[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
AGRE Update!
Enrollment is Up!
AGRE’s recruitment staff has established over 1800 family contacts. We encourage families that have more than one member affected with autism, PDD or Asperger’s disorder to register A registration consent form must be completed and returned prior to your family’s enrollment.
Confidentiality
All identifying information, records and DNA samples in the AGRE project remain confidential and are coded with a “unique identifier code” to protect the family’s identify.
Confirming the Diagnosis
AGRE has completed the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI) on 225 families. The ADI is completed on each family member who is affected, to confirm the diagnosis in relation to autism spectrum disorders. A trained ADI rater travels to the family home to conduct the interview.
Second Addition Catalog
Genotypic data from 225 families is now available to the entire scientific community.
Assessment Protocol
AGRE is expanding its resource by collecting additional data that will aid researchers in studying autism. The Autism Diagnostic Schedule (ADOS), pediatric neurological and genetic exams and standardized assessments are completed on 60 families. Data from the remaining families is being collected. AGRE diagnostic physicians and professionals visit families in their homes.
Researcher Access
The Researcher Review Committee has approved 35 researcher access applications. Each researcher is provided with an access number and password that is used to order samples from an AGRE Catalog or access the resource online at http://www.agre.org
Scientific Oversight
The AGRE Steering Committee will meet February 4 and 5th, 2001 in Santa Monica, California to review AGRE’s objectives and direction. The committee is composed of experts in genetics and neurological diseases who volunteer their time.
If you are a family with more than one member with autism, PDD or Asperger’s syndrome and would like information on participating in the AGRE program, please contact Marianne Toedtman at 888-AUTISM2 or e-mail to familyagre@agre.org
More With Cure Autism Now
Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
International Badass Activists 