Mailing for May 14-15th 2007

May 14-15th Autism News Articles


Simcoe.com - Barrie Advance, etc.

Morrison to carry NDP colours
John Slykhuis
NDP leader Howard Hampton congratulated York-Simcoe’s New Democrat candidate Nancy Morrison during a nomination meeting in Bradford last Thursday.
May 08, 2007
The York-Simcoe provincial New Democratic Party is hoping for a repeat of the stunning 1990 upset that saw Bob Rae elected premier of Ontario.
The selection of child autism funding advocate Nancy Morrison was greeted with loud cheering from about 60 of the party faithful who gathered at the Bradford Community Centre last Thursday night, including party leader Howard Hampton and his wife and fellow MPP Shelley Martel.
The unprecedented show of NDP force in the riding included former Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford MPP Paul Wessenger. Mr. Wessenger and NDP candidate Larry O’Connor captured what is now part of each half of the new riding in 1990. Federal NDP candidate Sylvia Gerl was also part of the nomination meeting.
Both vowed to campaign for Ms. Morrison.
Ms. Morrison, 47, a Bradford resident and South Simcoe Police civilian employee, promised the audience she would not be “a one-issue candidate” with her focus on child autism funding, but would also work to support an immediate increase in the minimum wage to $10 per hour.
She said she would also move to clean up the site of an abandoned aluminum smelter in Georgina that critics charge is leaching toxins into an adjacent wetland linked directly to the Maskinonge River and Lake Simcoe.
Current York-North Tory MPP Julia Munro, who lives near the site, “has done nothing” in her 12 years in office to deal with the problem, Ms. Morrison charged.
“I will do what I can to get that cleaned up,” she said.
“Autism isn’t the only issue that is important to me,” she said, pointing to MPP salaries. “The Liberal government held a special extension just before Christmas to ram through a raise to give MPPs a minimum of $110,000 a year, and Premier McGuinty has gone to over $196,000 a year, which the Conservatives fully supported. The NDP voted against this. Meanwhile, the government doesn’t think the lowest income earners in this province are worth $10 an hour. Shame on them.”
Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton, who has been the party leader since 1996, succeeding Bob Rae, told the audience “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Nancy, so this is a personal commitment because I’ve seen how committed she is to work on behalf of community, to work on behalf of others in a very unselfish way,” he said.
Ms Morrison “embodies” NDP principles, he added.
“That’s why I’m so proud and pleased that she has come forward as our candidate. I don’t claim that we will necessarily win the next election. I just want to have enough new members like Nancy Morrison that we can have a substantial say in what the agenda is going to be after the next election.”
Mr. Hampton reiterated the NDP commitment to the working and middle class and a “share-the-wealth” philosophy.
“Every day when I turn to the business pages of the newspaper I see in big broad print that the economy is doing better than ever. That billions are being made on the stock market. That corporation executives’ pay and bonuses have skyrocketed like never before.
“That we are much wealthier today than we’ve every been — and yet as I make my way across Ontario from community to community, what I often see is ordinary families having to work longer and harder than ever to try to make ends meet and to try to provide for their children.”
Mr. Hampton said the NDP is also providing leadership in environmental areas such as global warming, and that if elected, his party would provide low-interest loans for people to buy energy-efficient appliances and things like solar panels. The money saved in the monthly energy bills could be applied to repayment, so the result will have no financial hardship on families, while saving energy and lowering greenhouse gases.
“I know where I come from, northern Ontario, the climate is changing. We used to go below zero by Halloween and stay below zero until sometime in April,” he said.
Mr. Hampton’s wife Shelley Martel, the MPP for Nickel Belt and the party’s health critic, said Ms. Morrison, “a very good friend of mine”, has been a champion for autistic children in the province.
Ms. Morrison and her husband Phil have twins, a boy, Sean, and girl, Meredith.
Her son is autistic and required intensive behavioural intervention.
Premier Dalton McGuinty broke his promise when he said, prior to the last election, funding for the therapy would continue after an autistic child reached the age of six, Ms Morrison said. The result was an anti-discrimination lawsuit by parents of autistic children that the McGuinty government fought against, Ms. Martel said.
“Despite everything else she has to do, Nancy was often in court in solidarity and support of those families.”
The lawsuit was defeated when an earlier favourable decision was overturned by the Ontario Court of Appeal last year.
In a letter to Ms Morrison prior to the last provincial election, Mr. McGuinty said if elected, his government would support intensive autism treatment beyond the age of six, calling the then Harris-government policy “discriminatory”.
That broken promise, Ms. Martel said, “speaks volumes about Dalton McGuinty...this letter shows McGuinty would have said anything to get elected, and he did”.
She praised Ms. Morrison as an “articulate, incredibly organized and determined advocate ... Any party would be very lucky to have an MPP prepared to work so hard.”
In addition to Mrs. Munro, Ms Morrison will also square off against Liberal candidate John Gilbank, a Jackson’s Point businessman.
The new riding includes Georgina, the Georgina Island Chippewa’s First Nation, East Gwillimbury, a northern slice of King Township, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.

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The Barrie Examiner:


Printed from www.thebarrieexaminer.com web site Saturday, May 12, 2007 - © 2007 The Barrie Examiner
________________________________________
NDP selects Nancy Morrison to fight for York-Simcoe’s working families

News Release

Monday, May 07, 2007 - 07:00

Local News -

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NDP selects Nancy Morrison to fight for York-Simcoe’s working families



Bradford, May 5 / - At a well attended gathering in the Bradford Community Centre on Thursday evening, York-Simcoe New Democrats unanimously selected Nancy Morrison to be their candidate in the upcoming provincial election in October.

