Rick Rollens
Encyclopedia
Rick Rollens is an American lobbyist with a client list including ARCA (Association of Regional Center Agencies/California Department of Developmental Services
), Autism Speaks
, and Applied Behavior Consultants. He is also a political consultant and identifies as an internationally known advocate
for autism
research. His specific focus in terms of research and advocacy is for those "full syndrome" autistic individuals. Prior to his son Russell's autism diagnosis, Rollens was the secretary of the California State Senate
. Rollens resides in Granite Bay, California
where he runs a lobbying/consulting business.
Rollens assisted in raising over $70 million dollars to fund research efforts aimed at finding the causes and treatments for autism spectrum disorders. Rollens was instrumental in the founding of Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) and the University of California, Davis
M.I.N.D. Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders). Rollens is also a former board member of the Autism Society of America
.
, Rollens served as a senator's chief of staff, as the chief consultant to the Senate Rules Committee, and as the director and creator of the state's Office of Senate Floor Analyses.
induced: "He had a physical reaction to those vaccine
s, including a high-pitched scream and days of high pitched crying and listlessness." After Russell's diagnosis in 1996, Rollens' life changed completely: his 23-year tenure with the Senate came to an end and he began to devote his working hours to the investigation of vaccine injuries
and autism. In 2000, Russell's picture graced the cover of Time
magazine. Russell and his parents were also featured in a Newsweek
cover story on autism that year.
According to Rollens, Russell began life as a healthy, robust child, meeting all age appropriate milestones. But at seven months, after a series of vaccination
s, Russell slowly began to slip into the world of autism. Within hours, he began a nonstop ten-day period of high-pitched screaming, fevers and listlessness. Within days after his first MMR vaccination
, Russell began losing most of his remaining skills, and developed severe sleep disruptions, chronic gastrointestinal problems
, autoimmune
problems, and suffered excruciating pain.
Since the MMR vaccine was added to the mandated childhood immunization schedule
in 1980, according to Rollens (who is a lobbyist and therefore has a serious conflict of interest as he is paid to get money for the California Department of Developmental Services independent regional centers), California has experienced an increasing epidemic of autism. The M.I.N.D. Institute, the California Department of Developmental Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services do not refer to the increase of autism cases as an epidemic, and there is a large body of research challenging any thimerosal-autism
link.
Months of medical investigation of Russell's condition followed his initial diagnosis, including brain scans, hundreds of tests and immunological and neurological work-ups. The upshot, from Rollens' perspective: Russell's brain dysfunction had very likely occurred as a result of some form of encephalitis
, resulting in brain swelling and bilateral hypometabolism in the temporal lobe
s.
Prompted by his son's condition, Rollens testified before the California Legislature, "The system is a sham. When it comes to examining the question of the link between autism and vaccines, this same conflict ridden group continues to produce junk science [...] studies produced not to seek the truth, but to contain damage control over the growing concern that vaccines may in fact be causing autism. Even our own Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch is guilty of this deception."
disorders and UC Davis researchers—who have united in a quest to find the causes of autism
and treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders
.
In explaining the need for alternatives to mainstream autism research, Rollens points to the fact that vaccine
s contain numerous potent and neurotoxic agents, ranging from live, attenuated viruses cultured in animal tissues, genetically engineered bacterial agents, to preservatives and adjuvant
s made from neurotoxic chemicals such as aluminum
, formaldehyde
, and ethylmercury
.
Rollens says just pouring money into traditional autism research would not get them very far, "If we were going to wait for mainstream medicine to get around to finding a cure for our kids, we would all be old and gray and our kids would outlive us in their condition." Rollens also says the mass vaccine system is "riddled with conflicts of interest, and driven by profits" and medical arrogance, rather than research that will ever find what has caused the epidemic of autism diagnoses.
California Department of Developmental Services
The California Department of Developmental Services is a state agency of California, headquartered in Downtown Sacramento. The agency provides services for California residents with several developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation and conditions...
), Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...
, and Applied Behavior Consultants. He is also a political consultant and identifies as an internationally known advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
for autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
research. His specific focus in terms of research and advocacy is for those "full syndrome" autistic individuals. Prior to his son Russell's autism diagnosis, Rollens was the secretary of the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
. Rollens resides in Granite Bay, California
Granite Bay, California
Granite Bay is a census-designated place in Placer County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,402 at the 2010 census, up from 19,388 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 95746...
where he runs a lobbying/consulting business.
Rollens assisted in raising over $70 million dollars to fund research efforts aimed at finding the causes and treatments for autism spectrum disorders. Rollens was instrumental in the founding of Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) and the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
M.I.N.D. Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders). Rollens is also a former board member of the Autism Society of America
Autism Society of America
The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, PhD, together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of autistic children. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children; the name was changed to emphasize that children with autism grow up...
.
Political career
During a 23-year career working within the California State LegislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
, Rollens served as a senator's chief of staff, as the chief consultant to the Senate Rules Committee, and as the director and creator of the state's Office of Senate Floor Analyses.
