SKITTLES FOR AUTISM? UGH!!!! GOT ADHD? GET RID OF COLORS!*

If your pediatrician or doc didn't tell you about THIS before he prescribed THIS, then he or she is not doing a proper job for your child.

ABC News recently ran THIS report on artificial colors and behaviors in children.

So many therapists use Skittles candy (and other artificially colored candies) as behavioral incentives for kids on the spectrum. Check out this article From LOVAAS.com. Most autism schools probably have weekly shipments of this high fructose laden, artificially colored and flavored treat delivered to their doors for use as rewards and incentives.

Boy is that ever stupid. Studies show (See NYT article here) that artificial colors can affect behavior. By affect, we don't mean "turns the child into a charming, compliant pussycat." Please get rid of the artificial colors in your practices, classrooms and centers, or really, you're like an AA counselor sharing a drink with an alcoholic during each session.


The amount of food dye certified for use in 1955 was 12 mg per person per day, but that has risen sharply, according to FDA. In 2007, the figure had reached 59 mg per capita per day, or nearly five times as much, was certified for use. (Read more here.) Look at kids' goods on the shelves. Yogurt is neon pink. Goldfish are now in "rainbow" colors. Cereals are laden with artificial colors. Even ketchup and french fries come in colors. Check your Crest toothpaste - see the chemical colors? Why can't Mom just feed kids F-O-O-D instead of a technicolor nightmare? Even at my daughters' school, they serve ice cream that is pink and blue. The Stagliano girls bring a packed lunch each day, in the drab colors mother nature made. My language may be colorful (think six of George Carlin's seven words) but my food is NOT.

And how about pediatricians? Do you see signs in their offices warning you about artifical colors and promoting alternatives next to the posters for the latest allergy drug? Come on, docs, get the red dye out of that amoxicillin and every other kid-friendly drug you prescribe. You might even see your Ritalin prescriptions drop. Oh. Nevermind.

Readers might want to know that M&M Mars and other candy manufacturers have removed the artificial dyes from their candies, Skittles included, sold in Europe. But not in America (click here.)

Check out these simple Google searches to see what we mean about how commonly used are these candies for children with developmental delays and behavior issues:

ABA and Skittles

autism and Skittles

*PS: Some of my very closest friends' kids are on powerful drugs. I'm not against drugs. I'm against drugs as a first and only line of defense.

Today I will Use the Seven Words You Can't Say on TV (at least before cable.)

Comedian George Carlin has died. Mark and I saw him in Cleveland 4 years ago. I grew up listening to George Carlin at the home of my friend Annette Bedard. Her older brothers (Alan, Andrew and Armand) must have snuck the record from their Dad. They way the snuck Mr. Bedard's Playboys. Yes, I saw my first naked woman at the Bedard's house too. Fortunately it wasn't Mabel. Mrs. Bedard.

If you've never listened to George Carlin, click HERE to order a copy of CLASS CLOWN from Amazon. Buy some Poise Pee Pads while you're at it - you'll need them.

Now, how shall I artfully weave the seven words into my day today? What? You don't KNOW the seven words? Sigh. I was afraid of this. All right. Six of them are easy for me to say, shout, write and lace into my conversations. Number four? Not so much. The words are: S#it, Fu(#, Piss, C#&t, Co!ksu#er, motherf*c#er and tits. Learned 'em all in seventh grade.

I wonder where Annette Bedard is today? I'd love to find her.

Dr. Randy Schulman on Autism and Vision

This piece is from Age of Autism today. Randy is also the Mom of Gianna's bestest friend.

Dr.Randy Schulman treats my daughter Bella. Bella's eyes were not tracking, and you could see each eye "wander" as she lost focus. After a long exam by a top pediatric opthalmologist, her ocular health was pronounced, "intact." Mind you, this doc spent over two hours with Bella. He was really interested in her health and we chatted amiably. I'd go back to him in a second for opthalmological care. (Heck, he even drives a Prius!) He said that Bella's vision problem was neurological, not muscular. So while he sent us off, we still had a real eye problem. We went to Dr. Schulman, who created a pair of glasses that have helped Bella noticeably. The moral of the story is that even the best docs in the medical field are often unable to help a child on the spectrum. We require specialists within specialties. Isn't that special? Dr. Schulman was kind enough to prepare this post for our readers. Enjoy. Kim

By Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD

Many of the behavioral characteristics of those falling within the autism spectrum involve the visual system. Poor eye contact, staring at lights or spinning objects, looking askance, side viewing and general difficulties attending are often symptoms of visual dysfunction. Thus, any individual with a diagnosis of autism, PDD, learning disability, speech-language delay, sensory integration dysfunction, Asperger syndrome, non-verbal learning disability or with psychological problems should most certainly undergo a thorough examination by a developmental optometrist.

