Autistic Children, Drowning Safety and News Stories.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day!

2008-04-02T18:12:00.000-04:00

TODAY THE UNITED NATIONS and Autism Syndrome Disorder (ASD) organizations around the world are observing the first World Autism Awareness Day. My 21 year old son is a high functioning autistic man. I've been busy with CNN.com all morning doing stories. As you know it is Autism 24/7 on the network today.

Why would a community of nations usually neck-deep in issues relating to peace, poverty and pollution, among other grievous concerns, want to drum up international attention for a disability like ASD?

The answer is simple. ASD has become a global epidemic.

One T-shirt designed by an autism support group sums it up succinctly: “10 years ago: 1 in 10,000; 5 years ago: 1 in 1,000; Today: 1 in 150; Scared yet?”

The conservative estimate is there are 35 million people with autism in the world. There is hardly anyone who does not know a family with a child with ASD.

“Every 20 minutes a family embarks on this terrible journey,” says parent Katie Wright in her foreword to the book “Changing the Course of Autism: A Scientific Approach for Parents and Physicians” by Brian Jepson, M.D., with Jane Johnson.

Initiated by Qatar last December and approved by the UN General Assembly for observance every year on April 2, the resolution seeks to promote early diagnosis, early intervention and necessary services for individuals with ASD.

Banging on doors

All over the world, parents of children with ASD are, as Wright puts it, “banging on the doors of pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists, looking for answers and finding none ... This situation is shameful.”

Finding a good doctor who specializes in treating autism is, seriously, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Many physicians rely solely on the practice patterns of others and never read the literature themselves,” Jepson notes. “Some of what they know is outdated, and some of what they’ve been taught may be inaccurate and misleading.”

Jepson, board-certified in emergency medicine, switched his attention to the study and treatment of autism after his second son was diagnosed with ASD. He is now medical services director at Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas.

No rest for parents

For the treatment of their children with ASD, parents should not rest until they find a specialist who networks with other ASD doctors, attends ASD conferences, reads up on research and accepts parental input.

The book says there is evidence in medical studies that autism is an epidemic; that it is a medical disease, not a psychological disorder; and that it affects other body organ systems besides the brain. The best news, however, is that autism is treatable, and if intervention is given in the earliest years, a child can get better.

Correct nutrition

There is no fast formula for treatment but the first thing that is usually prescribed is correct nutrition.

“Replace what the child is missing, remove what is causing harm, and break the inflammatory cycle,” Jepson writes. “Changing the diet is probably the most difficult thing that parents are asked to do, but the improvements are often immediate.”

The nutrition guide that parents must follow for their children with ASD involves adding and subtracting.

Without this kind of intervention, their kids will continue to suffer by eating day after day only two or three kinds of food—usually the most harmful to them.

What to add? Jepson recommends correcting nutritional deficiencies through vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. The book has 21 pages of these supplements.

Gluten-free diet

What to subtract? Parents recommend taking away food with dairy and wheat as well as oats. The diet is known as the gluten-free/casein-free diet, or GF/CF for short.

Two years ago, none of the GF/CF foods available to parents abroad could be purchased here. Thanks to the advocacy of parents of children with ASD, reputable health store chain Healthy Options now has sections for gluten-free and lactose-free foods, as well as books such as Jepson’s.

The hardest thing for parents to deny any child is cookies because, well, everybody loves cookies. To their relief, a variety of gluten-free snacks, as well as cereals and pastas, are now on the shelves of Healthy Options, which is found in most major malls. The store also carries casein-free milk and chocolate drinks (no cows’ milk but milk substitutes with as much calcium).

Pan de sal, baked fresh with imported GF/CF flour and containing no yeast, preservatives, or artificial flavorings is now available at Free Living (tels. 6313005 and 0917-7374489).

Treatment not a sprint

If your child eats nothing but chicken, Free Living carries nuggets, hotdogs, tocino and longganisa made of chicken. All their products are made in a kitchen that is dedicated to preparing and cooking only GF/CF products so there is no contamination.

One important reminder to parents: Do not try to remove food that is not gluten-free and casein-free all at once and refrain from giving several kinds of vitamins and nutrients all at once.

Otherwise, it will be hard to tell which worked or adversely affected their child, says Jepson. Wait several days or weeks before introducing a new food or treatment.

“Remember that the treatment of autism is like a marathon, not a sprint,” he cautions. The management of a chronic disease like ASD is usually long term. Some children respond immediately to treatment, others take longer.

But here’s the good news: There is no cut-off age for treatment.

“Never give up hope, at any age,” Jepson says. “The more scientists and physicians learn about autism, the more effective the treatments will become.”

From Kemi to you.......Our Story

2008-04-02T16:49:00.000-04:00

Eni was born in 1987 and it was in 1990 that I first noticed something wrong with my child. He never talked. He made the baby noises and all but right after he got the MMR shots, he stopped every noise. His behavior changed, he was mute and pointed to things he wanted. I was devastated and my partner and I would have so many arguments on how to discipline him especially when he would have tantrums and throw things all over the house. My partner would want to spank and I would refuse. There was something much more happening to Eni we didn't know. I had just graduated from Pharmacy school in 1988 and it seriously affected my job as babysitters would decline to take him citing the other kid's safety and other crappy excuses. I would get calls at work to come and pick up my child in SCHOOL! Some of the schools could not even manage them in those days. I would constantly fight with the schools who would end up calling social services who in turn take my son away into foster care for extended periods citing that I am mentally frustrated and it could harm him.

