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News- Page 17
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Various Articles : Young entrepreneur finds success with 'rainbow eggs'
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Posted by Sylvia on Sunday, June 27, 2004 (15:26:54)
Ravalli Republic 03/06/2004
By Dana Green
Justin Johnson has always liked eggs.
But his eggs aren't like most boring white ones: The blue eggs come from his Auracana chickens, but he rattles off a list of the others: Blue Andalusians, Rhode Island Reds, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Ancanas, Black Minorcas.
The eggs they produce come in shades from a rich chocolate brown to a smooth blue-green. "They come up with so many colors - that's why I call them "rainbow eggs," Justin said, holding up one small, bright blue egg.
Since he was 13 years old, Justin has been selling "Justin's Rainbow Eggs" to the Hamilton IGA market. He handles the entire business - raising 50 chickens, collecting and washing the eggs, bringing them to the store, and recording how many cartons sold.
Justin also creates detailed, custom-made labels for his egg cartons that catch the attention of customers.
Each label takes half an hour, but they make his eggs stand out on the shelf, said Janet Johnson, Justin's mother.
"It's very time-consuming, but he really enjoys it," Johnson said. "One man said his wife is an art teacher and collects the labels."
In his mother's view, it is because of Justin's autism - he was diagnosed at 11 months old - that he sees with an artist's eye.
The challenges of autism - speech therapy, trips to the doctor in Missoula, and seizures that can strike at any time - are balanced by extraordinary talents.
"It's interesting how the brain gets heightened in certain areas," Johnson said. "He remembers everything. And since he was old enough to start drawing, you could just see he was going to be talented."
Johnson said that Justin's condition struck when he had a reaction to his medication as an infant. "He became allergic and sensitive to everything," Johnson said. "Even too much light would bother him."
The family - Bruce, Janet, and sisters Kristy and Amy - suffered through serious seizures when Justin was small, until they were able to bring his condition under control.
"It's been a long process," Johnson said.
Today, Janet Johnson credits Mike Foss, the therapist at Hamilton High School, and Justin's teachers, for encouraging him when school was difficult and he was teased by students who didn't know about his autism.
"All of the teachers look out for him," Johnson said.
Along with his artwork, Justin is also a talented entrepreneur. Randy Williams, the manager at Hamilton IGA, said they move about 50 dozen of Justin's eggs per week.
"He's quite a businessman," said Williams. "At first he couldn't keep up, but then he got more chickens. We've pretty much given it to Justin," Williams said, pointing to one whole shelf devoted to Justin's eggs.
The other employees at Hamilton IGA agreed that Justin's eggs are a popular item. "They just like them - they like the ranch eggs," said Sonja, a checker at the counter. "They think he's an enterprising young man."
Williams believes that some Bitterrooters still crave the taste of food straight from the farm.
Factory life isn't pretty for chickens - often they are heaped together, unable to move, while conditions are filthy, Williams said.
"It's a small market, but there's people who look for a fresh egg that hasn't gone through a factory," Williams said.
Justin believes that his chickens getting to stretch their legs, so to speak - they have free reign of the field next door to the chicken coop - makes the eggs taste that much better.
"They're the kings of the pasture," he said with a grin. "They get to eat all the earthworms and bugs - they eat natural food. Being outside and being in the sunshine helps them make more eggs."
In Janet Johnson's view, the egg business has helped Justin overcome the difficulties of his illness.
"We thought it was a great way to develop his interests - he likes to keep busy," Johnson said. "He likes to be organized and set priorities."
She gives much of the credit to Hamilton IGA for being willing to stock Justin's colorful eggs.
"It's really been a perfect place for him to sell, we can just bring them to one place," Johnson said.
Janet Johnson also credits Justin's faith - he named one chicken "Miracle" after he prayed for her survival and she lived - for helping him face adversity.
"He has a really strong faith - I think it helps him deal with his autism," Janet said.
Now that his egg business is thriving, Justin has plans for expansion. He is already breeding ornamental pheasants, and he is interested in learning woodcarving and opening a wood shop.
"There's lots of businesses I'm interested in," Justin said.
As Justin surveys his small army of chickens, pheasants, and doves, he smiles broadly.
"I may have autism, but I can do this," Justin said. "I'm pretty lucky."
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Various Articles : I fear for my autistic son if crematorium is built near us
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Posted by Sylvia on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 (10:29:26)
IC Lanarkshire 21/05/2004
In the week before the crematorium proposal for Sydes Brae is to be considered by South Lanarkshire Council, a High Blantyre woman with an autistic son has expressed concern about traffic that may be generated.
Annie McClelland, of 16 Sydes Brae, says her son Tom could be put at risk by the extra vehicles brought to the area as a result of the proposed facility..
