Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Andrew Kavchak
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, the Ontario provincial government’s announcement yesterday of its changes to the programs for autism is getting a lot of media attention around here. I listened to several radio stations that interviewed some parents for their comments and the print (or internet) media is loaded with articles. It is at times like these when many members of the autism community speak out that one finds out a little about how other people understand and see the problems. One thing that is clear, is the lack of clarity. If I knew nothing about autism before, these articles and quotes would really not help much.
First, I am somewhat surprised by the media and the autism community (meaning the parents who are interviewed and quoted) not making any reference to the ABA as the treatment of choice because it is evidence-based and because numerous studies have consistently demonstrated that it is possible for a significant number of children with autism to develop to such an extent that they can function in schools at the average level. Instead of even referring to the autism program as a “treatment” or “therapy” program, the Minister and others repeatedly refer to it as “supports”. So we have an overall definition, conceptualization, understanding, and characterization problem which is….not really helpful.
Second, it is interesting to note that in none of the media stories is there any mention of “Medicare for Autism Now!”. None that I could find. Although that was the key issue behind the Auton case that went to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004, the autism community, at least around here, never makes any reference to it, as if it was irrelevant or never happened. The whole role of Medicare and the lack of Medicare coverage for autism treatment is simply never brought up. I find it difficult to understand why the autism community does not even think that it is worth adding to a footnote or something.
Third, my summary description of the changes to the Ontario autism program which I provided in my previous post indicated that the Government was prepared to provide $140,000 for every child with autism up to the age of 18. Well, it turns out that that figure only applies to kids who enter the program and a young age and as early as two. However, for kids seven years of age or over, the figure is $55,000.
Finally, and this is really interesting…..Back in 2006 and 2007 when I organized a number of demonstrations in front of the provincial Premier’s constituency office, a couple of families came from Toronto to join us. One of the them was the family of Bruce and Laura McIntosh. They were parents in the same boat who picked up the cudgels of protest and went on to form the “Ontario Autism Coalition”. They lobbied the provincial government, got regular media air time whenever there was an issue that came up, and became the authoritative spokespersons for the grassroots in the autism community. On a few occasions I believe that Bruce even threw his hat in the ring to try to win a nomination to be an MPP candidate. Well, yesterday in a previous post I mentioned that Amy Fee, the MPP Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services was a mom with two kids on the spectrum. So we had a member of the community on the inside in the political decision-making process. However, the media articles now explain that Bruce McIntosh was a Legislative Assistant to Amy Fee….and….as a result of the government’s announcement yesterday, HE RESIGNED!!! He calls the changes “absolutely wrongheaded” and a “huge disappointment”. So much for the pre-announcements “consultations” and doing what the community wants. So in Ontario, what we have witnessed over the past year is that neither the long-reigning Liberals nor the newly-elected Conservatives have been able to deal with the autism file in any way that generates a lot of support in the community. Below are some links that may be of interest.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/queen-s-park-staffer-resigns-over-ford-government-s-autism-plan-1.4285584
Conservatives' autism funding plan short-sighted, parents say
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, the “autism wars” are heating up in Ontario. The Conservatives of Mike Harris introduced the “Preschool Autism Program” back in 1999/2000. Some parents, most notably Brenda Deskin (who was later involved in the famous Ontario autism court case of “Deskin/Wynberg”) lobbied the government to introduce an ABA program. Brenda Deskin compiled what became known as the “Deskin Binder” that had copies of the studies demonstrating the evidence to provide support for ABA as an “evidence-based treatment”. Well, the program was for kids up to the age of six. Of course there were growing pains in the program, which included a waiting list as a result of lack of resources.
Then the McGuilty Liberals got elected in 2003 and were in power until last summer (2018). Over the 15 years of the Liberals running the program, there was a lot of frustration as the government program was overwhelmed and lacked funds and had a hard time, despite all its efforts to change the program, to get rid of the waiting list. A few years ago the government actually tried to solve the problem by lowering the cut-off age to five! Fortunately, the autism community rebelled and the government back-tracked.
