Autism / Autism Spectrum Support Group
Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder which manifests itself in markedly abnormal social interaction, communication ability, patterns of interests, and patterns of behavior. Although the specific etiology of autism is unknown, many researchers suspect that autism results from genetically mediated vulnerabilities to environmental triggers.
IOM Workshop Calls for Greater Research Focus on Environmental Causes of Autism
Advocacy organizations support shift from exclusively genetic model to environmental research emphasis
Washington, DC - The Institute of Medicine (IOM) last Friday released an online prepublication of the April 18-19 workshop Autism and the Environment, demonstrating a marked shift in the research agenda from heritability factors to toxic environmental exposures in the development of autism. "The National Autism Association (NAA) and SafeMinds have long called for a paradigm shift from children with autism are genetically defective to children with autism are sick and treatable. Now, we have high hopes that the recognition of the role environmental factors (including vaccines and heavy metals) play in the development of autism will lead to effective treatments for hundreds of thousands with autism and prevention for susceptible infants," said Laura Bono, NAA and SafeMinds Board Member, IOM Planning Committee member and presenter at the workshop.
In response to a request from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the two-day workshop brought together the nation's leaders in autism research from government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Autism community advocates from SafeMinds, NAA and Autism Speaks were also invited participants of the workshop, plus scientists from Harvard, the MIND Institute, Columbia University, and more. The experts discussed strategies to develop a framework for a broad research agenda focusing on the potential relationship between autism and environmental exposures.
Presentations emphasized the urgency of need to combat the growing national health crisis of autism and focused on the mechanisms by which environmental factors (including vaccines) such as chemicals, infectious agents, or physiological or psychological stress can affect the neurodevelopment of children. In addition, discussions addressed the infrastructure needs for pursuing the identified research opportunities-tools, technologies, and partnerships.
In his introductory remarks, Dr. William Raub, Science Advisor to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, expressed his hopes that the workshop would prove to be an important milestone in autism research. He stated: "The planning committee recognized that vaccine constituents, especially organic chemicals used as preservatives or adjuvants, obviously qualify as environmental agents that warrant attention. . . . . Other aspects of the autism challenge deserve similar attention, especially the paucity of effective treatments."
Workshop participants identified a broad range of research priorities, including: biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of differing subtypes of autism; rigorous analysis of effective treatments; a comparison of the health outcomes of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children, immune system and anti-viral therapies, and the need for more effective chelators. The full list is included as an appendix to the proceedings.
Mark Blaxill, SafeMinds Vice President, member of the IOM Planning Committee and an invited workshop participant said, "Our scientific leadership is increasingly realizing that ongoing epidemic denial, the bizarre idea that current autism rates have been with us forever, and myopic insistence that autism is an inherited untreatable disorder, are inconsistent with the evidence and disciplined scientific thought. They are certainly no longer acceptable as guiding principles for policy."
SafeMinds Executive Director Sallie Bernard delivered a presentation focusing on research opportunities. Ms. Bernard called for an "overcorrection" of environmental research funding to make up for the last 15 years of funding going mostly to genetics. She outlined many of the small-scale studies funded by SafeMinds since 2000 and said, "Now we are at the stage where we would like to see these types of ideas go to the next level and, for that, we need the public side of the public-private partnership."
In her presentation, NAA and SafeMinds Board Member Lyn Redwood discussed the power of public- private partnerships in solving the epidemic of autism such as "autism advisory boards, integration panels, the establishment of shared research inventories, and community-based and -driven research initiatives" where parents as stakeholders have their status elevated and their voices heard. "The urgency of this mission cannot be overstated," said Ms. Redwood. "Treatments, especially those aimed are targeting underlying medical abnormalities, are more effective if begun in earnest as early as possible. The cost of this epidemic and its devastating impact on families is so great that we must do all we can to prevent new cases."
