"AT LEAST WE CAN BEGIN TO LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY AND REALIZE THAT THIS IS A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE HAVING VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES."

- Dr. Thomas Insel @2:23 (bottom video)

We are the experts #hearthiswell

Published on Sep 23, 2014
Thinking Moms Revolution

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

"What we're here to say is absolutely nothing new, nothing that this committee hasn't heard before from multiple public commenters over the years. There's a huge subset of individuals with the label of autism who were not born with autism. These children, young adults and adults who were born as typically developing healthy children and then regressed into autism. This is not the autism that you see in our highly functioning adults, the way that Mr. Robinson described himself. This is not what we are talking about. But we don't have another word; we have autism. So we are talking about high functioning adults, people who love who they are and should celebrate who they are. And we're talking about kids who are sick. They are two different things, and we call it all autism.

"This autism is extremely different. It's a different experience for these individuals. It's pain. It's bowel disease. It's mitochondrial dysfunction. It's seizures. It's immune deficiency. And in many cases, it is a silent plea for help through head banging, and self-injurious behaviors and aggression. Parents have been searching for treatment for these co-conditions for years. We pay out-of-pocket because insurance won't cover the staggering cost of healing the many physical ailments our children suffer from. Our kids who fall into this model of autism, the ones who are healthy and become urgently ill, need to be treated with respect and like human beings who are sick. Their physical symptoms need to be addressed by medical professionals in the same ways that they would be handled in a person without autism. Never again should a parent have to hear from a doctor or a psychiatrist that a physical problem such as diarrhea or constipation..., that it's just part of their autism. But it still happens. That is what parents are hearing. When you go to the pediatrician, they hear, 'Well, kids on the spectrum, have diarrhea. They have constipation. It's part of autism.'

"I talked about my son's regression at the pediatrician's. A regression. A typically developing child regressed into autism and I was told, 'Well that's the very definition of autism.' We need to rework how we're talking about these things in pediatricians' offices across the country. And you need to be the change for that happening.

"Parents have been telling you for years that there was some trigger that sent their healthy child into a physical and developmental tailspin. They watched this happen to their kids. And we're ignored. You ignore our firsthand eyewitness accounts of damage to our children. You hold these meetings that accomplish nothing. And [you] give us the mike a few times a year and we tell you, 'Autism is medical.' This version of autism that the parents come here and talk to you about. Let me be clear on that. Our children get better when we treat the medical problems they have. Their behaviors that land them on the spectrum in the first place, improve when they get healthier. And you don't hear us. You give us fifteen minutes of your day and interrupt parents who travel on their own dime to come here and speak to you. If they go over their allotted three minutes, they get interrupted--as long as we end the meeting by five.

"I want to thank Dr. Cory for recognizing the one thing I haven't heard here in all the time I've been listening, watching and coming to these meetings. I heard the phrase, 'The parents are the experts on their children.' I heard it from other people in the room too. And the bottom line is, we are. We are the experts on our children. We see what they are living with day in and day out--the medical conditions that we are trying so desperately to find the answers for. But we receive none.

"I hope today that you hear this well, treating the co-occurring conditions is critical, but it is absolutely not enough. This committee needs to start getting serious about prevention. You need to start investigating the dangers of vaccines, pesticide exposure, antibiotic overuse, chemicals that are in our food supply that we know cause neurological dysfunction.

"We have a medical system that is run by pharmaceutical companies who don't care one bit if our kids are healthy or not. This committee needs to start working with our government to lessen the toxic burden our children are exposed to. We parents are watching and don't see this committee doing much of anything.

"The autism numbers continue to climb with no end in sight. And we have been screaming into the abyss. We've been telling you what is happening. We've given you clues to study, but you ignore us.

