Sensory Strategies | Latest Research | Healing Through Nutrition Family Wellness FEB-MAR 2014 Healthy ISSUE 54 Mind, Body & Spirit Providing Hope and Help for Autism Families Green Home– Aidan Healthy Kids Top family health Quinn strategies from Speaks out on Deirdre Imus parenting, vaccines, and unmet needs Toxins, Allergens, in the ASD community & ASD Bestselling author Dr. Doris Rapp with what you need to know NOW The Mercury Debate Conflicting Evidence of Toxicity The Purest Nutritional Supplements in the World! E THAN 950 C OR ON M TA OR M F IN D A E N T T S S E ! T H . e . a e v r y o M M e t & a s ls e id $ ic Ba st cte Pe ria d $ $ Yeast $ Mol E THAN 950 C OR ON M TA OR M F IN D A E N T T S S E ! THAN 950 T ORE CO M NT H Every ingredient* in every product R A . M e . O . F I a N e v r D A E N y o T T S M M S E e ! & T ta s H l . e s e . a ® d i e $ v r c y B ti o a s M c e M t P e er t & ia $ a s manufactured by Kirkman is $ old ls e Yeast $ M id $ ic Ba st cte Pe ria d $ $ Yeast $ Mol tested for more than 950 environmental contaminants! * except in lotions, creams and oils www.kirkmangroup.com Use Key Code AF214 for 20% OFF [email protected] your order of $100 or more. & 775-525-2887 (fax) Offer Expires April 30, 2014. AUTISM FILE 1 POLLY’S PIECE Remembering Avonte Wandering incidents continue taking a toll on autism families… BY POLLY TOMMEY s the world now knows, the autism community lost another inno- Acent life last month. Fourteen-year-old Avonte Oquendo wandered away from his school in Queens, New York during a tran- sition period this past October. The wide scale search for Avonte POLLY TOMMEY ended tragically on January 17th Editor-in-Chief when his remains were discov- Polly Tommey is one of the ered along the shore of the East world’s leading advocates for children and families impacted River. A deeply disturbing and by autism spectrum disorders. painful reminder of just how vul- She has presented at the European Parliament and nerable our children with autism given voice to autism issues are, Avonte’s death has sparked before leaders of industry and government. She is the founder an outpouring of sympathy and of both The Autism Channel, on compassion from families around Europe’s Sky Television, and also Autism File magazine, where she the world who know the horror of serves as Editor-in-Chief. Her having a child who goes missing. book, Autism: A Practical Guide Wandering incidents are on the rise in the autism community and to Improving Your Child’s obviously, they pose serious physical risks to our loved ones. In a study Quality of Life conducted in 2012 by the Interactive Autism Community (IAN), 29% of (co-authored with Jonathan parents reported that their child had wandered from a school or classroom. Tommey) is According to the National Autism Association (NAA), “There is no mandate available via Amazon.com. that requires schools to report a wandering or bolting incident, so we sus- pect the actual number is much higher.” Because the many risks to our children are so real and so serious, we have placed the topic of safety high on our priority list for discussion at our b Give Autism A Chance Summit on April 12, 2014 in Austin, Texas. NAA President Wendy Fournier will be on hand to provide crucial strategies to “Wandering incidents counter wandering and keep our families safe. In addition to Wendy and the safety panelists, we’ll have other experts gathering together to discuss every day issues as well as “big picture” topics are on the rise in the such as the future of our children with autism. As the panels will operate in a question and answer format, you’ll be able to ask our panelists anything you’d autism community and like. A list of our panelists and the topics covered along with where to get tickets—and they’re very limited—can be found at www.theautismtrust.org. Our celebrity guests are Aidan Quinn and Rob Schneider and many obviously, they pose of you will recognize high-profile professionals and parents as well. Of course, Autism File will be there so you will be able to meet our Editor, Rita Shreffler, and our team which includes Kimberly Linderman and Maria serious physical risks Milik. Additionally, we’ll have many siblings present to interview parents and vendors during session breaks and report from their craft table. to our loved ones.” As we continue our preparations for the Summit in Austin, we will keep Avonte in our hearts with the hope that future wandering incidents can be effectively avoided. We send our heartfelt sympathies to Avonte’s family a and friends. _ 2 FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS Jodie A. Dashore, OTD, MS, OTR/L, HHP Editor-in-Chief Polly Tommey [email protected] Dr. Dashore is a Board Certified