Guest guest Posted December 1, 2007 Report Share Posted December 1, 2007 Please note: forwarded message attached Good news (for now), BUT the fight isn't over yet!!!!!! Joy ASPIES Greater Akron REPRIEVE FOR AUTISM AIDMedicaid rule change still is needed, officials say, but funding cutoff is pushed back to April 1 Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:09 AM By CandiskyTHE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Children with autism will continue receiving specialized services through Ohio's health insurance program for the poor, blind and disabled -- for now. The administration of Gov. Ted Strickland announced yesterday that it will temporarily halt a plan to alter Medicaid billing rules that effectively would have cut off services to thousands of autistic children."The delay is to ensure we have sufficient time to provide solutions to any concerns families may have," said Scarlett Bouder, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.The decision comes a week after the last of three emotional public hearings on the Strickland plan in which tearful parents pleaded with state officials to reconsider.The turnaround stunned Jay McCann, father of a 6-year-old severely autistic son."We'll call it an early Christmas present," McCann said."I'm pleased that common sense and prevailing heads listened to parents of children with autism. Our feeling was we're going to move forward with this and you're going to have to deal with it. I commend (the administration) for listening to our concerns."The administration had been scheduled to go before the Joint Committee for Agency Rule Review on Monday to seek approval of the billing change effective Jan. 1.Bouder said the administration still feels the rule needs to be revised to keep Ohio in compliance with federal Medicaid regulations, but the target date has been pushed back to April 1.By then, Bouder said state officials will determine how many children will be affected and how their needs can best be met. The state agency already has begun contacting affected families to conduct assessments and coordinate care.Parents and other advocates for autistic children had urged state officials to delay implementation until alternative services can be found to avoid gaps in treatment."It's encouraging, " McCann said. "They are at least compromising and backing off to figure out what's best for our kids."State officials say the rule change is needed to avoid a potential federal crackdown over how states use Medicaid money to fund services for severely disabled children. Federal regulators have not asked Ohio to make the change, but other states with similar systems have been penalized with the loss of federal aid.In addition, state officials say they are responding to complaints from officials in lin and Delaware counties about the high cost of treating autistic children. The local entities are required to pick up a portion of the expense, which can cost up to $90 an hour.ccandiskydispatch (DOT) com Check out AOL Money & Finance's list of the hottest products and top money wasters of 2007. Greater Akron OH Chapter Autism Society Greater Akron OH Chapter Autism Society Messages In This Digest (9 Messages) 1. Fwd: U.S. appoints Autism Advocates to new Federal panel From: Cahoon 2. All families with children or adults on Medicaid need to read this!! From: Cahoon 3. Fwd: Elevated Male Hormones in Autism; Science validates special die From: Angel /OASIS 4a. Re: From Cahoon we need your help From: K S 5. OT group and social skills programs From: Nevada 6a. File - Vest.doc From: asagreaterakron 7a. File - othergroups.doc From: asagreaterakron 8a. File - Autism Society of America From: asagreaterakron 9.1. File - DISABILITY ACRONYMS.doc From: asagreaterakron View All Topics | Create New Topic Messages 1. Fwd: U.S. appoints Autism Advocates to new Federal panel Posted by: " Cahoon" michellecahoon@... shel20030416 Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:55 pm (PST) NANCALEaol wrote: From: NANCALEaol Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:37:19 EST Subject: U.S. appoints Autism Advocates to new Federal panel undisclosed-recipients:; If you received this email by error, click REPLY, add REMOVE and you will no longer receive Unlocking Autism posts. U.S. appoints autism advocates to new federal panel - News http://news./s/nm/20071128/hl_nm/autism_usa_dc U.S. appoints autism advocates to new federal panel Tue Nov 27, 10:55 PM ET Advocates who believe vaccines may cause autism will join mental health professionals and neurologists on a new federal panel to coordinate autism research and education, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department said on Tuesday. Parents of children with autism and a writer who has an autism spectrum disorder will also be on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, HHS said. " The committee's first priority will be to develop a strategic plan for autism research that can guide public and private investments to make the greatest difference for families struggling with autism, " said Dr. Insel, director of the National Institute for Mental Health and the chairman of the new committee. The committee was authorized under the Combating Autism Act of 2006. The U.S. government has been under pressure to step up research on autism, which can severely disable a child by interfering with speech and behavior. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one in every 150 children has autism or a related disorder such as Asperger's syndrome -- which adds up to about 560,000 people up to age 21 in the United States. " This important committee will play a key role in coordinating autism research, services, and education related to autism spectrum disorder, " HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement. Some of the committee's members have been at odds with government agencies in the past. Registered nurse Lyn Redwood, president of the Coalition for Safe Minds, has frequently accused the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of covering up evidence that vaccines cause autism. Another member, Lee Grossman, is president of the Autism Society of America, which also argues that vaccines can cause the disorder. Many medical studies have failed to show evidence that vaccines or their ingredients cause autism. The Institute of Medicine, which advises the federal government on health matters, issued an unusually strongly worded report urging that researchers look elsewhere for a cause for autism but the advocacy groups are unconvinced and are vocal about it. Other members of the new committee include Dr. Duane , director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Dr. Battey, director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders at NIH; and Story Landis, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Shore, executive director of Autism Spectrum Disorder Consulting, himself was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and wrote a book, " Understanding Autism for Dummies. " The group will meet twice a year and make recommendations for new areas of research. (Reporting by Maggie Fox; editing by Mohammad Zargham Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Copyright © 2007 All rights reserved. ************************************** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001) Autism Awareness 1 in 150 children have autism Increase in last 11 years over 23,000% Cahoon Tristan's Mom age 7yr old autism Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) 2. All families with children or adults on Medicaid need to read this!! Posted by: " Cahoon" michellecahoon@... shel20030416 Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:55 pm (PST) Reprieve for autism aid Medicaid rule change still is needed, officials say, but funding cutoff is pushed back to April 1 Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:09 AM By Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Children with autism will continue receiving specialized services through Ohio's health insurance program for the poor, blind and disabled -- for now. The administration of Gov. Ted Strickland announced yesterday that it will temporarily halt a plan to alter Medicaid billing rules that effectively would have cut off services to thousands of autistic children. " The delay is to ensure we have sufficient time to provide solutions to any concerns families may have, " said Scarlett Bouder, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The decision comes a week after the last of three emotional public hearings on the Strickland plan in which tearful parents pleaded with state officials to reconsider. The turnaround stunned Jay McCann, father of a 6-year-old severely autistic son. " We'll call it an early Christmas present, " McCann said. " I'm pleased that common sense and prevailing heads listened to parents of children with autism. Our feeling was we're going to move forward with this and you're going to have to deal with it. I commend (the administration) for listening to our concerns. " The administration had been scheduled to go before the Joint Committee for Agency Rule Review on Monday to seek approval of the billing change effective Jan. 1. Bouder said the administration still feels the rule needs to be revised to keep Ohio in compliance with federal Medicaid regulations, but the target date has been pushed back to April 1. By then, Bouder said state officials will determine how many children will be affected and how their needs can best be met. The state agency already has begun contacting affected families to conduct assessments and coordinate care. Parents and other advocates for autistic children had urged state officials to delay implementation until alternative services can be found to avoid gaps in treatment. " It's encouraging, " McCann said. " They are at least compromising and backing off to figure out what's best for our kids. " State officials say the rule change is needed to avoid a potential federal crackdown over how states use Medicaid money to fund services for severely disabled children. Federal regulators have not asked Ohio to make the change, but other states with similar systems have been penalized with the loss of federal aid. In addition, state officials say they are responding to complaints from officials in lin and Delaware counties about the high cost of treating autistic children. The local entities are required to pick up a portion of the expense, which can cost up to $90 an hour. ccandiskydispatch (DOT) com Autism Awareness 1 in 150 children have autism Increase in last 11 years over 23,000% Cahoon Tristan's Mom age 7yr old autism Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) 3. Fwd: Elevated Male Hormones in Autism; Science validates special die Posted by: "Angel /OASIS" oasis_wc@... oasis_wc Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:55 pm (PST) US Autism and Asperger Association <informationusautism (DOT) org> wrote: From: " US Autism and Asperger Association " <informationusautism (DOT) org> <oasis_wc > Subject: Elevated Male Hormones in Autism; Science validates special diets Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:46:51 -0500 View this email in your web browser US Autism & Asperger Association, Inc. November 29 , 2007 Welcome to USAAA Weekly News, an email newsletter that addresses a range of topics on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Asperger's Syndrome. --------------------------------- Routine Testing Confirms Elevated Male Hormones in Autism A new moderate-scale peer-reviewed scientific/medical study confirms many patients with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer from significantly elevated levels of male hormones, and numerous treatments that lower male-hormone levels have significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with an ASD. This study, " A Prospective Assessment of Androgen Levels in Patients with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Biochemical Underpinnings and Suggested Therapies, " by Mr. A. Geier and Dr. Mark R. Geier, has been published in the most recent issue of Neuroendocrinology Letters (Volume 28, Issue 5, pgs. 565-573). A grant from the Brenen Hornstein Autism Research & Education (BHARE) Foundation (Elk Grove, IL) to the Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc. (Silver Spring, MD) funded this research. Click here for entire press release that includes what the findings demonstrate. Click here for an entire study, " A Prospective Assessment of Androgen Levels in Patients with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Biochemical Underpinnings and Suggested Therapies. " --------------------------------- Inbox Readers' Comments are opinions from our subscribers. USAAA is not responsible for the content, accuracy or opinions expressed in this section. Send in your comments to INBOX. In our November 27th newsletter, we ran an NBC article titled, " Clinton's Autism Plan. " Hillary Clinton proposed a $700 million a year plan to help people affected by autism. The money would be spent for research and provide support for families and teachers dealing with the disorder, as well as for autistic children and adults. We received an overwhelming response to this article. Click here to view some of the responses. --------------------------------- USAAA Board Member a