Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for/that:

1. The company that makes the communication device we want to get for Isaiah called yesterday to ask what colour we wanted them to send us. This is the first indication we've had that he was approved to receive the device.


2. The wide variety of birds that I heard singing this week. It may not always feel like it but they know that spring is coming.


3. A helpful teacher who was willing to go to the dentist with Isaiah to try and make the process more bearable for him. It totally didn't work but at least she was willing to give up a few hours of her day to do it. If you know of a dentist in Syracuse who sees kids and will sedate them let me know.

What are you thankful for?

Note to Self

Exodus 14:13-15 (English Standard Version)

13And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

15The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

***

Psalm 37:6-8 (English Standard Version)

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil

***

Psalm 46:9-11 (English Standard Version)

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

***

Mark 4:38-40 (English Standard Version)

38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

Monday Morning Minutes

1. I need to stop listening to the political and economic news. The temptation to snark is near overwhelming. I'm trying to maintain on overall respectful attitude towards our elected officials but they sure don't make it easy.


2. I heard parts of the soundtrack from Slumdog Millionaire on the news this morning. I like it. I may have to acquire the soundtrack.


3. Unfriendly government workers who have apparently been instructed to find any excuse to refuse to help the people that they are supposed to be helping are annoying. Hubby and I now have the pleasure of requesting a fair hearing to keep our health insurance because our caseworker can't or won't understand the concept of fluctuating income.


4. What is with the obsession with vaccines and autism?! Those crack pot theories have failed to stand up to rigorous scientific scrutiny time and time again. Go away already.


5. Nation of cowards indeed. Does that include black folk who refuse to go somewhere because they just assume all the white people there are flaming racists anyway?


6. In our "post racial" era is there anything that isn't racist? Clyburn accuses Southern governors of slighting blacks over stimulus. Is that a no?

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for/that:

1. Reinforcements. My parents are in town for a couple of days.


2. Music, it makes life more interesting and bearable.


3. Dancing, because see above.


4. Books, because see above.


5. After winter must come spring. The birds know it and have been singing off and on in preparation for its arrival.


6. Grandma's anointing. Sometimes it works to calm a cranky kid. In part, I think, because they are stunned that Grandma just pulled a bottle of olive oil out of her purse and slathered them up with it.

What are you thankful for?

Note to Self

1 Corinthians 13 (English Standard Version)

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Home Alone

I'm home alone with all four kids today. We have already had hilarity ensue. While I was kneading the dough for the pizza we just had for lunch Isaiah dumped all of the goldfish pellets into Julia's tank (the goldfish had to be separated because Julia was having issues with sharing). Speaking of Isaiah. It's too quiet.

5 Minutes Later

Well the half pizza that was left is down to less than one quarter. There's still one whole pizza that I didn't cut into so dinner is safe. I bought a couple minutes of non-inquisitiveness with some fruit gushers I bought in preparation for this week.

Now I've forgotten what else I was going to write. Maybe it will come back to me after bed time.

25 Things to Know: Autism Style

These memes have been making the rounds on Facebook. I swiped this one from a post at the house of osh.

****

25 things to know, Autism-Style
IF YOU HAVE A CHILD OR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND TAG YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE FELLOW PARENTS. YOU KNOW THE DEAL!

1. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?
New York

2. WHAT IS YOUR CHILD'S NAME, AGE AND DX?
I've got two, Ethan about to turn 8 and Isaiah, 6. Both are autistic but in very different ways.

3. WAS YOUR CHILD PROPERLY DIAGNOSED?
Yes for both boys.

4. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU FIRST LEARNED YOUR CHILD HAD AUTISM?
Lots of things, with Ethan surprise that it took the peds neurologist so little time to make a diagnosis and annoyance that we had to wait so long for a detailed evaluation after the diagnosis. With Isaiah annoyance that we had to wait so long for a detailed evaluation and diagnosis. Over all relief that we could put a name to what we were seeing in our kids.

5. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT HAVING A CHILD WITH ASD?
Other people who can't wrap their heads around the idea of someone with different neurology experiencing the world differently and people/groups who are supposed to help but usually just throw obstacles in our path. For example "autism advocacy" groups that spend all of their time and money agitating against vaccines.

6. WHAT IS THE BEST THING?
Sharing life with my kids.

7. HAVE YOU TRIED THE DIET AND DID IT WORK?
With Ethan yes. No it didn't anything but jack up the grocery bill. Ethan decided to potty train himself when we reintroduced wheat products.

8. WHAT ABOUT OTHER BIOMED TREATMENTS- HBOT, CHELATION, ETC.?
Absolutely not.

9. WHAT METHOD OF ABA/Behaviour Therapy DO YOU LIKE BEST?
I like the kind of therapy that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and that recognises and utilizes my kids' strengths to meet their every day needs and responsibilities.

