Autism News Articles
March 24th – March 29 th 2008
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Based on what YOU our AFA Membership and families have to say we are making progress in our own communities, differences in peoples’ lives and AFA will continue to provide factual information to all stakeholders, government and the people of Ontario – living with autism.
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Once again,
For the 200 extra member newbies to our list in case you missed this on our blog:
The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) is proud of our Executive Member Pat La Londe and her continued dedication to the autism community. Pat and her daughter are featured on this website under the heading of "Ordinary People"
http://www.portalonline.org/PORTAL_2008/campbell/index.html
REMINDER
The Official News Release for World Autism Day below:
Good evening,
I noticed your reference to Dr. Gupta's blog this evening and thought that this information may be of interest to you. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be guiding viewers through a several day's special coverage on the subject of autism for the first-ever United Nations' declared "World Autism Awareness Day," on Wednesday, April 2nd.
In anticipation of that coverage, on Saturday, March 29th and Sunday, March 30th, Sanjay will also anchor a special House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
It should be a dynamic 5 days of coverage with great television and online resources for families for even more helpful information after the special awareness coverage.
all best,
Jennifer
Jennifer Dargan
Director, CNN PR - SW1424B, One CNN Center, Atlanta 30303
T: 404.885.4638; E: jennifer.dargan@turner.com
________________________________________
A Time Warner Company
News Release
For Immediate Release
CNN Announces Global Coverage for First World Autism Awareness Day
Multiplatform Effort Will Report on Science, Intervention and Resources for Parents on Wednesday, April 2
CNN will use its unparalleled newsgathering resources to report on the global impact and latest science of the developmental syndrome of autism for the first “World Autism Awareness Day.” Online as well as on CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN en Español and Headline News, CNN will report on medical insights, information on treatments and intervention, and details about services available for those living with autism for the inaugural international awareness day on Wednesday, April 2.
On CNN/U.S., chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will report on a range of issues related to autism spectrum disorder beginning on CNN’s American Morning at 6 a.m. through Anderson Cooper 360°.
Worldwide, it is estimated that as many as 35 million people have autism and face considerable challenges and often discrimination. In November 2007, the United Nations declared that April 2 would be an annual day to “encourage Member States to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout society.”
“Bringing awareness and information to viewers and online users globally on topics of urgency and importance, like autism, is exactly what CNN does best,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. “And Sanjay Gupta as our daylong guide for our reporting on this issue is a real differentiator for CNN. It will give depth to our reporting that no other network can offer.”
In the United States , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2007 that as many as 1 in 150 8-year-old children in multiple areas of the United States had an autism spectrum disorder. Parents must often navigate their own paths to find helpful therapies and finance expensive education and other services independently.
In anticipation of World Autism Awareness Day, CNN.com will offer expanded coverage of this mysterious neurological disorder. Viewers will be able to access news and information including the latest medical theories and research about autism as well as the stories of people who live every day with the condition. Through multimedia and interactive elements, as well as traditional stories and videos, viewers will be invited to expand their knowledge and understanding of autism.
Viewers and users are encouraged to share their firsthand accounts of life with autism through video, photo, audio or text submissions to www.iReport.com, CNN’s recently launched user-generated community Web site. Autism-related iReports are available at www.iReport.com/tags/autism; and iReport.com contributors also may gain recognition by having the material they submit to the site – once vetted and approved for use – appear on a CNN network or CNN.com.
On the weekend preceding World Autism Awareness Day, Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will devote the full broadcast of House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta to explain the latest medical thinking regarding early signs of autism. While most children are diagnosed with autism at about age two, studies suggest that earlier diagnoses may offer opportunities for critical behavioral interventions. Gupta will explain warnings signs that may be observable as early as 6 to 12 months of age, when early interventions may improve developmental outcomes. House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta airs Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 a.m. Gupta’s investigation into issues related to insurance coverage and educational therapies for families living with autism will be featured on CNN Radio for affiliates. On CNN.com, the “Paging Dr. Gupta Blog” and “Paging Dr. Gupta” podcast will also feature helpful information for families on autism.
Also on Saturday, March 29, personal finance editor Gerri Willis will offer advice for parents on coping with the tremendous costs of autism for Open House. Open House airs Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.
On Monday, March 31, American Morning will introduce CNN viewers to triplets – each with autism at varying severity – born to Lynn and Randy Gaston in Ellicott City , Md. Additional reports will feature adults living with autism and distinguish medical myths from realities associated with a range of therapies and treatments. CNN’s American Morning airs weekdays on CNN/U.S. from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Preliminary coverage plans for World Autism Awareness Day on Wednesday, April 2, include:
• On CNN en Español, En Familia, a 30 minute program that serves as a guide to parents, and Consulta Médica, a 30-minute prime-time program dedicated to personal health and fitness, will be focusing on the educational needs of children with autism, and addressing the latest controversies examining the link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder. En Familia airs each Monday at 11:30 a.m. and Consulta Médica airs each Tuesday on CNN en Español at 11:30 a.m.
• A one-hour global simulcast special We Have Autism, anchored by CNN International’s Colleen McEdwards, will air at noon and focus on the experiences of families living with autism around the world and feature an interview with Suzanne Wright, the co-founder of Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization for people and families living with autism. McEdwards will also report on people living with extreme symptoms of autism, with a focus on Tito, a young man who despite his severe autism, has become a high-functioning poet and author. CNN international correspondent Wilf Dinnick will report on Qatar ’s state-of-the-art Shafallah Centre that assists autistic children. The nation of Qatar is credited with leading U.N. efforts to establish World Autism Awareness Day as a day of global awareness. Also for We Have Autism, international correspondent John Vause will report from China about life with autism under communism. U.S. affairs editor for CNN International, Jill Dougherty will report on a family with a child recently diagnosed as autistic as they seek the best help for their child. We Have Autism will air on CNN/U.S. and CNN International.
• Author Dr. Harvey Karp and American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson Dr. Ari Brown, who do not believe that vaccines cause autism; author David Kirby of Evidence of Harm – Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic, A Medical Controversy; parents of 6-year old autistic triplets, Randy and Lynn Gaston; and UCLA associate professor of pediatrics Dr. Jay Gordon, will be guests on Larry King Live. Larry King Live airs weeknights on CNN/U.S. at 9 p.m. and replays at midnight.
• “Finding Amanda,” a one-hour Anderson Cooper 360° special, features a few of the approximately 600,000 American adults who live with autism. Gupta will introduce viewers to Amanda Baggs of Burlington , Vt. , and others, who share with him how they experience the world – from their perspective. “Finding Amanda” will premiere on CNN/U.S. at 11 p.m. and replay at 2 a.m.
• Showbiz Tonight will feature a report on a groundbreaking documentary, Autism: The Musical, set to debut on HBO on Tuesday, March 25. Showbiz Tonight airs on Headline News weeknights at 11 p.m. and replays at 2 a.m.
• CNN Newsource will offer affiliates custom liveshots with medical correspondent Judy Fortin between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on April 2 about how families with older children living with autism cope with their challenges. Fortin’s package features a Grayson, Ga. , family with a 12-year-old autistic child.
Additional programming focused upon autism will be announced closer to April 2.
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.
-30-
All times Eastern.
CONTACTS:
Jennifer Dargan Atlanta 404/885-4638 jennifer.dargan@turner.com
________________________________________
THE ALLIANCE FOR FAMILIES WITH AUTISM (AFA)
Please contact us at autismafa@yahoo.ca
Please forward articles & information to ktchmeifucan2002@yahoo.ca
Check out the news article BLOG sent out with each mailing.
http://autismnewsarticles.blogspot.com
Pat La Londe
From Autism Ontario, this link is provide by a staff at regional IBI Provider
http://www.childnett.tv/videos/lectures
From Taline:
Please forward this message and post to all autism lists.
Many of you may recall that NDP MPP Andrea Horwath had assisted me with approaching the Ombudsman of Ontario http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/ with my request that he investigate the current autism situation in our province. I had asked for information from families so that I can communicate to the Ombudsman the crisis of the current state of programs and services for the children in hopes that he moves forward in the investigation. I continue to receive many responses from families and have now had the opportunity for a discussion with the investigator in the office. They will be reviewing all the information that I provide including a number of the legal documents in my case, the Autism Class Action Lawsuit (as per their request). The more families they hear from, the more effective we will be!
At this time, I ask that all families who have not already sent me their information in response to the three questions below to do so or if you prefer, to submit it directly to Tom Barber, the investigator at the Ombudsman's office at: tbarber@ombudsman.on.ca . I've told him to be prepared to receive an onslaught of emails.
1) Is your child on the IBI waitlist and if so, how long? (eg: "My child has been on the waitlist since May 2006", or "My child is currently receiving IBI but was on the waitlist for 3 years", etc.)
2) Is your child having to receive IBI outside of school and if so, why? (eg: "My child is receiving IBI outside of school because although I have asked if my child can attend for at least part of the school day with direct support from his/her IBI Instructor Therapist, the school has not allowed this", or "My child is receiving IBI outside of school because he/she is only 3 years old", etc.)
3) Has your child been discharged from IBI and why? (eg: "My child was receiving IBI but was cut-off when he/she turned age six when the age stipulation was still in place and now he's/she's back on the waitlist again", or "My child was cut-off of IBI in September 2007 because they said that he/she is not progressing enough", etc.)
Taline Sagharian
t.sagharian@sympatico.ca
Transcript from another list between Carly Fleischman and her therapist.