So the Conservatives took over last summer with a promise to get the provinces finances “back on track” bla, bla, and Lisa MacLoed is the new Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. So recently things started to heat up. On Monday this week, the Toronto Star published a piece by Amy Fee, who happens to be a parent of two kids on the spectrum, and who now happens to be an MPP and the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
As I mentioned in a previous post, Lisa MacLeod came to one of our rallies in front of McGuilty’s constituency’s office about 12 years ago, around the time of her first election. Although as an opposition politician she clearly could use the file as a means to criticize the government, in the process she came to learn a lot about autism, the autism community and its needs, the government services and its strengths and weaknesses, etc. So now, not only is the Minister someone who has had over a decade to get a real good grip on this file, the Parliamentary Assistant is a mother of two kids on the spectrum and thus a member of the community. So we’ve got two allies in charge, right? Well…
So today, February 6, 2019, the two ladies held a press conference to announce the Conservative “revamping” of the program. To see a video of the press conference check out the video at this link…
Ontario overhauls autism program to attempt to eliminate wait list
The principal problem they identified is that while 8,000 kids were getting treatment from a budget of $300 million (i.e., at a cost of $37,500 each), over 20,000 kids are on waitlists for “supports”. So what are they going to do?
- Double the funding for diagnosis (up from $3m) to rid of the waitlists for diagnosis (currently I heard it is 31 weeks).
- The government believes that kids at different ages require different services and that any government help should be targeted to lower and middle income families. The government plans to clear the wait lists for treatment funding within 18 months by giving funding directly to families (up to $140,000 per child until they are 18 years of age), and “empower” the parents to make the best choices for their children, etc. There will be all kinds of choice and flexibility for families, that will include: behavioural services, caregiver training, respite, technology aids, etc.
- Because “the system” is so complex and difficult to navigate for families that already have enough problems on their plate, the government will simplify things by “empowering” Autism Ontario to “look at intake, wait lists, funding and service navigation” (whatever that means). Further, they will work with the Ministry of Health on improving oversight and preventing unethical practices, and the Ministry of Education to deal with supports, including an improvement to the website (another website again!!!), etc.
As the Minister summed it up, the government will: (1) clear the waitlist for diagnosis, (2) clear the waitlist for “supports”, and (3) empower families.
Well, it will take a while to delve into the details and digest this, but my initial reaction is to commend the desire to eliminate waitlists, but it is not clear to me yet whether there is new, additional funding, or if we are going to witness a reshuffling of the deck so that those currently being served will be getting less resources. While a reference to $140,000 sounds like a lot, if a full-service top of the line home-based ABA program can cost over $60,000 a year, we’re talking about just over two years worth of treatment. While that may be good for some kids, I suspect it will fall short of the needs of others. On top of it all, there is no discussion of transferring the file to Health and Medicare. Would the government take this same approach to any other health disorder? Could you imagine the government saying to cancer patients, we’ll give you some money and empower you with a website to go find your own treatment options that are best for you, etc.? The direct funding model is made to sound in the press conference like a new approach, but it is not. Direct funding was an option (after the mandatory unspecified waiting period) when my son was diagnosed back in 2003. So what’s really new here? Sounds like a lot of old wine in a different bottle with a new label. Anyways, they claim to target clearing the waiting lists within 18 months. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
I hope that this announcement will generate some debate in Ontario and across the country and that the debate will spill over into the federal election this year.
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, the politics in Ottawa is kicking into high gear as the House just resumed sitting this week (the Senate will resume sitting in a few weeks) and since this is an election year, scoring points for your side while doing everything you can to make the other guys look awful, has taken on a new degree of paramountcy. I don’t see any mention yet in the Hansard of the word “autism”, but I hope we will soon and that autism policy questions will get some attention for a change.
The government usually tables its annual budget at the end of February, so they are in the process of making important decisions now. You may recall that last year they announced $20 million over five years for autism initiatives, including $10 million for a new website. Well, it has been a year now, and still no website….at least, none that I can find. If anyone knows anything about the status of this mysterious ghost website, please let me know.
One development this week which may be of potential interest to some….the MP who has been referred to by a few in our community as a “tireless”, “national autism advocate” has been picked by the Conservative leader Andrew Schneer to be the “Shadow Minister for Youth, Sport and Accessibility”. If anyone becomes aware of Mike Lake making a speech or issuing a written document in which he addresses government autism policies and says anything about what the community needs and what the government can do about it, and what he intends to do if he ever becomes the actual Minister, please let me know, because so far I can’t find anything. I know of at least one parent in Ontario who recently sent an email to Mike Lake’s office asking for something in writing about where he stands on government autism policies and what he’s advocating for, and although the parent was offered an opportunity to speak with Mike Lake by phone (declined), nothing was forthcoming in writing and no response was given to the basic question that one would expect any politician to be prepared to answer (i.e., what do you stand for on this matter about which you are supposedly an advocate?). Perhaps the title of “Shadow Minister” is appropriate since it appears that shedding some light may be troublesome.
