Autism Disappointment In Alberta

In Great expectations Calgary Sun reporter Tarina White reports on the disappointment facing families migrating to Alberta in search of well funded autism services in oil rich Alberta. She reports that, while Alberta may look best for autism services on paper, the reality is much different with long waits for services and few professionals to provide the services. Some families don't qualify for treatment and for some who do the service provided is not always. Families also face the same 6 year age cut off for services that exists in other Canadian provinces.

Add the stress of moving, leaving family, friends and support networks, finding work, and the cost of living and the Alberta Autism Dream may turn in to a nightmare for many families.

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Tony Clement's Invisible Autism Symposium

Health Minister Tony Clement

Canada, courtesy of the federal government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Health Minister Tony Clement, has offered one of the weakest responses by any national government to the world autism crisis. To date it consists of a mediocre autism web site and an invisible national autism research symposium held on November 8 and 9 2007.

The delegates to this invisible symposium were hand picked to ensure compliance with the Harper-Clement agenda, the symposium was structured to ensure that serious debate would be avoided and ... absolutely no information has been released about the results of this secretive, elitist symposium of the compliant. Parents by law, necessity, and commonly accepted morality speak for their autistic children but they, and thereby their children, were not invited to Tony Clement's Invisible Autism Symposium. And so far, we have no idea what the Harper-Clement Autism Delegates discussed at the Invisible Autism Symposium held November 8 and 9 in Toronto.

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Leftover Turkey never tasted so good!

After a cold day out in the snow and battling crowds of shoppers and tourists, I wanted nothing more than a good hot bowl of soup! I'm currently trying to use up as many ingredients as I have on hand to avoid a grocery trip out in the cold weather. So fortunately, I had all I needed for cream of turkey, rice & mushroom soup! Using the leftover Thanksgiving turkey I had froze after our party, it came out wonderful and hit the spot.Here's my recipe for Cream of Turkey, Rice & Mushroom Soup...

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups leftover cooked turkey
10 oz sliced cremini (baby 'bellas) mushrooms
2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
4 quarts chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon rosemary seasoning (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil and add onions and garlic.
Cook until onions are translucent.
Add mushrooms and turkey & cook until mushrooms soften.
Add uncooked rice and stir to coat.
Add broth and stir, cooking over medium heat.
Add rosemary seasoning (optional)
Allow it to cook until rice is cooked & absorbs the broth.
Continue to add more broth or even water until you reach the consistency you prefer.
Season to taste.
Add whipping cream and stir.
Turn off heat and allow soup to thicken slightly.
Serve hot and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

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Get my boots... it's snowing!

Today I met up with my cooking group members to get a taste of Germany! Chicago hosts an annual German event called the Christkindl Market.

Visitors from all over the world come to the Christkindlmarket Chicago annually and the numbers continue to grow every year. It is so popular and loved by all that any Chicagoan will tell you that they could not imagine the city without it. It is no longer just a German tradition - it has become a Chicago institution.The unique shopping experience, the typical German food and drinks, the diverse holiday entertainment, and a place to enjoy the city during the winter season, makes this a preferred and popular destination.

I forgot to bring my camera today but I did bring back a cute souvenir. These little boots held my hot apple cider & Gluhwein (traditional hot spiced wine) which we all drank to keep warm from the cold and snow!Some foods that our group tried included apple pancakes & potato pancakes. Everything looked delicious however the cold must have gotten to me (and everyone else!) It was a chilly 20+ degrees with the windchill and once it started snowing, quite a few people cleared out. Hopefully next year when I make my next visit, it won't be so cold!

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Severe Autism Reality in Durham, Ontario (and Fredericton, New Brunswick)

Most [Vancouver Sun and Toronto Star excepted] mainstream media features deal with higher functioning autistic persons, particularly those who have overcome the obstacles presented by High Functioning Autism and Aspergers and accomplished incredible feats. Even purportedly low functioning autism interviews such as some of those repeatedly featured on CNN aren't really addressing the harder realities faced by severely autistic persons and their families.

