[FEAT BC Admin]

In this topic area, discussion is on all issues relating to setting up and running a home-based intervention program. Please feel free to bring up any problems or suggestions. Parents can help each other greatly by sharing information and giving suggestions.

In addition to parents helping parents, A.B.A. professionals on in the Discussion Group can also help provide insight and guidance.

Topic

[Ursula Lee]

I am just getting my own program started. I have decided to treat my therapists as independent contractors who are self employed so I do not have to do any payroll deductions. As I understand it (but note, I am not a tax expert or accountant, just a humble parent navigating these new waters), as long as you are not the sole source of their income, you are OK to do this.
I spoke with someone from WCB today as I am concerned about coverage should anyone (who hasn't already got WCB coverage) get injured while working in my home, for eg slipping on the ice while walking up my driveway. You can get WCB insurance for that sort of thing(I don't think your home insurance will cover that sort of thing if the person is working in your home). It is inexpensive (0.89% of total amount paid to the individual) and relatively easy to do. Go to WorkSafebc.com or call 604-276-3100 or 1-888-621-7233.

[Debra Antifaev]

It's supposed to be complicated, Ivy. I have to follow on the coat-tails of the justifiably angry Stephen.
The Government wants this whole process to be very difficult and daunting so that people, already devastated with a special needs child, will not attempt their own program or demand money that is rightfully theirs!!
This is also a pretty good way of making those discredited Government programs that DO NOT offer effective treament (read free babysitting with a wait-list) looked tempting to those already exhausted by the process.
Do not be put off, Ivy, take some time and go to the FEAT meeting, call the ASBC, find a friend, read Stephen's post, get angry at the MCFD putting you through all this unnecessarily and do not take your advice from the Government.

Good Luck!

Deb

[Stephen Paperman]

To the new parents:

YOU ARE NOT EMPLOYERS SO DON'T LET THE GOVERNMENT TALK YOU INTO BECOMING EMPLOYERS. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COLLECT OR REMIT CPP. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COLLECT OR REMIT UIC. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COLLECT OR REMIT OR DEAL WITH WCB.

Think of it this way, people: When you go to the doctor, is he your employee? No? How about psychologists? Physios? Nurses? You see where this is going, don't you? Your therapists and consultants are professionals. They are self-employed. They are selling you their services, just as they sell their services to other families. They should invoice you every month (or whatever period you agree to with them) for the total of those services, and you should write them a cheque and get a receipt for the payment.

There is NO advantage and MANY disadvantages for turning these people into your "employees," both to you and to them, and the only people whose interests it serves are the evildoers in the BC government, the same people who are still fighting tooth and nail to not give you a dime. NEVER forget that the pitiful excuses for funding that exist ONLY exist because of Auton. And if — God forbid — Auton is defeated in the Supreme Court of Canada, then that funding will be cut off faster than you can say "lying hypocritical sons of ….."

So NO, you do NOT have to do a "payroll." NO, you do NOT have to withhold taxes or contribute to benefits. All you have to do is take in invoices, write cheques, collect receipts, and file them with the government bureaucrats as proof you are spending the money on "approved" expenses.

If you don't want to believe me, visit any reputable accountant and explain the situation and ask him or her. The government details are irrelevant — simply explain that you are hiring therapists and consultants, tell the accountant about their services, and be sure to explain that these people do not exclusively work with your child — that they also work with other children in other families that have nothing to do with you and yours.

Last Paperman rule of the day — take it or leave it:

If the government tells you something, whether that be in the person of a social worker, regional manager or any other such bureaucrat, assume the truth lies in a 180-degree direction away from the statement, and then phone Jean or Sabrina and find out the truth. This technique has already saved my family from disaster on several occasions. By the way, Jean and Sabrina, if you're out there, thank you. And my apologies if I just increased your voice mails in need of return.

S.

