Dear Friends I felt that it was nessesary to begin a new thread about autism due to two reasons. First, because it is of extreme importance that this disorder be kept in the forefront of public interest. Secondly, because due to whatever reason there has been a dramatic decrease in the response to this forum and I need to get this message out to more people. In fact, I ask you all to please forward this link to others that you know who might either have a personal interest in the autism dilema or who might be willing to help advocate for a very worthy cause. The facts indicate that the causes of autism are not such a mystery and that many, if not all cases of autism could be prevented. It is time to put an end to the lies, the profiteering, the cover ups and the terrible affliction being forced upon our children. There are many opportunities for those of you willing to act to take steps to end this terrible plight of our children. The latest research shows that 1 in every 166 children born in America will suffer some sort of disability due to an " autistic spectrum disorder ". Please read the following message from the National Autism Association and committ yourself to trying to help us make a difference. Once again, please forward this link and this message to your friends and associates so that we might bring about an end to this terrible childhood affliction. Thank you for your time and interest in this matter and I look forward to hearing your comments. PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: June 13, 2006 Contact: Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 417-818-9030 Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-632-7523 Advocacy Groups Urge CDC Advisory Committee To Remove Mercury from Vaccines Children’s health advocates again ask government officials to make good on repeated promises of mercury-free vaccines Atlanta, GA -- A prominent ad in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution sponsored by parents and friends of children injured by mercury in vaccines demands that a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee require complete removal of mercury from vaccines. The ad’s sponsors note that according to Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, a person must weigh over 500 pounds to safely absorb the amount of mercury contained in a single flu vaccine and that special hazardous waste sites are required for flu shot disposal. To develop national vaccine guidelines, the CDC follows the advice of the 15-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) (www.cdc.gov/nip/ACIP/members.htm). To date, ACIP has refused to fulfill promises made by the government, physician organizations, and President Bush to remove thimerosal from all vaccines. “Mercury should never have been in vaccines in the first place. The fact that it remains in vaccines seven years after explicit promises were made to take it out amounts to government footdragging that puts children at serious risk of injury,“ according to Vicky Debold, PhD, public health nurse and mother of a vaccine-injured child. A growing number of scientists are finding that the type of low-dose mercury in vaccines kills and injures brain and immune cells. “Considering that so many children now suffer from learning disabilities and a host of immune-mediated illnesses such as asthma and diabetes, the practice of injecting mercury into our nation’s most vulnerable is barbaric,” said Dr. Debold. The ad also points out that most flu shots and some other vaccines contain 50,000 parts per billion mercury, despite requirements that landfill waste contain less than 200 parts per billion. “Directly injecting humans with a powerful neurotoxin flies in the face of common sense. With growing research from leading universities further confirming the neurotoxic effects of mercury exposure from vaccines, the ACIP must consider the best interests of our children and put an end to this dangerous and unnecessary exposure,” commented Dr.. Debold. The public is urged to contact Julie Gerberding, MD, Director of the CDC (404-639-3311) and Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services (202-619-0257) to request that they direct the ACIP to recommend removal of all remaining mercury in vaccines. To view the ad, go to http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/images/acipad.jpg -30- Think Autism. Think Cure. Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt

Hello William, Very intense article here. Great to see you are still sharing and still helping people to understand these things. I will go view the link too. Just wanted to post and show my support. Got to get active again so I can get invites. Keep up the great work my friend. Love,

Hi Lisa Thank you for the kind comments and for stopping by my forum. You know, autism is in a very unique setting within our society. It is mostly, if not completely, avoidable. It has been proven that it can be prevented and yet the governments of the world continue to lie about it's causes and potential cures. I consider autism to be one of the most terrible injustices faced by the people of the world today. It can be stopped. We just have to make those responsible, stop it. Thanks again for stopping by. Take care my Friend. May a smile follow you to sleep each night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and be there waiting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, when you awaken. Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt Mental Health And Political Forums Respectively http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/8212/ShowForum.aspx http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/9637/ShowForum.aspx

