Creatine - A Strong New Hope for our Non-Verbal Kids

Characteristics

Research in Cerebral Creatine Deficiency Syndromes has found that certain people are born with the inability to transport Creatine, a byproduct of the ATP Metabolic Process, into their brains.  There are several different types of Cerebral Creatine Deficiency Syndromes or CCDS, with the majority of individuals with the subtype, "GAMT" deficiency have a behavior disorder that can include autistic behaviors and self-mutilation.  Another subtype, "SLC6A8" deficiency in males ranges from mild intellectual disability and speech delay to severe intellectual disability, seizures, and behavior disorder, all characteristics of Autism.  Females usually only suffer from the subtype "SLC6A8" deficiency may have learning and behavior problems.

Diagnosis / Testing.

Here's the best part, it's fairly easy to test your Autistic Child for CCDS with an MRI, which can then be confirmed with a blood test.

Management.

100% Pure Creatine Monohydrate

GAMT deficiency and the much rarer AGAT deficiency are treated with oral creatine monohydrate to increase cerebral creatine levels. Treatment of GAMT deficiency may also require supplementation of ornithine and dietary restriction of arginine. Unfortunately, in males with SLC6A8 deficiency creatine supplementation alone does not improve outcome (other than perhaps better muscle tone, for those suffering from low muscle tone) and does not result in increased cerebral creatine levels; likewise, high-dose L-arginine and L-glycine supplementation did not improve clinical or biochemical outcome. One female with intractable epilepsy responded to high-dose L-arginine and L-glycine supplementation with cessation of seizures.

Prevention.

Whether early treatment prevents disease manifestations is unknown; however, newborn sibs of individuals with AGAT or GAMT deficiency seem to benefit from early treatment.

For the full details of the NIH Article by Drs' Saadet Mercimek-Mahmutoglu, MD, FCCMG, Sylvia Stöckler-Ipsiroglu, MD, PhD, MBA,FRCPC, and Gajja S Salomons, PhD. click here.

New Published Study Verifies Andrew Wakefield’s Research on Autism – Again

Controversial Doctor and Autism Media Channel Director proven right - MMR Vaccine Causes Autism & Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Autism Media Channel

Two landmark events – a government concession in the US Vaccine Court, and a groundbreaking scientific paper – confirm that physician, scientist, and Autism Media Channel [AMC] Director, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, and the parents were right all along.

In a recently published December 13, 2012 vaccine court ruling, hundreds of thousands of dollars were awarded to Ryan Mojabi, [i] whose parents described how “MMR vaccinations,” caused a “severe and debilitating injury to his brain, diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (‘ASD’).”

Later the same month, the government suffered a second major defeat when young Emily Moller from Houston won compensation following vaccine-related brain injury that, once again, involved MMR and resulted in autism. The cases follow similar successful petitions in the Italian and US courts (including Hannah Poling [ii], Bailey Banks [iii], Misty Hyatt [iv], Kienan Freeman [v], Valentino Bocca [vi], and Julia Grimes [vii]) in which the governments conceded or the court ruled that vaccines had caused brain injury. In turn, this injury led to an ASD diagnosis. MMR vaccine was the common denominator in these cases.

And today, scientists and physicians from Wake Forest University, New York, and Venezuela, reported findings that not only confirm the presence of intestinal disease in children with autism and intestinal symptoms, but also indicate that this disease may be novel. [viii] Using sophisticated laboratory methods Dr. Steve Walker and his colleagues endorsed Wakefield’s original findings by showing molecular changes in the children’s intestinal tissues that were highly distinctive and clearly abnormal.

