know that they are not alone with their unique joys and concerns. Opportunities to Obtain Information. Throughout their lives, brothers and sisters have an ever-changing need for information about their sibling's disability, and its treatment and implications. Parents and service providers have an obligation to proactively provide siblings with helpful information. Any agency that represents a specific disability or illness and prepares materials for parents and other adults should prepare materials for siblings and young readers as well. Sibs' Concerns about the Future. Early in life, many brothers and sisters worry about what obligations they will have toward their sibling in the days to come. Ways parents can reassure their typically-developin g children are to make plans for the future of their children with special needs, involve and listen to their typically-developin g children as they make these plans, consider backup plans, and know that siblings' attitude toward the extent of their involvement as adults may change over time. When brothers and sisters are "brought into the loop" and given the message early that they have their parents' blessing to pursue their dreams, their future involvement with their sibling will be a choice instead of an obligation. For their own good and for the good of their siblings who have disabilities, brothers and sisters should be afforded the right to their own lives. This includes having a say in whether and how they will be involved in the lives of their siblings who have disabilities as adults, and the level, type, and duration of involvement. Including Both Sons and Daughters. Just as daughters are usually the family members who care for aging parents, adult sisters are usually the family members who look after the family member with special needs when parents no longer can. Serious exploration of sharing responsibilities among siblings — including brothers — should be considered. Communication. While good communication between parents and children is always important, it is especially important in families where there is a child who has special needs. An evening course in active listening can help improve communication among all family members, and books, such as How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk and Siblings Without Rivalry (both by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlich) provide helpful tips on communicating with children. One-on-One time with Parents. Children need to know from their parents' deeds and words that their parents care about them as individuals. When parents carve time out of a busy schedule to grab a bite at a local burger joint or window shop at the mall with their typically-developin g children, it conveys a message that parents "are there" for them as well and provides an excellent opportunity to talk about a wide range of topics. Celebrate Every Child's Achievements and Milestones. Over the years, we've met siblings whose parents did not attend their high school graduation — even when their children were valedictorians — because the parents were unable to leave their child with special needs. We've also met siblings whose wedding plans were dictated by the needs of their sibling who had a disability. One child's special needs should not overshadow another's achievements and milestones. Families who seek respite resources, strive for flexibility, and seek creative solutions can help assure that the accomplishments of all family members are celebrated. Parents' Perspective is More Important than the Actual Disability. Parents would be wise to remember that the parents' interpretation of their child's disability will be a greater influence on the adaptation of their typically developing sibling than the actual disability itself. When parents seek support, information, and respite for themselves, they model resilience and healthy attitudes and behaviors for their typically-developin g children. Include Siblings in the Definition of "Family." Many educational, health care, and social service agencies profess a desire to offer family-centered services but continue to overlook the family members who will have the longest-lasting relationship with the person who has the special needs — the sisters and brothers. When brothers and sisters receive the considerations and services they deserve, agencies can claim to offer "family-centered"— instead of "parent-centered"— services. Actively Reach Out to Brothers and Sisters. Parents and agency personnel should consider inviting (but not requiring) brothers and sisters to attend informational, IEP, IFSP, and transition planning meetings, and clinic visits. Siblings