[FEAT BC Admin]

This area is for discussions in general topics.

Topic

[Diane T]

The Mid-Island ASBC Community Group’s January meeting will be held:

7 – 9 p.m.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Room 215, Building 356
Malaspina University College
Nanaimo

Topic: Other Parents are our Best Resource – Part 2

We will continue the discussion begun in December. Come meet with parents walking similar paths. We will have a discussion group about treatment topics raised at the meeting, and share some refreshments.

This meeting will be open to parents only.

Please email diane_t@shaw.ca if you plan to attend, so that we may plan appropriate seating and refreshments.

Hope to see you there.

Thanks.
Diane

[Deleted User]

Need Your Help

Dr Sallows has agreed to do a reprise presentation of his recently published research findings on the amelioration of Autism, as well as a live demonstration of the Lovaas-ABA technique.

Tentative dates are: Jan 19 – 23. We are hoping for this to fly at at least one of the following provincial institutions: UBC, SFU, Langara College, BCIT, or UVIC.

The idea is that this event would be presented through the Undergrad Students Union, NOT through a faculty. We have a full proposal drafted and need help contacting the societies to make this a “GO” ASAP; coverage of the event through CUP (Canadian University Press) may also be forthcoming.

Should you have the time and energy to contact student unions – we could really use your help to get this event off the ground, and make sure it happens. Please email taml@telus.net; subject “Sallows Presentation”.

Again, I really need your help, or this event will not happen.

t

[Deleted User]

Interesting article from the UK, which I had to censor a little ?

George

'If I was offered one wish, I'd ask not to have Tourette's for one week. But it won't happen, will it?'

<http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1676456,00.html>

Fifteen-year-old Jessica Raines talks to Simon Hattenstone about a life spent watching her mouth – and her experiences in a new reality TV show

