More than 36,000 children are diagnosed each year in the United States with it, a disorder involving impaired social skills and communication.

Most parents dread hearing that their child has it. Now, some parents are dreading the opposite — that their struggling child who might be or who already is considered autistic will no longer meet the clinical definition.

The fear comes as the American Psychiatric Association is considering a new definition of the collection of disorders commonly known as autism.

It would create a new category called “autism spectrum disorder” and pull under its umbrella previously separate disorders, such as Asperger’s syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder. Supporters of the proposal say its more strict criteria would lead to a more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

It also may also disqualify many families from the special education and services on which they have come to rely.

After the New York Times published a front page story on the issue Friday, the APA issued a press release [pdf] noting that the final decision is still “months away.” Nonetheless, the APA did not back away from a recommendation it said reflected “the work of dozens of the nation’s top scientific and research minds and are supported by more than a decade of intensive study and analysis.”

I asked Geraldine Dawson, the chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks, to explain more about the proposed change and how it might affect families of autistic children.

Here is our edited Q&A:

How would this definition differ from the current definition?

The scientific rationale behind the changes actually are quite solid. The different distinctions among the subtypes (Autism, PDD-NOS, Asperger’s syndrome, and so on) don’t map onto different causes or different treatment approaches. For example, a very similar treatment approach would likely be used [on] someone with Asperger’s syndrome, as would be used for a child with high functioning autism. The only distinction between Asperger’s syndrome and high functioning autism in the current system has to do with how much speech the child had by 3 years of age.

It has been difficult for even expert clinicians to make reliable distinctions among the subtypes because these distinctions rely on people’s recollection of very early history. So, it does make sense to use a broad category – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, for each person, the doctor will need to describe the severity of symptoms, presence and degree of intellectual and language disability, and other factors, such as presence of medical conditions and genetic etiology (e.g. fragile X).

While the new changes make sense scientifically, we need to keep in mind that this is not simply an academic exercise. We need to make sure that these changes don’t lead to people being denied the services they need and deserve.

How close is this proposed change to becoming part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the definitive guide to mental disorders? What has to happen before it becomes part of the new edition of the DSM planned for release in May of 2013?

The proposed new DSM criteria for diagnosis of ASD are very close to being finalized but still need to be fully tested in field trials...

The proposed criteria are available for public comment. The first two periods of comment took place in 2010 and 2011 and are now closed. However, a third and final period for public comment will be opened in the spring of 2012. See http://www.dsm5.org/ for more information about the criteria and process.

How might this suggested change affect families with autistic children? Could they lose out on access to special education and other resources?

We really don’t know yet how the new system will influence the ability to receive a diagnosis or services...The concern is that persons struggling with autism symptoms may not qualify for a diagnosis under the new system, especially those who are more cognitively capable. We won’t know how much of a concern this is until definitive studies are conducted...

Although it is possible that some service providers or funders could request a re-evaluation, especially if a child or adult is seeking new services, it is our hope and understanding that the current diagnosis will stand for existing services. Presently, many social service, medical, and educational programs require an assessment and diagnosis of ASD to determine eligibility for ASD-specific services, such as early intensive behavioral interventions.

Almost all the autism insurance laws that have been enacted in 29 states define autism spectrum disorders according to the most current definition of autism in the DSM; thus, all categories of autism, as long as they meet the criteria of autism spectrum disorder, will continue to be covered.

Does Autism Speaks have an opinion on the proposal?

Although the scientific rationale for the new criteria is solid, Autism Speaks is concerned and will monitor carefully whether the new criteria will exclude persons struggling with ASD symptoms who are in need of services. We are committed to ensuring that all people get the services they need, regardless of whether their condition is severe or mild.

Those who have milder symptoms (which can occur because they have responded well to early treatment or other interventions) can be helped to live productive, satisfying lives by continuing to provide some level of support (e.g. job coaching).  Helping people achieve their highest potential is important not only for people with ASD and their families, but for society as a whole as this lessens the financial burden to society in the long run.

What do you think of redefining autism? Is it a good idea or will it jeopardize struggling children?

In a report certain to cause fear and loathing in the global nuclear industry, an eminent French research institute published a study in the International Journal of Cancer, which notes increased rates of leukemia in children living close to French nuclear power plants (NPPs.)
 
How much greater?
 
The study by the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (French Institute of Health and Medical Research, or INSERM) found a leukemia rate twice as high among children under the age of 15 living within a 3.1-mile radius of France's 19 nuclear power plants.

INSERM has carried out similar research in conjunction with the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, or IRSN) CEPA UMRS1018, team 6 for over two decades, but has never before found a higher incidence of leukemia.
 
The report builds upon the findings of a German study published in late 2007 studying German children under 5 years old, which found that children of that age in the vicinity of German NPPs had suffered an increase in the incidence of childhood leukemia.
 
IRSN epidemiology research laboratory head Dominique Laurier observed, "This is a result which has been checked thoroughly and which is statistically significant."

For those wishing to read the International Journal of Cancer study by C. Sermage-Faure, D. Laurier, S. Goujon-Bellec, M. Chartier, A. Guyot-Goubin, J. Rudant, D. Hemon and J. Clavel, “Childhood leukemia around French nuclear power plants – the Geocap study, 2002 – 2007,” the document is online in English at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.27425/pdf.
 
