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"Do we get to do centers today?"
"Oh, please can we do centers? Please, please, pleeeeease!"
Everyday at least half of my students beg me for center time. My centers consist of poetry, reading, writing, mapping skills and math. Twice a week my students enjoy the freedom of choosing any activity from one of the centers. These activities range from reading silently or with a
partner to reading or writing poetry to writing a story or continuing a story in the "Read, then Write" noteboook to playing a math game to researching a city, state or country. For most of the year, students have avoided the reading center probably because they receive 30 minutes every
day to read silently, 15 minutes to meet with a literature circle and 25 minutes of a read aloud directed by me. This all changed when one of my parents asked if there would be any way I could utilize the plethora of picture books, story books and informational books she had about autism. (The books not only contain information about the disability, but also inform the reader about the difficulties one faces every day -- namely with learning and socializing.) She handed about twenty different books to me. In addition, one of my team members thought it would be important to inform students not only about autism, but several different disabilities as well. So she gathered several, similar books from our school library which discussed a variety of disabilities. I thought what am I going to do with all of these books? There is no way I can read all of these
during read aloud. Then (as my principal had encouraged me to do all year), I stepped outside the teacher role, and decided to let my students do some independent learning. Without making a big deal out of it, I placed the books in the reading center. To my surprise, at center time that day there was a race to the reading center. The students just loved the books! They began asking questions and sharing their knowledge about the disability they read about. My students learned that we not only had students in our class with these disabilities, but many had brothers,
sisters, parents and cousins with similar disabilities. Furthermore, you should have seen the excitement on one child's face when she found out Tom Cruise was dyslexic and Helen Keller was not only blind, but deaf too. My classroom is filled with wonderful, unique studnets who have just
recently been exposed to new knowledge that is priceless. We all know that when students learn something new and an interest is sparked, they just take off with it. This center idea is easy to put together, and the benefits are extraordinary. Fortunately, the center will not just stop at my classroom, rather, the books will be circulating from teacher to teacher in our building. Isn't it just fantastic to see the results of literacy?
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The Robles Law Center, P.A. is now preparing to prosecute claims against manufacturers and distributors of dangerous childhood vaccines that contained the preservative Thimerosal. Virtually all children in the United States have been subjected to these vaccines and exposed to this preservative, through standard childhood vaccinations. Recent studies have found a strong association between the preservative, Thimerosal, and certain childhood developmental and autoimmune disorders. "The widespread use of Thimerosal and phenylmercuric nitrate as preservatives in intravenous medications, oral prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, may lead to excessive mercury exposure." The New England Journal of Medicine, June 4, 1998. Studies at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine now reveal that Mercury ions alter the cell membrane structure of developing neurons.
Mercury has no known benefits in humans while the scientific literature is unambiguous in stating that exposure, even in small doses, is exceedingly harmful. The fetal brain is the most vulnerable target of prenatal methylmercury exposure. Very young children, with developing organs and biliary systems, are much more sensitive and prone to injury through mercury exposure than adults. Mercury has consistently ranked third, following closely behind lead and arsenic, in the Agency for Toxic Substances and D isease Registry (ATSDR) list of priority hazardous substances yet drug manufacturers continue to use the mercury preservative, Thimerosal, in infants and toddlers' vaccines. Based upon the existing vaccine schedules, some children are exposed to as many as 30 (or more) doses through innoculations by the time they reach school age.
The amount of Thimerosal given routinely exceeds the EPA and ATSDR's known "safe" limits. Mercury's role in autoimmune disorders and neurological injuries associated with developmental delays and regressions often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is the developing area of toxic tort law the Robles Law Center is proud to be spearheading. Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, has requested a recall of all vaccines containing Thimerosal. During the Congressional hearing on this matter, the FDA admitted that children are being exposed to unsafe levels of Mercury through vaccines containing Thimerosal. It has now been determined that symptoms of mercury poisoning are nearly identical to symptoms of Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and similar language skills or attenuation deficits may also be associated with this unnecessary exposure to Mercury as well immunological disorders. Upon review of recently published scientific information, we are preparing legal proceedings against the manufacturers of mercury-based preservatives used in vaccines that are administered to infants and toddlers. (Thimerosal has no therapeutic value and is in the vaccine strictly as a preservative.)
