Private School Hosts Holiday Event to Benefit Children with Autism

Chaminade College Preparatory School will raise their voices in harmony this holiday season for autism care and treatment.

Chaminade College Preparatory College in the Southern California town of West Hills, will host a “Share in the Holiday Spirit with the Voices of Chaminade Harmony Choir” on Saturday, December 19, 2009 at Temple Aliyah located at 6025 Valley Circle Boulevard in Woodland Hills, CA.

The concert will benefit Autism Care and Treatment (ACT-Today!), a non profit organization that provides access to treatment for children with autism. "Chaminade College Preparatory encourages students and clubs to actively, "give back," as part of our mission statement. Harmony Chorus is delighted to be able to support the autism fund raiser by adding our voices to this wonderful cause,” says Choir Director Paulette Mann.

"We are always thrilled when people use their talents to help families with autism,” says ACT Today!’s Executive Director Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson. “The students at Chaminade are amazing and we are grateful to be on the receiving end of their generous holiday spirit as they raise funds for ACT Today!.”

A suggested donation of $10 will be collected at the door. The concert begins at 6pm and is followed by a reception from 7pm – 9pm.

For more information about the concert and to RSVP, contact ACT Today! at 818.705.1625 or email at info@act-today.org.

About Chaminade College Preparatory School:
The Chaminade “C-NOTES” is a non-auditioned choir open to all boys and girls in grades 6-8. The choir performs throughout the school year. The Chaminade C-Notes perform at Disneyland each year and traditionally travel on a singing tour each year during Spring Break.

About Autism Care and Treatment (ACT Today!):
ACT Today! provides grant money for families that cannot afford or access the treatments their autistic children need. From protective helmets, to social skills groups, to ABA and biomedical treatments, ACT Today! does everything they can to help autistic children achieve their highest potential. Through direct donation, corporate sponsorship and community generosity, ACT Today! is changing the lives of children TODAY. For more information about ACT Today, visit www.act-today.org.

KTLA Interviews CARD Founder About Medical Marijuna as a Treatment for Autism

Transcript of News Segment:
In a special KTLA investigation we told you about one young California boy whose parents are giving him medical marijuana to treat his autism symptoms.

The response to our report has been overwhelming... so we took this very personal, ground-breaking story straight to the experts.

KTLA's Cher Calvin introduced you to 'Sam,' a ten year-old who lives with his Dad, his Mom, and his sister Lucy in Northern California.

Sam has autism.

His disorder made him so violent and aggressive, his parents Steve and Angela turned to growing medical marijuana, and dosing Sam with it.

"If you think about it, it's the perfect drug for that kind of behavior, very calming," Sam's Mom Angela says.

His Dad Steve turns the cannabis plants into a concentrated form commonly called 'hash,' and gives Sam just a speck, which he eats almost daily.

For Sam's family, the results have been astounding.

"It was like all this anguish, pent-up rage and aggressiveness went away," Steve said. "It just calmed him down."

We showed our KTLA special report to Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, founder of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Tarzana CA. She was not surprised.

"Parents are suffering so much from the behaviors they see in their children, and they're looking for any kind of solution," Dr. Granpeesheh says. "So it's not unexpected to see parents turning to medical marijuana."

Dr. Granpeesheh has studied autistic children for three decades. In recent months she's heard a handful of other success stories much like Sam's.

"I've heard from some parents that they've use medical marijuana and they've found that it reduces aggression, it reduces hyperactivity," Dr. Granpeesheh says. "It will definitely affect the self-stimulatory and repetitive behaviors in autism, so they find their children are much calmer after the use of marijuana."

Still, the doctor warns that we don't yet know enough about cannabis for kids. "My concern with this would be that we don't have any research on the use of medical cannabis with children, and we certainly don't have any safety studies."

Dr. Granpeesheh says there might be a down side to marijuana for autism. "In most cases the use of such things as cannabis will actually reduce your learning ability, and it's very important for children with autism to become more aware -- not just more calm, but more aware. And it might not be possible to do that when you've used cannabis."

But in light of our "Sam's Story" special report, the Center for Autism would fully support more study of the effects of medical marijuana.

"It's certainly a very interesting area," Dr. Granpeesheh concludes, "And we would be interested in doing that research."

It's a fascinating frontier for many parents who've experienced the challenge -- and the heartbreak -- of autism in their children's lives.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AUTISM
AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS,
VISIT
www.centerforautism.com

Copyright © 2009, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles