SchaferAutismReport: More Accolades For Canadian Student's Autism Program

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Friday, May 19, 2006 Vol. 10 No. 87

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TREATMENT

* More Accolades For Canadian Student's Autism Program

* Americans May Take Too Many Vitamins, Experts Say

ADVOCACY

* Fighting for Mikey

* Vaccine Protesters Rally Outside Of North Carolina Legislature

* Kansas Proposal to Ban Thimerosal Will Have To Wait Preservative

CARE

* Illinois Mom Tried to O.D. After killing Autistic Child

* Parents: Daughter Left On School Bus For Hours

* Police Search For Southern California Missing Autistic Teen

MEDIA

* What Are They Thinking?

* ABC New Fall Drama Show With Autism

LOVE SHOWS AS SUBSCRIPTIONS GROW

TREATMENT

More Accolades For Canadian Student's Autism Program

By the Burlington Post.

http://www.haltonsearch.com/hr/bp/story/3500096p-4044124c.html

Kayla Cornale continues to impress the scientific community.

The Grade 11 student at Assumption secondary has won another award for

a project she developed on behalf of a relative with autism.

Cornale won (US) $4,000 and the First Place Grand Award in Behavioral

and Social Sciences/Cognitive Psychology at the just-concluded Intel

International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Indianapolis, Ind. (May

7-13).

She won for her patented project, Sounds into Syllables II: Windows to

the World of Childhood Autism.

Inspired by a desire to communicate with her autistic cousin, Cornale

created a system that uses the universal language of music to teach children

with autism emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear and anger.

She also created a book, The Story of the Little Bear, to help

autistic children overcome linguistic and social development difficulties.

Cornale captured the First Place Grand Award, Behavioral and Social

Sciences and the (US) $3,000 prize; she also received the First Place,

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association award of (US) $1,000.

At last year's global competition Cornale came home with $7,300 in

prize money and scholarships.

In early April of this year the Assumption student placed second in

the 46th annual Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair at Mohawk College in

Hamilton. Later that month, she was a guest speaker at a symposium hosted by

the Ontario Genomics Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Cornale is expected to attend this week's Canada Wide Science Fair

(May 13-21) in Saguenay, Que.

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.. . .

Americans May Take Too Many Vitamins, Experts Say

By Maggie Fox

http://tinyurl.com/mbmhu

Reuters - Americans may be taking too many vitamin supplements in the

hope of staying healthy and living longer, a panel of U.S. experts said on

Wednesday.

Some people clearly need supplements, the panel said -- for instance,

older women benefit from taking calcium and vitamin D to strengthen their

bones, and younger women need to take folic acid to reduce birth defects in

any children they may have.

But no studies show strongly that people prosper from popping

multivitamin and mineral supplements and some suggest that eating healthily

and exercising provide more benefit, the panel said.

" Half of American adults are taking multivitamins and minerals and the

bottom line is that we don't know for sure that they're benefiting from

them, " said Dr. J. McGinnis, a senior scholar with the Institute of

Medicine, who chaired the panel.

" In fact, we're concerned that some people may be getting too much of

certain nutrients, " added McGinnis, whose organization advises the federal

government on health issues.

The 13-member panel included experts in nutrition, biostatistics,

biochemistry, toxicology, geriatric medicine, family medicine, pediatrics,

cancer prevention, consumer protection and other fields.

They said much more study was needed on what vitamins Americans lacked

in their diets and whether taking supplements provided actual benefit.

Many people may assume that because vitamins and minerals are vital

for health, that more is better. But some are toxic at high levels,

including vitamin A and iron, and others are simply excreted in the urine.

Beta-carotene was shown in a surprise study to raise the risk of lung

cancer in smokers.

The panel said anti-oxidant vitamins and zinc might help nonsmoking

adults with early stage, age-related macular degeneration, which can cause

blindness.

But many foods are fortified with vitamins and minerals, so the value

of supplements is often questioned.

There are no good studies showing people who take multivitamin or

mineral supplements can prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and heart

disease.

Many of the studies that suggest a protective effect also show that

people who take vitamins tend to take care of their health in other ways,

such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercising and not smoking,

so it is difficult to determine whether the vitamins were responsible for

health benefits.

.. . .

ADVOCACY

Fighting for Mikey

By Tony Marrero lmarrero@...

http://www.hernandotoday.com/MGBVR8J0BNE.html

Mikey Lupo's bedroom looks like that of any other 9-year-old boy. A

toy box overflows in one corner. NASCAR heroes such as Petty smile

down from posters on the walls. Even Mikey's bed is shaped like a racecar.

