September 3rd � September 6th 2007
Resending the two articles below due to technical glitches.
Autism NEWS Articles
September 5, 2007
We proudly send you this NEWS ARTICLE Mail Out for your interest. We continue to add new members weekly and are thankful to receive YOUR mailings from across the Province of Ontario , and cities and Provinces from across Canada .
We include from time to time news and interesting articles from the USA and abroad for members of this list outside of Ontario . We are pleased to offer this to you also through the blog:
http://autismnewsarticles.blogspot.com/
This is a special mailout
By REQUEST, The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) are resending you the questions and answers from our June 4th 2007 Political Debate on Autism Issues in Ontario . Hope you find this information useful to help you understand the platform of the three main parties.
This can also be read at the AFA Blog:
http://allianceforfamilieswithautism.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html
Friendly REMINDER
Our contact information for the AFA has changed,
effective immediately to autismafa@yahoo.ca
We created a DVD of the Debate.
If you are interested in purchasing a DVD copy of the debate, please email Lisa at lisa.advocate@hughes.net
For $10.00 the costs involved for the DVD, packaging and postage will be covered. There is also a portion that will go to the Alliance for Families with Autism in order to cover the costs associated with the debate and other operational expenses associated with the AFA.
Excerpt from our BLOG:
Once again, the Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) would like to thank all of you who attended the debate. We also would like to thank the community for their input into the questions.
******
It is important for the autism community to know the position of all three parties so that we can make an educated decision for the upcoming election this fall.
As always, the AFA's mission is to improve the lives of children and adults affected by autism and to provide factual information in a non-partisan approach to all stakeholders.
Thank you,
The Alliance for Families with Autism
NDP WRITTEN RESPONSE
Question:
1) There has been an incredible increase in the number of children on the waitlist to receive IBI therapy from the AIP. What is your party�s plan if it forms the next government, to eliminate the waitlist and what is the timeline involved? As well, what will you do to ensure that all Regional Programs and Direct Funding Programs are consistent with the admission, review and discharge of children with autism from the AIP?
Response:
The wait list has grown 1,100% under the McGuinty Liberals� watch. When the Liberals were elected, only 89 children were waiting for IBI treatment to begin. Now, the wait list of children assessed and eligible for IBI therapy has grown to 985 children. The provincial government must make a significant financial investment up front to ensure children who need IBI can receive it. Otherwise, as a society, we will pay so much more when these children are unable to finish school, find themselves in the court system, or end up in a group home or an institution, because they were not able to receive the treatment they needed.
New Democrats believe that we must make an important investment now. The current wait list must be completely cleared and new children who qualify for IBI treatment must be able to start their services as soon as they qualify. We believe doing both could be completed in a maximum of 3 years.
The issue of the consistent and fair delivery of Regional and Direct Funding Programs, across the province, is an important one. Parents of children with autism need to know that regardless of where they are receiving services in Ontario , access to these services is fair and consistent. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services has contractual agreements with the Regional providers to provide IBI treatment. In addition, the Ministry is the funding agent for both the Regional and Direct Funding Programs, and as such, has an obligation to guarantee that all policies and procedures set out by the Ministry are being applied consistently by all providers. If not, the Ministry must be accountable to parents and intervene directly with providers to guarantee that the rules regarding admission, review, and discharge of children from programs are properly followed.
Finally, we must ensure there is no cost for parents to choose the Direct Funding Option (DFO) as opposed to the Direct Service Option (DSO). The decision between DFO and DSO is often income based for families living on a tight budget. Current DFO rates do not cover all the costs, making it still difficult for the families with the most limited finances to choose DFO.
Question:
2) With the recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA into schools, how will your party, if elected, develop and monitor ABA models for school age children with ASD and ensure the proper qualifications and mandatory training will take place? Please explain what would be your action plan and timeline to ensure that each child with autism is receiving the services they require within the education system and would that include making the Individual Education Plan (IEP) legally binding like the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC)?
Response:
The recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA techniques into schools, falls short of what New Democrats believe is required in the school system today � that IBI therapists must be permitted into the classroom.
We appreciate that for children with ASD who are mild on the spectrum, the application of general ABA principles might be enough to support their learning. But for many other children with autism, especially those who are severe on the spectrum, their own therapist, in the classroom, is what is required to allow them to learn.
New Democrats believe that the 7000 children with ASD currently in the public school system must have the services they require to learn incorporated into their Individual Education Plans and that a copy of these plans, must be submitted to a separate office in the Ministry of Education to ensure boards are meeting their requirements in this regard.
A fundamental shift in the attitudes of some school boards and Ministry personnel is required with respect to ensuring children with ASD are having their education needs met. Justice Kiteley�s Court decision of March 2005, (Deskin/Wynberg case) made it very clear that too many boards were not providing the supports and services children with autism required, and that the Minister of Education was not giving direction to school boards to do so. This must change.
Question:
3) Does your party�s plan, if it forms the next government, include children that need to receive intensive ABA therapy within the education system? If so, please explain the plan and who would be accountable for putting together such programs and overseeing them? If not, how will your government, if elected, integrate children receiving intensive ABA therapy if it is not taking place within the education system? Once again, please indicate a timeline for each stage.
Response:
The NDP would ensure that IBI therapists are allowed into classrooms in Ontario . For many children who are severe on the spectrum, having their IBI therapists with them at school allows them to learn and to access the public education system � a right they are entitled to in Ontario. Unless and until the Minister of Education directs school boards to permit IBI therapists into the classroom, children with autism will continue to be denied the public education every child in Ontario is entitled to receive. Justice Kiteley said it best in her March 2005 Court decision in the Deskin/Wynberg case,
�The Minister of Education failed to fulfill the statutory duty to �ensure that appropriate special education programs and special education services� were available to all exceptional pupils without payment of fees. In particular, the Minister of Education failed to develop policy and give direction to school boards to ensure that ABA/IBI services are provided to children of compulsory school age. Indeed, the actions and inactions of the Ministry of Education and the Minister created a policy barrier to the availability of IBI/ABA in schools. The absence of ABA/IBI means that children with autism are excluded from the opportunity to access learning with the consequential deprivation of skills, the likelihood of isolation from society and the loss of ability to exercise the rights and freedoms to which all Canadians are entitled.�
The NDP would require the Minister of Education to take the lead and guarantee that all children with autism can access IBI therapy in the classroom if they need this to learn.
Question:
4) Families are being given true choices between direct funding and direct services for their children receiving IBI from the AIP. Will there also be a choice of funding for families not wanting to send their children with autism into the public school system?
Response:
The NDP supports public education. Every child in the province, including a child with autism, has a right to public education.
The unfortunate reality is that as a result of the failure of the Ministry and Minister of Education to fulfill their statutory duties to ensure appropriate programs and services are available for children with autism in the public school system, parents have been forced to send their children to private schools to access supports. They are being forced to pay out of their own pocket to secure an education for their son or daughter because they can�t get what is needed in the public school system.
New Democrats believe that the Minister and Ministry must fulfill their obligations to ensure the appropriate supports and services are in place (including having IBI therapist in the classroom), so that children with autism can fully access a public education in Ontario .
Question:
5) What does your party, if elected, feel will be their greatest challenges with regards to the autism community and why? What are your plans to overcome these challenges?