Read the full article at Age of Autism HERE.

Sweet Jesus! Ohio Teacher Brands CROSS on Students' Arms!

The bitter irony of this story is that it is plucked straight from Harry Potter. Remember when Delores Umbridge made Harry Potter write, "I will not tell lies" with a quill that cut into his skin? Call me a crazy Catholic, but I'm guessing this teacher has vowed to never read Harry Potter because it's Satan's work! This man, who teaches children, burned crosses into his students' arms. Forget the fact he's a science teacher teaching creationism. That's Ohio for you. Basically a lost cause south of Canton. Well, maybe that's a little harsh. But parts of the state are very conservative. Very very very very conservative. Mapplethorpe ring a bell? Bueller? Bueller?

This teacher can't be fired until a hearing? Maybe dump him head first in his namesake and hold him there for a while a la the Salem Witch Trials. Dude, go to work in a Christian school already. Oh, what's wrong? Doesn't pay enough? Not good enough benefits? At least the nuns just whacked us on the knuckles....

COLUMBUS, Ohio - An Ohio school board has voted to fire a science teacher accused of using a device to burn the image of a Christian cross on students' arms.


The Mount Vernon school board passed a resolution Friday to end the contract of middle school teacher John Freshwater. He can't be fired until after he is given a hearing to challenge the decision.


The instructor is accused of preaching his Christian beliefs in class and teaching creationism.
A family says Freshwater burned a cross into a child's arm that remained for three to four weeks. The family has sued the teacher and the school district. Read the Yahoo article HERE.

A New Spin on "WTF????"


GLOUCESTER, Mass. - A pact made by a group of teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together is at least partly behind a sudden spike in pregnancies at Gloucester High School, school officials said.
Read the rest of this sad story HERE.


When I was a "youngster," the goal was NOT to get preggers. You know, first comes love, then comes marriage and all that old fashioned stuff? I blame the hot new maternity clothes. Yup. When I was pregnant, clothes were starting to look a lot better than the tents my Mom wore. But now? Gals slap on a t-shirt that looks like a sausage casing so we can all see their belly buttons and a pair of low rise jeans. Yeah, we KNOW you're pregnant, you really don't need to wear a belly shirt. We don't need the fashion equivalent of an ultrasound every time we see you in Target.... WE GET IT.

You?

Who can guess what is tomorrow?

Autism and Progress

Today, as Mia left the house for school she said, "Today is Wednesday." I didn't prompt her. She's more alert. More aware. And speaking more. Thank you biomedical interventions.

K

Happy Father's Day!

I hope to have a piece up at HuffPo later today for Dads.

Here it is: http://tinyurl.com/58y9ch

Well THIS is kind of cool. I'm on Yahoo News!

We now return to our usual programming.

Are you in a panic about tomatoes?? Feel safe knowing the gov't has tracked down the five tomatoes on the planet that might have caused 200 people to become ill with Salmonella and caused stores and restaurants to pull tomatoes nationwide? What a joke.

TWO MORE GARADSIL (?) VACCINE DEATHS


Remember my posts from ages ago? Gardasil was not properly tested. It came out too soon. It makes a fucking fortune for Merck. And girls and women are paying the price. Scroll down to see a paralyzed 14 year old. For the complete story from Europe click HERE.

TEACH YOUR DAUGHTER HOW TO USE A CONDOM.

This just in: Merck is now advertising Gardasil in MOVIE THEATRES. How's that for date night. Popcorn? Hand around her shoulder? HPV chit chat for a perhaps deadly vaccine? Keep your medical ads away from me, Merck. Let my DOCTOR tell me about these things. Not the dancie weenie and soda at the movie theatre. READ HERE.


Gardasil has been implicated in the deaths of two more young women, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has reported. Though no official cause of death has been listed, the young women apparently died shortly after receiving Gardasil, and the EMEA is characterizing their deaths as “sudden and unexpected.”

