September 13th – September 21st 2007
www.autismnewsarticles.blogspot.com
THE ALLIANCE FOR FAMILIES WITH AUTISM (AFA)
FALL 2007 UPDATE
We felt it was necessary and important to give the autism community an update of what we have done and where we are heading for the fall!
Our executive members include parents and a grandparent of children with autism. Our mission is improving the lives of children and adults affected by autism. To provide factual information in a non-partisan approach to all stakeholders.
Throughout the year we have had meetings with John Tory, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Howard Hampton, Leader of the New Democratic Party, the Premier’s office, senior officials of the Ontario Government including Minister of Education and Minister of Children and Youth Services.
During these meetings the following priorities for action were addressed:
1) Implement all the recommendations from the Autism Reference Group Report to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
2) Direct Funding Option (DFO)/Direct Service Option (DSO) choice for Autism Intervention Program (AIP) with no waiting list and seamless transition to similar programming in school boards for children who require ongoing support.
3) Standard certification for service providers with a regulatory body of behaviour analysts and therapists. Increasing the number of psychologists to work with children and adults with autism, including a graduate level ABA teaching program at universities. Allow third party Behavioural consultants specialized in autism, senior therapists and therapists into schools.
4) Continuum of Government funded services and programs. Specialized services such as speech and occupational therapy need to be delivered in a timely manner. Programs such as Special Services at Home (SSAH) and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) need to support all families with autism and give clear guidelines to their key elements of administration.
5) Creation of National Autism Strategy that would include Federal-Provincial partnerships to ensure adequate resources and standards to provide Canadians with timely diagnosis, assessments, treatments, supports and research.
We all know that Ontario’s provincial election is right around the corner. The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) felt it was extremely important to our community to ensure that we had commitments from each of the three main political parties. We held a three-party political debate on autism policies and programs in June, 2007. We felt all informed voters would be interested in the information from this unprecedented and unique event. The debate was a great success and included such speakers such as Shelley Martel from the New Democratic Party, Frank Klees and Christine Elliot from the Progressive Conservative Party, and Minister Wynne from Education, as well as Minister Chambers from Children and Youth Services from the Ontario Liberal Government.
Soon the election will be over and we will know who will be leading the province of Ontario for the next four years. What will be next for the autism community after the election?
During this election period, The Alliance for Families with Autism has continued to work with all three parties. That work has led us to our upcoming event for November. This event will be unprecedented and unique, as was the debate in June.
We have arranged with all three parties, the elected government will participate in a “Town Hall” Meeting with the autism community hosted by The Alliance for Families with Autism. This meeting will include the Ministers from Education, Children and Youth Services, as well as Community and Social Services. This event will allow our community to meet the Ministers responsible for those ministries and have an opportunity to ask questions and make comments to the new government. The “Town Hall” Meeting will take place in November at a local school in the GTA. The date and location will be confirmed following the election.
We will continue to advocate for our community to ensure every person with autism will receive the support and services they require. We believe that there are different ways to advocate for our community and that is what makes our community so unique. Those different styles of advocating will only bring more attention to the issues and propel our cause even further.
The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) will continue to compile and distribute weekly news mailings of pertinent information on autism from Ontario and across Canada to ensure that our community has information available. We appreciate all of the positive comments and feedback we have received regarding our mailings!
As well as October being election month, it is also Autism Awareness Month. Last year we were involved in a province wide candlelight vigil. We have had a number of families request that this be an annual event. The Alliance for Families with Autism will be hosting the event this year. The vigil will take place on Monday, October 01, 2007 from 7:00 – 7:30 pm. The vigil will not be a political evening, although it will be held at MPP riding offices across Ontario. To further inform and build awareness we have invited all candidates to partake in the event from the three main political parties. We want to tell the world, with our candles, that every individual with ASD has the right to shine. We want to honour all individuals and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and related disorders.
Please find a list of confirmed locations at our blog at http://allianceforfamilieswithautism.blogspot.com
If you are interested in participating at a different location please contact our primary organizer John McVicar at findingnewmarkets@sympatico.ca
For those of you attending candlelight vigils on October 01, 2007… please remember to light a candle for Miles when you are lighting a candle for your family.
Sincerely,
The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA)
Executive Members -
Cindy DeCarlo – Barrie
Trish Kitching – Sudbury
Pat La Londe – Kingston
John McVicar – Kitchener
Lisa Prasuhn – Beeton
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/ 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 ½ hour and 1 hour appointments. Use this time to receive individualized professional advice regarding IEP’s, IPRC’s, discipline policies and more! Participants will be sent an information sheet in advance which will 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.
• ½ 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: 222-5000 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. Videoconferencing to Espanola/Manitoulin/Chapleau available, based on demand. Childcare options available.
NOTE: there are TWO biomedical conferences simultaneously Ottawa and Kitchener.
We are placing these at the TOP of our mailing to bring attention to them for the deadlines and the timing of the events.
Thank you for all of your groups hard work on behalf of our children. Please let your members know about the upcoming autism conference in Kitchener-Waterloo. It is a 3 day extensive conference. 2 days for parents and caregivers and 1 days to train practitioners. It is a once in a decade oppourtunity to see amazing presenters including Dr. William Shaw who literally wrote the book on biomedical treatments for autism and PDD. We would welcome any flyers or materials that your group might want to distribute at the conference or possibly signage to let attendees know of your important upcoming work with the Provincial election etc. You can let me know by reply email. I have attached a e-flyer with all of the details of the event.
Thank you again,
Valerie McIntyre
519-590-3471
valmcin@yahoo.ca
This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking evidence to support the use of various biomedical treatment options. We will be discussing the role of nutritional deficiencies and supplements, special dietary interventions, food allergies, heavy metal toxins, enzyme deficiencies, inborn errors of metabolism, immune deficiencies, the role of micro-organisms in the gastrointestinal tract and more. In addition, several parents will be presenting their very different journeys of the treatments that helped their children recover.
A physician training will be held on Monday, October 1st. This training is for licensed physicians and practitioners only. The prerequisite for this training is day 1 and 2 of this conference or other biomedical training. All practitioners are encouraged to participate in the entire conference.
Conference Location: Delta Kitchener-Waterloo
105 King Street East, Kitchener, ON
Online at:
www.greatplainslaboratory.com
By Mail:
Kitchener, Canada 2007 Conference (c/o Rory Butler)
11813 W. 77th St. Lenexa, Kansas 66214 USA
By phone:
(913) 341-8949
By fax: (913) 341-6207
SCHEDULE
General Session - Day 1: Saturday, September 29
8:00 - 8:30 Registration & Exhibits
8:30 - 8:45 Welcome & Introductions
8:45 - 10:00 Dr. William Shaw “Multi-factorial Causes of Autism”
10:00 - 10:15 Question & Answer & Outreach Clinic Announcement / Information
10:15 - 10:30 Break & Exhibits
10:30 - 11:45 Dr. Boyd Haley “The Biochemistry Of Mercury Neurotoxicity & Its Relationship to Neurological Disease”
11:45 - 12:00 Question & Answer
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch & Exhibits
1:00 - 2.15 Lori Knowles “A Mother’s Success Story - How I Recovered My Child”
2:15 - 3:30 Shula Edelkind “Dietary Management of Behavioral Disorders – The Feingold Program”
3:30 - 4:00 Break & Exhibits
4:00 - 5:15 Lori Knowles “Navigating the Maze of Nutritional Supplements”
5:15 - 5:30 Question & Answer
5:30 - 7:30 Dinner on your own
7:30 – 9:00 Parent’s Round Table – Informal Discussion (All conference participants welcome)
General Session - Day 2: Sunday, September 30
8:00 - 8:30 Registration & exhibits
8:30 - 9:45 Dr. William Shaw “Scientific Breakthroughs - Promising New Treatments”
9:45 - 10:00 Outreach Clinic Information
10:00 - 10:15 Break & Exhibits
10:15 - 11:45 Dr. Kalpana Patel “Food Allergies, Environmental Sensitivities and Toxicities in Autism Spectrum Disorders”
11:45 - 1:00 Lunch & Exhibits
1:00 - 2:30 Tami Duncan “Lyme Disease and its Relationship to Autism”
2:30 - 3:30 Dr. Boyd Haley “Systemic Infections Resulting from Oral Infections”
3:30 - 4:00 Break & Exhibits
4:00 - 5:30 Scott Clack, ND “Implementing Your Child’s Comprehensive Treatment Program”
5:30 - 6:00 Question & Answer Panel/Exhibit Viewing
6:00 – 7:30 Dinner on your own
7:30 – 9:00 Physician / Practitioner Round Table – For licensed physicians and practitioners only
Physician Training - Day 3: (For Licensed Practitioners Only) Monday, October 1
Pre-requisite (Day 1 & Day 2 of this conference or other Biomedical training)
8:30 - 10:00 Dr. William Shaw “Using Biomedical Testing and Interpretation to Determine Treatment Options
and Overview of Testing Options”
10:00 - 10:15 Break
10:15 - 11:15 Lori Knowles “Targeted Applications for Nutritional Supplements”
11:15 - 12:30 Dr. William Shaw “Interpreting the Organic Acid Test & Treatment Recommendations”
12:30 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 Dr. William Shaw “Interpreting IgG Food Allergy, Toxic Metals Hair, Immune Deficiency, Comprehensive Stool & more”
3:30 - 3:45 Break
3:45 - 5:00 Scott Clack, ND “Comprehensive Treatment Programs: Putting It All Together”
5:00 – 5:30 Questions & Wrap Up
*Schedule and speakers are subject to change at any time without notice
SPEAKERS
Dr. William Shaw received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and human physiology from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is board certified in the fields of clinical chemistry and toxicology by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. He has supervised large endocrinology, nutritional biochemistry, and toxicology and immunology departments in positions at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Smith Kline Laboratories in Atlanta. He was Director of Clinical Chemistry, Endocrinology and Toxicology at Children's Mercy Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Medicine. Dr. Shaw is now the Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism in Lenexa, Kansas specializing in testing for autism spectrum disorders, metabolic disorders in adults and children, PDD, and AD(H)D and has authored the book “Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD”. He is the stepfather of a child with autism and has helped thousands of parents and physicians successfully contribute to improving the lives of autistic children.
Dr. Boyd Haley received a doctorate in Chemistry/Biochemistry at Washington State University. He was an NIH Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Physiology, Yale University Medical School from 1971 to 1974. He has been a professor and Chairman of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky since 1996. Recently, Dr. Haley has testified before numerous government agencies on the effects of mercury toxicity from dental amalgams and vaccines. He was one of the first researchers to propose that the preservative Thimerosal in infant vaccines was the most likely toxic agent involved in Gulf War Syndrome and autism related disorders. He has shown using mercury analysis of birth-hair that autistics represent a subset of the population that cannot excrete mercury effectively. Dr. Haley is also co-founder and scientific advisor of Affinity Labeling Technologies, Inc., a biotech company that synthesizes and markets to major research institutes nucleotide photo-affinity analogs for biomedical research. Dr. Haley has been invited to present lectures on the subject of mercury toxicity and neurological diseases at international conferences in 12 different countries.
Lori Knowles is a mother of a recovered child and General Manager of New Beginnings Nutritionals. She is a frequent speaker on biomedical interventions to parents and professionals at autism conferences around the world. Over the past five years, she has worked closely with Dr. William Shaw, PhD to create New Beginnings Nutritionals, a cutting edge nutritional supplement company that supports the unique needs of children with autism. She collaborates with physicians, naturopaths, scientists, autism researchers and parents in order to create a diverse product line that parents and physicians can trust. Lori enjoys drawing from both her extensive research, professional and personal experience in recovering her own child to support parents and practitioners seeking answers to improve the lives of children affected with autism.
Scott Clack, B.Sc., N.D. received his Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Toronto (Mississauga)1981, and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle in 1997. He practiced in B.C. for 2 years after graduation, and moved home to Ontario in 1999. Scott Clack has been specializing in the treatment of Autism and related disorders for approximately 4 years. In working with these families, he has researched and implemented many treatments that are recommended by DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!). His formal training in treating Autism Spectrum Disorders “ASD” patients includes Open Windows (Toronto) training with Dr’s Bradstreet and Kartzinel in 2003, Open Windows (Toronto) with Dr. Bradstreet and Elaine Gotschall, Toronto mini-DAN! 2005 Physician’s training along with Great Plains Physician conference in 2006, the DAN! Conference in April 2006 and the Great Plains Physician training conference in 2007. In addition, Scott was voted Naturopathic Doctor of the Year in 2005 by his Ontario peers.
Dr. Kalpana Patel is a board certified pediatrician as well as board certified environmental specialist. She is a world renowned physician seeing patients from all over the world for the Treatment of Food and chemical sensitivities, Detoxification Disorders, Toxic Heavy Metal Poisoning and multiple nutritional deficiencies. She lectures nationally and internationally on these and related subjects. Dr. Patel has written and published several articles and a paper, soon to be published, on successful treatment of Autism using the comprehensive approach. She is the president of both the American and International Boards of Environmental Medicine. She is currently an assistant professor of pediatrics at the State University of New York in Buffalo and is a chairman and program director for the Basic and Advanced Training course by the AAEM. Dr. Patel has received many prestigious awards for “excellence in knowledge, outstanding achievements and exemplary services” in the subject of Chemical Sensitivity. She is also the President of Allergy and Environmental Health Center and has a private practice specializing in Environmental Medicine in Buffalo, New York.
Shula Edelkind’s second child became an obvious behavior problem, she didn’t have a clue what to do. She obeyed the doctors, took parenting courses, put him on Ritalin, then Cylert, and was about to add Tegretol when he developed severe Tourette Syndrome. In the 1980’s, doctors had not yet seen Tourette Syndrome, and his symptoms scared the neurologist into stopping all medications. It took another year and a special diagnostic clinic in another city to get a diagnosis. When she saw a TV talk show discussing treatments for ADHD, including the Feingold diet, she thought it might be useful, or at least not harmful. Remarkably, in four days, her son was behaviorally normal. By the end of the year, there were no more Tourette’s tics and he has been in permanent remission for the past 25 years.