From Tammy Starr
Hi Everyone --here is another conversation btw Cary and one of her therapists.. .of course she thinks I am mean but she is 13..anyway alot of you have expressed interest in walking with her..the idea of it frankly overwhelms me but if anyone wants to take this on and run with it, I know that CTV and the Globe and Mail and other media would cover it for sure. I just don't think this is something I can take on...I have an idea of someone who donated a generous amount to FOCA for the lawsuit who is a big Harper supporter and I was thinking of asking her for some advice and perhaps an introduction. .. so that we don't concentrate so much on getting there but what happens once we do get there. I don't mean to sound negative though, but beyond the 15 minutes of fame part of it, I really don't know what material good it might do if the past is any indication.. . playing politics has never been my strong point though so if there is someone out there who wants to truly take this on 100%, let's talk. .S IGNORE the Jenny McCarthy stuff from our therapist at the bottom of this --she is not invited!!!
MeLissA says:
> carly, did you get a chance to watch CTV eipsode? what did you think of it?
> MeLissA says:
> maybe you are not there anymore. i'll be here all day writing a paper so you can message me whenever you want. have a great day and i'
> MeLissA says:
> i'll see you tomorrow!!! BYE
> Carly says:
> I want to walk to ottaw will you come with
> MeLissA says:
> hey! where do you want to walk?
> Carly says:
> walk to ottawa like the dad did
> Carly says:
> will you come
> MeLissA says:
> YES YES YES!!!
> MeLissA says:
> that woudl be something else, eh?
> MeLissA says:
> we should walk a big group of us! i can't imagine that father walked all that way. i really felt sorry for simon.
> MeLissA says:
> the son of that father
> Carly says:
> my mom said no but i want to go
> MeLissA says:
> well, i mean, it will take 11 days. like the father said it took him.
> MeLissA says:
> its aweful that some kids are left behind
> MeLissA says:
> and not given opportunities to unlock their inner selves
> Carly says:
> but no one new who the dad was they no me and i would get lots of people to help me mom said its the court of the people and i can get the people to follow me
> MeLissA says:
> i totally hear you carly. i mean, you ARE someone. you DO have a voice and yes, people WILL listen to what you have to say and what you believe.
> MeLissA says:
> and not many children with autism have the power you do. i compeltely agree.
> Carly says:
> dad said one day i might change the world but i want to do it now and i think i can
> MeLissA says:
> so what do you have in mind to do in ottawa?
> Carly says:
> i am going to walk to the priministers house and sit in the snow till he talks to me
> MeLissA says:
> even though people have said that actions speak Louder than words, YOUR WORDS have already changed the minds of many. and have allowed people not to judge people who are different as being not that different after all
> MeLissA says:
> what would you say to him?
> MeLissA says:
> i mean, it seems that the priminister NEEDS a serious wake-up call. but what message would you tell him?
> Carly says:
> i will spell for him and tell him its time to be a leader and do whats right
> Carly says:
> help us
> MeLissA says:
> so you would push for funding? to provide the means so every child could flourish?
> Carly says:
> but even if he does not help all the people in canada will see that we all should fight
> Carly says:
> i want to prove to my self im not just a girl who can spell i can do alot more and spell too
> MeLissA says:
> well it is an issue of money. those kids that have had the means to pay for ABA have made huge progress, but kids like simon in the show who doesn't have much money never get that chance. so yes, i agree that the priminister should smarten up and START being a true leader!!
> Carly says:
> i know
> MeLissA says:
> HOnestly carly, if you really believe in something and are truely passionate, anything is possible. i mean, its only been only 3 months and your story has become world news. are ARE someone and you HAVE made an amazingly BIG difference. you stick to whatever you truely believe in !!
> MeLissA says:
> and if that includes being that voice, making that difference.. .than so be it.
> Carly says:
> im going to tell my dad to let me go mom never listens to me
> MeLissA says:
> well, i can understand why your mom doesn't want you walking to ottawa. i dont think MY mom would want me walking. but there are other ways to get there...
> MeLissA says:
> we can do the exact same thing, protest on wheels. we could travel in a bunk of cars, hang signs out of the cars...and have signs saying "HONK FOR FUNDING"
> Carly says:
> she doeswhat works for her but she has done it for ever now and look how far she has got she has done alot but more people need help more kids need to speak
> MeLissA says:
> and we can get jenny mc carthy (the actress) on board with us. she's dating jim carey, who is canadian. her son is autistic.
> MeLissA says:
> POWER IN NUMBERS!
> Carly says:
> its not the same a thirteen year old girl goes in car or a thirteen year old walks all the way to ottawa to tell the priminester he is dumb
> MeLissA says:
> you are right, completely. it will make more of an impact. but if that doesn't work, there's ALWAYS another way! just wanted you to see that.
> Carly says:
> i know things and i know this is the best way to help
> Carly says:
> im done being told to just spell for the cameras
> Carly says:
> want to do more
> MeLissA says:
> oh, i dont doubt that. you've come this far, all on your own.
> honeslty carly, i will support you and help spread your word as much as i possibly can.
> MeLissA says:
> i have been doing so ever since your bat mitzvah...when i heard your speech ellen read.
> MeLissA says:
> by the way, im so excited you will be meeting her next month!!!
> Carly says:
> i know i want to sit in that meeting the priminester does every day and have every autistic person make noises
> Carly says:
> it would stop them from having there meeting
> MeLissA says:
> hahaha, thats a great idea!!!
> MeLissA says:
> carly, you have great ideas!!
> MeLissA says:
> can you imagine? well if this is somethign you really want to do, you have people here to follow your cause.
> MeLissA says:
> are you still there carly?
> MeLissA says:
> anyway, im here all day. thanks for chatting with me. we can talk more about this tomorrow when i see you. can't wait!!! see you then
>
> MeLissA says:
> BYE BYE
******88
Important Excerpt from another list
Hi everyone,
Just an update....
As some of you may know many organizations across Canada are working to lobby the Federal Government to develop a National Autism Strategy. In a few weeks members from Provincial Autism Societies, provincial FEAT orgs, and other related organizations from across Canada will be coming to Ontario to lobby for a National Autism Strategy. A national strategy for Autism should encompass things such as education and treatment among many things. However in order to provide protection and deliver consistency to conflicting Jurisdictional issues we need the Federal Government to act on it's policy promises. FEAT of BC has already seen the importance of IBI in accessing public education. In fact there was a case known as Hewko from BC that was won addressing this issue. I will speak more in a moment to Hewko and it's impact, limitations and further education legislation that is required to make Hewko work on a National basis.
The Government of Canada stated in it's policy directives it would create a Canadian with Disabilities Act. This consortium of advocacy and non profit groups represented by various members would like to move the Federal Government forward on this policy initiative. In fact there are three key pieces of legislation that are truly required to have an effective NATIONAL autism strategy, which FEAT of Ontario recommended in the Senate Hearings.
1) a Canadians with Disabilities Act CDA), 2) a Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) and 3) a Federal
Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA).
All these federal laws are what makes the United States a remarkably better place for people with disabilities to live than Canada. In the U.S., equality in services, jobs, housing, etc., for persons with autism and other
disabilities is not optional — it’s the law. Unfortunately at this time in Canada there is NO Canadian law that provides the same protection, either provincially or federally.
1.
The first piece of legislation, the CDA, is a broad disability rights Act, wherein people with all disabilities are protected from an able-bodied majority that sets the rules (and appoints the judges). The CDA could be modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).** This is strong U.S. Federal disability legislation that has revolutionized disability equality rights in the U.S. This first Act would be relatively quick to enact in Canada since it applies to all disabled people (is broadly based) and would be widely endorsed by a coalition of disabled persons across the country. A CDA is very much in the best interest of every person with a disability. (Appendix 3)
2.
The second piece of legislation, a Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA), would be less broadly based but it is a VERY important piece of legislation for Canada. The MHPA is a law that makes it illegal for health insurance companies to discriminate against coverage for treatments for mental illness or mental disability. In the U.S., there are over
twenty-six MHPA’s that have been ratified. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the federal Mental Health Parity Act of 1996.*** This kind of vitally important legislation for autism equality in Canada may well face resistance because the very health insurance “companies” that would be affected by the equality law, are all provincial government agencies. In other words, by design, Medicare is a government owned and operated health
insurance monopoly in every province that fights tenaciously to keep children with autism out of the health care system. However, this is still very worth pursuing and in the alternative, an amendment to the Canada Health Act
forbidding discrimination in Medicare on the basis of mental disability would be an important interim step in the right direction.
(Appendix 4)
This fundamental nature of autism needs to be strongly emphasized in the debate of 'where does autism treatment belong'?
Governments and professionals alike, all agree that autism is a health issue -- this is no longer an area of
contention.Even the former Health Minister of Ontario and now the Federal HealthMinister, Health Canada and the World Health Organization recognize itas such.
3.
The third piece of legislation which is critical which again has a broader application to all disabilities, is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)* This Act, (amended in 2004 and now referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) is a Federal U.S. Act that protects children with disabilities in the educational system. Under this important disability legislation, many thousands of children with autism have had their medically necessary autism treatment programs paid for by the educational system when a child reaches school age. In fact 76% of cases are successful using IDEA to protect the child. In Canada, as we painfully know, the picture is not as rosy when children afflicted with autism reach school. A Canadian IDEA would be extremely beneficial in bringing Canada up to a par with the U.S. in this important regard. Unfortunately, Canada differs markedly from the U.S. insofar as provinces are FAR more powerful than American states in the respective confederations. And, significantly, education in Canada is a provincial issue and responsibility. Regardless, a Canadian IDEA is still very much worth pursuing. (Appendix 5)
In addition, the IDEA provides additional protection for children with autism by deeming a child's 'Individual Education Plan' (IEP) to be a LEGALLY BINDING document that requires written consent from a parent before a school can implement the plan. The practical significance of a legally binding IEP is that a U.S. school district has a much harder time 'playing games' and taking short-cuts with an autistic child -- if they do, they violate U.S. Federal law that also holds school districts legally accountable for the OUTCOME of an IEP. This provides U.S. families with an operational mechanism, at the school level, to ensure children receive the genuine, effective autism treatment they need. Unfortunately, for Canadian residents, disabled children have no comparable legal protection. There is no Canadian equivalent of the IDEA in our Federal statutes, giving rise to a troubling reality that Canadian children with disabilities are vulnerable to education bureaucrats and unqualified special education staff.
