On Bad Days Good Things Happen

So Leo has been cranky boy ALL day. And days are long when there's no activities and no school, right? I've been waiting for 7:30pm since 9am this morning.

Anyway, he told us a story about Sydney. She had fallen down and hurt herself at a friend's house. He said that she hadn't "really" hurt herself since she (demonstrating) took two tiny steps than put herself on the ground. I also liked that he thought it was funny how she devised this, and how he gets so much entertainment out of her.

Later at dinner, Sydney said she liked the song that was on (Sirius Satellite Radio, Coffee House station). He rolled his eyes and said "all the songs on the radio are about girlfriends and love and stuff. Gross". My husband said that's such an 8 year old response, and went on to explain how people often write songs about emotions, and that love his such a popular one.

Yay, bedtime! Desperate Housewives...ahh.....

Things That Make Me Scream

O.J.s new books "If I Did It". Shame on anyone who buys it. To read more about this and other gems, go to The Huffington Post. Mark Foley has had the number one spot for quite some time. Never thought he'd loose the crown this quick.

Conferences

So I finally made it into the classroom with my old friend anxiety, my empty stomach, and my husband for a guest appearance. Our 2nd grade Conference day finally arrived! 1:45pm seemed like forever to come. Mrs. P got right to it by showing us Leo's journal - answering the question about Self Control. I noticed right away she gave us no eye contact. No eye contact. Of course this made me nervous as hell. Later, I realized it's her personality - maybe she's bit shy. Maybe she's been beaten down by parents over the years. Who knows.

She had asked the kids the question "What do you think your parents will hear about you during your conference? My first thought was how this could be a bit stressful for the kids, making report cards more important than they should be when they are only in 2nd grade. Bluch!

Leo's response was something like 'I think I am a good student, that I like math and reading a lot, but that I need more self controll'. Mispelling included, just like his mom, ha ha. I'm so proud! It turns out that Self Control with Leo is "blurting out" comments due to excitement about a topic. More than the average kid in class. So that's my answer. Mrs. P has to "remind him" to keep his thoughts in his mind. He doesn't finish her sentences or answer questions when not called upon like last year in 1st grade. In my eyes, it's a significant improvement.

To my relief Mrs. P gets Leo, but doesn't "get" him, just yet anyway. I know it's been only 3 months. As you may know or not know about me, I'm quite a linnear thinker, and to me, people (parents and educators in particular) are either natural behaviorists or not. Does one see cause and effect effortlessly and naturally? Does one see where the root of a behavior comes from?

Mrs. P is not a natural (more on this when I write about another topic - the other ASD kids in 2nd grade...) She sees the surface and addresses just that. Kind of like a pediatrician now that I think of it. Treating symptoms rather than the cause. As a teacher friend pointed out, you can't teach someone how to be a good teacher, you either "have it" or you don't.

I am happy that Self Control isn't debilitating for Leo in 2nd grade. It's not keeping him from learning. It may be a slightly irritating to others, but hey, a far cry from what it could be. I'm happy that Leo is aware of his issue, is not embarrassed by it, and doesn't keep him from having a fairly "normal" day as a 2nd grader.

Question 2; Leo's writing is mediocre. Specifically "Writes with elaboration and includes details" got himself a "Some progress noted". How did he go from being one of the best writers last year to just mediocre? Not that I'm surprised. I was surprised last year that he did so well in this famed "imagination" category for ASD. I realized that Mrs. P gives more open writing assignments, and last year's teacher gave more structure and prompts. Actually, Mrs. P let us read one story about Leo's experience on a beach. It was so good! I then realized it was good because she referenced using their senses. Duh, lady!

Mrs. P.said she dislikes the more structured style of teaching writing. She thinks 2nd grade is about getting them more comfortable about writing, and that it's a review year - gearing up for 3rd grade, the CT Mastery Test, and so on. This isn't my area of expertise at all - 2nd grade curriculum, but my instinct tells me that, at 7 and 8 years old, wouldn't providing some structure help build comfort in writing? Maybe one of my writer readers can answer that question for me.

All in all, she said he's a nice boy, compliant and respectful. My husband asked how he was with social interactions (I was too freaked to ask). She said she thought he was fine, that she doesn't get much opportunity for observation since they shortened recess. She doesn't see them at the specials or lunch - she picks them up and drops them off so she can have her 20 minutes of peace. Boy am I happy that I did all that volunteering last year - I was there 2 times a week for recess, lunch, and library time. I got such a good feel about the social groups and dynamics, and how everyone was doing. And it was very educational to see what 2nd graders are like, and that Leo is just one of them - just eating a GFCF lunch!

I didn't get a chance to process what had happened - that yet another year was turning out well, that our issues are manageable and not problematic. That Leo and his teacher are happy. I didn't get an opportunity to say how her lack of enthusiasm isn't good for Leo. We ran out of time, and I decided to not make an issue of it - I saw it's her personality. She's just not a dynamic person. She "phones in", as a fellow parent said.

My husband said he'll have more teachers like this than not, and he has to get used to someone like that, that's not going to be a cheerleader like last years teacher or us, or his former team. We realized again, after combing thru the curriculum with Mrs. P, that the 2nd grade program is fantastic - all 4 teachers basically do the same thing. The school is fantastic, and he's happy knowing just about everyone there. Not to sound like an optimist or anything! So we'll see how it goes - I may say something later.

We rushed out of there down the hall to the Kindergarten room to meet Sydney's teacher. We had only about 10 minutes left. Again, boy king is the priority. She showed us an empty index card, and said "See, I have nothing to say. No problems at all!". She then went on to say how she's a wonderful student and person. She's enthusiastic, enjoys all aspects of school. A good girl. I got teary when I heard that, but I think I was beginning to feel relief from Leo's meeting. Sydney's teacher also brought up the fact that she and Leo are so connected. It's rare, she said. They love seeing each other during the day, passing each other. Waving hi, giving hi-fives. Sydney always tells her teacher "I saw my brother! I saw my brother!". Her teacher knows Leo. She didn't have him, but knows him since the kindergarten classes have recess together. And of course, she is in the dark about his past. I feel so lucky they have each other.

A Shot Out to Milton Friedman

A half century ago, Milton Friedman's advocacy of free markets over government intervention and his prescription for inflation-fighting by central banks were treated as fringe notions by many economists. By the time the Nobel Prize-winning economist died yesterday at the age of 94, his views had helped to reshape modern capitalism.

A true libertarian! The first man to inspire me with his writings in my econ books. He changed my major, he changed how I look at the world. Milton and Leo have something in common.

Good Things to Remember While Waiting

Leo spontaneously summarized his standing in class the other day during dinner. Dinner, the 3 of us, happens each nite around 5pm. Dad comes home later, round 2 for them - some fruit, perhaps a little dessert, and daily supplements mixed in yogurt. Anyway, he began sharing how he admired his new friend Jack that sits next to him in class. We've never had Jack before, and so I had no preconceived ideas about him. Leo began saying he's "the smartest" kid in class, giving some examples. Surprised, I asked him to define "smart", and how he felt about that. Leo said Jack knows pretty much all the answers, reads and writes really well, and is excellent in math facts. I could tell he was really impressed, but not envious. I asked what he thought about himself. Did he feel he was doing well? He said he thought he too was "one of the best kids" but not "THE best" in class.

His awareness astounds me. He's figured this all out on his own - that in a class how people measure up and how teachers and other kids respond to it. I've never asked about this. I've never wanted to fuel any competition. I've only focused on how HE feels about himself and his accomplishments, focusing on trying your best, and reminding him that each person is different and good at different things. And when he's sound arrogant at his natural academic ability, I remind him about humility, showing-off and the consequences, and other stuff like that. And, that we all have our challenges like his talking out-of-turn. And mine is yelling!

Leo also notices how some kids don't try their best. Some goof-off more than others, and some get in trouble more than others. He's got everyone's number in his class, or at least those that sit at his table. He even gets irritated by his best friend because he pretends to read his books from his browsing box during reading time. Leo said he always "really reads" because he wants to get better and do a good book report afterwards.

Leo is no saint - he shared this morning how he and his friend sneak past the hall monitors and go through a different door to get to their bus early. They make a game of it and see who gets there first. I like that he knows the system at school and finds ways around it, even when it's breaking a rule. Love it!

Okay, back to obsessing....And why do I obsess? I must monitor Leo's progress to see if he needs some type of servies again. I have to be realistic - something may crop up that is disability related that needs support. It never ends!

29 hours left until my Parent/Teacher Conference. I still have no clue what I'm going to say regarding her lack of encouragement. I may point out that I've noticed his writing is subpar to what I saw day after day in 1st grade. He does just enough to get by. Leo was so inspired last year! He'd write on and on, and he was one of the top writers in his class. His work was often the example for class - embarrassing him by reading his work to the whole class. As you can guess, I relished the part about being embarrassed the best! Those emotions, indicating he gets what's going on around him, interpreting them accurately. What more could I ask for?

I'd have to guess at this point she still doesn't know him - has no idea what he's capable of. I don't really know how detailed they go when a teacher passes info on to the next. That's a lot of stuff to read for 22 kids, but hey I think it's important. Speeds up the learning curve, and sure, it may give impressions that may not benefit the child.

Sydney's conference for kindergarten is right after Leo's. I hope I can be present enough for that to be productive. I want to be there for her, and really get a feel for how she's doing and if there's an issue.

