A Mother’s Personal Story of a Vaccine Gone Wrong - Childhood vaccinations have become a routine part of our modern life, nearly eradicating many of history’s most deadly diseases. However, there is a spreading belief and some evidence that the vaccines that save us may also cause dangerous, life-long disorders, such as autism. In fact, some parents still choose not to vaccinate their children because they worry about the risks involved, even though the debated culprit – mercury - has been removed from most vaccines since 2001. The rising rates of autism are staggering and the medical field still struggles to find certain causes of this life-changing disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of autism is now 1 in 150 children and is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the country. From 1991-2004, in the state of Missouri alone, there was an 850% increase in the reported cases of autism. / Release

Abnormal neuroscience: Scanning psychopaths - Are their brains not wired to feel what others feel, or do they just not care? Alison Abbott joins researchers looking into normal neurobiology through the scope of psychopathy. It is a rare event that patient 13 is let out of the high security Dr S. van Mesdag Clinic in Groningen, the Netherlands, and he is making the most of the attention he is getting. To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right). [subscription]

Brain overgrowth linked with autism - A U.S. study suggested that brain overgrowth in 1-year-old children might contribute to the onset of autistic characteristics. That finding by researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center supported concurrent research that has found brain overgrowth in autistic children as young as 2 years. The lead investigator of the study, Dr. Joseph Piven, said behavioral studies of infants at high risk for autism suggest the onset of most behavioral symptoms defining autism also occur at about age one.

Chelation: Cure or Curse? - There's a controversial treatment some people believe helps ease the symptoms of autism. In the latest installment of our series "Combating Autism from Within," we take a look at Chelation - a practice that's designed to remove mercury from the body. "There is not a whole lot of what mainstream does basically. Most of it is behavioral treatments and basic therapies and speech therapies," said Dr. Charles Rudolph. "These are just sratching the surface. That is just the tip of the iceberg. They are trying to work with the end result of the problem and not trying to get to the cause of the problem." The search for an alternative to treat autism. It's part of our series "Combating Autism From Within."

Children's leads research for autism project - As researchers' understanding of autism deepens, a collaborative that includes Nationwide Children's Hospital is using $1.5 million from the federal government to make Ohio families a part of the research.  The funding was recently allocated in a Department of Defense appropriations bill for an autism registry and gene mapping research project that brings together Nationwide Children's, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Dayton Children's Hospital. The goal is to recruit families and enroll them in a registry that would be used to identify autism subgroups and conduct genetic research, said Dr. Gail Herman, director of the Center for Molecular and Human Genetics at the Nationwide Children's research institute.

Common children‘s vaccine recalled -  More than a million doses of a common vaccine given to babies as young as 2 months were being recalled Wednesday because of contamination risks, but the top U.S. health official said it was not a health threat. A shortage of the widely used vaccine appeared possible, though.  Drugmaker Merck & Co., which announced the recall after this week identifying a sterility problem in a Pennsylvania factory, said concerned parents should contact their child‘s doctor.  Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, echoed that in a news conference.  Merck produces about half of the nation‘s annual supply of 14 million doses of Hib vaccine. It said sample vials from the recalled lots, tested before shipment, were not found to be contaminated but the company was unable to assure sterility of the entire lots.  "Manufacture of vaccines is pretty complicated, and we have to basically make some changes in the process," then get approval from the Food and Drug Administration before resuming production and shipments, Kuter said. Merck hopes to restart production in the fourth quarter of 2008, she said.

Director Of Youth Theatre Arrested On Suspicion Of Rape - Benjamin Keylin, 57, has been charged with raping a friend’s daughter. Keylin, the executive director at Youth Theatre Northwest since 2003, allegedly raped an 18-year-old woman who has a mild form of autism, investigators said. According to detectives, Keylin raped the woman multiple times and at least one time at his own condominium. “It’s really surprising. I used to go to the Youth Theatre. It’s very uncomfortable,” Mercer Island resident Emily Weaver said. Investigators said Keylin began inappropriately touching the girl and then raped her. “The victims were not affiliated with the theater as far as we can tell,” Gregg Grannis with Bellevue police said. Police taped a conversation between Keylin and the victim on Dec. 6.

LOCKED UP FOR ASSAULT - "...Mr Bailey also explained how Melin suffers from Aspergers syndrome, a form of autism, which may cause him to act immaturely and to have a lack of empathy. However, one of the boys' mothers says she does not think that justifies what he did. She said: "I don't want people who have Aspergers syndrome to be given a bad name. This makes it look as though they may be sex offenders, but they are not. "It shouldn't be used as a get out of jail free card." Judge John Reddihough said: "These are three serious offences. I saw how upsetting it was for the boys to have to recall what you did to them. "That experience for those boys will last for a substantial period of time. "The court has to protect such young children from sex offences. "What you did to them is aggravated by what you made them do to each other."

Mom thanks community for finding child - A missing child is every parent's worst nightmare, and Sabrina Jarkowski of Vail was no exception last Thursday night when her 7-year-old son Reis could not be found. Reis, who suffers from autism, took off riding his bicycle early that evening Jarkowski said. "He took his stick and said he was going off to fight space aliens," she said. "He was gone and we couldn't find him. We started looking all over and asking the neighbors if they had seen him, and then we called the police." While the story ends happily -- Reis was found near the Del Lago housing development -- Jarkowski said she is appreciative of the community support. "When we asked our neighbors if they had seen them, they didn't just say no and go back to making dinner," Jarkowski said. "They came out and started looking for him as well."

