Interesting article from www.autism.about.com: Inherent to public health is politics. And the political reality of the autism epidemic is that the watchdogs, and the vaccine pharmaceutical companies and their agent researchers have too many conflicts of interests for the issue to be settled by epidemiologic research alone. This research only looks at the results of pathology upon a population, and does not easily prove or disprove cause. This allows too much wiggle room for self-serving spin (and counter-spin). A growing number of citizen public health advocates find vaccines to be poorly tested, and sometimes dirty with toxins like mercury. Vaccine-strain measles virus is showing up in the cerebral spinal fluid of autistic children and nobody can tell us how it got there, if not via the MMR vaccine.
Genetic research and epidemiological research are not the primary tools for finding the cause of autism. The final answers will come from biomedical and clinical research. Someone better start examining these kids and soon. Until we start seeing efforts and money spent to pay for the clinics to do this research (and also, along the way, to treat our children), all other research serves as little more than alibi research.
The murky vaccine - autism connection has been effective leverage by some autism research advocates for getting the public health watchdogs and the media to sit up and pay attention to autism. Soon this leveraging won't be necessary as the prevalence rates will reveal more and more autism victimized sons and daughters, and grandsons and granddaughters of congress people, movie and sports celebrities, investors in pharmaceuticals, jurists and jurors, etc. . .people not so readily dismissed as anecdotal hysterics - and who in ever growing numbers will demand answers, not alibis. Not everyone is equally willing to let vaccines off the hook just yet as are some autism research fundraisers.
~ Lenny Schafer

There is a VERY interesting blog about Autism....the epidemic that never was!!! I loved the article, as it is what I originally saw with my granddaughter. The link is: www.autismdiva.blogspot.com. Go to the right side of the page and find the article. TOO interesting.

I haven't really posted too much abt my Tori because I haven't seen her in quite awhile. At first, I was devastated. Now, I look at this in a different light. #1. I understand that some people have to do the things that they do in order to really mess their lives up. Eventually, their behaviors lead to a loss: losing their marriage, their children, their jobs, their family, etc. At this point, they may be ready to change, grow up, whatever. #2. I am learning about patience and tolerance, AGAIN. #3. I have a new job that it SO demanding, that I need all my time to deal with it, and to regroup/recover. #4. I was SO very worried about Tori, but I have realized that her life is now really in the hands of the State of Arizona, and the United States government... via her State/Federal habilitator, and her Special Education school. Because she has been labeled a special needs child, and because of the publicity Autism now has, a whole bunch of people are now watching her. In other words, they have a lot of power and will oversee her care...much more so than I could ever do. I will always love my Tori. She is always in my heart, even though she is not in my life right now. I pray for her and her family, and her mother's family on a daily basis. I know that God does hear my prayers.

More interesting research: Elevated plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in autistic youngsters: stimulus for a GABA hypothesis of autism. Dossche et al Department of Psychiatry, University of South Alabama, USA.dr6340451@pol.netBACKGROUND: Autistic Disorder is an early-onset developmental disorder with severe lifelong impact on social functioning, communication, and behavior. There is currently no marker or cure. The pathophysiology and etiology are obscure. Evidence for abnormal gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA) function in Autistic Disorders is limited. A few case-reports and small studies have reported differences in GABA levels in plasma, platelets, and urine, compared to controls. Further studies on abnormalities of GABA function in Autistic Disorder are warranted. MATERIAL/METHODS: Plasma GABA levels were measured using a new and sensitive technique, based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, in a small group of youngsters with Autistic Disorder andAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Participants were outpatients between ages 5-15, satisfying modern criteria for these disorders. RESULTS: Elevated plasma GABA levels were found in youngsters with Autistic Disorder. Psychotropic medications did not seem to affect plasma GABA levels in this study. Plasma GABA levels decreased with age. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma GABA levels may be a biochemical marker of Autistic Disorder. This study supports the hypothesis that GABA ergicmechanisms play a role in the etiology or pathophysiology of Autistic Disorder. However, the hypothesis remains unspecified owing to lack of research. Future studies on the clinical associations of seizure disorders, mood disorders, and catatonia in autistic people may provide the necessary data to formulate a coherent theory of GABA dysfunction in Autistic Disorder. More trials of medication with known or suspected effects on GABA function are warranted.

