Autism News Articles: 2007-05-20

Autism News Articles Mailing for May 18-21, 2007

From the Ministry of Education Website
IMPORTANT

PPM addressing ABA is now public. You can read it at the following site

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/140.html

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2007/17/c2234.html
McGuinty Government Delivering More Support For Students With Autism
Nearly $6 Million Being Invested In New Autism Initiatives To Help
Students Succeed

TORONTO, May 17 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is improving the learning
environment for students with autism spectrum disorders by directing all
school boards to provide Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Education Minister
Kathleen Wynne announced today.
"All students with autism deserve equal access to this vital teaching
approach that can improve their focus on individual projects and strengthen
their communication with other students in the classroom," said Wynne. "We are
implementing our plan to ensure students with autism receive the best
education possible."
The Ministry of Education instructed school boards today that they must
provide programs that use ABA methods to students who need it. This directive
is part of the government's response to the recommendations of Autism
Reference Group report, Making a Difference for Students with Autism Spectrum
Disorders in Ontario Schools: From Evidence to Action, received earlier this
year.
The implementation of ABA will be supported by extensive staff training
starting with six to eight representatives, including superintendents,
principals, teachers, teaching assistants, school support staff and Special
Education Advisory Committee members, from each school board over the next two
months. This will be followed by school team training - funded through a
$1-million investment - for up to 1,400 principals, educational assistants and
teachers over the summer months.
Additionally, the government has provided a grant of $2.75 million to the
Geneva Centre for Autism. "We are very grateful for the government's support
so we can provide further training on ABA approaches to school staff in the
fall," said Margaret Whelan, Executive Director of the Geneva Centre for
Autism. "This investment will allow educators to help more students with
autism succeed."

<<
The government is also taking the following initiatives recommended in the
reference group report:

- Implementing research-based collaborative approaches with school
staff and community groups to deliver autism services to students.
This will be supported through a $2-million investment
- Requiring principals to have transition plans for students with
autism when they start school, move between grades and schools, and
move on to colleges, universities or the workplace
- Creating a resource guide for teachers, educational assistants,
administrators and other staff on the most effective ways to teach
students with autism
- Encouraging school boards to establish multi-disciplinary teams that
include parents and provide input into a student's individual
education plan
- Meeting with the Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education
regarding implementation of the reference group report. The first
meeting will take place on June 7.

"The reference group's report has been very helpful as we work to ensure
that children and youth with autism spectrum disorder receive the supports
they need to achieve success," said Children and Youth Services Minister Mary
Anne Chambers. "Our government has been making great strides on several fronts
and we are determined to do more."

Other ways that the government is working together with the community to
support students with autism include:

- Assessing all children referred to the Autism Intervention Program
since July 2005 regardless of age
- Increasing the number of children receiving Intensive Behavioural
Intervention services outside of the classroom to more than 1,100 - a
105 per cent increase since April 2004
- Tripling the support for children with autism and their families
since 2003-04 - increased funding to nearly $130 million in 2007-08
- Increasing the number of qualified autism professionals graduating
each year from the Ontario College Graduate Certificate Program in
Autism and Behavioural Science to 220 by 2008-09
- Reducing the wait list for assessment by 69 per cent since 2004
- Training up to 1,600 childhood educators and child care workers and
5,000 educational assistants who work with children with autism
through the Geneva Centre for Autism

"I'm very pleased that the government is taking action so quickly in
response to the reference group's report," said Lynn Ziraldo, chair of the
Autism Reference Group. "This government has shown a strong commitment to
reaching every student with autism."

www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.ontario.ca/progress

For further information: Michelle Despault, Minister's Office (416)
212-3747; Patricia MacNeil, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2676; Public
Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514, TTY: 1-800-263-2892

The Toronto Star (Similar Story as above)

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/215030

Ontario puts $6M into autism initiatives
May 17, 2007 01:12 PM
CANADIAN PRESS

The Ontario government is putting $6 million into a number of autism initiatives and is directing all school boards to make specialized treatment available in schools.
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says all school boards across Ontario must be prepared to offer Applied Behaviour Analysis therapy to any child that needs it.
Part of the government funding will go toward training six to eight officials in every school board on how to implement the treatment.
Wynne says further training for up to 1,400 principals, educational assistants and teachers will be conducted over the summer months.
The new training and provincewide access to the specialized treatment follows recommendations from a number of autism advocates and groups earlier in the year.
The government plans to meet again with the authors of the report next month.
"The reference group's report has been very helpful as we work to ensure that children and youth with autism spectrum disorder receive the supports they need to achieve success," Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said in a statement.
"Our government has been making great strides on several fronts and we are determined to do more."
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/05/18/4189777-sun.html
London Free Press

Province funds autism moves (Similar story as above)
Fri, May 18, 2007
School boards across Ontario will have to offer specialized therapy to every child that needs it.
By CP
TORONTO -- The Ontario government is putting $6 million into a number of autism initiatives and is directing all school boards to make specialized treatment available in schools.
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says all school boards across Ontario must be prepared to offer Applied Behaviour Analysis therapy to any child that needs it.
Part of the government funding will go toward training six to eight officials in every school board on how to implement the treatment.
Wynne says further training for up to 1,400 principals, educational assistants and teachers will be conducted over the summer months.
The new training and provincewide access to the specialized treatment follows recommendations from a number of autism advocates and groups earlier in the year.
The government plans to meet again with the authors of the report next month.
"The reference group's report has been very helpful as we work to ensure that children and youth with autism spectrum disorder receive the supports they need to achieve success," Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said in a statement.
"Our government has been making great strides on several fronts and we are determined to do more."
LONDON UK NEWS
http://www.businessportal24.com/en/Prime_Minister_Tony_Blair_The_196556.html

London,UK) British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently met with autism campaigner Ivan Corea and Lee Scott MP for Ilford North.

The Prime Minister was presented with the Autism Report detailing the concerns and recommendations of parents, carers and people with autism. The report was backed by senior figures in the charity world in the UK.

Over sixty parliamentarians have signed an early day motion in the House of Commons in the Palace of Westminster in London, backing the Autism Awareness Campaign UK's call for a national strategy on autism and a 10 year plan of action. EDM 1359 on autism has put the focus back onto the whole issue in the House of Commons.

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects 587,900 people in the UK.According to UK Researchers autism may affect 1 in 100 children.

Campaigners are calling for better public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care for parents, carers and all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.They are also calling for a halt to the closure of special schools and a new building programme of specialist autism schools across the UK open to all.

Tony Blair is the first British Prime Minister in history to talk about autism.He leaves office on the 27th of June this year.

Autism: a daily challenge
http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/cam/news/news_792426.html
Lisa Rutledge, Cambridge

(May 18, 2007)
When a child throws a temper tantrum in a public place, little fisted hands waving wildly to the sounds of screams and wails, it can be enormously frustrating for parents.
Such experiences can embarrass adults, make them doubt their own parenting skills and leave them with little, if any, patience.
Try living on the edge of your nerves like that every minute of the day, challenges Victoria Tremblett, a Cambridge mother raising a five-year-old autistic son, Jacob.
Simple activities such as standing in line at the grocery store can become almost impossible as Jacob inevitably ends up spinning around or hitting himself. Tremblett can feel the eyes of judgmental onlookers staring at Jacob and then back at her.
Someone once told her that he needed a "smack".
What Jacob really needs, pleads his mother, is to be understood.
On the surface, the little boy looks like any other child his age but his form of autism, known as Asperger's and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, affects his brain in such a way that he can't communicate or socialize well.
Without explanation or provocation, he can erupt in an angry fit and strike a person next to him. Just as quickly, he can return to calm, yet be completely unaware he's hurt anyone. Going for a walk is extremely hazardous as Jacob could dart into traffic without warning. His brain doesn't register danger as other children's brains do.
There is no typical day for a parent with an autistic child, explains Tremblett, just daily battles to make some kind of connection, fueled by hope and dreams and a mother's unconditional love.
"I don't think I've even had a conversation with him," said Tremblett, who often wonders what goes on inside her son's secret world. "I don't know what it's like for him. I don't know how he sees things."
The only thing she knows for certain is that her son sees the world differently. At the age of 13 months, she and her ex-husband noticed his fascination with news bulletins streaming across the bottom of the TV during news programs.
At first, they thought it was cute.
"It wasn't long after that we realized he was reading."
Their first thoughts were that Jacob was gifted, but peculiar behavioural patterns began to develop, raising red flags.
At age three, Jacob was diagnosed as autistic by KidsAbility, a centre that works with children with disabilities. He participated in programs to help with socialization skills, but he was no longer eligible once he entered senior kindergarten.
Currently, Jacob is obsessed with numbers and letters and is even able to recite the alphabet backwards. He draws words and pictures on papers and places them meticulously around the home. He is devastated if someone looks at them, steps on them or tries to clean them up. Just recently the five-year-old stopped chewing the skin off his hands.
"There are days where it feels like you're just pedaling backwards," noted Tremblett.
For Jacob, each day in his kindergarten class at St. Francis Catholic School is a struggle because the school, like most across the province, doesn't have the specialized training to work with an autistic child.
That's why Tremblett is outraged by the Supreme Court of Canada's recent refusal to hear an appeal by a group of Ontario parents demanding that the government fund in-school therapy programs for autistic children.
The lobby group argues that private behavioural therapy treatment can cost tens of thousands of dollars and those families who can afford to pay for it must keep their children at home to receive that treatment. While the province does offer an Autism Intervention Program to help cover intense therapy, there's a wait list of nearly 1,000 children.
Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne has stated the ministry is looking at alternative forms of therapy in schools to allow autistic children to attend mainstream schools along with their peers, but no start dates have been set.
Tremblett is furious that Canada's highest court won't even listen to parents, calling the government hypocritical.
"For them not to even look at it?" said the Cambridge mother, with frustration in her voice. "We preach about how much we love our children yet these are the ones they're not going to help."
Ironically, the court's ruling came down in mid-April, the month dedicated as National Autism Month.
According to Autism Speaks Canada, one child in 150 is diagnosed with autism and boys are much more likely to have the neurological disorder than girls. It's estimated that 67 children a day, or one every 20 minutes, is diagnosed with some form of autism. The disorder's symptoms can range from mild to debilitating.
The Autism Society of Canada is also pressuring the government to provide programs to allow children to be screened and detected earlier, to make autism a national priority and allocate more money to research.
Although the number of autistic cases is increasing, the public doesn't know a lot about the disorder, said Tremblett. People need to be more educated, she insisted, because parents with autistic children need support and understanding. Besides, she added, it could happen to any family.
"With numbers like that, it could be your child."
Still, the Cambridge mother doesn't blame anyone for not knowing and tries not to judge those who stare and criticize.
"If I put myself in their shoes, I would be staring, too."
Jacob's behaviours increase in intensity as he grows older, and Tremblett worries for his future if the government doesn't take action now to provide more educational and financial assistance for autistic children. Unlike many other childhood diseases or conditions, autism can't be cured, she explained, only managed with a great painstaking effort. And early intervention and behavioural treatment is key.
"There's no magic pill, no cure," she said. "It's like a life sentence. He's going to be trapped in his own mind for the rest of his life."
Thinking ahead to the future is difficult for Tremblett, but so is thinking about the past. Looking at his baby pictures is heart-breaking because she wishes she could have seen the signs sooner.
Doing what she can now to raise awareness about autism, Tremblett is asking the community to join her in Autism Speaks Canada's Walk Now for Autism on June 3 at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. Registration starts at 9 a.m.
For more information about the walk, call 1-888-362-6227 or, visit the event's website at www.canada.autismwalk.org.
Autism Speaks Canada's Walk Now for Autism on June 3 at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=533793&catname=Local%20News&classif=

