Article A: '91 Memo Warned of Mercury in Shots

By Myron Levin, Times Staff Writer

A memo from Merck & Co. shows that, nearly a decade before the first public disclosure, senior executives were concerned that infants were getting an elevated dose of mercury in vaccinations containing a widely used sterilizing agent.

The March 1991 memo, obtained by The Times, said that 6-month-old children who received their shots on schedule would get a mercury dose up to 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum daily consumption of mercury from fish.

"When viewed in this way, the mercury load appears rather large," said the memo from Dr. Maurice R. Hilleman, an internationally renowned vaccinologist. It was written to the president of Merck's vaccine division.

The memo was prepared at a time when U.S. health authorities were aggressively expanding their immunization schedule by adding five new shots for children in their first six months. Many of these shots, as well as some previously included on the vaccine schedule, contained thimerosal, an antibacterial compound that is nearly 50% ethyl mercury, a neurotoxin.

Federal health officials disclosed for the first time in 1999 that many infants were being exposed to mercury above health guidelines through routine vaccinations. The announcement followed a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that was described at the time as a first effort to assess the cumulative mercury dose.

But the Merck memo shows that at least one major manufacturer was aware of the concern much earlier.

"The key issue is whether thimerosal, in the amount given with the vaccine, does or does not constitute a safety hazard," the memo said. "However, perception of hazard may be equally important."

Merck officials would not discuss the contents of the memo, citing pending litigation.

Separately, the drug giant is trying to fend off a legal onslaught over Vioxx, the popular painkiller it introduced in 1999. The company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., faces hundreds of lawsuits claiming that the drug caused heart problems and that Merck concealed the risks. Merck, which in September pulled Vioxx off the market, has denied the allegations.

The legacy of thimerosal, meanwhile, also is causing problems for Merck and other drug companies.

More than 4,200 claims have been filed in a special federal tribunal, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, by parents asserting that their children suffered autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders from mercury in vaccines. A handful of similar claims are awaiting trial in civil courts. The plaintiffs cite various scientific studies that they say prove the dangers of thimerosal, including at the levels found in vaccines.

Thimerosal has been largely removed from pediatric vaccines in recent years in what health officials have described as a precautionary measure. (This has been accomplished as drug makers have voluntarily switched from multi-dose vials of vaccine, which require a chemical preservative like thimerosal, to single-dose containers.)

In September, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation prohibiting vaccines with more than trace amounts of thimerosal from being given to babies and pregnant women. Iowa has a similar ban.

For their part, Merck and other vaccine makers, along with many government health officials and scientists, say there is no credible evidence of harm from the amounts of mercury once widely present in kids' shots. They cite a report in May by a committee of the national Institute of Medicine concluding that the evidence "favors rejection of a causal relationship" between vaccines and autism.

The seven-page Merck memo was provided to The Times by James A. Moody, a Washington lawyer who works with parent groups on vaccine safety issues. He said he obtained it from a whistle-blower whom he would not name.

The memo provides the "first hard evidence that the companies knew - or at least Merck knew - that the children were getting significantly more mercury" than the generally accepted dose, the lawyer said.

He also provided a copy to attorneys for Vera Easter, a Texas woman who blames thimerosal for the condition of her 7-year-old son, Jordan, who is autistic and mentally retarded. The Easter lawsuit is pending in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The defendants include Merck; rival vaccine makers GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis Pasteur Inc. and Wyeth; and thimerosal developer Eli Lilly & Co.

Easter's lawyer, Andy Waters, described the memo as "incredibly damning and incredibly significant." After receiving it in the fall, he confronted Merck lawyers about why he hadn't seen it earlier.

In a letter to Waters in October, Merck attorneys said they had in fact made available 32 boxes of records, but that the copying service hired by the plaintiffs for some reason had failed to copy several of the boxes - including the one with the Hilleman memo.

"The memo," said company spokeswoman Mary Elizabeth Blake, "was produced voluntarily by Merck in the ordinary course of discovery proceedings."

Hilleman is a former senior vice president of Merck who developed numerous vaccines for the company. A 1999 profile in the Philadelphia Inquirer said that "it is no exaggeration to assert, as many scientists do, that Maurice Hilleman has saved more lives than any other living scientist."

Hilleman, 85, currently director of the Merck Institute for Vaccinology, had officially retired and was a consultant to Merck when he wrote the '91 memo. He declined to be interviewed.

The memo was sent to Dr. Gordon Douglas, then head of Merck's vaccine division and now a consultant for the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health. Douglas also declined to comment.

The memo stated that regulators in several countries had raised concerns about thimerosal, including in Sweden, where the chemical was being removed from vaccines.

"The public awareness has been raised by the sequential wave of experiences in Sweden including mercury exposure from additives, fish, contaminated air, bird deaths from eating mercury-treated seed grains, dental amalgam leakage, mercury allergy, etc.," the memo said.

It noted that Sweden had set a daily maximum allowance of mercury from fish of 30 micrograms for a 160-pound adult, roughly the same guideline used by the FDA. Adjusting for the body weight of infants, Hilleman calculated that babies who received their shots on schedule could get 87 times the mercury allowance.