"Are you afraid of what you will find? Afraid of doing the right thing until it's too late? It's quickly becoming too late. How many more kids will die in ponds or in pools, because they wandered off and drowned? How many more diagnosed will it take for you act? This epidemic and the U.S. government's inaction is creating a vocal, intelligent, passionate army of loved ones that has reached a critical mass in number and will not back down. We'll be at every one of your meetings. We want to hear about what you're going to do about these co-occurring conditions and we want to know what you're going to do to prevent the rise in autism. It can't be ignored any longer. We've been telling you these things for well over ten years and what I want to know today is, who in this room is going to be a champion for this? Who will stand up and force the independent study looking at causation? Or spearhead individualized effective treatment for our sick children? If that person is in this room, now is the time to stand up.

"Thank you for your time. And on a separate note, I really would like to thank Lyn Redwood for always being a voice for the families that have been screaming this. She asks the hard questions and she's not given up on that job. So thank you."

http://www.ageofautism.com/2014/09/thats-all-there-is-folks-the-government-can-do-nothing-more-about-autism.html

THAT'S ALL THERE IS, FOLKS...

By Anne Dachel
September 30, 2014

<>

Megan, after your heartfelt plea to the experts in the room, did anyone respond to what you said?

The response was a general discussion about all three public commenters. John Robinson spoke first and stated again that he doesn’t believe the vaccine link to autism, but then questioned whether or not the belief that vaccine cause autism is a widely held though out the community. He admitted that as public servants, the committee should investigate vaccines if the public truly believes that there is a connection.

Lyn Redwood followed up by explaining how she learned that vaccine induced autism is biologically plausible. She discussed studies that were altered and had data changed to affect the outcomes to show that vaccines are not linked to a higher rate of autism. She then suggested that the committee bring these findings of fraud to the secretary and request special counsel to further investigate the fraud.

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Did Dr. Insel acknowledge your remarks? What was his response?

Dr. Insel did not directly address my remarks. He went on to discuss what the committee could and couldn’t do and made an analogy of autism being like a fever. That the fever could be cause by ebola or strep throat, but that it presents the same way and that we are in the ‘early stages’ of this (meaning autism) and that it is all so new, despite parents coming to the IACC for years and discussing co-occurring conditions, vaccines and treatment options.

INSEL'S RESPONSE (This was where he said, 'We have no money. We have no ability to fund anybody to do anything.')

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What is your opinion of the attitude of IACC toward autism as an epidemic and the link to vaccines?

I don’t think the IACC will ever investigate the vaccine/autism link. It is far too messy for our government have this link exposed. The vaccine program in our country continues to balloon out of control, because it is a huge money maker for the pharmaceutical industry. There are lobbyists in DC that get paid big money to make sure that no one looks too closely at what causes autism. I think that the IACC will continue to sit on their hands and do nothing with the information that Lyn Redwood presented to the committee at the meeting.

While Insel sounded like he was powerless to get anything done about autism, I found this official IACC statement from April, 2014:

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a Federal advisory committee, composed of Federal and public members, that coordinates all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Consider what that means. Thomas Insel just threw up his arms in response to Megan Davenhall and said he can't be expected to do anything about autism and the IACC website says that HHS has assigned ALL EFFORTS regarding autism to him and his committee...

894,094 views

Leonardo DiCaprio (UN Messenger of Peace) at the opening of Climate Summit 2014
Published on Sep 23, 2014

United Nations - Statement by Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio, UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change, at the opening of the Climate Summit 2014.

Climate Summit 2014: http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samantha-power/my-message-to-harvard-ken_b_5406524.html

Ambassador Samantha Power
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

My Message to Harvard Kennedy School Grads
Posted: 05/28/2014 6:20 pm EDT Updated: 07/28/2014 5:59 am EDT

The following speech was delivered at the 2014 Commencement of the Harvard Kennedy School, where I was previously Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy and the Founding Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.