As a volunteer and staff person for the Feingold Association, Shula designs and maintains the Feingold website and searches out medical studies on the connection of diet, health, and behavior. She returned to school to study bio-psychology, graduating magna cum laude from Agnes Scott College, and is now working on her Masters degree in Psychology at University of Phoenix.
Tami Duncan is the mother of two fabulous kids, Michael and Jenna. At age 7, Michael was diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder. After struggling to find help for her son, Tami stumbled upon TACA (Talk About Curing Autism). Soon after, Tami became a TACA meeting coordinator for the Inland Empire region. While going through the autism journey, she starting becoming sick herself and was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. In learning about Lyme disease, she decided to get her whole family tested. Her autistic son, Michael, came back positive. Tami then discovered a whole online community where hundreds of parents in which the mom was sick with Lyme and the autistic child was also infected. Unable to find treatment that she would consider appropriate, Tami and Kathy Blanco formed the L.I.A. Foundation, which focuses on Borrelia and multiple-infections as a potential cause of autism. Tami is now the co-founder and president of the L.I.A. Foundation and in charge of all operations.
REGISTRATION FORM
HOW TO REGISTER
1. Register online at www.greatplainslaboratory.com
2. Register by Mail: Kitchener, Canada 2007 Conference
c/o Rory Butler, 11813 W. 77th St. Lenexa, Kansas 66214 USA
3. Register by phone: 1-800-288-0383 (US only) or (913) 341-8949 at The Great Plains Laboratory
4. Register by fax: (913) 341-6207 at The Great Plains Laboratory (please confirm fax receipt)
CONFERENCE FEES:
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION – Receive $30 Discount if registered by August 15, 2007
GROUP DISCOUNTS – 10% Group Discount Rate if registering 10 or more
$ 99 US - ONE DAY PASS _____________________________(please specify date attending)
$ 149 US - TWO DAY PASS _____________________________(please specify dates attending)
$ 189 US – THREE DAY PASS (Practitioner’s Only)
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT (applies if register before August 15th 2007)
Subtotal
X
Multiply appropriate fee by # of registrations
TOTAL
*THE CONFERENCE FEE IS NON-REFUNDABLE. FEE INCLUDES HANDOUTS, LUNCH & REFRESHMENTS
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_____Please check here if you do NOT want your name listed in our database to receive information regarding future workshops, outreach clinics and conferences. We respect your privacy and never sell or give out this information to any other parties.
PARTICIPANT CONTACT INFORMATION (Must be completed for each attendee):
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PRACTITIONER’S INFORMATION (if applies)
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LOCATION
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Directions & overnight accommodations:
Contact the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo Hotel at 519-744-4141 or 800-483-7812 or go to website www.deltahotels.com/hotels/hotels.php?hotelId=22
Airport Travel Options
1. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YTO)
Kitchener is 53 miles Southwest of the Toronto Airport
2. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
Kitchener is approximately 113 miles Northwest of Buffalo Airport
EXHIBITOR INFO:
The Great Plains Laboratory would like to extend an invitation to exhibit at a conference designed for physicians, teachers, therapists and parents of children with Autism. Please note that exhibitor space will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information about exhibiting, please visit www.greatplainslaboratory.com or call 913-341-8949 or 800-288-0383 (US only).
The Great Plains Laboratory is partnering with Scott Clack, ND to provide a local Outreach Clinic in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. The clinic will be dedicated to those seeking biomedical treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders, allergies, AD(H)D, psychiatric and behavioral abnormalities. He will also be treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Environmental Illness, Autoimmune Diseases, Hormonal Imbalances, Immune Dysfunction and Other Chronic Disorders/Illnesses.
Scott Clack, Naturopathic Doctor, specializing in the biological treatments (DAN! protocol) for autism and related disorders, will be seeing patients on Saturday & Sunday, November 3rd & 4th, 2007 by appointment only. The Great Plains Laboratory will provide a highly skilled phlebotomist, who will be on site as a convenience for any patients requiring blood draws.
Our Goal is to Assess and Treat: Underlying nutritional deficiencies and oxidative stress, yeast and bacterial imbalances, food allergies and sensitivities; immune and endocrine dysfunctions, heavy metal toxicity, auto-immunity issues, impaired detoxification systems
What you can expect from The Great Plains Laboratory Outreach Clinic:
• A multi-faceted, whole-body approach integrating natural and holistic medicine
• Review all signs & symptoms, no matter how ‘seemingly’ unrelated
• Extensive intake form to obtain a detailed and accurate clinical picture
• Extensive metabolic testing – utilizing blood, urine, stool, and hair
• Case review from two branches of medicine (naturopathic and biochemistry)
• Design and implement a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan based on each individual’s clinical and metabolic presentation
• On-going support provided through office consultations at Scott Clack’s full service clinic in Mississauga, Ontario
Space is limited so please call
Linda Brozanic or Bryan Olson at (913) 341-8949 todayand schedule your appointment
Autism, PDD, AD(H)D and Behaviour Disorders
A Guide to Biomedically Based Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options
For Parents, Care Givers, Educators and Practitioners
Saturday & Sunday
September 29 & 30, 2007
Delta Kitchener-Waterloo
105 King Street East
Kitchener, Ontario N2G 2K8
This conference will provide scientific evidence that supports the use of various biomedical treatment options for Autism, PDD, ADD/HD and Behaviour. Disorders. We will be discussing the role of nutritional deficiencies and supplements, special diet interventions, food allergies, inborn errors of metabolism, immune deficiencies, heavy metal toxicities, the role of micro-organisms in the gastrointestinal tract, diagnostic testing and more.
The complete flyer & website information will be available in the near future (www.greatplainslaboratory.com.)
For additional information, sponsorship opportunities, volunteer information, fundraising information, exhibitor opportunities and more, please contact:
Christiane Gram
The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc.
cgram@GPL4U.com 704-225-3623
Visit www.autismcanada.org to register for
Autism: A Medical Condition
Saturday, September 29, 2007
University of Ottawa
51 Smyth Road
Roger Guindon Building
Featuring Dr. Martha Herbert, Dr. Derrick MacFabe and Dr. Wendy Edwards
Autism Canada Foundation invites you to discover why and how biomedical issues may have an impact on the physical, behavioural and cognitive health of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Attendees will learn about current promising research and what the next steps are in the new autism paradigm.
Presentations are geared towards parents, medical professionals, basic research scientists, agencies, school personnel and others dedicated to improving the quality of life for those on the Autism Spectrum.
If you are in need of financial assistance to attend please contact Laurie Mawlam (519)695-5858
All attendees will receive a free copy of the DVD documentary Autism - There's Hope Out There
Dr. Martha Herbert, MD, PhD
Dr. Martha Herbert is currently an Assistant Professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School and an Assistant in Neurology (Pediatrics) at McLean Hospital in Belmont Massachusetts. She has published more than 25 peer reviewed journal articles in such prestigious medical journals as American Journal of Psychiatry, Brain, Biological Psychiatry, and Annals of Neurology. Dr. Herbert has also been invited to give numerous presentations concerning the Neurobiology of Autism. She can be considered one of the current stars in the field of Autism Research.
Dr. Derrick MacFabe, MD
Dr. Derrick MacFabe is Assistant Professor and Director of the Kilee Patchell- Evans Autism Research Group, Depts. of Psychology (Neuroscience) & Psychiatry (Division of Developmental Disabilities) at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. He is examining the role of genetics, biochemistry and environment on the identification and possible treatments of autism spectrum disorders. Dr. MacFabe's research has recently been awarded one of the "Top 50 Scientific Discoveries in Canada" by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Dr. Wendy Edwards, MD
Dr. Edwards is a Consulting Pediatrician working in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. She completed her pediatric residency in Toronto, at the Hospital for Sick Children, where she was chosen to act as chief resident in her final year. Dr. Edwards' own son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. He is now fully verbal, with a wonderful sense of humor and lots of friends. He graduated last June from Grade One at the top of his class with no Educational Assistant or special curriculum.
Please forward the following notice to anyone who might be interested in attending.
For workshop details click here: http://www.afase.com/Workshop.html
Click here to register: http://www.afase.com/Workshop_Registration.html
AFASE at school
Presents
Advocating For Appropriate Special Education 113
Saturday, September 22, 2007
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This full-day workshop is designed to empower you by providing current special education
information, strategies, and skills that will enable you to advocate for appropriate special education
programs and services in a way that is both assertive and collaborative
Audience: Parents, Students, Teachers, Educational Assistants, and Community Organizations
Lindsay Moir who is retired from the Ministry of Education is considered to be an expert in special
education issues. He will present an interactive, discussion-based workshop on Current Issues in
Special Education.
Karen Robinson the owner of AFASE at School will present Special Education Advocacy:
Everything you Should Know. Topics include: The Rules of Advocacy, The Special Education
Program, IPRC's and the Appeal Process, The good IEP, Writing Measurable Goals and Expectations,
and Writing Needs Statements.
Each presentation will allow time for Q & A
Coffee and pastries, and a light lunch will be provided
Vaughan Police Station
Community Meeting Room
2700 Rutherford Rd.
Vaughan, Ontario
General area: North of Hwy 407, East of Hwy 400
N/W corner of Rutherford Rd. and Melville Ave.
SPACE IS LIMITED - REGISTER EARLY TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT
*Early bird rate: $80.00
*At the door: $100.00
To register use the registration form using this link
http://www.afase.com/Workshop_Registration.html
or e-mail: karen.robinson@afase.com
or phone: 905-427-7524
*Fee includes refreshments and handouts for each presentation
TV election ads feature all Dalton, all the time
In the campaign, there are three men leading the main parties. But in the partisan ad world, so far, there is only one face front and centre – McGuinty
September 15, 2007
Robert Benzie
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF
All three major political parties agree on one thing: Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty is the advertising face of the Oct. 10 election campaign. In an unusual coincidence, the first campaign commercials by the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, and New Democrats are dominated by McGuinty's mug.
That the Liberals would want to highlight their leader is not surprising – they unveiled a hagiographic website, dalton.ca, months ago and all of their campaign material is centred around him.
But his starring role in Progressive Conservative and New Democratic Party ads – where he is unflatteringly depicted either grimacing or grinning – prove the opposition parties believe he is as much a liability as Liberals think he's an asset.
"Poll numbers have always suggested that the premier lags his party in popularity and this is another reflection of that," says April Lindgren, a Ryerson University associate professor of journalism.
Lindgren, a former Queen's Park reporter who covered the 1999 and 2003 campaigns, says the parties are focusing on McGuinty for their own self-interested reasons.
"It shows you that all three of them think that the campaign is about leadership and personality – more than about issues," she says, stressing these are just the opening salvos.
"You could see this as the first phase of advertising and as they move along, the plan (from the Tories and NDP) may be to introduce their leaders and emphasize their leaders. They get out there and brand McGuinty (now) and then say here's what we're offering as the alternative."
The current Liberal ads boast McGuinty, sporting his trademark red tie, standing at the bottom of what appears to be a school stairway and speaking directly to the camera.
"You know what I love about Ontario's public schools? They're public! Whatever the race or creed of our kids they attend the same schools together. They learn, play, laugh, and sing together," enthuses the upbeat Liberal leader.
"I believe that taking half-a-billion much-needed dollars from those schools to give to private religious schools is a mistake," he says, referring to Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory's plan to extend funding to other faith-based schools beyond just Catholics.
Given how controversial that policy is – especially to voters demanding one public system with no funding for any religions, including Catholics – the Tories are shifting attention in their ads.
The four commercials now airing province-wide feature a black and white photograph of a pained-looking McGuinty flanked by one of the following slogans: "promised not to raise taxes; promised to close coal burning plants by 2007; promised to support autistic kids; promised responsible spending."
As each "broken promise" scrolls across the screen, a male announcer, speaking over sombre music, intones that McGuinty made campaign pledges in 2003 then quickly abandoned them.
To the sound of shattering glass, each passing broken promise disappears in shards.
Finally, the grim portrait of McGuinty shatters like a mirror and a colour picture of a smiling Tory appears.
"Dalton McGuinty – promises made, promises broken. Ontario doesn't need more broken promises, it needs John Tory because leadership does matter," the announcer concludes.
Thematically identical, but less apocalyptic, the NDP ads sport a colour photo of a smirking McGuinty gradually being covered up by yellow Post-It Notes, each one featuring a broken promise.
"175,000 jobs lost; $450 average health tax; hydro rates up 45 per cent; nine-hour ER wait; 40,000 kids waiting for special education; no standards in nursing homes; 36 per cent tuition fee increase; children with autism denied services; $40,000 pay hike!" read the notes.
Underscoring this, a female announcer points out that "when Dalton McGuinty's Liberals were elected, it didn't take them long to forget the voters who put them in office."
"They forgot working families, they forgot our children, they forgot students and seniors, but they remembered to give themselves a big pay increase," she continues, as downbeat music plays.
"Dalton was hoping his record wouldn't stick to him. You can tell him he's wrong. Don't get mad, get orange. Howard Hampton and Ontario's NDP."
University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman notes "for the most part negative ads do work and that's why the parties use them."
"What ads do is they reinforce your pre-existing biases. So if you're a Conservative and you see an add that's attacking McGuinty, you say, `oh yeah, that's good.' And if you're a Liberal, you say, `oh yeah, well, they don't have anything to offer, they're attacking us,'" he says.
But in a tight election, such as the Oct. 10 vote is shaping up to be, an effective advertising blitz can make an impact.
"All we're talking about at the end of the day are four or five percentage points, so that's all you're talking about swinging and that's the difference between a Conservative and a Liberal government," says Wiseman.
Still, he warns that negative ads can sometimes backfire and points to the most notorious example in recent Canadian political history – the federal Tories' attack on then Liberal leader Jean Chrétien's facial deformity.
