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 Message from the Executive Director
NIH News sent out a press release on October 22nd with the headline "Succimer found ineffective for removing mercury" that was reported in hundreds of media outlets. The subject immediately caught my attention.
Back in the early 1990's my son was exposed to very high levels of mercury in utero from Rho-D immune globulin products and as an infant from his vaccines. For example, at 2 months of age he received 125 times what EPA had established as a safe mercury exposure level based on his weight. He was also subsequently diagnosed with autism. It wasn't until 1999 that I became aware of the fact that he had received such high exposures to mercury and began looking into treatment.
At the time my son 5 years old, non-verbal, and not potty trained. He was treated with Succimer (also known as DMSA) orally and responded very favorably. Succimer is FDA approved for the treatment of lead exposure in children, but also has been reported to reduce mercury levels as well. Today, my son is a junior in high school and recently obtained his learning permit to drive. I credit much of his improvement to biomedical treatments such as DMSA chelation therapy, so you can understand my interest in this research. Read more.
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Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Update
By Lyn Redwood
This past week the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee held their regularly scheduled meeting at the NIH campus. One of the initiatives that SafeMinds takes credit for is the fact that public comment has been moved to 1 PM and that the committee actually responds to the requests from the public (in the past, public comment was at the end of the day with no response from the committee to the comments).
We heard several devastating stories of loss from the National Autism Association (NAA) and families whose loved ones had tragically wandered. In response, the committee has established a sub-committee to deal with safety issues, as well as other urgent needs like bullying, restraint and seclusion, and domestic crises. The
IACC is charged with making recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding Federal activities related to ASD. One of the first items on the "to do" list for the new sub-committee is to notify the Secretary of the growing concerns surrounding the safety of children and adults with ASD. One initiative that would help to address safety concerns is the development of a diagnostic code similar to the one used for individuals with Alzheimer's. Such acknowledgement by the medical profession would go a long way in helping families to obtain the necessary tracking technology to locate a loved one in the event of wandering or elopement. There is also the need for an alert network, similar to the Amber Alert, which can be activated in the event of a lost individual with ASD.
Special kudos to the NAA and the families who traveled to NIH to share with the IACC their recommendations for how we can better protect our individuals with ASD from harm. I look forward serving on this important sub-committee.
Click here to view materials for the meeting.
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Help us spread the word about the danger of flu shots with mercury
SafeMinds would like to run the 30-second public service announcement below in select movie theaters around the country during Thanksgiving, the biggest movie attendance week of the year. We could reach a lot of families that way - but we need your help to make it happen.
This is how much it costs to run at movie theatres in some of the major markets at every movie screening, in select theaters, for one week at Thanksgiving:
- 25 screens in New York for $1,560
- 25 screens in Los Angeles for $1,560
- 19 screens in Boston for $1,000
- 16 screens in Atlanta for $850
Help us make it happen!
Theaters require a one week minimum showing, therefore donations may be pool or shifted to other cities. |
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SafeMinds Recommends - All I Can Handle by Kim Stagliano
"Incredibly funny. . . A bird's-eye view into what it's really like to love and raise kids with autism." -Jenny McCarthy, from her foreword
ALL I CAN HANDLE: I'm No Mother Teresa
(A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism)
By Kim Stagliano
How one woman raises three autistic daughters, loses one at Disneyworld, stays married, Has sex, bakes gluten-free, goes broke, and keeps her sense of humor. Click here to buy now. |
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New EPA rule will cut mercury in sewage sludge
In a release dated October 1st, the EPA announced its intention to regulate mercury emissions from sewage sludge incinerators, the sixth largest source of mercury air emissions in the United States. For more details, click here.
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FDA issues warning on over-the-counter chelating products
The FDA issued a media release on October 14, 2010 and held a press conference on over-the-counter chelating products. In its press conference, the FDA implied that chelation products were being used by parents of children with autism without a doctor's supervision, but on questioning by reporters, FDA representatives were unable to back up the claim with any evidence of use of OTC chelation products by autism parents or of their use without medical supervision. Read more. |
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Hear Me Out: Is the flu vaccine good or bad for you?
 Reprinted from PhoenixABC15.com
The nation faces tough questions in tough times, and there are people on both sides of every issue. Arizona is no different. But who's saying what about the issues important to Arizonans?
Each Sunday, ABC15.com debuts an Arizona issue - along with two opposing sides on the topic. Don't worry, you always have the opportunity to make comments at the bottom of the page. Yeah, your opinion matters too.
This week we're tackling the debate over the influenza vaccine, and whether it's good or bad for you.
Infectious disease specialist Meenal Patel, MD and infection preventionist Megan Durkin, MPH with Banner Boswell Medical Center say the benefit of getting the vaccine is not only to protect yourself, but also to protect those that you encounter. Patel and Durkin say even if you become ill despite receiving the vaccine, the severity of illness may be mitigated.
Katie Weisman, director of communications and public policy for Coalition for SafeMinds, says the blanket recommendation for influenza vaccination for the entire population is currently unsupported if the criteria are both safety and efficacy. According to SafeMinds.org, reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin.
So, is the influenza vaccine good or bad for you? Click here to view original article and comments.
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 Global Autism Collaboration
Reprinted from ARI announcement.
Earlier this month we premiered a new autism network called the 'Global Autism Collaboration.' Given the growing number of individuals on the autism spectrum along with the current economic condition, the need is greater than ever for autism groups worldwide to collaborate, share information, and support one another.
Not for-profit groups and organizations are invited to become members (for no fee). This includes in-person support groups as well as online groups (e.g., Yahoo discussion groups). For-profit businesses are also invited to become supporters of GAC (but for a fee). The monies raised by GAC, through the for-profit supporters and donations, will be used to better the autism community by distributing information, funding research, and announcing new initiatives and programs that are available to the community.
The structure and policies of GAC, along with other information, can be found on the website, www.GlobalAutismCollaboration.com
Watch Dr. Edelson's YouTube video about the Global Autism Collaboration.
If you represent a not-for-profit organization or group, please consider
becoming a member. If you work or own a for-profit business, please
consider becoming a supporter.
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