I would spend thousands of dollars to hire lawyers to get my son back. I was fired at my first job in pharmacy after 6 months because I had to leave so many times to get my son. How does a Pharmacist leave in the middle of filling prescritions? You had to close up till the relief pharmacist arrives. One day, my boss said to me "I realize what you are going thru with your son....we all have families and families come first. Go take care of him. We'll call you if we need you".....That was 1990. They haven't called me till today in 2007. I was let go! I later kept my next pharmacy job for 16 years at CVS who acomodated me well. Meanwhile they were 12 hour days so that I could only work 3 days a week making 36 hours. I hired Ms Pat an old black woman to come and sit in my home with Eni after school.

I decided to go for a less stressful career and I registered in the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland as a News Major as well as Goucher College school of Public Relations for PR. People thought I was stupid taking up a double major. I would go to school every night while Ms Pat watched Eni and his brother Oyin. Broadcasting gave me the flexibility I needed and that explains all my freelance work on this blog. It was just to pay the bills and take care of my son. At one point, the social services did not take my son away any more, but they took his brothers. Eni would kick, bite and beat me and his siblings. The Baltimore County police accused the social services of completely ignoring "this woman's needs" and Officer Clay Benton and Darryl Kelly went to court screaming at the caseworkers in the courtroom in my pursuit of getting my younger sons back. The Judge was so confused. Judge Bollinger knew NOTHING about autism. Officer Benton was the father of an autistic boy Connor which nobody knew on that court day. Also present was Kimberly Curtis of the Autism society of America who testified for me. Her husband Kenny Curtis was a local celebrity and local Fox-45 kids TV personality who had an autistic kid too. Ken's now at XM Kids radio. After 15 years of hell, I got KJ and Oyin back. I went thru many parental classes and absurd case plans. The U.S system can so much destroy you, there are limited or no services in some states. Some states are better for older autistics, some for younger. This explains my moving around. 6 years in Philadelphia (My pharmacy college days), 15 years in Baltimore and 3 years in Atlanta.

Things got worse in Georgia. KJ was taken away again for safety reasons as Eni was constantly agitated when he heard loud noises. When you yell at him, he would go nuts. Eni eventually went to a residential institution for a year and I got KJ back after 2 Years in foster care. 2 YEARS! They purposely suffered me thru several ridiculous case plans and racism played a big part there in the deep south. I started a movement against Georgia Social Services and headed to the State House and United States Congress to testify about how the state destroy autistic families. The US Congressional team imposed a $130,000 fine on Georgia for mismanaging federal money (stashing children wrongly taken away in foster care) and destroying families. Many families came out after seeing my story on several local news channels and story after story came out.

Members of the Georgia State Senate said they did not know many of us had our kids taken away or their siblings. I changed the laws. I made a difference in the society, something I said last week at the parents forum in Toronto for parents of disabled adults. Don't wait for Tory and McGuinty, do what you have to do FOR YOUR CHILD! We are getting older and still have to remember who will care for them when we become elderly? In my time spent in the U.S, I spent $85,345 on attorney fees constantly battling the system to let my family be a family. Eni was mute till 9 years old when he finally talked. He ended up in Special Education till he got to high school in Georgia. Autistic people do not relate well with others but because he was so cute (LOL), the girls embraced him and all his friends are female. Eni only has one male friend "Junior." The autism factor of communicating and relating to others plays a significant role here. He does not relate to young adult males at all! After 23 years we left the U.S and returned to Nigeria in January 2006. I literarily had to protect my own children from their own government.

I began working at Radio Nigeria and someone at the Canadian embassy told me about Canada and services for older autistic people. Eni really had nothing back home and his frustration levels got worse. After contacting agencies like JVS Toronto, Community Living Toronto, Ontario Disability Support Program, I got Eni into his own independent shelter, where he cooks his own meals, goes to job training daily and is preparing to get his first job in Canada. He has only worked in McDonalds in the States cleaning tables and taking trash out but he wants more.....more specialized skilled good paying jobs and that is why JVS is there for him. We arrived in Toronto June 6th 2007 and only for me to see two politicians battling about Autism on TV. John Tory says Dalton Mcguinty failed in his promise to parents of autistic children. Parents must look into what is best for THEIR OWN children. My story is worse than I have here but the rest belongs in a BOOK. I want to write about it but time is the problem. In my leaving full time jobs in 2004, I decided to take on this fangled thing called the world wide web and set up a home office reading and writing articles freelancing and finally started Keminications in Atlanta. I would breeze thru TV and radio channels and listen to all kinds on media news and gossip as well as read endless magazines, blogs and links on the web and Keminications was born. Look at all the links I bring you daily. It takes time to read and do my story selection. I sold ads on the site, made a living and found my own niche. Though I'm not selling ads yet on this Canadian version, I want to use this site to network with other media professionals and the public. I want people to enjoy coming here daily!