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, it is 2019. Anything new? Anything different? Hard to tell. Back in 2004-2007 I organized a number demonstrations in from of the Ontario Provincial Premier’s constituency office here in Ottawa (Dalton McGuilty, oops! I mean McGuinty). I remember at one of the rallies an opposition Conservative newly-elected MPP by the name of Lisa Macleod showed up to give a speech in support of kids with autism who were on waiting lists for ABA treatment, etc. At another rally some fellow parents came from Toronto, including the McIntosh family who went on to create the “Ontario Autism Coalition” which has done a super job over the years keeping the autism file on the government and media agendas.
So last summer there was a provincial election and now…lo and behold….Ms. Macleod is the Ontario Minister for Children, Community and Social Services (the Ontario provincial autism program is not handled by Medicare, the Department of Health, and the Minister of Health). So she’s been in the job since last summer. What’s happening? Well, here’s an article about her visiting the Niagara district where there are apparently over 1,800 kids on a waiting list for treatment.
The article came out on January 25 and suggests that there are 40,000 children with autism in Ontario, of which 8,000 are getting treatment, and 23,000 are on a waiting list. Ms. MacLoed is quoted as saying that the government’s goal is to “clear the waiting list”. She did not apparently indicate how the government is going to do that, apart from a reference to greater efficiency.
Surprise, surprise! On the same day (January 25) the Toronto Star published an article by Laura Kirby-McIntosh with a proposed “action plan” for the government.
The article begins by stating that there are now 30,000 kids on the wait list for the Ontario Autism Program’s treatment services. So, which is it? 23,000 or 30,000? The article lists three things the government should not do, and three things it should do. Perhaps one of the things would be to get a better grip on the size of the waiting list.
Given that the provincial government recently announced that they are considering removing the caps on class sizes in schools (see link below), I’m curious about what the Minister MacLoed will do. In the meantime, I have a strange feeling in my stomach….what’s it called again? Oh, yeah….nausea!
ParticipantHi Folks,
Just over two weeks ago I posted a message with links to stories in the media about the autism programs and services in Quebec and Alberta being inadequate according to a number of parents (“failing”, “broken system”, etc.).
Now the Ottawa/Ontario story has again come out in the media here with a title that says it all: Ontario autism program “woefully broken”.
The story contains the standard lines that many of us have seen many times over the years, e.g., wait lists getting longer, no solution in sight, new government promised action, nothing happening, no one knows what’s going on, Minister looking into it, situation getting worse, etc.
Le plus que ca change, le plus que…same old, same old. What will it take for those with legislative power and their hands on the public purse to address this crisis? What? I really would like to know.
ParticipantHi Folks,
As many of you who read my posts have known for a long time, I’ve been thoroughly perplexed by what I guess I would call the “Mike Lake phenomenon”. I would describe the phenomenon as being one where a politician makes a lot of brouhaha noise about autism, without saying a word about public policy, and somehow manages to get many organizations and people (in and out of the autism community) to praise him for his “tireless national autism advocacy”, etc. Recently, one parent brought to my attention that they wrote to Mike Lake’s office and specifically asked what he advocated for and whether he had a written statement (either from a speech or a standard form letter) which outlined what he actually would like to see governments do. Mike Lake’s twitter account revealed recently that he met with several Ontario provincial government Cabinet Ministers and provided them with autism-related “advice”. What was that advice? Neither he, nor the offices of the Cabinet Ministers he spoke to, replied to that question. While Mike Lake’s office offered to “schedule a call” to talk to the parent, his office did not forward any statement from him in writing.
So what does Mike Lake, the politician and federal “Privy Councilor” actually promote and talk about? My reviews and assessments of his “autism awareness day” speeches, etc. all have two characteristics: (1) talking about his son, and (2) no talking about the needs of the autism community and what government public policy initiatives need to be implemented to help improve their lives.
Yesterday Mike Lake apparently spoke at the “MIND Institute” at UC Davis in Sacramento as part of their “Distinguished Lecturer Series”. He posted a picture of himself and his son flying to the event. Even though his son is non-verbal, Mike Lake frequently brings his son to stand next to him while he speaks. And again….what did he talk about? As a politician with over a decade of experience, including sitting around the Cabinet table, is there any comment he may have about how governments are doing and what more they could, or should, be doing?
