FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Julie Matthews to Speak to Parents and Professionals in Toronto.
Free workshop about the benefits of Diet & Nutrition for Autism Spectrum Disorder Children

Over 300 Parents and professionals are scheduled to attend a Parents Listen Speaker Event in Toronto, on Saturday December 1st, from 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM, at Ryerson University, 55 Dundas Street West.

With 1 in 150 children being diagnosed with autism and mainstream channels offering little or no immediately helpful treatment options, local parents are taking matters into their own hands. Certified Nutrition Consultant and Autism expert Julie Matthews will speak in Canada for the first time to parents and professionals about the significant impact of diet on children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Attendees will learn why proper nutrition is essential for these children, various autism diet options, and the "when," "why," and "how" to get started with implementation. Dietary intervention can affect dramatic improvements in children’s behaviours and the scientific community is increasingly validating this approach. This workshop will include a presentation, food preparation demonstration, and several opportunities for interactive questions and answers for people wanting to begin, refine, or deepen their knowledge of dietary interventions. Matthews’ Toronto appearance is sponsored by Parents Listen, a local parent led organization. Parents Listen events focus on empowering parents to direct their own child’s recovery by expanding their knowledge of safe and effective treatment options.

Julie Matthews speaks at various conferences throughout the United States including Defeat Autism Now! and Autism One. She is the Author of Nourishing Hope, a comprehensive guide to the specific and unique biochemistry of autistic spectrum disorder children. She is a Certified Nutrition Consultant with a practice in San Francisco where she consults with families and practitioners from around the world. She is the host of two radio programs and teaches classes on ASD diets including GFCF, SCD, Body Ecology, Feingold, low oxalate, and more.

Parents Listen was created by Michael and Kelli Pallett, parents of Jordyn, a 4yr old boy diagnosed on the Autistic Spectrum at 2 years old. While languishing on waiting lists for two years, with no expectations of help from the Ontario government, they started looking elsewhere for options, and discovered that a wealth of opportunities were available that parents could implement right away – and that can have immediate benefit. Kelli and Michael created Parents Listen, a free speaker series where experts with extensive first hand experience with autistic children come to Toronto and speak to parents and professionals. Topics focus on effective support and treatment options for autistic children that parents may otherwise be unaware of. The speaker format gives parents the opportunity to listen, but also ask questions and interact directly with experts and other parents who have successfully employed the methods discussed, so they can best determine what’s right for their child. "It is amazing to me," Michael Pallett said, "that after receiving a diagnosis that your child is autistic, the primary support offered to these parents is simply a place on a waiting list. There is nowhere that parents are directed while they wait, that offers anything concrete to do in the home which can impact their children right away. But we have found that there are many things parents can do, that can have immediate positive results for their kids."

Autism is not a disease, rather a little-understood disorder that affects the brain in an astounding 1 in 150 children in Canada ; a rate which has increased by more than 10 times in the last decade. While the cause of autism is unknown, many researchers believe it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors, including viruses, chemicals, over use of antibiotics, and heavy metals including lead and mercury.

Parents of children newly diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders have had limited access to therapeutic services, and financial supports, offered by the government of Ontario. While the government has recognized the need for these services, due to various court cases and funding controversies, the waiting lists for children in need have grown longer and longer. Meanwhile, the stress and financial burden on these families is severe, noted by a rate of divorce reported at 80% for families of children on the Autism Spectrum [stat: Autism Speaks and Autism Society of America].

To arrange for Interviews or Media Passes to the event, please contact Michael Pallett at (905) 302-3750. For more information on Parents Listen contact http://ParentsListen.org

LISTEN to Julie and Martin talking about the upcoming Toronto event on Reality Sandwich Radio (5 mins).

Md. Schools Get Tough on Vaccinations
By STEPHEN MANNING, Associated Press Writer

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – Two months into the school year, more than 2,000
students in this suburban county outside the nation’s capital had yet
to get the shots they needed to attend class. So the school system
decided it was through playing nice.

Parents in Prince George’s County
have been ordered to appear at a special court hearing Saturday where
they will be given a choice: Get their children vaccinated on the spot
or risk up to 10 days in jail and fines.

It is one of the strongest efforts made by a U.S. school system to ensure its youngsters receive their shots.

Prince George’s County school officials and prosecutors said parents
have been duly warned about the need for vaccinations over the past
year. They said the goal isn’t to throw parents in jail but to protect
public health and get kids who have been barred from school back to
class.

"How can you in good conscience allow your child to miss school and
their education for no particular reason?" said John White, spokesman
for the 132,000-student school system.

At the courthouse, the health department will have a makeshift
clinic to administer vaccines. Parents will be given the chance to
offer the judge an excuse for why they didn’t get their kids
vaccinated. Under Maryland law, parents can obtain exemptions for
religious or medical reasons.

Those who fail to show up — and those who fail to offer a valid
excuse and still refuse the shots — could be prosecuted under truancy
laws and face possible jail time and fines of $50 per day. Prosecutors
do not expect to actually charge anyone on Saturday.

"The message is get your kids vaccinated or get an exemption," said
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey. "You can’t just sit
on the fence."

Barbara Loe Fisher, head of National Vaccine Information Center, a
vaccine skeptic group, complained: "It is terrorizing parents. When you
have the threat of going to jail, it is hard to make an informed
decision."

Even the judge who opened his court is somewhat skeptical about hauling parents into court.

William Missouri, administrative judge for the county circuit court,
agreed to the Saturday session and said it would probably prod some
parents to comply. But the problem "may have been ratcheted up to a
level it should not have been at this time."

School officials said that it is not clear why parents are not
complying, but that some may have religious or medical objections,
while others may have failed to turn in the paperwork, or their kids’
addresses were outdated.

The prospect of stiff penalties appears to have worked already. Last
week, when the court notices were sent to parents, 2,300 students had
not been properly immunized. As of Friday afternoon, only about 1,100
remained on the list.

Maryland,
like all states, requires children to be immunized against several
childhood illnesses, including polio, mumps and measles. In recent
years, it has required that students up to high-school age be
vaccinated against hepatitis B and chicken pox.

After that, thousands of students — most of them high schoolers —
were found to lack the required immunizations. Parents were sent
letters and visited at home, and the school system even offered free
vaccinations.

"Once the word gets out, it will definitely work," Bob Ross, head of
the parent-teachers association at Surrattsville High School in
Clinton, said of the new get-tough approach. "Parents are going to have
to set aside some time. Parents have a responsibility to help protect
the public health."

This video is a wonderful little piece on liberty.  To me liberty is essential in order to have the freedom of healthcare, food choices (such as raw milk), and nutrient supplementation. While not specific to holistic health, it is a simple explanation that resonates with our humanity.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=muHg86Mys7I

(more…)