From 1998 Dr. Wakefield discovered and reported intestinal disease in children with autism. [ix] Based upon the medical histories of the children he linked their disease and their autistic regression to the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR vaccine). He has since been subjected to relentless personal and professional attacks in the media, and from governments, doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. In the wake of demonstrably false and highly damaging allegations of scientific fraud by British journalist Brian Deer and the British Medical Journal, Dr. Wakefield is pursuing defamation proceedings against them in Texas. [x]

While repeated studies from around the world confirmed Wakefield’s bowel disease in autistic children [xi] and his position that safety studies of the MMR are inadequate, [xii] Dr. Wakefield ’s career has been destroyed by false allegations.  Despite this he continues to work tirelessly to help solve the autism catastrophe.

The incidence of autism has rocketed to a risk of around 1 in 25 for children born today. Mean while governments, absent any explanation and fearing loss of public trust, continue to deny the vaccine autism connection despite the concessions in vaccine court.

Speaking from his home in Austin, Texas, Dr. Wakefield said, 

There can be very little doubt that vaccines can and do cause autism. In these children, the evidence for a n adverse reaction involving brain injury following the MMR that progresses to an autism diagnosis is compelling. It’s now a question of the body count. The parents’ story was right all along. Governments must stop playing with words while children continue to be damaged . My hope is that recognition of the intestinal disease in these children will lead to the relief of their suffering. This is long , long overdue .”

Dr. Andrew Wakefield is a best selling author, [xi] founder of the autism research non profit Strategic Autism Initiative (SAI), and Director of the Autism Media Channel.

“Identification of Unique Gene Expression Profile in Children with Regressive Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Ileocolitis” PLOS ONE March 8, 2013, available online at: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058058

References

[i] Decision Awarding Damages to Ryan Mohabi 13 Dec 2012

[ii] Family to Receive $1.5M+ in First-Ever Vaccine-Autism Court AwardSeptember 9, 2010 2:14 PM

and

Decision Awarding Damages 21 July 2012

[iii] http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/Abell.BANKS.02-0738V.pdf (see footnote 4)

[iv] Vaccine Case: An Exception Or A Precedent? February 11, 2009 3:20 PM CBS News By Sharyl Attkisson

[v] KIENAN FREEMAN RULING CONCERNING “ENTITLEMENT” – September 25, 2003

[vi] MMR: A mother’s victory. The vast majority of doctors say there is no link between the triple jab and autism, but could an Italian court case reignite this controversial debate? By Sue Reid – Daily Mail 15 June 2012

[vii] JULIA GRIMES – DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES January 12, 2011

[viii] Walker S., Fortunado J, Krigsman A., Gonzalez L. Identification of Unique Gene Expression Profile in Children with Regressive Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Ileocolitis

[ix] Wakefield AJ. Callous Disregard: Autism and Vaccines – The Truth Behind a Tragedy. 2010. Skyhorse Publishing, NY, NY. Chapter 1, footnotes 1 & 4, p.20

[x] For Affidavits see www.DrWakefieldJusticeFund.org

[xi] Wakefield AJ. Waging War on the Autistic Child. 2012 Skyhorse Publishing NY, NY. Chapter 2, footnotes 2 11, pp. 255 256

[xii] Jefferson T et al, Unintended events following immunization with MMR: a systematic review. Vaccine 21 (2003) 3954–3960

Source: Press Release from Autism Media Channel

Here is a list of 28 studies from around the world that support Dr. Wakefield’s research:

1. The Journal of Pediatrics November 1999; 135(5):559-63
2. The Journal of Pediatrics 2000; 138(3): 366-372
3. Journal of Clinical Immunology November 2003; 23(6): 504-517
4. Journal of Neuroimmunology 2005 
5. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 1993; 7: 97-103
6. Pediatric Neurology 2003; 28(4): 1-3
7. Neuropsychobiology 2005; 51:77-85
8. The Journal of Pediatrics May 2005;146(5):605-10
9. Autism Insights 2009; 1: 1-11
10. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology February 2009; 23(2): 95-98
11. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry 2009:21(3): 148-161
12. Journal of Child Neurology June 29, 2009; 000:1-6
13. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders March 2009;39(3):405-13
14. Medical Hypotheses August 1998;51:133-144.
15. Journal of Child Neurology July 2000; ;15(7):429-35
16. Lancet. 1972;2:883–884.
17. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia January-March 1971;1:48-62
18. Journal of Pediatrics March 2001;138:366-372.
19. Molecular Psychiatry 2002;7:375-382.
20. American Journal of Gastroenterolgy April 2004;598-605.
21. Journal of Clinical Immunology November 2003;23:504-517.
22. Neuroimmunology April 2006;173(1-2):126-34.
23. Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol Biol. Psychiatry December 30 2006;30:1472-1477.
24. Clinical Infectious Diseases September 1 2002;35(Suppl 1):S6-S16
25. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2004;70(11):6459-6465
26. Journal of Medical Microbiology October 2005;54:987-991
27. Archivos venezolanos de puericultura y pediatría 2006; Vol 69 (1): 19-25.
28. Gastroenterology. 2005:128 (Suppl 2);Abstract-303

Vaccine Epidemicby Louise Kuo Habakus and Mary Holland J.D.

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Single dose of century-old drug approved for sleeping sickness reverses autism-like symptoms in mice

Century-Old Drug Reverses Autism-Like Symptoms in Mice

Date: June 17, 2014

Source: University of California, San Diego Health Sciences

Summary:

In a further test of a novel theory that suggests autism is the consequence of abnormal cell communication, researchers report that an almost century-old drug approved for treating sleeping sickness also restores normal cellular signaling in a mouse model of autism, reversing symptoms of the neurological disorder in animals that were the human biological age equivalent of 30 years old.

Image Description:

This image depicts the transmission electron micrograph of a cell mitochondrion.

Credit: Thomas Deerinck, NCMIR, UC San Diego

In a further test of a novel theory that suggests autism is the consequence of abnormal cell communication, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that an almost century-old drug approved for treating sleeping sickness also restores normal cellular signaling in a mouse model of autism, reversing symptoms of the neurological disorder in animals that were the human biological age equivalent of 30 years old.

The findings, published in the June 17, 2014 online issue of Translational Psychiatry, follow up on similar research published last year by senior author Robert K. Naviaux, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, pediatrics and pathology, and colleagues.

Naviaux said the findings fit neatly with the idea that autism is caused by a multitude of interconnected factors: "Twenty percent of the known factors associated with autism are genetic, but most are not. It's wrong to think of genes and the environment as separate and independent factors. Genes and environmental factors interact. The net result of this interaction is metabolism."

Naviaux, who is co-director of the Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center at UC San Diego, said one of the universal symptoms of autism is metabolic disturbances. "Cells have a halo of metabolites (small molecules involved in metabolism, the set of chemical processes that maintain life) and nucleotides surrounding them. These create a sort of chemical glow that broadcasts the state of health of the cell."

Cells threatened or damaged by microbes, such as viruses or bacteria, or by physical forces or by chemicals, such as pollutants, react defensively, a part of the normal immune response, Naviaux said. Their membranes stiffen. Internal metabolic processes are altered, most notably mitochondria -- the cells' critical "power plants." And communications between cells are dramatically reduced. This is the "cell danger response," said Naviaux, and if it persists, the result can be lasting, diverse impairment. If it occurs during childhood, for example, neurodevelopment is delayed.

"Cells behave like countries at war," said Naviaux. "When a threat begins, they harden their borders. They don't trust their neighbors. But without constant communication with the outside, cells begin to function differently. In the case of neurons, it might be by making fewer or too many connections. One way to look at this related to autism is this: When cells stop talking to each other, children stop talking."

Naviaux and colleagues have focused on a cellular signaling system linked to both mitochondrial function and to the cell's innate immune function. Specifically, they have zeroed in on the role of nucleotides like adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and other signaling mitokines -- molecules generated by distressed mitochondria. These mitokines have separate metabolic functions outside of the cell where they bind to and regulate receptors present on every cell of the body. Nineteen types of so-called purinergic receptors are known to be stimulated by these extracellular nucleotides, and the receptors are known to control a broad range of biological characteristics with relevance to autism, such as impaired language and social skills.