Monday January 2, 2006
The Guardian

A teenage girl answers the phone. Her voice is angelic, her manners impeccable. "Would you like to speak to my mum?" she says. "Can you hold on, please? I'm so sorry, she's just cooking at the moment, would it be possible to phone back in, literally, five minutes? Thanks so much. Bye."
Two days later, I meet Jessica Raines and her parents, Alan and Anne, at their home in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Anne and Alan are welcoming. Anne makes tea while Alan, an optician, tells me about his recently purchased print of a Bob Dylan painting by guitarist Ron Wood. Jessica smiles and says hello. At the same time, her index finger shoots up, fast, aggressive and unambiguous. "Oh, sorry," she says.
"THNK," she shouts. The voice, which is shrill and unlike her conversational tone, seems to come from deep within her – as if it were an unwitting act of ventriloquism. The word sounds like "think", but she says it is not – it's just a sound, a verbal tic, she has made for years.
"THNK," she shouts louder.
Jessica has Tourette syndrome, a neurobiological condition that causes tics. Tourette's tics are both physical and verbal – movements or sounds that are repeated again and again. Physical tics range from blinking to sniffing, eye-rolling, nodding, twitching, throat-clearing, head-shaking, touching the ground every few paces, touching other people, and rude signs. Most of us do these things at some point and to some degree, but for Touretters they are compulsions. The two main verbal tics are coprolalia (involuntary swearing and bad language) and echolalia (repeating words over and over).
The part of the brain that normally censors the flow of information from brain to mouth or hand is not working as it should be in people with Tourette syndrome. As a result, they say and do things that many of us might be tempted to but have the sense or control not to. They trample all over taboos, causing huge offence (racial or ethnic slurs are common) and endangering themselves (Jessica shouts "BOMB!" at airports). The figures for Tourette's are variable – conservative estimates suggest one in 2,000 people may be affected; other studies suggest it may be as high as one in 100.
Jessica's parents knew there was something different about her from day one, even though they couldn't pin it down. Before long, she started to make strange noises. Jessica emits a snort and high-pitched "EH" as if to order. "If anybody mentions it, I have to do it. THNK!" she says. The sentence is calm and lucid until the spasm of the last word.
The physical tics caused Jessica's parents most concern in the early days. "We'd be walking along the pavement and she'd be bobbing and jumping towards the traffic. It was a nightmare," Anne says. "On the way back, she was running backwards. These tics are much better now." Having said that, her parents still have to put the baby lock on the car door, otherwise Jessica will open it with the car in motion.
"THNK!" Jessica barks.
She was first diagnosed with Asperger syndrome – a form of autism associated with obsessive-compulsive tendencies and an a inability to "read" social situations – when she was five years old. The diagnosis of Tourette's was added later. Anne says it was a relief having something to explain Jessica's behaviour.
For Jessica, who is 16 next week and of above average intelligence, it has always been difficult to find a suitable school. In year nine, she was asked to leave a school after two years. A couple of schools then felt unable to accommodate her after an overnight trial. Anne says Jessica is now experiencing relative happiness and stability at a boarding school in Somerset. "No, Mum," she shouts. "They put pressure on me, and it winds me up. They are trying to make me control something I can't."
"The problem is when the tics get too intrusive in the class for the other kids …" Alan says.
"Yeah," Jess shouts. "But they don't need to do it like that. Can you tell them about that, Mum, tell them how pressurised it is?" She later admits that the school has been pretty good.
She is sitting next to her mother, leaning into her bosom. Jessica is sucking her thumb. "She uses her thumb as a way of not ticcing," Anne says.
Jessica features in an ITV documentary, screening tomorrow night, in which five British children with the syndrome go to "Tourette's camp" in the US. The programme is fascinating, but unfortunately seems more interested in the reality TV-style conflict than exploring the condition. Jessica and her parents feel, with some justification, that she has been portrayed unfairly as a "bit**". At one point, Jessica is accused by a fellow Touretter of feigning her tics – the programme never gives her a right of reply. "That's despicable," Alan says. "Why would anybody want to feign such symptoms in the first place?"
Jessica is also, bizarrely, "accused" of making friends with non-Touretters on the camp. The family feel the documentary failed to understand the complexity of Tourette's. For example, there are times when she will swear like a "normal" teenager (it's easy to tell when because Jessica does so in her normal voice) but the documentary appears to find this difficult to reconcile with traditional Tourette's.
"Good television is what they wanted, so they made me look like the baddie. They did 90 hours of filming and they concentrated on the one fight," Jessica says.
Certainly, Jessica today seems less b****y and more considered than the Jessica of Teenage Tourette's Camp. Sure, she's obstreperous, but often she's incredibly sweet. Her tics also appear to be considerably worse than the last half of the television programme suggests – although they do ease up as she relaxes.
"We had a screening a while ago, and Jessica cried her eyes out at the end," Alan says. "She said, 'Everybody's going to hate me from that, they're going to think I'm horrible.'"
An ITV publicist says: "We feel that the film is a fair and true representation of what happened at the camp. We feel that the programme is sensitive to all parties involved and to the central issues of Tourette's. We also strongly believe that it tells the story of their trip in an open and impartial way. It was certainly not edited consciously to portray any of the teens in a particular way. Because we are dealing with young, vulnerable people, we were at pains to be as even-handed as possible, whilst accurately reflecting what happened."
