[Kimberley Yoshihara]

Hi – we do both 3 and 2 hour shifts. We do two 3 hour shifts during the day (830-1130am and 1230-330pm) and then 3-4 days a week we run a 4-6pm generalization shift. The lenghth of shifts really depends on your child – if you are just starting a program maybe you start with two or three 2 hour shifts and build up to a 3 hour shifts. Ask your program supervisor what they recommend. We started with 6 hours per day and slowly built up to 8 hours.

[Kimberley Yoshihara]

I am so angry I could burst…. I don't have a school age child – yet, so I haven't had to deal with school boards/districts/SEA's, etc so I can't comment on Anon's post with respect to that stuff… but, with regards to their comments on therapists being "cheap labour" I have a ton to say. Firstly, to that coward who didn't have the courage to identify themself I say this…I hope one day your child gets sick, and I mean REALLY sick and I hope BC Med denies you any and all help necessary to treat your child and you have to pay – then maybe you will be more sympathetic to what we all deal with. My husband and I pay out (like many others here) close to $60,000 per year to treat our daughter and this will go on for years. Now I am sorry if you have a problem with our $10-$12 per hour that we pay our "therapists" but you know what, it is all we can afford. Luckily – like so many have said before me today – we have dedicated people working with us who aren't interested in the $$ but are truly dedicated to the well-being of our daughter. I would think that as a working professional who pays taxes annually you would thank parents like us here on FEAT who pay all this money to treat our children and help them become productive members of society. Because if we don't it will be more of YOUR tax dollars that go to supporting them when they are adults.

With respect to your comment about sex offenders … I can think of more than a few cases where children have been abused by their TEACHERS – hummmm…. educated, trained professionals who are hired by people like you!!!

A wise person here once said, "live it, then judge it" – and I hope one day you have to live it too.

Kimberley
ps. by the way, next time use your name….

[Kimberley Yoshihara]

Hi Everyone,

For those interested EAP – Early Autism Project is holding a seminar on the use of Visual Strategies within ABA programmes. 4 areas will be covered – the use of icons and symbols to facilitate the understanding and use of language, token economies, visual schedules and behaviour management. The seminar is being run by 2 senior supervisors, Kimberly Wroblewski and Mary Hopton-Smith. The seminar will present video footage, materials and a hadnout pack. It will be held at the EAP clinic in Burnaby. It is on April 26th, 2003 from 9AM – 1PM. Cost is $50 and includes refreshments. If you are interested please contact Kathy Schutt at 604.473.5011

[Kimberley Yoshihara]

Hi David,
A friend emailed me tonight to say that on wed night "60 minutes 2" will be featuring a prog on Autism. It might be interesting – worth a watch anyway.

[Kimberley Yoshihara]

We decided to get our diagnosis privately – we paid a pediatrician and a psychologist and we also had an assessment done by a speech path in order to qualify for the funding. We were told by our social worker that we needed 2 or 3 assessments done in order to qualify for the funding. We too are wait listed at Sunny Hill (our daughter is 3.5) and we were told it would be atleast 1.5 years before we would be seen by them – we decided that was too long and decided to go private. It was expensive for us but worth it. email me if you want more info kaedgar@hotmail.com

good luck

Kimberley

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