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$1.25 Million Fine for Lead-Tainted Thomas the Train Toys

Melissa — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:21:20 +0000

While this release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) isn’t specifically about autism, I know that many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated with Thomas the Train. Many of the toys were recalled due to lead content but the company is now facing a $1.25 million civil penalty for the lead-tainted toys.

Below is the full release from the U.S. CPSC

RC2 Corp. to Pay $1.25 Million Civil Penalty
Thomas & Friends(tm) Wooden Railway Toys Recalled Due to Violation of Lead Paint Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of its commitment to protecting the safety of children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that RC2 Corp., of Oak Brook, Ill. has agreed to pay a $1.25 million civil penalty for allegedly violating the federal lead paint ban.

The penalty settlement, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves CPSC staff allegations that RC2 Corp. and one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries Learning Curve Brands Inc., knowingly (as defined by the Consumer Product Safety Act) imported and sold various Thomas & Friends(tm) Wooden Railway toys with paints or other surface coatings that contained lead levels above legal limits. In 1978, a federal ban was put in place which prohibited toys and other children’s articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead (by weight) in paints or surface coatings. As a result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the regulatory limit was reduced to 0.009 percent on August 14, 2009.

CPSC staff alleged that RC2 failed to take adequate action to ensure that the toys would comply with the lead paint ban. This failure created a risk of lead poisoning and adverse health effects to children.

In May 2007, RC2 reported that more than two dozen styles of vehicles, buildings and other train set components from the Thomas & Friends(tm) Wooden Railway product line were determined to have paints with lead levels that exceeded the then-applicable regulatory limit of 0.06 percent. Later, in August and September 2007, RC2 further reported that five additional toys from this product line were determined to have exceeded this limit.

This civil penalty settles the following allegations:

* RC2 imported up to 1.5 million units of non-compliant Thomas & Friends(tm) Wooden Railway toys between January 2005 and June 2007, and distributed them to its retail customers for sale to U.S. consumers. These toys were recalled in June 2007.

* RC2 imported up to 200,000 units of five additional non-compliant toys from this product line between March 2003 and April 2007, and distributed them to its retail customers for sale to U.S. consumers. In September 2007, the original June 2007 recall was expanded to include these additional units.

“The highly publicized recall of Thomas & Friends(tm) Wooden Railway toys was a catalyst for Congressional action aimed at strengthening CPSC and making the lead-in-paint limits under federal law even stricter,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.

This settlement also resolves other potential matters. In agreeing to the settlement, RC2 denies that it knowingly violated federal law, as alleged by CPSC staff.

Book Review: The First Year, Autism Spectrum Disorders

Melissa — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:55 +0000

First Signs, Inc founder Nancy D. Wiseman’s newest book, The First Year: Autism Spectrum Disorders, is a comprehensive guide for parents in the year following their child’s autism spectrum diagnosis.

The book provides families with ways to cope those first seven days after diagnosis. Families can then reflect with first-week milestone activities. The book goes on to support parents as their journey passes the first month, half-year, and first-year milestones.

BBC Documentary ‘The Autistic Me’ Receives Praise

Melissa — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:51:31 +0000

Commenting on last night’s BBC Three documentary which followed the lives of three young people living with Autism and Asperger syndrome (‘The Autistic Me’, BBC Three, 9pm, 11th August 2009), Lesa Walton – Care & Development Director of specialist Autism care provider Brookdale Care – said today:

“The programme makers and especially the three young people living with Autism and Asperger syndrome featured in the documentary are to be congratulated on aiding public understanding of Autism and associated Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC), which affect one in every hundred people in the UK.

“As the documentary showed, three of the biggest challenges that people living with ASC face are the transition from adolescence to adulthood, social integration and acceptance and finding employment.

“It was commendable, therefore, that the programme highlighted not only the importance to people living with ASC of having structure and routine in any job, but also the issues surrounding employment opportunities for those living with ASC.