My sister has MS and our parents can't cope / Mum and dad seem unable to come to terms with the diagnosis and extremely rapid progress of the illness - it's affecting how they relate to her  - My sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just over a year ago, during her first pregnancy. Her condition has deteriorated so rapidly that she is unable to walk or even feed herself. I give her and her husband as much support as I can, given the pressures of my own young family and my job, but she needs more than I can offer. The problem is that our parents are finding this very hard to deal with. My mother has reverted to calling her by her childhood pet name and my father can't even hug her when she cries. She dreads seeing them, but is dependent on them when carers are not available to look after her and her daughter, so that her husband can work. Both parents are more or less aware that their relationship with my sister is not good, but neither will consider talking to a professional about how they might act and think differently. How can I convince them that we all need help to deal with these new circumstances and that their practical help is useful, but that their emotional engagement and empathy would be almost more so?

Odgren case on schedule for Sept. trial -  John Odgren's murder case should be dismissed because of the way the prosecutor handled the grand jury, his lawyer said in a motion filed yesterday in Middlesex Superior Court. Jonathan Shapiro, Odgren's lawyer, said prosecutor Daniel Bennett should have allowed the grand jury to consider Odgren's special needs status and his other mental health issues when it was deciding to indict Odgren on murder charges. Odgren, 17, of Princeton is accused of stabbing James Alenson, 15, to death in a bathroom at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Jan. 19. Odgren has Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism, as well as hyperactivity disorder, but a Westborough State Hospital psychologist said he believed Odgren was fit to stand trial. "He (the psychologist) told them John Odgren's status as special needs or any of his diagnoses should be disregarded. We think the grand jury was entitled to consider this," said Shapiro after a hearing. "I have never seen a prosecutor, who presented the evidence of his medical records and school records (to the grand jury), and then say to disregard it."

With Relatives Like These ... - There are comedies of discomfort, and then there's Margot at the Wedding, Noah Baumbach's scalding followup to The Squid and the Whale. An immersion in sibling malice and simmering resentment, with one of the most infuriating characters in recent movies holding us under, Margot tramples the commandment that only the pure of heart and noble of deed are worth a viewer's scrutiny. Difficult as it might be to imagine a comedy that inflicts all the psychic torment of Cries and Whispers, Baumbach has pulled off a more psychologically acute — and funnier — version of the Bergman pastiches that Woody Allen attempted 30 years ago, with a jumpy, nerve-rattling rhythm all his own.

A school where autistic kids aren't alone - A charter school that will serve students with autism-spectrum disorders in grades 6 to 10 is being hailed as a haven for teens with special needs -- and their families. As her autistic daughter, now 14, has grown, so too has the loneliness: her daughter's loneliness in school, but also the parents' loneliness -- because having an autistic child can seem a solitary climb up a very long hill. "There's a lot of pain," Phillips said. Tired of it feeling alone and weary of years of pushing public schools to better educate their kids, a group of parents of autistic children is starting a charter school specifically for older students with the disorder. When Lionsgate Academy opens, scheduled for the fall of 2008, it will be the only public school in Minnesota -- and one of only a handful in the country -- designed for children with autism-spectrum disorders.

Dog helps boy with daily living - For a little boy with autism, life isn't easy.  But with the community's support, the life of Zach Coffey, 5, and his family has changed.  It was about a year ago that the Coffey family had to raise $12,000 to get an autism assistance dog.  Holly Coffey, Zach's mom, said area churches and businesses really pulled through, and the money was raised in about six weeks.

Lost boy killed playing on railway tracks in Essendon - A SEVEN-year-old boy playing under a railway station platform has been struck and killed by a train. The Essendon boy, believed to have autism, disappeared from his father's house about 7am yesterday still wearing his pyjamas.  He had wandered to the Strathmore railway station and was seen playing on the tracks when a city-bound V/Line express hit him.  The incident happened shortly before 8am, minutes after the boy's father contacted police to report him missing.  An elderly man on a morning walk saw the boy on the tracks and warned him to get back on the platform.  He noticed the train approaching and frantically tried to warn the driver to stop.  "He was walking along the railway lines. I actually saw him on the line and I thought, well you know, he shouldn't be on the line," Ian said.

New Jersey Parents Object First-in-Nation Vaccine Mandates - Parents worrying about possible negative effects of the flu shots are trying to block New Jersey from becoming the first state to introduce flu shots for preschoolers. The decision is to be made by the Public Health Council on Monday. If approved, New Jersey would become the first state to require annual flu shots for children in licensed preschools or day care centers. Moreover, health officials want to introduce, as obligatory, other three vaccines: a booster shot to fight whooping cough for sixth-graders, a meningitis vaccine for children aged 11 (and above) and a pneumococcal vaccine for preschoolers. According to deputy health Commissioner Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, the vaccines have already been approved by the state health department and Gov. Jon S. Corzine. The final decision belongs to the Public Health Council on Monday. Dr Bresnitz assured everyone that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had licensed the new vaccines, saying they should become compulsory for children in preschools and day care centers. In addition to the CDC, other medical organizations recommended the new vaccines, the American Academy of Pediatrics numbering among them.