...Now, I tell you this story because while I have a serious message for you today, my more personal appeal is to stay open to all that is around you. Professionally and personally, you never know when lightning will strike.

http://najms.net/wp-content/uploads/v06i03.pdf#page=34

North American Journal of Medicine and Science
Vol. 6, Issue 3
July 2013

ADVANCES IN AUTISM 2013
A Special Issue of NAJMS

http://najms.net/wp-content/uploads/v06i03.pdf#page=34

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Editors-in-Chief: Xuejun Kong, MD
Guest Editor: Christopher J. McDougle, MD ( http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1402 )
Published: Boston, MA, USA
Distribute: Worldwide


Editors-in-Chief
Xuejun Kong, MD Harvard Medical School, Boston

Advisory Editors
Richard E. Frye, MD, PhD University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock
John Halamka, MD Harvard Medical School, Boston
Ursula Kaiser, MD Harvard Medical School, Boston
Kenneth K. Kidd, PhD Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven
John Tomaszewski, MD State University of New York, Buffalo

Associate Editors
Mitchell Albert, PhD University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Robit Arora, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSCAI, FACP Chicago Medical School, North Chicago
Frank Chen, MD, PhD State University of New York, Buffalo
Jason Chen, PhD University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Ke-Qin Hu, MD University of California, Irvine
Edmond Kabagambe, DVM, PhD University of Alabama, Birmingham
Tamara Kalir, MD, PhD Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
David Lee, PhD Harvard Medical School, Boston
Calvin Pan, MD Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
Yiqing Song, MD, ScD Harvard Medical School, Boston
George C. Tsokos, MD Harvard Medical School, Boston

Specialty Editors
See PDF

Strategies Utilized at Advocates for Children that Might Impact Autism Prevention

1) Minimizing environmental toxicant exposures...
2) Maximizing breastfeeding prevalence...
3) Recommending probiotics...
4) Nutritional counseling...
5) Antibiotic stewardship...
6) Minimizing use of acetaminophen...
7) Allowing/implementing a modified vaccine schedule

http://www.riskscience.umich.edu/mmr-vaccines-autism-bringing-clarity-cdc-whistleblower-story/

COMMENT:

This Einstein quote is written outside at the NIH campus...

The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true.
– Albert Einstein

http://www.morganverkamp.com/august-27-2014-press-release-statement-of-william-w-thompson-ph-d-regarding-the-2004-article-examining-the-possibility-of-a-relationship-between-mmr-vaccine-and-autism/

NEWS

August 27, 2014 Press Release, “Statement of William W. Thompson, Ph.D., Regarding the 2004 Article Examining the Possibility of a Relationship Between MMR Vaccine and Autism”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - AUGUST 27,2014

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM W. THOMPSON, Ph.D., REGARDING THE 2004 ARTICLE EXAMINING THE POSSIBILITY OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MMR VACCINE AND AUTISM

My name is William Thompson. I am a Senior Scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where I have worked since 1998.

I regret that my coauthors and I omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the journal Pediatrics. The omitted data suggested that African American males who received the MMR vaccine before age 36 months were at increased risk for autism. Decisions were made regarding which findings to report after the data were collected, and I believe that the final study protocol was not followed.

I want to be absolutely clear that I believe vaccines have saved and continue to save countless lives. I would never suggest that any parent avoid vaccinating children of any race. Vaccines prevent serious diseases, and the risks associated with their administration are vastly outweighed by their individual and societal benefits.

My concern has been the decision to omit relevant findings in a particular study for a particular sub­ group for a particular vaccine. There have always been recognized risks for vaccination and I believe it is the responsibility of the CDC to properly convey the risks associated with receipt of those vaccines.

I have had many discussions with Dr. Brian Hooker over the last 10 months regarding studies the CDC has carried out regarding vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorders. I share his belief that CDC decision-making and analyses should be transparent. I was not, however, aware that he was recording any of our conversations, nor was I given any choice regarding whether my name would be made public or my voice would be put on the Internet.