In their latest work, Naviaux again tested the effect of suramin, a well-known inhibitor of purinergic signaling that was first synthesized in 1916 and is used to treat trypanosomiasis or African sleeping sickness, a parasitic disease. They found that suramin blocked the extracellular signaling pathway used by ATP and other mitokines in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ending the cell danger response and related inflammation. Cells subsequently began behaving normally and autism-like behaviors and metabolism in the mice were corrected.

However, the biological and behavioral benefits of suramin were not permanent, nor preventive. A single dose remained effective in the mice for about five weeks, and then washed out. Moreover, suramin cannot be taken long-term since it can result in anemia and adrenal gland dysfunction.

Still, Naviaux said these and earlier findings are sufficiently encouraging to soon launch a small phase 1 clinical trial with children who have ASD. He expects the trial to begin later this year.

"Obviously correcting abnormalities in a mouse is a long way from a cure in humans, but we think this approach -- antipurinergic therapy -- is a new and fresh way to think about and address the challenge of autism.

"Our work doesn't contradict what others have discovered or done. It's another perspective. Our idea is that this kind of treatment -- eliminating a basic, underlying metabolic dysfunction -- removes a hurdle that might make other non-drug behavioral and developmental therapies of autism more effective. The discovery that a single dose of medicine can fundamentally reset metabolism for weeks means that newer and safer drugs might not need to be given chronically. Members of this new class of medicines might need to be given only intermittently during sensitive developmental windows to unblock metabolism and permit improved development in response to many kinds of behavioral and occupational therapies, and to natural play."

Co-authors: Jane C. Naviaux, Michael A. Schuchbauer and Susan B. Powell of the UCSD Department of Psychiatry; Kefeng Li and Lin Wang, UCSD Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center and UCSD Department of Medicine; and Victoria B. Risbrough, UCSD Department of Psychiatry and San Diego Veterans Affairs Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health.

Funding: For this research came, in part, from the Jane Botsford Johnson Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (grant MH091407), the UCSD Christini Fund, the Wright Family Foundation and the It Takes Guts Foundation.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of California, San Diego Health Sciences. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

1. J C Naviaux, M A Schuchbauer, K Li, L Wang, V B Risbrough, S B Powell, R K Naviaux. Reversal of autism-like behaviors and metabolism in adult mice with single-dose antipurinergic therapy. Translational Psychiatry, 2014; 4 (6): e400 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.33

Healing Spices for Autism

When I first started putting together some recipe's to make my son's foods that he could actually stomach, I paid very close attention to the spices I was using.  I realized that certain spices like Black Pepper, didn't agree with him and usually caused him discomfort, so I read as much as I could about all the other spices I was finding in the Recipe's I was choosing to for him, and low and behold to my surprise, not only were some of the spices I found better for him in that they calmed his stomach, they actually have healing properties.

Here's a list of some of the spices that I've started using for my son, along with their healthful properties.

Cinnamon

Health Benefits: Balances Blood Sugar and preliminary results from test tube and animal studies suggest that cinnamon oil and cinnamon extract have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasitic properties.  Candida is a Fungus that normally inhabits all humans, but in kids like ours that rarely have balanced diets, candida can easily flare up out of control, especially those on high sugar diets. Study after study has shown that cinnamon can play a role in the everyday management of blood sugar (glucose) levels and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.  

As an example of the effectiveness of Cinnamon, in a recent U.S. study, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 109 people with type 2 diabetes were divided into two groups, with one receiving 1 gram of cinnamon a day and one receiving a placebo. After three months, those taking the cinnamon had a 0.83 percent decrease in their A1C, a measure of blood sugar. (Seven percent or less means the diabetes is controlled, and a decrease between 0.5 and 1.0 percent is considered a significant improvement.) Those taking the placebo had only a 0.37 percent decrease in A1C blood-sugar levels.