The study has ominous implications for the future of the nuclear industry in France, which opted for a full-blown nuclear energy program with minimal public debate after the first oil crisis in 1974 and whose 19 NPPs’ 58 reactors now provide more than 78 percent of the country’s electricity.
 
As for the study’s methodology, “The case-control study included all the 2,753 French childhood leukemia cases aged up to 15 years at the end of the year of diagnosis, diagnosed between 2002 and 2007, and residing in metropolitan France. The cases were obtained from the French National Registry of Childhood Hematological Malignancies (NRCH).”
 
Other unsettling findings from the study -
 
“The age distribution of the cases included in the study showed the expected peak of incidence, between 2 and 4 years old.”
 
“Overall, the results suggest a possible excess risk of AL (Acute lymphoblastic leukemia) in the close vicinity of French NPPs in 2002-2007.”
 
Nuclear power proponents will immediately seize upon the fact that the study fell short of establishing a direct causal link between the higher incidence of leukemia in children living near nuclear power plants. Laurier, one of the study’s authors remarked, "But we are working on numbers which are very small and results have to be analyzed with a lot of care. It's a rare disease and working on a bigger scale would allow more stable results."
 
But worse news for nuclear power proponents may be in store, as
 
An European study is in progress on the health effects of low doses of ionizing radiation by the Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative (MELODI), whose website is www.melodi-online.eu. The study group includes more than fifteen European organizations specializing in radiation protection or involved in research on the health effects of exposure to low doses of radiation.
 
But to return to the International Journal of Cancer study, which concludes, “Overall, the findings call for investigation for potential risk factors related to the vicinity of NPP, and collaborative analysis of all the evidence available from multi-site studies conducted in various countries.”
 
The above statement is certainly a reasonable request for further investigation. As the debate over nuclear power has become so vitriolic, perhaps the best thing for proponents on both sides of the issue is simply to read the International Journal of Cancer study and draw your own conclusions.
 
…and then decide if you want your children or grandchildren living within three miles of a “safe” NPP.

By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com

In a report certain to cause fear and loathing in the global nuclear industry, an eminent French research institute published a study in the International Journal of Cancer, which notes increased rates of leukemia in children living close to French nuclear power plants (NPPs.)
 
How much greater?
 
The study by the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (French Institute of Health and Medical Research, or INSERM) found a leukemia rate twice as high among children under the age of 15 living within a 3.1-mile radius of France's 19 nuclear power plants.

In the United States, we've seen a fifteen-fold increase in autism diagnoses over the past two decades. In fact, it's currently estimated that almost 1% of US children have an autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), while the rates in US adults are largely unknown. Autism is described in the DSM-IV, listed as a disorder usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. Autism is further categorized as a pervasive developmental disorder, falling within the autistism spectrum, along with Asperger's and PDD-NOS.

Autism is characterized by impaired social development, limited communication skills, and repetitive movements. Autistic individuals may have dysfunctional mirror neuron systems, which are involved in imitation learning and empathy. The mirror neuron system is thought of as the neural basis for human social cognition, and anatomical studies show a significant reduction in cortical mass of brain areas directly populated by mirror neurons in individuals with autism.

The causes of autism, however, remain unclear. Genetic factors, dysfunctional cell-to-cell communication, and even environmental factors such as teratogens (chemicals that cause birth defects) have all been implicated. Indeed, ASDs may be as unique as the people who live with them, and a one-size-fits-all explanation may never be sufficient. One thing we know for certain is that there has never been a legitimate link found between autism and vaccine use. The science simply does not support childhood vaccination as a causal factor.

In a special issue of Discover Magazine released earlier this year, five intriguing yet largely speculative causes of the disorder are discussed. From an autoimmune hypothesis to a model of impaired mitochondria, these provocative explanations challenge conventional wisdom, and may, in fact, open the door to a new way of thinking about ASDs. We have learned a lot about autism recently, and with each new discovery, the picture grows clearer.

Both children and adults with ASDs appear to have difficulty connecting social cues with a personal emotional experience. Interestingly, they are largely immune to the highly "contagious" yawn. In a study performed on yawning behaviors in young children, only 11% of autistic children aged five to twelve-years-old caught yawns, as opposed to 43% of matched controls.

In multiple clinical studies, oxytocin, the hormone implicated in human bonding, has been shown to improve social skills in adults with ASDs. Compared to placebo, autistic adults taking oxytocin demonstrated an increased ability to understand emotional speech, improved identification of cooperation in a simulated social setting, and even a reduction in repetitive behaviors. This is an exciting development, since there is currently no known medical treatment for social or communication problems, aside from intensive behavioral intervention.

Last year, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience provided convincing evidence that one of the first signs of autism is excessive brain growth. Although children are usually diagnosed between the ages of three and four, secondary to behavioral problems and delays, it is notable that autistic children have measurably larger brains within the first year of life. Although no cure for autism exists, earlier screening tools may lead to earlier behavioral interventions.

Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls, and until recently, researchers could only speculate as to a genetic or hormonal cause for the discrepancy. But, in a study released earlier this year, a gene-hormone interaction that appears to be largely implicated was identified. Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-alpha (RORA) is a gene that indirectly controls production of sex hormones via an enzyme called aromatase. In the brains of individuals with autism, the way these neurochemicals communicate seems to be dysregulated, causing lower than normal levels of RORA proteins and aromatase, and a significant buildup of testosterone. This could explain why boys are so much more commonly affected than girls, since high levels of estrogen appear to protect against dysfunction of this system.