The two deaths bring the total number of fatalities possibly linked to the Merck cervical cancer vaccine to five. In the U.S., three young women have reportedly died after receiving Gardasil. However, there could be more such incidents, as health officials believe that adverse effects of medication are widely underreported.

Underreported?? Dr. David Tayloe, Jr. , head of the AAP, was on Larry King with Jenny McCarthy last spring. He has been in practice for DECADES and he said, "I've never reported a vaccine injury event." His implication was that he'd never seen one. Impossible! Absolutely impossible that a pediatrician has NEVER seen an adverse reaction to a childhood vaccine. So yes, reports are like RAPES - grossly underrepresented in the official numbers. By the way, Dr. Tayloe's DAD lost the largest medical malpractice suit in the state of NC many years ago for what? A VACCINE INJURY (from a vaccination administered by his nurse.) And yet, his son has never seen an adverse reaction. Protecting Daddy? Denial? Not on MY KIDS BACKS.

Don't Have a Pool Boy? FEAR NOT!

I've been looking for just the right moment to share this tidbit and here it is. Many of you seem to be coveting my imaginary pool boy.


So.... I am a HUGE fan of the very retro, customer service oriented purveyor of old fashioned products known as The Vermont Country Store. Love the place. They have brands from the past like Lemon Up shampoo and Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific. Skye Bars and NECCO wafers. Grandma clothing with sweater bands and vein squishing socks and bras that look like army tanks. Grandpa apothecary items like 2 foot long toenail trimmers and tinnitus drops. Plus perfumes your great-aunt Marjorie probably wore and soaps that may have been on the Titanic.

Imagine my surprise when earlier last spring, I opened the catalog to find THESE!!!!!

Yes, "neck massagers*" for the Viagra crowd. I kid you not.

* Remember the Sex and the City episode where Samantha's vibrator broke and she returned it to The Sharper Image? The sales clerk said, "Madam, we do not sell vibrators. We sell neck massages." To which Samantha responded, "Well, your NECK massager failed to get me off!" as she flung it on the counter. LOL!

IOW-et

Dear Lord, these poor people in Iowa. New England is blissfully weather-boring. No tornadoes (those poor boy scouts!) no earthquakes, only the occasional hurricane or blizzard, each of which comes with ample warning, no major wildfires. So our gas costs $4.50 a gallon and a decent house costs $500K. I'm dry, not on fire, not on my way to Oz and not crushed inside a crevasse in the earth. I call that lucky.

Book Contest at Manic Mommy!

My pal and fellow writer "Manic Mommy" has a contest running for two books for "dads to be." Head on over and check it out at MANIC MOMMY.

And check out Manic's work at "Betty Confidential" HERE!

Guess What Our New House Has???

We're moving into a new house in town on July 1st. Wanna visit? Bring your own sunscreen and your own poolboy... or girl.

Before you accuse me of being patently insane (autism + pool = catastrophe) I'll point out that this house has a proper, tall, locking pool fence around the pool itself. And will have a pool alarm. And door chimes on the doors. And probaby a video camera on it. And Sven, when he is not holding my "loofah!" will be on guard.

We've never had a pool (duh) and this house is a rental - so we'll give it a try. If we hate it, we close it and cover it. Compared to chasing my girls like a shark that never stops at the town pool, nice as it is, I think it will be a real treat to sit a pool while the splash and swim.

Pass the Bain de Soleil for that San Tropez tan!


SAT: I just bought the Safety Turtle pool alarm, three wristbands and a gate alarm add to the already locking, self latching gate. This will leave me more time with Sven.....

GARDASIL REACTION? Please read.

I received a link to THIS blog about a 14 year old who may have been seriously injured by the Gardasil vaccine. Please click over to the blog and add your comments or recommendations. Thank you.

Jenny is a 14 year-old girl who lives in Northern California.

Over the last year, she has gone from being a fully healthy 13 year-old to being nearly completely paralyzed. She retains movement only in her neck and mouth and faintly in her left hand.This rapid decline in motor ability has understandably shocked and concerned us [her family]. We have responded by working with the best doctors in the field, fighting continuously to reach a diagnosis and find treatments.

Despite the best efforts of an extremely talented array of medical professionals, we have not been able to stop her decline. Doctors don't know for sure why Jenny got so sick but some think it may be connected to the Gardasil vaccinations she got (last one in March, 2007) and the weakening that seemed to start in spring and gradually built up. One sign was in April 2007 when everyone in her PE class laughed at her because she couldn't jump a hurdle they considered really puny. It is hard to say when the weakening started but by summer she had a terrible limp.

