[Monika Lange]

I still think Laurie had a valid point. That being the unreliableness of "instincts". Judging from my romantic life, the reliability of instincts decreases in direct proportion to the degree of desperation. And we're ALL desperate to help our kids. I don't think Laurie was slamming people who pursue alternatives; rather, I think she was slamming the evaluation of those alternatives when it is based largely on subjective "instincts". People, let's be hard on the argument, not the arguer. I love it that the Director of ASBC adamantly supports ABA and has the courage to say what she thinks. FEAT veterans know it was not always that way, and that ASBC used to be a HUGE impediment. I find it refreshing. On that note, I also think it's great Jenny McCarthy is willing to put her lucrative sex kitten image on the back burner. Although she appears to be more popular than ever with the guys here! Maybe she's making us autism Moms sexy by association… Go Jenny Go!

[Monika Lange]

Hi Laurie & Todd,
My son had a full blown ABA program but was not one of the 47% to recover. However, I did try the gamut of "alternatives" (e.g., diet, B6, DHA, etc etc etc.). I can see merit to both of your arguments. So long as nothing conflicts with ABA, and carries no risks, it may make a parent feel less hopeless to try. Keeping busy is a way to feel useful. But it's exhausting to run an ABA program and then do all the other stuff too. I would suggest that parents need to pace themselves and be more discriminating than I was, for their own sake. Todd, perhaps your pediatrician was empathetically trying to spare you the extra work of a range of activities that are bound to carry little or no commensurate gain in the end. I am honestly not being glib, because after you've been at this for 10 years, you get worn out and still face years of parenting your nonrecovered kid who is then a teenager. But on the off chance your child does not recover, at least you'll know you also exhausted your options. Maybe I'm getting mellow in my old age, but I know where both of you are coming from. Do what you have to do. You both know to have ABA as the one and only main jig, and that is smart.

[Monika Lange]

I sent the message below on May 9 and haven't seen anything posted yet. Should anyone have any scientific evidence regarding the efficacy of treatments other than ABA, please post it ASAP. Thank you!

By Monika Lange (Lange) on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 – 11:26 pm:
I'm always looking for the best treatment for my child. Someone recently mentioned that there are therapies out there that work "just as good" as ABA and that data exists to support that. I would very much appreciate getting any data that exists on the latest and greatest, so would anyone having scientific data supporting the other therapies please post it? Thank you!

[Monika Lange]

I'm always looking for the best treatment for my child. Someone recently mentioned that there are therapies out there that work "just as good" as ABA and that data exists to support that. I would very much appreciate getting any data that exists on the latest and greatest, so would anyone having scientific data supporting the other therapies please post it? Thank you!

[Monika Lange]

You could ask for respite (8 days per month is what parents get where I live), child & youth care hours (this is usually about 2 hrs per week… the person is hired by the Child Dev't Centre here, and will take your child to the pool for a swim, etc., or do whatever is decided upon), and you can get a daycare subsidy if you don't already get it… they cannot tell you to use your ABA funds for daycare. They will try to make you jump through hoops, making the whole process of applying sound sooooo complicated… but it is actually never so (in my experience). Play dumb if you need to and make them do the work for you. That is, afterall, their job.

[Monika Lange]

Jean's question, "How is it that the character of a man can so profoundly change from the time he is a member of the opposition?", reminds me of BC's Liberals promises while in Official Opposition:

1. In a letter to me dated Oct. 18, 2000, Honourable Gordon Campbell states “The Official Opposition agrees that autism is a medical condition requiring medical intervention and that government has a responsibility to fund effective treatment.”

2. A letter to me from Honourable Colin Hansen, dated Nov. 1, 2000 states “We publicly called on the government to get on with funding autism treatment the day after the court decision was released and we have been vocal in our criticism of their decision to appeal. It is time for government to recognize that autism is a health issue and ensure that proper treatment is provided”.

3. Another letter to me from Honourable Campbell dated Dec. 15, 2000 includes a Hansard transcript on the autism treatment issue. In it, Honourable Reid is quoted, “I certainly hope there is something else funded other than the costs of the appeal, that there will be on the ground dollars for these families in the very near future. The bottom line is that these are enormous challenges and the government walks around it in terms of a pilot project or a reference to it. This is where the rubber hits the road in terms of a stated commitment that has some solid implementation to it. Is it a health issue? Most definitely.”

I will hammer these statements home whenever the chance arises. So thank you Jean, for giving me the opportunity.

Regarding involvement in elections, we must always keep in mind the broken promises of our BC Liberals on this issue. For those of us in BC, never forget, their lies and aggressive fight against autism treatment are at the heart of this issue. They are the reason we are still at this.

[Monika Lange]

The Lebanon article is indeed ironic. The federal government absolves itself of responsibility to Canadian children by passing off autism treatment funding to the Provinces, but attemps to redeem its halo by sprinkling a few bucks to autistic kids internationally. This is not unlike the halo of "corporate social responsibility/ethics" in the corporate world. Joel Bakan, University of British Columbia law professor and author of 'The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power (2004)' outlines the fundamental mandate of corporations, wherein he states: “The benevolent rhetoric and deeds of socially responsible corporations create attractive corporate images, and likely do some good in the world. They do not, however, change the corporation’s fundamental institutional nature: its unblinking commitment to its own self-interest.” While the government sits on a huge surplus and gives internationally and pats itself on the back, Canadian kids can't get our own tax dollars back to meet an urgent medical need.

[Monika Lange]

The Lebanon article is indeed ironic. The federal government absolves itself of responsibility to Canadian children by passing off autism treatment funding to the Provinces, but attemps to redeem its halo by sprinkling a few bucks to autistic kids internationally. This is not unlike the halo of "corporate social responsibility/ethics" in the corporate world. Joel Bakan, University of British Columbia law professor and author of 'The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power (2004)' outlines the fundamental mandate of corporations, wherein he states: “The benevolent rhetoric and deeds of socially responsible corporations create attractive corporate images, and likely do some good in the world. They do not, however, change the corporation’s fundamental institutional nature: its unblinking commitment to its own self-interest.” While the government sits on a huge surplus and gives internationally and pats itself on the back, Canadian kids can't get our own tax dollars back to meet an urgent medical need.

[Monika Lange]

Does anyone have experience with drug treatment for angry outbursts in autistic teens? If so, please email me at mlangedok@hotmail.com
Of course, I will consult the pro's but at this point I'm looking for your experience.

[Monika Lange]

Thank you very much to everyone who responded to my posting about my friend Jennifer. I passed all emails on to her. Best of luck with your recruitment efforts.

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