Guest guest Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 May I forward this? Thanks, Sue On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 7:05 PM, JAQUELYN MCCANDLESS < JMcCandless@...> wrote: > I am encouraging everyone who donates to AS to let them know they will > not do so anymore until they come through with their promise to help > investigate the environmental issues around the autism epidemic including > vaccines. Dr. JM > > From www.ageofautism.com: > > A Message to Autism Speaks' Singer and Shih: ENOUGH ALREADY! > > By > > 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 > 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. > > The fact that Ms. Singer voted against the rest of the autism > community is disgraceful. Clearly Ms. Singer cannot separate her > personal beliefs from the mandate of the organization she is paid to > serve. The IACC plan was an opportunity of monumental proportions and > now a year's work has been squandered, thanks to her veto. > > Rather then embracing the big tent concept and building bridges with > the grass roots parent-run autism organizations, Shih and Singer have > focused their energies on building relationships with Dr. Offit (a > vaccine patent holder), Ami Pisani and her pharmaceutical organization > and old school geneticists. This approach is not getting us where we > need to go and gravely disappoints the families who trusted AS to be > better than this. It was families, not pharmaceutical reps, who > brought the tremendous pressure to bear in order to pass the CAA. Now > our families' interests have been betrayed by the rigid ideological > beliefs of one person who would rather see the CAA fail than encompass > vaccine research. > > Instead of building alliances with family based orgs like the > National Autism Association, Ms. Singer's efforts have been focused > on aiding Dr. Offit. Autism Speaks' PR needed to allow Dr. > Offit to take care of himself, he has certainly got the financial > resources to do so. Autism Speaks should have been championing the > trend of greater financial transparency in autism and vaccine science. > Instead, Ms. Singer was so upset by the criticism of Dr. Offit that > she called CBS news to complain about the piece. This bizarre behavior > is another complete betrayal of our families' interests and serves > to further illustrate the deeply ingrained beliefs and prejudices that > do a deep disservice to our families. > > I do not have the time to detail the myriad of instances in which > Autism Speaks PR and stein Associates worked overtime to kill or > diminish stories about biomedical news. Suffice it to say it is a sad > and lengthy list. We need more open debate and discussion, not less. > > AS PR and AS science need not fear open discussions of the vaccine > issue, what they should fear is colluding with the CDC in behaving as > if parents' voices do not matter, regression is inconsequential, GI > disease is insignificant, adverse vaccine reactions are non-existent, > all successful biomedical interventions are aberrations. I may well be > incorrect about many things but we can never be wrong in asking > questions -- questions our families want asked. > > Mark Roithmayr and Dr. Geri Dawson have been made well aware of Shih > and Singer's serious lapses in judgment and failure to fully > represent the community. Mr. Roithmayr appears to want to ignore this > situation and its adverse consequences for our children. Maybe the > parents who worked so hard to pass the CAA should ask him why? > > Managing Editor's note: You can email Mark Roithmayr at > mroithmayr@... <mroithmayr%40autismspeaks.org> <mailto: > mroithmayr@... <mroithmayr%40autismspeaks.org>> > > has two young boys. Her oldest son, Christian, is > severely affected by autism. He developed normally; smiling, talking, > walking; only to lose every skill and every word by the age of 2 and a > half. Upon the advice of medical professionals and her husband > were advised to pursue only high quality behavioral therapy, speech > and OT for Christian. It had no meaningful impact on Christian until > his parents sought help from DAN! doctors who treated the underlying > causes of Christian's descent into autism. Christian has improved but > still has far to go. He has Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the measles > virus in his gut and an immune system akin to a late stage AIDS > patient. Christian does not have a psychiatric disorder. Before > autism, was the Clinical Director of Sexual Assault > Crisis Center in Stamford Connecticut. is proud to serve on the > Boards of NAA and SafeMinds. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Please do!! Dr. JM > I am encouraging everyone who donates to AS to let them know they will > not do so anymore until they come through with their promise to help > investigate the environmental issues around the autism epidemic including > vaccines. Dr. JM > > From www.ageofautism. com: > > A Message to Autism Speaks' Singer and Shih: ENOUGH ALREADY! > > By > > 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 > 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. > > The fact that Ms. Singer voted against the rest of the autism > community is disgraceful. Clearly Ms. Singer cannot separate her > personal beliefs from the mandate of the organization she is paid to > serve. The IACC plan was an opportunity of monumental proportions and > now a year's work has been squandered, thanks to her veto. > > Rather then embracing the big tent concept and building bridges with > the grass roots parent-run autism organizations, Shih and Singer have > focused their energies on building relationships with Dr. Offit (a > vaccine patent holder), Ami Pisani and her pharmaceutical organization > and old school geneticists. This approach is not getting us where we > need to go and gravely disappoints the families who trusted AS to be > better than this. It was families, not pharmaceutical reps, who > brought the tremendous pressure to bear in order to pass the CAA. Now > our families' interests have been betrayed by the rigid ideological > beliefs of one person who would rather see the CAA fail than encompass > vaccine research. > > Instead of building alliances with family based orgs like the > National Autism Association, Ms. Singer's efforts have been focused > on aiding Dr. Offit. Autism Speaks' PR needed to allow Dr. > Offit to take care of himself, he has certainly got the financial > resources to do so. Autism Speaks should have been championing the > trend of greater financial transparency in autism and vaccine science. > Instead, Ms. Singer was so upset by the criticism of Dr. Offit that > she called CBS news to complain about the piece. This bizarre behavior > is another complete betrayal of our families' interests and serves > to further illustrate the deeply ingrained beliefs and prejudices that > do a deep disservice to our families. > > I do not have the time to detail the myriad of instances in which > Autism Speaks PR and stein Associates worked overtime to kill or > diminish stories about biomedical news. Suffice it to say it is a sad > and lengthy list. We need more open debate and discussion, not less. > > AS PR and AS science need not fear open discussions of the vaccine > issue, what they should fear is colluding with the CDC in behaving as > if parents' voices do not matter, regression is inconsequential, GI > disease is insignificant, adverse vaccine reactions are non-existent, > all successful biomedical interventions are aberrations. I may well be > incorrect about many things but we can never be wrong in asking > questions -- questions our families want asked. > > Mark Roithmayr and Dr. Geri Dawson have been made well aware of Shih > and Singer's serious lapses in judgment and failure to fully > represent the community. Mr. Roithmayr appears to want to ignore this > situation and its adverse consequences for our children. Maybe the > parents who worked so hard to pass the CAA should ask him why? > > Managing Editor's note: You can email Mark Roithmayr at > mroithmayr@autismsp eaks.org <mroithmayr% 40autismspeaks. org> <mailto: > mroithmayr@autismsp eaks.org <mroithmayr% 40autismspeaks. org>> > > has two young boys. Her oldest son, Christian, is > severely affected by autism. He developed normally; smiling, talking, > walking; only to lose every skill and every word by the age of 2 and a > half. Upon the advice of medical professionals and her husband > were advised to pursue only high quality behavioral therapy, speech > and OT for Christian. It had no meaningful impact on Christian until > his parents sought help from DAN! doctors who treated the underlying > causes of Christian's descent into autism. Christian has improved but > still has far to go. He has Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the measles > virus in his gut and an immune system akin to a late stage AIDS > patient. Christian does not have a psychiatric disorder. Before > autism, was the Clinical Director of Sexual Assault > Crisis Center in Stamford Connecticut. is proud to serve on the > Boards of NAA and SafeMinds. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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