Then prime minister Kim Campbell's campaign – run, coincidentally, by John Tory – quickly yanked the mocking ads, which showed close-up photos of Chrétien, and inadvertently drove sympathetic voters to the Liberals.
"So they don't always work," says Wiseman.
As might be expected, all three provincial parties take some liberties with the truth in their first spots.
McGuinty's assertion that money would be funnelled from public education to "private religious schools" is dubious. The new faith-based schools would, after all, become part of the public system – just like the Catholic schools McGuinty, his wife, and their four children attended.
The Tories' attack on the Liberals for raising taxes ignores the hidden $5.6 billion deficit that McGuinty inherited from former PC premier Ernie Eves in 2003.
Nor is the NDP exempt from such hypocrisy.
Yes, the NDP caucus opposed the hefty MPP raises McGuinty and Tory together rammed through before Christmas, but all New Democrats received the pay hike; some are donating their newfound largesse to charities in their ridings.So, along with plenty of face-time for McGuinty, viewers may be getting the truth, but not quite the whole truth, in this first round of election advertisements.
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/256837
Repeat article, I think the last one did not come through properly.
Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - York-Simcoe riding
• Getting to know your candidates - Newmarket Aurora riding
• Getting to know your candidates - Newmarket Aurora riding
• Getting to know your candidates - Newmarket Aurora riding
• Getting to know your candidates - Newmarket Aurora riding
• Getting to know your candidates - Newmarket Aurora riding
Newmarket
Sep 14, 2007 09:45 PM
NANCY MORRISON
NDP
ndpyorksimcoe@yahoo.ca
It was the kind of introduction to provincial politics a new candidate can only dream of.
Provincial NDP leader Howard Hampton and his high-profile wife, MPP Shelley Martel, joined a room full of supporters for Nancy Morrison’s nomination meeting earlier this year.
Mr. Hampton said Ms Morrison embodies the principles of the NDP.
“That’s why I’m so proud and pleased she has come forward as our candidate,” he said.
Now, Ms Morrison is on the campaign trail hoping to pay back Mr. Hampton’s endorsement with a big win in the York-Simcoe riding.
She’ll also have federal candidate Sylvia Gerl on the stump.
Ms Morrison, 47, who lives in Bradford West Gwillimbury with husband Phil and their two children, said she is proud to carry the NDP banner.
She was originally introduced to politics through her advocacy work for children living with autism. Ms Morrison said she hopes to continue her work for children with autism once she is elected MPP.
Her community volunteerism includes offering training in autism awareness for EMS workers, volunteering at the Eaglewood Folk Festival in Pefferlaw, instructing smoking cessation for the lung association and was an executive member of a Big Sisters organization.
Attention News Editors:
McGuinty Liberals have kept and exceeded autism commitment
Next step to prepare schools for on-site IBI therapy
TORONTO, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - While the negative campaigning of the
opposition parties continues, the McGuinty Liberals are moving forward to
build supports for parents and children with autism.
"Playing political games with these parents and children is disgraceful,"
said Liberal Minister of Children and Youth Services Mary Anne Chambers. "It's
time for some honesty in this discussion. We know the challenges families with
autistic children face, and there's more to do together to build a support
system."
"Dalton McGuinty has been there to support children with autism from day
one. He kept his commitment and went beyond it," said Chambers. "There is more
to do and we will keep working together toward better services for these
kids."
This year more than 1,400 autistic children will receive IBI therapy, up
from 530 under the Conservatives, and 0 under the NDP. The average annual
total cost per child for IBI therapy is $70,000.
The 2003 Commitment:
"The Ontario Liberals support extending autism treatment beyond the age
of six. In government, my team and I will work with clinical directors,
parents, teachers and school boards to devise a feasible way in which autistic
children in our province can get the support and treatment they need. That
includes children over the age of six."
What was delivered:
<<
- Extended autism treatment beyond the age of six, cancelling the
Conservative age cut off
- Tripled investments in autism to over $140 million
- More than doubled the number of children receiving IBI therapy,
including kids over age 6
- Created a new college program to train more IBI therapists
- Invested in summer camps for autistic children
- Invested in respite services for parents of autistic children
- Invested in training child care workers and education assistants
- Directed school boards to prepare schools to deliver IBI therapy
on-site
>>
The lawsuit:
On November 24, 1999, a group of families with autistic children filed a
lawsuit against the Conservative government. One of the parents said: "The
government is just trying to save money by excluding older children. We aren't
going to accept that our children's health would be compromised in this way."
The suit finally went to court in April 2003, still under the
Conservative government. It was one more mess the Conservatives left behind to
be cleaned up.
The lawsuit was about legal jurisdiction. It never got in the way our
efforts to expand services for these kids.
For further information: Ben Chin, (416) 961-3800 ext. 412,
ben_chin@ontarioliberal.ca
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2007/15/c9269.html
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/81.html
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/guide.html
Sites of interest.
Google Alert
TAB Quickfacts: Autism strategies set out by Ontario political parties
6 days ago
(CP) — A look at autism strategies for the three major parties:
New Democrat Party:
The New Democrats would provide publicly funded IBI services in classrooms for all children with autism, and clear the waiting list for autism services within three years. The party would almost double spending on autism treatment for children to $216 million from $116 million.
Progressive Conservatives:
The Progressive Conservative Party would clear the wait list for treatment for kids under six, work with relevant parties to ensure that school-aged children with autism have the supports they need, give parents flexibility when choosing funding and service providers, improve regulations and assessments of therapists, allow Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) treatment in schools following the recommendation of a professional.
Liberal Party:
The Liberals would prepare schools to deliver IBI therapy on-site, and continue increasing funding for autism programs and continue training autism support workers. The party extended funding for treatment of autistic children beyond the age of six in 2005. The Liberals have tripled funding to $116 million from $44 million when the party took over from the previous Conservative government.
Google alert
Activists urge leaders to support programs for autistic children
Roberta Pennington, The Windsor Star
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2007
Mary Beth Rocheleau just wants for her son what every other parent expects for their children: a good education.
But unlike most other parents, Rocheleau said she has had to constantly fight with the provincial Liberal government to ensure her seven-year-old son Gregory and others like like him who have autism are granted a fair chance at education.
Rocheleau and about a dozen others continued their fight Saturday as they held signs and chanted slogans such as "No more excuses!" and "No more lies" in front of Windsor-West MPP Sandra Pupatello's office as part of the province-wide Autism Day of Action organized by the Ontario Autism Coalition.
Mary Beth Rocheleau, centre, demonstrates along with supporters in front of Windsor-West MPP Sandra Pupatello's office as part of the Ontario Autism Coalition's province-wide day of action Saturday. A mother of a seven-year-old boy with autism, Rocheleau is calling on the government to invest in programs and services to help autistic children.
Roberta Pennington, The Windsor Star
The demonstrators also displayed a life-size cardboard cutout of Premier Dalton McGuinty with a foot-long wooden stick poking out of his face as his nose.
"We want to bring attention to the citizens of Ontario about the issues regarding autism and put some pressure on the politicians because we're tired of their broken promises," Rocheleau said. "When Dalton McGuinty got into office he made a lot of promises ... but he didn't follow through."
Rocheleau and other coalition supporters, who also picketed at the office of Essex MPP Bruce Crozier and several other locations throughout Ontario, maintain McGuinty's government failed to live up to its pledge to help children with autism. Instead of boosting funding to reduce the number of autistic children waiting for specialized therapy, Rocheleau said the Liberals have done "very little" while in power.
"When (McGuinty) got into office, there was less than 100 kids on the wait list, there's over 1,000 now waiting for the therapy," she said, stressing the need for funding to cut the educational therapy wait list.
Additionally, the activists are calling for the specialized therapists -- known as intensive behavioural intervention instructors -- to be accredited and allowed into the public school system.
"It's the only scientifically proven method to work with children with autism," Rocheleau said, adding her son has to be kept home from school to receive the therapy. "If Gregory was deaf or blind, he'd be allowed to bring his facilitator in. We're just asking for the same rights for kids with autism."
Pupatello's office was closed at the time of the demonstration and no one from her Party showed up for the event. Candidates representing the Progressive Conservative and NDP camps for the Windsor-West riding stopped by to show their support.
Lisa Lumley, a Conservative candidate for the district, said it is critical for the government to financially support programs to help families with autistic children.
"We've got to put more financing into it so they can get the help that they need," Lumley said. "We need to be there to help them. John Tory is planning on providing them I believe it's $75 million more to help clear the wait lists."
NDP leader Howard Hampton also made a campaign promise -- at a Brampton playground as the setting -- to invest $100 million toward services for children with autism.
For Jennifer Jones, whose four-year-old son has autism, the attention the coalition's activism has captured gives her "hope" for her son Mitchell's educational future.
"Within this next year we hope something will change," Jones said. "We're hoping, we're hoping. Every year we can hope."
rpennington@thestar.canwest.com or 519-255-5529
© The Windsor Star 2007
Google alert
Autism funding sparks protest
Sun, September 16, 2007
By PATRICK MALONEY, SUN MEDIA
Frustrated parents protested across Ontario yesterday on behalf of their autistic children, slamming the Liberals for backing out of a promise to fund a pricey but effective therapy.
The so-called Autism Day of Action, held by the Sarnia-based Ontario Autism Coalition, targeted Dalton McGuinty as the NDP pledged $100 million to offer the one-on-one intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) in schools.
"If you're going to make a promise and break it to children with disabilities, how can we believe anything you're going to say?" coalition founder Susan Fentie, who ran for the Tory nomination in Sarnia-Lambton, said of McGuinty.
"The credibility is not there."
Fentie, who has two autistic sons, led a rally of about 50 people outside the Sarnia campaign office of Caroline Di Cocco, a Liberal cabinet minister, while other coalition members picketed Liberal offices in six other cities.
IBI therapy costs about $30,000 a year for each child and is considered an effective treatment of the disorder that causes impaired social and communication skills.
Funding for IBI used to end at age six but McGuinty, as promised, ended that practice. However, critics say he didn't put enough money in to help the estimated 1,000 kids on an IBI waiting list.
Mary Anne Chambers, the Liberal minister of children and youth services, yesterday defended the party's record, noting it invested $140 million and doubled the number of kids getting IBI therapy.
"Playing political games with these parents and children is disgraceful," read a statement by Chambers.
On the campaign trail yesterday, NDP Leader Howard Hampton promised an NDP government would spend $100 million instituting IBI in all Ontario schools.
The London Free Press
REPEAT
From a listmate
Financial Post, National Post, Windsor Star
NDP promises millions for children with autism
Dalson Chen, The Windsor Star
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2007
A New Democrat provincial government would correct a Liberal broken promise by investing $100 million a year to provide much needed services for children with autism, says Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton.
"This is something we need to do," said Hampton at a playground in Bradford on Saturday morning. "We can't afford to allow children to languish on a waiting list when we know we can make this kind of difference in their lives. And the money is there. The money just hasn't been spent wisely."
Accompanied by York Simcoe NDP candidate Nancy Morrison and several children with autism including Morrison's 8-year-old son Sean, Hampton pledged that the new funding would be devoted to respite care, research into the causes of autism, and -- "most importantly" -- clearing the waiting list for the autism therapy known as intensive behaviour intervention (IBI).
Hampton and Morrison said the NDP would ensure that IBI services would be available in classrooms for all children with autism who qualify by psychological assessment.
"With our Ontario Autism Strategy, a child who qualifies for IBI treatment will benefit from the day that they qualify. No more long waiting list," Hampton said.
According to Hampton, the Liberal government has allowed the list to balloon to around 1,100 names, more than 12 times what it was previously. Hampton said he believes a NDP government could eliminate the list entirely within three years.
Hampton also pointed to the Liberals' lengthy legal fight against a group of parents of children with autism, who took the Liberals to court for failing to fulfill a 2003 election promise to fund IBI treatment for children over the age of six.
The age restriction was eventually removed in the midst of the court battle.
But Mary Turner, a 41-year-old mother of three children with autism, said she still feels betrayed by the Liberals. "I feel like my vote has been bought."
Turner said that in 2003, she voted for Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty "based on his promise," only to watch children like her 10-year-old daughter Katie go for four years without IBI treatment due to the government considering Katie too old to qualify for funding.
Turner said she believes Katie's development slowed down as a result, and it breaks Turner's heart to think about how beneficial the therapy would've been for Katie. "I think it's lost time that we have to get back."
Hampton said the McGuinty Liberals spent $2.4 million in legal fees "to justify the unjustifiable. Money was spent on lawyers that could have and should have funded special treatment for children with autism for an entire year."
Asked how the NDP would pay for its proposed annual investment, Hampton said that "the money was there, in this past budget year, to do this."
Hampton mentioned other Liberal money controversies such as a "secret $32.5 million slush fund" and $59 million originally slated for autism services until the Liberals "quietly slid it out of the budget and spent it somewhere else."
Asked why the NDP waited until now to announce its autism strategy, Hampton said they chose Saturday to coincide with a day of action that was organized by parents of children with autism.
Laura Kirby-McIntosh, a member of the Ontario Autism Coalition, said rallies occurred on Saturday in six cities in the province, including outside Dalton McGuinty's offices in Ottawa.
Kirby-McIntosh said the coalition is "grassroots and independent," but she was pleased by the NDP announcement. "It shows that one of the political parties is taking the issue seriously."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PC press release
Attention News Editors:
Dalton McGuinty protests so much
TORONTO, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - Today Dalton McGuinty is claiming he "kept and
exceeded" his promise to the parents of children with autism.
Here are the facts:
<<
- In 2003, Dalton McGuinty promised the parent of a child with autism
that he would "devise a feasible way in which autistic children in
our province can get the support and treatment they need. That
includes children over the age of six" (E-mail from Dalton McGuinty
to Nancy Morrison, September 17, 2003).