The school that gives lessons in how to play with the autistic - Ten-year-old Francesca Winful seems distracted. She is darting between a computer screen and the table where Anya, her younger sister, is waiting quietly for her to return to the board game they are playing.  Only the occasional request for a hug or high-five from Anya, 7, draws her back. And then off she goes again, back into her own world, impervious to her mother’s gentle coaxing.  Francesca, like 90,000 other school-age children in the country, suffers from autism. She goes to Treehouse School, in North London, which was set up ten years ago by parents dissatisfied with the provision for autistic children in mainstream schools. The parents’ determination and hard work has led to the school growing from a single room in a Swiss Cottage library to a nationwide charity.  The school has already revolutionised the teaching of autistic children. Now it is turning its attention to the overlooked victims — the brothers and sisters — by organising an initiative to help them relate to their autistic siblings.

Autism: The Musical - DIRECTOR: Tricia Regan  ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: Documentarian Regan's work includes 1996's "A Leap of Faith" and 2004's "Soldier's Pay."  FINANCING: Pic was initially funded by private nonprofit group In Effect Films, then acquired by Bunim-Murray toward the end of shooting  THEME: The film follows the stories of five autistic children and their parents as the kids write, rehearse and perform an original musical in Los Angeles under the guidance of drama teacher Elaine Hall, whose son is among the five. VARIETY REVIEW SAYS: "Eloquently attesting to the transformative power of theater, 'Autism: The Musical'... proves as riveting as it is revelatory."

Chief scientist's blast over GM and triple vaccine - The BBC's Today programme and the Daily Mail have been attacked by the Government's chief scientific adviser.  Sir David King criticised the two news outlets for their coverage of genetically-modified food and the MMR vaccine.  In one of his final public appearances before stepping down from his post, he also warned that homeopathic medicine was putting lives at risk.  Speaking before the Commons Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee, Sir David said Britain's failure to embrace GM crops had cost the economy up to £4billion.  Singling out John Humphrys, the main presenter of Radio Four's Today for particular criticism, he described coverage of the controversial issue as "a massive shot in the foot for the UK economy".  Sir David, who became chief scientist in 2000, said the Daily Mail had waged a "brilliant campaign" against GM food.

Climbing wall a hit in sensory room -- Ted Halls - a.k.a. Master Spider-man - is battling stage fright, reluctant to demonstrate the prowess on the classroom's climbing wall that has earned him the nickname. After some gentle coaxing from teacher Sharlyne Cheung, the 12-year-old effortlessly scales to the top of the 2.4-metre wall, then looks over his shoulder in triumph. The climbing wall is part of the new sensory room at King Edward School, the young boy part of the school's program for children with autism.

Column — John Nash — New coach wants to feel the noise again - Tim Tallcouch took in a basketball game at the Wilton Field House last season and was shocked at what he found.  It was so quiet, in fact, that you could almost hear an air ball groan as it plummeted back to the earth after missing his mark. This was not the Wilton Field House Tallcouch remembered. He had been here previously, back a couple of decades earlier when Wilton hosted the FCIAC basketball championships. To this day, he remembers what that was like, walking into the cavernous barn and feeling the electricity "Oh my God, it was as though you were in a college atmosphere," Tallcouch said. "The place was absolutely jammed. It's the only high school gym I know where fans can sit behind the backboards and the student sections would just go nuts. It was crazy." Tallcouch returned to Wilton in the 1990s, as an assistant coach with Westhill and he still found the place a daunting place for an opponent to play.

Computer addiction 'a growing problem' - Tom Wood was always irritable, tired and not interested in anything but his "bloody computer", his father Ray Wood said. It was not until Mr Wood smashed Tom's keyboard into 100 pieces that the 16-year-old schoolboy realised he had an obsessive dependency - computer addiction. According to Tom, a recent study showed that about 30 per cent of Australian children are addicted to the internet. But recent stories of children hiding with laptops under their doonas to avoid the wrath of their parents indicate that the modern day problem is growing by the minute. Melbourne psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack says that as a conservative guess, 50 per cent of her clients suffer from computer addiction, with some staying up until 4am to feed their obsession. "I have clients who hide under their doonas with their laptops," Ms McCormack said.

Consumer genomics Taking your genes in hand - GENETIC testing promises a lot. In particular, it promises to tell people things ranging from their risks of developing ailments as diverse as heart disease, cancer and autism to how much coffee they can safely drink. It also promises a lucrative market for those doing the testing. Single-gene tests, such as those for particular forms of genes that predispose people to breast cancer, have been available for a while. This year, however, has seen the arrival of commercial versions of techniques that can sample a person's entire genetic make-up, and do so in a way that will enable him to benefit from future discoveries as well as existing knowledge.  In many cases, knowing the risk will also allow (and might, indeed, encourage) someone to modify his behaviour to avoid a disease he is at risk of—or, failing that, to mitigate its consequences. Nevertheless, concerns are being raised about the accuracy of some tests now on the market, and also their usefulness when the results are supplied direct to consumers, rather than with professional medical advice.