Dr. Alan Leshner, publisher of the journal Science, concluded the workshop by noting the importance of redirecting the research agenda: "I think this has been spectacular and I hope I am right. I would repeat the comment I made fairly glibly before, that is, this is a very important start, and if we don't do something, then shame on us."
The workshop prepublication can be downloaded at http://www.iom.edu/AutismProceedings
For more information on autism visit www.safeminds.org and www.nationalaut ism.org
The Coalition for SafeMinds (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders) is a private nonprofit organization founded to investigate and raise awareness of the risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines. Safe Minds supports research on the potential harmful effects of mercury and thimerosal. Our mission is to end the health and personal devastations caused by the needless use of mercury in medicines.
Coalition for SafeMinds
________________________________________
Email: eksafeminds@gmail.com
Phone: 404-934-0777
Web: http://www.safeminds.org
Advocacy organizations support shift from exclusively genetic model to environmental research emphasis
Washington, DC - The Institute of Medicine (IOM) last Friday released an online prepublication of the April 18-19 workshop Autism and the Environment, demonstrating a marked shift in the research agenda from heritability factors to toxic environmental exposures in the development of autism. "The National Autism Association (NAA) and SafeMinds have long called for a paradigm shift from children with autism are genetically defective to children with autism are sick and treatable. Now, we have high hopes that the recognition of the role environmental factors (including vaccines and heavy metals) play in the development of autism will lead to effective treatments for hundreds of thousands with autism and prevention for susceptible infants," said Laura Bono, NAA and SafeMinds Board Member, IOM Planning Committee member and presenter at the workshop.
In response to a request from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the two-day workshop brought together the nation's leaders in autism research from government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Autism community advocates from SafeMinds, NAA and Autism Speaks were also invited participants of the workshop, plus scientists from Harvard, the MIND Institute, Columbia University, and more. The experts discussed strategies to develop a framework for a broad research agenda focusing on the potential relationship between autism and environmental exposures.
Presentations emphasized the urgency of need to combat the growing national health crisis of autism and focused on the mechanisms by which environmental factors (including vaccines) such as chemicals, infectious agents, or physiological or psychological stress can affect the neurodevelopment of children. In addition, discussions addressed the infrastructure needs for pursuing the identified research opportunities-tools, technologies, and partnerships.
In his introductory remarks, Dr. William Raub, Science Advisor to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, expressed his hopes that the workshop would prove to be an important milestone in autism research. He stated: "The planning committee recognized that vaccine constituents, especially organic chemicals used as preservatives or adjuvants, obviously qualify as environmental agents that warrant attention. . . . . Other aspects of the autism challenge deserve similar attention, especially the paucity of effective treatments."
Workshop participants identified a broad range of research priorities, including: biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of differing subtypes of autism; rigorous analysis of effective treatments; a comparison of the health outcomes of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children, immune system and anti-viral therapies, and the need for more effective chelators. The full list is included as an appendix to the proceedings.
Mark Blaxill, SafeMinds Vice President, member of the IOM Planning Committee and an invited workshop participant said, "Our scientific leadership is increasingly realizing that ongoing epidemic denial, the bizarre idea that current autism rates have been with us forever, and myopic insistence that autism is an inherited untreatable disorder, are inconsistent with the evidence and disciplined scientific thought. They are certainly no longer acceptable as guiding principles for policy."
SafeMinds Executive Director Sallie Bernard delivered a presentation focusing on research opportunities. Ms. Bernard called for an "overcorrection" of environmental research funding to make up for the last 15 years of funding going mostly to genetics. She outlined many of the small-scale studies funded by SafeMinds since 2000 and said, "Now we are at the stage where we would like to see these types of ideas go to the next level and, for that, we need the public side of the public-private partnership."