From the Brantford Expositor
Students raise $1,658 for autism
Local News - Friday, May 18, 2007 Updated @ 9:21:05 AM

Mount Pleasant Mustangs celebrate a victory for autism raising $1,658.

April was Toonies for Autism month and the students at Mount Pleasant School took on the challenge of beating last year's fund raiser amount, in hopes of seeing three students and teachers have their heads shaven.

Last year they raised $1,265. so they had their work cut out for them

The funds were raised to promote autism awareness and research.

When last year's goal was surpassed Scott Archer, a Grade 7 teacher, Spencer, Tanner and Adam took to the stage while staff and students watched on as the hair hit the floor.

The money was raised through a special performance by Tribal Thunder (a drumming group from Delhi), four staff luncheons, a hat day, donut/drink day and a raffle draw with over 30 prizes.

Thanks to all the students, staff and families for their support and contributions. We wish to sincerely thank all those who donated prizes to make this worthwhile cause a great success!

Walter Gretzky, The Windmill, Mount Pleasant; River's Edge, Brantford; Jim MacNeil, Mount Pleasant; Nomen Fitness Centre, West Brant; A & P, Simcoe and Brantford; Sobeys, West Brant; Zehrs, King George Road; Olde School House, Paris Road; Swiss Chalet, Lynden Road; Costco, Ancaster; Tim Hortons, West and Dundas streets and Mount Pleasant and Colborne streets; Al Dente, Brantford; Kneaded Care, Michele; Galuppi, Brantford; New Orleans Pizza, Brantford.

News for Friday, May 18th, 2007
http://www.radioowensound.com/news.php?id=4696
BAYSHORE NEWS BROADCASTING

New Autism funding welcomed
Written by Mark Douglas
Local autism workers are very happy to hear of new funding from the province, but they want to see how a new plan works out.
Education Minister, Kathleen Wynne, yesterday announced 6-million dollars in funding to train 14-hundred educators this summer how to deliver Applied Behaviour Analysis in Ontario's schools.
Wynne is also directing all school boards to provide specialized treatment for autistic children this Fall.
As for whether this is enough funding, Wynne says she won't comment on the specifics of the budget problems at the Bluewater School Board, which cancelled some special education programs on Tuesday.
But Wynne credits the Bluewater board for creating collobarative programs with community groups.
From the Grey Bruce chapter of Autism Ontario, President, Linda Dow-Sitch says she looks forward to working with the Bluewater Board to implement this program.
But she adds, they'll have to keep pressing the government to keep up funding, as she believes the number of special needs students has not declined along with overall numbers.
Grey Bruce chapter Vice-President Josephine Hutten adds she's thrilled with the new funding and program, but adds there will be growing pains along the way, and financial issues will be part of that.
Dow-Sitch adds a recent Trillium Grant will let the Grey Bruce chapter send some 25 local, Level One autism interveners train to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
CANADA.com
http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=1d0a5340-40f6-47d1-96d2-a48456b02966&k=78653
Doctors trying to diagnose autism earlier
Lindsey Tanner, Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, May 17, 2007
CHICAGO - Within days of their birth, healthy babies will look you in the eye. By four months, they will delight in others. And by nine months, they will exchange smiles.
Jacob Day did none of those things. "We used to say it was like it burned his eyes to look at you," said his mother, Tamie Day of Antelope, Calif. "It was like a physically painful thing for him. It wasn't just that he wasn't looking at us; he was purposefully looking away."
Day, who has a psychology degree, suspected her son might have autism. She enrolled him in a study, published in April, that found that babies like Jacob are indeed at high risk for autism if they do not respond to their names by 12 months of age.
At 18 months, he was formally diagnosed with autism, about a year earlier than usual. Before he turned two, Jacob began daily intensive behaviour treatment designed to help him lead a more normal life.
He is part of a growing field in psychiatry called infant mental health. Doctors and scientists are increasingly looking for early signs in babies of autism, attention deficit disorder and other mental problems that just a generation ago, scarcely anyone thought could appear in children so young.
Some scientists even believe that intensive treatment in some susceptible babies can actually prevent autism, attention deficit disorder and other problems.
An influential Institute of Medicine report in 2000 helped energize this idea. The report emphasized the plasticity of babies' brains. It also explained how interacting with babies can change their brain wiring.
"We used to say 'nature versus nurture,' but now people really think it's 'nature through nurture,' "said the University of Chicago's Dr. Lawrence Gray.
Tamie Day noticed the first ominous clue the night she and her husband, Chris, brought Jacob home after his birth.
"We walked in the door and he wouldn't stop looking at our ceiling fan," she said. "The next day, that's all he would look at."
Babies typically begin making eye contact soon after birth, and "understand at a basic, perhaps hardwired level, that eyes are special - they look more at eyes than at other parts of the face," said Sally Ozonoff, an autism specialist at the University of California at Davis' MIND Institute.
When his mother expressed her autism concerns at Jacob's six-month checkup, the doctor said "we were being a little overzealous," Day said.
Still, there was no pointing, no clapping, no shared smiles, and when Jacob would laugh, it seemed like his own private joke. So his parents sought out UC-Davis specialists, who gave them the heartbreaking diagnosis.
Jacob, now 3 1/2, has made meaningful progress thanks to treatment, his mother said, including a breakthrough moment at age two. It still makes her cry to recall it.
She was giving Jacob a bath, playing the "itsy bitsy spider" finger game, when he looked up and really gazed into her eyes. "He was smiling up at me and I realized that was the first time he had done that," she said. "He has gorgeous blue eyes, and I was like, 'My God, your eyes are so beautiful.' "
Interest in infant mental health has been boosted by awareness of the prevalence of attention deficit disorders and autism, which U.S. officials said in February affects one in 150 U.S. children and may be more common than previously thought.
In April, researchers from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders presented a report emphasizing earlier diagnosis and treatment.
The report said that about 17 per cent of U.S. children have a developmental disability such as autism, mental retardation and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, but that fewer than half are diagnosed before starting school.
The authors say warning signs include failure to:
-Focus on sights and sounds by two months.
-Initiate joyful behavior with parents by four months.
-Exchange smiles and sounds with parents by eight to nine months.
-Take a parent's hand to find a toy and point to objects by 12 to 16 months.
Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that pediatricians routinely evaluate children for developmental problems such as autism starting in infancy, and begin testing at age nine months.
"Waiting until a young child misses a major milestone such as walking or talking may result in late rather than early recognition . . . depriving the child and family of the benefits of early identification and intervention," the academy said.
Some critics worry that the trend will trigger needless diagnoses in children with normal variations in behaviour.
Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, a London physician, said that while early recognition and treatment of true disorders are important, "the extension of these categories to include 20 to 30 per cent of all children reflects a social trend of pathologizing and medicalizing children's lives, which seems to reflect difficulties of parents and teachers in dealing with familiar problems of childhood development."
Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a psychiatry professor at George Washington University who co-authored the CDC-Interdisciplinary group report, said the idea is not to slap a label on babies and give them medication. Greenspan said the goal is to raise awareness about early warning signs and to encourage treatment to increase the chances that children can develop normally.
Research on identifying early clues and testing treatments is booming. For example:
-Dr. Fred Volkmar at Yale University is studying potential ways to diagnose autism in the first months of life, including whether looking at objects rather than people is a sign. "I think we're on the verge of being able to do a much better job" of diagnosing autism in infancy, Volkmar said.
Researcher Stephen Porges at the University of Illinois at Chicago is starting a five-year study of whether excessive crying past 6 months of age might be an early sign of autism, attention deficit or other behavior problems.
-Greenspan is launching a multimillion-dollar study involving parents and babies at risk for autism or attention deficit disorder. One group will receive intensive behavior training, the other will not; both will be compared through age five.
While rigorous scientific evidence is needed to prove that early intervention succeeds, Greenspan said his work with patients has shown promise.
Jacob didn't say his first word, "more," until he was in treatment and almost two - about a year later than normal. He didn't say "mama" until he was three.
He gets 33 hours of weekly home treatment with trained college students, including six hours most days. The tab is US$70,000 yearly, paid for by California, one of the few states that pay, through state and federal funds, for early intensive autism treatment.
© The Canadian Press 2007

http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_news_details.asp?news_id=21172&news_channel_id=40&channel_id=40

C-Health, Medi-resource
Ont. putting $6M into autism initiatives
Provided by: Canadian Press
May. 17, 2007
TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario government is putting $6 million into a number of autism initiatives and is directing all school boards to make specialized treatment available in schools.
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says all school boards across Ontario must be prepared to offer Applied Behaviour Analysis therapy to any child that needs it. Part of the government funding will go toward training six to eight officials in every school board on how to implement the treatment.
Wynne says further training for up to 1,400 principals, educational assistants and teachers will be conducted over the summer months.
The new training and provincewide access to the specialized treatment follows recommendations from a number of autism advocates and groups earlier in the year.
The government plans to meet again with the authors of the report next month.
"The reference group's report has been very helpful as we work to ensure that children and youth with autism spectrum disorder receive the supports they need to achieve success," Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said in a statement.
"Our government has been making great strides on several fronts and we are determined to do more."