Dreaming on - It's OK for Shannon and Barbara Gaither to dream again. When their boy, Scottie, was diagnosed with severe autism at age 2, the mother says the hopes and dreams the couple had for their last child and only son "seemed to be crashing down." "I was devastated," she said. "I pictured him never being able to do anything." Scottie, 8, is now in the second grade but reads at close to a fourth-grade level. He can rapidly solve multiplication problems in his head that would send many a high school student scurrying to a calculator. There is hope now of a bright future for Scottie. Much of the credit, his parents insist, goes to the job done by workers at Easter Seals. And Easter Seals has taken notice of Scottie's success. The River Road Elementary School student has been named the 2008 National Child Representative for the organization. People across the country will be seeing Scottie on billboards, in videos and commercials. He has already been a guest of honor in Washington, and flights to Orlando, Fla., Las Vegas and Chicago are on tap for the youth and his family.

Embracing the face of autism: Are we ready? - While speaking in Iowa on Nov. 24, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged that, as president, she will help autistic families by boosting funding for research and education to $700 million annually and fully fund the Combating Autism Act of 2006, which she had sponsored. While Clinton’s promises are commendable, they don’t go far enough to help the many adults already living with autistic spectrum disorders. Because we don’t fit in, we often fall through the cracks and are ignored by most of society.  The adult autistic population is about to explode. Each year, about 25,000 children are diagnosed with various ASDs (autism spectrum disorders). The number of diagnosed cases has risen exponentially, from one in 10,000 in 1993 to just one in 150 in 2007. Children with autism grow up and become adults with autism. Are we as a society ready to embrace them?    Most people in America still don’t understand autism. Many think of the movie “Rain Man” or of autistic savants. In truth, most of us are not savants. And our IQs can range from genius through average to impaired.

HILLSBORO: $8000 raised for autism research - The Hillsborough's Hope fund-raising team has raised more than $8,000 at its basket auction event last month for autism research. The basket auction held on Nov. 30 at the North Branch Firehouse raised money for the national organization --Autism Speaks. Hillsborough resident Greg Gillette and his wife, Patty, the Hillsborough Hope team's captain, have been involved for about four years in Autism Speaks and said the national organization has allowed them to gain support from other parents. The couple has a son, who has been diagnosed with autism. Gillette, one of the event's organizers, said Hillsborough businesses made generous donations of food and merchandise -- more than 200 gift baskets were up for auction -- ranging in value from $25 to $2,000. "This event could not have happened without the support of the businesses," Gillette said.

Homeopathic remedies 'put lives at risk' - The Government's chief scientific adviser gave warning yesterday that people who use homeopathic medicines could be putting their lives at risk. Sir David said homeopathy was of no medical use whatsoever Sir David King said homeopathy was of no medical use whatsoever and that those who trusted it to cure serious health problems could be causing themselves more harm than good. He also told MPs that the Department of Health was wrong to support the use of the alternative medicine and said there was no evidence that it worked. Sir David, who was speaking to MPs on the innovation, universities and skills select committee, said: "There is not one jot of evidence supporting the notion that homeopathic medicines are of any assistance whatsoever. "Therefore, I would say they are a risk to the population because people may take them expecting they are dealing with a serious problem." He also voiced concern that the Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority allowed homeopaths to state on labels what ailments their remedies would treat.

Missing Protein May Be Key To Autism - A missing brain protein may be one of the culprits behind autism and other brain disorders, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report in the Dec. 6 issue of Neuron. The protein helps synapses develop. Synapses--through which neurons communicate with one other-underlie our ability to learn and remember. Now Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, has uncovered an enzyme that is key to that protein's activity. Synapses are complex structures consisting of ion channels, receptors and intricate protein complexes that all work together to send and receive signals. Improperly formed synapses could lead to mental retardation, and mutations in genes encoding certain synaptic proteins are associated with autism.

MMR: Parents do it for themselves - Advocates of childhood immunisation consistently argue that there is no evidence to suggest that vaccines are dangerous. Claims that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine in particular causes autism has never been established. In fact, they say, every study has shown conclusvely there is no causal link. Most of the studies 'proving' the safety of vaccines have tended to be small - often involving hundreds of children - and over quite short time frames. So a group of parents in the USA have got together to do the job properly. Generation Rescue has been formed by parents whose children have been diagnosed with neurological disorders - and, as concerned parents, they want to know why.

Missing Protein May Be Key To Autism - A missing brain protein may be one of the culprits behind autism and other brain disorders, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report in the Dec. 6 issue of Neuron. The protein helps synapses develop. Synapses--through which neurons communicate with one other-underlie our ability to learn and remember. Now Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, has uncovered an enzyme that is key to that protein's activity. Synapses are complex structures consisting of ion channels, receptors and intricate protein complexes that all work together to send and receive signals. Improperly formed synapses could lead to mental retardation, and mutations in genes encoding certain synaptic proteins are associated with autism.

Researchers use stem cels to diagnose diseases - University of Wisconsin researchers have successfully used human embryonic stem cells to diagnose diseases and predict the effects of certain drugs in the human body. UW biologist Gabriela Cezar led a team of scientists that reported the use of stem cells to identify chemicals that can be used to predict disease, comparable to how high concentrations of sugar in the blood can forecast heart disease or diabetes. “We’re measuring active metabolites produced by the cells in response to an insult,” Cezar said. “These are de facto signatures of what is happening in response to a drug or a disease state.”

