I Love Sonchai Yoosabai

Sonchai is a firefighter in Thailand who put on a Spider Man costume to rescue an autistic boy from a third floor ledge. I love it when people get our kids.

Thai fireman in 'spider-man' rescue of autistic boy



Tue Mar 24, 4:37 am ET
BANGKOK (AFP) – A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said Tuesday.

Teachers at a special needs school in Bangkok alerted authorities on Monday when an autistic pupil, scared of attending his first day at school, sat out on the third-floor ledge and refused to come inside, a police sergeant told AFP.

Despite teachers' efforts to beckon the boy inside, he refused to budge until his mother mentioned her son's love of superheroes, prompting fireman Sonchai Yoosabai to take a novel approach to the problem.

The rescuer dashed back to his fire station and made a quick change into a Spider-Man costume before returning to the boy, he said.

"I told him Spider-Man is here to rescue you, no monsters are going to attack you and I told him to walk slowly towards me as running could be dangerous," Somchai told local television.

The young boy immediately stood up and walked into his rescuer's arms, police said.

Somchai said he keeps the Spider-Man costume and an outfit of Japanese television character Ultraman at the station in order to liven up school fire drills.

Readmore »»

Gardasil Takes Jenny Tetlock's Life

Many of us have been following Jenny Tetlock's case after she began getting sick following Gardasil more than a year ago.

To my knowledge, no one from the CDC or any other medical authority even checked into her case despite her family's very public appeals and widespread search for answers.

Jenny died yesterday.

Our sincerely condolences to her family. Honestly I am heartbroken for you. Readmore »»

I Will Be Speaking in PA in April

I am on a blogging break for the time being, but thought I would mention a speaking engagement that I have on April 25th at a wonderful event put together by ASD HOPE.

They have invited me to speak at their Mother to Mother Luncheon, a lovely day of tea and comfort at Christian Life Assembly Church Women's Plaza. I will be speaking on the Priceless Perspectives Found in Autism Parenting which expounds on this post in my Autism in God's Economy series

The luncheon is free and there is still room for 25 women, but I understand it is filling up fast. So if you are in the Harrisburg PA area and would like a day with your sorority sisters, check into it.

Thanks to ASD HOPE for giving autism moms a special day. Readmore »»

Happy Birthday Chandler

Happy 7th birthday to my beautiful boy.



I love you Chandler P. Readmore »»

Autistic children in tiny, windowless rooms

Two UK sources, here and here, report the same story: a young autistic girl, Melanie-Rose Wichmann, was "shut in a tiny, windowless room for getting upset at school." She "begged to be let out." She "has suffered anxiety attacks since the incident in February last year."

A judge ruled that shutting Melanie-Rose in that "tiny, windowless room" was discrimination based on her disability. An autistic child "should not have been left, even briefly and for the best of motives, alone in a small room from which she could not get out."

Melanie-Rose's mother is quoted as saying: "I know that despite what anyone says, regardless of their disability, you don't treat children like this. I wanted to fight this no matter what. I wanted to fight for her and for all the other kids out there in similar situations."

Not so long ago, the Boston Globe reported on practices at the New England Center for Children, a school that uses ABA-based interventions with autistic individuals. The NECC is one of the most admired, most popular, most important, and most influential (in research and practice) ABA schools in the world. Here is how the Boston Globe story starts:

When a particular student acts up, Amy Giles sometimes places the girl in a tiny, windowless room and closes the door. Then Giles stands outside the closet-like chamber, waiting patiently until the child settles down.

If it were another child, it might seem cruel. But Giles, a Westborough resident, is probably that student's best chance for a quality education. Giles teaches at the New England Center for Children on Route 9 in Southborough, a school that is at the forefront of educating children with autism, a neurological disorder that dramatically inhibits the way a child learns.

"We don't want to be the biggest program for autism," said Judy Cunniff Serio, director of administration. "We want to be the best."

Readmore »»

Smallpox, polio, and autism

A few days ago, Canada's senators were debating a law about autism. According to Senator Wilbert J. Keon, this proposed law, Bill S-210, would establish "World Autism Awareness Day in Canada, to be celebrated each year on April 2."

Senator Keon states:

Through the passage of this bill, we are showing that we truly respect Canadians with autism.

And what is the direction and purpose of this proposed Canadian law, a law to raise autism awareness, by which our government is to show that it truly respects autistic citizens? Senator Keon explains:

We must now do the necessary research to understand what autism is; then we must eliminate it as we did with smallpox and polio.

So parliament's power will be used to spread awareness--to inform schools, families, employers, communities, landlords, governments, and so on--that autism is as frightening and harmful, as dangerous to society and the public good, as smallpox and polio. And just like smallpox and polio, autism must be eliminated--regardless of science and ethics, regardless of the wishes of autistics and/or parents of autistics. According to Senator Keon, who demands a Canada free of autistic people, this is the kind of awareness Bill S-210 is all about. Readmore »»