Autism News Mailings for May 27th 2007

Autism News Articles Mailing for May 27, 2007

B.C. autism lobby group takes campaign eastward
Updated Sat. May. 26 2007 5:19 PM ET
Canadian Press
DARTMOUTH, N.S. -- A British Columbia-based group pushing to have costly treatments for autistic children covered under medicare brought its fight Sunday to the East Coast.
Representatives from Families for Early Autism Treatment of B.C. met with dozens of parents and their autistic children in Dartmouth, N.S., as part of a cross-country tour.
The non-profit organization has been calling on Ottawa to work with provincial and territorial governments to set a national standard for autism treatment.
The group also wants intensive therapy, known as applied behaviour analysis, covered for all Canadian children regardless of where they live or their family's income.
"This is a health-care issue; this is science-based, effective treatment,'' said Jean Lewis, a founding director of the group.
"It needs to be funded through health care so that it doesn't matter if you live in British Columbia or Newfoundland, your health care is looked after in the same way as everyone else's.''
The treatment, which can include one-on-one time with a trained professional, can cost up to $60,000 a year.
Without a national standard, coverage for autism treatment differs across the country. In Prince Edward Island, for example, coverage is assessed by income.
"That's not the way they deal with a cancer patient, that's not the way they deal with a cardiac problem,'' said Shawn Murphy, the Liberal MP for Charlottetown.
"And that's not the way they should deal with this particular issue.''
Murphy said Ottawa has agreed to meet with the provincial and territorial governments by the end of the year to create a strategy.
Both levels of government will have to pitch in funding for treatment, support and diagnosis, said Murphy, who was recognized by the association for his public support for a national autism framework.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Andy Scott, Nova Scotia New Democrat MP Peter Stoffer, and Liberal Senator Jim Munson, were also recognized.
Jeff Reeves of Charlottetown, whose five-year-old son Owen has autism, attended the event to push Ottawa to provide more funding for autistic children.
Reeves said his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. He said Owen finally began treatment after sitting on a waiting list for nearly 18 months.
"Owen is very intelligent, but it's his social interaction ... eye contact, how to play with kids correctly,'' said Reeves, 33, who is married and works in the IT industry.
"He's made strides that we can't believe ... but if he would have gotten (treatment) at three, he could have been much further ahead.''
Owen's treatments costs more than $10,000 a year, and Reeves said the province covers about 60 per cent. The family also pays for supplemental treatment out-of-pocket.
"The federal government has to do something about the funding for (the treatment),'' said Reeves.
"The earlier they intervene, the better off these kids will be.
"If they leave them until they're 18, 20 years old, they're going to become drains on the system.''

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070526/autism_funding_070526/20070526/