“The programme noted the praiseworthy work of the National Autistic Society in finding Oli, one of the young men featured, a temporary job in the British Library. What is needed now is more consistent support nationally from the education and care services to enable more people living with ASC to find the employment that they find rewarding.

“Brookdale Care hopes that the documentary ‘The Autistic Me’ will help bring this about by raising the awareness of the immense contribution that so many people living with ASC can make, and dispelling the myths that still surround Autism and Asperger syndrome.”

You can watch ‘The Autistic Me’ again on the BBC iplayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00m5jb4/The_Autistic_Me/

Raising Them Green’s EcoFriendly Diaper Cake Giveaway

Melissa — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:24:00 +0000

If you know of any pregnant mommas that are interested in an EcoFriendly diaper cake (7th Generation chlorine-free diapers), Diaper Cakewalk and Raising Them Green are hosting a diaper cake giveaway.

Sensory Friendly Films – Night at the Museum 2

Melissa — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:55:39 +0000

The Autism Society of America teamed up with AMC Theatres to launch the Sensory Friendly Films program. This month’s film will be Night at the Museum 2 and the date is this Saturday, May 23!

In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

To find a theatre in your area, visit the ASA website: Sensory Friendly Films – Locate a Theatre

Photo by freshwater2006

Autistic Teen Traveled from Florida to California to See His Mom

Melissa — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:04:53 +0000

A 13-year old teenager with Asperger’s Syndrome went missing from his Florida home yesterday. Kenton Weaver’s father, Dean Weaver, first reported his son missing early Tuesday morning. Fast forward about 24 hours and the elder Weaver received a phone call informing the dad that his son has been located. The call came from a police officer in San Jose, California. The teen made the cross-country trip by plane because he wanted to visit his mother.

“The previous two days, Weaver says, his son made unsuccessful attempts to leave, going to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The first time a taxi cab driver brought him home, the second time a security guard returned him to his father.

This time, though, 13-year old Kenton apparently drove his father’s car to Ft. Lauderdale airport. Mr. Weaver says he doesn’t believe his son had any identification with him. How he was able to get on a flight across the country is still unknown.” Source: CBS12.com

I know, first-hand, the persistence that a child with Asperger’s Syndrome can have. I am glad that Kenton was found and that he is safe.

Three Must Read Books about Biomedical Interventions for Autism

Melissa — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:52:02 +0000

Biomedical approaches to autism aren’t for everyone. However, if you are considering these alternative therapies, the three books in this article will provide you with a more thorough understanding of the biomedical options available.

The world of biomedical intervention can be confusing, especially to the parents of a child newly diagnosed with autism. Parents interested in exploring a biomedical approach to autism will find the following three books helpful.

Read the entire article – Three Popular Biomedical Autism Books: Books by Dr. Kenneth Bock, Sally Kirk, & Jenny McCarthy are Featured

Understanding How Accepting Autism is Important to Autism Awareness

Melissa — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:48:33 +0000

Every April, the nation honors Autism Awareness Month. Businesses, both large and small, partner with autism organizations to help increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders. Campaigns typically take on one or both of the following messages: autism awareness and autism acceptance.

Read the whole story: Autism Awareness and Acceptance: Statistics, Neurodiversity and Dispelling Autism Myths

Autism on the Seas – A Cruise for Families

Melissa — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:00:28 +0000

I get motion sickness relatively easy and after a bouncy off-road drive a few weeks ago, we discovered that my son does as well. However, I know a lot of families enjoy cruises so I’m passing this on for those that have their sea legs!

Welcome to “Autism on the Seas”. We are dedicated to servicing the cruising travel needs of families and individuals faced with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, and all Cognitive, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as well as (but not limited to) Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome.

We have been in collaboration with Royal Caribbean International since 2007, in providing Group Cruises for a vacationing experience that is unmatched. We also provide “Individual Autism Cruise Services” for those individuals and families who wish to cruise on any date or ship of their choice on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, NCL, Carnival, or Disney.