Response:
The greatest challenge facing the provincial government is to recognize the incidence of autism spectrum disorder is rapidly increasing (1 out of 150 children) and we are not ready to meet the needs of those children who are being diagnosed now and will continue to be diagnosed in ever increasing numbers in Ontario . Meeting this challenge will require substantial public investments in supports and services for children, both pre-school and school-age, and support for research to unlock the reason for the �epidemic� of ASD.
We will need to be steadily increasing the number of health care professionals who both diagnose and treat children with autism, including paediatricians, psychologists, senior IBI therapists and therapists. A specific strategy for recruitment and retention of these providers is required.
Given the number of therapists must grow to meet the increasing need for IBI treatment, more spaces must be made available in the college system to qualify and graduate more therapists. This will also lead to a need for some form of regulation of therapists in order to ensure the provision of high quality IBI services to children with autism.
The budget for IBI treatment must grow to ensure we are able to start services for children with autism once they are assessed and qualify for funding for treatment. This increased budget is also critical to ensure we don�t have children who qualify for IBI languishing on wait lists.
As children with autism grow into adulthood, and in recognition of the fact that many adults with autism now lack programs and services to support them in the community, we will need supportive housing, employment supports, etc., to ensure they can fully participate in the community.
Question:
6) How will your party, if it forms the next government, ensure families receive the proper services they need when they are faced with linguistic and cultural barriers? As well, we often concentrate our efforts on the children and youth affected by autism in Ontario . What are your party�s plans for adults outside of the preschool and education system, in terms of assigned living, work opportunities, and ensuring these individuals do not slip through the cracks?
Response:
The face of Ontario is changing and it is imperative that our public services take that reality into account and reflect cultural and linguistic diversity. The Regional Program providers, as employers, must develop a recruitment strategy for staff which recognizes the diversity of the families and communities they are working with. The provincial government must also provide public information about autism and available government services in appropriate languages to newcomer and settlement agencies, doctors� offices, family health teams, community health centres, and childcare centres. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, in delivering college programs for IBI therapists, must also be conscious of the need to do outreach to attract potential students who reflect the diversity of the children with autism who they will be working with.
Adults with autism deserve access to community supports and programs. Many never received any treatment, so those who are severe on the spectrum may have more challenges with respect to community living than others who received treatment at a younger age. Given the increase overall in the number of children now being diagnosed with ASD, adults with ASD and those moving to adulthood require a much broader range of supports and services than we are currently providing in Ontario. We need assistive/supportive housing to accommodate adults in the community; vocational training and supervised co-op placements which also support employers who are keen to participate; adult day programs for those unlikely to participate in co-op placements; and respite services for caregivers who care for their adult children with ASD at home. It is imperative that individuals who work with/support adults with ASD in the community have specific training to be able to recognize and respond appropriately to their needs.
Question:
7) Does your party support a National Autism Strategy and if so what will you do to ensure you are working towards this goal? If elected, what would be the components of a National Autism Strategy that Ontario should support?
Response:
The NDP supports the creation of a National Autism Strategy to ensure that parents of children with autism, wherever they live in Canada , have equal access to basic supports and services their children need � at home, in school, and in the community. Unfortunately, this is not happening.
Under the McGuinty Liberals, in May 2006, Stacey and Jonathan Haley of Bowmanville moved to Alberta so their twin boys could receive a full range of publicly-funded services and programs. �It was a heart-breaking decision � we don�t know a soul in Alberta and we have a great support network in our local community,� said Stacey. �But, we really didn�t feel that there was any other alternative. If we wanted 40 hours of IBI for each of our boys, we were looking at costs of almost $200,000 a year.�
Deborah Campbell left Ontario in August 2005 because her son Johnathan, was unable to access the autism programs he required. In Alberta , he receives publicly-funded IBI and other services which meet his needs. �Government ministries and school boards in the province of Ontario are forcing parents to become both political and educational refugees,� said Campbell .
These forced relocations must stop and the federal government needs a national strategy which establishes a range of publicly-funded autism services to be available in each province. The federal government must also provide funding to all provinces and be accountable to ensure each reaches that service level.
The federal government must also step up to the plate with significant funding for autism research, especially in light of the sharp increases in incidences of ASD. While many organizations are fund-raising for research (i.e. Autism Speaks Walk), the burden cannot fall exclusively to families, friends, and the private sector to pay for autism research.
The real way to ensure families with children with autism get the IBI treatment they need, wherever they live, would be to bring autism under the Canada Health Act. We support the work done by NDP MP Peter Stoffer, and other MPs who feel the same way, to try and make this an important national issue.
Question:
8) There are several legal battles being fought on the issue of ABA and IBI in Ontario . 120 Ontario Human Rights Commission cases under the group name Arzem, the Class Action case of Sagharian, and the Class Action case of Hartley. What will your government do, if elected in power this fall to compensate these families and to reach a fair resolution that will put an end to the legal battles? Will the governing parties categorically say that they will not seek compensation for legal fees which are a major risk for these members of the autism community seeking what they believe is a fair treatment for their children?
Response:
New Democrats would not seek compensation for costs from parents with children with autism who have gone to court to try and get the services their children needed. These parents have struggled enough. They should never have been forced into court in the first place, but were, because their government was not providing what their children were/are entitled to receive.
In the last election, Mr. McGuinty said, �I also believe that the lack of government-funded IBI treatment for autistic children is unfair and discriminatory. The Ontario Liberals support extending autism treatment beyond the age of six.� If Mr. McGuinty really meant what he said, then once he was elected, he would have stopped the court case against the Deskin/Wynberg families and settled with them. Instead, Mr. McGuinty fought these families in Court for another 11 months. He only stopped the age 6 cut-off of children�s IBI treatment when Justice Kiteley forced him to with her court decision at the end of March, 2005�a full 18 months after Mr. McGuinty had been elected. Taxpayers� money, that should have been used to pay for IBI, was instead squandered by the Liberals to fight these families, not once, but twice, in Court. And now Mr. McGuinty is prepared to squander even more money by going to Court on June 18th, to try and block the release of information requested over 3 years ago by NDP MPP Shelley Martel on how much the Liberals spent fighting these families.
With IBI therapists in the classroom, the elimination of the wait list, province-wide autism program consistency, education programs that reflect linguistic and cultural diversity, increased support and services for adults to enjoy a quality of life in the community and an open ear to further assist families and individuals living with autism, the need to go to court should end.
No Ontario family with a child with autism should have to go to court to get the services they need�at home, at school, or in the community�because their government refuses to provide what is needed.
PC PARTY WRITTEN RESPONSE
Debate Questions
1) There has been an incredible increase in the number of children on the waitlist to receive IBI therapy from the AIP. What is your party�s plan if it forms the next government, to eliminate the waitlist and what is the timeline involved? As well, what will you do to ensure that all Regional Programs and Direct Funding Programs are consistent with the admission, review and discharge of children with autism from the AIP?
Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory announced in February that, if elected, a PC government would take action to help parents and children dealing with autism. The first step in the PC party�s plan is to begin by clearing the existing wait list for autism treatment for children under age of six by providing direct funding immediately for every child on the waitlist. Specifically, any child on the waitlist would immediately be offered direct funding.
The PC Party�s fiscal plan includes a new targeted investment of $70 million to clear Dalton McGuinty�s wait list (estimated at 1,400 waiting without service).
