election primer / Editorial from the Oregonian / Oregon Center for Public Policy / Yes on 30 Fact Sheet
Excessive Brain Growth and Autism / MMR vaccine and the Media. / MMR Vacine Rebuttal / Biomedical Interventions
KindTree Giving Opportunities
Oregon Special Hockey / Understanding IEPs and Collaborating with Schools / Autism One Conference
NEWS:
In other KindTree News, We'd like to welcome Gary Cornelius of Lane County DDS, and Max Lester to KindTree's Board. Max has already contributed to our organization with his "autism rocks" rocking chair idea, which will soon be parked at Bridgeway House to help us get the word out and link the local autism community together. Way to go, Max! And Welcome, Gary!
This past holiday season KindTree marketed our Holiday Cards by artists Frank Flanders, Josh Breedlove, Ryo Mastrogiovanni and Melissa Dahl. We did very well for a first year effort. Nearly 360 cards were sold, netting these artists over $250 total, with over $1,000 paid out to artists in all of 2003. Thanks to all of you who purchased a set and those who helped sell them. Look for them again NEXT YEAR!
In December a bunch of us gathered and decided to begin the process of forming an Autism Society of Lane County Chapter. All present are hoping to receive a revised application from the AS of Oregon in January. We're asking all of you who may be interested to contact me (Tim Mueller) to be included in the process. This new chapter could help the local autism community through greater visibility, educational and support options, and improved coordination of our many activies. If you have autism in your family, Lane County is a good place to be. For a list of local autism resources, go here.
We've a tentative date for a Spring Benefit Concert Event on April 17th, and our Autism Forum on May 16th. Watch for more information.
And one last word - COMPUTERS. We have developed a backlog - a waiting list - of folks looking for machines. We need help from some computer experts to get the ones we have up and running. Please call me 521 7208. OK, now read the rest...
For Goodness Sake by Christina de
Cristo
Oregon Supported Living Program
Like other non-profit agencies in
Passage of Measure 30 will allow our organization to
continue providing basic
services. If we want to put “high
quality” back into our programs we will have to become successful
fundraisers
in very competitive market. If Measure
30 fails, there is the possibility we will be unable to continue
providing even
basic services for some of our clients, many of whom are frail, aging
and
without immediate family to help them.
Regardless of appearance, Measure 30 is not a referendum on
government “tax and spend.” It is a
referendum on whether or not we want government to act as a “helping
hand” on
our behalf. The hand required to care
for the sick, aged, and disabled. The
hand that educated our children, police our communities and provides
for the
greater good. Big Business is all about
the bottom line. Government is
the bottom line.
For Goodness Sake, Vote Yes on Measure 30
Tax election primer, in case you didn't
know...
Last month -- Secretary of State Bill Bradbury announced that enough valid petition signatures were gathered from registered voters to force a public vote on House Bill 2152. The petition had 118,273 valid signatures -- more than twice the required 50,420 signatures.
The vote -- Measure 30 will be the subject of a special statewide vote Feb. 3. Ballots will be mailed next month.
At issue -- Oregonians will decide the fate of House Bill 2152, the state Legislature's plan to increase taxes to fund state programs and services.
About the tax plan -- HB 2152 would impose a three-year personal income tax surcharge of 1 percent to 9 percent depending on the taxpayer's income; increase the $10 corporate minimum income tax to $250 or more; change other tax provisions; restrict the elderly medical expense deduction based on age and income; reduce or eliminate the discount for early payment of property taxes; extend the 10-cent-per-pack cigarette tax through 2005; and avoid $544.6 million in budget cuts to education, health care, senior services and public safety.
Ballot title -- Enacts temporary personal income tax surcharge; increases, changes corporate, other taxes; avoids specific budget cuts.
A yes vote -- Enacts temporary personal income tax surcharge; increases corporate minimum tax, makes other corporate, income, property, cigarette tax increases, changes, avoids specific budget cuts.
A no vote -- Retains existing personal income, corporate and other tax laws; triggers $544.6 million in budget cuts to education, health care, senior services, public safety.