When Jessica was very young, she says, she was not bothered by how others perceived her. "Then when I was seven or eight, I got really embarrassed because I could see people were looking at me. From that day on, I've not been able to do some things I want to." Such as? "I stopped going to the cinema. But I have started again. I didn't like going to public places."
Do people get annoyed with her? "Yeah."
And does she get annoyed with them? "Yeah! We just tell them that I can't help it. P*** OFF! Sorry. Most people understand, but you do get some people …"
Tourette's sounds exhausting, I say.
"Yeah, it is tiring sometimes."
Anne: "Once the film's on …"
Jessica: "Yeah, I watch it, yeah …'
Anne: "She gets involved."
Jessica. "Yeah. P*** OFF!"
In 2003, the tics got so bad that Jessica stopped going out. It was just too uncomfortable.
What's the worst thing? "The verbal tics. NIGGER!" Now the voice sounds so deep within her, and so alien – like Chucky in the horror film Child's Play. "So yeah. Sorry. PAKI! I'm not racist, but I say the worst possible thing that comes into my head." It was back in 2003 that she first found herself using the word "nigger" after listening to the rapper Eve.
She takes offence when people call her racist. "I've got loads and loads of black friends. When I say it, I won't make a reaction, I'll just act normal. If somebody comes up to me and says, 'What are you saying?' I'll say, 'Oh sorry, I've got Tourette syndrome,' and 99% of the people who are black will say, 'Oh, I'm sorry.' Even the baddest people, like the girls who are all ghetto and who will smack you and they just go, 'Safe, safe, that's fine', and they're normally really good about it. People have called me racist in the past and I could just kill them. Accusing people of racism is a bad offence." She's becoming worked up.
Anne: "Yes, don't shout, Jessica."
What is the effect on everyday life for her parents? Do they ever feel desperate?
"Absolutely. Regularly," Anne says. She says she swings between despair and relative optimism about Jessica's future – yes, she believes Jessica could hold down a job if she found a sympathetic employer.
Jessica gives me the finger, sharp and nasty.
What if I give finger back? "Oh, don't," she pleads gently. "I'll do it even more. Sorry."
Anne: "We've had times when Jess has behaved so badly that I could … well I have, I've just walked out, haven't I? Got in my car and gone somewhere else just because I couldn't stand it any more."
Jessica: "PIG ***K."
Anne: "She has difficulty concentrating, so doing homework is a difficulty."
Jessica: "I DO DO IT."
Anne: "I'm just trying to explain how the rows start. On the internet, they call it rages. Rages, not tantrums. Rages. One bloke described it as a black cloud and they could see it coming but there was nothing they could do – once it spirals, they can't get out of it. They see it coming, and they just explode."
Touretters often have rages, and can't reason their way out of them. The more they are challenged, the louder and more unreasonable they can become. As soon as the rage is over, it's as if it never happened.
Alan: "They are not as verbally violent as they used to be, and don't last as long. You almost try to control them, don't you? Sometimes."
How does Jess feel about the rages? "It makes me feel really bad afterwards, but at the time I'm just really angry so I don't care."
Anne: "The argument is, 'Will you listen to me? You're not actually listening to me, you don't get it.' What it actually means is, 'You're not agreeing with me'.
"**** up!" Jessica shouts in her normal voice.
The Tourette Syndrome Association tries to present the condition in a positive light – it stresses that many Touretters are successful (Samuel Johnson, Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard), witty, animated, life-of-the-party types. Jessica herself tries to embrace Tourette's and says it is much easier to live with these days, but admits that for much of her life, it has been the most terrible curse.
She says that she found it unbearable at camp meeting a little American girl with Tourette's. "I got really upset looking at her because it was like looking in the mirror. I cried for her because I knew what she had to come. She was eight, and I knew that the next six years are going to be hell for her because it was for me. Puberty's the worst. She'll have tics, problems, everything I had. I don't know how to explain it – it's just everything. Difficulties with friendships."
Jessica doesn't find it difficult making friends, but keeping them is not so easy. Often she knows she is being excluded because her friends are worried she will embarrass them, or friends withdraw because they find her hard work.
Does she think of herself as normal? "Yeah! Course I'm normal," she says instantly. Then she stops. "Well, I'm special. Rare. I'm a rare species." She giggles.
Does she like herself? "Course I like myself." Always? "Well, not when I'm shouting at my parents." I ask her what the worst years were like. "Really hard. Really difficult. Eheheheh!" She's laughing, but she doesn't seem to be finding it funny. "Yeah, just really difficult. That little girl will have a stage where she wants to kill herself. I've had that, haven't I? I really wanted to die.'
Anne: "Yes, you do get quite despondent."
Jessica: "There have been loads of times when I've wanted to die, but you just get through it."
Anne: "She's quite pragmatic."
Jessica takes medication to control her tics, which tend to be at their worst in the teens. Despite everything, she says she feels more upbeat about the future than she has before.
Has Tourette's made life better in any way? "It makes it more funny. My friends like me for me, but sometimes I'm funny, more interesting. Sometimes."
"No, I don't think there's anything better about it," Anne says. "Absolutely not."
Jessica says she'd like to present her own television programme. "Like After Nine. I'll be like, 'I'll see you next week, so f*** off.'" She bursts out laughing.
If she could wave a magic wand to make the Tourette's disappear, would she? She shakes her head. "No. I'd say I want my Tourette's."
Her mum looks appalled. "Would you really? Why do you want to have it when you're 20?"
Jessica: "Because it's me, and I want it to go naturally. I don't know. You don't know what it's like."
Anne: "But it affects you, you can't do all the stuff you want to."
Jessica: "Yeah, but it's me." She stops, and asks if she can have another wave of the wand. "If somebody said to me you've got one wish, I'd say to not have Tourette's for a week and after that decide then. But it's not going to happen, is it?"