2) With the recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA into schools, how will your party, if elected, develop and monitor ABA models for school age children with ASD and ensure the proper qualifications and mandatory training will take place? Please explain what would be your action plan and timeline to ensure that each child with autism is receiving the services they require within the education system and would that include making the Individual Education Plan (IEP) legally binding like the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC)?
AND
3) Does your party�s plan, if it forms the next government, include children that need to receive intensive ABA therapy within the education system? If so, please explain the plan and who would be accountable for putting together such programs and overseeing them? If not, how will your government, if elected, integrate children receiving intensive ABA therapy if it is not taking place within the education system? Once again, please indicate a timeline for each stage.
Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory announced in February that, if elected, a PC government would partner with the education system, child support workers and school boards to ensure that upon reaching school age, children with autism have the supports they need � including, when recommended by a qualified professional, ABA and IBI - as part of a continuum of services to help these children integrate and succeed.
A John Tory government would not have age cutoffs and will provide the right, appropriate and best treatment at any age, as prescribed by an appropriately qualified professional � be it IBI or other services.
Furthermore, a John Tory government would seek more transparency within the public school system in relation to the almost $2 billion allocated to special needs children. A John Tory government will work with school boards, teachers and their representative organizations to ensure appropriately qualified professionals are in the schools to guide and deliver services and programs.
A John Tory government would also look at best practices and adopt international standards to accredit professionals who provide educational support for children with autism.
The PC Party has also included investment in our college and university system in our fiscal plan so that it can meet the appropriate standards and ensure we have adequate supply of accredited trained professionals here in Ontario.
4) Families are being given true choices between direct funding and direct services for their children receiving IBI from the AIP. Will there also be a choice of funding for families not wanting to send their children with autism into the public school system?
The PC Party believes in giving parents choices. Parents know their child best and understand what their needs and abilities are and the environment in which they learn best. A John Tory government would support parents in making the best choice for their child.
In Dalton McGuinty�s Ontario , there is no consistent option across the province. Under John Tory parents will be provided with flexible options that work for them.
A John Tory government will give parents the choice to meet the needs of their children in the best way they see fit � either through a regional service provider or through managing their own child�s services with direct funding for accredited providers.
A John Tory government will also invest an additional $5 million annually in respite programs to give parents and families the support they need and deserve.
5) What does your party, if elected, feel will be their greatest challenges with regards to the autism community and why? What are your plans to overcome these challenges?
The PC Party believes the greatest challenge with respect to the autism community will be restoring their trust in the government.
It is not surprising that parents are disillusioned - Dalton McGuinty has made so many promises and parents have been disappointed so many times. Dalton McGuinty made a promise but then said he didn�t have the resources to follow through and provide the services children so desperately need. When Dalton McGuinty turns around and commits $400 million to retrofit a casino, you have to wonder where social justice has gone in the decision-making process.
A John Tory government has made a commitment to you and to your children and � unlike Dalton McGuinty � he has costed that commitment and he has planned for it in his fiscal plan with the allocation of $75 million starting in the first year of his mandate. John Tory will do what he has said he will do.
6) How will your party, if it forms the next government, ensure families receive the proper services they need when they are faced with linguistic and cultural barriers? As well, we often concentrate our efforts on the children and youth affected by autism in Ontario . What are your party�s plans for adults outside of the preschool and education system, in terms of assigned living, work opportunities, and ensuring these individuals do not slip through the cracks?
Ontario is a culturally diverse province and so our programs and services need to be designed and implemented with that in mind. The PC Party understands the importance of awareness and education that cuts across cultural and linguistic lines and is committed to reaching out to all families in need of support to ensure that these families are aware of what services are available to them.
With respect to adults with autism, the PC Party understands that services have been heavily focused on early childhood interventions. It is important to address the very different set of challenges that adults with autism face.
The PC Party believes that there is more work to be done to provide vocational training for adults with autism to allow these citizens to benefit from the pride that comes from meaningful work. The PC Party believes in an inclusive Ontario and understands the need for more social, recreational and respite programs so that adults with autism are not left unengaged.
7) Does your party support a National Autism Strategy and if so what will you do to ensure you are working towards this goal? If elected, what would be the components of a National Autism Strategy that Ontario should support?
The PC Party would absolutely support a National Autism Strategy.
The PC Party believes a National Autism Strategy should begin by focusing on taking the lead role in three important areas:
1. Coordinating levels of service and programming being delivered across the country to ensure comparable services are being provided across the country, that all jurisdictions are learning from one another�s best practices, and that parents don�t feel pressure to move to another jurisdiction simply to access services for their children.
2. Showing leadership in autism research and sharing lessons from international best practices.
3. Providing more tax credits and programs that will improve the ability for parents, who are too often forced into bankruptcy, to better plan for the future.
8) There are several legal battles being fought on the issue of ABA and IBI in Ontario . 120 Ontario Human Rights Commission cases under the group name Arzem, the Class Action case of Sagharian, and the Class Action case of Hartley. What will your government do, if elected in power this fall to compensate these families and to reach a fair resolution that will put an end to the legal battles? Will the governing parties categorically say that they will not seek compensation for legal fees which are a major risk for these members of the autism community seeking what they believe is a fair treatment for their children?
The PC Party believes it is shameful that parents have spent years fighting with Dalton McGuinty in court to obtain the services for their children that he promised to them in his election campaign.
A John Tory government would not penalize parents in courts and would not be seeking any compensation for any legal fees.
LIBERAL PARTY WRITTEN RESPONSE
Alliance for Families with Autism Debate Questions: Liberal Response
Question #1
There has been an incredible increase in the number of children on the waitlist to receive IBI therapy from the AIP. What is your party�s plan if it forms the next government, to eliminate the waitlist and what is the timeline involved? As well, what will you do to ensure that all Regional Programs and Direct Funding Programs are consistent with the admission, review and discharge of children with autism from the AIP?
We need to talk about where we plan to go but we also need to talk about the progress we have made to-date. Our government is building an improved and expanded continuum of service. We have more than doubled annual spending on services for children and youth with autism to more than $130 million. We�ve hired almost 300 new therapists and established the Ontario College Graduate Certificate Program in Autism and Behavioural Sciences - 100 graduates in 2006, 100 graduates in 2007, and another 200 expected in the next two years. It�s about building the capacity to provide the services needed. More than 1,100 children are now receiving IBI� an increase of 105 percent since April 2004.
Wait list management teams, internal to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, have given the families of the most recent 231 children real choice when it comes to the Direct Funding Option (DFO) and Direct Service Option (DSO). We are changing the way parents get to choose in the future.
We ended an age cutoff that was implemented by the Conservative government. Since July 2005, children have no longer been discharged on the basis of age. That has caused both the number of children in service and the number of children waiting for service to rise. Approximately 60% of the children receiving IBI services are now age six or older. Approximately 45% of the children currently on the wait list are age six or older.
We also assess children for appropriate services sooner. There were more than 1,000 children waiting for assessment when we took office. By assessing children sooner, we have reduced the wait list for assessment by more than 65%. However, this has also contributed to the growth of the wait list for service.
We struck an Expert Clinical Panel for the Autism Intervention Program, an independent arms-length body that is developing a set of clinical practice guidelines to enable consistent and evidence-based clinical decision-making in the program. The Panel is chaired by Dr. Peter Szatmari and includes a number of experts, including a parent of two children with autism.