Although the FDA has issued a statement to the manufacturers, noting that the regulations do not require use of preservatives in single does containers, the FDA has chosen to merely phase out the use of Thimerosal, leaving Mercury containing vaccines at public and private health facilities. Consequently, the manufacturers' stockpile of vaccines containing Thimerosal is still being unloaded on unsuspecting children.
The Robles Law Center is now accepting clients who wish to file claims based upon a diagnosis of neurological/developmental deficits and autoimmune disorders. Ourwebsite contains a Thimerosal page with helpful information and questionnaires. If you or members of your group wish to
meet with members of our law firm we will be happy to make arrangement to travel to your area for a meeting. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (800) 665-7373. Robles Law Center, P.A. Miami, Florida. www.robleslawcenter.com
As a new parent who is "autism-aware," I seriously researched vaccinations before having them given to my daughter. I knew that thimerosal which contains 49.5% ethly mercury is in many vaccines. This mercury is known to be toxic. While doctors caution pregnant mothers to avoid eating fish and other seafood because of the mercury content, little or nothing is said about the high percentage of mercury in some vaccines. In the first 2 months of life, many children who have received routine vaccines in the US have had over 700 times the recommended maximum exposure to mercury. Although efforts to change this are underway...vaccines containing mercury are still being administered. This scared me. My husband and I sat down to discuss our concerns with a pediatrician. She was very willing to order thimerosal-free vaccines for us and to space out the vaccines. In addition, she allowed me to read the paperwork that comes with each vaccine. Despite my concerns, I know the nurse administering the shots thought we're a bit "crazy." I guess I'd rather be thought of as crazy than risk any danger to my daughter! I confirmed my faith in myself as a "crazy mom" for refusing the Hepatitis immunization for my daughter at the hospital. The nurses there didn't know if it had mercury in it or not . . . so I read the paperwork. Sure enough, thimerosal was listed so I refused the shot until I could get a safe one. On the day we came home from the hospital, there was an article in the paper stating that the hospitals in the area no longer give Hepatitis shots containing mercury to newborns. I guess they changed the vaccines overnight! (ha!) Who is crazy now? My personal advice to new parents is this:
1. Talk to your pediatrician ahead of time. Mercury-free vaccinations are available for all vaccines. Have them ordered for your child. One place to learn what vaccines contain thimerosal is www.immunize.org/news.d/thimtabl.htm
2. Space out vaccines so that your child isn't getting 6 or 7 diseases to fight all at once. You can go in once a month or every 2 weeks instead of once every 2 months. Your pediatrician should work with you..if not find one who does.
3. Don't trust that hospitals or nurses are aware of mercury in vaccines (read the labels yourself - look for "thimerosal").
4. You can refuse any or all vaccines. You can decide when to give the vaccines.
5. You know what's best for your child.
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Autistic infants are missing out on a potential early treatment because not enough primary-care doctors are screening for the disorder, the American Academy of Neurology says. To better reach those babies, the academy and 10 other medical groups are recommending all infants be screened for autism during routine checkups at their pediatrician's office. Autism is a neurological disorder that strikes one in 500 children, mostly boys, somehow causing them to be unresponsive and have difficult interacting with others. The cause of autism isn't known, but cases are increasing.
Symptoms Often Dismissed
The signs of autism are often visible early on, but only 3 percent of doctors are testing for it. Parents who see some developmental problems in their child are often reassured by relatives, friends and even their pediatrician that a baby showing those signs is probably simply a "late bloomer." Dr. Pauline A. Filipek, lead author of the guildleines being published in the latest issue of Neurology, says a baby who isn't babbling and waving "bye-bye" by 12 months of age could be displaying early signs of autism. "These guidelines focus on early detection because it should never be assumed that the child will 'grow out of it' or 'catch up,'" says Filipek, a Pediatric Neurologist at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. "It sometimes takes years after the first symptoms are noticed for autism to be diagnosed."
Dr. Filipek and a panel of experts reviewed more than 2,700 studies and concluded that all infants should be checked by their pediatrician for any delays during development that may indicate autism or other developmental disorders. Early diagnosis and treatment can dramatically help an autistic child's development, experts. say. "By not wanting to unnecessarily alarm parents, we can be using up some of the best time for treatment of children w ith autism," notes Dr. Marc Lerner, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California Irvine Medical School.
What is Autism?