Well, the UC Davis organization posted a “bio” sheet about Mike Lake which includes an interesting description about the expected content of his lecture, titled “Expect More – An Autism Adventure”.
The document is available here:
https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/videos/images/dls/lake-bioabstract.pdf
I copy below the paragraph describing the lecture. It is revealing. Mike Lake seems to have adopted the role of being an autism motivational speaker of sorts. There is no mention of public policy, government action (or inaction), what governments are doing right and wrong, or what are the next steps that governments should take, etc. In other words, his unique role and perception as an insider politician in governance and legislating, etc. is completely ignored and cast aside. While I can’t think of anyone in the community who is against “feel good” stories and motivational pep talks, his concerted effort to avoid speaking about what he would be more authoritatively qualified to speak about (namely, a politician speaking about public policy) is … well… (you can fill in the blank here).
The description of what Mike Lake has to say:
“Presentation Title: Expect More – An Autism Adventure
Mike Lake is the Canadian Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin, currently serving his fourth term. He has two children, a son Jaden, 22, and daughter Jenae, 18. The Lakes have been active supporters of autism organizations, families and individuals around the world, while sharing their story of life with Jaden, who has autism. His mission is to challenge us to think differently, not only about people with autism, but about everyone we connect with. Mike has spoken to spouses of world leaders at the United Nations, 15,000 students at WE Day, teachers from across Canada, and thousands of university students. He has done a TEDx Talk and has had the opportunity to travel internationally, meeting with fellow elected officials from across the political spectrum, as well as leaders in the global research community. Mike’s presentation uses video from interviews and news stories centered around his son. Although Jaden is nonverbal, his story enlightens people in ways that words cannot. Mike takes us on a journey through the past eight years of Jaden’s life, demonstrating the power of inclusion as a key to unlocking otherwise undiscovered human potential. The clips, intertwined with Mike’s compelling story-telling, shape together a narrative that resonates with audiences of all ages and from all backgrounds. In the end, his goal is to use Jaden’s story to change the way we think about the people around us – their abilities, their challenges and the unique contributions that they can make to the great benefit of all of us. ”
So here we have it. Mike Lake’s goal is not to use his position as a Member of Parliament to influence or shape government public policy and help create programs and services that the autism community need (e.g., getting ABA autism treatment covered by Medicare, etc.), but it is instead “to use Jaden’s story to change the way we think about the people around us”. Did he have to get elected to do that? I wish he would consider an alternative interpretation of the title of his presentation as I do indeed “expect more”.
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, here we are…the last day of 2018. I thought it was just going to be another day, but this morning while shaving and listening to the radio I heard something that made me burst out laughing and totally made my day. I wonder if this story made it in the media out of the province and across the country, or did it just stay local.
Every once in a while I wonder about how our autism community recognizes its members who have stepped up and really done something useful that helped the community. I don’t mean people like the head of the Autism Society of Ontario who has a paid full-time job which she and after years of putting in the “9 to 5” routine gets an Order of Canada medal from the Governor General (for apparently doing her job on company time, etc.). How about others who become leaders and actually do something that inspires or motivates or actually gets some message across or indirectly (or directly) contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of people with autism….or that helps instill and strengthen some dignity in the community? Years ago I gave Senator Munson an engraved trophy to thank him for his efforts to get autism on the Senate’s agenda. I also nominated Dr. Sabrina Freeman for an Order of Canada (and found out in the process what a sad political process that Order of Canada thing is). However, in the news today I think there is someone else who deserves a special commendation and word of thanks.
“Who?” you ask.
A lady in London, Ontario, by the name of Elsbeth Dodman.
And what did Elsbeth Dodman do?
Well, Elsbeth Dodman is a 30 year old lady who “lives with autism” and “has long been an advocate of increased government support for others on the autism spectrum”. So far so good, but here’s the item that made it to the news….Our recently-elected Conservative Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, have often portrayed himself as a Premier “of the people, for the people” (you know…that whole “populism” thing, etc.). A few months ago when GM announced that they were going to close the Oshawa plant, Premier Ford was reported in the media as saying that he supports the workers who were going to lose their jobs and he was going to “be there for them” and he was even going to give out his cell phone number so they can communicate with them. On November 27 I even posted on this board a message about that and mentioned that I wanted his cell phone number too. I never saw the number.
However, Elsbeth Dodman did. And she called. Not once. But many times. Many, many times. So many times, in fact, that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) recently paid her a visit and told her to stop doing that.