10. IF YOU COULD MAKE EVERY PARENT TRY ONE THING- WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Osh's answer sounds good to me, "Just try to listen to your child...and then hear your child." Some parents need to recognise that it's not about them and what they want but about their children.

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RATE OF AUTISM REALLY IS?
No clue but I think a lot of stuff that gets labeled as autistic is very common through out humanity.

12. HOW MANY KIDS WITH AUTISM LIVE ON YOUR BLOCK?
No clue.

13. HAVE YOU EVER MET A RECOVERED CHILD?
No, I don't know of anyone who's ever had their child kidnapped.

14. WHAT KIND OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DOES YOUR CHILD GET?
The boys are both in inclusive classrooms and get speech and occupational therapy on a regular basis. We're waiting to see if we got in under the lowering spending boom to get Isaiah a communication device.

15. DO YOU GET SERVICES/TREATMENTS THROUGH YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE?
Aside from a bit of extra OT we haven't tried anything that we would want insurance to cover so not really.

16. DO YOU THINK THE DIVORCE RATE IS REALLY 80% FOR ASD FAMILIES?
No.

17. DO YOU HAVE A GOOD POOP STORY?
What's the point of this question?

18. WHAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID ABOUT YOUR KID?
"Why don't you just tell him no?" This is a pretty silly thing to say to any parent really.

19. WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEONE ASKS "WHAT IS AUTISM?"
I start talking about brain function.

20. WHO IS YOUR "AUTISM COMMUNITY HERO"
I am eternally grateful to Orac of Respectful Insolence for introducing me to the part of the autism community that wasn't consumed with blaming vaccines for autism.

21. WHAT GROUP/ORGANIZATION DO YOU THINK HAS DONE THE MOST FOR THE COMMUNITY?
Autism Hub. I like their overall message of hope and respect for autistic individuals.

22. DID YOU VACCINATE YOUR CHILD AND DO YOU CONTINUE TO DO SO?
Heck yeah.

23. DOES YOUR FAMILY ACCEPT YOUR CHILD HAVING AUTISM?
Yes for some and not really sure for others. I get the impression that some are much more comfortable with the boys being autistic than others.

24. WHAT LESSON HAVE YOU LEARNED AFTER ALL OF THIS?
You need to meet people where they are at and love them as they are. A positive attitude no matter what others may think of your circumstances is a lot better than being bitter, angry, and envious for loosing what you perceive to be rightfully yours. Look for strengths rather than bemoan weaknesses.


25. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME. WOULD YOU CHOSE FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE NEURO-TYPICAL?
Since such a choice would entail either killing them or preventing their conception no.

Words Have Consequences

This is what comes of constantly harping on how awful autism is and how awful life is for you with your autistic kids and how your kids were poisoned and damaged by toxic vaccines and so on and so forth despite all evidence that such is not the case. From the comments section on this article:

vaccines & autism

People with autistic children are desperate, with good reason. It is spectacularly difficult to get good help with these children in most school systems. I have met many parents of autistic children, and it is gut wrenching. But something I also discovered, many of these people had autism in their family history. I don't know if there's a genetic test for these disorders (there are many disorders under the autism umbrella, so probably not) but it seems to me that we are getting more autistic children simply because our society manages to help people become mainstream who in past generations would not have been educated and would have been unlikely to end up married. I met one woman with three autistic children -- this is not an accident! Autism is a huge problem, and people who have an autistic child, or who have a relative with autism, should think carefully about whether they should have any/more children, and perhaps consider in vitro procedures or adoption. The cost of raising an autistic child is huge, financially and emotionally.

Nancy of IL
Feb 12, 2009 20:15:58 PM

Words have consequences. One of the consequences of continued insistence that vaccines have something to do with autism is that people start believing the claims that your kids, and by extension you, are damaged goods that society would do well to be rid of. People start to believe your doom and gloom. Then they start thinking that maybe we would all be better off without you and people like your autistic kids.

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Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for/that:

1. Bedtime!


2. Stillness.


3. Hope.


4. Redemption.


5. The image of God in each and everyone of us.


6. We've still got power and noting in the neighbourhood below down.


7. I have so far failed to kill the goldfish, named Ruffy* and Julia.

What are you thankful for?

*Spelling changed as per hubby's comment.

On the news tonight, Updated

I got hooked up with a reporter for the local CBS affiliate station who is doing a story on local parent reactions to today's ruling by the autism omnibus. I'm hoping that I won't be the only parent he interviews who agrees with the ruling. The story will air during the 5:30 PMEST broadcast. I made sure to leave out the copy of Autism's False Prophets (excellent book I have a review in the works)that I got from the library as well as some of the Valentine's Day stuff that the kids have been bringing home from school this week. We had to bribe Sophia with markers and a colouring book to keep her from jumping in front of the camera. She is such a ham!

The reporter got some shots of the boys school pictures (they're still at after school program), our messy bookshelves, and the copy of Autism's False Prophets.