Autistic children have problems showing affection or sympathizing with others. They are thought to lack the ability to sense intuitively what people are thinking or feeling by their expressions or tone of voice. A small percentage of autistic individuals can be exceptionally smart, with the label, "Rain Man-like" mathematical or musical abilities, but three-quarters are clasified as mentally retarded. Autistic infants often stiffen when picked up by a parent, rather that clinging to them. Signs of autism in a young child include repeated body motions, such as rocking back and forth or flapping their arms. Although the disorder was discovered nearly 60 years ago, Scientists have yet to come up with a clear-cut cause, test, or cure for it. There is no identified gene, reliable blood test, or brain imaging technique that can definitively diagnose autism. Instead, neurologists recommend pediatricians use one of four recommended tests at each regular checkup to determine whether a child's behavior and language skills are developing normally.
What Happens with Screening?
Children who miss what the experts called "absolute milestones" - not babbling or gesturing at 12 months, not speaking a single word by age 16 months, not speaking a two-word phrase by 2 years of age, or losing language ability or social skills at any age - should be immediately evaluated, experts say. For those children who fail the screening, a second, autism-specific evaluation should then be performed. These tests are to determine that the child can make eye contact, verbalize appropriately, and is able to communicate non-verbally. One such test, the "Checklist for Autism in Toddlers," has doctors check for autism in 18 month olds by initiating a game of pretend, such as holding a tea party, or seeing if the child can respond when the doctor points at an object and exclaims "Look at that!" Those who fail the test can then go on for more advanced neurological tests and early intervention.
Parents Usually Know
Parents looking back on videotapes of their autistic children often say that signs of autism were evident much earlier than the average age of diagnosis. One study found that most parents felt something was wrong by the time their child was 18 months old, and had sought medical assistance by the time the child was 2 years old. Yet the average age of diagnosis of autism was 6 years old.
"If a parent feels there is a problem, the likelihood is, there is one," says Dr. Stephen Ashwal, Head of Pediatric Neurology at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California, who also helped on the guidelines. However, Dr. Ashwal also says, "get shorthanded in getting the diagnosis." Now, reports of autism have been on the rise, but it is unclear if more children are simply being diagnosed thanks to heightened awareness of the disorder and better therapies, or if other factors are at play. "I think both are happening," Ashwal says.
There's an increase in diagnosis because more parents and teachers are sensitive to autism, and there's an increase in the number [of children with autism], but determining why will require a tremendous scientific effort. Congress recently held hearings on one hypothesis proposed by parents but shot down by most scientists: That vaccinations for measles and mumps may be causing autism. Research into other possible environmental and genetic causes are ongoing. However, despite the rising prevalence of autism, only a minority of primary-care doctors currently screen youngsters for the disease at reular checkups, according to the report. "With managed care, most pediatricians don't have the time to sit and talk to a family and watch the child for six extra minutes.", says Ashwal. Doctors also find it hard to get approval from insurance companies for referrals to psychiatrists and other specialists, he says. And parents find it hard to get the coverage they need, despite federal mandates that state-funded treatment be provided. Dr. Ashwal hopes the report will establish a standard of care that includes screening for autism, as well as a stronger mandate for insurance companies to cover the testing and prescribed treatment that follows.
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Just a little food for thought with IEP's just around the corner. Over the years I've found it very useful to write into my son Ahren's IEP specific books that would be helpful for everyone working with him. There are a number of reasons for doing this. First of all it gives you and the teachers a common starting point, when it comes to understanding autism and its many characteristics and problems. Also the teachers and others in your child's school have a readily available resource to tap into when a problem does arise, as well as possible strategies in dealing with problems and behaviors.
It probably would be a good idea to recommend a whole library of books. Instead choose two or three that relate to the level your child is at. Each of your children is different, so it's up to you as parents, to know which books and resources would be most beneficial for your child, and get the information written into their IEP. As more than one Professional has pointed out and emphasized. "The IEP is everything." Make sure what your child needs is written into it.
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It may seem that a person who is both receiving awards for her artwork and doing well in school was always skilled in art and schoolwork. This wasn't the case for me. I improved only through my struggles. As a child in kindergarten, I was slow to learn the basic skills that other children in my class learned easily. It was because of my disability (autism), that I had trouble with speaking and following along with the rest of the class. For a while I only spoke in a whisper and in third person about myself. Paying attention was nearly impossible. In music, I thought of myself as an observer rather than a participant. The children sang and danced around in circles; I sat at a distant corner watching them. I don't remember the exact reason. I can only speculate now.
Perhaps I felt left out yet unable to join or I just thought that was what I was supposed to do ever since the first day of music. The teacher might have had us sit down while she gave instructions. Possibly she might have told us to watch her. Whatever the case, I didn't know what I was expected to do. The music teacher didn't seem to mind this; however, one day my classroom teacher came into the room during the middle of class.
She took me out of the room and sternly tried telling me something. She told me to promise. The rest of the sentence skipped me as I tried to link the word "promise" to a mental picture of a cone shaped lollipop. Part of my autism is that I tend to link things to a visual picture in my head whether or not it is directly related to the word. The teacher's harsh voice demanded me to promise to do something in the music room. It was all confusing in my head, but reluctantly, I said, "I promise." I said that to end the scolding and get back to the music room.
I still couldn't see what I needed to do. The teacher stepped into the room again and pulled me out saying that I had broken my promise. I broke the lollipop.
Later in the year, I developed imaginary friends. One character, Mr. Peanutman, came out of my fascination with peanuts. I scribbled drawings of him and another character, Mr. Squeakything man. Mr. Squeakything was a turbine ventilator that hung upside-down above the small music room/gym. I thought of him as easy going; he tolerated tennis balls that occasionally whacked him. He never complained except to emit a clang as the ball bounced off him. In my drawings Mr. Squeakything pulled himself out of the ceiling and stood right side up to play with Mr. Peanutman.
After kindergarten we moved from Colorado Springs to Appleton, Wisconsin. I turned six. Across from our home was a field. This was my special place despite the allergies. My interest in insects soared as I found ant nests and butterflies. Each summer day I can remember, I sailed through the tall grass with a net up high in one hand and a jar of bugs in the other. I flew above the hills with a dragonfly leading. I slithered through the forests checking for anthills. Once I found one, I tore through the loose soil with the heel of my shoe. Ants gushed from the broken tunnels and ferociously climbed my fingers. They tried to sink their mandibles into my flesh. Their bites did little to stop me from kidnapping their brood and capturing the adults. Not even the minnows in the creek were safe. My net wasn't hydrophobic. It dove underneath the fish only to come up with a gob of mud. I picked through those globs to find the insects and minnows. Once I found them, I filled my jar of water and dropped them in. The field was magic. It was a place worth the sneezing. There were always new discoveries to be made.
Going to first grade was diffcult. It was perhaps the most challenging of the eleven. I was in my own world and did things different from the rest of class. There were no such things as math or reading. Insects needed to be caught. What the teacher was doing, I didn't know. I couldn't hear her, but I could hear a fly buzzing near a window. Up like a spring, I bounced out of my seat and caught the fly vibrating in my hand. Story time for the class meant to follow the teacher to a carpeted corner of the room and listen to the teacher read aloud. To me it meant, "go to the art table and draw your own picture books."
After a short time of being in Badger, I was transferred to another school, Highlands. This school is more familiar with autism than Badger. I wasn't much better at paying attention than Badger. I spent two years of first grade. This was a school of mixed feelings. It was because of my problems paying attention; my parents agreed with the teachers that the bugs were to blame. The bugs were bad and so was Mr. Peanutman. As with any bad thing, they had to be exterminated from my mind. It might have been possible for my parents and the teachers to use the insects as a motivational tool, and used them in my homework. Instead, they were banned. Aides in the classroom watched me carefully. I wasn't to draw any bugs, not even in art. I couldn't participate in any class activities that dealt with insects even though the objective was to help me pay attention in class.
Not all of Highlands was negative. I liked the school, in spite of the efforts to crush my interest in insects. The aid in my second year was very friendly, just like the rest of the class. She occasionally give me presents. Once I found a set of iridescent crayons in my crayon box that I was wanting. I had many friends and they didn't mind my strange interests. I lost Mr. Peanutman but not my fascination with insects.
Later I gained a new imaginary friend who was a revision of Mr. Peanutman. His name was Mr. White Sparkle Crystal. One of the saddest things for me at the time was leaving Highland. I had shown improvement and no longer seemed to need the school's help. My parents and I argued to stay, but the teachers convinced my parents into sending me back to Badger. That was sad, my last day. I cried. The classroom aid gave me a t-shirt with the signatures of the students and teachers of my class.