· Teenage Tourette's Camp is on ITV tomorrow at 9pm. The Tourette Syndrome (UK) Association helpline: 01892 669151

[Kim Harding]

If anyone in North Delta has therapists that would like to work with another family. Please have them contact me. We are doing an ABA therapy
program for my 3 year old Autistic son and need another person to join our team. The hours will be before 2:30 in the afternoon.

Thanks in advance for any replies
Kim
mybad8@telus.net

[Dave Collyer]

Hi,

re Employer-Employee relatiohships…. I think the issue is more complex then many recognise. Check our CCRAs PDF for more detail. I consulted two lawyers and an accountant re this issue…

re ICBC and Employed vs. Self Employed. I am not sure I understand the issue you are facing. Many Self Employed need Buisness insurance and many who are employees also require the same sort of insurance. For example… a self employed carpenter would need Business Insurance for his/her work vehicle. On the other hand many School Board Employees or folks who work for various community based service agencies (like those agencies that contract with MCFD) also require Business Insurance even thought they are employees. If you need to have a vehicle as a requirment of employment or if you use it while working for an employer in order to carry out the job you were hired for then I think you need a higher level of insurance then the "to and from work/school 6 days a month" insurance catagroy.

Just my 2 cents…

Dave.

[Shelin Tkatch]

Re: Employee or Self-Employed?
That would depend on the arrangement between each therapist and the parents, which is determined at the outset of the relationship. If the parents are not withholding EI, CPP, and taxes from fees paid then you would be considered self-employed.
Shelin Tkatch

[Courtney Mapson]

Hi,
Just a quick question for parents.

Do you know if as therapists, are we classified as employees or are we self-employed?

ICBC is trying to claim that my insurance is not valid b/c it is not business insurance, I only have to and from work and pleasure use.

Your input on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Courtney
cpaigemapson@hotmail.com

[Deleted User]

Registration for Upcoming FEAT workshops:

FEAT of BC is pleased to announce that registration is now available for two upcoming workshops in the new year.

Basic Workshop: An introduction and review of ABA. This workshop will introduce you to the scientifically based field of ABA. Participants will learn terminology as well as recieve hands on practice implementing basic principles and strategies. Correct implementation of the discrete trial, basic prompting, reinforcement and data collection will be some of the topics discussed.

This workshop is open to all who have an interest in ABA and Autism. Registration forms can be found at https://featbc.org/downloads/abtw.pdf
The number of partipants for this workshop has been expanded to meet demand. This workshop often fills quickly and those wishing to attend are encouraged to register early to avoid disappointment.

Intermediate Workshop: An expansion of concepts and strategies intended for those with experience working with children with autism within an ABA home or school based program. Participants MUST have at least 3 months experience and have attended a FEAT of BC basic workshop or a basic workshop by their FEAT of BC recognized consultant. Participants are encouraged to attend the FEAT of BC basic workshop to ensure familiarity with the terms and terminology that will be used in this workshop. This workshop will not focus on reviewing basic terminology.

This is a small seminar based workshop, allowing extensive one-to-one with the instructors. The number of participants is limited. This workshop fills quickly and we encourage participants to register early to avoid disappointment. Registration forms can be found at https://featbc.org/downloads/ibtw.pdf

Registration for the upcoming senior workshop will be posted shortly. Please note that attending the basic and intermediate workshops is highly recommended for those who wish to attend the senior workshop.

[Sabrina Freeman]

FEATBC Chat Board Members,

IMPORTANT!!!

The CKNW discussion that Kandi Kilgour had with Stephen Harper has hit the media! The National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Edmonton Journal, and Vancouver Sun all mentioned Harper’s cold and callus reaction to Kandi’s questions (the articles are posted below).

Now is the time for everyone on the Chat Board (and remember that there are more than 900 of us) to send one letter to all the following e-mails below. If you are outraged but need some help in formulating your letter, just read Isaac’s recent letter on the Chat Board analyzing Stephen Harper’s comments.

The Ottawa Citizen:
letters@thecitizen.canwest.com

The Edmonton Journal:
letters@thejournal.canwest.com

The Vancouver Sun:
letters@thejournal.canwest.com

Here are the email addresses to send your letters to all the MPs and Senators:

bqmem@parl.gc.ca
cpcmem@parl.gc.ca
indmem@parl.gc.ca
libmem@parl.gc.ca
ndpmem@parl.gc.ca
sens@sen.parl.gc.ca

Writing and sending these letters will be time well spent in the battle to have our children once and for all included in Canada’s health care system.