NDP Leader Howard Hampton welcomed Morrison as the NDP candidate.

"The upcoming provincial election is about fairness and trust. It’s about deciding who you can count on to stand up for today's hard-working families. Nancy Morrison is a strong effective advocate. She will stand up to Dalton McGuinty and his broken promises and deliver real results for people in York-Simcoe and in the province," Hampton said.

"Nancy is Ontario's principal advocate for children with autism. As a mother of a son with autism, Nancy got Dalton McGuinty to promise to provide treatment to every child with autism in the province who needs it and to end the cutoff age of IBI treatment in schools. She continues to do everything she can to press McGuinty to keep that broken promise." said Bob Ridley, V.P., York-Simcoe NDP.

Shelley Martel, NDP MPP (Nickel Belt) and party critic for autism, who was also in attendance at the meeting, shared her deep respect for Morrison's conviction and passion. "Nancy's ability to hold Premier McGuinty responsible for his broken promises to children with autism and their families has been inspiring. Nancy will make an exceptional MPP for the people of York-Simcoe.”

During the meeting, a moment was taken to remember NDP member Carol McPherson who passed away in March. Paul Wessenger, former NDP MPP for Barrie/Simcoe/Bradford shared some of his thoughts and memories of Carol. Prior to being the Innisfil Enterprise owner and editor, Carol worked in Paul's administrative office when he was Parliamentary Assistant to Howard Hampton. "Carol was deeply committed to social justice, and to the promotion of equality for all individuals. Carol was a friend of this party, a friend of mine, and is deeply missed." said Wessenger.

In her acceptance speech, Nancy Morrison addressed several crucial issues facing voters of York-Simcoe. Morrison noted, “The Georgina smelter is unfortunately another broken Liberal promise that so desperately needs attention. My shock was to learn that our incumbent MPP lives within a few kms of that site. Yet, she has done little to hold the Liberals accountable for their promise to clean it up.”

On the minimum wage and MPP raises, Morrison said “The Liberal government held a special extension just before Christmas to ram through a raise to give MPP's a minimum of $110,000 a year, and Premier McGuinty has gone to over $196,000 a year, which the Conservatives fully supported. The NDP voted against this. Meanwhile, the government doesn't think the lowest income earners in this province are worth $10 an hour. Shame on them.”

“Liberal broken promises, and Conservative inaction. That is what this election is all about. Choosing the party and the representative that will take your concerns and ENSURE ACTION. Someone who won't sit complacent in their position. Someone who will continue to demonstrate their hard working advocacy, their integrity and honesty for the issues that are important to you.” continued Morrison.

Nancy Morrison, her husband and two children live in Bradford. She works for the South Simcoe Police Service.

The provincial election will be held October 10, 2007.







Yorkregion.com - Georgina, Newmarket Era Banner, etc.

NDP announces its York-Simcoe candidate

York-Simcoe NDP provincial candidate Nancy Morrison (right) has her hand raised by federal NDP candidate Sylvia Gerl. -
May 10, 2007 08:27 AM
By: John Slykhuis, Staff Writer
York North MPP Julia Munro "has done nothing" to deal with the pollution stemming from the abandoned aluminum smelter on Warden Avenue, the newly-chosen provincial New Democratic Party candidate for York-Simcoe charged last week.
"The Georgina smelter is unfortunately another broken Liberal promise that so desperately needs attention. My shock was to learn that our incumbent MPP lives within a few kilometres of that site. Yet, she has done little to hold the Liberals accountable for their promise to clean it up," Nancy Morrison told about 60 of the party faithful, including party leader Howard Hampton at the Bradford Community Centre last Thursday night.
Ms Morrison, 47, will square off against the veteran incumbent in the new riding in the provincial election Oct. 10.
She thanked Save the Maskinonge member Roland Peacock for taking her on a tour of the abandoned site and pointed to a large chunk of slag on display from the site.
"Autism isn't the only issue that is important to me," she said, noting the increase in MPP salaries.
"The Liberal government held a special extension just before Christmas to ram through a raise to give MPPs a minimum of $110,000 a year and Premier Dalton McGuinty has gone to (more than) $196,000 a year, which the Conservatives fully supported. The NDP voted against this. Meanwhile, the government doesn't think the lowest income earners in this province are worth $10 an hour. Shame on them."
Mr. Hampton, who is the Rainy River MPP and has been party leader since succeeding Bob Rae in 1996, was quick to compliment Ms Morrison's track record in the community.
"I've had the opportunity to work with Nancy so this is a personal commitment because I've seen how committed she is to work on behalf of community, to work on behalf of others in a very unselfish way," he said.
He's also happy she came forward as the candidate in the new riding because she embodies NDP principles, Mr. Hampton said.
"I don't claim that we will necessarily win the next election. I just want to have enough new members like Nancy Morrison that we can have a substantial say in what the agenda is going to be after the next election."
Shelley Martel, who is also Mr. Hampton's wife, is MPP for the Sudbury riding of Nickel Belt and the NDP's health critic. She also gave a ringing endorsement for Ms Morrison, describing her as, "a good friend of mine", who has been a champion for autistic children in the province.
Ms Morrison and her husband, Phil, have twins, a boy, Sean, and girl, Meredith.
Her son is autistic and required intensive behavioural intervention.
Mr. McGuinty broke his promise when he said, prior to the last election, funding for the therapy would continue after an autistic child reached the age of six, Ms Morrison said.
The result was an anti-discrimination lawsuit by parents of autistic children the McGuinty government fought against, Ms Martel said.
"Despite everything else she has to do, Nancy was often in court in solidarity and support of those families."
The lawsuit was defeated when an earlier favourable decision was overturned by the Ontario Court of Appeal last year.
In addition to Mrs. Munro, Ms Morrison will also square off against Liberal candidate John Gilbank, a Jackson's Point businessman.
The new riding includes Georgina, the Georgina Island Chippewas First Nation, East Gwillimbury, a northern slice of King Township, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.

------------------------

thetopic.ca - 2nd week in production, the Bradford edition of the Era Banner - second page


Environment, autism top issues for NDP candidate
By: John Slykhuis
York North MPP Julia Munro “has done nothing” to deal with the pollution stemming from the abandoned aluminum smelter on Warden Avenue, the newly chosen provincial New Democratic Party candidate for York-Simcoe charged last week.
“The Georgina smelter is unfortunately another broken Liberal promise that so desperately needs attention. My shock was to learn that our incumbent MPP lives within a few kilometres of that site, yet she has done little to hold the Liberals accountable for their promise to clean it up,” Nancy Morrison told about 60 of the party faithful, including leader Howard Hampton, at the Bradford Community Centre last Thursday night.
Ms Morrison is a Bradford resident and a civilian employee of the South Simcoe Police.
The meeting was chaired by Georgina Coun. Dave Szollosy, a long-time NDP supporter.
Shelley Martel, who is Mr. Hampton’s wife, is MPP for the Sudbury riding of Nickel Belt and the NDP’s health critic. She also gave a ringing endorsement for Ms Morrison, describing her as, “a good friend of mine,” who has been a champion for autistic children in the province.
Ms Morrison and her husband Phil have twins, a boy, Sean, and a girl, Meredith.
Her son is autistic and required intensive behavioural intervention.
Mr. McGuinty broke his promise when he said, prior to the last election, that funding for the therapy would continue after an autistic child reached the age of six, Ms Morrison said.
In a letter to Ms Morrison before the last election, Mr. McGuinty said, if elected, his government would support intensive autism treatment beyond the age of six, calling the policy of the Progressive Conservative government of the day “discriminatory.”
That broken promise, Ms Martel said, “speaks volumes about Dalton McGuinty...This letter shows (Mr.) McGuinty would have said anything to get elected and he did.”
The result was an anti-discrimination lawsuit by parents of autistic children that the McGuinty government fought, Ms Martel said.
“Despite everything else she has to do, Nancy was often in court in solidarity and support of those families.”
The lawsuit was defeated when an earlier decision was overturned by the Ontario Court of Appeal last year.
“Autism isn’t the only issue that is important to me,” she said, noting the increase in MPP salaries.
“The Liberal government held a special extension just before Christmas to ram through a raise to give MPPs a minimum of $110,000 a year and Premier McGuinty has gone to (more than) $196,000 a year, which the Conservatives fully supported. The NDP voted against this. Meanwhile, the government doesn’t think the lowest income earners in this province are worth $10 an hour. Shame on them.”
Mr. Hampton, who is the Rainy River MPP and has been party leader since succeeding Bob Rae in 1996, was quick to compliment Ms Morrison’s track record in the community.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Nancy so this is a personal commitment because I’ve seen how committed she is to work on behalf of community, to work on behalf of others in a very unselfish way,” he said.
Mr. Hampton said he’s also happy she came forward as the candidate because she embodies NDP principles.
“I don’t claim that we will necessarily win the next election. I just want to have enough new members like Nancy Morrison that we can have a substantial say in what the agenda is going to be after the next election.”
Mr. Hampton reiterated the NDP commitment to the working and middle class and a “share the wealth” philosophy.
“Every day when I turn to the business pages of the newspaper I see, in big broad print, that the economy is doing better than ever; that billions are being made on the stock market; that corporation executives’ pay and bonuses have skyrocketed like never before; that we are much wealthier today than we’ve every been — and yet as I make my way across Ontario from community to community, what I often see is ordinary families having to work longer and harder than ever to try to make ends meet and to try to provide for their children.”
The NDP is also providing leadership in environmental areas such as global warming and if elected, would provide low-interest loans for people to buy energy-efficient appliances and things such as solar panels, Mr. Hampton said.
In addition to Mrs. Munro, Ms Morrison will also square off against Liberal candidate John Gilbank, a Jackson’s Point businessman, in the Oct. 10 election.
The new riding includes Georgina, the Georgina Island Chippewas First Nation, East Gwillimbury, a northern slice of King Township, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.



Innsifil Scope:
Carol MacPherson remembered at NDP meeting
by Bill Rea
In addition to being prominent in the local media, Carol MacPherson devoted a lot of her time and energies to the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Members of the York - Simcoe provincial riding association took a couple of minutes out to remember Ms. MacPherson Thursday night at the nomination meeting.
Ms. MacPherson, former editor of the Innisfil Scope, died earlier this year of cancer.
"We all miss Carol," commented newly nominated candidate Nancy Morrison in her acceptance address. She recalled she had talked to Ms. MacPherson about the problems she was facing getting funding for treatment of her autistic son, and it was Ms. MacPherson who introduced her to MPP Shelley Martel, NDP critic for health and long-term care, seniors and autism issues.
Party leader Howard Hampton was at the meeting and spoke fondly of Ms. MacPherson, as did former Barrie- Simcoe- Bradford MPP Paul Wessinger. Ms. MacPherson went to work in his constituency office in 1991, and in '92, she became his legislative assistant at Queen's Park. She stayed in Toronto for a time and worked for the NDP caucus.
Wessinger also remembered her as a person who overcame adversity, pointing out she was a single parent who started a successful newspaper.
He remembered Ms. MacPherson as "a person of great enthusiasm an energy, and the the ability to work with people."