Flowing from this lack of legal protection is that Canadian IEPs are NOT LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS.
In other words, a parent's signature is not mandatory on the document prior to implementation of the plan -- school districts are only required to 'consult' with parents during drafting of an IEP.
The Court's decision in Hewko v B.C. 2006 BCSC 1638 (CanLII) can be found on line
at: http://www.canlii. org/bc/cas/ bcsc/2006/ 2006bcsc1638. html
The result is Canadian IEPs don't have the teeth necessary to force appropriate autism treatment into the school system. Another shortcoming of Canadian IEPs is the unfortunate fact that schools ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE OUTCOMES; GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN A NON-LEGALLY BINDING IEP are simply shiny promises.
In short, Canadian school districts can pretty much do what they well please when 'handling' special needs
children.
Given current federal and provincial statute, Canadian school districts are not legally bound to provide either autism treatment or any other accommodation necessary for a child with autism and even if they were, without the same protection afforded American children with disabilities who want to access their right to a public education, Canadian children with disabilities would remain ultimately in the same boat they are now.
This is why a National Autism Strategy is needed. This is why lobby and advocacy groups are working together to effectively bring a National Autism Strategy to Canada. A National Autism Strategy needs to be multifaceted to not address the needs of the individual throughout their lifetime but also to provide legal protection that already exists in other countries. The timing of the upcoming Ontario Federal NAS lobby initiative is coinciding with the United Nations World Autism Day just a couple of weeks earlier. Again a huge thank you to Autism Speaks for moving this UN initiative forward with the State of Qatar.
This fundamental nature of autism needs to be strongly emphasized in the debate of 'where does autism treatment belong'?
Governments and professionals alike, all agree that autism is a health issue -- this is no longer an area of
contention. Even the former Health Minister of Ontario and now the Federal Health Minister, Health Canada and the World Health Organization recognize it as such.
Autism is a neurological disorder. Autism affects every facet of a child's life, not just the ability to learn the three R's. Autism treatment is a very complex affair that is far beyond the abilities and mandate of school systems to currently effectively address. Science-based autism treatment, in Ontario known as the Intensive Behavioural Treatment Program, is a highly specialized discipline, as is oncology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Professionals in these specialties are considered independent health care providers in Canada's health care system; so too should genuine autism treatment professionals.
Google Alert
The Sarnia Observer
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=962026
Former Sarnian publishes autism book for kids
Posted 1 day ago
A Sarnia-born author has published a new children's book that aims to teach children about autism.
Debbie Lockrey-Wessel will launch "A New Friend at School" on Saturday at Lambton Mall.
The story is about school children who befriend an autistic boy and how they overcome barriers that hinder communication. It was inspired by Lockrey-Wessel's mildly autistic brother, John.
"I'm really trying to stress in the book that autistic children enjoy many of the same things other children do," she said. "We don't want kids to be afraid to make friends or play with an autistic child."
The complex brain disorder is often diagnosed in early childhood and has no cure. It affects communication, social skills and creative or imaginative play.
The book is important because students are often ostracized for behaviours associated with autism, said Cheryl Dart, of the Sarnia-Lambton chapter of Autism Ontario.
"If people don't understand the disorder they just label the child," she said. "They think, oh well, he's the weird kid."
Lockrey-Wessel said the book was written for children in Grades 3 and 4 who might be encountering an autistic classmate for the first time. It was tough for her brother, who grew up in the 1980s, she said
"John wasn't always accepted. He faced a lot of challenges because not a lot was known about autism at the time."
Now 30 and working at Goodwill Industries, John has found a way to integrate. Understanding and acceptance of people with autism is growing, and Lockrey-Wessel hopes to contribute to that understanding.
The book, which can be used as a resource for educators, will be marketed from coast-to-coast.
"It's really simple for the kids and a great help for teachers," said Dart. "It sets out a lot of good points."
The book launch Saturday will be held at Lambton Mall near the Canadian Tire entrance, starting at 9 a.m.
Copyright © 2008 The Sarnia Observer
IMPORTANT AWARES CONFERENCE NOTICE:
www.awares.org/conferences
The next in our series of Awares one-day online autism seminars in 2008
features one of the world's most celebrated writers with autism, Donna
Williams.
Born in Australia in 1963, Donna was eventually diagnosed as autistic
in her twenties. A year after her diagnosis, her international
bestseller, Nobody Nowhere, was published which she followed over the years with
three sequels, Somebody Somewhere, Like Colour To The Blind and
Everyday Heaven.She went on to become an international public speaker and to
write four textbooks: Autism: An Inside-Out Approach, Autism and
Sensing: The Unlost Instinct, Exposure Anxiety; The Invisible Cage and The
Jumbled Jigsaw, as well as having a book of poetry and prose published in
2004 called Not Just Anything. She is also an accomplished sculptor,
painter and composer. Recently, together with her husband, Chris Samuel,
she helped create the world's first international on-line
self-employment facility for people on the autistic spectrum at www.auties.org
Don't miss this unprecedented opportunity to put your questions to
Donna Williams on April 16, 2008 - and please let anyone else know who
might be interested.
The seminar will open at 12.01am British time on April 16, 2008, and
will run throughout the day until 11.29pm UK time that day.
You can register right now for this event at www.awares.org/conferences
Best wishes,
Adam Feinstein
________________________________________
AWARES Conference Centre
http://www.awares.org/conferences
VOLUNTEER SUDBURY LOOKING FOR YOUR STORIES
Good Morning,
As you may know Volunteer Week to April 27th to May 3rd
With this week is fast approaching, Volunteer Sudbury will be working with local media to tell the many good news stories about all the wonderful things our Sudbury volunteers do!
Volunteer Sudbury is looking for stories about volunteers, whether tales of heartwarming efforts, silly fun times or life-changing moments, we’d like to know what our volunteers throughout the City of Greater Sudbury are up to, and to hear from the people whose lives have been changed by their efforts.
Along with that we at Volunteer Sudbury would also like to hear about any events that you have planned for volunteer week so we can help you to publicize your upcoming events. We’ll take care of the writing, we just need the stories!
If you have story ideas and volunteer week plans to share, please forward them to this email address or contact Debra at debjim2@persona.ca.
Thank you!!
FROM NORTHUMBERALAND TODAY
Port Hope father of autistic child calls attention to growing concern
Posted 1 day ago
Port Hope resident Doug Bates wants people to know all about a growing concern as World Autism Day approaches on Wednesday, April 2.
An estimated 50,000 individuals in Canada have autism-related disorders, he said, and it costs at least $2 million for each individual with autism who does not receive effective autism services through the Canadian health, education and social services systems over their lifetime.
"There's a $1 billion cost per year estimated for support services to people with autism in Canada," Mr. Bates said in an interview. "Autism is such a costly disability."
The father of an autistic child, Mr. Bates attended a joint post-Ontario budget meeting of the Port Hope and District and Northumberland Central chambers of commerce Thursday, asking for provincial help from local MPP Lou Rinaldi.
Mr. Bates' seven-year-old, Ryan, was diagnosed with autism at age two.
"We were at a birthday party for my son and I, and everything was fine, then suddenly he started screaming," he said. "He couldn't handle the noise."
Ryan, he said, seemed ahead of his peers until that time, able to speak and identify objects, but after the episode at the party, he "completely shut down" and all he'd do is rock his body back and forth.
"He went from being able to communicate to nothing - a complete shutdown," Mr. Bates said.
His wife, Mary, left her job to stay home and look after their son - one of their three children - as it wasn't possible to afford to have a trained caregiver come into their home to take care of Ryan on top of the other costs associated with the disability.
"It costs between $30,000 and $80,000 a year for intensive training so he can learn what is acceptable behaviour and what is not," Mr. Bates said.
Medications are being developed to control behaviour, he said, but there has to be a balance between medication and behavioural therapy, and both are expensive.
"And autism is growing in leaps and bounds," Mr. Bates said. "In 1980 one in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism, but by 2007, one in 150, of which 94 to 96 are typically boys, were diagnosed."
Catching autism early is a big plus, and saves in the long run, he said.
According to statistics provided by Autism Today, applied behaviour analysis (ABA) in early intervention of autism would cost between $100,000 to $280,000, with an additional $40,000 to $70,000 in other supports, $50,000 in life span supports for a total of up to $400,000 per individual, as compared to not having ABA intervention estimated at $2 million.
Even though there are many fantastic groups out there, Mr. Bates says he is looking for more help for people with autism.
"My biggest concern now is what will happen to him if we die," he said. "Who's going to take care of these individuals?"
Early intervention would go a long way towards ensuring autistic people could enter the workforce and become contributing members of society, Mr. Bates said.
"We have to look at the success stories. How did they overcome their disabilities - maybe there's a blueprint there."
Mr. Bates hosts a support group on the third Tuesday of every month for people dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and autism.
For more information contact him at 905-373-0508 or bates.doug@gmail.com .
To help heighten awareness, Mr. Bates will be at the Cobourg Wal-Mart this Saturday, March 29, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
"I urge parents to learn the early warning signs," he said.
For more information on World Autism Day, visit www.worldautismawarenessday.org .
Did you know?
Autism affects as many as one in 150 children and one in 94 boys
Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world
More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with diabetes, cancer and AIDS combined
Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
There is no medical detection or cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention improve outcomes
Autism does not discriminate by geography, class, or ethnicity.