Question # 2
With the recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA into schools, how will your party, if elected, develop and monitor ABA models for school age children with ASD and ensure the proper qualifications and mandatory training will take place? Please explain what would be your action plan and timeline to ensure that each child with autism is receiving the services they require within the education system and would that include making the Individual Education Plan (IEP) legally binding like the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC)?
Since taking office in 2003, our government has undertaken a number of key initiatives to focus on better student outcomes, including better outcomes for children and youth with autism.
Our government has committed itself to improving supports for children and youth with autism in schools. We launched the Autism Spectrum Disorder Reference Group to provide our government with recommendations on how best to provide this enhanced support. The Reference Group�s recommendations have set the course for the progess we are making.
On May 18, 2007 , the Ministry of Education released a Policy and Program Memorandum (PPM) on the use of Applied Behavioural Analysis ( ABA ) in schools. School boards have been directed through the PPM to use ABA methods with students with ASD, in accordance with their individual education plans. This includes intensive forms of ABA .
The PPM provides direction to school boards, principals and educators in the following areas:
� To support the use of ABA as an effective instructional approach for many students with ASD ;
� To ensure that ABA methods are incorporated into the Individual Education Plans of students with ASD , where appropriate;
� To ensure that parents and relevant professionals are invited to provide input and participate in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process;
� To plan for students� transitions and to use relevant ABA methods to support transitions, where appropriate;
� To develop a plan for the implementation of the PPM and to consult with their local Special Education Advisory Committees ( SEAC ) regarding the implementation; and
� To consult with their local SEACs regarding the monitoring of the implementation of the PPM, at least on an annual basis.
� 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.
To support school boards in the successful implementation of the PPM on ABA , extensive staff training will be provided. Our government is currently implementing training on ASD for school board teams, up to six to eight representatives from every school board, including superintendents, principals, teachers, teachers� assistants, school support staff and SEAC members. The school boards� team training will be followed by principal training and training for school teams - funded through a $1-million investment. Both training opportunities will take place over the summer months to prepare staff to implement the PPM in September 2007. It is estimated that up to 1,400 principals will be trained as well as 1,400 other staff directly working with students with ASD , including principals, teachers and teachers� assistants.
In addition, our government has provided a grant of $2.75 million to Geneva Centre for Autism. The Centre has committed to use this investment to provide further team training on ABA approaches with school staff in the fall.
We will hold school boards accountable for the implementation of the PPM, as it is a fundamental component of our efforts to strengthen the supports available to children and youth with autism in schools.
Question # 3
Does your party�s plan, if it forms the next government, include children that need to receive intensive ABA therapy within the education system? If so, please explain the plan and who would be accountable for putting together such programs and overseeing them? If not, how will your government, if elected, integrate children receiving intensive ABA therapy if it is not taking place within the education system? Once again, please indicate a timeline for each stage.
Our government recognizes that all children, regardless of their needs, are entitled to a high quality education in Ontario .
Directing school boards on the use of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) with students with autism in schools, through the PPM released on May 18, 2007, was an important step forward in addressing the need for ABA methods to be available to students with autism who need it in schools across the province. We will be carefully monitoring the implementation of the PPM in September in school boards across the province. As previously mentioned, the implementation of the PPM is supported by a number of training initiatives our government has undertaken.
Our progress to-date has been made possible by working in patnership with parents, school boards, teachers, educators, and experts in the field of autism. We will continue to work in collaboration with our partners to implement ABA in schools, including intensive ABA , such as Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI).
Question # 4
Families are being given true choices between direct funding and direct services for their children receiving IBI from the AIP . Will there also be a choice of funding for families not wanting to send their children with autism into the public school system?
Our government looks forward to a time when all schools across the province are supportive of children with autism in their schools and are able to provide the services they need. However, we believe that it is important for parents and families to not feel that they are being forced to send their children to school to receive services that they are not comfortable receiving within that system of service provision. The important thing is ensuring that kids who require support be able to get it. We will continue to strengthen and improve all the service options available for children and youth with autism and their families.
Question # 5
What does your party, if elected, feel will be their greatest challenges with regards to the autism community and why? What are your plans to overcome these challenges?
The best way to overcome challenges is by working together, in partnership. The improvements we have made to the provision of services for children with autism would not have been possible without us having the opportunity to hear the advice and the experiences of parents. We have learned much from the parent community and the progress we have made is the result of that.
Funding is not the only answer to improving services for children and youth with autism. As funding increases and the demand for service grows, we must also build and retain the human resource capacity to absorb this growth. That's why we started a college-level program to train new therapists. We are also working to overcome a significant shortage of child psychologists in Ontario . We will continue to grow the capacity of the system to better meet the growing demand for service in the long-term.
We plan to continue the good work we have already done to improve the learning environment for our children and youth with ASD. We plan to continue building the relationships we have with members of the autism community � with parents, community groups, educators, school boards, and within government.
Question # 6
How will your party, if it forms the next government, ensure families receive the proper services they need when they are faced with linguistic and cultural barriers? As well, we often concentrate our efforts on the children and youth affected by autism in Ontario . What are your party�s plans for adults outside of the preschool and education system, in terms of assigned living, work opportunities, and ensuring these individuals do not slip through the cracks?
We recognize that families with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds can also have different needs. Addressing this need is part of our effort to build the capacity within the service system.
Services for children, youth, and adults with autism must be provided through a collaborative, interministerial approach. By working through interministerial collaboration, we are able to offer a broad range of coordinated services to address the needs of children, youth, and adults with autism as they move along the service continuum.
As announced in our 2007 Budget, our government is investing $200 million more over the next four years to strengthen the developmental service sector. Our government has begun drafting of a new piece of legislation for the developmental services sector. This piece of legislation is the first new piece of legislation in this area since the 1970s. The McGuinty government wants to bring the developmental services sector into the 21st century. We are proposing an enhanced consistent approach to determining eligibility for developmental services by updating the definition of developmental disability, which will benefit autistic adults in that they may have the intelligence to perform daily tasks but not the social skills that help them do so. This new piece of legislation will also allow families and individuals the choice to receive services through a transfer payment agency or to receive funding directly to purchase the services themselves. It will also allow funding to transfer with the client if they move from one community to another. Outside of this legislation, we are adding autism clinical expertise over time to our specialized networks of care, which includes long distance teleconference diagnosis.
Question # 7
Does your party support a National Autism Strategy and if so what will you do to ensure you are working towards this goal? If elected, what would be the components of a National Autism Strategy that Ontario should support?
Our government is on record as supporting a National Autism Strategy.
On November 8, 2006 , Minister of Children and Youth Services Mary Anne Chambers appeared before The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology in Ottawa , where she presented her case for a national autism strategy to benefit children with autism and their families across the country. She was the only elected official across the country who accepted the invitation to appear before the committee. In her presentation, she suggested the federal government consider the following:
� A public awareness campaign to help more people understand autism, including how to socialize and live with those with autism;
� Direct grants or tax deductions for parents/families with children with autism, similar to support for caregivers who provide babysitting services and for people who look after their senior relatives;
� More funding for research on autism;
� Recruitment of more child psychologists to work with children and youth with autism;
� More funding for residential supports to provide respite for parents and help children with autism learn to take care of themselves to some degree;
� Standard certification for service providers nationally; and
� A regulatory body for behaviour analysts and therapists.
