A Message to Autism Speaks' Singer and Shih: ENOUGH ALREADY!

[Guest guest]

Great piece on Age of Autism by . -Lenny

December 11, 2008

A Message to Autism Speaks' Singer and Shih: ENOUGH ALREADY!

Snake_puzzle_2By http://tinyurl.com/5zsjgp

I did not want to write this piece or share this information. I was

hoping the leadership at Autism Speaks would take care of this

problem. For far too long Dr. Andy Shih and Ms. Alison Singer have

been representing only their own rigid belief systems in their roles

at AS, doing whatever necessary to thwart environmental and vaccine

research. In the meantime so many opportunities have been squandered

and our children are paying the price.

I will not editorialize here; just give the reader the facts. Families

and especially AS supporters have a right to know how their children's

interests are being represented.

1) Dr. Andy Shih, VP of Scientific Affairs, an avowed disbeliever of

vaccines as a possible trigger for autism, appeared on " Montel " a few

years ago. Shih vehemently argued that vaccines are totally safe, can

not and do not trigger autism and that excessive quantities of mercury

are perfectly safe to inject into babies and children.

Two years ago AS leadership was excited about a Norwegian study on

vaccinated children and autism and promised the study designers full

support. AS expressed a desire to take the lead as a funder and

facilitator of the project. Shih surreptitiously killed almost all

involvement.

2) Shih's recent comments to the media include, " this issue (vaccines

and autism) has really been put to bed! " regarding a tiny Columbia

study on autism, regression and GI disease on a dozen children. The

study only actually included 5 children who had regressive autism and

GI disease and one, indeed, had the measles virus in his gut. The CDC

funded this study.

I encourage all to Google Andy Shih + vaccines and read the plethora

of Shih quotes about why he believes there is no merit to studying

over-vaccination as trigger for autism. Shih is most frequently quoted

by pharmaceutical sites and vaccine manufacturers as " proof " of

vaccines' " disproved " relationship to autism.

3) Alison Singer is in control of all media relations for AS and sits

on the very important and influential IACC, as AS' representative.

Singer has also overseen AS' multi-million dollar website. Until

recently, the website was devoid off all biomedical news and information.

Singer and Shih maintain a strong professional friendship with

Offit, lunching with him on AS' dime.

4) Singer called CBS " Evening News " to complain about Sharyl

Attkisson's investigative news story on Dr. Offit's financial

interests in the childhood immunization program. Singer copied Dr. Lou

, her AAP ally, in this complaint letter. The CBS news piece

uncovered the fact that Offit had recently sold his rota vaccine

patent for $104 million dollars. This discovery was, in fact, huge

news to all in the autism community.

5) The IACC group had the unique opportunity to effect powerful and

innovative change in autism research at the NIH. The CAA was made

possible by the hundreds of thousands of parents who supported its

passage. Autism Speaks promised to do everything possible to support

the promotion of environmental research, including vaccine research.

After nearly a year of work the NIH's strategic plan is currently

being boycotted by the entire community. Tom Insel has done a terrible

job of including stakeholders' opinions and priorities, yet there was

a critical juncture when the plan could have been saved. Lyn Redwood

and all participating parent orgs (with the exception of minuscule

org. ASA) voted for the inclusion of a number of environmental

research initiatives which would have SAVED this endeavor. Alison

Singer, as AS' representative, voted against the plan.

OK- those are the facts, everything is true, now for the editorial.

[Guest guest]

Double thanks! I'll send a copy of this to a group I sadly belong to, where some members think that going on walks for Autism "Speaks" is a good thing (Blah!!!).

Aasa

Great piece on Age of Autism by . -LennyDecember 11, 2008A Message to Autism Speaks' Singer and Shih: ENOUGH ALREADY!Snake_puzzle_ 2By http://tinyurl. com/5zsjgpI did not want to write this piece or share this information. I washoping the leadership at Autism Speaks would take care of thisproblem. For far too long Dr. Andy Shih and Ms. Alison Singer havebeen representing only their own rigid belief systems in their rolesat AS, doing whatever necessary to thwart environmental and vaccineresearch. In the meantime so many opportunities have been squanderedand our children are paying the price.I will not editorialize here; just give the reader the facts. Familiesand especially AS supporters have a right to know how their children'sinterests are being represented.1) Dr. Andy Shih, VP of

Scientific Affairs, an avowed disbeliever ofvaccines as a possible trigger for autism, appeared on "Montel" a fewyears ago. Shih vehemently argued that vaccines are totally safe, cannot and do not trigger autism and that excessive quantities of mercuryare perfectly safe to inject into babies and children.Two years ago AS leadership was excited about a Norwegian study onvaccinated children and autism and promised the study designers fullsupport. AS expressed a desire to take the lead as a funder andfacilitator of the project. Shih surreptitiously killed almost allinvolvement.2) Shih's recent comments to the media include, "this issue (vaccinesand autism) has really been put to bed!" regarding a tiny Columbiastudy on autism, regression and GI disease on a dozen children. Thestudy only actually included 5 children who had regressive autism andGI disease and one, indeed, had the measles virus