The Swedish and FDA guidelines work out to about four-tenths of a microgram of mercury per kilogram of body weight. A stricter standard of one-tenth of a microgram per kilogram has been adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency and endorsed by the National Research Council.

These standards are based on methyl mercury, the type found in fish and airborne emissions from power plants. Though toxic, the ethyl mercury in thimerosal may be less hazardous than methyl mercury, some scientists say, because it is more quickly purged from the body.

"It appears essentially impossible, based on current information, to ascertain whether thimerosal in vaccines constitutes or does not constitute a significant addition to the normal daily input of mercury from diverse sources," the memo said.

"It is reasonable to conclude" that it should be eliminated where possible, he said, "especially where use in infants and young children is anticipated."

In the U.S., however, thimerosal continued to be added throughout the '90s to a number of widely used pediatric vaccines for hepatitis B, bacterial meningitis, diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.

It was added to multi-dose vials of vaccine to prevent contamination from repeated insertion of needles to extract the medicine. It was not needed in single-dose vials, but most doctors and clinics preferred to order vaccine in multi-dose containers because of the lower cost and easier storage.

The Hilleman memo said that unlike regulators in Sweden and some other countries, "the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . does not have this concern for thimerosal."

A turning point came in 1997 when Congress passed a bill ordering an FDA review of mercury ingredients in food and drugs.

Completed in 1999, the review revealed the high level of mercury exposure from pediatric vaccines and raised a furor. In e-mails later released at a congressional hearing, an FDA official said health authorities could be criticized for "being 'asleep at the switch' for decades by allowing a potentially hazardous compound to remain in many childhood vaccines, and not forcing manufacturers to exclude it from new products."

It would not have taken "rocket science" to add up the amount of exposure as the prescribed number of shots was increasing, one of the e-mails said.

While asserting that there was no proof of harm, the U.S. Public Health Service in July 1999 called on manufacturers to go mercury-free by switching to single-dose vials. Soon after, Merck introduced a mercury-free version of its hepatitis B vaccine, replacing the only thimerosal-containing vaccine it was still marketing at the time, a company spokesman said.

By 2002, thimerosal had been eliminated or reduced to trace levels in nearly all childhood vaccines. One exception is the pediatric flu vaccine made by Aventis and still sold mainly in multi-dose vials.

Disclaimer - Please note, contract your doctor on any therapies, supplements or actions you take for your child.  These e-mails are for information only and should not be misconstruded as medical advice.  What we have posted here is just what our families have found useful with their children.  What has helped them may no work for your loved ones - each child is unique in their needs.  These are just some different ideas and information provided by many families in hopes of helping other families dealing and living with autism. We hope you find this information useful and informative.  Again, please be sure to contact a doctor before taking any action.

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 Article B: Important Proposed Federal Legislation

Directly from the National Autism Association www.nationalautismassociation.org

Dear Parents and Guardians;

They Think We’re Getting Tired.

With your help, parents and caregivers in the autism community have successfully stopped numerous attempts by Senator Frist to change vaccine legislation in favor of the drug companies.

Once again, Frist and Senator Judd Gregg have introduced a bill containing vaccine language. Senate Bill S3 was introduced in the Senate Finance Committee. S3, “Protecting America in the War on Terror Act of 2005, is being called a bill “to strengthen and protect America in the war on terror.”

A press release from Sen. Gregg’s office on 1/24/05, stated the bill dealt with Vaccine Compensation.  The bill is now available on the Thomas database of the Library of Congress at http://thomas.loc.gov/

In a section entitled “Vaccine Injury Compensation and Litigation Reform,” the S3 bill states,

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--

(1) there are shortcomings in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and loopholes in that program that have been exploited in a manner that has contributed to a decline in the availability of vaccines generally in the United States and a decline in the number of manufacturers able to supply vaccines; and

(2) the condition described in paragraph (1) presents a barrier to the development of vaccines needed for bioterror countermeasures.

(b) RECOMMENDATIONS- After considering recent changes in the litigation environment with respect to vaccines as well as recent scientific evidence and reports by the Institute of Medicine and others with respect to the safety of vaccines and their components and ingredients, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General shall, not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, jointly submit recommendations to the appropriate committees of Congress concerning necessary modifications to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and Federal rules regarding litigation involving vaccines.

The bill is currently in the Finance Committee but the HELP Committee has traditionally dealt with these issues. The Chairman of the HELP Committee, Senator Enzi, has stated this past week that the HELP Committee will be dealing with this very issue soon. So, while your fax and phone calls are imperative to the Finance Committee right now, the HELP Committee should also be made aware of your concerns should any bill regarding the justice of your child be introduced there.

We need to tell Senators on both the HELP and Finance Committees that we are watching and will fight for our children’s rights.

PLEASE PHONE AND FAX IMMEDIATELY!

(see below for contact info)

• Tell these Senators that your child is mercury poisoned.
   
• Tell them that he/she received exposure to mercury far in excess of EPA Federal Safety Guidelines from his/her early infant immunizations and now suffers permanent neurological damage.
   