It sounds so cliche, but please send your thoughts and prayers to JenJen and her family. If you have a suspected vaccine reaction make sure your doc reports it to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System!

Happy Birthday, Stephen Parrish!

Today we celebrate my blog buddy and fellow writer Stephen Parrish. Stephen is generous, funny, kind, insightful, politically astute, philosophical and a writer who can grab your attention in three words and then HOLD you.

Go on over to his BLOG and wish him felicitations!

1999: Regular unleaded: $.99 (I saved a receipt)
2000: Regular unleaded: $1.49
2008: Regular unleaded: $4.59 (today in CT.)

WHAT'S A BIOSTITUTE???

So here's an example of a BIOSTITUTE. That's RFK's word for scientists, doctors and jerks who sell our health down the river for profit. The NYT just wrote about a HARVARD doc who took over a million dollars from Pharma and who has single-handedly created the pediatric psychiatric medicine flood of the last decade.

Many of my Kim blog readers have children on drugs for ADHD, autism and more. These are my friends. I respect their medical decisions for their own children. I do think a parent should look into every non-drug option before starting on these drugs, as I have three kids who are living proof that diet, supplements and therapy can stave off the use of these drugs. Did you know that the Feingold diet can completely remove the symptoms of ADHD? Sadly, most docs don't review these options with parents prior to writing that scrip. Happily, there are many ways to do your own homework.

I do want to point out that much of what pharma companies are selling for these kids is done with the market in mind, perhaps more than the kids themselves. I'm just asking you to read and file the info away. It's not my intention to frighten or instill agita. But this is reality.

Here's the article I wrote for Age of Autism about the NYT article which you can read HERE.

This is a frightening glimpse into how opportunistic is the Psychiatric profession, which still controls autism treatment for many. Millions of American kids are on Prozac, Risperdal and other powerful drugs AS A FIRST LINE OF TREATMENT recommended by your neurologist, psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician, pediatrician every day for autism, ADHD, bi-polar and other diagnoses because so-called "world renowned" men like Harvard's Dr. Joseph Biederman are being paid consulting fees by the drug companies. Is that the same as being on "the take?" Not necessarily. Decide for yourself. The NYT reports:

A world-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist (Dr. Joseph Biederman and his colleague Dr. Timothy Wilens) whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of this income to university officials, according to information given Congressional investigators.

The non-biomedical world berates us for using DAN! (and other) protocols for our kids and labels chelation as "voodoo science." What do you call it when Harvard professionals make money to recommend unapproved uses of powerful drugs on children as young as two years of age? Voodoo times two?

In one example, Dr. Biederman reported no income from Johnson & Johnson for 2001 in a disclosure report filed with the university. When asked to check again, he said he received $3,500. But Johnson & Johnson told Mr. Grassley that it paid him $58,169 in 2001, Mr. Grassley found.

The Harvard group’s consulting arrangements with drug makers were already controversial because of the researchers’ advocacy of unapproved uses of psychiatric medicines in children.

RFK JR SPEAKS AT THE GREEN OUR VACCINES RALLY

The following provides video of RFK Jr.'s speech from the June 4th Green Our Vaccines rally. It's in three parts. Videography by Brad Woodville, WORLD MERCURY PROJECT. That's Age of Autism's Dan Olmsted speaking with Robert.

If you are unfamiliar with the vaccine controversy this speech provides an excellent summary without bashing vaccines as a public health policy. Truly. You'll learn how the CDC massaged the data to make sure vaccines and autism did not show a correlation (the Simpsonwood meeting, the Verstraeten data, the Denmark study) and you'll learn a new word! "BIOSTITUTE." Scientist and doctors who take money from the government and pharma companies to put out info that is contrary to our health.

Each segment runs 6 minutes.

PART 1

Part 2

Part 3

Barack Obama!

Is this the next President of the United States with his First Lady?

Imagine how the world will start to change their thinking about America now that we have proven that we are not ancient Rome or the backwoods of South Carolina. The world will perceive a real shift in America. It feels like promise to me. Like hope. Perfection? Hardly. Our economy and world standing are so low right now that rebuilding is going to take a long time. And no one man (or woman) can fix them. But, I do think change is coming. We need a clean sweep.