What some parents/professionals have to say about their non-verbal autistic child. "Oh my gosh----did our daughter used to be a screamer! I'm sure our hearing has been affected! Her screaming & tantrums are pretty much gone now----now that she has gone from being non-verbal 11 months ago, to being able to communicate in sentences. How about the PECS system, where they point to pictures of things to communicate? Our daughter did that until she could verbalize. Our daughter is now 42 months old." "I heartily agree that the ability to communicate in some way helps tremendously to reduce screaming (or aggression and other problems) in kids with autism. My personal experience with a young girl who was/is nonverbal and learned to use Facilitated Communication showed me how very important it is for these kids to be able to let us know what is on their minds. PECS is a great way to get the process started, and give them some control over their environment."

I am hearing that my little Tori is doing SO well. She is using four word sentences, is mostly potty trained, and has started back to school. She only goes to school 4 days a week, and then has Fri-Sun off. I am SO proud of my feisty little offspring. She is SO much like her father, and SO much like me. I bet all of us clash at one time or another, due to our extremely hard heads. It is really comical! I remember the clashes I used to have with Tori's father. My son's father thought it was SO funny, he called it the "War of the Hard Heads" or something like that. It was a constant battle. My son seemed to delight in all his very cute, mischievous doings, as he always had this little defiant laugh. Such a delight!!! I predict the same thing with his little daughter, Tori. My other two grandchildren are thus: my "Dude" is the cutest, most easy going child. Everybody loves this happy child. My little "Maddie" is dramatic, beautiful, so eager to please, sweet... the most precious, cuddly little girl ever. And, No! I am not biased at all. I have their sweet little pictures all over my house and office. Just looking at their little faces brings me joy!

*Strangers' kindness reunite autistic boy, his 2 best friends*Relay brings dogs to Valley*Carrie Watters*The Arizona Republic Aug. 9, 2005 02:55 PM. People can surprise you, or so the Kuehn family recently discovered when they picked up their Pennsylvania stakes and headed to Phoenix in search of a stronger job market. Kathy and Jeff Kuehn faced two problems - Daisy, 2, and Trixie, 6. Their Labrador retriever-mix dogs were therapeutic for their 12-year-old son, Josh, who has autism. They also were too expensive to move across the country.The Kuehns regretfully placed an ad in search of a good home for the dogs at Autism Link, an online support site for parents who have children with autism. What the Kuehns found was far different. Jenny Webster, a mother of a child with autism, coordinated a nine-state dog relay. Three women, strangers to the Kuehns, traveled cross-country with Daisy and Trixie in tow. People from around the country chipped in money. A Pennsylvania veterinarian came through with tranquilizers, probono, when Daisy got too excited along the way. An anonymous truck driver helped Jeff Kuehn when car trouble plagued him on a New Mexico highway during the final leg of the canine odyssey.All of this, so that when Josh flew to his new home last week, his dogs were there with tails wagging."It's just been one good thing after another," Kuehn, a security guard,said from the family's home on West Morten Street.Webster, home again in Pennsylvania, said she couldn't do otherwise for the child with autism and for the dogs, which likely would have wound up in a shelter.On July 29, Lenore Wossidlo of Pennsylvania picked up the dogs from the Kuehns former home outside of Pittsburgh. She then handed the baton, or the dogs, to Webster who drove 28 hours to Oklahoma. An Albuquerque woman, Jenn Engle, who has a friend with autism, took it from there for the third leg. She met Kuehn in Albuquerque for the homestretch."I didn't think twice about it," Wossidlo said. "It was a labor of love.""I know what consistency and sameness means to someone with autism,"said Wossidlo, who also has a son with autism.The sensory disorder affects Josh's communication and social skills. Routines are important to him. With the calming influence of his pets, he will navigate a new city, climate and this week, attend school atRoyal Palm Middle School in Phoenix. Josh said he hadn't wanted to face losing his dogs. Kathy Kuehn, said she hadn't yet worked out how she would have gotten her son on the airplane if the dogs had been adopted."It almost broke my heart totally," said Josh as he repeatedly gave thanks to the kind strangers. Daisy is his tackle football partner and the more mature Trixie is laidback, he said. Both dogs were in full protective mode of the boy on reunion day."I'd be nothing without them. They're like the only ones I can talk to,"Josh said.------------------------------------------------------------------------------AutismLink -- Information and Support for Autism Spectrum DisorderContribute to AutismLink the United Way -- #1382643(412) 377-8778 / support@autismlink.comFax: (724) 934-2040 / http://www.autismlink.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------A website that provides information, help and support 24/7, free of charge.