Tax foes -- Russ Walker, the Northwest director of Citizens for a Sound Economy, was the chief petitioner for the referendum. He also is the spokesman for the Taxpayer Defense Fund, the opposition campaign group. The tax plan also is opposed by the Taxpayer Association of Oregon, the Oregon Taxpayers Union, leaders of the Libertarian and Republican parties and many Republican legislators.
Tax backers -- Our Oregon Coalition, a coalition which includes labor unions, educators, social service advocates and their clients and some religious leaders. The tax plan also is backed by the governor, many Democratic legislators and some Republican legislators.
What's next -- The deadline to submit voters' pamphlet arguments is Friday. Pamphlets will be mailed Jan. 7-9. The voter registration deadline for the election is Jan. 13.
In the mail -- Ballots will be mailed Dec. 20 to long-term absent electors (overseas and military) and Jan. 5 to out-of-state electors. Ballots for most Oregonians will be mailed Jan. 16-20.
Voting deadline -- Ballots for Measure 30 must be returned by 8 p.m. on Feb. 3.
Pump-prime economic revival
Big cuts in spending would hurt
By mid-January voters will receive mail-in ballots to support or oppose Measure 30, which aims to undo the $800 million damage-control funding package the 2003 Legislature passed in order to keep important educational, health and public safety services afloat in
Many
who disagree with us,
though, believe that the Legislature's small, temporary income tax
surcharge will siphon from taxpayers' pockets money that is needed to
reinvigorate the economy. On the surface, the argument is appealing.
But the actual effects of repealing the budget are far more likely to
hurt than help the state, as shown in an analysis by the
Failure
of Measure 30, which requires a "yes" vote to support the Legislature's
budget, would drain more than $1.9 billion from
Budget
cuts implemented if Measure 30 fails would drain $282 million in
additional federal matching funds from
If
Measure 30 succeeds, $120 million in reduced federal income taxes, due
to the deductibility of state income taxes on federal income taxes,
would be available for
A
no vote would cause a new, large imbalance in the 2003-05 state general
fund. This would be beyond $790 million of
cuts legislators designated if voters exercised a veto. This would
require a special session of the Legislature to slash an extra $248
million from the existing budget -- damping down any fire in the
economic revival.
In
brief, the small tax increase is much better for the
vote on the upcoming referendum, Measure 30.
Found at http://www.ocpp.org/2003/es031221_E.htm, "Preventing Self-Inflicted Wounds: Voting Yes on Measure 30 is Critical for Oregon's Economy" shows how the positive results of Measure 30's passage far outweigh any negative impacts.
Excerpts:
-
Failure of Measure 30 will drain over $1.9 billion from Oregon’s economy compared to only $347 million if it succeeds.
-
Budget cuts that will be implemented if Measure 30 fails will drain $282 million in federal matching funds from Oregon’s economy over the next three years.
-
If Measure 30 succeeds, $120 million in reduced federal income taxes, due to the deductibility of state income taxes on federal income taxes, would be available for Oregon’s economy.
A single press release - found at
http://www.ocpp.org/2003/nr031221.htm - "Two New Reports Heat Up Debate on Measure 30" accompanied the release of the two reports.
Oregon’s balanced budget…
-
Prevents
shortening of school years for some school districts (up to 19
days in Coos Bay, for example)
- Faced with a $338
million shortfall, school districts could be forced to shorten the
school year,
lose valued programs, lay off more teachers, or increase class size yet
again
In the balanced
budget plan…
- Profitable
corporations who currently pay only $10 per year in income taxes will
be
required to pay at least $250
Questions?
Want to get involved?
Yes on 30
516 SE Morrison, Ste. M-2 (in the Weatherly Building)
Portland, OR 97214
New office phone: 503-230-0922 New office fax: 503-230-0923
The web-site will be relaunched later this week with updated info, our new address, and the ability to take credit card donations on-line. Check out yeson30.com later this week for our new look.
Excessive Speed Of Brain Growth May Cause Autism
Smaller than average baby brains that grow very rapidly in the first year of life are seen as key to the development of autism.
