[FEAT BC Admin]

This area is for discussions in general topics.

Topic

[Milburn Drysdale]

Hello everyone
This is my first posting on FEAT, although I have been active in the community for a few years.
One of the huge gaps I see for parents new to the world of autism is dealing with the financial elements. Even now I still continue to learn about funding options that I could have taken advantage of years ago.
Accordingly I have decided to put together a website dealing with everything financial in BC’s autism community.
Before I publish the site, I would like to ask your help in filling in a few gaps in my knowledge.
1. Does anyone have a sample contract for their therapists? Especially one dealing with the employer – employee relationship.
2. Is there any charity which may be of benefit to autistic children and their families?
3. Supported Child Development Program. Is there a limit to funding request? Is there a wait list for funds?
4. Can anyone tell me about the School board paying for a therapist to attend preschool if the child bypasses a year of kindergarten? A specific reference would be helpful.
5. Does anyone have experience with “Direct Funded” respite? What is it and how much can you get?
6. BC government autism funding. Why would you choose invoice over direct funding or vice versa?
7. Have you had any difficulty in obtaining funds from the Autism Funds unit? If so, why.
8. Has anyone had problems claiming Attendant care costs from the federal government?
9. Any problems claiming ABA therapy costs as a medical expense?
Sorry, this is a bit of a long list, but I want to get accurate information and post it for the benefit of new families. If you are able to email answers to any of these questions, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Milburn Drysdale
bcasdfunding@gmail.com

[Earl Friesen]

Hi, This is about income tax.

If one has reached the maximum in child care expenses, has anyone been successful in claiming therapist expenses as medical expenses?

It seems therapy (assuming a t2201 has been completed and approved by CRA) has to be "prescribed and supervised by a doctor, a psychologist (for a mental impairment)…" as seen in:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns300-350/330/llwxpns-eng.html#therapy.

OR one could view it as "training" in the item below "therapy" [does not appear to require t2201]

For 2007, at our current family income, medical expenses of 6,174.71 cause a tax refund of 883 (14%), not as good as a child care deduction (30% for us), but still $833.

Post here to share or I'm at Earl_Friesen@telus.net

[Kelly Moonie]

IT'S A START!!

This morning, my mother emailed the anchors at GLOBAL news and asked them to address the fallowing question the the candidates that were on the show. (I believe this mornings candidates were from Newton/ North Delta)

The topic of Medicare came up, and the anchors jumped right into my moms question!!

**The fallowing was what my mom sent in, and the question addressed….

To: morningnews@globaltv.com
Subject: Candidates Question—Who Cares??

Good Morning Mr. Darling
Please ask todays candidates this question:

"If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you
publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada
Health Act to include autism treatment?"

I have a 2 1/2 year old grandson who is autistic. My son-in-law works seven days a week so my daughter can stay home to look after her children and be present for therapy, a requirement. In BC the Provincial Government contributes $1667 for therapy until the child reaches the age of six. At the age of six the contribution then drops to $500 per month. Yes, that is correct. From $1667 per month to $500 per month. My grandson is already being deprived of the full compliment of therapists he requires as his parents can no longer afford to pay for the occupational therapist. My daughter and son-in-law spend $2000 a month of their own money to supplement the BC Government's contribution. In Alberta the Provincial Government pays for the complete care of autistic children until they reach adulthood. What about the care in other provinces? Your province? There is no universal health care in this country when WHERE you live is in direct association to the amount of care you receive. The Canada Health Act needs to be amended to include ALL children with disabilities. The Children of Canada are our future, lets not brush them aside. Who do you feel has the best interests of all Canadians at heart. Corinne Koftinoff

***Here was the reponse from the candidates:

NDP- YES absolutely. She then went on to say that she was a nurse and a teacher and agreed compleately with universal medicare in Canada!

Liberal- Agreed but brushed it aside. Didnt seem to concerned.

Concervatives- DIDNT even SHOW UP!!

THIS is what I need you ALL to do:

Every morning, if you have the opportunity, email the EXACT same question into global news. They have different candidates on the show every morning from 7:50- 800am. If the news anchors see this exact same question coming in EVERYDAY from hundreds of families, maybe we can really start something! Perhaps make it a major focus for all those in running to consitter.