frequently have legitimate questions that can be answered by service providers. Brothers and sisters also have informed opinions and perspectives and can make positive contributions to the child's team. Learn More About Life as a Sibling. Anyone interested in families ought to be interested in siblings and their concerns. Parents and providers can learn more about "life as a sib" by facilitating a Sibshop, hosting a sibling panel, or reading books by and about brothers and sisters. Guidelines for conducting a sibling panel are available from the Sibling Support Project and in the Sibshop curriculum. Visit the Sibling Support Project's website for a bibliography of sibling-related books. Create Local Programs Specifically for Brothers and Sisters. If your community has a Parent-to-Parent Program or similar parent support effort, a fair question to ask is: why isn't there a similar effort for the brothers and sisters? Like their parents, brothers and sisters benefit from talking with others who "get it." Sibshops and other programs for preschool, school-age, teen, and adult siblings are growing in number. The Sibling Support Project, which maintains a database of over 200 Sibshops and other sibling programs, provides training and technical assistance on how to create local programs for siblings. Include Brothers and Sisters on Advisory Boards and in Policies Regarding Families. Reserving board seats for siblings will give the board a unique, important perspective and reflect the agency's concern for the well-being of brothers and sisters. Developing policies based on the important roles played by brothers and sisters will help assure that their concerns and contributions are a part of the agency's commitment to families. Fund Services for Brothers and Sisters. No classmate in an inclusive classroom will have a greater impact on the social development of a child with a disability than brothers and sisters will. They will be their siblings' life-long "typically developing role models." As noted earlier, brothers and sisters will likely be in the lives of their siblings longer than anyone — longer than their parents and certainly longer than any service provider. For most brothers and sisters, their future and the future of their siblings with special needs are inexorably entwined. Despite this, there is little funding to support projects that will help brothers and sisters get the information, skills and support they will need throughout their lives. Governmental agencies would be wise to invest in the family members who will take a personal interest in the well-being of people with disabilities and advocate for them when their parents no longer can. As one sister wrote: "We will become caregivers for our siblings when our parents no longer can. Anyone interested in the welfare of people with disabilities ought to be interested in us."

Generation Rescue Announces Rescue Family Grant Program We are proud to announce our Rescue Family Grant program! Generation Rescue is offering a grant program for first time biomedical autism treatments that may not otherwise be covered privately or by other third-party funding sources such as school districts, county programs, insurance, and/or other grant making entities. We are now accepting our first round of 250 applications for our Rescue Family program; applications must be received by July 15, 2009.  Applicants who meet the grant program criteria and complete the grant application will be considered for a Rescue Family grant. Rescue Family grants are based on economic need within the applicants specific geographic area. Generation Rescue's Rescue Family grants are designed to provide support to individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. Each grant recipient will receive two doctor visits with a specially trained physician who treats individualized medical conditions associated with autism.  Grants also include a 90 day supply of vitamins, minerals and supplements, a Generation Rescue-Rescue Mentor and information on dietary interventions. We are currently in the process of negotiating some laboratory testing as well and hope to have some additional announcements in the next few weeks. Applicants must complete and mail the grant application by July 15th in order to be considered for the Rescue Family program.  The application and complete application guidelines are on our website at www.generationrescue.org. Thank you to our New Generation Medical Doctors and our partners at Syndion, Nordic Naturals, Bio Ray, and ReVitaPop for helping us provide early biomedical intervention to families in need.

