How This Works

As a mom to 2 little girls, I can not even imagine the fear and sense of loss that would come along with this diagnosis. But as a mom, I can definitely relate to the need to FIGHT for my children and what they need. I lend my voice to this fight....as all parents need to stand up for the rights of our children.
posted by nicole on 1/14/08 11:29: AM

FYI the latest research is showing that vaccinations are NOT causing autism. How do we know it is not food additives?
posted by jay on 1/14/08 11:24: AM

Maybe we should start demanding FEWER vaccines. Children are over-vaccinated. Don't tell me that there are no implications for constantly increasing the vaccine schedule so that drug companies can make more money. Do you know that the rate of autism increased exponentially between 1990 and 2000--the same decade that the government mandated triple times the amount of vaccines? Why do children have to be vaccinated for Chicken Pox? Why does a newborn baby, only hours old, need to be vaccinated for hepatitis? Give their bodies a chance to develop before polluting them with vaccines. If we don't stop this madness, the rate of autism will continue to increase.
posted by Patience on 1/14/08 11:21: AM

Where do you live where you have to wait for 2 years for therapy? I am a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who works with toddlers and preschoolers and I work with many children on the autistic spectrum. If you lived in NY state your daughter's therapy would be automatic due to your daughter's disability. If your insurance company couldn't pick it up the county's health department would pay for it. (Probably why our taxes are so high in NY state, too). Once a child is three here the school district picks up the tab for services. If it were me, I would move somewhere where your child would be provided services without a wait. Two years IS too long to wait if your child is on the spectrum. Your child only has until around age 5 before learning to speak and by then it is more difficult to change her sensory systems, too. EARLY INTERVENTION WORKS!
posted by Joan on 1/14/08 11:21: AM

I can't get this to play for me.
posted by Dorothy Marietta on 1/14/08 11:17: AM

Beautiful. My son is a high-functioning autistic, now 21. Thank you for raising awareness.
posted by Noel Craig on 1/14/08 10:59: AM

That was so touching. It is a shame that with so many kids that have Autisim you would think that there would be more help out there. Sad.
posted by Melanie on 1/14/08 10:56: AM

My heart goes out to all the little children affected by Autism and for all the other sick children. I pray that God will help them find a cure. Children should be playing and be happy not sick. God bless all the families and especially the children. In Jesus Name. Shirley
posted by Shirley on 1/14/08 10:52: AM

I will say a prayer every night for the children that are suffering everyday. And I will pass this on to everyone I know if there is a chance it may help and keep hope alive. God bless.
posted by Liz on 1/14/08 10:51: AM

the time is NOW.
posted by Becky Dahm on 1/14/08 10:49: AM

This is really beautiful! Thank you for sharing this with us. Let's hope that they find the answer to help our kids and that more people and children become aware of this.
posted by Sara on 1/14/08 10:44: AM

Love your donation. I teach children with autism and I hope that one day a cure will be found.
posted by Robyn Hargrave on 1/14/08 10:40: AM

I wish you the best! It's hard out there... we all need to take a stand and screw that "bottom line". together we can take anything on!
posted by Pril on 1/14/08 10:33: AM

It is time that we all stood up and said enough is enough, get rid of the insurance companies and demand a National Health Care System that profits by making people well, not keeping them ill!!! It works for France, it works for England, it works for Canada, it even works for CUBA - take a stand now, and demand proper health care for every US Citizen!!!! Demand a Health Care plan from those running for President, if they don't have one, don't vote for them!!!!
posted by Lynda on 1/14/08 10:23: AM

Team work positive thinking is the way to go; so please keep sending this e-mail don't stop. God Bless all
posted by Javier on 1/14/08 10:22: AM

Awesome. I will pass this on to as many people as I can. I have 5 kids and my youngest has Fragile X Syndrome which is in the same spectrum as autism. If you imagine how hard it is on the parents, it must be 10x as hard on the affected child. People should stop staring and laughing and start helping.
posted by Mark Porter on 1/14/08 10:18: AM

I am a special ed. teacher. Some of the techniques I've found especially helpful are: HANDLE Social Stories by Carol Gray using visual schedules
posted by Karen Toohey on 1/14/08 10:18: AM

WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER! PLEASE KEEP SUPPORTING.
posted by Migdalia on 1/14/08 10:17: AM

It is sad to have to realize that we live in a world driven by the bottomline.
posted by Raju on 1/14/08 10:12: AM

My son is now 34. I suspected he had a problem at the age of 4 weeks. He didn't cry when hungry, wet or other times that would seem to be normal for an infant to cry. By 2 I knew he had a problem and tried to get help. We almost lost our home for the medical bills as the insurance companies did not cover this. When Joe went into kindergarten, he was immediately diagnosed as EMH. I asked, "Could he be autistic?" The response was no because he could talk. It took me until he was 19 years old and going into a state run facility to get the diagnosis I suspected earlier. The doctors said "Did you know he was autistic?" I told them how the school said I was wrong that I just wasn't doing enough to teach him. The doctors responded "You worked so hard at teaching him... you almost masked it." When will we get the government to let insurance companies know that they cannot pick and choose the diseases and disabilities that they want to work with? We need our government to make sure that ensurance companies must cover everything not just their favorite disease of the day.
posted by Rosie on 1/14/08 9:51: AM