Look Out, Mom's Loosin' It

November 14, 2006 (8yrs 1 month)

Leo had a great birthday (10/15). His father and I didn’t even have to speak about what was going on inside our minds. We are so proud of him! Now that he’s 8, we’ve graduated to the small party of good friends. Phew! I sat back and admired his friends. And they are good friends! Not just one, my only hope for him at one point, but several. They are complex, well-rounded kids that are each different in their own right. His hard work is never forgotten. Every day I remember where we came from. It’s hard to believe that just 6 years ago he was officially diagnosed with PDD-NOS and just 2 years ago he was therapy-free going to typical kindergarten.

Leo continues to enjoy school. He still much prefers his 1st Grade teacher, even after 3 months. I’d have to agree. She’s friendly and funny, but not warm. Does that even make sense? On his birthday we brought in Yankee cups full of fresh fruit. Yes, I’m “one of those moms”, those fruit bearing moms that Kristina Chew references on Autismland. Ha ha! Here are a few examples of her lack of warmth and enthusiasm. Is she burned out? Has she lost that lovin’ feeling? You decide...

As snack time was approaching, Mrs. P said to Leo, “well, I guess we can do your birthday now to get it over with”. She also sent the snack trays home with Leo on the bus after I sent a note saying I’d pick them up. She said to Leo “I’m tired of them being in the classroom”.

During a field trip to a beach, not once in the 6 hour span did I see her take joy in seeing the children discover new things. “Hey look what I found Mrs. P!” was rarely said. They got her number. Of course they all circled like flies around me and the other chaperone moms on the trip. With wonder, they all screamed, giggled, and ran around with excitement. Some had never seen a jelly fish or a crab, let alone hold one.

Many talks later, I have to believe that Leo is telling me the truth – her words aren’t hurtful. “I’m fine, Mom. I don’t care, Mom.” And then it’s the old catch 22, should I worry it DOESN’T bother him? Or maybe it does but he’s concealing it? He’s gotten quite good at acting these days....
R>He likes Mrs. P but doesn’t LOVE her like his old teacher. He’s happy. I have to believe him. I told him we have options, but he declined all of them. I’m going to “say something” during the conference on Friday, but I’m not exactly sure what. I want to scream “look lady, hundreds of thousands of dollars, countless hours later, Leo has excellent self-esteem and confidence . If you fuck it up because you can’t muster a fake “happy birthday”, your dead”. I know I’m evil! Today I felt those panicky old feelings creep up again as I saw Leo’s report card lying in his home folder. My head was swimming, the vacation is over. I started making plans to get his old ABA team back in my head. I began practicing my spiel for the kids and the moms why Leo is no longer free for play dates and now needs a shadow again. I began practicing my 2nd grade definition of Autism. I felt cold. I finally opened it and I could barely see the print. I was so freaked out! Finally, there it was parked under the heading “Personal Development”. It jumped out like an old friend does. Self Control. And next to it a -. A minus which means “needs improvement, not where it should be”. Nothing else noteworthy, just that. I should be throwing Leo a party. Handwriting, reading, math, everything else with a positive mark. No need for what I was thinking. I’m the worst mommy in the world for thinking like that. I suspect it’s the same challenge as 1st grade – it’s the calling out, talking out of turn like last year. And thus it begins, the agonizing countdown till Friday when I have my parent/teacher conference.

Same thing, different year and teacher. Will she realize that Leo is different? Will it make a difference? What will her version of the executive functioning deficit be? What will Self Control mean to Mrs. P? Will she guess he has a disability? Will the jig be up and he’ll be treated like a toddler?

We’ve had quite a few days off due to professional days and holidays. Leo prefers going to school instead of being home those days. Weird? I don’t know. For a child that likes routine and likes seeing his best friend in class rather than staying home, unstructured, with his little sister....sounds predictable. He was a little bored, whiny, and irritable. He relishes his weekends which is pretty much the same thing, other than the fact that Dad is home too. It does bother me and makes me question his schedule.

Leo’s little sister swallowed her first pill, a B vitamin. Still a challenging task for him. What I loved was his response. He came into the kitchen and watched Sydney and me jumping up and down. He looked at her and smiled while watching her “moment”. A few minutes later, I offered that he could try swallowing pills now if he wanted to, and he declined. He said “No....I’m just a little jealous, that’s all”.

What a big kid – he signed for a UPS box.

I know I’ve jumped around a bit, but that’s how it is for today. Lot’s of stuff floating around in my head aching to get out. Stay tuned – only 42 hours until the conference!

Autism Community - Can We Really Change Anything?

CEO Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farms (the organic yogurt company) said something that grabbed me in a recent Business Week article. "The only way to influence the powerful forces in this industry is to become a powerful force."

To change a powerful group, we must become a powerful group. Many powerful groups came to mind as I read this. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the NIH, the CDC, the FDA, political parties to name a few. The fact that the Autism community fights among one another makes me sick to my stomach. What we COULD do if we only became a powerful force.....

The Organic Myth

OCTOBER 16, 2006

COVER STORY

Business Week

The Organic Myth By Diane Brady

Pastoral ideals are getting trampled as organic food goes mass market

Next time you're in the supermarket, stop and take a look at Stonyfield Farm yogurt. With its contented cow and green fields, the yellow container evokes a bucolic existence, telegraphing what we've come to expect from organic food: pure, pesticide-free, locally produced ingredients grown on a small family farm.

So it may come as a surprise that Stonyfield's organic farm is long gone. Its main facility is a state-of-the-art industrial plant just off the airport strip in Londonderry, N.H., where it handles milk from other farms. And consider this: Sometime soon a portion of the milk used to make that organic yogurt may be taken from a chemical-free cow in New Zealand, powdered, and then shipped to the U.S. True, Stonyfield still cleaves to its organic heritage. For Chairman and CEO Gary Hirshberg, though, shipping milk powder 9,000 miles across the planet is the price you pay to conquer the supermarket dairy aisle. "It would be great to get all of our food within a 10-mile radius of our house," he says. "But once you're in organic, you have to source globally."

Hirshberg's dilemma is that of the entire organic food business. Just as mainstream consumers are growing hungry for untainted food that also nourishes their social conscience, it is getting harder and harder to find organic ingredients. There simply aren't enough organic cows in the U.S., never mind the organic grain to feed them, to go around. Nor are there sufficient organic strawberries, sugar, or apple pulp -- some of the other ingredients that go into the world's best-selling organic yogurt.

Now companies from Wal-Mart (WMT ) to General Mills (GIS ) to Kellogg (K ) are wading into the organic game, attracted by fat margins that old-fashioned food purveyors can only dream of. What was once a cottage industry of family farms has become Big Business, with all that that implies, including pressure from Wall Street to scale up and boost profits. Hirshberg himself is under the gun because he has sold an 85% stake in Stonyfield to the French food giant Groupe Danone. To retain management control, he has to keep Stonyfield growing at double-digit rates. Yet faced with a supply crunch, he has drastically cut the percentage of organic products in his line. He also has scaled back annual sales growth, from almost 40% to 20%. "They're all mad at me," he says.

As food companies scramble to find enough organically grown ingredients, they are inevitably forsaking the pastoral ethos that has defined the organic lifestyle. For some companies, it means keeping thousands of organic cows on industrial-scale feedlots. For others, the scarcity of organic ingredients means looking as far afield as China, Sierra Leone, and Brazil -- places where standards may be hard to enforce, workers' wages and living conditions are a worry, and, say critics, increased farmland sometimes comes at a cost to the environment.

Everyone agrees on the basic definition of organic: food grown without the assistance of man-made chemicals. Four years ago, under pressure from critics fretting that the term "organic" was being misused, the U.S. Agriculture Dept. issued rules. To be certified as organic, companies must eschew most pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering, and radiation. But for purists, the philosophy also requires farmers to treat their people and livestock with respect and, ideally, to sell small batches of what they produce locally so as to avoid burning fossil fuels to transport them. The USDA rules don't fully address these concerns.

Hence the organic paradox: The movement's adherents have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, but success has imperiled their ideals. It simply isn't clear that organic food production can be replicated on a mass scale. For Hirshberg, who set out to "change the way Kraft (KFT ), Monsanto (MON ), and everybody else does business," the movement is shedding its innocence. "Organic is growing up."

For rest of article, click here.

So what does this mean? Is Big Organic bad? In my opinion, yes and no.

Yes, in the sense that, as the article and many related books point out, the definition of organic has changed. Organic has been misused and watered down to fit mainstream America. Mom and Pop health food stores and businesses are jeopardized. Can they weather the trend or will they be replaced by the dominating supermarket brands? Will the little organic brands that were bought over the last 5 years (like Cascadian Farms, Muir Glen, and Tom's Of Maine) keep their integrity. Will their ingredients still be truly organic? What these brands do (and their parent companies like General Mills) directly affects MY FAMILY's quality of life. Although this has long been a lifestyle I've chosen, I no longer have a choice considering what I feed my children. My son would be severely compromised if I fed him like any typical kid.

And I also say No, that Big Organic isn't bad, since these companies HAVE converted thousands of acres of once traditionally farmed land to organic methods. That's a good thing. Far from perfect, but it's a start.

And what would I think is a solution? The answer always seems to be the same for any nationwide problem - EDUCATION. What are we actually eating? The other answer is a revamping of our farm and oil subsidies. Converting corn fields back to traditional small farms. Centralized production, centralized processing, and long-distance transportation of food needs to be done away with. We have the technology. We have the money. We are America for God's sake! We can do it.

