Autism Salutes

Lies and Smokescreens from The Department of Defense and TRICARE Management Activity

2010-07-19T16:45:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I received a copy of the Complaint (lawsuit) filed in US District Court in Washington, DC, against the United States Government, the Department of Defense, Tricare Management Activity, and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. You can read the Complaint HERE. Most of the letters cited in the complaint can be found in the Documents section here on Autism Salutes (scroll down on the left side).

As a parent who worked on and continually wrote about what was happening with the legislative efforts mentioned in the Complaint, I have been very aware for years that the reason the DoD set up the ECHO program the way they did was to avoid paying for the expensive therapy that benefit our children with autism. That would be ABA therapy.

Since the Complaint was filed in US District Court, TRICARE Management Activity issued a letter on June 30, 2010, to the CEO’s of all its’ contractor’s, one of which is Humana. You can read the letter HERE. The letter stated that TMA was reviewing its policy on whether or not they would provide ABA under the basic Tricare program and that they expected to have this review completed by September 20, 2010. The letter also stated the contractor’s for TMA were to hold in abeyance until the review was completed; claims filed and authorization requests, for ABA. That means NO MORE DENIAL LETTERS for claims or authorization requests are to be SENT until the review is complete. Keep in mind, the letter from TMA was issued June 30th. On July 8, 2010, a denial letter was issued by one of TMA’s healthcare contractor’s.

All I can think of after reading the Complaint is that what the DoD has gotten away with, for YEARS, is criminal. There has been a complete lack of “checks and balances”. I’ll tell you honestly, I think the DoD under estimated military spouses and members who have spoken up to bring this about. I also think they have under estimated parents of children with autism across the ranks, and when I say that I mean those in the civilian world as well. We don’t put up with perfidy, and we certainly don’t tolerate crimes against humanity, which is exactly what has been committed by the DoD, and against CHILDREN! As a good friend of mine stated in a comment post the other day, “the genie is out of the bottle”.

I am of the belief that those in government who have not supported our military families who have dependents with autism, these two “gentlemen” (pictured to the left), and the CEO’s of the healthcare contractor’s for TMA, should all be brought up on UCMJ charges or the civilian equivalent of such. Should this happen, they should each be sentenced to one year in the Brig or Prison for each child they; denied a claim for, denied an authorization for, and the number of years collectively that a child was not able to access ABA under their “ECHO” program because providers were not available under the program. Essentially, a life sentence for each of them; that’s what they’ve done to countless children, sentenced them to a life in the prison of autism.

This time, there is no more smoke screen, and the letter from TMA to the contractor’s was nothing more than that. If it was anything more, then every single employer at every Tricare contracted healthcare organization would be aware of what they had been instructed to do by DoD and TMA, and yet 20 days later they still don’t have a clue.

Yes indeed, "the genie is out of the bottle".

Military Parents: We Will Not Back Down!!!

2010-07-08T13:21:00.004-04:00

Editor's Note: We parents will not back down because this is who we're fighting for; our children.

Yesterday morning I had the honor of being a guest on Curt and Kim Linderman's radio show on Autism One Radio; Linderman Live. You can listen to the archive of the show HERE

During the show we discussed the class action lawsuit being brought against the U.S. Government, The Department of Defense, Tricare Management Activity, and the Secretary of Defense. You can read some of the background HERE. We also discussed the reasons for the lawsuit and the challenges that military families who have children with autism face. It's an intense and vast topic of discussion and there is no way we could hit on everything that needs to be talked about in one hour. There will be more to come.

I talked to a few people yesterday who felt that we may have hit a little hard on the DoD, and I openly disagree, and I'll tell you why. Back in 2008 after the "Green Our Vaccines" Rally there was a video circulating on YouTube showing photo clips of the Rally with the backdrop music of THIS Now I am not going to convolute this issue with causation, but I so wanted to go to the Rally. I was deeply moved by this song on many different levels. Treatment works. ABA works and improves the functioning of children with autism, and YES can be the catalyst to RECOVERY. Yes, it can and does happen. I will not just shut up and sing the praises of our medical care like the DoD would have me. And, after what my own family has endured, and what I see and hear other families going through on a daily basis fighting for their kids, yes a daily basis; I am not ready to make nice, nor will I be until our Government does the right thing by our families and our children with autism. When they are ready to demonstrate a little integrity and do the right thing and move ABA under the Basic Tricare Program, I may be willing to forgive, but I will NEVER forget.

If you haven't already, please check out the Military Affidavits section at the top left of Autism Salutes, find the appropriate one and email it to Brendan Frey, Esq. at bfrey@manteselaw.com by July 15 at the latest.

One last thing. If no one wants to pay for this, then as I said on the show yesterday, maybe someone needs to figure out what the hell is causing an epidemic of autism.

Military Families vs. United States Government, DoD, TMA, and Secretary of Defense

2010-07-08T12:42:00.003-04:00

Military Families vs. United States of America, U.S. Department of Defense, TRICARE Management Activity, and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates

It does not feel good to bring a lawsuit against the very country and government that you took an oath to serve and protect, and knowing that to uphold that oath might possibly come at the expense of your own life. On the flip side, our families who take the oath to serve and protect this great country expect our government, to provide the medical care and family supports that our families require to, uphold our oath to serve and protect our great nation.

In spite of the lack of medical care and family supports, our men and women in uniform have upheld their oath. In spite of the lack of medical care and family supports, our spouses have held down the home fronts’ . We have upheld our end of the oath and in doing so we all have paid a heavy price, but none heavier than the price our children have paid. Over the years I have spoken with many service members who have been wounded in action; “wounded warriors’. Every single one of them has told me that what they have endured pales in comparison to what our children with autism endure. Our government has failed to provide medical care, and our military dependent children with autism have been the ones left laying wounded on the battlefield. The very government we swore to protect could care less, and we have simply had enough.

In the summer of 2005 TRICARE implemented the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Program, and acceptance into this program is the only way a military dependent child with autism can receive medically necessary Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Keep in mind the child must be accepted into this program and that determination is made by someone sitting behind a desk that has never met, let alone examined, your child. If your child is accepted into ECHO, there is no guarantee that they will receive ABA as the child’s program must be run and/or overseen by a BCBA or a BCABA who is a TRICARE provider. We all know BCBA’s and BCABA’s and are in high demand and short supply. To top all this off, TRICARE capped the annual benefit for ABA at $36,000. Retiree’s dependents are not eligible for ECHO, nor are those not on active duty, in the Guard and Reserve even though they are in most cases eligible to receive basic TRICARE benefits or have the option to purchase them as one would regular health insurance.

On June 24, 2010 I received a letter HERE put forth by Mantese, Honigman, Rossman & Williamson, P.C.(please see the affidavits listed at the end for one to print and sign – they have been further revised) I’ve been waiting a very long time to see this come about for our military dependent children with autism. What far too many don’t understand is that yes, on paper, our kids have the ABA benefit, but what most don’t realize is that consistently over the past five years, less than 10% of dependents with autism are enrolled in ECHO because of a laborious enrollment process, and confused people charged with not only getting the information out, but the enrollment process as well.

My feeling, simply speaking as a parent, is that TRICARE is just fine with that. It lowers their expenses by decreasing paid claims, and increases their bottom line. That makes the Department of Defense happy because we all know that no one wants to pay for medically necessary care related to autism. If you read the letter sent to military families from the Attorney’s you will see that the DoD claims that TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) “has not made a formal policy determination as to whether ABA services might be covered as a Basic [Tricare] Program medical benefit”.

Like I said, I’m just speaking as a parent, and one who has had a few conversations of her own with the General quoted in the letter from the Attorney’s, but I can not think of any way to make a more formal statement than DoD and TMA already have. TMA has clearly stated in their Policy Manual for YEARS that ABA is only available as a “special education benefit” through acceptance into the ECHO Program, which is completely separate from the basic TRICARE benefits. Any change to the TMA Policy Manual must be done through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and that requires legislation being passed typically in both the House and Senate and then the House and Senate versions are essentially meshed to provide something everyone is happy with that the President then signs into law. This happens every year; it is how we got an increase of $2,500 a month to $36,000 a year for ABA, and exactly why we have continually asked Congressional leaders to introduce and get passed, language that would move the ABA treatment under the basic TRICARE program, and do away with the annual cap. Forgive my sarcastic and somewhat jaded tone, but phaleeeze… The DoD just wants the Berge case dismissed because if it is, then the DoD won’t face the risk of having to compensate military families for what they should have been providing all along, which is access to medically necessary treatment for autism without the discrimination of the ECHO Program, equal access for Retiree’s dependents, and the option for Guard and Reserve to access these benefits as well.

There are four affidavits available for you to review; one for spouse’s of active duty members, one for spouse’s of retiree’s, one for active duty members, one for retired members, and one for members and spouses of the Reserve's and National Guard. Those are all located in the Military Affidavits section at the top left of Autism Salutes. If you can truthfully attest to and sign one of these affidavits, please do so and return it by July 5, 2010, to:

Brendan Frye, Esq.
Mantese, Honigman, Rossman, and Williamson, P.C.
1361 E. Big Beaver
Troy, MI 48083

Or email it to: bfrey@manteselaw.com

The Department of Defense has already had an opportunity to correct this situation, multiple opportunities in fact, and the same is true for Tricare Management Activity. This is an opportunity for all military families who have dependents with autism to have their voices heard on behalf of all our children. As a parent who has lived this nightmare and been contacted by so many who have lived the same, at this point, I would trust a judge before I would trust the DoD and TMA. DoD and TMA left my boys on the battlefield. I had to go retrieve them on my own.

Disclosure: I have no idea if our family will be included in the class action, but hell yes I am signing the active duty spouse affidavit. I was made aware of this situation because I have been involved in the legislation pertaining to the issues for almost 3 years, and my son went without medical care in the form of ABA for 3 years due to TMA and DoD policies.

Another Autism Awareness Month Comes To A Close

2010-04-30T19:14:00.005-04:00

The contest has been extended until the 14th, next Friday, so please check back then for the winner! Your understanding is appreciated more than you will ever know.

Well, here we are. The last day of Autism Awareness Month 2010. I can’t think of a better way to end this month of more awareness than with a contest for a signed copy of Classic American Cuisine by Stephanie Hemenway.

Over the past year as I have gotten to know Stephanie much better, she has become a dear friend and a fellow autism mom who makes me proud! With each book she writes, Stephanie chooses an outreach project in the autism community that needs and deserves funding, and donates a portion of the sales from each book to that project.

There was only one book of Stephanie’s I could choose to contest off this month; The Autism Mom’s Survival Guide. Why, you ask? The outreach project Stephanie chose to support through the sales of Classic American Cuisine was The National Autism Association’s FOUND Safety Initiative.

Our children with autism wander and elope, and far too often the consequences are tragic as they were this month. Three year old Aiden Johnson, a child with autism, died of drowning on April 20th. Eric Lippmann, a 30 year old adult with autism was found on April 29th, his body washed up on a California beach. Eric had been missing for 8 days. Kevin Kwok, a 17 year old young man with autism was missing for nearly 24 hours before being found safe. Nadia Bloom, an 11 year old child with autism, went missing on Friday afternoon, April 9th. She was found alive almost 5 days later about a mile from her home, in an alligator filled swamp. Christian Dejons, a six year old little boy, went missing on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 7th. Christian was found hours later, drowned in a nearby lake.

This April Awareness Month has had some very fortunate families have their children returned to them safely, but other families with children or adults with autism had absolute tragic outcomes. I personally am glad that Autism Awareness month is over. We don’t need more awareness. We need help, our children need help, and we need solutions. The National Autism Associations FOUND Safety Initiative is one of many solutions, and we need more like it.

Classic American Cuisine is packed full of useful information for stocking your GFCF pantry. The recipes are so yummy; a few of my favorites? The Onion Rings, Roasted Potato Medley, Sandwich Bread, The Chicken Salad (reminds me of Waldorf Salad), The Breakfast Scramble, and of course The Decadent Fudge Brownies. With the exception of a few, the recipes have alternatives so they can be made corn, soy, and nut free.

Please enter a comment to win. The winner will be announced next Friday morning so make sure you check back. While you're waiting, hop on over to Stephanie’s site HERE and click on the picture to order your copy. Order one for yourself, a parent of a newly diagnosed child, or a friend. You’ll be making the difference between possible life and death for our children and their families.

DoD Slaps Military Spouses in the Face!!!!!

2010-02-19T15:18:00.004-05:00

Ok. I've had enough. I've got to get this out so I can get back to my schoolwork. The decision of the Department of Defense (DoD) on Tuesday afternoon has me incredibly pissed off, along with alot of other military spouses I might add. This is not something that should go undiscussed or un-noticed.

A few years back the DoD established a program to help military spouses receive an education in a portable career field because the vast majority of our families move every 2 to 4 years. The program is called MyCAA, which stands for Career Advancement Account, and would provide a total of $6,000 in scholarship monies paid directly to your university. The payments are made on a term by term basis and there is a small amount of paper work that must be exchanged before the dispersal before each new term.

Great sounding program, right? We spouses thought so. Something to help us better help our own families, and quite honestly I know many of us viewed it as a thank you and recognition of OUR sacrifices for our spouses military service; something that far to often goes thankless and unrecognized.

Well, as of Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. EST, the DoD suspended the program indefinitely leaving thousands of military spouses worldwide with no way to pay for classes for their next term. They're either having to re-arrange classes such as I did (and take less than I intended), drop out all together, or pay out of pocket (which many of us can not afford to do) thus increasing our debt.

The DoD yanked the rug out from under our feet with no warning at all. It's a slap in the face!!! It also speaks to how little the DoD values or considers the sacrifices our spouses and our families make for the members service!!! You can read the announcement HERE There was no notice to those who had accounts already and were receiving MyCAA funding. No email. No nothing. I found out about it through a facebook military group I belong to for CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! Are you kidding me???

The nice little announcement put out by the DoD linked above makes it sound as if you've already been accepted into the program and receiving aid, that you won't be affected. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Remember that little bit of paper work I mentioned above that had to be completed after registering for each term? What they should have stated is this: If you have already completed and received your certification award number for your upcoming term, you won't be affected. If this is not the case then you are shit out of luck until the program is re-instated.

The DoD could have evaluated the program and continued to provide funding until the evaluation was completed, warning us spouses that changes may be coming and providing us with options to explore for additional funding resources, should they be needed. The DoD could have given us at the very least a warning, say two weeks, that the program was going to be suspended indefinitely and providing us with the above mentioned information.

I am really angry that I had to scramble and make hasty decisions about what I was going to do for my next term. I am really angry for every single other spouse out there who has found themselves in the same situation. And what angers me the most is that I know many spouses who are parents of children with autism who were using this scholarship to return to school and obtain either a new degree or certification which would enable them to provide services to children with autism across the board. Some were working on obtaining their BCBA certification, some were seeking a Registered Dietician licensure, you get the idea. And one of those spouses was me.

As I said in a comment earlier, it's a good thing the bozo who made this decision isn't sitting across the table from me. He or she would have a freaking pie in their face. On second thought, I wouldn't dream of wasting a good pie on the likes of them.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to figure out how to return the textbook for the class that I dropped today because of all of this. It's supposed to arrive today.

Thanks for the slap in the face DoD. Gee, do I need to worry about my kids healthcare being taken away next? Because Tricare and it's uneven distribution of stated provided services across regions could certainly use an evaluation and adjustment.

Again, thanks for the slap in the face. And for anyone interested in joining the facebook group of Pissed Off Military Spouses started because of this issue - here is the link http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=309235428847&ref=mf

American Rally for Personal Rights!

2010-02-16T13:59:00.002-05:00

American Rally for Personal Rights:
May 26 Grant Park Chicago

We believe in the rights to life, liberty, and personal security for ourselves and our children.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Grant Park, Downtown Chicago

www.americanpersonalrightsrally.org

www.americanpersonalrights.org

We demand the universal human rights standard of informed consent for all medical interventions. Compulsory vaccination cannot be legally and morally justified.

We affirm...the sanctity of personal space the right to be left alone, and the freedom to make personal health care decisions guided by the professionals of our choosing.

We invite all people, families and organizations committed to protecting these fundamental rights to stand with us in downtown Chicago on May 26, 2010 at our inaugural rally, and to work with us after the event to support grassroots advocacy, education, and leadership in defense of our personal – individual, legal, moral, religious, civil, and human -- rights.

The American Personal Rights Rally coincides with Autism One and Generation Rescue's conference, Autism Redefined, May 24th through May 30, 2010 at the Westin O'Hare in Chicago. Please visit the Autism One site devoted to conference information.

Sneak Peek! Info for military families: There will be a military track this year with Lisa Rupe and myself presenting on various aspects of autism and the military.

Win A Copy Of "Classic American Cuisine"!!!

2009-12-15T18:12:00.008-05:00

And The WINNER is Carrie!!! Carrie, Please email me your mailing addy. autismrr at gmail dot com. and CONGRATS!!!

Just in time for Christmas!

A few months back The Autism Mom Cooks Gluten-Free Casein-Free, Stephanie Hemenway herself, contacted me. We instantly connected, and I have to tell you, she is an amazing mom and person. So Stephanie wanted to send me a couple books to contest off for our military families who might need some new recipes or families who are new to the whole GFCF experience all together and have no idea how to start.

Stephanie is not only an autism mom, but a Gulf War veteran. She has a big place in her heart for our military children and families. You can visit Stephanie's website HERE

I checked the mail everyday, anxiously awaiting a little box from her. The day came. The box finally arrived, and in it were not just a couple cookbooks, but some samples as well. GFCF white bread that tastes just like regular white bread, is there such a thing? Oh my, yes, there most certainly is. My mouth couldn't believe what it was tasting!

The box from Stephanie also held a container loaded with a really special treat. GFCF brownies. I was tempted to pull a Kim Stagliano and go lock myself in a closet and eat them all myself, but I determined that just wouldn't be a fair thing to do. Darn it! So out they came to the table where six brownie deprived children sat, more than willing to consume. These six are not and never have been completely GFCF, so I'd say it was a pretty good assessment. They were begging for more. I took one bite, and my mouth was off to mouthgasm land. I kid you not! After that, the brownies disappeared, and I'm sure you can figure out where they went! ;)

Leave a comment to enter to win a copy of "Classic American Cuisine". The contest closes on Monday, so be sure to check back on Tuesday for the winner announcement! There will be more chances to win after Christmas and into the New Year!

Recovered From Autism; Now On A Championship Team!!!

2009-11-02T19:19:00.007-05:00

As I start this column, I will first apologize for my absence in weeks past. I’ve actually had friends calling me making sure I didn’t fall off the face of the earth because it’s been so long since I’ve posted. Nope, I haven’t. I’m still here, and I have been working; I’ve just had to add something new to the mix. FOOTBALL!!! That would be… POP WARNER FOOTBALL!!! I have to share also, that I busted my left ring finger about six weeks ago (rings will have to be re-sized LOL), and it’s been a pain for me to keep up with dishes, laundry, and the daily tasks, let alone write much other than emails.

So… You see that picture there? One of those boys is my son, Isaac; my ten year old son who is nearly recovered, completely, from autism. Many of you know his story, and know our family’s story. When he said he wanted to play last spring we signed him up. Knowing what I know, I thought it would be a really good outlet (aka – therapy), for his rigidity issues, and it has proven to be just that.

The boys on his team are terrific kids. They are well mannered, behave well (minus your “typical” goofing off), and when they play, they give it their ALL. Pop Warner has been a joy and tons of fun; although this addition has provided yet one more juggling act for me as a mom. Honestly, it’s been one I have been all too happy to take on. This is why I post today.

You see, the BULLDOGS played their first Championship game yesterday morning, and they WON!!! This picture was taken after the game when our boys were getting their snacks and receiving their Pop Warner 2009 Champion Dog Tags! These incredible kids, including Isaac, will be heading to California for the Regional Championship Games in less than 2 weeks, and I am doing everything I can to help the Bulldogs get down there. Our Team has been out for weeks doing penny drives, in fact Isaac and another of his teammates decided to forego trick or treating for candy, and instead went trick or treating for pennies!
(Bulldogs parents, Coaches, and Members of the Association are excluded from this contest... the first parent to pick me out in this picture, and post a comment... well... I'll buy and mail you an Autism Salutes Lapel Pin)

Just this past week we have had a wonderful parent of special needs children herself and a Scentsy Consultant, step up to the plate, and offer proceeds from sales to our Bulldog Team to help with their trip to California. You can view the Scentsy Catalog and order from the Bulldogs Scentsy Party Page HERE. I will be ordering a few myself, as they will make great Christmas presents! (If you end up on the Home page, just tgo to the My Open Parties list on the left and click on Junior Pee Wee Fundraiser "buy from party" link)

(Scentsy wax is food grade paraffin, with oils added for the Scentsy. No wick, no flame, no soot. As Scentsy wax uses no flame, and has a consistent heat source – a lightbulb – I personally think this is a major safety feature, for anyone; families with young children, and especially families who have children with special needs)

The deadline for ordering is coming up quick; it’s November 6th, so hurry on over to the Scentsy page!!! Remember, you’ll not only be helping a child recovered from autism achieve the experience of a lifetime; you’ll be helping a Team of awesome kids experience the same!!!

GO BULLDOGS and Look Out California! Here We COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you’d like to learn more about Evergreen Pop Warner and the Bulldogs go HERE.

Is The DoD Paying Attention To Swine Flu & Vaccine Conflicts?

2009-09-08T22:27:00.006-04:00

I have to wonder about the title of this simple column being a military spouse, and I continually wonder about the reality of the title because of what I know to be true. I think I hear that damn black helo flying over my house again, but I then realize, that to them, of course, I am just a stupid mom.

Well, I might be stupid mom according to "them", but one thing I am NOT is unpatriotic, and that is what I fear is happening with our own Department of Defense based on their actions regarding autism, military dependents, and vaccination.

I have seen much of the news links posted below previous to tonight, but it all finally hit home. You see, I am an All-American girl. I like all kinds of sports, but especially football. I have been aching for Thursday to get here. This evening I happened to be multi-tasking once again; laundry, making lunches, making dinner, and of course watching whatever football is on the NFL Channel. Well... it happened to be a repeat of last years SuperBowl. It all came together for me; all this recent news regarding swine flu and the vaccine, autism, and of course the military. Why??? Well, I want you to watch this http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story?id=09000d5d80e818f7&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true. Forgive the skips. Look at the players faces and see the tears and emotion that they feel when they hear our National Anthem sung by Jennifer Hudson, who herself was only a few months out of a huge personal family tragedy of her own at the time. Look at the emotion on their faces, see the tears in their eyes, see them grab their chests in strength and respect, and see how much respect they have for what our National Anthem means. I am of the belief that there are many in the Department of Defense who have lost sight of what it means to protect this country, yet keep our troops safe. And yes, that comes back to vaccines.

So you might want to look HERE. Yep, we're talking MANDATORY vaccination of all military members, and if the CDC puts this on the recommended schedule, then all military dependent children attending day care, child care, or school age programs (including family programs), will be mandated as well.

Then you might want to take a look at this HERE. And this HERE too.

Now see here is the deal. I watched as much as I could of last years SuperBowl again tonight (mostly could only listen) because my team was playing and WON! I guess Dr. Paul Profit, forgot in all his millions makings that he might want to disclose that to be fair and honest. Funny thing about being an All-American girl and not so stupid mom after all; football players salaries (along with other sports), are out there for the public. They do stupid shit like Michael Vick did with the dog fighting, and they pay their penance to society and go on to be (so far), continuing to pay their debt. Why is it that people like Pauly Pusher of Vaccines don't suffer the same consequences.

As a former Vet Tech, I despise what Michael Vick participated in. Did he make millions? Yes, but not at the expense of animals. As an autism mom, an advocate for SAFE vaccines and choice on all fronts regarding such, and a military spouse to top it all off; given all of the above, I think Paul should have his medical license yanked, his degree yanked, and firmly believe that prison time is fully warranted. I also think he should have his millions go through the SEC. Oh wait - they missed Madoff - maybe not. VIck made his millions from honest football, not dog fighting. Pauly made his from vaccines. Need I say more?

I'm sure tomorrow or in the near future we'll hear some whining from him that yet again he's received another death threat, based on what I've said. I said what I said and that's it. And to think that our military not only protects his ass from harm; yet promotes his agenda.

I think I am going to go watch the video I posted. I know what this country was founded upon and it was freedom at HOME!!!! People like Paul are prohibiting this freedom, and I believe the Department of Defense to be doing the same by mandating a fast tracked vaccine, ummmm... the swine flu vaccine. Now go watch that video and listen to our National Anthem again, and tell me different.

Military Children With Autism Need Your Help!

2009-09-07T19:35:00.006-04:00

Angela's Note: I personally want to thank Karen for putting the below together to run on Autism Salutes. I also want to extend to Karen my deepest thanks and gratitude for her friendship, leadership, and tireless advocacy on behalf of our military dependents with autism, over the past several years. Thank you Karen!

Recently, with the leadership of Congressman Joe Sestak (PA), the House passed comprehensive reforms through the House National Defense Authorization Act (HR 2647) to address the medical needs of military dependents living with autism. The Sestak amendment to the House National Defense Authorization Act requires TRICARE (our military healthcare program) to provide coverage for evidenced-based, medically necessary treatments and therapies for all military dependents with autism. These long awaited reforms to help our military children will serve as the first step toward a national model for coverage of effective autism treatments. By helping our military children, you will help legislative efforts in your state and communities as well.

The Sestak Amendment has bipartisan support in the House and Senate, but we need your help to contact key members of the Armed Services Committee and request they include the House language in the final version of the Defense Bill. The support of the Armed Services Committee is vital to the success of these much needed reforms. We need your action today and throughout the next couple weeks.

I've listed several key leaders from the Armed Services Committee below. Please call and fax to request they support the Sestak amendment to the House National Defense Authorization Act regarding coverage of medical necessary autism treatments for military children. It is important the final version of the Bill address the treatment needs of our special kids. I've attached a sample fax for you to use.

Not sure what to say when you call? Below is a sample script below for your consideration.

"As a key leader on the Armed Services Committee, I'm calling to request Senator/Congressman XXX support the House language of the Defense Bill regarding the medical necessity of autism treatments for military dependents (the Sestak Amendment). Autism is a devastating medical disorder requiring treatment. Military families living with this devastating disability need the Senator's/Congressman's leadership and action to ensure the final version of the bill addresses the treatment needs of military children with autism. Given the significant responsibilities our military families shoulder today, it is simply the right thing to do. Thank you for your help."