Annie (81), cares for Tom (40), who has a severe form of autism. She first voiced her fears at a public meeting held on March 31 by campaigners opposing the development.
She said: “Tom doesn’t know the danger of traffic. He just runs impulsively; he has never been used to that level of traffic here.
“I have the right to be concerned about what is likely to happen in the future. It has always been quiet here.
“After 46 years on Sydes Brae, I don’t want to be forced to move.â€
A bus for people with special needs picks up Tom every day and takes him to the Auchentibber Training Centre.
Annie claims the bus could have trouble accessing her driveway if the crematorium proposal from Dignity Funerals Ltd goes ahead.
Annie last made the news pages of the Hamilton Advertiser by passing her driving test at the age of 75, after her husband died.
“It became imperative to learn to drive to maintain as normal a life as possible for Tom and me,†she said.
Officials from South Lanarkshire Council social work services are working with her to plan a suitable care package for Tom.
This would mean he could continue to live at home at some time in the future when Annie may not be around.
She said: “I have asked South Lanarkshire Council social workers who provide special assistance for Tom for their help by complaining to the council about the new proposed development. Social services say they are unable to complain because they are employed by the council.â€
Bill Douglas, of 33 Sydes Brae, who is campaigning against the development, said: “Annie is a neighbour of mine and I know she has concerns about Tom. Caring for him is a full-time job for her.
“I think that the conflict of high-speed traffic - there are a lot of HGVs on the road - with slow-moving funeral traffic, is likely to cause the potential for a serious accident.
“The gradient is so steep in places that lorries sometimes stall and have to roll back down the hill. In the last year, two cars have turned upside down onto the pavement and run for about 30 yards, upside down. On both occasions the road had to be closed.â€
Commenting on the crematorium application, Mr Douglas said: “We understand that South Lanarkshire Council planning officials are recommending approval of the proposal, which is what we were expecting.
“Our objective has always been to get the Scottish Executive to hold a public inquiry.
“We intend to put together a presentation package for the Scottish Ministers.
“We remain optimistic that in an impartial setting the logic of the arguments will be properly considered and adjudicated.â€
If approved by councillors at the planning meeting on Tuesday (May 25), the proposal may have to be ‘called in’ by the Scottish Executive because the council would have a commercial interest in the facility.
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Various Articles : Autistic row: chiefs cleared
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Posted by Sylvia on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 (10:20:13)
Scotsman News 21/05/2004
By Chris Mooney
FOURTEEN Labour councillors who voted to refuse to pay for a six-year-old autistic boy to be taught at home have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
The boy’s parents sparked an official probe into the actions of the West Lothian councillors after complaining to the standards watchdog for Scotland.
The couple said the councillors had already agreed to refuse their plea before a meeting to decide the boy’s future.
They said arguing their case before councillors who they believed had already made up their mind had been a "harrowing and humiliating" experience.
The way the council acted meant they were guilty of "failing to act in a fair, open and honest manner", the couple had claimed.
But the standards watchdog, which enforces high ethical standards at local councils, found that the Labour councillors had not broken their own code of conduct by agreeing to vote on the issue along party lines.
The couple, who have been identified only as Mr and Mrs A, had hoped to persuade West Lothian Council’s education committee to fund a home-based education programme for their son, which they believed would be better for him than going to a school run by the local authority.
The Standards Commission for Scotland’s chief investigating officer, Stuart Allan, has now ruled the councillors involved did not act inappropriately.
However, he criticised the council’s procedures for dealing with such individual cases, suggesting the local authority could have handled Mr and Mrs A’s case in a "more sensitive" way, which would have been "less stressful" for the couple.
In future, he suggested, people addressing such meetings should be told when a party whip was being applied.
The commissioner also recommended future hearings be dealt with by a smaller committee.
He said: "This case deals with the sensitive issue of an autistic child whose parents are determined that he should receive the best education possible.
"The council share that wish, but unfortunately, the parents and the council are not agreed on how that is to be achieved.
"Having considered the whole circumstances of this complaint, I have found that the request by Mr and Mrs A for a home-based education programme for their son was properly dealt with."
The complaint, which was supported by the council’s SNP group leader, Councillor Peter Johnston, had named 14 members of the ruling Labour group, including council leader Graeme Morrice, deputy leader Willie Dunn and committee convener Carol Bartholomew.
The parents claimed the council’s decision breached its own standing order number 17, which states: "Members shall not agree before a meeting to be bound to cast their vote in a particular way when the meeting is dealing with a matter where the decision may affect the interests of any person as an individual, and the decision is made after a hearing by the committee where the person has a right to be heard. This paragraph does not apply to deputations."