Ontario rescues camp for autistic children

Richard Lautens / Toronto Star
Marjorie Hiley, executive director of Flemingdon Community Legal Services, said she was shocked to learn the Toronto clinic failed to get federal funding to hire two summer students. The clinic helps low-income residents with legal issues, such as tenants fighting eviction.
http://www.thestar.com/article/215326

Scores of projects at risk after Ottawa denies job funding

May 18, 2007 04:30 AM
Bruce Campion-Smith
OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA–While a Toronto camp for autistic children will now go ahead this summer after Queen's Park came to the rescue, hundreds of other community projects across Canada are in doubt because they are being refused funding to hire students by the federal Conservatives.
Organizations began receiving notices Wednesday that they were ineligible for money to hire students under new rules brought in by the Conservative government for the Canada Summer Jobs Program.
Across Canada, organizations as varied as Fredericton's sexual assault centre, a Cape Breton baseball program for disabled children and 80 groups in Newfoundland, including museums and parks, had their funding requests rejected, according to opposition parties.
As the Star reported yesterday, one of the Toronto groups affected was the "Yes I Can!" nursery school, which had its request for $38,000 to hire student counsellors to run its award-winning camps for autistic and low-income children turned down. The provincial government will now provide the funding.
Elsewhere in Toronto, from the Beaches to Flemingdon Park to poor neighbourhoods in north Etobicoke and Scarborough, not-for-profit organizations are warning that their summer programs to employ youth are in danger after learning their funding requests were turned down by the federal Human Resources department.
Yesterday, stung by a chorus of complaints, the Conservatives agreed they'll ensure "worthy groups" get the money they need to hire students.
Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg acknowledged in the Commons that there are "examples of groups that ... perhaps should receive funding."
"I have asked my department to get to the bottom of this ... We do want to ensure that worthy groups and good students get opportunities ... and they will," he said.
But Ontario wasted no time yesterday in announcing it would help run the Yes I Can! camp.
Mary Anne Chambers, Ontario's minister of children and youth services, said she was moved to act after reading in yesterday's Star that Ottawa had rejected the camp's funding request.
"We will make sure that that summer camp continues for these kids," Chambers told the Legislature.
"We, the government of Ontario, will invest the $38,000 that they have lost in order to ensure that these kids can continue to have a summer camp," she said.
For more than a decade, the school has relied on federal funding to hire student counsellors to run a camp for up to 65 pre-schoolers with autism as well as low-income kids.
Janet MacDougall, the school's executive director, said she was grateful for the province's offer although she hadn't been given official word last night.
"I am so grateful they are coming to the party," MacDougall said.
She said the provincial cash was welcomed, especially since she's been pushing Queen's Park for three years to provide funding for her school.
MacDougall says she was overwhelmed by the response to the Star article, including calls from the offices of federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, provincial Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory and countless Star readers, all keen to donate cash or offer their help to keep the camp open.
Bert Levy offered up $9,500 from the Orion Foundation, a charity that assists people with disabilities, to kickstart the community fundraising.
"They're stepping on the very weakest of our people. Makes you wonder," he said of Ottawa's decision to reject the funding request to help autistic kids.
Solberg's pledge to reconsider the funding issue comes as other community groups across Toronto are coming forward with their own stories of rejection.
Yesterday, Marjorie Hiley, executive director of Flemingdon Community Legal Services, said she was "dumbfounded" to learn its funding request had been turned down.
"I don't know who they're giving the money to ... but something smells," she said.
Her organization was seeking $7,000 to hire two students. One was a second-year law student to assist clients. The other job was earmarked for a young woman who lives in Flemingdon Park – the first of her family to go to university – to help with administration.
"They're out of jobs now. It wasn't going to be great money but at least it was going to be something for them," Hiley said.
The clinic helps low-income residents with legal issues, such as tenants fighting eviction or newcomers with immigration issues.
"They're not prepared to even give me a drop in the bucket to assist my community," Hiley said.
She was at a loss to explain why the funding she has relied on since the early 1990s was rejected this year. But she did note that the department's criteria does give extra weight to rural or remote areas.
"It's really slanted against those young people who are trying to get into educational ... programs in a major metropolis like Toronto," she said.
Rev. Colin McCartney, of Urban Promise, is scrambling to ensure the survival of his group's summer camps in neighbourhoods like Jamestown and Warden Woods after his request to hire nine students was rejected. He says he was told by one federal bureaucrat that his programs aren't in "low-income" areas.
"I said `wait a second, it's all government-assisted housing,'" McCartney said in an interview. "I couldn't believe it. I said, `This must be a joke.'"
His organization helps impoverished youth and their families and for the last nine years has hired neighbourhood youth to work as camp counsellors.
"It's a great model. You get kids living in the communities, giving back to the communities, getting job skills and life skills and a paycheque," he said. "They've overcome so many obstacles and barriers. Now this is just another one that the government has put in their way."
Like other groups, he struggled to understand how the government decided his organization suddenly didn't qualify.
"We're working with visible minorities, high-risk youth in high-risk communities with high unemployment," he said.
In the Beaches, Community Centre 55 was expecting to get funding to hire four students – three for a graffiti-removal program and one to train camp counsellors.
"We're totally surprised," program director Evonne Hossack said.
NDP MP Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) said the Tories cut $11 million from the summer job program, which she figures works out to about 3,500 "desperately needed" positions nationwide.
Yesterday, she appealed to the government to restore the lost funding and establish an appeal mechanism for groups who have been denied funding.
With files from Canadian Press

