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FEAT BC Admin
KeymasterAutism in the news …
******************************************"CBC TV news — 'Canada Now' program:
"Barbara Rodrigues renews her 100+ day protest picket against the BC Government, in an unrelenting fight for son Jeremys constitutionally mandated right to medically required autism treatment."
To view the CBC clip, please visit FEAT BC's web site at https://featbc.org/the_media … click on 'video interviews'
… or, go directly to the alternate link: http://www.featbc.org/files/media/video/Barbara011205.html
KeymasterWORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT
________________________________'Autism Behavioural Therapist Training Workshop', sponsored by the Island Chapter of Families for Early Autism Treatment of British Columbia (FEAT of BC) at Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo Campus, January 26, 2002
About the Workshop leader …
Rachel Russell, M.A., Workshop ConsultantMs. Russell is a workshop consultant with the ABLE Developmental Clinic in Surrey, B.C. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Educational Psychology and Special Education from UBC, and has a broad range of experience in the behavioural treatment of children with autism. Ms. Russell recently completed Workshop Consultant training at the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention East Cost Office and, prior to this, worked here in British Columbia for six years as a senior instructor in home programs treating children with autism using Lovaas-style applied behaviour analysis.
For more information and a registration form, please click here to download the workshop flyer –> https://featbc.org/downloads/abtw.pdf
KeymasterCHBC TV News: Pentictons Barbara Rodrigues — Jeremys mom — challenges autism *Broken Promises* at the BC Government Caucus meeting in Penticton BC.
During her protest, Barbara faces Gordon Hogg, Minister of Children and Family Development, and Rick Thorpe, Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise.
Click on the link below to view the TV news piece:
–> http://www.featbc.org/the_media/ (click on Video Interviews)
–> Alternate link: http://www.featbc.org/files/media/video/BarbaraVsMLAs0110.html
KeymasterAutism in the news –> https://featbc.org | click on The Media, Video Interviews.
BCTV News: "That was then … this is now"
Jean Lewis, FEAT BC Director, exposes BC Liberals broken promises made to children with autism within 90 days of forming the new BC Government. BC Liberals passionately condemned the former NDP Government's appeal of the landmark BC Supreme Court Auton judgment — a ruling ordering that Government must fund medically necessary autism treatment — but now the new Attorney General says Liberals will press ahead with the NDP appeal because Auton supposedly sets a bad health care precedent that must overturned in a higher court.
KeymasterAutism treatment in the news this week …
– The Province newspaper story can be read at https://featbc.org/files/media/newspapers/province_12_06_01.pdf
– CKVUs TV news piece can be viewed at http://www.featbc.org/the_media/
Linda Cuceks son, James, has been consistently denied medically necessary autism treatment by BCs Government, over many years. Now, in his late teens, James is suffering the inevitable, harmful consequences of government neglect and failure the painful, costly, revolving door of hospitalization and ineffective drug therapies. BCs Childrens Commission reviewed the government harm being done to James and rightfully ordered that government must provide behavioural autism treatment. The Commissions order has been ignored, as have all governments promises to long suffering autistic children in BC. http://www.featbc.org/the_media/
KeymasterThe ongoing autism treatment dispute is in the news this week on CBCs Canada Now program, CKVU news and the Province newspaper.
Please visit http://www.featbc.org/the_media/ and click on video interviews to view the CBC story. Stories from CKVU News and the Province will be uploaded soon.
Isaac
Volunteer Board Admin.KeymasterThe Penticton Western published a letter to the Editor regarding autism and the Liberal's election platform.
The clipping is available at https://featbc.org/downloads/Penticton_Western_11_20_01.pdf
KeymasterThe Gazette (Montreal)
Thu 01 Nov 2001
News
A3
IRWIN BLOCK
When Marc-Antoine Lussier was 2, he was unable to talk. He would shake objects in front of his eyes and flap his arms like a bird.
His parents, Pincourt accountant Carole Ladouceur and Martin Lussier, a software engineer, were shocked when the child wouldn't stop crying at his birthday party until he was alone in his room. He never touched his cake or opened a single gift.
Something was terribly wrong, but it took a year and a half to get an official hospital diagnosis: he was autistic.
Specialists said the boy needed intensive therapy as soon as possible, as much as 40 hours a week of applied behavioural analysis to nurture cognitive skills. But all the regional health board could offer was an hour a week.
The family decided to act on its own, much like 98 others in Quebec who yesterday also launched a class-action suit demanding better services from Quebec and compensation for all the money they have had to spend.