[Ivy Mui]

Hi everyone,

My 4 year old son is new to the ABA program. We are ready to set up a home base therapy program for him. Does anyone know how to register yourself as an employer through revenue Canada? Does that mean we have to do payroll? This could be time consuming cause we already have a child needs extra support and we have to do all this in order to get the IEII funding. We wish things could be less complicated.

[Mike & Jean]

ATTENTION PARENTS, THERAPISTS, CONSULTANTS, SCHOOL PERSONNEL

Dr. Bridget Taylor is coming to speak in Victoria, on Friday October 22nd. Dr. Taylor is a pre-eminent authority in the design and implementation of A.B.A. programs. This is a rare opportunity for us in B.C. to see someone of this calibre. I have seen Dr. Taylor speak a number of times and cannot recommend strongly enough that parents, therapists, consultants, speech paths and any school personnel involved with children in A.B.A. programs attend. October 22nd is a provincial professional development day for school personnel in B.C. Parents – make sure your teacher, S.E.A., resource teacher etc. attend this workshop. This is true professional development.

For registration information, please contact:

Arbutus Coast Presentations, Inc.
1691 Lands End Road
Sidney, B.C.,
V8l 5L5

Telephone: 250-655-4999
FAX: 250-655-4989
Cell: 250-882-1116

http://www.ArbutusCoast.com
ArbutusCoast@shaw.ca

[Deleted User]

2004-2005 ASBC|North Shore Lecture Series

Welcome Back! Below is the fall-winter schedule for the 2004-2005 ASBC|North Shore Lecture Series. We’ve added a lot of new topics and have reprised some old favorites. We will try to post detailed topic descriptions and meeting agendas 1-2 weeks prior to the lecture date.

If you would like to be added to our email reminder list please email anissalalani@shaw.ca subject: ASBC Lecture Series.

If you are unable to attend because you live in a different location (i.e. Island, interior, etc.), but would really like to see a particular presentation please email librarian@autismbc.ca subject: ASBC Lecture Series to request a VHS/DVD of the presentation for review.

If you would like to request that a particular speaker come to your area and are willing to organize the event, please email librarian@autismbc.ca and we will work with you to help make this happen.

Please know that all are welcome, entrance is by donation, and we hope to see you there. We will help you slay your giant!

Tamara & Anissa

________
2004-2005 ASBC|North Shore Lecture Series

-> September
School is NOW in Session: A Presentation on IEPs and Effective School Advocacy including writing IEPs and School Treatment Plans that work; Effectively Managing the Home/School Relationship; How to Take Data/Track ABC Charts at School; and How to Find the Best School Shadow for Your Child.

Monday, September 27, 2004; 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room; West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> October
Get Organized! Great Tips & Tricks on time saving systems and techniques for your child’s ABA Program

Monday, October 25, 2004
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> November
Get Smart!: A Working Workshop on Bully-Proofing by Teaching Social Cognition, Teamwork, and Pragmatic Language Skills through the use of Drama

Monday, November 22, 2004
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> December
Almost Dried Up: Advanced Programming Stages for Children in Lovaas ABA Programs

Monday, December 13, 2004
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> January
Art of the Fade on the Road to Recovery: How to Successfully get your SEA Out of the Picture

Monday, January 24, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> February
ABA Kids Can Play! How to Teach Sports like Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer and learning to ride a bike as part of your Lovaas Program

Monday, February 28, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> March
We Can Have Fun!: Peer Play for the Mid-Low Functioning Child

Monday, March 14, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> April
Professional Session: Educate Thyself: The Art of Teaching Writing based on the work of author Lucy Caulkins.
Is creative writing part of your home program? Does your child have trouble determining which details are irrelevant and which ones add interest? Do you therapists have trouble knowing just how to coach your child in this area? Then this one is for You! Come learn effective creative writing techniques for the elementary student as presented by a teacher, therapist and SEA Jody Billingsley. Topics covered include developing a sense of Beginning, Middle and End, appropriate detail or having the story make sense, story editing techniques, “conferencing”, and more!

Monday, April 25, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> May
The “How” and “When” to Change Service Providers: What you need to know to protect your child!

