I Speak of Dreams

A New Documentary on Autism & Free Screening in Palo Alto

A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism has just been released.

There will a free screening in Palo Alto on October 14th.

Dandelion Parent Magazine: The Bay Area's 1st & Only Magazine for Families with aSpecial Needs Child. 
 

Dandelion magazine is excited to host a FREE screening of the movie
"A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism," Thursday, Oct. 14th
at the Children's Health Council in Palo Alto at 6:30pm.

 To reserve your seat go to: http://www.dandelionparent.com/contact-page.html

 Thank you for helping spread the word about this FREE movie screening.
We hope to touch the lives of families who are raising a child with autism,
and we hope to see you there!

• New York Times Review
• Film Journal Review
• LA Times Review
  

Directed by Fridrik Thor Fridriksson; narrated by Kate Winslet; director of photography, Jon Karl Helgason; edited by Thuridur Einarsdottir; music by Sigur Ros and Bjork; produced by Margret Dagmar Ericsdottir; released by First Run Features.  Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes. This film is not rated.

Listen to my Interview with Gloria Perez Walker on Blog Talk Radio

I got to know Gloria on twitter -- follow her at http://twitter.com/LaGloria.

She is a special-education advocate, community organizer, and Latina Mami.  You can find her on the web at http://gloriaperezwalker.homestead.com/  .

She also is the host of a web radio show at Blog Talk Radio, Special Ed for Busy Parents, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/specialed

Listen to internet radio with Special Ed on Blog Talk Radio

You can also download just my interview, or all of Gloria's interviews, from the iTunes store.

A Regular Guy: Lunch & Review

Friday September 17, I made a new friend: Laura Shumaker.  Laura's son Matthew is the subject of Laura's memoir A Regular Guy: Growing Up with Autism (link to Amazon).

Jennifer Byde Myers, Shannon des Roches Rosa and I met up with Laura at a lovely Greek restaurant in San Francisco, Kokkari.  Part of our conversation was about blogging, and our waiter, Michael Procopio, not only told us what to order but had a few thoughts on food blogging. But I digress.

A Regular Guy recounts Matthew's story, from a first diagnosis of language delays and Pervasive Developmental Disorder -- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) when he was just short of three years old, in 1988 or 1989, to his adolescence at a boarding school specializing in children with developmental disabilities, the Children's Village at Beaver Run.

The title is beautifully chosen, in a heart-wrenching way. As Matthew matured into adolescence,  he had enough language to want to be "a regular guy" in the neighborhood, but his cognitive and social skills challenges left him again and again on the outside -- or worse yet, suspended from school or at the attention of law enforcement.

When Matthew was 15, it became evident that his needs were too great to be met in the local public schools, and his family began exploring residential placement alternatives.  There were few, especially given Matthew's impulsive wanderings.    In these passages, Shumaker writes about harrowing moments -- Officer Jones' visit following a 911 domestic disturbance call--with grace and restraint.

Shumaker's chapters  on seeking a residential placement for Matthew highlights the difficulties many families affected by autism face: inadequate or inappropriate educational and vocational opportunities.   The closest place that's a good match for Matthew is over 2,000 miles away from their home in California.  The closer programs couldn't meet Matthew's needs.

In short, I recommend this book to parents of children newly diagnosed with autism, and for friends and family members.

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Want to read more of Laura's writing?  She has written

• Adolescence and Moving Day (Transitioning to a Group Home) for The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism
• Dating, With Autism, at Lisa Belkin's Motherlode blog in the NY Times
• Parenting an Autistic Adult, at Lisa Belkin's Motherlode blog in the NY Times
• Interview with Laura Shumaker by Steve Prussack at Autism Talk Radio
• She has a regular column on autism at the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate)
• Facebook page for A Regular Guy

International Talk Like a Pirate Day Is Here!

Originally published here, September 19, 2005

See if pirates ruled the world, we'd only need one letter.

See all the images for "If Pirates Ruled the World" at Worth 1000

It wouldn't take long to learn how to type, either.

Cory, who wishes he were a pirate told me about it.

Autism Women's Network & The Pepsi Refresh Challenge

Just so you know:

Penny Dreadfuls!

Originally published here September 28 2004

Stanford's Dime Novel and Story Paper Collection consists of over 8,000 individual items, and includes long runs of the major dime novel series (Frank Leslie's Boys of America, Happy Days, Beadle's New York Dime Library, etc.) and equally strong holdings of story papers like the New York Ledger and Saturday Night.