Copyright © 2008 Northumberland Today
Kate’s wait for a four-legged angel
by Carla Allen/The Vanguard
View all articles from Carla Allen/The Vanguard
Article online since March 28th 2008, 8:00
Shy smiles and a wagging tail were good signs of a successful introduction between Kate Harrington, who has autism, and Dallas, a service dog trained especially to help children with the condition. Carla Allen photo
View all pictures
Kate’s wait for a four-legged angel
By Carla Allen
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
At the age of seven, Kate Harrington has no fear. She’s jumped from moving vehicles, stepped into a swimming pool over her head and sat motionless in front of a moving snowplow. Kate is autistic and her mother Ann hopes to soon have a four-legged assistant to help tend to her special needs.
A year ago Ann Harrington began the application process to receive a specially trained dog through National Service Dogs based in Cambridge, Ontario.
The organization has been training Labrador and Golden Retrievers to assist children and families living with Autism since 1996.
Last week trainer Cathy Jurchuck arrived with Dallas, a year-and-a-half old golden lab to visit the Harrington’s and assess the family’s suitability as well as Kate’s reaction to a dog.
The introduction was a happy event. There were lots of sloppy kisses and much vigorous tail wagging from Dallas, giggles and smiles from Kate. The attraction was mutual.
But a dog like Dallas will become much more than a friend should the application be approved.
The dogs are trained to bark in emergencies and will stop a child from bolting into danger thanks to a special leash and harness.
Jurchuck demonstrates the technique by fastening a work vest on Dallas and the dog immediately calms down. Jurchuck mimics the actions of an autistic child having an episode, stamping her feet and tugging on the leash. Dallas squats down and braces herself against the pulling, preventing Jurchuk from moving away.
The dog can also increase social bonding and support self-control, acting as a calming influence in stressful situations.
“A lot of times we’ll find the kids will sleep better, just having the dog in the room with them,” said Jurchuk.
Applicants are encouraged to help raise the $18,000 required for their dog by putting on fundraising events or providing contact information of organizations or individuals that might be willing to assist
The Harringtons should hear back in a month to six weeks if they are accepted then the fundraising efforts begin.
To publicize Kate’s plight and her goal of owning an Autism Service Dog, the Harringtons have published a website at:
paws4kate.tripod.com.
********8
Carly writes to the world again – thanks Carly!
March 22, 2008 CTV - W-FIVE
TIME: 19:00:00 ET
The Words Within
SANDIE RINALDO: Welcome to "W-FIVE." It is a life long disorder with no known cause, or cure. Autism now affects one in 150 children in North America and the rates of diagnosis are steadily rising. And just as elusive as finding out why it happens is understanding what is going on in the minds of those who have it, but now as CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro reports, one thirteen-year-old is offering a rare glimpse into the secret world of autism now that she has unlocked the words within.
AVIS FAVARO (Reporter): It doesn't take long to realize there's something very different about Carly. She has all the behaviours of a disorder known as autism - the repetitive motions, the lack of eye contact, and hand flapping, the tantrums and often unpredictable behaviour. What's worse, Carly, who's thirteen years old, can't speak, making communication almost impossible with her family and her father, Arthur Fleischmann.
ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN (Father): It's incredibly frustrating. We know that she's trying to say something, or do something, but that's only the very basics. She couldn't express emotion. She couldn't express her wishes or what she wanted to do.
FAVARO: Like many children with autism, Carly lives locked in a world of her own. This is home video of Carly when she was about five years old. Most assumed she had no chance of living a normal life.
ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN: Laypeople would assume that she was, I guess, in the politically incorrect era, that she was mentally retarded, even professionals who we saw had identified her as moderately to severely cognitively impaired, which means low, very low IQ, and very low promise.
FAVARO: Carly's parents, Tammy and Arthur, struggled with Carly's autism. They have two other normal children.
ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN: We would speak as if she weren't in the room, as if she couldn't hear, and yet somehow, inside, we always knew there was an intelligence, but no one knew how much.
FAVARO: Experts advised them it would be best if Carly was put in an institution, but her parents instead chose to invest in an intensive training program. It's called applied behaviour analysis, ABA for short. ABA is an exhaustive, repetitive teaching program. Skills are taught a step at a time, over and over, until a child finally gets it.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Nice cutting, Carly.
FAVARO: Carly's Mother, Tammy, felt it was the best chance of reaching the child within.
TAMMY FLEISCHMANN (Mother): We've kept words and pictures in front of her face since she's been two years old and we've never let up.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Can you sit nicely, without rocking. One, two, three. You're rocking.
FAVARO: Her family now calls it Carly Incorporated, a veritable business built around Carly. Employing about twelve part-time therapists working in shifts for 40 or more hours a week, and her parents have been paying for it all, some $80,000 a year. It is not voodoo. It is not rocket science. It's a teaching methodology that works for children with autism, and yes, some children are going to respond better than others, but there's nothing out there that works besides this despite what other people may want you to believe.
FAVARO: The goal has been to help Carly control her disruptive autistic behaviours, so that she can concentrate and learn. Two years ago, there was a breakthrough.
BARBARA NASH FENTON (Speech Therapist): All around the house we had put written words, but we didn't know how much was going in, and then one day...
FAVARO: Carly was working with her speech therapist Barbara Nash Fenton when she suddenly typed out the words hurt and tooth. She had a toothache.
NASH FENTON: Then all of these words started to pour out of her. It was just sort of an exciting moment because we didn't realize that she had all these words, and it was one of those moments that, in my career, I don't think I'll ever forget.
FAVARO: Through her typing, Carly had unexpectedly found her voice, and she had a surprising and powerful story to tell.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN (Autistic): I am an autistic girl who has learned to spell, and can tell people to stop looking at me like I am helpless.
FAVARO: Over the following months, Carly started writing about her feelings, about how all along, she had understood what her family was saying, and how she was trying hard to control her behaviours.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: I try very hard to act appropriately. It's tough to do and people think it's easy because they don't know what is going on in my body.
FAVARO: She explains why she makes noises. Why she hits herself.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: It feels like my legs are on fire, and a million ants are crawling up my arms.
ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN: We were stunned. I mean, we realized inside was this intelligent, articulate, emotive person that we had never met. FAVARO: And this is how Carly types. It's slow. One letter at a time, filled with distractions, but all the words are her own. The voice is supplied by her computer.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: If I could tell people one thing about autism, it would be that I don't want to be this way but I am. So don't be mad. Be understanding.
FAVARO: Her family finally learned why she had she loved swimming so much. Because it helps her control her body. And that she loves it when her father reads to her.
ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN: He steers the canoe into a narrow channel that will take him, I'm not there yet.
FAVARO: But in the beginning, few believed that Carly could write on her own, not even the woman directing her ABA therapy, Nicole Walton-Allen.
NICOLE WALTON-ALLEN (ABA Therapist): I was very sceptical. I thought, I need to see this, because I need to see whether or not this child is spontaneously typing, whether she's being assisted, coached, prompt.
FAVARO: Carly herself bristles at the suggestion that she's being coached.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: I need to tell everyone that I don't have a hand up my butt to spell.
FAVARO: And she says she's learned all that show knows simply by listening. Answering with a typical sarcasm of a thirteen-year-old. CARLY FLEISCHMANN: Can't speak, but I can hear. Duh.
FAVARO: What's more, Carly wants to go out on dates, and if she could date anyone?
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: Hopefully Brad Pitt. Are you crazy? He's hot.
ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN: I think Carly has a lot to teach us about autism. Inside, she is a perfectly typical, normal thirteen-year-old girl. She has crushes. She likes music. She likes to dance. She wants friends. She wants to be treated like every other normal thirteen-year-old girl.
FAVARO: Most of all, she's terribly frustrated by the limitations of her disorder.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: I see lots of doctors but they all say the same thing. They can't help me, or they say she should take this medication, but it never works. What I want is medication that is going to help me, not a doctor. I want something that will help me sit.
FAVARO: Now that she can type, Carly's self-esteem is soaring, and she's finding purpose to her life because she thinks her writing may help others with autism.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: I am thirteen and autistic, but that is not who I am. Take time to know me before you judge me.
FAVARO: So how exactly did Carly develop this remarkable ability to write? If you asked her parents and her therapist, they'll say, it's likely the combination of Carly's own smarts, and those years of intensive therapy that brought Carly to where what was trapped inside could finally come out.
TAMMY FLEISCHMANN: I don't think that's that that's magic. This isn't some spontaneous event. She has been working on this for many, many years.
FAVARO: Nicole Walton-Allen who runs one of Canada's largest ABA programs, says Carly's most impressive gains have come in the last two years.
WALTON-ALLEN: It supported the notion for me that you cannot give up on these children, because it is the cumulative effect of a much time, and energy that has gone into her.
TAMMY FLEISCHMANN: Carly, look at mom.
FAVARO: Meanwhile, Carly's parents shutter when they think of what might have happened they not been able to fund her years of therapy. ARTHUR FLEISCHMANN: The thing that is most upsetting, and disturbing to me is the thought that if we had only done what so many people told us to do seven years ago, we wouldn't have the child that we have today. We would have written her off, and pulled the plug on all the different therapies and educational components we've given her. And then what would she be today?
TAMMY FLEISCHMANN: What would have happened to her? She would have been the locked in child that, now she'd be a locked in teenager, and she would probably be aggressive, and she would not have the quality of life that she has today.
FAVARO: And Carly herself has a message for those caring for children who have autism, never give up.
CARLY FLEISCHMANN: I recently learned that dreams can come true, and that if a child like me, or their parents dream is for them to communicate one day, that anything is possible if you believe.