Another recent trend I've noticed in the scientific literature is one that celebrates the unique perspective, focus, and creativity seen in the autistic community, instead of fixating on deficits alone. The human side of autism is beautifully displayed in a recent issue of National Geographic, wherein photographer Timothy Archibald presents "Echolilia," an expose of his child's autism, and a join effort between father and son to learn more about the minds of one another, minds that often feel frustratingly inaccessible. In addition, a New York Times article published just this week tells the romantic story of Jack and Kristen, two young people who love one another in spite of, or perhaps by virtue of, the daily autistic experience. Stories like these remind us that the science and humanity of autism are inextricably linked, and we cannot know one without knowing the other.

The New Year hasn’t even started yet, but some parents are already looking ahead to 2013.

In May 2013, the American Psychiatric Association will release a new, revised set of guidelines for diagnosing someone with autism spectrum disorder.

And some experts don’t think this is a good idea.

Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and Fox News contributor, said rather than having separate disorders in the autistic “arena,” the association is proposing one name for all such disorders, which include repetitive behavior (autism spectrum disorder, pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified and Aspberger’s).

“They are monkeying with the definition of how severe symptoms must be to fit into a new and broad category called autism spectrum disorder, rather than autism and Aspberger’s, et cetera,” Ablow said.

The association’s decision to adopt stricter standards stems from the debate of how to define disorders, so that they can embrace the proper populations, while triggering insurance company reimbursements, said Ablow, who disagrees with a change in diagnostic manual so soon.

"I don't understand how a professional association can meet every few years and declare that some disorders are not in existence anymore and invent new ones to replace them," he added.

These new guidelines would place an emphasis on preservative and repetitive behaviors – but many children who were originally diagnosed with autism may be reclassified.

Ablow said this can leave some people who are still suffering with some of the symptoms or less severe symptoms out in the cold.

“If we don’t loosen it a little bit, I suspect that some of these high-functioning kids may actually either get shifted into a different diagnosis,” said Dr. Thomas Frazier, who treats children with autism at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. “So, for example, they might move to a new diagnosis called social communication disorder.”

Frazier said he is also worried about children who are already classified, and how the reclassification could affect the educational assistance they receive at school.

“Your educational classification really indicates what kind of services and accommodations you're going to get at school,” he said. “And autism is one of the highest educational classifications; so many people with autism get a significant amount of services through their school. I think the worry by a lot of parents is that ‘if my child loses that classification what happens?’ And we don’t know what’s going to happen yet.”

A key chemical of one of the most horrifying elements of the Vietnam War -- Agent Orange -- may soon be unleashed on America's farmlands. Considered by world nations to be a "Weapon of Mass Destruction" (WMD), Agent Orange was dropped in the millions of gallons on civilian populations during the Vietnam War in order to destroy foliage and poison North Vietnamese soldiers. The former president of the Vietnamese Red Cross, Professor Nhan, described it as, "...a massive violation of human rights of the civilian population, and a weapon of mass destruction."

A key chemical in that weapon -- 2,4-D -- is just months away from being dropped on agricultural land across the United States. Dow AgroSciences, which along with DuPont and Monsanto is heavily invested in genetically engineered crops, has petitioned the U.S. government to deregulate a variety of GE corn that's resistant to 2,4-D, which comprises 50% of the recipe of Agent Orange.

NaturalNews broke this story yesterday and published the details:
http://www.naturalnews.com/034492_D...

If the petition is approved by Washington, it would turn America's corn fields into chemical warfare zones targeted for mass pesticide poisoning with 2,4-D chemicals. The corn, of course, would be immune to 2,4-D, so it would uptake the chemical and transport it right into the structure of the corn kernels, creating "Agent Orange corn bombs" that would be chemically unleashed when consumed by human beings.

This is just the latest example of how industrial chemical giants and GMO companies of the world are committing acts of genocide against innocents. The introduction of 2,4-D-resistant GE corn is, essentially, an act of war against humanity.

Food crops sprayed with chemical weapons

Agent Orange, which contains roughly 50% 2,4-D, is also cited in numerous war crimes lawsuits. Even the BBC has reported on it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3...

The use of such chemicals on civilian targets is a violation of the 1907 Hague Convention, the 1927 Geneva Convention, and the 1949 Geneva Convention (http://www.iadllaw.org/en/node/353).

The International Tribunal of Conscience in Support of the Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange has published a document briefly describing the war crimes committed by the U.S. government in its use of Agent Orange: http://www.iadllaw.org/files/charge...

That document states:

The chemical warfare waged by the United States against Vietnam though the use of Agent Orange and other dioxin laced chemicals from 1961 to 1971 has caused severe, massive and prolonged consequences for the environment, ecology and health of the people of Vietnam.

See the photos of Agent Orange victims

Shocking pictures of Agent Orange victims can be seen at the following pages (WARNING, extremely graphic):
http://oraclesyndicate.twoday.net/s...

http://www.spingola.com/power_elite...

http://antiwar.com/orig/austin.php?...

http://legacy.bhopal.net/opinions/a...

http://vietnamartwork.wordpress.com...

