Investigative reporter Dan Olmsted joins Coy Barefoot on the February 7 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to continue the discussion about the autism epidemic. Olmsted is now keeping his readers up to date on a blog called The Age of Autism, which also features articles from other contributers. His work will soon be collected in a new book on the history of mercury poisoning.
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The Rimland Center: Advocates for Children with Autism
This week on the Sunday Morning Wake-Up Call, Dr. Elizabeth Mumper joins host Rick Moore to talk about Autism in children. Dr. Mumper just opened the Rimland Center in Lynchburg which serves children on the Autistic spectrum and with other behavior/developmental disorders. She goes over some of the problems Autistic children face - such as digestive problems, sleep disorders, and hypersensitivity to touch and sound - and how parents can try to cope with them.
Callers chimed in with their own questions and comments about Autism in general and treatment for the disorder. How do different types of food affect children with Autism? And what about medications? Behavioral Therapy? Find out what a professional thinks about all this and more, only on WNRN’s Wake-Up Call.
Dr. Mumper also mentioned two books for those who want to learn more about this topics: “Have We Done Everything We Can For This Child?” and “Changing the Course of Autism” by D. Bryan Jepson.
Jennifer Gonnerman on the School of Shock
Jennifer Gonnerman is the author of Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett, which is described as “the first major work of journalism on the subject of re-entry: the challenge of leaving prison and re-entering the free world.” Gonnerman joins Coy Barefoot on “WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now!” to discuss “School of Shock“, a recent investigative piece in Mother Jones about a mental health facility in Massachusetts that uses electric shocks to treat autistic children, as well as children with other serious mental illnesses.
Lori McIlwain of the National Autism Association
Lori McIlwain is with the National Autism Association, which recently launched a new program called Family First, which is designed to give assistance to couples whose relationships are strained by caring for an autistic child. She recently joined Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to explain.
CRN: Autism update with Dan Olmsted
Investigative Journalist Dan Olmsted has written some of the best work about the autism epidemic. He joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to discuss his Age of Autism series which includes over 100 columns covering the history and science of autism. Dan recently authored his last installment in the UPI series.
CRN: J.B. Handley of Generation Rescue
J.B. Handley is co-founder of the group Generation Rescue, which advocates for families with children diagnosed with childhood neurological disorders, such as autism or Asperger’s. Members of Generation Rescue believe these illnesses are the result of environmental triggers and can be successfully treated through biomedical intervention. He recently joined Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now.
CRN: Wendy Fournier of the National Autism Association
Wendy Fournier of the National Autism Association joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to discuss legislation that contains an amendment that would restrict the federal government’s ability to purchase vaccines with thimerosal. President Bush has threatened a veto.
CRN: The latest on the autism epidemic with David Kirby
New York Times Reporter David Kirby’s book Evidence of Harm: Mercury and Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic - A Medical Controversy won the 2005 Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Award. Now in paperback, Kirby says his work has helped change the course of the debate over whether thimerosal is a factor in the growing number of children diagnosed with autism.
CRN: Autism news with Wendy Fournier of the National Autism Association
Wendy Fournier is the president of the National Autism Association. She joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to talk about her own family’s experience with autism as well as the latest research. She also updates listeners on legislation in the Senate to give the Food and Drug Administration oversight of the nation’s compounding pharmacies. Currently they’re regulated by state governments. Fournier says this will limit the options of parents of autistic children, who need individually prepared medications.
Fournier also reports on a recent workshop on autism and the environment held by the Institute of Medicine. She reports that a representative of the CDC appeared at the meeting and listed Thimerosal, an ethyl mercury-based vaccine preservative, as one of possible key triggers of autism. This is a welcome line of research for many parents, scientists, and doctors who have advocated for many years now that there is a connection between mercury poisoning and autism.
Amy Carson of Moms Against Mercury
Mercury is one of the most powerful neurotoxins on the planet, and many vaccines have contained the element in the form of thimerosal. Many parents of autistic children maintain their kids have the disease because of mercury poisoning, pointing to a tripling of the vaccine schedules in the 1990’s. Coy Barefoot speaks with Amy Carson of Moms Against Mercury on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to discuss the connection.