Sacks Discovers Harmony In Music and Mind - You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that music is a wonderful thing. But being a neuroscientist might help, at least according to Oliver Sacks. Sacks, it’s true, is no ordinary scientist, and his latest collection of essays, “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” is not simply a dry scientific exploration of the connection between neurology and music, as we might expect from other scientists-turned-writers. Rather, it is an original, elegantly crafted, and inspiring investigation of the distinctly human obsession with all things musical. “What an odd thing it is,” Sacks writes, “to see an entire species—billions of people—playing with, listening to, meaningless tonal patterns, occupied and preoccupied for much of their time by what they call ‘music.’” Sacks tries to get to the root of this peculiarity by bringing us into the eccentric, sometimes tragic, and sometimes moving world that he first introduced in books like “Awakenings” and “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” a world populated by Sacks’s patients, many of whom have neurological disorders like amnesia, Parkinson’s, Tourette’s, aphasia, and autism. Sacks believes that through the experience of these patients we can witness, in its most basic forms, the “wonderful machinery” that gives rise to human beings’ love of music.

Santa Monica Teen Named CNN “Heroes” Finalist - Santa Monica High School student Josh Miller was one of three teens named CNN Heroes finalists in the "Young Wonder" category for his work on easing racial tensions after his friend Eddie Lopez was killed in a drive-by shooting. Miller, 17, established the "Resilient Youth Foundation," a student-run nonprofit group dedicated to motivating high school students of all backgrounds to succeed in school and in life, according to CNN. Selected from thousands nominated online as ordinary people whose work has had an extraordinary impact on the lives of others, Miller was acknowledged during "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," a live global telecast that aired Thursday.

Sensory playground helps special needs children connect with the world - Ted Halls -- a.k.a. Master Spider-man -- is battling stage fright, reluctant to demonstrate the prowess on the classroom's climbing wall that has earned him the nickname. After some gentle coaxing from teacher Sharlyne Cheung, the 12-year-old effortlessly scales to the top of the 2.4-metre wall, then looks over his shoulder in triumph. The climbing wall is part of the new sensory room at King Edward School, the young boy part of the school's program for children with autism.

Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity - For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to predict the toxic effects of drugs and provide chemical clues to diagnosing disease.  Microscopic view of neural precursor cells from the research lab of Gabriela Cezar,UW-Madison professor of animal science. The cells were derived from human embryonic stem cells and were exposed to a drug known to cause autism in a small percentage of cases. By assessing the small-molecule chemicals expressed by the cells when they are exposed to the drug, scientists can gain fundamental insight into the toxic effects of drugs on cells in development.  Writing this week in the journal Stem Cells and Development, a team led by UW-Madison biologist Gabriela Cezar reports the use of all-purpose stem cells to elicit and identify the telltale chemical signals secreted by the cells when exposed to a drug known to cause autism.  The work is important because it is a critical first step toward fulfilling the promise of embryonic stem cells not only to screen drugs for safety but one day, possibly, to use the cells themselves as crucibles for making new drugs. What's more, the work shows that stem cells have an immediate clinical application as they generate chemicals, biomarkers, that can be used to predict the onset of disease, much like cholesterol or sugar in the blood can be used to forecast heart disease or diabetes.

Studying twins and identity - When identical twins Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein finally met for the first time at age 35, they both said the same thing. It wasn't so much like seeing a mirror image, but like finding someone who'd lived a different life in your body.  Both women had the same delicate wrists and rounded hips, the same allergy to sulfa drugs. Both had studied film theory in college and had made a short film. But Paula was married with a baby, favored lightened, feminine curls, and drank cosmopolitans. Her sister lived alone, colored her hair a sultry dark brunette, and preferred scotch.

Therapy Options for Children With Autism - Autism is a brain disorder that begins in early childhood and affects communication, social interaction and creative skills. No treatment has been found to help all people with autism, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. But the agency suggests options that may benefit many autistic people

Top advisor hits out over MMR & GM foods - The Government's top scientific advisor Sir David King has lashed out at the media for scaring parents over the MMR injection and GM foods. Focussing particularly on the Daily Mail and BBC Radio 4's Today programme for criticism, Sir David told MPs on the Innovation, Universities and Skills select committee that negative publicity over MMR could lead to the deaths of between 50-100 children. He also said the ongoing campaign against genetically modified food has cost the UK economy between two and four billlion pounds. Sir David singled out Today presenter John Humphrys over his persistent attacks on GM food, saying 'What a massive shot in the foot that was for the UK economy.'

Vaccines, Mercury, And Autism - The Weinmaster family shares their growing concern about vaccines and their link to autism.  The Weinmasters are a football family at heart that are tackling the biggest problem in their lives by combating autism for their youngest son Adam. "Not having a third one being able to participate in a sport that the other two love to do and something that I have the opportunity to do.. It's hard," said Adam's father, Kerry. The Weinmasters have three boys.

Warning: Lead Poisoning Or Autism? - LEAD POISONING: Lead is a heavy metal that has very negative effects on the brain. It is particularly dangerous for young children because a developing brain is more sensitive to lead exposure than a fully developed brain. Years ago lead was the leading cause of mental retardation. But since the 70’s, lead-based paint was no longer used in homes and the number of kids with lead exposure decreased. In the 90’s, doctors stopped doing universal checks for lead in the blood, since the exposure was not as common. A blood test can determine if a child has lead in their body, however, sometimes if the lead has been in the body for awhile, the lead can move into the bones and tissue and will not show up on a blood test.

