[Deleted User]

To the last Anon:

I echo your sentiments and Avery's. It's very frustrating to be on a team and feel like you're one of the few who really 'gets it'. One of my personal grievances tends to be the lack of understanding of the nature of autism (one of the children I work with has been described by a fellow therapist as 'coming out' or using 'definsive mechanisms'). That and the lack of vocabulary (I cite as an example, behaviour notes that talk of 'bribing' a child to perform well, and of course that's not what we're doing, but imagine that in court).

As Avery said, talk to the consultant. Try to get her/him alone for a moment, or ask if you can phone/email her/him at some point. Don't use names of fellow therapists when you are talking with the consultant about your concerns, just say that you think some more education might be necessary and explain what areas the team could use more help in.

Definitely talk to the parents. Do they sit in on meetings? The dad of one of the kids I work with sat in on our team meeting last week, and it was great because he finally saw what we've been teaching his son. Not much of what we're doing right now is easily generalized to the rest of the child's life, but what can be done is being practiced by his parents. That's part of why he's learning the more practical things so quickly. In another family, the mother is very involved in her children's lives, and oversees her daughter's program very closely. She is at every meeting, and I (as lead therapist) confer with her daily about where the program is going and how we might want to change things in the next little while. Meanwhile, the child's father is working very hard in the background to get her into school with an appropriate aide and attempting to interact with his little girl (albeit at a higher level than she is currently capable). He rarely (if ever) sits in on our meetings, but he is thoroughly invested in his daughter's future and wants to help us help her.

As for speaking up at team meetings, sometimes it's difficult to do so. It's kind of intimidating, to feel that you're maybe the only one who has these ideas. Just remember that you need to avoid pointing fingers. As Avery said, a little sugar goes a long way. But watch yourself for veiled personal criticism. I still chafe at the thought of a meeting where I endured a personal attack that was completely unfounded in fact. This person had been working with the child longer than I had, and was offended that the child's mother was using many of my ideas. I was being elevated to a higher position on the totem pole than she was, and she resented it, I guess. I got an earful that night, and I was told later that my face changed colour (I forget if I went red or white). But I refrained from giving her what she gave, and was congratulated later on my fortitude by both the child's mother and the consultant. You don't want to be remembered as the bitter one, trust me. Until that night, I had no personal issues with this person.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

One more idea:

I and the lead therapist on one of the teams I work with are teaming up to pull together some information about autism and ABA. We're going to include a lot of web site addresses, as well as a book reading list and some other information we've both gleaned over time. Is there someone on the team you're talking about who you feel comfortable going to with your concerns in this manner? Perhaps you could ask the consultant to help you with it. Education is important. Whenever I propose a change to the program I'm a lead for, I give the parents, the therapists, and the consultant a copy of the information that is guiding my thoughts. Then everyone weighs in, and we decide from there. (Of course, if the consultant says absolutely not, that vote outweighs everyone else!) Perhaps the consultant just needs to be asked to give more education about autism and ABA at meetings/workshops.

[Deleted User]

I am a therapist who's heard about ABA about half a year ago. I feel that I've learned a lot about this type of therapy and believe that every autistic child should be given this treatment to learn as much as they can from it. However, as my experience and appreciation for ABA grows, so does my frustration. I am working on a team where most of the therapists don't seem to "get it." Other than the fact that it's awful for a team to be nearly oblivious to the way ABA works, what irritates me even more is the child's parents being uninvolved.

It's heartbreaking to know that the child could be learning so much more if only the parents knew what ABA is all about. It seems like such a fruitless investment for the parents to pay for therapy, not only because the therapy itself is mediocre, but because the child isn't even given the opportunity to learn anything outside the therapy room.

As one of many line therapists on the team, I have very little say as to what the child's family or team should do. But it is so obvious to me that things need to change. What do you guys think? I would love to hear any comments or advice.

[Deleted User]

The taxes I have no problem with, my girls understand that they are self employed and pay thier own. They like it this way casue then they can write off the gas/millage, home office, telephone calls and courses etc. I have done this in the past and it works great and no hassels from the gov.

I am concerned about the liability part and will be calling my insurance agent for details on how this can work with out getting WCB involved. We all have tennent or house insurance.

I want to make sure that my therapists are covered in case (heaven forbid) something should happen them while working with my children.

[Deleted User]

Hetty, Hetty, Hetty — our votes don't mean squat. Talk it over with your consultant, your partner, hell your mom and dad if they're still around. If you want the paper, go ahead and make one — just don't call it a contract. Call it "The Eight Rules for Treating My Daughter/Son" (with apologies to W. Bruce Cameron).

"A Parent"

[Deleted User]

Guy: I appreciate that you're a CA and all, but while you may have the theory of accounting and CCRA practices down fine, I'm not sure I would take your advice on this…no offense.

First of all, in my experience with the Tax Man, how they rule on things is often completely arbitrary and based on appearances, not case law. If it walks and talks and looks like an employee, they'll try to go that way. If it walks and talks and looks like a contractor, they'll go that way.