I am grateful for the many supportive e-mails that I have received over the last several days. I will not be answering further questions at this time. I am providing information to Congressman William Posey, and of course will continue to cooperate with Congress. I have also offered to assist with reanalysis of the study data or development of further studies. For the time being, however, I am focused on my job and my family.

Reasonable scientists can and do differ in their interpretation of information. I will do everything I can to assist any unbiased and objective scientists inside or outside the CDC to analyze data collected by the CDC or other public organizations for the purpose of understanding whether vaccines are associated with an increased risk of autism. There are still more questions than answers, and I appreciate that so many families are looking for answers from the scientific community.

My colleagues and supervisors at the CDC have been entirely professional since this matter became public. In fact, I received a performance-based award after this story came out. I have experienced no pressure or retaliation and certainly was not escorted from the building, as some have stated.

Dr. Thompson is represented by Frederick M. Morgan,Jr., Morgan Verkamp, LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio, www.morganverkamp.com.

http://sharylattkisson.com/questions-surrounding-review-of-challenged-vaccine-autism-study

Questions Surrounding Review of Challenged Vaccine-Autism Study
by sattkisson on September 10, 2014

Did the medical journal Pediatrics stand by a questioned vaccine-autism study without interviewing the coauthor who confessed to and exposed alleged scientific misconduct?

If so, that would deviate from what should be standard procedure in such an investigation, according to internationally recognized medical ethicist Dr. Michael Carome.

“If the evidence seems substantial, the journal should contact all co-authors, present them with the allegations and supporting evidence, and ask them to respond,” says Carome, a research ethics expert who heads the Health Research Group at the watchdog group Public Citizen.

Last month, William Thompson, a senior scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stepped forward to say that he and his CDC coauthors omitted key data showing a link between MMR vaccine and autism in African American children. The study was published in 2004 in the journal Pediatrics.

“I regret that my coauthors and I omitted statistically significant information,” said Thompson in a statement issued through his attorney August 27. “The omitted data suggested that African American males who received the MMR vaccine before age 36 months were at increased risk for autism. Decisions were made regarding which findings to report after the data were collected, and I believe that the final study protocol was not followed.”

It may be unprecedented for the author of a scientific, peer-reviewed article to publicly expose alleged flaws in his own work and that of his colleagues.

“Upon receiving such an allegation, the journal editors should ask the co-author making the allegations to submit them in writing along with the supporting evidence,” says Carome. “In this case, that should include the data that was allegedly withheld improperly.”

However, it appears officials with Pediatrics may have disregarded Thompson’s allegations without speaking to him or examining his documentation. That would mean they interviewed only the co-authors who are accused of improprieties.

When asked about its review process, Pediatrics spokeswoman Susan Stevens Martin initially seemed to imply that the journal had interviewed Thompson.

“There’s a standard process that journals follow when an article is questioned,” Martin said in an email. “Those discussions took place between the editors of Pediatrics and the authors of this study, and the editors concluded the research was appropriately conducted.”

When repeatedly pressed on whether Thompson was consulted, Martin avoided a direct answer.

“The editors followed our normal protocol and are satisfied with the responses by the CDC authors,” she stated, again implying Thompson—a CDC author—was among those consulted.

But a source familiar with Thompson claims that Pediatrics officials never contacted him about his allegations.

When asked for details about its review process and why Thompson wasn’t consulted, the Pediatrics spokeswoman would only say, “The journal takes allegations of the use of fraudulent data seriously” and that it “investigated the allegations in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines and has decided that a retraction is not warranted.”

The Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines states that a journal should “issue an expression of concern” about an article if “authors produce conflicting accounts.”

Pediatrics is published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which receives significant funding from vaccine makers but will not disclose the amount.

“As a publisher we take very seriously any questions about articles in our journal and have a set procedure to investigate such issues. We have followed that process, discussed the research methods with the authors, and have determined to take no action regarding the article. Additional questions about the study and its data should be referred to CDC,” said Martin.