King Sentinel:
----------------------------------------
The King Township Sentinel: Nancy Morrison to carry New Democrat colours in York - Simcoe
By Bill Rea


The Nancy Morrison, the newly nominated NDP candidate for York - Simcoe in the next provincial election, was flanked at Thursday's nomination meeting in Bradford by party leader Howard Hampton and Shelley Martel, NDP critic for health and long-term care, seniors and autism issues.
York - Simcoe New Democrats are getting themselves revved for the next provincial election, expected in October.
They spent Thursday night nominating their candidate, acclaiming Bradford resident Nancy Morrison. There were some heavy endorsements to back up the nomination, as both party Leader Howard Hampton and MPP Shelley Martel, NDP critic for health and long-term care, seniors and autism issues, were on hand.
The 48-year-old is the mother of twins, and one of the eight-year-olds was diagnosed with autism in 2002. It's the ordeal of seeing to his care that led to Morrison becoming politically active and involved with the party.
This is her first time in the political arena, and before the meeting Morrison admitted she was "nervous, excited, anxious" at the prospect.
"I am passionate about this area, this community and things that matter to it," she added.
Morrison is a civilian employee with the South Simcoe Police Service.
She was nominated by Innisfil resident Keith Lindsay, who praised her for her "passion," and for calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty to be accountable for promises made for autistic children.
"She's not just a one issue candidate," he added. "It speaks volumes about Dalton McGuinty, and I don't mean that in a positive way," she said, adding the letter showed and proud to have an MPP ready to work so hard," she declared.
Mcguinty would have said anything to get elected. "Any riding would be happy and pleased Hampton came prepared with a pep talk for the party faithful. "We are living in times which demand that all of us take a step back and think about where we're going and where the world is going," he commented.
He said he's been reading about how the economy is performing so well, and that millions are being made in the stock market. But he also travels from community to community and sees families that have to work longer and harder to make ends meet.
"I see a great divide," he said, adding studies continue to point to a society where some are better off while nomination was seconded by riding association vice-president Bob Ridley. "All of us are behind you, Nancy," he declared Morrison said she started getting involved with the party after meeting Martel while seeking help for her son. "The NDP have been such strong advocates for children," she declared during her acceptance address.
But she stressed autism is not her only issue.
She backed the party position that the minimum wage needs to be increased to $10 per hour. She pointed out the Liberal government at Queen's Park raised MPPs' salaries to $110,000, and the premier now makes $196,000. "They just don't understand the working class," she commented. Morrison said the Liberals' record of broken promises and the Progressive Conservatives' tendency for inaction are going to be what the upcoming election is all about. "Let's paint this province orange in October," she declared.
Martel told the audience she asked Morrison to consider running about a year ago, having been so impressed with her advocacy work.
"Nancy Morrison is going to make a great MPP," she declared. "She is a great candidate."
Martel recalled asking her to get a group of parents together to go to Queen's Park to lobby to stop having treatment for autistic children cut off when they turn six. Morrison got 100 of them together in June 2002.
"It didn't stop there," Martel said, mentioning that Morrison filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights commission in January 2003, on behalf of autistic children. There were 50 families involved with that effort, and Martel said both the Tories and Grits have fought their efforts.
Martel also praised Morrison for her "keen political instincts."
She said that in 2003, Morrison wrote to all three parties for their positions on autism, and she received a reply from McGuinty, stating the lack of funding was unfair and discriminatory.
As well, Martel complimented Morrison's ability as a communicator, commenting that she has set up an e-mail network for parents of autistic kids. In five years, she said she has received weekly updates, and sometimes even more frequent than that. "She has kept parents very much aware of what has been going on," she remarked.
On top of that, Martel said Morrison is a "tremendously hard worker."
Many are struggling harder than ever. "I think there's something wrong with that."
Hampton also addressed environmental issues, and climatic changes in Northern Ontario, where he's from. He remembered sub-zero temperatures as early as Halloween, and usable outdoor skating rinks as late as April. Now, they're lucky if they have five weeks in the winter for outdoor skating. He also remembered a time of warm summers, when tornadoes and floods were unheard of, or being able to drive around his riding in the summer without air conditioning.
There are some fundamental issues to be dealt with, he warned.
"We owe it to people to speak openly and frankly to people about what we want to do to face these challenges," Hampton declared, adding people can't continue down th same road.
He remarked that election campaigns are not always fought on the real issues, as they are often decided on who has the catchiest slogans or best ads. But he believes people want the parties to address issues openly and honestly. "New Democrats try to do that," he said.
Hampton added they have not just discovered environmental issues. "We've raised them constantly," he said.
He also warned that the environment can't be sustained by putting people out of work, and people today can't take care of themselves by telling their children to pick up the bills and clean up the mess.
Dealing with energy supplies needs attention too, Hampton said.
He charged that McGuinty has issued calls to "go nuclear," but the last nuclear plant at Darlington was supposed to cost about $4 billion, but it came in at $14.7 billion. That means consumers have to pay for debt reduction to cover that overrun. As well, nuclear waste has to be stored for thousands of years, and that's going to be costly too. Hampton said McGuinty seems content to let today's kids worry about that.
"It's not acceptable," he declared.
Hampton said he's not expected the party to win the coming election, but he wants to elect enough MPPs to give the party substantial say on what the agenda will be.


