Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Dr. Kartzinel, JB Handley, Stan Kurtz on Larry King Live Tonight

From AoA:

Remotes JB Handley is on the Larry King Blog right now. Please click HERE to read "Autism Is Preventable and Reversible" and leave a comment. You know the naysayers will. Please, go leave a comment.

Tune in to Larry King Live on CNN tonight to watch Jenny and company speak about autism, debate a doctor from mainstream medicine and introduce you to a family with a recovered child.

To hear more from Jenny, check her tour schedule at Generation Rescue. Her new book, Autism Healing and Prevention (written with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel) is available now. Stayed tuned for a signed copy contest later in the month.

Lets hope that Larry gives them some good questions to work with.

Peete vs. Peet

Amanda Peet has chosen to mark Autism Awareness Month by telling moms they have to vaccinate their children and that vaccines don't cause autism. She is doing it with her usual lack of subtlety and with out offering any details that might suggest that she actually has done any research and understands the arguments being made.

Holly Robinson Peete has heard enough from Ms. Peet and has made her boldest statement yet about her sons vaccine reaction and regressed into autism:

PEETE VS. PEET ON VACCINES AND AUTISM: Holly Robinson writes open letter to fellow actress Amanda regarding differing opinions.
(April 1, 2009)

Essence.com is featuring an open letter from Holly Robinson Peete to actress Amanda Peet regarding her comments about autism, a disease she believes struck her 11-year-old son after he received vaccinations when he was just 2-and-a-half.

Peete is the first African-American to sit on the board of Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness and prevention of the disease. She shares her thoughts with the Web site about comments made by Peet, the spokesperson for vaccinateyourkid.org, who recently said that vaccinations don't cause autism.

I'm really disappointed to hear people like Amanda Peet—who have never been affected by autism—make public allegations like vaccinations don't cause autism. It makes me angry because it's so disingenuous to have this kind of public discussion, especially when World Autism Awareness Day is coming up on April 2.

But I know exactly what she is trying to do and that's to instill fear: if your child doesn't get vaccinations, you're going to make every other child sick. Believe me, I understand both sides of the argument because I have four children. Although I have total respect for what any mother feels is best for her child, you can't tell me what is right, because it's not necessarily going to work for my kid. I know because I've experienced it with my eldest son.

When my son was 2-and-a-half, he was just recovering from an ear infection and had been on antibiotics, therefore his immune system was suppressed. He had already missed several appointments for his vaccination so his pediatrician wanted to catch him up on all of them in the same day.

Although I asked if he'd consider waiting or breaking up the cocktail, which contains three viruses, he laughed me out of the office and belittled me. I firmly believe that it took my son to a place of no return and his body could not handle it. He had a violent reaction with convulsions and then he stopped talking and slipped into a silence. He no longer said, "Hi, Mommy," he no longer responded to his name and he no longer made eye contact. And to think that today there are more than 30 vaccines that children are required to receive is scary. I don't know why boys are five times more likely to become autistic, but they are.

I respect Amanda Peet for advocating for her children by trying to keep them safe with vaccines. If I could talk to Amanda Peet, I would say that, I'm glad your child was able to tolerate that level of toxicity, but don't expect me—after witnessing what vaccinations did to my son—to inoculate my other children under the same circumstances.

So who's to blame? Is there some pre-genetic predisposition? Do genetic and environmental factors load the proverbial gun and the vaccines pull the trigger? Since you claim all the studies and conclusions have been drawn, how do you explain the thousands of families that have received millions of dollars from the Vaccine Injury Court? So clearly, the jury is not in and the independent studies on susceptibility and genetic predisposition have not been done.

Knowing all this do you think it's okay to make a judgment about me based on what I know about my son and the rest of my children physiologically? If your mission is to gain the public's trust, then you're not going to get parents to do it by fearmongering. Until you've experienced the physical, emotional and financial toll you simply can't make such public statements.

Despite what happened to my son, I'm not anti-vaccine. However, if the government wants to make me and other parents who have autistic children feel comfortable with vaccinations then there needs to be some independent studies done regarding these treatments. Not only would it make me feel comfortable, but it'd make me feel like I'm being listened to and heard.

Lastly, to Amanda Peet: I would never ever wish what we've gone through in our family on her and her family or anybody. I would just ask her to give the respect she has on her position to mine. It's not about reading so-called studies online; it's about living and learning. My study is my son.

Autism Awareness Month: Turning the Tide

April is Autism Awareness Month. But in my opinion, every one is aware already.

