The mother stated that the flight attendant made matters worse when she continued to touch the child.

But the mother, Janice Farrell, told Crump that the flight attendant made matters worse.

“She kept coming over and tugging his seatbelt to make it tighter, ‘This has to stay tight.’ And then he was wiggling around and trying to get out of his seatbelt. And she kept coming over and reprimanding him and yelling at him,” Farrell said.

The problem escalated to the point that the boy was on the floor rolling around. The pilot then turned the plane around (it was still on the runway) and the two were escorted off the plane.

My son has thrown a fit on a plane before. In fact, he threw a fit because he could not get up and go to the bathroom during landing. He also had a night terror on a plane before (and that was horrible).

When Autism and a plane collide and the plane and its workers win out who is to blame? Is it the mother who is frustrated with her son’s behavior, the toddler who is acting uncontrollably, or the staff who is rough with the toddler?

But, the real question is…would this happen if the child did not have autism? Would they kick him off the plane if he was a normal child and did not calm down?

Should people who work with the general public be educated on how to “deal” with children and people with special needs? Or should children be forced to conform to societal rules like this? Can they conform?

I am positive that my son can not conform to the rules because things like tightening the seat belt would send him over the edge. Having a pilot talk to him would frighten him (but he would laugh). Having me ask him to calm down would only make things worse…

What would happen with your children?

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.

Unfortunately, we just completed a huge construction project on our home and are in the process of fixing the little things like painting, reorganizing the basement and in general, cleaning. So, when he comes home from camp each day things are also in chaos. Not only has he had to deal with being out of school for two weeks, starting a new camp, and adjusting to that new schedule…he has also had to deal with chaos in his house.

So, to help him we have had to make some adjustments.
1. Making sure he stays calm when he comes home. We attempt to have him go to the bathroom, have a snack and then go to the basement for rest and tv time.
2. After rest time he can go outside to play in his pool and have some play time.
3. Then, he can come inside for dinner, put his PJ’s on, brush teeth, and TV time.
4. Then bed.

It is only a short time from camp to dinner (from 2-5) so I try hard to keep him low-key and make him rest, as camp is very active for him. After dinner he is not allowed outside unless we go for a walk and since the dog is recovering from surgery we won’t be doing that for a while.

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.

Like the hawk targeting his prey, bullies frequently target children with autism to bully because they are, simply put, easy targets. They have difficulty making friends, they don’t understand the social norms, they don’t talk correctly, they don’t play the right way, etc. As a child, anyone who does not blend in to the group is automatically a target.

Yesterday at a family party we encountered three hawks who happily targeted their prey once they realized he was susceptible and unable to understand what they were doing.

As a parent I had to witness three children plot an attack against my son. They antagonized him, locked him out of a playhouse, teased him, pushed him, and frustrated him to the point that he lashed back at them. He kicked them and screamed at them and HE got in trouble by the other adults because they saw him being mean.

But, isn’t that always the case?

How am I supposed to deal with a situation like this? My husband and I witnessed it happening, knew it was going to happen because we watched the kids set the “ambush” up and we allowed our son to go over there because we wanted to teach the three kids a lesson.

As soon as we saw the action taking place we pulled our son out of the situation, pulled those three aside, and explained to them, for the second time, that what they were doing was wrong and that our son did not understand what was going on and that he was disabled (in terms that they could understand).

I am not sure if they understood this but I sure hope they did. In this case, what else are we supposed to do?

Did you know though, that squirt guns can actually come in handy for indoor and outdoor cleaning when teaching your little ones to help? Just fill the squirt gun with soap and water and ask them to squirt the windows or mirrors and then wipe dry with a paper towel.

Even more fun? According to The Maids Home Services, have kids wear some old socks, dip them lightly in vinegar and water solution and send them around the house to dust. Because we have wood floors something even more fun would be to actually have wheelbarrow races on the floor, crab walk with both hands and feet covered, or even race from one side of the room to the other on all fours. Perfect for a rainy day, right?

Purchase Playskool Dusty the Talking Vacuum Cleaner , a Garden Rake, and a Broom, floor mop, dustpan and brush so that your child can help you inside and outside the house. Sure, they won’t actually be vacuuming, but they can think they are cleaning their toy area. But, before they vacuum their toy area have them rake all of their toys into a laundry basket and them sort them into the appropriate buckets.

The founding “fathers” of Athletes Against Autism, Olaf Kolzig, Byron DaFoe, and Scott Mellanby are all fathers of children with autism. They have “realized the importance of using their status and influence to make an impact on the over 1.5 million people in the United States alone affected by autism.”

They are currently hosting the 3rd Annual Golf Tournament, which will be Presented by Cadillac. It will be held at the Bacara Resort and Spa and Sandpiper GOlf Club in Santa Barbara, Ca.

Kolzig currently plays for the Washington Capitals, Dafoe is a former NHL goaltender, and Mellanby is a former NHL player.

Texas offensive lineman Scott Jackson has one autistic son, Tyler. Jackson can line up without fear everyday for practice or suit up for a game but when it comes to dealing with a tantrum from his 2.5-year-old son he admits that he is just like us…

Texas special-teams coordinator Joe Marciano who has an adoptive son who is autistic. Marciano candidly admits that his son lacks social skills but can type, text, and is great at reading, spelling, and math.