While Mr and Mrs A had given their evidence as part of a deputation, the couple and Mr Johnston had argued that the rule should apply anyway.
A spokesman for the council’s Labour group said: "It’s not surprising that the Standards Commission said we acted properly.
"We sought and were given advice prior to this and we feel that the decision was taken in a fair and proper manner, which has now been acknowledged."
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Various Articles : Parents of autistic kids fighting for acceptance
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Posted by Sylvia on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 (10:05:32)
The Buchan Observer 19/05/2004
By Leona Milne
AUTISM is one of the most complex biological disorders known to man and takes form in many different ways.
The concept of the autistic spectrum was developed to describe a range of individuals - children and adults of varying ability levels - who display particular difficulties in communication, social interaction and imagination.
These areas are commonly referred to as 'the triad of impairments'.
Because the disability isn't physical the symptoms of autism can be interpreted, by those who don't know, as a child misbehaving or a lack of discipline on the parents behalf.
But a group of Peterhead mothers whose children suffer from the disorder say they are fed up being stared at and are fighting for acceptance and understanding from others. They also want more help and support groups in the area.
On the outside, Debbie Stephen's four year-old son Leon is like any other little boy. But in 2001 he was diagnosed with autism.
Debbie says: "I don't think a mother or parent ever truly comes to terms with the diagnosis of their child. Leon was born 13 weeks premature and came into this world (two minutes apart) with his sisters Alex and Ellis. We were very much vigilant with the triplets development due to their extreme prematurity."
In June 2001 the triplets were given the MMR vaccination. Due to the ongoing speculation with the link between the MMR injection and autism Debbie sought professional advice, and was assured to go ahead with the immunisation.
She said: "To be absolutely honest I really had no reservations. When we look back at video footage Leon was certainly developing 'typically' and was reaching his appropriate milestones.
"It just seemed over that summer he became increasingly isolated and was in no way interested in his sisters and peers. He also seemed to have a total loss of eye contact. He wouldn't answer to his name and his behaviour seemed to change drastically."
Alarm bells started ringing with the Peterhead mother so she contacted a neonatoligist, who was also concerned.
Leon attended the Raeden Centre for one week's assessment and was diagnosed in February 2002 with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). He was one of the youngest to be diagnosed at the centre.
Debbie and her husband Allan took part in an Early Bird Course for parents with newly-diagnosed autistic children, the aim of which was to educate parents about living with an autistic child.
In 1962 one child in 3000 was affected with autism, but in 1999 the number had risen to one in 150.
"The reality is that there is an upsurge in autism and it is indisputable," says Debbie.
"We have read every chapter in every book but nothing prepares parents for the day to day living. Leon has taught us everything we know about autism and it is very much a challenging journey but I can't imagine life any differently.
"Leon is Leon and we don't know any different. Early intervention is the secret and luckily we thought something was wrong early on."
At the age of four, Leon's vocabulary is limited to aabout 30 single words.
"We might never hear our son say mum, or I love you but thankfully Leon is very affectionate. He can display his love but many people with autism can't bear being touched or hugged because they're hyper-sensitive to noise, light, colours and touch. Everything is exaggerated to them.
"Autism for a child has been described in books as like being on drugs all the time - colours are much, much brighter and things are louder. Red can be like a blazing fire to someone with autism," said Debbie.
She says that when a child's disability isn't visible people don't judge the child if they are doing something out of the ordinary.
"On a day to day basis, because of Leon's unusual and eccentric behaviour, I'm constantly aware of disapproving looks and looks of distain. Most of the time children or adults with ASD have to have a coping strategy.
"That might be taking a dozen packets of cereal down from the shelf in a supermarket and perfectly lining them up in a row as a means of self soothing in an environment that may well feel very threatening - having a marked preference in routines and sameness can be comforting,' she explained.
She added: "I don't want people's sympathy, I just ask that people don't judge a book by its cover and they don't look at the parent in disgust. For all they know
that parent may not have had a sleep in three nights or may still be trying to cope with the fact that their child has autism."
Debbie says it is important to appreciate that, for much of their lives, people with autism are expected to cope in a world which they understand almost nothing of what is going on around them.
She said: "They are thrown into an ever-changing and unpredictable environment where they lack the rudimentary verbal skills necessary to make their needs known and where they have no access to the imaginative facilities that are so crucial for dealing effectively with anxiety, uncertainty and distress.
"It is hardly surprisingly, therefore, that from time to time they resort to behaviour that can be difficult for other people to deal with and understand. If you can imagine not being able to communicate or understand what's going on around you you would lash out too.
"The title of the book 'Oops, wrong planet' sums it up for Leon. Everything is alien to him. If Leon learns to do something at home he has to re-learn how to do the same task in a different environment.
