Autism News Articles
April 26th 2008- May 3rd 2008
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May
Marks AFA’s 2nd year sharing News Articles with the Autism Community.
Thank you to everyone who sends their formatted articles for sharing to our list, this really reduces the workload for us!!!
www.autismnewsarticles.blogspot.com
A repeat article – this is happening tonight..
And again later in May:
Upcoming Fundraiser
Posted a few months ago, repeating for readership interest. It is coming up soon –
From Listmate
Attila Tar
I N V I T A T I O N
FOR FUNDRAISING DINNER & BALL
YOU ARE INVITED TO SUPPORT AUTISM
Come and eat World-Famous food; (Gulyás), Cabbage rolls… in original style, listen to selected World-Famous International and Hungarian music, and even learn how to dance Csárdás (Char-dash) and you can meet with generious, helpful, honest people like yourself.
Date: Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 Time: 7:00 pm (19:00hrs) to 02:00 am
Also, Saturday May 31st, 2008 Time: 7:00 pm (19:00hrs) to 02:00 am
* Tickets must be purchased in advance, before May 1st, 2008
* Admittance in suits and gowns
Full price for adults $120.00
Student & autistic $50.00
Limited number of tickets for Dance Only:
$50.00 per person
- Admittance at 10:30 pm (22:30)
Place: Hungarian Canadian Cultural Centre: Magyar Ház
840 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto, ON M6C 1C1
Two blocks east of Oakwood Ave. Tel: 416-654-4926
For more info: www.hccc.org
www.geocities.com/attilacompany
email: attilacompany@yahoo.ca
info@hccc.org
Last minute arrangements: 416-760-4971 or, 416-930-6945
!Every generous, helpful person is welcomed. Your presence counts and you are counted if you’re present!
!Security will be provided!
Primary mailing address: Attila Company P.O.Box 70671
2938 Dundas St. West Toronto, ON. M6P 1Y8
Order ticket(s) by mail, we can mailing it to your address, or you pick up the ticket(s) at the door.
**************
Autism ONTARIO - Kingston Chapter is proud to host a Theatre Night Production of Neil Simon's "Rumors" Wednesday May 21st, 2008 at 8:00pm at The Domino Theatre, 370 King St. West, Kingston, Ontario.
Four couples are at the townhouse of a deputy New York City mayor and his wife to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The party never begins because the host has shot himself in the head (it's only a flesh wound) and his wife is missing. His lawyer's cover-up gets progressively more difficult to sustain as the other guests arrive and nobody can remember who has been told what about whom. Doors slam and hilarity abounds as the couples get more and more crazed.
Ticket Price: $15.00 General Admission (cash or cheque). Includes several door prize draws.
Tickets can be purchased at Community Living Kingston, 1412 Princess St. Monday - Friday 1:30-4:30 or by calling our information phone line at (613)546-6613 ext.388
All profits go directly to the AutismONTARIO - Kingston Chapter Family Resource Library.
Thank you in advance for your continued support of Autism. The only thing missing in
A TISM IS U................
Sincerely,
Pat La Londe(proud mom of a child with Autism)
************
Together for Autism increases awareness about autism and raises much-needed funds for autism research. Our goal is to make a difference by educating students, staff and the community about the daily challenges that students with autism and their families encounter. Research can make a difference! So can you!
Autism Coffee Chat
A Sudbury-based parent-driven support group
www.autismcoffeechat.blogspot.com
Is hosting an Autism Awareness movie night on behalf of the
Together for Autism Campaign (Autism Ontario)
at Princess Anne Public School-500 Douglas Street
Sudbury Ontario
Friday, May 9th 6:00 p.m. the Gymnasium
Refreshments/Snacks provided
You will be treated to:
Opening comments with a surprise guest speaker.
A brief Autism Ontario Film “Experiencing Autism”
“Snowcake” http://www.snowcakemovie.co.uk/
Starring: Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss
Running Time: 1 hr. 52 min. (not rated)
Adult content scenes. Not recommended for children under 14.
Princess Anne students held autism awareness events in April.
This is your chance, as parents and caregivers to experience autism and understand what it is like to live in their world.
Don’t miss your chance to come out, put your feet up and
“Experience Autism” Donations welcome ($2.00)
© 2006 Autism Ontario, Autism Society Ontario Charitable no. 119248789RR0001
For more information for Autism Coffee Chat, please contact: Trish Kitching 675-5021
There will be NO childcare provided on site – This evening is for parents and caregivers!!!
*********
*************
Google Alert
Critics slam Ont. government for growing list of autistic kids awaiting therapy
3 days ago
TORONTO — Ontario's self-described "Education Premier" is doing little to clear the growing backlog of autistic children waiting for a crucial but costly therapy, critics charged Tuesday.
The wait list of autistic children who are eligible to receive intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, reached 1,148 on March 31, up from 985 last year.
More than 1,400 children were receiving IBI services as of March 31, according to newly released government figures.
But the long waits have forced many parents to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for the therapy the province has promised to provide, said NDP critic Andrea Horwath.
The government is moving at such a "glacial pace" to get kids off the waiting list that many parents are worried their children won't get the service they need in time, she added.
"They feel that their children are rotting on the vine," Horwath said.
"Those are the words that more than one group of parents used at a town hall meeting about a month ago. That's a frightening and horrifying thing for a parent to have to admit."
The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"We've tripled the funding in the last four years, we've doubled the number of children who are being served, and we're bringing therapy into the classroom for the first time," he said.
"So I think we're making some real progress, but obviously there's more to be done."
Teachers and support workers are currently being trained to provide another kind of therapy, called applied behavioural analysis, in schools, said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.
Some schools already have therapists to provide the more intensive IBI therapy, but not in regular classrooms as the one-on-one treatments work better in a separate space, she said.
Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews said the province has moved "aggressively" to improve services, such as funding summer camps for autistic kids.
While the government is working towards providing IBI in schools, it "won't happen overnight," she said.
During last fall's election campaign, both the Progressive Conservatives and NDP vowed to clear the province's wait list. McGuinty wouldn't make a similar commitment, but the Liberals pledged $10 million for schools to deliver IBI therapy if re-elected.
"It's another broken promise by the Liberal government," Opposition Leader Bob Runciman said Tuesday.
"It's a significant problem for many, many families, and they're ignoring it at the moment."
The lives of autistic children can drastically improve if IBI therapy is started early enough, said Taline Sagharian, whose 11-year-old son is autistic.
"The whole point is it's supposed to be started at an early age," she said.
"I don't know how that's going to be possible if the children are going to be sitting on a wait list for years and years."
The New Democrats say most of the money is being spent to train principals and administrators on how to plan to provide the specialized therapy, rather than providing additional services for children.
"Without that IBI treatment or ABA treatment, their children fall further behind," said NDP Leader Howard Hampton. "So these parents just feel absolute desperation."
Five families, including Sagharian's, are still waiting to see if they will be able sue the Ontario government and seven school boards for damages over funding for specialized treatment for autistic kids.
The group argues the province discriminates against autistic children because they can't always get both their therapy and education within the public school setting.
The Ontario Court of Appeal, which heard the case in February, is expected to release its decision this summer.
An estimated 50,000 children and 150,000 adults in Canada have autism.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hpcdiA4LplcpWlx9paKwE_6NMAcQ
From a Listmate
April 30, 2008 THE LONDON FREE PRESS (FINAL)
PAGE: B4 (NEWS)
Autism therapy wait list draws fire
EDUCATION
MARIA BABBAGE, CP
Ontario's self-described "Education Premier" is doing little to clear the growing backlog of autistic children waiting for a crucial but costly therapy, critics charged yesterday.
The wait list of autistic children eligible to receive intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, reached 1,148 March 31, up from 985 last year.
More than 1,400 children were receiving IBI services as of March 31, according to newly released government figures.
But the long waits have forced many parents to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for the therapy the province has promised to provide, said NDP critic Andrea Horwath.
The government is moving at such a "glacial pace" to get kids off the waiting list that many parents are worried their children won't get the service they need in time, she added.
"They feel that their children are rotting on the vine," Horwath said.
"Those are the words that more than one group of parents used at a town hall meeting about a month ago. That's a frightening and horrifying thing for a parent to have to admit."
The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"We've tripled the funding in the last four years, we've doubled the number of children who are being served, and we're bringing therapy into the classroom for the first time," he said.
"So I think we're making some real progress, but obviously there's more to be done."
Teachers and support workers are being trained to provide another kind of therapy, called applied behavioural analysis, in schools, said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.
Some schools already have therapists to provide the more intensive IBI therapy, but not in regular classrooms as the one-on-one treatments work better in a separate space, she said.
Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews said the province has moved "aggressively" to improve services, such as funding summer camps for autistic kids.
While the government is working towards providing IBI in schools, it "won't happen overnight," she said.
During last fall's election campaign, the Progressive Conservatives and NDP vowed to clear the province's wait list. The Liberals pledged $10 million for schools to deliver IBI therapy.
_______________________
April 30, 2008 MONTREAL GAZETTE (FINAL) PAGE: A7 (NEWS)
Motor disorder can hide healthy mind: psychologist
Some autism patients have been misunderstood
CHARLIE FIDELMAN, The Gazette
Could some cases of autism be variations of brain malformations that also cause movement disorders?
A motor disorder can hide a perfectly intact mind, said developmental psychologist Michael Weiss, a professor at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., and a psychologist at Giant Steps School, a private institution for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Some autism patients who have profound language problems have been misunderstood, Weiss said, because supposedly "if you can't talk, you can't think."
Best known for his integrated approach to raising children with autism, Weiss will be the keynote speaker at a two-day conference on autism that is to begin in Montreal tomorrow.
Recent studies have suggested that the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease show damage in the same areas as the brains of autism patients, he said.
The disorder is "more like cerebral palsy rather than mental retardation or emotional disturbance," Weiss said.
Coordinated by the Miriam Foundation, a not-for-profit group that helps autistic individuals and people with other disabilities, the conference is to bring professionals and parents together to discuss new issues in autism, a complex developmental disability that affects one in 165 children.
Complications include severe language and social impairments and unusual, repetitive behaviours.
Weiss will also talk about "facilitated communication," a controversial treatment that fell out of style after studies showed it was a hoax. But it did work in a few cases, he said.
"So what is going on? We have to look at the exceptions."
Early intervention is key to having the best impact on a child's life, experts say.
In Montreal, about 760 children suspected of having the disorder are waiting for assessment and treatment.
The conference is to be held tomorrow and Friday at the Abe Gold Learning and Research Centre, 3500 du Souvenir Blvd., Laval. Call 514-345-8330 for ticket information. On the Web: www.miriamfoundation.ca
cfidelman@thegazette.canwest.com
*************
From Nancy’s E-List (Blue Font)
A short while ago, Dr. Nancy Freeman, Chair of the Benchmarks Panel sent out a second letter in response to the letters of concern that the Benchmarks Panel had recieved. I have copied that letter below. The first letter I share however, is a response that was drafted up collectively by a few of us. I want to ask each and every one of you that have a concern regarding the Benchmarks Panel mandate to write your concerns to the Benchmark Panel members, and to the Minster of Youth and Children Services, Minster of Education and our MPP official Critics in the NDP and Conservative Parties. I have provided their e-mails with this posting. Please also cc your local MPP, which I have provided a link to look up the e-mail for your local MPP also and your local Regional Service Provider. If you are not comfortable with writing your concerns in a letter, perhaps copy and paste this letter to show your support for what has been written here.
May 1, 2008
Dr. Nancy Freeman (Chair)
Benchmark Development Expert Panel
Surrey Place Centre
2 Surrey Place
Toronto, ON, M5S 2C2
phone: 416-925-5141
fax: 416-923-8476
Re: Benchmark Panel
Dear Dr. Freeman,
We are responding to your 2nd letter to parents, dated April 14, 2008 re: Benchmark Panel.
We have some questions and concerns for you and the panel as you move forward and would appreciate a response as soon as possible.