Gov.on.ca
Ministry of Education
Policy/Program Memorandum No. 140

Date of Issue: May 17, 2007 Effective: Until revoked or modified
Subject: INCORPORATING METHODS OF APPLIED BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS (ABA) INTO PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD)
Application: Directors of Education
Secretary Treasurers and Supervisory Officers of School Authorities
Director of the Provincial Schools Branch
Superintendents of Schools
Superintendent of Centre Jules-Léger
Principals of Elementary Schools
Principals of Secondary Schools
Principals of Provincial and Demonstration Schools
Principals of Section 68 Schools
Purpose
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide direction to school boards1 to support their use of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) as an effective instructional approach in the education of many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).2 This memorandum establishes a policy framework to support incorporation of ABA methods into school boards’ practices. The use of ABA instructional approaches may also be effective for students with other special education needs.
This memorandum has been informed by recommendations of the Report of the Minister's Autism Spectrum Disorders Reference Group.3 This group was established in 2006 at the joint invitation of the Minister of Education and the Minister of Children and Youth Services to provide both ministers with advice on effective, evidence-based educational practices to meet the wide range of needs of students with ASD.
This memorandum is intended to strengthen collaborative working relationships between parents,4 schools, and the community. This collaboration is essential for supporting positive learning for students with ASD. An example of such collaboration is the development of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a student.
The direction provided in this memorandum builds on suggestions for successful practice provided in the Ministry of Education’s documents entitled Special Education: A Guide for Educators, 2001 and Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, andImplementation, 2000, and is consistent with the Ontario curriculum as a basis for programs for students with ASD.
Background
This direction is also consistent with suggestions for successful practice provided in the following documents published by the Ministry of Education:
• Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs With the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006
• Education for All: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6, 2005
• Planning Entry to School: A Resource Guide, 2005
• The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide, 2004
• Transition Planning: A Resource Guide, 2002
• The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner: Special Education Companion, 2002
School board staff should consult the above documents for more detailed information.
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) document entitled Autism Intervention Program: Program Guidelines, 2006 provides additional information. In particular, the sections on Transition Planning and Sharing Information may provide useful information. The MCYS document entitled
A Shared Responsibility: Ontario's Policy Framework for Child and Youth Mental Health, 2006 provides additional information. Copies of these documents are available online (see page 7) or through the local MCYS office.
This memorandum is also informed by the recommendations in the Report of the Interim Parent Involvement Advisory Board, which was released in July 2006.
Applied Behaviour Analysis
Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)5 uses methods based on scientific principles of learning and behaviour to build useful repertoires of behaviour and reduce problematic ones. In this approach, the behaviour(s) to be changed are clearly defined and recorded. The antecedents of the undesirable behaviour(s) are analysed, as are the reinforcers that might be maintaining the undesirable behaviour(s) or that might be used to help develop adaptive behaviours.
Interventions based on behavioural principles are designed to develop appropriate behaviours. Progress is assessed and the program is altered if necessary (adapted from Perry and Condillac 2003). ABA can be used with students of every age. It can be applied in a variety of situations, and it can be used for very limited and specific purposes, such as the development or reduction of single behaviours. ABA can also be used for broader purposes, such as the development or reduction of sets of behaviour (for example, to improve relaxation skills, to teach more effective social skills, or to enhance community living skills). ABA can be used for students with ASD, and it can be used for students who have varying degrees of intensity of ASD along a learning continuum.
ABA methods can support students with ASD in a number of ways. For example, ABA methods can help a student to:
• develop positive behaviours (e.g., improve the ability to stay on task, improve social interaction);
• learn new skills (e.g., comprehensive skills, including language skills, social skills, motor skills, academic skills);
• transfer a positive behaviour or response from one situation to another (e.g., from completing assignments in a special education class to maintaining the same performance in a regular class).
ABA methods can also be used to limit the conditions under which problematic behaviours occur – for example, to modify the learning environment so that students are less likely to injure themselves.
Educators must measure an individual student's progress in the above areas by collecting and analysing data on an ongoing basis. Educators must use the data collected to determine the effectiveness of the program and to alter the program as necessary to maintain or increase a student's success. Progress should be measured in accordance with the assessment methods used in the student's program.
Requirements
1. School boards must offer students with ASD special education programs and services, including, where appropriate, special education programs using ABA methods.
Under Regulation 181/98, principals are required to ensure that an IEP is developed for each exceptional student within thirty school days of the start of the student's placement. School boards also have the discretion to develop an IEP for students who have not been formally identified as exceptional. Students with ASD have a wide range of educational needs. Principals are required to ensure that ABA methods are incorporated into the IEPs of students with ASD, where appropriate.
Principals must ensure that relevant school board personnel6 and community personnel7 who have previously worked and/or are currently working with a student with an ASD are invited to provide input and participate in the IEP process. These personnel are able to bring other perspectives and recommendations regarding special education programs and services for students with ASD. In particular, the assessment information gathered from these personnel can benefit the IEP team in planning accurate and comprehensive interventions for the student and promote a common approach to enhance student success.
ABA Methods in Programs for Students With ASD
Given the range of needs for students with ASD, the principal must ensure that staff developing a student's IEP consider special education program and service options that will best take into account the student's individual strengths and areas of need in the demonstration of learning. The program selected must be based on relevant assessment information that identifies the student's skills and needs, instructional level, and learning style/modalities, and must incorporate relevant ABA methods, where appropriate. Use of functional behavioural assessment8 may also help to identify a student's strengths, needs, and learning environment.
When an alternative program is determined to be appropriate for a particular student with an ASD, it should, wherever possible, incorporate methods of ABA and be provided in conjunction with a program that includes accommodations as well as modified learning expectations as necessary. Alternative program areas for a student with an ASD could include, for example, behavioural, self-management, social, and communication skills.
When a student with an ASD requires accommodations and/or modified expectations, assessment and evaluation of student learning will be consistent with the strategies outlined in the student's IEP.
The principal must ensure that instructional modifications/strategies are uniquely suited to each student's learning strengths and needs. The ministry plans to publish a resource guide entitled Effective Education Practices for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders that will provide more detailed information on strategies.9
Principles of ABA Programming
The following principles underlie ABA programming that is provided to students with ASD, where appropriate:
• The program must be individualized. Each student's specific profile and pattern of strengths and needs must be analysed to determine concrete learning objectives and teaching methods. No single curriculum or teaching strategy is appropriate for all students with ASD. Some students may require more intensive programming. Although students' programs must be individualized, the various supports may be provided to students either individually or in group situations.
• Positive reinforcement must be utilized. Positive reinforcement techniques are often helpful to motivate students with ASD.
• Data must be collected and analysed. Reliable data must be collected and analysed on an ongoing basis to measure student progress in the acquisition of new behaviours and skills, and to identify skills or behaviours that need to be taught.
• Transfer, or generalization, of skills should be emphasized. Each student should be taught to transfer skills acquired in one context to different contexts or settings. For example, a student should be encouraged to apply a newly acquired positive behaviour in a wide variety of environments, and to learn to use a wide variety of related or similar behaviours in a variety of contexts. The ultimate goal is to enable the student to develop increasing independence.
2. School board staff must plan for the transition between various activities and settings involving students with ASD.
Transition planning is an important process for all students, but especially for students with ASD. Principals are required to ensure that a plan for transition is in place for students with ASD. Transitions may include: entry to school; transition between activities and settings or classrooms; transitions between grades; moving from school to school or from an outside agency to a school; transition from elementary to secondary school; transition from secondary school to postsecondary destinations and/or the workplace.
Transition into school is of particular importance for students with ASD. Relevant ABA methods must be used to support transition, where appropriate. Students enter school from a range of settings, including the home and child-care or pre-school programs. It is essential that school board staff work with parents and community agencies to plan for a successful transition. Where a student is currently working with a community service professional, that professional should be involved with the transition process.
Monitoring And Reporting of Implementation
School boards are encouraged to make use of a growing body of knowledge about educational practices that are effective for students with ASD. Relevant research on ASD will be posted on the ministry's website to provide information on instructional practices for students with ASD.
School boards should develop a plan to implement the policy in this memorandum, and should consult with their Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) regarding the implementation. School boards should also consult their SEAC regarding the monitoring of the implementation of this memorandum, at least on an annual basis.
The ministry will integrate monitoring of implementation of this memorandum into existing reporting mechanisms. The Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education, as well as members of the Ministers' Autism Spectrum Disorders Reference Group who wish to be involved, will be consulted twice a year regarding the implementation of ABA methods by school boards.
For further information, please contact the local regional office of the Ministry of Education.
Reference Cited
Perry, A., and R. Condillac. 2003. Evidence-Based Practices for Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Review of the Literature and Practice Guide. Toronto: Children's Mental Health Ontario.
Resources
Web Links for Selected Ontario Government Publications
Ministry of Education
Education for All: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6, 2005.
Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, 2000.
The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide, 2004.
The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner: Special Education Companion, 2002.
Planning Entry to School: A Resource Guide, 2005.
Special Education: A Guide for Educators, 2001.
Transition Planning: A Resource Guide, 2002.
Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Autism Intervention Program: Program Guidelines, 2006.
A Shared Responsibility: Ontario's Policy Framework for Child and Youth Mental Health, 2006.
Additional Resources
Alberto, P. A., and A. C. Troutman. 2006. Applied Behaviour Analysis for Teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Committee on Educational Interventions for Children With Autism, National Research Council. 2001. Educating Children With Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Cooper, J. O., T. E. Heron, and W. L. Heward. 2006. Applied Behavior Analysis. 2nd ed. Columbus, OH : Prentice Hall.
Heflin, L. J., and D. F. Alaimo. 2007. Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effective Instructional Practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Simpson, R. L. 2004. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Interventions and Treatments for Children and Youth. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

________________________________________
1. In this document, school board(s) and board(s) refer to district school boards and school authorities.
2. The term autism spectrum disorders (ASD) describes "a subset of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) currently outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–IV). These disorders share three common areas of concern: qualitative impairments in social skills; qualitative impairments in verbal and non-verbal communication; restricted and repetitive interests or behaviours. When using the term ASD, most professionals are referring to the subset of PDDs that includes Autistic Disorder (usually referred to as Autism), PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified) and Asperger's Disorder." From Making a Difference for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ontario Schools: From Evidence to Action, Report of the Ministers' Autism Spectrum Disorders Reference Group to the Minister of Education and Minister of Children and Youth Services, February 2007, p. 63.
3. Ibid.
4. In this document, parents refers to parent(s) and guardian(s).
5. Adapted from Making a Difference for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ontario Schools: From Evidence to Action, Report of the Ministers' Autism Spectrum Disorders Reference Group to the Minister of Education and Minister of Children and Youth Services, February 2007, p. 62.
6. School board personnel may include, but are not limited to, the following: principals and vice-principals; teachers; counsellors; teachers' assistants; resource teachers; educational consultants; psycho-educational consultants; Provincial School or Demonstration School personnel.
7. Community personnel may include, but are not limited to, the following: occupational therapists; physiotherapists; other medical professionals; child and youth workers; social workers; psychologists; service providers from appropriate community agencies; autism program providers.
8. Functional behavioural assessment is a systematic process used by teachers, parents, caregivers, and other professionals to: enhance students' strengths; describe problematic and challenging behaviour; identify environmental factors and setting events that have a problematic influence on behaviour or that increase the probability that the challenging behaviour will occur; and determine what factors may cause a student to maintain a challenging behaviour, and design effective and efficient behaviour support plans to reduce or eliminate the challenging behaviour.
9. Additional resources can be found in the Resources section at the end of this memorandum.
(From a Listmate)

Thimerosal (Mercury) Exposure during Pregnancy Linked to Autistic Disorders

WASHINGTON, DC - In the May 2007 issue of the Journal of
Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (http://tinyurl.com/3533kq), the
official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the
Federation of Asia and Oceania and Perinatal Societies, and the
International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians, a new study, "A
Prospective Study of Thimerosal-Containing Rho(D)-Immune Globulin
Administration as a Risk Factor for Autistic Disorders," was published by
Dr. Mark R. Geier (President, the Genetic Centers of America) and David A.
Geier (Vice-President, the Institute of Chronic Illnesses). This new study
shows that administration of Thimerosal-preserved Rho(D)-immune g lobulin
preparations during pregnancy significantly increases the risk for offspring
developing autistic disorders. This finding is consistent with previously
published research by Dr. Amy Holmes, Mark Blaxill, and Dr. Boyd Haley in
the International Journal of Toxicology (2003), and refutes the recent study
funded by Johnson & Johnson (a maker of Rho(D)-immune globulins) that failed
to find an association between Thimerosal-preserved Rho(D)-immune globulins
and autistic disorders.
Since the late 1980s, Rho(D)-immune globulin preparations have been
routinely administered to Rh-negative women in the US during pregnancy at 28
weeks gestation, a prenatal period corresponding to damage occurring in the
fetal brain, that has been associated with autistic disorders.
Unfortunately, until 2001, some formulations of Rho(D)-immune globulins
manufactured for the US market contained Thimerosal, a mercury-containing
compound (49.6% mercury by weight). As a result, administration of
Thimerosal-preserved Rho(D)-immune globulins exposed Rh-negative pregnant
women to bolus doses of mercury ranging from 10.5 t o greater than 30
micrograms mercury per administration at critical prenatal developmental
periods. In some cases, Rh-negative women received several Rho(D)-immune
globulins during their pregnancy. In addition, if the fetus was Rh-positive,
the mother was administered another Rho(D)-immune globulin after birth. When
that infant was breastfed, then, that infant would receive another
significant mercury exposure.
In this new study, the researchers examined a total of 53 non-Jewish
Caucasian patients with a diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD),
born from 1987 through 2001, who prospectively presented to the Genetic
Centers of America for outpatient genetic/developmental evaluations from
June 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006. Imaging and laboratory testing were
conducted to rule-out other causal factors for their ASDs. As race-matched
controls, the frequency of Rh-negativity was determined from 926 non-Jewish
Caucasian pregnant women who presented for outpatient prenatal genetics care
to the Genetic Centers of America between 1980 and 1989. Children with a
diagnosis of an ASD were more than twice as likely to have an Rh-negative mo
ther than the controls. Each ASD patient with an Rh-negative mother was
administered a Thimerosal-preserved Rho(D)-immune globulin during her
pregnancy. These researchers concluded that their results provide insights
into the causal role prenatal mercury exposure may play in some children
diagnosed with autistic disorders.
Note: For those who wishing to confirm, whether or not, their child is
mercury poisoned, they may want to have a urine porphyrin profile analysis
(UPAA) test done. For more information, visit the Coalition for Mercury-free
Drugs (CoMeD)'s web site: http://www.Mercury-freeDrugs.org