Hanging above the door, though, is a small, pink and white tile that

seems out of place among the trappings of boyhood.

" With God, all things are possible, " the tile reads, quoting an

excerpt from the Bible's Gospel of Luke.

It's not a typical decoration in an adolescent's room, but it's a

necessary one for a boy who is anything but typical, said Mikey's mother,

Barbara.

" It's what helps keep us going, " she said. " We've seen God work

miracles in our lives and we know he can work this one. "

At the age of 18 months, Mikey was diagnosed with autism and

retardation. The Lupos, like thousands of other parents across the country,

are convinced that their son's condition was caused by exposure to mercury

in vaccines given to him as an infant.

They've joined a class-action lawsuit filed against several vaccine

manufacturers with the hopes of securing restitution that they say would

help improve their son's access to therapy and would guarantee that he would

be taken care of long after his parents are gone.

" Our worst fear is what's going to happen to him when Barbara and I

die, " said Lupo, Mikey's father.

Autism is a bioneurological disorder, not a mental illness, which

affects the functioning of the brain. Some theories suggest that it may be

caused by genetics, viral and/or chemical exposure. Autism causes lifelong

developmental disability, including problems with communication, social

interaction and physical activities.

In 2001, the family saw an article about a possible link between

autism and thimerosal and joined the suit not long after.

Thimerosol is a mercury-based preservative used to prevent bacteria

from growing in vaccines. It was added to children's vaccines until five

years ago.

Some experts contend the mercury, though accounting for only a small

fraction of the vaccine, was enough to create brain damage in some children

whose bodies weren't able to purge the toxin from their systems.

However, health officials and vaccine makers, such as Merck, Wyeth,

Aventis-Pasteur, and GlaxoKline, dispute those claims and say research

studies show there is no link.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites studies

that have shown there is no connection between autism and mercury exposure

from vaccines.

In 2001, the CDC contracted with the Institute of Medicine, or IOM, to

come up with a series of reports on possible links between vaccines and a

range of health problems.

An IOM committee of experts conducted studies and, in 2004, concluded

that no evidence could be found linking the vaccines to neurological

diseases, including autism. The committee went on to say that no further

research was required on the topic.

But some experts and advocacy groups say more research must be done.

" Across the board, literally every organization within the autism

community really disputes those findings and say it was premature to make

that kind of decision, " said Bell, chief executive officer of the

national research and advocacy group Cure Autism Now. The group is currently

funding more studies on how thimerosal impacts biological systems.

" The bottom line is the jury is still out, " Bell said.

Some 5,000 families have filed suit. For now, though, an overwhelming

majority of the cases, including the Lupos', are stalled in a little-known

branch of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims often referred to as vaccine

court. The court was set up by Congress in 1986 in response to the rare

claims that vaccines were causing injury and death.

A surcharge on vaccines goes into a pool to pay for any damages

awarded in vaccine court, but those claims are capped at $250,000. The

Department of Health and Human Services is the defendant, not the drug

makers, with the Department of Justice acting as its lawyer.

The court is currently waiting for experts to file a report on whether

there is a causal link between mercury-based vaccines and autism.

The best case scenario is that a connection will be established and

the vaccine court's special hearing master will decide what damages to award

families, said , attorney for Ferraro and Associates, P.A., the

Miami law firm handling 100 vaccine cases including the Lupos'.

If the award amount isn't satisfactory, families can file suit in

civil court directly against the drug makers.

" You're never going to be able to make their kids better, " said.

" The best we can do as attorneys is to get them their just compensation. "

'A night-and-day difference' Barbara Lupo knew something was wrong

with her son when he reached the age of 15 months.

Up to that point, he seemed healthy. He was even saying his first

words, Lupo recalled.

One day, she went to get Mikey from the car seat. Before opening the

door, she knocked on the window to get his attention.

" I just about broke the glass and he didn't even flinch, " she said.

From then on, Mikey changed. He wouldn't make eye contact. He stopped

walking. He no longer used the few words he had learned.

" We didn't hear his voice again until he was 3, " Barbara Lupo said.

" We didn't know what happened. It was such a night-and-day difference. "

Walt Karniski, a Tampa pediatrician who has seen Mikey since 2000,

said the boy's autism and retardation are " profound. " His ability to

communicate is on the level of a 2- or 3-year-old, Karniski said.

