• Our Newest Pages & Links:

Link: Autism Clock - From the Fighting Autism web site - Get up to the minute figures on how many children have autism and the annual economic cost of raising them.

Link: Warning! The CDC will not require physicians to warn parents that flu shots will contain Thimerosol (mercury) - but we just did! Be careful - refuse to get any vaccine that contains mercury - just to be safe.

Link: Newborn Lifeline Network - An organization doing something about parents who abandon their babies. Please share this hope with moms in crisis and share their toll-free phone number: 1-866-684-BABY (1-866-694-2229).

Link: autism: New Frontiers in Research & Drug Discovery - a great new resource from the New York Academy of Sciences.

Ignoring Inappropriate Behavior

Gary's Having A Weird Day

Holland Schmolland by Laura Krueger Crawford

Start Treatment Early - By Age Three!

Parent Support Groups

Dealing With Severe Self-Injurious Behavior

Sleep and Autism

Social Circles - Personal Space & Safety

Sensory Integration & "Sensory Diets"

New Messages on the MessageBoard

• This Marino Miracle is a Victory Over Autism - Dan Marino, former NFL Miami Dolphin quarterback, is also known for his autism charity. His son, Mike, was diagnosed with autism as a young child but now, at age 14, is completely recovered. Mike recently said, "The only thing I really remember about having autism was wanting to say something and not being able to do it," he said. "It's pretty weird to explain. It's like you are a perfectly normal person on the inside, you know what you want to do, but you just can't do it. You know you want to say something, pick up something or do something, but you are just not able to do it."
• Diet, Supplements, and Autism Spectrum Diagnoses: Is There Therapeutic Value? - A thorough article by Judy Converse and redflagsweekly.com about the claims and research findings related to the use of nutritional supplements and diet to treat the symptoms of autism.
• Visit Our News Page - Get the absolute latest news on autism from over 300 newspapers throughout the World!
• FEAT Daily Newsletter - You just can't start your day without reading the latest news about autism and autism research delivered to your email box daily! Visit to subscribe. It's free!
• The Latest Political News About Autism - About.com's tireless gathering of news about the political aspects of autism. What are legislators doing to help and hurt? What's the latest on the vaccine lawsuits, etc.? 
• Is Autism an epidemic? According to hard copy data from the US Department of Education, during the 1992-1993 school year there were 12,222 students (6 to 21) with autism served in the US, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico school systems. During the 2000-2001 school year, there were 78,717 students (6 to 21) with autism served. That's a 644% increase! In Georgia the numbers went from 262 students with autism in 1992-1993 to 1,916 students with autism in 2000-2001 or a 631% increase. In South Carolina the numbers went from 141 students with autism in 1992-1993 to 852 students with autism in 2000-2001 or a 504% increase. Seems like an epidemic. Check out the numbers for your self on the I.D.E.A. program's data page.
• About.com - Autism News - Get the latest information on what's happening in the autism community, autism research, the latest treatments, and autism news.
• Is the Common Cold, Herpes the Source of Autism? - A Draft Proposal from the Neuro-Immune Dysfunction Syndromes Medical Advisory Board: Neuro-Immunology Hypothesis Statement Concerning Autism: Clinical Hypothesis - Immune "Dysfunction / Dysregulation" - A Reason for Childhood Neuro-Cognitive Dysfunction. Dr. Goldberg makes some good points.
•  How Sammy Joined Our World - Amanda Mitchison tells telegraph.co.uk, a United Kingdom on-line newspaper, how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) helped her son recover from Asperger Syndrome. The story is touching and shows how parents can move from receiving sympathy from professionals to taking steps to "take back" their child from the world of autism. A must read!
• Welcome to Beirut - If you have ever received the well-meaning but condescending poem, "Welcome to Holland", and thought, "Huh?", you may find this irreverent take on the subject humorous and refreshing.

Please send questions, comments, & suggestions to: Gary J. Heffner.

DISCLAIMER: This site is intended to provide basic information resources on Autistic Disorder. It is not intended to, nor does it, constitute medical or other advice. The author of the web site is not a medical doctor. Readers are warned not to take any action with regard to medical treatment or otherwise based on the information on this web site or links without first consulting a physician. This web site does not necessarily endorse any of the information obtained from any of the links on this page or links that other pages may lead you to. Neither does this web site promote or recommend any treatment, therapy, institution or health care plan. The information contained in this site is intended to be for your general education and information only and not for use in pursuing any treatment or course of action. Ultimately, the course of action in treating a given patient must be individualized after a thorough discussion with the patient's physician(s) and family.