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Fall 2008 Defeat Autism Now! Conference
Oct. 23-27
San Diego, CA
CLINICIAN SEMINAR
Monday, Oct. 27
Enter to win free admission to the Fall Conference! See Age of Autism for details - look for our ad on the right-hand side of the page. (NOTE: contest winner receives admission only, no hotel or travel costs are included).
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SAVE THESE DATES:
Defeat Autism Now! Spring 2009 Conference
April 16-19, 2009
Renaissance Waverly Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia
Defeat Autism Now! Mini-conference
June 13 - 14, 2009
Oklahoma City, OK |
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Spring Conference
Videos Now Streaming Online
Videos from the Spring Defeat Autism Now! Conference are now online.
Thanks for your patience as we upgraded to a high-speed format. This is an online video streaming service that allows anyone to view conference presentations for free.
View Streaming Videos
Lectures are added daily and audio files are coming soon - check back often for updates.
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Support Offered for Families Affected by Hurricane Gustav
AutismCares - a consortium of leading autism organizations that join together to support those with autism and their families during natural disasters or other catastrophic life events - is seeking families affected by Hurricane Gustav. Families can call the Autism Response Team at 1-888-Autism2 (288-4762).
Autism Cares
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Phoenix Zoowalk Set for Oct 18th
We hope you'll volunteer to walk (virtual walkers are welcome), or sponsor a walker, to help fund research that makes a difference.
All proceeds from the Phoenix Zoowalk go to fund Autism/ Asperger's treatment research at Arizona State University and ARI.
Questions?
Call: 480-831-2047
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Caregivers Urged to Register Loved Ones Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders and ARI Provide Ongoing Registration to Advance ASD Research
To register: call 1-800-847-1539 (or 1-410-706-1755 from outside the continental U.S.) to request a packet or discuss any questions or concerns relating to tissue donation.
How to help spread the word:
Contact the NICHD Tissue Bank:
University of Maryland Department of Pediatrics 655 West Baltimore St., 13-013 BRD Baltimore, MD. 21201-1559 Toll free 800-847-1539 Ph. 410-706-1755 Fx. 410-706-0038 E-mail NICHDNICHD website |
ARI proudly co-sponsors Age of Autism
"We'll follow the truth wherever it leads, and we hope you'll come along with us and, if you can manage it, donate to The Age of Autism and help us pursue this story. Fasten your seat belts - it's going to be a bumpy ride."
- Dan Olmsted, Editor, Age of Autism
Submissions
Age of Autism welcomes relevant submissions that are appropriate for its readers.
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| Our Partners |
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About the ARI E-Newsletter:
This newsletter is compiled, written, and edited by ARI parents, and we welcome your input. If you have questions you would like answered, a story you would like to submit, or an idea for something you would like to see discussed or explained, please contact us.
Contributing Editor:
Technical Support:
Denise Fulton
Additional Assistance: ARI maintains a toll-free line with information, contacts, and access to resources available through the Autism Research Institute. Call: 866.366.3361 |
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To help reverse the escalating number of children affected by conditions such as ADHD, autism, asthma, obesity, diabetes, allergies, and childhood cancers, we have brought together some of the country's leading pediatricians, environmental activists, nutritionists, chefs, green builders, entertainers, and celebrities to provide safe, effective, naturally oriented, yet scientifically based solutions for these growing problems. Prevention is the key! Please help support this expo by sending this information far and wide, registering on line (it's only $10.00), and if at all possible... attending this one-of-a-kind event! Our Web site is: www.SOKHOP.com
Who says we can't save the kids and heal the planet? Maureen H. McDonnell, RNSaving Our Kids, Healing Our Planet Conference Coordinator
All profits from SOKHOP will be donated to Vital Interventions Accessible (www.ViaNow.org) a non- profit that provides funding to families seeking nutritional and biomedical approaches for their children. | |
From the Director:
The end of the summer is here, and the staff at ARI is preparing for a busy and productive fall season. Our big three-day Defeat Autism Now! conference is scheduled for Oct. 23 to 26 in San Diego; we will also sponsor a one-day clinician seminar on Oct. 27.