101 Things To Do This Summer Selected By: Homeschool.com Sponsored by: Ablaze Academy Online Learning Academy It's already May; and many of our readers who have endured difficult winters are eagerly awaiting summer. It's never too early to begin planning for summer vacation. Homeschooling parents often take on an additional role of being Summer Camp Director and camp counselor. With some focused attention and coordinated calendars, your kids can benefit from a great variety of relaxing and productive projects all summer long. Homeschool.com has compiled a comprehensive list of websites that offer a wonderful selection of summertime activities for you and your family. Please make sure to examine the individual websites to identify the projects and resources that will work best for you. Many sites, such as the art museums and astronomy sites, can provide stimulating projects each week for your whole family to embark on together, no matter where you're living. Other activities are ideal for the home; while still others can easily dovetail with your summer travel plans. May 6, 2009   Sign Me Up! for this e-zine   Suggest new topics for your kids, as many sites have a wide array of offerings with multiple levels of challenge — from elementary grades through high school. You'll see that many projects can also be woven into a dynamic summer school program. Summer is an ideal time for students to learn new skill sets that may take "extra" time to master. Because more "free" time is available in the summer than during the typical school year, many homeschooling families choose goals that can progress over a two or three month period. Selecting several short-range summer projects for your kids (such as crafts) and longer-range projects (such as developing a garden, or a sky chart) is a good family activity in itself. Doing this will enhance the special breadth and beauty of summertime, and you'll find that everyone will appreciate this unique season of blossoming! 1 Make a scrapbook of everything you do this summer The Basics of Scrapbooking http://www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/beginners.html 2 Have a picnic Planning a Picnic http://www.the-picnic-site.com/ 3 Learn how to play soccer How to Play Soccer http://www.ehow.com/PrintArticle.html?id=2044097 4 Visit another country Lonely Planet Destination Guides www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/  5 Go to a ballgame Major League Baseball Team Schedules mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/schedule/index.jsp  6 Get a job (parent permission) Teens 4 Hire www.teens4hire.org/  7 Become a photographer BetterPhoto for Kids and Teens www.betterphoto.com/photography-for-kids.asp  8 Make dinner for your family Do-It-Yourself Dinner Party Project (PDF) www.reynoldskitchens.com  9 Compare a book to a movie Compare and Contrast Essay (PDF)  www.csudh.edu  10 Write a poem 30 Days of Poetry www.msrogers.com/English2/poetry/30_days_of_poetry.htm  11 Learn about fireworks How Stuff Works: Fireworks people.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htm  12 Bake some cookies Science of Cookies www.bakingandbakingscience.com/cookies.htm  13 Take a boat ride Boat Safe Kids! www.boatsafe.com/kids/index.htm  14 Sketch a picture of your house from the outside Perspective Drawing www.artyfactory.com/perspective_drawing/perspective_1.htm 15 Go to camp Smart Start to Business http://www.youthpreneur.net/camps 16 Visit a farm 4-H Virtual Farms www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/main.html  17 Take a walk and record the sounds Listening to Nature www.museumca.org/naturalsounds/  18 Embrace Other Cultures Culture Quest http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/cquest/ 19 Keep a journal of what you do during the Summer Keepsake Diary http://kids-indoor-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/keep_a_summer_journal 20 Cut up an old greeting card picture and make a puzzle (parent help) How to make your own jigsaw puzzle tn.essortment.com/howtomakeyour_rgzx.htm  21 Start a band Make Music! Start a Band www.mustcreate.org/kid_home/kids3_1.shtml  22 Learn how to make a movie Digital Movie Making for Kids http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/intro_video/making_of_movie.html 23 Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand them out to friends Message in a Balloon www.nmhct.nhs.uk/pharmacy/nmha-activities.html  24 Go backpacking The Beginning Backpacker www.backpacking.net/beginner.html  25 Learn how to oil paint Free Art Lessons http://www.interactiveartschool.com/free-art-lessons.html 26 Create a web site Lissa Explains HTML for Kids www.lissaexplains.com/  27 Go camping Go Camping America