Education. Educating people that, indeed, the food chain behind anything they eat is gravely important. Corn raised on synthetic nitrogen and other chemicals eaten by chickens that humans eat. Humans eat the eggs that came from corn-fed chickens. We are only eating corn for the majority of our food items in any typical grocery cart! Corn down the line. Cows eating that same corn. Milk, cheese, and butter coming from the same corn field. Where's the quality, the variety that's critical for growth and development? It matters a great deal to the nutritional value as well as to the cost industrial farming does to our environment, to our health care crisis, to our subsidies, pollution, you name it.

A network of local farms supplying food to their region is a big answer to our health problems in this country. To read more about how our food supply works and the history behind it, read The Omnivore's Dilemma and Fast Food Nation (see previous posts for more information and discussion). Grass fed cattle, grass fed chickens. Eggs from those chickens? Yum! I challenge anyone to go out and buy grass fed organic beef and make hamburgers and feed them to their family at dinner. Trust me, EVERYONE will notice the difference. We've gotten so used to eating such poor quality. It's actually REAL food you are feeding them! It's red. It's bloody. It's visceral. It's fragrant. A far cry from the variation of traditional supermarket meat.

In the end, I'm extremely pleased that this article made the cover of a national magazine. Hopefully the word will spread.

Debate on CNN this morning, 8:30am 10/5

Combating Autism Act Debate on CNN Thursday, Oct. 5

Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Sponsor of the Combating Autism Act
(S.843), and Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) will appear live on CNN on
Thursday, October 5 at 8:30 am EST/7:30 am CST/5:30 am PST on American
Morning to discuss the Combating Autism Act. The bill passed by unanimous
consent in the Senate August 3. Congressman Barton, Chairman of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, refuses to release the bill from his
committee despite support for the bill from a majority of members of the
House.
The Combating Autism Act of 2006 builds on the provisions of the
Children's Health Act of 2000 and would authorize approximately $920
million
in federal funds over five years to combat autism through research,
screening, intervention and education.
Autism advocate observers contend that Santorum and Barton are in
cahoots with the Republican leadership to kill the CAA under pressure from
the Pharma lobby. See if you can spot the two kicking each other under
the
table. -LS.

Who Cares About Autism?

I don't really know. I spent quite a bit of time looking for comparison charts and the most updated numbers. Nothing was apples to apples, so here is what I've discovered so far. We all know that other childhood diseases and disorders get far more funding than Autism. Again, I'm not saying that ASD is a disease. It's a disorder where children need services to maximize their potential and remedy the disabling aspects. It's a disorder that's getting minimal funding and attention compared to others. Not a good thing. I'm pissed!

Here is how we look compared to Cancer.

For example:
According to GAO and SEER of the National Cancer Institute, 1998:
12,400 children 20 and under have a childhood cancer.
2,500 died that year.
A newborn male has a 1 in 300 chance of developing a childhood cancer by age 20.
1 in 333 chance for a newborn female.
8,600 children were diagnosed with cancer and about 1,500 children died from the disease in 2001.

According to the CDC, 500 thousand children aged 0-21 have an ASD, but only 100 thousand are served under the IDEA. This doesn't included children without a diagnosis, or children that don't have services from their district.

Now here is how the funding looks compared to cancer:

According to the shiny new Combating Autism website, there will be 900 million for autism funding, whatever that means. Then we have AGRE from CAN, and of course NAAR, Generation Rescue, ASA, and a myriad of other organizations raising money out there. Private and government together, I wonder what that figure is. Anyone know?

I was unable to find a handy number for childhood cancer or pediatric aids. I'd appreciate any info/links. If I find something later, I'll post it.

Non-PC play and Celebrating Each Day With Autism

It's ironic how inappropriate play becomes another kind of inappropriate play. I heard from a fellow recovered parent recently how he celebrated inappropriate activities, and how often it often looked like favoritism to his NT daughter.

He writes 'My daughter, now 17, gets it. She also lets me know that I let J. get away with lots of things that she could never have gotten away with. One day, J. wrote all over his bedroom wall with a marker. How can you yell at a kid for drawing after spending 2 years and many thousands of dollars trying to teach him how to hold a pencil? How much can you yell at him for playing hockey in the house when you spent years not knowing if he could ever play any sports?'What a fabulous example.

I could totally relate, and shared my examples:

I cheered Leo on when he made a gun out of Legos, or played swords with his friends, much to the disapproval of certain parents. He was finally interested in appropriate things and knew how to play and be social with his friends! Leo would run around pretending to be a power ranger and blow stuff up. Love it! I celebrate each time I see this. And I still get the chills when I compare Leo's art on the hallways of his elementary school - all from a child that needed the help of a rubber band to hold a marker.

I'm all about inappropriate play! Also, we have skateboards, a pull-up bar, soccer balls, and footballs in the house. Both my kids learned to ride bikes in the house (trust me it's not big, but long).

Rice. Our Only Loyal Food Friend.

September 7, 2006

Flap Over Modified Rice Weighs on Food Importers

Claims by Groups of an Illegal Strain Spark EU Warning
By JULIANE VON REPPERT-BISMARCK
September 7, 2006

BRUSSELS -- When commercial rice stored in Missouri and Arkansas turned up traces of an illegal biotech strain last month, Britain's largest food importer said it was looking for a new supplier.

Now, Associated British Foods PLC -- a food empire with sales of £5.6 billion ($10.6 billion) last year -- may have to change suppliers again, this time to replace some of the foods it buys from China.

Environmental groups Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth this week said they found an illegal genetically engineered strain in rice-based products sold in Asian supermarkets in the U.K., France and Germany. European Union officials responded with strong language, telling food importers they could be sued if they failed to keep unauthorized foods out of Europe. The EU has yet to confirm the findings of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

The rice scare underlines problems facing food companies and biotech firms world-wide. Many genetically modified strains are banned in Europe. But techniques for stopping biotech crops crossing into the food chain by accident are imperfect. Companies are struggling to find reliable suppliers and to avoid legal suits by testing their product lines.

"We'll comply with European food law as best we can," Associated British Foods spokesman Geoff Lancaster said. Hours after the environmental groups announced their findings, Mr. Lancaster's company started isolating and testing several goods it suspected of containing Chinese rice ingredients that might include the illegal strain.

Farmers, importers and biotech firms are beginning to feel the sting. The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Aug. 18 that Arkansas and Missouri commercial-rice stocks had turned up traces of Liberty Link rice, an experimental and unauthorized modified strain. After the announcement, September rice-futures prices on the Chicago Board of Trade sank 14% to $8.47 a hundredweight. Japan banned U.S. long-grain rice. American farmers say Europe's strict screening rules on all long-grain-rice imports from the U.S. are pinching profits.

Looking for compensation, U.S. farmers have filed at least three legal actions against German chemicals company Bayer AG, which owns the patent to Liberty Link rice. Such court cases can be costly: Swiss agrochemicals company Syngenta AG last year put aside about $50 million to fund tests of U.S. corn-gluten exports to the EU following the discovery that Syngenta accidentally had sold an unauthorized corn strain to farmers exporting to Europe.

At the same time, food importers may face costly legal challenges in Europe. The European Commission has written to governments reminding them to take a hard line against companies that allow biotech crops to be sold on their territory. While no suits yet have been filed, the commission believes companies "are not doing enough" to comply, according to EU spokesman Philip Tod.

But testing is expensive and difficult. Swiss food empire Nestlé AG says it spends a "significant part" of its $1.2 billion research-and-development budget on in-house safety testing.

The amount of the illegal Liberty Link strain found in Arkansas and Missouri was equivalent to six rice grains out of 10,000. Companies without in-house labs are competing for the services of a handful of European labs capable of testing such small quantities.

Large companies say they can follow their ingredients back to their source. But the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries this week said importers were unsure which rice-based products, such as vermicelli, sauce mixes or rice starch, came from China. Several Chinese regions were found to be using an illegal biotech strain in 2004, and importers say the problem hasn't been rooted out.

"You have to look at the various forms that the rice takes. It takes time for our members to know exactly what rice starch or flour they are using," said Nathalie Lecoq, from the confederation's commercial department.

Environmentalists want to ban all Chinese rice goods or at least require countries farming with genetically engineered grains to label exports according to their biotech content. European experts meet again Monday to assess the biotech situation and may well discuss the question of Chinese rice goods.

Write to Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck at juliane.vonreppert@dowjones.com1

Burger King Joins McDonalds In Hell

I also read today that in NYC, 50% of children suffer from hunger and obesity.
I have no words. Just every emotion.


Burger King Sued Over
Broiled-Burger Health Risk

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
August 31, 2006 7:19 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- Burger King Holdings Inc. was sued in California Superior Court for allegedly failing to warn consumers its Triple Whopper and other flame-broiled burgers could contain a cancer-causing agent, the company said Thursday.
The July 24 lawsuit centers around polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chemicals formed by incomplete burning of organic substances such as charbroiled burgers, Burger King Holdings said in its annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Under California law, these chemicals are listed as possible carcinogens or reproductive toxicants in humans, the filing said.
In the filing, Miami-based Burger King Holdings said if found liable it might have to pay penalties and injunctive relief. "It is not possible to ascertain with any degree of any confidence the amount of our financial exposure, if any," the company said.
The filing didn't provide the amount of damages sought. The suit is titled "Leeman v. Burger King Corp., et al."
Similar lawsuits were filed against Burger King Holdings, McDonald's and other companies in 2002 and 2005 for allegedly failing to warn consumers their french fries contained acrylamide, another toxic chemical.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, have been linked to reproductive and other health problems in animals, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Some people who breathed or touched mixtures of PAHs and other chemicals for extended periods have developed cancer, the ATSDR Web site said.
Burger King also said in its annual report that it has prepaid an additional $50 million of term debt. This reduces the total outstanding debt balance to $948 million, the company said.
There are more than 11,100 Burger King restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. Company shares closed at $14.54 each on Thursday, up 23 cents.