Sabrina Freeman, Ph.D.
Executive Director,
FEATBC

——————————————-
Articles:

Harper doesn't want to 'sing and dance and act' for cameras: Tory leader says
his focus is on getting results, not on showing sensitive side
The Vancouver Sun

Dec 19, 2005
Page: A5
Section: News
Edition: Final
Dateline: VICTORIA
Byline: Peter O'Neil

VICTORIA — Conservative leader Stephen Harper, criticized for showing little
emotion as he tries to sell his family-friendly platform to middle-class
Canadians, admits he could have voiced a little more empathy during one of those
painfully awkward moments in a politician's life.

A young Vancouver mother named Candy, obviously struggling with a crying baby,
pleaded during an open-line radio program on Friday for Harper's help in getting
medical coverage for her four-year-old autistic daughter.

It was a pitch a politician like Bill "I feel your pain" Clinton would have
knocked out of the park. Harper, a father of two young children, might have
said: "Candy, I know how challenging it is to raise healthy children. This must
be a difficult situation."

Instead Harper's first reaction was to tell Candy that health care is under
provincial, not federal, jurisdiction.

When asked about it during a weekend interview, Harper immediately acknowledged
he could have handled it differently.

"It's funny," he told The Vancouver Sun in an exclusive interview here at the
end of a four-day B.C. campaign stop.

"You think of things, you know, only after. I sort of wish I'd spent a little
more time on her situation."

He said he'd never dealt with the autism issue, which was decided last year when
the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that provincial health plans don't need to
cover costs for autistic children that can run up to $60,000 per child a year.

He also felt pressed because CKNW host Peter Warren is known for cutting off
long-winded guests and callers, and barking "on with it!" when someone
hesitates.

"I was searching my mind for what precisely our policy position is on this. You
know how it is — you get a lot of these thrown at you. You try to strike a
balance between emotional content and policy content," he said.

"And I guess the nature of me, the nature of my personality, and the nature of
my party, is, we want to think about what we can actually do. That's the most
important thing.

"It's great and obviously important to tell people we feel their pain. But for
me it doesn't mean much unless somebody gives me some idea that we're going to
improve it."

Harper was also questioned over the weekend about his emotionally detached
approach during the TV debates, when Prime Minister Paul Martin waved his arms
and spoke patriotically on national unity and Canada-U.S. relations.

"I think the problem with Mr. Martin's passion is, it's all phoney," Harper told
reporters, noting that when Martin headed Canada Steamship Lines, he registered
some vessels in foreign countries to save taxes.

"It's great to wrap yourself in the flag, but when your own business interests
are at stake you fly the flag of another country."

Harper said his objective is to not "sing and dance and act" for the cameras.

"I'm there to communicate a direction for the country, and give serious and
intelligent answers to people."

Harper's aides, while emphasizing Harper's family and bringing his personable
spouse Laureen Teskey to as many events as possible, haven't tried any image
make-over to help him connect to Canadians.

They said Harper's former leader in the old Reform party, Preston Manning, was
spot-on when he wrote last week that Harper isn't necessarily everyone's first
choice to go out for beers with on Friday nights.

But, as Manning wrote metaphorically, voting for the cerebral Harper to deal
with complex problems like the economy, national unity, or health care, is like
choosing an expert furnace repairman to fix a broken furnace rather than hiring
the friendly handyman who may not have expertise.

"Mr. Harper will fix your furnace, and more important than that he'll understand
why it's broken," said Harper's communications director, William Stairs.

Interview with Stephen Harper.

Colour Photo: Jonathan Hayward, Canadian Press /
Conservative leader Stephen Harper speaks during a radio interview
at CKNW in Vancouver Friday. Harper has come under fire for his cold
response to a caller begging for help with the cost of raising her autistic
daughter.
______________________________________________

Don't waste votes on NDP: Harper: Campaigning in B.C.
National Post

Dec 19, 2005
Page: A4
Section: Canada
Edition: All but Toronto
Dateline: VICTORIA
Byline: Peter O'Neil

VICTORIA – British Columbians have a unique opportunity to turn Canada's
political establishment "on its ear" on Jan. 23 and shouldn't waste their votes
on the NDP, Stephen Harper says.

The Conservative leader made the pronouncement on the weekend after unveiling a
broad "Stand up for B.C." platform that includes the promise of more House of
Commons seats for B.C., Alberta and Ontario — a potentially risky move in
Quebec because it would reduce slightly that province's relative share of seats
in Parliament.

Mr. Harper, in an intense three-way race with the Liberals and New Democratic
Party for B.C.'s 36 seats, predicted Canadians will be staying up late on
election night to see if West Coast voters will boot the Liberals from office.