We are finishing construction of the Edgeware Art Gallery, and hope to have a grand opening very soon. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will benefit ARI, and Mark Rimland will be the resident artist. If you are planning to attend the Defeat Autism Now! conference next month, you may want to set aside some time to visit the gallery and meet Mark in person.
Our new autism.tv website was announced last week, and we are already receiving compliments. Later this month we'll premiere a website that will focus on discrimination in autism.
The Autism File, a UK-based quarterly magazine, will be sold later this month at Borders and Barnes and Noble bookstores in the U.S. Autism One's Teri Small is the U.S. editor. Two articles of mine will be published in this issue, one on discrimination in autism and one describing the Autism Research Institute and Defeat Autism Now!
Regards,
Steve Edelson, Ph.D.
Director, Autism Research Institute |
Defeat Autism Now! Science Session, Sat. Oct. 25th in San Diego
 The Role of Environmental Toxic Stressors in ASDs
Paul Shattock, B. Pharm
Nearly all health problems are dependent upon a genetic fragility combined with environmental triggers. Recognition of the environmental toxins (xenobiotics) and the mechanisms by which they affect metabolic processes offers opportunities for interventions that can prevent or ameliorate problems.
 1 + 1 + 1 = 300: The Effect of Multiple Environmental Toxins on the Developing Brain, Bowel, and Immune System
Cindy Schneider, MD
Dr. Schneider will discuss ways in which mercury, viruses, and/or pesticides might lead to neurological, gastrointestinal, and immune system damage in individuals who have inherited certain genetic variations that affect their ability to clear these toxins. Treatments with the potential to overcome these metabolic weaknesses will be reviewed.
 Turn Me On, Turn Me Off: The Crucial Role of Methionine Synthase in Autism
Richard Deth, Ph.D
The folate- and vitamin B12-dependent enzyme methionine synthase is a sensor of cellular oxidation status; in response, it orchestrates more than one hundred reactions affecting almost every aspect of cellular function. Brain levels of methionine synthase change across the lifespan, and are significantly lower in autism.
 Lyme Disease and ASD: Analytical Distinctions
Aristo Vojdani, Ph.D.
In vivo-induced antigen technology correlates with Western Blot (WB), and can reclassify false negative and borderline positive WB results as positive for Lyme Disease.
 Streptococcus, Occult Infection, Gut Dysbiosis, and Metabolic Abnormalities in Autism
Robyn Cosford, MBBS Recurrent infection is typical in children with ASD, as is a history of abnormal gastrointestinal dysfunction. Underlying gastrointestinal dysbiosis in a characteristic pattern has been demonstrated in ASD and has metabolic and immunologic sequelae that contribute to the symptomatology in ASD.
 Immunologic Abnormalities in ASD
Judy Van de Water, Ph.D
This presentation will cover what is known about the immunologic aspects of ASD, including cytokines, humoral immunity, autoantibodies, and the potential role of the maternal immune system. The status of the current animal models addressing these issues will also be covered.
 "The Self-Centered Bug"- Can Acquired Infections Influence Brain Function and Behavior in Autism? Derrick MacFabe, MD
The lecture examines the effects of a series of widespread infectious and dietary agents capable of inducing brain changes and behaviors (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity, obsessive/compulsive behavior, social impairment, sensory sensitivity) in both humans and experimental animals. |
Volunteers Needed to Make a Difference at Defeat Autism Now!
Be Part of the Team in San Diego Oct. 23-27
Defeat Autism Now! conference volunteers are crucial to the success of the conference, offering assistance to parents and conducting the tasks required to make the event run smoothly and offset our costs. This keeps the conference as affordable as possible for all.
We need your help.
Please consider giving two to four hours of your time to help out - volunteers are able to attend sessions and events, with a discounted rate of just $85 per day.