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/0...

http://thetheologianscafe.xanga.com...

http://www.commondreams.org/headlin...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3...

Watch the video of children affected by Agent Orange:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zay...

Hear the Agent Orange song by Country Joe. Visit: http://countryjoe.com/jukebox.htm and click on "Agent Orange Song" on the top left. You'll be able to hear the full song.

First Vietnam, now America

Even walking around America today, many Americans are born as mutants thanks to the chemicals used in foods, medicines, lawn care and personal care products. That crime against humanity is about to be made far, far worse with the unleashing of 2,4-D on America's farmlands.

The gross deformities, birth defects, neurological disorders and physical retardation we have seen in Vietnamese children affected by Agent Orange could soon arrive at America's doorstep thanks to 2,4-D.

Dow, of course, is widely regarded as one of the most evil corporations on the planet, having already poisoned countless victims with toxic chemicals. Remember the Bhopal pesticide factory explosion in India? That was Union Carbide, owned by Dow. It killed thousands of people, maimed tens of thousands and injured over half a million (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal...).

Read more about Bhopal: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/...

And learn more about Dow here:
http://www.thetruthaboutdow.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Ch...

Remember: If chemical weapons are used to produce food, then those who consume such foods become casualties of war.

Food production was once an honorable art, but at the hands of greed-driven globalists, it quickly became a system of profit seeking and then a tool for corporate domination over the People. Now it has become a weapon of mass destruction, and it is being used to decimate the health of both the population and the farmlands.

Joe Hill watched his son press a finger against the screen of an iPhone, pull back an animated slingshot, and fire a bird through the virtual air.

He was amazed at how quickly Deacon, 3 at the time, mastered the game Angry Birds. A year earlier, Deacon had been diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that impairs the ability to socialize and communicate.

As Hill watched Deacon play the popular game, an idea bubbled in his mind for a computer application to help children with autism learn to communicate. Hill's startup company launched Aeir Talk for the Apple iPad tablet on Nov. 30.

"I just really wanted something that was affordable and was also quality work," he said. "There were a lot of apps that did a lot of different things, but I really wanted a one-stop shop for people who had kids with autism."

The application essentially allows children to create simple sentences by selecting from a row of virtual flashcards that represent nouns and verbs.

What makes the app unique, Hill said, is that it allows parents to customize the flashcards, uploading their own photos, typing in their own text and recording their own voices. That allows the flashcards to be personalized for the child.

"The familiarity of things around them really helps in the learning," Hill said.

So far, the $40 app has been downloaded more than 100 times, and Hill's website has received thousands of hits.

And Aeir Talk is a hit with Deacon, 4, and Hill's younger son, Gunnar, 3, who also has been diagnosed with autism. Since they've been using the app, Hill said, his sons are getting better at recognizing facial expressions, and Deacon can now call his brother and grandparents by name.

Until that moment when Deacon played Angry Birds, Hill had struggled to interact with his son and find something to hold the boy's interest. As he played the game for the first time, Deacon giggled and kicked his feet with excitement as the birds squawked and flew across the iPhone's screen, Hill recalled.

"It actually brought me to tears," said Hill, who lives in Chesapeake. "That day was the first time we had actually sat down together and interacted for a long time."

Deacon would play the game for hours or until the phone's battery died. After a day or two, Hill's son even learned how to tell his parents he wanted to play.

"He was saying, 'birds, birds,' and asking for it by name, which is a big deal because he doesn't say much," Hill said. "I hadn't seen him interact with toys like that at all. So I knew there was hope. I knew there's something in his mind that could be unlocked."

The wheels began to turn in Hill's head, too. He began searching the Web for smartphone or tablet computer programs designed for autism. The ones he found were expensive and lacked the features he wanted.

So Hill toyed with the idea of trying to develop an app himself.

Around last December, Hill bounced the idea off two doctors at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk. The doctors, who had treated Deacon and Gunnar, were enthused.

"Language is one thing that makes a huge difference with autistic children," said Dr. John Harrington, one of the pediatricians with whom Hill met. "Most kids, if they're speaking by age 5, often have a better outcome than if they're not."

Early this year, Hill searched for investors to fund the app's development. He also visited parents who were raising autistic children to determine what features they wanted.

By February, he had found investors, and Hill quit his job selling insurance to focus on developing the application. He approached We Are Titans, a Norfolk-based Web and mobile software development company, to build the program.

But his funding fell through the next month. Facing grocery bills and a mortgage payment, Hill told the developers at We Are Titans to put plans for the app on hold, and he took a job scrubbing toilets at a Chesapeake hotel.

Rather than let the project stall, We Are Titans offered to go ahead and develop the program.

"The type of company that we have, people call us every day with ideas - they have something they call the next Facebook, or something revolutionary," said Zack Miller, a project director at the company. "But not every day do we hear something like this."

Miller's company formed a partnership with Hill, and the company began work on Aeir Talk in May.

Since the app launched, Hill said he's hearing good things, including from Harrington at CHKD.

"Kids with autism can process things fairly well if it's visual and it makes sense to them," Harrington said. Hill "has set it up to take pictures of their natural environment and set up sentence structure so they can communicate."

Children with autism like repetition, Harrington said.

"It allows them to use it over and over again but make changes quickly," he said of the app. "And that's the benefit it of it. It puts educational stuff on its ear."