candidate for Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, Illinois US Autism and Asperger Association Board of Director's Member Judge B. Hyman is a candidate for Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, Illinois. Judge Hyman was appointed to the Circuit Court by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2006 and is now seeking election to a full term on the bench. On behalf of the entire Board of USAAA, we are extremely proud and honored to have Judge Hyman as a Board Member and wish him the best in his pursuit of being elected to a full term. Click here for more information. EPLiveOnLine and Autism Today Form Strategic Alliance cnnmoney.com November 28, 2007 EP Global Communications, Inc. (OTCBB: EPGL), EPGL/VEMICS (EPLiveOnLine-EPLO) and SNC ( " Special Needs Corp. / AutismToday.com " ) announced today their recent " Strategic Alliance " and development of the " Autism Orlando Biennial Conference 2008, " presented by Autism Today, US Autism and Asperger Association (USAAA), and EPLiveOnLine....Certain segments of the conference will be available live via Vemics LiveAccess and via streaming video delivered into both civilian and military market segments, such as the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. EPGL and EPLO will arrange for a minimum of ten live interactive sites around the country, which will be at clinics, hospitals, university lecture halls, auditoriums, or at offices of autism organizations. Click here for entire story. USAAA Advisory Board Member Appointed to Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee HHS Secretary Leavitt Announces Members of the New Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee USAAA is proud to announce the appointment of USAAA Advisory Board Member Dr. Shore to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. Tuesday, November 27, 2007 U.S. Health and Human Services Department Secretary Mike Leavitt announced today the members appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services' new Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. This committee coordinates efforts within the department to combat autism spectrum disorder through research, screening, intervention, and education. The committee will facilitate the efficient and effective exchange of information on autism activities among member agencies, and coordinate autism-related programs and initiatives. “This important committee will play a key role in coordinating autism research, services, and education related to autism spectrum disorder,” Secretary Leavitt said. “I'm pleased that its members bring to the committee a wide range and great depth of expertise, including research and program administration, advocacy and personal experience with the condition.” Authorized under the Combating Autism Act of 2006, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee advises the HHS Secretary and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Secretary Leavitt delegated the authority to establish the committee to the NIH, which designated its National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to lead this activity. Click here for entire story. Science helps validate special diets for Autism, hope may be right in parents' hands New scientific data and opinion supports nutrition and dietary intervention as helpful for those with autism. Newly updated book by Autism diet expert, Nourishing Hope, explains the scientific rationale for applying special diets. November 27, 2007; Page A1 " Fortunately, science is now rethinking autism and new data supports the idea that special diets can help " San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 27, 2007 -- For every one in 150 children diagnosed with autism, traditional thinking recommends only behavior and communication therapies and medicines to control symptoms. s, Certified Nutrition Consultant and author of Nourishing Hope, knows that something is missing. Treatment options have been limited due to a narrow perspective of autism as strictly a brain, or 'psychiatric' disorder. " Fortunately, science is now rethinking autism and new data supports the idea that special diets can help, " says. " Now we're learning that the brain and body can influence each other. " — Dr. Martha Herbert, Assistant Professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School Scientists from the University of Western Ontario recently linked a compound produced in the digestive system (also found in wheat and dairy products) to autistic type behavior, which may demonstrate that what autistic children eat could alter their brain function. Commenting on the study, Dr. Martha Herbert, Assistant Professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, recently told CBC news in Canada, " Now we're learning that the brain and body can influence each other. There are chemicals produced by and influenced by foods that can affect the brain. " If you remove those foods, that negative impact can stop. Click here for entire story. --------------------------------- USAAA Expert's Corner USAAA Expert's Corner is a section of USAAA WeeklyNews, where we feature information from a leading autism expert. This week's expert is: Stan Kurtz Stan Kurtz is dad to 5-year-old Ethan, who recovered from an autism diagnosis. Stan recovered himself from ADHD and IBS while he was working on therapies for his son. Mr. Kurtz's perspective is driven from his personal experience including his son's recovery and from an evolving data pool in his online group with 18,000+ posts from 1900+ families, many of which are sharing information on what has worked and not worked for their child. In my first search in PubMed, the main database of peer reviewed medical literature, in 2004, I found 80 peer-reviewed viral/autism involved citations in the medical literature. It was as simple as doing a Google search of “pubmed” going to that site and doing a search for “virus autism.” Many of these papers included references to specific viruses, inflammation, and autoimmunity. Several of them specifically state the onset of the disorder surrounded the onset of the infection. Like many therapies, antiviral therapy does not work for all children with autism. For some children this will be an important part of the journey. For other children it will be a tool for recovery. Diet and supplementation were important for my son, but once that was in place I believe antiviral therapy is what took him the rest of the way. Since it seems to work for many children and it seems relatively safe, I believe in doing a trial and using this type of comprehensive approach and seeing for yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.