Warning of 'real risk' to local autism services - RECENT controversies over the Highland Council's alleged lack of support for Caithness children with autism are expected to be raised at a public meeting in Thurso on Monday evening. The forum gives an opportunity to parents to air concerns they might have about the local authority's service to all children with disabilities. Marlyn Campbell, the council's co-ordinator for disability services, is getting feedback from around the region as part of a wide-ranging review. Katrina Gordon, secretary of Caithness Autism Parents' Support Group, yesterday urged parents to make their voices heard to ensure their children get the support they need and deserve. Her group has been active in highlighting grievances about the council's performance in supporting youngsters in the Far North who have autistic conditions.

Woman entrepreneur enchants university students - Accomplished Qatari woman entrepreneur Sheikha Hanadi Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani stole the minds and hearts of students at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar during an inspirational talk recently where she unveiled her path to success and fame.  "Could I have done it without my education? Could I have done it if I accepted the norms of society?" asked Sheikha Hanadi.  Sheikha Hanadi is the Founder and Chairperson of Amwal, the first licensed investment bank in Qatar. She is also CEO of Al Waab City Real Estate, a major integrated development project, and Deputy CEO of Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani & Sons Group.  She credits much of her success to the role of H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned in creating a more open society. "If we did not have the role of Sheikha Mozah in Qatar, you would not see any of the ladies around you. This acceptance came from a role model who has started everything," she said.

A guide to toys that help disabled kids - Thanksgiving is barely a memory when Carla Edwards morphs into a veritable Santa's helper. Parents and grandparents never fail to quiz the board-certified behavioral analyst and administrative director of Dallas-based Behavioral Innovations Inc. about toys that make great gifts for disabled children.  For a parent who has watched dozens of toys over the years fail to engage a child who has autism, cerebral palsy or any other developmental disorder, holiday shopping can take on a particularly challenging dimension.  "I always tell them that it's best to start with what you know your child loves," she says. "But you want to expand on that, too. When I'm buying toys for our use in therapy, I try to find items with different components. So if it plays music, I want it to play more than one song. Or I want to see different-colored buttons. I look for anything that can help us use the toy to teach."

Adjusting, accepting Abe's autism -  After already having two children, Lori and Todd Lotz knew what to expect developmentally from their third child.  Aubrey and Paige, born a year apart, reached their developmental milestones ahead of Abe, who was born a few years after Paige.  For the first 18 months or so, everything seemed fine. Abe was a late talker, but they figured it wasn't a big deal because Lori's younger brother was and they thought Todd might've been too.  Then Lori and Todd started noticing little things that seemed different, like their son not responding when his name was called, and they were concerned about his hearing.

Advocates will join panel on autism research - Advocates who believe vaccines may cause autism will join mental health professionals and neurologists on a new federal panel to coordinate autism research and education, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department said. Parents of children with autism and a writer who has an autism spectrum disorder will also be on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, HHS said. "The committee's first priority will be to develop a strategic plan for autism research that can guide public and private investments to make the greatest difference for families struggling with autism," said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute for Mental Health and the chairman of the new committee. The committee was authorized under the Combating Autism Act of 2006. The U.S. government has been under pressure to step up research on autism, which can severely disable a child by interfering with speech and behavior.

America's Next Top Model: Dude, Where's My Car? - I don’t feel it’s a modeling competition anymore, I feel it’s a personality competition and that pisses me off. ANTM Contestant Jenah. You’re preaching to the choir, girl. It’s a brand new ANTM and we start off with the usual paranoia and fear that the Tyrant instills in people. Heather is worried because she is different from the other girls. Did you know she has Asberger’s, a mild form of autism? Apparently she does! Jenah hates the fact that modeling has very little to do with the competition. I do too. Saleisha is taking over for Mila by being annoyingly cheerful.  Tyra Mail! The chicas are going on go-sees. In a different country. Where they don’t speak the language. Surely this will go well. The girls are met by short little squat Susan Yang who informs them that cars will take them to the general area where a designer is located and then the girls must find the office from there. And they have to be back by 6:00pm or get disqualified. Y’all know the drill. Saleisha visits her first go-see and is correctly pegged as ‘dull’. Halleluiah, preaching again! Heather gets dropped off and promptly gets lost. Chantel forgot to not be slutty and wears pink underwear, instead of nude. One of the designers thinks that Jenah looks like Christy Turlington despite the blonde rat that died on her head. Heather finally makes it a go-see and doesn't 'go-see' in that she makes no eye contact. We get a sour designer named Flora who hates everyone. Saleisha kisses designer butt, then Chantel makes fun of her and promptly.... kisses designer butt.  Heather loses her car and driver. Ten bucks says the producers paid the driver to move it.

Cognitive neuroscience may hold the key to combating overeating ... - The Wales Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience was officially launched last week. Donna Pierz-Fennell explains how the institute will benefit both patients and Wales’ growing reputation for cutting-edge research WALES is not only a place of fabulous scenery and vibrant culture – it is also becoming increasingly known as an incubator for world-class brain research. Although the country may be small in size, its universities have developed three of the top psychology departments in Europe, which are home to more than 250 academics and researchers and have brought in approximately £11m in grants in the last three years. To further capitalise on these strengths, the Welsh Assembly Government recently decided to invest more than £5m to establish the new multi-centre Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (WICN).