Monday, May 23, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

-> June
Ages & Stages for the Low-Mid Functioning Child: Age Appropriate Programming along the spectrum, Setting Appropriate and Realistic End Game Goals and Adult Intervention Models.

Monday, June 13, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Peter J Peters Room
West Van Memorial Library
1950 Marine Dr/22nd

[FEAT BC Admin]

Thank you to Andrew in Ottawa for providing this Globe & Mail piece for our discussion group.

************************************************
The autism spectrum
Source: GAM – Globe & Mail
Sep 18, 2004

Page: A22
Section: Letter to the Editor
Edition: Metro
Byline: LAURIE PEARCE

Toronto
Re Don't Pathologize Us (letter — Sept. 17): Michelle Dawson is an articulate "defender" of people with autism, but she overlooks the fact that autism is more typically called autism spectrum disorder — it's the existence of that spectrum that makes her opposition to therapy for autistic children so misguided. Many parents of children with autism would be grateful beyond words to have a child who could function as Ms. Dawson clearly does, with independence, a job and the ability to communicate her own ideas clearly and forcefully. Unfortunately, at the other end of the spectrum are those who desperately need, along with love and acceptance, therapy and other interventions to have any chance at an independent life.

Yes, society needs to become more accepting of those who differ from the norm, but a child who sits and rocks all day, or who dashes into the street without notice, or who is self-injurious, needs more than acceptance — that child needs help.

I resent Ms. Dawson's implication that because I choose the difficult and expensive path of providing therapy for my autistic son I am judging him to be "defective" or "inferior." Nothing could be further from the truth.

I admire, respect and love my son with all my heart — he is an extraordinary human being. I don't want to change him, I want to help him have a chance to one day write letters to the editor of his own.
************************************************

[FEAT BC Admin]

The ABA cost/benefit research papers Ursula would like to share with our group are now available for download from the FEAT-BC server at this address: http://www.featbc.org/downloads/researchpapers/

________________________________________________
> By Ursula Lee (Lee6) on Friday, September 17, 2004 – 01:57 pm:
>
> To the Michele Dawsons of the world:
>
> There is no question, of course, that ASD is a clinical entity, and
> costly to society in
> terms of purely medical treatment but also in terms of lost productivity
> of those
> caring for affected individuals as well as lost potential productivity
> of the affected
> individuals themselves.
>
> I have several artciles on cost benefit analysis and review artciles of
> ASD as a
> clinical entity which I will be happy to share with anyone who wants. …
>
> Ursula Lee
________________________________________________

[Stephen Paperman]

I very much doubt they will print it, but I sent my answer to the Globe and Mail. I am sorry people, but this kind of crap just makes me sick.

—————-
To the Globe and Mail:

I read with sadness the continuing efforts of one misguided woman to help the governments justify the continued violation of the constitutional rights of Canadian children with autism. I don’t know what disorder Michelle Dawson suffers from, but it is clearly not the same autism my daughter suffers. My daughter cannot send letters to the Globe and Mail or stand up and insult my efforts to help her to the Supreme Court of Canada. Without the medically-necessary Lovaas-ABA therapy she receives, my daughter would still be sitting in the corner, rocking, banging her head against the wall, ignoring the world, needing to be fed, bathed, cleaned, and guarded against the real chance she could do herself or others real physical harm. Instead, with her medically-necessary Lovaas-ABA therapy, my daughter goes to school, has friends who love her, feeds and clothes and bathes herself, and after a long hard struggle, is finally learning to speak. With Lovaas, my daughter has a life. Without it, she did not. To imply, as the Michelle Dawsons of the world do, that you can compare Lovaas-ABA and true autism with deafness and cochlear implants, is a grave insult to both the true autism sufferer and to the hearing impaired. To the true autistic, the choice is quite simply between proper medically necessary Lovaas-ABA treatment, and a life of imprisonment inside the walls of the devastating condition that is autism.

[Ursula Lee]

OK let's see if I can do this

[Author]

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