The image link is Brave & Bold No. 21

Important New Paper: Again (Maybe Finally?) No Link Between Autism and Thimerosal in Vaccines

Update September 15, 2010.  What I find really curious is the lack of response from the most vocal proponents of  the "autism is vaccine injury" meme and the "autism is mercury poisoning" meme.

Update September 16, 2010.  SafeMinds, Generation Rescue, and Age of Autism have produced a response.

The paper, published Monday September 13, 2010 in Pediatrics, is titled "Prenatal and Infant Exposure to Thimerosal From Vaccines and Immunoglobulins and Risk of Autism",  Price et al. (2010).   If you want to read it yourself: Download Prenatal and Infant Exposure to Thimerosal From Vaccines and Immunoglobulins and Risk of Autism

I will keep adding to this list as I find new discussions.

Discussions of the paper generally favorable to the conclusions

• David Gorski, MD at Science-Based Medicine:  The Final Nail in the Mercury-Vaccine Hypothesis http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=6775
• Sullivan (PhD) at LeftBrain/RightBrain: Thimerosal in Vaccines Did Not Cause An Autism Epidemic  http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/09/thimerosal-in-vaccines-did-not-cause-an-autism-epidemic/
• Orac, MD at Respectful Insolence The big pharma conspiracy once again crushes the idea that mercury in vaccines causes autism http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/09/the_big_pharma_conspiracy.php
• Steven Novella  MD at Neurologica  The Long Awaited CDC Trial on Thimerosal and Autism http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2294 
• Steven Novella MD at SkepticBlog The Long Awaited CDC Trial on Thimerosal and Autism http://skepticblog.org/2010/09/13/the-long-awaited-cdc-trial-on-thimerosal-and-autism/
• John Gever, Senior Editor at MedPage Today: Insurance Claims Data Fail to Support Thimerosal-Autism Link http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Autism/22131
• Melissa Healy at Booster Shots (LA Times) Once more, no link found between vaccine preservative and autism http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-thimerosal-autism-20100913,0,4826844.story?track=rss
• Prometheus at Photon in the Darkness They DID a Study   http://photoninthedarkness.com/?p=198
• Frederik Joelving, Reuters No Link found between vaccine mercury and autism http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE68C1CZ20100913
• Shaun Heasley at Disability Scoop  Autism not linked to vaccine preservative thimerosal, study indicates http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/09/12/thimerosal-vaccines-study/10158/
• Autism Science Foundation Blog: Another study shows no link between autism and thimerosal http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/another-study-shows-no-link-between-autism-and-thimerosal/
• Kev Leitch at LeftBrain/RightBrain Signal vs. noise http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/09/new-thimerosalautism-paper-signal-vs-noise/
• bMartin at Pathophilia Study: Postnatal Exposure to Thimerosal Reduces Autism Risk http://bmartinmd.com/2010/09/thimerosal-reduces-autism-risk.html
• Scott Gavura at Science-Based Pharmacy More Evidence that mercury in vaccines doesn't cause autism  http://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/more-evidence-that-mercury-in-vaccines-doesnt-cause-autism/
• Jennifer Goodwin, Health Day News More Evidence That Vaccines Don't Cause Autism: Children exposed to high, low levels of thimerosal had similar odds for the disorder, study found http://consumer.healthday.co/Article.asp?AID=643005
• Katie Drummond, AOL news New CDC study debunks link between vaccines, autism http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/new-cdc-study-debunks-link-between-vaccines-autism/19631173
• Sullivan at LeftBrain/RightBrain Questions and Answers with the thimerosal-autism study author http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/09/questions-and-answers-with-the-thimerosal-autism-study-author/
• Emily Willingham at A Life Less Ordinary?  Pediatrics study finds no link between thimerosal exposure via vaccines and autism http://daisymayfattypants.blogspot.com/2010/09/pediatrics-study-finds-no-link-between.html
• Miriam Falco, at Paging Dr. Gupta (CNN) http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/14/study-no-increased-autism-risk-from-mercury-based-perservative-in-vaccines/
• The Autistic Journalist Vaccine Plot Thickens With New Government Study http://autisticjournalist.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/vaccine-plot-thickens-with-new-government-study/
• Michael Unger MD at DrSuess Blog Vaccine Autism Debate-- Part 2, the follow up http://seussmd.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/vaccine-autism-debate-part-2-the-follow-up/
• Amanda Jacques at Rochester Holistic Health (Examiner.com) Study on the effect of mercury in vaccines supports earlier research showing no link to autism http://www.examiner.com/holistic-health-in-rochester/study-on-effect-of-mercury-vaccines-supports-earlier-research-showing-no-link-to-autism-video
• Kristina Chew at Care2.com Yet Another Study Refutes Vaccine-Autism Link http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/yet-another-study-refutes-vaccine-autism-link/
• Salynn Boyles at WebMD CDC study shows no vaccine, autism link http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20100913/cdc-study-shows-no-vaccine-autism-link
• C.S. Wyatt at The Autistic Me Vaccine Studies http://theautisticme.blogspot.com/2010/09/vaccine-studies.html
• Bonnie Says at Hollywood Life Jenny McCarthy — Childhood Vaccines DO NOT Cause Autism! It’s Time for You to Renounce Your Claim. Children’s Lives Are at Stake!  http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2010/09/14/bonnie-says-jenny-mccarthy-childhood-vaccines-autism/#comments
• Orac at Respectful Insolence SafeMends swings at Price et al. and misses  http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/09/safeminds_swings_at_price_et_al_and_miss.php