The full transcript of the Minister�s presentation can be found at:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/soci-e/10eva-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=39&Ses=1&comm_id=47
Question # 8
There are several legal battles being fought on the issue of ABA and IBI in Ontario . 120 Ontario Human Rights Commission cases under the group name Arzem, the Class Action case of Sagharian, and the Class Action case of Hartley. What will your government do, if elected in power this fall to compensate these families and to reach a fair resolution that will put an end to the legal battles? Will the governing parties categorically say that they will not seek compensation for legal fees which are a major risk for these members of the autism community seeking what they believe is a fair treatment for their children?
Our focus has been, and will remain, improving the services and supports available to children and youth with autism, and their families. Our interest is to work in partnership with families because our experience has demonstrated that working with the parent community yields real results.
The Ontario Court of Appeal decision in the Deskin-Wynberg case left the government with the option of reinstating the IBI age six cutoff. We chose not to because our commitment is to improve services for all children and youth with autism, regardless of age.
The alliance for families with autism
Please contact us �AFA� at
autismafa@yahoo.ca
Please forward all mailing list articles and information to
ktchmeifucan2002@yahoo.ca
October is Autism Awareness Month
Join your community for the
2nd ANNUAL CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
Monday, October 01, 2007
7:00pm to 7:30pm
Proudly organized by
The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA)
For those of us who remember last year�s event, it was cold and rainy. Yet everyone who participated in the first annual Candlelight Vigil truly felt that is was something very wonderful and worthwhile, and wanted to ensure another vigil would be organized this year. The vigil is not a political event. There will be no signs however there will be lots of candles across the province in your community. We want to honour all individuals and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), related disorders.
We want to tell the world, with our candles, that every individual with
ASD has the right to �SHINE�.
October 1st, 2007
marks the start of Autism Awareness Month.
What began as an idea from a mother of a little boy with autism in Windsor , ended up as a huge event spanning from Windsor to Ottawa and from Toronto to Northern Ontario . It was the beginning of an annual event to ensure everyone in Ontario become a little more aware of the extent of the challenges we face in the world of autism.
There are more than 20,000 people affected by autism in this province!
We already have a number of locations confirmed for the event. You can contact the AFA directly at autismafa@yahoo.ca if you are interested in attending or organizing a vigil at your local MPP�s office. It only takes one person per riding to stand in front of the office with a candle. We have chosen the MPP offices as locations for this event because it is the Ontario Government that holds such a great part of our kids (adults too) future in its hands.
You can also visit our blog at http://allianceforfamilieswithautism.blogspot.com
for updates of locations as they become available.
If we had 50 people commit then we could cover 50 ridings!
�It doesn�t matter if your child is 5 or 45, just get out there and light your candle.
Sing a song with the kids. Laugh. Cry. Cheer and wave to the passing motorists. You might even educate a few more people in your community about autism. My wife wears a t-shirt with a picture of our grandsons and the words I Love My Grandsons With Autism.� said John McVicar, Executive Member of the AFA and lead organizer of the event.
The more participation we receive the more we are able to build autism awareness. So invite your family, friends, teachers, neighbours, co-workers, etc. Let�s make this an event that the entire Autism community can be proud of!!!!!!
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA)
autismafa@yahoo.ca
Contact our primary organizer to add your location to our blog!
John McVicar
findingnewmarkets@sympatico.ca
If you cannot make a location in your community, light a candle with your family
NOTICE
Senator Jim Munson
Contact: pawpasno@yahoo.ca and Wendy.m@persona.ca for more information on the following notice announcements.
NOTICE
Senator Jim Munson,
Coming to Elliot Lake , Ontario and Espanola , Ontario
For Elliot Lake on Wednesday, Sept 12, from 1 -2 p.m. they have a room rented at a local hotel and have room for approximately 30 people. Children are encouraged to attend.
From the office of Mr. Brent St. Denis (MP)
Senator Munson will give a "talk" and then open the floor up for discussion on any issue we care to discuss re: Autism Therapy, School etc�
For Espanola, Manitoulin, Contact: pawpasno@yahoo.ca
Discussion with a few autistic children & their parents with Jim Munson and MP Brent St. Denis on Sept 12, 2007 in Espanola. (4-6pm)
From what I have been told, Senator Munson & MP Brent St.Denis want to talk with a few parents and children. I dont think there is a specific agenda. Just general discussion.
I will be getting more info in the next few days.
I am not sure how many parents and children are expected at this time.
If anybody has some ideas as to what I should talk about, then by all means drop me an email.
From a listmate
Formal Presentation of OAC "Ask" to All Political Parties in Ontario
Ontario Autism Coalition
Member Update
September 05, 2007
Please distribute to all lists.
Formal Presentation of OAC "Ask" to All Political Parties in Ontario
The Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) is a grassroots organization with
over 600 active members throughout the Province of Ontario . Our
members are connected to thousands of families and supporters affected
by autism. The OAC is determined to ensure the delivery of services
and supports to families and individuals with Autism in the Province
of Ontario .
As political parties in the Province of Ontario prepare for a
Provincial election this fall, the OAC seeks commitment from all
Provincial parties and has therefore sent the following letter to the
leaders of each party (Liberal, PC, NDP, Green Party) and has asked
for their response in writing by September 14, 2007. The OAC will
then communicate their responses with the entire autism community and
the media.
From: Laura Kirby-McIntosh
To: dmcguinty.mpp. co@liberal. ola.org; kwynne.mpp.co@ liberal.ola. org;
gsmitherman. mpp.co@liberal. ola.org; michael.bryant@ jus.gov.on. ca;
john.toryco@ pc.ola.org; christine.elliott@ pc.ola.org;
frank_klees@ ontla.ola. org; lisa.macleod@ pc.ola.org
Cc: ndpmail@ndp. on.ca; nancymorrison@ ontariondp. com;
cheridinovo@ ontariondp. com; francegelinas@ ontariondp. com;
vserda@bmts. com; gpoadmin@magma. ca; lhelferty@sympatico .ca
Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 10:08:52 PM
Subject: Ontario Autism Coalition: REQUEST FOR POLICY INFORMATION
Dear Candidate(s) :
As we near the official start of the provincial election campaign, I
am writing to you on behalf of the Ontario Autism Coalition (the
"OAC") to ask
for information on your party's autism policy.
The OAC is a grassroots advocacy group made up of concerned parents,
relatives and friends of children with autism. The group formed in
2005 and has since grown into an Ontario-wide organization with over
600 members. We receive no government funding, and we are not a
charity. We are focused on direct political action to bring about
positive changes for our children. Between 2005 and 2007, the OAC
organized over 20 rallies to draw public attention to the need for
publicly funded programs that effectively meet the needs of
individuals in the Autism community. The OAC has also met with
numerous government policy advisors, senior provincial Cabinet
Ministers and M.P.P.'s from each of Ontario 's three major political
parties.
The OAC is committed to placing autism issues front and centre in the
upcoming provincial election campaign. We will be hosting events,
issuing press releases and organizing parents throughout the upcoming
weeks to ensure that all candidates�as well as our fellow citizens�are
aware of our concerns. The OAC is asking for a written response from
you and your party to the following three points:
1) We want the next provincial government to allow Intensive
Behavioural Intervention (IBI) instructor therapists currently working
within the Autism Intervention Program (AIP) entry into the school
system so that scientifically valid, supervised Applied Behaviour
Analysis (ABA) can be implemented. Children receiving intensive ABA
through the AIP and students attending school should receive the same
quality of ABA services.
