Dr. Allen Frances is engaged in an all out revolt against the DSM-5 revision process and those conducting the revision. Underlying his revolt is an admission, at times express but always implicitly present, that if we have seen a series of fals…
Continue readingTag: autism disorders
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism & Real Inclusion: Conor Counts the Days (40) to School
My son does not receive what many would consider an inclusive education. Those who subscribe to the philosophy that all children benefit from learning in a mainstream classroom would be horrified to learn that my son receives his individualiz…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: When I Can No Longer Walk With Conor
My buddy, Conor, 15One thing about which I have no regrets is the time I have spent with my sons and, in the context of autism and this blog, my time with my 15 year old severely autistic son Conor. Many years ago I vowed to do whatever I …
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: NIHM Director Thomas Insel: Study Finding Environmental Role in Autism in Line with Other Recent Observations
“These new findings are in line with other recent observations supporting both environmental and genetic contributions to ASD, with the environmental factors likely prenatal and the genetic factors highly complex and sometimes not inherited”
NI…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Genetic Myth DEBUNKED!
Our understanding of autism has been impaired for over a decade by the myth that autism is primarily genetic, a myth that has now been debunked as set out in the accompanying news release from the University of California. The WOO peddled by th…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and Environment: Dr. Szatmari Gets It Backwards
The New York Times, to its credit, understands the implications of the recent twins study in terms of its potential to shake the old boys (and girls) network that has clung to the “it’s gotta be genetic” paradigm in exploring and understanding autism. …
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Research Awakening: Environment Plays A Role In Causing Autism
“We have to look also at environmental factors, and from my point of view, the interaction between the genetic factors and the environmental factors … It looks like some shared environmental factors play a role in autism, and the study really poin…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Blaming Parents: Autism Families Torn Apart by Ignorance
Families with autistic children, parents who love their autistic children dearly, must endure much in order to live a normal life with their children, to be happy with their children to see them grow and develop to the best of their abilities n…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: CBC: New Brunswick Lacks Residential Care for Adults with Autism
Emma Smith and CBC did a feature (at minute 23:40) on last evening’s news on the lack of residential care available for New Brunswick adults with autism. I was interviewed along with some other parents and staff from the Autism Conne…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism’s Compelling Question: What is Causing Spontaneous Mutations Linked to Autism?
“One compelling question is what is causing the mutations … The obvious conclusion one has to reach is that something environmental may well be the cause of these [spontaneous] changes in DNA”
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, autism researcher and professo…
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and Haircuts: Conor Has A Great Haircut Treat Adventure
Above: Conor after this morning’s haircut.
Below: Conor before this morning’s haircut.
Conor has full blown Autistic Disorder with profound developmental delays. Haircuts were a real challenge at one time. But things have improved dramatica…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Functioning Levels Are Important, Reality Based Distinctions, It Is Time To STOP Pretending They Do Not Exist
There are people whose opinions about autism are sought out by members of the media who promote the falsehood that there is no such thing as people who are low-functioning. Those who promote this falsehood should STOP doing so and they should stop rig…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Here We Go Again: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Divides Family, Rules Son with Asperger’s and Tourette’s Medically Inadmissible
Here we go again.
Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter with the Toronto Star reports that a Toronto family will be ripped apart by a Citizenship and Immigration Canada ruling that University of Toronto professor Thomas Reynolds son Chris is is me…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Minister Jason Kenney In Response to Don Davies Question About Maeng Family Deportation
The Honourable Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney commented generally in reply to Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies’ specific concerns about the Maeng family deportation. The Maeng family has lived in NB for several years and have be…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Study Finds Positive Association Between Autism and Vaccines
A recent (Online publication date: 26 May 2011) study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health reports ,as set out in the report title, that a positive association has been found between autism and vaccines: A Positive Associa…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Dear USA: This Canadian Father With a Severely Autistic Son Says Thank You for Combating Autism
“in order to continue meeting the needs of people with autism, the Combating Autism Act
must be fully reauthorized. We still have a long way to go. Working collaboratively with
important partners, the Affordable Care Act and the Combating Autism Act wi…
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: You Want Some Autism Awareness? Autism Is A Disorder, Autism Can Restrict Lives, Autism Can End Lives
The site where Adam Benhamama’s body was found Tuesday, several kilometres downstream from where police believe he fell into the water in early April. (Elias Abboud/CBC)
Two incidents in recent days have driven home, once again, for Canad…
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Should Grinker and Co’s Flawed South Korean Autism Study be Taken Seriously?
The newly reported autism study from South Korea with its “shocking” 1 in 38 autism rates figure doesn’t make much sense. As reported in the Boston Globe:
“Roy Richard Grinker, a cultural anthropologist at George Washington University who worked on …
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Wheeling & Dealing & Avoiding FDA Scrutiny at the Vaccine Business Industry (Big Pharma) Congress
The vaccine industry business congress referenced above states that it is scheduled for Baltimore in the fall of 2011 although the agenda indicates dates in March 2011. More significantly the first items on the agenda show clearly the priorities…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and the Stigma of Intellectual Disability: Some CDC Facts
CDC: Intelligence quotient (IQ) of children aged 8 years with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for whom psychometric test data were available,* by site and sex (IQ) score-Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 sites, United St…
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