While the content of this letter speaks in generalities, we would like to obtain some specific details including:
1. Who is the professional ethicist being consulted?
2. Regarding the survey you mention in the letter sent out to over 80 providers, we would like to see the questions utilized in the survey to obtain the information required to move forward.
3. Who were the private providers you have contacted to conduct telephone interviews? Why were none of those providers given a place on the panel at the start?
4. You have described the panel as being at “arms-length”. The term “arms-length” conveys an impartial, unbiased opinion whose decision will not affect those involved in the decision making process. Arms length in this case, implies that any decisions made by the panel, are not influenced by the “decision makers”. Your composition of panel members raises concerns amoung us and the community, as to validity of “arm’s length”. Other than Dr. Tristan Smith, all panelists are those who are, or have been involved in the Ontario Autism Initiative, each with a vested interest. Given that the majority of panelists are from Regional Programs who are funded by and take direction from the government, it is debatable if they can be called “arm’s length”.
5. Who is preparing the report?
6. Why have you not consulted with the College of Psychologists of Ontario? As you are aware, associations are not governing bodies with regulating authority. Associations DO NOT protect the public interest.
7. What is the role of ONTABA in this process? Have you been in contact with them, and what has their response been?
8. Please give us examples of the "stakeholders" you cite in your letter.
9. Why is there no provision being made for an independent review and appeal mechanism to which parents whose children have been discharged from the program can resort?
10. How will you be providing oversight and quality control as to the delivery of ABA/IBI? How will quality measure affect outcome expectations?
11. How will Regional Program Directors be held accountable to ensure that benchmarks and other criteria are being implemented in a uniform and consistent manner across Ontario?
If this is truly a “transparent” process, then we as parents (and I am sure many other professionals in the province as well) deserve the right to this information.
We also have some additional questions regarding current practice:
1. Why do psychologists on this panel continue to cut children off from funding (some as recently as yesterday) while they are in the practice of establishing benchmarks? It is well known that each of the nine regional programs act independently of one another in clinical decision making. How do the psychologists reconcile making clinical decisions when they also have financial pressures?
2. Why are children not being approved for more than 20 hours per week on a blanket basis? Where is the research that shows that children make significant gains on 20 hours per week? In fact, the current evidence does not support such practices. Where is the clinical decision making process in this regard?
3. We are concerned regarding looking at outcomes of these children who are receiving hours that are less than optimal, and using these outcomes to base decisions regarding continuation of services. For example, the AIP that admits children who are on the more severe end of the spectrum, provides a limited amount of hours per week that are known in professional terms to be “sub clinical” and then has expected best outcome results from these children. How do you defend the decision to approve the number of hours for services, and then expect outcomes that are impossible to achieve at that level of intervention?
4. Why is there not a moratorium on assessments and discharge from the AIP until transparent and standardized clinical benchmarks, that presumably have been independently vetted-- are in place? There is an inherent conflict of interest when panel members are working towards one objective when not implementing this type of practice in their day to day work.
5. How will children who have been discharged, be monitored? What will the follow up procedure be? If there is regression due to lack of ABA/IBI, will the child be reinstated? What system will be put in place to protect the children from irreparable harm? (In the original Lovaas study, children whose outcomes were less favourable than their peers were actually then give MORE hours in order to build their skills).
6. How are you to ensure consistency in intervention provided to these children who receive DFO vs. DSO? In some regions, parents are being offered 20 hours/week if they take DFO and 30/week if they take DSO. It has been shown that a funded program of 30 hours per week in DSO actually only translates into 23 hours of therapy time (Dr. Tristram Smith) as the other hours are "lost" to sick days, etc. which are not recouped. This is also consistent with evidence in Wynberg/Deskin that roughly 1/3 of DSO hours never get used with the child. Therefore, these two groups of children are not comparable and their differences must be accounted for when determining outcomes.
We appreciate you taking the time to address our concerns and look forward to a response from you at your earliest convenience. Feel free to reply to tamstarr@rogers.com . There is intense interest in the work of this panel.
Tammy Starr
Malcolm Stanley
Nancy Morrison
Robert Shalka
Sharon Gabison
-------------------------
Here is the letter that the above is in response to:
April 14, 2008
Dear Parents and Stakeholders:
I’m writing to provide a second update on the status of the Benchmark Development Expert Panel. I’ve also appended my March 6, 2008 letter to the end of this one, for those of you who may not have seen it. I’d like to thank you for your continued interest in the panel’s work. The messages received have been reviewed and are being taken into consideration by the panel members.
I’m pleased to say that the panel is progressing well in its work. The literature review has been conducted and is in the writing stage. As part of our research, we have sent out an email survey regarding current practice to over 80 providers and researchers in Ontario , across Canada , in the United States , and in the UK and Europe , and are collating the results from that survey. We have also conducted telephone interviews with a number of private providers and researchers to gather more in-depth information. We have reviewed the professional codes of ethics from the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, and have consulted with a professional ethicist, to verify that we are engaging in an ethical clinical process. A broader stakeholder meeting is in the planning stages.
The panel remains committed to deliver a thorough report on benchmarks which could be used to support the implementation of the Clinical Practice Guidelines developed by the independent Expert Clinical Panel for the Autism Intervention Program. The benchmarks being developed are intended to be used consistently across the province to monitor each child’s progress during Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) and to facilitate transparent clinical decision-making processes regarding the continuation of IBI or the transition of the child to school and/or other appropriate services in the community. We understand that the Ministry is waiting for the development of these benchmarks before working with autism service providers regarding implementation of the Clinical Practice Guidelines. It is of the utmost importance to the panel that we complete the benchmarks in a timely fashion, while ensuring the integrity of the process.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nancy Freeman, C. Psych.
Chair, Benchmark Development Expert Panel
------------------------
Now for all the contact information:
Panel Members:
1. Dr. Nancy Freeman --- TPAS (she is chairing the panel) nancy.freeman@surreyplace.on.ca
2. Dr. Joanne Reitzel and Dr. Peter Szatmari szatmar@mcmaster.ca CAN SOMEONE OUT THERE PLS SUPPLY THE EMAIL FOR JOANNE REITZEL?
3. Dr. Jennifer Dunn Geier jdunngeier@cheo.on.ca
Parents on the panel:
1. Judy Grabowsky (Hamilton)
2. Robert Brown (Ottawa)
Outside Professional
!. Dr. Tristam Smith from Rochester
2. Tracie Lindblad tracie@cdco.com
3. Dr. Adrienne Perry perry@yorku.ca
Here is the contact information for the target Provincial Ministers :
Ministry of Education
Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education
Mowat Block
22nd Flr
900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1L2
tel: 416-325-2600
fax: 416-325-2608
Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS)
Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services
14th Flr
56 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S3
tel: 416-212-7432
fax: 416-212-7431
Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can find contact info for your local MPP at
http://www.ontariotenants.ca/government/mpp.phtml
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the contact information for the opposition Critics for Children's and Youth Services
PC Party
Julia Munro
York-Simcoe
Rm 204, North Wing, Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A8
Tel : 416-325-3392
Fax : 416-325-3466
julia.munro@pc.ola.org
NDP
Andrea Horwath, Deputy Third Party Whip
Hamilton Centre, NDP
Rm 112, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A5
Tel : 416-325-2777
Fax : 416-325-2770
ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca
---------------------------
The Autism Speaks Toronto walk is fast approaching. This year promises to be the biggest year yet. We have surpassed all other years in number of people pre registered, and of course with Prince Edward coming, it is bringing in lots more attention than ever before. I hope each and every one of you are able to join us.
www.autismspeaks.org click on the Canadian Flag. If you wish to join my team or make a donation, go to Morrison's Movers Walk Team.
And exciting to share, Time Magazine has put out their 100 most influential people list in this weeks magazine. And on that list is the founders of Autism Speaks, Bob and Suzanne Wright.
Friday, Apr. 25, 2008
Bob and Suzanne Wright
By Tom Brokaw
When Bob and Suzanne Wright learned that one of their grandchildren had received a diagnosis of autism, it would have been easy for them to use their wealth and contacts from Bob's former post as CEO of NBC to arrange for the best private care and worry only about their own family.
Instead, typically, they worried about all the families with children who have autism. They decided to devote themselves to raising awareness about autism and greatly expanding the research into its causes and treatment. Together Bob, 65, and Suzanne, 61, launched Autism Speaks, which quickly became a global crusade against this mysterious and debilitating condition.
They successfully pressed Congress to allocate more research money. They convened the best experts in the field. They raised millions of dollars from their friends at events across the U.S. And they successfully lobbied the United Nations to place autism on the global health agenda.
For those of us who have known Bob and Suzanne for a long time, none of this came as a surprise. The products of modest beginnings, they have never taken their good fortune for granted. In their devotion to family and their faith, they always ask, "How can we help?" When it comes to autism, they won't quit until we have some answers.
Brokaw, an NBC News special correspondent, is a former NBC Nightly News anchor
-----------------------------------
Andrew Kavchak has given permission for this letter to be shared, also feel free to use the contact list above to provide your own thoughts on this to our target Ministers, and of course Premier McGuinty. I have included his contact info from the website link below Andrew's letter:
Dear ASC and ASO,
As you should know by now, there have been a few recent articles and press releases about the growing wait list for autism treatment in Ontairo. In the recent issue of Macleans.ca the Premier of Ontario is quoted as saying:
"The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty."
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n042946A
Would you please consider writing to Premier McGuinty and asking him to explain his Orwellian logic. What the Premier said is unbelievable. Using the Premier's logic, we may see a reduction of program funds to reduce waiting lists, and eventually the cancellation of the programs as a solution to the wait lists crisis.
This is another fine example of provincial negligence and irresponsibility when dealing with the autism crisis in Canada and it is utterly sickening. Clearly, we need some federal leadership in developing a National Autism Strategy. Please consider writing to Health Minister Clement using this growing waiting list situation and the Premier's ostrich approach as an example of the need for urgent movement.
Thank you for all you do for the autism community.
Andrew Kavchak
Parent of a child with autism
Ottawa, Ontario
Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ottawa South, Liberal
Rm 281, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A4
Tel : 416-325-1941
Fax : 416-325-3745
Premier's feedback form 1795 Kilborn Ave
Ottawa ON K1H 6N1
Tel : 613-736-9573
Fax : 613-736-7374
dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
----------------------------------
And in my last mailing, I copied a letter from a listmate that is targeting the Minister of Education's report..... I will share the letter again, because in this mailing I have provided the contact info for you to send in your own thoughts (or copy and paste this message to show you agree with it)
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/nr/08.04/hs0428.html
Dear
The above webpage address is for the Minister of Education's Statement to the Legislative Assembly, April 28, 2008, Celebrating Education Week in Ontario.
Unfortunately, what is glaringly missing is any mention, whatsoever, of the accomplishments of our students with special needs. The statements made all revolve around the successes of the regular students.
I find it interesting that, while our society is becoming ever more mindful of the need to be sensitive to various minority groups of every kind, ---- so as not to appear to be discriminating against any one group --- we don't have the same standard of sensitivity to people with Special Needs. The tendency is for Special Needs to be considered an "oversight" and most often an "afterthought" when one is reminded, an attitude that has prevails in our society. Yet we don't call it what it really is -- a form of discrimination. For that is what we acknowledge pertains in reference to any other marginalized group in society.
The need to change this attitude in society is something which must be reinforced at every possible opportunity by the government -- including Education Week. This provides the provincial government with the opportunity to reinforce with the public that we are celebrating ALL STUDENTS -- and not only those who are recognized in accordance with standardized testing that is, in many ways, exclusionary for those students with special needs.
I am, therefore, asking that this message be brought to the direct attention of the Minister of Education, and to the Premier of Ontario, so as to ensure that future statements before the Legislature on "Celebrating Education Week in Ontario" be in recognition of the accomplishments of all of our students, including those with special needs.
Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely
--------------------------------
More fallout from the release of stats this week:
Apr 29, 2008 08:16 PM
Maria Babbage
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ontario's self-described "Education Premier" is doing little to clear the growing backlog of autistic children waiting for a crucial but costly therapy, critics charged today.
The wait list of autistic children who are eligible to receive intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, reached 1,148 on March 31, up from 985 last year.
More than 1,400 children were receiving IBI services as of March 31, according to newly released government figures.
But the long waits have forced many parents to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for the therapy the province has promised to provide, said NDP critic Andrea Horwath.
The government is moving at such a "glacial pace" to get kids off the waiting list that many parents are worried their children won't get the service they need in time, she added.
"They feel that their children are rotting on the vine," Horwath said.
"Those are the words that more than one group of parents used at a town hall meeting about a month ago. That's a frightening and horrifying thing for a parent to have to admit."
The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"We've tripled the funding in the last four years, we've doubled the number of children who are being served, and we're bringing therapy into the classroom for the first time," he said.
"So I think we're making some real progress, but obviously there's more to be done."
Teachers and support workers are currently being trained to provide another kind of therapy, called applied behavioural analysis, in schools, said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.
Some schools already have therapists to provide the more intensive IBI therapy, but not in regular classrooms as the one-on-one treatments work better in a separate space, she said.
Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews said the province has moved "aggressively" to improve services, such as funding summer camps for autistic kids.
While the government is working towards providing IBI in schools, it "won't happen overnight," she said.
During last fall's election campaign, both the Progressive Conservatives and NDP vowed to clear the province's wait list. McGuinty wouldn't make a similar commitment, but the Liberals pledged $10 million for schools to deliver IBI therapy if re-elected.
"It's another broken promise by the Liberal government," Opposition Leader Bob Runciman said Tuesday.
"It's a significant problem for many, many families, and they're ignoring it at the moment."
The lives of autistic children can drastically improve if IBI therapy is started early enough, said Taline Sagharian, whose 11-year-old son is autistic.
"The whole point is it's supposed to be started at an early age," she said.
"I don't know how that's going to be possible if the children are going to be sitting on a wait list for years and years."
The New Democrats say most of the money is being spent to train principals and administrators on how to plan to provide the specialized therapy, rather than providing additional services for children.
"Without that IBI treatment or ABA treatment, their children fall further behind," said NDP Leader Howard Hampton. "So these parents just feel absolute desperation."
Five families, including Sagharian's, are still waiting to see if they will be able sue the Ontario government and seven school boards for damages over funding for specialized treatment for autistic kids.
The group argues the province discriminates against autistic children because they can't always get both their therapy and education within the public school setting.
The Ontario Court of Appeal, which heard the case in February, is expected to release its decision this summer.
An estimated 50,000 children and 150,000 adults in Canada have autism.
--------------------------------
From the London Free Press,
April 30, 2008 THE LONDON FREE PRESS (FINAL) PAGE: B4 (NEWS)
Autism therapy wait list draws fire
EDUCATION
MARIA BABBAGE, CP
Ontario's self-described "Education Premier" is doing little to clear the growing backlog of autistic children waiting for a crucial but costly therapy, critics charged yesterday.
The wait list of autistic children eligible to receive intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, reached 1,148 March 31, up from 985 last year.
More than 1,400 children were receiving IBI services as of March 31, according to newly released government figures.
But the long waits have forced many parents to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for the therapy the province has promised to provide, said NDP critic Andrea Horwath.
The government is moving at such a "glacial pace" to get kids off the waiting list that many parents are worried their children won't get the service they need in time, she added.
"They feel that their children are rotting on the vine," Horwath said.
"Those are the words that more than one group of parents used at a town hall meeting about a month ago. That's a frightening and horrifying thing for a parent to have to admit."
The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"We've tripled the funding in the last four years, we've doubled the number of children who are being served, and we're bringing therapy into the classroom for the first time," he said.
"So I think we're making some real progress, but obviously there's more to be done."
Teachers and support workers are being trained to provide another kind of therapy, called applied behavioural analysis, in schools, said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.
Some schools already have therapists to provide the more intensive IBI therapy, but not in regular classrooms as the one-on-one treatments work better in a separate space, she said.
Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews said the province has moved "aggressively" to improve services, such as funding summer camps for autistic kids.
While the government is working towards providing IBI in schools, it "won't happen overnight," she said.
During last fall's election campaign, the Progressive Conservatives and NDP vowed to clear the province's wait list. The Liberals pledged $10 million for schools to deliver IBI therapy.
_______________________
From 680 News:
NDP criticizes Ont. government for long autism therapy wait times
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 06:02 PM
By: 680News staff
Toronto - The province is being accused of not moving fast enough to help autistic children waiting for specialized therapy.
The latest figures show that more than 1,148 eligible children are waiting for intensive therapy, up 163 from the year before.
New Democrat Andrea Horwath says parents are being forced to go into debt to pay for costly therapy the province has promised to provide.
Premier McGuinty says while his government has made progress, more needs to be done.
------------------------------------
April 30, 2008 MONTREAL GAZETTE (FINAL) PAGE: A7 (NEWS)
Motor disorder can hide healthy mind: psychologist
Some autism patients have been misunderstood
CHARLIE FIDELMAN, The Gazette
Could some cases of autism be variations of brain malformations that also cause movement disorders?
A motor disorder can hide a perfectly intact mind, said developmental psychologist Michael Weiss, a professor at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., and a psychologist at Giant Steps School, a private institution for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Some autism patients who have profound language problems have been misunderstood, Weiss said, because supposedly "if you can't talk, you can't think."
Best known for his integrated approach to raising children with autism, Weiss will be the keynote speaker at a two-day conference on autism that is to begin in Montreal tomorrow.
Recent studies have suggested that the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease show damage in the same areas as the brains of autism patients, he said.
The disorder is "more like cerebral palsy rather than mental retardation or emotional disturbance," Weiss said.
Coordinated by the Miriam Foundation, a not-for-profit group that helps autistic individuals and people with other disabilities, the conference is to bring professionals and parents together to discuss new issues in autism, a complex developmental disability that affects one in 165 children.
Complications include severe language and social impairments and unusual, repetitive behaviours.
Weiss will also talk about "facilitated communication," a controversial treatment that fell out of style after studies showed it was a hoax. But it did work in a few cases, he said.
"So what is going on? We have to look at the exceptions."
Early intervention is key to having the best impact on a child's life, experts say.
In Montreal, about 760 children suspected of having the disorder are waiting for assessment and treatment.
The conference is to be held tomorrow and Friday at the Abe Gold Learning and Research Centre, 3500 du Souvenir Blvd., Laval. Call 514-345-8330 for ticket information. On the Web: www.miriamfoundation.ca
cfidelman@thegazette.canwest.com
----------------------------------
Lindsay Moir shares some great letters and opinions in today's article, it is in reference to the Toronto Star article I had shared on the mailing a few days ago.
Ask Lindsay Moir:
Lessons in acceptance and 'reverse integration'
Friday, May 02, 2008
Question:
A recent article in the Toronto Star prompted an "avalanche" of e-mails to me asking for a FamilyNet response (at least 20 e-mails and two phone calls!). Here is the Star article and some
Letters to the Editor:
Why is inclusion so difficult? TheStar.com - comment - Why is inclusion so difficult?
April 30, 2008
Re: Lessons in acceptance
April 26
Lessons in acceptance? Our families would disagree. Acceptance is being educated within one's own community school with same-age peers, not "reverse integration." "Mainstreaming" is a concept that went out years ago.
How ironic that the teachers and principal of Sunny View school recognize the gains of students with additional needs through the implementation of inclusionary practices, but continue to focus on reverse integration and will only permit a small number of "normal" children to attend this school.
Through this "unique experiment," the staff learned the importance of high expectations in teaching practices. This is nothing more than what inclusion is all about, what the Ministry of Education has been promoting for years and what the Toronto District School Board says its vision is.
And yet the board demonstrates here that it stands out as a board that continues to have entirely separate, segregated schools for children with additional needs. Why can't the board just teach all children with all other children within their own communities? The benefits have been noted by its staff.
Now is the time for the board to move into the 21st century and provide only inclusionary environments that teach respectful relationships, the dignity of all individuals, and the inherent value of uniqueness and diversity of each and every human being.
Janis Jaffe-White and Reva Schafer,
Toronto Family Network, Toronto
Another name for segregation TheStar.com - comment - Another name for segregation
April 30,
2008
Re:Lessons in acceptance
April 26
I read this article with tears in my eyes. It brought back memories of 50 years ago, when my dear 9-year-old brother was being sent to live with 2,000 other people 240 kilometres from his home. Why? Because society thought people like him with "severe disabilities" needed special help and the only way to provide it was to separate him from us. The emotional cost was beyond description.
Today we recognize the horror of institutionalization and we are in the process of closing large institutions. What we have failed to recognize is that institutions are not just big buildings with iron gates and brick walls. The true horror of institutionalization lies in the rejection that is forced upon people who are isolated and segregated based on their perceived differences.
Students with disabilities need to belong, just like any other human being, and go to school with their brothers and sisters and neighbourhood friends. All students need to develop lasting friendships so that as they leave school and go forth into the world, others will respect their abilities to make contributions.
We need to replace "reverse integration" (read "segregation") with full inclusion. Inclusion is happening in many school boards and communities in Canada. Sunny View Public School is a modern-day institution, and until society recognizes this, we will continue to have intolerance and marginalization of people with disabilities.
Maureen Roy, Welland, Ont.
A priceless education for kids TheStar.com - comment - A priceless education for kids
April 30, 2008
Re:Lessons in acceptance
April 26
This article about "reverse integration" shows us what we have known all along – that children see beyond culture, skin colour, religion and disability. These kids and their teacher prove that success at school is much more than academic. What they learn about themselves and each other is just as important.
Ensuring that students learn respect for all children is what will build future leaders and make our society better for everyone.
Congratulations to the Toronto District School Board for making this important and inclusive step. Hopefully at some point, children in all grades will have the same opportunity to share and
learn with people of all abilities.
Rick Strutt, President, and Bruce Rivers, CEO, Community Living Toronto
Lessons in acceptance at Sunny View TheStar.com - Education - Lessons in acceptance at Sunny View
TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR
When Roberta Kangora was feeling sad, Samira Adan, right, tried to cheer her up by making her a card. Christopher Borris, left, takes teacher Taz Kassam's hand. April 16, 2008
School's 'win-win' reverse integration program lets profoundly disabled and mainstream children learn together in a place that benefits 'students, teachers and ultimately society'
April 26, 2008
Noor Javed
Staff Reporter
Sierra Gies steps up to bat during a T-ball game in gym class at Sunny View Public School. She pops one to the right side of the gymnasium, and gets ready to run the bases – by rolling to first in a wheelchair.
It's her way of levelling out the playing field in a setting where she could easily have the upper hand, since Gies, 7, is not disabled.
She is one of six "regular kids" in school with children who have severe disabilities and fragile health through a program called "reverse integration."
Instead of having disabled children join mainstream classrooms, this program brings mainstream students into the classrooms of children with profound physical and developmental challenges – those for whom integration is not normally an option – and lets them learn together, as well as from each other.
"It's hard for our kids to be integrated because they all have severe health issues.
In order for them to have regular peers around them, and to make regular friends, the only way to do it is to bring them into the school," said principal Debbie Michnick.
"That's what we have done here."
But the benefits aren't just one-sided. "For the regular kids who come, they learn tolerance, empathy, acceptance, and how to be leaders," she said.
This year the program – unique to public schools in the GTA – was open to students who had either disabled siblings, or were children of staff.
Next year, the school will be open to all students in the Toronto District School Board interested and suited to learning in the unique environment. The program will only be offered in kindergarten and Grade 1.
Michnick was introduced to the program last year after a visit from their "sister school," the Mackay Centre School in Montreal.
They had been running the reverse integration program for the last 30 years
and urged Sunny View to give it a try.
Now, nearly a year later, teachers at Sunny View – on Blythwood Rd., near Yonge St. and Lawrence Ave. – have seen the changes.
"From doing assessments of the students at the beginning of the year compared to now, I have seen gains in all of them," said Sarah Kapitza, a Grade 2 teacher.
During the science period in Kapitza's class, six students, three of them in wheelchairs, form a semicircle and watch her open a box filled with supplies for their simple machines unit.
"What's in there?" asks Abdulahi Hassan, 11, who has cerebral palsy and is the most talkative in the group.
"Some wood, a saw, and glue," answers Gies, the only reverse integration student in the class, as she holds a juice carton to Hassan's mouth, so he can take a sip.
Osmond Shen, 10, who has a more severe form of cerebral palsy, also tries to weigh in. Kapitza gently eggs him on, and Shen repeats his question.
"What's the glue for?" he asks. Last year, Shen was almost completely non-verbal. Now, he manages to take part in almost every conversation.
"They take in the information and can understand, but they can't necessarily express," said Taz Kassam, who teaches a combination of kindergarten and Grade 1, and has three reverse integration kids in her class of seven.
"But by having the regular kids in the class, it gives them the opportunity to speak and develop their speaking skills and comprehension skills. They are learning from each other."
At Montreal's Mackay Centre School, which offers the program from kindergarten to Grade 6, Principal Jacques Monfette says: "It's been incredibly successful for us.
"Students benefit, teachers benefit and ultimately society benefits. Really, it's a win-win situation."
The program is now in its second generation at Mackay, with former students
now teaching at the school and alumni enrolling their kids into the program.
A similar integrated kindergarten program has also been in place at Toronto's Bloorview Kid Rehab since the late '90s.
Monfette laments that there have never been any studies to assess the academic or social impact that reverse integration has made on the school. "We are the perfect setting for a PhD thesis."
But the teachers at Sunny View claim that no such study is necessary. The impact the program has had on all students in just one year is obvious. The presence of the reverse integration kids has helped to "raise the bar" in the standard of teaching, although there are obvious challenges in teaching such a diverse group, Kassam admits.
"The challenge is to use differentiated instruction in creative ways so you have to cover the curriculum for both sets of kids," she said. "But because we have high expectations from some of the regular students, it makes you have higher expectations from the entire group."
Nikki Choo has seen such gains in her 5-year-old son Samuel Cho, who came to Sunny View for kindergarten last year. Other than the nurturing learning environment, she says her son has thrived in the small classes.
"When my son came here, he could barely recite the alphabet. But because of the smaller groups, they were really able to focus on where his needs were," said Choo.
She was never concerned that going to school, with students who may be developmentally delayed, would set Samuel back academically.
"Here you learn how to be a really good person. If we can we teach that to our kids, the academics will follow," said Choo.
"I think just the understanding that we have to be good to each other, we have to take care of people, we have to accept people regardless of what their makeup is, I think that kind of education will go much, much further than anything." She has noticed a difference in the way Samuel treats his older sister, who has Down syndrome. "He is so much gentler. You can sense that he's learned how to care."
Three of the six students in the reverse integration program are planning to stay for another year. A recruiting drive is currently underway to bring that number up to 12 for next year.
Despite its success this year, the response so far from parents has been less than anticipated, considering that any child who joins the reverse integration program has not only small classes, but access to full daycare, a swimming program, and a hot lunch program.
But the program is not suited for everyone, Michnick said.
"There is a screening process to ensure that the students who come are suited to the program," said Michnick.
"We want to have children who want to be here themselves, not because their parents want them to be here. We need children who are of average development, who are normal in every way."
But it is clear there is nothing "normal" about these children or what the program has to offer; as one child hugs another, or pushes a wheelchair, or helps a peer to eat, there is a sense that a deeper kind of education is taking place here.
"After a year of being together, the nice thing about the students is that they don't notice the difference between each other at all," said Kapitza.
"They just see each other as kids."
Most of the emails asked me for my thoughts on "Reverse Integration" . . .
Answer:
I have always been a "Range of Services" person . . . while philosophically I believe that the vast majority of exceptional pupils can be, and are being, effectively educated in regular classrooms, I do believe that there are a VERY small number of students who still require such a level of specialized service and support, that special programs are necessary.
I believe we are on a continuum towards "inclusion" and each year, technological advances and new resources make it possible for more and more students to suceed in regular classes. There is a fundamental value for all students to grow up surrounded by the the full range of learners - this is really a foundational value of the entire public education system - we learn tolerance, empathy, and appreciation of abilities from living with each other - not from a curriculum.
In the pre-1985 world, many of Ontario's exceptional children were institutionalized, removed from their families and communities in the conventional "wisdom" of the day . . . (see Maureen Roy's letter to the editor). In the last 25 years we have seen a movement to repatriate these students back to their home communities and into the school system.
Schools like Sunny View are the last vestiges of the "hospital school" and "association school" system — In 1985, it was common to find entire schools for exceptional pupils — the majority of school boards had them. They provided specialized facilities, unique programs,small class size and specially-trained staff. They lacked typical peers. Some students in these environments, had entire school careers without contact with typical students. Over time, most school boards have moved away from this model, first dispersing special classes into "units" within regular elementary schools, and then moving many of these exceptional students, either partially or totally into regular classes.
Only a few "special schools" remain. Surprisingly, many of them are for physically challenged students who require extensive structural accommodations. When the cost of replicating such changes to the physical environment across the school system is prohibitive, there is an economic argument for congregation. From an education perspective, there is little or no rationale to support this practice.
"Reverse Integration" is the practice of purposely enrolling typical students into these schools in order to provide some age-appropriate able-bodied peers for the exceptional students. I believe that this is just one more step along the continuum towards inclusion. Eventually we will get there.
From the passionate responses in the Letters to the Editor above, obviously for some people we are not moving fast enough. The Community Living letter, on the other hand, sees this as one step towards a goal of full inclusion.
I am sadddened that Sunny View is having trouble "recruiting" typical students to be "reverse integrated" into this program. In terms of community acceptance and what it says about the blind pursuit of academics by many parents, they are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to have their children grow as human beings. In similar programs in the USA, most report "waiting lists" of typical students wanting this opportunity . . . It is marketed as an OPPORTUNITY for the typical child, rather than as a value for the exceptional one!
Yes, there is a struggle between the PHILOSOPHICAL me who supports full inclusion as a worthwhile goal, and the PRAGMATIC me who feels that some limited congregation is still necessary for a shrinking number of very exceptional pupils who need specialized settings. I believe that in the not too distant future, students from Sunny View will be supported in regular schools (either in special classes or regular ones) and "Reverse Integration" will no longer be an issue.
------------------------
From the York Region papers:
Camp for autistic children focus of final bowling centre event
Whitchurch-Stouffville
May 01, 2008 12:18 AM
Children with autism and their families and friends from across York Region will Bowl for Autism Saturday.
It will be the last fundraiser at the Stouffville Bowling Centre, before it closes its doors for good.
The regional event is raising funds for the A-OK camp for youngsters with autism. Bowling starts at 2 p.m. with participants aiming to reach 2,000 points as a group.
To pledge the bowlers, go to the bowling alley or visit autismontario.com/york
The silent auction features items such as golf for four with a golf cart and a wine tasting tour for 10.
For more information, contact Stouffville Bowling Centre at 905-640-1471.
------------------------
A listmate shares this tidbit from the Senate Hansard, it's wonderful when government representatives take our causes on so passionately that they mention the autism issues whenever they can....even when discussing another topic!!!!
Thursday May 1, 2008, Senate Hansard
The Senate
Motion to Urge Government to Establish National Portrait Gallery in National Capital Region—Debate Continued
On the Order:
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Callbeck:
That the Senate urge the Government to establish a National Portrait Gallery in the National Capital Region without delay.—(Honourable Senator Munson)
Hon. Jim Munson: Honourable senators, I am rising on the motion that the Senate urge the government to establish a national portrait gallery in the National Capital Region without delay.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Washington, D.C. I was there to do follow-up work concerning autism, [emphasis added] but, like all visitors to that capital city, I took some time to visit its great museums and galleries.
-------------------------
This Letter to the Editor printed today in the Toronto Star, I don't have the orignal article it refers to, but again, autism is a reference for discussion:
May 2, 2008 THE TORONTO STAR (ONT) PAGE: AA07 (LETTER)
Another abandoned family
Health minister won't step in
May 1
This story on Sonia Commisso and her daughter Alessia, and Health Minister George Smitherman's refusal to help them, brings to mind so many other instances where the provincial Liberal government has abandoned families of children with disabilities or, worse yet - as in the case of children with autism - has fought them in court. One wonders why compassion is so lacking in this government when it comes to people with disabilities.
For years, advocates have urged the McGuinty government to move away from funding outdated and dysfunctional service systems like nursing homes, to providing care and support through in-home assistance and, where necessary, supportive housing with built-in services geared to the needs of individuals. And yet we still have an outdated and inhumane approach in this province, which has one of the highest rates of institutionalization in the world. All of this is due to the lack of a progressive public policy to assist people to stay at home.
Why are the Liberals and MPPs of all political stripes so determined to continue to support this type of outdated service model at the expense of people who badly need more individualized approaches, like direct funding and in-home assistance, and that have been recommended to them so often?
For the sake of the Commissos, I sincerely hope that the government will finally recognize that its home-care policies are failing and that this entire system needs an overhaul, so that all of the families who care so much and work so hard to keep their children at home will finally receive the support they so badly need to be able to do so.
Only then will we be able to truly say that our Ontario includes compassion.
Patricia Spindel, Toronto
-----------------------
This comes from a listmate:
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your continued support to Autism. I am Ann Marie Webbe of Ambiance Day Program in Durham Region. I was wondering if you get inquires for this area for Day Programs. We have a lovely 3200 square feet facility, space for up to 30 individuals, that is not being utilized to its capacity.
I welcome a tour or if there is someone that can assist me is getting more individuals in the Centre, would be great.
Ann Marie Webbe
-------------------------
A listmate send the following for everyone:
Hi Nancy,
Can you please circulate the following in a an upcoming communication.
Thanks,
Wildwood Academy is proud to present...
"Introduction to Verbal Behaviour: Teaching Communication Skills to Children with Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities"
A Three Day Workshop conducted by Dr. Vincent J. Carbone
August 18, 19, 20, 2008
Click here to read more and for registration
http://www.wildwoodacademy.com/INTRO%20BROCHURE.
From a listmate
By email
Children’s Mental Health Week 2008
Fact Sheet
• Mental disorders are the second highest source of direct health care costs (hospitals, physicians, medicines) in Canada .
• The average cost of treating children’s mental health problems in community-based agencies is less that $2,500 per child per year. The cost of a pediatric hospital bed is more than $2,500 per day.
• Five of the ten leading causes of disability are related to mental disorders.
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds (24% of all deaths.)
• Hospitalization rates for suicide attempts by 15-19 year old Canadians are 73% above the average for all age groups.
• The average hospital stay per suicide attempt is 7.1 days.
• Canada has the third worst suicide rate in the world for 15-19 year olds.
• In a study of adolescent suicide, at least 78% of subjects saw a physician in the year before their suicide, but only 12% received the medical intervention for a psychiatric issue.
• The cost to federal and Ontario governments of youth who drop out due to lack of mental health treatment is 1.9 billion per year.
• Poor grades and dropping out are strongly correlated to mental health problems.
• The average cost of youth detention is $120,000 per year.
• Up to 10% of the cost of crime in Ontario (approximately 300 million) can be attributed to inadequate mental health care for children and youth.
• When children with disorders are not effectively treated, they become more vulnerable and less resilient as they approach adulthood, which may result in adult mental ill-health, involvement with the law and homelessness.
• When community mental health services are under-funded, there may be an overuse of more expensive health services, inappropriate use of other services and tragedy.
• Untreated mental health problems in children increases the already high costs of child welfare, youth justice and special education, and the many costs associated with chronic mental illness.
• The Canadian Paediatric Society indicates that 40-50% of the office visits to their members is for mental health problems.