Kids Pages www.gocampingamerica.com/kidspages/  28 Learn how to use Microsoft Office Free Tutorials for Microsoft Office http://www.baycongroup.com/tutorials.htm 29 Help an elderly person with house or yard work (parent permission) 20 Great Reasons to Volunteer www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/resources/tipstricks.jsp  30 Visit the zoo National Zoo Animal Web cams nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/default.cfm  31 Learn a foreign language Free Online Language Courses www.word2word.com/coursead.html  32 Make an obstacle course in your back yard How To Set Up An Obstacle Course www.ehow.com/how_3113_set-obstacle-course.html  33 Make a treasure hunt The Ultimate Treasure Hunt www.allthatstuff.net/treasurehunt.htm  34 View and learn about Modern Art Destination Modern Art http://www.moma.org/destination/ 35 Learn about the Animals that live on our planet A Library of the World's Animals http://www.learnanimals.com/ 36 Recycle bottles and donate the money to a local charity The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide www.obviously.com/recycle/   37 Explore the Universe A Learning Center for Young Astronomers http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html 38 Build a tree house The Tree House Guide www.thetreehouseguide.com/  39 Create a new world World Building teenwriting.about.com/library/weekly/aa071602a.htm  40 Set up a lemonade stand Lemonade Stand Game www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade/  41 Learn how to make ethnic food Ethnic Recipes http://www.bhg.com/recipes/food-slide-shows/ethnic-food/ 42 Attend a concert Buy tickets http://www.ticketmaster.com/section/concerts 43 Have family game nights What Game Should We Play? http://www.hasbro.com/familygamenight/en_US/   44 Learn about science Latest Science News http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/ 45 Make a collage from magazine words and pictures Collage pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/collage.html  46 Create a terrarium How to Make a Terrarium www.ehow.com/how_9374_make-terrarium.html  47 Learn how to help the environment Environmental Kids Club http://www.epa.gov/kids/index.htm 48 Discover new games to play Nature Games http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/nature-games.page-1.html 49 Go to a museum Find a museum in your area http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_the_United_States 50 Make a fire plan Home Fire Safety www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/flash.shtm  51 Make up bubble solution and have a contest Casey Carle's "Secret" Bubble Solutions www.bubblemania.com/faq/solution.html  52 Find a pen-pal (parent permission) Pen Pal Directories www.stonesoup.com/main2/penpal.html  53 Plant something Gardens for Beginners www.geocities.com/mastergardener2k/  54 Learn about Plants and our Environment ThinkQuest http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/ 55 Host a yard sale How to Plan a Yard Sale www.ehow.com/how_137461_yard-garage-sale.html  56 Build a sandcastle Sandcastle Tools www.sandcastlecentral.com/toolpages/  57 Donate some of the toys and clothes you no longer use How To Donate Toys www.ehow.com/how_10124_donate-toys-children.html  58 Research your family tree Free Genealogy Information http://genealogy.about.com/cs/free_genealogy/a/free_sites.htm 59 Fly a kite Professor Kite and the Secret of Kites www.gombergkites.com/howgen.html  60 Invent your own board game Design Your Own Board Game la.essortment.com/boardgamedesig_rxcu.htm  61 Make your own comic book  Comic Creator http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/ 62 Create a book cover for your writing projects Book Cover Creator http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/bookcover/ 63 Act in a play So You Want to Put On a Play? www.writewords.org.uk/articles/theatre1.asp  64 Learn to Cook Introductory Cooking Lessons http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-cooking-lessons-cit-intro.html 65 Make a bird feeder Easy birdfeeders for young children http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-easy-bird-feeders.html 66 Organize a bike safety clinic Bicycle Safety Command Center www.state.il.us/kids/isp/bikes/  67 Spend time with your grandparents 10 Great Activities www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson136.shtml  68 Learn how the Internet works Learn the Net http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/intbas.html 69 Dig for fossils Dinosaur Dig www.sdnhm.org/kids/fossils/  70 Write a song Notes on Songwriting www.robinfrederick.com/write.html  71 Tie-dye some t-shirts How to Tie-Dye