"Juice Plus+ is the perfect way to ensure that we get more of the whole food based nutrition we really need."

Great Resources for ASD People to Understand Themselves

PlayWerx

Juice Plus+ For a Healthy Life

CARES, Inc.: Little Builders

Heart of Sailing in Ventura and San Diego

Dr. Paul Dores comments on 'Special Education Muckrackers'

Make contacts in San Diego

Mom needs a new speech therapist

'Cogmed Working Memory Training Program'??????

DIR Support Group Meeting, June 4 in Solana Beach

Oral Motor Exercises

NEJM: Vaccines and Autism Revisited -- The Hannah Poling Case

Melaleuca

Delia Garcia, M.D.
Home: St. Louis, Missouri

Medical Specialty: Radiation Oncology

Education: Graduated summa cum laude from Western Illinois University (1976). Graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (1979). Internship at University of Wisconsin Hospital (1979-80). Resident/Chief Resident at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (1980-83).

Fellowships and Appointments: American Cancer Society Clinical Fellowship (1981-82). Assistant Professor of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Medical College of Virginia (1983-84). Assistant Professor of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine (1984-1992). American College of Radiology Fellowship (2001).

Other Professional Accomplishments: Author of over 40 scientific articles. Founding member of a cancer and breast institute in St. Louis (1999). She is a leading expert in breast cancer and was selected by her peers to appear in Best Doctors in America.

Community Service: Professional Advisory Board Member, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation ("Race for the Cure") and The Wellness Community of Greater St. Louis.

Health Advice: "Take responsibility for your health, and you will be astounded by the benefits. Stop smoking; eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; exercise daily; and, drink plenty of water. "Life is not a dress rehearsal! Simple measures can make a huge difference in disease prevention."

Why she recommends Juice Plus+: "Last year alone, I consulted with over 400 new patients diagnosed with cancer. The sad truth is that many of these cases might have been prevented through sound nutrition, stress reduction, and an overall healthy lifestyle. "As a busy professional and mother of three, I realize how difficult it is to eat the way we should, especially day in and day out. Juice Plus+ is the perfect way to ensure that we get more of the good, whole food based nutrition we really need."

I never endorse anyone or anything. Opinions expressed in what I send out, may not be shared by me. Everything is for informational purposes only.

People who "advertise" through this newsletter have never been checked out by me. This includes professionals and even people who are interested in babysitting, etc.

Please take the time to thoroughly check out anyone and everyone that will be working with or caring for your child. We are all sadly aware, through news stories and word of mouth, of people who pray upon special needs children because of their extra vulnerability.

Thank you,
Valerie Dodd-Saraf
My enewsletters are archived on my website:
www.ValeriesList.com

Many great resources for helping those with ASD understand themselves and others are available at The Gray Center, including, "100 Things Guys Need to Know," "Asperger's Syndrome: An Owner's Manual," (and "Owner's Manual 2," which we've just started carrying along with other new titles), Tony Attwood's "Exploring Feelings" books, "Replays," Michelle Winner's "Sticker Strategies" and the new "Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum Package." All of these-and many more- are available at www.thegraycenter.org!

Hi there! Went by the new PlayWerx play facility (opening day is June 5 at 9 am) and it looks great. Thought I'd share it with you in case you're looking for somewhere new to take your children this summer or know of someone who might need ideas for their children! www.playwerx.com

PlayWerx is the brainchild of a fellow mom who wanted to have a place where parents could take their children and relax a little while their children played.

PlayWerx has a HUGE netted play structure (similar to the kind you see at Boomers so that you can see the children as they climb -- there is a place for younger children to climb within the structure), an arts and crafts area with a blackboard wall, an open children's "library" area where children can read (or be read to) with bean bags, a computer room where children can use the computer, a snack bar (with organic food), a cafe area for coffee drinkers with expresso and regular coffee, free WiFi access, and three rooms for parties. They have a controlled entrance and exit -- parent and child(ren) will be given matching wristbands. There is a large roll up wall that will remain open to provide lots of indirect natural light and fresh air which can be important to a lot of our kiddos.