Lastly autistic individuals can do extraordinary things we may not be able to do as a result of the side of the brain that's too fast. Eni cannot tie shoes, so all his shoes are velcro. His fine motor function is delayed. It can take him 2 hours to put a pillowcase in a pillow and he cannot button a winter coat properly....BUT, he can program MS DOS which most of us can't. Some kids don't even know that operating system and were born in the "Windows XP" era. He can master 50-100 phone numbers and tell you over and over. He is OBSESSED with transit systems and has mastered transit systems all over the WORLD. London's Tube, MARTA-Atlanta, MTA-Maryland, SEPTA-Philadelphia and TTC-Toronto. Eni can tell you how to get from point A to B in Toronto. He can tell you how to get from point A to B in Chicago without ever being to Chicago before. He wants to work for the TTC, washing buses and trains. In Baltimore, he would ride around the buses all day and when he gets to the last stop, he will take a bag and pick up all the trash in the bus and give the bag to the drivers who would tell him..."you didn't have to but thanks." He is addicted to cleaning too! He played all the early video games in the 90's to the END! When you get to the end of a video game, do you know that the company gives you your money back? I collected so much money from Sega, Nintendo and Sony. It's like getting the games for free! The folks at JVS have put the TTC in mind when job placement begins for Eni. Canada has done a lot for me and Eni. My 16 year old Oyin is still in America with his dad attending high school as we want him to finish there. He is an aspiring movie director and his works have been published on the American Film Institute's website. His friends on MySpace are Spike Lee, Sean Penn, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Frances Ford Coppola and more. Oyin wants to attend a Toronto Film school and was watching all the TIFF activities closely but most importantly wants to be closer to Eni.

Eni is finally settled and KJ is in elementary school and on this blog constantly. It has affected his siblings, imagine the 2 years KJ lived with strangers. The foster mom was discovered to be a 3-time convicted felon in New York and was working for the State of Georgia as a foster mom. She was caught shoplifting with my kid in tow...IMAGINE! The racist caseworker Susan Winter said..."We can't use that against her." I lashed out and finally he was moved to another foster home. Winter was eventually fired! I am hoping to get my Canadian Pharmacist license soon and also find a part time reporter gig doing any beat in Print, On-air or Editorial. If you know any media houses or organization that would like me to come and speak about raising an older autistic child or want to do a special, I would be glad. Celebrities all over America are now bringing out the plight. The doctor on the show last night with Larry King treats Jenny's son and he has an autistic child too. My last attorney in the States asked me if he could use my case as a case study and I replied YES! He told me how the media is now focusing more on Autism since I left. You have to help other Canadians get the services they deserve. Above is a 2003 picture with my sons, Eni, Oyin and KJ now 20+, 15+ and 6+ almost all 21, 16 and 7 in November 2007. Also Eni at his first job, McDonalds in the States and at church with me. More on Eni's personality profile below. DON'T FORGET TO VISIT MY AUTISM BLOG ON SWIMMING SAFETY! Canada has done a lot for my son in only 4 months! Thank you Canada! My life is back!!!!!

A tribute to my son Eni.......

2008-04-02T16:34:00.000-04:00

My sons in 2003, KJ, Eni and Oyin

Eni and KJ in 2004

Yes! He attended his Prom in June 2006 even though he was labeled"Special Ed kid"

Eni and brother Oyin in 2002

Eni on his 16th birthday

Eni at 9 years old with his then 5 year old brother Oyin playing with a baby gator and snake at Gatorworld, Florida in 1995

Eni just after being diagnosed of autism in 1992

Enitan Robert who has given me permission (Privacy: He's over 18 now) to tell his story to you is planning to work with former CNN personality Daryn Kagan to tell "his" story. Daryn is writing a book and wants to hear about people's journeys in life and stories that make a difference. Please visit Daryn's website She also tells people's stories on her website weekly. I simply love Daryn's work!

Eni's MySpace website: See his friends, interaction and conversation. He never has much to say. Most of that has to do with the communications disability aspect. Though he speaks fluently now and reads/writes, we will never forget the 6 year silence. He was mute from 3-9 years old. He also likes video games and cartoon templates. Any retro cartoon like Bugs, Jetsons, Sonic the hedgehog etc and he changes his templates daily. He typed everything himself. Like I said earlier, he gets to the end of these video games and Sega used to give us our money back. Social interaction, something autistic people have a hard time doing. My son is now SOCIAL NETWORKING ON MYSPACE!!!!
What I want you to pay attention to are the conversations and comments on there. The girls are either wished "Happy Birthday" or greeted. He uses one liners. All those girls are former classmates at High school. NOT one of them is a stranger on MySpace......so the social interaction is still limited.......a characteristic of Autism.

THANK YOU KEMINICATIONS READERS FOR READING MY STORY! CONTACT ME VIA E-MAIL (MEDIAKEMI@ROGERS.COM) OR CALL ME AT 647-344-5390 ON MY OFFICE LINE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO VOLUNTEER FOR AN APPEARANCE OR TALK AT ANY MEDIA SETTING.

Celebrities and Autism.........Resources for us all!

2008-04-02T14:50:00.000-04:00

This is my uncle Robert Wright, former President of NBC Universal. Bob's grandson is autistic and Bob and aunt Suzanne Wright was caught by surprise. They had to get educated quickly. They started "Autism Speaks" a foundation full of resources. As NBC President, Bob did a special week long series where he and Suzanne came on the "Today Show" to talk about autism, MSNBC had a special, Dateline NBC had a special and also I was interviewed on CNBC the financial channel on a story which dealt with financial futures of autistic adults, jobs, rent, bank accounts, transportation etc. The week long special in 2005 was FANTASTIC. I want to see BNN in Canada do something like this. Know someone over there at BNN? Contact me please since I'm an advocate for grown autistic kids. I want them to succeed. Above is Bob and Suzanne and I at the Broadcast Foundation awards in 2003.

You remember Tisha Campbell from the sitcom "Martin" and her husband Actor Duane Martin, also a fairly big celebrity. Rumors have been swirling about their marriage being stressed out, him being gay and also their battling with their son's autism. Many have said the stress of autism is crumbling their marriage. They spoke to Essence magazine on the rumors about their divorce.