• Tell the Senators that they need to look into the problems of VICA (Vaccine Injury Compensation Act) in fair public hearings where experts on the program can be consulted in order to make the best VICA possible. Not dictated by the Attorney General and the Secretary of the HHS to Congress without public input.
  
• VICA should be created by the people and for the people. Not a program that is created behind closed doors by a handful of politicians aimed at protecting the pharmaceutical industry.
  
• We must insist that our vaccine-injured children receive equal protection under the law. Without this, justice will be denied to our children—the most vulnerable in society.
  
• Click here to get the latest press release and send it along with your letter.  http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/press012805.php

There is a sample letter below. Cut and paste anything you think will be helpful for your letter.

Thank you for all of your efforts! We will keep you updated on this important issue as we find out more information about the bill, whether or not it is going to committee for a vote, etc. Please feel free to update us on what you find out.

The NAA Team

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Dear Senator ___________,

This is regarding S.3, the latest attempt to take away my child's rights to receive just compensation for injuries sustained through vaccines.  The current threat, once again disguised as legislation that will help families such as mine, is called the Protecting America in the War on Terror Act of 2005.  It appears the bill only benefits the pharmaceutical industry—the very companies that caused grave harm to my child.

Perhaps because similar legislation has gone nowhere in the past, this time the Institute of Medicine has been referenced as a reliable source of information regarding thimerosal.  Legislators should not underestimate the many parents who understand the IOM's choice to ignore sound science from renowned independent researchers confirming the thimerosal/autism link at the February, 2004 Immunization Safety Committee meeting.

Policy-makers considering this legislation need to know that families seeking restitution for vaccine-injured children are not engaged in "frivolous" lawsuits.  We are only seeking what is fair for our children whose lives were thrown needlessly into turmoil simply because we adhered to the mandated vaccine schedule.

My child was born completely healthy, meeting all developmental milestones.  After receiving many thimerosal-containing vaccines, each of which exposed my child to amounts of mercury greatly in excess of federal safety guidelines, my child regressed.  The physical and behavioral symptoms of the diagnosis my child received, autism, are completely consistent with mercury toxicity.  Furthermore, lab tests indicate high levels of mercury.  Mercury exposure through vaccines has left my child with many cognitive and emotional deficits.  While my child has improved through various interventions and therapies, this comes at a tremendous cost to our family at approximately _______ per month. I cannot place a dollar figure on the grief it has caused my child and our family.

The parents of the one in six children now requiring special services in public schools are becoming increasingly aware of the science supporting the role mercury in vaccines played in their children's disabilities. 

I am one of the hundreds of thousands of parents across this country who will be watching how this bill is handled very carefully. I ask that you stand up for my child and countless other vaccine-injured children by opposing this legislation.

Sincerely,

___________________ 

Here are the Senator’s names, phone numbers and faxes.

Included both the Finance and HELP Committee’s contact information. If you only have a small amount of time, just phone and fax the Finance Committee.

If you have more time to alert the Senators on the HELP Committee of the autism community concerns, please phone and fax them as well.

Congressmen Weldon and Burton are also listed at the end of the list. Let them know you want them to look out for your child’s rights in the House as well. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: FAXES AND CALLS HAVE THE MOST DRAMATIC EFFECT. EMAILS OFTEN GET LOST.

Finance Committee 

Republicans on Finance Committee

Grassley Charles R- IA135 Hart Senate Bldg. Washington, DC 20510-1501 202.224.3744 http://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

Hatch Orrin R- UT 104 Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Tel: (202) 224-5251
Fax: (202) 224-6331   http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact

Lott Trent   R- MS 487 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC  20510   Phone: 202-224-6253 Fax: 202-224-2262 http://lott.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email

Snowe, Olympia R-ME 154 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington DC 20510-1903 Ph 202-224-5344 Fax  202-244-1946 olympia@snowe.senate.gov

Kyl Jon  R- AZ 730 Hart Senate Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 224-4521
Fax: (202) 224-2207  http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Thomas, Craig R- WY United States Senate 307 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510  Phone: 202-224-6441 Fax: 202-224-1724  http://www.senate.gov/%7Ethomas/html/contact.html

Santorum Rick R- PA 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-3804 Phone: 202-224-6324 Fax: 202-228-0604http://santorum.senate.gov

Frist Bill R- TN Office of Senator Bill Frist 509 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3344 202-228-1264 (fax) http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorFrist.ContactForm   

Smith Gordon R- OR 404 Russell Building Washington, DC 20510-3704  Phone: (202)224-3753
Fax:(202)228-3997 http://gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm

Bunning Jim R- KY 1717 Dixie Highway Suite 180 Fort Wright KY, 41011 Phone 859-341-6480
Fax: 859-341-6482 Jim@bunning04.com

Crapo, Mike R- ID 239 Dirksen Senate Office Building  Washington, DC 20510  Phone 202-224-6142  FAX 202-228-1375  http://www.crapoforsenate.com/contact_us.asp

Democrats on Finance Committee

Baucus Max D- MT 511 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-2651 (202) 224-4700 (Fax (202) 224-1998 (TDD) http://www.senate.gov/~baucus/emailmax.html