In her presentation, NAA and SafeMinds Board Member Lyn Redwood discussed the power of public- private partnerships in solving the epidemic of autism such as "autism advisory boards, integration panels, the establishment of shared research inventories, and community-based and -driven research initiatives" where parents as stakeholders have their status elevated and their voices heard. "The urgency of this mission cannot be overstated," said Ms. Redwood. "Treatments, especially those aimed are targeting underlying medical abnormalities, are more effective if begun in earnest as early as possible. The cost of this epidemic and its devastating impact on families is so great that we must do all we can to prevent new cases."
Dr. Alan Leshner, publisher of the journal Science, concluded the workshop by noting the importance of redirecting the research agenda: "I think this has been spectacular and I hope I am right. I would repeat the comment I made fairly glibly before, that is, this is a very important start, and if we don't do something, then shame on us."
The workshop prepublication can be downloaded at http://www.iom.edu/AutismProceedings
For more information on autism visit www.safeminds.org and www.nationalaut ism.org
The Coalition for SafeMinds (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders) is a private nonprofit organization founded to investigate and raise awareness of the risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines. Safe Minds supports research on the potential harmful effects of mercury and thimerosal. Our mission is to end the health and personal devastations caused by the needless use of mercury in medicines.
Coalition for SafeMinds
________________________________________
Email: eksafeminds@gmail.com
Phone: 404-934-0777
Web: http://www.safeminds.org
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I have been here before, a long long time ago and now I am back.Forgive me for not just saying what I want to say,even under a triple dose of antidepressants it is still raw and seeping and I am hesitant at revealing it as at least under the bandages around my heart I don,t have to look at how raw and wounded.My child was cleaved from my heart by his own actions. my child of ten,turning eleven...
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Has anyone tried these supplements? Do they give MGers more quality of life by improving memory and overall well being?Thanks!Barbel
years of tears wrote: We have delt with the diaginosis, now we must treat the children, research is important for future child prevention, but it will not cure the effected children as of now." no where in there does it say not to research. in fact she states that it is important to research, and i for one think it is as well but i also agree that we must live in the here and now and take care of our kids the best we can with what ever we can do for them, all of our kids are different, very different, with or without atusim, they are all different and respond differently to every thing in life.
programs that meet each child's individual need.
Free in home training and support.
More respite to give the caregiver's time to recoupe
Better Insurance coverage, that would pay for PT, OT, SP,Social Skills, DLN'S, ETC.
Adaptive Equiptment and home modifications
These are just some of the thing's we as parent's have limited funding and access to. What I say is, we need to start with the foundation we are given ( our children ) and learn to work with what we have. We have so many out of pocket expenses and some may assume that medicaid pays for it all,WRONG... The worst thing I ever did to my son was detox! He was very ill, had the shits for weeks, threw up, shook like a leaf, cried, and was so physically weak. I had good intentions, but trying to cure him almost cost him his life, HOW DO YOU COMPARE SHARON?? For the moms who chose this, it may work for yor child, I simply say FROM EXPERIENCE, FOR ALEX, IT WAS A DEATH SENTENCE! SO take it how you wish Sharon, I live this life with my son, each and every day. GOD made him this way, and I love him for who he is.
sharonhanson: after our last little "heated discussion" i did a little checking and found that you belong to an awful lot of communities, which is your right, nothing wrong with that. i also took a look at a few of your discussion posts in some of those communities out of curiosity to see if you post the same kind of useless crap in them too.
i found that you do, i also found that you get an awful lot of praise for your long boring useless posts in other communities, good for you! hey, if it makes you feel good, do it! in fact, i found a couple of posts where people told you how smart and caring and wonderful you are and how you must have worked so hard to find things to post. i for one will never praise you for your rude and un-informed opinion in this discussion group. just because it is written, does not make it so. and if it is you can rest assured the majrity of people that live with autism everyday have already read it and the people that are new to autism, dont need it shoved down their throats.
agree or disagree, who cares, but once again, you were rude to someone that questioned you motives and rejected your opinion, something you are doing alot of here in this group and i for one intend on making sure that doug monitors you in this group!