Name Phone Fax
Senator Carl Levin (MI) (202)-224-6221 (202)-224-1388
Senator McCain (AZ) (202)-224-2235 (202)-228-2862
Senator Ben Nelson (NE) (202)-224-6551 (202)-228-0012
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) (202)-224-5972 (202)-224-3808
Rep Ike Skelton (MO) (202)-225-2876 (202)-225-2695
Rep Buck McKeon (CA) (202)-225-1956 (202)-226-0683
Rep Susan Davis (CA) (202)-225-2040 (202)-225-2948
Rep Joe Wilson (SC) (202)-225-2452 (202)-225-2455
Senator Claire McCaskill (MO) (202)-224-6154 (202)-228-6326
Senator Jim Webb (VA) (202)-224-4024 (202)-228-6363
Senator John Thune (ND) (202)-224-2321 (202)-228-5429
Senator Mel Martinez (FL) (202)-224-3041 (202)-228-5171
Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA) (202)-224-3521 (202)-224-0103
Senator Roger Wicker (MS) (202)-224-6253 (202)-228-0378
Senator David Vitter (LA) (202)-224-4623 (202)-228-5061
Senator Susan Collins (ME) (202)-224-2523 (202)-224-2693
Senator Kay Hagan (NC) (202)-224-6342 (202)-228-2563
Senator Daniel Akaka (HI) (202)-224-6361 (202)-224-2126
Senator Joe Lieberman (CT) (202)-224-4041 (202)-224-9750
Rep Vic Snyder (AR) (202)-225-2506 (202)-225-5903
Rep Loretta Sanchez (CA) (202)-225-6676 (202)-226-1012
Rep David Loebsack (IA) (202)-225-6576 (202)-226-0757
Rep John Kline (MN) (202)-225-2271 (202)-225-2595
Rep Tom Rooney (FL) (202)-225-5792 (202)-225-3132
Rep Mary Fallin (OK) (202)-225-2132 (202)-226-1463
Rep Carol Shea-Porter (NH) (202)-225-5456 (202)-225-5822
Rep Hank Johnson (GA) (202)-225-1605 (202)-226-0691
Rep Walter B Jones (NC) (202)-225-3415 (202)-225-3286
Rep John Fleming (LA) (202)-225-2777 (202)-225-8039

A Closing Note From Angela: I'm sorry if the numbers are hard to read, that's blogger ;)If you would like to fax and don't have access, please visit http://www.myfax.com For $10 a month you can send 100 faxes, and receive 200, all from your email. The first month is a free trial. I took out service a few months ago, and it is a wonderful service, especially with doctors visits etc. I can have everything faxed to me instead of having to wait for snail mail or picking up copies of records. If you sign up (I called versus doing it online), please tell them Autism Salutes/Angela Warner referred you. Thanks

Autism Can Create Insanity, Don't We Agree?

2009-08-16T01:34:00.003-04:00

By Angela Warner

Let me start from the beginning. My husband is a member of the Air Force Base Honor Guard. Two weeks ago today Dave had a detail. The detail was for the NASCAR Camping World Series at Portland International Raceway. Neither I, nor our children, have ever been witness to Dave performing an Honor Guard detail. Dave used to be a big NASCAR fan; in fact we have a few things signed by Dale Earnhardt. I had been debating on whether or not to take the kids for weeks.

Saturday afternoon one of my dearest friends called me up, on her way home from a meeting. “I’m coming to pick you up. We’re going for a bite and a drink”. We have been working on, shall we say, some treatment stuff. (More to come on that) So we ate, had a drink, and then brought the rest of the meeting back here to my second office. The garage, in lawn chairs. Laugh if you will… After the meeting was over, she and my hubby brought me to tears. The mantra was; “You NEED to take some time off!” I still was not sure if I wanted to take the kids and go.

I really wanted to take the kids. I’d never been to a race before. I wanted to take all of them. What am I thinking? I don’t even take all of them to the grocery store together. Two maximum; that’s fun planning when your spouse is deployed.  I thought I had lost my sanity. Take all of them? I wanted to see Dave. I wanted our children to see their dad. They are so proud of him, as he is of them.

I had no idea what to expect. I was as prepared as I guess one can be, given that when I used to go grocery shopping, I could not get Nathan down the aisle fast enough. If I paused to look at ingredients or compare prices, he was pulling cans off the shelves and stacking them up on the floor in front of where they were on the shelves. I imagine those folks were happy when Dave returned home and we moved.

I kept telling myself, it will be ok. I felt like I was lying to myself. Let’s go to the park? That’s one thing. A NASCAR event; quite another. Nathan is easily over stimulated by too many visuals or too many sounds. I knew there would be both.

We had to do it; I had to try, the kids had to try.

I woke up Sunday morning. We’re going. Shower, hair, face, kids, diaper bag, and water. All of us out of the house and on our way. Silent concerns about porta-potty’s and tethered cord (I’ll be writing more about that too). We’re doing this! I think what ever bit of sanity I had left blew out the window on the way to PIR.

When we arrived, we immediately found where Dave was supposed to be. A couple hours later Dave was on the start / finish line with his team, the colors, and his rifle. We were seated in the front row of bleachers directly across from where he was (less than 50 yards away). I was so proud. The kids were paying attention to what was going on (although extremely antsy), and so proud of their dad. As a military spouse, I can not describe my feelings at seeing my husband protect our country and the presentation of our flag. I was physically unable to stand and put my hand over my heart during the National Anthem (Samantha was hot, tired, and sitting on my lap crying), but my Autism Salutes pin was over my heart and I felt with all my being, that our country understood.

Just after Nathan regressed in 2004, he had a meltdown that few to this day have topped. My mom was cleaning up from dinner, clanging pots and pans; the TV was up really loud; the house was really bright; the kids were having popsicles, and all of a sudden Nathan let loose. I mean he let loose like nobody’s business. A voice kept telling me that if I could get him downstairs into the tub he would be ok. It took every bit of my strength to carry my flailing, screaming, hitting, kicking, and biting child down the stairs and make it in one piece. That was one of the worst nights of my life. It would be months later that I would figure out that the meltdown happened because he was so over-stimulated by the loud pots and pans, TV, bright lights, and cold popsicle.

As we were sitting in the stands watching the race I realized we had all the ingredients for the perfect storm on our hands. The kids were all enjoying sno-cones, it was hot, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and man was it loud! I was mentally prepared.

There was to be no storm that beautiful day! The kids were awesome! A bit, well, ok… a lot, over stimulated? Hell yes, especially Nathan! But I learned an important lesson from my kids. They need a big test every once in awhile. This was a big test for sure. They all did so well, we stayed for almost the entire race!

Sunday taught me that I need to take more time for family. I have sacrificed, but my own children have as well, even as I’ve been fighting for them to bring them to where they are now. By this outing, my kids, especially Nathan, taught me just how much he (and they) can stand, how much he can tolerate, and how far he has come. It has been years since we’ve been able to do an outing of any type; this was the first time since autism entered the picture that we’ve done something as a family with no meltdowns! A few days after the race, I talked with Nathan’s kindergarten autism classroom teacher (who was also his therapist during Dave’s deployment last year), and she laughed with joy when I shared this all with her. Her response? “Nathan wouldn’t have been able to handle that a year ago; forget about when he was in kindergarten.”

Being insane sometimes can prove to be quite lovely! NASCAR was Sunday Mass. We all need communion every once in a while, right?

Military Urgent Action Alert!!!

2009-07-23T17:04:00.012-04:00

Today the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010, will most likely wrap up and go to the floor for a vote. Senator Gillibrand of NY had prepared an amendment to be introduced to the NDAA '10, which would have provided treatment for autism under the basic Tricare program. Senator Gillibrand's amendment was REJECTED by the Senate Armed Services Committee!

Currently treatment for autism is provided as a special education benefit, which segregates children with autism into a seperate program. Due to this segregation and the constraints of the program, less than 10% of military dependents with autism are able to access any level of care. Those children that are able to access treatment receive far less than the physician recommended level of treatment, and the program is not even open to retiree's dependent children with autism.

Senator Gillibrand's amendment had the potential to change all of that, and it was REJECTED by the very people who are charged with ensuring the needs of the military and it's members are addressed.

We, the members, spouses, and parents of military children with autism need your help to try and stop this from happening. Our military families shoulder significant responsibilities, and our families are in crisis. Please, if you can, take 10 minutes right now, and help us help our families and most importantly, our children with autism.

Listed below are all the phone and fax numbers to the Senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Here's what you can do.

1. Call and/or fax as many members of the Senate Armed Services Committee as you can. If you're not quite sure what to say, here is a simple statement for your consideration.

"I appreciate the service and sacrifice our military families have made for our country. Military families with autism face extradorinary challenges and need the Senator's help. I ask that the Senator please allow Senator Gillibrand's autism amendment to the NDAA, amendment S. 1786, to be voted on."

Other points you could make:

"The estimated cost of providing life long care for an individual who has not received appropriate medical treatment for autism is estimated to be between 3.2 million and 5 million. As a tax-paying citizen, I would rather pay for medically necessary treatment than lifelong care. Dependents with autism who receive physician recommended medically necessary treatment, have a SIGNIFICANTLY greater chance of going on to become tax-paying citizens living quality and productive lives."

---If you are a military member, spouse, or have a relative serving who has a dependent with autism, please share your story; especially retiree's.

2. Call and/or fax your Senator and ask that they support and sign on to Senator Gillibrand's amendment (S. 1786) to the NDAA.

If you're not sure who your Senator is, you can go HERE and find them. (You want to call your US Senators)

If you're looking for a way to fax, go HERE It's a terrific and easy to use online fax service that's also inexpensive and quick to set up. They offer a free trial month.

Senate Armed Services Committee Members

Senate Armed Services Committee (Phone is listed first, Fax second)

Levin – Chair MI 202-224-6221, 202-224-1388
McCain – Ranking Member AX 202-224-2235, 202-228-2862
Nelson NE 202-224-6551, 202-228-0012
Graham SC 202-224-5972, 202-224-3808
Burr NC 202-224-3154, 202-228-2981
Akaka HI 202-224-6361, 202-224-2126
Lieberman CT 202-224-4041, 202-228-0341
Webb VA 202-224-4024, 202-228-6363
Reed RI 202-224-4642, 202-224-4680
Sessions AL 202-224-4124, 202-224-3149
Vitter LA 202-224-4623, 202-228-5061
McCaskill MO 202-224-6154, 202-228-6326
Collins ME 202-224-2523, 202-224-2693
Chambliss GA 202-224-3521, 202-224-0103
Bliss IL 202-2242854, 202-228-3333
Thune SD 202-224-2321, 202-228-5429
Byrd WV 202-224-3954, 202-228-0002
Bayh IN 202-224-5623, 202-228-1377
Udall CO 202-224-5941, 202-224-6471
Hagen NC 202-224-6342, 202-228-2563
Inhofe OK 202-224-4721, 202-228-0380
Wicker MS 202-224-6253, 202-228-0378
Martinez FL 202-224-3041, 202-228-5171
Bill Nelson FL 202-224-5274, 202-228-2183
Kennedy MA 202-224-5110, 202-224-2417
Beigich AK 202-224-3004, 202-224-2354

Regardless of whether you are a military member or civilian, if you are able to take some extra time out of your day to make calls or faxes, please contact me, Angela Warner at autismrr at gmail dot com Please use only "Mobilization" in the subject line.

While I am not actually able to post the amendment tonight (I'm sometimes tech challenged), but you may refer to Senator Gillibrand's Bill that was introduced HERE The language comparable to that of her amendment which was REJECTED.

On behalf of our military families, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any assistance you are able to provide! Now... ABOUT FACE! CHARGE!!!

Who Do You Think You Are?

2009-07-16T01:01:00.003-04:00

Angela's comment: Yep, This is my friend Jeanne, who like myself, is a bit snarky at times. And yes, we have each other's pinkies. You can check out her site at Charlie In Wonderland Jeanne, you took the words right out of my mouth... ...

Are you the parent of a child (or children) affected by autism? Are you an autism advocate? Do you run an autism organization? Do you work for an autism organization? Volunteer? Write a blog? Publish a magazine? Who are you? And more importantly, who do you think you are?

No matter what the answer to the question, you are not exempt from action alerts. Why you ask? Because until we all stand up and speak, we'll never make the changes needed to get our kids, and future generations of kids, out of the devastation that is autism.

Here are some truths I'd like to share with you:

1. Don't think because others are making calls, emailing, and faxing, that your help is not needed. As of July 8, 2009, there are 541 members of Congress, of which over 150 are members of the autism caucus. Add to that the 100 members of the United States Senate. Do the math. That's almost SEVEN HUNDRED offices to call, fax, and email.
Now, imagine if that list were only being tackled by a few people... Yeah, now you see the problem.

2. Don't think because you hold a position in this community, you're supposed to let others do the work. If anything, in my opinion, you should be the first one out of the gate making phone calls, setting an example for those around you. The "I made my calls now I need you to make yours" type thing. If people don't see you, the pillars of our community, getting involved with action alerts, they're going to probably assume it's not that important - and nothing could be farther from the truth, or more important than stopping the autism epidemic.

3. Don't think your one call won't make a difference, because I promise you, it will. Every single call counts. Every single call makes a difference. Every single call pushes us one step closer to getting somewhere in Washington.

4. And lastly, in my opinion, you have no right to spend your days talking/blogging/Tweeting/Facebooking about the fact that the autism epidemic is being ignored if you are not contacting your legislators every single time an Action Alert is issued.

Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now. I apologize if I have offended anyone, I'm just so tired of the apathy, complacency, and "I've done my part by simply being who I am every day" attitudes.

I mean, we're all busy, shit we've all got kids with special needs on top of the everyday busy stuff. My own schedule is crazy - 40 hours of work to cram in a 18 hour period: Consulting; Generation Rescue Angel (any other Angels scared about the number of contacts your getting each week?); building a website; autism advocacy; blog; a child with autism; two teenagers (one of which needs my constant shuttling services, and the other who has band practice upstairs every day).

All of this, yet I still find time to make the calls, send the faxes and emails, and get involved. Why? Not because I think I'm perfect or better than anyone, oh no..never that, trust me. But because I can't see another way around this problem. If we all just go on about our lives nothing will change. You can stay focused on your own world or you can open your eyes to the big picture, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick and damn tired of feeling like I'm running in place with this advocacy business. I want the truth to be known by all. I want the naysayers to finally admit what has happened. And also, I want to stop the epidemic in its tracks, to save future children and families from living this hell we are all living.

We're either going to pull together and do this as a team, or we're going to splinter off into groups, thereby losing any chance to stop the madness.
Please, go to Age of Autism and follow the links to your elected officials' contact information. Make the calls. Don't be intimidated. These people work for you, you put them in office and you can take them out. Of course, you should always be polite, but you can still get your point across.
Once you've done that, check out the list of autism caucus members who have not RSVP'd. Pick 5 names and contact those offices. I've found it's helpful to say something like:
"I just noticed Congressman Blank's name is not on the RSVP list for the upcoming autism briefing. I am certain that is an oversight, being that he is a member of the autism caucus. Can you check the schedule and let me know if the Congressman, his health legislative assistant, or a staffer is planning on attending... I'm sure someone is, since the briefing is autism-related..."

I promise you guys, one or two calls and you'll feel like an old pro. It's invigorating and empowering to be involved.

Maybe I'll start a new club... The Pinkie Promise Club. Members do a virtual pinkie promise with each other to get involved and make calls when the action alerts come out. If you can't make that promise, you can't be a member of the club. And if you can't make that promise, well... that's just sad.

ONE MORE NOTE on my part (Angela here) - Roll up your (blanking) sleeves people and put your boots on. We're talking breaking pinkies here. Or maybe more. That's the military way. Jeanne knows.

Our Kids Have Been Treated Like Pawns In Chess!

2009-07-14T22:51:00.004-04:00

I write this with the constant reality looming over my head, and the feverish pitch that has developed regarding insurance coverage of medically necessary treatments for autism. My heart is heavy. We are all working so hard in so many different areas to make this finally happen for our kids.

We press on. We are Autism Warriors. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring on the battlefield. We press on…

As the Military Contributing Editor for Age of Autism, I take this opportunity to fight again for our military dependent children with autism. Since the passage of last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), every state autism insurance mandate that has been introduced (that I know of), has had an annual cap of over $36,000.

Many of you might think this is stellar coverage, and that we should be grateful for the $36,000 our kids can receive in treatment. The sad reality is that less than 10% of military dependent children with autism are receiving any level of treatment for autism, and the reason is pure discrimination. Our military dependent children can only receive treatment (ABA) if they are accepted in the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program. Segregation. Discrimination. Acceptance into the ECHO program is dependent upon a person sitting behind a desk looking at records. This person has never met, let alone medically evaluated, our children. And even if a child is accepted into ECHO, there is no guarantee that dependent will be able to access treatment. My younger son waited over two years for treatment after acceptance. There were no providers, due to the constraints of the ECHO program.

There are many politicians who have worked very hard to help our military children, but most of them hide themselves away. Hiding from coverage of medically necessary treatment for autism, allows them to hide from the war they started and the fact that they sold out to Big Pharma.

I am constantly baffled by the fact that the most very basic treatments for autism are not covered. Just the other day I saw a video on YaHoo news about a man who battled leukemia for over a decade, constantly in and out of chemo, before he finally received a bone marrow transplant, from a woman in Australia. I would guess most if not all of his treatment was covered by insurance. God Bless this man, his wife, and their three sons; he is now cancer free. Why not the same for our kids???

There are a few wars that have been started, and the military is fighting them all. I would ask that you please watch this video HERE. I think the Generals gathered may need some input about what is appropriate and medically necessary treatment for our children. Our military is spread thin, and we need your help. You'll help with input to the gathered Generals, won't you?

Please stay tuned… There will be more to come on this. In the very near future.

Rep. Maloney and Rep. Smith To Host A Second Autism Congressional Briefing

2009-07-09T00:14:00.002-04:00

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) To Host A Second Autism Congressional Briefing An Update On Federal Autism Research And Treatment Initiatives

Invite the WHITE HOUSE HERE. Invite CONGRESS AND SENATE HERE.

Please urge your lawmakers to attend or send a staff member to this important autism-vaccine briefing on Capitol Hill. Tell the White House how you feel about this briefing.

If you receive a reply from your lawmakers, send an email to: kirbylecture@gmail.com We'll keep a running tally of RSVP commitments at Age of Autism.

Friday, July 17 at 9:30 AM
210 Cannon House Office Building
Independence Avenue, Washington, DC.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) are hosting a special briefing for Members of Congress and their Staff to discuss issues related to autism research and treatment. We hope that you will attend the briefing to learn about the changing dynamics of the autism debate, as you will find many in government and science believe this debate is far from settled.

David Kirby, investigative journalist and author of The New York Times bestseller Evidence of Harm, Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic – A Medical Controversy, will inform Members and their staff about developments regarding environmental factors in autism and the “Seven Studies to Watch” – Plus, changing ASD demographics post-thimerosal reduction. Mr. Kirby will also be joined by Mark Blaxill, Editor-at-Large of Age of Autism, Director of the Coalition for SAFE MINDS and co-author of a forthcoming book on the roots of the autism epidemic, who will address the policy and public health implications of the autism crisis.

Among the issues to be discussed are:

1) The unanimous endorsement by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee to look at the feasibility of a large vaccinated-unvaccinated study, with autism as an outcome.

2) The NVAC endorsement of three other vaccine-autism investigations, including children with mitochondrial dysfunction, children with regressive autism, and vaccine injury as a risk factor for ASD.

3) Recent Vaccine Court decisions finding the MMR and Hep B vaccines caused injuries that led to autism and MS.

4) The NIH Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigations EARLI study and the HHS/EPA National Children’s Study, both of which are looking at vaccination and mercury exposures, with autism as a possible outcome.

5) The CDC’s Centers for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE) Network, whose five-year goal includes studying "specific mercury exposures, including any vaccine use by the mother during pregnancy and the child's vaccine exposures after birth.”

6) Cleveland Clinic – A recent article in PLoS Online by authors from the Cleveland Clinic, Harvard and Johns Hopkins University reported that, "Large, population-based studies will be needed to identify a possible relationship of vaccination with autistic regression in persons with mitochondrial dysfunction.”

7) Recent statements by Federal health officials such as Dr. Duane Alexander, Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), who said it is important to ask if some children are, “more susceptible to some vaccine characteristic or component than most of the population, and may develop an ASD in response,” and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID, who said in a US News and World report article, “If we can show that individuals of a certain genetic profile have a greater propensity for developing adverse events, we may want to screen everyone prior to vaccination."

8) The U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute study which found, that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted — and the trend shows no sign of abating. This as young adults begin to flood the social services system

10) Reports of reduced Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) severity among the youngest children, following reduction of thimerosal in childhood vaccines.

Age of Autism Officially Supports Military

2009-06-28T19:08:00.002-04:00

I have been reading Age of Autism since it’s inception as Rescue Post. I am proud of Age of Autism. I’ve witnessed incredible growth of the world’s only autism daily web newspaper both in the information put forth, and in the readership and the ensuing dialogue in comments. I am especially proud of Age of Autism for embracing and opening the door, for the mutual support of both the military and civilian communities with regard to all things autism.

It is an honor to share that Age of Autism will have a new category; the Military Category. As a military spouse who has been contributing to Age of Autism since she was Rescue Post, I am especially thrilled. We’ve seen growth here at Age of Autism, but we’ve also seen growth of the autism epidemic both in the military and civilian community. We’ve also seen a rise in the challenges, or problems, that come along with this heartbreaking rise.

In the military community the most recent FOIA shows that as of 2007, one in every eighty-eight military dependent child of an active duty member has autism. This figure most likely doesn’t include my own boys because of how and when the stats for the FOIA were tracked. Currently we’re waiting on new statistics.

From what I see current legislation being passed (and yet to be introduced), by states; the limit is being set by what we military parents were able to accomplish this past year through Congress. We have to do more, as it was only $36,000 for ABA. This is something I am proud to have been part of, but we must do more. I also want to thank our ENTIRE community for rallying around and behind us as we worked to get this pushed through late last year! THANK YOU!!!!

What is happening in the military is an important piece to the entire community, just as what the civilian community is doing is important to the entire community. We must all work together, and we are.

We have all endured our own hell, but regardless, there is much work to be done to help our children now. And there is much work to be done for the future. Everything I do for children and adults with autism is a continuation of the pact I made with myself; that I would do everything I could within my power to prevent another family from having to endure the hell that ours endured.

All of our national autism organizations are wonderful and we do such terrific work for our children (I work with almost all of them on a regular basis on all faucets of autism), but Age of Autism is special. Hey, what can I say? Besides Age of Autism supporting our communities, we have the same birthday, November 10th!

In closing I would like to say, besides the usual “suspects” (meaning the "collaboration" websites), I always recommend to both “old” and “new” parents who ask me about autism and anything related, “you must read Age of Autism. You must check AoA everyday for the latest”. I am not a “told you so” kind of person, but I have laughingly said this to people over the years, because… well… it’s obvious. AoA puts it out there!

I had the opportunity to meet so many people at Autism One in Chicago last month, and among them were Kim Stagliano, Dan Olmstead, David Kirby, and Mark Blaxill. Over the course of Autism One, we all had several discussions about autism in the military community. I have to tell you, they are a dynamic and incredibly educated group folks. They were already family in my eyes, but after meeting face to face, something changed. I already knew that WE are ALL family, but something changed there too. The pact I made with myself has been strengthened to say the least.

There will be much more to come. We are all working together to push the autism tsunami back, and I say we’re doing a pretty damn good job.

Angela Warner is an Air Force spouse and mom to four children, two whom are recovering/recovered from autism. Angela is the founder of Autism Salutes, a contributor to Age of Autism, and will be contributing to Autism One, Autism Today Online, and the Autism File. She is a Rescue Angel, and is also either on the Board, Committee, or a Member of the following organizations; Heroes With Handicaps, SafeMinds, and the Autism Action Coalition. In her life before autism, Angela was applying to midwifery college after years of being a veterinary technician, and pre-nursing studies.

Universal Declaration of Resistance to Mandated Vaccination

2009-06-24T15:42:00.002-04:00

If you are concerned about vaccination being mandated, particularly the swine flu vaccine currently in production, then please visit The Petition - A Universal Declaration of Resistance to Mandated Vaccination. You can sign your name on the dotted line, and if you choose, let them know exactly what you think of mandated vaccination in your own words.

Personally, I'd like to see this petition reach a billion signatures. Please pass this on to all your friends and family, and ask them to do the same.

Autism Community Mourns Passing of Dr. Ted Carr

2009-06-22T19:52:00.005-04:00

Pioneer Psychologist Transformed Understanding and Treatment of Autism Behaviors

Bethesda, MD (June 22, 2009) -- The autism community lost a great leader this weekend, Dr. Edward Carr, who was killed by a drunk driver the afternoon of June 20. Dr. Carr, the Leading Professor in the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, was a top advisor to the Autism Society. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague and his wife, Ilene Wasserman, who was also killed in the crash, and we send our thoughts and prayers to their family.

Dr. Carr was recognized internationally for his research on new treatments for autism and related disabilities. He co-developed Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Behavior Support, a strategy for dealing with learning and behavior issues endorsed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Dr. Carr wrote numerous articles on autism treatment and authored the best-selling book, Communication-Based Intervention for Problem Behavior (Paul H. Brookes, 1994). He has received numerous awards, including the Applied Research Award in Behavior Analysis (American Psychological Association, 2001) and the Distinguished Research Award for Career Achievement (ARC, 1999).

Dr. Carr was a strong supporter, valued contributor and beloved colleague at the Autism Society. As a member of the Autism Society’s Panel of Professional Advisors, he was a frequent contributor to the Autism Advocate, most recently co-editing an issue on ABA therapy (http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=autismadvocate_aba), which was one of his many areas of expertise. With Drs. Martha Herbert and Brenda Smith-Myles, Dr. Carr developed the Autism Society’s Treatment Guided Research Initiative and was the main inspiration for the "Quality of Life" objectives the Society uses to develop and evaluate its programs. A frequent presenter at the Autism Society National Conference, Dr. Carr was scheduled to moderate this year’s keynote panel on “The Future of Autism” on July 23. The panel will continue to be held in his honor.

“Ted was passionately committed to improving the quality of life for people with autism and their families,” said Lee Grossman, President and CEO of the Autism Society. “Those of us who were privileged to work closely with him will miss his insights, his humor, his deep compassion and advocacy for people affected by autism. We will miss him greatly but we will ensure his legacy lives on.”

“Dr. Ted Carr was a pioneer in the field of positive behavior supports and autism spectrum disorders. His focus on enhancing quality of life and understanding of the systemic issues surrounding behaviors forced practitioners to think more broadly when designing interventions,” said Dr. Cathy Pratt, Chair of the Autism Society Board of Directors. “He was a gentle man and quiet innovator with a quick wit and amusing perspective. His work will truly live on and serve as an inspiration for generations to come.”

Dr. Carr was Past President of the Association for Positive Behavior Support and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

In Dr. Carr’s honor, the Autism Society has set up a Tribute page for colleagues, friends and admirers to post their thoughts and messages on Dr. Carr at www.autism-society.org/ted_carr_memorial. The page will be shared with his family and colleagues.

Air Force Families! It's Time For Action!!!

2009-06-08T16:25:00.003-04:00

The Air Force is in the preliminary stages of setting up a respite program for
our EFM families. If your are an AF family, I would ask that you write me a
letter that will be sent on to AFHQ. We need to let them know the urgent need
for a program in the AF. Please tell your story, and how the lack of respite has
impacted the member and families readiness, mental health and well-being, and
anything else you are willing to share. I have included below what I sent in.

It is time for us to make our voices heard. It is time for us to take action. If
you would, please send the email directly to me with the subject line to read
only - Air Force Respite - so I can create a folder and keep track of all the
emails to be sent on.

At the end of my letter I also included my mailing addy and phone number. I have
removed that information for the purpose of this posting as it's getting sent
out to the masses. I would encourage you to include your mailing addy and phone
number. If you do, that information will remain confidential with me and will be
used for no other purpose other than being sent to AFHQ.

Please feel free to pass this post on to any AF family you may know.

Thank you all for your help and action.
Warmly,
Angela

June 8, 2009

To Whom It May Concern;

After receiving respite care that is crucial to the health, well-being, and
stability of our family, I was informed by my provider on Saturday night that
the funding for this program has dried up and respite will no longer be
available after June 30, 2009.

In 2006 my husband went TDY and was supposed to be gone for three months. Our
younger son with autism regressed severely, and when reaching out for the
support of our base, our family program coordinator recommended that I put our
son in foster care. The Air Force has continually lagged behind the other
branches of service when it comes to effective and accessible respite programs.
This is quite unacceptable, and is completely out of line with the Air Force
Core Values.

The ability to receive respite care this past year has probably saved our
marriage, tremendously helped our mental health, and provided my husband the
ability to excel in his position, and truly be "at the ready". Without the
ability to continue to receive respite; the lack of action and implementation of
a beneficial and accessible respite program by the Air Force, our family is
again pushed into a precarious situation.

In order for the Air Force to retain an all volunteer force comprised of high
quality members, the issue of providing respite must be addressed quickly and
effectively, because many of these high quality members, such as my husband,
happen to have children with disabilities. We realize respite is not an
entitlement, but rather a crucial support just as any other support, which
allows the member to be "at the ready". Our families are reaching crisis state,
and this can be prevented. I implore of you to take swift action to bring
implementation of an effective and accessible respite program for our Air Force
EFM families.

Very Respectfully,
Angela Warner – Air Force spouse and mom to four children (two with autism)
Founder: http://www.autismsalutes.com
autismrr at gmail dot com

Autism One Lit A Fire....

2009-06-07T00:43:00.002-04:00

Autism One! May 19 through the 24, 2009! I attended the Autism One conference in Chicago, IL. Autism One lit a fire under my ass!!! (I know, those of you who know me are probably thinking, did she really need that? LOL) I am still flying high!!! I've not even completely unpacked my suitcase yet (yes I washed my dirty laundry). My suitcase is still being moved between the bed and floor for therapy sessions and sleeping purposes. I may get to it this week. I've just had way more important things to do and honestly I have thought it may just stay that way until next year, because I’ll be there for sure. I'll have less packing to next year, right?

I flew into Chicago and Autism One on Tuesday afternoon (May 19th), and Tuesday night I was hanging out with those who have been the backbones of our community. Immediately I knew each and every one of them as family. I wish it wasn't this way, honestly, because I met these family members because of autism. And autism sucks!!! But I am so glad I did because meeting them and connecting has given me; a tremendous spiritual lift, given me more tools and opportunity to help families and kids currently in autism, and to "pay it forward" to help new families, and ultimately to help stop the madness behind what the cause is of autism.

Tuesday night hanging out in the presidential suite with my new family, I was blessed to see a preview of THIS which was going to be shown during the Autism One Dinner and Auction. It Is A Must Watch!!! It was an indicator of the week to come. The beginning of the power of Autism One and the rest of the family of Autism Warriors I would meet! I almost could not stop my tears. What I didn't know was that the Autism File Campaign video would be altered one last time to include a picture of the military moms taken on the last night of the conference by Louis Felix Photography. To learn more about Autism One GO HERE, and to order a subscription of The Autism File Magazine GO HERE. I've ordered mine for sure!!! When I saw the Final Cut I must say, it made me damn proud to be an autism mom and a military autism mom. Learn how you can get involved and be part of the Autism File Campaign HERE

At this family gathering Tuesday night I was invited to participate Wednesday morning on Autism One Radio, Live With Curt Linderman (lower left corner - Help/Download Shows - click the May calendar - and scroll to May 20th). I must admit, I was a little intimidated, but I was there for a reason; to represent our military children, and my own concerns as a parent. There was no way in hell I was going to say no. The show was great! I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I’m not one for public speaking. I then ran my tail off for the rest of the day for Autism One, and had an incredible amount of fun in the process. I learned so much just working and talking with people. It was amazing! There is not one person who I knew was going to be at Autism One that I did not get to meet and spend some time with. WOW!!!

Many parents began to arrive late Wednesday and into Thursday morning. I was busy volunteering and attending presentations when I was able. It is amazing to me, because I gained knowledge not only from the presentations I attended, but from talking to people at booths, and just running into people randomly.

One family in particular arrived on Friday afternoon. I had just met Jenny McCarthy and was still flying from meeting her (thank you Jenny for wearing the Autism Salutes pin I gave you), and I was sitting in the business center trying to type something up quick for the auction. I looked up and I saw Deanna. I screamed out her name and jumped up and we both ran towards each other embracing, then looking, then embracing, then looking, then embracing, and bawling. I met Scott, Deanna’s Warrior hubby and Warrior Father after we were done with our girl mush (sorry I have to lighten the mood – it get’s intense as we know all to well). Deanna and Scott’s first born son Ian died shortly after birth from a Hep B vaccine.

Deanna and I are sisters; of that neither of us have a doubt. At one point after meeting, after months of talking on the phone and emailing, I took a moment after I got my “work” done, and looked around and cried for a moment… My thoughts… There are too many parents here... there are too many children. There are too many children with autism and other vaccine injuries, and too many deaths. Those who have read my previous writings know I’ve known all along the “true” number of children (and adults) with autism, have to understand how overwhelming it was; yet at the same time understand what a kindred spirit I felt, as we are all here seeking the same answer. And that is how to heal our children.

I walked the mini walk for Elias Tembenis with some dear family, both old and new. It was short, but beautiful, and especially knowing I was walking in honor of Elias. The pain I feel in my heart thinking about what it might feel like to really lose your child drops me to my knees in heartfelt agony.

Deanna and Scott, and Harry and Gina are Warrior parents and I am so grateful and proud they are part of our community! You can read about Ian HERE and Elias HERE. Deanna, Scott, Gina, and Harry inspire me to my very core. They could have let their loss overwhelm them, they could have walked away. Instead they fight every day for OUR kids. I have a name for them. Hero Warrior Parents!

Thank you Ian. Thank you Elias. Your spirit's will continue to light the way for parents and children now, and those to come. You are Little Hero Warrior Men!

Friday night there was karaoke, and I’m sorry, I refused. I HAD a phobia of public speaking. I went to go get a drink and I ran into Ed (shame on you if you don’t know who he is by now LOL), and I was not aware of the memorial for Liz Birt at midnight (shame on me) that he informed me of, well… Liz was tragically killed not long after Nathan was diagnosed, and I remember the grief I felt when I read the news. I may not sing, but I can make sure I announce this because every single person in that room needed to be there, and I did exactly that. OMG!!! You had to be there. The memorial for Liz was so poignant and beautiful, I cry as I sit here in my garage writing just thinking about it. God bless and rest her soul.

I will forever keep my candle. The candle I held in honor of your memory will be passed on to my children. Thank you Liz, for all that you did.

My last night... Saturday night… the Auction... The Auction Moms had already had their PICTURE taken (I was one of them), we were seated, and awaiting dinner.

Sam Debold, beloved son of Vicky Debold, recovered from autism, was introduced by our wonderful and ceaseless healer, researcher, and father himself, Dr. Andy Wakefield. Sam played one of my all time favorite songs, Hotel California. Before Hotel California, is the theme to Harry Potter. Sam is 11 years old, and he is amazing!!! I used to listen to Hotel California all the time when I was growing up (it was on the radio then), and because my dad had it on vinyl (is that how you spell it LOL). You can see Dr. Andy Wakefield introduce Sam and hear his performance. Pop over HERE on Age Of Autism, then read the post and scroll for the You Tube 1. All the videos are labeled in the order that they took place. Sam also played and sang Sunday Bloody Sunday. What talent Sam has. He WOWED us!!!

The evening moved me in ways I'll never be able to describe.

There is a fun part here; I refused to sing at karaoke Friday night, but I've talked with Vicky since Sam performed, and told her that if Sam was going to play Hotel California I could maybe be convinced. I guess I'd better get practicing, yet I'm giving myself the latitude to chicken out as I think Sam might kick my arse LOL!!!

I promised myself a few things before the conference; I am going to learn a ton, meet lots of people, and have a blast at AUTISM ONE!!! I say I did all three in pretty equal amounts.

Yep, I think I’m just gonna keep moving that suitcase of mine around. I’ll be there next year! Do I really have to wait that long to have another chocolate martini? LOL! Yummy!

Autism One is truly the most beautiful unification of spirit I’ve ever been witness to, and I am so proud to be part of and continue to serve our community! You’ll be there in 2010, right? Yes, you will.

Autism One lit a fire…

For What It's Worth...

2009-06-06T02:48:00.000-04:00

Just me having a little fun on a Friday night... yeh, that military autism mom you all know! LOL!!!

Go HERE

Autism and My Fear of People Like Michael Palmer of VCA

2009-06-05T18:05:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: Contains some strong language.

You all know me as Angela Warner, the military autism mom, right? Well last night I received an email from a fellow advocate in which information was shared that Newsweek is going after Oprah because Jenny is now blogging on Oprah’s website about autism and treatments for our kids. It all made me think of Dr. Offit, vaccines, and the silencing of our kiddo’s. All of a sudden I just became deeply angered, and thought about the silencing I experienced as a teenager, and I thought of the hell hole I was taken to, where it all happened. And I thought of, how the man who ran the place and is trying to set up shop to do it all over again. You see, this man, Michael Palmer is just as evil, if not more so, than Paul Offit.

I was compelled, and I mean compelled to share some of it in an email reply to all. I stated a couple times that I didn’t understand why I felt I had to do this, but when I feel that strongly about something, I usually just follow my gut knowing the reason will come and I will have done the right thing. In the email I sent this LINK without even looking at the page. I know it too well.

Still wondering why I felt so compelled to share this part of my life from over 20 years ago, I went to bed. I slept well, and when I woke up this morning, I sat straight up in bed. On those days, my feet hit the floor hard and I am off running. I remembered; he was looking for a place in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, to buy a church, and start this madness all over again.

By the time my feet hit the floor, it hit me! Ft. Dodge, Iowa was home to Wyeth’s Headquarters until 1996, and they still have 3 plants there. That was enough of a connection for me to realize that I need to do something to help these kids. They need help, and I fear we’ll have facilities like this popping up all over the place in a short time to care for all the adults with autism, who are going to require life long care.

A BIG statement has to be made about this, and getting these places closed down, particularly the ones that are not state licensed, like Victory Christian Academy. People that are evil come in many forms, sizes, and shapes, and if there are ministers who would seek out opportunity to cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm to young and defenseless girls in a lock down environment, and all in the name of God; you can bet your ass there are people like this who will seek to take advantage of our adult children.

Oprah did a show about schools like this back in 1988. I've written to her a couple times to do another one. She would never let this happen at her own school. Maybe we can make a BIG statement. I don't know... maybe Jenny would help? I don't know. What I do know is that I am willing to put my entire life under the microscope to help our kids and our future adults.

So Michael Palmer (as one girl said in her statement “I will never call you Brother Palmer again because you are no brother of mine”) if you are reading this, it’s too bad that you weren’t smart enough to realize 20 years ago that I would come back to be one of your biggest nightmares. I bet you probably thought I’d be dead because of how bad you fucked us all up. You were wrong. If you can’t figure out who I am, I’ll tell you my maiden name was Pollock. And it’s pronounced Paulick – because you were such an ass and intentionally mispronounced my name every chance you could – I guess your “Godly” spirit drove you to do this because it would be “good for me” and “build character”.

Thank you very much, I built my own character, after years of therapy to strip away all the damage you did to me and continue to do to soooo many girls. As an autism mom you have no idea what I’m capable of. My advice to you would be to just call it all quits. You’ve made your millions at the expense of our lives. Oh, and one more thing, when you die and leave your beloved millions, may your evil soul rot in hell.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do for children and adults with autism.

J Lo and Pertussis; An Open Letter...

2009-05-16T00:44:00.000-04:00

An Open Letter To Jennifer Lopez

Dear Jennifer,

I saw your interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America on April 22, 2009, and your Public Service Announcement HERE where you speak of children contracting pertussis from their parents, and strongly encourage parents to get vaccinated against pertussis. While I appreciate your efforts to raise awareness about pertussis and the fact that it is a nasty disease, I don’t appreciate the fact that you give medical advice and promote the Tdap vaccine as being an “easy simple thing to do”.

All vaccines given at any age have risks associated with them, and the safest and smartest recommendation that should be made is that before anyone makes the decision to receive this (or any) vaccine is for them to have their titers checked. Of course, this is the last thing that a vaccine manufacturer would suggest in a public service announcement promoting a vaccine. Doing so would cut into their bottom line.

In the year 2005, my then, family of five, all contracted pertussis. Ironically, my younger son (who got it first) caught it at a pediatrician’s office where we had taken him for a referral to have him evaluated for autism. He was later diagnosed with autism, which I know was caused by vaccinations. All of my children were vaccinated against pertussis. In fact my younger son had received his fourth dose of DTaP just a year before, and was not due for his fifth dose for another year and a half. Vaccines are not the answer to preventing all diseases, and they don’t always work.

Raising awareness of the disease pertussis is one that I can whole heartedly agree with. When Nathan came down with pertussis, initially it looked like just a cold. On day fourteen of this cold, he woke up coughing violently and with every coughing fit he would have, he would turn beet red, his lips would turn a slight blue, and then he would vomit. His doctor at the time was too young to have ever seen a case of whooping cough and because he never saw him have a coughing fit during the five minute visit, and never saw him vomit because of it; he denied that it was anything but a viral infection that would soon pass. We had the small garbage can we brought from home for the ride in the car in the room with us with all the mucus he had vomited up on the way, and still denial. My midwife, who attended my both of my daughter’s home/water births, was ultimately the one to prescribe antibiotics for Nathan.

Over the next few weeks my daughter, who was 18 months old at the time came down with symptoms along with the rest of us. I got in touch with the county health department knowing at that point that our doctor was worthless, and based on symptomatology of the classic cases all the kids had, and the symptoms my husband and I had, we were all confirmed by the county public health nurse as having pertussis. During this time my daughter was seen at the same clinic (by a different doctor at my request), and she was diagnosed with pneumonia and a bi-lateral ear infection, which are common secondary infections of pertussis.

During this same time frame, one of my close girlfriend’s children came down with the cold symptoms, and then her son was having the coughing spasms, and then vomiting. Her oldest is the same age as my oldest, and her youngest two weeks younger than my oldest daughter. They were both up to date on their vaccines as well. My friend immediately called her pediatrician upon me relaying this information to her, and her pediatrician said bring them in, and immediately put both her kids on the appropriate antibiotics. Neither of them went on to have the serious complications my kids did due to the ignorance of their own doctor. I am confident due to reporting guidelines (both at the time and current), that her children were reported to the County Health Department as probable pertussis cases. I am also sure that our family was not included in the numbers as no pertussis cases confirmed by the Public Health Nurse (at that time) were included in the numbers.

I know the doctor we saw had never seen a case of whooping cough because several weeks into the situation, I asked him directly. When he didn’t respond, I told him his silence spoke volumes. I proceeded to inform him that his mismanagement of my children’s illness bordered on malpractice, and that he was fired. I then hung up on him.

Nathan’s cough lasted for about 5 months, and the damage done to his lungs by this doctors inability to recognize this disease and lack of appropriate treatment and antibiotic prescription in a timely manner, was so severe, that anytime he would get the slightest cold for the next year and a half, the cough would return for weeks. Ironically, his immune system was so skewed by this vaccine and the illness, coupled with the damage to his immune system from all the other vaccines he received leading to an autism diagnosis, Nathan shows no immunity to pertussis

Here are the FACTS as they relate to the state of Washington, and specifically Clark County, regarding pertussis during the “outbreak of 2005”:

In 2005 Clark County Washington had, 61 cases of pertussis, 47 confirmed, and 14 probable. Data is not available for one case per the request that I put in.

Clark County Response to my request:

“Of the 60 cases for which data is available, 20 were adequately vaccinated, 37 were not adequately vaccinated, and for 3 the vaccination status was not known. Data is not available for 1 case.”

“Those that were adequately vaccinated had at least the primary 4 shot series of vaccination and any additional boosters based on their age.”

“Those that were not adequately vaccinated were defined as a child to young to have completed the series, a case exception, or case no update on vaccination boosters as set forth by the CDC Immunization Schedule at
From a “Publication from the Washington State Department of Health” regarding the vaccination schedule, which will explain adequately vaccinated versus inadequately vaccinated (specific to DTaP):http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules

2 months
4 months
6 months
15-18 months
4-6 years
“Your baby should have a total of five immunizations, one at each of these ages.”

As far as your claim that moms give pertussis to their babies? I beg to differ.

For Clark County Washington (2005):

“Age Range: 0-8 Confirmed 37 Probable 4
9-17 Confirmed 9 Probable 6
18 + Confirmed 1 Probable 3

Protective Status [refer to above]:
Not Protected Confirmed 31 Probable 6
Protected Confirmed 14 Probable 6
Unknown Confirmed 2 Probable 1

NO DEATHS[!!!!!!]”

Now granted, I know this information is for my county only during 2005, but this is the year every one makes such a fuss about because there was a large outbreak that year. To state that pertussis is most often spread by parents is misleading. According to information HERE only one third of pertussis cases can be traced to the child’s mother. That being said, I am left asking the question of who the mother came into contact with who gave it to her? My first thought would be from a child who had the cold symptoms who possibly had his or her hands all over the grocery cart handle’s, because that child’s mother was thinking it was only a cold when she took her child to the store…

Again, please refer to the above information, and realize that my husband and I caught it from our child.

Your campaign is to end the sounds of whooping cough. As an educated mom who was formerly a veterinary technician, and later a pre-midwifery student (an autism diagnosis brought that career to a screeching halt); pertussis is a cross-species disease which affects dogs in the form of kennel cough, and as such, the sounds of whooping cough will never end, no matter how much we vaccinate.

We have seen an astronomical rise in so many different diseases, in the name of eradicating other diseases, which given proper supportive and judicious care typically have a very low risk of long term consequences to one’s health. The same, miserably for so many, can not be said for many different diseases we’ve seen the astronomical rise in, and the consequences to one’s health.

When it comes to taking a vaccine, one needs to use the same caution when making this decision as they would any other medication that has the ability to alter one’s health. Doctor’s hand out medication and vaccination as if they are candy – meaning they are the end all be all to good health, which is simply not true, and they do so because they get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. Medicine’s can kill; look at Vioxx, and how many other’s that have been pulled from the market. Why would we think any different about a vaccine that is injected into our body?

In closing, I have to say that honestly while I am not very familiar with your work, I will certainly not seek to learn any more about it, or listen to your music. Your PSA is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur, and I wonder how much of a kick back you’re getting? The March of Dimes??? While some life improving work has come from this organization, they just slipped a few rungs down on my ladder of respect as well.

Thank you for your time, and if you would like to discuss this further or read the report that I received from my county to see for yourself, you can reach me at autismrr at gmail dot com.

Very Respectfully,

Angela Warner - Air Force spouse and mom to four, two recovering/recovered from autism, three who were vaccine injured, and mom to three who survived pertussis in spite of their ignorant doctor.

EFM/EFMP in the Military... It's Great Fun :) Insert Sarcasm...

2009-05-12T02:05:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note - The A.'s are my own (yeh me, Ang). We're talking about children with autism here. Affecting WAY TOO MANY.... Too Many Too Soon!!!!!!! Listen HERE

1-Once enrolled in the "Special Need" EFMP, what is the time period from
when enrolled to when you can start receiving services through Tricare/ECHO?

A. We did dual enrollment, but due to lack of Tricare/ECHO providers in our area waited over two years to receive services. The only reason we did receive services (ABA – ONLY) is because of my local advocacy and I happened to find a therapist whose husband was a Captain who had served in Iraq… Need I say more???

2-How efficient is the EFMP department on family receiving the entitlement
Category letter, timeframe & how was it received, ie: Mail or phone? This
may pertain to Navy as other branches do use other terms in their EFMP
department. I want to include all....

A. The Army was efficient at getting our EFM enrollment package. Ultimately it had to go to McChord. THEY (McChord) dropped the ball, and had it not been for my continual and necessitated follow-up, approval would have fallen through the cracks just days before the deadline, and all would have had to have been re-submitted (hundreds of pages), at the expense of our family. I no longer bother to call McChord. I am embarrassed sometimes to let the world know we are an Air Force family. Not because of what we do, but how we treat our families, and most importantly our Air Force children.

When you have the counterpart, of the EFM coordinator for your base tell you, you should put your child in FOSTER CARE because that person does not know how to help you… I guess you put your boots on. I am biding my time. I would not want it, but I could do HER job with both hands tied behind my back. I’m an AUTISM mom.

NO EFM for Guard bases where there are AD/AGR; this needs to change. We have 1 in 67 children of AD in the military community with autism. Can you tell me why? Nope you can’t. I know why…

Active duty bases need to be utilizing civilians for the position of EFM or EFMP coordinator. They need to be stationary, meaning they are not going to be transferred. They also need to have experience with special needs children or adults.

SHOUT OUT TO FT. LEWIS – THANK YOU!!!!!
Oh, and I have to silently thank my mommy instinct to prevent further damage…

3-What are your positive comments with EFM, how is it working for you? Do
you have a Parent Mentor to help coach you through the EFM process?

A. Refer to above response about Ft. Lewis. I have no positive comments other than the above, again refer to the Family Program Coordinator comment who told me to put my son in FOSTER CARE??? No! I’ve had no one. And that child – Nathan – is now RECOVERED!!!!!!!! Yes, he is recovered from autism.

4- What needs improvement for EFM families within the EFMP department,
what could be changed in the process from beginning at EFMP to receiving the
Tricare/ECHO benefit you are using? Please only comment to what is entitled
to Tricare now. Not a service that cannot be used.

A. The only improvement’s that can be made are; the treatment of autism spectrum disorders being moved under the basic Tricare program, and EFM/EFMP and ALL doctors providing assistance/treatment to be THOROUGHLY educated regarding the afore mentioned. This makes me want to call Nathan’s ECHO case manager tomorrow and ask her about a whole bunch of things she won’t be able to answer.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment. My wonderful new neighbor told me tonight she would have never known anything was wrong with the boys… How’s that feel??? OMG for them and us all!!!

Vaccines Cause More Than Just Autism...

2009-04-20T16:19:00.000-04:00

So telling Paul Offit to shut up last night is definitely not one of the nicest things I've ever said to someone, but far from the worst. HERE You see, I simply don't appreciate being called names by a man who is profitting off of injuries our kids sustain in the name of protecting and ridding the world of rotavirus!

I am not a "False Prophet" because I share that recovery from autism is possible. I've got proof living in my home. Other parents recovering their children from the abyss of autism are not "False Prophets" either. And last, but certainly not least, all the good doctors and researchers who are finding answers and helping our children heal are not "False Prophets". Just the opposite! And Good God in Heaven are we and our children ever thankful and forever in debt to them!

Paul Offit is the False Prophet here; him and his brood. And while I'm at it, I may as well tell Amanda Peet to shut-up as well. Just go away... you don't have a leg to stand on and you don't have a dog in this fight so you have no room to speak on this issue!

I'll tell you what got me started on this two day rant of mine. I am incredibly upset, I'm sure you figured this out by now. When my husband got home from work yesterday he informed me that one of his co-workers four year old nephew is in Dornbecker Children's Hospital. He is basically on life support, with his asthma threatening to take his life. His birthday is this summer, and they do not expect him to make it that long. He will be five. I can not fathom... Please keep this family, and this precious little boy in your prayers.

My husband told me because it was tearing him apart, and of course if anyone is going to understand, it's going to be me. And now it's tearing me up. I just can not fathom what this family is going through.

Thus, my need to vent and tell Paul Offit to shut the hell up!

Vaccines are responsible for the rise in so many disorders and diseases, and you do nothing but turn a blind eye to the situation and call us "False Prophets"! It's pretty obvious, your love of money. "For the love of money is the root of all evil." 1 Timothy 6:10 You have contributed to the sickest and most disabled generation of children ever. If you really gave a damn about our children's health and well being you'd get off your ass and take some of your precious vaccine profit and help us find an answer through honest research instead of continually telling parents vaccines are safe, so safe that an infant could handle 10,000 or 100,000 at once. Prove it!

God has a special place reserved for you. He's going to close the gate on you because of what you've done.

For more information on vaccines and asthma please visit Age of Autism and read THIS Vaccines cause asthma; the science proves it!

Hey Paul Offit - When Will You Just SHUT UP??????

2009-04-20T01:40:00.000-04:00

I was going to work on something else tonight, but was drawn to something else. Mainly some R and R... and funny... THIS is where it led me. I am in a good mood. And relaxed. Rare for an autism mom. I'm being nice to you. Funny I used to listen to this years ago... You eschew the very science you pretend to portray. I am not impressed.

Oh and I'd like a Sunday OFF for ONCE or ANY DAY for that matter? Would you like to come and study our kids??? I doubt it. There might be too many answers there for your scientific mind to handle.

Forgive the two second glib in the link. Read the Lyrics. I PROMISE you'll have fun with them... Honestly.
Faith No More Last Cup Of Sorrow

Oh... and I'm NOT EASY! I'm an Autism Mom. Have fun Pauly.

"This is getting old
And so are you.
Everything you know
And never knew.
Will run through your fingers
Just like sand.
Enjoy it while you can.
Like a snake between two stones
It itches in your bones.
Take a deep breath and swallow
Your sorrow
Tomorrow.
So raise it up and lets propose a toast.
To the thing that hurts you most.
It's your last cup of sorrow.
What can you say?
Finish it today.
It's your last cup of sorrow.
So think of me
And get on your way.
It won't begin
Until you make it end.
Until you know the how the where and the when.
With a new face you might surprise yourself.
Like a snake between two stones
It itches in your bones.
Take a deep breath and swallow
Your sorrow
Tomorrow.
So raise it up and lets propose a toast.
To the thing that hurts you most.
It's your last cup of sorrow.
What can you say?
Finish it today.
It's your last cup of sorrow.
So think of me
And get on your way!
You might surprise yourself
You might surprise yourself"

Autism Recovery... OSD, TMA, AAP, NIH, CDC, IOM, Listen Up!!!

2009-04-10T01:05:00.000-04:00

My son, Nathan, lost his autism diagnosis on April 8th, 2009. I don’t even know where to begin. I am still trying to bring my mind back from being around the moon for HIM!!! I have shed many tears of complete and utter joy. I almost feel speechless. There is so much to tell. Not so much about the hell that we’ve been through, but how a deeper hell was avoided because I trusted the voice inside me. I trusted my Mother Warrior voice. I come from a long line of Mother Warriors.

I have shared many times over the years that I know the reason my boys did not develop severe autism is because they weren’t vaccinated according to the schedule. I know that Nathan was injured by vaccines. I thank God every day for giving me the strength to listen to my voice.

Nathan was born on August 11, 2001. Giving birth to him was amazing. I had no interventions and no medications of any kind. He was perfect and weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds 10 ounces. His first vaccine, the Hep B, was given when he was just over two weeks old. He seemed to do ok with just this one, but things changed dramatically when I took him in for his “well baby” visit at just over two months of age. On that day Nathan received Hep B, DTaP, HIB, Polio, and PCV vaccines. The slow and steady decline began that day. My happy and healthy baby began his journey into autism.

Nathan received no shots for the next year. He was always sick or covered with eczema. I’d have an appointment set up to take him in and then cancel it. He was not sick enough to go to the doctor, but I knew he was too sick to get a vaccine. His older brother got the Varicella vaccine in November and within the incubation period for chickenpox, Nathan was covered with spots. I think he got the chickenpox from Isaac getting the vaccine; it’s a live virus and Nathan was immuno-compromised at that time from his vaccines. Around Christmas he started having what appeared to be seizures. The EEG ultimately showed nothing, so we were pretty much written off as crazy, over concerned parents.