Rockefeller, IV, John D. D- WV 531 Hart Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC  20510 Ph: 202-224-6472 DC Fax: 202-224-7665  Email Address: senator@rockefeller.senate.gov

Conrad, Kent D-ND 530 Hart Senate Office Building United States Senate Washington, DC 20510-3403  Fax: (202) 224-7776 E-mail: http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html

Jeffords, James (I - VT) 728 Hart Senate Office Bldg.  Washington DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224- 5141  Fax (202) 228-0776 http://jeffords.senate.gov/contact-form.html

Bingaman, Jeff D- NM 413 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5141 (202) 224-5521http://www.senate.gov/~jeffords/contact-form.html

Kerry, John F D-MA 304 Russell Bldg. Third Floor Washington D.C. 20510 (202) 224-2742 - Phone
(202) 224-8525 – Fax http://kerry.senate.gov/bandwidth/contact/email.html

Lincoln Blanche L. D- AR 355 Dirksen Senate Building Washington, DC 20510-0404
Phone: (202)224-4843 Fax: (202)228-1371 http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html

Wyden Ron D- OR 230 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-3703
(202) 224-5244 fax (202-228-2717) http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/

Schumer Charles D- NY 313 Hart Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-6542
Fax: 202-228-3027 http://www.senate.gov/%7Eschumer/webform.html

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Article C: NIH Seeks 'Higher Standard'

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nih2feb02,1,5273080.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Banning staff deals with drug firms will help set an ethical example, the agency director says.

By David Willman, Times Staff Writer

BETHESDA, Md. — The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, said that rules he announced Tuesday banning all staff scientists from taking drug-company fees would help the federal research agency set the highest ethical example.

Referring to the pervasive intermingling of pharmaceutical marketing with medical research nationally, Zerhouni said the time had come for the NIH to provide "at least one source of public health information in the country that can be completely trusted."

"We believe that we need to hold NIH and ourselves as scientists at NIH to a higher standard, because we do have national public health responsibilities," he told a news conference at the agency's headquarters.

The new restrictions, agreed on by Zerhouni and senior officials with the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Health and Human Services, are intended to be permanent, he said.

According to a summary issued by the NIH, employees also would be banned from moonlighting for research institutions receiving NIH funds, for health insurers and for "related trade, professional or similar associations." And virtually all staff scientists at the NIH would be prohibited from holding investments in biomedical companies.

Zerhouni, 53, said that his endorsement of the restrictions marked a turnabout.

For the better part of the last year, the NIH director had fought against imposing an across-the-board ban on industry consulting, saying that the paid arrangements generally helped translate scientific discoveries into medical remedies for patients.

"I've changed my mind," Zerhouni said.

"I'm not confident that we can continue to pretend that we have a system that works," he told reporters. "We will never go back to the old rules — that's for sure."

Last year, Zerhouni supported banning only the most senior officials at NIH, including the directors of the agency's research centers and institutes, from moonlighting for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The vast majority of the NIH's more than 5,000 staff scientists should be allowed to work for the companies, Zerhouni had said, because those employees did not have the power to dispense research grants.

In explaining his change of position, Zerhouni pointed to evidence brought to his attention over the last 14 months. He cited reports published in December 2003 by the Los Angeles Times as raising "real concerns" that prompted him last year to appoint an advisory committee focused on conflict-of-interest issues.

The 2003 reports, along with articles published by The Times last year, raised questions about NIH scientists' impartiality in overseeing clinical trials and in making recommendations to doctors for treating patients. The articles were cited by congressional leaders in their requests to Zerhouni a year ago for documentation of the drug industry payments to NIH scientists. Those and other records reviewed recently by The Times identified at least 530 NIH scientists who accepted fees, stock or stock options from biomedical companies from 1999 through 2003.

The scientists typically were required by the companies to sign confidentiality agreements as a condition of their outside employment, inhibiting their freedom to discuss related scientific matters with colleagues at the NIH. The compensation paid to the agency scientists totaled in the millions of dollars.

Zerhouni's support for the new restrictions drew bipartisan praise Tuesday.

"I want to commend Dr. Elias Zerhouni for taking a step that is both difficult and necessary," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose oversight and investigations subcommittee conducted three hearings last year into conflicts of interest at the NIH.

Barton added: "For the National Institutes of Health to do the complex work of thwarting disease and saving lives requires near-absolute public confidence in the people who conduct the research. If the notion that private gain is supplanting public service as the guiding light for health research, NIH's value to our nation will plummet."

Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, senior Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees the NIH budget, said, "I welcome [NIH's] decision today to ban consulting deals between all of its employees and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. NIH's well-deserved reputation as the world's premier biomedical research agency was in danger of being tarnished as a result of recent revelations that some NIH scientists had flouted the agency's guidelines on preventing conflicts of interest."

The new rules will not prevent all paid outside activities.

According to Zerhouni aides, employees will still be allowed to teach courses at universities, write general textbooks and perform reviews for scientific journals. They will be allowed to work shifts at hospitals and to otherwise practice medicine part time. Agency employees could also accept fees for speaking to physicians at medical-education events funded by biomedical companies, if the money came in the form of an unrestricted grant and if the subject to be discussed did not overlap with the scientist's area of expertise at the NIH.