Information from Children’s Mental Health Ontario www.kidsmentalhealth.ca
NorthBay Mental Health Week Activities
Darren Pace B.Sc.N., R.N., CPMHN(C)
Coordinator of Clinical Practice and Standards
District Mental Health Program
Northeast Mental Health Center
North Bay Campus
P.O. Box 3010
Highway 11N
North Bay, Ontario
P1B 8L1
Phone: 705-474-1205 extension 2382
Fax: 705-495-7890
e mail: dpace@nemhc.on.ca
Mental Health Week is May 5-11, 2008.
Please see attached schedule of activities happening in North Bay during Mental Health Week.
For activity information, please call 474-1299.
********8
From a listmate
Life on the Spectrum
Jerry is a savant. He is able to perform extremely difficult mathematical calculations in his head. He is world renowned for his books and is the subject of the Movie "Mozart and the Whale" based on the brilliant book about an Asperger couple. Despite his achievements, Jerry still faces many of the challenges of autism. Come and Learn from the real experts!
Happy Mother’s Day!
We believe that Moms, Teachers and those who help people with autism are extra special. We honor you for all that you do. We have the perfect gift for you. Come and take a look.
Natural Learning Concepts
http://www.nlconcepts.com
To unsubscribe reply to this message with unsubscribe in the subject
From Andrew
Hi Folks,
Please see the link below to an information brochure for a recent book
evaluating autism treatments. In my opinion, this book is an instant
classic in the field and should be required/recommended reading for any
parent with a child with autism.
ftp://skfbooks.com/downloads/complete_guide_brochure.pdf
Please post and distribute this far and wide! Thank you.
Andrew Kavchak
Ottawa
*********
From Andrew
------------------------------------------------------------
FeatBC Discussion Board: Room Three: Discussions about Government Topics
------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Andrew Kavchak (Kavchak) on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 8:23
am:
Hi Folks,
I just sent the message below to the heads of the Autism Society of
Canada and the Autism Society of Ontario. If anyone understands
Premier McGuilty's logic, please explain it for us.
Thanks.
Andrew Kavchak
______________________________
Dear ASC and ASO,
As you should know by now, there have been a few recent articles and
press releases about the growing wait list for autism treatment in
Ontairo. In the recent issue of Macleans.ca the Premier of Ontario is
quoted as saying:
"The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more
money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier
Dalton McGuinty."
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n042946A
Would you please consider writing to Premier McGuinty and asking him
to explain his Orwellian logic. What the Premier said is unbelievable.
Using the Premier's logic, we may see a reduction of program funds to
reduce waiting lists, and eventually the cancellation of the programs
as a solution to the wait lists crisis.
This is another fine example of provincial negligence and
irresponsibility when dealing with the autism crisis in Canada and it
is utterly sickening. Clearly, we need some federal leadership in
developing a National Autism Strategy. Please consider writing to
Health Minister Clement using this growing waiting list situation and
the Premier's ostrich approach as an example of the need for urgent
movement.
Thank you for all you do for the autism community.
Andrew Kavchak
Parent of a child with autism
Ottawa, Ontario
********
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED
Jay's volunteer sub-committee have been working hard to recruit volunteers. We really need volunteers to help with the details of the actual swim, and someone to represent the fundraising/sponsorship sub-committee at Jay's Steering Committee Meetings (approximately every other week).
Please send this e-mail to people you think might be able to help. Thanks!
Jay Serdula is a 35 year old man with Asperger’s Syndrome who lives in Kingston , Ontario and works at the Royal Military College . Jay is fulfilling a dream of swimming across Lake Ontario this summer. This event is to raise awareness of Asperger’s Syndrome, raise funds to support individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and demonstrate that people with Asperger’s can carry out extraordinary feats.
Jay spent most of the summer of 2007 training in open water as well as completing a swim across Navy Bay , Kingston , Ontario on November 2, 2007 in water temperatures at 550F. During the winter Jay has been working very hard training for this summers swim and is looking forward to getting back in the Lake for more open water training.
Jay’s swim has tentatively been set for the July 28th week, starting from Niagara-on-the-Lake , Ontario and finishing at Mari lyn Bell Park in Toronto , Ontario . Jay anticipates that it will take him more than 30 hours to complete this swim.
Jay currently has a small but committed group of supporters who are helping him prepare and organize the swim for this summer. However more people are needed in all aspect of the swim event and fundraiser for Asperger’s. These include volunteers to assist with:
- Marketing/promotions (media relations, promotional activities)
- Fundraising/ Sponsorship (raising funds)
- Paddling Volunteers (accompanying Jay on his open water training)
- Swim Event Volunteers (July 2008), Niagara-On-The- Lake and Toronto
(a variety of activities requiring volunteers with a variety of talents)
Financial support for this event would also be greatly appreciated if you are not able to volunteer your time. Jay has selected the following charities to benefit from his swim: Asperger’s Society of Ontario , Community Living Kingston, Extend-a-Family ( Kingston ) and Kerry’s Place Autism Services.
If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about Jay’s Swim or Asperger’s Syndrome, please check out Jay’s website at: http://swim4aspergers.wordpress.com
or email us at swim4aspegers@hotmail.com.
Please forward this email on to any one you think might be interested in learning more.
********
Hi everyone,
We hope that you can all make it to help us this weekend for the second annual CYCLE FOR AUTISM. Attached are the volunteer roles and task lists. Please contact me with any questions or if you are unable to attend. We still might have some odd jobs if you have any other individuals interested in volunteering. Also, you are more than welcome to collect pledges or make donations to the Cycle for Autism.
We ask that everyone please come for 11:30am at the latest to prepare for our 12:00pm registration. We also need people to help set up the space at 10:30am, please confirm if you are able to help with set up.
We will have BBQ hot dogs and hamburgers and drinks available for all volunteers. If all volunteers can try to wear a red shirt, jacket, etc. that would be great so we can stand out from the participants.
On the day of the cycle please look for Heidi Park and she can direct you to your volunteer area and tasks.
Thanks again for helping Autism Ontario make this event a success!
Rhiannon Vickers
Therapeutic Recreationist
One Kids Place
945 Stockdale Road
North Bay, ON
P1B 9S5
Tel: (705) 476-5437 ext. 3880
Fax: (705) 474-0127
Email: rhiannonv@onekidsplace.ca
Many children with autism are picky eaters
http://www.thespec.com/printArticle/358965
Carli Whitwell
Special to The Hamilton Spectator
(Apr 24, 2008)
All kids can be picky eaters. But many children with autism won't try new foods, and unlike other children, it's a trait most will not outgrow.
Children with autism often resist new foods because they like schedule and routine, says Dr. Jane Summers, a psychologist and clinical supervisor of the Autism Intervention Program at Hamilton Health Sciences.
But avoiding new foods is the worst thing parents can do, Summers says. Children will learn that if they throw a tantrum or refuse to eat the new foods, they will be rewarded with food they like.
As well as missing out on nutritional benefits, children will never learn to like different foods if they aren't presented with variety, Summers warns.
She suggests introducing foods similar to the ones children like and trying foods that children liked in the past but are currently not eating.
And don't give up after one or two tries, Summers says.
"It's important to get kids to taste the food. ... Introduce the same food in small amounts 10 to 20 times so the child will learn to try it and like it."
Laurie Mawlam of Hamilton is a parent of an autistic child and is executive director of the Autism Canada Foundation. The self-described "mom on a mission" says parents of children with autism have to be crafty to get their children to eat.
If a child likes spaghetti, Mawlam says, try adding a little carrot juice, which is full of vitamin A and beta carotene and adds nutritional value to the sauce.
"It's very subtle, but you have to be patient," she says.
Summers agrees. When mixing new foods with preferred foods, continue to slowly increase amounts of the newer food so the child will eventually eat it alone, she suggests. Or prepare new foods with condiments or additions children already like -- such as melted cheese, she added.
Routine is also important to a child with autism, Summers says. Serve meals at scheduled times in the kitchen or dining room with no distractions. And lead by example.
If the child continues to avoid eating, prompting concerns about weight gain or growth, Summers advises parents to talk to the child's doctor.
She also suggests that before parents try any techniques to get children to try new foods, they consult a doctor to rule out any underlying medical condition, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, oral motor problems or food allergies. These could make the child associate certain foods with discomfort.
To learn more about autism, visit the Autism Canada Foundation online at autismcanada.org.
OPEN letter to Government from a listmate after reviewing mailing on waitlists… WAY TO GO DENIS..
MP's & MPP's April 29, 2008
After reading the attached messages, of how politicians deal with issues such as Autism and it has me very upset.
If your child/grandchild had Autism I am sure things would be done differently.
When are you going to cut out all the crap and get proper therapists into the schools to teach children with Autism???
Don't tell me it's Provincial or Federal, these are the children of our future and the numbers are growing DAILY.
Right now there are trained therapists teaching autistic children in basements out of site out of mind, while there are rooms empty in the schools.
Is that using money to the best of its ability???
Would it not be better to use a room in the schools and then the therapists could allow the children mingle with the other children during recess???
Start putting the money to good use and stop all the political crap and get the children what they deserve and need.
I hope to hear back from each politician (Provincial & Federal) on what your plans are to make it better for all children in need.
Dennis Lendrum
********
Google Alert
NDP chastises Ontario government for long autism therapy waits
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | 12:10 PM ET Comments3Recommend3
The Canadian Press
Opposition critics say the government isn't moving quickly enough to reduce the number of autistic children waiting for specialized therapy.
New government figures show that 1,148 eligible children with autism are currently waiting for intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, up from 985 the year before.
NDP critic Andrea Horwath says parents are being forced to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for costly therapy that the province has promised to provide.
She says many parents are worried that their children are "rotting on the vine" because they're not getting the services they need to cope in school.
Premier Dalton McGuinty says his government has made progress in providing therapies to autistic children, but more needs to be done.
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says the province is working toward providing a range of services for autistic children in schools — including IBI — which is key to helping kids get off the wait list.
© The Canadian Press, 2008
*************
From A listmate
Legal Planning for Special Needs In Massachusetts:
A Family Guide to SSI, Guardianship, and Estate Planning
By Barbara D. Jackins, Attorney, Belmont, Massachusetts
AT LAST! A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO LEGAL PLANNING
FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Legal Planning for Special Needs in Massachusetts: A Family Guide to SSI, Guardianship, and Estate Planning (People with Disabilities Press, 2006) represents what Attorney Jackins has learned in over 25 years of practicing law. In a relaxed, conversational style, she explains the essential elements of SSI (Supplemental Security Income), guardianship and estate planning when there is a child with a disability in the family. Jackins first became interested in planning issues when her son, who has developmental disabilities, was a young child.
Although some of the materials are specific to Massachusetts, most of the strategies are valid in any state. People who do not live in Massachusetts can ignore the fine points about that state’s guardianship laws and procedures. The rest of the book will get readers on track wherever they live.
Parents and professionals can find the information they need to:
• Obtain SSI benefits for a son or daughter who is age 18 or over.
• Contribute to an adult son’s or daughter’s financial support without reducing SSI.
• Learn about alternatives to guardianship.
• Protect a son’s or daughter’s inheritance from being lost or mismanaged while assuring continued benefits.
• Coordinate life insurance and retirement assets with an overall estate plan.
This 327 page book has been widely praised.
“…an excellent planning guide. Parents…will benefit by having this book at hand.”
From the Foreword by Theresa M. Varnet, J.D., LCSW, Attorney, Parent
Past President, The Arc of Massachusettts
“…a ‘must have’ reference manual for all parents who have children, teens, and adults with Asperger Syndrome.”
Dania Jekel, Executive Director, Aspergers Association of New England
“This easy-to-read guide answers the questions you didn’t know you needed to ask.”
Susan Nadworny, Chairperson, Families Organizing for Change
“The author’s expertise, empathy, and easy writing style all combine to create the relaxed intimacy of a conversation over coffee with a very good, knowledgeable friend.”
Carol Beard, member, DMR Citizen Advisory Board
DMR Citizen Review Board, past President, Greater Boston Arc
“This comprehensive guide is an amazing resource…”
Jerry Silbert, Autism Society of America National Board
President, ASA Massachusetts Chapter
To review the Table of Contents, read Excerpts, and purchase please go to:
http://www.disabilitiesbooks.com/legal_planning/index.html
ISBN: 0-9789741-5-8 $24.95
To order by mail, send $28 (including postage and handling) to DisABILITIESBOOKS, Inc.