When Nathan turned one, they played catch up with him. He got DTaP, HIB, and Polio. Four weeks later he got Hep B, DTaP, HIB, PCV, and MMR. Nine vaccines. The DTaP that Nathan received that day (same lot #) killed another baby two weeks after this baby got the vaccine, in our area, and two weeks after Nathan got this vaccine. In February 2003, now 18 months old, Nathan got another DTaP and HIB. Another child in our area, who received the same lot of DTaP within 5 weeks of Nathan getting this vaccine, was diagnosed with autism a couple months after Nathan was diagnosed.

During this time things were so crazy in our lives, that Nathan’s craziness, I guess I just took it in stride most of the time. My husband was working full time, I was going to college full time, Dave was going to college half time, I was pregnant with our third child, and Dave and I just chalked it up to all this and the fact that we were just plain tired. There were plenty of signs that something was amiss then, but we’d been down the Early Intervention road with Isaac right before Nathan was born and as there were a lot of similarities in their developments, I knew EI would be a waste of time.

That following winter was the winter of the big flu scare, and I signed the boys up for a flu vaccine. Fortunately I only gave them the one dose. The same patterns continued, and even though they didn’t get much worse, I was beginning to suspect something was, in fact, wrong.

The summer of 2004 brought reality to my concerns. Dave signed up to join the Air Force in July and the kids and I moved in with my parents. I didn’t want to do it alone for six months with three kids, and honestly there was no way we would be able to afford to live on his beginning salary. When we moved in I said something to my mom about thinking I may need to have Nathan evaluated. My mom has a BA in Psychology, so when she said, she would wait and see; I trusted her. Dave left for basic training in the middle of August. I had already decided to enroll Nathan in Headstart, and made the appointment for August 30 to get him the Varicella vaccine. By September 3rd, Nathan was gone. There was no more suspecting that something was wrong.

My introduction to being a Mother Warrior was like what most, if not all of us, experience. Autism Basic Training. You better get up in the morning and make sure your combat boots are strapped on tight because you have no idea what the day is going to bring. You better march and get it right Mother Warrior; otherwise you’re dropping and pumping out 50 in the form of another meltdown.

I knew I would get Nathan back. I had no idea what the hell I was doing in those first days, I just knew I was going to bring him back. I was on my own for him. Dave was gone, add the stress of living with your mom and step-dad, and feeling judged as a parent. Totally alone, in a town where I knew no one. Fighting for my son. I became steel, and would no longer tolerate crap from anyone. Autism Basic Training.

The road has been long and hard. We have all worked hard to bring Nathan back, keep our family intact, and grow our relationships with extended family by sharing knowledge, which has been great. The past three years have brought much change and our families have been incredibly supportive even if from afar (the nuclear family). My sister in law and her hubby actually were volunteers for a multi-chapter autism organization fundraiser in New York this past weekend.

The laundry list of challenges we’ve faced for Nathan on all fronts, is as long as the laundry list of behaviors. One of the things that will forever stick in my mind is when Nathan would speak, it would be him screaming at me in the months and years following that damn vaccine, “You’re Stupid Momma!”. I knew we were on our way when he stopped screaming that, and I think he was screaming that because of the agony he was in, and because he knew it was caused by the vaccine. The laundry list for Nathan also included a subsequent EEG which showed abnormal temporal lobe activity with slowed and sharpened delta and theta waves. Essentially absence seizures. Nope, we’re not crazy parents, and through research I found that it is common for the first EEG to come back negative.

We also found that it is quite common for children with autism to react to drugs prescribed for ADHD with serious side effects. Nathan reacted with both auditory and visual hallucinations which landed him in the children’s psych ward for 11 days. Four months pregnant with our fourth child, and Dave deployed again; my combat boots are still strapped on tightly. Have you ever reached out to your Family Program Coordinator at your base, and had that person tell you, that she would recommend that you put your son in foster care, and then told her to F Bomb off? Boots tightly on. That’s what autism requires.

Bringing Nathan back… eliminating certain foods that contained offensive ingredients to his system. We’ve never done GFCF. I never felt in my gut that this would be the ultimate key for him even knowing that for so many of our kiddo’s it brings huge progress. He does not consume many casein containing foods. Does he get a little hyper after eating goldfish for a snack? Sure sometimes, yes, but he (and we) can deal with a little hyper. We ultimately did really good vitamins, lots of vitamin C for his chronic constipation, ignatia (homeopathic remedy), B-6, tons of acidophilus, avoided certain meats for some time (due to the nitrate concentrates), and enrolled him in a study on zeolite that was just getting started. All this primed him for the intensive home therapy that he started this past summer (right after the study ended), which happened because I’ve had my boots strapped on. Nathan’s gut was fortunately, not as damaged as so many of our children. I thank God everyday.

Nathan’s recovery is a miracle. I birthed a perfect child. I allowed him to receive the vaccines that pushed him into the autism abyss, and I had to fight to undo the damage I allowed to be caused. Nathan is whole again. Nathan is no longer in the abyss.

One last thing to add… in the past month since the girls had the chickenpox (which I intentionally exposed them to), Nathan has progressed in leaps and bounds. I had a discussion with my midwife about this (she attended both girls home/water births), when she sent me the email inviting me to have a pox party with her own daughter; I was concerned about Nathan knowing what we know. We may see regression, or this could somehow further fix his whacked immune system. I called her in tears last night as it is obvious that the latter happened. We’ve got a study here in the Warner home. Who’s interested???

Recovery IS Possible and IS Happening! My Nathan is PROOF!!!!!!

Lee Sislby's Special for Military Families!!!

2009-04-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

Lee Silsby is running a special for all military families through May 31, 2009. Military families can get free shipping on any prescription compounded medications at Lee Silsby, including our vitamin/mineral formula ASD Powder and Enhansa (if the patient has a prescription for it).

Besides that, all new customers that mention that code (MILIT) will get $20 off their first order.

For more information, call us at 1-800-918-8831 or visit www.leesilsby.com

Thank you Lee Silsby for this generous offer to help our military families and children!

AAP, NIH, CDC, FDA, TMA, Anyone, Everyone!!!

2009-04-04T02:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, I tuned into Larry King tonight with Jenny, Jim, Jerry, and JB. I LOVE YOU!!!

Shame, Shame, Shame. How about Dr. W and Dr. F. Sorry - You all don't deserve more than that. I do hope you read this.

Could You PLEASE explain to me why my oldest three children of four who were vaccinated (two whom have autism and are recovering) (the third oldest who was also vaccine injured), could you please explain why they all had chronic ear infections leading to chronic antibiotics??? Could you please explain why my oldest had this and "required" ear tubes, and why my other two recovered from chronic ear infections with chiropractic care??? I doubt it. Thank GOD for the accident I was in (not my fault) that led me to Dr. Tom!

Could you also please explain to me why my youngest who is completely unvaccinated did not have chronic ear infections??? She and my older daughter are getting over the dreaded chicken pox... Oh my... Lions and Tigers... and Bears... WITH FLYING COLORS!!! Could you please explain? I know the answers to all the above. DO YOU??? We may be a perfect case study... Do you want to come pour over medical records?

I am not anti-vaccine, but I will not vaccinate my children further until You Show ME as a parent, that conflict of intrest free studies have been done which prove that a vaccine I give permission for my child to receive is not going to harm them, and that I no longer have to sign a "waiver" releasing the "doc's office" from liability.

You don't want to go rounds with me. You just don't want to go there.

BRING IT!!!!!!!

Autism One!!! Forty Nine Days and Seriously Counting!!!

2009-03-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

$49 Conference Rate for Military Families at Autism One!

AUTISM ONE 2009 MAY 20-24 CHICAGO
Westin O'Hare Hotel - 6100 North River Road, Chicago, Illinois
CHANGE HAS COME
THE AUTISM ONE 2009 CONFERENCE IS BEING HELD IN HONOR OF
ANDREW J. WAKEFIELD, MB, BS, FRCS, FRCPath
HOPE IS REAL. CHILDREN ARE RECOVERING.

A diagnosis or suspicion that your child has autism is devastating. After months or years of denial it cannot be denied any longer. You are faced with the greatest question of your life – how to best help your child. The difficult step toward finding answers is a courageous one that can be as frightening as the initial suspicion or confirming diagnosis. It means recognizing and rejecting that labyrinth of gobbledygook, circular reasoning, and non-answers parents most often hear.
It means educating yourself. It means trusting yourself. It means believing your child can get better.

YOUR INSTINCTS ARE RIGHT. THERE IS A BETTER WAY.

We have helped thousands of children by educating parents, practitioners, and others about treating the underlying biomedical conditions. This year’s theme, Change Has Come, reflects the immense strides our community has made over the last decade. Ten years ago no one believed a child with autism could get better. Today, thousands of children are getting better. And, yes, children are recovering.
Pre-Conference Programs include:
• Art of Cooking Special Diets • Beginning Biomed - In Spanish!
• Special Education Law Day • First Responders Training
• Defeat Autism Now! Clinician Training • Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law & Advocacy

Main Conference Starts Earlier.
This year, the main conference starts on Thursday evening. Please check the schedule page at www.autismone.org for over 100 presenters including the leading researchers, scientists, educators, therapists, and parents. The main conference covers biomedical research and treatments; behavior/education/ communication therapies; complementary and alternative medicine; adolescence and adulthood; and government/legal/personal issues.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: JENNY McCARTHY

Special Features include:
• Environmental Symposium • Elias Tembenis Seizures Think Tank/Presentations
• An Afternoon with Dr. Amy Yasko • Language Seminar/Think Tank
• Residential Think Tank • Vaccine Education Seminar
Seizures Presentations (Sunday) include:
• Paul Hardy, MD: Epilepsy in Autism: An Overview
• Allan Sosin, MD: Masking for Seizures
• Seyyed Hossein Fatemi, MD, PhD: Gaba A and Gaba B receptor abnormalities in autism
• Richard Frye, MD, PhD: Subclinical epileptiform discharges & functional reorganization in atypical cognitive development

MORE. MORE. MORE. Movies, Mentor Moms, Arts Festival, Spa Night, and more.
HOPE IS REAL. RECOVERY IS REAL. OUR CHILDREN GET BETTER.
www.autismone.org

Photograph courtesy of Los Angeles Photographer Louis Felix. Louis is working on a
photograph series of military service members and their children with autism. He will be attending the Autism One conference. See his work at http://autismone.org/movies/spectrum.wmv

Autism Salutes Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney!!!

2009-03-29T19:43:00.000-04:00

Congresswoman Maloney has worked long and hard to protect the health of our military members and families, and this is demonstrated yet again through her co-sponsorship of this BILL

Autism Salutes You! Congresswoman Maloney!!! The autism community is full of gratitude for all that you have done and continue to do to help our children and our families.

While it doesn't seem near enough, all I can do is say thank you to you and your staff. Thank you for fighting for our children. And as I said to Congressman Sestak, You ROCK! The journey of autism is a long and hard one, and I am so grateful that we have your support.

Autism Salutes Congressmen Sestak, Rodriguez & Jones!!!

2009-03-24T17:27:00.000-04:00

Just to clarify, this is not a repeat of a post from last year! Congressman Sestak has done it again for our military kiddo's with autism, and Congressman Rodriguez, and Congressman Jones have joined in on the journey!

Last week Congressmen Sestak, Rodriguez, and Jones introduced a Bill that would move the coverage of medically necessary treatment for autism under the basic Tricare program, which is exactly where it belongs! You can read the Bill HERE

Congressman Sestak, if you happen to read this, I just have to say You ROCK!!! Our military families are so grateful to you for your continued willingness to travel this journey with us to help us heal and recover our children with autism through appropriate access to treatment.

Congressman Rodriguez, Congressman Jones, our families are grateful that you've joined us on this journey. More children and families join our ranks everyday. We do not want them to have to endure what we have, and the Bill you've introduced is a huge step in the right direction. This will allow families to concentrate their efforts on their child(ren)'s treatment, and that's where the focus should be.

Gentlemen, Autism Salutes YOU!!!

Tricare to Present to the IACC on Autism!!!

2009-03-23T17:50:00.001-04:00

I was contacted by NIH a short time ago, and Tricare has cancelled their presentation at the IACC Services Sub-committee meeting on Thursday. Due to this, the IACC meeting has also been moved to Rockville, MD. You can view the updated info page HERE

The NIH will be notifying me if Tricare re-schedules. I will most certainly be posting here if they do re-schedule!

If you are a parent, and particularly a military parent who has a child with autism; Mark Your Calanders!!!

On Thursday, March 26, 2009, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) services sub-committee will be meeting to discuss strategic planning for Autism Spectrum Disorder services and supports. Tricare will be presenting during this meeting on activities surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The link to the Federal Registry of the meeting is HERE

While some of our military children with autism are able to access treatment, far too many are not. This should be of concern to us all, as should the fact that our children with autism are segregated into a completely different program in order to receive treatment because Tricare has refused to recognize treatment for autism as medically necessary, and instead treats it as a special education service. What gets me is this; Tricare and the Department of Defense will mandate the American Academy of Pediatric's (AAP) "recommended" vaccine schedule for military dependent children, yet they won't mandate the AAP's recommendation for 25-40 hours a week of ABA therapy for children with autism. I find this extremely bothersome considering there has been a boatload of research conducted on ABA and its' efficacy over the past five decades, compared to the raft-full of research done on the safety of vaccines and the current schedule.

I wrote a basic summary on both the ECHO program and the Demo project. You can read that HERE

Please plan to attend. And I would strongly encourage you all to comment. We need to have a strong presence at this meeting.

Date: March 26, 2009.
Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Access the Conference Call: Dial: 888-455-2920. Access code: 3857872.
Webinar: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/563207085
In Person: The Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Conference Room 335G2,
200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20201.

For more information visit the Federal Registry HERE

Some Thoughts on Tricare Presenting to the IACC

2009-03-23T17:20:00.000-04:00

Summary of Tricare’s ECHO Program and Demo Project

By: Angela Warner

An IACC Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2009, and Tricare is on the agenda to present regarding treatment of autism spectrum disorders. For those who may not be familiar with the military, Tricare is the only provider of health insurance for active duty service members.

The presentation of Tricare’s programs for autism treatment could have the potential to impact in a detrimental manner, the treatment protocol of military and civilian children alike with regard to autism spectrum disorders. Below I will share the facts as families experience them, including our own personal experiences with Tricare’s policies and approaches, to treating autism spectrum disorders.

Tricare’s Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program was implemented in the late summer of 2005. To date there is still a great lack of awareness among military medical providers about this program, and that ECHO provides ABA treatment for military dependent children with autism.

The failure’s of Tricare’s ECHO program led to the introduction in the spring of 2008 (through legislation spurred by parent advocates), the Demonstration Project (Demo), which is under ECHO. While the Demo loosened the reins so to speak, and they have brought many new providers and tutors on board in recent months; the Demo project still falls far short of serving the military community of children with autism.

The ECHO program allows only for administration of ABA by a BCBA or BCABA. The Demo project allows for administration of ABA by qualified tutors, with oversight and review from either a BCBA or BCABA.

We all know we are in the middle of an ever growing epidemic of children with autism. The number of BCBA’s and BCABA’s in this country alone would not be enough to serve the military community alone, forget the rest of civilian families seeking their services for their own children with autism. As of the end of 2007, and only covering a twenty four month tracking period after the implementation of ECHO, there were 13,243 military dependent children with autism of active duty families. At the end of 2007 (covering the same tracking period) only 1,374 of those children with autism were enrolled in the ECHO program so they could potentially receive treatment for autism. (FOIA is in the Documents section)

Both the ECHO program and Demo project segregate children with autism in order for them to receive medically necessary treatment. This happens with no other disease or disorder no matter of origin, whether neurological, neurobiological, genetic, physiological, or mental. This is wrong, and should not be.

As of April 1, 2009 the monthly cap for services will be increased to $36,000 per year; far short of what is recommended for children with autism.

In order for a child with autism to be accepted into either the ECHO program or Demo project, the child must be enrolled and accepted into the Exceptional Family Member program (EFMP) first. The EFMP is supposed to prevent members from being assigned to a new duty station where there are not medical services available to treat children or spouses with any condition that requires ongoing specialist care.

Requiring enrollment in the EFMP can often present the first barrier to care. Many military members do not want their child to be identified as having special needs or autism within the military system. Although there is much literature to the contrary, having a spouse or child enrolled in the EFMP, can for many military members, be career suicide. The member may be required to serve at a duty station in order to advance their career, which may not be able to provide the services required in order for EFMP to approve the duty assignment. While many times an unaccompanied tour is possible (member goes leaving family at last duty station until tour is over – up to four years sometimes), families who have special needs and/or autism should not have to make these difficult and potentially life altering decisions.

Once enrollment into the EFMP is established, the application process for ECHO/Demo can begin. The child must be found eligible for access to treatment for autism. The child’s eligibility for the ECHO program or Demo Project is determined by a doctor who; has never seen, talked to, nor clinically examined or evaluated the patient with autism, for whom they are making this determination of eligibility. As a parent who has a strong medical background (unfortunately no medical degree due to autism); this is medically unethical, and is causing military dependent children with autism further harm.

Through Tricare’s ECHO program and Demo project, ABA is provided as a “special education” benefit through United States Code 10 Section 1079. Yet Tricare will not provide these benefits for issues viewed as educational; only those “issues” presenting as behavioral or medical problems. In order to receive ABA one must have a prescription from a medical provider which prescribes ABA that is ultimately addressed and treated as a “special education” benefit. This is a direct conflict.

Neither the ECHO program nor Demo project are accessible to our retired military members who have children with autism. This is a huge problem within our community. Retiree’s dependents have no access to services, after serving for twenty or thirty plus years. This is just wrong. Their children with autism should have the same access to medically necessary treatment for autism.

This severe lack of services has led to the need for the military to “take care of its own” through the founding of a non-profit, Heroes With Handicaps (HWH). I am on the Board of Directors. Our mission is to assist military families who have financial needs regarding the treatment of their children with autism. What a sad day indeed when we need such.

Autism is also impacting the readiness of our troops and retention, and I can testify to that on a personal level. I will share a bit.

Our youngest son Nathan was diagnosed in 2005. His father, my husband of 12 years this month, deployed stateside in early 2006. His pediatrician prescribed Concerta as Nathan has a co-morbid ADHD diagnosis. Within 24 hours Nathan experienced visual and auditory hallucinations, which due to his inability (at the time) to receive and form receptive and expressive language to tell me what was happening; I gave him the second dose of Concerta. Nathan was hospitalized that afternoon in the children’s psych ward, at age four. He was there for 11 days. I was pregnant with our youngest and went into preterm labor at four months, and staved that off thanks to my medical training and homeopath background. Prior to this, our Family Program Coordinator, Mary Bell, recommended that I put Nathan in foster care because she had no resources or community information to give me other than a list of books. Two Red Cross messages had to be sent from the hospital, and additional follow-up became necessary in order for my husband’s return to happen. The second Red Cross message was ignored as well. He came home on day 10. My husband, Dave, was just finally able to return to complete his training this past spring. Nathan was on his road to recovery, and we had proper family supports.

The delay in Dave completing his training caused a delay in his ability to be promoted for more than a year. Dave is an E-4 (also won Airman of the Year in three categories this year – I must pat him on the back), and he is still waiting to sew on those promotion stripes to E-5. Were it not for SSI and a phone call I made last year to our local Department of Developmental Disabilities, the ensuing letter and application explaining our situation, with hundreds of pages of documentation, and the services we were subsequently able to receive... I’ll suffice to say I do not like to think of where we might be now. This is what happened to our family, and I know we are not alone.

There is no magic formula for military families who have children with autism as many would like to believe. While Tricare is trying to help, they are not listening to families until after the fact, and that is not acceptable. We are on the front lines of the autism epidemic, and they should be reaching out to us first. Tricare is not.

Major General Elder Granger, is the Deputy Director of Tricare, and oversees the entire Tricare Program. General Granger did not reach out to the community for a year and a half after the ECHO program was implemented. It was apparent long before that time, the ECHO program was a complete failure, and nothing was done.

Nathan was only able to access treatment through ECHO this past summer (we did do a few bio-med treatments/studies), and that was all again, due to advocacy of both my husband and myself. My husband and I have discussed this so many times… what would our family look like now if Nathan had been able to access treatment when diagnosed? I was the one who had to do the therapy in addition to everything else.

I would not consider the ECHO program, or the Demo project to be models for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders. There is so much more that needs to be done, and can be done to provide comprehensive treatment for our children with autism. Treatment for autism is medically necessary, not a special education benefit.

In closing, the entire IACC Sub-committee needs to understand that autism treatment is NOT a nice little package deal. And as a parent who has dealt with the system for four years, it is my personal feeling that this is exactly how Tricare will present it. Tricare is not cutting edge, never has been, at least not without parent input and media coverage, and continuing legislation. I can’t help but think of the Walter Reed scandal.

Angela Warner – Air Force spouse, autism advocate, and mom to four (two with autism)

The CDC, AAP, NIH, and OSD Too; The Feared Chickenpox.

2009-03-14T01:45:00.000-04:00

Yep, chickenpox... We have them.

Those lovely red spots that for a moment resemble a dew drop on a rose... and then crust over... oh yes... we have them. Now based on prodromal symptoms as of today, oh yes, we are hopeful we will have more chickenpox in our home. Sorry ya'all, but natural immunity is best to SOME diseases, and this is one of them.

YOU must understand that the (refrain here) varicella vaccine is what sent my younger son in the abyss of autism. One vaccine. I have been quite incensed ever since I realized that what was caused his regression into the world of autism.

So PHARMA and ALL others - you've got some explaining to do!!!!!! I don't think you can. Nope. Your brains are too wrapped around money.

God forbid, and I've already knocked on my head mind you, which it seems you do not do (is there anything besides wood?), should anything happen to my kids, I take the same stance I did when I made the decision to have two at home based on having two in the hospital (no drugs mind you). Responsibilty to your own family is much different from what you claim to do for an entire population. What you claim to do, can honestly can only be done on a family level. Who did I call??? My midwife, and my mother (I have two now).

You might want to PAY ATTENTION!!!!! I did. LEARN something! Now.

Footnote. I had the measles when I was 14 and I was vaccinated. What my child is going through is no worse than what I went through. Just thought I'd share. ;) My mother thought the vaccine would protect me... guess not so much... huh??? I am not anti-vaccine, but I will tell you that I think people that don't want their kids to get this or the mumps, measles, or rubella during childhood, yep I think they're maybe slightly crazy. I've seen what rubella during pregnancy can do. Amanda. 1989. Do you want to go there Pharma? And it was most likely due to vaccines as to why this friend of mine had a daughter who died a little over a year after she was born. Same reason I got measles when I was 14. Limited immunity and nothing permanent like having the actual diseases will do for the immune system. There is no more messing around.

As the saying goes (no refrain here) "shit or get off the pot".

Well... General Granger is Retiring... In May...

2009-03-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

Yes, the cat is out of the bag. General Granger is retiring. When I learned of this news about three weeks ago, I was not quite sure how I felt. The only thing I could come up with is this; change can be a good thing, and I am hopeful for the future of our children's medically necessary treatment for autism. I must admit that I know who will follow in his foot steps. More on that later.

I want you to reflect on this song and the video. Seal did a beautiful remake of this song, and the album is out. Seals video has been removed from You Tube. Although this has nothing to do with vaccination, I am posting a clip of the song with video footage from the "Green Our Vaccines" rally in D.C. last June. (Man I sooo wanted to go to this rally!) This was the only clip of the song that I could find.

Can you imagine standing in a croud of over 8,000 parents and relatives listening to this song while holding up a picture of your child with autism??? I still get tears in my eyes just thinking about the power of parents, and most importantly, the power of our children and their need for recovery.

Change is a good thing. Listen and Watch HERE And thank you "kslangnc" for "You Tubing" this intense and moving moment for the world to see.

Autism Salutes Autism One!!!

2009-03-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

I love Autism One! It's official :) I am going to Autism One in Chicago in May. You can learn about the conference HERE The conference begins on Wednesday and ends on Sunday. Autism One has a special rate for our active duty military members and family members. Forty Nine Dollars. Yes, you read correctly. $49.00. Yes, that 49 bucks covers all five days. Thank You Ed!!!

Let me tell you a little about the Founder and Executive Director, Ed... He served in the USCG from 1976 to 1985. Autism One stands beside our military families.

Make sure you check out the line up of speakers and presenters before you make up your mind. You can do that HERE

We all live within our means. On an E-4's pay how in the world did I do this? How can I afford to go to Autism One in Chicago??? Let me tell you. Get on the phone with your like-minded friends. Who has miles that can be used for hotel or air or both? Who has some dough to help compensate for something someone else in your group may be able to cover through miles??? It's kinda like a carpool, but different. How about that.

So now that you're brainstorming after looking at it all, you can register for Autism One HERE

Come prepared to learn tons, make friends, and have fun!!! Bonus? The weather in Chicago in May is typically beautiful spring weather. I should know, I grew up about three and a half hours from Chicago.

So... I'll see you there right? ... I thought so.

Autism One, Autism Salutes YOU!

What Makes You Crazy???

2009-02-27T01:55:00.000-05:00

Well... I'll tell you what makes me crazy... AUTISM!!! And the fact that we know what causes it and that no one is listening. This has been bothering me for days, and the culmination came last night after reading the latest Schafer Report and the garbage commentary it contained from the LA Times. You can read that HERE. Thus the reason for my post last night. I do believe I will have to have another listen and view of the Tweaker video.

Now what I don't understand is how vaccines have become the sacred cow. I don't understand how they can be the only pharmaceutical on the market that on the surface anyway, would appear not to have any problems. Well, I do know... money.

So pay a visit to the desert HERE cuz "Momma Sed".

And then for all us parents who've been touched by autism... you should go HERE cuz Momma Sed and the bowels of hell suck (I don't miss the diarrhea - for sure).

Ok... moving on... well... I have psoriasis... it sucks and is itchy and from what I understand, an auto-immune disorder. Nice. Yep. Nice... My mom also has a host of issues that have not defininely been linked to auto-immune disorders. What did my (biological) dad have? Navy and VIA Era veteran???

Ok... so on to the meat. Two Things.

Raptiva HERE "Meanwhile, European regulators on Thursday called for sales of Raptiva to be suspended, Bloomberg news reported. In an e-mail cited by Bloomberg, the regulators said that "the benefits of Raptiva no longer outweigh its risks, because of safety concerns." Yes you see, 3 deaths and they call for a suspension, but hell no, not the US! Money.

Last??? Something that has not been openly discussed. Has anyone thought of or considered epigenetics? I know "they've" not. "They" can't even get the basic study's done. It's laughable, honestly. Can anyone tell me with all certainty that the vaccines we're giving have not altered on some level, cellular replicaton, because ultrasound can impact cellular development for 7 generations of growth. Given that, it's gonna take some sound studies before I would ever vaccinate one of my kids again. I know they're gonna pass that on in the form of genetic material.

Thank God my girls were exposed to chickenpox last weekend. Change has come. Got an email from a local friend yesterday about anther chickenpox party. MONEY has cost too much. Stupid on 'em.

I've had TWO births at home and accepted the responsibility for the outcomes of both. I wish all four of my kids were born at home. I wish I'd had the complete knowledge then that I have now. Think about that - would ya???

So go ahead Brown, Deer, WHOEVER... Bring It.

Autism... Our Kids Just Wanna Leave... IT

2009-02-26T01:53:00.000-05:00

It's like the clown... Stephan King's "IT". That's autism.

Off to bed with Sam on my lap. She wants her Momma :)She is so yummy.

I've walked 1000 miles plus, and I can not imagine what so many families have walked and endured beyond ours.

Go HERE

It may take a minute to load.

Listen. Watch. Breathe.

Funny but not so much, I feel as calloused as he looks.

Bring it on. What a journey...