The Conservatives are locked in a battle with the NDP in many parts of B.C.,
fighting over the populist, anti-establishment vote that swung to Reform in the
1990s but has started moving back to the NDP.

"British Columbia will have a decisive impact on this election," Mr. Harper told
The Vancouver Sun. "British Columbia could elect some opposition MPs for a party
[the NDP] that won't change a government, or they can elect opposition MPs for a
party [the Tories] that's going to throw the entire political establishment out
on its ear."

Mr. Harper, who was criticized for showing little emotion as he tries to sell
his family-friendly platform to middle-class Canadians, admits he could have
voiced a little more empathy during one of those painfully awkward moments in a
politician's life.

A young Vancouver mother named Candy, obviously struggling with a crying baby,
pleaded during an open-line radio program on Friday for Mr. Harper's help in
getting medical coverage for her four-year-old autistic daughter.

Mr. Harper's first reaction was to tell Candy health care is under provincial,
not federal, jurisdiction.

When asked about it during a weekend interview, Mr. Harper immediately and
candidly acknowledged he could have handled it differently.

"It's funny," he said. "You think of things, you know, only after. I sort of
wish I'd spent a little more time on her situation."

He said he'd never dealt with the autism issue, which was decided last year when
the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that provincial health plans don't need to
cover costs for autistic children that can run up to $60,000 per child a year.

He said he also felt pressed because CKNW host Peter Warren is known for cutting
off long-winded guests and callers, and barking "on with it!" when someone
hesitates.

Mr. Harper's B.C. platform includes the vow to strike two judicial inquiries,
one on the 1985 Air-India terrorist disaster and the other on missing Fraser
River sockeye salmon.

He also said he'd reconsider Ottawa's planned privatization of the Ridley Coal
Terminal in northern B.C., consider compensation for victims of B.C.'s
$1.5-billion leaky condo crisis, bring back a dedicated police force for
Canadian ports, re-establish an army base on the West Coast, and help fund a
costly treatment plant so the city of Victoria no longer dumps raw sewage into
the Pacific Ocean.

Black & White Photo: A radio microphone.
__________________________________________________
Harper promises more seats for West, Ontario: Attacks B.C. NDP vote
National Post

Dec 19, 2005
Page: A7
Section: Canada
Edition: Toronto
Dateline: VICTORIA
Byline: Peter O'Neil

VICTORIA – British Columbians have a unique opportunity to turn Canada's
political establishment "on its ear" on Jan. 23 and shouldn't waste their votes
on the NDP, Stephen Harper says.

The Conservative leader made the pronouncement on the weekend after unveiling a
broad "Stand up for B.C." platform that includes the promise of more House of
Commons seats for B.C., Alberta and Ontario — a potentially risky move in
Quebec because it would reduce slightly that province's relative share of seats
in Parliament.

Canada's current formula for redistributing seats every 10 years is biased
against Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. because Quebec and the smaller provinces have
a constitutionally guaranteed minimum number of seats.

Mr. Harper predicted that B.C. would get four more seats to go to 40, Alberta
two or three more than its current 28, and Ontario would go from 106 to 116.

Quebec, which has 75 seats in the 308-seat chamber, would see its relative share
of seats compared to larger provinces drop slightly under the Tory plan.

"There may be some reaction [in Quebec] on that, but we're simply doing a fairer
system here," Mr. Harper said, stressing that the Constitution intended to have
provinces represented based on population.

"We've departed simply too far from the reality."

He said there are "other ways" to deal with Quebec's concerns, and said he will
reveal those plans later in the campaign.

Mr. Harper, in an intense three-way race with the Liberals and New Democratic
Party for B.C.'s 36 seats, predicted Canadians will be staying up late on
election night to see if West Coast voters will boot the Liberals from office.

The Conservatives are locked in a battle with the NDP in many parts of B.C.,
fighting over the populist, anti-establishment vote that swung to Reform in the
1990s but has started moving back to the NDP.

"British Columbia will have a decisive impact on this election," Mr. Harper told
The Vancouver Sun. "British Columbia could elect some opposition MPs for a party
[the NDP] that won't change a government, or they can elect opposition MPs for a
party [the Tories] that's going to throw the entire political establishment out
on its ear."

Mr. Harper, who was criticized for showing little emotion as he tries to sell
his family-friendly platform to middle-class Canadians, admits he could have
voiced a little more empathy during one of those painfully awkward moments in a
politician's life.