Dan Marino, a former football player and his wife Lynley Marino are very vocal in autism funding and awareness. They too have a son who is autistic. They have visited and spoke at Capitol Hill and have a foundation too for resources. One thing I love about the Marino's foundation is the swimming certification, a mystery that has baffled several experts on why autistic children are drawn to water. SEVERAL HAVE DROWNED! This is one of the focus points on my autism blog.

Doug Flutie yet another football player has a foundation for autism awareness as his son Doug Jr is autistic. Awareness is very important to Doug and helping to get information and locate resources.

Holly Robinson Peete and ok, yet another former footballer Rodney Peete has an autistic son who is also the twin of a non-autistic daughter. At one point, I used to think football had to do with autism. They started the Hollyrod Foundation for autism and Parkinson disease awareness. Rodney talks to men out there to educate them on "being a man" and helping their children and their mothers hang in there. Many mothers of autistic children are single moms today due to the stresses of autism. My son KJ's dad left because as he said, "I cannot deal with your older son's problems."

Finally, Jenny McCarthy wants you to visit Stan Kurtz's website about recovery from autism and also buy her book Louder Than Words. The People magazine is on stands now till the end of this week September 28th 2007. I am planning to share my story with Jenny and contacting her Manager because she said something on Larry King last night when Larry asked her what happens to these kids when they grow up? She replied...." I don't know, I have never seen a grown autistic person before." She needs to be prepared and read my blog!

Celebrities Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson talk about Autism on Larry King.

2008-04-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

It was an ovewhelming night for me as always when I see Autism being discussed. I had seen Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete on Oprah talking about the same thing just 2 weeks ago but on Larry you know that things are always different. Jenny is featured in the latest issue of People magazine and on the cover. Jenny McCarthy who just wrote a book about the fight to save her son "Louder than words" talked about day to day life and Holly talked about the foundation she and her husband founded, Hollyrod which deals with Parkinson's and Autism. One of their twins is autistic. Overwhelming because I have suffered through the stresses and joys of autism myself. Those of you who read this blog know I have experienced a lot of things, met a lot of people and did so much in my life. Nothing prepared me for this one. My oldest is almost 21 and was diagnosed of Autism at 5 years old. We never got early intervention in 1987-90 but struggled through it. He is very high functioning. I am a single mother today and so is Jenny. Holly talked about how her husband and former football player Rodney Peete talks to men about how to cope and deal with this problem as many of us women have felt the men were not "man" enough to deal with it, so they leave. One thing that she said which is known to be true is that it strains relationships, it causes a 90% divorce rate and it can ruin your life. This is part of my story. My oldest son is Autistic. You will see my story later. Other celebrities that have autistic children and have bought the cause out are going to be detailed out in this story too. Dan Marino, Doug Flutie, Tisha Campbell, Former NBC Universal President Bob Wright and his wife Suzanne.

Strange things for the media: Urban legends about Autism?

2008-04-02T13:57:00.000-04:00

Many parents including me claim that after our children took their MMR shots our children stopped talking and functioning. This is the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine manufactured by Eli Lily. We haven't been able to sue till today! We investigated why the U.S government was protecting Eli Lily and that famous Homeland Security bill that was slipped in at NIGHT in congress protecting the U.S army and drug company. Even super blogger Adriana Huffington had her own version of this sneaky bill done at night when nobody could ever see it. Many members of congress did not even KNOW there was such a bill!

Elizabethtown, New Jersey. A town in America where all the kids are autistic. Pregnant moms are moving out with panic! The CDC (Center for disease control) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have been there researching the town's water supply, creeks and more trying to find out the link here. ABC news did a special here and still no answers.....
Silicone Valley, California and the "Geek Syndrome." Many children of computer manufacturing workers are surging with autism. Is this a mathematical and tech gene or are the chemicals used to put our PC's together toxic? Still no answers but the rate of autism clinics in Silicone Valley have gone up. Let's hope nobody is trying to "cash" in on the panic as there is an autism clinic and school at every corner. It looks like renaming the area Autism, USA
Even I couldn't help the football syndrome as former NFL footballers Doug Flutie, Rodney Peete and Dan Marino all had autistic kids. There is no link with the sport.

Larry King talks about Autism on Thursday with genius basketball player.

2008-04-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

The heartbreak ...and hope of autism. Jason "J-Mac" McElwain inspired the world with his incredible shot-making at a high school basketball game. Larry talks to the teen and others about the disorder. Holly Robinson Peete, Doug Flutie and Toni Braxton join the discussion to bust myths and present breakthroughs. It's an uplifting hour with those who know! My son is going to be 21 this week and is autistic but very high functioning. He gets to move to his apartment this week. A beautiful one bedroom. He started a job too. I had a whole series on that last fall. Click "older posts" at the bottom and keep clicking it and you will read my story.

Autistic Child abused by Government!

2008-03-22T17:06:00.001-04:00

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Child abuse by the government

Government rips an autistic boy from his home because it prefers a different treatment than the one offered by the parents.

STEVEN GREENHUT

Sr. editorial writer and columnist
The Orange County Register
sgreenhut@ocregister.com

Comments 19 | Recommend 27

What kind of society rips a 17-year-old autistic boy from his loving home and places him in a state-run mental institution, where he is given heavy doses of drugs, kept physically restrained, kept away from his family, deprived of books and other mental stimulation and is left alone to rot?

Certainly not a free or humane one.