Doctor of Occupational Therapy, special- Executive Editor izing in pediatric neurology. She completed her BS and MS (Pediatric Rita Shreffler [email protected] Neurology) in 1991 from King Edward Medical School in Bombay, Art Director India and her Doctorate from Rocky Mountain University in 2004. Dr. Mary Francis McGavic [email protected] Dashore received a post-doctoral certification in Sensory Integration from Editorial Assistant University of Southern California and is Board Certified in Holistic and Energy Medicine Mollie Shreffler [email protected] and Homotoxicology. Dr. Dashore is the founder and Medical Director of Integrative Advertising Director of Advertising and Marketing Neuro-Sensory Associates, LLC , a functional medicine and Sensory Integration practice Kimberly LindermanLMJOEFSNBO!BVUJTNñMFDPNr in Marlboro, NJ working with children and adults from across the country who suffer Advertising Account Executive from autism, Lyme Disease, PANDAS, autoimmune disease, and much more. Aimee AllenbackBJNFF!DJSDMFNHNUDPNr Louise Goldberg, MA Editorial Advisory Board Louise Goldberg is the author of Yoga Therapy for Children with Autism and Mary Holland, Esq. Mary Holland is managing director of the Elizabeth Special Needs, published by WW Norton in August, 2013. She has taught Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy, and a board yoga to students of all ages for over 30 years and is on the faculty of the member of the Coalition for Vaccine Safety. Yoga Teacher Training at the YogaCenter of Deerfield Beach, Florida. She Julie Matthews, CNC leads certification trainings across the country for yoga teachers, educators, Julie Matthews is a Certified Nutrition Consultant specializing in autism, and author of Nourishing Hope for Autism and Cooking to Heal. therapists, and parents in Creative Relaxation® Yoga Therapy for Children with Autism and Special Maria Milik Needs. Louise has a DVD, featuring children on the spectrum, and is co-author of S.T.O.P. and Maria Milik is the mother of two boys on the autism spectrum Relax ©2010, a curriculum for visual learners, used in programs internationally. She has been and a long-time advocate for families affected by autism. She has a consultant to the Broward Schools since 1982 and teaches yoga at the Miami Children’s developed a wide network of parents and professionals seeking answers for the many challenges an ASD diagnosis brings with it. Hospital-DanMarino Center summer camp. Louise is a licensed massage therapist specializing James A. Moody in cranial sacral therapy, and has taught remedial reading and English at the middle school, Jim Moody is a practicing attorney and Founder of Citizens high school, and college levels. Visit Louise online at http://yogaforspecialneeds.com/. for a Competitive Economy. He is very active in cause- related advocacy and has dedicated himself to serving Deirdre Imus the autism community for nearly two decades. Shannon King Nash, Esq., CPA Deirdre Imus is president and founder of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Shannon is an attorney who has been featured as a tax, Health Center® at Hackensack University Medical Center, founder finance and legal expert in numerous publications. She is of dienviro.org, a website devoted to environmental health, and co- co-founder of Colored My Mind, an autism outreach nonprofit. founder/co-director of the Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer. Stephen Shore, EdD She is a New York Times best-selling author, and a frequent contributor Stephen Shore is an assistant professor at the Ammon School of Education at Adelphi University, teaching to FoxNewsHealth.com, and Fox Business Channel. In her quest to clean up the environ- special education with an emphasis on autism. ment for our kids, Deirdre developed the award-winning Greening The Cleaning® program Chantal Sicile-Kira and product line, which replaces the hazardous ingredients commonly found in cleaning Chantal Sicile-Kira is an award-winning author, speaker, and leader agents with non-toxic plant-based ingredients. Deirdre has been the recipient of numerous in the field of adolescence and the transition to adulthood. She is the past co-chair of the South Counties Autism Regional Taskforce of the awards and honors for her impact as a leader in the field of environmental health. California Senate Select Committee on Autism and Related Disorders. Carol Stott Brian R. King, LCSW Carol Stott is a Chartered Psychologist and epidemiologist Brian R. King is a bestselling author, 25-year cancer survivor, and is specializing in the identification and assessment of children and adults with autism and related conditions, and the co- diagnosed with Dyslexia, ADHD, and Asperger’s.