SchaferAutismReport: Ohio Parents Murder Charges Expected For Death of 3 yr old Autistic

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SAR "Healing Autism:Schafer Autism Report No Finer a Cause on the Planet"________________________________________________________________Tuesday, September 5, 2006 Vol. 10 No. 155-- > DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW < --SUBSCRIBE. . . !. . .Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.To Subscribe http://www.SARnet.org/ $35 for 1 year - 200 issues, or No Cost Review Sub.!Ohio Parents Murder Charges Expected For Death of 3 Yr Old AutisticRESEARCH* Autism Risk Linked To Older Dads* Study Links Autism To Gut Microbes* Study Finds Silver Fillings Not HarmfulEDUCATION* General Ed. Teachers Face Special Ed. Realities* Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), and Asperger Syndrome (AS)CARE*

Autism Families Urged to Pre-register for Disaster Assistance* "10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew" Put Into ArabicTREATMENT* Therapeutic Riding Center Serves Special Needs Children EVENTS* Vermont Conference: Science-Based Effective Treatments for Autism* Hundreds of Autism Conferences, Meetings and EventsMEDIA* Teen Filmmaker of Award-Winning Documentary Kicks Off National Speaking Tour* "Autism Innovations" Debut On Autism One Radio * Documentary on Bullies Needs StoriesOhio Parents Murder Charges Expected For Death of 3 Yr Old AutisticBy Liz Carey for the Community Press. http://tinyurl.com/ohelfHamilton and Clermont counties will work together in ensuring Liz and Carroll Jr. will spend the rest of their lives in prison for the deathof Marcus Fiesel.During a press conference Sept. 1, Hamilton County Prosecutor JoeDeters said the two would

be tried in Clermont County on charges stemmingfrom Marcus Fiesel's death, including the charge of gross abuse of a corpseagainst Carroll.The two would still be tried in Hamilton County on charges of inducingpanic and perjury."There is reasonable legal theory by which we could try those caseshere, but the last thing we want to have happen is some legal technicalitybe present and these two walk," he said. "In an abundance of caution, we aregoing to have all charges related to the homicide of Marcus moved toClermont County."Clermont County Prosecutor Don White said he would present evidence tothe Clermont County Grand Jury on Wednesday, Sept. 6.Once presented with the law and the evidence, the grand jury willdetermine what charges the Carrolls would be held on.White anticipated their arraignment would take place the next day, anda trial to begin as soon as possible.In Clermont County, they must be brought

to trial within 90 days, butthat timeline was up to the Carrolls' attorneys as well.White felt the charges would be changed."Based on what I know about the case, I believe we'll have a murderindictment," he said.The case began Aug. 15 when Liz Carroll claimed her 3-year-oldautistic foster child, Marcus Fiesel, walked away from her when she passedout in Juilfs Park in Township.After an intense search of the park and surrounding areas, suspicionsbegan to grow. The search was called off Aug. 19.When no witnesses came forward who said they had seen Marcus in thepark that day, Carroll pleaded with area residents to come forward if anyonehad seen her or seen her with Marcus on the day he disappeared.On Aug. 28, Deters charged the couple with involuntary manslaughterand child endangerment, alleging the couple had wrapped the child in ablanket, bound him in wrapping tape and locked him in a closet on Aug.

4while they attended a family reunion in Kentucky.When they returned on Aug. 6, Marcus was dead, Deters said. It wasthen, Carroll allegedly took Marcus' body to Brown County andattempted to incinerate it. When it wouldn't burn, Deters said, Carrolldumped the remains in the Ohio River. Carroll has also been charged with gross abuse of a corpse.According to Deters, remains taken from a Brown County chimney havebeen confirmed to be human by Hamilton County Coroner Odell Owens, and thatthe remains also contain traces of a fire accelerant.Deters said the break in the case came during testimony from Carroll's alleged live-in girlfriend, Amy Baker."She gave us the break in this case, but she is far from the strongestevidence in this case," Deters said. "We told Amy if she did not hurt Marcusand was truthful, we would not charge Amy."Deters had no kind words for Marcus' biological mother, Donna