ANNOUNCER: Next, stifled inside a muted world of autism.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: He's so quick and so intelligent, I can feel it.
ANNOUNCER: The maddening reality for so many families in Canada.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The government said, sorry, there's nothing we can do.
ANNOUNCER: When CTV's "W-FIVE" continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
_____________________________________________________
From Nancy Morrison
To discuss International Autism Awareness Day, I will be on Newmarket Rogers Show Insights on Monday night, March 31st. The show is taped lived, and repeated numerous times over the next 48 hours. For anyone in the Newmarket Rogers viewing area, I hope you can get a chance to watch.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080325/w-five_carly_080305/20080325/
Carly Fleischmann responds to W-FIVE doc
Updated Tue. Mar. 25 2008 12:42 PM ET
W-FIVE
Last weekend, W-FIVE aired a documentary on the life of Carly Fleischmann, a 13-year-old girl from Toronto with autism. She offered a rare glimpse into the secret world of autism and has become a symbol of hope for parents and families coping with an autistic child.
She is still unable to speak a single syllable. But two years ago, she defied the odds and started typing words with the help of specialized computer software.
********
From Autism Ontario
Hello Autism Ontario CLCs, Staff, and Board,
Please find attached Autism Ontario ’s response to Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s Ontario Budget announcements for 2008. For full text from the Ministry website, click on this link: http://ontariobudget.ca/english/ Marilyn Thompson and I were present at the budget lock-up to speak with various government representatives about what the budget means for families of children and adults with ASD. There isn’t much that is specific to autism, but there are some improvements here and there that affect this population. The most significant gaps remain for adults with ASD and with the growing waiting list for IBI.
Please feel free to forward this to any interested persons.
Thanks,
Marg
From Nancy
How about we ask all politicians to take the Obama Challenge?
Its simple: make a platform statement as clear and simple as this one on what you will do to help people with challenges, including Autism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pkdfOOoIw0&feature=related
-------------------------------------------------------
And to help raise funds for Autism Speaks, and learn all about a Chevy Malibu, here is a fundraising link to view, it just takes a couple of minutes:
Dear Friend,
I´ve just learned that Chevy is partnering with Autism Speaks to help create awareness of autism and the effects it has on our families.
Visit Help Chevy Help Autism (www.chevrolet.com/autismspeaks) and see how you can help too.
It´s one small click that can make a big difference for autism.
Thank you!
-----------------------------------
And this from Norrah, she is arranging some advocacy events next month in conjunction with FEAT of BC.
Hi everyone,
Just an update....
As some of you may know many organizations across Canada are working to lobby the Federal Government to develop a National Autism Strategy. In a few weeks members from Provincial Autism Societies, provincial FEAT orgs, and other related organizations from across Canada will be coming to Ontario to lobby for a National Autism Strategy. A national strategy for Autism should encompass things such as education and treatment among many things. However in order to provide protection and deliver consistency to conflicting Jurisdictional issues we need the Federal Government to act on it's policy promises. FEAT of BC has already seen the importance of IBI in accessing public education. In fact there was a case known as Hewko from BC that was won addressing this issue. I will speak more in a moment to Hewko and it's impact, limitations and further education legislation that is required to make Hewko work on a National basis.
The Government of Canada stated in it's policy directives it would create a Canadian with Disabilities Act. This consortium of advocacy and non profit groups represented by various members would like to move the Federal Government forward on this policy initiative. In fact there are three key pieces of legislation that are truly required to have an effective NATIONAL autism strategy, which FEAT of Ontario recommended in the Senate Hearings.
1) a Canadians with Disabilities Act CDA), 2) a Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) and 3) a Federal
Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA).
All these federal laws are what makes the United States a remarkably better place for people with disabilities to live than Canada. In the U.S., equality in services, jobs, housing, etc., for persons with autism and other
disabilities is not optional - it's the law. Unfortunately at this time in Canada there is NO Canadian law that provides the same protection, either provincially or federally.
1.
The first piece of legislation, the CDA, is a broad disability rights Act, wherein people with all disabilities are protected from an able-bodied majority that sets the rules (and appoints the judges). The CDA could be modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).** This is strong U.S. Federal disability legislation that has revolutionized disability equality rights in the U.S. This first Act would be relatively quick to enact in Canada since it applies to all disabled people (is broadly based) and would be widely endorsed by a coalition of disabled persons across the country. A CDA is very much in the best interest of every person with a disability. (Appendix 3)
2.
The second piece of legislation, a Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA), would be less broadly based but it is a VERY important piece of legislation for Canada. The MHPA is a law that makes it illegal for health insurance companies to discriminate against coverage for treatments for mental illness or mental disability. In the U.S., there are over
twenty-six MHPA's that have been ratified. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the federal Mental Health Parity Act of 1996.*** This kind of vitally important legislation for autism equality in Canada may well face resistance because the very health insurance "companies" that would be affected by the equality law, are all provincial government agencies. In other words, by design, Medicare is a government owned and operated health
insurance monopoly in every province that fights tenaciously to keep children with autism out of the health care system. However, this is still very worth pursuing and in the alternative, an amendment to the Canada Health Act
forbidding discrimination in Medicare on the basis of mental disability would be an important interim step in the right direction.
(Appendix 4)
This fundamental nature of autism needs to be strongly emphasized in the debate of 'where does autism treatment belong'?
Governments and professionals alike, all agree that autism is a health issue -- this is no longer an area of
contention.Even the former Health Minister of Ontario and now the Federal HealthMinister, Health Canada and the World Health Organization recognize itas such.
3.
The third piece of legislation which is critical which again has a broader application to all disabilities, is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)* This Act, (amended in 2004 and now referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) is a Federal U.S. Act that protects children with disabilities in the educational system. Under this important disability legislation, many thousands of children with autism have had their medically necessary autism treatment programs paid for by the educational system when a child reaches school age. In fact 76% of cases are successful using IDEA to protect the child. In Canada, as we painfully know, the picture is not as rosy when children afflicted with autism reach school. A Canadian IDEA would be extremely beneficial in bringing Canada up to a par with the U.S. in this important regard. Unfortunately, Canada differs markedly from the U.S. insofar as provinces are FAR more powerful than American states in the respective confederations. And, significantly, education in Canada is a provincial issue and responsibility. Regardless, a Canadian IDEA is still very much worth pursuing. (Appendix 5)
In addition, the IDEA provides additional protection for children with autism by deeming a child's 'Individual Education Plan' (IEP) to be a LEGALLY BINDING document that requires written consent from a parent before a school can implement the plan. The practical significance of a legally binding IEP is that a U.S. school district has a much harder time 'playing games' and taking short-cuts with an autistic child -- if they do, they violate U.S. Federal law that also holds school districts legally accountable for the OUTCOME of an IEP. This provides U.S. families with an operational mechanism, at the school level, to ensure children receive the genuine, effective autism treatment they need. Unfortunately, for Canadian residents, disabled children have no comparable legal protection. There is no Canadian equivalent of the IDEA in our Federal statutes, giving rise to a troubling reality that Canadian children with disabilities are vulnerable to education bureaucrats and unqualified special education staff.
Flowing from this lack of legal protection is that Canadian IEPs are NOT LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS.
In other words, a parent's signature is not mandatory on the document prior to implementation of the plan -- school districts are only required to 'consult' with parents during drafting of an IEP.
The Court's decision in Hewko v B.C. 2006 BCSC 1638 (CanLII) can be found on line
at: http://www.canlii.org/bc/cas/bcsc/2006/2006bcsc1638.html
The result is Canadian IEPs don't have the teeth necessary to force appropriate autism treatment into the school system. Another shortcoming of Canadian IEPs is the unfortunate fact that schools ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE OUTCOMES; GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN A NON-LEGALLY BINDING IEP are simply shiny promises.
In short, Canadian school districts can pretty much do what they well please when 'handling' special needs
children.
Given current federal and provincial statute, Canadian school districts are not legally bound to provide either autism treatment or any other accommodation necessary for a child with autism and even if they were, without the same protection afforded American children with disabilities who want to access their right to a public education, Canadian children with disabilities would remain ultimately in the same boat they are now.
This is why a National Autism Strategy is needed. This is why lobby and advocacy groups are working together to effectively bring a National Autism Strategy to Canada. A National Autism Strategy needs to be multifaceted to not address the needs of the individual throughout their lifetime but also to provide legal protection that already exists in other countries. The timing of the upcoming Ontario Federal NAS lobby initiative is coinciding with the United Nations World Autism Day just a couple of weeks earlier. Again a huge thank you to Autism Speaks for moving this UN initiative forward with the State of Qatar.
-------------------------------
A few weeks ago in one of my mailings I asked if anyone knew about efforts for a walk across Canada by a Mississauga man. Here is an article updating on his advocacy and fundraising efforts:
March 26, 2008
THE TELEGRAM (ST. JOHN'S)
PAGE: A2 (PROVINCIAL)
And he's off!
LLUS: Seen here at the Terry Fox monument at St. John's harbour Tuesday
morning, marathon runner Jonathan Howard (left) began his cross-Canada
"Run The Dream" campaign in hopes of raising $2.5 million to benefit
children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He hopes to
complete his eight-month solo run of 9,000 km in Victoria, B.C., by Nov.