All us families are HUGE in number. There are thousands of us effected by autism and if we ban together and bombard the news and press, then the gov't will have NO choice but to listen!

[Jemma Lee]

WALK/RUN NOW FOR AUTISM

Recently I have heard a lot of people talk about the upcoming "Walk/Run Now for Autism" event, organized by Autism Speaks. On the surface it seems to a good thing, but I am not so excited about it. For those who don't know, Autism Speaks Canada is very different from their America counterpart.

Before you participate in the event, may be you should find out what Autism Speaks Canada has done for us. I'll give you a couple of examples:

1. When they held a similar event in Edmonton, they invited Mike Lake as a guest of honour. Mike Lake is the MP who has done everything within his power to destroy our chances of getting Medicare coverage for autism. Despite having an autistic son himself, he works against us just to make his boss happy.

2. During the Senate Hearings into funding for the treatment of autism, the Executive Director of Autism Speaks Canada was asked if she supported an amendment to the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment in Medicare. She actually said NO.

If supporting this event means raising more money to pay the Executive Director to make friends with Mike Lake, I am not sure it's the best thing for our children.

Jemma

[Louise Taylor]

Medicare for Autism Now! – Attention all Parents & Supporters:

I am responding to Barbara Rodriguez' question about the Medicare for Autism Now! initiatve in the current federal election. We are targeting 14 ridings across Canada that had the slimmest margin of win (2% or less) in the previous election. The question that we are asking all of the candidates is: "If elected to the House of Commons on October 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation that will amend the Canada Health Act to include science-based treatment for autism under Medicare?"

We are asking them to reply with a simple "Yes", "No" or "Don't care".

I would like to encourage all of you, regardless of what riding you live in, to put this question to each of your candidates. You can do so in person, via letter (send along a copy to your local paper), at all-candidate's meetings, etc. Let them know that your support on October 14th depends on their reponse to this question.

For regular updates on the Medicare for Autism Now! political initiative, please check our website at http://www.medicareforautismnow.org

[Stella Li]

Harmony House presents:

October 25 2008

Social Strategies for Providing Inclusive Environments in a School Setting for Children with Autism

This one day workshop is meant to promote understanding of inclusion for children with autism and strategies to enhance social integration in the school setting. *PLEASE NOTE this workshop will now be held ONLY on the 25th of October 930-430.

Who should attend?
Teachers
School Aids
Administrators
Parents

Facilitators
Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam, Michele Shilvock:

http://www.harmonyhousebc.ca/sites/default/themes/wchy/files/SocialStrategies.pdf

September 27, 2008

Line Therapist Training Class
Based on Teaching Principles for Early Autism Intervention

A one day class will be offered on September 27, 2008 based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and its application to the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. The class will address several topics that outline the basic foundation of ABA treatment program and will include information on autism and general behaviour strategies. The main focus will however be on practical application with a 50% hands on approach in small groups, with the remaining time spent on larger group discussion and video reviews. The group will be facilitated by two highly experienced Senior therapists.

Who would benefit from the class?
Parents or family who are starting an ABA program
New therapists or current line therapists
Classroom teachers and support staff
Those who may be supporting children with autism

About the Facilitators
Harmony House is pleased to announce that Gabrielle Stigant and Joanne Ma will be the two interns facilitating the upcoming class. Both individuals are well experienced and highly trained and prior to entering the intern program at Harmony House in April 2008 both facilitators were Senior therapists who had been working in the field of behavioural intervention with children with autism for many years. Together they have logged over 10000 direct service hours with children ranging in ages from 2 to 12 years of age. They have been involved in training new staff and supporting existing teams and have both acted as support staff to children in a variety of
settings. They are experienced in working with many highly respected behaviour consultants who currently work in this province and share a vast knowledge in the areas of discrete trial teaching, data collection, behaviour modification and how to train staff

http://www.harmonyhousebc.ca/sites/default/themes/wchy/files/LineTraining_Sept2008.pdf

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi Tony:

Thanks for posting the updates very good to know. Are you guys sending out the question to every riding or should we be sending them out in our own ridings? I am in Stockwell Day's riding and well we know what his answer is.