One early user of the application is Chesapeake resident Donna Hillard. Her son Willy, 14, has been diagnosed with autism.

"When I heard about this device, I knew that he wouldn't outgrow it, because you can make it harder and harder," said Hillard, 60. "So first of all, we put my voice on it. He immediately loved the idea that my voice was on it, and I was asking him questions, and he was pointing to the answers."

Hillard said that in the short time her son has been using the program, he's already improving his communication skills.

"What it's doing is actually with his speech," she said. "I've noticed, he's working to say the words clearer than he used to."

Hill wants to share that experience with as many parents and autistic children as possible.

He and We Are Titans are getting feedback from early adopters and plan to continue to improve the application. They also want to launch it on other platforms. Recently, they temporarily dropped the price of the app to $10 to encourage more downloads.

Most of all, though, he wants Aeir Talk to foster his relationship with his sons.

"I hope that my sons will be able to follow directions," he said, "or that they'll be able to look at me and say 'I love you,' and grasp 'I love you.' "

Josh Brown, (757) 446-2318, josh.brown@pilotonline.com

Air travel horror stories typically involve lost luggage, missed connections and overzealous security staff. But families affected by autism face other challenges in navigating airports and planes.

A Philadelphia program is bringing families, airport employees and airlines together to help autistic kids fly more comfortably.

Airports are loud, hectic places: blaring announcements, glaring lights and long lines can spell trouble for people with autism. They often can't tolerate noise, bright lights and close quarters.

Moms gathered at Philadelphia International Airport on a recent morning have experienced the effects first-hand.

"She was screaming, she was pale, she was having trouble breathing," says Susan Stein, whose daughter has autism.

"He didn't understand what was going on and people thought he was being belligerent, and he wasn't, it was just too much," adds Cecilia Thompson, whose son is autistic.

Both mothers haven't tried to fly with their children since their last terrible experiences. But they're back at the airport to give flying another shot — starting with a practice run.

"We do everything from curb to cabin and back," says Wendy Ross, a developmental pediatrician in Philadelphia, who started the practice program after a patient had an especially bad experience flying.

"She had expected to pre-board with her whole family, and then the airline's rules were that she could only pre-board with one family member, and so she got very anxious and aggressive, was biting her parents, and was unable to make that flight home," Ross says.

Besides making families feel comfortable, Ross wants airline and airport staff to know more about autism.

"Some of the kids are really cognitively delayed, and others are very bright, and they are more or less affected by new situations, so how they react really varies by the family and the child," Ross says.

The families wait at the check in counter, where they get boarding passes.

TSA officer Robert Rieser explains the first hurdle: getting through security: "No children will have to take their foot wear off, and all the adults unfortunately have to."

Everybody seems a bit tense as the group proceeds to security, but all the kids make it through.

Carmella Zelli is preparing her family for a trip to Disneyland in April. Her 11-year-old son Anthony is non-verbal and gets agitated easily. She's worried he won't go down the jet way.

"If he can't see what's in front of him, he gets nervous and then he doesn't like to go," Zelli says.

And she's right. Anthony walks all the way down to the plane and then turns around and runs away crying.

Flight attendant Dana McCue says watching the family struggle was a valuable lesson.

"Most of all to have patience, and to be aware of the situation," McCue says.

The other families settle into their seats, and are greeted by a United Airlines flight crew.

The plane doesn't actually go anywhere so families get off after a snack. They gather their belongings, and each kid receives a pin with wings from the airport.

Wendy Ross says it's a symbol of their achievement. "Literally, we are helping kids fly, but as a metaphor, travel is so much more than how we get from one place to another, it is how we experience opportunity."

And even though one boy wasn't able to board the plane this time, Ross says she now knows what to practice with him to get him to Disneyland.

Ajinomoto, maker of aspartame, turns to new malicious strategy which hopes to trick public with renaming and marketing it as natural. Artificial sweetener Aspartame is now rebranded and its called “AminoSweet“.

Over 25 years ago, aspartame was first introduced into the European food supply. Today, it is an everyday component of most diet beverages, sugar-free desserts, and chewing gums in countries worldwide. But the general public is waking up to the truth about artificial sweeteners like aspartame and the harm they cause to health. The latest aspartame marketing scheme is a desperate effort to indoctrinate the public into accepting the chemical sweetener as natural and safe, despite evidence to the contrary.

Despite the myriad of evidence gained over the years showing that aspartame is a dangerous toxin, it has remained on the global market with the exception of a few countries that have banned it. In fact, it continued to gain approval for use in new types of food despite evidence showing that it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, and endocrine disruption, among other things.

History of aspartame

The details of aspartame’s history are lengthy, but the point remains that the carcinogen was illegitimately approved as a food additive through heavy-handed prodding by a powerful corporation with its own interests in mind. Practically all drugs and food additives are approved by the FDA not because science shows they are safe but because companies essentially lobby the FDA with monetary payoffs and complete the agency’s multi-million dollar approval process.

Aspartame was an accidental discovery by James Schlatter, a chemist who had been trying to produce an anti-ulcer pharmaceutical drug for G.D. Searle & Company back in 1965. Upon mixing aspartic acid and phenylalanine, two naturally-occurring amino acids, he discovered that the new compound had a sweet taste. The company merely changed its FDA approval application from drug to food additive and aspartame was born.