Abe Lincoln, Discrimination, and a Dose of Perspective Taking

Over the long weekend, we took the kids to D.C. For me, it was my first time right along with Leo (turns 8 in Oct.)and Sydney (5). As a 41 year old, I was quite taken with it. The cleanliness and magnificance of The Air and Space Museum, the Capital, the National Zoo, and the areas around the White House. The shear number of priceless artifacts in the Air and Space. A piece of the moon? THe first space crafts? Incredible. How grand that Washington Monument is. I had a good time people watching and wondering what they were thinking. It certainly makes a good impression that all is good and all is equal. We can pretty much go anywhere and for free. I got caught up in observation. I felt proud. I felt sad. I felt nervous. So many emotions. I relished the experience and that I could share it with Leo, since he was just old enough to "get" the relevence and importance of our capital.

Really no thoughts about ASD had entered my mind until we hit the Lincoln Memorial. I had a wave of emotion come over me as I stepped into the building and began reading the wall that contains the The Gettysburg Address. He "got me at hello", the first paragraph that ends "and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

I saw African Americans taking pictures of themselves. I saw Arabs. I saw Indians. I saw everyone it seems. I wondered how their take on "freedom" differed from mine. I wondered what they thought of me and all the other Americans walking around that day. I began to cry silently and I couldn't stop for about a half hour. I thought about how far we've come to treating each other equally, and it was a nice reminder. But, then I wonder how far we'll be able to go. How much of discrimination is human nature? How much can we evolve?

I look over to see the elevator in a side room. I wonder if people in wheelchairs had to fight to get that thing installed. A right to see the memorial that discusses equality without someone having to carry them. The irony. My thoughts then went to Autism. I'm sure Abe wasn't thinking about our children, but his life, this speech made after battle, did have a positive impact on our quality of life. Then I thought how sad it was that special needs children still face discrimination, that no one still really gets ASD outside of ASD families and providers. And finally, my thoughts come to the cold fact that we have no real Autism Community - that discrimination, that factions, alive in 1863 are alive and kicking today. I am still dedicated, and I hope anyone reading this is too.

And on other topics - here are my favorite quotes from the kids:

1) "Mom, I know we're going to meet George Bush no matter what you say. And I promise I won't tell him you didn't vote for him. That would make him feel bad."
2) After approaching a long line for the Archives, Sydney says "Mom, do you REALLY want to wait in such a long line?" Of course, she said this because SHE didn't want to wait in the line. She said it really loud and clear, and a large number of people turned around when she said it. Leo looked at me, sighed, and said "Now I'm really embarrassed."
3) After riding 3 subway trains, we were walking toward the giant stairs. Sydney says loudly "Hey! We get to see the world again!"

4) On the long car ride home, I mentioned that I may drive them to school the next morning to give them some extra time. Sydney got very excited, she could do more "big girl" things like walk from the car inside. I explained that if the buses were still there, I'd have to drop her off at the lower parking lot, and they'd have to walk. She loved that idea, even MORE of a "big girl" activity. Leo said, "Trust me, you're not going to like it Syd, you have to walk up those long stairs, it's crowded, people get in your way. It's not fun."

5) Leo vehemently wanted a Ground Hog habitat (the zoo)for our rabbits. He fell head over heals in love with them.

6) Naturally, the "best" "most AWE-some" part of the trip was the Planetarium. He really got those basic concepts of the universe forming, etc. He was quite impressed, and he enjoyed the "relaxing" music.

Taking the Disability out of Autism

And what is left? A person that's just different.

Leo began 2nd grade on Monday. It's Wednesday, and I keep thinking I ought to be documenting as always. It's a strange thing - I have nothing exciting to report about Leo (me, yes, see below). No issues, just stories about his "specials" like music, gym, art, and library. As with Leo's former teacher, Mrs. P. doesn't know he used to have an IEP. Time will only tell how his executive functioning differences/issues will play out. (see first grade, 6/22/06). I haven't figured out how to tag, sorry!

The way he processes will always be different. I'm guessing it'll be the same as 1st grade (talking out of turn, calling out answers, finishing sentences). His former teacher speculates this will still be his challenge, but that he'll be able to improve, slowly, over time. And it also depends on his new teacher and what her tolerance level is. Who knows. He isn't the only one doing this, but Leo has his unique reason why. On my list of stuff to worry about.

Weird. I spoke to an ASD mommy friend on the phone today - as with all of us, we are checking in with our friends to see how the first days of school went. I said, "You know, It's been very anticlimatic." First grade was the *big* transition. As I've been told by many people, 2nd grade is really like a reinforcement, a repeat of the concepts in 1st grade. Okay, that's fine - Leo is "one of those ASD kids" that excels academically.

The desire for sameness. Check. The desire for structure, predictability. Check. Knows the school inside and out, has his best pal in school, same bus, same driver. Check. He knew 80% of his classmates already - from our small town activities, some from kindergarten, some from 1st. Check (and nice!). He still gets to see his former teacher for hi-fives and hugs. Check (and bonus!)So far has no issues with school. He's doing the same thing he did last year, only the classroom is 3 doors down.

Leo's kid sister began kindergarten and now he sits with her on the way to school. They are extremely close, and I love that they now go to school together, and say hi occasionally during their day. Their best friends are also sibs (kind of creepy I admit), so it's quite a close-knit situation - we all know everyone's business, and it's transferred through the siblings. Another solidifying part of his life. A safe place to try new things, put himself out there. To grow.

And what about this new safe haven we've built for Leo? Knowing everything, the structure, vs. everything new, more chaotic and diverse?

The closeknit community - really wonderful families that have the same goals and values (aside from the super-Christian stuff). Everyone seems "the same", very Stepford, but not in a bad way. Just in a "sameness" way.

What if we had moved back to California and I went back to work full-time? A big cost-of-living difference. Private school a sure thing. Questionable neighborhoods, stepping over homeless on our way to the grocery store (well, HFS!). What if everything was new? Would Leo turn out more prepared for a cubicle in the future? For college? Am I fooling myself into thinking this is the real world? Is there a downside to creating this environment?

I moved every 6 months as a child. I don't remember any friends, except a picture I have of a beautiful East Indian girl named Marcie that "was my best friend". I can only recollect the photo and a few memories. And then there's the abuse and no parents to give me a foundation. As they say, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I am living testiment. I'm sure I'm overcompensating, but I really wanted, ASD aside, to raise my children in a consistent solid environment so they could blossom.

Ahh...The comfort zone

Will Leo be ill-equipped to handle the real world? Given his difference, is this lifestyle a blessing or a curse? What about experience in chaos?, grown-up chaos? What are the downfalls, at age 7 (almost 8), to being exposed to to more diversity (it's quite white and Catholic around here, and Leo is half Jewish). Raising kids in a safe place - when is that not a good thing? WHat if Leo fell asleep to the sound of garbage trucks and sirens, versus bugs and birds, and you can see the stars like it was day? All the pets. The garden, being connected with the earth? I'm keeping my options open - charter high schoools, private schools for down the road. I want to be prepared for every forseable scenario. I realize this is impossible, but hey, I have to try.

Although Leo's environment is quite cookie-cutter, I try to live my life by example. I tell Leo I voted Democratic when it's a Republican town. I explained homosexuality, hurricanes, poverty, global warming, and other topics that don't gel with his (and my) fantasy childhood.

As always, I am reminded of how far he's come. How truly disabled Leo was. A bus will never be a bus. A hallway will never be just a hallway. I re-read the note from last year to edit for his new teacher about his "food allergies" and hypoglycemia. (He requires an "extra" snack in the afternoon since he needs to eat around every 3 hours). Boy has he become more independent! Leo's Autism no longer disables him. He still has ASD, and I love those contributions madly. I honestly do. But he no longer has anxiety, chaos, and challenges that are often associated with ASD.

And what about Mom?

I'm plugging away at my IEP goals for Leo. I am a list keeper since it keeps me really organized. Here is my Worry List for Leo:

1) Worry about Leo's calling out, and talking out of turn
2) Worry about soccer. This year they now add a practice to the week, and they actually play positions. Like the last couple years, this is regular soccer organized by the town. I wasn't welcome to participate in special ed soccer because of Leo's status (see discrimination for more on this). He's not the worst player, but he's not great. This should be interesting, to see how he can "juggle" what everyone is doing and what he should be doing. Theory of Mind comes into play, and I hope he holds up the ability to see intention amongst his fellow players. I hope he can hold his own, as many of his friends play, and he loves to be with his friends AND he loves soccer, especially since the world cup.
3) Worry that something else will come up where he'll stand out and it matters to him.
4) Worry if Mrs. P. actually "knows" about Leo's past. After all, we've been going to that school since Leo was just 3 - tiny short legs swinging from the big kid chairs in a cramped office for speech.... She's been there forever, and her classroom was close to where "the fireworks" of my tirades and other heated meetings took place. All of Leo's IEP meetings where held there and he got services from 3 to 5 there - 7 hours per week. And again, my worry is only because I don't want teachers to treat him differently, which is why we keep Leo's label a secret.
5) Will the "finishing sentences" thing manifest into a secondary disorder in the future, such as OCD? I know I can be very OCD.


So what else can I tell you about Leo? He loves soccer and football. He plays immediately when he gets home - very "organizing" for him. A nice transition. He has lots of friends that are very different. He used to only be attracted to the loud "boys' boy" kids, I think at the begining because their social cues are easier to pick up (the whole neighborhood could pick them up). Now he likes all kinds of kids, and his list of friends are as diverse as they can be.