A young Vancouver mother named Candy, obviously struggling with a crying baby,
pleaded during an open-line radio program on Friday for Mr. Harper's help in
getting medical coverage for her four-year-old autistic daughter.

Mr. Harper's first reaction was to tell Candy health care is under provincial,
not federal, jurisdiction.

When asked about it during a weekend interview, Mr. Harper immediately and
candidly acknowledged he could have handled it differently.

"It's funny," he said. "You think of things, you know, only after. I sort of
wish I'd spent a little more time on her situation."

He said he'd never dealt with the autism issue, which was decided last year when
the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that provincial health plans don't need to
cover costs for autistic children that can run up to $60,000 per child a year.

Mr. Harper's B.C. platform includes the vow to strike two judicial inquiries,
one on the 1985 Air-India terrorist disaster and the other on missing Fraser
River sockeye salmon.

He also said he'd reconsider Ottawa's planned privatization of the Ridley Coal
Terminal in northern B.C., consider compensation for victims of B.C.'s
$1.5-billion leaky condo crisis, bring back a dedicated police force for
Canadian ports, re-establish an army base on the West Coast, and help fund a
costly treatment plant so the city of Victoria no longer dumps raw sewage into
the Pacific Ocean.

Black & White Photo: Ed Kaiser, CanWest News Service / Stephen Harper addresses
a rally in Edmonton on the weekend.
_________________________________________
Harper chides himself
The Edmonton Journal

Dec 19, 2005
Page: A4
Section: News
Edition: Final
Dateline: VICTORIA

VICTORIA – Conservative Leader Stephen Harper admits he could have been more
empathetic during a painful moments in a politician's life.

A young Vancouver mother named Candy pleaded during an open-line radio program
on Friday for Harper's help in getting medical coverage for her four-year-old
autistic daughter. Harper told her health care is under provincial, not federal,
jurisdiction.

"You think of things, you know, only after. I sort of wish I'd spent a little
more time on her situation," he later said in an interview.
___________________________________________
Harper tells B.C. voters they can make an impact: Tory leader unveils platform
that includes more western seats and a military base
The Ottawa Citizen

Dec 19, 2005
Page: A4
Section: News
Edition: Final
Dateline: VICTORIA
Byline: Peter O'Neil

VICTORIA – British Columbians have a unique opportunity to turn Canada's
political establishment "on its ear" on Jan. 23 and shouldn't waste their votes
on the NDP, says Conservative leader Stephen Harper.

The Tory leader made the pronouncement on the weekend after unveiling a broad
"Stand up for B.C." platform that includes the promise of more House of Commons
seats for B.C., Alberta and Ontario — a potentially risky move in Quebec
because it would slightly reduce that province's relative share of seats in
Parliament.

Mr. Harper, in an intense three-way race with the Liberals and New Democratic
Party for B.C.'s 36 seats, predicted that Canadians will be staying up late on
election night to see if West Coast voters will boot the Liberals from office.

The Conservatives are locked in a battle with the NDP in many parts of B.C.,
fighting over the populist, anti-establishment vote that swung to Reform in the
1990s, but has started moving back to the NDP.

"British Columbia will have a decisive impact on this election," Mr. Harper said
in an exclusive interview. "British Columbia could elect some opposition MPs for
a party (the NDP) that won't change a government, or they can elect opposition
MPs for a party (the Tories) that's going to throw the entire political
establishment out on its ear."

Mr. Harper's B.C. platform includes the vow to strike two judicial inquiries,
one on the 1985 Air India terrorist disaster and the other on missing Fraser
River sockeye salmon, and to build a military base in the province.

Canada's current formula for redistributing seats every 10 years is biased
against Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. because Quebec and the smaller provinces have
constitutionally guaranteed seat minimums.

Mr. Harper predicted that B.C. would get four more seats to go to 40, Alberta
two or three more than its current 28, and Ontario would go from 106 to 116.

Quebec, with 75 seats in the 308-seat chamber, would see its relative share of
seats compared to larger provinces drop slightly under the Tory plan.

"There may be some reaction (in Quebec) on that, but we're simply doing a fairer
system here," he said, stressing that the Constitution intended to have
provinces represented based on population.

"We've departed simply too far from the reality."

He said there are "other ways" to deal with Quebec's concerns, and said he'll
reveal those plans later in the campaign.