iaia.essortment.com/tiedyedyefa_rmel.htm  72 Make your own banana split Yum! http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/recipesforkids/ht/bananasplit.htm 73 Create a themed dinner Theme Dinner Ideas http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/theme-dinner-ideas.html 74 Tour the World Google Earth Style http://earth.google.com/tour.html 75 Throw a pajama party Make it a success http://www.ehow.com/how_2047629_plan-pajama-party.html 76 Learn some new outdoor games Games Kids Play www.gameskidsplay.net/  77 Make something from recyclables Crafts from Recycled Products www.makingfriends.com/recycle.htm  78 See a movie with a friend In the theatre or on DVD http://www.movies.com/ 79 Make homemade ice cream Kitchen Theater Science in a Scoop www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1996/julaug/dept4.htm  80 Build a time capsule For the entire family http://www.ehow.com/how_6637_make-family-time.html 81 Get a magazine subscription (parent permission) Magazine Listing www.magsonthenet.com/chilmag.html  82 Organize a scavenger hunt Outdoor Scavenger Hunts www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/kids/scavengerhunt.htm 83 Go swimming Video Clips of the Swimming Strokes wellness.lattc.cc.ca.us/real/strokes.html  84 Paint a portrait of your best friend Draw Your Friend www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/sparkers/friend_portrait/ portrait_friend.html  85 Start a collection How to Start a Collection www.ehow.com/how_10563_start-collection.html  86 Write a fairy tale Fractured Fairy Tales http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/fairytales/ 87 Travel in time Odyssey Online carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/MidElem_Home.html  88 Stargaze and track the moon phases Moon information http://www.moonconnection.com/ 89 Learn how to sew Learn to Sew  http://cyberseams.com/ 90 Visit a National Park National Park Service Guide www.nps.gov/parks.html  91 Rent a video of a ballet Easy to Read Profiles of the Histories of Ballets classicalmusic.about.com/od/historyofballet/  92 Roast marshmallows How to Roast a Marshmallow www.ehow.com/how_1164_roast-marshmallow.html  93 Watch the birds Tips on Getting Started with Bird Watching www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html  94 Arrange a bouquet of flowers Learn how to make a beautiful display http://interiordec.about.com/library/weekly/aa021403b2.htm 95 Learn to blog (parents' permission) How-to http://learn2blog.pitas.com/ 96 Re-decorate your room Decorating Gallery http://www.hgtv.com/topics/bedrooms/index.html 97 Learn to play chess Chess is Fun http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/chess/chess.html 98 Adopt a pet (parent permission) http://www.petfinder.com/ 99 Keep your brain going Brain Teasers www.brainconnection.com/teasers/  100 Teach someone to use email How eMail Works www.learnthenet.com/english/html/20how.htm  101 Create your own holiday A Month With No Holidays? Make Up Your Own! www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson018.shtml

Watch One Of The Most Explosive Interviews about Vaccines and Autism Yet! Generation Rescue Vs. CBS Television's The Doctors with Jenny McCarthy, Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, JB Handley and Stan Kurtz This Wednesday May 6th, 2009 - Set your Tivo. Click here for local times and stations Of all the shows we have done so far none of them have demonstrated what happens when well enlightened parents question what doctors know about vaccine safety like this show does.  Jenny and Dr. Jerry Kartzinel continue to talk about the concepts in their latest New York Times Best Selling Book, Healing and Preventing Autism.  Then, the fireworks begin about vaccine safety and autism. Watch the trailer - click here Partial Show Transcript Doctor:  "Vaccines are really the one thing we have looked at."   JB Handley: "I'm so sick of doctors misrepresenting the statement.  I'm going to take you guys on. You've looked at two of 36 shots and you're going to stand on that stage and say that vaccines and autism are unrelated?  I'm so sick of doctors who don't read the studies, who don't know the details, sitting here telling parents, reassuring them that vaccines don't cause autism.  It is irresponsible"   Doctor: "All you're doing is you're antagonizing the medical community that wants to help these kids."   JB Handley:"You haven't done the research."   Doctor: "You're antagonizing me!  You're antagonizing Dr. Sears!  Why would you do that?"   JB: "Read the science!" Tell your friends and make sure you set your DVR to record The Doctors on CBS this coming Wednesday!