Barbara

[Super Dad]

Medicare for Autism Now!

Status Update

We ask the simple question:

"If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment?"

The Responses:

Ian Sutherland,Liberal
"YES, I am publicly commiting to support ammending the Canada Health Act to include Autism treatment in Medicare."

Deborah Meredith,Conservative
No. "I am awfully busy right now trying to win this election as I'm sure you can understand."
Read more about Deborah's answer on Harold Doherty's blog:
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2008/09/deborah-meredith-conservative-candidate.html

Nao Fernando,NDP
Yes. "I am pleased to indicate my complete support for the inclusion of treatment for autism in Canada's national public health care system."

Brenda Locke,Liberal
"Yes, if elected to the House of Commons on October 14 would support legislation that will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment under Medicare."

Amy Collard,Green
Yes. "As your MP, I would strongly advocate for changes to the Canada Health Act to include not only autism treatment, but also to include diagnosis and prevention."

Tony Clement,Conservative
No. "To answer directly, I cannot in good conscience support the addition of one specific condition to the CHA."

Garth Turner,Liberal
"Yes, I will. And I have made this clear in the past."

Bonnie Brown,Liberal
No. "Accordingly, regarding the CHA amendment you favour, I would have to respectfully disagree."

Paul Szabo,Liberal
Yes. "I voted for it in the last Parliament and I will do it again."

Marnie Mellish,Green
"Yes, I will. I have my Masters degree in Special Education and have taught special education classes in my youth. I fought long and hard for my students and got into trouble for helping parents organize to bring their concerns to the principal and the school board."

David Laird,NDP
"Yes, organic brain disorders and developmental disorders are of increasing concern to many Canadians at a time when provincial governments are reducing supports in this vital area. I support increasing the scope of the Canada health act to include supporting individuals requiring specialized supports to achieve their maximum potential."

Jamie McGarvey,Liberal
"Yes I most certainly would. I am a huge supporter of early childhood education and I also recognize that education is an important part of the process with Autism Treatment. I believe putting the money up front in the early stages for treatment reduces costs later on."

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins,Green
"Short answer: Yes."

Valerie Powell,Green
Message was NOT in the affirmative to Medicare for Autism.

[Luke’s mama]

FOR SALE IMMEDIATELY:

Our beloved 1998 Chrysler Grand Caravan Sport Edition, Red, (longer model), 169,000 kms, automatic, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry with engine immobilizer, rear 2nd and 3rd air conditioning vents with own temperature dial, 10 speaker audio system (CD player, cassette player, AM/FM radio (some mp3 CDs playable – depending on the quality of the download), alumimnum mag wheels, front factory fog lights, front wind deflector, darker tint rear windows (privacy), 7 seats (front captain and rear bench seats).

We are selling this vehicle at a very good price and would like to be able to benefit a family that needs a vehicle. We are asking $2600 or best offer. Please call to inquire at 604-765-7328.

Insurance running out on October 6th so if your interested, give us a call, check out the car and try your offers.

We love this car so we hope the new owner will take care of it. Our ASD son is in tears but we need the cash desperately.

Thanks guys.

[Super Dad]

Hi Everyone,

Would you please email this to everyone in your email address book? Thank you.

Tony

***

MFAN (Medicare for Autism Now) is an organization with an extremely important mission: to focus the political power of all Canadians who care about autistic children, in order to force the government to completely cover the cost of autism treatment. We need all of you to get involved.

Here is a brief explanation of what we're trying to do:
Canada AM interviews Jean Lewis

This is how you can help:

1. Please keep an eye on the MFAN web sites, to find out which candidates to support or strike down in the federal election, and then get everyone you know to vote accordingly:

Medicare for Autism Now Society web site
Medicare for Autism Now blog

2. Please get as many people as possible to attend a major event on October 4th:

Event: "Medicare for Autism Now" Rally
Date: Saturday October 4th, 2pm-4pm
Location: Eaglequest Golf Club
Address: 7778 – 152nd Street, Surrey BC

3. Please download, print and distribute these posters/fliers from our web site:

October 4th Rally Poster
Medicare for Autism Now Info Poster

Let's put in our best effort, to get justice for our children.

[Author]

Replies