SafeMinds on Johnson & Johnson's Rogue Rhogam Paper

From SafeMinds, thanks to Elizabeth Kilpatrick.

http://www.safeminds.org

University of Missouri Study on Link Between Autism and Mercury a
Discredit to Sound Science Undisclosed industry funding, unsubstantiated
conclusions on vaccines, and study sample alteration undermine credibility
on controversial topic.
A recent press release from the University of Missouri announced the
results of a study on autism and Rh immune globulin (RhIg) injections, some
of which contained a mercury preservative called thimerosal. [See Reuters
report http://tinyurl.com/34yber.]
SafeMinds reviewed information about this study and found several
troublesome aspects, including undisclosed industry funding, unsubstantiated
conclusions on vaccines and mercury, and deviation from acceptable
scientific practice.
The study was funded by Johnson & Johnson, the largest manufacturer of
RhIg products and the defendant in several lawsuits alleging a link between
autism and mercury in RhIg. In an earlier 2005 poster presentation, the
study authors acknowledged that the research was "supported by Johnson &
Johnson Pharmaceutical Research," but the University of Missouri press
release omits mention of this conflict of interest.
The press release headline falsely claims that the "Study Finds No
Link Between Autism and Thimerosal in Vaccines." The study is about Rh
immune globulin, and immune globulins are not vaccines. "The headline
deceives the public," noted Mark Blaxill, director of SafeMinds. "It says an
autism-mercury in vaccines link has been disproved when the research did not
do so." In fact, the study failed to differentiate between mothers who
received RhIg brands with mercury and those receiving the brand without
mercury, rendering assessment of mercury's role in autism from RhIg
indeterminate.
Changes to the research sample were made in the middle of the study.
The 2005 sample contained 47 mothers with more than one child with
autism, while the final 2007 study only had 16 mothers with more than one
child with autism. The elimination of 31 'multiplex' families means that the
original sample was altered, and not just added to, after initial results
were obtained in contradiction of standard research practice meant to
prevent manipulation of findings.
"An earlier analysis by SafeMinds of the poster presentation revealed
numerous flaws in methods, analysis and interpretation," stated Mr.
Blaxill. "We are concerned many of these flaws have not been corrected
and quite possibly have been amplified in the published paper. While the
poster results demonstrated an increased risk of autism in
thimerosal-exposed children, the written interpretation of the data claimed
the opposite."
Once SafeMinds has the opportunity to review the full paper, a full
assessment will be completed. SafeMinds calls for unbiased studies on the
potential link between autism and mercury exposures. More information on
this study is available at www.safeminds.org.

From a Listmate

A Miracle Dog For Reece

By Maria Elena Baca, Minneapolis Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/diversions/story/1190543.html

A Rochester family is trying an emerging therapy for autistic kids --
a specially trained service dog. Reece Trahan, 7, finds solace in a black
Labrador named Pudge.
It was a Tuesday evening in late March at Glynner's Pub in Rochester,
Minn. Brad and Joanie Trahan were settling their family into their usual
table when their middle son, Reece, who has severe autism, began to whine
and flail his arms.
"Don't bite, Reecey," his dad, Brad, intoned, once again stopping his
son from nervously biting himself on his bruised forearms.
During dinner, Reece, nearly 7, kept his father busy. First he darted
toward a heaping nacho plate at a nearby table; Brad intercepted him just in
time. Later, Reece stacked and unstacked cups, moving Brad's hand to help
him with his cup, taking a sip, putting it down, asking for more. Brad
patiently did the tasks his son set for him. It looked exhausting.
That was before the arrival of Pudge, a black Labrador who began
living with the Trahans in March after a 2½-year wait.
The idea of using service dogs to aid autistic kids is relatively new.
National Service Dogs (NSD) of Kitchener, Ontario, first experimented with
the pairing 11 years ago and has placed about 125 dogs, only two of them in
the United States. NSD also is one of the few service dog providers that
specializes in training dogs for kids with autism.
Service dogs make autistic children safer, can help them interact
socially and can reduce some parental stress if families go into the
relationship with realistic expectations, said Kristen Burrows, a researcher
from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph.
Reece's autism was diagnosed in January 2003, three months before his
third birthday. He doesn't speak. He wears a diaper. He moves constantly,
his hands working beads, phone cords, bouncy balls and other favorite
objects. He has a limited ability to interact with people, even his family.
His behavior has been unpredictable. Crowds, loud noises and transitions
agitate him.
In April, the Trahans again went to Glynner's for dinner -- this time
with Pudge. Reece was agitated. He pressed his thumbs up into his earlobes
and swayed, whining. He resisted Brad's attempts to reassure him. Brad
hooked the tether that Reece wears on his belt to Pudge's vest.
Reece resisted, wrenching at the 5-foot tether and pulling it taut.
Pudge lay still as the sphinx, stopping Reece from darting across the
restaurant. After a minute, Reece gave up. Then he stepped over his dog to
the table and calmly began to sip at a glass of water.
He went on to feed himself and play quietly as his parents chatted
over a leisurely dinner. A first.

Miracle dog
On March 31, the Trahans, including Brad's parents, traveled to
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in a limousine, courtesy of a
family friend, to pick up Brad and the dog. Brad's flight was delayed; the
family loitered around the baggage carousel until ... Brenden, 8, bellowed
"DAD!" and broke into a sprint, with Payton, 3, at his heels.
Both kids leaped into their dad's arms; he staggered up the hall, with
a child on each arm while leading a handsome black dog in a purple work
vest. Back with his mother, Reece giggled and skipped at the sight of his
father, and snuck sidelong glances at the dog.
"Reecey, c'mere, bud," Brad said, taking Reece's hand and pulling him
to the reclining Pudge. "You'd better get used to him. You're gonna like
him, aren't you?"
Reece giggled.
"Reecey, can you pet Pudge?" Brad urged. "I know you hear me. Pet
him."
Reece's hand hovered a moment over the dog's black head, then pulled
back. The other family members moved in, patting and cooing over Pudge, who
rolled over for a belly scratch.
"You're a miracle dog, aren't you?" remarked Gene Trahan, Brad's
father.
After several shy attempts, Reece leaned in and put a hand on Pudge's
head for a moment, before snatching it away. Instead, he nudged the dog's
paw with his toe and giggled again.
That night in bed, Pudge curled up at Reece's feet. For the first time
in nearly seven years, Reece slept the whole night through in his own bed.
Unlike many kids with autism, Reece loves hugs, rough-housing and
tickles. He uses gestures to communicate his needs. He is also singularly
happy; his giggle could fill a room. Still, Reece's autism has taken a toll
on the family. Before Pudge, they rarely went to church as a family, had
never taken a family vacation, feared going to unfamiliar places. Brenden
and Payton are self-possessed and independent, but Brad and Joanie worry
that they've had to grow up too fast.
+ Read more: http://www.startribune.com/diversions/story/1190543.html

From the York Region Papers:

Alan Jackson, 51, was more than a teacher to his students

May 17, 2007 09:14 AM
By: Teresa Latchford, Staff Writer
The loss of a generous community member and dedicated teacher is being felt by all whose lives he touched.
Alan Bailey Jackson, 51, died last Friday from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket.
He was a graduate of Thornhill Secondary School and McMaster University as well as a Camp Ponacka alumnus. His career led him to teaching, but to students, co-workers and friends, he was so much more than a teacher..
"It's the world's loss," Country Day School headmaster Paul Duckett said. "I can't do him justice in one conversation."
Mr. Jackson began teaching at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, but moved to the Country Day School in King in 1988, where he planted his roots. He assumed the roles of department head, director of admission and director of development, but his passion was mathematics.
He became a magnet for students at the private school, Mr Duckett explained. He made himself available for extra help and was popular among his co-workers and students.
"Anybody who knew him, found him to be a caring person," he said. "Very giving of himself, very genuine."
To support a man who was so respected for his own charity, the Country Day School proudly participated in last year's ALS walk that raised funds to support medical research.
With the option to post a comment about Mr. Jackson before the walk, comments from across York Region, Ontario and Canada spoke of a kind and pro-active man who was a teacher and friend with a talent for engaging and encouraging education. The comments at www.als.ca//events/mybook showed the support he and his family had through his battle with ALS.
When Mr. Jackson took ill and was forced to take leave from the school, students sent him thoughtful cards, co-workers kept in contact with his family and senior students created a DVD documenting his contribution in initiating hockey at the school, which he coached for numerous years.
"Unfortunately, he will never get to see the video," Mr. Duckett said. "But the students will present the video to his family as their tribute."
The school's choir will sing at his funeral and the school will close its doors for the day to allow everyone the chance to pay their respects.
"He faced some tough things through his life," Mr. Duckett remembered. "But I never, not once, heard him complain."
He was a man who was not afraid to reach out and lend a helping hand and his warm heart will be remembered and missed by many.
Mr. Jackson is survived by his wife, Jody, three children, Hart, Emma and Nathan, as well as his brothers, Mike, Jeff and Andy.
His children invite family and friends to a memorial service today at 11 a.m. at the Aurora United Church, 15186 Yonge St.
Donations to Giant Steps Toronto, in support of children with autism, would be appreciated by the family. Donations can be made by calling 905-881-3104 or visiting www.canadahelps.org

Guide dogs transform autism care
Black Lab steers boy, 6, away from hazards in first city case of its kind