http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=7cc9764f-bc6c-4103-b9c0-ae547767c7d4
Autism misunderstood by majority of people: author
Michelle Martin, The StarPhoenix
Published: Monday, May 14, 2007
The stigma attached to people with autism stems from a lack of understanding, said Stephen Shore, co-author of Understanding Autism for Dummies.
At an autism conference in Saskatoon, the Boston man said the only diagnosis carrying more stigma than autism is mental disability.
The brain disorder, usually diagnosed in early childhood, affects a person's behaviour and ability to communicate. Some children with autism may have difficulty communicating at all, while others may talk an unusual amount.
The disorder also affects adults, he said, noting the vast majority of adults with autism are under or unemployed.
"A lot of the reason is social," he said.
Shore, who was diagnosed with "autistic tendencies" as a tot, said some common misconceptions are that people with autism won't be able to live interdependently, be successfully employed or have relationships.
Living proof that these beliefs are misguided, Shore told his inspirational story to more than 100 parents, educators and adults with autism Saturday at TCU Place.
At age 21/2, Shore was recommended for institutionalization.
Fortunately, his parents didn't buy it.
"(They) accepted me for the person that I am, but at the same time realized there were significant challenges that needed to be overcome in order for me to lead a productive life," said Shore, who didn't speak until age four.
Today, the 45-year-old Shore is a regular speaker at conferences across North America and is set to complete his doctorate degree in special education at Boston University. He has authored several autism-related books and has been married for 17 years.
He included information from his doctoral research, which assesses educational and behavioural interventions, into his six-hour presentation in Saskatoon.
One intervention strategy he highlighted was the "daily life therapy" approach used at the Boston Higashi School, which addresses first the physical, then the emotional and finally the intellectual requirements of its students, all of whom have autism.
The conventional wisdom is that students with autism need one-on-one support, but the ratio at the school is more like six-to-one or 12-to-one, said Shore.
Students do much of their learning from their peers.
On a break from his presentation, Shore said it is important he share his experiences and insights so that people with autism can be effectively supported.
"I'm hoping that people will gain a better understanding of how people with autism perceive the world," he said at the conference, hosted by Autism Today.
Nafisa Chalchal, a conference attendee from Regina, said Shores' presentation helped her better understand the behaviour of her 11-year-old daughter, who has autism.
"I'm looking forward to training her for self-advocacy," she said.
mimartin@sp.canwest.com
++++++++++++++++++++

Only in Canada eh? NOT SO…Autism is costly around the world, this from Australia.
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1922504.htm
Autism costs community $7 billion annually: report
The World Today - Monday, 14 May , 2007 12:24:00
Reporter: Kathryn Roberts
ELEANOR HALL: With one in every 160 children in Australia diagnosed with autism, a new report has put the cost of the condition on the community at $7 billion a year.

The report was commissioned by Queensland's only private education facility for children with autism disorders.

The facility's founder, Dr James Morton, says the cost of providing early intervention programs would be far less than the cost of not doing so.

In Brisbane, Kathryn Roberts reports.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: When Judy Brewer Fischer's son was diagnosed with autism 10 years ago, there were few services in rural Australia where she lived, so the family was forced to move to Canberra to get help.

She says even there it was a struggle to access an early intervention program.

JUDY BREWER FISCHER: When I think back to that time, and I realise how hard it was for us and for all families, because autism was certainly not very well understood then, and … although it had been around, diagnosis was available for a long time.

What I'm horrified about is that it's not much better for families now, 10 years on.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: Judy Brewer Fischer says governments talk up the importance of education but fail to recognise children with special needs.

JUDY BREWER FISCHER: One thing that's really hit me this week has been with the Federal Budget delivery, and talk about education and every child reaching their potential, but children with various disabilities, but particularly with developmental disabilities just haven't had a look in.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: For her son, early intervention has made a world of difference. He has been able to attend a mainstream school, which means he can start his education. But the family isn't alone.

A landmark Australian study recently found that one in every 160 children in the six to 12 age group has an autism spectrum disorder.

The Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders, which commissioned the report, says those children need 15 to 20 hours of early intervention every week, but most receive just four or five hours.

And according to a new report out today, in the long run that's costing the community $7 billion a year.

Dr James Morton is the founder of Queensland's only private early intervention facility, which has released the report. He says the cost to the community includes healthcare, education, informal care and unemployment.

JAMES MORTON: The cost of providing every child with autism in Australia, adequate early intervention would be in the vicinity of between $50-million and $70-million a year.

The cost saving of providing every child with autism early intervention services is about $2.5-billion a year. So the costs of early intervention, even though they are high on an individual child basis, pale in comparison with downstream cost savings that are available if government were to invest in providing these services.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: Dr Morton established the Autism Early Intervention Outcomes Unit when his son was diagnosed with the condition.

JAMES MORTON: So by targeting those early years, we can take children who are non-verbal and teach them how to speak. We can teach them how to look people in the eye, we can teach them to engage, we can teach them how to learn in a mainstream environment.

And the aim is that by getting these children from early intervention to attend mainstream school, you're putting them on the pathway to eventual independence, to finding a job.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: Of the 12 children in the original group, nine are now in mainstream schooling with little or no assistance in the classroom. Around Australia, parents of children with autism have shared similar stories about their fight to access early intervention.

Meredith Ward from Autism Victoria says families are waiting three years to have their child diagnosed. Her son was able to access a program, which has given him vital communication skills.

MEREDITH WARD: When you have child with autism, they can't communicate with you. So, you're actually, you know, so there's lots of tantrum-ing and going on because the child can't make you understand what is it they want.

And so, by going into early intervention services with people who know and understand autism, you can start to work on ways to communicate with your child, to become connected with your child, because your child has up until that time, been totally disconnected from the world around them.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: Dr James Morton says what is needed is funding for diagnosis, early intervention programs, respite for families, and research.

Importantly, he says the Government needs to reconsider they way it hands out its funding because a centre like his misses out.

JAMES MORTON: The anomaly of the funding here is that if any of our children were to attend a mainstream centre, that centre would receive Federal Government funding of up to $19,000 to facilitate the inclusion of these children.