" As an adult, he'll never be able to hold a job, " he said. " His verbal

skills are unlikely to improve much beyond where they are now. As far as

living independently, it would be next to impossible. "

Mikey can say some simple words and is learning more. But he has a

short attention span, and is prone to tantrums. He is on several medications

to help calm him.

The Lupos enrolled Mikey in a Pasco County school because of its

exceptional student education program. He also receives 30 minutes each of

speech and occupational therapy each week.

That's all that insurance will cover, and the family's resources won't

allow more - Lupo runs a handyman business, and Barbara is a server

at a local restaurant. The couple also has two daughters, , 25, and

Riley, 14.

The family disagrees with Karniski's prognosis, and believes that

Mikey has the potential to show a dramatic improvement.

" If we could afford the therapy sessions five days a week, that kid

could reach the sky, " Barbara said.

The drug companies " have to do the right thing " and admit they may be

responsible for damaging children, she said.

" That could open so many doors for Mikey, " she said.

She said the most difficult part is living with her conviction that

Mikey was cheated out of a normal life.

" He's so smart, " she said. " I can only imagine what he could have

been. "

.. . .

Vaccine Protesters Rally Outside Of North Carolina Legislature

By Gretchen Bartelt

http://rdu.news14.com/content/health_and_fitness/?SecID=376 & ArID=84708

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://rdu.news14.com/shared/video/buildasx.asp?AdShown= & vids=15839

Raleigh - Parents and doctors rallied outside the legislative building

Wednesday to gain lawmaker support for House Bill 1364.

The bill would limit the amount of a mercury-based preservative in

certain vaccines given to children and pregnant women.

Rally signs showed pictures of children, whose parents said were

affected by mercury used in the vaccines.

" We now know that certain children, like my son, can not excrete this

heavy metal. If you do not excrete it, it will go to the brain like lead and

will cause neurological damage, " said Medlin, a supporter of the

bill.

People like Medlin say lawmakers should limit the mercury-based

preservative called thimerosal in all vaccines for children under age 8 and

to ban it from the flu vaccine used for pregnant woman and children ages

6-35 months old.

Mercury is the preservative, not the active ingredient in the vaccine,

and there is no reason we can't have a vaccine that is mercury-free. Other

countries do it. We can do it here in the United States, " said Dr.

Lucier, also a supporter of House Bill 1364.

The North Carolina Department of Public Health said Lucier is right,

but mass producing vaccines for things like the flu would take longer

without the preservative. That's one reason it is against the bill.

House Bill 1364 would limit the amount of a mercury-based preservative

in vaccines.

Officials at the department said there is no link between thimerosal

and autism, and they believe the bill will scare parents away from

immunizing their children.

People at Wednesday's rally disagree. They said their rally isn't

against vaccinations; it's about making vaccinations safer.

That's why chants like " Children first, mercury out! " rained down

outside the legislative building.

The Department of Public Health said the majority of vaccines don't

contain thimerosal but the flu vaccine does.

.. . .

Kansas Proposal to Ban Vaccine Ingredient Will Have To Wait

Preservative containing mercury raises health concerns for some

By Rothschild http://tinyurl.com/lkw6n

Topeka - In the final days of the legislative session, a proposal to

ban thimerosal from vaccines was revived briefly.

But in the crush of last-minute business, the measure stalled in

committee, much to the disappointment of a Lawrence woman who fought for the

bill. The session ended May 10.

" I guess we will have to wait, " Weinmaster said.

Thimerosal is at the center of a fierce worldwide debate. It is used

as a preservative in some vaccines and other health care products, but it is

made up of 50 percent mercury, which is a known toxin.

Weinmaster and thousands of other parents have blamed thimerosal for

their children's disorders and the recent increase in the number of autistic

children. Weinmaster's 14-year-old son Adam has several impairments.

At least six states have banned or are phasing out thimerosal in

childhood vaccines, though no official study has determined there is a link

between the compound and autism.

Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, chairman of the Senate Public Health and

Welfare Committee, said he was confident that a Kansas ban on thimerosal

would be approved in 2007.

" We're a lot closer to having it move next session, " Barnett, a

physician, said.

Barnett initially took no action on the bill after it was opposed by

medical groups. Some were concerned the ban might limit the supply of flu

vaccine, prevent Kansans from getting travel vaccinations and affect the

availability of snake and spider antivenins, which contain mercury.