Cinnamon May also help prevent and treat:

Cancer, cholesterol problems, food poisoning, heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome, stroke, ulcer, vaginal yeast infection, wounds.

How to buy cinnamon:

Ground cinnamon begins to fade in flavor after a few months, so it’s best to buy whole cinnamon quills (or sticks) and grind as needed. The quills are somewhat tough, so you’ll need a sturdy spice grinder or fine grater.

Turmeric and Curcumin 

Health Benefits: Reduces Inflammation!  Inflammation is a huge issue with kids with Autism.  Studies have shown that kids with Autism have larger brains than normal and many physicians believe that this is caused by inflammation, so anything that can help reduce inflammation will help children with Autism.  Curcumin also helps with the cure and prevention of Cancer and reducing Candida outbreaks.

Turmeric is widely used in India, in just about every dish the populace prepares.  Researchers, have observed that the incidence of chronic illnesses among people in India is significantly lower than in most Western countries, especially the United States.  The active ingredient in Turmeric is Curcumin, but they can be bought separately and have different characteristics to bring to the spice table.

The best part about Curcumin is that it's even more powerful than drugs like Advil or even prescription medications in reducing inflammation (thereby reducing pain), without the nasty side effect of killing your liver!

May also help prevent and treat:

Acne, allergies, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, asthma, cancer, cholesterol problems, colitis (inflammatory bowel disease), cystic fibrosis, depression, dermatitis, type 2 diabetes, eczema, eye infection, flatulence, gallbladder disease, gout, gum disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, itching, liver disease, macular degeneration, obesity, pain, Parkinson’s disease, pollution side effects, psoriasis, rash, scleroderma, stroke, wounds.

How to buy turmeric:

If possible, I recommend buying turmeric from Alleppey, since it has nearly twice the curcumin of Turmeric sourced anywhere else.

Coriander

Health Benefits: Eases Digestive Discomfort

People often confuse coriander with cilantro, but while Cilantro comes from the strongly scented leaves of the coriander plant, The spice coriander comes from the seeds of the plan. The seed also contains linalool and geranyl acetate, which are powerful antioxidants. They’re the secret behind many of coriander’s powers, including its ability to soothe digestive ailments.

May also help prevent and treat:

Bloating, cholesterol problems, colic, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, diarrhea, eczema, flatulence, high blood pressure, IBS, indigestion, insomnia, lead poisoning, liver disease, psoriasis, rosacea, stomachache, ulcer, vaginal yeast infection.

How to buy coriander:

Coriander seeds come in two main varieties: European coriander — which accounts for the majority of the U.S. market — is spherical in shape and more flavorful because of its higher concentration of volatile oils. Indian coriander is more egg-shaped and contains some oils not found in European coriander, resulting in a more lemony scent. Both are pretty interchangeable in cooking. Coriander is also sold powdered, but it’s best to buy whole seeds, as the oils dissipate after a few months once ground.

Fennel Seed

Health Benefits: Calms Colic in Baby's along with Menstrual Cramps

Fennel has also been shown to calm colic in babies. In a study, doctors treated 125 infants with colic, dividing them into one group that received a product containing fennel seed oil and one that received a placebo. The fennel seed product eliminated colic in 65 percent of the babies given it, compared with 24 percent of the placebo group.  We all know that with our kids, they're often suffering from one stomach ailment after another and anything that can help them out, while adding a nice licorice like flavor has to be good!

May also help prevent and treat:

Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, colitis (inflammatory bowel disease), dementia, glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, unwanted hair growth in women and stroke.

How to buy fennel seed:

Fennel seeds are sold whole or ground. Whole fennel seeds are yellow and tinged with green, which indicates top quality. Ground fennel starts to lose its flavor after six months, while whole fennel seeds keep for three years, so it’s best to buy whole and grind as needed.