Leo continues to be best pals with Sydney, his younger sister. She's quite precocious, so it's a nice match. sometimes they act like twins. They also share a room - bunks, so they just don't know life without each other.

Leo LOVES Lizzy McGuire. He watches the series, but insists his favorite is the movie where they go to Italy. He's not embarrased that he likes a "girl" show. Big news? The Cheetah Girls 2, the movie, just came out, and by god they love it. They've watched it every day since this weekend.

Topics? For some reasons he's asking a lot about Egypt. I can usually figure out the genesis of something I think is random, but for this I can't. He also likes anything travel related, and loves looking at maps and hunting for countries. He likes to know what countries are in which continent, etc.

He also is figuring out tornados, hurricanes, and other disasters. Funny - that's what happens when they can read the news. Leo will now read the Sports section of the newspaper (this happened on a plane on the way back from California this summer). Sydney was reading the front page, not understanding anything. All 4 of us were reading sections. I thought, WOW. We've transitioned.

And speaking of transitions, I began my job today as a preschool teacher - my 2nd year. This year I have 20 hours. Sydney began kindergarten. My husband had work per usual. We all had places to go this morning. Our own separate lives with our own goals. Scary, exciting, and fun, all at the same time. Life goes by so fast. I told a friend recently that it was quite disconcerting how time went by so fast now that I'm in the 40s (41). My friend said:

Pay attention.

Putting Words in My Mouth

Little Miss Sunshine

Finally, a fresh movie to feed the nonconformist in me. Welcome To The Dollhouse and Muriel's Wedding were the only movies on my short list. Sorry, but I'm from Los Angeles originally! The movie business touches just about everything there. Well now I have three! Honesty, perseverence, indominable spirit. Just being who you are. Love it! This movie shows the ugliness that comes from people desperate for sameness. THe desire to belong covering up who people really are.

I'd highly recommend this for anyone that gets a charge out of unique characters in movies.

Bioset And Autism, ADD, ADHD, and Immune Deficiency

As I've always said, if Leo still had an IEP, there'd be 3 remaining goals:
1)Continue to monitor Leo's development. Keep current on therapy options and research. Something may come down the pike that applies to us, or will apply to us in the future.
2) Protect Leo's anonymity by keeping my advocacy private and separate from Leo's life.
3) Manage Leo's immune and GI systems to keep him at optimal health

So, this post is related to Goal #3
We went through the Bioset protocol. And what is it? My friends and I refer to it as "voo doo" therapy, because it certainly is on the opposite end of the spectrum away from western medicine. In a nutshell:
BioSet is a gentle, drug-free means of eliminating food intolerances and environmental sensitivities. BioSet promotes healthy immune function by reducing immune overload so common in ASD children.

And more:
BioSet is based on the principle of the engergetic body as taught in Chinese medicine and utilizes acupressure, muscle testing, as well as computer technology.

As we are taught in basic biochemistry, all substances, living and non living, emit energy. Atoms attract and repel one another, building molecules and complex structures, all the while creating energy frequencies that interact in positive and negative ways.

When frequencies are misaligned, a block or weakness occurs resulting in symptoms associated with allergic reactivity.

BioSet corrects the energy flow thereby releasing the blockage and resetting the immune system. This process is called “clearing.” Clearing for a specific sensitivity helps to normalize the immune response resulting in a marked decrease in symptoms.

The BioSet practitioner uses muscle testing or electrodermal screening to determine where in the body the allergy or reactivity is taking place.

By activating specific accupressure points along the spine, the BioSet practitioner is then able to “clear” for the blockage, and thereby, clear for the sensitivity.

Once “cleared” of a specific sensitivity using the BioSet method of allergy desensitization, the physical symptoms associated with the sensitivity in question also clear.

For example, if you are reactive to pollen and you “clear” for pollen, you will no longer experience the symptomology associated with your sensitivity (i.e. sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc).

BioSet’s success lies in the fact that BioSet heals the child from the inside out. Children who suffer from these and other issues are highly sensitive individuals with overly reactive immune systems.

Because they are so reactive, their immune systems become easily overloaded simply fighting off everyday foods which are misperceived as foreign antibodies.

The result is that these children have little immune support left to fend off real threats in the form of bacterial and viral infections. Likewise, because they are so reactive to so many foods, they neither digest , nor absorb their nutrients efficiently.

Thus, vital organ systems are effectively undernourished, including the brain which relies on a variety of proteins and fatty acids to produce the appropriate neurotransmitters essential in forging neuropathways.

After clearing for food intolerances as well as chemical and environmental sensitivities, most children experience marked improvement in both their physical symptomology, as well as their emotional well being.

Likewise, because ASD children are so sensitive, they often react to certain supplements in their program (i.e. they experience hyperactivity, aggression,or an increase in stimming). Often, this kind of reactivity can be reduced or eliminated by either clearing for the supplement in question, or by muscle testing products and dosage to determine the exact needs of the child.

Phew! I apologize for the long description. I couldn't find a way to edit this further.

So far so good with Leo. It'll be interesting to see how long he'll "hold" his clearings - we did wheat and dairy, corn, soy, chlorine, mosquitos, and various seasonal stuff. He had the best spring ever, and not one mosquito bite, while his sister and myself had tons per usual. We let him "cheat" a bit more, but our organic whole foods lifestyle remains. I'm just too chicken! Plus, we give him enzymes when he "cheats", and for maintenance. I'm not a big supplement chick - Leo has always been a good eater, so I give him the omegas and some Bs and call it a day.

So there ya go!

Who My First Friends Were

The concept of time broadens. Recently Leo asked me who his first friends were. He's asked me many times in the past, and each time there is a new layer of understanding, like the layers in an onion as they say. We started with the friends he knows in town, which is what I thought he was driving at. His oldest friend, Janie, he met when he was almost 2 (just right around when he was diagnosed). I finally explained that techincally, his first friends were from my Mommy and Me group in NYC when Leo was just an infant. Tiny infant friends. He said, “Wow, I’m sure you had to take a lot of classes on how to be a mommy. You had to learn so much since I was born first”.

I thought, what irony! The assumptions he made on his own about being a mother. If only we had all taken mommy classes before the hospital handed us our tiny newborns, and fend for ourselves. Leo assumed, that of course we all had to be trained in order to do what we do. After all, that's what HE does, right? Goes to school, learns stuff at home. Experiences life. He's fully aware of what he understands versus the breadth of understanding that us adults in theory have.

It also reminds me of what a blogger said once, that our children are at their most intuitive time of their lives as toddlers. They do not have enough life experience just yet to make assumptions and generalizations, and better yet make false assumptions. I had to break the news - all of us new parents pretty much wing it. Nothing prepares you for parenthood.

Alone In a Crowded Room: Refections from an Autism Mom...

The title to this blog is actually the title that my editor from Autism Asperger's Magazine wanted for my article about discrimination a few years ago. I thought it was a little too whiny, and instead went with "My Son Has Autism Too".

I wrote that article 3 years ago. Has my worthiness status changed in 3 years? No. What HAS changed is that I have more company. I meet more and more children that have no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for an ASD. They no longer need intensive intervention. They can be mainstreamed with little or no support. The word that has been used for this description is Recovery. Fighting words for many.

My desire is to understand those that have such a visceral reaction to other parts of the spectrum for the purpose of becoming an ABA therapist at some point (currently I'm a preschool teacher learning as much as I can about development).

I also want to broaden my perspective in order to help the many people that email me for guidance. Unintentionally, my site has become an insirational one, so I don't get my little niche of HF mainstreamed parents as I expected. I get the gamet, and they are welcome.

To learn more about other parts of the spectrum, I've discovered the wonderful world of blogging, and I've honed in on the sites I'm most attracted to. They are brilliant parents. Some are real writers, which makes sense as to why I like their blogs so much. They are wonderfully insightful and I've learned so much about THEIR parking spot on the spectrum. A few can be found on my list to the right.

There is some of what I've learned so far (and of course it' much more than this, but this list pertains to the topic at hand): Their children have a lot in common, like age and similar deficits. These parents are hopelessly positive, and rarely have bad parenting moments and bad days. I am in awe and feel pretty intimidated by this. Sheesh! They can't stand labels and categories.

I also see how they judge other "factions", and have little tolerance for fellow ASD parents on other parts of the spectrum. Not much discussion, if at all, about fighting with their school districts. I can only infer they are affluent enough, or have lucked out with their schools. Bonus, if it's true!

They also make lots of implications and inferences that are incorrect about fellow parents that have a different "parking spot". I can totally understand how this happens - and like many things in life, it's from not understanding where another person is coming from. From not being informed OR CURIOUS about where I reside in the world of Autism. I know I've had many incorrect assumptions, and I've learned so much from reading these blogs. I've very thankful to have found them.

Kristina Chew is the only exception - she is attempting to understand other parts of the spectrum, and differing viewpoints on therapies. I don't feel judged by her. I am grateful for that, and grateful for her writings.

They also show disdain for parents that reside near their parking spot, but have differing views (ex: Autism Everyday video - no empathy for the fact that these parents feel the way they do, only judgement). I could be incorrect about this, but man!

I've made a big effort to connect by sharing my thoughts and I'm immediately blasted. This is hurtful. I'd love to be a part of such a loving supportive group (with each other). They seem to share the same views on books and news stories as well. Very little, if at all, disagreement. Lucky people to have found each other!

Why do I bother? Many of my friends think I'm crazy for putting myself out there. Clearly my views are not shared, nor is anyone really interested in what I have to say.