Josh Wingrove
The Edmonton Journal

Thursday, May 17, 2007
EDMONTON - Aidan Papadatos got a dog for his upcoming birthday. His parents got peace of mind.
Five-year-old Aidan, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, got Leia, a two-year-old black Labrador, last month -- the first service dog trained for an autistic child in Edmonton.
Aidan will be tethered to Leia, who guides him away from traffic and keeps him from going too far from his parents while in public.
"I didn't think he'd co-operate at all, but he did. I was surprised," said his mother Karyn, 32, after Aidan and Leia worked together for the first time this week.
Some autistic children have no impulse control and could easily run into traffic or leave with a stranger, and they need constant supervision, said Lyn Parker, president of the Autism Society of the Edmonton area. "They will run out into traffic, oblivious to everything," said Parker, whose 11-year-old daughter has autism spectrum disorder.
The dogs provide a safety net.
"I think it's an amazing program," said Parker, whose family bought their own dog nine years ago and taught it to help their daughter.
They still have the dog, a part-Labrador.
The dogs give families freedom from worry, agreed Chris Fowler, who founded National Service Dogs 11 years ago in Ontario, and has placed 130 dogs with children across Canada.
"We really look at assisting the family with that safety aspect.
"The parents don't have to have a physical hold on the child, which in turn allows the child to be more independent," Fowler said.
Fowler spent this week with the Papadatos family to help with the transition.
With Leia, who weighs 29 kilograms, Aidan's parents know she'll lie down if he gets too far away, steering him clear of traffic and hazards.
"The safety aspect is a big part of it," said his father John, 42.
The increased independence and safety has already had an impact on Aidan, he said.
"All of the sudden, it feels like this weight has been taken off my shoulders. I hadn't felt that since he was diagnosed. It just floored me (seeing Aidan with Leia).
"It was very emotional. I'm just so thankful," he said.
The family moved to the city from Toronto late last year. Ontario cuts off funding to most autism programs at age six -- Aidan's birthday is next week -- while Alberta maintains government subsidies and school board funding until an autistic child turns 18.
It will take time for the public to recognize the use of service dogs for autistic children, Fowler believes. Aidan and Leia got a rude welcome on their first night out, when Fowler and the family were asked by a restaurant to leave the dog outside.
They didn't, and were able to finish eating after explaining the dog's role. Today, the family will try taking Aidan and Leia to West Edmonton Mall.
The dogs are raised by volunteer families as puppies, and return to National Service Dogs when they're 15 months old.
The dogs are trained for five months, matched with a child and spend a week training with the child's parents before joining the family, said Fowler, who is allergic to dogs.
Each costs about $18,000 to raise. The National Service Dogs program is funded by donations from other charities, corporate foundations and families, Fowler said.
The Papadatos family raised $14,000 themselves after applying for the dog in 2004. Fowler's waiting list is nearly three years long, including 17 families from Alberta.
The Autism Society estimates that one in 150 children born today will be diagnosed with autism by the time they start school. Autism spectrum disorder includes a wide array of behaviours, which often include limited communication skills and a tendency for repetitive actions. Boys are four times more likely than girls to be affected.
For more information on the program, visit www.nsd.on.ca/autism.htm.
jwingrove@thejournal.canwest.com
Durham parents weighed down by cost of autism treatment

May 7, 2007 By Jillian Follert
DURHAM -- Jane Kitchen's son is no longer on the waiting list to receive government-funded treatment for autism.
Not because he got to the front of the line, but because five-year-old Ben's autism was deemed too mild to qualify for treatment paid for by the Province.
Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain in the areas of communication and social skills.
Children and adults with autism may have trouble with verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, experience sensitivity in sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste, exhibit aggressive or self-injurious behaviour and have difficulty with changes in routine.
According to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, a child must have an autistic disorder or condition that is "towards the severe end of the autism spectrum disorder" -- and have received such a diagnosis from a doctor or psychologist -- before qualifying for funded treatment.
"He was diagnosed with autism. Obviously there are children with more severity, but they all need help," says Ms. Kitchen, one of many frustrated parents in Durham. "Without treatment, he wouldn't be able to function."Ã¢Â€Â¨ When Ben was first diagnosed, he barely spoke, didn't look people in the eye, and had difficulty socializing. Today, thanks to treatment his parents pay for with their line of credit, he is making strides in all those areas.
He receives private treatment for six hours a week, which costs the family just over $7,000 annually. Ms. Kitchen says many other families pay out of pocket for 40 hours of treatment weekly, making their financial burden much heavier.
She is adamant that autism treatment should be funded by the Province or through OHIP, regardless of the severity.
"If someone in this Province has cancer, you don't tell them it's not serious enough and to come back when they're almost dead. You catch it early and treat it early," Ms. Kitchen says. "It should be the same for autism."Ã¢Â€Â¨ Many others share this point of view.
On April 12, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal from a group of 28 families who have been pressuring the government to provide more comprehensive funding for autism treatment.
The determined group won at the lower court level, then lost at the Ontario Court of Appeal. In desperation, they made an application to the Supreme Court and were told the case would not be heard.
While the legal battle is over, those disappointed by the ruling said the political fight is just beginning.
Autism Ontario is a province wide group that works to promote awareness of the disorder and support families through a network of 29 local chapters.
In the months leading up to next fall's provincial election, members hope to make autism a high profile issue by developing a series of questions to ask each party leader, particularly Premier Dalton McGuinty who has made many promises related to autism.
A government spokesman was unavailable for comment on the McGuinty government's policies, however the Ministry of Children and Youth Services did provide This Week with the following statistics.
The 2007 budget for autism services increases funding to approximately $130 million and more than 1,100 children are now receiving Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI) services through the government's Autism Intervention Program -- more than double the number of kids receiving treatment in 2004.
But families are demanding more, saying all children with autism should qualify for treatment.
"When families end up paying for this treatment themselves, it breaks them," said Lisa Wilson, president of the Durham chapter of Autism Ontario. "Some families pay as much as $60,000 to $80,000 for private treatment; it's very, very difficult for them."
Until recently, Ms. Wilson never thought her youngest son would be able to attend a regular kindergarten class.
But today, five-year-old Jonathan goes to school just like his three older brothers, thanks largely to receiving early intervention and treatment for autism.
"We had to mortgage our home to pay for his treatment," Ms. Wilson says. "Our pediatrician said don't wait for the government, do whatever it takes to get him treatment. So we did."
Jonathan was two-years-old when he was put on the waiting list for government funded treatment -- a list he would stay on for 16 months. His parents made the difficult decision to pay for costly private treatment in the interim.
In the end, Ms. Wilson says it was worth it. Jonathan made dramatic progress with both programs -- so much so that he was discharged from government-funded treatment.
As the provincial election nears, Ms. Wilson will be working with others from Autism Ontario to find out where party leaders stand on the autism funding issue, so parents of autistic kids can make an informed decision at the polls.
In Durham Region alone there are an estimated 3,500 people with autism spectrum disorder and about 70,000 provincewide.
The Durham Region chapter of Autism Ontario has about 300 members and offers education, three monthly support groups, family events, workshops and support.
For more information, visit www.autismontario.com/durham or call 1-866-495-4680.

Cops converge on north Ajax to search for missing boy

May 14, 2007
AJAX -- Police scoured north Ajax from the ground and air Saturday afternoon for an autistic child who'd gone missing from a relative's farm.
Durham police officers riding ATVs and working on the ground with two canine units were joined by two police helicopters, one from Durham and the other from neighbouring York Region after the report of a missing child came in around 1 p.m. The boy, 10, went missing while visiting a farm near Church Street and Taunton Road.
The intensive search ended happily when the boy was found walking on Taunton near Salem Road, approximately three kilometres from the point where he went missing. He was uninjured and soon reunited with his family.

Political price to pay in autism fight

May 16, 2007
By Tim Kelly

Dalton McGuinty made far too many promises during the last provincial election campaign.
The list of broken pledges is long -- no tax increases, closure of the coal-fired generators at Nanticoke by 2007, too many others to name in so short a space -- but one of the key heartbreakers is his failure to provide full funding to the parents of autistic children.
No doubt thousands of fathers and mothers across this vast province were thrilled when Mr. McGuinty was elected three and a half years ago with a majority government. Now he could deliver on his promise to fully fund treatment of autism for the tens of thousands of Ontario youngsters who have the debilitating condition.
Make no mistake -- autism is a devastating disability that requires a time and energy commitment those untouched by it cannot begin to imagine. A severely autistic child brings with him a lifelong 24/7 level of care. Parents of such a child truly are heroes. Only they know how demanding and exhausting dealing with autism is.
So imagine how those parents felt when they came to the cold realization Mr. McGuinty had no intention of keeping his campaign vow to provide full funding to those with autism.
I know of a local family forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars per year for treatment for their child. Such bills were so enormous the couple were forced to sell their house. But they kept up the therapy and their son has made tremendous strides -- no thanks to the Province.
As Durham parent Jane Kitchen, whose five-year-old son, Ben, has autism, says: "If someone in this Province has cancer, you don't tell them it's not serious enough and to come back when they're almost dead. You catch it early and treat it early. It should be the same for autism."
A group of 28 parents went to court to sue the Province to provide full funding for treatment and won at a lower court level. The Province appealed and the parents saw the decision overturned at the Ontario Court of Appeal. Very recently, the Supreme Court of Canada decided not to hear the appeal.
So, while it would appear that would be the end of the story, don't count out families of children with autism. They will be out there this fall, seeking commitments from politicians on this issue and putting pressure on the premier to keep his 2003 promise. They will also be looking for explanations for why that pledge wasn't honoured.
When families are being shattered by autism and forced to go into withering debt, it's not right. Mr. McGuinty has much to answer for. Copy editor Tim Kelly's column appears every other Wednesday. E-mail tkelly@durhamregion.com

York Region papers:

School boards get $6M to teach autistic kids

May 19, 2007 06:32 AM
By: Michael Power, Staff Writer
Specialized instruction modifies behaviour
Starting in September, school boards must provide specialized instruction for students with autism, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced.
"This is what (those in) the field have asked us for," Ms Wynne said, adding the province will spend $6 million to make it happen.
"There needs to be more capacity in the system for teachers to be able to work this way with students with autism," she added.
The specialized teaching method, known as applied behaviour analysis, involves modifying a child's behaviour by manipulating the environment. The technique can be used to teach behaviours such as brushing teeth or tying shoe laces.
The directive comes in response to a report from the Autism Reference Group. Made up of parents, educators, service providers and others, it was asked for recommendations regarding autistic students.
The announcement, made Thursday in Markham, includes training for teachers and other staff on how to use the teaching method, she said.
Between six and eight representatives from each school board will get training over the next two months, she said. That will be followed by school team training of up to 1,400 teachers, principals and educational assistants over the summer.
"I want as much training as possible to have happened before Labour Day," Ms Wynne said.
The Autism Reference Group was impressed at how fast the province acted on its recommendation, group chairperson Lynn Ziraldo said.
"It's a report that was given to the ministry 2-1/2 months ago and it's already starting to be implemented," she said.
Bruce McIntosh, whose son, Cliff, is autistic, welcomed the announcement as a step in the right direction.
But Mr. McIntosh, who hopes to run in Thornhill for the Conservatives in November's provincial election, questioned why the government seemed to change its mind on the issue.
Previously, the province had said applied behaviour analysis couldn't be performed within the school system.
Still, the teaching method had been taught in some Ontario schools already, but under different names, he said.
"I'm pleased to see they've come to their senses in that regard," he said. "If they can get this thing together for fall, that's fantastic."