Group pushes for autism funding
B.C. organization wants Ottawa to set standard for treatment
By MELANIE PATTEN The Canadian Press
A British Columbia-based group pushing to have costly treatments for autistic children covered under medicare has brought its fight to the East Coast.
Representatives from Families for Early Autism Treatment of B.C. met with dozens of parents and their autistic children in Dartmouth as part of a cross-country tour.
The non-profit organization has been calling on Ottawa to work with provincial and territorial governments to set a national standard for autism treatment.
The group also wants intensive therapy, known as applied behaviour analysis, covered for all Canadian children regardless of where they live or their family’s income.
"This is a health-care issue; this is science-based, effective treatment," said Jean Lewis, a founding director of the group.
"It needs to be funded through health care so that it doesn’t matter if you live in British Columbia or Newfoundland, your health care is looked after in the same way as everyone else’s."
The treatment, which can include one-on-one time with a trained professional, can cost up to $60,000 a year.
Without a national standard, coverage for autism treatment differs across the country. In Prince Edward Island, for example, coverage is assessed by income.
"That’s not the way they deal with a cancer patient, that’s not the way they deal with a cardiac problem," said Shawn Murphy, the Liberal MP for Charlottetown. "And that’s not the way they should deal with this particular issue."
Murphy said Ottawa has agreed to meet with the provincial and territorial governments by the end of the year to create a strategy.
Both levels of government will have to pitch in funding for treatment, support and diagnosis, said Murphy, who was recognized by the association for his public support for a national autism framework.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Andy Scott, Nova Scotia New Democrat MP Peter Stoffer, and Liberal Senator Jim Munson, were also recognized.
Jeff Reeves of Charlottetown, whose five-year-old son Owen has autism, attended the event to push Ottawa to provide more funding for autistic children.
Reeves said his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. He said Owen finally began treatment after sitting on a waiting list for nearly 18 months.
"Owen is very intelligent, but it’s his social interaction . . . eye contact, how to play with kids correctly," said Reeves, 33, who is married and works in the IT industry.
"He’s made strides that we can’t believe . . . but if he would have gotten (treatment) at three, he could have been much further ahead."
Owen’s treatment costs more than $10,000 a year, and Reeves said the province covers about 60 per cent. The family also pays for supplemental treatment out-of-pocket.
"The federal government has to do something about the funding for (the treatment)," said Reeves.
"The earlier they intervene, the better off these kids will be.
"If they leave them until they’re 18, 20 years old, they’re going to become drains on the system."
The same article appears in CANADA.com
And
http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_health_news_details.asp?news_id=12415&news_channel_id=41&channel_id=41&rot=11


From a Listee
I have met a few times with Jay Serdula, a man who has Asperger’s Syndrome and who is planning on swimming across Lake Ontario next summer to raise awareness of the syndrome and to raise money for the Asperger’s Society of Ontario.
Jay is having difficulty finding people who have boats who will help him the day of the swim (date to be determined).
I have copied a portion of a recent e-mail in hopes that you might know of someone who can help.
JAY SERDULA
Regarding my swim, there are two other issues which I am probably going to need help:

(1) Solo Swims of Ontario requires that the swimmer be accompanied by six boats at least thirty feet in length. Vicki Keith has never heard of anyone renting boats. Renting boats *might* be an option but, apparently, everyone who has done it knows people who have boats. I am asking if you would help spread the word of my need for 30+ foot boats. I plan to swim from the south shore to the north shore but I am not sure whether I will finish in Kingston or Toronto . That will depend largely on which city I can recruit boats. Leads for boats in either city will help. Two advantages of finishing in Toronto is that there is no border crossing and ASO (Asperger’s Society of Ontario) will be able to offer more help since they’re in Toronto .
(2) Organizing a marathon swim requires a lot of work, including but not limited to providing food for the crew, and making sure the boats and the crew are at the start location. Being new to an event of this sort, I could easily overlook something. I may not have the skill to know what is required and, even if I did, that will take away too much attention from my training. It would be best if I could get someone else to organize the event.

Have you found out yet whether you have the funding to hire one or more summer students? Perhaps your summer student(s) could assist me in these two areas.


This is American but well worth the read friends!

Moms plan private autism school
By Brooke Larsen
Staff Reporter
May 25 2007
Unable to find the right school for their autistic children, two South Surrey parents want to start a school of their own.
Nicole Kaler and Dale Petersen last month signed a lease with Crescent Beach Community Services (CBCS) to open Harmony House, a preschool that will include special programs for autistic children, at Camp Alexandra, 2619 McBride Avenue.
Opening in September, the preschool has room for 14 children, with four spaces reserved for children with autism.
It’s the first step in Kaler’s plan to start an independent elementary school solely for autistic children.
Harmony House elementary would be the first of its kind in B.C., said Lara Perzoff, a spokesperson for B.C.’s education ministry. While there are several independent schools in B.C. with large populations of autistic children, there are no elementary schools designed solely for those with autism, an incurable affliction that affects one’s ability to communicate and form social relationships, recognize dangerous situations and perform simple tasks.
Kaler said she was spurred to action when she realized the public schools couldn’t help her autistic daughter, Maya. The six-year-old, who does not speak, started kindergarten at Crescent Park Elementary in September.
“It’s impossible for that kind of environment to facilitate a child with Maya’s needs,” Kaler said, adding she doesn’t blame the school or Maya’s teachers.
“It just seemed easier to open a school.”
Tuition at the preschool will be $450 per month for three days of instruction per week. So far, six children are enrolled, said Bohdanna Popowycz, a behavioural consultant who will run the curriculum for the elementary and the preschool.
Popowycz said Harmony House preschool will include an “amazing curriculum” for children who don’t have autism with a high ratio of instructors to children.
The elementary school, slated to open in 2008, will initially have room for 10 autistic children from kindergarten to Grade 5, each with their own special needs assistant, Kaler said.
PEACE ARCH NEWS: http://www.peacearchnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=44&cat=23&id=992001&more=



