From the Las Vegas Sun:

Aaron Fotheringham, a 16-year-old from Northwest Las Vegas, has earned himself a place in the Guinness World Records as the first person to complete a back flip in a wheelchair.

Fotheringham, who has spina bifida, has been performing the trick since 2006, and made it official at Doc Romeo Park in Las Vegas before the Vegas AmJam skatepark competition. After setting the record, Aaron Fotheringham competed in the Vegas AmJam finals and took first in the BMX advanced division.

Accompanying video includes footage of Fotheringham’s successful completion of the back flip, as well as interviews with Fotheringham, his mother, Kaylene Fotheringham, and his girlfriend, Rochelle Smith, 14.

See Aaron’s ESPN interview here.

Earlier post here.

(Las Vegas Sun photo)

From Newsweek, an extended feature on Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a lightning rod in the white-hot controversy over childhood immunizations.

Offit is the nation’s most outspoken advocate for vaccinations, which has set him up for criticism and worse from parents who blame the shots for their children’s autism. The author of a new book on the subject, Offit says he’s been harassed in public and received threats in letters, emails and phone calls.

He has the same motivation that parents do, Offit says: He wants what’s best for kids. He challenges his critics to disprove his scientific analysis, which quotes study after study showing no vaccine-autism link. The book is “Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure.”

With video.

Earlier posts here and here and here.

(Photo from Newsweek video.)

From ABC News:

Dr. Tim Johnson, medical editor at Good Morning America, debunks common myths about autism. Among them:

Myth: Autism is an emotional or mental health disorder.
Fact: Autism is a biological illness.

Myth: Autism can be cured.
Fact: There is no blanket treatment for autism.

Myth: There is an autism epidemic.
Fact: More awareness of symptoms has allowed more people to identify individuals who have autism.

Myth: Autism is the result of cold and unemotional parents.
Fact: A child’s autism diagnosis has nothing to do with how the child is raised.

(Good Morning America photo. With video.)

From WKYC-TV [Cleveland], and Foxnews.com:

At a campaign stop Friday in North Olmstead, Ohio, Sarah Palin drew a connection between her pledge to advocate for people with disabilities and her opposition to abortion.

“With John McCain and me in the White House, they’ll (people with disabilities will) be a priority, because every life is going to be cherished, and we’ll make sure that needs are met and that we’re manifesting our commitment to those who have challenges that others perhaps have not had to face yet,” she said in an interview with WKYC-TV.

The comments came in connection with Palin’s appearance in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of a center for adults with disabilities. The Michael T. George residence was built by Cleveland-area businessman Tony George and named for his five-year-old son, who has Down syndrome.

… “My belief and John McCain’s belief is that a culture of life is best for America where every innocent human life is recognized as having great potential and great promise to make this world a better place.”

Video here.

(Screenshot from WKYC-TV)

From KNBC TV, Los Angeles:

John Paizis, founder of Performing Arts Studio West (PASW) says actors with disabilities are increasingly playing television roles that until recently were played by non-disabled actors.

PASW is an arts program in metropolitan Los Angeles that trains and encourages 50-60 artists with developmental disabilities each day, offering acting workshops, music recording sessions, and career management.

The program prepares actors to audition for available roles. Nick Weiland, an actor with Down Syndrome, appeared in a recent episode of “ER” (above). Nick Daley, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, guest starred on “Saving Grace.”

“ER” casting director John Levey says using actors with disabilities “brings a certain immediacy, electricity and authenticity to the material.” “ER” has employed actors with disabilities for the past 15 years.

See earlier post here.

(Video included)

Woman with Down syndrome inspires families in Washington state – KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima, Washington — Karen Gaffney (left) speaks out about her experiences earning a regular high school diploma and a degree from Portland Community College, swimming across Lake Tahoe, and participating in a relay team that swam the English Channel. Says Gaffney:

“I’ve changed all that data.  I’ve changed their doubts. I have improved and inspired so many lives, spread my messages of being fully included in a regular classroom setting.”

Link to video here; earlier video of Karen Gaffney on the NBC Today show here.

People with Down syndrome live fully — letter to the Sacramento Bee from Elaine Linn. An excerpt:

People with Down syndrome go to school, work, have meaningful relationships, make decisions about their lives and live independently. They become dedicated employees and loyal friends.

… There’s something terribly wrong with a society that purportedly values diversity yet places a distinct lack of value on people who aren’t “perfect.” I don’t know one perfect person and it’s hard to understand this willing acceptance of terminating pregnancies based on inaccurate information about potential “imperfections.” Yet it exists 90 percent of the time with Down syndrome.

Avoid Tropic Thunder, a cruel comedy — by Eric Johnson in the Grand Forks, ND, Herald

The fact is that even among the various species of hate speech, ridicule of those with retardation is unique in its brutishness. Unlike racial minorities, religious adherents or the physically disabled, those with developmental disabilities cannot well defend themselves with wit and well-crafted retorts. That’s why the arguments of Downey and Black — that everyone has the right to say whatever they want — are especially hollow.

New system for developmentally disabled is needed — Sheila Romano in the Springfield, IL, Journal Register (institutionalization, housing)

Taking the fear out of difference — Baltimore Sun (education, attitudes)

(more…)

From the BBC, [UK] Channel 4:

A UK charity representing people with Down syndrome has condemned as “unhelpful” recent research concluding that prenatal testing for the condition is resulting in widespread miscarriages of fetuses that did not have Down syndrome.

The study, conducted by researchers associated with Down Syndrome Education International, estimated that two unaffected fetuses are miscarried for every three pregnancies involving Down syndrome that are terminated as a result of prenatal screening and testing. The research estimated that 400 UK miscarriages could be attributed to prenatal testing for Down syndrome annually; an estimated 660 UK pregnancies are aborted following a Down syndrome diagnosis each year.

Speaking for the UK Down’s Syndrome Association, Professor Jennifer Wishart, professor of developmental disabilities in childhood at the University of Edinburgh, said:

“There has never been any dispute that current diagnostic techniques have associated risk and that women need to be better and fully informed of these risks.

“The ‘two for three’ emphasis - that two healthy babies are lost for every three babies with Down’s syndrome prenatally detected - simply muddies the waters.”

See also:

• Two healthy babies miscarried for every three Down’s syndrome babies detected — [UK] Telegraph
• Tests to detect Down’s syndrome are damaging too many unborn babies — [UK] Mirror

Earlier post here.