33 Pond Ave., #807, Brookline, MA 02445. Massachusetts residents, please add $1.20 sales tax.
*******
From Nancy’s E-List:
This weeks Run for the Dream Newletter is attached to this mailing.
-----------------------
From Question Period today:
Excerpt from hansard
Official Record of the Ontario Legislature
Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre, asked the following Question in the Ontario Legislature on April 29, 2008, regarding the growing wait list for children’s autism treatment.
AUTISM TREATMENT
Ms. Andrea Horwath: To the Minister of Children and Youth Services: For almost two weeks now, the McGuinty government has kept its quarterly IBI wait list numbers from coming to light. Finally, I obtained the latest quarterly numbers, and the shocking secret is finally out: There are now 1,511 children with autism languishing in Ontario. That’s a 4.5% increase since the December figures came out. Why won’t this government admit its dismal failure to provide services for children with autism and get those wait lists down in Ontario? Why are they not serious about helping these families and these children?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: Let me be really clear about this. The challenges faced by children with autism and their families are enormous. We have made tremendous progress, though, in providing services to these children, and we are continuing to aggressively improve services.
Let’s just take a step back and think about this. Ten years ago there were no IBI services for children with autism in this province—zero. Since we were elected in 2003, the number of children receiving IBI therapy has more than tripled. Actually, it’s three-and-a-half times the number when we first took office. Our spending on IBI has more than tripled. We are supporting the entire family with respite services. The next step is going to be preparing our schools—
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: This minister knows that there’s really no plan in place. Funding is being used right now to train administrators and to help principals make plans but there are no additional services for children being provided.
Parents are worried. They are worried about a new benchmarking scheme that’s going to be used to withdraw services from children. Parents are scared to death to send their children into schools where they know the services aren’t there for their kids.
Why won’t the McGuinty government make good on its promise to provide services that children with autism need and deserve? How much longer are you going to make them wait?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: To the Minister of Education.
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We know that in order for children with autism to be able to achieve, they need to get into the school, into the mainstream as quickly as possible. What we’re doing is training those adults. The member opposite speaks disdainfully of training principals and professionals in the school, which makes no sense, because what we have to do is make sure that those educators have the training. We have put millions of dollars into training programs over the summer. That training is ongoing, not just for the administrators and teachers but also the education assistants and the people who are working on the front lines with those children, so that children can get the service they need when they need it, in the schools, in the classroom, so that parents can feel confident that their children will get the ability and the opportunity to achieve in a mainstream classroom.
-3O-
Contact: Sheila White (416) 325-2777
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Media Release from MPP Horwath's office:
April 29, 2008
AUTISM TREATMENT WAIT LIST FOR KIDS GROWS - AGAIN
QUEEN’S PARK – In Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario, families struggling to obtain treatment for their children with autism are waiting longer than ever for services, Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath told the Ontario Legislature today.
The NDP Critic for Children and Youth Services said the McGuinty government was purposely slow to respond to her request for the most recent quarterly numbers of children waiting for IBI/ABA treatment and assessments.
“Now the secret’s out,” Horwath said upon finally receiving the government report showing a 4.5 per cent increase in the children waiting for services. “Why won’t this government admit its dismal failure to provide the services children with autism require and get serious about helping these families?”
There are now 1,511 children with autism languishing in Ontario. There are now 1,148 children who can’t get treatment and another 363 waiting to be assessed. In December, 2007, the combined number was 1,444.
Horwath said parents are “fed up” with government spin and claims of ‘tremendous progress.’
“If there’s ‘tremendous progress’ as the McGuinty government claims, why are all these children being left behind? There is no real plan in place, that’s why,” Horwath said. “Funding is being used to train administrators and principals to start planning. There really are no additional services for children being provided. Parents are worried about a new benchmarking plan that will be used to withdraw services from kids and they are scared to death to send their children to schools that aren’t able to serve their needs.”
Horwath challenged children’s minister Deb Matthews to “make good” on the McGuinty government’s five-year-old promise to provide the services children with autism need and deserve.
A parent survey by the Ontario Autism Coalition, showed the average waiting time to access publicly funded IBI / ABA is 17 months; some families have waited anywhere from 3-7 years. Eighty-two per cent of respondents noted that there was no ABA in the public school system. Parents have to keep their children home from school to provide them ABA, Horwath said.
The survey also indicated more than half of the families liquidated assets to fund their child's treatment while on the waiting list, spending an average of $35,000 for minimum hours.
- 30 -
Media Inquiries: Sheila White 416-325-2777 or 416-902-0977
----------------------------------
This went up on C-Health on the internet, the same posting as was on Canadian Press:
Ont. slammed for list of autistic kids waiting for therapy
Provided by: Canadian Press
Written by: THE CANADIAN PRESS
Apr. 29, 2008
TORONTO - Opposition critics say the government isn't moving quickly enough to cut down on the number of autistic children waiting for specialized therapy.
New government figures show that 1,148 eligible children with autism are currently waiting for intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, up from 985 the year before.
NDP critic Andrea Horwath says parents are being forced to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for the costly therapy that the province has promised to provide.
She says many parents are worried that their children are "rotting on the vine" because they're not getting the services they need to cope in school.
Premier Dalton McGuinty says his government has made progress in providing therapies to autistic children, but more needs to be done.
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says the province is working towards providing a range of services for autistic children in schools - including IBI - which is key to helping kids get off the wait list.
-----------------------------------
Macleans:
See below quote from the Premier, it just doesn't make sense: The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
And last week Minister Matthews made reference to tripling the number of kids being served, today she says they have doubled the kids being served.
Critics slam Ont. government for growing list of autistic kids awaiting therapy
April 29, 2008 - 14:42
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - The self-described "Education Premier" isn't moving quickly enough to clear the growing backlog of autistic children waiting for a crucial but costly therapy, critics charged Tuesday.
The wait list of autistic children who are eligible to receive intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, reached 1,148 kids on March 31, up from 985 last year.
More than 1,400 children were already receiving IBI services as of March 31, according to newly released government figures.
The long waits have forced many parents to drain their savings and go into debt to pay for the therapy the province has promised to provide, said NDP critic Andrea Horwath.
The government is moving at such a "glacial pace" to get kids off the wait list that many parents are worried their children won't get the service they need in time, she added.
"They feel that their children are rotting on the vine," Horwath said.
"Those are the words that more than one group of parents used at a town hall meeting about a month ago. That's a frightening and horrifying thing for a parent to have to admit."
The wait list is getting longer because the province is putting more money into providing therapy for autistic children, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"We've tripled the funding in the last four years, we've doubled the number of children who are being served, and we're bringing therapy into the classroom for the first time," he said.
"So I think we're making some real progress, but obviously there's more to be done."
Teachers and support workers are being trained to provide applied behavioural analysis therapies in schools, said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.
Some schools already have therapists to provide IBI, but not in regular classrooms because such one-on-one therapies work better in a separate space, she said.
Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews said the province has moved "aggressively" to improve services for autistic children, such as funding summer camps.
While the government is working towards providing IBI in schools, it "won't happen overnight," she said.
-----------------------
A listmate has shared a letter she wrote, and the following message:
FYI - pls share and encourage parents to write to MOE about this.
Special Education can no longer be considered a simple "oversight" or "afterthought" any longer.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/nr/08.04/hs0428.html
Dear Mr. Finlay
The above webpage address is for the Minister of Education's Statement to the Legislative Assembly, April 28, 2008, Celebrating Education Week in Ontario.
Unfortunately, what is glaringly missing is any mention, whatsoever, of the accomplishments of our students with special needs. The statements made all revolve around the successes of the regular students.
I find it interesting that, while our society is becoming ever more mindful of the need to be sensitive to various minority groups of every kind, ---- so as not to appear to be discriminating against any one group --- we don't have the same standard of sensitivity to people with Special Needs. The tendency is for Special Needs to be considered an "oversight" and most often an "afterthought" when one is reminded, an attitude that has prevails in our society. Yet we don't call it what it really is -- a form of discrimination. For that is what we acknowledge pertains in reference to any other marginalized group in society.
The need to change this attitude in society is something which must be reinforced at every possible opportunity by the government -- including Education Week. This provides the provincial government with the opportunity to reinforce with the public that we are celebrating ALL STUDENTS -- and not only those who are recognized in accordance with standardized testing that is, in many ways, exclusionary for those students with special needs.
I am, therefore, asking that this message be brought to the direct attention of the Minister of Education, and to the Premier of Ontario, so as to ensure that future statements before the Legislature on "Celebrating Education Week in Ontario" be in recognition of the accomplishments of all of our students, including those with special needs.
Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely
------------------------
Week of events prompted by rising numbers of troubled students, waiting lists
Apr 29, 2008 04:30 AM
Andrea Gordon
FAMILY ISSUES REPORTER
Every day in classrooms across the GTA, children are struggling with more than math equations and book reports. They may be anxious, sad or unable to pay attention. They may be schoolyard bullies. By high school, some distressed youth are cutting themselves, skipping classes or abusing drugs.
Next week, the Toronto District School Board will mark Children's Mental Health Week in Ontario with three separate events for teachers, parents and students – the first initiative of its kind by the country's largest school board.
The intent is to raise awareness about the increasing number of students who need help with mental, emotional and behavioural problems. And the school board will stress the need for collaboration between schools and community agencies to support these kids.
The board's plans include:
• Two half-day information sessions to help teachers identify and advocate for children in need. To be held Monday, May 5, they will be led by Dr. Richard Meen, chief psychiatrist at Kinark Child and Family Services, and school board psychologist Dr. Tayyab Rashid. A similar event held last year drew so many staff that people were turned away.
• A 6:30 p.m. meeting for parents on Tuesday, May 6, at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts (711 Bloor St. E. at Castle Frank) featuring Susan Hess, president of the support and advocacy organization Parents for Children's Mental Health, who fought for years to find help for her daughter.
• Student walks to raise awareness on Friday, May 9. There will be a walk for staff and students at school board headquarters at 8:30 a.m. Or schools can hold their own walks on school property as part of students' daily physical activity.
Schools are also encouraged to hold assemblies and invite school psychologists, social workers or community agencies to educate students and staff.
"Teachers are the first line of defence other than parents," says school trustee Cathy Dandy, one of those spearheading the events. Dandy, who also works at Kinark, a children's mental health centre in York Region, regularly sees situations in which struggling children are labelled as "bad kids" and disciplined with detentions. She says teachers require continuing training to flag children needing support, to recognize that disruptive behaviour may be caused by underlying mental health issues and to push for services.
According to Children's Mental Health Ontario , one in five Canadians will face a mental health problem in their lifetime, often during childhood or adolescence.
Donna Quan, superintendent of safe schools for the board, says next week's events reflect the need for a more holistic approach to learning. "In order to get our kids reading and writing, they have to be of sound mind and body," she says.
Tony Diniz, executive director of the Child Development Institute in Toronto , says collaboration is key and welcomes the board's moves to draw attention to problems that often surface first in the classroom.
"We see kids whose early years are failures, who quickly fall behind and school becomes a negative experience," he says. But often by identifying the cause and providing small adjustments and support, "we can get them on the right path."
The institute runs about 30 programs at Toronto schools aimed at identifying children in need and teaching them coping skills. While raising awareness is critical, so are adequate services. According to a 2008 survey of Ontario schools by the advocacy group People for Education, 15,000 elementary schoolchildren are waiting for special education this year in the GTA.
Sixty-four per cent of elementary schools have a regular psychologist, but only for 14.4 hours per month; 70 per cent have a regular social worker, for 13.6 hours a month.
Among Ontario high schools, 28 per cent have a psychologist, 58 per cent report a regular social worker and 38 per cent have a youth worker. Two-thirds of high schools have students on wait lists for services.
The shortage is equally grim in the children's mental health sector, which has had two base funding increases from the province in 15 years. Organizations say that without more money, service cuts are inevitable. Waits for publicly funded services can be many months.