Ginger

Health Benefits: Quiets Queasiness

For thousands of years, traditional healers worldwide have turned to ginger to help ease nausea of all kinds. For the past few decades, scientists have been proving that ginger works.

A team of gastroenterologists from the University of Michigan and National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan decided to study the effects of using ginger on 13 people with a history of motion sickness. To do so, they asked the people to sit in a spinning chair. They all became nauseated. When the volunteers took 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of ginger before they sat in the chair, it took them longer to develop nausea, and the nausea was also less intense. (Both doses worked equally well.)

In their study, the researchers also measured blood levels of vasopressin, a key hormone they theorized might play a role in nausea from motion sickness. They found ginger limited the release of vasopressin. The researchers also measured electrical activity in the stomach during the spinning and found that ginger kept the activity “relatively stable” as compared with “chaotic” activity without the spice.

May also help prevent and treat:

Arthritis, asthma, cancer, cholesterol problems, heart attack, heartburn, indigestion, migraine, morning sickness, motion sickness, nausea, stroke, elevated triglycerides.

How to buy ginger:

Opt for fresh gingerroot over the dried, ground stuff, which has a less enticing aroma and far less zip. When buying fresh gingerroot, look for knobs (called “hands”) that are firm with smooth skin. Store fresh, peeled ginger in a paper bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for two weeks. You can also keep unpeeled ginger indefinitely by freezing it in a freezer bag.

I've just touched the tip of the iceberg here, there are literally dozens of other spices and foods that can help out with ailments, just look around, keep an open mind and enjoy the new flavors in your life!

Jump Zone Autism Play Date

Jump Zone Autism Play Date

March 11th 3PM to 7PM

• Come Join FAN for a fun-filled JUMPING afternoon in a safe, accepting environment!
• Kids ages 2-12 are welcome to jump!
• Jump Zone is offering our kids a discounted price of just $5.00 per child for this event.
• Kids don't forget your socks!

Jump Zone Sunrise

(954) 703-1330

10064 W. Oakland Park Blvd

Sunrise, FL 33351

Please RSVP to cate521105@aol.com, as Jump Zone will add a staff member for every 20 children attending!  Parents must remain onsite to supervise their children.

FREE CARD soccer clinics

CARD, along with Tire Choice and the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, are sponsoring a second soccer clinic FREE for families registered with CARD. The clinics will take place from 10AM-12PM on March 22 and March 29th, 2014 at Christ Church, 4845 NE 25th Ave. Ft. Lauderdale FL 33308

Vegan Soy Free Pizza Cakes

Lately my son has been having some issues that were very similar to back when he was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis.  In other words, I think he's starting to get ulcers again.  I'm partly to blame I've been adding so many new foods to his diet, and there's a possibility that he's reacting badly to some of those foods, so I decided to try more Vegan Soy free stuff.  (Since in addition to being allergic to Milk & Eggs, he's also Allergic to Soy and has low tolerance for Peanuts.

I was looking around the Internet for some inspiration and came across these Pizza Bites, but after making them they seem more to me like Pizza Cakes, hence the name of the Post.  At any rate, I modified the recipe a bit to fit Jonathan's needs.

• 2 Cups Grated Cauliflower (washed, dried and grated using a food processor or cheese grater by hand until rice-like or thinner – Note – Approximately one head of cauliflower)
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• 2 Tsp Parsley
• 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1-2 Tbsp Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 1 Flax Egg (1 Tbsp Flaxseed plus 1 Tsp of Egg Replacer and 3 Tbsp Warm Water)
• 2 Tbsp of Earths Best Soy Free Margarine
• 1 Cup Chickpeas (Cooked and Drained)

Your first step in this process is to Grind up the Flaxseed.  (I found it easiest to first mix it with the Egg Replacer and Water, then grind it up (I used my wife's RX mixer).