Love ya J :) six months and I can't get that song out of my head. IT ROCKS

Reaching Out To The White House And First Lady Michelle Obama

2009-02-05T16:54:00.000-05:00

February 4, 2009

Dear First Lady Michelle Obama,

On January 20, 2009, President Elect Obama was sworn in as our great nations 44th President and you as our First Lady. As I watched the events of the day unfold, and with each passing moment, I became more filled with hope and renewed faith that there will be much needed change in the direction of our country. I was glued to the TV when watching The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. Tears began streaming down my face when you and your husband began your first dance as President and First Lady. My husband and I dance to Etta James’ “At Last” in our kitchen all the time.

As a proud Air Force spouse, I was still glued to the TV during the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball, and words will not do justice to the feelings I experienced when I heard you, yet again, voice your desire to support our military families.

Thousands of our families are in crisis, and we desperately need your help. While many aspects of our lives are unique to military service; one thing is not, and that is the autism epidemic. Not only am I a proud Air Force spouse; I’m the mother of four young children, two of whom have autism.

Autism does not discriminate, and is not unique to the military, nor are the lifestyle changes and huge financial challenges that come with raising and medically treating our children with autism. While it is a big one, the only exception is preparing for and living through continual deployments and temporary duty assignments. That said, in the civilian community there are countless parents who travel frequently for work. Our families and children, who make up the autism community, as a whole, do not have the support our families need nor do we have the coverage of treatment our children with autism require. I am positive you can understand some of the challenges our families face on a daily basis. There is much work that has to be done.

Autism is a physiological disorder affecting multiple body systems which impacts neurological functioning. When the physiological disease states our children suffer from are treated, they are then able, neurologically, to acquire necessary life skills imparted through behavior intervention modalities, and benefit and recover. Every child with autism is different, and has sustained differing physiological damage to their body systems in a different way leading to their neurological impairment. Each child requires a different treatment protocol designed specifically for them.

The CDC has a prevalence rate of autism occurring in 1 in 150 children based on selective data from 2000 and 2002. If you look to the Department of Education and look at population instead of prevalence, you will find that for the 2006-2007 school year data shows that 1 in 67 children have autism. In the military looking at population data, you will see that at least 1 in every 57 military dependent children of active duty members has autism.

I am very aware that Senator Durbin and President Obama drafted the “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008” (ATAA2008), while your husband was still in the position of U.S. Senator for Illinois. The autism epidemic commands consensus language for this Bill that Senator Durbin and your husband planned to introduce. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association are not on the front lines of treating and recovering children with autism. Our long standing autism organizations, researchers, and doctors who are putting the pieces of the autism puzzle together are on the front lines. They are the “troops” who are fighting, and winning against autism, for our children and our future.

As the mother of two boys with autism, I know what I’ve done for my children versus what my American Academy of Pediatrics pediatrician recommended. Her recommendation, which I followed, landed my younger son at age 4 in the children’s psychiatric ward for 11 days. Her recommendations were discontinued 3 years ago, and she has since been “fired” for numerous reasons including that mentioned above. Her plan was not patient centered. Her care, of our children, was not individualized and specific to our children. Our plan for our children, based on research and input from those at long standing autism organizations, has led to recovery. Our youngest son will most likely be completely mainstreamed, educationally speaking, next year.

Our military children do receive some coverage for the treatment of autism, but it is covered as a “special education” benefit under TRICARE (military healthcare coverage), and United States Code 1079. Less than 10% of our children are receiving this benefit due to the failures of TRICARE, and essentially a failure of our Department of Defense.

On October 14, 2008, President Bush signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which included provisions for our military children with autism that would eliminate an arbitrary monthly cap on the medically prescribed treatment our children require and instead placed an arbitrary yearly cap on medically prescribed treatment our children receive under a special education benefit. As of the date of this letter to you it’s been three and a half months going on four months, and this change has yet to be implemented officially or in any capacity for that matter, for our military children. It makes me, again, think of Walter Reed and what a horrible situation. On that note I will share with you that I’ve spoken with several of our Wounded Warriors who have children with autism. They all say the same thing and that is, “our kids have it way worse than we ever did”. Our Wounded Warriors knew the risks involved with signing up for service. Our children had no choice.

Due to the nature of the disease/disorder process of autism, I would ask that the ATAA2008 Bill language be re-visited, and that great consideration be given to input from long standing autism organizations research, and assembled into the necessary revisions of the ATAA2008 language pertaining to treatment of children with autism. I will also point out that TRICARE is an entitlement, and not health insurance, and as such the ATAA2008 will not benefit our military dependent children with autism at all, unless this too is addressed in ATAA2008. Revisions are completely necessary in order to make this Bill effective to heal our children, and healing is what they require in order to become contributing members of society.

Our nation elected and is trusting, your husband, President Obama, and you Michelle, our First Lady, to do what is right, “of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Our children with autism are a huge part of our nation’s people. Our children and families need your help to stop the autism epidemic, and help our children now be able to recover and reach their potential as contributing members of “our people”.

I have hope and faith that you will bring change for our children and families. Our children need your help. I have hope and faith that you will do right, by our children, and our future.

Very Respectfully,

Angela Warner

Ian Lived So That We Could Learn...

2009-01-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

I met Ian, and his mom Deanna, when I agreed to be the point of contact for Captain Joe Mickley who wrote to David Kirby HERE.

Deanna will be on Autism One Radio on January 29, 2009 2:00 to 2:30 EST. Please visit Ian Gromowski and the Gromowski Family. Read Ian's story. See Ian's life.

Deanna and I both felt an instant kinship. The Hep B vaccine brought Ian's sunset. The Hep B vaccine caused my own son, Isaac, to develop an autism spectrum disorder. Ian tugs at my heart everyday to keep moving and pressing forward; for my kids and all of our kids. The image of his precious and innocent face is forever burned into my brain. And what Ian endured in his 47 days on this earth, so that we could learn from him, commands the utmost respect.

Ian, My little man... words can never describe what is in my heart, but I know, you know. You are the epitome of a Warrior Son.

Deanna, You my Kindred Spirit, are the ultimate Mother Warrior. I think, my dear, that you have already kicked cancer's ass!!! Yes... I believe so. You and Ian have much work to do, and you are not allowed to leave work early!

Scott, Warrior Father... You are a MAN! You've stepped up to the plate when other "guys" would back away. I pray for you and your family's strength every single day. You are truly a man.

Vance, You, my little buddy; you are showing us the difference. You are a Warrior Brother. I know what your Mommy and Daddy have done, and I know you will be a voice for your brother Ian, and you, have made change!

So... Deanna, Scott, Ian, and Vance... I love you.
In Kindred Spirit,
Ang

And The PECS Winners Are...

2009-01-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Drum Roll Please :D

Michelle P., Ann O., and Asylumelissa!!! Congratulations!!!

Send me an email - autismrr at gmail dot com - with your name and mailing address and I will get them off to you ASAP!

Now, this is for everyone now and anyone who may happen across this post in the future. I have a document that is on my PC that is pages and pages of all kinds of really good PECS. They are separated so they're ready for cutting and laminating. You can pick up a decent laminator at Target (GOD I love Target!) (It's the abc laminator) for around $25.00. The sheets are reasonably priced as well. Now here's a few little tips I figured out. Get some good heavy card stock. I found some good stuff at Office Max - 250 sheets for $11.00. Then you need one of those little tape things like you use for scrapbooking. Stick the pecs cards to the inside of the laminate sheet so they will stay in place when you're getting it ready and when you laminate! One last thing... if it comes out kind of foggy, run it through the laminator again.

Hope this is helpful, and I'll look forward to hearing from you!

Ang

P.S. I do have more PECS that I plan on giving away - the sets just won't be quite as complete - so stay tuned!

Faith's Bill: End Seclusion, Restraint, and Abuse In Our Schools Against Our Children!

2009-01-21T00:56:00.000-05:00

This past Friday I received a highly disturbing email. We've all heard about the seclusion, restraint, and outright abuse of our children with autism by those we trust to provide our children with an education. My son, Nathan, was one of those children who suffered abuse and neglect at the hands of his teacher, just this past spring.

The email was a posting on a military yahoo group I belong to, and was from Michael E. Robinson, Sr., who is the Director of The Office of Advocacy for Autistic Children. When I read his posting, I knew I had to reach out and help in any way I could. Of course me being the person that I am, I had to "meet" Michael first. So I called him up! Let me tell you, Michael is AMAZING! and the autism community has a solid and devoted supporter of putting an end to the abuse that our children suffer. Michael has drafted Faith's Bill, and is looking for feedback from the autism community.

"Either way until they figure out how to properly certify the use of
ANY restraint or use ANY seclusion, we must Ban it as a Nation. Too
many children have died over simple non compliance. A little disabled
girl goes to jail in handcuffs in Idaho because she couldn't wear a
shirt ?"
Michael E. Robinson, Sr.
And this was the link...
Battery charges dropped against 8-year-old girl in N. Idaho

They were considering charging an eight year old with autism? The crime was committed by the school. Children have died. Faith has died, and at the hands of educators. It should be a federal crime. What Nathan went through along with another child in his classroom (whose mother is a close friend of mine), should be a federal crime. Almost a year later the memories still tramatize him, and his friend as well. Just so ya know... The teacher that was responsible for my son's injury... well... she no longer has her job.

Another quote from Mike...

"How stupid does this have to get ? How come they couldn't simply let
a child with a disability be a Child ? Until they can there's no
other choice at this point other than to put legislation before
congress and our new President and have Seclusion and Illegal
Restraint banned."

Please provide Mike with your feedback for Faith's Bill. The injury, abuse, and killing of our children, because they have autism, MUST STOP! You can reach Mike at Peace4kids at yahoo dot com.

Not Romantic or Sexy, But Definitely An Autism Contest!

2009-01-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

I've announced the WINNERS HERE!!!

I know... cheeky title! I couldn't help it with Kim's contest title ( HERE). I've had these PECS hanging around for awhile now. I decided I needed to do something with them. So I took an afternoon and went through each drawer, all 120 of them, and came up with this.

Not just one, not two, but three of these bags. Each bag has at least 140 PECS, if not more. They are laminated and some have velcro already on the back. And I am giving them away!!! It makes no difference whether you are a military or civilian parent, or a teacher or therapist just starting out on this journey. All I care about is seeing these go somewhere where they are going to get used and children are going to be helped.

So leave a comment to enter. I'll be announcing the winner before the end of the month so stay tuned!

Autism, Romance, and Sexy??? What???

2009-01-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever uttered those three words in the same sentence? Well you just might after reading Kay's book!!!

Wanna win a signed copy? Well, hop on over to Kim's Blog. Kim interviewed Kay, and man if I don't win this book, I'll be buying it. First novel I'll have read in years. Now go to Kim's Blog and leave a comment to win!

A Big Autism Salutes For David Warner II !!!

2009-01-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right, an Autism Salutes for my husband! He is my best friend. He is a wonderful father to our four children. And today it was announced that my husband, Dave, was awarded Airman of the Year for the 142nd Fighter Wing!!!

Dave, I am so incredibly proud of you that it brings tears to my eyes. You are a man of great integrity and great strength. I knew it the minute our eyes met across the bar in Wild Wing Cafe twelve and a half years ago, and your integrity and strength grow stronger with each passing year. I am just so damn proud of you and I love you with all of my soul!

Ok... enough mush! Let me tell you a little about my husband. Dave works in Financial Management. He makes sure people get paid.

Dave has helped many military families who have children with autism and other special needs, get travel and expense related issues resolved in order for these families to get their children's treatment needs met, without undue financial hardship being placed on the family. Outside of work hours. These were not just 50 mile trips. These were families who travelled hundreds, if not, thousands of miles for major medical treatment. My husband was honored to help them.

Another example, and this one I always found amusing, involved our Base Commander. The Colonel had gone TDY (temporary duty station), and upon his return was required to submit his travel voucher to get re-imbursed for any related expenses. The Colonel turned in his paperwork, and Dave found a msitake. He then called the Colonel who said he could live without the twenty cents. My husband made the Colonel re-submit his travel voucher because the Colonel was due the twenty cents. I laughed so hard when Dave told me this story! Yeh... He's like that!

So... Dave sends me an email later this morning telling me to go buy a new dress. Ahhh... yes... there is an awards banquet. Semi-formal at that. So I looked up some pictures of where the event is going to be held. Ohhhh my... A new dress. New shoes. And matching handbag. Yes, they are NECESSARY. You're talking, here, about an autism mom who gave up "dressing" a long time ago. I'm a naked faced, hair plopped on top of my head (most of the time), cami top, jeans and Birkie wearin', Ameribag sling "purse" carryin' momma! Good grief, I don't even own a bottle of hairspray... or any gel for that matter. And what to do with this mop of mine? I certainly am not going to cut it off! I'm growing it out really long again, so I can lop off a foot to donate to Locks of Love, and still have some hair left. I have no time for daily styling, you see! :D Yes, me... the ex-hair-artist. That was another life and a story for another day. Open to suggestions... you know how to get ahold of me! :D

This is going to be a fun adventure for me. I've got two months to prepare. And I am very sure that it will be absolutely wonderful for my husband that I am just so proud of, to see me "dolled" up, knowing that we're "steppin' out" to celebrate his achievement and award for Airman of the Year!!!

Ok... one more mush. Dave! YOU ROCK!!! And I LOVE YOU!!!

Autism Salutes!!! My Dad... Rex Ivan!!!

2009-01-07T00:56:00.000-05:00

He was a Father Warrior way before his time. He would have given the shirt off his back if you needed it more than he did.

Twenty-five years ago about this time (10 pm) the Johnny Carson show was "coming on". I was in bed; tired from ballet practice for an upcoming recital. My mom had picked me up from practice about 8:00 pm. We arrived home and my dad was gone. No biggie... I grabbed some food and off to bed. All was fine. Hell, he was gone trysting those nearby mountains with nothing more than a knife and 38 Special for almost two days to reach a spot.

But it was not fine. Over the intro to the Carson show my mom heard the sirens and knew something was wrong. We lived in a small community in Arizona... now it would be called the burbs of a small city... not in 1984...rural.

My mom followed the sirens. They led her to the vacant lot (undeveloped) across the street from one of my best friends home. There is a reason he was there. Jerome, Arizona. Mingus Mountain... Have you ever seen at it night? When it's pitch black? Jerome floats. It's the City in the Sky. My dad used to love to look at Jerome on nights such as this. Pitch Black.

Twenty - Five years ago and it is still difficult for me to "go there". I wake up... my dad has been in an accident. His car exploded in the vacant lot across the street from Melissa's home. Melissa's dad was the person who called the Fire Dept. Eight minutes elapse... They found him in the backseat of the car. I've talked with a few of the officers and fire chiefs who were there and remember the scene and investigation.

For those curious... those conversations happened after my boys were diagnosed.

It was a '78 Nova. My grandparents are on their way. A 20 minute drive. I think I fall asleep again. I do not understand it all. Then my grandparents and I are at the hospital and I see my dad. Bandaged from head to who knows where. My dad who has second and third degree burns over 80% of his body sees me, and reaches out to hug me. He lived for two months to the day.

I learned alot from my dad during those two months. And he was never conscience again.

Daddy, I Love You

Merry Christmas from Frosty the Snowman and "Da Ugly Suit"!!!

2008-12-25T23:45:00.000-05:00

This Christmas has been one of the best EVER!!! We've never been able to do THIS before!!! EVER as a family. Not even my husband and I, when we moved back to his "native" land (New York - 1 block from Lock 17), after getting married.

All of us... building Frosty! And then I decided he should don "Da Ugly Suit". So I go outside and here he is...

My young (29) next door next door neighbor happened to be outside, and we started talking. I told him what I was doing to poor Frosty, and a synapse of the whole contest. He was laughing and volunteered to take the above picture! We've talked about the boys. He knows. Thank you Trey :D

Alright Karen, as soon as I can get to the post office, she is on her way. Pathetic... 12 days in a row it has snowed here and they have still now plowed anywhere in Vancouver except the throughways. Nor have they laid sand or salt. I have a feeling if we don't get rain this weekend and warm temps (45 or so) and it all melts off I will be writing the county asking where our tax dollars are going :D
Yeh... we live just off of a very busy street and here is what the intersection looked like yesterday. It's worse today!

It's all good though because we have Frosty.

And he has inspired the whole neighborhood!!! And that is a wonderful thing!!!

BTW - For height comparison, I am 5'6". It took Dave and I two attempts to get his middle section up. Dave thinks it weighed about 200+ pounds. Yeh... Hoo Rah :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Autism Salutes Karen Driscoll and US News & World Report!!!

2008-12-21T23:34:00.000-05:00

Ohhhh... YES WE DO!!!!!

Many people over the past year have asked me how I became so involved in military advocacy for our military dependent children with autism. Well as you all know I have four children - two with autism - our children weren't receiving services and I stumbled on an opportunity one day last year to possibly make a difference HERE. It was quite simple what I did, I wrote, which is what I do. I was quite ticked that my kids weren't able to receive services! But on that particular day I did something I've never done before; I included my email publicly in this comment. Within a few days Karen Driscoll contacted me.

Since Karen initially contacted me just over a year ago, very few days have gone by during which we did not speak once if not mulitple times. Karen has worked her butt off for our children. She has literally "pounded the pavement" of the Pentagon. I remember one day when we were on the phone during a really heavy workload time for both of us, and she actually discovered she had several blisters on her feet. That's "pounding the pavement"!

It has been an honor to work with Karen this past year and I look forward to what will come about next year. We have quite a team of military parents who are working together, and I must say that I am damn proud to be a military spouse and the mother of two children with autism.

Air Force Core Values:
Integrity First. Service Before Self. Excellence In All We Do.
Marine Corps:
Semper Fidelis - translation: Always Faithful

I am proud of US News & World Report for reporting the truth about the military and lack of treatment for our children with autism. I thank you, and thousands of military families will thank you as well. US News & World Report has demonstrated the values of the Marine Corps and Air Force fully, in this article. You are the first national publication to tell the world fully about the plight of our military dependent children with autism.

I pray that US News & World Report will stay tuned and continue to report on the autism epidemic, for both the military and civilian children and adults who have autism and suffer from a grave lack treatment accessability.

Intro paragraph from US News & World Report:

"Karen Driscoll might seem the unlikeliest of lobbyists to cruise the halls of Congress. Indeed, the Marine Corps wife and mother with three young children, one of whom has autism, didn't envision herself hustling down the marbled corridors in a power suit. Yet, on a recent fall day, Driscoll is maneuvering her way like a K Street pro, eager for any opportunity to make her case that the Pentagon's healthcare system is failing active-duty military families with autistic children, families like her own."

Please read the entire US News & World Report on autism in the military HERE.
Karen... YOU ROCK!!!!! Semper Fi

Sidenote: I would like to point out that Major General Elder Granger explains autism as a neurobiological disorder... Tabers 19th Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary... forgive my incorrect citation :) When looking up neurobiology it defers to the biology of the nervous system. Ahhh... "One of the regulatory systems, made up of millions of neurons in precise pathways to transmit electron-chemicals impulses, and of neuroglial cells that have several functions, including formation of myelin sheaths of neurons". It also goes on to include information about the spinal cord and that of the peripheral nervous system... Sensory Integration Disorder? Does this sound familiar to anyone? And MG Granger knows it??? He called autism a neurobiological disorder last year, yet refuses to fully treat autism as such. My personal opinion is that my children's immune systems have been damaged to the extent that their Microglia cells are permanently damanged...

Grow up Elder. You better figure out a way to take care of our Wounded Warriors and you better figure out, upon the advice of parents, how to treat our military dependent children with autism.

Where's your coin?

Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy is Having a Couple Contests!

2008-12-14T00:42:00.000-05:00

Three lucky winners will get $50 off of supplements at OurKidsASD.com. Visit OurKidsASD.com HERE to enter!

It gets better... check this out!

Twenty lucky winners get $50 off of prescription compounded medications at Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy. Visit Lee Silsby HERE to enter!

Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy is offering $20 off of prescription compounded medications for all new customers of Lee Silsby. Just mention code LS20 when calling in.

Good luck everyone!!!

David Kirby on Autism and the Military: One Very Brave Captain

2008-12-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

NOTE: Reprinted with permission from the author.

By David Kirby

I often receive letters from parents of children with autism, from all over the world. They are moving, gratifying, and powerful. They keep me going.

Yesterday, I received a letter that I will never forget. It was from a Captain in the U.S. Army, who has risked his life in the name of his country. He also has three sons on the autism spectrum, and he blames vaccines.

"To be honest, the vast majority of military families dealing with autism that I know, think that vaccines are the cause," Capt. Joe Mickley told me in a phone interview. "And those include some people of very high rank in the military."

One colleague had a son born in the same military hospital, at the same time, as his own, youngest son – the most severely affected of his three children. The two boys both developed normally together, and then began to regress at roughly the same time, Capt. Mickley said, eventually developing the same symptoms and signs of autism.

He told me that the parents of that child recently bought Jenny McCarthy's book, "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism," and, within a week and a half of starting chelation therapy and other biomedical treatments, "that child started recovering. He started speaking again."

This is not the last that we will be hearing from Captain Mickley. He and many other military families are getting ready to come forward and tell their stories en-masse.

It's easy to dismiss and ridicule me (and it is part of my job description, so I don't really care). It's more difficult to do so to a battle hardened Army Captain. Yes, people will try. But I don't envy them.

Here then, is Captain Mickley's letter to me. Anyone wishing to contact him should email Angela Warner at autismrr at gmail dot com. Please include CAPTAIN MICKLEY in the subject line. Angela runs the blog Autism Salutes, she will forward the letters to him.

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

Mr. Kirby

I just wanted to write you a quick note to thank you for the work that you are doing toward uncovering what is happening to our children, more specifically the work that you have done for military families. I am a Captain in the United States Army, with 11 years of dedicated service to the nation.

I have recently become disheartened with how autism is being dealt with in the military. I am the proud father of three young boys whom all enjoy a spot on the spectrum. I read on your site and others that the military has a very high rate of dependents on the spectrum, although I would swear to you that six months ago, when autism first exposed itself in my family, my wife and I felt like we were the first family to go through this, and over the recent months I have met others whose stories are almost identical to ours. You have helped me realize that we are not alone and that something is going on to trigger what equates to be brain damage, instead of what I thought was autism.

Sir, as I follow your words it inspires me to gather together the members of the families who have gone through the same hell as mine. To let our voice be heard so that action has to be taken. I and others like me would like accountability why we lost our children. I have video of my son months prior to the vaccines that I believe triggered his withdrawal. He is engaged, alert, talkative and happy.

Following the shots, he began a steady withdrawal and decline. The most painful part was that we watched him slip away, and before I knew it, he was not the same. We also have doctors' records documenting our concerns as well as a military doctor's summary stating that our concerns were more than likely unfounded.

After visiting that doctor, we fought for more than seven months through more red tape than anything I had experienced in ten years of service to obtain a diagnosis. Little did I know that this would just be the beginning of our battle to save our boys.

As a Soldier and combat veteran of multiple tours I have fought against our nation's enemies. I have seen the dark side of humanity and survived it. That experience pales in comparison to the horror of watching your child suffer a regression.

Again sir, I thank you and hope that you may never grow tired in your efforts, because my family and many others count on you.

Respectfully,
Captain Joe Mickley
United States Army

DTaP = Autism “Under Revision”: Something is Rotten at the DoD and CDC

2008-12-08T01:27:00.000-05:00

The Vaccine Healthcare Center’s Network (VHCN), a collaboration of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Center’s for Disease Control (CDC), decided on December 5, 2008 between 5:35pm and 6:21pm (EST), that the original VHCN webpage (now a cached version) HERE listing autism as an adverse event associated with the DTaP vaccine needed some revision (HERE). Following is the continuation of “Evidence of Harm”.

On December 4, 2008, David Kirby wrote “The Pentagon – A Voice of Reason on Vaccines and Autism? HERE Later that day I wrote “The Army Fighting Autism? The Department of Defense?” HERE

Below is a time line of my day (Dec. 5th) regarding the page now “under revision”. I have put all of the events down in EST, as that is where “disappearing act” took place.

12:05pm - I talked to Friend #1 regarding the seriousness of this information. The VHCN page listing autism as an adverse event associated with DTaP was not under revision. "It" was up.

1:00pm - I talked to Friend #2. "It" was working on my end. “It” was working on her end. “It” was up.

5:15pm - I talked with Friend #2 again while drafting an email. "It" was up on my end as I was seriously contemplating putting the direct link in the email body. Friend #2 opened the page again during our discussion. “It” was up.

5:35pm – I sent the following email to Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Assistant Secretary of Defense, and to Major General Elder Granger, Deputy Director of TRICARE Management Activity (TMA).

Dear Dr. Casscells and General Granger,

The below information is spreading like wildfire through the civilian and military communities. I would encourage you to read the articles at the following links ASAP.

I am interested in your comment on these statements, "We have preliminary findings from one of our many on-going research studies that suggest a relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations exist. These findings will require validation, but heighten our concern for the current clinical practice of multiple vaccinations." And this, "However, our work over the past years has been humbling in relation to the knowledge gaps which the Institute of Medicine Reports has also highlighted."

Colonel Renata J. M. Engler, MD, Director of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers

Article #1
http://www.autismsalutes.com/2008/12/pentagon-voice-of-reason-on-vaccines.html
Article #2
http://www.autismsalutes.com/2008/12/army-fighting-autism-department-of.html

I would also like to hear your input on what OSD Health Affairs is doing to implement the recommendations of Dr. Engler.

I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.
Very Respectfully,
Angela Warner – Air Force spouse and mom to four children (two with autism)

6:21pm – A comment goes up on the EOHarm listserv that “It” is down. The VHCN webpage referencing autism as an adverse event due to the DTaP vaccine is “under revision”.

Something smells rotten to me. Why is this webpage “under revision”? What is going on?

The truth is out there, and the only way the truth might be heard is if hearings are called upon for both the DoD and the CDC.

With 1 in every 67 children diagnosed with autism, our children account for more than a third of the population. Does everyone realize this?

Who will call the hearings? Who is up to the task? Because the time has come. And we need the TRUTH! And NOW! Oh and since I've been writing this... the page refered to in the beginning is now dead. There is no more "under revision". It's gone. All of a sudden in more than one way. Who is responsible for this? I DEMAND an answer!

The Army Fighting Autism? The Department of Defense?

2008-12-05T00:18:00.000-05:00

On December 4, 2008 David Kirby wrote an article full of excellent questions and information, “The Pentagon – A Voice of Reason on Vaccines and Autism?”. You can read it HERE or HERE or HERE.

If we are going to send in the Army to fight autism, these brave soldiers need to know they will be fighting the Department of Defense.

This past week I learned that, “For immunization requirements, the Air Force follows the CDC recommendations, which are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)”, and that every single vaccine on the CDC’s recommended schedule is mandated for children who are attending military installation Child Development Centers, Family Child Care and School Age Programs. This includes the flu vaccine for infants as young as six months. You can read the Memorandum HERE . (My apologies as it is not the best copy)

This information came to me last week by way of an email. A fellow Air Force mom needed help and support in obtaining an exemption for her children who have egg allergies and have had systemic adverse vaccine reactions previously. They have done nothing but give this mom who has a BSN and MBA, the runaround. I have seen what they’ve done, and it is completely unacceptable.