The Lussier family has been getting private help for about a year and a half – at an estimated cost of $35,000 – for daily visits from an educational therapist. The program is supervised by a private psychologist.
Today, Marc-Antoine is 5 and his mother can't believe the progress he's made. "It's changed our lives – and his," his mother beamed.
Surrounded by cameras and a clutch of journalists yesterday, the smiling, friendly child listened to a five-sentence story recited by therapist Isabelle Goyette, then answered simple questions about the owl sitting on the branch and hooted to mimic it.
"He's in a regular kindergarten now and every afternoon he works at home with an educational therapist," his mother said.
Yesterday, the families held a press conference at their lawyer's office to announce that after almost a year of research, they were seeking leave in Quebec Superior court to sue Quebec, the rehabilitation services in their area and the Monteregie regional health board.
The suit is on behalf of 104 children with developmental problems and autism. It holds Quebec and its health agencies responsible for not providing adequate services, which it claims discriminates against the children by violating principles enshrined in the Quebec and Canadian charters of rights.
They are demanding $50,000 each in damages as well as full reimbursement of amounts spent for care, and $15,000 each in exemplary damages because fundamental rights were denied.
The suit also asks the court to order Quebec and its agencies to put in place programs for early stimulation of developmentally delayed and autistic children under age 6 to ensure maximum development and train qualified personnel to offer appropriate therapy.
Parents say Quebec is far behind other provinces in providing this type of therapy, which is a good investment since it paves the way for autonomy for many.
Not intervening means an autistic child needs full support – at $65,000 a year – for life, they point out.
Last year, Quebec allocated $5 million for therapy for children with speech disorders and those with autism. This spring, Pauline Marois, acting as health minister, allocated an addition $8 million for centres for the intellectually handicapped and urged them to put an emphasis on autism.
But not all have done so, said Peter Zwack, vice-president of the Canadian Society for Autism.
– Irwin Block's E-mail address is
KeymasterAutism Society Canada
News Release, October 31, 2001
Autism: 100 Families in Quebec Undertake A Class Action Suit Against their Provincial Government
With today's announcement in Quebec of a class action suit by nearly 100 families of children with autism, this brings to six provinces in which parents of children with autism have been forced to undertake legal action to access a medically necessary treatment. This treatment, intensive behavioral therapy, can significantly alleviate and, in many cases, almost eliminate the often severe symptoms of autism which can include the inability to communicate, repetitive behaviors, and little or no social interaction. Research indicates that the earlier treatment begins, the better are the results.
Autism epidemic: the hidden Canadian human and financial cost
The recent rapid increase in the number of cases of autism in Canada has accelerated at what many cite as epidemic proportions. It is estimated that about 1000 Canadian children born each year will develop autism spectrum disorders by the age of 3, but difficulties with delayed diagnosis are resulting in an estimated 3000 new Canadian cases being identified. Using data from three provinces, it is also estimated that there are over 100 000 Canadians with autism conditions. A large number of these people, because they receive ineffective or inappropriate treatments, or for whom effective
treatment is inaccessible for political and financial reasons, will remain severely handicapped and will require as much as $2 million each in public services over their lifetimes. In Canada, this translates into an annual cost of about $3 billion. In addition to this multi-billion dollar health, education and social service expenditure, the cost in human terms in incalculable. On the other hand, scientific studies have shown that effective treatment, especially when undertaken early, reduces significantly both the
human and financial costs, with lifetime financial costs being cut in half.Autism: a failure of the Canadian health system
The Canadian service systems, in most regions of the country, continue to fail to provide what the British Columbia Supreme Court has declared a medically necessary treatment while continuing to misuse hundreds of millions of dollars on ineffective and
inappropriate treatments. What other medical condition is so poorly addressed that families are driven to pursue litigation to obtain a medically necessary treatment? No other medical conditions have produced so much avoidable tragedy including, in the last 5 years, the apparent murder of 3 children with autism spectrum disorders by
their parents. Autism Society Canada calls on the Canadian Government for the immediate establishment of an Autism Secretariat to address these autism issues, including development of national standards based on best practices and universal no-cost accessibility to effective treatments and adequate supports for people of all ages with autism conditions.– 30 –
KeymasterThe Victoria Times-Colonist ran a piece today regarding autism treatment and the government program.
Story is available on the Feat BC server:
–> https://featbc.org/downloads/timescolonist_10_21_01.pdf -
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