Camille Quenneville, director of policy and communications at Children's Mental Health Ontario , says she's hopeful that with schools joining the push for more services, the province will respond with more money.
-----------------------------
Autism Ontario has put out this announcement about their Public Service Announcements now being televised:
Hello everyone,
If you haven’t already seen it, please check out our public service announcement about living with ASD across the lifespan. It is called “The Most Beautiful Child”. See information below. If you are unable to click on the links in the message links, at the very bottom is a separate link that will get you to the page at Autism Ontario’s website. This PSA was produced with generous financial support from the Brickenden Speakers Bureau, through their annual “Access to Success” event.
The Ontario Partnership for Adults with Aspergers and Autism introduces its new website.
Please click on the image above, or visit www.autismontario.com/adults.
Features:
-View a 30- or 90-second commercial called, “The Most Beautiful Child.”
-Sign up with us to be counted as an individual with an ASD, as a family member or a professional in the field. Click on “Count Me In” on the top menu.
-Check out current issues of the Autism Advisor. These brief documents can assist parents and adults with ASD in educating family members, employers, service providers and community leaders on an “as needed” basis.
http://www.autismontario.com/client/aso/ao.nsf/adults/our+commercial?OpenDocument
&*********
From A listmate
www.awares.org/conferences
The third in our series of Awares one-day online autism seminars in 2008 features another of the world's most famous writers with autism, Wendy Lawson. Anyone who was lucky enough to catch Wendy's workshop at Autism Cymru's third International Conference in Cardiff last week will know that she is a hugely entertaining and illuminating speaker.
Wendy is an Australian mother of four (including a son with Asperger's syndrome) and is the author of seven books on autism. Wendy prefers the word 'diffability' to disorder and her research seeks to explore what being differently abled means in the world of neuro-diversity. Currently, Wendy is working towards her PhD in Psychology with Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
Don't miss this unprecedented opportunity to put your questions to Wendy on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.
The seminar will open at 7am British time on May 6, 2008, to allow delegates from overseas to enter their questions, and will run until 11.59pm GMT that day.
You can register right now for this exciting event at www.awares.org/conferences
Best wishes,
Adam Feinstein
________________________________________
AWARES Conference Centre
http://www.awares.org/conferences
NON – Autism Related JUST FOR MOMS
Save the Date- Thursday May 8th
AquaMedicaSpa Opens Its Doors and Hearts
inviting all New Jersey Moms to a day of relaxation at our
Annual "Mom's Extravaganza"
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Learn about the latest salong and spa trends. LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS!
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5pm-6pm:
Receive specially priced cosmetic medical treatments including Botox and facial fillers (space is limited so please reserve your appointment in advance)
6pm-7pm:
Trained skincare specialist and head Aesthetician, Valentina Chistova, will demonstrate a microdermabrasion treatment and share information about the incredible benefits of this popular procedure and latest news in skincare - FREE skin analysis
7pm-8pm:
Raffles! Receive a special gift ... just for you.
You could win a free spa treatment! (winners must be present)
RSVP by May 1st 732-222-8611 spa / 732-571-3330
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info@aquamedicaspa.com
http://www.aquamedicaspa.com
Looking for the perfect gift?
Receive 10% off Gift Cards through 5/31/08
Good for ALL Spa and Salon Services
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE ACADEMY PRESCHOOL
has added two new classes for this Fall
Pre-K 2 + 3/4 class and Advanced Pre-K
for those children
who have completed pre-K
but will not be going on to kindergarten
having missed the cut off for school.
Offerings: Three Year Olds, Four Year Olds, and Kindergarten Enrichment AM and PM
The Academy,centrally located in the Middletown / Holmdel area on Kings Highway, offers a sound educational program focusing on school readiness, reading, language arts, math, languages, and science in an age-appropriate, reading rich environment. We satisfy each child's natural curiosity with meaningful, fun experiences. The focus of the school is to make each child feel valued and successful. Small classes, excellent teacher-child ratio, creative art programs, Spanish classes, hearing and speech evaluations, private speech therapy available, in a beautiful, safe, park-like setting.
The Academy Preschool - 119 Kings Highway - MiddletownNJ
www.TheAcademyPreschool.com - 732-671-3444 - AcademyPreschool@comcast.net
THE ACADEMY, a private preschool in Middletown, began sixteen years ago and has become well known in MonmouthCounty. THE ACADEMY is a school with a sound developmentally-appropriate child-centered learning environment, rich in meaningful experiences, play, and creative activities for children. Our philosophy is based on the belief that every child has talents, abilities, and strengths. Children enjoy learning and have a natural curiosity about their world. At THE ACADEMY, we satisfy that curiosity with meaningful experiences. It is in this environment that children learn self confidence and become problem solvers and creative thinkers. In addition, it is our goal to make each child's first school experience one of success and joy in learning. THE ACADEMY provides a strong foundation on which to build a sound educational future.
Work Smarter Now
Suzann Brucato, Owner
PO Box 534 - Lincroft NJ 07738 - 732-747-3422
www.WorkSmarterNow.com
WorkSmarterNow@mindspring.com
At Work Smarter Now, our primary goal is to help small businesses do what they do better -- improve community presence, customer relations, and business practices. Work Smarter Now is community-centered and strives to provide services that benefit the larger community through improvements within individual businesses.
********
Google Alert
Language abilities in autistic speakers
Published: April 28, 2008 at 7:58 PM
LONDON, Ontario, April 28 (UPI) -- Canadian researchers suggest "not getting" some things need not keep those with autism from using language well.
It had been assumed many individuals with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, have problems with what linguists call "pragmatics" because they have difficulties in social situations -- especially in responding to metaphor, irony, sarcasm and to what is presumed rather than stated.
However, researchers Robert Stainton of The University of Western Ontario, Jessica de Villiers of the University of British Columbia and Peter Szatmari of McMaster University looked at transcripts of conversations with 42 speakers with ASD and concluded pragmatics were both used and understood in cases of literal talk.
Subsequently, de Villiers and Szatmari developed a rating scale of pragmatic abilities that can be used in the clinical assessment of people with ASD.
"In the short term, their new tool will help identify where an individual fits on that spectrum." Stainton said in a statement.
He said he believes in the longer term, it may contribute "to our theoretical understanding of the boundary between knowledge of the meanings of words, and non-linguistic abilities -- specifically pragmatics."
Stainton says the study, published in Midwest Studies in Philosophy, is "especially gratifying" because without "a philosophical perspective, this discovery might not have been made."
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/04/28/language_abilities_in_autistic_speakers/5906/
********
From Nancy’s E-List
A great opportunity from Autism Speaks, but you have to act fast!!!!!!!!!
Autism Speaks Canada has received a very generous supply of tickets from an anonymous donor for this Saturday’s Blue Jays Game vs. Chicago White Sox (1 PM start).
Anyone wishing to attend this game, free of charge, should call the AS Canada office at 888-362-6227 or by email to autismspeakscanada@autismspeaks.org
to reserve their seats. Arrangements for ticket pickup at the Rogers Centre between noon and 1:45 on Game Day will be arranged.
In addition to His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, we are thrilled to announce that Mark Roithmayr, CEO of Autism Speaks along with Glenn Tringali, Executive Vice-President of Autism Speaks will be coming to the Ontario Walk for Autism on June 8. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the leadership of Autism Speaks. To register, please go to walknowforautism.org/ontario – let’s work to make this the most successful walk to-date!
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I missed sharing this link in an earlier mailing, Carole Ann is a very special woman in this interview, I have shared and article about her before. She is a woman with Aspergers, and is a Special Ed Teacher in Peel Region, teaching kids with autism and other special needs. She did an interview on a Sunday Morning show on CBC, this link is still available for you to view the show.
www.cbc.ca/sunday/archive/index.html
If you go to this link and click on April 6th, Why Some Kids Play Alone, you will see the story on Julian and the comments on Carole Ann and this young man.
------------------------
A listmate has had a story published!!!!!! She is not allowed to share her story online, but she can share how you can get a copy of it:
The info on the book is: It's called "Living the Serenity Prayer" (Adams Media), and is edited by Jeanette Gardner Littleton and James Stuart Bell.
My story, in the book, is called "The Other Field Trip".
"Serenity Prayer" is available online at Amazon, and most other book stores. I also found it on the shelves at Chapter's. What a thrill that was.
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And this listmate shared some info for everyone, some info about some new graduates coming out of Community Colleges for all of us to look for:
And speaking of raising awareness, I thought I'd pass on something to you. There were two co op students at ****'s school, both in a graduate program (unsure of the name, might be autism behavioural sciences?) from Lambton College. One of the young ladies asked me to spread the word to other parents (and of course I thought of you!). Apparently these year-long, quite intensive programs are getting next to zero publicity. Other centres across Ontario must be sending out their own graduates from similar programs, which I think is exciting news and a good step forward. This is the first year. At Lambton College, there were eighteen graduates. I hope these graduates (not just from our area, but all over Ontario) don't sit, unemployed, because parents and centres are unaware of their existence. As you well know, we need all the help we can get! Good to see these folks being trained, so I hope their training goes to good use.
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From OACRS Lindsay Moir column, some great successful inclusion stories to share:
Ask Lindsay Moir:
'Good news stories' about effective collaboration
Friday, April 25, 2008
Question:
I have had several emails to "Ask Lindsay Moir" as well as three phone calls from parents who have used info from this website to educate and inform their school and work out a collaborative plan to meet their child's needs.
I would like to commend the parents who sent in the original questions and of course, OACRS for setting up the mechanism to share my answers.
On many occasions as I travel across the province, parents and support workers tell me that they get a lot of help, and increase their knowledge by regularly visiting Family Net. Today I want to share some "good news stories" about effective collaboration. Perhaps the realization that when educators, parents and community professionals work together, incredible things can happen. Perhaps the fact that it can, and IS BEING DONE, will encourage all of us to "think outside the box".
Answer:
solving two problems:
In a high school there was a creative special education teacher who taught developmentally-delayed students and wanted to do TWO IMPORTANT THINGS:
• He believed that it was important for his exceptional pupils to develop ongoing friendships/relationships outside of the self-contained special education classroom.
• He believed that his students would benefit from "co-operative education" placements out in the community doing "real work." This would also aid in the community employers getting more comfortable with developmentally-challenged young adults and dispel some of the pre-conceived myths that exist around their employablity.
By pairing typical and atypical students he created a bond that is continuing long after the placements have ended. Two students have gone on to paid employment at placements that turned into jobs! One of the typical students has enrolled in the Developmental Services Worker program at Community College for next Fall. His key ally in this endeavour was a parent who worked at Walmart and saw possibilities at her workplace for students like her daughter. Together they overcame the traditional barrier - "we don't have EAs to support the students out on placement" . . . and created an extensive and mutually beneficial program!
Using Sports Management to build self-esteem
Every school has its "personality" . . . some are academic, some are vocational and some are "jock-schools". In one large urban high school which is very well known for its championship-caliber school teams, a teacher of a special class had a student who loved sports, but frankly, lacked the physical skills to play at this level. Several others wanted to around the teams and so she decided to use school time to "teach" her students "a littel bit about each sport" with the goal of making them better spectators.
They got to experience dressing up in full football and hockey gear - something none of them had ever experienced. Team members came into her special class to assist with this activity and got to know the students a little bit. One hockey player even invited one challenged student to come to hockey practice that day. He took the student into the dressing room to "hang out with the guys" and even let him wear his game sweater while watching practice! (this was more than the teacher had envisioned). The next day the special education student showed up at practice and began filling up water bottles (he seen this done the day before) and took them out to the bench. The coaches did not mind him "hang around" but one of them commented in the staff room, that it was "too bad he did not know anything about laundering towels and sweaters . . ."
This was a eureka moment!
Today, all the teams in that school have a TRAINED manager - from the Special Education programs.