21 after crossing 10 provinces and visiting more than 650 communities on
his trek. Howard, 24, is a resident of Mississauga, Ont., and a McMaster
University alumnus. Here he presents St. John's Port Authority director
of business development, Bob McCarthy, with an official run toque to
commemorate the start of his run from St. John's. - Photo by Joe
Gibbons/The Telegram
___________________________________
-------------------------------------
A listmate shared this information for all of us:
Dear Community Leader,
My name is Christopher Sanchez and I am a Community Outreach Associate
at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival. Our mandate
at Community Outreach is to deliver information on important and
timely documentaries from Canada and around the world to specific
community organizations and social, cultural, or religious groups
around Toronto. This year we have a film about Autism and I am
sending you information on the film, where to buy tickets, and the
venues they are playing at. Please help us get this information out
to an audience that would appreciate and relate to the issues
presented in these documentaries. If you could send an e-mail to your
member list with the info I am sending you or if you could print out a
PDF sheet which is attached and post it up in a space where your
members congregate, that would be greatly appreciated.
Let me know if you have need any more information by responding to
this email or calling met at 416.203.2155 x 257.
Thanks you for your time and participation,
Chris Sanchez
DOCUMENATRIES ABOUT AUTISM AT HOT DOCS 2008
Her Name is Sabine
Canadian Premiere
D: Sandrine Bonnaire, France, 85 min
French actress Sandrine Bonnaire uses intimate home movie footage to
create a loving portrait of Sabine, her 38-year-old autistic sister,
and to trace her behavioural decline while living in institutional care.
BADER Sun Apr 20 4:15 PM
ROM Sat Apr 26 11:30 AM
Venues:
- The Scene Screening Room at the Isabel Bader Theatre: 93 Charles
Street West
- The Al Green Theatre: Inside the Miles Nadal JCC - 750 Spadina Avenue
- The Winter Garden Theatre: 189 Yonge Street
- The Bloor Cinema: 506 Bloor St West
- Cumberland Cinemas: 159 Cumberland Street
- The Royal Cinema: 608 College Street
- The Rom Theatre: 100 Queen's Park
- Innis Town Hall: 2 Sussex Avenue
Ticket info:
Daytime Screenings Tickets (before 6 pm) are $10, evening screenings
(between 6 pm-11 pm) are $12 and Late Night Screenings (after 11PM)
are $5. Order advance tickets and pass sales at the DOCUMENTARY Box
Office (87 Avenue Road, 2 Blocks North of Bloor, upper level of
Hazelton Lanes), online at www.hotdocs.ca, or by phone at
416-637-5150. On the day of the screening, all daytime screenings are
FREE for students and seniors with valid ID, courtesy of the Toronto
Star.
Visit www.hotdocs.ca for further information and detailed film
descriptions.
--------------------------------
And finally, I will share the preliminary information about the Special Needs International Hockey Tournament being hosted by the North York Gladiators on April 10th, 11th and 12th. If you have been wondering about having your child play hockey, this league is fabulous. My son is on the Newmarket Nighthawks Team. Come out and see a game and see just how wonderful a program this is for our kids. Many of the players are on the spectrum, all skill levels are welcomed and encouraged, from those learning how to skate to those able to play a decent game of shimmy.
Good Day,
I thought I would give you some details on the upcoming tournament hosted by the North York Gladiators. Dates are April 10, 11 and 12. All games will be played at Canlan Ice Sports Complex which is on the campus of York University. We have put in two teams, Junior and Intermediate.
Thursday April 10
9:00-11:00 opening ceremonies
11:00-5:00 games, schedule yet to be determined
Friday April 11
8:00-5:00 games, schedule yet to be determined
Saturday April 12
9:00-11:00 Coaches game
6:00-12:00 Dinner/Social event at Rivera Parque
END OF NANCY’S NEWS
**************
AFA will continue to post this every time we receive this
Five for Fighting Video
Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:47 am (PDT)
Hi All,
A very good friend of mine sent this link to a "Five for Fighting" music video about Autism. The band is donating $0.40 to Autism Speaks for each time it is viewed. This video brought me to tears. Plese pass this along to friends and family. The goal is
10,000 hits.
********
From a Listmate
Visit the site
Thanks for the great updates. I placed the world Autism day piece on my site to help promote the event.
Best of luck
Dale Ford
Edu-Advocates
Ottawa, Ontario
613-769-8960
http://www.eduadvocates.com/
from a listmate
___________________________________
March 26, 2008
THE WINDSOR STAR (FINAL)
PAGE: A11 (EDITORIAL/OPINION)
Any way you look at it, it's murder
Naomi Lakritz, Windsor Star
Robert Latimer is out of prison and on day parole after serving
seven
years for the murder of his disabled 12-year-old daughter, Tracy.
As if his freedom three years ahead of schedule weren't already a
slap in the face to disabled Canadians, a second slap is being
delivered
via media reports. You don't have to look too hard to find an article
about Latimer that tags on the qualifier that Tracy's case "sparked a
debate on euthanasia."
It did nothing of the kind. The killing of Tracy Latimer was not
euthanasia. It was murder. Euthanasia is also known as assisted
suicide.
Tracy did not commit suicide, let alone ask for assistance in doing so.
Euthanasia always implies that the individual involved wants to die
and has made his or her intentions known.
In Tracy's case, it was her father who decided she should die.
Murder, he wrote. Latimer carried her out to his truck, laid her in the
cab and piped in carbon monoxide. Then he carried her back into the
house, tucked her into bed and lied to police, telling them that she
had
died in bed. He only admitted to killing her after an autopsy showed
she
died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Euthanasia is when you decide your life isn't worth living because
of
a terminal or chronic illness. Murder is when somebody else believes
your life isn't worth living, without you ever having had a say in the
matter. Tracy was murdered.
The only reason this nasty little obfuscation is going on is that
Tracy was disabled, and there's an unvoiced sentiment that the abled
are
the arbiters on the value of the lives of the disabled. There would be
not even a whisper of the word "euthanasia" in connection with the
whole
sordid Latimer affair if Tracy had been healthy.
Had Latimer carried a normal 12-year-old to his truck and poisoned
her with carbon monoxide, nobody would call it anything else but
murder.
Nobody would have been lobbying for his parole; they would have been
clamouring to keep a father who killed his daughter behind bars.
His supporters give the distinct impression they think Latimer was
doing Tracy a favour by killing her. These people do not seem to regard
Tracy as a person with the same right to the sanctity of her personhood
as they have to theirs.
Tracy couldn't speak, and she was severely impaired, but that does
not mean there wasn't a little person trapped behind the physical
disability who was very much a part of the world.
What would Latimer's supporters say about Carly Fleischmann? The
13-year-old Toronto girl can't speak either, because she is severely
autistic. Her father, Arthur, says: "Even professionals labelled her as
moderately to severely cognitively impaired. In the old days, you would
say mentally retarded." Was her life worth living?
Three years ago, in therapy, Carly learned to type on a computer
that
uses pictures and symbols. A few words came out, and then she went on
to
whole sentences. She began describing what it was like to have autism
and to explain why she did things like obsessive rocking, or hitting
herself: "It feels like my legs are on fire and a million ants are
crawling up my arms," Carly typed.
Being autistic, Carly says, is like "being in a room with the stereo
on full blast." She added: "It is hard to be autistic because no one
understands me. People look at me and assume I am dumb because I can't
talk, or I act differently than them."
Her dad told reporters: "We realized that inside was an articulate,
intelligent, emotive person that we had never met.... If we had done
what so many people told us to do years ago, we ... would have written
her off."
Tracy Latimer got written off. She could have penned that sentence
herself: "People look at me and assume I am dumb because I can't talk,
or I act differently than them." Nobody seems to care about the Tracy
who lived in the confines of her disability. Like Carly, deemed
severely
cognitively impaired, she may have been just as sensitive and aware a
soul. The Latimer faction thinks only that her father did her a big
favour by ending her life, the way it's considered a kindness to
dispose
of a physically infirm dog or cat.
Tracy's mother, Laura, testified that Tracy could laugh and cry,
that
she smiled when she saw her parents, and when she was enjoying herself.
Therapists said she could think. She was capable of being happy. She
was
incapable of telling anyone there was a person inside her disabled body
whose life was worth living. Her father decided it wasn't. That's
murder. Euthanasia has nothing to do with it.
Naomi Lakritz is a Calgary Herald columnist. E-mail:
nlakritz@theherald.canwest.com
ILLUS: Photo: TRACY LATIMER: Suffered from cerebral palsy when her
father left her in a running car to die of carbon monoxide poisoning. ;
_______________________________________________________
From a listmate
Attention News/Book/Assignment/Life Editors:
Harlequin Honours Five Outstanding Women for their Charitable Contributions
More Than Words, a series of inspirational short stories, produced to
celebrate extraordinary women
TORONTO, March 26 /CNW/ - Harlequin Enterprises Limited, a leading global
publisher of women's fiction, honours five remarkable women with its annual
More Than Words award and anthology. Five of Harlequin's most acclaimed
authors have donated their time and creativity to produce the fourth edition
of More Than Words, a collection of short stories inspired by the real-life
experiences of five women whose selfless acts of charity have made a
meaningful impact on their communities.
The More Than Words anthology contains fictional stories inspired by the
work of each award recipient. Harlequin presented each recipient with a
$10,000 donation in support of their respective charities to help them
continue their important work. The program also hopes to inspire readers to
get involved and give back themselves.
"By telling the stories of these extraordinary women, and by supporting
their causes financially, Harlequin hopes to provide momentum for efforts
already taking place all across the continent," says Donna Hayes, Publisher
and CEO, Harlequin Enterprises. "We want to inspire new initiatives among our
readers, authors and employees."
Contributing to this year's collection of short stories are bestselling
authors Linda Lael Miller, Sherryl Woods, Curtiss Ann Matlock, Jennifer Archer
and Kathleen O'Brien. Each author's fictional story will be accompanied by a
factual introduction of each recipient, with proceeds from the book being
reinvested in the Harlequin More Than Words program.