2) We want the next provincial government to eliminate the wait list
in the AIP and fully fund services for all children with Autism�from
the mild to severe end of the Autism Spectrum.
3) We want the next provincial government to develop a formal
credentialing system and a proper training and recruitment system for
the implementation of ABA to ensure accountability and capacity within
the system.
We are sending this request not only to you, but to all
parties�Liberal, Progressive Conservative, New Democrat and Green. We
would appreciate receiving an official response from you no later than
Friday, September 14, 2007. Your leaders and/or local candidates are
also welcome to respond by attending our Autism Day of Action the
following day. On Saturday, September 15th, we'll be holding events in
several different cities�you can get more details by visiting our
website at http://www.ontarioa utismcoalition. com.
While we are happy to receive any feedback you may wish to share, we
encourage you to respond specifically to the three points we've
mentioned above. We will post your responses on our website and share
them with our members and with the public over the course of the
campaign. If you have any documents, links or video messages you
would like us to place on our website, we would be happy to receive
them as well.
If you have any questions or if you are interested in meeting in
person, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy the campaign!
Sincerely,
Laura Kirby-McIntosh
Co-founder, Ontario Autism Coalition
Phone: 905-761-5226
E-mail: mailto:tosh555@hotmail. com
__._,_.___
Google Alert
Ontario's NDP
Sep 06, 2007 09:50 ET
Why Should Working Families Believe McGuinty This Time?
Hampton urges voters to reject Liberal record of inaction, broken promises
TORONTO , ONTARIO --(Marketwire - Sept. 6, 2007) - NDP Leader Howard Hampton this morning issue the following statement on the soon-to-be-released Dalton McGuinty election platform:
"Dalton McGuinty has a miserable record for keeping promises. He broke his promise to children with autism. He broke his promise to shut down coal plants. He broke his promise not to raise our taxes. Why should working families believe him this time?"
Background - Dalton McGuinty's record of inaction, broken promises
Don't believe McGuinty promises to children:
- Dalton McGuinty promised children with autism that he would ensure treatment for them - instead he fought them in court to deny the same treatment.
- This is the second time McGuinty has put full-day kindergarten in a platform. In 2003 he promised: "Public schools will become our community hubs, with full-day junior and senior kindergarten eventually available for all four and five-year-olds." ( Ontario Liberal Plan for Education, 2003)
- McGuinty also promised more money for childcare - but it never came. "We are committing $300 million new provincial dollars to increase the affordability and quality of childhood education and care in Ontario " (Response to Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC), April 2003). As of 2007 they had invested a mere $25 million.
Don't believe McGuinty promises to students:
- In 2003 the McGuinty promised, " Ontario now has the second highest tuition in the country. Tuition has skyrocketed in programs such as medicine and law. We will not let this continue." As of 2006, Ontario still has the second highest tuition fees in Canada .
- Dalton McGuinty's tuition hikes already leave the average undergraduate paying $460 more than they did two years ago - and looking at the prospect of seeing their tuition increase by at least that much again in the next two years. Professional programs like law have seen an increase of as much as $1,500.
Don't believe McGuinty promises to seniors in long-term care:
- McGuinty Liberals first promised a minimum standard of care for seniors in long-term care homes in the last campaign: "Ernie Eves does not believe in giving our most frail and vulnerable elderly even one bath per week. He cut the standard of 3 baths per week and at least 2.25 hours of nursing care per day. Now there are no standards. Only Dalton McGuinty and the Ontario Liberals are committed to setting high standards in our nursing homes." (Liberal Caucus Release, July 17, 2003). Those standards have not been introduced.
Don't believe McGuinty promises to working families:
- McGuinty has been promising a new statutory holiday for four years - and he hasn't delivered. In 2004, McGuinty Liberals supported a resolution calling for the August long weekend to be made an official statutory holiday. Two years later, however, the McGuinty government has not made any new holidays a reality for Ontario 's hard-working families - and shut down the Legislature early this year instead of passing it.
- Meanwhile 175,000 good manufacturing jobs have been lost while Dalton McGuinty opposes measures like a Jobs Protection Commissioner to stand up for good jobs.
Don't believe McGuinty promises to expand health care:
- In 2003 McGuinty promised to stop de-listing of OHIP services and ensure coverage then he de-listed eye exams, chiropractic care and physiotherapy from OHIP forcing Ontario families to pay for those services. The number of new patients seeking chiropractic treatment has plunged 22 per cent since then and the Ontario Association of Optometrists says the government's failure to properly fund primary eye care services "a crisis in the making."
- Toronto's chief dentist Dr. Hazel Stewart proposed an expanded dental program to the McGuinty Government before the last budget and McGuinty refused to respond much less move on a plan ("Health minister silent on dental care" Toronto Star, February 23, 2007)
Don't believe McGuinty promises on the environment:
- Dalton McGuinty has broken his promise to close coal plants three times, exempted nuclear plants and garbage incinerators from Ontario's environmental laws and was criticized by the Environmental Commissioner for underfunding the Minsitry of Environment.
- Dalton McGuinty killed the NDP's "Community Right to Know" Bill that would have ensured citizens have a Right to Know about toxins and carcinogens in their homes and communities. Other jurisdictions have had these laws for quite some time, Canada and Ontario in particular have lagged behind.
Dalton McGuinty's Dirty 30 broken promises:
1. Promised to follow the Taxpayer Protection Act and hold a referendum before any tax increase - then violated Act in first budget, refusing to hold referendum.
2. Promised not to raise taxes - then raised taxes in first Budget.
3. Promised to balance budget every year - then ran deficit in first budget and second and third. Government sources revealed that the government "struggled" to maintain a deficit in 2005-6.
4. Promised to be a "prudent fiscal manager" - then leaked the fact that he was "struggling" to maintain a deficit so he would have an excuse not to increase social spending.
5. Promised not to displace democratically elected school trustees - then took over Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board when trustees refused to make cuts.
6. Promised to reduce the number of students waiting for special education assessment from 40,000 - then dithered. People for Education report in 2007 that 40,600 students are waiting for assessment.
7. Promised to protect Northern and rural schools - but rural schools still closing, drawing criticism from Child Advocate
8. Promised to stop sky-rocketing tuition fees - then announced hikes of up to 36 per cent.
9. Promised to fix the education funding formula and hold annual public hearings to ensure school needs were met - then refused to update the formula and voted against holding hearings.
10. Promised to scrap in-class apprenticeship fees - then refused to, forcing students seeking skills to pay out-of-pocket to learn.
11. Promised to unclog hospital Emergency Rooms - but ER patients are now waiting as long as nine hours to be seen.
12. Promised to extend treatment for autistic children over age 6 saying it was "unfair and discriminatory" not to do so - then fought parents in court to break the promise.
13. Promised to bring private hospitals in Brampton and Ottawa into the public sector - then signed deals that government sources conceded were virtually identical, and announced over twenty new ones.
14. Promised no health premium - then brought in health premium.
15. Promised an end to OHIP de-listing - then de-listed eye exams, chiropractic and physiotherapy treatment, kept audiology de-listed.
16. Promised to end Harris-Eves agenda of creeping privatization - but haven't stopped for-profit private-money (P3) hospitals, still allowing competitive bidding in homecare, and de-listed OHIP services.