Playwerx is in a big warehouse off of Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad. Take the 5 North, exit Poinsettia and go west (left), then turn right onto Avenida Encinas. PlayWerx will be on your right (6060 Avenida Encinas -- just past the Y's gym) but it is a little hard to see - you'll turn into the "Caliber Collision" driveway and it is the 2nd building on your right).

Playwerx is ADA/wheelchair accessible. They were still finishing up construction touches but I understand that the floor will remain concrete to allow easy accessibility for children in wheelchairs to the different areas. The netted play structure may be difficult for children who have physical mobility differences but Playwerx overall looked like it will provide nice accessible areas of play (e.g. arts & crafts, library, computer room, snack area) in an environment that will have a lot of youth peers. The furniture was not placed yet so I cannot personally attest to the wheelchair accessibility to the furniture but the mom is highly committed to accessibility issues from what I could see at the facility. This is the first and only facility of Playwerx so if there are some things to work out, know that the owner is willing to listen and is open to suggestions!

I can't wait to take my boys there (age 9)
Please feel free to pass this on!
Lucile

Juice Plus+ is the simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to add more nutrition from fruits and vegetables to your diet, every day.

Tony and I have been taking Juice Plus+ daily for almost 5 years and we feel fabulous, and are more healthy. I have Fibromyalgia Syndrome (an inflammation of the nervous system that causes painful muscle spasms and chronic fatigue), and Juice Plus+ reduced my pain level by 90% and doubled my energy level. (Results may vary.)

Juice Plus+ is whole food nutrition and will not interfere with any biomedical treatment that you may be doing with your child, but will actually enhance it.

If you would like more information about Juice Plus+, please email me.

If you would like to order Juice Plus+, click here.

Isadore Rosenfeld, MD, and his 'family take Juice Plus+ regularly.'

CARES, Inc.: The Center for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Service is offering: Little Builders

A Social and Behavioral Naturalistic Play-based Intervention Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ages 3-7 A subsidiary to Social Skill Builders (SSB)

The program focuses on the development of skills in the areas of:
1) Play
2) Social Communication
3) Self-Regulation

The program aims to provide an opportunity through play, for children with ASD, to experience positive, successful interactions with peers, to learn new ways of interacting and joining with peers, to help increase his or her self esteem, and to carry new skills into other interactions with peers! The program will provide adult assistance and typical peer interaction while all children are guided through stages of play, paralleling those of natural development.

-We match each child with peers of similar needs and skills levels.

-This summer, Little Builders will run regular sessions and is also offering a Summer Intensive.

Please contact Courtney Olinger for more information colinger.cares@yahoo.com or call 858-444-8823 x1221

Heart of Sailing introduces sailing to children, teens and adults with developmental disabilities as a form of education and recreational therapy.

This is a great way for the whole family to enjoy an activity together. Very safe and relaxing!!!

Daysails from San Diego, June 6, 7 and 8.

Daysails from Ventura, June 3, 4, and 5.

Valerie:
I enthusiastically support the stated efforts of the 'Special Education Muckrackers', with one proviso:

Let's not perpetuate the myth that all public services are bad, while all private services are good. Let's hold all services in special education, both public and private, accountable and effective. The continued demonization of the public sector serves no purpose. As a consultant in special education for more than a couple of decades, I can attest that there is waste, inefficiency and poor practice in all special education services, both public and private, but there is also great innovation and extraordinary effort in both. There are great public programs and really, really bad public programs. However, there are also great private programs and really, really bad private programs. Accountability is a problem for all services providers, both public and private. No one should get a free pass. The only issue ever should be the individual child and the individual services that child receives, with independent and unbiased evaluation of those services, whoever delivers them.

Thus, I enthusiastically support the efforts of the muckrackers as long as they commit to muckraking for effective services for all individuals within both the public and private sector.
Paul Alan Dores, Ph.D., B.C.B.A.

