Thursday, May 31, 2012

Rolf Hazlehurst: Bruesewitz v. Wyeth SCOTUS Vaccine Case Press Conference 3/3/11




Rolf Hazlehurst, Esq (Father of an autistic child whose claim was denied in Vaccine Court)
"My son's case was the second test case in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding in what is known as Vaccine Court.  ...My son is eleven years old.  He suffers severe and permanent brain damage. In all probability, he'll spend his adult life locked in a mental institution. ... When you consider that the rate of autism has risen from one in 10,000 to one in 100 in less than twenty years, we as parents have a moral obligation to legitimately question vaccine safety. ...If I had time to explain, I'd like to talk about the financial conflicts of interest between the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA, and the CDC, but unfortunately, that would take all day. 
"The main point I want to talk about is my personal experience in Vaccine Court. For twenty-five years, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act of 1986 has kept vaccine-injured children out of state and federal court.  It should be called the National Vaccine Manufacturers Protection Act. ...  For twenty-five years, the government has said that before you can go to a court of law, you must first to Vaccine Court.  It's highly misleading for the government to refer to Vaccine Court as a court.  In Vaccine Court, there is no judge, no jury, and the most basic rules of law do not applyThe rules of evidence do not applyThe rules of civil procedure do not apply. The rules of discovery do not apply.  In Vaccine Court, the rule of law and the American legal system has been replaced by what is known as a Special Master.  A Special Master is nothing more than a politically appointed, government attorney.  Vaccine Court is nothing more than a procedural hurdle that has kept the vaccine-autism issue out of court for twenty-five years.  I truly believe that if it were not for the Vaccine Act of 1986, the autism epidemic would not be possible.  I've been an attorney for 15 years and in my personal opinion the actions of the government officials in Vaccine Court is part of the most frightening and blatant abuse of power that I've ever witnessed. 
"I'd like to explain just one example. ... That's the case of Hannah Poling and what I call the the Zimmerman issue.  In essence, Dr. Zimmerman is one of the top neurologists in the country.  He was an expert witness for the government.  He submitted a written opinion which stated, there is no scientific basis for a connection between the MMR, mercury intoxication, and autism. 
"When the Cedillo case went to trial, the government did not call Dr. Zimmerman as a witness.  But since we're not in a court of law, his opinion was allowed to remain in.  Dr. Zimmerman subsequently filed a second opinion.  He filed it on behalf of his colleague, for Hannah Poling.  In that opinion, Dr. Zimmerman's opinion states words to the effect that she suffered a vaccine injury which manifested as autism.  Manifested as autism, is autism.   
"In the first opinion, our government relied upon his evidence.  In the second, contradictory opinion of Dr. Zimmerman, the government placed it under seal and it was not allowed to be used as evidence.  In fact, during the closing arguments in my son's case, the government's attorney read from Dr. Zimmerman's report, read that there is no basis that thimerosal-containing vaccines and the MMR cause autism.  However, it was only three weeks later that the same government attorneys used Dr. Zimmerman's second contradictory opinion to secretly and very quietly compensate Hannah Poling.  I submit that the government compensated Hannah Poling as a tactical decision and procedural maneuver to prevent Dr. Zimmerman's second opinion from being used as evidence. 
"I want to clarify.  I am in no way critical of the Polings.  They have done anything wrong at all.  For that matter, I'm not critical of Dr. Zimmerman.  In fact, the Polings filed what is called a motion for complete transparency.  Basically what that means is Hannah Poling's parents wanted to talk about their child's case.  They wanted to make their child's medical records public.  They wanted to make their child's records public in order to help other children.  The government opposed that motion for complete transparency, continues to oppose that motion for complete transparency and has done everything that they possibly can to prevent her records from being used as evidence.  ...I sincerely believe that the records in Hannah Poling's case could help an untold number of other children.  I do not contend that Dr. Zimmerman did anything unethical or wrong.  He's an expert in a ...rapidly deve loping field of medicine; he's entitled to change his opinion.  What is wrong is for the government to have one expert with two opinions, use the opinion which says vaccines do not cause autism, take the second opinion, which said that the vaccines did cause autism, and seal it up. 
"In a strange twist of fate, my son Yates was also was also a patient of Dr. Zimmerman.  My son also has the same neurological diagnosis, regressive encephalopathy with features of an autism spectrum disorder.  Dr. Julie Gerberding, who's the former head of the CDC, tried to twist this into, oh well, Hannah Poling's case is different from everybody else's.  She's really not autistic.  It’s all a mitochondrial disorder.  I don't doubt that Hannah Poling does have a mitochondrial disorder.  We subsequently learned that my child has a mitochondrial disorder.  In fact, many of the parents that I know who’ve been able to afford to have their children tested, [have found that their children have] a mitochondrial disorder. 
"The President promised us complete transparency.  That's not the case in the autism proceeding.  Again the government has done everything that it can to prevent the fact that the government's expert witness submitted two contradictory affidavits, the government using the one that is favorable and sealing up the one that is not. The actions of the government in sealing up Dr. Zimmerman's second contradictory opinion is wrong, dishonest, corrupt, obstruction of justice.  I would call it perpetration of fraud upon the court, except we're not in the court, we're in the so-called Vaccine Court.  Now the Supreme Court has told us that in almost any case, if your child is injured, you cannot go to a court of law.  Instead, you must go to Vaccine Court.  I submit to you, look up kangaroo court, in a legal dictionary and it'll describe the Vaccine Court to a tee.  Unfortunately, in the past nine years, I 've learned more than I ever wanted to about vaccines, autism, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation  Act of 1986.  And of this I am certain: One of the fundamental causes of the autism epidemic is the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act of 1986.  This program is broken and it is out of control.  I hope every American will join us in demanding a Congressional inquiry into the vaccine program.  I think most Americans would be shocked if they knew what has happened.”