You will see show after article after press release this month offering you the same inane observation...

"Autism Exists"

It is time to say, "no duh", reject the idea that we should passively accept the fact that autism has gone from 1 in 10,000 in the 1970's to 1 in 250 when Chandler was diagnosed, to 1 in 166 when I started my tenure as an autism activist, to what the CDC now presents as a current number, 1 in 150, (which is actually based on a study that is several years old), to what is the most likely the current number 1 in 88, which is the prevalence rate that the Department of Defense is reporting for their dependents. The UK has just announced their new prevalence rate:

1 in 60 children

1 in 34 boys

UC Davis proved this year that this skyrocketing rate is not a result of "better diagnosing" or "changes in diagnostic criteria" as we have been encouraged to believe. This is frightening increase in autism is real.

And yet neither the US or UK Governments will not declare Autism an actual epidemic.

How bad do things have to get before the general population takes to the streets and shouts NO MORE! If one in 100 children were going blind or being kidnapped there would be rioting in the streets if the government declared April "Blindness Awareness Month" or March 30 "World Kidnapping Acceptance Day".

It is time to do something about it.

So instead I am announcing my own little project Autism Attack Month and I will be letting you know what you can do to fight this epidemic and give the children you love a chance to beat the odds.

And it will start like everything should start... with prayer.

Children of Destiny is a great little organization that offers biblical encouragement and guidance in teaching people how to pray for their loved ones with autism. They are announcing their second annual "Turning the Tide" prayer campaign. Please consider signing up praying for this epidemic, our children and for Chandler specifically.

From Children of Destiny:

Dear Daily Prayer Subscriber,

We are thrilled that April (Autism Awareness Month) begins tomorrow, and with it we begin our second annual Turning the Tide! prayer thrust. Just ahead of this year’s launch, we wanted to answer a few questions we have been receiving:


What is Turning the Tide?

Turning the Tide! is a corporate prayer thrust in which thousands from around the world pray over the same issues related to autism for each day of the month of April. Each day of the week is dedicated to a specific issues (for example, this year we will be praying for specific issues regarding families affected by autism on Fridays, educational issues on Saturdays, and so forth). We have set aside April 23 as a day of prayer and fasting to see the tide of autism turned once and for all.


How did Turning the Tide come about?

As many of you know, autism was once so rare that even doctors knew little of it. But it is now conservatively estimated that 100 new cases will be diagnosed worldwide with each passing day.

As part of Global Harvest Ministries for a decade, we participated in several global prayer initiatives for effective evangelization in different parts of the world. The results were amazing! Therefore, we at Children of Destiny decided in 2008 to launch a corporate prayer thrust over autism and those affected by it. We plan on making this an annual event until the wonderful day when it will no longer be needed.


Why is corporate prayer important?

As Christians, we believe that our most powerful tool in any of life’s circumstances is prayer. James 5:16 says, “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” Furthermore, we believe that the power of our prayers are greatly increased as we join corporately to beseech the Lord. Jesus Himself said, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:19-20,NIV ).


How can I be involved?

1. Download and print out the Turning the Tide! brochure and prayer calendar. It is available free of charge on our website at http://childrenofdestiny.org/turning_the_tide.asp. Consider printing the brochure and calendar out for your family and friends, or direct them to our website for more information.

2. Take a few minutes each day to pray through the special extended versions of the Daily Prayer you will be receiving throughout April, or check our website frequently for that day’s corporate prayer and extended prayer points.


3.Consider joining us on April 23 for World Day of Prayer and Fasting for AutismSpectrumDisorder. For more information on this day and fasting in general, please visit ASDPrayandFast.com.


4. As you are probably well aware, current economic situations have taken a real hit on ministries, and we are no exception. Therefore, we would be deeply grateful if you would consider making a donation to help with the costs of this prayer thrust and our ongoing ministry to families of children and adults with autism. To make a tax-deductible donation, please send a check or money order made out to Children of Destiny to:

Children of Destiny
PO Box 120607
Melbourne, FL 32912

or visit http://childrenofdestiny.org/make_a_donation.asp for more donation options.

If you have any other questions or comments regarding Turning the Tide! or anything related to Children of Destiny, we would love to hear from you! Please email us at prayer@childrenofdestiny.org.
We are excited, and expecting the Lord to move on the Earth as we come together in agreement to see the tide of autism turned. Thank you for standing with us!