Over two days ago, I sent an email to Ms. Eliza Nesmith requesting that she “provide me with studies that have been conducted demonstrating safety and efficacy of the kind and number of vaccines that are now mandated for children attending, including the flu vaccine now required for babies as young as six months old.” I have heard nothing from her. When folks at the Pentagon are out of the office, you always receive an auto-reply. If, “all CDC recommendations should be instituted as AF-wide requirements and should not be dependent upon local law”, I expect an answer to my question. If my child is enrolled in a military installation child care or school age program, federal vaccination mandates have taken away my God given right to make health care decisions for my children, and I do not appreciate that one little bit. Vaccination is the only mandated and invasive medical procedure, why is this?

The CDC recommendations for vaccination are not just instituted as Air Force requirements to attend child care or school age programs, but are requirements for the same through all branches of service. This is not an Air Force problem; this is a Department of Defense problem.

US Army Colonel Renata J. M. Engler, MD, Director of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers, (a "collaborative network" of the Defense Department and the CDC), wrote to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) (HERE) , "We have preliminary findings from one of our many on-going research studies that suggest a relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations exist. These findings will require validation, but heighten our concern for the current clinical practice of multiple vaccinations."

If there is heightened concern that a relationship exists between adverse events (including autism) HERE and multiple vaccinations, then why in the world is the Department of Defense mandating the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule for military children? Especially considering Dr. Engler also said, “However, our work over the past years has been humbling in relation to the knowledge gaps which the Institute of Medicine Reports has also highlighted.”

UPDATE: After David Kirby's article HERE and this article were sent to certain officials the original link (above) now looks like this GO HERE

Although I am not sure when, I know as of 2004 the military was checking titers to disease prior to recruits receiving vaccines in Basic Military Training (BMT). It is therefore reasonable to ponder that children (both military and civilian) are receiving far more vaccines (and I mean vaccines – not injections) at one visit than our military members receive at one time. Titer testing saved my husband from receiving vaccines against five different diseases in BMT.

It is obviously beneficial for the Department of Defense to check titers against disease in potential members. Is this monetarily beneficial, beneficial to the future members health, or are they one and the same? If it wasn’t one or the other, or the same, they wouldn’t be doing it.

Does it therefore not make monetary and health wise sense for ALL children to spread our vaccines? Would it not make monetary and healthwise sense to restore the vaccine schedule of say, 1983 (HERE), starting at four or six months instead of two, substituting the OPV for IPV, DTP for DtaP, and checking titers before proceeding with further vaccination? And to get rid of the RhoGam shot until after birth like it was previously as well? Infants are not only born with immunity to certain diseases, but have continued immunity to those diseases while breastfeeding. I am a breastfeeding mother to a 26 month old UNVACCINATED child and I know and see and live, how immunity works!

We have an epidemic of unprecendented proportions on our hands and in our homes and schools around the globe! The autism epidemic, and the autism epidemic continues to grow with each passing minute.

I received an email last night from a good friend in which they said, “The only possible conclusion at this time is that the US vaccine schedule is dangerous and un-monitored. It is a government program that has run off the tracks. Nuts! One government branch says one thing and another says something completely different”. My response was this, “It is scary for me to think about where this is all going to go to stop the program that is off the tracks. It is dangerous that's for sure. But they think they're doing a fantastic job... of monitoring themselves. It is not just nuts! It is Insane!

“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, and expecting different results.”
Rita Mae Brown

It’s time to do something different. Government officials on all levels keep adding vaccines to the recommended schedule. They continually assure us while they don’t know what causes autism; they KNOW it is not caused by vaccines. It seems there is much truth to Rita Mae Brown’s words.

A few goodies for military parents. Need childcare where you will have state exemptions available…possibly more? GO HERE for options!

Need base childcare? Here’s the bottom line. The medical exemption is the usual and stands, but that “administrative exemption” which is “rarely, if ever granted”, is the religious exemption which must be on letterhead from your clergy stating the grounds for exemption, and I was informed today from a local Army base and by a person in a position to make such a statement, “We don’t mess with either of those”, meaning the medical or what the Air Force calls “administrative” exemption. So if you have either exemption, do the paper work, and do it right.

Yes, I think the Army is ready to fight the autism epidemic. I know the Marine Corps, and Navy have led the way as well, when it comes to fighting autism. It’s all documented on Autism Salutes. My only question is where is the Air Force? I think we may need some Air support on this one!

As an Air Force spouse, I say: The Department of Defense might be working, but it isn't working fast, hard, nor diligently enough given the crisis of the autism epidemic!

The Pentagon - A Voice of Reason on Vaccines and Autism?

2008-12-04T16:47:00.000-05:00

Note: Reprinted with permission from the author. This article originally ran HERE.

By: David Kirby

When it comes to fighting autism, maybe we should send in the Army.

Autism and the military have a deep history together. Children of service members are reportedly almost twice as likely to have autism (1-in-88) than those in the general population (1-in-150) HERE. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense quietly spends millions in taxpayer dollars researching the possible causes of autism at far-from-the-spotlight centers around the country.

Recently, several documents have been brought to my attention which, when viewed together, suggest that the Department of Defense has legitimate concerns about vaccine injuries and their possible connection to autism, perhaps more so than other branches of the Federal Government.

These documents raise several questions that I am currently trying to get answered from DOD officials:

1) Autism may be an "adverse event" of Tripedia (DTaP) use

According to the website of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network, run by DOD and CDC, autism is listed as an "adverse event" associated with use of the Tripedia triple vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. HERE

My questions are: Why does autism appear here? Does VHC consider autism to be a possible adverse event of DTaP use, or has it simply been reported that way by parents?

2) Patients who have bad vaccine reactions should avoid multiple vaccines in the future

According to this VHC slide (HERE), any patient who has a "Systemic Event" following immunization - defined as "symptoms and signs of illness after vaccination" and "any reaction that does not involve the injection site" - should avoid multiple vaccines in the future, if possible.

My questions are: Is that standard DOD policy? Is there an alternative schedule for these patients? Does this advice apply to children of service members as well? Why is this information not shared with civilian doctors and pediatricians?

3) Patients who develop serious neurological diseases might need vaccine exemptions in the future

This VHC slide (HERE) says that a patient who develops a severe neurologic disease following vaccination might need temporary or permanent exemption from future vaccines. Such diseases include peripheral neuropathy, encephalopathy (including autism, presumably) Guillain-Barré syndrome and progressive focal neurologic disease. Such patients should be given temporary exemptions from future vaccinations.

Meanwhile, risks for recurrent reactions should be assessed before additional doses are given, and "permanent vaccine exemption may be required."

Again, is this DOD policy? Are such exemptions given? Because autism is listed as a "severe neurological disease," would those patients (ie, children of service members) also be exempt from future vaccinations? And, on a related note, does VHC consider autism to be a "neurological disease," as opposed to a developmental/behavioral disorder?

4) Mercury, and possibly thimerosal may cause autism and dementia

According this slide (#22) (HERE) on the vaccine preservative thimerosal, from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), "exposure to mercury in utero and children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment." The slide also seems to indicate that autism and dementia might questionably be "health effects" of mercury or thimerosal exposure.

My question is: Why does autism appear on a list of health effects on a slide about thimerosal, even if it is followed by a question mark?

5) Alternative biomedical treatments may be prescribed for thimerosal exposure

The same slide says that "treatments" for thimerosal exposure include: "Methyl-B12, ointment DMPS, & glutathione (GSH)." These are all alternative (some would say fringe, radical and dangerous) treatments being used today by thousands of autism parents and their children's physicians, with varying degrees of success (including reports of full recovery).

Methyl-B12 - has been shown to repair damage to the process of methylation, and to restore methionine and glutathione levels in patients with autism to within normal ranges.

DMPS - is a sulfur-based amino acid used in the process of chelation - in which sulfur molecules bind with heavy metals such as mercury, and eliminate them from the system.

Glutathione - is a sulfur-based protein that binds with heavy metals and eliminates them from the system. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant. Many children with autism show signs of glutathione depletion, heavy metal accumulation and oxidative stress.

My questions are: Was the speaker simply refering to treatments that some people have tried, or is the AFID endorsing these treatments for thimerosal toxicity and/or autism? On what evidence is this based? Are Methyl B-12 and GSH, like chelation, cosidered standard of care in the military for mercury toxicity? Can you explain why autism families in the military have these treatments covered, (at thousands of dollars a year), even if they also have an autism diagnosis? Is this why military insurance will pay for visits to doctors in the Defeat Autism Now network, which advocates the use of these non-traditional treatments?

I eagerly await the replies from VHC and AFID officials, and will update this blog as soon as I hear anything.

Meanwhile, regardless of the Pentagon's positions on the above questions, we know for certain that DOD is concerned about the risk of injury from multiple vaccines.

In fact, it may even need to reconsider the practice.

"We have preliminary findings from one of our many on-going research studies that suggest a relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations exist," US Army Colonel Renata J. M. Engler, MD, director of the VHC, (a "collaborative network" of the Defense Department and the CDC), wrote to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) (HERE). "These findings will require validation, but heighten our concern for the current clinical practice of multiple vaccinations."

"The more drugs one is exposed to, the greater the likelihood of having an adverse event so as vaccine numbers increase, and (sic) we will see more people who have efficacy or safety issues," Col. Engler said. "The standard of care (ie, in the context of mixing vaccines) is to minimize drug exposures because of the recognition that the more drugs being used, the greater the chance of a reaction and potentially a serious adverse event."

I wonder when the CDC and America's pediatricians will issue an equally thoughtful and cautionary statement, instead of their usual reassurance that small children can easily get 100,000 shots at once, without a single "serious adverse event" among them.

PS: For a list of scientists and government leaders who called for more vaccine-autism research in 2008, please CLICK HERE.

DOD and CDC: Our Studies Suggest a Possible Link Between Multiple Vaccines and Injury

2008-12-02T16:45:00.000-05:00

Note: Reprinted with permission from the author.

By David Kirby

It looks like the CDC may have missed a memo to itself on vaccine safety.

One very contentious issue in the vaccine-autism debate has been whether a certain subset of genetically susceptible children is unequipped to handle the early and intensive US immunization schedule – including kids like Hannah Poling, who developed autism after receiving nine vaccines at once.

The theory is that some people with abnormal immune or metabolic systems might become overtaxed by the fever, inflammation and/or other stresses sometimes caused by multiple vaccines.

Many doctors and scientists scoff at the notion that someone could be injured by getting too many shots at once. They say that people of all ages, including babies, can handle multiple exposures at any given moment.

For example, the CDC’s website says that simultaneous multiple immunizations are safe for children with “normal” immune systems. And Dr. Paul Offit, a prominent pediatrician and wealthy vaccine co-inventor, says that kids can handle simultaneous exposure to the antigens contained in 100,000 vaccines - without any harm coming to them.

So, the CDC says that multiple vaccines are safe for everyone (at least in infants).

But now, we learn that a collaborative program between the CDC and the Department of Defense says that multiple vaccines may not be safe for everyone (at least in adults being inoculated for military service).

“We have preliminary findings from one of our many on-going research studies that suggest a relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations exist. These findings will require validation, but heighten our concern for the current clinical practice of multiple vaccinations.”

That rather remarkable statement came from US Army Colonel Renata J. M. Engler, MD, director of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network (VHCN) a “collaborative network” of the Defense Department - and the CDC.

She went on to say this:

“The more drugs one is exposed to, the greater the likelihood of having an adverse event so as vaccine numbers increase, and (sic) we will see more people who have efficacy or safety issues.”

And later, this:

“The standard of care (ie, when mixing vaccines) is to minimize drug exposures because of the recognition that the more drugs being used, the greater the chance of a reaction and potentially a serious adverse event.”

Col. Engler’s candid statements (I’ve never heard anything like them from any other senior vaccine official), were included in a November 26 letter (HERE) to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Maloney had written to inquire (HERE) about a 2007 VHCN presentation suggesting that 1-2 percent of all service members were suffering serious adverse effects from their shots.

I first reported on this presentation in August, (HERE) when someone alerted me to a Government Accounting Office report saying that VHCN and CDC officials “estimate that between 1 and 2 percent of immunized individuals may experience severe adverse events, which could result in disability or death. Some of these events may occur coincidentally following immunization, while others may truly be caused by immunization."

I had never heard of the VHCN, so I went to their website, where I found this (HERE) Power Point presentation, and this slide in particular: (HERE).

The slides suggested that, among active duty and reserve service members, up to 48,000 individuals may have sustained serious vaccine injuries which might need to be classified as "casualties,” and may require teaching "new skills" to some of those injured.

But Col. Engler wrote that the slides had been misinterpreted.

“Our program is not in a position to provide incidence data but rather to refine case definitions and research questions to address the serious and the rare adverse events questions,” she wrote.

The 1-2% figure was merely an estimate of “who may need an immunization healthcare consultation to address clinical questions raised,” she said.

“The consultation does not prove or disprove causality association but it is from these consultations that we have refined our understanding of the questions, a critical first step to future refinement of research agendas. It is our firm belief that increased research into side effects that are more severe but may be short duration, may help us understand more severe adverse events (more rare at 1 in 10-100,000). However, our work over the past years has been humbling in relation to the knowledge gaps.”

And what about the slide mentioning that up to 48,000 service members might require ”new skills” following vaccine injury?

“This statistic refers to the potential number of service members, experiencing more serious side effects (not serious disease with prolonged duration), that may need a medical consultation about next dose and/or pre-treatment to reduce the severity of the side effects, etc.,” Col. Engler explained, (I think).

So what does any of this have to do with autism? Perhaps nothing. As Col. Engler herself wrote: “The belief that vaccines are safe to mix is based largely on pediatric experience and with a much more limited spectrum of vaccines.” (In other words, apples and oranges, here folks).

Now, it’s hard to imagine how 35-to-40 or more shots in the US childhood schedule could be “much more limited” than the military’s regime. But then again, babies don’t get vaccinated against anthrax and smallpox.

But it’s also hard to imagine that there might be a “relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations” in adults healthy enough to fight a war, and yet, among babies and infants with immature immune systems and developing brains, the practice is universally harmless – even for kids like Hannah Poling who had an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction.

In the meantime, let’s hope the DOD and the CDC and get their message straight. If they want to convince parents that multiple vaccines might be risky for some soldiers but safe for all little kids, well, good luck.

Or maybe, the government is finally going to look into the percentage of people (however small) who might be genetically programmed against the ability to withstand more than one or two shots at any given time.

As Col. Engler notes, more work is needed in this regard: “The recommendation for more research on subpopulation risk factors in relation to multiple vaccine combinations has been included in the Institute of Medicine Report on Multiple Vaccines - (HERE.)”

David Kirby is author of Evidence of Harm, a contributor to Age of Autism and blogs for Huffington Post.

Please Keep Fighting the Good Fight!

2008-12-01T17:44:00.001-05:00

Lin Wessels has written an open letter to Senator John McCain asking him to keep fighting for our children with autism. Senator McCain made some very powerful statements during his campaigne about autism, our children, and our families. We need to let him know we still need his help! Please visit "Please Keep Fighting the Good Fight" and add your signature to the letter!

Thank you Lin! Autism Salutes You!

Dr. Ken Stoller Writes To President-Elect Obama!

2008-12-01T16:57:00.000-05:00

Dr. Ken Stoller is a Warrior for all of our children with autism and for humanity as a whole. Please visit Bodies In Rebellion and show your support for change by signing onto Dr. Stoller's letter to President-Elect Obama!

Thank you Dr. Stoller for all you do for our children. Autism Salutes You!

Government, AAP, CDC, FDA, NIH, TRICARE and Anyone Am I Forgetting???

2008-12-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Government, AAP, CDC, FDA, NIH, TRICARE, and Anyone Else I Am Forgetting???

I BLAME YOU!!! For the episode taking place in my home right now! We had a relatively peaceful Thanksgiving weekend until about an hour ago and my youngest son is having the biggest meltdown of his life. And, yes, I am taking a couple minutes out to "live blog" this situation. There is NOT enough therapy available, and NOT enough services. Did I happen to mention that we lost a provider this week and the agency has yet to find a replacement??? Oooppps on them!!! Too many changes all at once and immediate regression! Damnit all to hell!

He'll probably end up vomiting and I'll yet again clean it up. Or my husband will. He does better with the vomit, I do better with the diarrhea. Yep! Nice end to the weekend. Words can not describe my feelings right now nor those of the warrior that just transformed.

Good God!!! What does it take??? For people to wake UP?

Maybe I shouldn't post this as it is "not correct" - I could care. This is real life. This is the life of children with autism. This is the life of our families.

One single vaccine (at one visit) put my child over the edge, and pushed him into the world of autism. He was on the road to recovery and it will be over my dead body that he will not fully recover. Momma Sed...

Yes, I Sed. I have, did, and do... Sed.

Dear President Elect Obama

2008-11-26T00:12:00.000-05:00

Note: This letter To President Elect Obama was written for Age of Autism's series of letters to our President Elect.

Dear President Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your election. As the 44th President of the United States of America, and the Leader of our Country, you have a huge job ahead of you. I have always been an optimist. If one has no hope, then what do they have? I am inspired by our country, and I have confidence that your actions will impact our great nation with desperately needed positive change.

A friend of mine, Mark Blaxill, Board Member of SafeMinds and Editor at Large for Age of Autism, wrote to you recently HERE. Mark stated that you are also the First Father of the Autism Generation. Indeed, you are. Mr. President, you are the First Father to a generation of children who are physically sick with autism, and who desperately need your help and immediate action.

I sincerely commend you for your swift introduction of the “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008”, which was sponsored by you and Senator Durbin. This is a huge step in the right direction, and your actions demonstrate there is truth in your statement to Coy Barefoot that you are the guy who will stand up and say, “We have a national crisis, and we are going to help these children. And we are going to find out what is going on”. As the mother of four children (two have autism), I am inspired and full of hope for our children.

The “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008”, does provide comprehensive coverage in the areas of Applied Behavior Analysis and other structured behavioral programs, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and medications. While this is comprehensive to these specific treatment modalities, there is much more that needs to be done and I appreciate the opportunity to explain further.

As I stated, our children are physically sick with autism, meaning autism is the manifestation of their physical illness. While ABA and the other traditional therapies are scientifically proven to improve the functioning and behaviors of children with autism, a significant population of our children, are physically too sick to benefit from these therapies. When our children with autism have their physical illnesses addressed and treated, they begin healing, feel better, and they will further benefit from these prescribed therapies.

While medications can be helpful and lifesaving for our children when used judiciously and prescribed by a physician experienced with treating autism; many medications commonly prescribed for our children are not treating the underlying physical illness our children experience, and are only masking the symptoms. This does not seem wise, and our children and society as a whole need a much more comprehensive plan for treating and healing the autism epidemic.

I am not only the mother of four, two with autism, but also a proud Air Force spouse. I have been heavily involved in advocacy for our military dependent children with autism, that they might have full access to medically necessary treatment as outlined in the “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008”. I have been in contact with a benefits expert at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, TRICARE Management Activity, and this Act will not mandate our military entitlement (TRICARE) to provide the coverage of the Act for our military dependent children with autism. While our military dependent children with autism can receive ABA, that is it (no other structured behavior programs), and only through Bill 1079 which provides ABA as a “special education benefit” through the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Program under TRICARE. ABA is not special education; it is medically necessary treatment. Only 10% of our military dependent children with autism have been accepted into the ECHO Program so that they might receive ABA treatment.

Especially egregious is the fact that our retired military members who have dependent children with autism do not have the ECHO benefit available to their children. A Bill was recently introduced in both the House and Senate that if passed would extend the ECHO benefit to our retired military families, but this benefit is not enough for any family.

I am on the Board of Directors for Heroes With Handicaps, and every single day I hear or read about military dependent children (and civilian as well) who have been denied occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and many other services or equipment because they have a diagnosis of autism. Heroes With Handicaps (HWH) is a non-profit organization, and our mission is to help military families who have a child or children with autism with financial assistance for their child’s therapies and bio-medical treatment. Twenty three percent of the applications HWH has received have been from retired military families seeking financial assistance. While it is comforting to know our family is not the only one financially challenged because of the expense of treating autism; it is heart-wrenching to read through these applications for financial assistance and know that there are hundreds of thousands of families across this great nation, both military and civilian, who are in crisis.

Autism is an epidemic. The Center’s for Disease Control (CDC) says that we have 1 in 150 children who have autism, but this is incorrect. This statistic was released in a February 2007 report and was based on the study of eight year olds in 2000 and 2002. Those children are now 14 and 16 years old. If one looks to the Department of Education for the 2006-2007 school year, 1 in every 67 children has autism. If one looks to military statistics; in active duty families 1 in every 88 children have autism, and if you add in our retired military families 1 in every 67 military dependent children have autism.

We, the parents, who are healing and recovering our children with autism, have to continue to hope and have to trust that you will be “that guy”. Following are my suggestions for you to continue on your path to being “that guy”, because our children and our future need an epidemic of solutions to the autism epidemic.

1. Enact into law H.R. 2832 ‘‘Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007’’. In 2007 Generation Rescue commissioned a survey modeled after the CDC’s survey from which the 1 in 150 statistic was derived. Generation Rescue’s survey found that vaccinated boys are 155% more likely to have a neurological disorder, 224% more likely to have ADHD, and 61% more likely to have autism. We need to conduct new research free of the conflict of interest that has plagued previous studies. The raw data generated from these studies must be made available to the Autism Research Institute, and any other researchers ARI may designate. Until this happens, the public mistrust of our federal agencies, who are responsible for ensuring public health will continue.

2. Enact into law a federal and state level redaction of any mandatory vaccination, including those our military members receive. Provide for unbiased informed consent and informed refusal, and provide for the opportunity to initially receive vaccination with the right to future refusal with no penalty to the member. Many members discover that vaccines may be the cause of their children’s autism onset after joining the military. Once you’ve signed “that piece of paper” it is difficult if not career ending to further refuse. Members want the right to decline non proven vaccination, yet still serve their country and are willing to take those risks. Vaccination is an invasive medical procedure, and there is no other medical procedure in which a one size fits all approach is taken and certainly not mandated.

3. Enact into law a federal mandate requiring the Center’s for Disease Control (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), Institute of Medicine (IOM), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Medical Association (AMA) to meet with the Autism Research Institute (ARI), Defeat Autism Now Doctors (DAN!) (both M.D. and N.D), and other Autism Researchers and Practitioners that ARI may designate.

4. Enact into law a federal mandate which requires those on the front lines of the autism epidemic, Pediatricians, Gastroenterologists, Neurologists, Immunologists, Allergists, and over the next three years all medical practitioners to attend a DAN! conference, in order to maintain their medical license. This requirement for attendance at a DAN! conference should also be part of medical school for current and future physician’s in training, and required for licensure. Incentive for physician’s to obtain credentialing through the American Medical Autism Board must be provided. Yearly continuing education must be required of all medical practitioners in current autism treatment modalities as set forth by the Autism Research Institute and the American Medical Autism Board until, both the cause of the autism epidemic is isolated and the rate of autism returns to 1 in 10,000 or less.

5. Enact into law a federal mandate which requires current federal Representatives and Senators to be briefed on the national emergency that the autism epidemic is, by the National Autism Association and SafeMinds.

6. A revision of the bill known as the “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008” which would include coverage of any prescribed medical treatment, vitamin, or supplement (nutritional, herbal and/or homeopathic) for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. This revision should include Naturopathic Doctors (N.D.) who may prescribe the above as well for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, regardless of whether the insurance provider/company currently covers N.D.’s. Additionally, the “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008” should specifically address and provide coverage of medically necessary and prescribed treatment through any of the modalities addressed above from DAN! doctors, whether they be an M.D. or N.D. and regardless of whether the M.D. or N.D. is a provider with any particular plan or entitlement. This coverage should be in full less the usual co-payment which would apply to any other doctor visit.

7. Enact into law a federal mandate that would require the Department of Defense, TRICARE Management Activity, and any other health “entitlement” any other federal employee may have to be covered as outlined in the original “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008” Bill, and the above section (6) of this letter pertaining to the revision of the “Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2008”, and with regard to the prescribed medically necessary treatment (including vitamin, herbal, and/or homeopathic supplementation) for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder.

For years parents of children with autism have been viewed in a less than favorable light. I am here to tell you that we are educated, we are intelligent, and we are recovering our children from autism. We have listened to the agencies whose responsibility it is to “protect public health”. The time has come for them to listen to us. We are the parents of children with autism who have strong backbones, and who are recovering our children.

We need a leader who will not back down and will not be bought out. The majority of parents of children with autism know what caused our children’s autism. What this is about is simple. This is about having the ability and resources to heal our children, prevent the autism epidemic from worsening (which it does with every passing minute), and our dedication to future generations in seeing the rate of autism significantly, and we mean significantly, decline.

Autism needs a Champion! Autism needs a Hero! And we need one Now! Mr. President Elect Obama… if you can do these simple things, help us heal and recover our children, and stop the autism epidemic, you would not be “that guy”… you would be “that Man”… The Autism President!

Very Respectfully,
Angela Warner - Air Force spouse, and mom to four beautiful children (two with autism), and an advocate for children with autism to help our children and stop the autism epidemic.

"Da Ugly Suit" Contest is ON!!!

2008-11-23T23:10:00.000-05:00

Oh my... what a day! Today was the day for dress up! Since Halloween, the day "Da Ugly Suit" arrived, our five year old Emma Hope has done nothing but pester me about dressing up in the UGLY SUIT! On Halloween night after our mission of "trick or treat" was complete, I laid her out (the suit) on the table and while I marveled in her complete ugliness; Emma fell in love with her. "Is it your's Mommy? It's beautiful!"... Then... "I love it" "Can I wear it too?" Samantha (our two year old) loved "her" (the suit) so much she quickly took the tags off. The next "winner" will see how I re-attached them without having to beg at the local Target to borrow a tag gun. Ahhh... fun!

We played dress up tonight! She would not take it off. The first picture you see is almost an hour later. Note the clothes pins making it looks like it fits in the front!

Please note all the drawings on the wall in the background and the "cocktail". My Emma was ready for the beach. Oh my, how we miss the ocean!!!

So... while she was still wearing it, she again asked about "Da Ugly Suit" and what has to happen next. I told her there was a contest and the winner receives the suit. She loves this suit! You have to understand... she's a typical five year old... "Mommy, can I go with the suit?" So while I explained to her how it works, in my head I'm laughing and hearing Yzma's voice (Eartha Kitt) talking about packing the flea in a box and another box and shipping it to herself - minus the smashing part... and I burst into laughter while explaining to Emma that she could not go with the suit... yes... this all in my head while talking... Emma will not be coming with the suit. We kinda like her!!!

For the official contest rules... Visit KIM HERE ... and if you do not have a blog of your own and are considering entering, I would be happy to blog your contest for you.

It is an interesting feeling the happiness, fun, and connectedness (is that a word?) that an ugly bathing suit can bring... stay tuned another opportunity to win is on the way!

Autism Salutes "Da Ugly Suit"!

2008-11-19T14:26:00.000-05:00

All work and no play makes for a dull day! So I entered a contest several weeks ago and I actually won! And you'll never guess when this beaut arrived. Any guesses??? Well we were on a mission called "trick or treat" and boy did I get both when I checked the mail as we left the house! Yep "Da Ugly Suit" arrived on Halloween.

You too will have a chance to win her, and marvel at the heinousness she exudes in the privacy of your own home! The contest started HERE. She travelled on her merry way to the first WINNER and met a cat! Then she hit the road again to the next WINNER and met up with Elvis! Never one to stay still for long she was on her way to the next WINNER where she met up with a few skeletons (scroll to Oct. 15). She is one busy Ugly Suit!

Stay tuned... Da Ugly Suit contest on Autism Salutes is coming soon!

P.S. My treadmill was only a clothes hanger for Da Ugly Suit, and don't you dare make fun of my messy desk!