Fever Improves Autism - Children with autism appear to improve when they have a fever, according to intriguing new research that could lead to a better understanding of the disorder.  Fever was associated with less hyperactivity, improved communication, and less irritability in the study involving children with autism and related disorders anecdotal reports of improvements in autism symptoms related to fever have circulated for years, but the research represents the first scientific investigation into the observed association.  While kids with autism might be expected to be calmer and less hyperactive when they have fevers, the improvement in communication and socialization seen in the study suggests that fever directly affects brain function, pediatric neurologist Andrew Zimmerman, MD, of Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute, tells WebMD.  "The improvement in symptoms may mean the underlying wiring of the brain (of an autistic child) develops more normally than we have thought," he says, adding that the problem may lie with the connections within the brain responsible for sending information.

Hacker's family feeling hounded - The Whitianga teenager under investigation over a $26 million international cyber crime ring has fled the town with his family to attend his grandmother's funeral. Eighteen-year-old Owen Walker, who is believed by police to have masterminded the "bot-net" ring which brought down more than one million computers, was not at the family home this morning. The Waikato Times understands intense interest in the case drove the family, including Mr Walker's younger brother, out of town a day earlier than planned for tomorrow's funeral. Mr Walker's parents Billy and Shell Moxham-Whyte, who own Whitianga's Paradise Cabs, reportedly said they had no idea of their eldest son's alleged involvement in the computer hacking ring. Mrs Moxham-Whyte said her son was an intelligent boy who had loved computers from a young age, but that the family had been advised not to speak publicly. Mr Walker, who has asperger's syndrome, one of several autism spectrum disorders characterised by difficulties in social interaction, was taken from his home and questioned last week by police in an investigation involving New Zealand police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Dutch authorities.

Hacker mastermind has Asperger syndrome - A NEW ZEALAND teenager, who is accused of being the hacker genius behind a botnet gang, suffers from Asperger syndrome according to his mum. According to the New Zealand Herald, Owen Walker, 18, suffers from the mild form of autism, which is which is often characterised by social isolation but great intelligence. The teen lives in Whitianga, which is a pretty, but fairly rural part of the universe. Not surprisingly Walker's school mates were understanding about his condition in that way that kids usually are about such matters, resulting in him leaving school in year nine. Walker's mum, Shell Moxham-Whyte, said she had no idea her son was allegedly involved in the international hacking group known as the A-Team. He has been cooperating with police after being located as part of Operation Bot Roast launched by the FBI in June to counter the growing threat from botnets. Detective Inspector Peter Devoy said Walker has not been arrested or charged for his alleged part in the crime.

How the peanut butter dentist spreads smiles - What kind of dentist uses peanut butter instead of toothpaste? Or strokes the side of your face with the toothbrush rather than put it in your mouth?  Wendy Bellis is not your bog-standard dentist, but then neither are her patients - she is one of the world’s foremost experts on treating children with autism.  “No child likes having their teeth brushed, but imagine what it’s like going to the dentist if you have extreme oral hypersensitivity, or you are terrified of new things?” said Ms Bellis, the dentist for TreeHouse, the charity The Times is supporting in this year’s Christmas appeal.  In other words, autistic children, while different from the rest of us, share a universal human condition: they hate going to the dentist - just they really hate it.  It was, until Ms Bellis started her pioneering work, an overlooked but very distressing side effect of the condition.

Kuwait marks World Day for the Disabled - Sheraton Kuwait Hotel organized an event yesterday at the Khalifa School for Special Needs wherein they celebrated International Day for the Disabled. The event was attended by Area Director and General Manager of Sheraton Kuwait Fahad Al-Shaer, Public Relations Manager at Sheraton Kuwait Caroline Zaher, and the Principal and Director of Khalifa School for Special Needs Humra Khan. The students enjoyed an exciting program of games and music and enjoyed dancing and playing with clowns which were  contributed by Fantasy Group Co.

Men have a biological clock, too - Women in their late thirties hoping to have children know they need to hurry Their chances of conceiving fall rapidly after age 40. But are there age limits for men, too? At 40 and hoping to have her first child, Lisa Miller hears her biological clock ticking.  "You almost want to hurry up, let's go and get started and move forward," said Mrs. Miller.  Her husband Gary, on the other hand, isn't concerned. He is 57.  "Honestly, I never really worried about it," he said. Well, maybe he should. Though the conventional wisdom is men can have children well into old age, a new medical consensus is emerging: Time waits for no man.

Monologue from Imus broadcast - Shock jock Don Imus' monologue as he returned to the airwaves Monday morning during a live broadcast on WABC-AM: "In thinking about what happened -- and most of you know I haven't talked to anyone and didn't see any point in going on some sort of Larry King tour to offer a bunch of lame excuses for making essentially a reprehensible remark about innocent people who did not deserve to be made fun of -- I think what happened is about what should have happened.