Trevino."The Carrolls did this for money ... you know, I'm just sickened thatpeople keep on using Marcus for a paycheck," he said, referring to Trevino'santicipated lawsuit. "If she would have ... paid half as much attention toMarcus as she's doing now, we wouldn't be in this situation today. Sheshould mourn her child, but to angle this for money, I think is outrageous.". . .RESEARCHAutism Risk Linked To Older Dads Children with older fathers have a significantly increased risk of havingautism, a study has concluded.From BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/5313874.stmThe team of UK and US experts said children born to men over 40 had asix times higher risk than those born to men under 30.They said the study in Archives of General Psychiatry was furtherproof men also had "biological clocks".One UK expert said the study could be important in understanding thegenetic

mechanisms underlying autism.If confirmed, it could have important implicationsfor the genetic mechanisms underlying autism Professor Simon Baron Cohen, Autism Research Centre Autism and related conditions, known as autism spectrum disorders,have become increasingly common, affecting 50 in every 10,000 children ascompared with five in 10,000 two decades ago.Increased awareness and changes in the way the disorders are diagnosedare thought to play a major role in the increase, but the researchers say itmay also be linked to other changing factors.Older parental age has previously been linked to abnormalities in thebrain development of children.Genetic fault The researchers, from Mount Sinai School of Medicine,New York, and the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, lookedat data on 132,271 children born in Israel during the 1980s.All men, and three-quarters of women born in these years

were assessedby the draft board at age 17, during which time any disorders were recorded.The board also took information on the ages of their father andmother, and took into account factors such as year of birth andsocioeconomic status.Among those whose fathers were between 15 and 29 when they were born,the rate of autism was six in every 10,000, rising to nine in every 10,000when fathers were aged 30 to 39 (1.6 times higher).In the group whose fathers were aged 40 to 49, the rate rose to 32 in10,000 (5.75 times higher).The rate appeared to be even higher when fathers were aged over 50,but the researchers said the sample size was very small.The mother's age did not appear to influence the chances a child wouldhave autism.The researchers suggest there may be a genetic fault which is morecommon with age.This might be spontaneous mutations in sperm-producing cells oralterations in genetic "imprinting," which

affects gene expression.'Convincing evidence' The team, led by Dr Avi Reichenberg from theIoP, said: "It is important to keep in mind that age at paternity isinfluenced by the socio-cultural environment and varies across societies andover time."In a given population, a change in the socio-cultural environmentcould produce a change in paternal age at birth."In theory, it could thereby lead to a change in the incidence ofgenetic causes of autism."He added: "Although further work is necessary to confirm thisinterpretation, we believe that our study provides the first convincingevidence that advanced paternal age is a risk factor for autism spectrumdisorder."Professor Simon Baron Cohen, of the Autism Research Centre inCambridge, said: "The finding of a significant association with advancingpaternal age is one that should be straightforward to test in other samples,to see if this result from a purely Israeli sample

generalises to otherpopulations."If confirmed, it could have important implications for the geneticmechanisms underlying autism.". . .Study Links Autism To Gut MicrobesBy Randerson for the Guardian Unlimitedhttp://tinyurl.com/jrr5dA study linking autism with bacteria in the gut today raised hopesthat the condition could be treated using probiotics.The result are very preliminary, but the scientist responsible,Professor Glenn Gibson of the University of Reading, said he was "cautiouslyoptimistic" about them. He added that the study did not suggest anyconnection between autism and childhood vaccinations.Prof Gibson told the annual British Association Festival of Science inNorwich that autistic children often suffered with bowel problems such asdiarrhoea and constipation, suggesting that they may not have a normalcollection of microbes in their guts.His team compared the bacteria in