AND MORE NEWS – From The Toronto Star
Attorney General wins Code of Silence award
The Toronto Star
Thu 24 May 2007 - R07
Tracey Tyler
His government charges fees for the right to look at a public court file. It also has a policy that blocks access to important documents filed during trials.
And today, for keeping up a wall between the public and the justice system, Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant will be presented with the Code of Silence Award, which recognizes "the most secretive government body in Canada."
Bryant will be handed the brass padlock by the Canadian Association of Journalists at its global investigative journalism conference at the downtown Hilton.
He was singled out for imposing the highest fees in Canada for public access to court records - $32 to simply view a file.
Bryant's ministry also charges $2 a page for photocopying documents - fees that can easily add up to hundreds of dollars, a sum beyond the reach of many members of the public and journalists reporting on the courts.
Association president Paul Schneidereit calls it "a public issue, not a media issue."
"The bottom line is, do we want to have a democracy, or do we want to have a chequebook democracy - where democracy and what it stands for is only available if you can write a big enough cheque?" he asked.
Court files contain "some of the most fundamental public records" and should not be hidden behind "outrageous" fees, Schneidereit said.
Bryant was named the recipient of the award last year. He agreed to collect it in person today at the conference - the first recipient to ever do so.
"He is pleased to be invited," said Greg Crone, his chief of staff. Ironically, Bryant created a Justice and the Media Committee last year for the purpose of increasing openness and access in the justice system.
At the CAJ conference, Bryant plans to update journalists on the Justice and the Media Committee's work and make an announcement, Crone said.
Schneidereit said Bryant has also agreed to answer questions during a "town hall" session.
Nominees for the 2007 award include the foreign affairs department for denying the existence of documents related to the treatment of Afghan detainees and Transport Canada for fighting to keep aviation safety data under wraps.
The Ontario government is also in the running, once again - this time for refusing to give the provincial Ombudsman the power to investigate hospitals. Ontario is the only Canadian province where hospitals are not open to such scrutiny.
Not something to shout about
The Toronto Star
Fri 25 May 2007 - Letter - A21
Attorney general wins Code of Silence award May 24.
I would like to personally congratulate Attorney General Michael Bryant for his well-deserved Code of Silence award, given his recent legal action against me in the latest attempt to hide how much public money he's squandering on lawyers instead of providing IBI therapy to children with autism.
For more than three years, I've tried to find out how much money the government has spent fighting the parents of children with autism in court. Ontario's information and privacy commissioner ruled in my favour that this information should be made public. Remember, it is, after all, public money.
Bryant balked and decided to spend more public money to pursue litigation against myself and the information and privacy commissioner to continue to cover up their court costs. Since the Liberals refuse to be open and transparent, on June 18, we will appear before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
The Liberals should put their litigation chill on ice. Bryant should call off his lawyers and tell the public how much his government has squandered fighting parents of children with autism. So much for Premier Dalton McGuinty's promise to be open, transparent and accountable.
Bryant has worked hard for this award.
Shelley Martel, MPP for Nickel Belt, Ontario NDP Critic for Autism Issues, Toronto