Small head circumference at birth, followed by a sudden and
excessive increase in head circumference during the first year of life,
has been linked to development of autism by researchers at the
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and
Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego. Autism spectrum
disorder occurs in one out of every 160 children and is among the more
common and serious of neurological disorders of early
childhood. More story
here.
Other
similar links here.
AutismConnect discussion forum opens on “MMR vaccine and the Media.”
1. www.autismconnect.org
2. www.autismcymru.org
In the light of last night’s (December 16) controversial TV drama on the MMR vaccine on Britain’s Channel Five, I have decided to open a new Discussion forum called “The MMR and the Media.” As I have reported in the AutismConnect news section in recent days, many doctors refused to take part in the live debate following the screening of the programme because they said the film – based on Dr Andrew Wakefield’s claim of a link between the triple jab and autism – was far too biased in favour of the anti-MMR argument.
For those who did not see the programme – either because of the timing or because you live in another country - the drama, called "Hear My Silence," starred Juliet Stevenson as the mother of a child with autism who is convinced that his condition was brought on by the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Hugh Bonneville played the British gastroenterologist, Dr Andrew Wakefield. Before the programme was even screened, 11 top British child health experts wrote an open letter attacking the link made by the drama between MMR and autism. The letter complained that other doctors were portrayed as "baddies" who appeared "positively to dislike children," adding that "the audience is presented with a piece of fiction that could not be further from the truth." No evidence had been found, the letter said, for the "new" forms of autism as described by Dr Wakefield and the drama.
Please feel free to comment specifically if you saw last night’s drama and the debate after it – has it changed your mind, hardened your position, prompted you to question your position on either side of what seems to be an increasingly cavernous divide? If you did not see the programme, please take this opportunity, in any case, to exchange views on how the media in your country have been reporting the whole MMR issue. Is it objective journalism, in your opinion? If so, has the research influenced your vaccine choices with your children, one way or the other?
To access the discussion, simply go to the AutismConnect website (www.autismconnect.org) and click on Discussions.
MMR Vacine Rebuttal.
(Full article attached)
"..... The most worrisome feature of The Lancet article was a suggestion that the autistic syndrome was precipitated by measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination.[9] This conclusion was based mainly on the fact that, in eight patients, the onset of behavioral problems was linked, by either the parents or the child's physician, with MMR vaccination. For these eight children the average time from vaccination to first behavioral symptoms was reported to be 6.3 days. The article was published as an "early report" and was accompanied by a critical commentary.[11] Nevertheless, it caused great consternation among parents and some health professionals. Although the authors acknowledged in their article that they had not proved an association between MMR vaccination and the proposed syndrome,[9] there were adverse comments about the safety of the MMR vaccine at the press conference that launched the publication.[12]"
Hello friends!
I wanted to send out this email to ask for your assistance. I just got off the phone with Dr. Bernard Rimland with the Autism Research Institute (ARI). We have been discussing the plans for the Autism Solution Center, Inc., as well as public education about the issues at hand involving biomedical
treatment, that are being grossly misrepresented in many arenas of autism.
"Literally thousands of formerly autistic children have contacted ARI to thank them for help in bringing about their child's recovery.", says Rimland. We need to draw together approx. 5,000 of these articulate
individuals, who have seen tremendous progress in their children with
autism, through biomedical intervention.
Dr. Rimland is starting a media campaign called "Autism IS Treatable", and will be sending out press releases inviting the national media to see the children, talk with the parents, their teachers, and their doctors. We want to get the truth out, and need parents to be involved to make this happen.
If you have a child who has seen dramatic recovery through biomedical intervention, and you would be willing to talk to the media about your story, please let me know. We are putting together a list now, for this
campaign in 2004. Please also spread the word, as Dr. Rimland is hoping for 5,000 individuals to participate. We need to let as many people know as possible.
We have also added a sign-up list to our website today at www.autismsolutioncenter.com/signup If your name is not on the list and you would like to participate, email me at laura@autismsolutioncentercom and ask to be added. We need your name, contact info, and the name/age of your child. We will only list your name on
the website listing. No other information about your child or contact info will be listed.
Thanks for your participation! There is much hope for our children, and it's time the world knows it!