Yes, they do laundry, fill water bottles, layout equipment, clean balls and do other "manager's jobs" . . . BUT they are an integral part of teams, travel with them to out-of-town tournaments and provincial finals, wearing a team jacket (one even has an OFSAA medal). In a school where athletes are very important, these students are seen as a VALUABLE part of the team - all because a teacher was willing to do something outside of the box, one player issued an invitation, and someone acted on a staff room comment. This is not "charity" - the students are trained to contribute in their way to the operation of the team. Well done.
The new principal . . .
Once upon a time there was a new principal who came to a small town. The principal had new ideas and a positive and progressive outlook about special needs children. The old principal had been gruff and controlling. The new principal was open and collaborative. The staff had been together for quite a few years and liked the "old way of doing business". They were not very inclusive. Even the parents of the special needs children had grown to be "comfortable" with the old way of doing business. That was all they had grown to expect. The parents of typical children felt that "parking" special needs children in a multi-grade, non-academic program meant that the regular class teachers were going to be able have more time for the typical kids . . .
To be honest the school was stuck in the 1970s - but everyone seemed to liked it (or accepted it) that way.
Because the principal was "collaborative" oriented they shared their dreams and goals
• with the Parents" Council - they didn't say much and were not supportive.
• with the staff, who were NOT in favour of change!
• called a meeting of the parents of the children in self-contained Special Education to share some "ideas" about some inclusion and integration. They said nothing!
The principal was VERY discouraged and even thought about leaving teaching altogether . . .
That evening the principal got a phone call at home from a Support Worker at Community Living (working with one of the families involved in the meeting) who is a regular reader of Family Net. She talked for an hour about her frustrations, about how hard it is to be the "outsider", she shared some stories she got from the OACRS convention about some really "Good Practice" that was happening in other places in the board and the province. She offered to be a "friendly sounding board" - just to chat. To bounce ideas off of . . .
Two years later, I visited that community (did not know the story) and commended the principal on the outstanding creative and inclusive programming that was happening in that school. I wanted to write a column on "what could be done" in a small town. I was so IMPRESSED! I was sure that the principal had lucked out and had been dropped into the perfect environment - Then I was told the story!
You can be the one person who provides support to the progressive teacher or principal. It is lonely when you are bucking the status quo. One supportive person was all that was needed . . .
You can be the person who ACTS on a comment and creates something great for kids! One creative person was all that was needed . . .
You can be the person who "finds the creative solution" that makes it happen. Too many of us give up at the first roadblock. One persistent person can solve the biggest problem . . .
You can be the one who shares this column that might encourage someone to be creative.
You can do it!
Lindsay Moir retired from the Ministry of Education in 1997 and has been assisting agencies, associations and parents in obtaining appropriate special education services for exceptional pupils.
Family Net welcomes your questions about special education in Ontario.
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And more on education success stories, this from the Toronto Star:
Lessons in acceptance at Sunny View
TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR
When Roberta Kangora was feeling sad, Samira Adan, right, tried to cheer her up by making her a card. Christopher Borris, left, takes teacher Taz Kassam's hand. April 16, 2008
School's 'win-win' reverse integration program lets profoundly disabled and mainstream children learn together in a place that benefits 'students, teachers and ultimately society'
April 26, 2008
Noor Javed
STAFF REPORTER
Sierra Gies steps up to bat during a T-ball game in gym class at Sunny View Public School. She pops one to the right side of the gymnasium, and gets ready to run the bases – by rolling to first in a wheelchair.
It's her way of levelling out the playing field in a setting where she could easily have the upper hand, since Gies, 7, is not disabled.
She is one of six "regular kids" in school with children who have severe disabilities and fragile health through a program called "reverse integration."
Instead of having disabled children join mainstream classrooms, this program brings mainstream students into the classrooms of children with profound physical and developmental challenges – those for whom integration is not normally an option – and lets them learn together, as well as from each other.
"It's hard for our kids to be integrated because they all have severe health issues. In order for them to have regular peers around them, and to make regular friends, the only way to do it is to bring them into the school," said principal Debbie Michnick.
"That's what we have done here."
But the benefits aren't just one-sided. "For the regular kids who come, they learn tolerance, empathy, acceptance, and how to be leaders," she said.
This year the program – unique to public schools in the GTA – was open to students who had either disabled siblings, or were children of staff.
Next year, the school will be open to all students in the Toronto District School Board interested and suited to learning in the unique environment. The program will only be offered in kindergarten and Grade 1.
Michnick was introduced to the program last year after a visit from their "sister school," the Mackay Centre School in Montreal.
They had been running the reverse integration program for the last 30 years and urged Sunny View to give it a try.
Now, nearly a year later, teachers at Sunny View – on Blythwood Rd., near Yonge St. and Lawrence Ave. – have seen the changes.
"From doing assessments of the students at the beginning of the year compared to now, I have seen gains in all of them," said Sarah Kapitza, a Grade 2 teacher.
During the science period in Kapitza's class, six students, three of them in wheelchairs, form a semicircle and watch her open a box filled with supplies for their simple machines unit.
"What's in there?" asks Abdulahi Hassan, 11, who has cerebral palsy and is the most talkative in the group.
"Some wood, a saw, and glue," answers Gies, the only reverse integration student in the class, as she holds a juice carton to Hassan's mouth, so he can take a sip.
Osmond Shen, 10, who has a more severe form of cerebral palsy, also tries to weigh in. Kapitza gently eggs him on, and Shen repeats his question.
"What's the glue for?" he asks. Last year, Shen was almost completely non-verbal. Now, he manages to take part in almost every conversation.
"They take in the information and can understand, but they can't necessarily express," said Taz Kassam, who teaches a combination of kindergarten and Grade 1, and has three reverse integration kids in her class of seven.
"But by having the regular kids in the class, it gives them the opportunity to speak and develop their speaking skills and comprehension skills. They are learning from each other."
At Montreal's Mackay Centre School, which offers the program from kindergarten to Grade 6, Principal Jacques Monfette says: "It's been incredibly successful for us.
"Students benefit, teachers benefit and ultimately society benefits. Really, it's a win-win situation."
The program is now in its second generation at Mackay, with former students now teaching at the school and alumni enrolling their kids into the program.
A similar integrated kindergarten program has also been in place at Toronto's Bloorview Kid Rehab since the late '90s.
Monfette laments that there have never been any studies to assess the academic or social impact that reverse integration has made on the school. "We are the perfect setting for a PhD thesis."
But the teachers at Sunny View claim that no such study is necessary. The impact the program has had on all students in just one year is obvious. The presence of the reverse integration kids has helped to "raise the bar" in the standard of teaching, although there are obvious challenges in teaching such a diverse group, Kassam admits.
"The challenge is to use differentiated instruction in creative ways so you have to cover the curriculum for both sets of kids," she said. "But because we have high expectations from some of the regular students, it makes you have higher expectations from the entire group."
Nikki Choo has seen such gains in her 5-year-old son Samuel Cho, who came to Sunny View for kindergarten last year. Other than the nurturing learning environment, she says her son has thrived in the small classes.
"When my son came here, he could barely recite the alphabet. But because of the smaller groups, they were really able to focus on where his needs were," said Choo.
She was never concerned that going to school, with students who may be developmentally delayed, would set Samuel back academically.
"Here you learn how to be a really good person. If we can we teach that to our kids, the academics will follow," said Choo.
"I think just the understanding that we have to be good to each other, we have to take care of people, we have to accept people regardless of what their makeup is, I think that kind of education will go much, much further than anything." She has noticed a difference in the way Samuel treats his older sister, who has Down syndrome. "He is so much gentler. You can sense that he's learned how to care."
Three of the six students in the reverse integration program are planning to stay for another year. A recruiting drive is currently underway to bring that number up to 12 for next year.
Despite its success this year, the response so far from parents has been less than anticipated, considering that any child who joins the reverse integration program has not only small classes, but access to full daycare, a swimming program, and a hot lunch program.
But the program is not suited for everyone, Michnick said.
"There is a screening process to ensure that the students who come are suited to the program," said Michnick.
"We want to have children who want to be here themselves, not because their parents want them to be here. We need children who are of average development, who are normal in every way."
But it is clear there is nothing "normal" about these children or what the program has to offer; as one child hugs another, or pushes a wheelchair, or helps a peer to eat, there is a sense that a deeper kind of education is taking place here.
"After a year of being together, the nice thing about the students is that they don't notice the difference between each other at all," said Kapitza.
"They just see each other as kids."
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And for those that utilize naturalpathic treatments, this shared by a contact may be of interest for you. I do not have the source of the original mailing, just that there is a rally planned in Alberta regarding this issue.
I thought you might not be aware of this. I hadn't heard anything about it until I received this email. They're going to restrict the availability of low cost, natural products in order to fatten the bottom lines of drug companies. And they're planning on doing it in the most draconian manner possible...
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This is really bad. It looks like our government is trying to push this law through before Canadians figure out whats happening. The first reading was on Apr 8th and I am told the next one is this monday the 28th. I never thought something this could happen in Canada. Please read this and send it on to others.
Canadian Rights and Freedoms are at Risk
An Important Notice Regarding Bill C-51
On April 8th, 2008, the Canadian Minister of Health introduced Bill C-51 into the House of Commons. This Bill proposes significant changes to the current Food and Drugs Act that will have wide-ranging negative implications for Canadians.
Bill C-51 will:
• Remove democratic oversight, bypassing elected officials to vote in laws and allow bureaucrats to adopt laws from other countries without our consent.
• Remove 70% of Natural Health Products from Canadians and many others will be available by prescription only.
• Restrict research and development of safe natural alternatives in favor of high risk drugs.
• Punish Canadians with little or no opportunity for protection or recourse for simply speaking about or giving a natural product without the approval of government. More than 70% of people in Canada use a Natural Health Product. The new law goes so far as to warrant action against a person who would give another person an unapproved amount of garlic on the recommendation that it would improve that persons health.
Proposed New Enforcement Powers:
• Inspectors will enter private property without a warrant
• Inspectors will take your property at their discretion
• Inspectors will dispose of your property at will
• Inspectors will not reimburse you for your losses
• Inspectors will seize your bank accounts
• Inspectors will charge owners shipping and storage charges for seized property
• Inspectors will be empowered to store your property indefinitely
• Inspectors will levy fines of up to $5,000,000.00 and/or seek 2 years in jail per incident
With your assets and money under their control will you be able to defend yourself in Court?
Can you trust government with this new law and enforcement power?
Would our government really ever turn this law against us? Read the following account.
Example
In 2003 Health Canada launched an attack on a group of mentally ill patients and the company who supported them naturally. They seized shipments of a safe natural therapy required by the patients and stormed the support center with 17 armed officers and agents. The company (Truehope) reported that they lost contact with more than 300 of their Canadian participants. The Canadian Mental Health Association told of suicides as a result of government action.
Health Canada then charged the not for profit company, burdening them with heavy legal costs. Truehope was found innocent by necessity and instructed by the judge to continue under legal and moral responsibility. Although the agents admitted knowing they were injuring people through their actions, they stated under oath they care only about policy and directive. And what happened to the more than 300 mentally ill Canadians that became unreachable? In the months and years following, reports of hospitalizations and suicides during the seizures have surfaced. No Health Canada agent has ever been charged.
Will this new law be used to abuse and punish special interest groups, minorities, religious groups or others?
Why do bureaucrats want to bypass the Parliament and approval to create new laws?
Why do bureaucrats want seizure warrants without judge approval ?
With fines being increased a 1000 times, and seizing authority without a warrant, is Bill C-51 meant to bankrupt and silence its target audience?
Here's what you can do to protect your rights:
Educate Yourself
• Go to http://www.stopc51.com/
• Read a legal discussion on Bill C-51
• Read bill C-51 on www.parl.gc.ca
Tell others about it
• Talk to your local Press
• Contact your local MP Click Here
• Ask the leaders in your community to get involved
• Contact your MLA
• Tell your Friends
Get involved
• Attend our rally at the Calgary Federal Court on May 9th 2008. Call 1-888-878-3467 for Details
• Print off this fact sheet and hand it out in your neighborhood.
Forward this email to all of your concerned friends, family and community leaders.
End of Mailing
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