Couple acquitted in 'caged children with autism' case

Wash. couple acquitted in 'caged children' case | Yakima Herald-Republic

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) -- Jurors took just four hours Tuesday to acquit a couple who had been charged with unlawful imprisonment for keeping two young autistic boys in a dark room with a cage-like door.
The Clark County Superior Court jury had been asked to decide whether John Eckhart, 31, and Alayna Higdon, 27, confined Eckhart's sons for convenience or to keep them safe.



Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Bacon and Juices Boxes: Our Life with Autism

Bacon and Juices Boxes: Our Life with Autism blog added to The Autism Retort!

I'm a straight-shooter.  I won't candy-coat it.  That plan you had... that vision of fatherhood... it's irrelevant now.  Go ahead and mourn.  Go ahead and let yourself be angry.  Affix blame on whomever you'd like.  Yell at God a little, he can take it. 
Are you done? 
Now here's the deal.  Your son's path will be different.  I'm not saying he is incapable of anything.  I believe our kids can do ANYTHING their hearts desire.  But that's the catch.  It has to be something HIS heart desires, not yours.
More @ http://baconandjuiceboxes.blogspot.com/

Special-ism.com

Special-ism.com added to The Autism Retort!


Stormy Rich, Florida High School Student, Barred From School Bus After Reporting Bullying Of Special Needs Student

Stormy Rich, Florida High School Student, Barred From School Bus After Reporting Bullying Of Special Needs Student


Stormy Rich, an 18-year-old Florida student, says she was punished after reporting bullying of a special needs student on a school bus, and standing up to those bullies when the school didn't take action. 
Rich, an Umatilla High School student, was riding on a middle school bus because she had earned enough credits to avoid a first-period class, getting to school later by taking the bus for the neighboring middle school, the Daily Commercial reports. 
But one girl on the bus -- a special needs student -- was regularly being picked on by her peers, but couldn't comprehend what was being done to her.


Friday, May 25, 2012

Thomas The Tank Engine Speaks Out on His Autistic Following | Island of Sodor Gazette

Thomas The Tank Engine A Little Uneasy With His Broad Autistic Following | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
ISLAND OF SODOR—Thomas the Tank Engine told reporters Tuesday that while he's glad trains are a source of fascination and joy for so many children, he often feels uncomfortable with the attention he receives from the autistic fans that make up the majority of his fan base. "Don't get me wrong—I'm grateful that these kids enjoy me so much, but I think the way they're enjoying me is not really so healthy, and honestly not the way I would choose to be appreciated, personally," the anthropomorphic locomotive said between stops on his Mystery On The Rails tour, where he observed that children with autism "outnumber the normal kids by at least three to one." "It would be nice to have some indication that my messages about friendship and sharing are being heard rather than have a pack of totally silent, open-mouthed 6-year-olds stare unblinkingly at my shiny wheels for an hour. It creeps me out." 





Tuesday, May 22, 2012

CGregoryRun

CGregoryRun blog added to The Autism Retort!

Flappiness Is

Flappiness Is blog added to The Autism Retort!

Seven Yuck Mouths & Autism

Seven Yuck Mouths & Autism blog added to The Autism Retort!

Autism Rules Our House

Autism Rules Our House blog added to The Autism Retort!

