Shannon Rosa, with the Twitter help of Seth Mnookin and Dr. Jon Brock is at it again, misrepresenting autism disorders and the state of knowledge about autism causation and of course blaming autism parents fighting for their children for the latest report of a professional caregiver abusing an autistic child because they dare talk honestly about the negative aspects of autism DISORDERS : “At their worst, negative media-sown autism messages influence people like Greg Simard, who brutally beat a 12-year-old, non-speaking autistic boy in his care. Simard justified his actions by saying of the boy, …. Some autism parents never find (Read more…) . . . → Read More: Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Unthinking Autism Guide Shannon Rosa Attacks Autism Parents …. AGAIN.
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May 6, 2013 Honourable Premier David Alward Respected Cabinet Ministers and Party Leaders Dear Premier Alward I am the Acting President of the Autism Society New Brunswick and a parent that was involved, with many other parents, in the advocacy that led to the establishment of the UNB-CEL autism intervention training program, the provision of early autism intervention to children aged 2-5, UNB-CEL autism specific training of Education Aides and Resource Teachers and the reversal of the decision to close the Stan Cassidy Center tertiary care autism team. We also argued with some modest success for an evidence based, (Read more…) . . . → Read More: Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Adult Autism Care in New Brunswick: An Open Letter to Premier David Alward Conor enjoys some Kermit Komfort this morning while sleeping and awaiting a trip to see our family physician. It has been a very difficult week for my Buddy as we work through his seizure and medication issues. Hoping things turn for the better today! The following commentary is from the blog Muslimah Next Door written by Dishad Ali. It addresses an issue that I have raised several times – the lack of real autism awareness created by autism awareness events. The author’s comments at Muslimah Next Door under the title When an Autism Awareness Event is Anything But are followed by a letter from Harshita Mahajan the mother of a teenage autistic son addressed to Autism Speaks. I sincerely hope that Autism Speaks takes the mother’s concerns, and the contents of her letter, seriously and begins to provide during autism awareness events awareness of . . . → Read More: Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Mother Of An Autistic Son Asks Autism Speaks for Some Actual Autism Awareness The pictures above were initially posted on this site on May 26, 2012, several months before Conor’s 1st known Grand Mal Seizure in November. As I posted then, external conditions were perfect and Conor was enjoying a favorite activity in a favorite location when he suddenly began hitting himself in the head. I don’t know what caused it, Conor lacks the communication skills to explain, but it was definitely internal. Together with many similar circumstances including sudden closing of his eyes and looking blankly into the distance I reported them to his pediatrician as possible seizure activities. The pediatrician did (Read more…) . . . → Read More: Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and Seizures: Conor’s Second Grand Mal Seizure (That We Know Of) Our entire family has had nothing but good experiences at the Doctor Everett Chalmers Hospital, the “DECH”, in Fredericton and that trend continued this morning when we took Conor for blood tests at 7 am. The tests were required by the consulting neurologist to establish some base lines before starting some new medications to address Conor’s seizure activities. We contacted the DECH yesterday to see if they could accommodate Conor with a direct entry to the blood works room without taking a number and waiting in line. We explained his autism, intellectual disability and tendency to have meltdowns when frustrated. . . . → Read More: Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Blood Tests and Autism: Conor and the DECH Both Did Very Well Today! Thank You Very Much! The primary front line autism service providers, regardless of where one lives, are parents. In Canada at least parents have also been the first and most effective advocates for services for autistic children from BC to Ontario to New Brunswick to Newfoundland and all points between. For most parents recognition of that fact is important only to prevent others with less understanding of the impacts of autism on our children from purporting to speak on their behalf when they do so contrary to our children’s best interests. The only award most of us really need though are the hugs and (Read more…) Conor, 2nd Birthday, the day before he is diagnosed with PDD-NOS (subsequently changed to Autistic Disorder) Yesterday was Conor’s 17th birthday. Today is exactly 15 years since he was diagnosed with an autism disorder, PDD-NOS, the day after his second birthday shown in the pictures above. Shortly afterward he was re-diagnosed with Autistic Disorder, and he was also subsequently assessed with profound developmental delays. I can’t say that I am overly impressed with the research into autism causes, treatments or even our understanding of what constitutes autism that has taken place in the last 15 years. 15 years ago . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Symptoms in New Brunswick: Conor’s Autism Diagnosis 15 Years Ago Today The video and clip below are from the Medicare for Autism Now web site and feature MFAN co-founder Jean Lewis, one of Canada’s foremost autism advocates, providing an articulate, personally informed summary of the struggle for autism treatment in Canada. Jean keeps the discussion on a non-partisan level and discusses the fight to end Canada’s inhumane and discriminatory exclusion of treatment for those with autism disorders in the context of other historic struggles for liberation from discrimination based on race and gender. A very important point to remember in Jean’s message is that such struggles are never overnight affairs. . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Symptoms in New Brunswick: Medicare’s Orphans: Jean Lewis On The Struggle for Autism Treatment In Canada Autism is a spectrum in many ways including the ways in which it is presented through various media. Everybody, particularly the main stream media, loves the feel good stories of accomplishment. We all suffer when we see images of self injurious behavior: common occurrences in severe autism although rarely reflected in the mainstream media or in autism research accounts. The photos of my son Conor in the composite above show him during the recent holidays in a calm, happy mood that is seldom depicted in portrayals of autism. Despite the hustle and bustle that comes with the season Conor, . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Symptoms in New Brunswick: Conor’s Quiet Joy TPGA guru Shannon Des Roches Rosa (SDDR) is aghast and angry because Slate.com has dared publish “Is the Neurodiversity (ND) Movement Misrepresenting Autism?“, a gentle critique by autism parent Amy S.F. Lutz, of the harmful, irrational Neurodiversity ideology embraced by the leaders of the ironically named “Thinking” Person’s Guide to Autism. Self labelled as a guide for “Thinking” Persons the TPGA is harshly critical of anyone, especially autism parents, who disagree with them; anyone who portrays autism as a disorder or as a group of disorders, deficits or symptoms. In the Neurodiversity world of the . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Symptoms in New Brunswick: TPGA Aghast and Angry: Slate Dares Print Autism Parent Critique of Neurodiversity Ideology “Autism Spectrum Disorder Must meet criteria A, B, C, and D: A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:” Autism annual reviews have been published by a number of sources most of which ignored or mis-characterized the most important autism event of 2012. The most important event by far and the one with the most negative implications for those who actually suffer from autism symptoms was the APA approval, on Saturday, December 1, just before the holiday season, of the DSM5 . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Symptoms in New Brunswick: Autism 2012: Disaster for the Autism Spectrum’s Intellectually Disabled Hey Dad, wanna play the Gooey Brownie Tickle Game? I had trouble, despite the very substantial weight difference, holding Conor back from giving me a Gooey Brownie Tickle And the Gooey Brownie Tickle winner is: Conor … of course! Conor has enjoyed watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! with Mom and Dad for many years. Today we were watching our DVR recording of yesterday’s Wheel of Fortune episode. The game winner was unable to solve the Bonus Round two word puzzle. She got “Brownie” but not the first word for which few letters had appeared. Conor giggled when he heard . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Conor’s Wheel of Fortune Gooey Brownie Tickle Game It is quite possible that a paper published by researchers and authors of a paper claiming that empirical data confirm autism symptoms are related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen exposure, and possibly to the MMR vaccine,m could put their resear… . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Vaccine Autism Shocker: Study Reports Strong Evidence of Autism Connection to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure Photo by Harold L Doherty, Toronto, CN Tower, 2008 Conor Doherty, 1 Day Old, February 20, 1996 Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington Photo by Dad A new study Traffic-Related Air Pollution, Particulate Matter, a… . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Conor, Autism Disorders and Traffic-Related Air Pollution The Joy of Conor Every day with my buddy Conor is a joy because of who he is. Every day with Conor requires extra concern and attention to his well being because of the autism disorder that restricts his life and presents serious cha… . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: No Autism. Today, Conor’s Grand Mal Seizure Scared The Hell Out Of Me Autism Speaks, commenting on and citing an article from the Boston Globe, reports that American Academy of Pediatrics President Elect James Perrin, M.D., F.A.A.P., has called autism an epidemic: “James Perrin, M.D., F.A.A.P., president… . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Autism Is An Epidemic: Time To Stop Pretending Otherwise “Lia Marinoiu lives in the Toronto area. She is an extremely mature and articulate 19 year old sister of her untreated, severely autistic younger brother. She describes the impact on every facet of her life, currently and in the future, of growing… . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Lia Marinoiu On Life With Simon; Her Brother With Severe Autism Disorder In Autism diagnosis change questioned by York University study Toronto Star Science & Technology Reporter Kate Allen interviews Dr. Adrienne Perry and York University undergraduate student, Azin Taheri, about a study designed by Taheri, with assistance from Dr. Perry, which had been intended to look at how the new DSM-5 criteria applied to kids already diagnosed with Autistic Disorder and PDD-NOS. No subjects with Asperger’s Disorder were included in the study. “The York study looked at case histories of 131 children aged 2 to 12. All had either autism or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), two of the . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: York University Study Joins Ranks Of Those Raising Questions About The DSM5 Autism Do-Over The assumption in traditional genetic expression analysis that mRNA content is similar between cells (represented by orange and black dots) does not affect the final results when the cells in fact do have equivalent mRNA content, as in Figure A. In Figure B, the cell represented by the orange dots has a significantly higher mRNA content, but when the data is normalized with the assumption that their contents are equal, the perceived response is skewed and inaccurately indicates that some of the genes are repressed (green bars). Using a standardized control, as in Figure C, eliminates the assumptions about mRNA . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Is All Genetic Autism Research Fundamentally Flawed? Real Quackery: Duck Flapping and Splashing Photos by HLDoherty In any commentary in which I dare question the self appointed protector of all things scientific, the ORACle known as Dr. David H. Gorski, I have to begin with the statement that I recognize the public health importance of vaccines and that both of my sons, and I for that matter, have received all vaccines recommended by our local public health authorities in New Brunswick. This statement is necessary because Dr. Gorski almost invariably alleges that anyone who questions the wisdom he brings down from the mountain top for . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Autism Stem Cell Treatment Research: Who is the Real Quack? Gorski (ORAC) or the FDA? Neurodiversity autism author and ideologue Steve Silberman ALMOST acknowledged the common sense reality of differences in autism function levels but at the last minute he turned and walked away once again. In an article at Scientific American titled Contributors Lee Billings and Steve Silberman talk autism, space travel, and extraterrestrial life (Part 1) Silberman talks briefly about the realities of low functioning autism and how the challenges they present COULD lead one to conclude that there really are differences in functioning levels. Then he abruptly struts away and denies those same differences. He, once again, takes the decidedly Non-Scientific American . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Neurodiversity Author and Ideologue Steve Silberman ALMOST Acknowledges Low Functioning vs High Functioning Autism Reality NB Liberal Leadership Candidates Dear Sirs Re: Should Liberal Leadership Candidates Debate? I would like to see a debate which included discussion of policies for autistic children and adults in New Brunswick. The US CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has recently revised its estimates of autism disorder prevalence … it now stands at 1 in 88 persons as being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. 751,171/88 = 8535 NB’ers with autism. Here in NB gains were made under Premier Lord and Premier Graham in evidence based early intervention and education. Those gains are now being eroded … rapidly eroded … under . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: 8535 Autistic New Brunswickers and the Need for NB Liberal Leadership Debates From the Medicare for Autism Now! web site: Dr. Glen Davies is a clinical child psychologist who has practiced in the Vancouver area for over 25 years. Today, over two-thirds of the children seen in his clinic are on the autism spectrum. In his 16 minute interview, Dr. Davies comments upon the dramatic increase in autism diagnosis over the last two decades. He discusses the transformational impact of ABA treatment, as well as the relative costs of not providing treatment – to autistic children, their families and society at large. Dr. Davies is a clinical psychologist with actual experience working . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Experienced Clinical Child Psychologist On Increases in Autism Diagnoses, Importance of ABA Treatment “In the end, the researchers found only five studies that focused on vocational interventions. While this handful of studies looked at certain on-the-job programs designed to support young adults with autism and suggest these “interventions” can improve quality of life and reduce symptoms of autism, the study authors concluded, “all studies were of poor quality.” They say these studies had serious flaws including the randomization or comparison groups, which makes it difficult to draw any conclusions. Lack of follow-up and the fact that most studies were small also contributed to the researchers’ deeming the quality of the research as . . . → Read More: Facing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Autism Research Community’s Failing Grades: Vocational Interventions Research |
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