[Deleted User]

Hello all, anyone interested in attend the FEAT Washington Conference? Here's some hotel info:

"DeeDee sure look forward to having you come south for a few days. The hotel
that we are booking out speakers is the Doubletree Hotel Bellevue, 300 112th
Ave SE, Bellevue, WA (425) 450-4712. In order to get a discount rate, they
were requiring us to guarentee at least 25 rooms. We just didn't feel that
we could do that. But tell them that you are coming with the conference and
that you hope they can give you a discount rate with FEAT of Washington. I
am just getting my payment into them so you might want to wait to book rooms
for two more weeks! They are charging us $79/night for single and $89/night
for doubles.

Hope this helps. I am sorry that they are so expensive. I would even check
with AAA for some less expensive rooms a bit farther from the Meydenbauer
Center.

Rori

[Deleted User]

Just wanted to add my voice to the disapproval of therapists who overcharge.

I've been an ABA therapist for 2 years, and I've only worked with one child. I by no means consider myself experienced enough, and I certainly would not presume to set my own pay scale! I'm not experienced or educated enough in the field to consider myself a true professional. In fact, the only work I will likely be setting a pay scale for in the next five years will be music therapy services, once I've completed my schooling and get accredited!

I'm moving to Vancouver at the end of August (if you haven't contacted me before now, please don't, because I think I'll have to say a definite 'no', much as I hate to do so), and I'm expecting to be paid whatever the parents of the children I work with can afford. (Hopefully that won't mean FREE, since I do need to be able to pay for food and rent and all that other fun stuff…)

With something like ABA, where it is actually not TOO hard to learn to do (by this I mean that you don't have to have a degree in it to be a therapist – obviously you should in order to be a consultant, and it wouldn't be a bad idea in lead or senior therapists, either), line therapists should really watch what they say – comments like the one Michelle quoted at the beginning of her post could end up getting a therapist blacklisted, yes?

-Janna (ABA therapist; hopeful music therapist)

[Deleted User]

Hello everyone,

Its come to my attention through talking to several new parents setting up programs that there are some so called experienced therapists out there who are charging incredibly high rates per hour despite their actual lack of knowledge or experience. One parent was told when she said that she could not afford to pay $20 an hour that there were other families that would and that they were lining up for this therapists services.

There are some fantastic therapists out there who charge $15, $20, $25 for their qualifications as a SENIOR therapists. I have one who works with my children and she is worth every penny. HOwever therapists like her are few and far between.

Please do not be bullied into thinking that if someone has worked in this field they are necessarily worth large sums of money. Call their references. CHeck them out thoroughly. A good therapist can accomplish a lot with your child, but a bad therapist, no matter how well they talk the talk, and how great their intentions, can do serious damage to your program, your team and most importantly your child.

Its easy to feel desperate when wanting to get your program up and running. Don't let a therapist take advantage of this.

Some of the best therapists I've had, the most energetic, most devoted to my children and the easiest to work with started out green – no experience. Starting from scratch is daunting but not as difficult as having to re-start because the so-called qualified, highly experienced person who charges a lot has steered you in the wrong direction.

New parents looking for information on finding, hiring and training new therapists, use this web site, come to our meetings, those of us with experience are here to help

Michelle (mother of Breanna and Griffen, both is Lovaas ABA programs and making wonderful progress)

[Deleted User]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone out there knew how I could contact Steven Johnson, formerly of CEE?
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

[Deleted User]

Feat Washington Conference to be held at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington on Friday, September 28 and Saturday September 29. A third day for a workshop is scheduled for Sunday, September 30th.

The Conference will feature well known speakers David Cilberti, Eric London, David Amaral, Joanne Gerenser, Shala Ala-Rosales and more!
They will speak about a wide range of topics which affect all of us who have or work with children with autism.