G.D. Searle & Company first patented aspartame in 1970. An internal memo released in the same year urged company executives to work on getting the FDA into the “habit of saying yes” and of encouraging a “subconscious spirit of participation” in getting the chemical approved.

G.D. Searle & Company submitted its first petition to the FDA in 1973 and fought for years to gain FDA approval, submitting its own safety studies that many believed were inadequate and deceptive. Despite numerous objections, including one from its own scientists, the company was able to convince the FDA to approve aspartame for commercial use in a few products in 1974, igniting a blaze of controversy.

In 1976, then FDA Commissioner Alexander Schmidt wrote a letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy expressing concern over the “questionable integrity of the basic safety data submitted for aspartame safety”. FDA Chief Counsel Richard Merrill believed that a grand jury should investigate G.D. Searle & Company for lying about the safety of aspartame in its reports and for concealing evidence proving the chemical is unsafe for consumption.

Changing aspartame’s name to something that is “appealing and memorable”, in Ajinomoto’s own words, may hoodwink some but hopefully most will reject this clever marketing tactic as nothing more than a desperate attempt to preserve the company’s multi-billion dollar cash cow. Do not be deceived. (NaturalNews)

Artificial sweeteners are linked to behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and allergies. Because saccharin was shown to increase the incidence of bladder cancer in animal testing, all foods containing this sugar substitute are required to carry a warning label. (Puristat)

Link betweenAspartame and Gulf War Syndrome

When stored or heated above 30 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit), as in desert heat, Aspartame in Diet Drinks breaks down into neurotoxic substances: Methanol (wood alcohol), Formaldehyde (embalming fluid), Formic Acid (ant sting venom) and DKP(brain tumor agent).

The major soft drink companies shipped free Diet Drinks to US Desert Storm troops, where they broke down in storage into highly toxic substances. The symptoms reported by the sufferers of “Gulf War Syndrome” mimic the ones of those reporting problems associated with Aspartame use here … but, the military personnel symptoms are greater because they were drinking/eating “expired Diet Pepsi and then some!” Since Aspartame is capable of changing the DNA (in lab tests), birth defects in offspring can be readily addressed. Family members are also experiencing illness, possibly from their continued use of these products. What is the real reason behind Gulf War Syndrome? Based on volumes of available research, we believe it was what they were eating and drinking in extreme desert heat.

ACSN Founder, Mary Nash Stoddard (a veteran’s widow) is available to answer questions and support allegations regarding this important issue and how it is adversely affecting 3 out of 5 who use it. ACSN’s special Pilot’s Hotline has logged over 800 pilot-related calls. Pilots are having grand mal seizures in the cockpits of commercial airline flights, and others are crashing the flight simulator at training facilities while in seizure. Dozens have lost their flying status because of Aspartame. Seizures, loss of vision, vertigo, suicidal depressions, heart problems, etc. are routinely reported to ACSN. Many consumers report bizarre psychological symptoms as well. This happens when the Phenylalanine in Aspartame depletes levels of the neurotransmitter, Serotonin, a brain chemical which regulates aggressive behaviors and sleep patterns, among other things.

The U.S. Air Force has formally warned all pilots to abstain from consuming Diet Drinks in their official Flying Safety publication (May & August 1992.) Their Aspartame Alert article was based on that of the U.S. Navy to pilots earlier in Navy Physiology. 78% of all consumer complaints to the FDA are about reactions to Aspartame (NutraSweet/Equal.)

Recently, a letter was sent to COPA in which a pilot expressed his concerns over questionable adverse effects from consumption of diet drinks containing aspartame. By 1986, the FDA and the Centre for Disease Control in the U.S. had evaluated 3,000 known complaints.

The article disclosed that methanol destroys the brain, albeit a little at a time, and that effects are cumulative. Depending on a person’s physical state and tolerance level, immediate effects can either be severe (resulting in epileptic seizures, including grand mal, blindness, chest palpitations), or less noticeable (causing blurred vision, bright flashes, tunnel vision, ringing or buzzing in ears, migraine headaches, dizziness, loss of equilibrium, lip and mourth reactions); less noticeable effects might be passed off as temporary or caused by something else. But everyone is affected in one way or another, since methanol causes toxic reactions, not just allergic ones in a few unfortunates.

If pilots want more information,  call (or Email) the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network in Dallas, Texas U.S.A. and talk to ACSN & Worldwide Pilot Hotline Founder, Mary Nash Stoddard [1-214-352-4268 or Email: marystod@airmail.net] ACSN promises confidentiality if asked, and will send an eye-opening information package.

Apparently, the other main components of Aspartame, Phenylalanine [50%], Aspartic Acid [40%], combined with the Methanol [10%], create a witch’s brew of 16 breakdown products after digestion that cause illness. Animal tests revealed brain tumors, some cancerous; holes in the brain, womb tumors, uterine tumors and reproductive dysfunctions. Studies on humans indicated that pregnant women and young children run especially high risks. There is evidence of birth defects in offsprings, including severe retardation, genetic damage, especially in women who carry the PKU (Phenylketonuria) gene, heart problems and emotional and psychiatric disorders.

Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Toxicity Information Center

Aspartame Dangers and Side Effects

DORway » Aspartame & Aspartame Poisoning Information Site

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus – ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines and (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal pain
pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

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A small number of cancer cases would result from scanning hundreds of millions of passengers a year. For some, that's a health issue

The European Union on Monday prohibited the use of X-ray body scanners in European airports, parting ways with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, which has deployed hundreds of the scanners as a way to screen millions of airline passengers for explosives hidden under clothing.

The European Commission, which enforces common policies of the EU's 27 member countries, adopted the rule “in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.”

As a ProPublica/PBS NewsHour investigation detailed earlier this month, X-ray body scanners use ionizing radiation, a form of energy that has been shown to damage DNA and cause cancer. Although the amount of radiation is extremely low, equivalent to the radiation a person would receive in a few minutes of flying, several research studies have concluded that a small number of cancer cases would result from scanning hundreds of millions of passengers a year.

European countries will be allowed to use an alternative body scanner, on that relies on radio frequency waves, which have not been linked to cancer. The TSA has also deployed hundreds of those machines – known as millimeter-wave scanners – in U.S. airports. But unlike Europe, it has decided to deploy both types of scanners.

The TSA would not comment specifically on the EU’s decision. But in a statement, TSA spokesman Mike McCarthy said, “As one of our many layers of security, TSA deploys the most advanced technology available to provide the best opportunity to detect dangerous items, such as explosives.

“We rigorously test our technology to ensure it meets our high detection and safety standards before it is placed in airports,” he continued. “Since January 2010, advanced imaging technology has detected more than 300 dangerous or illegal items on passengers in U.S. airports nationwide.”

Body scanners have been controversial in the United States since they were first deployed in prisons in the late 1990s and then in airports for tests after 9/11. Most of the controversy has focused on privacy because the machines can produce graphic images. But the manufacturers have since installed privacy filters.

As the TSA began deploying hundreds of body scanners after the failed underwear bombing on Christmas Day 2009, several scientists began to raise concerns about the health risks of the X-ray scanner, noting that even low levels of radiation would increase the risk of cancer.

As part of our investigation, ProPublica surveyed foreign countries’ security policies and found that only a few nations used the X-ray scanner. The United Kingdom uses them but only for secondary screening, such as when a passenger triggers the metal detector or raises suspicion.

Under the new European Commission policy [4] , the U.K. will be allowed to complete a trial of the X-ray scanners but not to deploy them on a permanent basis when the trial ends, said Helen Kearns, spokeswoman for the European transport commissioner, Siim Kallas.

“These new rules ensure that where this technology is used it will be covered by EU-wide standards on detection capability as well as strict safeguards to protect health and fundamental rights,” Kallas said.

Five-hundred body scanners, split about evenly between the two technologies, are deployed in U.S. airports. The X-ray scanner, or backscatter, which looks like two large blue boxes, is used at major airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, John F. Kennedy in New York and Chicago's O’Hare. The millimeter-wave scanner, which looks like a round glass booth, is used in San Francisco, Atlanta and Dallas.

Within three years, the TSA plans to deploy 1,800 backscatter and millimeter-wave scanners, covering nearly every domestic airport security lane. The TSA has not yet released details on the exact breakdown.

Mercola.com

By Dr. Mercola

In 1988, the first conjugate vaccine was approved for use in the U.S. 

It was intended to protect infants and young children against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); a bacterial infection that can lead to pneumonia, infections of your blood, joints, bones, and pericardium.

Historically, it has also been a leading cause of bacterial meningitis.

Since that time, the vaccine has been approved in most developed countries, including Denmark and Israel where the vaccine was added to their national vaccine programs in 1993 and 1994, respectively.

Starting in the late 1980's, there was a marked increase in the reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among children in the U.S. 

A similar increase was seen in Denmark and Israel.

While the rise may be a reflection of "ascertainment biases," researchers now suggest the Hib vaccine may be another trigger. The continuation of the trend toward increased rates of autism spectrum disorders could be further explained by the increased usage of the vaccine.

New Hypothesis: the Hib Vaccine May Explain Rapid Rise in Autism

According to a recent study in the journal Medical Hypotheses:

"It is hypothesized here that the introduction of the Hib conjugate vaccine in the US in 1988 and its subsequent introduction in Denmark and Israel could explain a substantial portion of the initial increases in ASDs in those countries.

The continuation of the trend toward increased rates of ASDs could be further explained by increased usage of the vaccine, a change in 1990 in the recommended age of vaccination in the US from 15 to 2months, increased immunogenicity of the vaccine through changes in its carrier protein, and the subsequent introduction of the conjugate vaccine for Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Although conjugate vaccines have been highly effective in protecting infants and young children from the significant morbidity and mortality caused by Hib and S. pneumoniae, the potential effects of conjugate vaccines on neural development merit close examination.

Conjugate vaccines fundamentally change the manner in which the immune systems of infants and young children function by deviating their immune responses to the targeted carbohydrate antigens from a state of hypo-responsiveness to a robust B2 B cell mediated response.

This period of hypo-responsiveness to carbohydrate antigens coincides with the intense myelination process in infants and young children, and conjugate vaccines may have disrupted evolutionary forces that favored early brain development over the need to protect infants and young children from capsular bacteria."

Why Pinning Autism on a Particular Vaccine May Be Counterproductive…

According to Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the non-profit National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), vaccine injury is the result of a unique interaction between the host and the type and numbers of vaccines given to that person.