Update 6:16 PMEST:

Well the 5:30 broadcast was short but to the point. For the 6:00 broadcast the anchor woman botched my name and misrepresented what I said. Here's the link to the story with video, Court Ruling: Vaccines Don't Cause Autism.

Chattering Classes

That's my senator y'all! In the words of Luke Skywalker, I care. Just one question though. Am I one of the "chattering classes" or am I one of the American people?

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It's not vaccines. Can we move on now?

Court says measles vaccine not to blame for autism

A special vaccine court ruled against parents with autistic children Thursday, saying that vaccines are not to blame for their children's neurological disorder.

The judges in the cases said the evidence was overwhelmingly contrary to the parents' claims — and backed years of science that found no risk.

"It was abundantly clear that petitioners' theories of causation were speculative and unpersuasive," the court concluded in one of a trio of cases ruled on Thursday.

The ruling, which was anxiously awaited by health authorities, was a blow to families who have filed more than 5,000 claims for compensation through the government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The claims are reviewed by special masters serving on the U.S. Court of Claims.

Emphasis added.

Can we move on and discuss something relevant to autism now? Something like how the current budgetary crisis in many states are going to affect services for individuals with disabilities. I've got a post in the works about that.

More news stories and blog reaction:

• U.S. vaccine court rules against autism case family


• Vaccine didn't cause autism, court rules


• Father of Vaccine-Autism Link Said to Have Fudged Data


• MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism


• Hidden records show MMR truth: A Sunday Times investigation has found that altered data was behind the decade-long scare over vaccination


• VICP Decisions are in...


• Ruling on Vaccine Court Cases Today: Après ça, le déluge


• Autism Decisions and Background Information


• Omnibus decisions in–acknowledging the test case families


• Autistic Children Ineligible For Vaccine Funds


• First Three Autism Omnibus Test Cases Dismissed


• Cedillos, Hazlehursts, Snyders
  From the comments:

  I think this is the saddest day. Those poor parents so horribly misled and then it all comes out. Their experts were so pitiful they never had a chance. There should be no celebrating this just but painful decision. What choice did the special masters have ?

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$100 Billion

That's how much fat has been trimmed from the fat sandwich known as The Stimulus. That makes me feel so much better. How about you?

Obama's economic recovery plan on track in Senate
President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan is on track to pass the Senate after a handful of moderate Republicans and Democrats forced more than $100 billion in cuts in programs that wouldn't create many jobs right away.

But the group backed away from a confrontation that threatened to kill the legislation altogether after White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel weighed in to urge Democrats make a final round of concessions.

Architects of the compromise included Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who represented a broader group of moderates unhappy that so much money went into programs they thought wouldn't create jobs. Eventually, every Republican except Collins and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., left the talks, which finally produced a deal with the White House late Friday afternoon.

Reminds me of that Ditech.com commercial some years back. A couple is presented with a huge stack of paperwork to fill out to get their home loan. They confusedly ask something like, "But I thought the paperwork to get a loan had been reduced." The sleazy loan officer smiles obsequiously and says something like, "Why yes you're right!" He then takes one sheet of paper off of the top of the stack and leaves the couple to their own devices.

The Stimulus

Does having 16 senators holed up somewhere deciding how to spend $800 billion in taxpayer money sound like a good idea to you?



Hat tip Wizbang.

Autism research is being delayed. Are you angry yet?

Yes!

The Strategic Plan—the document which outlines how the HHS agencies are supposed to conduct autism research in the next few years—has been seriously delayed by repeated attempts to insert vaccine language.

The Plan is basically ready to be finalized. Months later than it should be because, well, people (read: Lyn Redwood) keep monopolizing the time for the meetings to discuss vaccines.

Would you like to see autism research move forward? Would you like to see the Combating Autism Act money actually appropriated and spent? Or, would you like to see future meetings continually monopolized by this one question?

If you are like me, you would like to see good research start. I’ve listed some of the initiatives that are stalled below. Good stuff. If you would like those projects to start sooner rather than later, send an email to Dr. Tom Insel, director of the NIMH and chair of the IACC. Let him know that it’s time for the IACC

I'm almost finished with Autism's False Prophets by Paul Offit. The book details how research and discussion about autism have been hijacked by individuals seeking to make a name for themselves by blaming vaccines for autism. Now we have some of those same characters trying to hijack the government's good faith efforts to research effective treatments and interventions for autistic individuals through out their lives. The government is willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in autism research and these jokers are throwing a monkey wrench into the whole thing because no one wants to waste more time and money investigating a vaccine connection that numerous studies to date have not found? That is some hot ghetto mess right there.

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Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for/that:

1. The sun is still above the horizon at 5:00PMEST. Spring is on the way!


2. I have yet to succumb to the stomach bug that has hit everyone else in the family.


3. It has been a whole year with no new trips to the ER.


4. Central heating. At a time when the radio weather guy has to specify negative or positive for the temperature I am really glad for that particular technological advance.

What are you thankful for?