17. Promised an annual cost-of-living adjustment to ODSP and Ontario Works - then froze ODSP and OW rates in 2005 budget.
18. Promised to stop clawing back the baby bonus from children on social assistance saying, "We will end the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement. The clawback is wrong and we will end it." - clawback is still there, now they're campaigning on a new promise to end it.
19. Promised to reduce energy consumption by five per cent with efficiency and conservation - then broke the all-time record for energy consumption in Ontario .
20. Promised to freeze hydro rates until 2006 - then jacked up hydro rates months after taking office.
21. Promised "public power" using OPG for all new power in Ontario- now building "private power" using Bruce nuclear station and other private sources.
22. Promised to stop construction on the Oak Ridges Moraine - then approved construction of 5,600 new homes.
23.Promised to close Nanticoke Generating Station, one of Canada 's biggest polluters, by 2007 "come hell or high water" - then they said it would happen in 2009. Then they said 2014.
24. Promised increased environmental protection - then flat-lined budget at Ministry of the Environment drawing criticism from the environmental commissioner.
25. Promised to implement every recommendation of the Walkerton Inquiry - 19 are still outstanding.
26. Promised to make Agriculture a "Lead Ministry" - then slashed Ministry budget by 23 per cent.
27. Promised to reduce tolls on the 407 - but tolls continue to climb.
28. Promised to bring in real rent control including controls on vacant apartments - then broke that promise leaving the Toronto Star to comment "Mike Harris would feel right at home".
29. Promised to build 20,000 new units of affordable housing - have built less than a fifth of that.
30. Promised to crack down on the influence of big money in politics and introduce limits on pre-election spending - then didn't.
"Working families deserve a government that puts them first - that stands up for good jobs, for children and for our environment. Instead they have a government that kept coal plants burning, fought children and their parents in court, and calls 175,000 lost jobs 'inevitable' while giving themselves a massive pay hike. For the last four years Dalton McGuinty has got it wrong. Ontario 's NDP will get it right by standing up for working families," Hampton said.
For more information, please contact
Media Inquiries:
Ontario 's NDP
Jon Weier
(416) 591-5455 x290
or
Ontario 's NDP
Kaj Hasselriis
(416) 591-5455 x271
Autism Ontario � Toronto Chapter Annual Ride, Stride and Glide for Autism Cycle is fast approaching. We look forward to seeing you there to support families of autistic individuals living in your community!
Date to remember: Sunday, September 23, 2007
Where: Thistletown Regional Centre/Rowntree Mills Park
On site Registration at: 9:00 am
Route Kick Off at: 10:00 am
Free BBQ lunch
Kids� Activities
Free Parking at the Thistletown Regional Centre parking grounds
And More!!
Thanks so much. I�m enclosing our flyer in the event you can include the attachment too. Cheers!
Marti Veliz
Autism Ontario � Toronto Chapter
Volunteer
POSTER
Ride, Stride, or Glide
for Autism
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Help support families living with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Metro Toronto
Funds to support Autism Ontario - Toronto Chapter
Bring the whole family to this fun and worthwhile event and help the Metro Toronto chapter of Autism Ontario continue supporting families of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders in our community.
Registration begins on-site at 9:00 a.m. with the route kicking off at 10:00.
After the route is completed, participants can enjoy:
� Free barbecue lunch
� Kids� activities (bouncy castle, crafts, etc.)
� Entertainment
� 50/50 draw!
And much more! Prizes are offered for highest pledges received on the event day. (Pledges must be submitted prior to the final tally at 11:00 a.m. to qualify.)
Please use our pledge forms to collect your pledges. If you need more forms, make copies or visit our web site to download a form.
Please collect funds before the event and bring them with you, either as individual donations or as a single cheque. Cheques should be made payable to Autism Ontario , Toronto Chapter.
Autism Ontario is a registered charity: donations over $20 will receive a tax receipt.
LOCATION:
THISTLETOWN REGIONAL CENTRE, 51 Panorama Court , Toronto For more information, to volunteer, or to register, please contact the chapter at 416-489-0702 or
visit our web site (www.asotoronto.org)
or contact Marti Veliz at cycle@asotoronto.org
(2007 Cycle Organizer)
Charitable Number: 11924 8789 RR0001
The Sudbury Star
Grits wasted autism money
For: www.thesudburystar.com
- Thursday, August 23, 2007 @
Re: autism battle costs taxpayers $2.4 million - July 18.
Shame on the Ontario Liberals. I literally cried when I read the article and The Sudbury Star editorial about the Liberals spending $2.4 million fighting to prevent autistic children from receiving needed programming. It revealed the depth of their pettiness.
Whose money do these elected officials think they are squandering?
During the seven-year court battle, how many children could have been helped with $2.4 million? According to published figures, at $80,000 per child, I reckon 30 children, not even counting the cover-up of dollars wasted.
I think every voter knows the answer to the question: "How do you stop a bully?" The answer is: "Make them feel the shame."
Premier Dalton McGuinty, shame on you.
Lucy Gregorini Lively
************
Mettinen makes her mark at nationals
Trevor Stewart
Sports - Wednesday, September 05, 2007 @ 09:00
For Minna Mettinen-Kekalainen, success at the Canadian Masters Sprint Kayaking Championships at the end of August cannot be measured in racing results.
That's not to say the Sudbury Canoe Club didn't have some encouraging results during the national sprint championships and Canadian masters, most notably a bronze medal by Cory Brunatti in the Men's K-1 34-44-year-old masters division.
Mettinen, on the other hand, made history by becoming the first wheelchair athlete to compete at the national sprint kayak championships.
"I was happy with the K-1, and in the K-2 we initially had some difficulties, but recovered to place 6th in our heat, and 20th overall," the always competitive Mettinen wrote in an e-mail late last week.
One thing I learned about Mettinen when I profiled the 41-year-old woman for The Sudbury Star a month ago, was that she's in this for much more than individual results or self-satisfaction.
Her priority is advancing opportunities and exposure for athletes with disabilities.
So it made her day when she was asked to be part of the inaugural Paddle All race on Aug. 25, the first time the Canadian championships have held a race specific to adaptive paddlers. Mettinen was only supposed to race at the one-day Canadian masters championships for paddlers older than 25, held on Aug. 26, the Sunday after the national championships ended in Ottawa . Being invited to Paddle All that Saturday meant she would race on Saturday, as well.
When she told me about the invite before the competition, she said she was thrilled to be competing on the same day, in the same water as some of the top paddlers in the world.
In Ottawa , Mettinen met Don Stringer - one of four Sudbury kayakers who went to the 1956 and 1960 Olympics racing out of the Sudbury Canoe Club.
"It was actually one of the highlights of my trip," Mettinen said. "Seeing the original Sudbury Canoe Club jacket from the '50s on him left me with a deep impression, and I felt very honoured to be paddling while he was there. His presence gave me focus and courage at a moment when I was feeling quite nervous, just prior to my novice K-1 race."
Here are other recent Sudbury Canoe Club results:
Canadian Sprint Championships
Dan Sabau, K-1 - seventh in heat, 30th overall; Sabau, Ian Chappell, Gabriel Caron and Emilio Frometa, K-4 - sixth in heat, 34th overall; Canadian Master Sprint Championships
Cory Brunatti, K-1 - bronze (men's 34-44); Jiro Shirota, K-1 - fourth in heat, eighth overall (men's 25-33); Paula Takats, K-1 - seventh in heat, disqualified for leaving lane (women's 45-plus);
Minna Mettinen, K-1 - seventh in heat, 23rd overall (women's 34-44); Brunatti and Shirota, K-2 - fourth in heat, 12th overall (men's 24-34); Mettinen and Takats, K-2 - sixth in heat, 20th overall (women's 34-44).