This message from Adam Feinstein.

Just a quick note to say that the latest issue of my 40-page monthly international autism newsletter, Looking Up (www.lookingupautism.org), is out now. Each month, we publish the most recent research findings, news and views from the world of autism.

The latest issue includes:

LOOKING UP INTERVIEW: In a rare and invaluable opportunity, we talk extensively to STEPHEN WILTSHIRE, the world's most famous autistic savant artist

ASPERGER'S SYNDROME - AN IN-DEPTH SURVEY: Dr Hans Asperger and his 'little professors' ... Could school pupil's condition really have prompted him to kill classmate? ... The story of Nikki Bacharach, daughter of Burt Bacharach and Angie Dickinson: did her disorder impel her to take the tragic decision to end her own life? And for necessary balance, we look at the positive side of Asperger's syndrome. Also: what Dr LORNA WING and DENNIS DEBBAUDT told Looking Up

BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES: 'Never give up trying' - we publish invaluable advice on how to handle extremely difficult behaviour in autistic children

RESEARCH NEWS:

Prevalence: autism rate now stands at one in 150, according to latest study

Toxic chemicals 'may be causing pandemic of brain disorders,' says new study, but some critics call it scaremongering. We talk to Dr JANET KERN, a leading world expert in this field.

First Indian study of genetics of autism makes major discovery

Related disorders: New research suggests that symptoms of Rett's syndrome may be reversible: we talk to the world's top authorities on Rett's about the new study; Cornelia de Lange gene discovery 'may open channel for autism research

In the next few issues of LOOKING UP:

Interview with Raun Kaufman, director of the Son Rise Institute
Autism in the arts: cinema, theatre and books
Education special
Language issues in autism
Autism in Asia and Africa
Employment for adults with autism
Autism and sports

You can find more details about how to obtain Looking Up by going to the website (www.lookingupautism.org). You will also find a new, improved index and search engine, full contents of all back issues, as well as some free articles from previous editions (including interviews with Dr Gary Mesibov, Dr Tony Attwood, Theo Peeters, Dr Eric Courchesne, Professor Digby Tantam and Professor Christopher Gillberg), and extracts from many other articles.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you need further information.

Best wishes,

Adam Feinstein


Adam Feinstein
http://www.lookingupautism.org

From Nancy Morrison:

As I shared on Friday, Shelley Martel has announced that she won't be running in the next election. For the most part, media coverage has been pretty positive. Unfortunately, the Toronto Star had an article by Rob Ferguson that frankly was less than respectful of her 20 years in politics. For example, he didn't even mention her championing autism issues. In this light, I'm wondering if you would be willing to write Letters to the Editor of the Toronto Star expressing your support for Shelley's work as an MPP? It would be a shame if readers of the Star were left with a less than accurate picture of Shelley, especially now that she's leaving politics. I have shared the article below.....

Nancy

Martel won't run in election

20-year MPP, wife of NDP Leader Howard Hampton, to retire so she can spend more time with their two children
May 19, 2007
Rob Ferguson
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU

After 20 years as an MPP – including 12 as a working mother – veteran New Democrat MPP Shelley Martel is leaving elected politics.
The wife of NDP Leader Howard Hampton said yesterday she won't run in her Sudbury-area riding of Nickel Belt in the Oct. 10 provincial election so that she can spend more time with their two children and pursue other interests.
"We haven't had much quality time in a long, long time," said the daughter of former Sudbury East MPP Elie Martel, who served in the Legislature for 20 years before her.
Hampton and Martel, who were both cabinet ministers in the stormy government of former NDP premier Bob Rae in the early 1990s, often found themselves in different parts of the province because Hampton represents the remote and massive northwestern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River.
Martel, 44, said she plans to spend the fall on the campaign trail helping the NDP in Sudbury before returning to the couple's rented home in Toronto after the Oct. 10 election.
Then she'll savour life as a mom to Sarah, 12 and Jonathan, 9 – both heavily involved in sports – before figuring out her next career move.
"If it's out there, I don't know what it is yet," Martel said in a conference call from Sudbury.
She'll be entitled to about $140,000 in severance pay but no pension payout because former premier Mike Harris scrapped what he called the "gold-plated" plan for MPPs a decade ago. At that time, Martel got an estimated $200,000 as the plan was wound up with $109 million in payouts to MPPs who now have an RRSP-style plan to which the government contributes 10 per cent of their salary.
Hampton said "no" when asked if his wife's move prompted him to reconsider his future in politics after 11 years as party leader. He said Martel "agonized" over her future for more than two years before deciding at Christmas to move on.
"I told her `you didn't sign on to this job for life.'"
As an MPP, Martel earned just under $112,990 annually thanks to a controversial 25 per cent raise McGuinty pushed through the Legislature just before Christmas. She was one of several New Democrats who pledged to give the increase to charity.
Her stint as northern development and mines minister under Rae came to an end in 1994 after Ontario's privacy commissioner found she violated the privacy rights of an Ottawa consultant.
She narrowly averted resigning from cabinet three years earlier after smearing a Sudbury doctor's reputation at a cocktail party, resulting in a $400,000 inquiry that saw Martel take a lie detector test to prove she had lied about having confidential information from the doctor.

School boards get $6M to teach autistic kids
May 19, 2007 06:32 AM
By: Michael Power, Staff Writer
Specialized instruction modifies behaviour
Starting in September, school boards must provide specialized instruction for students with autism, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced.
"This is what (those in) the field have asked us for," Ms Wynne said, adding the province will spend $6 million to make it happen.
"There needs to be more capacity in the system for teachers to be able to work this way with students with autism," she added.
The specialized teaching method, known as applied behaviour analysis, involves modifying a child's behaviour by manipulating the environment. The technique can be used to teach behaviours such as brushing teeth or tying shoe laces.
The directive comes in response to a report from the Autism Reference Group. Made up of parents, educators, service providers and others, it was asked for recommendations regarding autistic students.
The announcement, made Thursday in Markham, includes training for teachers and other staff on how to use the teaching method, she said.
Between six and eight representatives from each school board will get training over the next two months, she said. That will be followed by school team training of up to 1,400 teachers, principals and educational assistants over the summer.
"I want as much training as possible to have happened before Labour Day," Ms Wynne said.
The Autism Reference Group was impressed at how fast the province acted on its recommendation, group chairperson Lynn Ziraldo said.
"It's a report that was given to the ministry 2-1/2 months ago and it's already starting to be implemented," she said.
Bruce McIntosh, whose son, Cliff, is autistic, welcomed the announcement as a step in the right direction.
But Mr. McIntosh, who hopes to run in Thornhill for the Conservatives in November's provincial election, questioned why the government seemed to change its mind on the issue.
Previously, the province had said applied behaviour analysis couldn't be performed within the school system.
Still, the teaching method had been taught in some Ontario schools already, but under different names, he said.
"I'm pleased to see they've come to their senses in that regard," he said. "If they can get this thing together for fall, that's fantastic."
From a listmate, this article from the Winnipeg area:

Gray Center SUN News: A "hole" lot of potential!

Welcome to SUN News--a weekly update for The Gray Center Social Understanding Network!

When I'm driving between my home and The Gray Center office, I sometimes pass new housing developments. It's exciting to watch the progression of a house from a large, nondescript hole in the ground, to a skeleton of wood, to a beautiful home. When the hole is first dug for the basement and foundation, it's difficult for me to imagine how the finished structure will look, and how it will fit into the surrounding neighborhood. Since I'm not the architect who has both a mental picture of the finished product as well as a blueprint for its development, I have a hard time making the mental stretch from a muddy hole to a comfortable dwelling.

The other day I realized that our children and students could be compared to the hole in the ground at the beginning of a construction project.
Unfortunately, some people tend to view individuals with autism in terms of what they're "missing." There is perhaps no greater frustration for me than to hear someone declare when a child is young that "he will never be in a regular classroom," "he will never drive," or "she will never live independently." That's as ridiculous as saying to an architect or contactor, "That hole will never be a home!"

While the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is primarily based on differences, delays, or deficits, each individual has numerous strengths as well. Diagnosis or no diagnosis, our children are a "hole" lot of potential! They are already unique individuals, and there is a special blueprint for each of their lives. While we do not have access to the final blueprint, and do not know what they will grow up to be, we can help to ensure that they receive the finest construction throughout the entire process. How wonderful it is when we help our children catch that vision by saying things like, "You have such talent for writing--I'll bet you could write a book someday!" or "You are a very diligent worker. Someone will be fortunate to have you as an employee when you get older, and I'm blessed to have you as my helper," or even, "You've studied hard for that test. No matter how well you do on it, I'm proud of you for preparing so thoroughly!"

And while we're at it, don't forget the potential that YOU possess as an individual working on behalf of people with ASD. One person CAN make a difference! I'll close with an inspiring quote by Joyce Maynard, "It's not only children who grow. Parents [and other adults] do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun.
All I can do is reach for it myself."