Lee Silsby Introduces Enhansa Curcumin Supplement for Autism

2008-11-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy, the leader in custom compounded medications for autism, announces its newest product, Enhansa, Enhanced Absorption Curcumin Supplement. Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid found in the popular Indian spice turmeric. Enhansa was created by Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy. To date, several hundred patients on the spectrum are using Enhansa. Current product order rates indicate a high level of both patient and physician satisfaction.

Enhansa is clinically proven to increase intracellular Glutathione, reduce levels of nearly every elevated inflammatory cytokine found in autistic patients and improve liver detoxification. In addition, Enhansa acts as an anti-viral and anti-fungal agent and is a potent PPAR Gamma Agonist and NF-Kapp B inhibitor. Patient benefits include improved digestion, detoxification and antioxidant support.

Unlike other commercial curcumin products, Enhansa is free of all heavy metals and is clinically proven to have seven to eight times the absorption rate over standard curcumin extracts. Enhansa is available in 150 mg capsules, 600 mg capsules and powder form. Enhansa is available as an over the counter supplement, and can also be written as a prescription. Some insurances are covering Enhansa.

Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy is located in Cleveland, Ohio and includes a FDA approved nutritional supplement production facility, Class 100 certified clean room for preparing sterile products, and state-of-the-art compounding facilities. The pharmacists are available to consult with doctors and healthcare professionals around the globe. They ship internationally and accept several health insurance plans including TriCare military insurance.

To learn more about Enhansa and the other fine products from Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy, please visit www.leesilsby.com. Contact: Alan or Adam Israel: 800-918-8831 or info@ourkidsasd.com

Feckless IOM Does Agency's Bidding: Sound Familiar?

2008-11-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

Reprinted with permission from Age of Autism

Feckless IOM Does Agency's Bidding: Sound Familiar?
By Dan Olmsted

A harsh new report is blasting the relationship between a federal agency and the Institute of Medicine -- saying costly reports the IOM produced were worthless and failed to connect a widespread but baffling epidemic with its true causes.

No, it's not about autism. This criticism relates to the Veterans Administration and studies it commissioned from the Institute of Medicine to look into Gulf War Illness. The Congressionally mandated independent review of Gulf War Studies, in a report to be officially released Tuesday, calls the VA-IOM effort a diversion from the search for the truth.

It says that Saddam Hussein didn't cause Gulf War Syndrome -- we did. The most likely suspects, it concludes, are a nerve gas antidote used protectively (there was never an attack) and widespread exposure to pesticides. And it says multiple vaccinations given to the troops cannot be ruled out.

Too many vaccines … a potent and inadequately tested medicine used to ward off an attack that never came, one that may have mimicked the effects of actual exposure … environmental toxins causing new and catastrophic mental and physical damage … a conflicted government agency using the IOM for its own purposes.

In other words, it sounds a lot like the autism-vaccines report the IOM produced in 2004 for its client, the CDC -- which found no relationship between the two -- and the belief by many in the autism community that the science was skewed to produce a predetermined result. It also goes to the issue of whether scientific research has become so politicized and corporatized, especially in the past eight years, that a top to bottom review is needed -- something President-Elect Obama has said he will order.

Here is the heart of the matter, according to the new report:

"In 1998, with few conclusive answers to continuing questions about Gulf War illness and the federal response to this problem, Congress directed VA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review available research in order to assist the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in making decisions about Gulf War-related disability compensation. Public Laws … directed that the review identify conditions that affect Gulf War veterans at excess rates and assess the scientific evidence concerning associations between those conditions and a detailed list of Gulf War exposures.

In response, VA commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM), within the National Academies, to conduct a series of reviews using a methodology previously established to evaluate diseases affecting Vietnam veterans in relation to Agent Orange. (Hyams/Brown). To date, the resulting Gulf War and Health series has included nine reports, including two updated reports, and provided hundreds of conclusions. The Committee was concerned to find that the IOM reviews were not conducted in accordance with the laws that mandated them. As a result, the Gulf War and Health reports have provided little information that is directly relevant to health conditions that affect Gulf War veterans at excess rates, or their association with Gulf War exposures.

The 1998 legislation specifically directed that VA commission reviews that identify both diagnosed and undiagnosed illnesses that affect Gulf War veterans at excess rates and, based on a comprehensive consideration of available research, determine whether there is evidence that those illnesses are associated with Gulf War exposures or Gulf War service. However, the health conditions considered in the IOM Gulf War and Health reports have primarily included multiple types of cancer and a number of other diagnosed diseases—conditions for which there are no indications that Gulf War veterans have been affected at excess rates. In contrast, the IOM reports have provided almost no information on conditions that do occur at excess rates in Gulf War veterans. That is, the Gulf War and Health reports have not provided findings on possible associations between Gulf War illness or ALS and most Gulf War exposures. Nor do they provide findings on conditions like migraines and seizures, which preliminary information suggests may affect Gulf War veterans at excess rates, in relation to Gulf War exposures.

The legislation also directed that determinations be based on scientific evidence provided by both human and animal studies. Most studies that evaluate biological effects of hazardous exposures are done in animals, for ethical reasons. In recent years, a large number of animal studies have identified biological effects of Gulf War exposures and combinations of exposures that were previously unknown. Although animal research was sometimes described in the IOM reports, findings from animal studies were not considered in drawing conclusions about the evidence that Gulf War exposures were associated with health outcomes. Unlike IOM's earlier Agent Orange reports, the standards used to determine levels of evidence for the Gulf War and Health reports expressly limited IOM panelists to consideration of results from human studies. The omission of animal studies was especially striking in IOM's updated report on sarin (nerve gas for which the antidote was given to U.S. troops), which had been requested by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2003 specifically because of new research in animals that demonstrated adverse effects of low-level sarin exposure.

… The hundreds of findings provided in the IOM reports are largely inconclusive, indicating that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the diseases considered are associated with the exposures considered, based on the types of studies considered.

The specific information included in the Gulf War and Health reports is also problematic, in that it appears to reflect a process of reporting selected results from subgroups of studies, rather than integrating and analyzing results from all available research. This is a pervasive problem. …

In short, IOM's Gulf War and Health series of reports have been skewed and limited by a restrictive approach to the scientific tasks mandated by Congress, an approach directed by VA in commissioning the reports. These limitations are most notably reflected in the selective types of information reviewed and the lack of in-depth analysis of the research literature and scientific questions associated with the health of Gulf War veterans. There is a fundamental disconnect between the Congressional directive to VA and VA's charge to IOM for reviewing evidence on Gulf War exposures and their association with illnesses affecting Gulf War veterans. The reports have particularly fallen short in advancing understanding of associations between Gulf War exposures and Gulf War illness, the most prominent health issue affecting Gulf War veterans."

This set-up, of course, will be familiar to Age of Autism readers knowledgeable about the CDC-mandated-and-manipulated IOM study of autism and vaccines, which pulled every kind of punch -- from hurrying up the report to avoid looking at new studies, to ignoring or denigrating studies like the hair-mercury analysis and the violent reaction to thimerosal in mice bred to have autoimmune problems, to overweighting slipshod epidemiological studies that even the IOM acknowledged could fail to identify a susceptible subset of children.
Bottom line: The VA-IOM debacle is an analogous case study to the IOM-CDC cover-up, with similar consequences -- lack of understanding of what really caused Gulf War Syndrome; lack of understanding of what really caused the autism epidemic. At a deeper level, the study suggests a culture in which "science" is just another political tool to silence criticism and prevent the truth from emerging. In Patrick Fitzgerald's memorable phrase in the Scooter Libby trial, the IOM appears to have become a mechanism for "kicking sand in the umpire's face."

This connection was not lost on Steve Robinson, one of America's leading veterans advocates, who was instrumental in exposing the Bush Administration's shabby treatment of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

"It's the three-card monte game they use to have a pre-determined outcome," Robinson told me. And it's no mere game -- at stake are treatment and compensation for, in this case, hundreds of thousands of Gulf War vets whose lives have been damaged by their decision to serve their country.

"How do we break the code of how corrupt it is to manipulate science this way, not just for vets but for autism and other issues?" asked Robinson, who has been informally working with the Obama transition team on veterans' issues. He said Obama "is not going to get the ground truth from these people" in any of the areas where the science has been corrupted.

"What does he inherit? A politicized federal government [science program] that is defunct and corrupt." The problem is most acute four or five levels down from the top, where the actual manipulation occurs, he said. Those are the people who need to come clean.

The Gulf War review panel basically called for a mulligan on the shoddy VA/IOM collaboration -- recommending that the VA ask the IOM to redo all its studies and that the VA office involved in the previous studies, the Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, be removed from all participation in the new effort.

Here's an idea, one that's been circulating in the autism community for some time: Redo the IOM studies on autism and vaccines and remove the CDC, the U.S. Public Health Service and their pharma-flacking cronies from all oversight and responsibility.

Maybe the debacle at the VA will encourage the Obama Administration to take another look at the autism-vaccine "science" produced by the CDC and stamped "approved" by the IOM. A number of autism advocates worked hard for years to get the Bush administration to reconsider the Immunization Safety Review findings on autism. They made modest progress: the IOM sponsored a "Workshop on Autism and the Environment" last year.

Age of Autism Editor-at-Large Mark Blaxill was a member of the Planning Committee for that workshop. "The workshop was a small step in a better direction," says Blaxill, "but even getting that far was a huge struggle. And in no way whatsoever did it undo the damage done by the 2004 report. We need to see some intellectual courage from our scientific leadership. So far, all we've seen is systemic cowardice and a complete perversion of the scientific process. In the meantime, families are suffering and no one is doing anything about it."

A final note -- while the IOM may claim it was just doing its job as mandated by the VA, that's not good enough, not for an institution that is part of the National Academies, which calls itself "Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering and Health." IOM could just as easily have read the Congressional mandate and told the VA that its request was not in accordance with the law -- in common parlance, illegal. In fact, why didn't they stand up for good science? Was the contract too enticing? Yet the IOM says it advises "the nation."

The nation is not the VA -- the nation is veterans. The nation is not the CDC -- it's families and individuals coping with an autism epidemic. And the nation is certainly not the federal government -- the nation is the people who elected that government to protect and defend them; it's you and me.

And we, the people, keep getting royally screwed.
--
Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism.

Lee Silsby OurKidsASD Autism Supplement Sale!

2008-11-16T17:20:00.000-05:00

OurKidsASD is part of Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy, and is reaching out to cash strapped families with a fabulous sale on many of the items we all use, including Houston's enzymes for those holiday diet slips! Please click HERE to see the list.

Also, Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy is offering $20 off of any compounded prescription medication or ASD vitamin/mineral formula (no prescription required; but covered by insurance when prescribed by doctors) to all new customers.

To get this discount, just give the code MILIT when you place your first order with Lee Silsby. If your TRICARE covers the cost of the medications, the $20 can be used to cover the shipping and insurance co-pay. For more information, visit www.leesilsby.com or call us at 1-800-918-8831.

And you can stock up on Jenny McCarthy's Mother Warriors at the promotional price of $12.48, less than anywhere else (Amazon, for example, is selling for $14.97). You can order your copy HERE.

Thanks so much to the team at Lee Silsby and OurKidsASD for supporting our precious children in these difficult financial times.

Autism Salutes Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy!!!

2008-11-06T20:12:00.000-05:00

Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy is the leader in quality compounded medications for autism! Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy is offering $20 off of any compounded prescription medication or ASD vitamin/mineral formula (no prescription required; but covered by insurance when prescribed by doctors) to all new customers.

To get this discount, just give the code MILIT when you place your first order. Since Lee Silsby medications are covered by Tricare, the $20 can be used to cover the shipping or insurance co-pay.

For more information, visit www.leesilsby.com or call them at 1-800-918-8831.

Stay tuned, Lee Silsby's Compounding Pharmacy has been known to have give-away contests!!! Fun for us and great for our children!!!

Our Kids Deserve To Be Safe!

2008-11-06T17:55:00.000-05:00

The "10 Americans", video features Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Ken has a great sense of humor and engages the audience with information that's not too technical but extremely important.

The video presents a picture of the current state of our children's health and provides an explanation why we need to unite and work to change the policies that contribute to the devastating health affects and increasing rates of chronic children's illnesses we are witnessing today.

As you are aware, people are now polluted with hundreds of industrial chemicals, and yet we have little or no understanding of what this means. Recent studies have shown that babies are born with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies. Some of these chemicals have been linked to a variety of adverse health effects including asthma, allergies, autism, ADHD, childhood cancer, obesity, infertility, and birth defects.

Each of these diseases carries enormous cost to American taxpayers. It's estimated that childhood cancer, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders and lead poisoning cost our nation $54.9 billion annually. The burden placed on families whose children are affected by chronic diseases and developmental disabilities is immeasurable.

Despite increases in adverse health effects and soaring costs, the government currently has almost no authority to protect people from even the most hazardous chemicals on the market.

The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) is more than 30 years old and almost completely ineffective. It is the only major environmental law that has never been amended, and is so weak that using TSCA, the EPA was not able to ban asbestos, one of the most deadly materials known to man. Recent concerns about chemicals in baby bottles and children’s toys are a direct result of a failed TSCA that does not give the EPA the tools it needs to protect the public health and ensure orderly regulation of chemicals that present legitimate health threats, particularly to children.

Recognizing the consequences of inaction, government leaders, professionals and children's health experts are calling for reform of current chemical safety standards. http://www.ewg.org/files/EWGKidsafe_support.pdf

The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act would reform the TSCA and ensure that chemicals are safe for the fetus, babies and children before they are put into the products we consume and use every day.

Kid-Safe requires:

· chemicals to be proven safe for infants, children and other vulnerable populations in order to get on the market, or stay on the market;

· expedited EPA to review of chemicals found in people, particularly those found in cord blood;

· health and safety data on chemicals to be made publicly available.

We are currently adding to a list of supporting organizations in preparation for the re-introduction of Kid-Safe next session. http://www.ewg.org/files/KSCALetterSignatures_updated_0.pdf

Please review the Kid Safe Bill and the Kid-Safe Fact Sheet

Like many other parents, I share the view that our babies should not be born pre-polluted and have joined the EWG team to help build support for this critically important bill.

Through the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act we can respect and protect the most vulnerable and give our children a safer and healthier future.

If your organization would like to support this bill you may email Bobbie Manning at bmanning83 at verizon dot net. Bobbie is an Environmental Health Outreach Coordinator for the Environmental Working Group.

Military Wife Asks Obama About Vaccination Beliefs

2008-10-30T23:09:00.000-04:00

Military Wife Asks Obama About Vaccination Beliefs
Yes it is me, Angela Warner, military wife, autism Mom, and advocate.
I've created an iReport (the link is here) on CNN.
I founded where you are :D Autism Salutes.
"Senator Obama has stated he is "not for selective vaccination". There is no other medical procedure that is mandated with the exception of vaccines. I would like Senator Obama to clarify his position on his previous statement, as my vote, and a large majority of other parents' votes depend upon his answer."
Take 26 seconds to watch.

Front and Center

2008-10-09T10:28:00.000-04:00

Follow-Up on Representative Maloney's Autism-Vaccine Briefing

By: Jeanne Cantkier, Pamela Felice, Lisa Rudley, and Angela Warner

Warrior Help Is Needed and Necessary!

On September 24, 2008 our community experienced a monumental and potentially game changing moment. Thanks to the organized efforts of our dedicated community, there was standing room only at the Autism-Vaccine Briefing hosted by Rep. Maloney and presented by David Kirby and Mark Blaxill.

As a community, it is absolutely imperative that we follow-up now with our legislators to keep the Autism-Vaccine issue front and center. Getting all those people in the room together was just the first step. They have listened, and now we need to let them know what they can do to help our children. Remember, they work for us, the people!

Regardless of whether you initially contacted your Representative or Senator about the Autism-Vaccine briefing, we need you to RALLY NOW to follow up. Contact information to participate in the follow-up and a list of the Senate and House members who attended or sent staff can be found at the end of this post.

Here’s What You Can Do:

1. Contact your Representative and Senator’s office to:

a. Thank them if they attended.
b. Let them know (politely) that you are disappointed that they did not attend if they had in fact RSVP’d
c. Let them know that the Autism-Vaccine briefing took place if they did not attend and did not RSVP.
2. Mail each person a copy of the briefing transcript (HERE)
3. Urge each staffer who did attend to brief the Representative or Senator they work for.
4. Of most importance, let them know what you would like them to do next.

Representative Maloney intends to re-introduce H.R. Bill 2832 – Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007. With this information in hand, one of the most important things we can ask for is their support of this Bill when it is re-introduced. Make sure they understand that autism is a national emergency impacting 1 in every 67 children in this country (HERE). To demonstrate the importance of the study and Bill that Rep. Maloney will introduce, you could refer them to the survey conducted by Generation Rescue (HERE), and communicate to them the undeniable findings of this survey as they relate to autism and implicate vaccines.

For those of you who are comfortable in asking for more there is a great “ask” suggestion list following the contact information. For those of you who would like to participate, but are not the most comfortable with talking or emailing, we can provide you with tools to help you do one or both.

How To Contact Your Legislator:

If your Representative or Senator’s office was in attendance, it is important that they hear from YOU, their constituents, directly! We'll send you the contact info you need. Email us at followupmoms@gmail.com with your name, city, and state. In the subject line please list ONLY your time zone (EST, CST, MST, PST), and state abbreviation (ex: PA), and the “follow-up mom” handling your area will send you the needed information including the above mentioned tools. You can check the updated list below. It’s in order by state. After you have contacted your Representative and Senator's, drop us an email at followupmoms@gmail.com and let us know how it went and what their response was!

The Autism Action Network (formerly A-CHAMP) has given us the opportunity to MASS email our Representative and Senator’s offices (HERE). Everyone needs to DO this! You can personalize your email to include additional information. While it will not go directly to the staffer that attended the briefing; the national emergency of autism commands the action of our entire community and NOW!

Your help is critical to maintaining our momentum. Everyone’s commitment to our children, and our future children, has opened this door. It is time to walk through that door and get the job done!

Additional Suggestion Ask List:

Remember that real families and children need your help

Ask for a fundamental change in how we think about autism:

* Treat autism as a national emergency, we need a sense of urgency

* Drive a shift in focus to environmental causes, they can be prevented.
Include vaccines and mercury… they are clearly implicated

* Provide opportunities for true participation from the autism community in key agency processes by enforcing real external input on the NIH Strategic Plan through the formation of an Autism Advisory Board, and give us more seats on the IACC

* If your state is working to pass an autism insurance mandate, ask them to support passage of this mandate. The estimated cost of life long care for a person with autism far exceeds the cost of medically necessary treatment which can bring significant improvement and recovery.

* Recognize that the overwhelming priority is prevention, treatment today (not gene hunts or esoteric science projects) services and justice. And to that goal provide funding for prevention, education, treatment, insurance, research, and lifelong care

Ask for Studies:

• Support H.R. Bill 2832 - Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007

• Support H.R. Bill 1973 – Vaccination Safety and Public Confidence Assurance Act of 2007

• Draft legislation to study the rising levels of background mercury and inorganic Hg exposures in the U.S. Dan Olmsted discusses this in his article, “Demon Barbers of Mercury Street" (HERE) published in Spectrum Magazine on Sept. 28, 2008
• Draft legislation to study the prevalence of mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD and regressive ASD

Conduct Hearings that would:

• Investigate the NIH research matrix and its over-emphasis on genetics

• Investigate the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, for their failure to investigate the increases in both the local and nationwide toxicity to which American children are exposed and the devastating social consequences that have resulted

• Determine the estimated lifetime costs of caring for all Americans with an ASD and project the total cost to society that will be incurred if we do not reverse the autism epidemic

• Investigate the mishandling of VSD data by CDC staff and the usefulness of the VSD for evaluating a thimerosal link. David Kirby addresses this in his article, "Weaknesses and Limitations" (HERE) of the CDC's Vaccine Safety Database, October 2, 2008

• Investigate the FDA for their failure to adequately monitor the safety of vaccine production and for holding vaccine manufacturers to a lower standard of safety than other, non-mandated pharmaceutical products

• Hold agencies accountable for avoiding research that might find a link between vaccines and autism based on the comments of former Director of the NIH, Dr. Bernadine Healy (HERE).

House

Robert Cramer AL D
Jo Bonner AL R
Jackie Speier CA D
Zoe Lofgren CA D
Henry Waxman CA D
Barbara Lee CA D
Duncan Hunter CA R
Loretta Sanchez CA D
Jerry McNerney CA D
Mark Udall CO D
Christopher Shays CT R
Mark Castle DE R
Dave Weldon FL R
Adam Putnam FL R
Robert Wexler FL D
Ginny Brown-Waite FL R
Nathan Deal GA R
Tom Price GA R
John Barrow GA D
Dave Loebsack IA D
Ed Whitfield KY R
John Tierney MA D
Chris Van Hollen MD D
Joe Knollenberg MI R
John Kline MN R
Michelle Bachman MN R
Tim Walz MN D
Chip Pickering MS R
David Price NC D
Brad Miller NC D
Earl Pomeroy ND D
Frank LoBiondo NJ R
Steven Rothman NJ D
Frank Pallone NJ D
Carolyn Maloney NY D
Kirsten Gillibrand NY D
John McHugh NY R
Nita Lowey NY D
Charlie Wilson OH D
David Wu OR D
Robert Brady PA D
Charlie Dent PA R
John Murtha PA D
Todd Platts PA R
Bill Shuster PA R
Jim Langevin RI D
Gresham Barrett SC R
Joe Wilson SC R
Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin SD D
John Tanner TN D
Zach Wamp TN R
Gene Green TX D
Louie Gohmert TX R
Pete Sessions TX R
Lloyd Doggett TX D
Silvestre Reyes TX D
Frank Wolf VA R
Nick Rahall WV D

Senate

Lisa Murkowski AK R
Jeff Sessions AL R
Johnny Isakson GA R
Saxby Chambliss GA R
Barack Obama IL D
Richard Durbin IL D
Mitch McConnell KY R
John Kerrey MA D
Ted Kennedy MA D
Olympia Snowe ME R
Norm Coleman MN R
Claire McCaskill MO D
Richard Burr NC R
Byron Dorgan ND D
Kent Conrad ND D
Frank Lautenberg NJ D
Robert Menendez NJ D
Ron Wyden OR D
Gordon Smith OR R
Sheldon Whitehouse RI D
Jack Reed RI D
Lindsay Graham SC R
Tim Johnson SD D
John Cornyn TX R
Kay Bailey Hutchinson TX R
Orrin Hatch UT R
Bernie Sanders VT I
Maria Cantwell WA D
Russ Feingold WI D
Robert Byrd WV D

This post and action would not have been possible without the incredible work and support of David Kirby, Mark Blaxill, Age of Autism, Generation Rescue, and Autism Action Network! Autism Salutes YOU!

It's An Autism Salutes Day!!!

2008-10-02T11:47:00.000-04:00

It’s a day for Saluting folks! I LOVE these days, they are just simply the BEST!!!

Senator Diane Feinstein, Senator Mel Martinez, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Senator Richard Durbin! Autism Salutes YOU!

Last month Senator’s Feinstein, Martinez, Schumer, and Durbin introduced a Senate Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2009, which would have raised the monthly cap on the amount of treatment our military dependent children with autism receive through the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program. The amendment would have increased coverage to $5,000 per month.

Unfortunately the Senate Amendment was not chosen to go to vote, along with hundreds of other Senate amendments. With the House and Senate versions of the NDAA ’09 passed and on their way to conference committee, we kept the faith. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.

The President has signed into law the NDAA ’09. While the cap was not raised to $5,000, some monumental changes were made to the ECHO program. The monthly cap was done away with, and instead a yearly maximum of $36,000 implemented. In other words, if you don’t have services one month, that funding is not “lost” as it was previously. It now “rolls over”! This is a huge change, a definite step in the right direction, and will help our children, while we continue on in this journey!

Congressman Joe Sestak, again, Autism Salutes YOU! It was you who initially took a leadership role for our children!

Our children and our families are grateful to all of our leaders who fought for our children. Thank you!

“It’s great to be great, but it’s greater to be human.”
Will Rogers

You can now read Senator's Feinstein, Martinez, Schumer, and Durbin's Amendment in the Documents Section on the left, and the NDAA 2009 language pertaining to this as well.

Autism Salutes Senator Mel Martinez!!!

2008-10-02T09:52:00.000-04:00

Our Retired United Stated Armed Forces Members, their spouses, and their children with autism are saluting again!

Senator Mel Martinez! Autism Salutes YOU!!!

Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) has introduced the Senate companion of Congressman Moran and Congressman Miller’s Bill, which would extend the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program benefits to our retired military members’ children with autism, allowing them to receive medically necessary treatment.

Our retired military members who served our great nation currently do not even have the option of enrolling their child (ren), in the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program. With retirement, the hope that their child with autism might be able to receive treatment simply vanishes into thin air. The message sent? After your honorable service to our country; your child with autism is no longer worthy of the benefits available to active duty military dependents with autism.

That message and reality is, quite frankly, unconscionable.

Our men and women who have answered the call to duty, and served this great nation of ours, should not have to choose between retirement and beginning or continued medically necessary treatment for their children with autism.

“A society will be judged by how it treats its weakest members, not its strongest ones.”
Alexis De Tocqueville

Senator Mel Martinez not only understands this, he has taken action! Thank you Senator Martinez! You are a great American!

You can read the Bill introduced by Senator Martinez in the Documents Section on the left. Senator Martinez Bill.

OPPORTUNITY!!! Autism - Do You Want Answers???

2008-09-29T00:55:00.000-04:00

OPPORTUNITY!!! What Questions Would You Ask The Presidential Candidate’s?

DEADLINE For Comments: Tuesday, September, 30, 2008! The site is not specific as to what time the comments close, so please ACT NOW!

What will Senator McCain and Senator Obama, if elected President, do about the autism epidemic, the financial impact the continued lack of medically necessary treatment for 1 in every 67 children with autism will have on our country long term, better care for our adult children with autism already in residential care, and the research that still needs to be done regarding causation; specifically vaccines, the known neurotoxin’s that vaccine’s contain, and vaccine safety?

As always, please be polite and professional. You can submit your question HERE. If you're not a "my space user" click continue as a guest. It's pretty simple :) If you encounter an issue, the addy is http://www.myspace.com/mydebates

Autism Salutes Our Autism Warrior's!!!!!!

2008-09-24T21:27:00.000-04:00

What a powerful day! September 24, 2008 was a day to go down in the history books as far as I'm concerned!

Autism Salutes Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) for hosting this special briefing of Congress on the Autism-Vaccine debate. Representative Maloney, thank you for your continued efforts to help our children, and your continued quest in finding the truth!

Autism Salutes David Kirby!

Autism Salutes Mark Blaxill!

Stand at attention gentlemen! Your presentation's of the truth on the Autism-Vaccine debate to our Members of Congress were exactly that... THE TRUTH! And they were remarkable!!! You, gentlemen... simple ROCK!!!! And the entire Autism community is eternally grateful to you!

Autism One Radio broadcast the special briefing. If it wasn't for Autism One Radio, we wouldn't have been able to hear David and Mark speak live. Curt, thank you for your committment to bringing us Autism One Radio! (Scroll to the Site Index (bottom left) and click on "Help/Download Shows" and it's on the calendar)

I've listed here for you, those in attendance who are Armed Services Committee Members (Personnel or Readiness Subcommittee's). Those with an * are also on the Autism Caucus. Comments follow some.