faeces samples taken from 50autistic children with those taken from 50 non-autistic subjects, and foundthat the samples from autistic children had raised levels of the bacteriumclostridium."Whatever is going on there, [it] is not doing these children anygood, and I think almost certainly explains their gastro problems," saidProf Gibson.More speculatively, he said that some species of clostridium couldproduce toxins that affected the brain, possibly causing autistic symptoms.But he warned: "The problem with these kinds of studies is, you never knowwhether it is cause or effect."To find out, the team set up a trial of a probiotic treatment toreduce the level of clostridium. The trial involved 40 autistic childrenaged between four and eight. Half were given a harmless bacterium naturallypresent in the gut, called lactobacillus lantarum; half were given aplacebo.The probiotic was administered as a gramme of powder

each daycontaining around 1bn bacteria. Without being told which group theirchildren were in, parents were asked to record their symptoms.The results are inconclusive because around half of children droppedout. Some parents withdrew their kids because they did not want them to beswapped on to the placebo."Some of the parents worked out that their child was on the[probiotic] and didn't want to move on to the placebo because they wereseeing some positive results," said Prof Gibson.Parents reported that their child's concentration and behaviour hadimproved, and one mother said it was "heartbreaking" to be told to move onto the placebo.. . .Study Finds Silver Fillings Not HarmfulBy Bridges, Associated Press http://tinyurl.com/jwervSilver fillings used to patch cavities aren't dangerous even thoughthey expose dental patients to the toxic metal mercury, federal healthresearchers said

Friday.The Food and Drug Administration reviewed 34 recent research studiesand found "no significant new information" that would change itsdetermination that mercury-based fillings don't harm patients, except inrare cases where they have allergic reactions.Consumer groups opposed to its use disputed the FDA's conclusions. Thegroups plan to petition the agency for an immediate ban on use of thecavity-filler in pregnant women.Amalgam fillings, also called silver fillings, by weight are about 50percent mercury, joined with silver, copper and tin. Dentists have usedamalgam to fill cavities since the 1800s. Today, tens of millions ofAmericans receive mercury fillings each year. Amalgam use has begun todecline, however, with many doctors switching to resin composite fillings,considered more appealing since they blend better with the natural coloringof teeth.Scientists have found that mercury levels in the blood, urine

and bodytissues rise the more mercury fillings a person has. However, even amongpeople with numerous fillings, exposure levels are well below those known tobe harmful, the report said.Among those expected to , , ), D-Calif., who has introducedlegislation that would effectively ban the use of mercury in dental fillingsby 2008. will press the FDA for a ban and call on the agency to studythe environmental impact of dental mercury, spokesman Bert Hammond said.Also on the legislative front, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and otherSenate colleagues have asked President Bush 's nominee to head the FDA aboutthe safety of mercury fillings. An Enzi spokesman said the lawmaker has yetto receive Dr. von Eschenbach's answers to those questions.The meeting likely won't be the last word in the drawn-out fight overmercury fillings. As early as the 1840s, dentists were squabbling overwhether gold or mercury-silver fillings were

better - a feud that led to thedisbanding of the first national dental society in the United States,according to a March article in the Journal of the California DentalAssociation.EVIDENCE OF HARM DISCUSSION LIST HEATS UPAS MERCURY LINK TO AUTISM QUESTION SPREADS>> PAPERBACK BOOK NOW OUT - CHECK AMAZON.COMAn Evidence of Harm email discussion list hasbeen created in response to the growing interestin the book and the issues it chronicles. Now over1,300 subscribers. Here is how to subscribe(no cost): EOHarm-subscribe . . .EDUCATIONGeneral Ed. Teachers Face Special Ed. Realities Districts, colleges adjust to a changing educational landscapeBy Gaetanohttp://ebs.gmnews.com/news/2006/0831/Schools/043.html A few years ago, at the University of Massachusetts, a professor ofeducation asked prospective teachers what kinds of people they

