Discussing Autism

A mom and her autistic toddler were thrown off a plane. Is it a big deal? In my mind…yes. But I don’t know what is right in this situation. There are several versions of this story but most state that it all started when the flight attendant requested that the mother move the carry-on bag from under the seat to the overhead compartment.

The mother stated that the flight attendant made matters worse when she continued to touch the child. Read the rest of this entry »

Camp started this past Monday and AJ, my overstimulated one, is, of course, overstimulated. So, what is a Mommy to do?

Routine and schedules are such a part of his life that whenever he gets out of that routine he gets overwhelmed, stressed out, and aggressive. He not only must live by routine and structure but he also must have structure in his environment. His home must be organized and in the same patterns, same flow, and he must be able to find everything in the same place everyday.
Read the rest of this entry »

A hawk is a bird of prey, meaning that they hunt for their food using their keen senses. Bullies do the same thing; they hunt for the easiest target using their keen senses, the ones they have refined and nurtured, honed for years.

The prey is not always the weakest in the forest though but sometimes it may be the target that is most susceptible, the most unsuspecting, and the most easy to target. Read the rest of this entry »

Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants. – John W. Gardner

Who ever thought that super soakers could be used for cleaning? Yeah, me either. AJ’s aunt just gave him a fabulous Squirt Fun Water Gun for his birthday. She actually gave him two so that we could play with him. He has more fun when one of us plays with the hose but the point is that he loves it. Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, I know that I am a bit late with this type of post but better late than never, right? These famous fathers have teed up, suited up, shot goals, field goals, and hatricks for their sons and their disabilities. They have proudly displayed ribbons, buttons, pins, and raised money for foundations like Autism Speaks and Athletes Against Autism. Read the rest of this entry »

According to Jenny McCarthy her son, Evan, has officially been undiagnosed with autism. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, a Fox News Host who interviewed McCarthy regarding the Green our Vaccines rally that took place in Washington D.C. June 6.

VAN SUSTEREN: How old is Evan?
Read the rest of this entry »

I have been a charter member of Trusera since this past March. The Seattle-based Trusera is an invitation only network of people who care about health. The site works to connect people who have “been there” and “done that” and helps to inform people who are searching for quality information.

I know that when I started my search for information about AJ I came across so much junk that I had a difficult time sorting through everything. However, like Trusera’s founder’s believe, I believe that if I had people to guide me with their stories, with their information I would have spent much less time shifting through the Internet and much more time finding answers.

Monday, Trusera announced that it is officially public. Focusing on social networking and story telling, Trusera is hoping to help people glean knowledge from one another’s experiences and be able to ask questions about their own health issues.

“‘The power of been there’”–the site’s motto–”is a real rallying cry for us,” says founder Keith Schorsch, a former senior executive at Amazon. “Everyone has a health story. What we want to do is combine the power of those stories in an individual, and also collectively powerful, way.”

Schorsh believes in the power of “been there, done that” because he actually lived it. In 2004 a dozen doctors failed to diagnose his Lyme’s disease. A friend did instead.

So, are you ready to join in to one of the biggest new social networks; A network unlike all of the other mommy networks, a network that you can talk about health issues instead of laundry detergents, a network where you can write candidly about your mammogram, a network where you can talk to men, women, grandparents, singles, and same sex couples about your child’s heart murmur?

The Trusera team, a world class team of engineers from companies like Amazon.com, Starbucks, Expedia, Vonage, and Vignette, is ready to welcome you to the newest health network on the Internet.

I know that I love conversing with people like me…I am sure that you will too.

To get to Trusera just click on this link.
http://www.trusera.com/group_invitations/autism-community

Read more:
Trusera Press Release

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=868779

Marketwire, 6/16/08

Trusera Health Network Matches Based on Amazon Recommendations

http://mashable.com/2008/06/16/trusera/

Mashable |Kristen Nicole - 6/16/08

Additional Pickup:

* Moraaz.org, 6/16/08: http://en.moraaz.org/trusera-health-network-matches-based-on-amazon-recommendations/

Learning about Health with new Seattle startup, Trusera.com

http://blog.teachstreet.com/2008/06/16/learning-about-health-with-new-seattle-startup-truseracom/

TeachStreet | 6/16/08

Trusera Launches Social Network For Health Advice

http://venturebeat.com/2008/06/16/trusera-launches-social-network-for-health-advice/

Venture Beat | Anthony Ha - 6/16/08

Additional pickup:

* The Industry Standard, 6/16/08: http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/06/16/trusera-launches-social-network-health-advice

Making Personal Health Networking as Easy as a Book Club: Former Amazon Exec Launches Online Healthcare Site

http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2008/06/16/making-personal-health-networking-as-easy-as-a-book-club-former-amazon-exec-launches-online-healthcare-site/

Xconomy | Gregory Huang - 6/16/08
Additional Pickup:

* Today.com, 6/16/08: http://www.today.com/view/making-personal-health-networking-as-easy-as-a-book-club-former-amazon-exec-launches-online-healthcare-site/id-2187761/

Yesterday I wrote about Kristina Chew and Ari Ne’eman’s “crusade” against the people who want to “cure” autism and continue to research for a cure. Read the rest of this entry »

What is the future of autism? Read the rest of this entry »

Connor Folkertsma, a 12-year-old boy with autism slipped into the waters of Indian Mill Creek near Grand Rapids, Michigan June, 9. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wonder how your child will ever be able to learn how to use the computer without completely crashing it? Yeah…so did I. All AJ wants to do is press the buttons and all he really does is destroy my settings.
Read the rest of this entry »

In the 1970’s autism affected only an estimated 1 in 10,000 children. Then, in 1990 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that it was 1 in 500. Now, the estimate is 1 in 150 children who are on the autism spectrum. Read the rest of this entry »

Kirkman labs recommends B6 with Magnesium Chewable Wafers for children with autism.

In our house we biomedically treat our son with a variety of vitamins including magnesium, calcium, Vitamin C, selenium, Vitamin B5, and even Vitamin D. We have yet to attempt Vitamin B6 shots even though we have heard of the benefits.

A study back in 1968 found dramatic improvements in children with autism if they took high doses of B6. Three of the children actually spoke for the very first time. The children made more eye contact, showed greater interest in social interaction, and had fewer behavioral outbursts.

Many researchers believe that children with autism suffer a deficiency of magnesium and B6 and that supplementing can benefit both behavior and health. In fact, thousands of children with autism have been given Vitamin B6 without any significant side-effects. Magnesium should always be given with B6 so that side effects like tingling in the hands and feet from peripheral neuropathy does not occur (a side effect that DID occur when magnesium was not given with B6).

Summer time is here and for some kids so is chaos. I know that in our house the very day school was out for the summer AJ turned into a monster. With his structure and routine gone he knew it was going to be stressful for him even though there was not going to be any immediate stress put upon him. Read the rest of this entry »