Swine Flu 1999: We Were Warned

In researching my upcoming book on factory farming for St. Martins Press, I have come across many warnings from our past about the looming threat of pandemic influenza emerging from large-scale hog operations. It now appears that six of the eight genetic components in the currently circulating virus are direct descendants of a swine flu virus that first emerged in North Carolina a decade ago. That bug was discovered in August 1998, at a 2,400-head breeding facility in Newton Grove, NC, where all the sows suddenly came down with a phlegmatic cough. Pregnant animals spontaneously aborted their litters. Nasal swabs from the pigs were sent to the state agriculture department's Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh. State scientists at first did not think the outbreak was extraordinary. To them, it sounded like another case of "classic" swine flu, which had appeared many times before in North Carolina. That virus is also known to cause fevers and miscarriages in sows. But when scientists ran the regular tests for swine flu, they were stumped. They simply did not recognize the virus they were looking at. Even more alarming, some of the sows who got sick had been vaccinated against classic swine flu. That vaccine had clearly failed to stop this particular infection. (All of the pigs at Smithfield's facility in Mexico were also reportedly vaccinated against swine flu, but not against the current strain - and we now know that it was recently transmitted from a farmer to his pigs in Alberta, Canada). By the end of 1998, the new bug had also acquired two bird flu gene segments as well, evolving into a previously unseen "triple reassortment" virus, a worrisome and unprecedented monster of human, hog and bird flu origin. Fortunately for us, back in 1999, the new flu virus did not become a threat to people - humanity had dodged one big epidemiological bullet. Even so, scientists tried to warn the world that this would happen again, only next time it would bring far more calamitous results. "It's a wake up call," Dr. Nancy Cox, an influenza expert at the CDC, told the Raleigh News & Observer at the time. "It showed a human flu strain has gotten into pigs and that strain may permanently establish itself in pigs," she said. "It can go both ways. You have veterinary consequences as well as human consequences of this interspecies transmission." And the prestigious journal Science pronounced that, "After years of stability, the North American swine flu virus had jumped on an evolutionary fast track." Even a decade ago, the planet was already well overdue for a global human pandemic, warned one of the top virologists in the world, Dr. Robert Webster, at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. He said that children, teenagers and young adults born after the 1968 Asian flu pandemic would be especially vulnerable, because they would have no immunity to a reconstituted Asian flu virus. Interestingly, nearly all the deaths in the current pandemic have occurred in people born after 1968, something that should probably be investigated. And even though the feared leap to humans did not materialize (10% of US hog workers tested did show antibodies to the 1998 triple-assortment virus, but none had gotten sick) North Carolina's chief epidemiologist cautioned that the new virus could still jump back and forth between pigs and people. "We don't know how often these reassortments occur in nature - probably more than we want to realize," agreed Dr. Newton MacCormack, chief of communicable disease control at the NC health department. "We're pretty lucky that most of these viruses reach a genetic dead end. The big problem is the rare occasion when one of these viruses gets into a human and begins to be passed from person to person." The 1998 outbreak, though confined to pigs, spread with ferocious virulence. Soon after the North Carolina sows got sick, outbreaks were reported in Texas, Minnesota, and Iowa herds. Within months, pigs were getting sick nationwide. More than 4,300 samples were taken from swine in 23 states, and on average, 20.5% of them had the new triple-assortment virus. In Illinois and Iowa, 100% of the animals were infected, while Kansas and Oklahoma each reported rates of 90%. The long-distance transport of live animals - from farrowing to fattening to slaughtering - was blamed for the rapid dissemination. Fortunately, back then the North Carolina agriculture department introduced new diagnostic tests that were advanced enough to identify emerging "reassortments" of novel viruses mixing human and animal components. Such vigilance, it was thought, would help prevent a similar outbreak in the future. "These influenza viruses can shuffle like a deck of cards, but we will at least have one more diagnostic tool in our hands when this happens again," Dr. Gene Erickson, director of microbiological testing at the state agricultural lab, told the N&O. "That might give us some extra time when there is a true outbreak of a new virus." Erickson added that "the best way to view this whole series of events would be as a valuable learning experience for all of us. We will be much better prepared should it happen again." Ten years later, a new and deadly outbreak of swine flu would appear in people, most likely beginning in Mexico, and then spreading around the world - even before it was isolated and identified in a lab. The Mexican government apparently was not equipped with the same testing equipment that Dr. Erickson had installed in Raleigh. We still don't know where the current virus emerged, ("pig zero," as some have called it). But we may one day learn that, if proper scientific monitoring of emerging viruses had been in place, a global pandemic might have been averted. Swine Flu Mexico In researching my upcoming book on factory farming for St. Martins Press, I have come across many warnings from our past about the looming threat of pandemic influenza emerging from large-scale hog op... In researching my upcoming book on factory farming for St. Martins Press, I have come across many warnings from our past about the looming threat of pandemic influenza emerging from large-scale hog op... www.autismlarimer.org aslc@autismlarimer.org 970-377-9640 If you do not wish to receive future e-mails or newsletters, please reply to this message with 'Remove' in the subject line.