Yet that's exactly what has happened to Nate Tseglin, after a teacher called Child Protective Services, the county agency charged with protecting children from many forms of abuse and given power to remove children from their family homes in certain circumstances. The teacher reported seeing self-inflicted scratches on Nate's body and complained about the doctor-approved arm restraints his parents used to keep Nate from hurting himself. Nate remains in Fairview Developmental Center (formerly Fairview State Hospital) in Costa Mesa, labeled a danger to himself and others, while his parents fight a lonely battle to bring their son back home.

Isn't there anyone out there who can help them?

After the complaint, social workers intervened and decided that the judgment of a psychologist who examined Nate's records but never even met the boy trumped a lifetime of treatment and experiences by his parents, Ilya and Riva Tseglin. Without prior notice, "the San Diego Health and Human Services agency social worker, with the aid of law enforcement, forcibly removed a struggling and terrified autistic boy … from his home, while his mother and father, who are Russian Jewish immigrants, and Nate's younger brother stood by helplessly," according to the complaint the parents, who have since moved to Irvine to be near Nate, filed with the court.

The forced removal came after the Tseglins came to loggerheads with the government over Nate's proper treatment. The parents are opposed to the use of psychotropic drugs and argue that Nate has had strong negative reactions to them. They point to success they've had with an alternative, holistic approach that focuses on diet and psychiatric counseling. The government disagreed, so it took the boy away from home and initially placed him in a group home – where he had the same negative reaction to the drugs that his parents predicted would happen.

Of course, once social workers are involved in a family, they are reluctant to relinquish their power – something I've found in every Child Protective Services case I've written about. And even though the court determined "the evidence is clear that the parents have always stood by and tried to help their son," the court sided with the government. That's another common theme from these closed family-court proceedings – the social workers' words are taken as gospel, and the parents are treated like enemies and given little chance to defend themselves.

The details are complicated and discouraging. But, essentially, the parents were cut out of any decision-making regarding their son. They were given only short visits with him. After he ran away from the group home, the government transferred Nate to a mental hospital. The Tseglins say the drugs the hospital gave Nate caused him to have a "grand mal" seizure, and his health has continued to deteriorate while he languishes in a government mental facility. When they visited him over the summer, they found his face swollen. He faded in and out of consciousness and was suffering from convulsions. They believe he has been beaten and are worried about sexual abuse, given that he is housed with the criminally insane.

The Tseglins claim Child Protective Services has told them they have the "wrong set of beliefs" and even threatened to force them to undergo court-ordered psychological evaluation. The agency at one point suspended the parents' visitations as a way "to assist them in coming to grips regarding their son." The Tseglins, as former citizens of the Soviet Union, have good reason to be fearful of the authorities. But they tell me that they experienced nothing of this sort in the former communist nation. If their descriptions are correct, then the Soviets weren't the only ones who know how to create a totalitarian bureaucracy.

The family's legal argument is persuasive:

"Riva and her husband have cared for Nate, in their home, for his entire life, until he was dragged kicking and screaming away from his parents. … The court found that it was very impressive that the parents 'were able to maintain Nate in the home for the better part of a decade when he was having some severe behavioral difficulties.' … The court found further that when the parents put Nate on a 'more holistic approach' and ignored the professional opinions, that 'for a period of time, Nate responded very well to that.' Even though Nate subsequently deteriorated, the court found that he fared no differently using the more traditional medical approach.' …

"In short, this case turns on value judgments, such as whether it is preferable for Nate to be maintained in his own home, subject to occasional physical restraint, surrounded by the love and devotion of his parents and brother, or whether Nate should be placed in a locked facility, subject to occasional physical restraint and constant chemical restraint, surrounded by strangers and a burden to the California taxpayer. … The real issue in this case is that the agency and some medical personnel believe their opinions regarding Nate's treatment are better than the parents' choices, and have sought the judicial intervention to override the parents' decisions regarding their son."

In a free society, individuals and families get to make those judgments and decisions. As the Tseglins argue, "Riva has a right to raise her child, Nate, free from government interference, as long as he is not at risk of physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect or exploitation."

Sure, the state can and does intervene when parents are accused of abusing or neglecting their children. There are many problems and injustices even in those cases, but at least it's understandable when the government intervenes to protect a potentially threatened child. But in this case, the state is simply saying that it knows best, that no matter how diligently a boy's parents have worked to provide the best-possible care for him, that officials get the final say. And the government's choice of mandatory incarceration seems harsh and cruel, which shouldn't surprise anyone, given the basic nature of government.

At last check, autism is not a crime. It's time to free Nate Tseglin and return him to the love and care of his parents.

Contact the writer: sgreenhut@ocregister.comor 714-796-7823

Government Concedes Vaccine-Autism Case in Federal Court - Now What?

2008-03-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

After years of insisting there is no evidence to link vaccines with the onset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the US government has quietly conceded a vaccine-autism case in the Court of Federal Claim. Thanks to Anthonia Mccarthy for the tip!

ABC Autism Story Sees Major Viewer Reaction

2008-03-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

Since ABC's World News ran a story on autistic teenager Carly Fleishman on Tuesday's broadcast, the story has continued to maintain a presence on the ABCNews.com site. It has been the most popular page on the World News portion of the site, and nearly 2,500 emails and comments have come in from viewers.

Today ABC's John McKenzie conducted a follow-up interview with Carly's parents. They answered questions from viewers, and the page has received several dozen comments as well.