Am I an Autism parent? Yes. How has my life changed in 3 years? I don't have an impossibly giant schedule to manage and implement. Other than that, my fears and thoughts remain pretty much the same.

Autism is a treatable disorder. Treating our children doesn't mean I don't accept who they are. True, many parents reject their own children. I'm happy that I don't have a full-time schedule to manage and implement. I'm happy my son no longer vomits in anticipation of getting a haircut. I'm happy that Leo can walk down a crowded hallway without panicking and hand flapping. I am envious of these blogging parents that support milestones and good days. These parents reject my most joyous moments of my child becoming happier and healthier. Only parents in similar parking spots can be happy for me. Why is that? I'm still searching for that answer.

We can make huge positive changes with biomedical treatments and therapy that make our children happier and healthier. Less autistic? Yes, the bad parts that many adult's with ASD would list as something they'd get rid of. Something else I've learned from reading the blogs of adults on the spectrum. These children are STILL different, STILL on the spectrum. A beautiful fact, diversity.

ABA Experts and Criteria - a Poll

Hi there. Here's an update on my empty blog poll. I noticed that people have been searching for this very answer, according to my statistics. I had many answers emailed to me from this website and from a group I belong to. So...I added some answers on my Resource page (it's at the top, under ABA of course)Here's what I orignally said on this post:

I am in the process of putting together a list of criteria and a description of an "expert" in ABA for my website. I get many emails asking about criteria. Indeed, finding the right person is such an individual thing - a parent's prized therapist could be another's nightmare. That being said, I thought I may ask around and see what other's consider to be good criteria, good pointers, or good questions to ask before hiring an ABA team.

So that being said, how can we measure effectiveness? Or provide criteria that gives the best possible chance of describing an effective therapist, putting the odds in the parent's favor of wasting less time?

Shall we take some data, pun intended, for an ABA candidate?

Credentials. Experience. A person that "gets it". And any combination of the three? Food for thought....But seriously, ANY thoughts or experiences to share on this matter would be helpful to so many people.

Tae Kwon Do and Autism

I know, I know,we all know about sensory integration dysfunctions and the benefits of TKD - getting that corpus collosum to work better. Leo just passed his test for "high red". He's very proud of himself! Most impressive to me, is Leo's ability to perform the required "form" - a series of moves (I think at least 10?); lots of chops, and kicks from all sides of the body - front to back to side and so on. How can his brain memorize and then RECALL this sequence? I have no clue. It's just pretty amazing, especially in 90 degree "weather" in the studio. Mom can brag sometimes, can't she?

Temple Grandin and Corn

What? I know, any way to incorporate my all time fave obsession (autism, duh) with my summer environmental adventure book, The Ominvore's Dilemma. Sneaky me! So I have to say that our precious Temple was mentioned in the book. During a dicussion about beef production, Temple's contribution to their systems was discussed. Now here's the amazing part - no mention of Autism. Beautiful, as an individual, not a famous label.

Obsession With Corn Continued

So as I've mentioned, I've been reading my summer environmental book The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's making me a bit crazy, but that's why I limit myself to one doozy per summer. This book has made me understand how our food supply works and the history behind it. He even describes the history behind Cascadian Farms and Earthbound Farms, those companies that "tipped" organic into mainstream. Natch, he describes Big Organic of today versus Organic as it began.

Anyway, I read a quote from a farmer, owner of Polyface Farms that made so much sense to me. This quote answers the question as to why organic food is so "expensive". Here's what Joel Salatin, this farmer, has to say (note he's not quoted with quotes in the book, so the quotes refer to the book itself):

"all of the costs (of organic, local) are figured into the price. Society is not bearing the cost of water pollution, of antibiotic resistance, of food-borne illnesses, of crop subsidies, of subsidized oil and water - of all the hidden costs to the environment and the taxpayer that make cheap food SEEM cheap. " And later, he says "take away the regulations, the subsidies, and factor in the health care and environmental cleanup costs of cheap food - we could compete on price with anyone."

And after that, Salatin explains "we Americans spend only a fraction of our disposable income feeding ourselves - about a tenth, down from a fifth in the 1950s. " "Centralized production, centralized processing, and long-distance transportation of food" is the reasons we are having an epidemic of food-borne illness.

And as we know from this book and others, such as Fast Food Nation, all of our beef and chicken are fed processed feces, feathers, ash, and the gutted parts of these animals. Because of recent regulations, cows can't be fed themselves, so they get dead chickens and those organs and parts. And visa versa for the chickens. Including old dairy cows. I know, we all think dairy cows don't get eaten, but think of what we are eating - all of their hormones for their milk as well. Passing giving processed cow parts to chickens and visa versa has spread disease across species as well as the myriad of problems these things cause. Lunch anyone??

Anyway, back to my book. It all makes sense to me. After I read these little "nuggets", pun intended, I went outside and made sure my vegetable garden had plenty of water! Hmm...maybe we'll build that chicken coop after all.

Fun With Feedback

Not that it's really feedback, but today I found myself with an hour to kill. I'm still pretty sore from my first yoga class in 2 years, so I thought I'd take a look at hiddenrecovery's mentions and links. Some of the comments I've seen based on links from my stats page (it tells you the website someone was at before they came to yours). The Autism Blogging world is amazing!

Not surprisingly, the links are representative to the feedback I get when people write to me directly. Specifically, I can count on one hand the negative comments I've received by email. The majority of feedback comes by questions or thank yous. Thank you's for convincing them to look into intensive intervention, for the viable treatment options I've explained, for how to find services. I hear from many people around the world about how, after conversing with me, they got their child a program or supports that are effective and meaningful to their individual child. They report their child is happier and is "learning how to learn". That a year later, their child has enough skills to go to school, to play with a sibling. Stuff like that.

Am I tooting my own horn? It may sound like that, but I'm not. I'm sharing my positive response in order to demonstrate a point - the knowledge that Recovery exists is often the fuel for action in parents. News for me! Fuel to a parent to successfully get through the lows of their day, to advocate productively. My intention was to be referred to as an informational site. I didn't expect to be refered to as an "inspirational" site, but this is what it's become, this is how I'm often linked. Weird!

We all have a fuel, don't we? Hate, God, Injustice, Love, Information, Anger. Those are common fuels I've seen. Denial is my favorite. Like "promises" in advertising on television, you can believe what you want to believe to make it work for you.

Indeed, there is a minority of people that take offense to Recovery. There will always be parents that get false hope from Recovery stories - and blame those stories for something in their life. Perhaps a choice they made. The point being that indeed these parents are in the MINORITY. People read into them what they WANT to read into them, that fits with their emotional state, with what is going on with them. ex: I can tell a parent - "don't think about Recovery, call that ABA program, try the diet" over and over again. I'll get no response but more emails over and over again containing recovery questions.

I hear parents say they read a recovery story, and went on to try ABA or the diet, or chelation, or RDI, as an example. When it wasn't the magic bullet, they turn around and blame the account they read. They shout "See? ABA is total crap. Therapy X only made minimal difference to my son. All that money was wasted." My questions are always the same. What about that minimal change? Why isn't that worth it? What if you never tried X, and it COULD have made a big change? What if you had the right people to implement X? What then could have happened? Why not try everything you can to help your child, regardless of the outcome? It'll be quite a while till we know why certain things work or don't work for various subsets of children, if at all.

In college, I believed my ex-boyfriend really loved me when he cheated on me. I believed it because I HAD to, to get through my finals, until I had time to process it.

It's funny, inspiration. I was never a person that read other parent's accounts. I only read clinical, therapy related materials. Everyone has a fuel to keep them going, and mine was information. Information information information! Maybe the underlying theme was CONTROL for me. For other's, it's the mystical place where all is perfect, where it all "goes away" and this "bad dream" is just a dream. Other's drink a bottle of wine every night. Others take it out on their SPED directors (this was me too). Anger worked for me, it made me very productive. And it's worked in helping me help others, if that makes sense.

As we all know, we find support in others online, and feedback from other parents is often the best source, parent-to-parent. I talk to many parents - most of them bounce therapy ideas off of me. Others, want to know about recovery and if it's possible for them. I tell them to focus on maximizing the potential of their child, not so much as this "thing" going away. Giving your child choices, opportunities, and the best blend of therapy for their unique child. I talk about acceptance, denial, intensive intervention, the gamet.

For the record, my goal once Leo was diagnosed was NEVER recovery. I didn't know about it until years later. It was the happiness I've discussed on http://hiddenrecovery.com . I didn't know anything about recovery until 2 1/2 years after my son was diagnosed. The first mother I spoke to with a recovered child that was at that time 9 years old. I thought she had lost her mind. I never read Maurice or Serrousi to this day. I have the books, but it's just not my thing. They are my peeps, I think they are fantastic, but their stories weren't my interest. My fuel was my desire to make Leo happy. God, he a miserable little boy. I wanted to give him choices in life. My desire as a parent, to "make it all better", that gutteral (sp, help Anon) instinct we all feel when we hear a child cry.

But as time went by, I realized she wasn't crazy, and that there were many more that I describe on my main site. I didn't really occupy any of my thoughts on anything other than the present - what did Leo need TODAY? And be damned if he didn't get it. If he had one bad day out of a whole week, it put me out for days. I was all consumed with his overall welfare. Not until we were discussing a fading plan during one of our last clinics, did I realize ending therapy was a reality. I couldn't believe it. And the aftermath? That' s a whole other story I describe on http://hiddenrecovery.com

Indeed, life wouldn't be as interesting nor would I learn as much if if weren't for the disgruntled fans. I have a "fan" that has posted many times by the name of Anonymous. Anonymous even bashed my anonymity! The irony, I know. In a nutshell, this person(s) has criticized me for my spelling, my anonymity, and that I discuss the topic of recovery. I'm sure there's way more that I've missed and I'm sure there's way more about me that Anon doesn't like.