- In April 2005, Dalton McGuinty chose to appeal a ruling of the
Ontario Superior Court that the age cut off for IBI treatment
violated the constitutional rights of children with autism (Woodstock
Sentinel-Review, April 6, 2005).
- Dalton McGuinty then took NDP MPP Shelley Martel to court when she
tried to find out how much the Ontario government spent on the court
case. This was after Dalton McGuinty fought Martel's freedom of
information request and was told by the Information and
Privacy Commissioner that he had to release the information
(Globe and Mail, March 14, 2007).
- And if all of that wasn't bad enough, Dalton McGuinty tried to force
the parents of children with autism to pay for the government's
$85,000 legal bill for the court case that he chose to continue in
April 2005 (Toronto Star, June 11, 2007).
- Meanwhile, the waiting list for autism treatment has grown from 89 in
early 2004 to nearly 1,100 children as of August 2007 (Toronto Star,
January 19, 2007, Timmins Daily Press, August 18, 2007).
>>
Now Dalton McGuinty is making another promise to the parents of children
with autism. He says he's going to provide IBI treatment in schools. But what
to make of a March 1, 2007 memo from Ben Levin, Deputy Minister of Education
that made it very clear Dalton McGuinty would not be offering IBI in Ontario's
schools?
<<
"Based upon your work and in support of the recommendations of the
reference group the Ministry will soon release a PPM on the use of
Applied Behavioural analysis (ABA) in schools. The focus of this PPM
will be ABA teaching practices and not Intensive Behavioural
Intervention (IBI)...."
>>
Dalton McGuinty couldn't be trusted in 2003. Why would the parents of
autistic children trust him in 2007?
Leadership Matters.
For further information: Mike Van Soelen, (647) 722-1760
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activists urge leaders to support programs for autistic children
Roberta Pennington, The Windsor Star
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2007
Mary Beth Rocheleau just wants for her son what every other parent expects for their children: a good education.
But unlike most other parents, Rocheleau said she has had to constantly fight with the provincial Liberal government to ensure her seven-year-old son Gregory and others like like him who have autism are granted a fair chance at education.
Rocheleau and about a dozen others continued their fight Saturday as they held signs and chanted slogans such as "No more excuses!" and "No more lies" in front of Windsor-West MPP Sandra Pupatello's office as part of the province-wide Autism Day of Action organized by the Ontario Autism Coalition.
Mary Beth Rocheleau, centre, demonstrates along with supporters in front of Windsor-West MPP Sandra Pupatello's office as part of the Ontario Autism Coalition's province-wide day of action Saturday. A mother of a seven-year-old boy with autism, Rocheleau is calling on the government to invest in programs and services to help autistic children.
Roberta Pennington, The Windsor Star
The demonstrators also displayed a life-size cardboard cutout of Premier Dalton McGuinty with a foot-long wooden stick poking out of his face as his nose.
"We want to bring attention to the citizens of Ontario about the issues regarding autism and put some pressure on the politicians because we're tired of their broken promises," Rocheleau said. "When Dalton McGuinty got into office he made a lot of promises ... but he didn't follow through."
Rocheleau and other coalition supporters, who also picketed at the office of Essex MPP Bruce Crozier and several other locations throughout Ontario, maintain McGuinty's government failed to live up to its pledge to help children with autism. Instead of boosting funding to reduce the number of autistic children waiting for specialized therapy, Rocheleau said the Liberals have done "very little" while in power.
"When (McGuinty) got into office, there was less than 100 kids on the wait list, there's over 1,000 now waiting for the therapy," she said, stressing the need for funding to cut the educational therapy wait list.
Additionally, the activists are calling for the specialized therapists -- known as intensive behavioural intervention instructors -- to be accredited and allowed into the public school system.
"It's the only scientifically proven method to work with children with autism," Rocheleau said, adding her son has to be kept home from school to receive the therapy. "If Gregory was deaf or blind, he'd be allowed to bring his facilitator in. We're just asking for the same rights for kids with autism."
Pupatello's office was closed at the time of the demonstration and no one from her Party showed up for the event. Candidates representing the Progressive Conservative and NDP camps for the Windsor-West riding stopped by to show their support.
Lisa Lumley, a Conservative candidate for the district, said it is critical for the government to financially support programs to help families with autistic children.
"We've got to put more financing into it so they can get the help that they need," Lumley said. "We need to be there to help them. John Tory is planning on providing them I believe it's $75 million more to help clear the wait lists."
NDP leader Howard Hampton also made a campaign promise -- at a Brampton playground as the setting -- to invest $100 million toward services for children with autism.
For Jennifer Jones, whose four-year-old son has autism, the attention the coalition's activism has captured gives her "hope" for her son Mitchell's educational future.
"Within this next year we hope something will change," Jones said. "We're hoping, we're hoping. Every year we can hope."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Observer
Autism activists take to streets
Posted By SHAWN JEFFORDS
Local autism activists will take their plight to Sarnia-Lambton MPP Caroline Di Cocco's front door this weekend.
Local parents upset with the McGuinty government's treatment of autistic children will march in front of Di Cocco's London Road campaign office at 11 a.m., one of seven demonstrations across the province. They will be joined by at least two of her rivals in this fall's provincial vote, Conservative Bob Bailey and NDP candidate Barb Millitt.
"What we've always been asking of (McGuinty) is do what you said you'd do," said Ontario Autism Coalition co-founder Susan Fentie of Bright's Grove.
Fentie said before Dalton McGuinty was elected in 2003 he promised the parents of autistic children that he would cut wait lists for treatment for the brain disorder. Fentie said the wait lists remain long and the government has been slow to act on dealing with the issue of treatment in schools.
The Liberal campaign platform for this election includes provisions to cut the wait for Intensive Behavoural Intervention (IBI) and have it instituted in schools to help treat children.
"He's promised this before," said Dan Fentie, also a co-founder of the coalition. "We had it in writing. We're not going to be fooled again."
The protesters will be accompanied by eight "McGuintios", life-size models of Premier Dalton McGuinty adorned with a broom-handle nose. The coalition has raised the ire of the government with the caricatures which liken the premier to the wooden puppet Pinocchio. "It would cost every taxpayer $7.50 a year to cut the wait lists and put IBI in the schools," Susan Fentie said. "It's important they know the facts."
The group will also be accompanied by a TVOntario film crew who are working on a documentary about the effects of autism on families. Local parents are welcome to offer their experiences, said Fentie.
"Autism can take a terrible toll on families," she said. "It's been hard on mine."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star
All autistic kids would get free 1-on-1 care: Hampton
Says NDP would soon end 900-child waiting list, but Liberals claim problem goes beyond funding
Sep 16, 2007 04:30 AM
Sean Patrick Sullivan
CANADIAN PRESS
The thorny issue of public funding for treatment of children with autism leapt into the Ontario election campaign yesterday, as the New Democrats announced a proposal to provide blanket therapy for all children who need it right in their classrooms – a strategy the Liberals say is unsustainable.
An NDP government would provide publicly funded Intensive Behavioural Intervention – a very expensive, one-on-one treatment – in classrooms for all autistic children, leader Howard Hampton said in Bradford.
Hampton said he would clear the current waiting list of 900 children within three years. About 1,400 kids are funded for the IBI treatment; many other families pay out of pocket.
"With our Ontario autism strategy, a child who qualifies for IBI treatment will benefit from the day they qualify," he said.
"No more long waiting lists, no longer the need for families to mortgage or sell their homes to pay for their children's therapy."
But, in an interview, Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said the issue can't be solved by tossing money around.
"There simply aren't enough autism support providers in Ontario to provide one-on-one treatment with every child who needs it," she said.
The Liberal government has been working to hire more specialists and establish and expand college training programs for therapists, Chambers said, noting that spending on autism has tripled since the party took power in 2003.
Also yesterday, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory made overtures to the so-called 905 region by pledging up to $200 million annually for health care by 2012.
Tory says Toronto's ballooning outer layer is underserviced and has been neglected by the Liberal government for years.
"Dalton McGuinty has refused to acknowledge the pressures faced by Ontario's fastest-growing communities, and as a result, residents are being forced to seek treatments outside their own communities," he said at Oshawa's Lakeridge Hospital.
"McGuinty has allowed funding to fall behind population growth and needs in this region," Tory said.
On another issue, the premier said yesterday he won't roll back tuition but will instead give post-secondary students an up-front tax credit at the start of the school year.
Speaking to some 300 young Liberals, McGuinty also vowed to increase the number of apprenticeship programs by 25 per cent.
He promised to work with Ottawa to extend the grace period graduates have before they must start paying back their student loans.
McGuinty hopes to increase it from six months to one year, giving students more time to establish themselves professionally before having to make payments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ottawa Citizen
Parents blast McGuinty on autism
Dozens rally outside constituency office to put funding for treatment on agenda
Maria Cook, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Sunday, September 16, 2007
"It takes nine months to get an assessment from a psychologist," said Mr. Lander. "Then it takes about a year to get approved into the preschool autism program. Then it's two to three more years of waiting until you actually begin to receive treatment."
A spokeswoman for Mr. McGuinty noted that the government has eliminated the age cutoff and that about 60 per cent of children in the IBI program are six years of age or older.
She said that the government more than doubled the number of children receiving IBI from 531 in 2004 to 1,400 today, more than tripled spending on autism services for children and youth from $44 million in 2003-04 to $140 million in 2007-08, and created a college program to train new therapists.
Google Alert
NDP promises aid for autistic kids
Says NDP would soon end 900-child waiting list, but Liberals claim problem goes beyond funding
Sep 16, 2007 04:30 AM
Sean Patrick Sullivan
CANADIAN PRESS
The thorny issue of public funding for treatment of children with autism leapt into the Ontario election campaign yesterday, as the New Democrats announced a proposal to provide blanket therapy for all children who need it right in their classrooms – a strategy the Liberals say is unsustainable.
An NDP government would provide publicly funded Intensive Behavioural Intervention – a very expensive, one-on-one treatment – in classrooms for all autistic children, leader Howard Hampton said in Bradford.
Hampton said he would clear the current waiting list of 900 children within three years. About 1,400 kids are funded for the IBI treatment; many other families pay out of pocket.
"With our Ontario autism strategy, a child who qualifies for IBI treatment will benefit from the day they qualify," he said.
"No more long waiting lists, no longer the need for families to mortgage or sell their homes to pay for their children's therapy."
But, in an interview, Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said the issue can't be solved by tossing money around.
"There simply aren't enough autism support providers in Ontario to provide one-on-one treatment with every child who needs it," she said.
The Liberal government has been working to hire more specialists and establish and expand college training programs for therapists, Chambers said, noting that spending on autism has tripled since the party took power in 2003.
Also yesterday, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory made overtures to the so-called 905 region by pledging up to $200 million annually for health care by 2012.
Tory says Toronto's ballooning outer layer is underserviced and has been neglected by the Liberal government for years.
"Dalton McGuinty has refused to acknowledge the pressures faced by Ontario's fastest-growing communities, and as a result, residents are being forced to seek treatments outside their own communities," he said at Oshawa's Lakeridge Hospital.
"McGuinty has allowed funding to fall behind population growth and needs in this region," Tory said.
On another issue, the premier said yesterday he won't roll back tuition but will instead give post-secondary students an up-front tax credit at the start of the school year.
Speaking to some 300 young Liberals, McGuinty also vowed to increase the number of apprenticeship programs by 25 per cent.
He promised to work with Ottawa to extend the grace period graduates have before they must start paying back their student loans.
McGuinty hopes to increase it from six months to one year, giving students more time to establish themselves professionally before having to make payments.
NDP vows funding for all children with autism; Liberals say more
> therapists needed (Elxn-Ont-Main)
> By Sean Patrick Sullivan
>
> TORONTO (CP) _ The thorny issue of public funding for treatment
> of children with autism leapt into the Ontario election campaign
> Saturday, as the New Democrats announced a proposal to provide
> blanket therapy for all children who need it right in their
> classrooms _ a strategy the Liberals say is unsustainable.
>
> An NDP government would provide publicly funded Intensive
> Behavioural Intervention _ a very expensive, one-on-one treatment _
> in classrooms for all autistic children, Leader Howard Hampton said
> during a campaign stop.
>
> Speaking at a park in a suburb north of Toronto, Hampton said he
> would clear the waiting list that 900 children currently are on
> within three years. About 1,400 kids are funded for the IBI
> treatment; many other families pay out of pocket.
>
> ``With our Ontario autism strategy, a child who qualifies for IBI
> treatment will benefit from the day they qualify,'' he said.
>
> ``No more long waiting lists, no longer the need for families to
> mortgage or sell their homes to pay for their children's therapy.''
>
> But, in an interview, **>Children and Youth Services Minister<**
**>Mary
> Anne Chambers<** said the issue can't be solved by tossing money
> around.
>
> ``There simply aren't enough autism support providers in Ontario
> to provide one-on-one treatment with every child who needs it,'' she
> said.
>
> The Liberal government has been working to hire more specialists
> and establish and expand college training programs for therapists,
> Chambers said, noting that spending on autism has tripled since the
> party took power in 2003.
>
> Sorting out what to do about funding for treatment for children
> with autism has been a sticky issue for the Liberal government.
>
> Critics have said the Liberals haven't done enough to help
> parents cover the costs, yet the government spent $2.4 million over
> seven years _ including several under Progressive Conservative rule
> _ to fight parents suing for treatment for kids over six.
>
> Before July 2005, autism treatment was extended only to children
> under the age of six. The change was the result of a campaign
> promise by Premier Dalton McGuinty in 2003.
>
> While schools are required to provide a broad range of Applied
> Behavioural Analysis therapies, the decision on whether to allow IBI
> currently remains at the discretion of school boards and principals.
>
> Parents gave a mixed reaction to the NDP policy announcement,
> stressing they are tired of the politics being played and want only
> whatever is best for their children.
>
> Mary Turner of Bradford, Ont., has three children with autism
> whom she wishes could receive treatment in the classroom.