"The More Than Words award recipients are exactly the kind of women that
people want to read about. And as an author, there is nothing quite so
powerful as a good-hearted woman on a mission," said New York Times
bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, who wrote a short story inspired by
recipient Jeanne Greenberg. Greenberg's work with SARI Therapeutic Riding
provides horseback riding lessons to special-needs children and their families
to help them achieve an unforgettable experience which is physically and
emotionally therapeutic.
Harlequin sponsors the More Than Words program to raise awareness about
how individuals can make a difference in their communities and turn that
awareness into action.
Harlequin chose five outstanding women who represent a broad variety of
women's causes. From providing shelter and services to homeless women and
children to working to find a cure for autism, this year's recipients all have
one thing in common - they have created not-for-profit organizations that
significantly improve their communities.
<<
2008 Harlequin More Than Words Award Recipients
-----------------------------------------------
- Jeanne Greenberg of London, Ontario, founded SARI Therapeutic Riding,
an organization that provides physically and emotionally therapeutic
experiences for children with special needs through horseback riding
lessons.
- Aviva Presser of Cambridge, Massachusetts, established Bears Without
Borders in order to provide disadvantaged and desperately ill
children around the world with toys and childhood essentials
- Ruth Renwick of Mississauga, Ontario is the originator of Inside The
Dream. Helping hundreds of high school students realize their dream
of graduating alongside their peers has been the primary focus of
this organization.
- Dr. Ricki Robinson of Los Angeles, California, provides hope to
parents with autistic children through education and support and her
work with Autism Speaks
- Sally Hanna-Schaefer of Woodbury, New Jersey, founder of Mother/Child
Residential Program, helps provide shelter and services to homeless
women and children in the southern New Jersey area.
>>
Information on donations or volunteering time to the organizations
highlighted in this year's program is available at
www.HarlequinMoreThanWords.com.
Readers are also encouraged to submit nominations for next year's More
Than Words Award at www.HarlequinMoreThanWords.com.
ABOUT HARLEQUIN
---------------
Harlequin Enterprises Limited is the global leader in series romance and
one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, with titles issued
worldwide in 26 languages and sold in 109 international markets. The company
produces 120 titles monthly and publishes more than 1,300 authors from around
the world. Harlequin Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin's Web site is located at www.eHarlequin.com.
Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York
and London. For more information please visit www.eHarlequin.com or
press.eHarlequin.com.
For further information: To arrange for an interview with a More Than
Words author or award recipient please contact: Jamie Jo Alton, NATIONAL
Public Relations, (416) 848-1370, or jalton@national.ca
*******
Grandma not guilty of assault: judge finds; Despite troubling aspects, evidence did not warrant conviction
Posted By Bob Vaillancourt
Posted 3 days ago
A 50-year-old grandmother broke down and openly wept after she was found not guilty in Sudbury court Tuesday of assaulting her nine-year-old grandson.
While there were some troubling aspects to what happened on Colonial Court in Sudbury on June 18 of last year, the evidence presented by the Crown did not meet the threshold necessary to convict Linda Taccone of the charge, said Ontario Court Justice William Fitzgerald.
A neighbour had phoned police to report what she believed was an assault taking place at her neighbour's home.
The woman testified she saw a woman she identified as Taccone get into a confrontation with the nine-year-old in the driveway of their home in the early evening. Taccone was yelling obscenities at the boy who appeared very upset and seemed to be trying to get away from the woman, said the neighbour.
The neighbour testified she saw the woman and the boy go into the house and she saw, through a screen door, an arm come up and down several times, in what she perceived to be the woman striking the boy, although she couldn't see the boy at the time.
The nine-year-old testified his grandmother wanted him to walk with her to a relative's home a short distance away but he didn't want to go, so his grandmother tied a rope around his wrist. He took it off and dropped it down a sewer grate at the curb.
Taccone testified the nine-year-old and his six-year-old autistic brother were the children of her adopted daughter. When both boys were born, she went to court each time to gain custody of them arguing her adopted daughter could not cope with being a parent.
After a lengthy legal battle, the boys were successfully placed in her custody.
On the night of the incident, she said, the nine-year-old was being rambunctious and kept running into the street. The rope was her way of trying to stop him, she said.
The boy "was evil" and "had a very mean streak" she said, and at times was difficult to control.
Taccone's cousin described the boy as "a very complex kid, very lovable but a sneaky kid who will make up stories and do anything to get attention."
Taccone agreed she probably raised her voice to the boy, but that was in part because her husband is deaf and she often speaks loudly. As for the foul language: "I probably said that, but I figured nasty words were better than force." She never struck the boy, she said.
She placed the rope on his wrist, she said because, "I was trying to get control of the situation. I was trying to get him off the road." The rope "lasted five ... six seconds. It was a very emotional time," she said trying to manage two young boys, one autistic and one out of control.
"All I ever did for those two children is love them the best I could."
"There are a lot of matters that concern me a lot," said Justice Fitzgerald. "The court has a duty to protect young children from abuse. Sometimes our young treasures are difficult to deal with."
To hear adults describe a child as sneaky and evil was upsetting said the judge. A child "is not sneaky. Those descriptors are our perceptions. Children are simply children," he said.
But the court's role in this case was to weigh the evidence and determine whether that evidence met the test necessary for a conviction on a criminal charge of assault. In this case it did not. bvaillancourt@thesudburystar.com
Article ID# 957251
&&&&&&&&
From a Listmate
March 23, 2008 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN (FINAL) PAGE: B4 (BOOKS)
Magazine Stand
Bruce Deachman, The Ottawa Citizen
Wired
The Big Read: Wired editor Chris Anderson explains how the future model of business is free, as the costs of web-driven technologies, including processing power, storage and bandwidth, approach nothing. Anderson also breaks down the priceless economy into six broad categories -- such as "freemium," in which the one per cent of people who pay for a premium version of a website subsidize the 99 per cent who use the free version without the bells, whistles and extras; or cross-subsidies, in which consumers are given one product for free (cellphones, say), with the expectation that they'll pay for another (air time).
Inside: A look at recent research into autism and, more particularly, the slow shifting in how it is approached, as the "disease" model that views autism as something in need of fixing is replaced by the "difference" model, in which autistic people are viewed as simply having different abilities.
_______________________________________________________
CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS TO REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE:
info@defeatautismtogether.org
I was wondering if during your years with the mailing list and working with families with children on the spectrum, have you ever encountered a family with a child diagnosed with autism and severe GI issues?
I have been asked to help a local (Ontario) family with a child recently diagnosed in the USA with Autistic Enterocolitis. This is a new diagnosis in the gastro field and attempts to label the unique GI issues that ASD children suffer with. I am looking for help from anyone in Canada who has a child who has such a diagnosis and likely has been diagnosed by either: Dr Arthur Krigsman (Austin, TX or New York) or Timothy Buie, MD (Boston).
Would you be able to forward this email to anyone whom you feel would have knowledge of possible doctors in Canada who can treat this condition? Families, associations, doctors etc who would know if anyone is treating this subgroup of autistic children who present with chronic and severe gastro issues ranging from: diareaha, constipation, bowel spasms, bowel ulcerations, severe inflammation and associated pain which then causes: sleep disturbances, self-injurious behaviours, OCD, Stimming and immune system issues.
My questions for these families would be:
Have you been able to find medical care for your child in Canada? Is there a pediatric gastroenterologist who acknowledges that ASD children suffer from their own unique brand of GI issues that have been labeled as "Autistic Enterocolitis" by Dr Arthur Krigsman, Dr Buie and Dr Andrew Wakefield (researcher).
Are you open to email discussions sharing your experiences with Canadian doctors treating your child with these issues? We cannot afford the long term costs related to treating and managing our 7 year olds serious GI issues in the USA. However, we have no idea where to find doctors who will continue the treatment program started by US doctors. Can you help us with the names of doctors and any info about your child's treatment?
Are children receiving medication such as 6-MP and Remicade as treatment for severe Chron's/Colitis combined with Autism in Canada?
Please respond to this email address: laurip@tbaytel.net Attn: Annette
Thank you,
Annette Logan, President
The Defeat Autism Together Association
Registered Charity in Canada
From Autism Ontario
Support for the 2008 Education Scholarships
I am sure that every chapter has a student with ASD or their sibling who is planning to go to college or university in the fall. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that they could apply for an Autism Ontario $1,000 scholarship, either as an individual on the autism spectrum or as a sibling? We support as many students as we receive the funding; dollars that primarily come from the support of Chapters. Help us continue our support of our very deserving young people. Please let Gayle (gayle@autismontario.com) know how much you would like to give to the Eleanor Ritchie Scholarship for Individuals with ASD and the Jeanette Holden Scholarship for Siblings of Individuals with ASD.
From Jean Woolford, Special Projects
Education Scholarships 2008
The two education scholarships for Autism Ontario are now posted on our website http://www.autismontario.com/client/aso/ao.nsf/web/Education+Scholarships
Jobs at Autism Ontario
Make a difference in the lives of individuals with ASD and their families.
Discover the exciting opportunities to work with Autism communities across the province.
Date Posted: March 17, 2008
Position: Program Coordinator - Realize Community Potential (This posting is for Essex County.)
Organization: Autism Ontario
Closing Date: March 31, 2008
Date Posted: January 10, 2008
Position: Bilingual Realize Community Potential (RCP) Program Supervisor
Organization: Autism Ontario
Closing Date: not specified
From our Executive Director:
Hello friends,
If your child’s school or your local business hasn’t already signed up for the 2008 Together for Autism Campaign, please give serious thought to participating! The materials are new and vibrant and are excellent tools for promoting public awareness people with ASD.