Sincerely,
Laura Corby, President
Autism Solution Center, Inc.
Please visit our new Autism Solution Center, Inc. Website and give us your feedback!
http://www.autismsolutioncenter.com
Sandy Mintz
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Scandals/past_scandals.htm
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Out_of_Control/past_ool.htm
KindTree
- Autism Rocks Giving Opportunities
HELP US OUT!!!
Dr.
Green’s Bridgeway House clinic
is continuing in the new year. He is accepting
appointments for new and existing patients. Dr. Green is a DAN Practitioner from
Brown
Bag Lunch - Open discussion with Dr. Green.
Open
Parent discussion
group on biological treatments for autism that are safe and inexpensive treatments to use at home. Question and
answer discussion led by Dr. John Green
Please bring your lunch and join us.
FMI call Patricia
Wigney (541) 345-0805
The
Listening Program.
Jan.
20th
Rhonda
Way M.Ed will be speaking to Bridgeway
House about
The Listening Program by Advanced Brain Technoligies. The Listening
program (TLP) is an auditory Stimulation
method which is used to train auditory skills needed to effectively
listen,
learn and communicate. TLP is based on the theories, clinical
experience and/or
music background of Alexander Tomatis, M.D. and others.
TLP
stimulates the vestibulocochhlear system with high-quality full
frequency range
auditory stimulation. TLP uses
scientific filtering and bursting of specific frequencies at optimal
times to
stimulate the auditory system. We invite you to join us to learn more
about this exciting therapy option.
January
24th
Help
Other Parents through Education and
Support Team (H.O.P.E.S.) is a new service that BH is proud to bring to
the
Autism community. Do you remember when your child was first diagnosed?
Regardless of whether the label was PDD NOS, Aspergers, or Autism you
probably
felt confused, alone, angry and without hope. Friends and family didn’t
always
know how to respond to you, or your child. Your Doctors may not have
given you
much information about effective treatments. They may have even
suggested
Jan
. 29th 2004
Dr.
Bove N.D.
Dr.
Bove , N.D. will talk about the benefits
of naturopathic medicine for individuals with autistic spectrum
disorders. The
naturopathic approach includes addressing toxicity issues, including
mercury,
the use of herbs and nutritional medicine to help heal the gut, and
removal of
allergens from the diet. Dr. Bove will present highlights form the
recent 2003
DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) conference in
Dr.
Jennifer Reid N.D.
Dr. Reid will be offering
services at BH starting in Feb 2004. This is great news to her current
patients. She will be seeing patients on one Sat. per month at BH. Dr
Reid
currently is in practice at Columbia
River Natural Medicine. 226 West Historic
Bridgeway
House has rescheduled the New Years Eve Benefit Dance with the
Sugarbeats to
Feb.
7th
Bridgeway
house is pleased to offer this wonderful family opportunity. Please
bring your
favorite dish to share and your family to enjoy an evening of friends,
food and
music. We will be hosting this event on a monthly basis. Please join us! Donations warmly accepted.
(Enter off of 10th by driveway)
(541)345-0805 Main line
Phone
hours
Messages checked daily!
(541)345-0855 Fax
Autism Training and Support, Inc.
Autism
Support Groups are offered for parents and other family members who
want to
meet with others in a supportive and informative environment. Support
Groups
are free of charge and are sponsored by the Arc of Lane County. Groups
are
currently offered for families of preschoolers with autism and
aspergers and
for families of teens and adults with autism or aspergers.
Meets
the last Tuesday of every month at
About
the
facilitator:
Valerie Alexander has
been working in the field of Early Childhood Special Education for the
last 14
years, teaching for the Early Education Program preschool and training
and
supervising teachers. She has her masters degree in Special Education
from the
*This
group is Sign
Language Interpreted.