But then Senate Democratic Leader Hensley of Topeka made

amendments to the original bill to narrow its scope.

In the last week of the session, Barnett called a meeting to discuss

the changes and possibly advance the bill.

Still, some committee members said they didn't want to get rushed into

making a decision at the end of the session.

" We don't have time at this juncture, " said Sen. Vickie Schmidt,

R-Topeka. At that point, legislative leaders made it clear they wanted to

focus on several issues - education, criminal justice and tax cuts - to

bring the session to an end.

" I will pre-file and introduce the bill with those amendments " before

the 2007 session, which starts in January, Hensley said.

While Weinmaster was disappointed no action was taken this year, she

said, " We'll keep plugging away and hopefully we can save some kids. "

EVIDENCE OF HARM DISCUSSION LIST HEATS UP

AS MERCURY LINK TO AUTISM QUESTION SPREADS

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.. . .

CARE

Illinois Mom Tried to O.D. After killing Autistic Child

By Mc, Copley News Service

http://qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?prcss=display & id=288998

PEKIN -- Hours after allegedly killing her 3-year-old autistic

daughter, McCarron tried to overdose on over-the-counter medication.

She told police she " had just wanted to end her pain and (her

daughter's) pain. "

Toddler " " McCarron had retreated into her own autistic

world Saturday afternoon and wouldn't take a nap, according to court

documents.

So McCarron told her mother, who was visiting the family's

Morton home, that she planned to take for a car ride, as was

common to calm her down, Morton Police Chief Nick Graff said Wednesday.

But on this trip, McCarron drove to her mother's Morton home, placed a

plastic garbage bag over her daughter's head and suffocated her, Graff said.

She returned home to her mother and 2-year-old daughter, , and took her

dead daughter to her bedroom.

McCarron originally told police she tried to wake from a nap

but found her not breathing. Another visiting family member called 911 about

4 p.m. while McCarron performed CPR on her child, who later was

pronounced dead at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

McCarron was not yet a suspect in the case Saturday evening and was

allowed to return home, Graff said.

Early on Sunday, Mother's Day, emergency crews again were called to

the McCarron home, but this time for McCarron, who had overdosed on

some type of medication, Graff said.

Police found and husband , who had just returned from a

business trip in North Carolina, in an upstairs bedroom embracing one

another. was crying, but , who had told her husband she put a

plastic bag over their child's head to calm her down, was unemotional, court

documents stated.

When police asked what happened, she replied, " Nothing is going

to help and it's not going to make any difference. "

Paramedics took McCarron to St. Francis, where she told police

" she had just wanted to end her pain and 's pain " and admitted to

killing her daughter, Morton police Detective Ray Ham wrote in an

investigation report.

McCarron, 37, a certified pathologist with no previous criminal

record, now faces two charges of first-degree murder, each of which are

punishable by 20 to 60 years in prison.

Tazewell County State's Attorney Umholtz said he does not plan

to seek the death penalty, and no one else is expected to be charged.

" Obviously, this is a tragic circumstance. It's a terrible incident

anytime a mother would be charged with murdering her child. But it's

particularly troubling when it occurs over Mother's Day weekend, " Umholtz

said.

He would not discuss the mother's mental state or whether she is being

treated for any conditions.

McCarron, a pathologist, worked at Methodist Medical Center and

Proctor Hospital and occasionally filled in at Pekin Hospital. She also was

a volunteer clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois

College of Medicine at Peoria, officials said.

She's scheduled for a June 8 preliminary hearing in court.

At 's visitation Wednesday evening, a program showed Jesus

cuddling a child in his lap with his hand on another child.

People stood around weeping. There were pictures of on a

swing and in a red coat. In one photo, she was on a man's shoulders with her

head thrown back in apparent glee.

Dr. Ayoub said he met with McCarron shortly after her

daughter was diagnosed with autism.

" She was very dedicated to trying to get treatment for her daughter, "

Ayoub said. " I've met with a lot of parents who are dealing with autistic

children, and she was one of the most loving mothers. This is a story that's

been played over and over again. Homicide, suicide. The families just don't

have the support. "

The brain disorder in autism interferes with the ability to interact

and communicate to others and causes difficulties with communication, motor

skills, social and play skills, and coping with their environment.

Sue Grimm of Groveland, who has two autistic children, said she

thought McCarron was a fantastic mother.

" She was doing everything in her power to care for her child,

everything, " Grimm said. " She was a fantastic mother. My condolences go out

for the family. "

.. . .