To become a Defeat Autism Now! Fall 2008 Conference Volunteer and get the reduced rate: Click the Volunteers Discounted Rate $85-per-day option on the Conference Registration Form.
Once you have registered, our Director of Volunteers will contact you to assign you a post that is convenient for you and helpful to us. Congratulations, you're now part of the team!
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Additional Financial Assistance Offered
- Financial Assistance for Military Families and Students
Dr. Rimland worked for the Navy, and he felt a close connection to families in the military who have children with autism. In his memory, the Autism Research Institute and Defeat Autism Now! extend a 33 percent discount to those families who wish to attend. This discount is also available to students.
To receive this discount: Click the Military Families and Students Discounted rate ($85 per day) option on the Conference Registration Form. Current Military or Student ID is required at registration.
- Defeat Autism Now! Angel Money Fund
Created two years ago, the Angel Money Fund has helped hundreds of families. But now, as the need increases, our exhibitors and donors have really stepped up to the plate. Thanks to their generosity, any parent in need of financial assistance for registration just needs to ask. Funds are limited, so we ask that applicants first consider volunteering in order to assure funding for families who otherwise won't have the opportunity to attend. Funds are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
To receive this discount:
- Email Tanya@DefeatAutismNow.com requesting a 50-percent-off "Angel Money" certificate.
- Tanya will e-mail it to you on behalf of the exhibitors.
- Click the Angel Money $65-per-Day option on the Conference Registration Form and enter your certificate number.
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Kelly Barnhill Named Nutrition Director for Defeat Autism Now!
 ARI is excited to announce that Kelly Barnhill, CN, CCN, has agreed to serve as our Nutrition Director.
Kelly is the Director of the Nutrition Clinic and the Clinical Care Coordinator at Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, TX.
Kelly is designing a two-day training for nutritionists, dieticians, and healthcare professionals, in order to make affordable, appropriate treatment possible for more people with autism. The program will debut at the spring 2009 Defeat Autism Now! Conference in Atlanta on April 15th and 16th. (More information about continuing education credits from various nutrition- credentialing boards is forthcoming.)
We believe that appropriate diet and supplementation are the foundation upon which all further treatment must be built. No child will improve on a corn chip and French fry diet, and parents waste time and money by skipping ahead with higher-level treatments.
We are very excited about this new program, because first-rate physicians who implement the Defeat Autism Now! approach in their practice are often overwhelmed, and waiting lists can be lengthy. If more families begin treatment with a nutritionist, physicians can focus on higher-level treatments and leave the implementation of appropriate diets to specialists (few medical schools devote more than a week to the topic of nutrition; in fact, we expect many healthcare professionals will come to learn more). An added benefit is that nutrition counseling is covered by most insurance plans.
If you are licensed as a nutrition or diet counselor or healthcare professional, come join us in Atlanta! | |
Million Dollar Puzzle Update
Autism Puzzle Pieces Distributed:
1,895 packets = 94,750 puzzle pieces
Locations: 43 states, Singapore, and two locations in Canada (273 cities).
We are not yet in Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, or Wyoming.
A Success Story:
'Gluten-Free' Joe Spancic - the proprietor of G.F. Joe's Market in Tumwater, Washington - is raising awareness about research that makes a difference by adorning the walls of his store with million-dollar puzzle pieces in support of ARI.  While he is not a parent, Spancic understands the importance of diet in managing health and behavior and the struggle families can face: "I used to drive hundreds of miles each month to buy gluten-free food." He opened his specialty food store earlier this year to support his community's fellow celiac sufferers and soon learned that families living with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders were accounting for nearly 40 percent of his business. When he asked a local autism mom how he could give back, she suggested the puzzle piece campaign and he decided supporting research that makes a difference for ARI was the right fit. Since June, more than 100 puzzle pieces have found their way to the wall behind the check-out stand at his store. He is impressed with the level of autism awareness, and with the generosity he's observed in the community. "One woman came in and said -- I can't fill out 20 puzzle pieces -- but can I offer to pay you $20 for just one?" Joe cheerfully complied with her generous request. Thanks Joe - You are a Missing Piece! Want to Start Your Own Puzzle Piece Campaign?