From research studies: Two recent studies published in both the American Journal of Medical Genetics and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate an association between mutations in a specific region of chromosome 17 and rigid-compulsive behaviors in individuals affected with autism. One gene of interest located on this area of chromosome 17 codes for the serotonin transporter, a target of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which are used to treat some symptoms of autism, and may explain why some autistic individuals are responsive to SSRI therapy. These studies were partially funded with a NAAR research award to Dr. James Sutcliffe, and a pre-doctoral fellowship to Jacob McCauley. Due to NAAR funding, both Dr. Sutcliffe and Mr. McCauley have both contributed significantly to knowledge surrounding the role of chromosome 17 in autism. In addition, Dr. Sutcliffe is a contributing scientist to the Autism Genome Project, funded by NAAR.

"Prozac is a member of the SSRI drug class (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor family), which increases serotonin levels in the synapse by BLOCKING serotonin reuptake into brain cells.........It seemed to me that statement that bananas contained serotonin was wrong so I looked it up. It appears the correct statement is: Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin." This is very interesting. For the average person, it would seem that one banana would have minimal impact on serotonin. However, autistic kids ARE very sensitive. Worth investigating in more detail!

This is from a post about serotonin levels/autism. "Interesting read. One thing I noticed with my little boy is that eating bananas induces an almost trance-like state, where he mumbles incoherently and seems just completely out of it. We have since tried to keep him completely away from bananas. So I read more about bananas on the net, and found out they have a high amount of serotonin, which is mentioned as being elevated in some people with autism in this article." Another post: "Actually I think Prozac increases the serotonin in the brain. Bananas contain tryptophan, which is on the serotonin pathway. I think tryptophan +B3 co-factor = serotonin." Some parents reported that giving the child Prozac helped, while others said that the child became highly agitated. I guess its on a case by case basis.

This is just TOO cool! People can be SO kind. In a world of so much meaness, there really are some very wonderful people.
Monday, August 01, 2005. By Wade Malcolm, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Bleary-eyed, Jenny Webster steered to the side of the road, hoping a stroll around the car would shake the sleepiness from her system. Her eyes, accustomed to an entire night of driving, strained in the morning sun."I could just feel them getting heavy," she said. But she kept going. Sleep deprivation wasn't the first obstacle in this dog relay. Nor would it be the last in a volunteer group's mission to get Labrador retrievers Daisy and Trikzy from McDonald to Phoenix, where they will be reunited with Joshua Kuehn, an autistic boy who counts on the two for the comfort he will need in his new home.Thanks to their efforts, the two pooches were safely sleeping off their arduous journey in their new home as of 8:30 a.m. yesterday, according to Jeff Kuehn, who moved to Phoenix for a new job as a security guard.Josh and his mother, Kathleen, will join the family when they fly toArizona Thursday afternoon, still floating sky-high from all the kindness of volunteers.The trip didn't exactly go off without a hitch, though.When the Kuehns learned airlines wouldn't transport the dogs for fear they wouldn't survive the muggy cargo hold, they figured they'd have to turn the dogs over to a shelter. They sent an e-mail over AutismLink, an online support group from families with autistic children, searching fora good home for adoption.Webster saw the e-mail and had another idea: Let's get them to Arizona.She rounded up volunteers and people who were willing to donate money tothe cause. They would pass the dogs off like a baton, each person takingup a chunk of the driving, until they finally reached Jeff Kuehn waiting in Albuquerque, N.M."I had the time to do it. It needed to be done," said Webster, the mother of an autistic child who coordinated the effort and drove from Butler County to Elk City, Okla.It sounded easy enough. Then Daisy got a case of "cage rage" when one volunteer, with whom the dog was comfortable, passed her along to Webster. A local veterinarian gave the dog tranquilizers. But the voyage had already been set back several hours.So Webster decided to abandon her plans to stop at a friend's house inMissouri, and drive straight through, meeting volunteer Jen Engle around 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Six hours later, in New Mexico, Jeff Kuehn couldn't understand why his car kept stalling. He needed the help of a man with truck and tow rope to reach the diner where he met Engle.His car sputtered and stalled throughout the drive, until he reached a truck stop and got help.A driver there, who had heard his story, offered him help, telling him to spray starter fluid into his carburetor if it gave him any more trouble. It was one more person in a long list of individuals that made the long, difficult process.It has left the Kuehns overcome with emotion."The people I've come across this past week are just amazing," said JeffKuehn, his voice starting to tremble. "In today's age you don't see thatenough anymore ---- people going out of their way to help someone they've never even met.