>
> ``My school is fantastic with my kids, and they would love to
> help them more, but the funding just isn't there,'' Turner said.
>
> ``It would be nice if the politics and policies weren't there,
> and they were looking after the best interests of the kids, and we
> could actually get my private therapist into the school to help the
> school staff,'' she said.
>
> Turner said she needs to pull her daughter out of school to get
> the 20 hours of treatment the government allows. ``We can't do that
> and have her still be a child,'' she said.
>
> Cindy DeCarlo, the mother of a five-year-old autistic boy and
> co-founder of the Alliance for Families with Autism, said while
> she's pleased by the attention being given to autism, she is
> concerned about having an adequate infrastructure to support the
> children and therapists.
>
> It's encouraging that the three main political parties are
> considering the needs of families touched by autism, but parents
> shouldn't be given false hope, she said.
>
> ``Regardless of who gets elected, there's a lot of work to be
> done and it's not going to be a Band-Aid solution,'' she said.
>
> Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory released an autism
> policy in February, saying his party would clear the wait list for
> children under six, continue support for school-age children, and
> provide a variety of funding and service options to parents.
>
> The Conservative policy would cost an additional $75 million
> annually. The NDP policy would require an additional $100 million
> each year on top of the $116 million the government now spends.
>
> Hampton's announcement was timed to coincide with a provincewide
> Day of Action for children with autism, sponsored by the
> non-partisan Ontario Autism Coalition.
>
> Co-founder Laura Kirby-McIntosh, who has a seven-year-old son
> with autism, said her group held rallies in six cities to raise
> awareness and make sure autism is on the political agenda.
>
> ``We're hoping that by visiting so many Liberal offices today
> we'll provoke a response out of them,'' she said.
>
> The coalition, one of several broad-based autism groups in the
> province, is calling for an end to the wait list, a framework to
> bring IBI therapists into schools, and a formal accreditation system
> for therapists, Kirby-McIntosh said.
>
>
>
>
>
Sent out by Nancy Morrison:
"Nancy Morrison"
Hello everyone:
Yesterday was an amazing day for our kids. I started early in the morning here in Bradford, Howard Hampton came to a park in my community to make the NDP Autism Strategy announcement. There has been lots of media on this event.
The Ontario Autism Coalition also had 6 rallies at various Liberal MPP offices in Ontario. I was able to join the group in Woodbridge outside of MPP Greg Sorbara's office with NDP Candidate Rick Morelli from that riding. We had about 40 people in total, at least 20 at any given time. I understand that every rally location was very successful. Again, there is lots of media from across the province regarding the OAC events.
There has been so much media material in the past few days, all of which has been forwarded to the AFA, I trust they will be providing you with all the media from the weeks successful events shortly. So I will just inlcude in this mailing the NDP media release from yesterday, and my Riding media release sent out to our local community papers.
Hopefully some of you were able to catch me on The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO Thursday night, it was a show regarding Central Ontario issues. Check out the TVO website, they advised the show would be up on a You Tube type of link on their website.
I wish to thank everyone who has responded to my last mailing and offered their support through your kind words of support, your offers of time and assistance with our virtual office needs, offers to take signs in the riding (and even some just outside the riding who want to show their support), and donations towards the campaign costs. I so much appreciate all of the help I have been recieving.
The OAC are arranging a day for autism families and friends to come to the riding and help with a campaign blitz - on Saturday September 22nd. We will be working as a team knocking on doors, passing out flyers, putting up signs in an identified neighbourhood. For further details please contact the OAC at splitter2@rogers.com
All the best,
Nancy Morrison
NDP Provincial Candidate
York Simcoe Riding
www.nancymorrison.ca
----------------------
HAMPTON OFFERS NEW RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
location: Bradford
date: September 15, 2007 - 12:00am
body:
Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton joined NDP York-Simcoe Candidate Nancy Morrison and other families at a local playground to announce the NDP’s plan to support families with autism.
The NDP will put children and families first by providing publicly funded Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) services in classrooms for all children with autism, and clear the waiting list for autism services.
“Every child who needs IBI autism therapy should have access to it. That’s the only fair thing to do. It’s a practical, doable and sensible thing we can do that will make an immediate difference to the day-to-day lives of today’s families.” said Hampton.
During the last election, McGuinty wrote a letter to Morrison promising to provide autism services to Ontario children who need it. McGuinty broke his promise. As of March 31, 2007, 1,100 children were languishing on waiting lists for autism services. That's an increase of 1,200 per cent from when the McGuinty Liberals took office.
McGuinty even wasted $2.4 million of public money fighting parents in the courts for the right to break his promise.
“Dalton McGuinty wasted $2.4 million dragging families through the courts instead of addressing the pressing need for autism services for today’s working families. That much money could have funded special treatment for 50 children with autism for a year,” said Hampton.
“McGuinty’s priority was to give himself a $40,000 raise and slush fund money to his friends. New Democrats will stand up for a fair deal for today’s working families.”
---------------------------
And the media release that the York Simcoe Riding put out:
BRADFORD: York-Simcoe NDP Candidate Nancy Morrison and supporters welcomed Howard Hampton to Bradford West Gwillimbury on Saturday to announce the NDP's Ontario Autism Strategy.
They were joined by Elisa French and her son Tyler, 11 years. The French family live in Innisfil and have had numerous community fund raisers to pay for some IBI Therapy for Tyler, who has waited 8 years to receive any funding.
Also attending the announcement was Mary Turner, a Bradford parent of three children with autism, who said she still feels betrayed by the Liberals. "I feel like my vote has been bought."
Turner said that in 2003, she voted for Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty based on his promises he had given in a letter to Nancy Morrison, only to watch her 10-year-old daughter Katie go for four years without IBI treatment. Turner said she believes Katie's development slowed down as a result, and it breaks Turner's heart to think about how beneficial the therapy would've been for Katie. "I think it's lost time."
Turner said she won't be fooled again by Liberal promises to provide for her children. I am supporting Nancy Morrison as our York-Simcoe NDP Candidate.
The children that attended Saturday's event were all school aged. They have to be removed from the classroom for their IBI Sessions, because their therapists are currently not allowed in the classroom. Howard Hampton will place the IBI therapists in the classroom.
The NDP will commit $100 million to ensure the wait list is cleared, and every child who receives a diagnosis will receive IBI treatment immediately. Funds will also be allocated to respite services and research.
Asked how the NDP would pay for its proposed annual investment, Hampton said that "the money was there, in this past budget year, to do this." Hampton referred to other Liberal money controversies such as a "secret $32.5 million slush fund", $59 million originally slated for autism services until the Liberals "quietly slid it out of the budget and spent it somewhere else." and $2.4 million spent fighting families like the Morrisons' in court.
The announcement was made yesterday in conjunction with a province wide Day of Action organized by the Ontario Autism Coalition.
Laura Kirby-McIntosh, one of the Coalitions founders said she was pleased by the NDP announcement. "It shows that one of the political parties is taking the issue seriously." Later in the day Nancy spent time protesting outside of Liberal MPP Greg Sorbara's office with other members of the Coaltion, and was joined by Vaughan NDP Candidate Rick Morelli.
Morrison said, "Families face financial ruin trying to provide for their children with autism. Families are re-mortgaging or loosing their homes and life savings to provide for their children while languishing on waiting lists. Nobody in this province should have to live like that."
Nancy ended the day in Mount Albert at the East Gwillimbury Festival.
NDP leader announces autism plan in Bradford
News
Sep 17, 2007 12:24 PM
Ontario New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton visited Bradford Saturday to announce the party's strategy for treating autism.
York-Simcoe NDP candidate Nancy Morrison is a major proponent of more funding for autism treatment.
She received a letter from Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty in 2003 stating the Liberals would fund Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) treatment for people with autism if elected.
That funding never came, however.
"Every child who needs IBI autism therapy should have access to it. That's the only fair thing to do," Mr. Hampton said. "It's a practical, doable and sensible thing we can do that will make an immediate difference to the day-to-day lives of today's families."
He announced the NDP will provide publicly-funded IBI services in classrooms for all autistic children and clear the waiting list for autism services.
Currently, IBI therapists are not allowed in public classrooms.
To clear the waiting list, the NDP will spend $100 million to ensure children who are diagnosed with autism receive immediate IBI therapy, Mr. Hampton said. The party will also allocate funds to respite services and research.
"Families face financial ruin trying to provide for their children with autism," Ms Morrison said. "Families are re-mortgaging or losing their homes and life savings to provide for their children while languishing on waiting lists. Nobody in this province should have to live like that."
Bradford resident Mary Turner spoke at Saturday's announcement. A parent of children with autism, she said she voted for the Liberals in 2003 based on the letter Ms Morrison received from Mr. McGuinty.
She said she believes her 10-year-old daughter Katie's development slowed as a result of not getting IBI therapy.
"I think it's lost time," she said of the years since 2003.
The announcement was made in conjunction with a provincewide day of action organized by the Ontario Autism Coalition.
From a listmate
Google Alert
NEWS RELEASES
JOSH PRINGLE
PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE
CANDIDATE
SAULT STE. MARIE
LIBERAL PARTY OF ONTARIO
*************************
A John Tory government will deliver to respect and fair funding to families dealing with autism
Autism like other disabilities is not just a challenge for individual children, but for entire families.
“I can relate to these families as I have a young brother in the school system with cerebral palsy. I understand that for children with autism and their families - every day brings challenges in areas the rest of us take for granted. Addressing this issue is about building the kind of caring compassionate community and society we all want to see,” said Pringle.
Since the last election, not only has the McGuinty government ignored Dalton McGuinty's written commitment - they have actively stood in the way.
Dalton McGuinty failed to introduce IBI and ABA capacity into the public school system.
A John Tory PC government will invest an additional $75 million annually in their plan to:
- Clear the wait list for treatment for children with autism who are under the age of six.
- Partner with educators, child support workers and school boards to ensure that upon reaching school age, children with autism have the supports they need.
- Provide flexibility and choice for parents by giving them the option of whether to use regional service providers for autism therapy or take direct funding for accredited outside providers instead.
- Streamline support for children with autism by increasing direct funding options and improving the assessment and regulatory environment.
- Expand respite programs so parents and children with autism can have the opportunity to engage the broader community and develop other experiences.
Days before the 2003 election, Dalton McGuinty wrote a letter to Nancy Morrison, the mother of an autistic child promising that, if elected, a McGuinty government would end the age cutoff for children in the IBI program.
He called the practice “unfair and discriminatory."
Following the election, the McGuinty government did nothing to meet these specific commitments and completely reversed its position by appealing an Ontario Superior Court ruling that the provincial government had violated the constitutional rights of autistic children by cutting off funding for IBI at the age of six.
In July 2006, despite the appeal, given the political pressure placed on the government by the families, the government finally made the policy change and removed the age restriction for IBI on the basis of age.
Although the policy barrier was removed, a practical barrier was created by the increased wait list for treatment; not only did children six years of age and older not have access to treatment, but those under six were now not able to access services either.
The children and their families were no further ahead.
As of August 17th 2007, there were more than 1,000 children sitting on waitlists unable to access the autism services they require.
In June 2007 Dalton McGuinty dragged Shelley Martel to court after she filed a freedom of information request to reveal how much the government spent defending against a lawsuit filed by parents of children with autism.
John Tory commented after that: “Our party fully supports Shelley Martel’s efforts to get this information released. She has been a diligent advocate on behalf of children with autism and Dalton McGuinty should stop stonewalling her,” said Tory. “This is taxpayers’ money that should be spent on reducing the wait list for treatment for children with autism, not on lawyers defending Dalton McGuinty’s broken promise. You have to wonder what Mr. McGuinty is trying to hide.”
John Tory appeared at the courthouse to show his solidarity for Ms. Martel’s case stating “I think this issue goes well beyond partisanship.”
Ultimately Dalton McGuinty was forced to disclose that the government spent more than $2.4 million in taxpayer dollars on a seven-year court battle with parents of autistic children.
John Tory supported the court decision and said it was a step toward more government transparency.
*************************
Abridged Liberal Party release: NDP candidate leaves party
TORONTO, ON – A parent wants to set the record straight regarding her experience with the current government regarding treatment and care funding for her 16-year-old son and the so-called "Autism file."
Cynthia Cameron, a former NDP candidate who is no longer connected to the party—states that the current government has in fact done a good job regarding the start-up of the provision of complex care residential funding and supports for her son, Jesse Cameron, who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). “We fought a very public battle in Ontario for three years regarding this funding mechanism being placed into the community from the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) to retain custody of our son and receive desperately needed supports."
Cameron adds that the current government has begun a transformation process which must continue, particularly for youth transitioning into the adult developmental sector: “this is not only about ABI funding, which is not the only treatment that benefits those with ASD or an intellectual disability, nor is it something all people wish to acquire for their loved ones…this is a far broader issue than ABI funding for individuals with autism spectrum disorder."
Cameron believes that it is critical that the citizens of Ontario understand that autism — which is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain - is not only about the ABI funding issue.
Families of people with autism and the individuals themselves require flexible, annual and inclusive supports such as respite services, in-home supports, complex care residential funding for youth and adults (when no other option is viable) and more.
Cameron is not supporting any candidate or party in this election.
“As a constituent in the riding of York-Simcoe where Nancy Morrison, an NDP candidate is running on a very specific Autism agenda, I will be monitoring what all candidates from all parties present as their position regarding support for people with intellectual disabilities, including that current funding commitments are honoured by the Government of Ontario," Cameron stated.
Good government has a moral obligation and shared responsibility to enable all individuals to be full citizens of our society.
One way to do that, Cameron insists is by building capacity within the current system.
“By walking away from a political party I was only briefly involved with, I am demonstrating that I no longer support the idea that politics should be in the autism file, or within the developmental sector at all."
“Families should not be used and paraded in front of cameras for the agendas of political gain for some politicians; that has become very transparent to voters in Ontario."
“My son has a successful residential placement we enjoy at Blooming Acres and will be there for the long-term into adulthood. This has served to assist very well in facilitating his contribution to our community.”