From the House:

Rep. John McHugh (R-CA)*
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
Rep. John Kline (R-MN)* ("They really want to be part of this")
Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)* ("We are ALL very interested in this issue")
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)*
*** Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS)* ("Congressman Pickering is passionate about this issue")
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)* ("Will attend in person or send a staff person")
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA)*

***Congressman Pickering signed Congressman Issa's letter which is in the documents section off to the left. He is not on the Armed Services Committee.

From the Senate:

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)

For the entire list of who attended, hop over to Age of Autism. Age of Autism simply ROCKS!!! Thank you for your dedication to bringing us "the news"!

And last, but certainly not least, Autism Salutes all the Mother and Father Warriors who faxed and made phone calls to hundreds of Representative's and Senator's offices to inform them of this extremely important briefing and ask for a committment of their attendance.

This briefing was a huge success because of everyone's deep love for our children, and our solid committment to not allow this to happen to another generation of children.

Action Alert!!! For Our Children With Autism Of Our Retired Military Members!!!

2008-09-24T18:59:00.000-04:00

The Autism Society of America has made it easy for you to support the bipartisan Bill introduced last week by Congressman Moran and Congressman Miller that will provide treatment coverage for our children with autism whose parents are retired military members.

All of our children with autism need access and coverage of medically necessary treatment. Those who have faithfully served our country are deserving of the same coverage available to active duty members and their families.

Please show your support!!!

You can contact your Representative's and Senator's in support of this extremely important Bill HERE.

Autism Society of America! Autism Salutes, Salutes YOU!

Autism Needs A Hero NOW!!!

2008-09-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

Last week a bipartisan Senate Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2009 was introduced by Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Martinez (R-FL), Schumer (D-NY), and Durbin (D-IL). The Senate Amendment introduced was comparable to that introduced in the House last spring by Congressman Sestak (D-PA), and which passed overwhelmingly.

Unfortunately, Senate Amendment (5541-25-3001) comparable to Congressman Sestak’s did not go to vote. Out of hundreds of amendments, only 3 were voted upon, and the Senate version of the NDAA ’09 was passed this past Wednesday night. The Senate and House versions of the NDAA ’09 are currently in conference with committee staff.

We must act NOW on behalf of our children with autism. When this legislation is included in the NDAA ’09 and signed into law, it will set a federal precedent for treatment for all of our children with autism.

I ask you to please call and/or fax the below listed members of The Armed Services Committee. I have listed them by sub-committee and the ranking members first. At the end I have included a sample letter. Please feel free to use this. Any way that you can personalize it with your own family’s story makes it that much more effective.

As I said, the Senate and House versions of the NDAA ’09 are in conference, and the committee staff is working late.

Autism is impacting 1 in every 67 children and families. Autism impacts more and more children and families everyday. We can not wait for promises made during a campaign to be realized so that our children can receive treatment. Autism is not a bargaining chip. Autism Needs A Hero NOW!!!

Senate Armed Services Committee

Military Personnel Subcommittee

Levin – Chair MI Phone 202-224-6221 Fax 202-224-1388
McCain – Ranking Member AZ Phone 202-224-2235 Fax 202-228-2862
Nelson NE Phone 202-224-6551 Fax 202-228-0012
Graham SC Phone 202-224-5972 Fax 202-224-3808
Warner VA Phone 202-224-2023 Fax 202-224-6295
Lieberman CT Phone 202-224-4041 Fax 202-228-0341
Webb VA Phone 202-224-4024 Fax 202-228-6363
Reed RI Phone 202-224-4642 Fax 202-224-4680
Sessions AL Phone 202-224-4124 Fax 202-224-3149
Cornyn TX Phone 202-224-2934 Fax 202-224-5220
McCaskill MO Phone 202-224-6154 Fax 202-228-6326
Collins ME Phone 202-224-2523 Fax 202-224-2693
Chambliss GA Phone 202-224-3521 Fax 202-224-0103
Dole NC Phone 202-224-6342 Fax 202-224-1100

Military Readiness and Management Support

Akaka - Chair HI Phone 202-224-6361 Fax 202-224-2126
Thune - Ranking Member SD Phone 202-224-2321 Fax 202-228-5429
Byrd WV Phone 202-224-3954 Fax 202-228-0002
Bayh IN Phone 202-224-5623 Fax 202-228-1377
Clinton NY Phone 202-224-4451 Fax 202-228-0282
Pryor AR Phone 202-224-2353 Fax 202-228-0908
Inhofe OK Phone 202-224-4721 Fax 202-228-0380
Wicker MS Phone 202-224-6253 Fax 202-228-0378
Martinez FL Phone 202-224-3041 Fax 202-228-5171
Bill Nelson FL Phone 202-224-5274 Fax 202-228-2183
Kennedy MA Phone 202-224-5110 Fax 202-224-2417

House Armed Services Commitee

Military Personnel Subcommittee

Ike Skelton (D-MO) Phone 202-225-2876 Fax 202-225-2695
Duncan Hunter (R-CA) Phone 202-225-5672 Fax 202-225-0235
Susan Davis (D-CA) Phone 202-225-2040 Fax 202-225-2948
John McHugh (R-NY) Phone 202-225-4611 Fax 202-226-0621
Vic Snyder (D-AR) Phone 202-225-2506 Fax 202-225-5903
Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Phone 202-225-2965 Fax 202-225-5859
Nancy Boyda (D-KS) Phone 202-225-6601 Fax 202-225-7986
Patrick Murphy (D-PA) Phone 202-225-4276 Fax202-225-9511
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) Phone 202-225-5456 Fax 202-225-5822
Niki Tsongas (D-MA) Phone 202-225-3411 Fax 202-226-0771
John Kline (R-MN) Phone 202-225-2271 Fax 202-225-2595
Thelma Drake (R-VA) Phone 202-225-4215 Fax 202-225-4218
Walter Jones (R-NC) Phone 202-225-3415 Fax 202-225-3286
Joe Wilson (R-SC) Phone 202-225-2452 Fax 202-225-2455

Military Readiness and Management Subcommittee

Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) Phone 202-225-7742 Fax 202-226-1134
Randy Forbes (R-VA) Phone 202-225-6365 Fax 202-226-1170

Sample Letter

September 18, 2008

Re: Support for increased funding for autism treatment for military children

To the Honorable Members of the Armed Services Committee,

On behalf of the thousands of military parents who have children with autism, I am writing to ask for your leadership to increase funding for autism treatment for military children through FY09 NDAA.

I strongly support the Sestak amendment to HR5658 and the bi-partisan amendment offered by Senators Feinstein, Martinez, Schumer, and Durbin (amendment #5541 to S3001) to increase funding of autism treatment, specifically Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), for military children to $5,000 a month.

The effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) based intervention in autism has been well documented through 5 decades of research by using single-subject methodology and in controlled studies of comprehensive early intensive behavioral intervention programs in university and community settings. ABA works to develop and improve language and communication skills, social skills, daily-living skills, play and leisure skills, develop positive family relationships, and work to ameliorate harmful and interfering behaviors. It is imperative we provide children with autism access to effective treatments to improve their quality of life and ability to function independently in all aspects of life.

A child’s treatment plan should be based on individual need and consistent with best practices. The American Academy of Pediatrics and National Academy of Sciences recommend a minimum of 25 hours of ABA a week. Optimal results are seen with 35-40 hours a week. The $2,500 financial limit of the TRICARE ECHO program is not sufficient to meet minimum standards. Costs for these programs can exceed $5,000. Increasing funding for autism treatment marks great progress toward recognizing the importance of providing for effective intervention services and I strongly support these efforts.

During this time of persistent conflict and high operations, our military families are facing an extreme set of circumstances. Providing for effective medical care and family supports is essential to mission readiness, but more importantly, we have an ethical obligation to support our military families and provide the medically prescribed care they require. We owe our military service members and their families the very best quality of life we can offer. Our military men and women that deploy repeatedly to combat and serve this great nation with honor and integrity deserve nothing less.

I thank you for your support of our military children with autism. Your actions on behalf of our military children will help all families nationwide fighting for autism insurance reform across the country.

Sincerely,
Name
Phone
Email

Rep. Carolyn Maloney To Host Autism Vaccine Briefing

2008-09-21T18:36:00.000-04:00

Rep. Maloney To Host Autism Vaccine Briefing
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR US SENATORS (HERE) AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS (HERE) AND URGE THEM TO ATTEND OR SEND A STAFF MEMBER TO THIS IMPORTANT AUTISM-VACCINE BRIEFING ON CAPITOL HILL

Wednesday, September 24 at 2:00 PM
210 Cannon House Office Building
Independence Avenue, Washington, DC.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is hosting a special briefing for Members of Congress and their Staff to update them on recent developments in the vaccine-autism debate.

David Kirby, investigative journalist and author of The New York Times bestseller Evidence of Harm, Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic – A Medical Controversy, will inform Members and their staff about developments in this debate from science, public policy, politics and law. Mr. Kirby will be joined Mark Blaxill, Director of the Coalition for SAFE MINDS.

Among the issues to be discussed are:

● A recent Vaccine Court case in which the federal government conceded that vaccines induced autism in one girl with an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction.

● Possible links between mitochondrial dysfunction and autistic regression, and information on several ASD children with mitochondrial issues;

● State-of-the-art research underway at top universities on the connection between environmental toxins, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, glutathione depletion, neuro-inflammation and autistic encephalopathy;
● Research agendas from the CDC and NIH that include investigations into links between vaccines and neuro-immune disorders

● The scope and implications of the autism epidemic. How scientific politics is preventing policy from catching up to the problem.

● Ongoing research into connections between mercury exposure and autism. Why most of what is reported is inaccurate.

● Reframing concerns over the vaccine program: It’s not a question of being pro or con vaccines, but rather a question of safety management.

We are asking all of our members to contact their elected representatives and urge them to attend.

A RUNNING TALLY OF CONGRESSIONAL RSVPS WILL BE KEPT ON WWW.AGEOFAUTISM.COM

IF YOU RECEIVE ANY REPLY FROM LAWMAKERS IN YOUR STATE, PLEASE FORWARD THAT INFORMATION TO kirbylecture@gmail.com

Deadly Serious

2008-09-17T01:16:00.001-04:00

I received an email today from my dear friend Kim who is the Managing Editor of Age of Autism. So I sit here writing after my kids are in bed. Again… It’s all good.

David Kirby reported about the military and vaccines and Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s (NY-D) effort to get to the TRUTH about vaccines and what our military members receive.

Some very close friends of mine had their website hacked today. You know who I’m talking about and they are now offline. They told the TRUTH. We ALL have told the TRUTH. Will this happen to us too?

With ALL that is going on I sense an unscrupulous agenda and tremendous climate of fear from our government officials. Oh yeh! After everything else that happened today (more on that later)… there is much that THEY fear. They fear the TRUTH!

“The miser, starving his brother’s body, starves also his own soul, and at death shall creep out of his great estate of injustice, poor and naked and miserable.”
Theodore Parker

I think I hear a black helo flying over my “house” again. I wonder how long our children and our military members have been guinea pigs for our country??? I actually know the answer. FOR TOO LONG!!!

Those of you who have fear, well…. I suggest you run for your lives.

Those who DO NOT have fear, you might want to check out these links!!!!

David Kirby’s Latest....

Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s letter There may be problems with the link - if there are let me know. There have been problems with the link but you should be able to access it on Age of Autism HERE and scroll in the column and you'll see AoA's HERE for it!

And here is the link to The Department of Defense's Vaccine Healthcare Center (VHC) 2007 presentation on vaccine safety

Autism Salutes Congressman Moran and Congressman Miller!!!

2008-09-15T11:23:00.000-04:00

In my mind I once again see thousands of our United States uniformed men and women, their spouses, and children saluting, although this salute is much different; these uniformed men and women have children with autism and they are retired from the United States Armed Forces!

Congressman Moran! Congressman Miller! Autism Salutes, SALUTES YOU!!!

Our retired military members who served our great nation do not even have the option of enrolling their child (ren), in the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program. With retirement, the hope that their child with autism might be able to receive treatment simply vanishes into thin air. The message sent? After your honorable service to our country; your child with autism is no longer worthy of the benefits available to active duty military dependents with autism.

That message and reality is, quite frankly, unconscionable.

“Look at the facts of the world. You see a continual and progressive triumph of the right. I do not pretend to understand the moral of the universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but a little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice. Things refuse to be mismanaged long.”
Theodore Parker

Congressman Moran and Congressman Miller possess conscience, and understand the true meaning of Democracy. In a bi-partisan and truly democratic action, Congressman Moran and Congressman Miller are introducing a Bill (NOT an amendment – A BILL!), which will open the doors for our military retiree’s dependent children with autism, to either begin or continue to receive medically necessary treatment!

Our men and women who have answered the call to duty, and served this great nation of ours, should not have to choose between retirement and beginning or continued medically necessary treatment for their children with autism.

Congressman Moran! Congressman Miller! If you happen to read this, please know that the introduction of your Bill “will leave a trail” (thanks Uncle Ralph) towards justice for ALL children and their families who live with autism.

The autism community is doing the “happy dance” again!

There will be a press conference on Wednesday morning on the steps of the Capitol! Details of the Press Conference are below... Stay tuned… You can read the Bill and request for co-sponsors over on the left.

Moran-Miller Press Conference Announcing Legislation Supporting Military Children with Autism
When: Wednesday, September 17th
10:00AM to 10:30 AM

Where: U.S. Capitol
Room HC-7

Who: Congressmen Jim Moran (D-VA), Jeff Miller (R-FL), several military families with autistic children who will share their stories, and representatives from the Autism Society of America, Autism Speaks, and the Military Officers Association of America.

What: Representatives Moran and Miller to hold a press conference unveiling their bipartisan legislation geared towards providing specialized early development care for autistic children of military families.

TRICARE Management Activity Desperately Needs A New Name!

2008-09-01T23:35:00.000-04:00

TRICARE Management Activity Desperately Needs A New Name!

I began seeing red at roughly 3:00 pm on the afternoon of Monday, August25, 2008. This is a new way of seeing red for me. I have been in a serious funk since then, and when I am in this kind of funk; my typical positive, good natured and humorous self goes on a far away vacation. Damn… I wish I could join myself on my vacation because I sure as heck could use one! The only way out of this funk is to share the truth, and in doing so, hopefully be giving voice to countless others to speak their truth as well.

When I began seeing red on Monday, I knew right then and there that I would end up here, sitting at my desk late at night after my children were in bed, writing about this. I had some initial concerns that I might be viewed as whining or complaining. There are two philosophies I strongly believe in; timing is everything and nothing is coincidental. Sure as timing would have it because nothing is coincidental, I received an email tonight from someone at a very prominent military publication questioning if more military members and spouses are not speaking up about the travesty that our military healthcare system is because they might be viewed as whining and complaining. Bingo! So here I sit typing away.

Please humor me while I describe my Monday to you. We (yes… all six of us) live in a two story 1,300 square foot rental. Our linoleum needed to be replaced, as seams were lifting and torn in one spot. We had to rearrange our home for the day… in our living room; eight foot couch (the chairs and antique bureau went in the garage), nine foot across entertainment center with bookshelves, and other shelving, and the following “items” which are typically in our kitchen went to the living room for a vacation… treadmill, antique secretary, the fridge, computer armoire (huge), and our front loading washer and dryer. The stove and our antique dining room table (my grandparent’s first purchase after marriage – fully extended 9x 4 feet) and all the chairs; yep they went on vacation to the back patio for the day! The living room was already “living enough”.

So… all was fine. Granted there were a few tough moments, but we Warner’s made do and made jokes as always! It was later that afternoon when all hell broke loose and I began seeing red. You see, I had made an appointment to take Isaac (our oldest) to see Eva (our family Nurse Practitioner) to get the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) paperwork filled out in order to enroll him in TRICARE’s Extended Care Health Option (ECHO program, so he can begin receiving ABA. We never bothered to enroll Isaac in either program because of the inability to access ABA for Nathan once he was enrolled in both programs.

Nathan began ABA in July after waiting for over two years. Nathan started receiving ABA services thanks to MY Big Mouth; AKA - networking and advocacy in our community. My first contact with Nathan’s current BCBA was in early April, and she was not yet signed up with TRICARE. Nathan has responded beautifully to ABA, and while we know that is not the end all be all, we want Isaac to benefit from ABA as well.

Back to seeing RED! I love Eva. The kids love Eva. Angie who is Eva’s Medical Assistant is very efficient, full of kindness, and she is just plain great at what she does. After checking Isaac over and looking at a couple observations done recently by therapists in our home, Eva was filling out the EFMP paperwork for Isaac. At the end of our visit, Eva handed me an envelope, and I am still devastated. And still seeing red… red, red, RED!

The envelope… I told her that I “think I know what this is”… one of those surreal moments. She is letting us go because of TRICARE’s re-imbursement rates. She is letting all of her 100 plus, TRICARE patients go. She is not renewing her TRICARE contract so she can keep her doors open. I am seeing RED all over again just thinking about it! Eva told me that TRICARE’s typical re-imbursement rate is ONE THIRD of what civilian insurance re-imbursement rates are… Nice… Priceless for TRICARE.

I did check this out, given my medical background and “prowess”. TRICARE’s re-imbursement rate is comparable to that of Medicare and Medicaid. Our military members and dependents receive care and services that is comparable to that which our elderly do if they are dependent upon Medicare. Our military members and their dependents also receive care and services which are comparable to that of welfare. Welfare… and we’ve heard that before and heard that said through dialogue with other members practitioners via the members.

The United States of America should be ashamed of the way we provide healthcare benefits to our children with autism, to our military members and their families (regardless of whether there is a disability or not), our military retiree’s, and our elderly.

Which leads me to, of course, autism and the email I received from the reporter questioning if more members are not speaking up regarding TRICARE because they don’t want to be viewed as “complaining”. There is a difference between complaining to complain, and complaining and offering solutions. That is what we military spouses and parents who complain do; we offer solutions. And MAN! Have we offered solutions, again and again and again. Our solutions have fallen on deaf ears, and the deaf ears of one doctor in particular, who has an ethical and moral obligation and the authority to put our solutions into action.

I would like to introduce you to Dr. (Major General) Elder Granger. Dr. Granger happens to be the Deputy Director for TRICARE Management Activity. You can read his bio HERE. One of the things that struck me was upon reading Dr. Granger’s bio, was the Fellowship he received from the Henry KAISER Medical Fellowship for Medical Excellence and Leadership upon graduation from the Arkansas School of Medicine in 1980.

As a mom who no longer has a provider for her children or herself I was put in a really tough position of attempting to locate a provider who would support both my husband’s and my decision to no longer vaccinate our children. Well how do you start that conversation… Are you accepting TRICARE for the next year? Are you willing to take four children into your practice and support our family’s decision to not currently vaccinate according to the “recommended” schedule and as we see appropriate? And are you experienced with this issue and that issue related to autism??? Oh forget it! I will have to take YOU and educate you. I am AGAIN starting from scratch for my children’s medical care.

Yes… that’s me folks “coming out of the closet” here on Autism Salutes talking about autism, and vaccines, treatment and insurance. It’s not just me… it’s my husband, my family, my husband’s family, and the families of an entire generation of children. When we have 1 in 67 children in the military with autism, and 1 in 67 in the civilian population with autism, I want to scream at the top of my lungs… HOUSTON We Have A PROBLEM! I knew when I started Autism Salutes this day would come and quite honestly I was getting tired of waiting for it. The adage of a time and a place for everything with me, I was waiting for a sign. With everything that has happened over the past few weeks, well… I took that as my sign.

David Kirby is the author of “Evidence of Harm”. This was one of the first five books I read after Nathan was diagnosed with autism. The sign??? David Kirby addressed the extremely concerning issue of how many of our military members are being permanently damaged and disabled by vaccines in an article he wrote for the Huffington Post, and you can read that HERE. I knew it was time. As if that wasn’t enough, within the next 24 hours after release of David’s Huff Po article, THIS went up on Age of Autism (the world’s only minute by minute online newspaper that is “all things autism”). David recommended that people visit Charlie in Wonderland, to read THIS. Jeanne just happens to be a very good friend of mine. At this point I was laughing and felt like walking into my backyard and hollering to the sky, “OK God! I GET it! I know it’s time!”

The importance of Dr. Granger’s BIO information in the big picture… I am quite sure that those of us who have done our research, know that KAISER is all to happy participating in vaccine “trials” and “studies”. Funny thing… when you google the Fellowship that Dr. Granger received for Medical Excellence and Leadership from the Henry Kaiser Medical Fellowship, Dr. Granger’s name is the only one that pops up. Also worth noting is the time frame… 1980.

Thank you Dr. Granger, for it is due to YOUR leadership of “a staff of 1,800 in planning, budgeting, and executing an $18 Billion Defense Health Program and… [Ensuring]…the effective and efficient provision of high-quality, accessible healthcare for 9.2 Million Uniformed Service members, their families, retirees and others located worldwide. Eva Nystrom met and exceeded those qualifications as a Nurse Practitioner, in fact she was better than any “doctor” I’ve met in this area and we’ve been here for almost 10 years; yet we are begging for healthcare because of your “leadership”, Dr. Granger.

Dr. (Major General) Granger has a seeming panache for making policy such as the ECHO program and Demo program look good on paper, but not in reality. You may want to read an article HERE. Then, because Dr. Granger states in this article (you should read it, if you haven’t already), “We didn’t want to give anybody the impression that we wanted to… sift out the bad and only tell the good. With that statement Dr. Granger is referring to a poll done by Zogby International, a polling agency. We gave Zogby the authority to put it out there – the good, the bad, and the ugly”. I do apologize, but Dr. Granger’s comments are a bit too… say 1966 circa, for someone who is the “authority” for TRICARE in 2008. I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for a man in a “leadership” position to be quoting Clint Eastwood to make his point. Plain and simple.

I did a little hunting on the net because the only links in the article were to Dr. Granger’s bio, and the military health system blog. I found the Zogby poll… you can read it HERE. Dr. Granger used the top statistic from this poll (77%) and mentioned nothing else. I think you should look at the poll results, and while doing so I recommend you look at not only the margin of error (+/- 4.8%) which is rather large, but the COOP4 as well. You can view the methodology and COOP 4 HERE. So there were potentially many who refused to participate in the survey. I find that intriguing.

As I stated, Dr. Granger has a panache for making policy look good on paper, but not in reality. Take for example, the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Program. There are currently over 13,400 military dependent children who have been identified with autism, but only 1,300 of those children have been enrolled into the ECHO program. Acceptance into the ECHO program is the only way our children with autism are able to receive medically necessary and medically prescribed treatment for their autism.

Dr. Granger appears to be, a legend in his own living room, and quite possibly in his own mind… again refer to his BIO. Everything is about HIS accomplishments and NOTHING about what he has actually DONE. That’s what I want to know, and think I have a right to know about Dr. Granger’s leadership. He may have held all those positions, but what did he do for the greater good while in those positions?

I offer a quote from Dr. (Major General) Elder Granger, “Anything we can do to enhance the quality of life for our service families is a benefit to the nation and our obligation to the men and women who serve”. I find that astounding, yet given my question above and the following… I find his words difficult to read, let alone believe.

Case in point… In March of this year the Autism Services Demonstration Project was implemented. Since that time it has undergone two re-writings, and is currently undergoing a third. In January of 2007, Dr. Granger through TRICARE Management Activity solicited feedback from families impacted by autism, wanting information to better provide services to military dependent children with autism. In July 2007 a report was issued. You can read that HERE. Only one of the many issues was addressed even though the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 allowed the latitude to address many more urgent needs and treatment requirements for our military dependent children with autism, and the latitude to do so immediately.

The NDAA '08 states that "The Secretary of the military department concerned may establish local centers on military installations for the purpose of providing and coordinating autism services for eligible dependents." The NDAA '08 also goes on to say, "The Secretary of the military department concerned is encouraged to enter into partnerships or contracts with other appropriate public and private entities to carry out the responsibilities of this section." There are organizations who’ve been ready to partner and contract with TRICARE Management Activity to expand the Autism Demo Project, and provide and coordinate autism services. Dr. Granger, Deputy Director for TRICARE was approached regarding this issue as those involved wanted to see this implemented under the Demo Project. This contract would have expanded the Demo, and expedited services and treatment that a large population of our military dependent children with autism could have received. Dr. Granger's response was "absolutely not". There was no reason given for his position and refusal to support a program that would have provided so many of our children with access to medically necessary treatment. Dr. Granger's denial of access to and implementation of a simple solution to provide our children with medically necessary treatment is unconscionable and unethical, given the oath he took as a doctor to, "First Do No Harm".

I would also like to point out that almost six months after the implementation of the Demo project, Dr. Granger is again soliciting input from families of military dependent children with autism. This solicitation came several weeks after initiation of the THIRD re-writing of the Demo project, and you can read the professional/parental feedback HERE. (Click on the comments button) It’s quite an impressive demonstration of what a failure the Demonstration Project is. I did not comment on his “blog”, I commented HERE on Autism Salutes.

Our military healthcare system is not premiere, as Dr. Granger would have you believe. In fact, the military healthcare system was addressed at the National Democratic Convention. Beth Robinson is a Marine Corps spouse, a mother, and she is disabled because she has Multiple Sclerosis. Beth gave a speech at The Democratic National Convention on August 27, 2008, in which she stated, “Military families are grateful for our medical benefits. But I am appalled by the state of the health care system in our country and frustrated by the limitations of military healthcare, which is inadequate and underfunded.” You can read Beth’s speech HERE.

I offer you another quote from Dr. Granger, “TRICARE Management Agency (TMA) must implement appropriate price caps to reduce the potential for paying inflated healthcare costs… Obviously it is not in the best interests of TRICARE or our beneficiaries to have a healthcare payment system in place that does not incorporate appropriate caps on provider fees.” Dr. Granger is obviously referring to having caps on provider fees being in the best interest of TRICARE. It would be in the best interest of TRICARE beneficiaries including retirees, to have TRICARE re-imbursement for medical services of any kind, equal to that of other healthcare re-imbursement. Again, think of our family’s immediate situation regarding our own healthcare provider.

Closure… yep you guessed it… another quote from Dr. Granger, “A healthy mind and body promotes happiness. It gives us a stress-free community, improves family life, and keeps us strong and ready for any mission great or small.”

In my opinion, this man, this doctor, who is in charge of our military healthcare, is so far removed from reality that it scares me beyond comprehension. Our kids suffer from poisoned minds and bodies. The stress that this brings to our families is for most inconceivable. Lack of treatment causes the harm to continue. Continued harm to our children brings continued stress to our families; a far cry from improving family life.

It is Dr. Granger who is NOT “strong and ready for any mission great or small”. If Dr. Granger was ready for the mission, effective solutions would have been implemented long ago.

As I said, TRICARE needs a new name. TRI-CARE-LESS. Dr. Granger could “care less” if our children with autism receive the medically necessary care they require. With autism impacting 1 in every 67 children, Dr. (Major General) Granger’s inaction and failure of leadership has threatened both the readiness and retention of our All-Volunteer Armed Forces. More importantly, Dr. Granger’s focus on managing costs has put the health of our members, spouses, children, and retiree’s in jeopardy. At what point did Dr. Granger decide that it was ok to only approve 2 days of a medically prescribed 14 day course of antibiotics for an “infection”? Because that is exactly what Dr. Granger has done. And since when did we place a dollar value on human life, especially that of a child with a disability? Because Dr. Granger has done that as well.

I reflect upon the words of our great President, John F. Kennedy, “If not me, then who?”. As an American citizen, a military spouse, and a mom to four (two happen to have autism), I have an obligation to speak out about much needed change in both current policy and current “leadership”. Dr. Granger should take a few notes.

Ohhh... and... you may want to watch THIS AGAIN... I think someone has some explaining to do!