But centres such as ours, which are specialised centres, are specifically excluded from receiving this funding, so you've got kids receiving childcare in our centre, getting a high quality early education with no Federal Government funding, and you have children in a mainstream centre, getting no educational program and receiving $19,000 of Federal Government funding.

KATHRYN ROBERTS: A spokesman for the Federal Families and Community Services Minister Mal Brough, says he's looking closely at the issue even though these services are traditionally a state government responsibility.

ELEANOR HALL: Kathryn Roberts in Brisbane with that report.





This Article is American but it reflects many families who participate in family studies for Autism.

Public release date: 14-May-2007
Contact: Emily Butler
ebutler@spectrumscience.com
202-955-6222
Kennedy Krieger Institute
1 month post launch, Interactive Autism Network reports 13,000 participants
Families eager to accelerate autism research
(Baltimore, MD) -- The Interactive Autism Network (IAN)—the first national online autism registry spearheaded by the Kennedy Krieger Institute—has registered an unprecedented number of individuals and families living with autism. Never before have researchers been offered access to such a large pool of family-provided data on this puzzling disorder. In only one month, IAN (www.IANproject.org) has achieved significant milestones:
• More than 13,000 registered participants
• Representation in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Marshall Islands and Palau
• Diverse family registration, including: six sets of triplets, 37 sets of identical twins and 157 sets of fraternal twins
Researchers from institutions across the country have already begun to access IAN data to:
• Supplement and enhance current research studies
• Compare and validate existing research results obtained from smaller sample sizes
• Explore hypotheses for future research and search for parallels among individuals with autism and their families in a way that was not previously possible
"In one short month, IAN has become the country’s largest pool of autism data," said Dr. Paul Law, Director, Interactive Autism Network at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. "The fact that IAN has already become a vital resource for researchers, so early in its lifespan, bodes extremely well for the potential of this project, and ultimately, to the pursuit of answers in autism."
IAN has become successful in registering families largely due to the tight knit nature of the autism community and the outpouring of support from parents. Testimonials continue to echo the great need for and tremendous potential of IAN.
"What better opportunity to help our children, to help each other and to learn more about autism. We have been given the power to DO SOMETHING to combat autism. Go to the website, accept this responsibility & watch us change the future of this heartbreaking disorder."
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Posted on CNN.com Health Blog by an IAN participant
IAN is funded by a grant from Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness about the growing autism health crisis and raising funds for critical autism research.
About the Kennedy Krieger Institute
Internationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents with disorders and injuries of the brain and spinal cord, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD serves more than 12,000 individuals each year through inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services and school-based programs. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children with developmental concerns mild to severe, and is home to a team of investigators who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop while pioneering new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information on Kennedy Krieger Institute, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From Dr. Sam Yassine, Co-Founder of the Alliance for Families with Autism

An interview that Senator Art Eggleton and I had a week ago. It can be heard at the following web site
http://www.voiceprintcanada.com/component/option,com_mtree/task,listcats/cat_id,75/Itemid,68/