In my experience, one of the biggest dividing lines between employee or self-employed contractor is whether one has one source of revenue or several. In fact, CCRA staff have told me that's one of the biggest points they use to determine which side a person falls on. Few therapists work with only one child. In most other ways, they also have far more in common with practitioners such as OTs and speech paths, and neither of those are your employees when they deal with your child.

As for setting hours, you control the hours you visit the doctor or the OT or anyone else — within the limits of those professionals' calendars. Likewise for therapists. And that whole analysis of comparing therapists to construction contractors is completely off base. Does your consultant get to subcontract to any old person he or she chooses? Would you let your dentist tell you he's decided to fill your teeth with Silly Putty and actually he's going to let the shoe salesman next door do it because he once attended a dental lecture? No, it's absurd.

You are right that the presence or absence of a contract does not determine employee or contractor status, but you are wrong in supposing that therapists are employees. If you want to set yourself up as an employer with your therapists, that is your business, but I certainly have no intention of EVER going that route. My therapists bill me for their services and I pay those bills, exactly the same way I pay family dental bills, physiotherapy bills and any other service provided me by an independent contractor.

[Deleted User]

Regarding the good Doctor of Philosophy Stainton:

In all of your rebuttals of Sabrina's post, I see a lot of "I did not say that" and no mentions of what you claim to have actually said. In fact, reading through your post, I find little in the way of a concrete statement — just some feelgood quips and pleas for solidarity. Well, I'm sorry, but most of us here are skeptical of those who cooperate with government — and for pretty damn good reason. You want our trust? How about some clear statements of what you stand for and how you stand for it? Until then, your rebuttal is just so much warm air and I'm sorry, but my furnace works fine.

[Deleted User]

In reply to Dr.Stainton's statement
"the whole point of the process is to make sure families have the power and control they need to decide what is best for their children and that they receive the support necessary to make it happen regardless of whether it is ABA, housing or respite etc.."

-My opinion, don't read if you can't handle what I am saying.

Dr I don't want your support for housing, respite etc. We are grownups who can take care of ourselves. I don't want the Community Living funding AT ALL. I want MSP for my child. This is a medical disablity and it SHOULD be funded by the medical authority. You say our sons and daughters, well do you have a child with autism?

Enough said. I support Sabrina, Feat and all it's members. I am a parent of a child with autism. Keep your services to yourself, I am NOT interested. "MSP". Nothing more nothing less. I decide what I want for my child, without having to ask permission. I work, I pay taxes, as many do and therefore we should have a say on who FUNDS our sons and daughters.

I shall ignore.

For the record my opinion only.

[Deleted User]

By Anonymous on Sunday, November 17, 2002 – 01:43 pm:
Hello,
I'm posting for a family who has an older son with autism
(he's in his teens. They would like to know more information re:
service providers for their son (consultants, etc). This is the right email. Thanks
Please e-mail me privately at rjmonson@earthlink.net

[Deleted User]

Hello,
I'm posting for a family who has an older son with autism
(he's in his teens. They would like to know more information re:
service providers for their son (consultants, etc).
Please e-mail me privately at rjmonson@lgcy.com

[Deleted User]

My two bits on contracts:

1) Contracts imply employer/employee status. I do not employ therapists — therapists are independent contractors who supply their services to my child. They bill me for those services, and I pay their bills.

2) As David said already, a piece of paper isn't worth a hill of beans in terms of enforcing some level of performance on the part of therapists — the good ones don't need it to understand the value and seriousness of what they're doing and the bad ones aren't worth having, paper or no paper. And by bad ones, I imply no personal judgement — some people are good at this, some aren't. Some are trainable, some will never "get it" no matter how much training. It's just a fact of life. There was a time I would have loved to have become a brain surgeon. I realized along the way I was never going to be a good one — training or not — so I gave it up in favor of other things I *was* good at.

3) A contract as a definition of working terms is counter-productive. A good program is constantly changing to suit the changing situation of the child. That's why we hire good consultants — to supervise the program and make careful changes where warranted. It's the therapists' job to carry out those programs under the supervision of the consultant.

4) And the final and least important kicker, but still worth mentioning — you want to have it perfectly clear for tax reasons that these people are NOT employees, lest you end up having some bureaucrat at some government department assessing you for Workers Compensation premiums, tax withholding, CPP and UIC contributions and all the rest. None of that applies to people selling you their services — only people you employ. Is the consultant your employee? Of course not. Likewise, neither are your therapists, speech paths, OTs, or any other medical professional giving your child medical treatment.

And in case anyone has been told differently by someone working for the BC government, as my mother would say, "Consider the source." The BC government has been told by courts a number of times that when it comes to our kids' treatment needs, they wouldn't recognize proper therapy if it fell on them. Their pathetic rules are designed to deny our children their rights — not to help them obtain medically necessary treatment.

Like I said, just my opinions — your mileage may vary.

[Author]

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