expect toteach over the course of their careers. The answers volunteered were variedand included minority students, English language learners and even theacademically gifted.According to Debra Jennings, co-chairwoman of the Council forExceptional Children, some 6 percent of the students expressed that theymight be teaching children who have a disability of some kind. It was astory she heard when she went to see a lecturer on teacher education, andit's a story that's been echoed in various forms throughout schools acrossthe country.According to many education professionals, new teachers trained ingeneral education often leave college with little experience or academiccourse work in working with students with special needs, despite the factthat special-needs students are becoming more common in the classrooms."We have real concerns about this issue because people are beingthrust into positions that they don't have

the academic prep for," saidSteve Baker, spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association. "We thinkthis is an unfortunate situation because it leads to frustration, burnoutand turnover, and none of those are positive."Historically, teachers trained to work with children with specialneeds have been difficult to find. According to the group Recruiting NewTeachers, 98 percent of school districts have reported shortages in specialeducation professionals. A reason cited by several in the field is overalllack of interest from prospective teachers."Some teachers have an attitude of, 'That's not who I signed up toteach, that's not my problem, that's not my kid,' and that's an attitudeproblem," said Amy Dell, who is the chairwoman of the Special EducationDepartment at The College of New Jersey.According to state Department of Education spokesman Vaspucci,of the 1.42 million public school students in the state, 15

percent needspecial education in some way. With inclusion - a policy that does notexclude special education students from general education classes - beingemphasized more and more, children with special needs are becoming morecommon in classrooms where teachers, who, due to lack of interest, may nothave had experience in addressing their needs."It's not a reflection on the school systems, it's a reflection on ourteacher prep programs that teachers are not being prepared for the realityof the classrooms," said Jennings. "No teacher should be surprised thatthere's a student with disabilities in their class."Colleges begin to adjust This is a problem that colleges have beenseeking to rectify and over the past few years, more and more have beenweaving special education training into their curriculums. Many of thesechanges have been spurred on by recent changes in the reauthorizedIndividuals with Disabilities Education

Act, which has led to a greatlyincreased emphasis on inclusion. Revisions within the past decade has led toeducational institutions, the state and the nation attempting to quicklycatch up to a new paradigm, according to Vaspucci.However, this has not been without difficulty. According to Dell,sometimes in-depth training is required to assist students with specialneeds, and while teacher training may now include some course work onspecial education, it lacks depth. This could be due, however, to teachinginstitutions needing to fulfill so many requirements."This is actually a problem that all teacher education programs face,"Dell said. "They have to meet requirements that are set by state licensingoffices, they have to meet accreditation requirements, they have to meetcollege requirements, so they're being pulled in a lot of directions. And asa result, many programs do not provide in-depth training in teaching kidswith

disabilities. ... There's no depth in that, because there's no room inthe program."Terri Rothman, the chairwoman of the Education Leadership and SpecialEducation Department at Monmouth University, agrees. However, she added thatbecause the field of special education is so vast, providing comprehensivetraining, in addition to a teacher's general education training, isdifficult."To deal with all the different types of potential disabilities youmight find in the class, there's no way that a general education teacher canhave intensive training in all those areas," said Rothman.The end result of this has been, despite more schools increasing theiremphasis on attending to students with special needs, many prospectiveteachers possess only a cursory knowledge of attending to those samestudents."I think, in general, it's fair to say that there's not adequatepreparation for teaching kids with learning problems and special

needs, andI do think that's part of the problem," said Dell.Accreditation institutions also address standards in teacher trainingand demand that any teacher, whether general or special education, know howto accommodate students with special needs."We do have standards, and the standards do expect our accreditedinstitutions to provide work for candidates with students in exceptionalpopulations," said Jane Leibbrand, of the National Council for Accreditationof Teacher Education.(Thanks to Ana Meckes.)+ Read more: http://ebs.gmnews.com/news/2006/0831/Schools/043.html . . .Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder(PDD), and Asperger Syndrome (AS) If you are like many parents, teachers, and health care providers, youhave questions about special education services for children with autism,autism spectrum disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), and===

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