In other words, vaccine injury and death is induced by a number of co-factors, including:

There is a tendency by researchers investigating vaccine injury and death to want to point to "one" cause as the reason for an individual's vaccine reaction, or population-based chronic disease prevalence. Many different hypotheses have been forwarded by different people regarding the link between vaccines and the dramatic rise in autism over the past few decades.

• Harris Coulter and Barbara Loe Fisher were the first to point to the whole cell pertussis vaccine, which can cause brain damage labeled as "autism" in some children.  
• In 1998, Andy Wakefield suggested a link between autism and the live virus measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
• Mercury (thimerosal) preservatives in inactivated vaccines have been repeatedly implicated by various experts, as has the combination of MMR vaccine and thimerosal in vaccines.
• According to Dr. David Ayoub, a radiologist and physician who has become a specialist on the additives and preservatives used in vaccines, aluminum adjuvants may be an even greater factor than thimerosal.

The "sole cause" hypothesis is convenient because it is simple and easy to understand. It is also easier for people to think that action can be taken to "fix" the problem if there is only one cause; i.e., separate the MMR vaccine into single doses; take thimerosal or aluminum out of the vaccines, and so forth.

However, the problem with promoting the "sole cause" hypothesis when it comes to vaccination is that the rise in chronic disease and disability among our children, including autism, is likely caused by a multiple factors in any number of combinations. Therefore, by trying to hone in on just one cause, we're likely to fail in our efforts to curb this epidemic.

Why We Must Broaden Our Scope and Address Multiple Co-Factors

Ultimately, focusing on "one cause" does little more than cause confusion when that theoretical cause turns out to be lacking or incorrect. Furthermore, there's a danger of wholly dismissing one potential cause after the other, as each potential cause fails to be proven absolutely causative. As a result, we may end up doing too little, or nothing, to eliminate the various co-factors that might be working in tandem to, ultimately, produce autism.

In addition to the vaccine-related factors just mentioned, there are numerous other potential co-factors that cannot yet be discounted, including:

This is one of the reasons why the NVIC avoids trying to pin any particular vaccine injury on any particular vaccine. Rather the main thrust of their information campaign is to simply question the wisdom of mandating increasing numbers of childhood vaccines in the absence of true knowledge. There are distressing gaps in vaccine safety science that precludes us from understanding the biological high-risk factors that make some individuals more susceptible than others, for example.

The current one-size-fits-all vaccine mandates simply throws too many children under the proverbial bus, because we simply do not know what all these vaccines are doing to individuals with different predispositions, or how different vaccines interact when given in combination.

Majority of Drug Reactions in Kids are Due to Vaccines

While it's highly unlikely that any one vaccine is responsible for the autism epidemic, there are many signs indicating that we may be giving our children too many vaccines, and that vaccines of all kinds may be less innocuous than previously believed.

Case in point: The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) runs a national spontaneous reporting system to collect adverse drug reaction (ADR) data.  More than 31,000 ADR reports for children below the age of 17 were received between 2000 and 2009, and vaccines were a factor in more than 66 percent of these pediatric drug reaction reports.

According to a recent review in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology:

 "Vaccines were included in 22,102 (66.5%) pediatric ADR reports, with Meningococcal Serogroup C conjugate vaccine reported most frequently (12,106 reports)".

So here again, we see yet another vaccine cropping up as being particularly problematic for young children and teens... It is telling however, that vaccines account for two-thirds of all adverse drug reactions in the UK, considering how hazardous pediatric drug use can be!

Keep Educating Yourself on Vaccines

It is becoming increasingly necessary to continue to educate yourself and your family on the issues surrounding vaccinations of all kinds. There are so many problems; no one article can possibly cover them all.

You can find and search all vaccine related articles on my Latest Vaccine News page. I also recommend you familiarize yourself with the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) web site. As a leader for vaccine safety, the NVIC offers information on everything from laws to informed consent to late-breaking vaccine news.

What You Can Do to Make a Difference

While it seems "old-fashioned," the only truly effective actions you can take to protect the right to informed consent to vaccination and expand vaccine exemptions, is to get personally involved with your state legislators and the leaders in your community.  Write or email your elected state representatives and share your concerns. Call them, or better yet, make an appointment to visit them in person in their office. Don't let them forget you!

Mass vaccination policies are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level, and it is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact.

Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org will give you access to practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community, and when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips to make sure your voice is heard.

Share Your Story with the Media and People You Know

If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury or death, please talk about it. If we don't share information and experiences with each other, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is only presenting one side of the vaccine story.

You can also share your story on the NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims' page.

I must be frank with you; you have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to speak publicly about the "other side" of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down.  Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it.

We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies to dominate the conversation about vaccination. The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than "statistically acceptable collateral damage" of national one-size-fits-all mass vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn't be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings.

Carefully Select Your Pediatrician

If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don't want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination.

However, there is hope.

At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they're starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents. It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors, who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vaccinations or giving children fewer vaccines on the same day or continuing to provide medical care for those families, who decline use of one or more vaccines.

So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.

And remember, in the end, it's unlikely that any one vaccine is the culprit. Rather curbing autism is a matter of taking a closer look at the overall toxic burden of our children, and the sheer number of vaccines given during sensitive moments of their development.