Your second step is to grate the parsley into something that looks like Rice. (Think I'll make Cauliflower "Fried Rice" for Dinner tonight)

Your  Next Step is to take all the ingredients and mix it all in the Blender.
Here, I mix it in High Speed, then normally you would have to remove the mix and mix thoroughly with the Cauliflower, but in my case, with the Ninja, I simply add the rest and blend at Low Speed.

Your Next Step is to put the mix in a muffin tin, sprayed with a good cooking spray.  Make sure you pack it in.  (I had originally filled in Six, but after packing in and scraping off the top, I filled in another two).

The Final Result is what you see on the first picture on this page.  Bon Appetite!  And guess, what Even my Pickiest Eater, Jonathan ate them!

Disney To End Guest Assistance Card

One of the things that I keep hearing and seeing on Facebook and other Social Media sites, is that they've called Walt Disney World and they're being told that nothing has changed.  The reason is simple.  For now, the GAC Card is only changing at DisneyLand and Great Adventure, both in California.  The fear is that if we don't stand up now and make sure that Disney understands that this is unacceptable, they will eventually implement these same changes at Walt Disney World here in Florida. found this article that explains everything, but the long and short of it is that you should go to the Petition Page and PLEASE SIGN IT.

If your family is anything like mine and you’ve visited the Disney Parks here in Anaheim, you’ve more than likely used the Guest Assistance Card program available at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park.  This program has been a major lifesaver whenever we’ve taken our special needs son Andrew to DL or DCA. Without it, we wouldn’t have lasted more than an hour before having to turn around and head back home in total defeat.

The card has been a game changer for our family and now, much to my chagrin, I’m sorry to report that it’s on it’s way out. I first learned of this disappointing news today, via Aunesty Janssen over at Temporary Tourist.

“Well Disney has done it, they have come up with they think to be a better system for Guests with disabilities.  I say think, because I can spot some immediate issues with it. “

My heart sank as I read the rest of Aunesty’s post. I quickly logged onto MiceAge’s Disneyland Updates to read the news myself and sure enough, there it was:

Guest Assistance Card will cease to exist on October 9th. In its place will be an entirely newprogram called the Disabled Assistance System (DAS). The DAS will work similarly to the “return passes” issued at popular rides like Star Tours 2.0 and Radiator Springs Racers, where currently a GAC holder gets a Fastpass-style return time hand written on a card based on the current Standby wait time. But with DAS, that concept will be rolled out to several dozen high-wait attractions in Anaheim.

“Instead of going to the actual ride to get a return card, a DAS holder will report to one of several Guest Relations kiosks that will be set up around the parks, with a current plan to have four kiosks in Disneyland (Fantasyland alone gets their own kiosk) and three kiosks in DCA. The DAS holder will present their card and tell the Guest Relations CM which attraction they want to ride, the CM will look at the current wait time via the official Disney Mobile Magic app on an iPad, and will then write out a return time for that attraction and subtract 10 or 15 minutes to make up for the travel time to and from the kiosk.

Only one ride reservation on a DAS card can be made at a time, so if the current wait for Space Mountain is 90 minutes and your return time is written for 75 minutes later, a DAS holder will not get another return time printed on their DAS until the first one has expired. A person with a DAS card could go and do anything else in the park in the meantime; watch a parade, see a show, have lunch, go on low-wait time attractions, pull a regular Fastpass for any other attraction, etc. But only one ride time can be reserved at a time with DAS, unlike the existing GAC which serves as basically an open Fastpass for any Fastpass lane in the park or an access card to go up the exit on any other type of attraction. The DAS changes that quite dramatically.”

To read the rest of the post, go to MiceAge, though I must warn you, the information just gets more depressing and complicated from here.

In the meantime, let me count the ways that this new system won’t work for our family:

This is as good as it gets in line at DL or DCA. And this was a good day, with a Guest Assistance Pass.