"The only store I don't feel stressed in is Woolworths, which is Leon's firm favourite. All the staff are fantastic and I have never felt Leon stigmatised in any way. If he decides to rearrange the toys the staff help me rearrange them back," Debbie said.
Debbie says despite the difficult times she feels blessed to have such a special and clever little boy.
"We have been blessed with a very loving special child who is a wizard on the computer and is showing fantastic memory skills.
"He is doing really well at school with a fantastic teacher, whom he loves. I don't think Leon's autism as a burden - instead we try to turn negatives into positives. If Leon draws all over the walls we look at the fantastic picture he has drawn rather than the mess he has left the walls in. Every milestone Leon achieves is brilliant and I want to tell everyone about it.
"We want Leon to lead an independent life but accessing services such as occupational therapists and speech and language therapists can be impossible because there aren't any in Aberdeenshire. People don't recognise autism in this area.
"We are constantly up against red tape but you just have to battle on and try to fight for what you want. If folk are waiting for someone to knock on their door and offer them help well they will have a long wait."
Debbie and Allan are taking Leon to America in September to get medical intervention Stateside as they say they are getting nowhere in Britain.
"Autism is one of the most complex biological disorders, and as this is the start of 'Autism Awareness Week' hopefully in time there will be more acceptance and understanding.
"There is a support group at the carers centre in Peterhead which takes place on the first Monday evening of every month from 7pm to 9pm, where we laugh and cry. We have guest speakers from the likes of the Autism Advisory Service and we have a speaker on holistics therapies," said Debbie.
There is also a multisports session every Tuesday from 4.30pm to 6pm at the games hall in the community centre, where children and young adults can play basketball, and take part in team games and trampolening.
Every Thursday between 6pm and 8pm the Amazone soft play area is available.
Admission is free to children with special needs and their siblings, and an age restriction applies to the Amazone play area.
If readers have any enquiries phone Debbie 470585 or Kath 479130 for more information.
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Various Articles : Experts challenge autism 'myths'
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Posted by sylvia on Saturday, May 29, 2004 (00:42:40)
BBC Online 17/05/2004
Imagine what your life would be like if every day was a struggle to communicate and interact with everyone around you.
That is the reality for many people with autism, a developmental disability affecting social skills.
An international conference organised by Autism Cymru in Cardiff from Monday to Wednesday aims to explode the "myths" and increase awareness.
Autistic spectrum disorders are estimated to affect 20,000 people across Wales.
As well as having problems with social relationships, people with autism often prefer sameness, and have difficulties accepting changes to their routines.
Many of the traits of autism are also shared by Asperger's syndrome, although people with this condition are often "high-functioning", appearing to function normally most of the time.
Their condition only becomes apparent to others when placed in stressful situations, when they become anxious and distressed.
Mark Annis, an artist with Asperger's syndrome who will exhibit some of his work at the event, said many people with autism faced very difficult childhoods, and were bullied at school because they were different and did not fit into peer groups.
Mr Annis, 42, from Penarth, near Cardiff, said this hostility never stopped, and people with autism stay as "outsiders" in adult society.
"People tend to see us as abrupt people - rude or downright offensive at times - it is quite frightening," he said.
He believed a general lack of understanding of the condition saw autistic people demonised.
"I recently told a woman I was Asperger's - she was very offensive, she said I should be in psychiatric hospital.
"I have been spat at in the street, the attitude is so negative.
"Especially if you are a man on your own - it is fed by the paranoia of the stranger in the street.
Improved understanding
He argues that many people with Asperger's "can't live in a society like this".
"They are saying "I can't get a partner, get a proper peer group, get a circle of friends, or go out without risking being rebuffed all the time."
"I have friends who have Asperger's who have been traumatised by people's attitudes - one of them committed suicide."
He was classed "educationally subnormal" when at school.
"When I left school, my mum advised me, 'Don't come out - don't admit you are disabled, as they will probably have the police around'. I was advised to keep quiet.
"Today, there is improved understanding among people who are educated about Asperger's.
"But the other side - those who don't know - they are more hostile and more paranoid when they do find out.
"People with Asperger's are facing a really hard time to get the professions to explain to the general public, as well as the parents and guardians.
"There is still this perception, particularly in relation to parents and the professions, that people with Asperger's can't do much or are incapable of holding down a relationship, holding down a job or pursuing a talent or having a career.
"But we have so much to offer - it's a long process."
He believes people with autism should "try to be themselves".
"Not everything revolves around running businesses or being cool or trying to be life their peers - you have got to be an individual and develop your finer qualities, your talents and strengths.
But part of the problem for people with Asperger's syndrome is that they are high-functioning.
"At least if you are more severely autistic, people know and they don't take offence."
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