Zerhouni and other senior administrators declined Tuesday to discuss the status of internal conflict-of-interest investigations. The director says that "the cases concern a few dozen scientists."

Zerhouni told reporters that though the crackdown on industry payments had drawn mixed reactions from staff scientists, he had had no recent difficulties recruiting talented personnel.

Without referring to his predecessor by name, Zerhouni also suggested that the seeds of the NIH's difficulties with conflict of interest were sown in 1995, when then-agency Director Harold E. Varmus quietly lifted a range of restrictions on moonlighting in the industry. Varmus allowed all NIH employees — including institute and center directors — to enter into deals with drug companies and to accept stock and stock options as compensation.

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Article D: Discover Magazine in March 2005 to take on the Vaccine issue

From TACA Mom, Mary Fry: Check out the March issue of Discover magazine--a general science magazine-- for a lengthy, well-researched article on mercury and its effects, "Our Preferred Poison." 

A sample quote: "The Institute of Medicine concluded last May that no claim could be made for a causal link between mercury-laced vaccines and autism, but several independent researchers had complained that their access to federal vaccine databases, which could provide evidence of a link, had been repeatedly blocked." (emphasis mine)

Discover has been reporting the increase in autism and the autism-mercury connection as a top news story for the last two years in their "top science news of the year" issues; this article goes out on a limb (for them) and uses new research to suggest that mercury poisoning through fish, vaccines, dental fillings is implicated in rising rates of autism, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, etc. If you're having trouble convincing others that chelation is a good idea, this is an excellent article.

The March issue is not on the website yet, but should be by the middle of the month: http://www.discover.com/

6. TACA Survey Update

Only 85 surveys have been collected since August 2004 at the TACA meetings. We would like to hear from you regarding WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, what is important to you and your family.

Below is a summary grouped by topic and highest priority of the surveys collected to date. Please be sure to let us know what you want to hear about in 2005. To request your free survey form, please contact us.

 

7. TACA MOM STILL IN NEED - Please Read 

A TACA family is in great need. If you can help – please help!
Our very own Ruthie Daniels is a 36 yr old TACA single mom just diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma this past month. She is undergoing chemotherapy and needs your help. Ruthie will have to complete 6 months of chemo and will need help during this time. She is a single mom with 2 boys, one with autism (Noah) and one with ADHD.

Ruthie's needs are as follows:

• THE BIGGEST NEED IS ONE-ON-ONE BABYSITTING: Anyone who lives in South Orange County and could take Noah to the park or watch him for a couple of hours between 2:30-4:30 Monday - Friday. One-on-one babysitting is recommended for Noah.
• THERAPY HELP: If anyone knows a therapist trained in RDI methodology, she will be losing her therapist. $20 an hour is the most she can pay, 4 to 6 hours per week at her home.
• RUNNING ERRANDS: Ruthie needs help with grocery shopping and errands and to the pharmacy.
• COOKING: LOTS OF COOKING AND FOOD DROP OFF IN PROGRESS!  A big thank you to all for helping with this!!
• CONTACT INFO: Ruthie lives Laguna Niguel. Her number is 949-347-8532. Please do not call late -- she is very tired.

THANK YOU FOR ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP!

8. New Books & Web Resources

There are so many new books and web resources, I have decided to make a section for your review. They are all worth looking at!

BOOK SOURCE #1

some new books coming next month!!

WEB RESOURCE #1 Autism Research Institute:

ARI’s web site is now updated http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/index.htm

Most recommended is http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/treatment/form34q.htm - this outlines the recommended treatment survey results.

 WEB RESOURCE #2

Dr. Wakefield and Dr. Krigsman – Open for Business in Texas!
www.thoughtfulhouse.org  - an important seminar is also featured in…

 WEB RESOURCE #3

CASD Autism BioResearch Clinic and Laboratory and CASD/CCID BioResearch Lab www.recoveryprotocol.org

 WEB RESOURCE #4

The other video played at the TACA Costa Mesa Meeting in November is available online. 
Please see www.humankindproductions.com for A Thief in the Night

9. Upcoming Fee-based Conferences & Seminars
in Southern California

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FEBRUARY 7^th: ORANGE COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATION RELIANCE TASK FORCE, which was formed primarily to MONITOR & ACT in response to any actions planned/taken by the ORANGE COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATON JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT(JPA) ALLIANCE, formed by the 28 school districts of Orange County.   Membership in the ALLIANCE of school districts is at the rate of 50 cents per ADA per district, with a total County-wide budget collected of some $300,000! 

For more info re the ALLIANCE, you may wish to read the latest issue of the Orange County Learning Disabilities Association (OCLDA) newsletter.

Have tried, without success, to group mail an announcement re the second meeting of the ORANGE COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATION RELIANCE TASK FORCE on Monday, Feb 7 @ 7pm @ St Joseph's Hospital, Orange.

For more information – please contact

ORANGE COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATION RELIANCE TASK FORCE will be held on MONDAY, FEB 7, at 7PM, at ST JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, in Orange.