My son was recently diagnosed with ASD. He is 25 months. We are looking to quickly make contacts locally and understand our what resources public and private are available to us locally. Is it possible for you to include a request from us to make connections in the 92011 or 92009 zip codes?

Any help you can offer on this is really appreciated
Thanks
Alison Rowland
Tel: 760 703 3486

Help - I'm losing an awesome speech therapist and am looking for any recommendation of an excellent speech therapist who works with autistic kids and who is willing to do home visits in the Rancho Penasquitos area. Please send me a note at thumaiduong@yahoo.com.
Thanks!
Thu-Mai

Hi Valerie,
Thank you so much for all you've done and are doing for our kids. Talk about 'emotions into advocacy'!
Thank you.

I'm interested in a program called 'Cogmed Working Memory Training Program'--a 5x/week x 5weeks computer based program. Does anyone have any experiences with this, results, which practitioner, and would their school district or Regional Center fund this.
thanks again, Janice Otters

Hi Val -
Our next ICDL DIR®/Floortime support groups are coming up next Wednesday, June 4. Professionals' group is from 9-1030, and parents/caregivers form 1030-noon, at my building, 415 North Highway 101, Solana Beach, Suite A. Anyone with interest in DIR®/Floortime is welcome. Parking is tight so come early and plan to park in the neighborhood behind the building. People are welcome to bring videos of the people they are working with to look at together (as long as there is appropriate permission from family). Sorry, we do not have childcare so please do not bring children. Hope to see you all there!
Dr Feder
858-509-0523

For those of you who have children with speaking problems, the below website offers an oral facial exercise tape called "Oral Aerobics." The tape has oral motor exercises set to music so that the child can watch the tape and do exercises to the beat of the music. We just tried it and Connor loved it. Thought I'd pass it on. (It is expensive for what it is ... mostly a very cute girl doing the exercises to music - no frills type of video... $45). http://www.trainyourbrainco.com/ordervideos.htm#ORA L%20AEROBICS

But, this is an easy way for Connor to do many of his oral facial exercises (has lip, tongue and other exercises).
Lucile

Paul A. Offit, M.D.
On April 11, 2008, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee took an unusual step: in the name of transparency, trust, and collaboration, it asked members of the public to help set its vaccine-safety research agenda for the next 5 years. Several parents, given this opportunity, expressed concern that vaccines might cause autism - a fear that had recently been fueled by extensive media coverage of a press conference involving a 9-year-old girl named Hannah Poling.

When she was 19 months old, Hannah, the daughter of Jon and Terry Poling, received five vaccines - diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), varicella, and inactivated polio. At the time, Hannah was interactive, playful, and communicative. Two days later, she was lethargic, irritable, and febrile. Ten days after vaccination, she developed a rash consistent with vaccine-induced varicella.

Months later, with delays in neurologic and psychological development, Hannah was diagnosed with encephalopathy caused by a mitochondrial enzyme deficit. Hannah's signs included problems with language, communication, and behavior - all features of autism spectrum disorder. Although it is not unusual for children with mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies to develop neurologic signs between their first and second years of life, Hannah's parents believed that vaccines had triggered her encephalopathy. They sued the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) and won.

On March 6, 2008, the Polings took their case to the public. Standing before a bank of microphones from several major news organizations, Jon Poling said that "the results in this case may well signify a landmark decision with children developing autism following vaccinations."1 For years, federal health agencies and professional organizations had reassured the public that vaccines didn't cause autism. Now, with DHHS making this concession in a federal claims court, the government appeared to be saying exactly the opposite. Caught in the middle, clinicians were at a loss to explain the reasoning behind the VICP's decision.