Science disputes autism's diet link
HAYLEY MICK
From Monday's Globe and Mail
May 8, 2007 at 9:13 AM EDT
TORONTO — Tina Szenasi's quest to cure her two autistic sons began with soy milk.
Ms. Szenasi switched to the milk substitute after reading testimonials from other parents who said their autistic children's symptoms had improved - even disappeared - when dairy and wheat were eliminated from their diet.
Her doctor dismissed it as farfetched. But the mother of three from Barrie, Ont., felt she had no choice but to try the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet for her boys, whose neurological disorder made them easily distressed and socially isolated. Introducing the diet "gave me a sense of hope," she says.
She quickly transformed her kitchen into a culinary laboratory. Her butterless cookies crumbled. Cakes made using rice flour were a disaster. Grocery bills topped $500 each week as she ordered gluten-free bread and potato-based milk substitutes that weren't available in her small city.
But her sons improved within weeks, she says. Now, Adam, 11, often hugs his parents and has fewer tantrums. Alex, an eight-year-old soccer and video-game enthusiast, behaves like most other kids. "He's almost fully recovered, I think because of the dietary intervention," Ms. Szenasi says.
More Canadian parents are adopting the controversial diet for their autistic children as support spreads through a fringe group of health professionals, commercial websites and chat forums. Supporters say gluten and casein are not well digested by autistic kids, who often exhibit digestive problems and food allergies.
The protein compounds, they say, wreak havoc with the children's neurological development. To eliminate those triggers, parents spend thousands of extra dollars on special foods, vitamins and enzyme supplements as well as laboratory testing in the United States.
But most mainstream scientists remain skeptical of the gut-brain connection in autism. They say there's no scientific proof that the diet works. Some doctors warn that parents' desperation, paired with the mystery surrounding autism's causes, makes the field ripe - as a top American pediatric gastrointestinal specialist put it - for "charlatanism."
"If there's nothing else that you think is going to help and you're desperate, you'll do anything," said Wendy Roberts, the head of the autism research unit at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
The GFCF diet eliminates two major food groups from an autistic child's diet: dairy products, which have casein, and grains such as wheat, barley and rye, which contain gluten. Children on the diet often eat a lot of meat and vegetables, plus wheat and dairy alternatives. Some families add vitamin and enzyme supplements.
Even supporters say it isn't clear how the diet works. One explanation involves the "leaky gut syndrome." Undigested bits of protein, according to this theory, are absorbed through the intestine into the body, affecting the brain and producing symptoms associated with autism.
To date, only one double-blind controlled clinical trial - the gold standard for health research - has tested the diet. Published in March, 2006, in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, the study found that the group of children on the diet saw no significant improvements compared with the control group. Researchers say more testing is needed because the study was based on a small sample.
"The information that's out there suggests that the diet probably does not have a substantial effect on children's behaviours," says Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, a University of Alberta associate professor and director of autism research at Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
Yet almost every parent Dr. Zwaigenbaum sees has either tried the GFCF diet with their autistic child or heard of it, he says. Parents are leaping ahead before science has definitively proved whether such a treatment works, he says, because there are compelling anecdotal cases of improvement.
Autism's causes have long stumped experts. They know that genes play a major role - but increasingly, with diagnosis of the condition on the rise, researchers are looking to environmental triggers including prenatal hormones, toxins, food allergies and infections. As a result, treatments such as the GFCF diet, which focus on removing such triggers, are gaining ground.
"It's word of mouth," say Paul Cutler, a family doctor based in Niagara Falls, N.Y., who works one day a week in Burlington, Ont. "Thanks to the Internet, they're finding these alternatives."
About half of Dr. Cutler's 200 autistic patients are Canadian, and they travel to his offices from across Ontario and Quebec. He charges $150 for an initial assessment that includes a battery of tests - a cheap fee compared with other doctors, he says.
Dr. Cutler has been trained by a group called Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!), which holds annual conferences and instructional sessions for doctors from across North America. The group recommends biomedical treatments for autism that focus on intestinal problems, nutrition, detoxification and allergies. Twenty-six Canadian doctors are listed on the group's website as DAN! practitioners.
They include Wendy Edwards, a pediatrician in Chatham, Ont., who found the diet four years ago when her three-year-old son was diagnosed with autism. He improved so dramatically, she says, that the diet is now the first thing she recommends for autistic patients who travel to see her from across Ontario and even Manitoba. She also encourages other biomedical treatments, including supplements such as vitamin B6, magnesium and dimethylglycine, or DMG.
Some research suggests that up to 40 per cent of children with autism spectrum disorders could benefit from dietary changes, including the removal of gluten or casein, says Timothy Buie, a pediatric gastrointestinal specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
But Dr. Buie, who runs one of the largest practices for children with developmental disabilities in the United States, warns that parents may place so much hope in the diet that they falsely believe their child has improved. "The placebo response is gigantic," he says. "Parents can interpret a benefit because they want their kid to do better."
While parents travel to find doctors, they also ship urine and stool samples to U.S. labs to be analyzed for nutrient and vitamin deficiencies - tests that aren't widely available in Canada. One parent interviewed for this story said she paid up to $300 (U.S.) each for several lab tests.
Some in the industry may be peddling false hopes for big profit, critics warn. "People may choose to recommend things therapeutically that are in their financial interest," Dr. Buie says. "You walk out of a doctor's office and they give you a list of vitamins that they happen to be selling in their outside room."
Other doctors worry about the role of for-profit labs. "Many are not bona fide labs and they're making a fortune," says Dr. Roberts at Sick Kids in Toronto, who adds that parents have handed her results from U.S. labs that don't make any sense.
The Internet is where many parents go to share information, recipes and contacts. Brenda-Lee Olson from Terrace, B.C., moderates a popular online group called GFCFrecipes, whose membership has multiplied tenfold, to 3,400, in the past six years.
"It helps to know certain tricks," says Ms. Olson, who says many people don't believe her 17-year-old son is autistic, thanks to the diet. "The only way to get that information is from other parents."Ms. Szenasi says she'll keep her children on the diet despite the cost. She now keeps a folder stuffed with GFCF diet material at the health-food store where she works, so she can hand it out to other parents.
Shopping for answers
A week's worth of specialty foods for Tina Szenasi's family:
Dare fruit snacks $2.69
EnviroKidz rice bars $3.99
PC Organics potato chips $1.99
PC Organics bananas $1.67
PC Organics grapes $5.89
PC Organics carrots $2.99
Soy organic frozen dessert $6.99
So Nice cultured soy (5) $1.39 each
So Nice soy beverage $3.79
Hot Kid rice crisps (2) $2.49 each
PC Organics eggs $4.99
Tofutti soy-cheese slices $4.69
Piller's pepperoni sticks $6.99
PC natural peanut butter $3.69
EnviroKidz cereal $3.99
Nature's Path waffles $4.99
Glutino cookies $4.99
English Bay dairy-free drink $2.69
Rizopia rice pasta $2.49
PC Organics pasta sauce $3.99
PC beef burgers $7.99
Alexia organic fries $3.29
PC salad mix $4.99
Enjoy Life cookies $3.99
PC Organics popcorn $2.49
Quaker rice cakes $1.49
Organic strawberries $4.99
Organic blueberries $4.99
El Peto Italian bread $5.79
Ian's chicken cutlets $6.99
Total cost for week $132.43
Hayley Mick
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070508.wlautism08/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home





















And this article, a continuation from Autism and Faces.