in his gut. The CDCfunded this study.I encourage all to Google Andy Shih + vaccines and read the plethoraof Shih quotes about why he believes there is no merit to studyingover-vaccination as trigger for autism. Shih is most frequently quotedby pharmaceutical sites and vaccine manufacturers as "proof" ofvaccines' "disproved" relationship to autism.3) Alison Singer is in control of all media relations for AS and sitson the very important and influential IACC, as AS' representative.Singer has also overseen AS' multi-million dollar website. Untilrecently, the website was devoid off all biomedical news and information.Singer and Shih maintain a strong professional friendship with Offit, lunching with him on AS' dime.4) Singer called CBS "Evening News" to complain about SharylAttkisson's investigative news story on Dr. Offit's financialinterests in the childhood immunization

program. Singer copied Dr. Lou, her AAP ally, in this complaint letter. The CBS news pieceuncovered the fact that Offit had recently sold his rota vaccinepatent for $104 million dollars. This discovery was, in fact, hugenews to all in the autism community.5) The IACC group had the unique opportunity to effect powerful andinnovative change in autism research at the NIH. The CAA was madepossible by the hundreds of thousands of parents who supported itspassage. Autism Speaks promised to do everything possible to supportthe promotion of environmental research, including vaccine research.After nearly a year of work the NIH's strategic plan is currentlybeing boycotted by the entire community. Tom Insel has done a terriblejob of including stakeholders' opinions and priorities, yet there wasa critical juncture when the plan could have been saved. Lyn Redwoodand all participating parent orgs

(with the exception of minusculeorg. ASA) voted for the inclusion of a number of environmentalresearch initiatives which would have SAVED this endeavor. AlisonSinger, as AS' representative, voted against the plan.OK- those are the facts, everything is true, now for the editorial.

[Guest guest]

Great work by . It makes so much clear. I think back to May at

the Autism One conference when Autism Speaks asked to hold a meeting

seemingly to build trust. This kind of information, told so well by

, does not inspire trust in Autism Speaks.

>

>

> Great piece on Age of Autism by . -Lenny

>

> December 11, 2008

> A Message to Autism Speaks' Singer and Shih: ENOUGH ALREADY!

>

> Snake_puzzle_ 2By http://tinyurl. com/5zsjgp

>

> I did not want to write this piece or share this information. I was

> hoping the leadership at Autism Speaks would take care of this

> problem. For far too long Dr. Andy Shih and Ms. Alison Singer have

> been representing only their own rigid belief systems in their roles

> at AS, doing whatever necessary to thwart environmental and vaccine

> research. In the meantime so many opportunities have been squandered

> and our children are paying the price.

>

> I will not editorialize here; just give the reader the facts.

Families

> and especially AS supporters have a right to know how their

children's

> interests are being represented.

>

> 1) Dr. Andy Shih, VP of Scientific Affairs, an avowed disbeliever of

> vaccines as a possible trigger for autism, appeared on " Montel " a

few

> years ago. Shih vehemently argued that vaccines are totally safe,

can

> not and do not trigger autism and that excessive quantities of

mercury

> are perfectly safe to inject into babies and children.

>

> Two years ago AS leadership was excited about a Norwegian study on

> vaccinated children and autism and promised the study designers full

> support. AS expressed a desire to take the lead as a funder and

> facilitator of the project. Shih surreptitiously killed almost all

> involvement.

>

> 2) Shih's recent comments to the media include, " this issue

(vaccines

> and autism) has really been put to bed! " regarding a tiny Columbia

> study on autism, regression and GI disease on a dozen children. The

> study only actually included 5 children who had regressive autism

and

> GI disease and one, indeed, had the measles virus in his gut. The

CDC

> funded this study.

>

> I encourage all to Google Andy Shih + vaccines and read the plethora

> of Shih quotes about why he believes there is no merit to studying

> over-vaccination as trigger for autism. Shih is most frequently

quoted

> by pharmaceutical sites and vaccine manufacturers as " proof " of

> vaccines' " disproved " relationship to autism.

>

> 3) Alison Singer is in control of all media relations for AS and

sits

> on the very important and influential IACC, as AS' representative.

> Singer has also overseen AS' multi-million dollar website. Until

> recently, the website was devoid off all biomedical news and

information.

>

> Singer and Shih maintain a strong professional friendship with

> Offit, lunching with him on AS' dime.

>

> 4) Singer called CBS " Evening News " to complain about Sharyl

> Attkisson's investigative news story on Dr. Offit's financial

> interests in the childhood immunization program. Singer copied Dr.

Lou

> , her AAP ally, in this complaint letter. The CBS news piece

> uncovered the fact that Offit had recently sold his rota vaccine

> patent for $104 million dollars. This discovery was, in fact, huge

> news to all in the autism community.

>

> 5) The IACC group had the unique opportunity to effect powerful and

> innovative change in autism research at the NIH. The CAA was made

> possible by the hundreds of thousands of parents who supported its

> passage. Autism Speaks promised to do everything possible to support

> the promotion of environmental research, including vaccine research.

>

> After nearly a year of work the NIH's strategic plan is currently

> being boycotted by the entire community. Tom Insel has done a

terrible

> job of including stakeholders' opinions and priorities, yet there

was

> a critical juncture when the plan could have been saved. Lyn Redwood

> and all participating parent orgs (with the exception of minuscule

> org. ASA) voted for the inclusion of a number of environmental

> research initiatives which would have SAVED this endeavor. Alison

> Singer, as AS' representative, voted against the plan.

>

> OK- those are the facts, everything is true, now for the editorial.

>