Our new health care bill

All parents of autistic children and adults should be extremely grateful to the new health care bill. The overhaul has made it possible for parents of autistic kids not to go broke trying to get the best treatments and care for them ("Health care law may help families with autism costs."). Quite different than in the 80's. Of course back then we didn't have treatment plans for our children. What we had was a choice of fighting it out with the city and state as to whether they would provide the education best suited for them, or to pick up part of the cost for institutionalizing them. I could never have imagined that my wife and I would do such a thing to Nathaniel, although we were presented with that choice. Many parents were, It was, in some cases, all that the parents could do. Now, with awareness of autism at a peak, and health care laws that cover autism, things are certainly better. Read more!

Mercury and vaccines

Generally I try to stay focused on autism in adults, but there is so much interest in mercury (Thimerosal) in vaccines that I wanted to share this article with you (A ban on mercury in vaccines). I am not convinced that autism is attributed to vaccines, at least not on its own, but it is still a good idea to remove mercury, a known toxin, from all vaccines world-wide, not just in the US. Leave it to the pharmaceutical industry to remove Thimerosal in vaccines in the US (FDA order) and not in vaccines for the rest of the world. Read more!

Parade Magazine for April 3

For us parents with autistic adults, isn't this what we fear the most (Parade Magazine, April 3). In one small way, Nathaniel was lucky. The cost to the state of MD was lower since there was more money to go to autistic kids back in the mid "90s when he entered the program. On the other hand, the facility in Austin, as mentioned in the article, and other facilities around the country didn't exist. Although Dana in many ways is like Nathaniel (no speech or communication, eye contact, full time care, cute as a button)he never has tried to communicate complex thoughts by other means like typing or pointing to pictures to convey needs.I will say again that planning has to start much more early that when your child reaches 18 or 21. Things that you don't even think about like estate planning (discretionary trusts) need to be talked through with family and, as you see, lawyers. Sad but true. Read more!