I have not enjoyed reading a media story like this one in a long time. Check this out:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/doug-ford-phone-calls-1.4958771
Anyways, every once in a while I hear of someone who really deserves a hug and a “Thank you!” Elsbeth Dodman is just one of those persons. Way to go Elsbeth!!!
Happy New Year!
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, earlier this year there was a provincial election in Quebec and a new upstart party (some sort of coalition about the future thing) won. Will anything change for the families with children that have autism? Time will tell of course, but the recent track record is…sad. You may recall that the previous Liberal government in Quebec had a Premier who was a doctor and that the departments with responsibilities relating to autism programs and services spent a lot of time doing a “review” and planning for an “overhaul” of the autism programs and services. Parents waited and there were delays, followed by protests in front of government offices and then a Human Rights Tribunal complaint, etc. Yes, the government did announce something, but like so many other similar announcements, it seems to have become entirely forgettable. So where are we at today in Quebec? Well, how about the opinion piece by the mom of a child with autism that appeared in the Montreal Gazette on December 27, 2018, the title of which is self-explanatory: “Opinion: Quebec fails to meet the needs of children with autism”.
Opinion: Quebec fails to meet the needs of children with autism
Of course, we all know that the provinces across this country have a lot of room to improve their programs and services for the autism community. Recently the CBC delivered this gem of a story (December 26, 2018) with another self-explanatory title: “Mother of adult with autism calls Alberta’s support system ‘broken'”.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-mother-pdd-system-broken-1.4954777
I suppose some people may find some solace in the fact that the federal government has repeatedly announced throughout this year that it is spending $20 million on a website and anti-stigma type campaigns, but I have yet to find the website in question, and I suspect neither of the mothers involved in these stories have either. Mike Lake MP’s Twitter account recently indicated that he met on two separate occasions with officials (Cabinet Ministers) from the newly-elected provincial government in Ontario and gave them “advice” about the autism file, for which they also tweeted out their thanks. Any ideas what his advice was? Any guesses as to whether and when he plans to share his advice with the Quebec and Alberta governments? Or would the fact that those governments are not “Conservative” make that unlikely? So much for the non-partisan nature of autism public policy…<b></b>
ParticipantHi Folks,
Yesterday in the House an MP made an interesting statement relating to the disabled…
Monday, Dec 3, 2018
“International Day of Persons with Disabilities
<b>Ms. Kate Young (London West, Lib.): </b>
Mr. Speaker, today is the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year’s theme, “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, is at the heart of the Government of Canada’s commitment to build a Canada without barriers. In June, our government introduced Bill C-81, the accessible Canada act, which if passed will address barriers to accessibility in the federal jurisdiction.Earlier today, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility announced that Canada has acceded to the optional protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means that Canadians will have additional recourse if they believe their rights under the convention have been violated. These actions speak to our dedication to creating a truly inclusive and accessible Canada. Please join me in celebrating people with disabilities and the significant contributions they make to Canadian society.”The UN webpage with relevant information is here:The UN Declaration is available here:The “Purpose” of the Convention?“The purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. “Article 7 specifically addresses children.“Article 7 Children with disabilities1. States Parties shall take all necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment by children with disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children.
2. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
3. States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right. “
Article 24 addresses “Education” and refers to things like “lifelong learning”, and “development…to their fullest potential”, etc.Article 25 addresses “Health” which includes this gem: “( b) Provide those health services needed by persons with disabilities specifically because of their disabilities, including early identification and intervention as appropriate,”and this: “( e) Prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of health insurance, and life insurance where such insurance is permitted by national law, ” (note: our Canadian Medicare is in fact public health insurance, but does this paragraph refer to the actual offering of the insurance or the contents of the insurance policy?).Info on Bill C-81 is available here:The text of the Bill is available here:A Summary of the Bill is below. It appears that all references to “barriers” are limited to ones involving physical access (e.g., ramps for wheelchairs, etc.) It seems rather stunning that Canada would have to wait until 2018 (2019 by the time it get Royal Assent?) to legally require all government buildings to have facilities that ensure accessibility by disabled people. Of course, this requires the Ottawa bureaucracy to become fully engaged, with the corresponding expansion of the civil service to include a new standards development organization and an “Accessibility Commissioner”. And with the creation of these new bureaucratic institutions comes the necessary annual report production (I remember working on the productions of annual reports in one of my previous government jobs and had to produce a report one year which was a real challenge to prepare because the specific office had done nothing all year). Finally, the Bill also provides for the designation of a specific week in the calendar to be designated as national accessability week. Thus, I suspect that by the time the next election comes the government party will claim that on disability issues, they can check the box…”done that”. While these physical access issues are important and need to be addressed yesterday, what about access to ABA treatment under Medicare? Why do disability rights not include that? I am straining to hear the voices of the “National Autism Advocates” in the House raise the question…..if they have raised it, I have not come across it yet.SUMMARYThis enactment enacts the Accessible Canada Act in order to enhance the full and equal participation of all persons, especially persons with disabilities, in society. This is to be achieved through the realization, within the purview of matters coming within the legislative authority of Parliament, of a Canada without barriers, particularly by the identification, removal and prevention of barriers.Part 1 of the Act establishes the Minister’s mandate, powers, duties and functions.Part 2 of the Act establishes the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization and provides for its mandate and structure and its powers, duties and functions.Part 3 of the Act authorizes the Accessibility Commissioner to provide the Minister with information, advice and written reports in respect of the administration and enforcement of the Act. It also requires the Accessibility Commissioner to submit an annual report on his or her activities under the Act to the Minister for tabling in Parliament.Part 4 of the Act imposes duties on regulated entities that include the duty to prepare accessibility plans and progress reports in consultation with persons with disabilities, the duty to publish those plans and reports and the duty to establish a feedback process and to publish a description of it.Part 5 of the Act provides for the Accessibility Commissioner’s inspection and other powers, including the power to make production orders and compliance orders and the power to impose administrative monetary penalties.Part 6 of the Act provides for a complaints process for, and the awarding of compensation to, individuals that have suffered physical or psychological harm, property damage or economic loss as the result of — or that have otherwise been adversely affected by — the contravention of provisions of the regulations.Part 7 of the Act provides for the appointment of the Chief Accessibility Officer and sets out that officer’s duties and functions, including the duty to advise the Minister in respect of systemic or emerging accessibility issues.Part 8 of the Act authorizes the Governor in Council to make regulations, including regulations to establish accessibility standards and to specify the form of accessibility plans and progress reports. It also provides, among other things, for the designation of the week starting on the last Sunday in May as National AccessAbility Week.Part 9 of the Act provides for the application of certain provisions of the Act to parliamentary entities, without limiting the powers, privileges and immunities of the Senate, the House of Commons and the members of those Houses.Parts 10 and 11 of the Act make related and consequential amendments to certain Acts.ParticipantHi Folks,
Remember the old soap opera decades ago that started off with a picture of a revolving globe and a strange voice would say something about sand in an hour glass and “…as the world turns…”? Yes, indeed. As the world turns…”le plus que ca change, le plus que ca reste le meme”. Or as The Who would say “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. So…in the news…
- The journal “Pediatrics” published the results of a survey of parents in the U.S. which suggests that the prevalence rates for ASD is now 1 in 40. Note: this is not the CDC talking, but worthy of note.
2. And Global News is reporting about a case of one individual family’s situation that is reflective of a less-than-optimal situation in Ontario when it comes to long-term housing and care facilities.
So what do we do in Canada with disabled adults who have autism? Here is a case of a 22 year old man who occasionally has meltdowns and gets aggressive. He requires supervision, including at night. He has apparently threatened to burn the family home down (when mom and his sister are sleeping). Well, in Oshawa (near Toronto), it appears that he has basically moved into the local hospital for overnight stays. This has been going on for months and who knows how long this will go on for. But don’t have any concerns about there being any discrimination in this case. Apparently, he is being treated the same as the other 15,000 people on the wait list in Ontario. So that’s what parents of teenagers with autism have to look forward to as their children enter adulthood and families seek placements in long-term housing. Imagine that….we can’t afford group homes for the disabled, but we can afford to give up a bed in a hospital for months (with no end in site), notwithstanding the recent report about hospital crowding getting worse in Ontario.
https://www.hqontario.ca/Measuring-Up
Yesterday GM announced it was going to close its car assembly plant in Oshawa and put 2,500 workers on the dole. I heard Ontario Premier Ford’s soundbite on the news yesterday in which he said that he would be there to support the workers, he was going to go to Oshawa, he wanted them to know that he was going to be there for them, and that he would even give them his cell phone number. I want his cell phone n,umber too.
-
AuthorPosts