Star Quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, Doug Flutie found out five years ago that Doug Jr. has autism. Flutie has promoted awareness and supported families for over ten years with the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism.

Dan Marino: Similar to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation, the Dan Marino Foundation has been funding and supporting children for years. Recently, in September 2005, the Foundation pledged $1.2 million to establish the Marino Autism Research Institute to develop and implement research, focusing on key questions about the causes of autism and the treatment.

Joe Mantegna: An Advisory Board Member for Actors for Autism, Mantegna has a daughter with autism.

“I’m a firm believer, you play the cards you’re dealt in life,” Mantegna has said. “I wish she didn’t have to deal with it, but she’s a happy girl. She knows she’s autistic but it doesn’t seem to impact her in a negative way as much as it does the support group around her. We try to keep her as involved in the world as possible, and it’s OK. People are kind and understanding if you meet them halfway.”

Aidan Quinn: Quinn has a daughter, Ava, who he says went into convulsions after a vaccine. He is involved with Autism Speaks.

Ernie Els: Just this year, Els revealed his son’s autism. He has since teamed up with Autism Speaks.

William Christopher: Best known for playing Father Mulcahy and Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, IU.S.M.C, Christopher has a son with autism, Ned. Christopher served as honorary chairman of the National Autistic Society and a member of the board of trustees at the Devereux Foundation, which provided facilities for adults living with autism and other developmental disorders.

VAN SUSTEREN: How old is Evan?

MCCARTHY: Evan is now - he just turned six years old.

MCCARTHY: It doesn’t.

The question, can autism be cured, has been plaguing parents and doctors for decades and it looks like McCarthy has answered it, right? She has a best selling book that states her child has autism. She says that he has recovered. Then she says he is undiagnosed. Some doctors say he never had autism.

How is that all possible?

Is this all just a farce to get media attention and to promote a cause like Green our Vaccines? Mom Logic states in their post today that the key issue of the rally was not actually “greening the vaccines” but about trust between parents and physicians and with that I just HAVE to copy the points from the site because it is what truly makes sense in this whole debate.

*We know from studies and experience that true autism can’t be cured. We also know there are a group of children with autistic-like symptoms who end up not having autism in the end. That does cause some confusion because those children may “get better” but don’t have true autism.

• We may learn something new tomorrow that is different from today. That’s the beauty of science. That new information may prove what we know today or change what we know. Time will tell. Until then, all we can do is live by what we know today and keep our kids healthy based on that information.

We all know that autism can’t be cured, right? We know that children can certainly get better…with time, with age, with treatments, with education, and with love. But, all in all, it takes time, effort, and patience.

Do we really want to believe a the media and a star who is so vague that she can’t even remember if her son is recovered, cured, or epileptic?

So, when it comes time to make a decision make sure you do your own research with your doctor and with what research has shown is true, not what the most popular kids tell us what to do. Do you remember how they ended up after high school? Yeah…me too.

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/

Well, guess who has jumped into that crusade as the opposition? Yes, Jenny. And you thought she had given up? Nope…never. McCarthy is well known for her scandalous ways before her marriage and before her son was born.

Yet after her son, Evan was born, all that changed. At two and a half he was diagnosed with autism and she has become the biggest advocate for autism yet. She is not only helping her son but thousands of other children with the disorder.

Jenny’s “Crusade” to Green the Vaccines is a tremendous undertaking but it will help millions of children stay healthy. I know that AJ will be healthy because we are spacing out his vaccines this year, despite what his doctor wants to do. He has problems with aluminum in his system and I will not overload him with that.

The autism community is not necessarily anti-vaccine but rather “green-vaccine” meaning that they want to spread vaccines out and they want vaccines cleaned up; no more mercury, aluminum, ether, antifreeze, etc.

Additionally, they want the amount of vaccines reduced because in 1983 when the autism rate was lower the amount of vaccines was also lower.

Personally, I am not a raving fan of Jenny because I believe that over the last year she has changed her message and her information several times (to meet the needs of her publicist and herself) but I think she (or the people behind her) have the right idea.

Does the future of autism lie in the hands of biomedical doctors who want to “cure” autism, who want to treat every aspect of autism, who want to do research on autism and find ways to defeat it?

Or does the future lie in the hands of parents of children with autism and in the hands of people who are autistic and who are proud of who they are?

There is a new voice out there now that is starting to make noise and finally starting to get attention. Their message is that they want people to stop research on autism and begin celebrating people with autism for who they really are, what their differences are, and what they can do for society.

On the contrary, some parents are angry with this message because they want their children “cured”.

Ari Ne’eman of Autistic Self Advocacy Network and Kristina Chew of Autism Vox believe that people with autism are important parts of the culture and the “wide diversity present in human genetics”.

My son is who he is. He’s not going to change; he’s always going to be Charlie. And at the same time, I loved him just for what he was,” Chew said.

However, many parents are “protesting” this group because they don’t represent the whole, they represent a small piece of the autism puzzle, a small piece of the autism community.

Ne’euman still believes that most of the community will rally to his side and that history will be on his side in the end.

Unfortunately, I believe that there are too many parents out there searching for the American Dream of perfect children, perfect spouse, perfect life to make this reform happen. In my opinion, there will always be autism research, there will always be people who will fight for Green Vaccines, and there will always be parents who will blame others for their children’s disabilities.