The report focuses on how computers have allowed Carly a way to communicate with the world, and thus, she is getting involved herself. The 13-year-old is responding personally to many of the comments asked by viewers on the ABC site. A follow-up story ran last night on World News about her responses.

Source: TV Newser

Mom Found Guilty Of Killing Autistic Daughter.

2008-03-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

In a case that has disturbed even those chosen to investigate and prosecute it, a mother has been convicted for the unthinkable: killing her own daughter.

Xuan Peng, of Toronto, was found guilty of second-degree murder Saturday in the death of four-year-old Scarlett Chen.

"The jury found, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mrs. Peng was guilty of murder," said Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Ray Zarb.

On July 12, 2004, Peng was alone with her autistic child at the family's house in the Markham Rd. and Sheppard area. When her husband came home, he found little Scarlett unconscious in the bathtub.

The jury found that Peng drowned her daughter, despite claims she had an unspecified health issue that may have included treatment for bi-polar disorder. Peng maintains that she had put her daughter down for a nap, and that Scarlett later climbed into the full tub.

Peng, 36 years old, was charged seven months after the girl's death.

An Ontario Superior Court jury returned its verdict Saturday morning after two days of deliberations.

The sentence for second-degree murder is life in prison with no parole for at least 10 years.

"The prosecution is very happy with the verdict," insisted crown attorney Kim Motyl. "Unfortunately it's difficult to use the word happy because it's a very sad circumstance."

Peng's defence attorney wouldn't speak following the verdict, but was in tears at the decision, all the while maintaining the victim's death was merely a tragic accident. Peng will be sentenced on March 14 but the defence is asking she spend her time at a mental institution and not behind bars.

CBS owes Autistic families a big apology!

2008-02-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

Last week on an episode of the CBS program "Big Brother" cast member Adam Jasinski referred to people with autism as "retards." This dehumanizing language is unacceptable. When Don Imus used racially callous language on his program CBS executives Leslie Moonves and Sumner Redstone issued an apology, fired Imus and cancelled his show. We call up Mr. Moonves and Mr. Redstone to issue an apology to people with autism and other developmental disabilities, fire Adam Jasinski, and cancel Big Brother. This is the letter John Gilmore of Autism United wrote.

TMZ has the nauseating video of the show!

Please forward this message to friends and family.

f you would like to write to Mr. Moonves and Sumner here is their contact information Mr. Leslie Moonves
Chief Executive Officer
CBS Corporation
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6188
Phone: 212-975-4321

Mr. Sumner Redstone
Executive Chairman
CBS Corporation
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY
10019-6188
Phone: 212-975-4321

Autistic Teen Found ALIVE!

2007-10-18T22:20:00.000-04:00

An autistic 18-year-old lost in the wilderness for four days was found alive Thursday, weak but apparently fine, and reunited with his family, searchers said. WE THANK GOD!!!!

Severly autistic teen missing while hiking!

2007-10-17T13:18:00.000-04:00

Crews combed rugged terrain early Tuesday in the hopes of finding an autistic 18-year-old hiker who wandered away from his parents. For a second night, temperatures dropped to around 40 degrees in the wilderness area where Jacob Allen is believed missing. When he disappeared two days ago, Allen had no food or water with him. He was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, wind jacket, wind pants and hiking boots, said Chris Stadelman, the search group's spokesman. Emergency responders and volunteers found his hat Monday, near where he had last been seen Sunday afternoon. Search crews are focusing on 10 square miles of often rugged, steep and brush-covered terrain in the Randolph County section of the Dolly Sods Wilderness area, which is in the Monongahela National Forest. "Some of it is back country where it's so thick you can't see five feet in front of you in the daylight," Stadelman said. About 45 people searched overnight Monday, deliberately lighting campfires to make themselves visible in case Allen was nearby. More than 100 searchers were expected to help in the effort Tuesday, and dogs and helicopters also were being used. Allen wandered ahead Sunday afternoon while hiking with his parents, Jim and Karen Allen of Morgantown. He didn't answer when they called his name, Stadelman said.
While Allen is described as severely autistic by his mother, Stadelman said, he is in good physical shape and likes to hike

4 year old autistic boy drowns.

2007-08-02T00:10:00.000-04:00

July 31, 2007
BRANTFORD (AM900 CHML) - Tragedy near Brantford.
A four-year-old boy has drowned at Willow Lake Park in Brant County..
Police say the Brantford boy was playing with another child on Tuesday morning, when he entered the water and disappeared.
Park staff found the young boy and performed C-P-R until paramedics arrived on scene, but they were unable to resusitate the youngster.
His identity is being withheld until next of kin is notified.
- Ken Mann

Autistic boy who drowned remembered at funeral.

2007-08-02T00:05:00.000-04:00

June 25,2007

NEKOOSA, Wis. - Hundreds of family members, friends and people who helped look for 7-year-old Benjamin "Benjy" Heil remembered him at a funeral.John Wilhorn described his autistic grandson as active, saying he would always grab him by the hand to take him places.Wilhorn said he would miss that hand the most."It brings comfort to the family knowing that he is with the Lord right now," Wilhorn said. "His autism is gone, and that brings comfort."Benjy first was reported missing on June 14. Hundreds of people, dogs and helicopters looked for him until his body was found five days later. Preliminary autopsy results say he apparently drowned in a pond adjacent to Ten Mile Creek less than a quarter mile from his town of Saratoga home.The funeral on Saturday was moved from Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Nekoosa to Nekoosa High School to accommodate a large number of mourners.Rev. Carl Kummer, who led the service, said the community-wide effort to find the boy was a "spontaneous explosion of love."Allen Polum and Robert Zarecki, both of the Rudolph Fire Department, helped search for Benjy."I think it's great of all the people that could come out and help," Zarecki said. "It makes you feel good that the community is behind anybody that needs it."Wilhorn said he was glad the family had closure."(Benjy) is in heaven with God now," he said. "That's what brings me joy."