Going to Badger was difficult. The students, who once seemed friendly, became cruel. I had forgotten Mr. Peanutman, but they didn't. Throughout my three years of being in the school the kids picked on me. They became violent. On the bus they made votes to see who all hated me. During recess they ripped the hood of my coat. At home and the bus stops, they threw rocks at me. I found a few friends, but a lot of them betrayed me at school. I kept my interest in insects, in spite of the teasing. They couldn't stop me from drawing them in art. I loved art. I considered that my favorite subject. It was a refuge from the rest of the classes.
Around the end of third grade, I lost Mr. White Sparkle Crystal, Squeakything man, and their friends. I had a new sister, Mianna. I took to playing with her rather than Mr. White. I imagined him leaving to find new friends who would like him as much as I did.
Leaving Badger to move to West Allis was a big relief. I cheered as I left the doors to Badger the last time. I felt as if I had been raptured from a dungeon. I felt like it was a miracle. I could start anew in a different school in a different city.
Wilson was a different school in that there was a much larger building and more students. Wilson's three levels and staircases seemed to make the building a maze. I visualized it as a black walnut with many chambers. During recess I ran to the swings to imagine stories. I finished one in Badger and wanted to start a new series. I started developing a story called Tairrena and Me. I was a red ant and Tairrena a yellow jacket. Each recess I visualized new story scenes to keep from being bored.
Tairrena and I found new friends. Cairrena, another yellow jacket joined Tairrena and I along with two younger wasp children. Each day, the group of young insects sought out adventure and discoveries. My fifth grade teacher seemed very friendly to the class. She spoke sweetly and promised no homework on Fridays. She also had a sharp backside, though. She did not tolerate my disability.
She set my hand lotion at her desk and only let me put it on once or twice per day. She didn't quite understand that I needed the moisture on my hands to relieve me from the sticky, dry, feeling that I got after touching paper. She too did not like my characters. Often I brought miniature plastic animals with me to ease my tension.
I had names for the animals and made stories about them. The teacher took them away and threatened to keep them. Around Christmas there was a diary-writing contest. That started my writing Tairrena and Me. Up till then I was afraid of writing.
Drawing illustrations for the story boosted my art ability that was starting to form. I began to challenge myself and draw cartoons by pausing tapes in the VCR. I also drew realistic ants from a game manual and my pet characters by posing the plastic animals. The teacher liked my insect drawings. I often brought my Tairrena and Me stories to class. I wanted her to read them. One day after bringing my stories to the classroom, she told me not to bring Tairrena and Me to school again. That made me upset. I drew the characters whenever I had the time just to spite her. Although she didn't like my characters, she liked the drawings I gave her.
Another difficult point in my life was accepting the change from childhood to adolescence. To some students becoming an adult is exciting. For me it was scary. I resented the fact that my body was changing and feared the future. I visualized myself running on a conveyor belt backwards. I became angry and frustrated throughout the sixth grade. I hated wearing a harness that itched and pressed against my chest. My social worker set up rewards for a certain number of days she saw me wearing my bra.
Going to Frank Lloyd Wright was much better than I expected. I figured I would be picked on like Wilson and Badger. I would receive many detentions for not getting my work done like in sixth grade. I passed by easily with the help of an aide. She sat in some of my classrooms and recorded the assignments. She helped me move from class to class without being late. I also liked my art teacher. Instead of discouraging my bug interest, she encouraged it. She displayed my art in showcases in the hallways. Once she and I filled up a display case with my art. I was startled not only that I was able to get my work done, but that I also got A's and B's.
I and help me as I try to make it to college. That is a feat that my parents at one time thought I could never make. I made the honor roll, a feat I would have never thought I could make. I spoke at various conferences (national and state) about my autism and my experiences. Once a teacher from Badger was at a conference that I spoke at along with a panel of other people who also shared their school experiences and their autism. One trip, my dad encouraged me to go inside Badger and talk with some of the teachers. It was during recess, and I was able to talk with my third grade teacher. The students came in and complimented the drawing I held. I almost cried at the thought that once I was teased for my bug drawings.
Now is quite different from then. I still have autism, and I will have that for the rest of my life. Yet I have been able to make accomplishments great strides that I thought I could never make alone. I am so amazed that I have been able to make it to eleventh grade. I am not perfect. Please be patient with me.
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