Request puzzle pieces online and the Puzzle Piece Project committee will send you packets of 50 and give you the return information as well as a poster to display with the puzzle pieces, and a letter to present to business owners. Lynda's goal: "Let's put these puzzle pieces across the entire US and support the research we all want and need."
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Experts: Lend Your Voice to Campaign to Gain Military Insurance Coverage for ABA; Professional Signatures Needed to Build Continued Support
Military moms are building a case for insurance coverage for ABA treatments and are seeking support from autism specialists (MDs, PhDs, BCBAs, etc.).
Professionals are asked to sign a letter to the Armed Services Committee providing clarity to the "medical" / "special education" stalemate that prevents children with autism from military families from accessing appropriate treatment. Subject matter experts in the fields of autism research, treatment, diagnosis, and education have signed the letter. They hope to add many more signatures in the weeks to come.
To date, the letter is endorsed by experts such as Dr. Christine Plauche Johnson, the co-author of the 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics report "Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders," and by Dr. Pauline Filipek from the American Academy of Neurology, co-author of the 2001 National Research Council Report to the National Academy of Sciences, and Chair of the American Academy of Neurology/Child Neurology Society committee to determine Practice Parameter: Screening and Diagnosis of Autism.
Professionals - to add your endorsement, Contact Karen Driscoll, 703-242-8372, or Karen0622@aol.com
Parents - From organizer Karen Driscoll: If we military moms can get the military to agree that ABA is medically necessary and should be covered without a cap by insurance, it would set a great precedent for the rest of the states and insurance companies. If you have a physician or BCBA who would be willing to sign this, please pass it along. |
Italian Clinician Using the Defeat Autism Now! Approach Releases Book
New Book: Recovery from Autism: A Biological and Medical Approach - edited by Guilia and Franco Verzella.
Dr. Franco Verzella is a medical doctor using the Defeat Autism Now! approach in Bologna, Italy. This month he releases a new book Recovery from Autism: A Biological and Medical Approach, co-authored by his daughter, Guilia. The book is a compilation of four years of dedicated work in this field, offering detailed up-to-the-minute information about effective treatments. It offers a comprehensive treatment overview and includes essays from Dr. Franco's colleagues in Europe and Defeat Autism Now! Medical Director Elizabeth Mumper, MD.
Dr. Verzella dedicates the book to ARI's founder, Dr. Bernard Rimland, asserting, "those who have sentenced the autistic child as incurable, should now question their inability to see what is evident to the eyes of an untrained parent."
Currently, the book is published only in Italian.
To order the book:
email: GIULIAVERZELLA@TISCALI.IT
Price: 35 Euro, plus shipping cost
Estimated delivery time: one week |
ARI Releases New Autism.tv Site - Keep the Links Coming
 In August, ARI released Autism.tv, a media page featuring stories of intervention and recovery. The page demonstrates to parents, physicians, and research scientists that recovery is a reality for a significant percentage of children with autism. Keep those links coming!
Submit your Story
Autism.TV is linking to caregiver stories about treatment and recovery and the response has been overwhelmingly positive - new links are being added weekly.
Send us existing story links to:
- Videos (youTube, short films, etc.)
- Videos and published news stories
- Online (written) stories published on the Web
If your written story is not yet online, you may e-mail it to us for consideration (800 words or less).
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Gregory Page - a singer/songwriter in the Kensington area of San Diego (home to ARI) - has adopted autism as a cause that he wishes to support. His interest in supporting "research that makes a difference" was sparked by his friendship with his neighbor, Mark Rimland. In 2006, Gregory used one of Mark's paintings for the cover of his album Daydreaming at Night.