Email - ronlackey@dreamteamnetwork   

Ron Lackey, Ed.D, Chairperson ORCO SPED RELIANCE TASK FORCE - Office 949-388-2870

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Friday, February 11th, 7-9 pm Ventura County Autism Society  Parent Discussion Group
is proud to host  Stefoni Rossiter Burgi Perspectives on Inclusion from a Parent AND a Teacher
Stefoni Rossiter Burgi is an elementary school teacher at Ventura’s Open Classroom Magnet School. The mother of a special needs child who is fully included in the 5th grade, she is also a former VCAS president.
Stefoni has had the unique experience of including her own son in her classroom. As her son went on to be included in classrooms with other teachers, Stefoni assisted the teaching staff with inclusion strategies. Her experiences shaped her feelings on inclusion, and she has worked with and taught many special needs children that have IEP’s, developing and modifying curriculum to fit their unique developmental needs.

Stefoni will share her views on the benefits of inclusion for both special needs children AND typical children. She will address the challenges in developing supportive inclusion placements, and the decisions which must be weighed in choosing an educational path, including the role parents must take in advocating for their child.
Location:  Camarillo Healthcare District 3639 Las Posas Road, Building E, Suite 121, Camarillo
For information or to RSVP, call:  Mark Viggiano (M-F at work):  818-882-1920
VCAS appreciates it if you RSVP,  it helps us to get a head count.  Childcare provided on request.

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TASK (Team of Advocates for Special Kids) has some great workshops on a variety of different topics in different locations. Check them out at All South County TASK Workshops held at:

South O.C. Family Resource Center

28191 Marguerite Parkway, Suite 19, Mission Viejo.

Workshops are free!

Reservations are required - Call (714) 533-8275 to reserve your spot!               

TASK IEP Rights and Strategies Course Part 2 - Mission Viejo - Part 1 on 2/12/2005 
Location-  South O.C. FRC  Office, 28191 Marguerite Pkwy. #19, Mission  Viejo, 92691
Time 8:30am - 12:30pm  Contact Info:  866-828-8275
Fees:  $25 / half day, $35 / full day, $45 / two-day

Course overview: An overview of the rights and protections mandated for special needs  children by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and  Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act.  This course is also provided in Spanish and Vietnamese.  Contact TASK for information regarding dates.

More information about this course can be found at  http://www.taskca.org.

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One day workshops for caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders are offered by *S*P*I*R*I*T* (Supporting Parents in Reinforcement, Intervention and Techniques) in four locations - Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Northridge.  Topics include characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders; chronological and developmental ages; Piaget's cognitive development and Kohlberg's moral development; diagnosis, assessment and recovery; developing a family vision and plan; changes to parents behavior and approach; behavior management, functional analysis of behavior and task analysis; and other interventions.  A hosted lunch features a video of four young adults discussing growing up with autism.  The presenters, Jeanne LaPorte, R.N. and Peggy Main, L.C.S.W., have more than 30 years professional and personal experience working with individuals and families at UCLA and in private practice.  Both are parents of special needs children, one a 28 year old with autism.  The workshop is $75.00 and is Regional Center vendored (vendor number PL05787.)

Dates and locations are:  February 5, Northridge; February 26, Santa Monica; March 19, Pasadena; April 9, Manhattan Beach; April 6, Northridge; May 21, Santa Monica; June 11, Pasadena and July 9, Manhattan Beach.  Please contact Jeanne or Peggy at 818-749-1401 or 888-421-6121 (toll free) for more information or to reserve a space.  Flyers and brochures are available.

*S*P*I*R*I*T also does a no-charge 45 minute presentation for support groups entitled "In Praise of Parents."

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The Pfeiffer Treatment Center and co-hosted by Whole Foods Markets, will focus on improving learning, behavior and mood via nutritional intervention. Space for the seminars has been arranged in both LA and San Diego Counties. 
The first lecture in LA County (NW San Fernando Valley to be exact) will be at the Northridge Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Feb. 16 at 6:30 pm in Stroup Hall. OLL is located at 18400 Kinze St., at the corner of Reseda Blvd.
The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, has also generously provided space at their La Jolla facility.  The seminar will commence at 7pm on Thursday Feb 17 in the rehearsal room of the JCC.   The center is located at 4126 Executive Dr at the corner of Genesse Blvd.

RSVP's  and questions can be made by contacting Susan Lambert Witteman at jamaika4sail@aol.com - 619/347.2099

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February 19, 2005: The Four Points Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport Hotel
Workshop "Start-Ups for TD-DMPS and RNA/DNA Protocol" with Dr. Buttar   -325 Seats Only!

At The California Ballroom. Registration starts at 7AM, Workshop 9AM to 5PM, and Dinner with speakers at 7PM $80 before January 18th, 2005; $100 after January 19th, 2005; NO REFUNDS after January 18th, 2005. Ribbon-Cut for CASD/CCID BioMed Research Lab and Clinic at City of Angeles Hospital in Los Angeles, CA

Private Sessions are available by Workshop Speakers (please see below speakers) from $300 to $400 per hour - contact 512-694-4077 for appointment.