Public release date: 5-May-2007

Contact: Mark Wheeler
mwheeler@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2265
University of California - Los Angeles
A frown or a smile? Children with autism can't discern
http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2007/05/more_on_autism_and_faces.php
Area of brain that plays a role in evaluating emotions shows no activity
When we have a conversation with someone, we not only hear what they say, we see what they say. Eyes can smolder or twinkle. Gazes can be direct or shifty. “Reading” these facial expressions gives context and meaning to the words we hear.
In a report to be presented May 5 at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Seatlle, researchers from UCLA will show that children with autism can’t do this. They hear and they see, of course, but the areas of the brain that normally respond to such visual cues simply do not respond.
Led by Mari Davies, a UCLA graduate student in psychology, and Susan Bookheimer, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, the research compared brain activity between 16 typically developing children and 16 high-functioning children with autism. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), both groups were shown a series of faces depicting angry, fearful, happy and neutral expressions. In half the faces, the eyes were averted; with the other half, the faces stared back at the children.
With the typically developing group, the researchers found significant differences in activity in a part of the brain called the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), which is known to play a role in evaluating emotions. While these children looked at the direct-gaze faces, the VLPFC became active; with the averted-gaze pictures, it quieted down. In contrast, the autistic children showed no activity in this region of the brain whether they were looking at faces with a direct or an indirect gaze.
“This part of the brain helps us discern the meaning and significance of what another person is thinking,” Davies said. “When responding to someone looking straight at you, as compared to someone who’s looking away, the brain discerns a difference. When the other person looks away, the brain quiets down.”
For instance, with angry expressions, the brain may quiet down, because when a negative gaze is averted, it is no longer seen as a direct threat. “Gaze has a huge impact on our brains because it conveys part of the meaning of that expression to the individual. It cues the individual to what is significant,” Davies said.
While the results show the key role of eye gaze in signaling communicative intent, it also shows that autistic children, even when gazing directly into someone’s eyes, don’t recognize visual cues and don’t process that information. That may be why children diagnosed with autism have varying degrees of impairment in communication skills and social interactions and display restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior.
“They don’t pick up what’s going on — they miss the nuances, the body language and facial expressions and sometimes miss the big picture and instead focus on minor, less socially relevant details,” Davies said. “That, in turn, affects interpersonal bonds.”
###
The research was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Other study authors include Mirella Dapretto, Marian Sigman and Leigh Sepeta.
The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA is an interdisciplinary research and education institute devoted to the understanding of complex human behavior, including the genetic, biological, behavioral and sociocultural underpinnings of normal behavior and the causes and consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition to conducting fundamental research, the institute faculty seeks to develop effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, improve access to mental health services, and shape national health policy regarding neuropsychiatric disorders.

Family of boy with autism finalist in backyard makeover contest
Monday, May 14, 2007 -- Natalie Miller
Lianne Vigneualt worries about her six-year-old’s son safety, given the fact he recently scaled a family member’s fence “in about five seconds flat.”
Like many children with autism, Carter has a tendency to bolt. Without a fenced-in yard, playing outdoors puts his parents on guard constantly.
This prompted Vigneault to enter a contest she saw advertised on television recently. She is one of four contestants in the running to win a $25,000 backyard facelift courtesy of the Sunlight Multi-Action Outdoor Makeover Contest. Vigneault says she was asked to describe how she would spend the $25,000 and explained the need for a fence and possibly outdoor play equipment.
“Out of all of the Canadians (who entered) we were chosen as one of the four families to compete for the grand prize,” says Vigneault, who lives in Lisle, near Alliston.
Between May 7 and May 22, Canadians can vote for the contestant they feel deserves the outdoor makeover on the Sunlight website, www.sunlightlaundry.ca Synopses of the contestants’ stories are posted there.
“Currently we spend a lot of time outdoors,” says Vigneault. “Carter loves our backyard and so do we. But we are now needing the fence with the nice weather he has just become too quick at times to catch and there is no relax time outdoors as one of us always has to be ready to run. We have an acre of land that backs on to hundreds of acres of Base Borden forest. Our fear is that Carter will venture into the forest as well,” she explains.
Vigneault says she planned on having a chain-link fence installed but changed her mind after she saw Carter effortlessly climb the relative’s fence. “It is no longer an option.”
“We moved out of Angus to get on a less busy street but did not foresee the cost of a fence,” she says.
Carter is also receiving a National Service Dog in July but Vigneault fears other dogs may approach her son if they don’t have a fence.
Vigneault says the autism community has stepped up to support her story.
Finalists will be featured on the W Network and YTV. The host of YTV’s ZapX will fly to the winner’s hometown for a special appearance.
May 15th 2007 Mailing

CONFERENCE
8th A N N U A L C O N F E R E N C E
Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Adolescence and Beyond - II


This Email message from
The Associate Clinical Director of the New Haven Learning Centre.
“Our annual conference is coming up on Tuesday June 5th at the Glen Gould Studio.

The line up of speakers includes Dr. Richard Foxx, Dr. Bobby Newman (see below), Dr. Steven Scherer, and Dr. Wendy Roberts. The title of the conference is “Autism Spectrum Disorder: Adolescence and Beyond II”. I have attached a link to a PDF registration form that can be downloaded from our website and then faxed to our centre at the number below. There has been a minor change in that Dr. Bobby Newman will be replacing Dr. Peter Gerhardt (the PDF has not been updated).

We are hosting the conference in conjunction with the Autism Research Unit, Hospital for Sick Children. See a few specifics below.”

http://www.newhavenlearningcentre.com/Conference.html

8th A N N U A L C O N F E R E N C E
Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Adolescence and Beyond - II
CO-HOSTED BY NEW HAVEN LEARNING CENTRE AND THE AUTISM RESEARCH UNIT, THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN
CONFERENCE CHAIR: MARTHA TURNER
Tuesday, June 5, 2007 8:45am - 1:00 pm
Registration Deadline May 22, 2007
Location of Conference:
Glenn Gould Studio
CBC Building
250 Front Street, West
Toronto, Ontario


Please let me know if you need any more specific information.

Toli Anastassiou, M.A.,
Associate Clinical Director
New Haven Learning Centre
301 Lanor Avenue, Etobicoke, ON, M8W 2R1
tel: 416.259.4445 x16 fax: 416.259.2023
tolinewhaven@bellnet.ca
www.newhavenlearningcentre.com