Blessings,
Jack and Rebecca Sytsema

I Love Sonchai Yoosabai

Sonchai is a firefighter in Thailand who put on a Spider Man costume to rescue an autistic boy from a third floor ledge. I love it when people get our kids.

Thai fireman in 'spider-man' rescue of autistic boy



Tue Mar 24, 4:37 am ET
BANGKOK (AFP) – A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said Tuesday.

Teachers at a special needs school in Bangkok alerted authorities on Monday when an autistic pupil, scared of attending his first day at school, sat out on the third-floor ledge and refused to come inside, a police sergeant told AFP.

Despite teachers' efforts to beckon the boy inside, he refused to budge until his mother mentioned her son's love of superheroes, prompting fireman Sonchai Yoosabai to take a novel approach to the problem.

The rescuer dashed back to his fire station and made a quick change into a Spider-Man costume before returning to the boy, he said.

"I told him Spider-Man is here to rescue you, no monsters are going to attack you and I told him to walk slowly towards me as running could be dangerous," Somchai told local television.

The young boy immediately stood up and walked into his rescuer's arms, police said.

Somchai said he keeps the Spider-Man costume and an outfit of Japanese television character Ultraman at the station in order to liven up school fire drills.

Gardasil Takes Jenny Tetlock's Life

Many of us have been following Jenny Tetlock's case after she began getting sick following Gardasil more than a year ago.

To my knowledge, no one from the CDC or any other medical authority even checked into her case despite her family's very public appeals and widespread search for answers.

Jenny died yesterday.

Our sincerely condolences to her family. Honestly I am heartbroken for you.

I Will Be Speaking in PA in April

I am on a blogging break for the time being, but thought I would mention a speaking engagement that I have on April 25th at a wonderful event put together by ASD HOPE.

They have invited me to speak at their Mother to Mother Luncheon, a lovely day of tea and comfort at Christian Life Assembly Church Women's Plaza. I will be speaking on the Priceless Perspectives Found in Autism Parenting which expounds on this post in my Autism in God's Economy series

The luncheon is free and there is still room for 25 women, but I understand it is filling up fast. So if you are in the Harrisburg PA area and would like a day with your sorority sisters, check into it.

Thanks to ASD HOPE for giving autism moms a special day.

Happy Birthday Chandler

Happy 7th birthday to my beautiful boy.



I love you Chandler P.

On a Blogging Break

Over the years I have had to take a few blogging breaks to address life, and this is one of those times. Hope to be back soon.

In the mean time, keep up with all the going's on in autism on Age of Autism and Injecting Sense.

May Ian Gromowski Rest In Peace

Today the Age of Autism has the story of Ian Gromowski, who was killed by the birth dose of the Hep B vaccine.

It is an important story to read, but a note of caution, the pictures of what happened to Ian after he got the shot are very difficult to look at.

I Love Soeren Palumbo

As I have said before, the siblings of our special kids are turning out to be exceptional people. The love and maturity that they show after living with and loving their brothers and sisters is one of the few things that give me hope in this world.

Thank you Soeren.

Time to Make Some Noise Over the IACC Shenanigans

Last week I told you about the sabotage of the government research into vaccination as a cause of autism... today it is time for you to protest.

The federal members of the IACC cannot be allowed to get away with these tactics.

From the Autism Action Network (formerly A-CHAMP)

Take Action!
Send a Letter to Your Reps, Key Officials and The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Autism Action Alert:
Protest Federal Autism Committee’s Deceitful Reversal on Vaccine-Autism Research

Click HERE or "Take Action" On This Email To Send A Message Using Our System
If You Are Reading This Message On Our Web Site Scroll Down to Send a Message

The inexcusable actions of the Federal members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) in retracting vaccine-autism studies must be stopped. Sound science must move forward, not thwarted by Federal agencies with vested interests in on-going vaccine-autism injury litigation.

The autism advocacy organizations listed below implore parents of children with autism - and all those who care about the burgeoning rate of autism and its toll on the health of our children - to take immediate action.

We are asking you to write a letter of disapproval to key government decision-makers on autism. Click here for a sample letter and instructions on sending. Your letter will be sent to President Obama, your Senators and Representatives, HHS Secretary Tom Daschle, the Senate HELP Committee, Senators Christopher Dodd, Joe Lieberman, and Edward Kennedy, and Congressmen Chris Smith and Joe Barton.

Your letters are needed NOW. The next IACC meeting is Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - less than two weeks away!