Psychiatric Medication Treatment Guidelines For Preschoolers Issued - The number of preschool-age children being treated with stimulants, antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs is on the rise, despite limited research and a lack of clinical practice guidelines. In a first step toward standardizing treatment approaches, child mental health professionals from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center and 11 other institutions have developed recommendations for specific disorders to help clinicians who are considering medications for children ages 3 to 6. These guidelines from the Preschool Psychopharmacology Working Group -- which includes clinicians and researchers in early childhood psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacology, general and behavioral pediatrics, neurodevelopmental processes, and clinical psychology -- are published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. / Release

REVIEW | The Kid Is Alright: Jennifer Venditti's "Billy the Kid" - Like its protagonist, Jennifer Venditti's acclaimed documentary "Billy the Kid" is both pretty hard to dislike and difficult to parse. It's already scooped up awards at Edinburgh, Los Angeles, and South by Southwest film festivals, and it's easy to see why: this compelling, ingratiating portrait of some days in the life of a charming and troubled fifteen-year-old New Englander, with its canny intimacy and sharp editing, manages to be up-close-and-personal as well as safely discreet. Venditti, following around the not-quite-outcast teenager Billy verite-style, is inoffensive in her intrusion, yet also manages to make the boy a compelling screen presence. What the film lacks in painful revelation it makes up for in the way it avoids exploiting its subject; and, refreshingly, in these days when most documentaries seem couched in meta-commentary, the film never falls back on the crutch of having the filmmaker's ethical dilemma as a pivotal plot thrust.

Sexual Assault Trial Begins Today - The trial for the convicted rapist accused of trying to rape a nine-year-old girl with autism begins Wednesday.  Officials say 57-year-old Herbert Bliss was caught sexually assaulting the girl when her mother returned unexpectedly.  The girl's mother had left her with Bliss while she was running errands. Bliss lived in the home with the victim, who still wears diapers and can only speak six words.  Court papers say Bliss removed the girl's diaper and tried to kiss her on the lips.

Teenager pleads guilty to spate of burglaries - "...The boy's defence lawyer said that within the space of three weeks, the boy had been involved in some significant offending. She said the teenager, who has autism, effectively went along and did what he was told. "In no way is it suggested that the defendant was the principal offender, that he was the brains of the operation," she said The matter was adjourned until early February so a pre-sentence report could be prepared.

The bad boy is back - Radio host Don Imus returned to the airwaves yesterday with an opening statement full of contrition and a roster of guests who were willing to forgive. The host of the Imus in the Morning show was fired in April from his jobs at CBS Radio and MSNBC after calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos.” It wasn’t the first time that racial slurs had been made on his show. The Rutgers team was front and center in Imus’ opening statement yesterday morning, delivered live at New York’s Town Hall. His nationally syndicated show, on Citadel Broadcasting, is now carried locally on WSKO, 790 AM, weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m..

The March of Science / A fool throws a rock off a cliff and a thousand wise men cannot raise it. Cypriot proverb -  In 1998, the British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, MB, BS, FRCS, FRCPath, and his colleagues published an article in the Lancet on an association between enterocolitis and autism and suggested that it was related to measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.¹ Panic ensued. Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination rates fell, and Britain experienced a rise in cases of measles. The study by Wakefield and colleagues had many flaws, as subsequent researchers pointed out, and several other well-conducted analyses have since failed to find any link at all.² In addition, there were serious allegations about the ethics and methods of the study.³ In 2004, 10 of the 13 authors of the 1998 Lancet article retracted the interpretation of the data.⁴

Toys can be toxic - Steelworkers across Canada, have mounted a campaign against toxic toy imports and other products from countries like China where safety regulations are lax. Local 6500 Steelworkers warned parents Monday morning at Jubilee Family Resources Centre to be careful when buying products made offshore everywhere from discount stores to higher end businesses. “Products like toy animals contaminated with lead, lead laced vinyl bibs, lead painted wooden trains, poisoned pet foods, even tainted tooth paste are flooding in from offshore countries. First we workers lost our jobs to them now they are coming back with cheap products that can be harmful to our children, even adults,” said Lynne Descary-Parker, co-chair of the Women's Committee of Local 6500.

Tricky condition can be difficult to diagnose, treat -  Learning your child has an autistic spectrum disorder can be devastating for a parent.  "Loss of dreams of graduation and marriage can be hard to deal with," said Dr. Robert Greene, a pediatrician through Holy Family Memorial's Lakeshore Pediatrics office on Michigan Avenue.  Most of the time, "a diagnosis is a double-edged sword," Greene said. "On one hand it's a painful diagnosis, but on the other you knew something was happening and it can almost be a relief to know what it is."  Parents often notice signs by about 18 months to 2 years of age, he said. A toddler might not look at a parent or respond when being spoken to, among other symptoms.  Concerns are often brought up in a routine visit to the doctor, Greene noted.  A doctor also might notice some of the symptoms at a regular appointment, said Dr. Surinder Rajpal, a pediatrician at Aurora Health Care.

Virginia family to get new home from 'Extreme Makeover' - A Virginia family will get a new home next week, courtesy of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”  The Lucas family of Cullen, about three hours west of Hampton Roads, near Farmville, learned Monday that they would be featured on the show. A new house will be built for the family and revealed to them next Monday.  According to the Web site of the builder, Ken Broad­water Homes, Michael Lucas is 37 and is serving in Iraq with the National Guard. The Web site says that Lucas had begun building his family a home but couldn’t complete it before going overseas. Lucas and his wife, Jean, 33, have two children, ages 11 and 7. The younger one has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the Web site. Jean Lucas and the children will be sent to Disney World in Florida while the house is being built, the Web site says. No air date has been set for the episode featuring the Lucases.