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=27190
Google Alert
Leaders hit rough patch at Crosby plowing match
McGuinty, Tory forced to face demons while digging for rural votes
Lee Greenberg and Natalie Alcoba
The Ottawa Citizen and National Post
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
CROSBY - Dalton McGuinty and the man who wants his job, John Tory, were forced to confront their political demons yesterday during visits to Ontario's largest agricultural event.
For Mr. McGuinty, it was the memory of being booed at the same event three years earlier. For Mr. Tory, it was the presence of Randy Hillier, a right-wing Conservative candidate who threatens to spoil the party's new moderate image.
Both men joined New Democratic leader Howard Hampton on a foray into Eastern Ontario, where the annual International Plowing Match is being held. The event has attracted as many as 170,000 visitors over four days.
Mr. McGuinty was booed at the event three years ago as he rode in a Liberal parade float, jeered by cattlemen frustrated by mad cow-related border closings. Yesterday, as has been the habit of his well-orchestrated campaign, Liberal strategists left nothing to chance.
The campaign buses arrived after the parade had ended and Mr. McGuinty was escorted to the opening ceremonies in the cab of a vintage pickup truck.
Seven breathless young supporters jogged beside the vehicle and screamed approval as the premier entered the event through a back route. Liberal officials said Mr. McGuinty was late because of a morning event, which didn't bother either of his opponents.
"I remember the reception he got three years ago, but what he did and why he did it I can't speculate on," Mr. Tory said when asked whether his rival was ducking the crowds. "He sets his schedule and I set mine."
After the opening ceremonies were over, Mr. McGuinty, accompanied by federal Liberal leader Stphane Dion, spent seven minutes shaking hands with agricultural fair-goers, but did not stray far from the Liberal tent. In his shadow was someone dressed as Pinocchio, a "truth in taxes" mascot devised by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, that has dogged the premier throughout the nine-day campaign.
"McGuinty, why are you running away from your record?" Pinocchio's handler yelled out. The puppet -- and its foot-long nose -- were kept at bay by a handful of Liberal supporters.
"Stay away or I'll break your nose," one man quietly threatened.
One man refused to shake the premier's hand. Brent Barr-Taylor complained to Mr. McGuinty about a provincially funded program for children with autism that he said is not administered by trained professionals.
Autism funding is an issue that has dogged the Liberals throughout their four-year tenure.
Mr. Barr-Taylor said his 10-year-old autistic daughter, Diana, is refused treatment because she's not enrolled at the school that offers it. The premier listened, then offered the man his hand. Mr. Barr-Taylor later said he did not feel right shaking it.
"As he was leaving, he said: 'One thing my father taught me is you should never refuse a man's hand.'
"If I had the chance, I would have told him respect has to be earned, not given."
Conservative leader John Tory, meanwhile, had problems of his own. Mr. Tory appeared taken aback when he entered the VIP tent after the speeches and noticed his own right-wing candidate, Randy Hillier, among the guests.
Mr. Hillier, founder of the controversial Lanark (now Ontario) Landowners Association, gained notoriety for his group's often-confrontational tactics with police and provincial inspectors. The libertarian activist, known for his trademark red suspenders, tapped into a groundswell of rural resentment and is now a Conservative candidate in Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington.
Liberal operatives have focused on Mr. Hillier's candidacy as a way to cast aspersions on Mr. Tory's moderate remake of his Conservative party. They have also openly mused about trying to get photos of the two men together (a Liberal photographer was on hand throughout the encounter).
When confronted with Mr. Hillier's presence yesterday, Mr. Tory lingered briefly at the entrance of the VIP tent, then left to huddle with advisers outside.
When he reappeared moments later, he was circled by a crowd. The two men never shook hands. Asked about the incident, a senior Conservative official insisted Mr. Tory isn't avoiding Mr. Hillier and pointed to a Conservative parade float the two men rode in together, along with about 18 other people.
"I was talking to him all morning," said Mr. Hillier.
If Mr. McGuinty was trying to stay away from Mr. Hillier, he was not so lucky.
The Ottawa-born premier, hand outstretched, made what one can only guess was an accidental beeline for Mr. Hillier as he entered the tent.
The premier's personal photographer snapped a shot of the two men shaking hands.
"It's not us who have to worry," said a senior Liberal on the campaign trail.
"It's him (Tory)."
Follow the Leaders
NDP leader Howard Hampton
8:30 a.m.: Campaign Announcement in Windsor
12:15 p.m.: Addresses Service Employees International Union Convention in Windsor
3:15 p.m.: Health care announcement at London Health Sciences Centre.
Conservative leader John Tory
9 a.m.: Campaign announcement, Queen's Park, Toronto
Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty
7:10 a.m.: Live radio appearance on CFRB, Toronto
8:50 a.m.: Visit to Indigo Books and Music, Toronto
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=16885ed0-b22b-469a-a8c1-f1b42af3ae78&k=67680
From: Margaret Spoelstra
To: Margaret Spoelstra
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 7:04 PM
Subject: FW: Research Project
Hello Autism Ontario Presidents, Board and Staff,
Please see attached research study about IBI. Some of you will have received this information along with the most recent issue of Autism Matters, but we encourage you to forward this to other interested people who may not receive the magazine. It will also get posted on our website shortly where it can be referred to regularly under the research section.
Thanks,
Marg
Participate in a Study in
Dr. Adrienne Perry’s
Research Clinic at
York University
We are Seeking Participants for a
Follow-Up Study of Children with ASD
who have Received IBI in the Past
GOAL OF STUDY: To examine changes over time in children with ASD who received Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) from an Ontario Regional Program.
PARTICIPATION: You will receive a full psychological assessment of your child and complete an interview about your child’s functioning and services you have received since IBI. A feedback and diagnostic report will be offered.
REIMBURSEMENT: You will receive $50 in compensation.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Identifying information will not be used without families’ written permission. The study has been approved by York University Ethics.
CRITERIA: We are looking for children who:
– Received at least 1 year of treatment from an Ontario regional autism intervention program
– Were discharged in the last 5 years
– Have received less than 10 hours of IBI per week since discharge
For more information, please
contact us: eaprich@yorku.ca
416-736-2100 ext.40266
State that you’re interested in the Follow-Up Study.
The Don’t Stand Alone Foundation for Children with Autism invites you to the October support group meeting.
Our guest speaker will be from K-9 Confidence. Wendell Waithe is a dog trainer in Barrie area that truly understands the connection that animals can have with children with disabilities. He has had 25 years experience training dogs for children and adults with disabilities and is currently accepting new clients. If anyone is interested in getting a service dog, a companion dog or already have a dog that needs some training to benefit their child, this is an excellent opportunity to see the benefits that these special dogs can offer our children. Everyone welcome. No cost to attend.
Date: Sunday October 28, 2007
Time: 10:30pm- 12:30pm
Location: Zehrs in the Community Room upstairs
Bayfield Street, Barrie
RSVP: Tel. # 721-8607 or 797-0608 or by email at dontstandalonefoundation@rogers.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Post
Debate notebook
-- Mary Vallis, National Post
5:00: Party supporters and protesters begin to gather in front of the CBC.
The autism folks are armed with full-sized likenesses of Dalton McGuinty –
complete with wooden dowling stuck through a nose hole to make him look like
Pinocchio.
5:15: The Greens show up (late to the party, as usual). They set up with
canvas windmills, two masks of Monty Burns (the evil nuclear power plant
owner on the Simpsons, clever) and a John Tory marionette. They set up camp…
halfway down the block. Figures.
5:37: Mr. Tory’s Greyhound pulls up amidst chants of “Tory, Tory.†A bike
cop shoves a Canadian Press photographer out of the way as the leader and
his wife, Barbara Hackett, move toward the building’s front door; they are
holding hands. Interestingly, her fingers are not yet purple.
5:57: Howard Hampton arrives. Supporters in garish orange jerseys chant
“Howard!†“Howard!†while Conservative supporters chime in, and with rhythm,
“Sucks!†“Sucks!†Meanwhile, word reaches the crowd that Mr. McGuinty
slipped through another entrance altogether.
6:02: Photo-op. “Mr. Hampton’s on the left, McGuinty’s in the middle and Mr.
Tory’s on the right,†someone announces before the leaders arrive at their
respective problems. “That’s convenient,†someone else mumbles.
6:32: TV shows a taped segment of Mr. McGuinty lamenting the fact he raised
taxes despite his promise. The other two leaders’ tapes focus on the
premier’s “broken promise†on autism. Contrite on the wrong issue, Mr.
McGuinty. Bring on the attacks!
6:46: “I think you better the get repair man in to look at your tractor!â€
Mr. Tory tells Mr. McGuinty as they debate schools. Tractors. That’s funny.
7:01: Mr. McGuinty might have one of those annoying itches in the arch of
his foot. He can’t stand still.
7:03: “I’ve asked Ontarians to judge me on my record,†Mr. McGuinty says.
The press gaggle, watching the debate on TV a few rooms over, laugh out
loud. Steve Paikin then transitions into a tape from a voter on broken
promises. The chuckles in the press room are even louder.
7:06: Mr. McGuinty finishes a little tale about how he admires his father,
who raised 10 children. Mr. Tory one-ups with a story about his grandfather.
7:09: The premier mistakenly refers to Mr. Tory as Mr. Conservative. Potato,
po-tah-to.
7:19: McGuinty defends the health tax with hand gestures so forceful he
looks like he’s the Karate Kid. Except the Karate Kid was more successful.
7:27: “Once again, Mr. Tory is being very, very negative,†Mr. McGuinty says
as the leaders debate crime. You think? It’s a debate. A debate!
7:40: Mr. McGuinty complains about Ontario’s geography.
7:40: “You’re making this up,†Mr. McGuinty tells Mr. Tory of his
allegations on nuclear energy. What a victim. It’s a hard out here for a
premier.
7:44: Sixteen minutes to go and still no knockout punch. Mr. McGuinty’s got
to work on those karate chops.
7:50: Mr. Hampton is answering the last question and has somehow managed to
keep his composure all night. He comes across less leftie wingnut, more just
boring dude.
8:04: Four minutes after the debate ends, NDP spin doctors declare Mr.
Hampton the winner. Maybe they were watching Family Ties reruns all night.
8:19: Mr. Hampton tells reporters he does not think Mr. Tory is a “scary
guy.†“He’s not an ugly guy, either.â€
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Globe & Mail
McGuinty's integrity focus of debate
GLORIA GALLOWAY
Globe and Mail Update
September 20, 2007 at 8:37 PM EDT
Dalton McGuinty's broken promise not to raise taxes was a prime target for his rivals at a debate of Ontario's political leaders Thursday evening - a verbal battle that repeatedly turned to the charged issue of integrity.
In the end, it was difficult to declare a winner - though Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory's team laid claim to victory and Mr. McGuinty's staff said their leader "did what he needed to do … looked confident, stayed strong and held firm."
But much of the debate - which ran through a broad range of issues from crime, to poverty to the state of the economy and the environment - saw Mr. McGuinty defending his record against attacks from Mr. Tory and NDP Leader Howard Hampton. It was two-pronged assault that hit hardest when the matter of the tax increase was raised.
A flurry of accusations and recriminations was prompted when a woman from Burlington asked if the party leaders would support a law allowing voters to recall politicians who break their word.
In the end, all three said they would oppose such a law. But not before the Liberal Leader told viewers that the broken promise started with a Conservative deception.
"Mr. Tory has been travelling the province attacking my integrity and calling me a liar in everything but name," said Mr. McGuinty.
"What he refuses to do is acknowledge a painful reality. You stuck me, but more importantly your party stuck the people of Ontario with a $5.6 billion deficit," he said turning to Mr. Tory who was not a member of the legislature when the former Conservative government hid the size of the financial shortfall.
"And I was left a tough choice."
Mr. Tory responded by pointing out that Mr. McGuinty said three weeks before his first budget, and after he knew the size of the deficit that had been handed down from the previous government, that he would not raise taxes. He went on to bring in a health tax that some critics have called the biggest tax increase in Ontario history.
But "let's put that one aside for a minute. What about the coal plants not closed?," Mr. Tory asked.
"You said they would be closed. What about the kids with autism who you fought in court using taxpayers money? What about the emergency rooms where you stayed you would unclog them ... You kept so few of your promises it's destroyed credibility of politicians. All politicians."
Mr. Hampton focused on a Liberal promise to end a provincial clawback of the national child benefit from the parents of low-income children.
"Mr. McGuinty, today your government is still clawing back almost $1,500 a year from those lowest income kids and you have been doing it every year for the last four years. Were people wrong to believe your promise?" asked Mr. Hampton.
Mr. McGuinty responded that his government had done something even better than ending the clawback, by bringing in an Ontario child benefit to help poor families whether they're working or on social assistance.
But it was not just Mr. Tory and Mr. Hampton who raised the integrity issue.
When the leaders were asked to open the event with videos, rather than the customary address, Mr. McGuinty decided to face the matter head on.
"At the time of the last election, I told Ontarians that I wouldn't raise their taxes and I broke that promise. I did raise their taxes. I hated making that decision." he said in his recorded statement. "I had a really tough call to make and I knew people would be angry about that."
But because taxes were raised, Mr. McGuinty argued, there was money for more doctors, nurses and hospitals - and money to reduce medical waiting times.
"I expect to be judged on that," he said.
Six questions were submitted by members of the public, while the rest were written this week by moderator Steve Paikin, the host of TVO's current affairs program The Agenda, and members of the consortium of television networks that are hosting the debate.
Representatives from each campaign took part in a lottery to establish who would speak first, and where each leader would appear on stage. Mr. McGuinty won the centre podium, framed by Mr. Tory on the right and Mr. Hampton on the left.
There is not seen to be a wide divergence between the Conservative and Liberal platforms, or between the basic ideals of the two leaders, leading some pundits to suggest Mr. John Tory needed to distinguish himself from Mr. McGuinty.