Mr. Harper said there could be delays in passing the legislation, since
Elections Canada currently only redistributes seats every 10 years after the
national census. He said another problem is the lack of space in the House of
Commons, which is supposed to undergo a major renovation.

The Conservative leader also candidly admitted he could have voiced a little
more empathy during one of those painfully awkward moments in a politician's
life.

A young Vancouver mother named Candy pleaded during an open-line radio program
on Friday for help in getting medical coverage for her four-year-old autistic
daughter.

Mr. Harper's first reaction was to tell Candy health care is under provincial
jurisdiction.

When asked about it during a weekend interview, Mr. Harper acknowledged he could
have handled it differently.

"It's funny, you think of things, you know, only after. I sort of wish I'd spent
a little more time on her situation."

The Winter Campaign

Photo: Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press / Conservative leader Stephen Harper
was back in Ottawa yesterday with his children, Rachel and Ben. The family
attended Ben's weekly hockey game.
____________________________________________________
I'm an 'average Canadian,' says Harper: Tory leader says he's just a
middle-class dad whose wife buys the eggs and milk
The Vancouver Sun

Dec 17, 2005
Page: A6
Section: News
Edition: Final
Byline: Peter O'Neil

Conservative leader Stephen Harper, contrasting himself to millionaire Prime
Minister Paul Martin, said Friday he's an "average Canadian" who will represent
middle-class values.

"You know I've never been that conscious of image, but I think it is a reality,"
Harper said during an open-line radio broadcast here prior to Friday night's
crucial English debate.

"I am in fact an average Canadian. I'm from a middle-class background, I have
middle-class kids who use the public health care system. You know, obviously,
we're trying to make sure people understand who I am and the things we stand
for."

Harper was then challenged by CKNW interviewer Peter Warren to guess the price
of a litre of milk or a dozen eggs. The Tory said he didn't know, but guessed
they would cost $3 each.

Warren told him that milk was going for $1.79 a litre at a local supermarket,
and eggs for $2.52.

"It's been a while since I bought them myself. My wife does the shopping," said
Harper, who earns $216,000 a year and lives with his family rent-free in the
government's Stornaway mansion in Ottawa's upscale Rockcliffe Park
neighbourhood.

Harper's campaign platform, aimed at winning the support of Canada's middle
class voters, includes a GST cut, annual grants to parents of pre-schoolers, and
tax breaks for hockey dads and soccer moms.

The platform is part of a broader campaign to convince Canadians not to buy into
the Liberal argument that Harper has a right-wing "hidden" or "scary" agenda.

Harper, whose support plummeted in the 2004 campaign when he began talking about
forming a majority government, has twice this week stressed that he wouldn't
introduce obviously unpopular legislation in a minority government situation.

"I think a number of the things we're running on are very popular," said Harper,
whose ability to win a majority is very limited due to Tory weakness in Quebec.

"I would obviously anticipate that the minority Parliament would be prepared to
pass the things the government ran on, that the government was clear that it ran
on, and that Canadians wanted to see."

Later in Friday's open-line program, Harper was asked by a mother of a young
child with autism if he'd back the demand for an expanded medicare program to
cover the high costs of treating autistic children.

"How do I get her help?" said the caller, Candy, who was dealing with a crying
baby as she pleaded over the phone.

"I can't see how politicians can say they're against disabled kids. This is a
no-brainer."

"I appreciate the question and it has come up before," Harper replied.

"The truth of the matter of course is that what actually is covered under health
care is determined by the provinces under the provincial health insurance
plans."

Harper said he would encourage premiers to follow court decisions, and added
that he believed there had been a recent court decision that supports expanded
aid for parents of autistic kids, though he didn't identify the decision.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in November, 2004, that the B.C. government
wasn't obliged to cover costs for the treatment that can be as high as $60,000
annually per child. The ruling struck down two lower-court decisions.
____________________________________________

[Elna Sund]

Happy holidays everyone!

I was at Collins Educational (by Superstore on Maine and Marine) and they have stocked up on wonderful toys and games and stimuli!

I saw many Listening Lotto packs as well as other listening games (objects, actions etc…) by LDA.

Many many Judy Instructo puzzles! They have giant floor puzzles that are on sale (1/2 off!)

LDA and High Five Learning stimuli (objects, emotions, sequecning) are all stocked up!

They have some great imaginary toys– castles, airport, doctors kit, tool kit etc…

If you get a chance, stop by Collins to stock up on all the useful resources!
Elna
Lead Therapist

[Author]

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