[FEAT BC Admin]

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[Brad & Roxanne Black]

Are there any parents out there that have their #1 child dignosed with autism but maybe their #2 or #3 hasn't been. If so..did you do anything differently with the 2nd/3rd…ie: maybe decided not to vaccinate? I really need to know if there are any out there. Please email me privately at bradrox@shaw.ca..

Thank you!

[Joelle and Leighton]

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

For those with an interest in Education, Special Needs Children, Psychology, or any other career involving children:

Please read the following:

Grad school or med school bound? Need to get that ‘edge’ for your application? This position is ideal for individuals with a teaching, sports, psychology or kinesiology background.

We are looking for people to join our team that would like to work with our son Jordan. Jordan is a cool, highly verbal 13 year old. He really likes the computer and math. He has some difficulty learning. Jordan has high functioning Autism. He is involved in a Treatment Program called Lovaas-Type Applied Behavior Analysis. He’s been in this program for 9 years. If hired, you would help Jordan with his homework, social skills and other learning deficiencies.

The job of Therapist/Tutor would require a commitment of 6 – 12 hours per week. Each shift would be 2 ½ – 3 hours long. Therefore, you could easily work around your university schedule. Experience working with autistic children would be preferred but is not mandatory. Training will be provided.

This position is ideal for anyone with a positive attitude, energy, enthusiasm, dedication, reliability and a willingness to learn. This is a great job for those who like to see the rewards of their labour.

We’re looking for people that are available to work after school hours and on weekends. Weekday hours while school is in session are from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. During the summer therapy/tutor sessions will be longer and more flexible.

Therapy/Tutor sessions will take place in our home located in Chilliwack, B.C. A minimum of a one (1) year commitment is required. A current criminal record check will be required.

Wages will be based on experience.

If interested, please send a copy of your resume with a covering letter by facsimile at a number listed below, or email it to joelle10@shaw.ca

Contact Joelle Lefaivre:
Lovaas Therapy Job Offer

Abbotsford Facsimile: 604-853-5281 ATTN: Leighton Lefaivre

[Mike & Jean]

November 7, 2007

For Immediate Release

“Paralysis by Analysis”

Vancouver, BC – Canada’s no longer so new Conservative government has convened a so-called ‘National Autism Research Symposium’ in Toronto later this week. “For what purpose one wonders,” asks Jean Lewis, a founding director of FEAT-BC [Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC]. “Like the ‘Child Health Summit’ held in Ottawa last April, this is another invitation-only talk-fest. It is designed to produce photo-ops and sound-bites that assist the government in a cynical exercise aimed at manufacturing a societal consensus concerning an approach to autism treatment and its funding; one that suits its transparently manipulative agenda. The exercise is sure to fail.”

This month marks the third anniversary of the Auton decision by the Supreme Court of Canada, in which the jurists stated unequivocally that the question of funding for autism treatment was for parliament and the legislatures. “In three years, all that Canada’s myopic political class and their blinkered bureaucratic acolytes have produced has been delay, disingenuous news releases and, in the case of Ontario, outright mendacity,” states Dr. Sabrina Freeman, founder and executive director of FEAT-BC. “In three years, how many children have been diagnosed with this devastating condition? How many opportunities to provide substantive help, and to learn, have been lost? How many families have come asunder? How much needless suffering has been inflicted, all due to a lack of political will to do the right thing?”

While the federal government and its apologists parrot the public relations mantra that ‘more research is necessary’, Canadian courts found, over three years ago, that science-based, proven effective, treatment for autism is available. In 2006, the United States Congress voted unanimously to put $945 million into combating autism. Recently, the Australian national government has pledged $190 million to this cause. Why is our federal government out of step? Could it be because autistic children and their exhausted parents have to date been absent from the electoral battlefield? If so, that’s about to change, according to Lewis.