It was widely expected that Mr. Tory would be asked about his controversial plan to extend public funding to faith-based schools with public funding, much like that extended to Roman Catholic schools. And the policy was the topic of one of the first questions asked.
"There are two only two options," said Mr. Tory. "Either fund all faiths or fund no faiths.
The Conservative Leader also said he is a strong supporter of public education.
But "I choose unity and inclusiveness and equality. I believe all children should be included in the system of public education without exception including those who today are in faith-based schools so that they can share those values," he said. "It's a matter of principle and conviction for me."
Mr. Hampton said he believes the solution is to fund public schools properly.
"If parents weren't forced to fundraise to the tune of half a billion dollars for school essentials, if 40,000 children weren't waiting for special education, if rural schools and northern schools weren't being forced to close, I think more people would be in the public education system," said Mr. Hampton.
"Let's properly fund our schools and people will move to the public school system."
On the issue of justice, Mr. McGuinty pointed out that Ontario has the lowest has the lowest rate of crime in Canada and the second-lowest violent crime rate in Canada. But he said there is more work that needs to be done - and he tried to get Mr. Tory to support his efforts to ban hand guns.
Mr. Tory replied that Mr. McGuinty there is already a virtual ban on handguns.
"Mr. McGuinty has not made a safer Ontario," said Mr. Tory. "It is under his watch that the crown attorneys have been agreeing to these bail deals, plea bargaining deals and sentencing deals that allow the criminals to thumb their nose at the rest of us and frankly thumb their nose at the justice system."
Mr. Hampton said he thought the solution is to put more money into preventing young people from turning to criminal activities.
"If you deprive young people of the chance to get ahead, if young people don't seep the opportunity in their schools it's too often they will turn to the underworld economy and that does involve crime," he said. "We've got to make these investments in our schools. We need to real store the social workers, youth outreach workers."
When the issue of traffic congestion was raised, Mr. Tory said he would turn all of the gas tax over to transit and roads while Mr. McGuinty talked about his "fantastic plan" to invest $17.5-billion in transit renewal in the greater Toronto Area.
But Mr. Hampton said if the province is serious about reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution as well as moving people efficiently, "we need to be picking up the operating costs, or 50 per cent of the operating costs, for transit systems now."
He told Mr. McGuinty that the Liberals have had four years to do this. "And I don't see it happening under what you've outlined that will take place some time maybe in the future."
With reports from Siri Agrell and Tenille Bonoguore in Toronto and the The Canadian Press
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canadian Press
Broken promises, religious schools, health tax dominate Ont. leaders' debate
September 20, 2007 - 21:44
By: Chinta Puxley, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty endured a fierce crossfire of
political invective Thursday as a poised and polished John Tory and veteran
New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton took turns savaging the Liberal leader
for what they consider four years of broken promises.
Tory, the Progressive Conservative leader, attacked McGuinty where he's most
vulnerable - a long and contentious list of commitments the Liberals have
either broken or neglected - throughout an even and measured performance
that belied the fact it was his first live provincial debate.
But while McGuinty did spend much of the 90-minute debate on the defensive,
he mounted an aggressive counter-offensive early, rebuking Tory for his
controversial plan to give public funding to private religious schools.
Hampton, meanwhile, strained to be heard over the din of the debate's
free-for-all moments, focusing his criticism on McGuinty's record during
four years of government and his decision to approve a whopping pay increase
for members of the legislature.
The debate, which can often turn the tide for an underdog or kill the
political fortunes of a front runner, was the first opportunity of the
campaign for the leaders to engage voters directly in hopes of winning their
vote on election day Oct. 10 - still 20 days away.
Ontario is better off after four years of Liberal government, McGuinty said,
urging voters to support his ongoing efforts for smaller class sizes, labour
peace and expanded health care.
Frequently drawing on his childhood and experience as one of 10 children,
McGuinty was quick to confront his most memorable broken promise: imposing a
$2.6-billion health premium despite a promise not to raise taxes.
The premier looked into the camera and described how his father instilled in
him the importance of keeping his word.
"I made a tough choice," McGuinty said, and it certainly wasn't designed to
boost his popularity, he added. "There was a $5.6 million deficit."
Tory has gone around the province "calling me a liar in everything but
name," McGuinty said. But he's ignoring the fact that his party "stuck"
Ontario residents with a massive deficit, he added.
Tory, however, noted the health premium was just one of many broken
promises. What about closing coal plants or reinstating full support for
autistic students, Tory asked.
"Your word isn't just important," he said, repeating the central theme of
his campaign. "It's everything."
Voters have suffered as a result of McGuinty's broken promises, Tory said,
emphasizing a familiar refrain from his stump speeches. Conservatives would
attack urban crime, use taxpayer dollars more wisely and expand the role of
private health clinics within the public system, he said.
But it was over his pledge to publicly finance private religious schools -
by far the most talked-about pledge of the campaign - where Tory found
himself on the defensive.
The lights had barely gone up on the debate when Tory found himself
defending the idea, saying including children of all faiths under the
public-funding umbrella is the right thing to do. McGuinty, he suggested, is
trying to exclude them.
"I don't know why you wouldn't want to include those children," Tory said to
McGuinty. "I want to include those students."
They are included already - in the public school system, McGuinty countered.
Hampton, meanwhile, blamed the religious-schools debate for taking attention
away from the chronic underfunding of public schools. A veteran debater,
Hampton saved his harshest words for McGuinty and appealed to voters to
support his plan to roll back and freeze tuition, increase the minimum wage,
unclog emergency rooms and fight global warming.
Hampton accused McGuinty of offering little more than excuses for his broken
promises and of letting working families down. "We deserve better."
Liberal strategists said McGuinty was focused more on talking directly to
viewers rather than fending off attacks from all sides. They accused both
Tory and Hampton of being overly negative; all sides were declaring victory
moments after the cameras were switched off.
"It was a great chance to speak directly to Ontarians," McGuinty said
afterwards. "Voters are just beginning to tune in."
Conservatives painted their man as the only leader who looked like a
premier, despite his inexperience with live televised debates. Voters are
now left with a clear choice, Tory said.
"Mr. McGuinty made signature promises to the voters which he didn't keep. Mr
McGuinty misled the voters, which he continues to do," Tory said afterwards.
"I think voters will judge all his current election promises in that
context."
McGuinty, meanwhile, said Tory's vision of an economy and a society
prospering under tax and spending cuts will ring bells with voters who
recall the recent Conservative years under Mike Harris.
"I think that, by and large, they are embracing the same kinds of policies,"
he said.
"What they're saying is, 'Folks, we can have it all: we can cut your taxes,
improve your services and we can balance the budget.' That's what the last
guy said and we wound up with a $5.6 billion deficit."
For his part, Hampton tried to discourage strategic voting for the Liberals
by playing down the threat of a Conservative government.
"I may disagree with (Tory) fundamentally on all kinds of issues, but he's
not a scary guy, so let's drop that," Hampton said.
"I simply wanted people to know about Mr. McGuinty's record and Mr. McGuinty
continues to say anything, promise anything to get votes."
All three leaders began the debate with a video statement, which turned out
to be little more than a set of campaign ads. McGuinty opted to confront his
weakest flank: his decision to impose the health premium.
"I hated making that decision," McGuinty said to the camera. "I got (into
government) and discovered there was no money. I had a really tough call to
make. I knew people would be angry but I still think it was the right call
to make."
Tory chose to feature the mother of an autistic child who accused McGuinty
of breaking his promise to her and other families by not fully funding
autism support in schools. He repeated a theme of his campaign so far - that
broken promises have consequences.
"We can do better than this," he said.
Hampton used a series of testimonials from people who have lost
manufacturing jobs, students who want a break on tuition and workers who
want an increase in the minimum wage. Hampton himself didn't even appear in
the video.
The three leaders were greeted with a mixture of supporters and protesters
outside the downtown Toronto television studio heading into the debate. Some
protesters were trying to draw attention to the lack of support for autism
students, others protesting plans to expand nuclear power.
Both Tory and Hampton braved the noisy throng but McGuinty chose to enter
the building through a side door.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Tag team blasts McGuinty
Sep 21, 2007 04:30 AM
Robert Benzie
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF
Premier Dalton McGuinty warned Conservative Leader John Tory during last night's leadership debate that his plan to fund faith-based schools would undermine public education in Ontario.
It was one of McGuinty's crucial lines of defence of his four-year record as premier. Another was to attack Tory over the "mess" he had been left by the previous Conservative government when he became premier in 2003.
"It hasn't been easy cleaning up the mess that was left behind by the Conservatives," said the Liberal leader, who spent most of the 90-minute live televised debate on the defensive as Tory and NDP Leader Howard Hampton harangued him about broken promises from the 2003 election.
Tory and Hampton used opening after opening to pounce on shortcomings of the Liberals' four years in office – including "broken promises" on such things as raising taxes and fixing school funding.
"You may want to talk about the Conservative record, but this is about your record," thundered the NDP leader.
Tory said: "Broken promises are more than a politician going back on his word. Broken promises have consequences. ... Ask the children who suffer from asthma because Dalton McGuinty broke his promise to close coal plants, or people who live in fear of criminals set free by Dalton McGuinty's catch-and-release justice system."
For much of the contest – the only leaders' debate before the Oct. 10 election – McGuinty, 52, appeared to be staring at his shoes as he weathered the tag team of Tory, 53, and Hampton, 55.
But McGuinty was at his most passionate when talking about Tory's $400 million scheme to bring 53,000 students now attending Jewish, Muslim, fundamentalist Christian, Hindu, Sikh and other faith-based schools into the public system.
The PC leader said it's only fair to offer other religious groups the same educational opportunities as Catholics.
McGuinty, a staunch defender of Catholic schools, warned that Tory's plan would undermine the public system.
"Have you looked at the number of faiths in the yellow phonebook? There's the traditional ones and then there's all the new ones," charged McGuinty.
Tory fired back: "Other provinces have managed to come to grips with these issues without creating any damage to public education, without creating the kind of chaos and gloom and doom you're talking about." The PC leader said Ontario should "either fund all faiths or fund no faiths."
McGuinty reminded viewers of the tumult under the Conservatives from 1995 to 2003, when a number of teachers' strikes occurred.
Hampton, despite his own opposition to Tory's proposal, turned the issue to attack McGuinty for failing to fix the school funding formula.
McGuinty tried to tackle head-on his most infamous broken promise – introducing the annual health tax of up to $900 a person – by noting the Ernie Eves PC government left behind a hidden $5.6 billion budget.
Tory countered by saying: "You kept so few of your promises it's destroyed the credibility of all politicians. Why should anyone believe you?"
"I can't be nearly as negative as my colleagues," McGuinty said at one point, complaining Tory has been "calling me a liar in everything but name" for the broken tax pledge.
He even glared at Tory, complaining: "You're making this up."
TVOntario host Steve Paikin, who moderated the province-wide debate held at the CBC Broadcast Centre and aired on CBC, CTV, Global, CP24, Sun TV, TVO, and CPAC, struggled to maintain order during the anti-McGuinty barrage.
Hampton, who with Tory hammered McGuinty on failing to deliver enough services for autistic children, acknowledged after the debate that the PC leader was more moderate than his predecessors Eves and Mike Harris.
"Mr. Tory, I may disagree with him fundamentally on all kinds of issues but he's not a scary guy, so let's drop that. He's not an ugly guy either."
Going into the debate, polls suggest the election will be a tight race, and last night is unlikely to change that. Recent polls show the Liberals with leads ranging from 3 to 9 percentage points over the Conservatives, with the New Democrats well back. Green Party Leader Frank de Jong, 51, who is polling at a respectable fourth in the race, was not invited by the broadcasters' consortium to participate in the debate because his party does not yet have a seat in the Legislature.
The historic referendum on electoral reform being held in conjunction with the election was never raised during the debate.
Ontarians are being asked whether they want to keep the current first-past-the-post system of electing MPPs or adopt a new mixed-member proportional representation system that would increase the Legislature from 107 members to 129.
There would be 90 directly elected MPPs and 39 selected from lists submitted by the political parties so the Legislative Assembly reflects the popular vote tally. The new system would likely see smaller parties like the Greens winning seats for the first time.
Outside the CBC Broadcast Centre, a smattering of demonstrators protesting everything from new nuclear plants to inadequate autism services jockeyed for sidewalk space with Liberal, Tory and NDP supporters, along with members of CUPE and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. A heavy police presence ensured there were no problems.
With files from Richard Brennan, Rob Ferguson and Kerry Gillespie
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Post
All but called a liar, says McGuinty
Leaders' Debate; Tory, Hampton hammer Premier on credibility
Lee Greenberg, James Cowan And Natalie Alcoba, CanWest News Service, National Post
Published: Friday, September 21, 2007
"I want to include those students" in the public system, Mr. Tory said.
"Have you looked at the number of faiths in the phone book?" Mr. McGuinty asked Mr. Tory, pointing to one of the many questions the policy has raised.
The issue didn't go much further, however.
Instead, the NDP and Tory leaders attacked Mr. McGuinty on broken promises, including commitments to fund autism treatment and close coal-fired generating plants by 2007. On several occasions, the two men joined each other's attack.
"You may want to talk about the Conservative government, but this is about your government," Mr. Hampton said in one of those exchanges.
"I hear from the same parents as Mr. Hampton," Mr. Tory said duringadiscussionof fundingfor autism treatment. "I don't know why you don't hear from them.
After the debate, Mr. Tory did not shy away from suggestions he and Mr. Hampton were on the same page. "Mr. McGuinty is the incumbent, and he should be held accountable for his record."
Mr. Hampton, however, pointed to his positions on nuclear power, faith-based schools and private health care -- all differed from Mr. Tory's.
Mr. McGuinty, meanwhile, was peppered with questions by reporters about why he appeared listless in the debate.
At the end of the affair, however, it was uncertain if either had done enough damage to knock the Liberal Premier off his narrow lead in the polls.