Facilitated
by: Dawn
Stahlberg
Dawn Stahlberg is an
autism specialist who works in
January 21, 7pm
Just a subtle reminder from that our Kwans night is coming up, next Wednesday (1/21/04) at 7 p.m. at Kwans in Salem, Oregon, U.S.A. Make room on your calendars for this important meeting of the minds in our happenin' autism community! Pretty soon the neuro-normal community will be clamoring to become autistic! May we all be gathered-together to witness this grand transformation of envy into emulation! Mary-Minn for more info: 689-2228
Thusday, January 29
Autism
One 2004
Conference, May 27 – 30, 2004, Chicago Autism
One 2004, the most comprehensive conference on autism ever assembled,
will be held May 27 – 30, 2004, in Chicago. It is a conference for
parents and professionals for the care, treatment, and recovery of
children with autism. Our web site is http://AutismOne.org.
The conference organizers are themselves
parents of children with autism. Parents are, and must remain, the
driving force of our community. The issues are too sacred and the
stakes too high to delegate to outside interests.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 9 AM – 12
PM Parent Seminar
Advocates or Adversaries?
Understanding IEPs and Collaborating with Schools
Many parents find IEPs confusing and feel frustrated and powerless
in IEP meetings. In this seminar especially designed for parents and
guardians, we will focus on understanding the Individual Education
Program, or IEP. We will also discuss how to interact positively with
teachers, principals, and other school personnel to achieve legal,
useful IEPs. The seminar will address the following topics:
How did IEPs get started?
How does a school decide if a student is eligible for an IEP?
What is the parent’s role in the IEP process?
What is the school responsible for in the IEP process?
What should a legal IEP include?
How can parents talk so the school will listen?
What is the school’s perspective on the IEP?
What are practical ways parents can prepare for successful IEP meetings?
$39 if registered
by February 17th, 2003, $49 after February 17th, 2003
Location: Autism Training and Support, Inc., 1355B River Rd.,
Eugene, OR 97404
Questions? Call 689-2327
This seminar will be presented by Dr. Cindy Herr and Mary Ann
Winter-Messiers. Dr. Herr coordinates the Secondary Special Education
master’s program at the University of Oregon and is a well known author
and expert on special education law and IEPs. Ms. Winter-Messiers also
serves on the UO Secondary Special Education faculty and is the parent
of a child with Autism. Both Cindy and Mary Ann have particular
interest in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The Most Comprehensive
Conference on Autism Ever Assembled
National
Autism Association Newsletter
The National Autism Association Weekly
E-Newsletter wants to hear your story.
Current Question:
How did you feel when your child was first diagnosed? Follow the
link above...
Thimerosal is a mercury-based
additive to vaccines that has potentially poisoned hundreds of
thousands of American children. Faced with the prospect of thousands of
lawsuits seeking compensation for the devastating injuries caused by
thimerosal poisoning, the international pharmaceutical companies and
their army of lobbyists are pushing a bill in Congress to wipe out the
rights of children and their families to get legal relief. Rather than
seek an answer in a fair court, these corporations have instructed
Senator Frist to champion legislation that would refuse these children
their day in court.
So....when Senator Frist et al go on and on about why there are
only 5 companies making vaccines, this interview should be the
rebuttal.....Teresa
http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/story/0,4567,101164,00.html
Mr Gilmartin has his own take on the US Institute of Medicine report -
it mentions barriers of yet another kind, according to him.
'What they said was - there're a couple of reasons why there are only
five significant vaccine companies in the world. One of them is product
liability, where vaccine manufacturers left the business over, say a 10
or 20-year period, because of the potential of product liability. And
the US government basically settled that to some extent through
legislation.
'But they also pointed out that with the government purchasing half the
vaccines in the US, that had a negative impact on vaccine innovation,
because it discouraged people from taking risk. The government was
basically unwilling to provide a price that made the risk worthwhile.
So they're really advocating getting the government out of the vaccine
purchasing, and try to do that more through private insurance rather
than have the government as a big purchaser. So they see government
purchasing as a big barrier toward innovation, and it discourages a lot
of new smaller companies from coming in.'
Click above for the whole story....
Thanks for Listening.
January 14, 2004
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurobiological disorder of development. It causes problems with the way a person processes, uses and organizes information. ASD affects a person's abilities in Communication, Social Interaction and Sensory Processing. People with ASD may also have restricted, repetitive behavior, interests, and activities that can affect how they learn.