Adventures in Extreme Parenthood

Adventures in Extreme Parenthood added to The Autism Retort!

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Acting Balanced added to The Autism Retort!

Acting Balanced added to The Autism Retort!

Just a Lil Blog

Just a Lil Blog added to The Autism Retort!

Yeah. Good Times Blog add to The Autism Retort

The Yeah. Good Times blog has been added to The Autism retort.

Nathan's Voice added to The Autism Retort

Nathan's Voice added to The Autism Retort.



Monday, May 21, 2012

50 Great Twitter Feeds For Autism Support | Autism & Social Media

50 Great Twitter Feeds For Autism Support | Autism & Social Media


Recently, an unexpected source organized a list of 50 Twitter Feeds for Autism Support.  The list was posted by the website Medical Billing and Coding.  The post splits the 50 autism Twitter feeds into 5 main categories.  They are: 
General Autism Support
Autism Organizations
Parents of Children with Autism
Autism Experts and Advocates
Location Specific Autism Support 
The 50 Twitter feeds listed under the above categories represent a wide range of perspectives


Thursday, May 17, 2012

I want an Autism Service Mini-Horse!

Illinois Senate: Miniature Horses Are Acceptable Service Animals
The Illinois Senate voted 40-11 in favor of HB3826, which includes a provision defining service animals as "a dog or miniature horse trained or being trained as a hearing animal, a guide animal, an assistance animal, a seizure alert animal, a mobility animal, a psychiatric service animal, an autism service animal, or an animal trained for any other physical, mental, or intellectual disability."


Jackson, TN Autism Summer Camp @ The KITE Center

It's not too late, West Tennessee.  The K.I.T.E. Center Summer Day Camp starts June 4th.  Space is limited.  Contact Margaret @ 731-267-5007 for more details.


Autism, Epilepsy and Self-Injurious Behavior: Encouraging Parents of Children with Special Needs

Autism, Epilepsy and Self-Injurious Behavior: Encouraging Parents of Children with Special Needs
So, my message to all the parents out there, no matter what your child’s disability and no matter how it happened or what’s going on is you are NOT alone. And there is hope. Just as an athlete trains for years before they may win that gold medal, don’t give up. There WILL be victory. There WILL be a breakthrough. All hope is NOT lost. 
My friend confessed to me she had a “meltdown” in her car last month. She had to pull off the side of the road and scream. A man walking by thought she was nuts. I can assure you she is NOT nuts. She’s dealing with a situation so complex, so deep and so chronic that unless you stood by her day by day, you wouldn’t understand it. So please, if you see or know of a parent of a severely-disabled child who is angry, sad or lashing out, please don’t be afraid to help. Don’t shy away from delivering a kind word. Don’t think that they are crazy. Imagine the life they live. Have mercy.

FULL @ http://www.autismseizureselfinjuriousbehavior.com/2012/05/yesterday-i-ran-into-momi-know-who-has.html


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Officer urges autism training for first responders | The Columbus Dispatch

Officer urges autism training for first responders | The Columbus Dispatch
Akron Police Sgt. Mark Farrar knows the facts of autism in his head and the pain of autism in his heart. 
With the incidence of autism rising rapidly — 1 in 88 children (and 1 in 54 boys) are born with some form of it — law-enforcement agencies are being affected because, Farrar says, the autistic are seven times as likely as others to come into contact with first responders such as police, fire and paramedics. They also are more likely to be crime victims
“We talk about autism in kids as if they mysteriously disappear when they become adults,” Farrar said yesterday at Attorney General Mike DeWine’s “Two Days in May” crime-victims conference in the Hyatt Regency. “Those kids are growing up, becoming adults, living in our communities. We can’t assume first responders know how to deal with them on their own.”


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Monday, May 14, 2012

Retired 9/11 Firefighter Writes to President Obama About Urgency of Autism - AGE OF AUTISM

Retired 9/11 Firefighter Writes to President Obama About Urgency of Autism - AGE OF AUTISM