"Mr. McGuinty has to be on the defensive because he's the incumbent -- no big surprise there," said David Docherty, political science professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. "I think all three of them did relatively well. I think Tory probably did a little better than people thought."
"I don't think being negative for 90 minutes appeals to voters," said Liberal strategist Gerald Butts. "That's what the opposition did. Dalton was the only one on stage with positive ideas."
All three leaders entered the debate with hopes of shaking up stagnant public opinion. None has seen his popularity rise or fall by more than two percentage points since May, with an Ipsos-Reid poll on Wednesday showing 40% of voters back the Liberals, compared with 37% for the Tories, 16% for the NDP and 6% for the Green Party.
While the debate is considered a key event in the campaign, with the potential to draw at least two-thirds of voters for all or part of the show, its impact is uncertain.
© National Post 2007
********
From a listmate
Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC website: www.featbc.org. See the link (bottom) to the
article.
______________________________________________________________
By Isaac (Tamir) on Sunday, September 16, 2007:
Hello Everyone,
A recent legal battle for autism medical insurance in New Jersey is a
stark contrast between the government-run health insurance plans in
Canada and the private health insurance plans in the U.S.
Let me explain.
In Canada, as you know, there was a long legal battle (the 'Auton'
case)
that was intended to force a health insurance "company" (the B.C.
Government Medicare plan) to fund medically necessary autism treatment.
The case ran from 1998 through to 2004. The children lost. No autism
health insurance for them.
In the United States, there was a recent legal battle to force a health
insurance company to fund medically necessary autism treatment. The
case
ran all of 24 hours -- the U.S. judge summarily ruled in favour of the
disabled child's legal right to health insurance coverage for the cost
of medically necessary autism treatment (Intensive Behavioural
Intervention, A.K.A. Lovaas-type A.B.A).
Why such a huge difference in the legal process (and conclusion)
between
Canada and the U.S., one might reasonably ask, on something so vital as
health insurance for seriously disabled kids? There are two key
factors,
in my view.
When government owns both the health care system and all the
institutions that SHOULD keep health insurance fair and honest (e.g.,
the Supreme Court of Canada), there is a clear conflict of interest
(think "fox guarding the chicken coop"). On the other hand, when
government is independent of health insurance (e.g., New Jersey) there
is no incentive for government to corrupt the legal process to deny
health insurance to disabled children.
Moreover, and key in this instance, is that in the U.S. there is
federal
and state law known as "mental health parity" legislation that makes it
illegal for a health insurance provider to deny treatment because a
health problem is mental in nature (e.g., autism) rather than physical.
The recent case in New Jersey for autism health insurance relied upon
U.S. mental health parity law. Canada has no such anti-discrimination,
mental health "parity" protection from provincial health insurance
abuses, likely because the governments that SHOULD be writing such
safeguard legislation are also running the health insurance plans!
The New Jersey article is available at the link below.
http://featbc.org/downloads/NorthJersey.com_09_14_07.pdf
Ontario Autism Coalition
The Autism Election Issue #1, Second Edition
September 19, 2007
Please forward to all lists.
A Report on the Autism Day of Action Event
The Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) is pleased to report that Saturday September 15th, 2007 was a successful Day of Action across Ontario. All Ontario political parties were reminded that Autism concerns are recognized and shared among Ontario voters.
The Day of Action had a turnout of over 200 participants including family members, caregivers, educators, MPP candidates and supporters of children with Autism. Events were held across Ottawa, the Greater Toronto Area, Windsor, Essex and Sarnia. We'd like to thank all those who participated. Whether you stayed for the full duration of the events or just came by for a short time, you made a difference. Participants had the opportunity to share with Ontario voters the issues facing individuals and their family members with autism, including the growing wait list, financial hardship, the absence of ABA/IBI services in the school, and the lack of a formal credentialing system of ABA/IBI providers.
"Our caucus members and particularly our autism critic, Shelley Martel, want to express our gratitude to the Coalition and so many other parents and families, who have written letters, sent faxes, come to Queen's Park, organized and participated at rallies, all in the name of advocating for their children with autism. These tireless efforts have kept autism issues in the media and on the public radar. Indeed, in this election, these issues will be vote-determining issues for many electors."
New Democratic Party of Ontario
"Autism issues are heating up the Ontario election campaign, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the Ontario Autism Coalition, which has been very well organized and effective in getting autism issues in front of political participants."
Harold L. Doherty (New Brunswick)
The NDP unveiled their autism platform, titled the "Autism Strategy", on our Day of Action, promising that if elected, they will "put children and families first by providing publicly funded Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) services in classrooms for all children with autism, and clear the waiting list for autism services." For more information, please visit this page of our website. We congratulate the leader of the NDP, Howard Hampton and his team for stepping up to the plate on this very important issue. As most already know, MPP Shelley Martel has been a tireless advocate for our children and we are greatful for all of her efforts.
The PC Party introduced the details of their position on autism earlier this year. You can read it by visiting this link.
The Liberal Party has a brief reference to autism on page 9 of their party platform that says they will:
"Provide $10 million to prepare schools to deliver IBI therapy on-site for the first time,a step forward made possible by our earlier decision to scrap the age-six limit for children with autism."
You can read the Liberal platform in its entirety by visiting their website and opening their PDF file.
Please forward to all lists.
A Special Report on the Leaders Televised Debate
The Leaders Debate for the Ontario election was televised from the CBC Front Street Studios on Sept 20, 2007. The Ontario Autism Coalition was there both before and after to remind the Leaders that Autism issues are important and much more remains to be done.
We are pleased to provide a special package of coverage at www.OntarioAutismCoalition.com:
This package includes photos of the OAC presence before and after the debate, video of the segments of the debate relevant to the Autism community, and press coverage of the Autism issues as debated by the party leaders. Please visit our website to learn more.
Google Alert
Google Alert
McGuinty put on defensive
September 20, 2007
Chinta Puxley
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty endured a fierce crossfire of political invective Thursday as a poised and polished John Tory and veteran New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton took turns savaging the Liberal leader for what they consider four years of broken promises.
Tory, the Progressive Conservative leader, attacked McGuinty where he’s most vulnerable — a long and contentious list of commitments the Liberals have either broken or neglected — throughout an even and measured performance that belied the fact it was his first live provincial debate.
But while McGuinty did spend much of the 90-minute debate on the defensive, he mounted an aggressive counter-offensive early, rebuking Tory for his controversial plan to give public funding to private religious schools.
Hampton, meanwhile, strained to be heard over the din of the debate’s free-for-all moments, focusing his criticism on McGuinty’s record during four years of government and his decision to approve a whopping pay increase for members of the legislature.
The debate, which can often turn the tide for an underdog or kill the political fortunes of a front runner, was the first opportunity of the campaign for the leaders to engage voters directly in hopes of winning their vote on election day Oct. 10 — still 20 days away.
Ontario is better off after four years of Liberal government, McGuinty said, urging voters to support his ongoing efforts for smaller class sizes, labour peace and expanded health care.
Frequently drawing on his childhood and experience as one of 10 children, McGuinty was quick to confront his most memorable broken promise: imposing a $2.6-billion health premium despite a promise not to raise taxes.
The premier looked into the camera and described how his father instilled in him the importance of keeping his word.
“I made a tough choice,” McGuinty said, and it certainly wasn’t designed to boost his popularity, he added. “There was a $5.6 million deficit.”
Tory has gone around the province “calling me a liar in everything but name,” McGuinty said. But he’s ignoring the fact that his party “stuck” Ontario residents with a massive deficit, he added.
Tory, however, noted the health premium was just one of many broken promises. What about closing coal plants or reinstating full support for autistic students, Tory asked.
“Your word isn’t just important,” he said, repeating the central theme of his campaign. “It’s everything.”
Voters have suffered as a result of McGuinty’s broken promises, Tory said, emphasizing a familiar refrain from his stump speeches. Conservatives would attack urban crime, use taxpayer dollars more wisely and expand the role of private health clinics within the public system, he said.
But it was over his pledge to publicly finance private religious schools — by far the most talked-about pledge of the campaign — where Tory found himself on the defensive.
The lights had barely gone up on the debate when Tory found himself defending the idea, saying including children of all faiths under the public-funding umbrella is the right thing to do. McGuinty, he suggested, is trying to exclude them.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to include those children,” Tory said to McGuinty. “I want to include those students.”
They are included already — in the public school system, McGuinty countered.
Hampton, meanwhile, blamed the religious-schools debate for taking attention away from the chronic underfunding of public schools. A veteran debater, Hampton saved his harshest words for McGuinty and appealed to voters to support his plan to roll back and freeze tuition, increase the minimum wage, unclog emergency rooms and fight global warming.
Hampton accused McGuinty of offering little more than excuses for his broken promises and of letting working families down. “We deserve better.”
Liberal strategists said McGuinty was focused more on talking directly to viewers rather than fending off attacks from all sides. They accused both Tory and Hampton of being overly negative; all sides were declaring victory moments after the cameras were switched off.
“It was a great chance to speak directly to Ontarians,” McGuinty said afterwards. “Voters are just beginning to tune in.”
Conservatives painted their man as the only leader who looked like a premier, despite his inexperience with live televised debates. Voters are now left with a clear choice, Tory said.
“Mr. McGuinty made signature promises to the voters which he didn’t keep. Mr McGuinty misled the voters, which he continues to do,” Tory said afterwards.
“I think voters will judge all his current election promises in that context.”
McGuinty, meanwhile, said Tory’s vision of an economy and a society prospering under tax and spending cuts will ring bells with voters who recall the recent Conservative years under Mike Harris.
“I think that, by and large, they are embracing the same kinds of policies,” he said.
“What they’re saying is, `Folks, we can have it all: we can cut your taxes, improve your services and we can balance the budget.’ That’s what the last guy said and we wound up with a $5.6 billion deficit.”
For his part, Hampton tried to discourage strategic voting for the Liberals by playing down the threat of a Conservative government.
“I may disagree with (Tory) fundamentally on all kinds of issues, but he’s not a scary guy, so let’s drop that,” Hampton said.
“I simply wanted people to know about Mr. McGuinty’s record and Mr. McGuinty continues to say anything, promise anything to get votes.”
All three leaders began the debate with a video statement, which turned out to be little more than a set of campaign ads. McGuinty opted to confront his weakest flank: his decision to impose the health premium.
“I hated making that decision,” McGuinty said to the camera. ``I got (into government) and discovered there was no money. I had a really tough call to make. I knew people would be angry but I still think it was the right call to make.”
Tory chose to feature the mother of an autistic child who accused McGuinty of breaking his promise to her and other families by not fully funding autism support in schools. He repeated a theme of his campaign so far — that broken promises have consequences.
“We can do better than this,” he said.
Hampton used a series of testimonials from people who have lost manufacturing jobs, students who want a break on tuition and workers who want an increase in the minimum wage. Hampton himself didn’t even appear in the video.
The three leaders were greeted with a mixture of supporters and protesters outside the downtown Toronto television studio heading into the debate. Some protesters were trying to draw attention to the lack of support for autism students, others protesting plans to expand nuclear power.
Both Tory and Hampton braved the noisy throng but McGuinty chose to enter the building through a side door.
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/258869
Google Alert
Vote early ...
... and often: Woman gets election suprise in mail
By TRACY MCLAUGHLIN, SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA
LAFONTAINE -- When Kathryn Proulx opened her mail yesterday she felt very special -- for some reason Elections Ontario believes she is important enough to vote four times.
At first she thought it was just duplicates when she opened the four separate yellow envelopes, but on closer inspection, Proulx saw that each card with her name clearly printed on them had individual bar codes and numbers. "I found it very odd," said Proulx, who lives in the small community of Lafontaine, just west of Penetanguishene.
Ontario's more than 8 million registered electors will receive their registration cards this week, but one per person is all anyone should get.
"Out of that many people, I wonder how many times the same mistake was made," Proulx said. "That's not how our Canadian election system is supposed to work."
She said she will only vote once, but the single mother of three said she wouldn't mind voting four times to make sure the Liberals win. With one severely autistic adult child at home, she said the Liberals are most committed to getting funding for autism.
"It's tough," she said. "My son can't be left alone and the waiting list for group homes is something like 10 years."
So Proulx works night shifts at Casino Rama while her 17-year-old daughter watches her son, Matthew, at night.
Officials at Elections Ontario said they couldn't comment on what happened.
"I can't guess at what happened. I would have to see it," said Paula Chung, with Elections Ontario.
From Autism Ontario Sudbury regarding the Lindsay Moir Event Monday September 24th 2007
Hello everyone:
Lindsay Moir has provided us with examples of a few of the most
frequently
asked parent questions that he is asked to help with in his travels
across
Ontario advocating for families of students with ASD. These are the
types of
questions that can be answered in a private session with Lindsay,
rather
than during Monday's workshop in the evening. We currently have two am
and
two afternoon appointments open. You have the option of private
telephone
conferences with Lindsay (convenient for those who work & does not
necessarily have to take place on Tuesday), or a private 1:1 meeting,
on
Tuesday, here in Sudbury.
FAQ 1:
We believe our child needs a 1:1 educational assistant at school. The
school
says they cannot afford this, and that they do not assign E.A.'s to
specific
children. We are worried about his social development, and for his
safety at
recess and in the hallways during transition times. How can we
formulate a
needs statement for his I.E.P. so that he/she can get the appropriate
supports at school implemented?
FAQ 2:
My child's school frequently calls home and requests that we pick him
up
from the school because he is a safety risk to staff/fellow students.
(insert child specific situations where behavioural challenges arise)
What
are his rights? How do we formulate need statements specific to our
child's
challenging behaviours at school?
We look forward to seeing those of you who have registered for Monday
and
Tuesday's workshop with Lindsay. We are still taking registrations at
222-5000 x-2685 for Monday evening or Tuesday's private sessions!
Best wishes,
Heather, Rebecca and Liz
End of Mailing for September 13-22nd 2007