Russell Rollens
Rollens suspects his son Russell's autism was vaccine injuryVaccine injury
A vaccine injury is an injury caused by vaccination.Allegations of vaccine injuries in recent decades have appeared in litigation in the United States. Some families have won substantial awards from sympathetic juries, even though most public health officials believed that the claims of injuries...
induced: "He had a physical reaction to those vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s, including a high-pitched scream and days of high pitched crying and listlessness." After Russell's diagnosis in 1996, Rollens' life changed completely: his 23-year tenure with the Senate came to an end and he began to devote his working hours to the investigation of vaccine injuries
MMR vaccine controversy
The MMR vaccine controversy was a case of scientific misconduct which triggered a health scare. It followed the publication in 1998 of a paper in the medical journal The Lancet which presented apparent evidence that autism spectrum disorders could be caused by the MMR vaccine, an immunization...
and autism. In 2000, Russell's picture graced the cover of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine. Russell and his parents were also featured in a Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
cover story on autism that year.
According to Rollens, Russell began life as a healthy, robust child, meeting all age appropriate milestones. But at seven months, after a series of vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
s, Russell slowly began to slip into the world of autism. Within hours, he began a nonstop ten-day period of high-pitched screaming, fevers and listlessness. Within days after his first MMR vaccination
MMR vaccine
The MMR vaccine is an immunization shot against measles, mumps, and rubella . It was first developed by Maurice Hilleman while at Merck in the late 1960s....
, Russell began losing most of his remaining skills, and developed severe sleep disruptions, chronic gastrointestinal problems
Autistic enterocolitis
"Autistic enterocolitis" is a controversial term first used by discredited British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield to describe a number of common clinical symptoms and signs which he contends are distinctive to autism...
, autoimmune
Autoimmunity
Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism to recognize its own constituent parts as self, which allows an immune response against its own cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease...
problems, and suffered excruciating pain.
Since the MMR vaccine was added to the mandated childhood immunization schedule
Vaccination schedule
A vaccination schedule is a series of vaccinations, including the timing of all doses, which may be either recommended or compulsory, depending on the country of residence....
in 1980, according to Rollens (who is a lobbyist and therefore has a serious conflict of interest as he is paid to get money for the California Department of Developmental Services independent regional centers), California has experienced an increasing epidemic of autism. The M.I.N.D. Institute, the California Department of Developmental Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services do not refer to the increase of autism cases as an epidemic, and there is a large body of research challenging any thimerosal-autism
Thiomersal controversy
The thiomersal controversy describes claims that vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thiomersal contribute to the development of autism and other brain development disorders...
link.
Months of medical investigation of Russell's condition followed his initial diagnosis, including brain scans, hundreds of tests and immunological and neurological work-ups. The upshot, from Rollens' perspective: Russell's brain dysfunction had very likely occurred as a result of some form of encephalitis
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...
, resulting in brain swelling and bilateral hypometabolism in the temporal lobe
Temporal lobe
The temporal lobe is a region of the cerebral cortex that is located beneath the Sylvian fissure on both cerebral hemispheres of the mammalian brain....
s.
Prompted by his son's condition, Rollens testified before the California Legislature, "The system is a sham. When it comes to examining the question of the link between autism and vaccines, this same conflict ridden group continues to produce junk science [...] studies produced not to seek the truth, but to contain damage control over the growing concern that vaccines may in fact be causing autism. Even our own Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch is guilty of this deception."
M.I.N.D. Institute
Rollens is a co-founder of the M.I.N.D. Institute, founded in 1998. The center is a collaboration—between the parents of children with autism spectrumAutism spectrum
The term "autism spectrum" is often used to describe disorders that are currently classified as pervasive developmental disorders. Pervasive developmental disorders include autism, Asperger syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise...
disorders and UC Davis researchers—who have united in a quest to find the causes of autism
Causes of autism
Many causes of autism have been proposed, but understanding of the theory of causation of autism and the other autism spectrum disorders is incomplete. Heritability contributes about 90% of the risk of a child developing autism, but the heritability of autism is complex and typically it is...
and treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders
Autism therapies
Autism therapies attempt to lessen the deficits and abnormal behaviours associated with autism and other autism spectrum disorders , and to increase the quality of life and functional independence of autistic individuals, especially children. Treatment is typically tailored to the child's needs...
.
In explaining the need for alternatives to mainstream autism research, Rollens points to the fact that vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s contain numerous potent and neurotoxic agents, ranging from live, attenuated viruses cultured in animal tissues, genetically engineered bacterial agents, to preservatives and adjuvant
Adjuvant
An adjuvant is a pharmacological or immunological agent that modifies the effect of other agents, such as a drug or vaccine, while having few if any direct effects when given by itself...
s made from neurotoxic chemicals such as aluminum
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
, and ethylmercury
Ethylmercury
Ethylmercury is a cation composed of an ethyl group bound to a mercury centre; its chemical formula is C2H5Hg+...
.
Rollens says just pouring money into traditional autism research would not get them very far, "If we were going to wait for mainstream medicine to get around to finding a cure for our kids, we would all be old and gray and our kids would outlive us in their condition." Rollens also says the mass vaccine system is "riddled with conflicts of interest, and driven by profits" and medical arrogance, rather than research that will ever find what has caused the epidemic of autism diagnoses.