Greetings Friends I come bearing good news. The House of Representatives has approved 7.5 million dollars for research of autism. This is an example of what we can accomplish when we work together towards a common goal. This is part of a defense spending bill so it still has to clear a couple of committees and the senate yet though so, our work is not yet done. Please keep those letters and phone calls going and get this passed. Autism Speaks Lauds Unprecedented House of Representatives Military Appropriation for Autism Research Landmark Spending Proposal, Which Recognizes the Unique Plight of Military Families Impacted by Autism, Comes After More Than Three Years of Advocacy by Autism Speaks Volunteers (NEW YORK, NY - June 13, 2006) – Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and raising money to fund autism research, today praised the House of Representatives Defense Appropriations Subcommittee's passage of its FY 2007 appropriations bill which, for the first time, includes a line item for $7.5 million for research on autism spectrum disorders. The bill must now pass through the Joint Conference Committee. Each year the Department of Defense invests tens of millions of dollars in various medical research programs. In FY 2005, for example, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer were among the diseases funded by the DOD. This appropriation measure would mark the first time such spending has been directed toward research into autism, a disorder that now affects one in every 166 children. “This is a watershed moment for the autism community as we continue to seek federal funding for autism research that is commensurate with the scope of this epidemic,” said Bob Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. “We are grateful to the members of the House of Representatives whose leadership and appreciation of autism's particular toll on military families made this possible. This funding will help drive the research that will eventually yield the answers about autism that we all seek so desperately.” Based on the most recent prevalence estimates, at least 4,600 children and minor dependents of active duty families have autism, and the cost of their treatment exceeds $200 million per year. Autism Speaks has been advocating for military spending to support autism research for more than three years, beginning with the efforts of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), the organization it merged with in February 2006. http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/defense_autism_funding.php May a smile follow you to sleep each night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and be there waiting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, when you awaken. Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt Mental Health And Political Forums Respectively http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/8212/ShowForum.aspx http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/9637/ShowForum.aspx

Please forward far and wide.

Parents, Grandparents and Friends,
there's just a few more days to push for the
Combating Autism Act

We have only until July 11th to influence Senators about what our kids need in this Bill!

Background: As you know, the autism groups in the community wrote and reached consensus on a new Combating Autism Bill in December which was presented to Senators in early January. The plan was to substitute our bill for the original Combating Autism Bill.

Senators have since been working on the language. We have been following their progress with great interest for several months now and have heard that the senators expect to present a new version of the CAA Bill to the HELP Committee next week.

 YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED  The environmental language so important for research that could really help our children may be deleted, and money earmarked for the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences could be cut.  We need you to put pressure on the HELP Committee – particularly four Senators – to make sure THE LANGUAGE WE WANT STAYS.

WHAT WE WANT:

We want the Combating Autism Bill to pass as revised by the autism community that includes:

 - $6 million solely devoted to the NIEHS every year for the next five years.
 
 - $44 million allocated to Autism Centers of Excellence and NIH Environmental Research Centers every year for the next five years.
 
 -  The environmental research language should stay in the bill as written:
 
Autism Centers of Excellence-
'(1) IN GENERAL- In carrying out subsection (a)(1), the Director of NIH shall award grants and contracts to public or nonprofit private entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for centers of excellence regarding research on autism.
'(2) RESEARCH- Each center of excellence that receives funding under paragraph (1) shall conduct basic and clinical research into autism. Such research—
'(A) shall be conducted in the fields of developmental neurobiology, genetics, epigenetics, pharmacology, nutrition, immunology, neuroimmunology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and toxicology; and
(B) should include--
'(i) investigations into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, treatment, and cure of autism;
'(ii) research on high-risk infant siblings; and
‘(iii) research on a broad array of environmental triggers which may have a possible role in autism, including but not limited to vaccines, other biological and pharmaceutical products, and their components (including preservatives).

 - We want the oversight and safeguards language, whereby the autism community has representation on official government committees, to stay in the bill---specifically more representation on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and a newly formed Autism Advisory Board made up of community members and scientists.

 - We want to keep language that dictates to the CDC how allocated money could be spent. We want the language inserted which reads: “for the purpose of collecting and analyzing information on the number, incidence, incidence trend over time, by birth year, retrospectively and prospectively, for autism spectrum disorder, classic autism, and PDD-NOS, correlates, and causes of autism and related developmental disabilities.”
 [[Parents, this will make sure that data reported are comparable over time and that there is no “inflation” in diagnostic criteria to discourage CDC from unreasonably trolling for cases.]]
 
 - In short, we want the autism community consensus bill as written by the autism community groups who are dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for our children.
 
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPACT THIS BILL:

We hear that the AAP is actively lobbying behind the scenes to take the environmental language out of this bill. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/doctors-against-research_b_17726.html  They do not want NIH to look into vaccines or their components. This is wrong. Autism has been proven to be an environmental disorder. We demand that they look into all environmental triggers, including vaccines and their components!
 
If AAP gets their way, the bill will likely pass with tons of money going to the CDC to count our children but no money going to research that directly treats and leads to a cure for our children. It is time we stand up and let our opinions be known!
 
PLEASE WRITE, E-MAIL FAX AND CALL THE MEMBERS LISTED BELOW. PLEASE DO THIS ASAP!

-----------------------------------

HERE IS A SAMPLE LETTER...

Senator Mike Enzi
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC  20510

July 4, 2006

Dear Senator Enzi,

I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen and parent of a child with an autism diagnosis.  The Combating Autism Act is critical legislation that must go forward as currently written if this nation is to begin addressing the needs of the one in 166 children now diagnosed with autism.  Most importantly, the provisions for funding environmental research must remain in this legislation if the affected children are to have hope for recovery.
 
There can no longer be any doubt that exposure to environmental toxins is the single most important factor in the huge rise in neurological disorders among America's children.  My child, like so many others, was born in complete good health until the repeated injections of mercury-containing vaccines began to take their toll, causing loss of previously acquired speech and motor skills, and severe behavior changes. On six separate occasions before the age of 18 months, my son was injected with amounts of mercury greatly in excess of federal mercury exposure guidelines.  The onset of symptoms that eventually led to an autism diagnosis is completely consistent with that for mercury toxicity.
 
The HELP Committee upon which you sit will soon be reviewing the Combating Autism Act. It is imperative that the funds earmarked for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences be left in this legislation. Without this funding, the most promising area of research for my child and hundreds of thousands of others will go unexplored. I also ask that you keep the words “vaccines and their preservatives” in the bill. I am afraid that unless the Senate specifically asks for this science, this vital area will be ignored.

Our legislators must do the right thing by the children and families struggling with autism and related disorders by enacting this legislation with the environmental provisions left intact.
 
Sincerely,

Your name here

-------------------------------------------------

PENNSYLVANIA AND DC-AREA PARENTS, YOUR HELP CAN BE PIVOTAL IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS LEGISLATION
 
If you live in Pennsylvania, you know that Sen. Ric Santorum is in a desperate battle to retain his Senate seat.  Passage of the Combating Autism Act has become a major campaign goal.  His office needs to hear directly from constituents that retaining the vaccine language is imperative.  Please also request that Sen. Santorum write a letter to HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Enzi demanding that the environmental provisions be left intact, including the vaccine language.
 
Parents in the DC area, we ask that you personally visit as many of the offices listed below as possible.  Faxes and phone calls make a difference, but face-to-face contact leaves a lasting impression that can steer the direction of this bill.  With more pharmaceutical lobbyists on Capitol Hill than members of the House and Senate combined, our kids desperately need as many of us as possible to be a presence for them as this bill is being deliberated. 

We suggest you call AND fax the first four and fax the rest. Be sure to tell some of your child’s story and include your name and address on the letter.

Here are the Members we need to target:

(Important four to fax and call – these four are working on the changes in the language)...
 
Enzi, Mike (R - WY)
290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3424
Fax: (202) 228-0359
E-mail: senator@enzi.senate.gov 
 
Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-6324
Email: http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseActionfiltered=ContactInformation.ContactForm&CFID=3081883&CFTOKEN=24059619 

Kennedy, Edward - (D - MA)
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Fax: (202) 224-2417
Email: senator@kennedy.senate.gov 
 
Dodd, Christopher (D - CT)
448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-2823
Fax (202) 228-1683
E-mail: http://dodd.senate.gov/webmail/   
 
 
Republicans on the HELP Committee:
 
Gregg, Judd (R - NH)
393 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3324
Fax: (202) 224-4952
E-mail: mailbox@gregg.senate.gov  
 
Frist, William  (R - TN)
509 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
 Phone: 202-224-3344
 Fax: 202-228-1264 
E-mail:  http://frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm    

Hatch, Orrin (R-UT)
104 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-5251
Fax: (202) 224-6331
Email: http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseActionfiltered=Offices.Contact 

Sessions, Jeff (R-AL)
335 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0104
(202) 224-4124 - Phone
(202) 224-3149 - Fax
Email: http://sessions.senate.gov/email/contact.cfm 

Burr, Richard (R-NC)
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
Fax: (202) 228-2981
E-mail: richard.burrnc05@mail.house.gov 

Isakson, Johnny R- GA
120 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3643
Fax: (202) 228-0724
Email: http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm 

Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)
UNITED STATES SENATE WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
E-mail: http://alexander.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseActionfiltered=Contact.Home 
 
Roberts, Pat (R - KS)
302 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4774
Fax (202) 224-3514
Email:   http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html
 
Ensign, John (R - NV)
364 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6244
Fax (202) 228-2193
E-mail: http://ensign.senate.gov/forms/email_form.cfm
 
DeWine, Mike (R - OH)
140 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Fax (202) 224-6519
E-mail: http://dewine.senate.gov/request_form.cfm   
Democrats on the HELP Committee:
 
Harkin, Tom (D - IA)
731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-3254
Fax (202) 224-9369
E-mail: http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm 
 
Mikulski, Barbara (D - MD)
709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4654
Fax (202)224-8858
E-mail: http://mikulski.senate.gov/contactme/mailform.html 
 
Bingaman, Jeff (D - NM)
703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Phone:
Phone: (202) 224-5521
Fax (202) 224-2852
E-mail: http://bingaman.senate.gov/Contact_Me/e-mail_form.htm 

Jeffords, James (D-VT)
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5141
Fax: (202) 228-0776
Email: http://jeffords.senate.gov/contact.html 

Murray, Patty (D - WA)
173 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
E-mail: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
 
Reed, Jack (D - RI)
320 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4642
Fax (202) 224-4680
E-mail: http://reed.senate.gov/contact/thoughts.cfm
 
Clinton, Hillary (D - NY)
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4451
D.C. Fax (202) 228-0282
Email: http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm

 

Think Autism. Think Cure