I really like Anonymous - this person is a reminder for me about what many people think, and the emotions that come up when "recovery", and the factions within the Autism community. I only wish my admirer would actually read my website. I have a whole page dedicated to Anonymity, and why we are. I don't expect everyone to "get"where I'm coming from, and I truly empathize with those that get upset by my writings.

Anon. says I call myself an expert in DTT. This is confusing, as my whole site is dedicated to NET. (Anon. had scolded my spelling of "discrete" incorrectly - I am the worst speller!) Anon. made assumptions I didn't want my son unless he was recovered. I'm not sure how Anon. extrapolated this one out of anything I've written, but I'm sure she/he has her reasons. Anon. states my Resource page should be taken as "a grain of salt". I find this interesting, as many of the books on my site are on Anonymous's approved sites she/he blogs on. At any rate, my hope for Anon is that I've at least provided an outlet for those negative emotions. I truly hope I'm helping!

Diets and Smoothies

Almost every day I make "smoothies" for the kids and myself. They vary day-to-day, but the base is organic frozen blueberries and strawberries along with a squirt of honey, and a handful of shredded coconut. Sometimes I add an unedible banana (any skin with a hint of brown), mango, peach, and any uneaten pieces of pear or apple from breakfast.

Naturally this is the perfect solution for supplements. I pour just a small amount to mix with enzymes and other vitamins. Once they finish up their "enzyme smoothie", they get to have "regular smoothie".

When Dad is home, he'll join in the fun - taking his "Men's Multivitamin" from Trader Joes (argh), and his Cod Liver pills (no one but me likes fish, sheesh!).

Today, I poured Dad his ration (it's summer Friday, afterall), and he politely declined because he's put himself back on the South Beach Diet, for the 3rd run. Fruit's not aloud for the first 2 weeks. Leo and Sydney poke fun at the amounts of brown rice, chicken, and salad he eats.

After several attempts by all of us to coax Dad into drinking his portion, Leo replied "I hate South Beach, I really do." What is he, 25?

Slumber Party Milestone

Friday was my birthday - yes, I'm a ripe ole age of 41. Tradition calls for cake and dinner for our little family of 4 at home. We even have a hat and a plate that goes right with it. Tradition had to be postponed for a special invitation that Leo received - a slumber party.

Leo's friend Peter got to invite 3 friends over for a sleep-over after Peter's 7th birthday party. Leo was so touched that he was one of the 3. One parent declined , so it was just Leo, Peter and one other boy Aaron. The threesome went to bed a 10:30pm and woke up at 6am. He told Peter's mom - "I'm having so much fun. I'm going to tell my Mom I had a blast!". Later, Peter's Dad heard Peter and Leo talking at 4am. He went in and said, "Hey, guys, okay now let's go back to sleep". All heads were in the middle, bodies in their sleeping bags - Leo, Peter, Peter's little brother, and Aaron. Adorable.

I happened to drive all of the boys over after the party. Those precious conversations I'll never forget overhearing - "Do you have a guy, you know a stuffed animal to sleep with?" And later - " Yeah, I do. Let's all get our guys out for the movie, okay?" And sure enough, peter's mom said they watched Sponge Bob with their "guys". Later, the picture showed them all crashed with their stuffed animals.

The amazing news is this - Leo is strong enough to handle less sleep, and sleep out of the house on the floor in a sleeping back, and some non-GFCF, processed foods. The old Leo would have been "put out" for days if he had bad food or less sleep. He is so strong now! I am confident he'll get his needs met. I am confident he'll call me if he's sad or needs something. I am confident I am truly blessed. Sure, we all thought it was weird that he wasn't home that night, but it was great.

The Mom and I discussed the food options and planned accordingly - enzymes included. She was the perfect first host for this milestone. She was sensitive to his needs "right food right time", since he's very hypoglycemic as well (duh, right?). Leo has also spent a lot of time at Peter's house and with Peter in general. Perfect! And for the record, she doesn't know of his past diagnosis or differences.

I also must comment it was a milestone for me. My challenge each day as a parent is to balance my personal issues with parenting. I strive to make smart choices for my children without my issues interfering.

I had a BAD BAD BAD childhood. Let me say it was just BAD! So it was huge for me to let Leo sleep over with another MAN in the house, a potential predator. Natch, we adore Peter's dad, but how can we ever know for sure he's okay? Or even Peter's mom? I think about this stuff every day - I think about how Leo's elementary school doesn't have a fence around it - anyone could walk out of the woods at any time during recess and grab a kid and disappear. I think about the loose security about pick-up and drop-off at school and now at summer camp. True, this IS Wisteria. True, safety is the main reason why I chose this town we live in, but STILL.

Indeed, I casually quizzed Leo about the camp counselors - did they see him change into his suit? What did they do in the pool? I am lucky Leo is very open and descriptive - those early intervention hours are still paying off!

To top it off Leo, chose to have a nap the next day, which secured the likelyhood he'd have a better day. What good choices! What a little man!

The Physical Side of the Spectrum

Yesterday marked my bi-annual check-in with the medical community. What does this mean? Twice a year I must take my children to see our western pediatrician for a Well Visit, and yesterday was Sydney's 5 year Well Visit (the typical one). Don't you love this word? The irony!!!! So many thoughts come to mind I get dizzy just thinking how to arrange and dicipher them. Their definition of "well" is quite different than many parents with our kids. Indeed!

Don't get me wrong - I don't HATE western medicine. Quite the contrary, it's just not the be-all-end-all, one-stop-shopping. We do need it. I need it, but that's not all. If it wasn't for western medicine - neither of my children would be alive. Both were C-Sections, Syd had life-threatening bouts of the croup and survived by orapred and albuterol, and it would've been unlikely I would have made it back from my fall into major depression (thank you, Lexapro and Wellbutrin).

The days of western medicine ONLY are clearly over. Today we need nutritionists, primary care physicians and various specialists - heart doc, knee surgeon, neurologist, and chiropractors to get through our year. Don't you all remember when chiropractors were in the Voo Doo category? Economics have brought them mainstream via insurance companies seeing they work, as well as other alternative methods.

To make it bearable for me I prepare in two ways:
1) prepare a mantra for the vaccination spiel
2) select one or two questions that would be FUN to ask a western doctor

1) Mantra in mind, I sort of listen to the vaccination spiel, first from the nurse, then for our ped. The nurse says Sydney will need vaccinations, and I respond calmly and non-threatening "We don't do vaccinations, but thanks." The nurse responds in a scolding tone" OH, well she's going to really need them for Kindergarten - they simply won't let her attend". With no confrontation in my voice, matter of factly I say, "She doesn't need them for school. It's quite easy to sign an exemption form. Really, it was no big deal, pretty easy." Quickly, she backed down realizing I was simply hopeless. And of course she knew the options herself.

My mantra while my ped did his speech: "He is a good man. I know I'm doing the right thing", while remembering to breathe. Focusing on my breathe really calms me right down. When he finishes, he looks at me, hesitantly. Curiosity gets the best of him, each year. It's actually quite endearing. He says, "So when, if at all, do you plan on vaccinating?"

I say what I say each year, "We'll have to see what they learn about Autism over the next couple years. I'm a very conservative person. Until they know more about the GI and immune systems of our ASD children, I will wait."

He knows the rest, over the years we've bantered back-and-forth about it all. The subsets of Autism. That I refuse to add to my children's toxic load. I don't care only about mercury. I care about cadmium, alluminum, flouride and other metals. I care about the viruses (envelope, live viruses, however they are delivered), and how they impact our children's unique systems. I consider the whole child and the impact of living on this earth. Other questionable substances have been discussed at length: grocery store sunscreen, conventional produce, processed foods, GMO's additives and preservatives. I am thinking about new info I heard from my Bioset allergist - that 'Big Organic' is requesting to spray MSG on fruits and vegetables. What? I'm not kidding around here. Can we all shout endocrine disrupters? Anyone, anyone?

2) I ask him if there's anything to do to "counteract" the effects of chlorine since the kids will be in the pool all summer. He said that chlorine doesn't affect them systemically, so as long as you wash it off topically, we should be fine. Interesting response! And that was what I was looking for, entertainment.

All in all, the visit was a positive one - Sydney did great with the eyes, ears, and prick test for iron. She's really shot up this year - 90% for height and weight. Leo and his dad are very tall.

Syd hands our ped a bag of leafy veggies we picked that morning (chard, spinach, lettuce, basil, and peppermint). A piece offering I suppose. He was delighted. Ithink of our ped's OWN daughter, they are almost the same age. I wonder what's in THEIR fridge. I wonder what her little brother will be like.

He sees us pay, and he can't resist. He comes over and casually asks how Leo is. I chirp back "He's doing great! He's loving summer, and he's in camp right now." Maybe he's thinking about the 10 other ASD children that go to his practice and their quality of life. Who knows.

This experience reminds me how different each person on the spectrum is. Each person is their own special blend - we can't make blanket statements about treatment options. For more on this subject see http://www.hiddenrecovery.com/ and click on Therapy Bashing.

I think we were lucky - some kids are SO sick physically. More environmental, less genes/wiring I suppose. And some get better! I was chatting recently with a fellow recovered parent. Her son was SO sick physically. We didn't have that, it was pretty mild. With homeopathy, she was able to make him better physically. Because of this, he lost his autistic symptoms.