Parents: Daughter Left On School Bus For Hours

http://tinyurl.com/nu575

Baltimore - Parents of a 3-year-old autistic child said their daughter

was left on a school bus, never made it to school, and they had no idea

where she was. WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Lowell Melser said Crystal, the

young student enrolled at Hamilton Elementary School, normally

spends her mornings at school. Her parents said last Wednesday, Crystal

spent more than four hours on a bus and when she was finally brought home,

she was starving and had soiled herself. " We expect our child to get there

on time in a safe manner and come home the same way that she went, "

Crosby, Crystal's father, said. " We don't expect my daughter to come home

with feces and urine and real hungry being who knows where. " Crosby said he

put her on the bus at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday and then received a frantic call

from her mother at 11:30 a.m. saying the school said she never showed up.

Both parents called the school and the bus company -- First Student -- for

answers, but instead got confusion.

" They had no explanation whatsoever on the whereabouts for four hours,

no explanation, " he said. " One report was they got lost. One report (said)

they didn't know she went to the school. " First Student has been the subject

of a number of stories on WBAL-TV 11 News, including situations in Baltimore

County and Baltimore City. A representative for First Student said " the

driver and the assistant were both substitutes. " He also released a

statement: " The driver thought Crystal went to a different school. The

driver made a decision without dispatching in to make sure. When the driver

realized the mistake, Crystal was taken back to school, then taken home.

When the child was taken home, there were no visible signs of urine or

feces. " The school system is promising a full review, stating " an internal

investigation is under way and we will have a formal meeting with the

contractor Thursday morning. "

.. . .

Police Search For Southern California Missing Autistic Teen

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_138223024.html

CBS - SOUTH GATE Police asked for the public's help in finding a

missing boy, 16, who suffers from autism and hasn't been seen since he left

South Gate High School Thursday.

Kenny Rabanles was last seen at the school at 2 p.m., according

to Lt. Francis Arocha of the South Gate Police Department.

He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. He has brown hair

and eyes, was wearing a blue shirt and pants, black sweater and gray shoes,

Arocha said.

The teen may be walking to his home at 3135 Broadway in Huntington

Park.

.. . .

MEDIA

What Are They Thinking?

http://tinyurl.com/s9mfs

CBS - How much do they know? People like Sue Rubin who are severely

autistic - who can't speak and who obsess over things like plastic spoons.

What, if anything, is going on in their minds?

We can guess. We can theorize. Or in Rubin's case, we can ask, finds

CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman.

" Why do you carry the spoons? " Hartman asks Rubin.

For the longest time, everybody thought Rubin was mentally retarded.

Then one day, her parents tried facilitated communication.

Normally the way it works is that a facilitator holds up a keyboard to

help Rubin type. When the words are punched in, a computer voice reads them

aloud.

But for the question about spoons, Rubin answered on her own.

" The plastic gives me comfort, " Rubin replies and holds out her spoons

to Hartman.

At 27, Sue is, in some ways, very much like a child. She can play at a

faucet for hours. Yet she's anything but a kid - and can now look at her

autism objectively.

When asked what it was like to be locked in silence, inside her body

without any way to communicate non-verbally, Rubin is blunt.

" Nightmare, " she types.

Rubin is now a senior at Whittier College near Los Angeles. She's

written a documentary called " Autism is a World. "

Rubin is also an advocate for people with autism who haven't found

their voice yet. She especially wants to send a message to their parents:

Never give up.

Rubin believes there is a lot happening inside the minds of autistic

people, even those who can't communicate and literally throw themselves

against a wall in frustration. " I do all that, too, " Rubin says.

Rubin has a great sense of humor, which came out especially when

Hartman said goodbye. Sue called Hartman, " Nice. " However, instead of

leaving her compliment at that, she had to prove once and for all that

people with autism can be just like the rest of us. She just had to go and

type five last words: " But I prefer Brad Pitt. "

.. . .

ABC New Fall Drama Show With Autism

Brothers & Sisters (Touchstone TV): After the patriarch of a large

but scattered family dies unexpectedly, the children must work to balance

their personal lives with family business, including the trials of raising

an autistic child. Former Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart leads an

ensemble cast that includes Dave ble, Betty Buckley (Eight is Enough),

Griffiths (Six Feet Under), LaPaglia, Ron Rifkin, and

Thirtysomething Emmy winner Wettig.

.. . .

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