WOW – Hats off to Autism SPEAKS!!!

http://www.autismspeaks.org/walk_events/3m_spring_walk_weekend.php


The Chronicle Herald
Conservatives’ latest fiasco
WHAT are Nova Scotians to think of the federal Conservatives’ latest mean-spirited move? First, it was the undermining of the Atlantic accords in the March budget and now, it’s the cutting of hundreds of federally funded students’ summer jobs across the province.
Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg told The Chronicle Herald in an interview Sunday the Harper government is moving to restore the federal funding for non-profit groups to hire post-secondary students for summer employment: Help is on the way.
Hello, minister!
It was your government that inflicted the injury in the first place and led to the public outcry after it was learned that in Cape Breton alone, funding cuts would mean 900 fewer jobs. In Nova Scotia, the programs range from helping the homeless to funding for counsellors at a camp for autistic children.
Last week, non-profit organizations across the country started to get word that federal funding to hire students for summer programs had been reduced or, in many cases, cut completely. The former Summer Career Placement Program was renamed the Canada Summer Jobs Program by the federal Tories, who this year cut the budget by $11.6 million, to $85.9 million, across the country.
The program is funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and is intended to create jobs for students between the ages of 15 and 30. A Service Canada spokesman told the Canadian Press there will be fewer jobs for students to apply for, though those who get jobs will receive bigger paycheques.
In this province, for example, the Autism Society of Nova Scotia received $25,000 last year to hire seven day-camp counsellors to work with autistic children one-on-one and this year, received nothing. Executive-director Vicki Harvey said the funding interruption came as a surprise, as the application forms didn’t appear any different than the previous year. The Downtown Halifax Business Commission had its $6,500 in funding pulled this year to hire students to remove graffiti and clean the sidewalks.
It’s galling the government would be so heartless as to cut funding to non-profit groups that are not really asking for large amounts of money.
Being new at wielding the levers of power is no excuse for putting non-profit groups, and students in search of summer jobs, through the chaos and frustration of the last few weeks.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Editorial/837032.html


Feds hint at summer-job funding, but Autism Society hasn't heard anything

BRIAN FLINN
The Daily News

If Ottawa has good news about funding for summer jobs, the Autism Society of Nova Scotia needs to hear it soon.

Executive director Vicki Harvey said some parents are desperate to find out if the society's daycamp will be able to care for their autistic children this summer. And students who applied to work as counsellors are looking for other jobs.

"I am going to start losing them," Harvey said yesterday. "They will receive other positions."

The Autism Society was one of hundreds of organizations across Canada that was rejected last week by Canada Summer Jobs. Many programs like the daycamp had received funding for years.

The Conservative government cut Canada Summer Jobs by 12 per cent. The remaining $85.9 million is being distributed to fewer organizations that will receive larger grants.

Under pressure

Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg faced questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from MPs who recited a list of organizations that lost funding. By the end of the week, he said his department is taking another look at "sympathetic groups" that were rejected, but appear to meet criteria for funding.

His office said non-profit and public organizations started getting phone calls yesterday that their funding has been restored.

Spokeswoman Leslie Harmer could not say how many organizations will get funding, or when they will be called.

"It's really as soon as possible, starting today," she said.

The Autism Society did not get a call, and is now fundraising in an effort to rescue a scaled-down version of its daycamp, Harvey said.

900 jobs gone

Cape Breton lost an estimated 900 summer jobs. Sydney-Victoria Liberal MP Mark Eyking got many calls last week from organizations that were rejected. Executive assistant David MacRury said Eyking's office has yet to hear of anyone who got funding restored.

Darlene MacLean, executive director of the Spryfield Boys and Girls Club, said she did not get a call.

Last week, Ottawa rejected her application to hire eight students to run daycamps. The organization got provincial funding for two positions.

Unless the Spryfield Boys and Girls Club gets federal funding by June 8, it will be too late to give counsellors first-aid and safety training.

"It would mean 50 kids would not be able to attend summer camp, and in the area of Spryfield, that's pretty devastating," MacLean said. "A lot of parents depend on us for affordable child care throughout the summer, so they're not on the streets."

bflinn@hfxnews.ca
http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=31552&sc=89


New Jersey Considers Adult Autism Care
By Brandon Keim May 22, 2007 | 9:14:46 AMCategories:
About one in 152 US children has autism. Two decades ago, the number was one in 2,000. A few people still argue that the increase is diagnostic, with once-overlooked cases now being detected -- but if that were the case, then where are all the autistic adults? Hiding?
The generation of autistic people born in the late 1980's and early 1990's is unprecedentedly large. They've also been relatively overlooked, with research focusing -- understandably -- on finding causes of and cures for autism in children. But as this generation enters adulthood, they're becoming an even greater burden for aging parents and underfunded social services.
New Jersey -- which has, at one in 94, the highest autism rate in the country -- is considering a package of legislation to help autistic adults.
Fiddle and two advocates testified in favor of a bill to create the Adults with Autism Task Force, which would examine education, housing, job, social and health services for those older than 21, who no longer are guaranteed such guidance by the state and federal governments.
"Today in our state we are woefully, woefully underprepared for these numbers of individuals that will be 'aging out' of our system," said Madeleine Goldfarb, the mother of a 13-year-old boy with autism and the outreach coordinator for the Autism Center of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070518/Shelley_Martel_070518/20070518/

Ontario NDP MPP Martel announces retirement
Updated Fri. May. 18 2007 3:07 PM ET
Canadian Press
SUDBURY, Ont. -- Veteran New Democrat Shelley Martel says her two decades as a member of the Ontario legislature prove that women can balance family life and a career in politics, although she personally has had enough of the latter.
Martel, 44, who is married to Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton, announced her retirement from politics Friday, saying she won't seek re-election when Ontario goes to the polls Oct. 10.
"I've had to juggle both work and the children since 1994, so it's a little over 12 years, and I think that I've done a pretty good job to juggle both of those things," Martel said Friday.
"For anyone looking out there, I think it's not bad to look and say there's someone who's done it for 12 years ... it's a sign it can be done."
Martel and Hampton represent two of the largest ridings in the province, both in northern Ontario. But they have been raising their family in Toronto, at least during the school year, something Premier Dalton McGuinty acknowledged Friday was very difficult.
"I understand just in my own family how hard it is for us to manage when there is just one of us who put our head in the political wringer," McGuinty said as he praised Martel.
"But for both parents to do that is very challenging. I admire her for hanging in there this long."
Martel said she was leaving electoral politics to have more time with her young children, Sarah, 12, and Jonathan, 9.
"I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my kids through the fall," Martel told reporters after making her surprise announcement.
"I've come to the point in my life that I feel very strongly that what I need to do for me and for them is to be there for them in a way that I don't think I've really be able to do over the last 12 years, as much as I've tried."
As for a future career, Martel insisted she had absolutely no idea what she would do after she helps another New Democrat attempt to win her Sudbury riding this fall and then takes some time off.
"If it's out there I don't know what it is yet," she joked.
"Essentially, this is the only life that I've known, so it's hard to draw back from it and to announce that I'm bowing out from it, but I really don't know what's next or where I'll be."
Martel, who comes from a well-known NDP family in the Sudbury area, served as an opposition MPP and cabinet minister for the riding of Sudbury East and later the riding of Nickel Belt for five consecutive elections.
Her late father, Elie, represented Sudbury East in the legislature for the 20 years before she was first elected, and her maternal grandfather, Norman Fawcett, was the federal NDP MP for Nickle Belt from 1965 to 1968.
Martel ran into trouble as minister of northern development in 1992 when she was accused of lying about a doctor's overbilling practices, which resulted in a legislative investigation and public hearings, but not her removal from cabinet.
Opposition Leader John Tory praised Martel Friday for her tenacity and spirit and said she will be missed.
"She's a politician that I have found it easy to compliment over time," said Tory.
"We don't always agree, but she's a person, for example on the issue of children with autism, where she has just fought and fought and fought on their behalf and frankly she's motivated me to do the same."
Hampton praised his spouse for her 20 years of "outstanding service" in which she fought for investments in northern communities and the rights of autistic children. Despite all the pressures of political life, he said the two managed to find time to be together.
"Life would have been crazier if she would have been married to someone who was not in politics," said Hampton.
"Most mornings we get to get up together, come to work together (and) occasionally -- when you guys aren't working -- we steel off at noon hour and go somewhere and have an enjoyable 15 minutes."
FROM A LISMATE:

Ground breaking news. Congratulation Ontario.

First BACB Approved Course Sequence in Ontario!

From Dr. Rosemary A. Condillac, C.Psych.

Assistant Professor, Applied Disability Studies Program

Brock University

We would like to share some great news with you:

As you are aware, there has been a growing need for graduate level
practitioners in the field of applied behaviour analysis in Ontario.
In the fall of 2007 the Masters in Applied Disability Studies (MADS)
was offered through the Centre for Applied Disability Studies at
Brock University. This fall, the Master of Arts (MA) and MADS will
both be offered.

We are proud to announce that The Behavior Analyst Certification
Board, Inc.(BACB) has approved the course sequence offered by the
Centre for Applied Disability Studies at Brock University as meeting
the 225 hour coursework requirement for taking the Board Certified
Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Examination. The other required criteria for
taking the examination can be found on-line at www.BACB.com .

For more information about our program, please visit:
http://www.brocku. ca/disabilitystu dies/ .


ASO Conference

http://www.autismontario.com/client/aso/ao.nsf/(NoticesForWeb)/2F12107997450780852571D80049A75B?OpenDocument


June 15-16, 2007: Autism Ontario - 2007 Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference: Building A Community of Acceptance

Our theme is "Building a Community of Acceptance". This is a conference that will explore best practices and approaches for increasing quality of life, opportunities and independence for individuals with ASD and their families.
Please click here to see the preliminary conference program.
The conference will be held at Ramada Plaza Hotel, 300 Jarvis, Toronto.
Member and Early Bird Registration discounts are available. Please click here to download the registration form.


Letters
The Daily Gleaner
May 23, 2007

Keep autistic children in the province

This is a letter to Premier Shawn Graham.

I am a father of a 13-year-old autistic boy. We had to fight for
services for our son from the day he was born: to get diagnosed, to get
Applied Behavioural Analysis therapy (before it was mandatory), to get
teacher's aides in the classroom, to keep him in school, and to get
hospital treatment when his compulsion to bite and pinch got to the
point where he was covered in wounds and bruises.

I am afraid my wife and I do not have much fight left in us these days.
Our son has lived under constant supervision 24 hours a day for the
last
year. Two workers stay in our home with him during the day (two are
needed to restrain him during his rages). While we commend them for all
they have done, the workers are merely a Band-Aid solution.

Our only option at this point is to send our son out of country to the
U.S. for treatment that he desperately needs.

Services at the two facilities, in Maine or Boston, will cost the
government $200,000 to $300,000 a year. Right now my son is costing the
government $15,000 to $20,000 a month because of the government's lack
of direction when it comes to older autistic children.

My question to you, Mr. Graham, is that it may have been cost effective
at one time to send these children away (out of sight, out of mind).
But now with it being 1 in 150 children being diagnosed within the autism
spectrum disorder, maybe we should re-evaluate the direction our
province is going in.

I realize that there may be no other recourse for my son but to be sent
to these facilities in the U.S. for treatment.

I hope in the future we may be able to prevent our children from having
to leave Canada to get the services they so desperately need.

Stephen Robbins

Woodstock, N.B.