I have great respect and admiration for John McCain for how he served this country. But he is not the catalyst for change or the maverick he calls himself any longer.

Go Barack Go! Feel free to disagree.

THE RALLY!

The rally was fantastic. I live blogged it throughout the day at http://www.ageofautism.com/. Go check out the photos! Perez Hilton ran a shot and look at the gal to the left of Jenny, smiling. Guess who?!

Just one day until Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey's GREEN OUR VACCINES rally! Click HERE to learn all about it!

How does a mother of three kids with autism get out of town? Twice in two weeks no less (Autism One was just a week ago.) Very carefully. I have one daughter (Miss Bella) home with a stomach bug, two who have had the bug and might be over it and a husband who is going to have a VERY good Father's day for holding down the fort while I'm gone!

See you in DC friends. I'll be blogging as much as I can live at www.ageofautism.com from the march. Not sure if we can use cell phones during the march.

I'm off to DC tomorrow where I'll be live blogging Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey's GREEN OUR VACCINES rally, sponsored by TACA. The rally is Wednesday morning at the Washington Monument Grounds. Over 7500 people are signed up already.

Click the green link to learn more. I'm going to stay with my brother and his partner. I haven't to their townhome since I was preggers with Bella and she's almost 8! I really don't get out much.

First Communion went really well. And yesterday I allowed the girls to wear their dresses again. Unbeknownst to me, the girls' names had been printed in the weekly bulletin! And Father Cipriani, who said Mass, singled them out during the closing notes as having made Communion. Everyone clapped! And then Fr. Cipriani proclaimed that Mark and I are some of the best parents' he ever seen. And everyone clapped.

Are you a Soprano's fan? Mark laughs at me that Fr. Cipriani is like the priest from the Sopranos that Carmella and her friends fawned over for his attention. They always brought him baked Ziti or Rigatoni. At the risk of being hit by a bolt of lightning... the good Fr. is really handsome - and surely plays a lot of hockey or rugby or something. OK, am I going to hell now? We also have a doll of a priest named Fr. Dunn (not Will. B. Dunn like the comic) who is also quite handsome, although the fact that he too, like every darn priest at the Church, is a die hard Yankee fan slightly diminishes his matinee idol looks. Fr. Murphy runs the Parish - and celebrated the Communion Mass with great joy. Fr. Flynn gave me his business card and a wonderful pep talk at Poricelli's when I ran into him in the freezer section and told him that Mark had lost his job. (He found a job in April!) And we have sisters at Church too who wear real habits! I've never enjoyed a Church so well. Maybe because it feels kind of retro to me. I'm not a big fan of round, spaceship design churches. My husband Mark refers to me as a heathen quite often, but I think that's just because of my potty mouth and snarky attitude. BTW, Fr. Cipriani prayed for the Giant's to beat the Patriots too. AND THEY DID! And he even gave us a little "beat you to death" with his fists the morning of the SuperBowl when we Staglianos sat proudly in the front pew wearing Patriots sweatshirts in the row. Not from the altar mind you, he was in the back area for which I'm sure there's a fancy Latin name but I don't know it. Yes! A priest gave us the "beat you up" hand. Madonn'! We laughed. Then his team beat our team and we cried. I'm sure our envelope was a bit lighter the next Sunday as a payback. Therefore St. Theresa was short the cash for say, one lightbulb.

So the folks in Church clapped for us as fabulous parents. Man are they dumb! LOL! Little did they know that earlier last week I had baked a four layer cannoli cake for the priests to thank them for having the special needs class at St. Theresa's Church. This cake is a work of art - not in its beauty but in its taste. It's four layers of butter cake with a cannoli filling (sweetened cooked ricotta cheese mixture) between the layers and smothered in thick, dark chocolate ganache. It takes two days to make that bad boy, but let me tell you, it stands on the plate like a 10" round brick sh.... Wrong analogy. Like a tall, round chocolate super hero! I hated to give it away without a taste. I used to make it for my nephews in Ohio for their birthdays. Good Lord, maybe I AM Carmella Soprano? If that's the case, I'm going into the backyard to dig for a stack of hundreds.

I know I'm rambling today. It was a long night. More on that later. 85 year old Dad, stomach flu, Gianna, stomach flu, my Mom, just had stomach flu. And the spew flew!

I'll be live blogging the Rally at http://www.ageofautism.com/ on Wednesday. And probably a post tomorrow. Stop by!