The Poling case is best understood in the context of the decision-making process of this unusual vaccine court. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, American lawyers successfully sued pharmaceutical companies claiming that vaccines caused a variety of illnesses, including unexplained coma, sudden infant death syndrome, Reye's syndrome, transverse myelitis, mental retardation, and epilepsy. By 1986, all but one manufacturer of the diphtheria-tetanus- pertussis vaccine had left the market. The federal government stepped in, passing the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which included the creation of the VICP. Funded by a federal excise tax on each dose of vaccine, the VICP compiled a list of compensable injuries. If scientific studies supported the notion that vaccines caused an adverse event - such as thrombocytopenia after receipt of measles- containing vaccine or paralysis after receipt of oral polio vaccine - children and their families were compensated quickly, generously, and fairly. The number of lawsuits against vaccine makers decreased dramatically.

Unfortunately, in recent years the VICP seems to have turned its back on science. In 2005, Margaret Althen successfully claimed that a tetanus vaccine had caused her optic neuritis. Although there was no evidence to support her claim, the VICP ruled that if a petitioner proposed a biologically plausible mechanism by which a vaccine could cause harm, as well as a logical sequence of cause and effect, an award should be granted. The door opened by this and other rulings allowed petitioners to claim successfully that the MMR vaccine caused fibromyalgia and epilepsy, the hepatitis B vaccine caused Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy, and the Hib vaccine caused transverse myelitis.

No case, however, represented a greater deviation from the VICP's original standards than that of Dorothy Werderitsh, who in 2006 successfully claimed that a hepatitis B vaccine had caused her multiple sclerosis. By the time of the ruling, several studies had shown that hepatitis B vaccine neither caused nor exacerbated the disease, and the Institute of Medicine had concluded that "evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between hepatitis B vaccine and multiple sclerosis."2 But the VICP was less impressed with the scientific literature than it was with an expert's proposal of a mechanism by which hepatitis B vaccine could induce autoimmunity (an ironic conclusion, given that Dorothy Werderitsh never had a detectable immune response to the vaccine).

Like the Werderitsh decision, the VICP's concession to Hannah Poling was poorly reasoned. First, whereas it is clear that natural infections can exacerbate symptoms of encephalopathy in patients with mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies, no clear evidence exists that vaccines cause similar exacerbations. Indeed, because children with such deficiencies are particularly susceptible to infections, it is recommended that they receive all vaccines.

Second, the belief that the administration of multiple vaccines can overwhelm or weaken the immune system of a susceptible child is at variance with the number of immunologic components contained in modern vaccines. A century ago, children received one vaccine, smallpox, which contained about 200 structural and nonstructural viral proteins. Today, thanks to advances in protein purification and recombinant DNA technology, the 14 vaccines given to young children contain a total of about 150 immunologic components.3

Third, although experts testifying on behalf of the Polings could reasonably argue that development of fever and a varicella-vaccine rash after the administration of nine vaccines was enough to stress a child with mitochondrial enzyme deficiency, Hannah had other immunologic challenges that were not related to vaccines. She had frequent episodes of fever and otitis media, eventually necessitating placement of bilateral polyethylene tubes. Nor is such a medical history unusual. Children typically have four to six febrile illnesses each year during their first few years of life4; vaccines are a minuscule contributor to this antigenic challenge.

Fourth, without data that clearly exonerate vaccines, it could be argued that children with mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies might have a lower risk of exacerbations if vaccines were withheld, delayed, or separated. But such changes would come at a price. Even spacing out vaccinations would increase the period during which children were susceptible to natural infections, giving a theoretical risk from vaccines priority over a known risk from vaccine- preventable diseases. These diseases aren't merely historical: pneumococcus, varicella, and pertussis are still common in the United States. Recent measles outbreaks in California, Arizona, and Wisconsin among children whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate them show the real risks of public distrust of immunization.

After the Polings' press conference, Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, responded to their claims that vaccines had caused their daughter's autism. "Let me be very clear that the government has made absolutely no statement . . . indicating that vaccines are a cause of autism," she said.5 Gerberding's biggest challenge was defining the term "autism." Because autism is a clinical diagnosis, children are labeled as autistic on the basis of a collection of clinical