Nor are you likely to read their stories on the so called Autism Hub blogger network where bloggers actually promote autism, openly mock families struggling to treat and cure their children of their autism and pompously tell parents to accept, respect and love their own children.

Challenges of autism 'massive mountain' to climb in newsdurhamregion.com is another exception to this media trend. It is an article by autism mom and Durham resident Christine J. Taylor describing realistically the life challenges faced by her severely autistic 12 1/2 year old son and their family:

Our boy is very loving, exceptionally handsome and an incredibly busy child. He is non-verbal (approximately 40 per cent of all people with autism are) and his cognitive skills are quite low. This, quite understandably, creates a tonne of frustration for him. The "tantrums" he has are exhausting. For him and for us.

He can become self-abusive, destructive and has no understanding of "danger."

...

While they're young, these kids are still being housed, clothed and fed by their parents. The children will get older and so will their parents. It is indescribably "gut wrenching" to think that one day, we may not be able to care for our son.

Ms Taylor in talking of her son and their family has described very well the realities faced by 11 1/2 year old Conor and our family. It is a reality you have to live to understand.

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Qatar Leads World Autism Awareness Day Initiative

Map: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

As reported in the Gulf Times, the move to have the UN General Assembly declare April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day is being led by Qatar. The UN Human Rights Committee has already adopted the resolution which was co-sponsored by 50 countries and is expected to to be adopted by the 192-nation UN General Assembly early this month.

Qatar’s UN ambassador Nassir al-Nasser said at the UN Office in New York on Tuesday that HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and his wife HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad, took the initiative because of the high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world.

“HH Sheikha Mozah has made tremendous efforts to change the way the Qatari society views people with disability, and breaking the barrier of shame, of which this group and their families have been suffering,” he stated.

The draft resolution designates every April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day and asks all countries, UN bodies, international organisations and non-governmental groups to help raise autism awareness. The resolution describes autism as “a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life and results from a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain.”

Autism Speaks has been actively supportive of the resolution and is sponsoring an epidemiological study to measure the scale of the global autism epidemic, working with more than 20 countries to collect and share data that could help in deciding policies and research into causes, diagnosis and treatment. Bob Wright of Autism Speaks stressed the importance of a unified global effort to deal with the world autism crisis:

"The resolution’s call for action and observances on April 2 will bring autism organisations from all around the world together “in a single voice to fight this terrible disorder,” said Wright.


“By bringing autism awareness to a global level, we’ll give it a voice to the millions of children worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood, abused and looking for help,” he added."

autism

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Appearance of Bias - Taser Company Cozy With Coronors

The Globe and Mail has reported on the cozy ties between Taser International and some coronors, the officials often responsible for investigating Taser related deaths; a cozy relationship which creates an appearance of bias on the part of one very prominent Canadian coronor.

In Taser firms picked up coroner's lecture tab the Globe reports that Taser International has paid hotel and travel expenses for prominent Canadian coronor Dr. James Cairns, Ontario's deputy chief coronor, who has given seminars "on the phenomenon of "excited delirium," a medically unrecognized term that the company often cites as a reason people die after being tasered". The article indicates that Dr. Cairns does not see any conflict of interest on his part. [The Globe & Mail also reports that Dr. Cairns admitted in testimony yesterday at an Ontario inquiry that he had helped shield disgraced pathologist Charles Smith.]

In Symposium aims to define 'excited delirium' DEATHS IN CUSTODY: TASER HELPS FUND RESEARCH the Globe and Mail reports on the second annual Sudden Death, Excited Delirium and In-Custody Death Conference underway in Las Vegas. Many of the nearly 20 talks touch on the role of Tasers. "The key issue is excited delirium, a collection of symptoms that is quickly becoming the leading explanation offered when a person dies in police custody or after a taser is used." Two researchers who presented disclosed that Taser International funds their research. As reported by the Globe & Mail, the Taser subsidized research presenters "conducted research on the negative effects of taser use on the human body; they found very few".

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