Mother of drowned autistic boy seeks $5M from Maryland school.

2007-08-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

Feb 23, 2007

The mother of a 7-year-old autistic boy who drowned in a public pool near his West Baltimore school last summer is suing the city school board and the day care company the board hired.
Harriet Cox alleges that Lafayette Elementary School officials knew her son, Tyji Chester, had autism, and in response, the school had retained Care Resources Inc. to provide a trained aide to monitor Chester and another child.
Around midday on June 6, Chester wandered off school grounds with some other students and made his way to the Central Rosemont pool a block away, said James L. Rhodes, lawyer for the plaintiff.
"His autism was such that the minute you turned your eye from him, he would bolt and run away," Rhodes said. "He was supposed to have been chaperoned for the entire day. For some odd reason - information we haven't received yet - during the lunch period, no one was watching Chester."
Rhodes did not know if Chester scaled the pool fence, slipped through an opening or received a hoist from the other students. The pool was not yet open for the summer season, and since Chester could not swim, he drowned.
Rhodes said an unidentified woman came to visit Cox at her home days after the incident and said she had been responsible for watching Chester and the other boy until the school had relieved her of that duty days before the incident.
Neither the Office of Legal Counsel, which represents the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, nor Jane Satterfield, named representative for Care Resources, returned calls for comment.

ABCs of drowning can prevent tragedies.

2007-08-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

There are no do-overs when it comes to drowning. That is the message that Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman conveyed last week during a council meeting where he proclaimed August as Drowning Impact Awareness Month, as did Chandler and other cities across the state. The public is urged to take the message beyond council chambers and into their daily routines in Gilbert, Chandler and Ahwatukee Foothills. Berman said it takes a village to prevent drownings, adding that drowning is an area you cannot "do over." The mayor is right. Each of us - from moms and dads to aunts, grandfathers, siblings, cousins, neighbors and friends - has an important role to play in the statewide effort to prevent drownings. Because the stakes are too high to be negligent around water. Drownings take the lives of innocent people and shatter the lives of family members. Forever. The tragedies also affect classmates. Neighbors. Friends. Drownings often occur in backyard swimming pools, but we mustn't forget that danger also lurks around toilets, bathtubs, buckets and canals. We usually think of children as being victims of drownings, but adults drown, too. And all can be saved when we follow the ABCs - adult supervision, barriers and classes for swimming lessons and CPR - of water safety. Water Watchers at Phoenix Children's Hospital and local fire departments promote the ABCs throughout the monthlong campaign. The public also is encouraged to wear a purple ribbon to raise awareness in others, spreading the message far and wide to prevent drownings and to save lives. Our communities are brimming with families with young children and an abundance of backyard swimming pools. Municipal aquatic centers, such as Mesquite in Gilbert, Hamilton in Chandler and Pecos Park in Ahwatukee Foothills, are popular spots for kids during the summer months. But our warm weather creates an environment conducive to water activities beyond August, and underscores the need to take preventive measures year-round. We can start with simple eye-to-eye contact around water at all times. We can look into the various pool barriers that are available on the market as well as making certain that barriers and gates are in good working condition, and keeping the pool area clear of toys that could attract a child's attention. We also would be wise to take a CPR class and enroll our children in swimming lessons. Together we can save lives. This message cannot be echoed enough.

Reproduced with permission from:The Arizona Republic By Stephanie Paterik ©Copyright 2003 Arizona Republic

Current Stories Index

Drowning in Surprise. 4 year old autistic boy drowns in backyard pool.

2007-08-01T23:57:00.000-04:00

March 2, 2007

A 4-year-old Arizona boy with autism has died after being was pulled from a pool in Surprise Friday afternoon. Searchers found the boy in a neighbor’s pool. Police had been looking for the boy who went missing shortly after noon. According to police the boy wandered away from his home.

The dangers of swimming pools: In memoriam Jaden Fournier, 3 years old.

2007-08-01T23:50:00.000-04:00

by Kristina Chew, PhD on June 17th, 2006

On the very morning when we are planning to take Charlie to the town pool for the first swim of summer 2006, a three-year-old autistic boy is reported to have drowned in his backyard swimming pool on Thursday, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Jaden Fournier of Henrietta in upstate New York apparently walked off a deck into an above-ground swimming pool. Jaden was non-verbal and loved Elmo.
In Thursday’s case, “the parents had taken measures to restrict the boy’s access to the pool area by placing a number of barriers in the way. But the boy was able to overcome those,” said Cpl. John Helfer, a spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Summer has yet to start and already three autistic children—Tyji Chester, 7, in Maryland earlier this month and Korey Penwall, 5, in Indiana on May 26th—have drowned. I can barely imagine what Jaden’s mother, Jessica Fournier, is thinking and feeling.
I can understand why a family with an autistic child might have a backyard swimming pool. More than a few autistic children (my son included) love the water and, in summertime, pools are a constant temptation. We take Charlie to a town pool to swim but—it being a public setting, with lots of bodies splashing in the water and rules like “adult swim” for fifteen minutes every hour—-the delight of swimming can sometimes be erased by an upset child who sees the water and must get into it NOW. Some families that we know have a pool in their backyard to help their child, and them, get through long summer days without the structure of school. We know of a family whose son was—-like Charlie—an excellent swimmer, but who drowned in the family pool one morning.
Pools are too much fun; pools are dangerous.
I will be watching Charlie both in the pool and (more unlikely) beside it, and thinking of the Fourniers, and of Jaden.