Speakers

Rashid Buttar, D.O.   -TD-DMPS Protocol (22 children recovered out of 31 with Dr. Buttar's protocol)

W. John Martin, M.D., Ph.D.   -Viruses Authority, Director and Founder of Center for Complex Inflectional Diseases (CCID)

John L. Kucera, M.D.    -RNA Therapy and Anti-Fungal Treatments

Alexander Orlov, D.O.   -RNA/DNA, Oxygen Therapies and Allergies

David Steenblock, D.O.    –Stem Cell Therapy

Paddy Jim Baggot, M.D.   -Medical Director at CASD/CCID City of Angeles Medical Clinic in Los Angeles, CA (For appointment with Dr. Baggot, M.D., call 512-694-4077, Dr. Baggot will follow 100% Dr. Buttar and Dr. Amy Yasko's protocols).

Fund-Raising Dinner with Speakers at 7PM: two reasons for the fundraising; #1-CASD is opening the clinic for people with autism (starting January 6th, 2005) at the City of Angeles Medical Center Hospital; #2 -TD-DMPS Protocol Research Funds for Dr. Buttar.

Fundraising Dinner Tickets; $60 (regular ticket), $150 (supporter ticket), $500 (clinic sponsor ticket), $1000 (TD-DMPS study sponsor ticket), and $2000 (Dr. Buttar's table).

**If you like to receive this workshop flyer by postal mail, e-mail kazuko@austin.rr.com 

***Sponsors and Exhibitors, contact Kazuko Curtin at 512-694-4077 or 512-306-1920.

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 FEBRUARY 22-23, 2005 -  OC Department of Education: Links to Language Training - Pam Payne & Dr. Lauren Franke PRESENTING: Links to Language Training
Time: 8:30am - 3:30pm – Location Orange County Department of Education, 200 Kalmus, Costa Mesa.  FOR MORE INFORMATION: For reservations contact: Polly Welsch
(714) 966-4137 - Price : $235/$245

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  Autism and Special Education Training:  “A Roadmap Through the Land of Autism” 

WHEN:             3 consecutive Saturdays:  February 26, March 5,and March 12, 2005, from 9 a.m. to noon

WHERE:           West Valley College (offered through the college’s Office of Community Education)

14000 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga, CA

FEES:              $49 per person; $89 for two persons registering concurrently

HOW TO REGISTER:    By phone with the Office of Community Education: 408-741-2096

About the course:  Whether you are the parent of a newly-diagnosed child or a veteran parent, this course should be helpful to all, as it covers a breadth of significant issues facing autistic children and their families.  The instructor has designed the course to help parents, caregivers, and other persons working with autistic children in various capacities to understand better what autism is and how to work successfully with the autistic child.

Additional information:  If you have specific questions regarding the course that are not already addressed in the course description below, you may call the instructor at 408-483-8557.  The instructor has kindly offered to speak with prospective students who call with inquiries regarding the course, on her own personal time, as her time permits.  She will attempt to return calls to those callers leaving a land line telephone number that is within the local 408 area code and that does not block incoming calls.

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  FOURTH ANNUAL CASA COLINA TRENDS IN AUTISM CONFERENCE
SAT. & SUN., MARCH 5 & 6, 2005
This conference will bring together researchers, clinicians and parent leaders who are breaking new ground in the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of autism spectrum disorders.  They will make presentations geared to cover three essential areas: the medical issues and the physiology of the brain relative to autism, effective treatment being practiced today, and prospects for the future for young people with autism.  Physicians, educators, therapists and parents will find valuable information and insights to assist them in working with individuals with an autism spectrum disorder.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:
Neurology of autism, information processing, early identification, MRI & imaging, video modeling, direct therapy approaches, behavior management, parents as advocates and making a life for a person with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.

SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:
Margaret Bauman, MD; Blythe Corbett, Ph.D.; Eric Courchesne, Ph.D.; Margaret Dunkle; Temple Grandin, Ph.D.; Nancy Minshew, MD; Suzanne Reyes, Ph.D.; Michael Weiss, Ph.D.; and Rosemary White, OT.

Conference site: Claremont McKenna College Claremont, California
Sponsorship opportunities available  Call (909) 596-7733 Ext. 2209 for more information or go to www.casacolina.org
Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, 255 East Bonita Avenue Pomona, CA 91769-6001
rehab@casacolina.org Speakers and program subject to change

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March 24 and 25, 2005: OC Department of Education: Michelle Garcia Winner

Social Thinking HFA / Asperger's

Time: 8:30am - -3:30pm both days. 

Location:  Orange County Department of Education, 200 Kalmus, Costa Mesa.

For more information, please contact: Contact: Andrea Walker Andrea_Walker@ocde.k12.ca.us (714) 966-4198
Registration fee : $50/$60

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  Thoughtful House Conference – featuring Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Dr. Arthur Krigsman and many others

Austin In Action The Evolving Medical Model in Childhood Developmental Disorders: Implications for Clinical and Educational Care

Sunday, April 3, 2005 at the Austin Downtown Omni Hotel 700 San Jacinto at 8th Street Austin, TX 78701 (512) 397-4858

For more info http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/events.htm

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  Great Plains Labs – Latest in Autism Treatments

Anaheim, CA on June 18-19, 2005.  For more info: www.greatplainslaboratory.com

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10. Personal Note

It is about time I spend a little time on one of my favorite topics – my kids -- specifically, Jeff.  Well, here is your update.