“The reckless disregard of this Conservative federal government with respect to these disabled children and their desperate, and often destitute, families verges on the criminal,” says Jean Lewis. “Their callousness is breath-taking and will, come the next federal election, be met with a perfect political storm. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

-30-

For further information, contact: Jean Lewis at 604-925-4401 or 604-290-5737, and jean.lewis@telus.net .

[Stephanie Spence]

Thank you to all those who responded to my questions !

Stephanie

[Stephanie Spence]

Hello,

Has anyone here had any experience with digestive problems in their child with autism ? My son, who is 4, has had reflux type symptoms for over a year now and we are looking at getting him tested for acid reflux and for delayed gastric emptying. He spits up bits of food hours later than consumed and we are worried that the acid coming up will hurt his throat/stomach lining.
The testing involves fasting as well, which we are not looking forward to because he is very rigid when it comes to food and eating at the appropriate times, food is a motivator for him.
If anyone has any advice regarding the tests or symptoms, please email me

gsspence@shaw.ca

thanks,

Stephanie

[Jemma Lee]

Hi Jamie,

The history of autism funding in BC is intimately connected to the history of the Auton case. I am not sure about all the details, but here is a bit of info to start with:

March 1999 (Auton #1):

In August 1998, families applied to the BC Supreme Court for certification of a Class Action Proceeding, against the government for not providing ABA treatment. Judge Allan dismissed the application for Class Action certification, and allowed the families to proceed with a non-class-action lawsuit.

July 2000 (Auton #2):

The BC Supreme Court decided that:
– Autism is a serious mental disability. The inability of the petitioners to access that treatment is primarily an issue of health care, not education or social services.
– The Crown provides no effective treatment for the medical disability of autism.
– The Crown discriminates against the petitioners contrary to Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section Section 15(1) of the Canadian Constitution, by failing to accommodate their disadvantaged position by providing effective treatment for autism. It is beyond debate that the appropriate treatment is ABA or early intensive behavioural intervention.
– The remedy is to be decided later. See Auton #3.
* Note that the court decided not to mandate "Lovass" ABA, and this gave the government a lot of room to maneuver.

February 2001 (Auton #3):

This is the case that would decide how much treatment amounted to "Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention." Before this decision, in November 2000 the BC Government submitted the plan for a pilot project to the BC Supreme Court. I think this is the EIBI scam headed by Gerard Kysela, with only 20 hours of intervention per week. The government then hired Pat Mirenda to fake a study and declare that Kysela's program is adequate. Judge Allan released her final decision that:
– Accepted the Crown's proposal as an effective treatment program for children with ASD under six years old.
– Indicated that the Crown's decision to provide the program only to children under the age of six was reasonable based on the evidence at trial.

October 2002 (appeal of Auton #2):

In February 2001, the BC Government went to the BC Court of Appeal to reverse the Auton #2 decision. The families submitted a cross-appeal:
a) To provide individual funding to families of children with autism to be applied to their treatment program of choice,
b) To fund future costs of the therapy no matter the age of their child (beyond age 6).
The BC Court of Appeal decided that:
– The appeal is dismissed.
– The cross-appeal is virtually dismissed.

November 2004 (the final appeal of Auton #2):

In November 2002, the BC Government went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal Auton #2. In May 2003 the court accepted the application. On Nov 19 2004, the court handed down the death sentence to the children.

Jemma

[Stella Li]

Kelly,

We have materials and parent package for new parents like you.
Call or email me.
604 434 0880
shui @ autismbc . ca

Stella

[Deleted User]

Hey everyone, can someone give me a brief history of Autism funding? like when it was implimented in BC and what was going on before that funding was set up. i can be emailed at jamielee09@shaw.ca

[Kelly Moonie]

Kelly here again,

I thought I would include my email address if anyone wanted to get ahold of me directly. Thanks for all the helpful advise in advance =)

[Andrea Finch]

Hey Kelly,

Don't want to overwhelm you here but feel free to contact me as well if you think it will help. We've been running our programme for several years and so may have something to offer as well.

If you want one more contact, I can be reached at andreafinch@shaw.ca.

Cheers – and hang in there!

Andrea

[Author]

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