Dr Chew writes for www.autismvox.com

5-yr-old autistic boy drowns in canal.

2007-08-01T23:48:00.000-04:00

by Kristina Chew, PhD on November 23rd, 2006

Daryl Gosein, a five-year-old autistic boy from New Jersey, drowned this Thanksgiving afternoon in a canal in Weston, Florida. The boy’s family was in Florida for a wedding; the canal was located a few blocks from a relative’s house in a gated community. Daryl had wanted to use the relatives’ pool and had been told by his mother to stay away. He was last seen playing on a computer. Neighbors found Darryl “barely alive” in the canal, his shirt and shoes on the bank of the canal, as reported by today’s CBS4.com news.
I don’t think I need to say it, but I am feeling beyond sad this Thanksgiving.

Autistic boy drowns in pond.

2007-08-01T23:44:00.000-04:00

June 19, 2007

SARATOGA, Milwaukee, USA: The body of a missing seven-year-old boy with autism was discovered late on the morning of June 19 in a pond adjacent to Ten Mile Creek, less than a quarter-mile from his Saratoga home, where he disappeared last week, according to the Wood County Sheriff's Department.
A dog team and another searcher found the body of Benjy Heil in the water at about 11 am on June 19 after an intense search by about 300 volunteers. He was near the shore in an area of water about 25 feet deep, according to the authorities.
Over the weekend, more than 600 volunteers had searched for the boy, who disappeared from his family's Saratoga home on the evening of June 14. He had been playing in the basement before his family realised he was gone.
"Everybody's distraught. Everybody's sad. We obviously would have wished for a much better resolution," Wood County sheriff's Lt. David Laude said. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to come through for the family. The effort was incredible, however."Laude said the area where Benjy was found was searched several times in recent days. "At this point, we do not know exactly how long the boy had been right there," he said. "We're not sure whether or not he had been under water for any duration."
(Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, June 19, 2007)

Autistic Boy Drowns In Backyard Pool.

2007-08-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

July 20, 2007

PHOENIX -- For the second time in a week, an austic boy has drowned in Valley waters.
Firefighters said they were called to 3824 Carol Avenue shortly after 1 p.m.
It's not known how long the 12-year-old boy was underwater when he was discovered by a 16-year-old girl.
He was pulled from the pool which was described as green, according to firefighters.
He was pronounced dead at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
On Tuesday afternoon, Jayson Allan, 8, slipped away from caretakers and fell into a canal near 64th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Two witnesses pulled him out and tried CPR, but Allan died at the hospital.
Copyright 2007 by KPHO.com. All rights reserved.

Autistic boy who drowned in canal identified.

2007-08-01T23:39:00.000-04:00

Becky Bartkowski and Jordan LaPier
The Arizona Republic Jul. 18, 2007

WEST PHOENIX - Officials Wednesday identified an autistic boy who died after falling into a Phoenix canal. Jayson Allan, 8, fell into a canal near Indian School Road and 67th Avenue on Tuesday after having left his day-care group, according to a statement from Sgt. Joel Tranter, Phoenix police spokesman. A man at a nearby auto-lube store saw Jayson on the west side of the canal bank just before he fell into the canal around 3:35 p.m. The man jumped into the canal and found Jayson submerged in the water, according to Tranter's statement.
Jayson was taken to Maryvale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Jayson was in day care through Quest Alliance School and among a group of children with special needs. Tranter said Jayson, who was autistic, and three children in his group were getting into a van when there was a disturbance with two of the children outside the vehicle. Jayson apparently unbuckled himself from his seat and walked away unnoticed, according to the statement.

Quebec: Autistic boy's drowning under investigation.

2007-08-01T23:36:00.000-04:00

Friday July 27, 2007

Police are investigating the death of a six-year-old autistic boy who drowned after it took camp authorities two hours to notify lifeguards that he was missing and three hours to get the police involved. Lucas Beaupr was at Lac-St-Joseph, some 30 kilometres outside Quebec City, on Wednesday with about 100 other youngsters from an area day camp. He went missing shortly after his arrival at the beach and it remains unclear how the boy, who was under supervision, was able to go off on his own.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2007

Hello to all families and Caregivers of Autistic Children and Adults!

2007-08-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

You have all seen the Michael Wilson story I have on top of this blog. This blog is dedicated to Michael Wilson, the son of a good friend of mine Susan Wilson. Michael's death affected us all. Susan had a nice big raised pool in their yard but it was the ingrown pool their neighbors had that michael loved. Everytime he went there, they always sent him back home. Michael and Susan were savoring the sun on the June afternoon of father's day 1993 when the phone rang. She ran inside to pick it up and came out only to find out that Michael was gone. She could not find him anywhere and as she went to the neighbors pool area, she saw his body floating in the water. Michael had drowned and DIED! I was stunned when I heard on the 6pm news that Sunday and we all rushed there. This happened in Randallstown, Maryland USA. We will never forget a young boy that could have been grown like my son Eni above. This blog is keeping a journal of these mishaps but wants to use it to teach safety with parents and caregivers. It keeps happening. I live in Canada today and another one just happened yesterday!!!!!!!