Please enjoy your visit to our site, and feel free to contact us at any time with questions. We hope to see you onboard soon.

For more information, visit the Autism on the Seas website.

Photo by ritaoksa

Easter Seals Celebrates World Autism Awareness Day

Melissa — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:42:13 +0000

Easter Seals Celebrates World Autism Awareness Day, Hosting Series of Community Forums to Identify Needed Services and Supports for Families

NEW YORK, April 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Easter Seals is shining the spotlight on its services for individuals living with autism, and sharing the results of Easter Seals Living With Autism Survey to provide a roadmap for the services and supports that families living with autism desperately need.

“World Autism Awareness Day provides Easter Seals with an opportunity to help raise awareness about autism services and treatments available to families today and a forum for sharing what we know about effective interventions with others in countries around the globe,” says James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals. “There are a number of wonderful organizations researching and seeking a cause and cure for autism. Easter Seals is unique as the nation’s leading provider of services and support for children and adults living with autism.”

Parents of children with autism are struggling with a host of worries that impact every aspect of their lives, and are particularly fearful that their family will lack the life-long supports needed to address the significant challenges of autism, according to a new study released in December 2008 by Easter Seals and made possible by MassMutual Financial Group.

Autism is a growing public health crisis, with families desperate for solutions and resources. Easter Seals and others in the autism community are doing their best, but current systems, structures and resources to help people with autism and their families do not adequately meet the growing need, especially for adults with autism.

Easter Seals Living With Autism Study Confirms Parents’ Fears

Easter Seals’ Living with Autism Study results reveal parents raising children with autism are very concerned about the future independence of their children. In fact, they’re far more concerned than parents of typically developing children – nearly 80 percent say they’re extremely or very concerned about their children’s independence as an adult, compared to only 32 percent of other parents. This is especially true when it comes to their financial independence, quality of life, social and inter-personal connections, and employment and housing opportunities – and with good reason.

“The study quantifies what we’ve heard anecdotally over the years,” says Patricia Wright, Ph.D., MPH, Easter Seals national director, autism services. “The one consistent message Easter Seals hears from the families we serve – after the initial apprehension and anxiety of learning their child has autism – is an overwhelming concern about the life-long supports their child with autism may need.”

Over the last 20 years, Easter Seals has seen a dramatic increase in the number of children and adults with autism the organization serves. Today, as many as one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism* – that’s a new diagnosis every 20 minutes – making autism more prevalent than Down syndrome, childhood diabetes, and childhood cancer combined.

Critical Need for Services

Every family living with a person who has autism faces unique challenges. Early detection and intervention are the essential first steps.

“There is an urgent need for increased funding and services – especially for adults with autism,” adds Williams. “We want to help change all of this and make a difference for families living with autism today.”

Autism Is Treatable

While autism is a lifelong disability, it is treatable. “People living with autism — at any age — are capable of making significant progress through personalized interventions and therapy; and, can and do lead meaningful lives,” says Wright.

A basic rule for treating autism is the earlier the intervention, the better. If parents are worried their child may have autism, they should follow their instincts, share their concerns with their pediatrician, contact their early intervention system, get a diagnosis, and seek help from service providers such as Easter Seals. Autism is a lifelong spectrum disorder that affects each individual differently and in varying degrees – getting the right help at the earliest stage of life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs to be successful.

Easter Seals + Autism

More than a generation ago, Easter Seals was front and center during the polio epidemic, working tirelessly to help children and adults with polio gain the skills necessary to live independently. And now, Easter Seals is working internationally to provide help, hope and answers to families living with autism today by delivering personalized services and treatments, as well as advocating with government to encourage financing for research and improved access to services and supports for people with autism.

Visit www.actforautism.org to learn more about autism, read the findings of Easter Seals Living with Autism Study, and find services at an Easter Seals near you. Help Easter Seals change the lives of people living with autism by becoming a donor or volunteer.