1. Andrew has autism. His particular brand of the diagnosis means he has zero tolerance for waiting. Crowds overwhelm him as do certain sights and sounds. The DAS program does nothing to address these needs. Are we working on waiting with Andrew in therapy? Sure. We’re up to about 10 seconds on a good day. And that’s waiting for something simple, such as watching a favorite video. At home. I cannot fathom Andrew having to wait longer than what’s already necessary with the Guest Assistance Card at either of the Disney parks. And the sensory overload while he’s in these lines or going from kiosk to kiosk. Dear God.

2. Andrew is severely cognitively delayed. When he sees Radiator Springs Racers, all he knows is“OMG! MY FAVORITE RIDE! OMG! OMG! OMG LET’S GO ON MY FAVORITE RIDE, WAIT WHY  AREN’T WE GOING ON MY FAVORITE RIDE?!!!!”He does not understand the concept of having to check in at a designated kiosk in order to get a designated time to return to his favorite ride on the planet, only to have to go back to another kiosk for another designated time for either the same or different ride. He certainly can’t comprehend why in the world we’ll have to spend the majority of our day walking between a bunch of stupid koisks just to get on a damn ride (can you see how well I’m taking this?).

3. Going to Disneyland is expensive. Over the years we’ve invested in the annual passes because we could justify them, knowing we were getting our money’s worth. The Guest Assistance Card made our visits possible. It was an accommodation we never took for granted and in exchange, we spent our hard-earned money at the parks. The Guest Assistant Card almost guaranteed that meltdowns would be minimal and rarely did we leave the park in turmoil. It was efficient and it made the rides accessible for our child in a way  the Disabled Assistance Pass will not. I’m not trying to #$%& on anyone’s parade here, but watching the parades may be the only thing we’ll be able to do when this thing is implemented. Which means we just won’t be going to Disneyland anymore. We could barely afford it before but now it won’t even be worth the scrimping and saving we have to do to walk through those entrance gates.

Listen, I’m not refuting that there are a lot of problems with the current system. I was enraged back in May when major media outlets broke the story of wealthy moms hiring disabled guides in order to benefit from the “perks” of the Guest Assistance Pass. Overhaul of the current program is necessary if such blatant and rampant fraud is ongoing. But I’m getting really tired of these rotten apples ruining it for the rest of us, especially when it comes to something as important as accessibility.

Maybe the Disabled Assistance Pass will benefit some people, and for them, I say hooray. But for families like mine, where the special needs of our loved ones are varied and require specific accommodations, this new system will be nothing short of a nightmare.

And that’s going to leave a whole lot of folks – myself included – pretty damn grumpy with The Happiest Place on Earth.

Andrew kisses the tractor at Radiator Springs in DCA.

Interview with CBS Los Angeles:

UPDATE: There’s a gazillion conflicting reports on the internet so I want to go on record and say this: This post was written as a reaction and response to information I received from two different sources, both of which I link to in the beginning of this post. I WANT to be wrong. My family LOVES Disneyland. The reason I’m upset at these proposed changes is because if they are in fact going to be implemented, my family will no longer be able to enjoy the Disney parks like we have been over the years. If this turns out to be a crazy rumor, or if there is a new policy put in place that takes families like mine into consideration, I’ll be more than happy to eat crow. The end.

UPDATE: Aunesty Janssen of the Temporary Tourist, received an official statement from Disney today and she’s posted it on her site. Head over to see what Kathleen Prihoda, Manager for External Communications for Walt Disney World Resort told her. It’s at the bottom of her post.

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Special Needs Fall Festival

Special Needs Fall Festival

RSVP Instructions are listed on our FaceBook Page

Live Stream of the Autism Society of Broward IEP Meeting

This is a recording of the Live Streaming Event we had for the Autism Society of Broward's IEP Meeting.  The video is unedited and is basically raw footage, but there's A LOT of very useful information for those of us who have Special Needs kids, and especially those looking to go to bat for their kids at their IEP meeting.

Creative Art Classes for Youth, Teens & Adults with Mild to Moderate Autism

www.bocamuseum.org/theartschool