We have been able to support dozens of ASD researchers in Ontario with a portion of the funds raised annually through this campaign. Many of those students have gone on to work as clinicians, educators or full-time researchers in the field of ASD, many of them right here in Ontario. As a reminder of who we’ve supported already, check out this page on our website for a complete listing: http://www.autismontario.com/Client/ASO/ao.nsf/object/6+NewsLink+2004+Spring/$file/6+NewsLink+2004+Spring.pdf
You probably know someone on that list who already “pays it forward”.
Click here for more information about the 2008 Together for Autism Campaign:
Dealing with Challenging Behaviour and ASD
RCP & Autism Ontario present workshops by Leslie Cohen and Antoinette Falco “Dealing with Challenging Behaviour and ASD”
The Realize Community Potential Program and Autism Ontario invite parents, family members, educators, and other support staff to join us for workshops on positive effective supports that reduce problem behaviour. The focus of this series is on school-aged children with ASD, but all are welcome. Leslie Cohen is a psychologist and board-certified behaviour analyst who has worked with children with autism for 11 years. Antoinette Falco is a clinical supervisor who specializes in the use of technology to support learning. Topics for this workshop will include:
• Positive behaviour plans that work
• Identifying environmental hotspots
• Secret triggers
• Individualizing visual supports
• Using activity schedules to promote independence
• Individual problem solving sessions
Participants will learn specific techniques and will have the opportunity to make and take visual supports.
Locations and Dates:
Toronto (April 5 & 6)
Hamilton (April 25 & 26)
Ottawa (May 23, 24 and 25)
To register, contact Ethel Berry at 416-246-9592 x224 or ethel@autismontario.com
For more information on this event, visit our website at www.autismontario.com
ASD Service Map
Dear Friends,
Below you will find a poster inviting you to register your Autism Spectrum Disorder organization, program or service on the online information map at AutismConnects. As supporters in this project, we encourage you to forward this poster to your colleagues, partner organizations and, if possible, to any service provider email lists. Thank you for your help in spreading the word to populate the AutismConnects map!
We will be following this email with the poster inviting individuals to sign up at AutismConnects.
Kind regards,
Nancy Kelly
Autism Society Canada
nancy@autismsocietycanada.ca
Are You on the MAP?
You are invited to sign up your Autism Spectrum Disorder program,
service or organization at AutismConnects: www.AutismConnects.com
Help us to populate this unique world-wide ASD Service Map!
The Autism Spectrum Disorders - Canadian-American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC), Autism Ontario (AO), Autism Society Canada (ASC), and the many organizations involved in AutismConnects are working together to meet the increasing needs of parents, families, adults with ASDs, caregivers, and other service providers by populating an easy-to-access, self-sustaining online information map, listing local, regional and national autism and Aspergers services. With a 10-fold increase in ASD diagnoses in the last 15-20 years, the need for service information and referral to ASD services, treatments and programs across the lifespan is critical. From first concerns, through diagnosis, choice of treatments and therapies, and transitions to school, the work place, and residential services and beyond, families and individuals on the spectrum are facing a myriad of challenges. Living with ASD generally means a lifetime spent searching for answers.
Across Canada, Autism Societies and other referring non-profit organizations are inundated with requests for support and many do not have the resources to provide up-to-date local, regional and national referrals for:
• Diagnosticians
• Youth Support Services
• Specialists with ASD Experience
• ASD Information Providers
• Recreation and Leisure Programs
• Treatment/Therapy Providers
• Education Specialists
• Adult Support Services
• Family Support Services
• Financial/Legal Services Make your services known!
AutismConnects’ ASD Service Map allows individuals and service providers to find available ASD services and information. Over time we hope that it will also help us to better identify and address the needs of geographically underserved areas. Become a member today – it’s free and simple. Just click on the link below to fill out a membership form. You can update your listing as often as you wish. Help us to connect – Please forward this invitation to your friends, family members and colleagues. For any technical difficulties with sign up, please contact techsupport@autismconnects.com. For poster distribution information, please contact nancy@autismsocietycanada.ca.
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
From a listmate
Support of feds over Province no surprise
Mon Mar 24, 2008
To the editor:
Re: Poll results unbelievable, Don Mattison letter, March 23.
Don Mattison calls foul over the online poll results that showed support for federal Finance Minister Flaherty far outstripping that of Ontario's Premier McGuinty, implying a "fix," and rationalizing his allegations by stating that a "national pollster . . . said that in a conflict between a premier and prime minister, Canadians generally support their premier."
I suppose that common knowledge aside, when the feds, even in a minority government, are working like a well-oiled machine and acquitting themselves admirably, this is in sharp contrast to the consistent and abject failures of the McGuinty government. I suggest that Mr. Mattison need simply poll the residents of Caledonia over the McGuinty record or the many former workers in the beleaguered manufacturing sector or pit bull owners or target shooters or the parents of autistic children or business owners or those on the waiting list for essential medical procedures.
Mr. Mattison clearly is in denial when he opines that "the majority of Ontario residents support their provincial government." I suggest most Ontario residents are looking forward to Mr. McGuinty's departure almost with the same level of enthusiasm that Bob Rae generated.
Robert S. Sciuk
Oshawa
*********
And More From Nancy Morrison
From Nancy
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?Date=2008-03-20&Parl=39&Sess=1&locale=en#P877_209922
AUTISM SERVICES
Mrs. Julia Munro: My question is for the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Earlier this week, I was pleased to listen to the concerns of the Alliance for Families with Autism at a meeting in Markham. Their concerns remain the same: Waiting lists are still too long, and many children reach the top of the waiting list and their parents find out they're not even eligible for treatment.
Parents do not understand how these waiting lists work and how long their children have to be on them. Why will you not develop an accountable and transparent plan that works for autistic children, a plan their parents can understand, know how long they will have to wait-and see results?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: Thank you very much for the question. I was very glad that you were able to attend the meeting with the parents of children with autism. Minister Wynne and I were there, and we even had representatives from the third party.
There is no question that parents of children with autism face enormous challenges, ones that we can only try to imagine. But the wait-list issue-it's very important to understand that we ended the age six cut-off that your government had imposed, which of course opens up IBI therapy to many more children. Parents are told that the wait list is a wait list. You wait. There's no prioritization. You have to wait, and when it's your turn, you are assessed for service so that children receive IBI therapy only if they can benefit from it.
1530
Mrs. Julia Munro: Along with my colleague the member for Newmarket-Aurora, I visited an excellent treatment facility for autistic children in Michigan a couple of years ago. It represents some of the best treatment options and practices. You heard at the meeting from parents themselves that there are outstanding practices in the US and other countries. At the meeting, the Minister of Education rejected the need to study best practices of other jurisdictions. Do you agree with your colleague?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: To the Minister of Education.
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Quite apart from not looking at other jurisdictions, we are moving ahead on preparing and increasing the capacity in our education system to provide opportunities for children on the autism spectrum to get a range of service. At the meeting earlier this week, it was quite clear that there are parents in the community who have seen changes within the system. The training that has gone on with thousands of individuals within the education system, so that they understand how to deliver an applied behaviour analysis approach, has provided opportunities for children actually to move off that waiting list and get into school, because the object of any parent is to have their children as part of the mainstream education system as soon as they can. That is the goal we are working towards: to provide an opportunity for kids to move into the school system in as seamless a way as possible.
-----------------------------
Even the UN is getting involved in ensuring our kids worldwide get what they need.... do our Canadian and Ontario politicians still need more convincing???
UN declares World Autism Day (April 2) and is urged to support World Autism Strategy
The first ever World Autism Awareness Day has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The idea was promoted by the State of Qatar who worked hard to make World Autism Day a reality - this historic day will take place on Wednesday 2nd April 2008.
Autism campaigners around the globe have welcomed the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day as it is an ideal opportunity to lobby world leaders on providing public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care for all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, it also provides a platform for people to raise funds for autism organisations and parents groups in every country and to organise awareness raising events.
In the United Kingdom campaigners are calling on Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown to make a statement on autism on World Autism Awareness Day. Mr Brown is being urged to support a national strategy on autism in the United Kingdom and a 10 year plan on autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
Ivan Corea, Head of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK said: 'I congratulate the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations General Assembly and the state of Qatar for spearheading this - this is history in the making, World Autism Day will focus attention onto the needs of 60 million people with autism around the world - I appeal to UN Secretary-
General Ban Ki-Moon and United Nations agencies such as UNICEF and the UNDP to reach out to so many families with autism below the poverty line. In the Third World, children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome are struggling without the basic human right to an education, to health, specialist speech therapy and respire care. I call upon the UN Secretary-General to organise a UN Conference on Autism in 2009 and connect with world leaders on the subject of Autism and Public Services. The Autism Awareness Campaign UK is urging the United Nations to launch a World Autism Strategy. People with autism and Asperger's Syndrome around the world desperately need help. Due to reasons of culture some children with autism are kept at home, sometimes autism is also confused with mental illness - every child with autism and Asperger's Syndrome deserves a world class education - some are not receiving an education at all.'
and in regards to this, I pulled this commentary from another list to share here:
Yes isn't this wonderful. I have been working directly with the UN in New York, there are plans that are ambitious and reach far past this wonderful days events. A member of the World Health Organization is also involved. We are currently providing the UN WHO member attending this day to review all the current scientific literature for Autism. Autism Speaks has done a fabulous job at getting the ball rolling on this, so much cudos to them. We will be having some of our Federal Members speaking to this both in the Senate and in the House for Canada.
---------------------
And this was forwarded to me, for the families in the GTA:
From a Parent:
Pizza Pizza is in the process of introducing a ‘Gluten Free’ pizza on a trial basis at certain locations across the GTA. PIZZA PIZZA LOCATIONS IN GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA TRIAL
(additional charge of $ 3.25 for the crust) are taking place at Toronto, Scarborough, Etobicoke and North York locations.
END OF MAILING
Saturday, April 5, 2008
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