Discussions of the paper generally critical of the conclusions

• Power Point Paradise: Yahoo readers’ super comments @ shady US CDC autism/mercury research! http://powerpointparadise.com/blog/2010/09/yahoo-readers-comment-war-over-autismmercury-research/
• John Stone and Clifford Miller, blogging at Child Health Safety: Mercury As A Cause of Autism – More Denialist Junk “Science” from Pediatrics Journal http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/mercury-denialism-pediatrics
• John Stone and Clifford Miller, blogging at Child Health Safety: Mercury & Autism – Naming and Shaming Dr Gorski & “Science Free Zone” Bloggers
  http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/science-free-web-saddoes/ (Note: this post repeats my list, above, and changing only the clickable text. Nice work, gentlemen.)
• SafeMinds response: Download Safeminds915
• Age of Autism  SafeMinds Response to Thimerosal and Autism Pediatrics Study http://www.ageofautism.com/2010/09/safeminds-response-to-thimerosal-and-autism-pediatrics-study.html
  
  

Getting Ready for International Talk Like A Pirate Day

Back in 2005, I did a long build-up for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19th every year.

I'm thinkin' of me ol' pa.  He was a sailor but never a pirate.  Let us sing Fiddler's Green for him -- Danny and the lads of Marley's Ghost, that'd be the one. 

Nine dead men.  Nine long nights.

The San Bruno Disaster

We were at a Septar (Special Education PTA - Redwood City) meeting and Shannon gasped at a news flash.

Twenty miles to the north, San Bruno had exploded.  There are four confirmed dead and two more are missing.

Read Karoli on deferred infrastructure spending:

I wonder whether $46 million would have been enough to maintain safe pipeline delivery lines to neighborhoods so they don't blow up. I wonder whether conservatives give a damn when an entire neighborhood spontaneously combusts. I wonder whether they have a fixed number of dead people in their minds before they actually treat our infrastructure problems in this country like something worth their attention. I wonder how they look themselves in the mirror at night.

Would you be prepared to evacuate? Most of the residents still aren't allowed back into their homes. Some advice:

• Jim McDonald at Making Light: Go Bags
• Jim McDonald at Making Light: How to Triage After a Calamity
• More on go bags

Nine Years Later

Nine years ago yesterday I was walking around downtown Manhattan with my darling niece, looking for back to school schwag of various sorts.  Then I got on the evening JetBlue back to San Francisco one of the local airports, anyway.  I went to sleep really late.

A friend called at 7:30ish, and said, "You have to wake up, you have to turn on the television".

Orac posts annually What We Saw. If you can bear it, go watch the videos. David Kroll lost a childhood friend that day, John Michael Griffin, Jr, and writes of his heroism. Go read. The novelist Meg Cabot writes about her experiences on the day.  Jesse Robbins reminds us that 343 members of the New York Fire Department died serving their city that day.

To all the families who have lost loved ones, from 9/11 through today, from the consequences of that day: My condolences on your loss.  For those families of service men and women who have died: thank you for your loved one's service and sacrifice.  May you all find peace.