If you'd like to share stories of the work you're doing, or the progress you're seeing in people around you, please do so on our SUN News blog at http://graycenter.wordpress.com/. It's exciting to have this opportunity to learn from and to support each other!
Let's continue to work on this valuable construction project; building a world that's open to and values the unique perspectives and abilities of each and every person! Now that's true social understanding!
Laurel A. Hoekman, Executive Director
The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding laurel@thegraycenter.org
P.S. If you live in or around Michigan , there's still time to register to hear Nick Dubin speak about Asperger Syndrome on May 10!
If you live too far away to join us, you can find Nick's book and DVDs (on Asperger's, employment, and bullying) in The Gray Center's online bookstore.
Go to www.thegraycenter.org for more information.

Bus Transportation for June 18th Event

Air-conditioned coach bus transportation available at cost price for the June 18th event for Shelley Martel. Pick-up and drop-off Barrie and Port Hope. Roundtrip fare will be $10 per person. Please email taline.s@sympatico.ca

Taline Sagharian

The Mrs. are the hits in Ontario politics
Better half is accurate when describing the wives of provincial leaders
By CHRISTINA BLIZZARD, TORONTO SUN
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Blizzard_Christina/2007/05/20/pf-4194836.html
Any time the issue comes up about how to get more women in politics, I always ponder how much better this province would be if the wives of our leaders ran for office instead of their mates.
The perfect example is Terri McGuinty. While her hubby has made giant steps to become more animated since he became premier, her thousand kilowatt smile puts him in the shade. Dalton tries hard, but he still tends to be a little awkward when he's doing the glad-handing thing. Terri has a warmth and charm, while Dalton tends to be a bit gawky.
As a kindergarten teacher, Terri probably has a better handle on education than he does. Come to think of it, as a kindergarten teacher, she probably has a better handle on Question Period as well. As a mother of four, she'd get those noisy brats in the Ledge to quieten down lickety-split.
You get the sense, too, that Terri is very much her own woman. She's not someone who gets pushed around. And while many people think Finance Minister Greg Sorbara is the power behind the McGuinty throne, I suspect it's Terri.
"You won't get any argument with me on that score," McGuinty said in an interview on Friday. "I am told repeatedly that had we run Terri in my first bid for the premiership, we would have won and this would be our second mandate," he quipped.

And he was slightly self-deprecating in pointing out his wife's numerous talents.
"She makes up for everything that I am lacking and I am not going to go into that list, because it is too long," the premier said.
Another point that has been made is she is exceptionally attractive. Almost too attractive to be married to Dalton, who's a tad on the nerdy side.
"She's way too hot for him," one astute observer pointed out recently.
Then there's John Tory's wife, Barbara Hackett. She's one feisty lady. Barb also has four children. And you don't raise four kids without having a great sense of humour and a lot of common sense.
Tory tends to be a little -- how shall I put it politely? -- okay, the word stuffy comes to mind. Barb, meanwhile, has a wicked gleam in her eye that makes you think she's got some very naughty scheme up her sleeve. Like Terri, Barb is very attractive, always has a smile on her face and is quick with a funny one-liner. She's also a no nonsense businesswoman who runs her own successful company. Perhaps she'd be a good finance minister.
In an interview last week, Tory conceded his wife is more fun than he is.
"She is also much smarter than I am, in that she has resisted the allure of being in public life," he quipped.
"Barbara Hackett wins more votes for John Tory than John Tory does," he admits.
"No one ever forgets meeting her and there are a whole bunch of people who could forget me," he said ruefully. That's what has made them a great team in the 29 years they've been married.
"I am fun-loving too, but I am by definition a bit more reserved," he said, pointing out that being in politics makes you parse your words carefully.
It's that teamwork that keeps them together, Tory says.
Tory says the couple BlackBerry messages back and forth to each other all day long.
"She would probably win in a landslide and she probably is more fun than I am, but people have to take us together because we are a team," Tory said.
Then there's Howard Hampton's wife, Shelley Martel. And, sure, the mother of two is not the average leader's wife. For starters, she comes from a family that is a bit of a socialist dynasty in the north. And she already has her own seat in the House -- although she decided late last week to put family ahead of her career and not seek re-election in October. While she may come across as shrill in the Legislature, Shelley is a gentle person who cares passionately about issues like services for autistic children.
They are the quintessential sweet and scary couple. If Hampton eased up a bit on the eye-bulging bombast and took a leaf from his wife's heartfelt passionate approach, he'd likely win more seats in the October election.
Look, I'm not a big feminist. I don't believe we should have quotas to get more women elected. I can't help thinking, though, that a province run by Terri, Barb and Shelley would be a lot more fun and a lot better run than the world according to Dalton, John and Howie.

School boards get $6M to teach autistic kids

May 19, 2007 06:32 AM
By: Michael Power, Staff Writer
Specialized instruction modifies behaviour
Starting in September, school boards must provide specialized instruction for students with autism, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced.
"This is what (those in) the field have asked us for," Ms Wynne said, adding the province will spend $6 million to make it happen.
"There needs to be more capacity in the system for teachers to be able to work this way with students with autism," she added.
The specialized teaching method, known as applied behaviour analysis, involves modifying a child's behaviour by manipulating the environment. The technique can be used to teach behaviours such as brushing teeth or tying shoe laces.
The directive comes in response to a report from the Autism Reference Group. Made up of parents, educators, service providers and others, it was asked for recommendations regarding autistic students.
The announcement, made Thursday in Markham, includes training for teachers and other staff on how to use the teaching method, she said.
Between six and eight representatives from each school board will get training over the next two months, she said. That will be followed by school team training of up to 1,400 teachers, principals and educational assistants over the summer.
"I want as much training as possible to have happened before Labour Day," Ms Wynne said.
The Autism Reference Group was impressed at how fast the province acted on its recommendation, group chairperson Lynn Ziraldo said.
"It's a report that was given to the ministry 2-1/2 months ago and it's already starting to be implemented," she said.
Bruce McIntosh, whose son, Cliff, is autistic, welcomed the announcement as a step in the right direction.
But Mr. McIntosh, who hopes to run in Thornhill for the Conservatives in November's provincial election, questioned why the government seemed to change its mind on the issue.
Previously, the province had said applied behaviour analysis couldn't be performed within the school system.
Still, the teaching method had been taught in some Ontario schools already, but under different names, he said.
"I'm pleased to see they've come to their senses in that regard," he said. "If they can get this thing together for fall, that's fantastic."

Toronto's AdBands to Raise Money For Autism
Toronto-based AdBands, a collection of rock bands made up of some of the advertising industries most talented creative people, are coming together on May 31st for a third year to raise funds and awareness for one little girl with autism.
The 'Adbands' concept was conceived by Craig Brownrigg, Director at Radke and former agency Art Director and uncle to five year old Tennyson, who is affected with autism. The event aims to raise funds for Tennyson's costly IBI Autism therapy and the Geneva Center.
It's a nice cause but we do have to question the use of the death-focused skull and crossbones logo on the organization's site when the cause is all about helping a person live.

MPP Shelley Martel has been a champion for children with autism, something that Mr. Ferguson neglected to mention in his article "Martel won't run in election" on May 19th.

I met MPP Martel shortly after my son was diagnosed with ASD, and I can truly say that without her caring support, lobbying efforts and relentless campaigning for our children's needs, I don't think I could have survived this journey. The Ontario government has put unsurmountable stress on the families in this province that deal with autism. Every family I know that has a child with autism faces financial ruin, has remortgaged their homes to pay for their children's needs and education, endured legal costs to try to obtain the rights of their child with autism, and all the personal stress that goes with it.

The autism community regards MPP Martel as an ICON for our children, and the entire community is greiving that she will not be there in October to carry on her ever professional efforts on behalf of all Ontario children with autism. We have lost one of the hardest working, honest and caring politicians of our time.

Nancy Morrison
Bradford, Ontario
905-778-1080

The Toronto Star Article

May 19, 2007
Rob Ferguson
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU

After 20 years as an MPP – including 12 as a working mother – veteran New Democrat MPP Shelley Martel is leaving elected politics.
The wife of NDP Leader Howard Hampton said yesterday she won't run in her Sudbury-area riding of Nickel Belt in the Oct. 10 provincial election so that she can spend more time with their two children and pursue other interests.
"We haven't had much quality time in a long, long time," said the daughter of former Sudbury East MPP Elie Martel, who served in the Legislature for 20 years before her.
Hampton and Martel, who were both cabinet ministers in the stormy government of former NDP premier Bob Rae in the early 1990s, often found themselves in different parts of the province because Hampton represents the remote and massive northwestern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River.
Martel, 44, said she plans to spend the fall on the campaign trail helping the NDP in Sudbury before returning to the couple's rented home in Toronto after the Oct. 10 election.
Then she'll savour life as a mom to Sarah, 12 and Jonathan, 9 – both heavily involved in sports – before figuring out her next career move.
"If it's out there, I don't know what it is yet," Martel said in a conference call from Sudbury.
She'll be entitled to about $140,000 in severance pay but no pension payout because former premier Mike Harris scrapped what he called the "gold-plated" plan for MPPs a decade ago. At that time, Martel got an estimated $200,000 as the plan was wound up with $109 million in payouts to MPPs who now have an RRSP-style plan to which the government contributes 10 per cent of their salary.
Hampton said "no" when asked if his wife's move prompted him to reconsider his future in politics after 11 years as party leader. He said Martel "agonized" over her future for more than two years before deciding at Christmas to move on.
"I told her `you didn't sign on to this job for life.'"
As an MPP, Martel earned just under $112,990 annually thanks to a controversial 25 per cent raise McGuinty pushed through the Legislature just before Christmas. She was one of several New Democrats who pledged to give the increase to charity.
Her stint as northern development and mines minister under Rae came to an end in 1994 after Ontario's privacy commissioner found she violated the privacy rights of an Ottawa consultant.
She narrowly averted resigning from cabinet three years earlier after smearing a Sudbury doctor's reputation at a cocktail party, resulting in a $400,000 inquiry that saw Martel take a lie detector test to prove she had lied about having confidential information from the doctor.

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