Notable results from Bantam Trillium Championships (Aug. 18-19 near Kingston )
Eric Brunatti and Vic Sabau, peewee K-2 - fourth; Brunatti, Sabau, Ian Chappel and Cabriel Caron, peewee K-4 - seventh.
Trevor Stewart is a Sudbury Star sports reporter. contact him at tstewart@thesudburystar.com
++++++++++++
From the Sudbury Chapter of the Autism Society
EDUCATION AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER 2007 NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM
Workshops with Lindsay Moir
Lindsay Moir is a former Education Officer with the Ministry of Education. He has 31 years of Special Education experience and for the past 10 years has been involved in training, mediation and advocacy for families. For more information on Lindsay and Comhnadh Consulting, please visit www3.sympatico.ca/l.moir/
DAY ONE WORKSHOP TOPICS September 24th 2007 7pm-9pm
� How the system works: your rights & pertinent legislation
� Writing effective needs statements & preparing for Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings and advocacy tips to make school meetings more effective
� Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Reference Group/ASD Resource Guide
� Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) in the classroom memo
� Discipline, suspension and expulsion: new information & trends
� Fee: $5.00 Autism Ontario Members, $13.00 Non-Members
DAY TWO WORKSHOP: OFFICE HOURS September 25th 2007 8:30am-2:30pm
� Individual Appointments with Lindsay Moir to discuss school related issues.
� Beginning at 8:30 a.m., Lindsay will be taking individual � hour and 1 hour appointments. Participants will be sent an information sheet in advance, to identify school related issues. This form must be completed and returned to Autism Ontario by September 20th, 2007, so that it can be forwarded to Lindsay prior to your meeting. Please register in advance to book your appointment. We anticipate that this day will fill very quickly.
� � hour fee: $15.00 Autism Ontario Members, $30.00 Non-Members
� 1 hour fee: $30.00 Autism Ontario Members, $60.00 Non-Members
Registration: Contact AUTISM ONTARIO SUDBURY & DISTRICT CHAPTER
Voicemail: 555-2000 ext 2685 attn: Liz Mercier e-mail: heathermcfarlane@msn.com
*NOTE: Inability to pay for above workshops should not be a barrier to participation. Financial assistance is available for both workshops to families unable to pay full fees.
Workshops will be held at 662 Falconbridge Road, Sudbury Ontario (Child Care Resources Bldg.). Videoconferencing to Espanola/Manitoulin/Chapleau available, based on demand.
Also
Re: AUTISM ONTARIO-SUDBURY & DISTRICT Lindsay Moir workshop on
September
24th/25th.
Free childcare will be available in Sudbury for participants in the
Lindsay Moir workshop, however we kindly request that you register for this
service in advance so we can plan how many staff will be
required.
Please mention your childcare
requests when you register with our voice
mail 222-5000 ext.2685, or via e-mail to heathermcfarlane@msn.com.
Best wishes,
Heather, Liz & Rebecca
From a Listmate
www.postcity magazines.com
Page 11, section called �Local Hero� / Cycling Event a Labour of Love
(Local Resident`s Autistic Son the Inspiration Behind Fundraiser) by Alanna Yontef
Lovely Column about one of our Listmates: Marti Veliz !!!
Congratulations !!
Google Alert
http://www.spiritindia.com/health-care-news-articles-176.html
Autism two separate illnesses
Autism: Autism two separate illnesses
Autism, the devastating mental illness that affects thousands of children every year, is not a single psychological condition, scientists have discovered.
Researchers have found the ailment is really a combination of two separate illnesses, each controlled by different sets of genes.
The discovery, outlined on Saturday at the British Psychological Society conference, is expected to cause intense interest among psychologists. Many believe prospects of uncovering the condition's genetic causes and finding new treatments have been significantly boosted.
"In effect, we're saying there is no such thing as autism, but two separate conditions which - if they occur at the same time in the same child - give rise to symptoms that we associate with autistic individuals," said Professor Robert Plomin, Institute of Psychiatry, London. "That has tremendous implications for helping these children."
'Diagnoses depend on two observations,' said Dr Angelica Ronald.
"First, the social component: autistic children do not understand that other people have minds of their own. They are tactless and uncommunicative. Second, there is the non-social aspect. Children are obsessive about objects and pre-occupied with details of places or events."
In the past, psychologists assumed these two sets of symptoms had the same cause.
But a major study led by Ronald and Plomin of 4,000 pairs of twins has found this to be incorrect. Autism's two sets of symptoms are actually acquired quite separately.
"The two sets of symptoms are associated with two completely different sets of genes," Ronald said. "Only when a person inherits extreme versions of both do they exhibit the symptoms of full autism."
Particularly worrying is that for reasons still uncertain to scientists, the numbers of autistic children has reason sharply in recent years.
Guardian News Service
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From a Listmate
Conference to focus on new model of autism
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Not only is autism a treatable condition, it�s also a disorder affecting the entire body. This is the message which will be delivered at an upcoming conference hosted by the Autism Canada Foundation.
The three main objectives of the conference, called Autism: a Medical Condition, will be helping children with autism get better, providing parents of children with autism with knowledge and spreading the message that autism is a treatable condition, says Laurie Mawlam, the foundation�s executive director.
Mawlam says the three keynote speakers at the Sept. 29 conference, which will be held at the University of Ottawa , will provide insight to the relation between physical ailments and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.
Dr. Derrick MacFabe, Dr. Wendy Edwards and Dr. Martha Herbert � all experts in autism research � will be talking about the �new autism model,� which looks at ASD as a whole-body condition, rather than a disorder only affecting the brain.
The conference will centre on the biomedical issues impacting physical, behavioural and cognitive health of children with ASD.
Part of the agenda, says Mawlam, is to steer individuals away from the outdated idea that ASD is a genetically-determined disorder which cannot be cured.
�They�ll kybosh the old model that there�s nothing you can do,� says Mawlam. �Number 2, (parents) will come away with ideas on (what) to try next and they�ll bring these ideas to their pediatrician or physician. . . . We want to educate parents so they can become partners with other professionals.�
Attendees will be given the most recent, up-to-date information about research and treatment of ASD. They will also learn about what the future holds for ASD research.
Each presenter will be bringing their own expertise to the conference, notes Mawlam.
MacFabe will be discussing his research, which has found that a compound called propionic acid may be responsible for causing ASD. He will also shed light on the correlation between nutrition and symptoms of ASD.
For her part, Edwards will be talking about interventions, or the �angle of attack� which can be used when treating children with ASD.
Herbert, a professor of pediatric neurology at Harvard Medical School , will be speaking about the importance of collaboration.
Mawlam, who is organizing the conference, is hoping to get 250 attendees to the event. Regular admission is $100 per person. High school, university and college students pay $25.
The conference is a must-see for any parent of a child with ASD, says Mawlam. Anyone with financial difficulties who wishes to attend should contact her for more information at (519) 695-5858.
More information can be found at http://www.autismcanada.org.