Please contact me via e-mail at ddoyle@nwdbc.com for an electronic copy of the flyer or call 275-4537 to have a copy faxed to you.

thanks,

DeeDee

[Deleted User]

Anyone interested in writing letters to politicians to express your views regarding MCF, EIBI or any other issue which affect our children here are some fax numbers that may be of assistance to you:

Honorable Gordon Campbell, Premier
(604) 6605488
Colin Hansen, Minister for Health Services
(250) 3569587
Sindi Hawkins, Minister of Health Planning
(250) 3568269
Linda Reid, Minister of State for Early Childhood Development (604) 7750999
Ted Nebbeling, Minister of State for Community Charter (604) 9810010
Christy Clark, Deputy Premier, Minister of Education (604) 9272051
Geoff Plant, Attorney General
(604) 2414325
Gordon Hogg, Minister of Child and Family Development (604)5414551

Local MLAs telephone numbers can be found in the government blue pages at the back of your white pages phone book.The local constituency office can give you the fax number.

Let's show strength in our numbers. Start writing.

[Deleted User]

Write your letters now!! After all the hard work
done by Featbc, I think we are on the verge of
getting something. I was just in Gordon
Hoggs office (Minister for Children and
Families Development) and his assistant told
me that two more people faxed in complaints
about the substandard EIBI programs and
demands for funding of proper Lovaas
treatment programs. More letters will keep
this headache pounding for Hogg.

Gordon Hogg is very aware of the situation. I
personally sent a letter explaining why I have
turned down the Delta EIBI program on the
basis of total lack of training of the consultants
(they have NO ABA background but wanted to
program my son's ABA therapy??) and that I
refuse to fire my experienced therapists in
order to hire their poorly trained therapists. I
am bringing Hogg a description of what
training a real consultant would have (WEAPs
requirements). So all YOU have to do is write
a letter saying that you are disgusted too and
that you want your program funded. Gordon
Hoggs fax number is (604) 541-4551.

Secondly, Contact the Children's
Commission. I have a complaint accepted
that is currently under review. Basically, my
complaint is that I have the right to have my
program funded.

What I did to make the complaint was I
phoned the children's commission at
1-800-859-1441 and asked them what to do. I
had to first file a complaint with the MCF
quality assurance person (the children's
commission gave me the person in my area)
and once I got admission from him that he
could not accomodate me, I was able to make
my complaint. By the way, try to do everything
through letters, and cc it to Gordon Hogg. In
the letters, write the dates that you expect
replies (the ministry will prolong things
otherwise).

My complaint is the third one to go before the
children's commission. Can you imagine if
they were to receive 50 complaints?

If you don't feel you can write letters, call the
childrens advocate at 775-3203 (possibly only
a lower mainland number). Edna Tepper has
all of the letters I have written and they may be
able to write letters for you. If you, too, get a
complaint accepted by the children's
commission you can e-mail me and I'll let you
know how things are going:
nrwiklo@uniserv
e.com

Two actions by you may make a difference for
your family. Two actions by a lot of us, may
make a difference for all those autistic
children who need ABA therapy.

Just do it!
Nancy (Casey's mom)

[Deleted User]

This email has been sent to you by Mark Doyle
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
FAMILES PROTEST REMOVAL OF AUTISTIC SON
WebPosted Tue Jun 19 19:47:35 2001

ST. HUBERT, QUE.–Parents of autistic children in Quebec held a rally
outside the home of an autistic man in St. Hubert who will be separated
from his family by court order.

Last week a Quebec Superior Court judge ordered the Stuart family to put
their 22-year-old son Harold into a psychiatric hospital for a year.

That came after the local rehabilitation worker said the family couldn't
take care of him adequately. Harold is said to be a difficult, sometimes
violent, patient.

Family members say they are devastated by the ruling and insist they can
look after Harold. His father Brian says the psychiatric hospital will
simply drug and restrain him.

They want the government to give them more support so they can take care
of him at home.

Provincial and national lobby groups agree. They say institutionalizing
autism patients can cost a fortune and the money should be given to
families who would rather care for their children themselves.

Copyright © 2000 CBC All Rights Reserved

[Deleted User]

Whoops, for those wanting to contact me
about WEAP consultants : my e-mail address
is
nrwiklo@uniserv
e.com

Nancy (Casey's mom)

[Deleted User]

We have been using a consultant from WEAP
for 5 months. Before that we used a
consultant from CEE. We have been very
happy with both. If anyone would like to contact
me, feel free to e-mail me and leave your
phone number. I will either e-mail you back or
phone you when I get a moment to myself (ha
ha).

Best of luck, Nancy (Casey's mom)

[Author]

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