It is almost that time of year where all the kids attending schools celebrate the 100^th day of school which signifies about the halfway mark for the year.  This year with Jeff attending first grade in a typical class – with his Tuesday/Thursday and Monday/Wednesday/Friday aides – he is doing very well.  There are still issues where he needs assistance but much of his day he is able to work independently and follow the tasks at hands within the classroom setting.  He has his days where we just don’t want to attend to anything and needs assistance.  Even on those days, Jeff gives his best effort and has the ability to stay in the classroom with his typical peers and complete the entire school day.

At the beginning of this year, last year and the year before, I always questioned my decision. Would Jeff be able to stay in First Grade? Would he succeed? Am I putting too much pressure on him?  He always answers positively and always seems to rise to the occasion.  Sure, we have setbacks where we need to regroup and think of strategies to assist Jeff in the classroom and beyond, but so far we are not stumped for an answer that can help Jeff in his current placement.

His strengths in the classroom:

·         reading (Using PECs for four years sure had a nice payoff here!)

·         memorizing (poems, songs)

·         spelling

·         anything on a worksheet (that includes math, reading comprehension, sentence structures and more)

·         emerging math skills have greatly improved since the beginning of the year

·         raising his hand and answering questions in brief responses

His areas that require assistance:

·         Free time (picking an activity that is unplanned and staying with it during the entire free time.)

·         Moving to more detailed conversation skills (Today he can initiate play, he often asks classmates “What are you doing?” and likes to comment on classmates’ work or clothes with “I like your picture” and “Hey, that is a cool shirt with Sponge Bob on it!”

·         Auditory processing

·         Abstract first time concepts (for example: he is learning estimation and making estimates, riddles and jokes.  He loves telling a joke then saying, “Just kidding!”)

·         Coping with conflict / change / kids giving the wrong answers or not knowing the answer (this skill is vastly improved and continues to move in the right direction. Social stories have been a huge asset and he is generalizing these concepts once they are taught.)

·         His expressive language skills and social skills are still the areas that are the furthest behind his developmental age. These areas are still improving – just not as fast as we all would like. However, the skills he has are functional and he is generalizing and utilizing his tools acquired via his home program and therapies.

What we do to help the areas for improvement:

·         Pre-load / pre-teach the upcoming week’s abstract curriculum via Jeff’s home ABA program. We obtain the materials and I spend an hour or so at Kinko’s making copies. The materials that Jeff already knows is removed and we focus on the abstract curriculum and new concepts.  We all work through these items and help him understand what is coming.  We’ve seen a big improvement in Jeff’s participation level in class since preloading the materials was implemented.

·         Jeff still wears his auditory training device and that makes a big difference for what he can hear and understand. This device is only used during class time and comes in handy at recess for providing social cues in a very non-invasive way.

Jeff still needs his aides, his program and still has issues regarding his diagnoses of autism, apraxia and central auditory processing disorder.  What we see in Jeff is his continuing improvement and his ability to work and learn in his first grade classroom. So far, the full inclusion process has been a blessing for Jeff. I think his classmates and different teachers have had positive learning experiences as well!

Now for a funny story about Jeff. This past weekend, my daughter, Jeff and I went to lunch at Red Robin. It is a nice treat to go out to eat and hang with the kids. We always have a good time. Since I left work in March of 2004, I have rarely run into associates and customers I used to work with for the 20-year period in the real estate consulting arena. At the restaurant, I ran into an old customer that was an Executive VP at a large fast food company. He said something that made me smile, “We miss you.”  Those words struck me and it felt good to be missed. But I have to say I don’t regret my decision and love spending the time I get to spend with Jeff. And I love my work with TACA. These efforts have provided me many rewards beyond what I used to earn in a paycheck and my work.

The funny part of this story is when we getting up to leave, Jeff had to use the restroom. I often debate briefly whether to bring him in the ladies room with me or let him go alone into the men’s room.  Since he is 7 years old, I try to evaluate the situation and move him towards independence reviewing the “safety level” of the environment, evaluate his abilities that day, and based on my gut feeling, I make a decision. And it is important to note that Jeff prefers using the men’s room, not the ladies room! That day, my intuition said go ahead for the men’s room so I pushed him towards the door. At the last second, my old client ended up joining Jeff in the bathroom. This client is a nice man and knew about Jeff’s diagnosis and why I was retiring.  During the restroom trip, all I could hear was some brief chatting behind the closed door.  After what seemed like a long period of time they both emerged. Jeff turned to my old client and said, “Thanks for helping!”  I am NOT SURE what the helping was about but we all smiled at each other. Perhaps my former client thinks my decision was a good one, too!

Hugs, thanks, and be SAFE,
Lisa A Jeff's mom

And Editor: Kim Palmer (thanks Kim!)

Web Page for TACA Group: www.tacanow.com check it out and let me know your thoughts Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA’s. TACA does not engage in lobbying or other political activities. P.S. TACA e-news is now sent to 1,635 people! (This number represents families – 95%, and the rest are professionals.)