By Tim Dwyer
President Obama 
I am sending you these boots to symbolize the fact that my son Colin will never be a third generation NYC Firefighter, Colin like 1.5 million other American children and young adults has Autism.  Our children are getting older and the Autism debate is endless, I just left my sons school and had to step around a student having a “difficult” time sprawled out on the floor, we parents are heartbroken and angry that our beautiful kids are so tormented, they have no future, and we anguish over what will become of them when we are no longer around to care for them.
 We need a cure, and we need your help, it won’t cost you a dime, just a few passionate words. We need you to be brave like my son and bold like President Kennedy when in dramatic and unforgettable fashion he challenged  the scientific community of the day to put a man on the moon, his words were powerful and inspired our nation to one of the greatest achievements in human history.  Our Autistic sons and daughters need you to push the scientific community of today the same way, inspire and challenge them to find a cure for Autism by the end of this decade. We need a champion and from where I’m standing saving 1.5 million lives plus future generations is a far greater achievement than putting a man on the moon.  
Ask the  X Prize foundation to set up a $10 million prize for our cure, if they are not interested we can raise the money ourselves through Autism Speaks the “A” prize,  (Managing Editor's Note: Tim and I had a good laugh over that suggestion but maybe if the President asks, they'll "listen" so to speak) there are so many of us it will only be a few bucks a head. Attached is a check for the first $100.00 for the fund, and I will mortgage my house and liquidate every asset we have if needed. 
More @ http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/05/retired-911-firefighter-writes-to-president-obama-about-urgency-of-autism.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ageofautism+%28AGE+OF+AUTISM%29


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Detecting Autism in Children with XBOX Kinect Cameras

How Kinect Cameras Are Being Used to Help Detect Autism in Children | The Autism News

Detecting autism in children can be a difficult, expensive, and time-consuming process that requires the trained eye of a medical professional. But researchers Guillermo Sapiro and Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos believe that the Microsoft Kinect gaming sensor could assist in that task. 
As part of an experiment at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, Sapiro and Papanikolopoulos set up a series of five Microsoft Kinect sensors in the playroom of a school. 
More @ http://theautismnews.com/2012/05/09/how-kinect-cameras-are-being-used-to-help-detect-autism-in-children/

Friday, May 4, 2012

Worley Helps Brothers Battle Autism/Seizures | News | Tipton County News

Worley Helps Brothers Battle Autism/Seizures | News | Tipton County News


Two brothers have received help from the Darryl Worley Foundation in their battle against autism and seizures. Seven-year-old Wyatt Garrett and five-year-old Wayden Garrett recently met the singer/songwriter to thank him in person for the gift that helped them receive treatments at the Tennessee Hyperbaric Center in Jackson. 
After meeting the family, Worley said, “I was blown away by the fact that these parents wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. They just kept pushing until they found something that would help their boys. Their faith and determination are great examples for all of us.” 
According to the boys’ mom, Kathy Garrett, Wyatt’s seizures began when he was almost two months old. Wayden has battled seizures, also, and was diagnosed as having autism at age three. That is when he went from talking in sentences to being nonverbal. 
The mom of four explained, “We had tried every treatment we could find — utilizing hospitals and testing in several states — but nothing had worked. Then we came across hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the internet.” 
Garrett described how she connected with Kristi Hogg, who had sought HBOT treatments for her daughter’s mitochondrial disease before founding Mayci’s Miracle Fund ... More @ http://tiptoncounty.wmctv.com/news/news/74124-worley-helps-brothers-battle-autismseizures



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Preventing Seizure Induced Autism (rapamycin)

Preventing autism after epilepsy - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee


Specifically, the study demonstrated that a group of signaling molecules, known collectively as the mTOR pathway, shows increased activation after a seizure. This increased signaling – above and beyond the surge that normally occurs early in life – disrupted the normal balance of synapse and circuit development to produce epilepsy and altered social behavior. Rapamycin treatment inhibited mTOR signaling, reducing susceptibility to seizures and preventing seizure-induced changes in the synapses. 
The study uncovers a new link whereby epilepsy and autism may interact in early development. Last December, Jensen and colleagues published a related study finding that seizures exaggerated excitation and synaptic strengthening too soon in a rat model, causing synapses to lose their plasticity -- their ability to reconfigure in response to input from the outside world. When they gave the rats a drug called NBQX, which blocks receptors associated with excitation, these problems were reversed. 
More @ http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/02/4460761/preventing-autism-after-epilepsy.html



Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) on Son With Autism

Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman Discusses Son With Autism, Autism Non-Profit Micah's Voice (VIDEO)

Shortly after his first birthday, Shawn Stockman says his son Micah suddenly began to change. The R&B singer who earned accolades and world-renown as one fourth of the group Boyz II Men says he never expected that his son would develop a condition that would change both of their lives -- autism. 
"It was drastic because Micah was the first one to talk, he was the first one to walk. Everything seemed to be very, very normal," Stockman told CNN, describing how he learned he had a twin son with autism. "I did not know what to do, and one thing a man hates when it comes down to his family is not knowing what to do," Stockman said. 
More @ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/boyz-ii-mens-shawn-stockman-autism_n_1468865.html




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