My friend has unique insight. Recently we were discussing those factions that dismiss any reference to Autism as an illness. For some, part of it is - hence providing another example of how different each person is on the spectrum. For us, if I didn't explore our biomedical options such as chelation, enzymes, and the GFCF/SCD diets, etc, Leo would still have communication and social problems. Was I wrong in doing these things? I don't think so! If I accepted his condtion 'as is' without exploring the viable options out there, he wouldn't have maximized his potential. For us, these things made an impact, a huge one. Again, Leo will always be wired differently, but today he is a healthier happier Leo.

My friend said, ' The fact that my son did get better proves it was not who he is. It was something that affected him.' And then later, 'Before the homeoapthy really kicked in, there were days when I questioned what I was doing and whether I should just give in and maybe consider it was just who my son was and then there would be glimmers of who he could be and I knew I couldn't do that. I couldn't just give up on him." And today her son no longer has an ASD diagnosis.

Today, both Leo and my friend's son are as healthy as they can be - we try every day.

Life Cycles and Summer Camp

During the last days of 1st grade, Leo talked compared his life to the life cycle of the butterfly. He explained that he wanted to "start over as a chrysalis and go back to Kindergarten and 1st grade again" with his same teacher that he's pining over. Indeed, he was sad his time with 1st grade was over. Finally, he's happy that he's going to be a 2nd grader, and now appreciates his summer time off.

I was thinking about this while waiting in line to drop off Sydney (2 1/2 years younger than Leo) at that very same camp Leo did for years. That learning environment - so critical for his success. That foggy chronic blur of anxiety that lasted forever it seemed. And here I am again, like the butterfly, with Syd. Here she is, her rite of passage, ready to bound out of the car, Care Bears back pack, ready for her day in the sprinklers.

I look in front of me and get a wave from Caleb, a fellow ASD child that is in Leo's former shoes. He's anonymous like Leo, and his mom is in that mood state I know only too well.

For the first time, Caleb is going to camp BY HIMSELF. We celebrate! But, I get a wave of nausea, and after a couple minutes it passes. It's just as hard, you get to this point and now you don't have all the information you are accustomed to - a beautiful full page of notes. You have nothing but faith and your child to count on that all is well.

Leo and Caleb's former shadow, Laurie, is behind me in HER car, waiting to park - we exchange a nod. She's been coming here for years now, and today she begins with Brian. Laurie is a butterfly too. I wonder what she's thinking as she smiles at Leo who is hanging out the window talking to some kids. She spent all that time with him, she knows him so well. And ditto for Caleb. And here she's starting over with Brian.

I see all of these cars with people that have a different life than mine, Caleb, and Brian's. They are in the dark about what's really going on with some families - the struggle, all that stuff we all know too well. Yet, here we are, peppered all over the parking lot of this camp. All over town, all over the world, going about our day, no one the wiser.

Each day continues to be a gift. Leo's smile, his confidence, his desire to do things, to learn, to put himself out there. This reminder, although bittersweet, is a necessity - I don't want to ever forget.

Corn and the Chicken Nugget

So I'm reading this great book, The Ominvore's Dilemma. It's another book about the industrialization of our food supply, and how since 1980 corn is the "corn"erstone to the food we eat today. These books always fascinate me because of the association between the environment and our kids.

Did you know that the McDonalds Chicken McNugget has 38 ingredients? That 56% of those ingredients are corn? Here they are for your review, quoted from this book:

*Corn-fed chicken
*modified corn starch (to bind meat)
*mono and tri diglicerides (emulsifiers)
*dextrose
*lecithin
*chicken broth (for flavoring taken out by the processing)
*yellow corn flour
*corn starch
*vegetable shortening (from corn)
*citric acid (from corn)
*corn oil
*leavening agents (not food but synthetic) like sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium lactate.

*antifoaming agents (not food) which are all listed as carcinogenic
TBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, which is derived from petroleum and is a form a butane (lighter fluid).

Did you know that 60% of our bodies are derived from corn? That basically most of what we eat is corn? Why is this bad? Anyone ever heard of a wide variety diet? Maybe people think they are eating a varied diet diverse in all sorts of food. Not anymore, unless you cook from scratch and buy organic, grass fed animals (including eggs, cheese, and other dairy products). And then the public wonders why this generation will NOT outlive our parents and cancer and disorders like our Autism are epidemics?

I know. You think you are reading untruths written by some crazy mom that's just about had it. But this is all well documented and known. I only wish.

The Autism Gods didn't consider that I have a research background when they decided Leo will be in my family!

Can't She Or Won't She??

I just got home from a play date for my younger child Sydney. The friend has an older sister that I recently learned has ADHD. I had my very first "real" conversation with her. What an insightful, self-contained, amazing person she is. Her whole world is 4 legged and the sky (animals and the solar system). And what a beautiful world it is.

This girl has academic struggles and social struggles at school After reading Out Of Sync Child, the parents have made some changes that have helped her in that area. And more importantly they respect her preferences for sunglasses 24/7 and tag-free clothing. Phew!

She seems like a very content person to me - with my "snapshot" of times spent with her. She takes care of herself - stays in her room at parties, very selective at invitations, declined camp this year to just stay home.

Her parents struggle with this question - can she or won't she relate to others? Do they have trouble accepting her or does she not have the skills to join in if she wants to?

Can't She Or Won't She? I hope she has a choice. I don't know.

The New Normal: Stats from our typical classrooms

6/22/06 - The new normal is amazing, isn't it? They are much higher in the younger years like this and taper off as you look at middle and high school.There is also a great stat from the American Acad of Peds that states one in 6 kids born today have a developmental disorder or developmental delay.

Here is what my son's typical playgroups and classes looked like through the years so far:

New Mommy Group 0-1 year old:10 kids in total (natch, they all didn't have a dx then):2 kids with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2 kids with ADD, 2 kids with Sensory Integration Disorder (he had a real panic attack while eating a bagel with cream cheese. The cheese was all over his tongue and he didn't like it), 1 kid with a speech and fine motor delay. The speech kid couldn't be understood by his peers until he was 5 years old, so it wasn't a redefinition of criteria.

Preschool: Class of 18 kids: my kid with Autism, 3 kids with a speech delay, 1 kid with sensory integration, one kid with ADD.

Kindergarten: 20 kids total in typical classroom in a public school. 2 kids ASD, one kid ADD, 3 kids speech and OT delays. Again, the speech and OT delays affected their ability to be understood and do any projects. The teacher had been doing the "same ole" for 20 years, so it wasn't a change in criteria here anyway.

1st grade: 22 kids in total. One kid Autism, one kid Down Syndrome, 3 kids with a behavior plan, have IEP - unsure of an actual label, 2 kids speech, 1 kid OT, and 4 kids get pulled out of class for reading help 2 times a week(they are barely reading, criteria could be argued here?).

In total, in our little po dunk elementary school, 12% of all kids attending have an IEP. And this doesn't include the kids that we all know need one.

Discrmination

I started this blog because I was inspired by fellow A Bloggers like Kristina Chew and 29 Marbles. They rock! I have learned a lot about their unique perspectives. I am no writer compared to these two professionals. But hey, ya gotta throw it out there and hope no one winces.

My website is still intact and up, the very long long long Intervention Summary and articles written by me, the Crazy Old Lady That Lives in the Woods. Well, I AM 40 going on 41. An exercise in perspective taking I guess would make this old or not.

One of the biggest challenges I have as an Autism parent is that I find it difficult to find support from other parents. If you are, or know of a parent with a recovered child - I'd love to talk with them, to find support.

I am an Autism parent, no different than anyone else. We all have unique situations and we all do things differently. This discrimination makes me lonely at times for others to talk to about my issues. I talk about more of this on original site. As a parent of a recovered child, many people always have gobs to say against me and my family. Others think I'm the be-all-end-all, others think I have all the answers.

It's hurtful to be misunderstood. The assumptions people make about what I think about various factions of Autism are hurtful and incorrect. People assume I advocate for a cure, for our children to be fixed. That I reject Autism.

Quite the contrary is true. I don't go crazy over NAAR or CAN or any other gene "factions". I can only think of what's in front of me - countless ASD kids NOT getting the therapy they deserve or paid for. I think all bread should be buttered, but the preference when it comes to resources should go to treating the children we have NOW. It's a crisis, a pandemic for God's sake!

For the record, I am PRO-Autism. I am pro all things human, no matter how the come packaged. I embrace all factions of Autism - I think it's people's own business how they conduct their lives. The choices they make for themselves, for their children, are their own to make. We have no business judging other parents for their choices. We all do things differently.

I love my child. Autism is a part of who he is, only a part. I adore the parts that make him unique, the good parts that celebrate the differences in humanity. I don't like the parts that make/made life challenging for Leo, that caused stress or anxiety, that kept him from doing the things he wanted to do. Isn't that the goal of ANY parent?

My intent is to raise awareness about the existence of the HF mainstreamed child and their challenges. For those that are quick to make false assumptions - this doesn't exclude those that reside along other parts of the spectrum, since the whole point is that all kids on the spectrum are kids on the spectrum, each unique with their own challenges and gifts and outcomes. I'm sure I've forgotten other disclaimers and caveats, so please, I hope people read this with an open mind.

A child that is HF and can be mainstreamed is the area of my expertise by default, which is why all I write about or recommend is based on my experience. I think we are all experts when it comes to our direct experience from home, don't ya think?

While our kids may function on different parts of the Autism spectrum, what unites us all is the love we feel for them, and the deepest desire in every parent that their child can enter adulthood equipped with skills to succeed in life. Let our love unite us, not divide us. We all need to be supported.