Here is what happened. Click here (http://www.safeminds.org/pressroom/iacc-blocks-vaccine-autism-research.html) here (http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/01/iacc-rescinds-vaccine-research-initiatives.html) for more details.

In a highly unusual departure from procedure, government representatives to the IACC voted on January 14th against conducting studies on vaccine-autism research despite approval of the same studies at their prior meeting on December 12, 2008. The research was supported by numerous autism organizations and requested by IACC’s scientific work groups and Congress. The maneuver to re-vote was initiated by the IACC’s representative from the CDC and pushed through by the IACC Chair, Dr. Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health of NIH. Review of the studies was not listed on the committee’s official agenda, in violation of normal committee practice.

Unlike most Federal advisory committees, the IACC is dominated by government representatives occupying 12 of the 18 seats. Dr. Insel admitted at the meeting that HHS agencies (which includes NIH and CDC) have a conflict of interest in conducting vaccine-autism research due to “Vaccine Court” litigation in which HHS is the defendant. Of the 6 non-government (public) members, 5 voted to retain the vaccine research at the January meeting. The lone dissenting public member resigned from her organization, Autism Speaks, the night before the meeting. Autism Speaks has issued a statement denouncing her vote.

The Federal members of the IACC must know that the autism community objects to their manipulation of committee procedures to block unbiased research on the possible link between vaccines and autism.

They must hear that parents demand reinstatement by the IACC of the vaccine studies that were already part of the IACC’s Autism Research Strategic Plan, and to restore the funding already allocated to this research.

They must acknowledge the inherent conflict of interest of the NIH/CDC in conducting research on vaccine safety. Research initiatives MUST be coordinated by an independent committee that includes equal numbers of representatives from the autism-vaccine injured community and conducted by independent and non-biased entities.

We also urge parents to attend the February 4th IACC meeting in Washington DC if they are able to. Click here for the IACC website http://iacc.hhs.gov/events/ to register. We encourage you to sign up to make a public comment at the meeting.

Autism Action Network (AAN)
Autism One
Autism Research Institute
Generation Rescue
National Autism Association (NAA)
SafeMinds
Schafer Report
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)
U.S. Autism & Asperger Association
Unlocking Autism

If the Obama's Had A Child With Autism

You have to read Kim's piece in The Huffington Post today.

Shenanigans at the IACC

The Combating Autism Act of 2006 set aside almost a billion dollars for autism research, some of which was to go to environmental causes, some of which were to be vaccine research.

CAA created the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, to be made up of both federal officials and members of the public to put together a strategic plan deciding who would get the money to research what.

We got a good idea that the fix was in when Joyce Chung, wife of Roy Grinker, autism epidemic denier, was appointed the committee coordinator, and Thomas Insel, committee head, began making decisions to cancel chelation research (claiming that chelation procedures that are currently the standard of care for metal toxicity and have been so for the last half a century, were suddenly too dangerous to be tested on children with autism.)

Our suspicions were confirmed last week when, after giving the thumbs up to vaccine research in the previous meeting, a surprise revote was held, and the IACC decided to reverse itself and decided that vaccine research into the causes of autism was not necessary.

And it is not just the revote itself that stinks to high heaven, but stories of individual dramas surround the revote are coming to light, most notably Alison Singer's decision to resign from her VP position at Autism Speaks the night before the surprise revote because she knew that she was going to have to vote in opposition to the AS's stance that vaccine research is needed. But wait... if the revote was a surprise... how did Alison know the night before that the vote was coming and that it would be on the topic that it was on and that she would be voting the way she would and that AS would not like it?

What did Alison know and when did she know it?

And is Alison being given any incentives, financial or otherwise, to vote thusly? I mean quitting a six figure income job as VP in the biggest autism org in the world over one vote is quite a step, especially in this economy. She has been dining with Paul Offit and Every Child by Two was the first to run her press release on leaving AS. Merck funds Offit and Wyeth funds ECBT. Is Pharma money making its way into Alison's bank account in exchange for her vote to kill research into whether or not vaccines cause autism?

And wouldn't that be a criminal offense?

Today we learned that Generation Rescue and some friends have been tracking a large number of shenanigans that have been going on at the IACC, and that legal inquires may be on the horizon. Turns out that the committee is not being run by the rules. Shocker right?

The Federal Advisory Committee Act sets the rules on how federal advisory committees, (which IACC is) are to be run. Makeup, prior notices, input, disclosures and the like. But apparently Insel's IACC is above these rules and can just do what it likes.

Stay tuned... this is going to get interesting.

UPDATE: Katie's pissed.