[Mike & Jean]

Advisory from the Canadian Public Access Channel (CPAC):
>
>The first 4 hours of the 5 hour Auton case at the Supreme
>Court of Canada will be airing on CPAC Saturday, June 19, 8
>AM to 12 Noon Eastern time, and repeated June 20 from 1 AM
>to 5 AM ET. The fifth hour will be aired the following week
>on June 26, 8 to 9 AM Eastern, and repeated June 27 from 1
>to 2 AM.
>

[Mike & Jean]

Whoops! Change the date!

Sorry everyone! The next F.E.A.T. meeting is on Monday, May 17th not June 17th in my previous post. Clearly, I need coffee before posting messages.

Jean

[Mike & Jean]

Hello Everyone –

The next F.E.A.T. meeting is on Monday, June 17th at St.Francis-in-the-wood Anglican church in West Vancouver (download a map from this website).

Our topic will be, "A.B.A. and summer". We will discuss programming for summer fun, summer holidays and summer therapy…

We start at 7:30p.m. See you there.

Jean

[Mike & Jean]

Attention all Parents!!!

FEAT Meeting – Monday April 19th, 2004

The Auton case is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada on June 9th and 10th, 2004.

The outcome of this case wil have enormous significance for all of us. Parents need to know the facts.

Come out and get updated. Find out who supports us and who wants to defeat our kid's rights to treatment.

Monday April 19th
7:30 – 9:00pm
St. Francis-in-the-Wood Anglican Church
West Vancouver (download map off the FEAT website)

Seating is limited so please e-mail jean.lewis@telus.net for confirmation

See you on Monday

Jean

[Mike & Jean]

Hi Everyone,

The ASBC NEEDS 40 VOLUNTEERS…

Can you please help???

The U.B.C. Arts County Fair showcases ten of the hottest rock, hip-hop and electronic artists of the year and donates the proceeds to charity. This year the ASBC is one of the charities that will benefit.

The event is taking place Thursday, April 8th at Thunderbird Stadium at UBC.

Our commitment to the event is 40 volunteers for a four hour shift to assist in the various areas of the event: beer gardens, assist with ticket taking, etc…

What it means:
– An opportunity to help the Society
– An opportunity to listen to the tunes/free admission
– a four hour shift either from 11:30 – 3:30pm or from 3:30 – 7:30pm

This event sold out last year and raised big money for the charities of choice.

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

– Are you interested?
– Do you know of somebody who may be interested?

If you, your friends or members of your therapy teams could help out it would be most appreciated

Please give ASBC a call at: 604-434-0880 or 1-888-437-0880

Note: the entire event runs from 11:30 – 7:30 – you are welcome to do a full shift but are not required to do so.

Thanks,
Michael Lewis

[Mike & Jean]

The March 15th. F.E.A.T. meeting is cancelled due to Spring break. The next meeting will be on Monday, April 19th, at the usual time and place. I will post the topic and agenda within the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy your Spring break!

Regards,
Jean

[Mike & Jean]

This is a reminder to all about the upcoming F.E.A.T. sponsored Autism Behavioural Therapist Training Workshop at Douglas College, New
Westminster, on Saturday, March 13th.

These very popular workshops cover the practical aspects of behavioural autism treatment.

Who should attend?
. Present and potential therapists
. Parents
. Teaching assistants/school personnel
. Anyone involved or working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

I have attended these workshops numerous times and have always learned something new, picked up new ideas, met new parents and therapists and enjoyed time well spent at an extremely affordable (F.E.A.T. price $25.00), listening to the instructors, Michelle Karren and Theresa Tournemille. Michelle and Theresa are highly competent senior instructors whose collective experience spans many teams with programs for children from 20 months to 6 years old.

Their comprehensive presentation is lively and quick-paced with lots of real life examples with video footage of "therapy in action". The day is upbeat and jam packed with information and dare I say?…some good laughs too. You won't be bored!

These workshops book up quickly because they deliver practical, accurate information that we all need,presented by people who know what they're doing and at a price that isn't a rip-off. To register, download a registration form from , F.E.A.T. events on this website.

It is important to know this workshop is a pre-requisite to the Intermediate Therapist Workshop scheduled for Saturday, March 20th. Check out the registration form on F.E.A.T. events.

Regards,

Jean Lewis

[Mike & Jean]

This is a reminder to all about the upcoming F.E.A.T. sponsored Autism Behavioural Therapist Training Workshop at Douglas College, New
Westminster, on Saturday, March 13th.

These very popular workshops cover the practical aspects of behavioural autism treatment.

Who should attend?
. Present and potential therapists
. Parents
. Teaching assistants/school personnel
. Anyone involved or working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

I have attended these workshops numerous times and have always learned something new, picked up new ideas, met new parents and therapists and enjoyed time well spent at an extremely affordable (F.E.A.T. price $25.00), listening to the instructors, Michelle Karren and Theresa Tournemille. Michelle and Theresa are highly competent senior instructors whose collective experience spans many teams with programs for children from 20 months to 6 years old.

Their comprehensive presentation is lively and quick-paced with lots of real life examples with video footage of "therapy in action". The day is upbeat and jam packed with information and dare I say?…some good laughs too. You won't be bored!

These workshops book up quickly because they deliver practical, accurate information that we all need,presented by people who know what they're doing and at a price that isn't a rip-off. To register, download a registration form from , F.E.A.T. events on this website.

It is important to know this workshop is a pre-requisite to the Intermediate Therapist Workshop scheduled for Saturday, March 20th. Check out the registration form on F.E.A.T. events.

Regards,

Jean Lewis

[Mike & Jean]

Every so often it is necessary to review the rules of the F.E.A.T. chat board primarily for the benefit of new parents but also as a reminder to those parents and others who benefit from it on a regular basis. After reviewing the posts of the last several days it would appear that now is an opportune time.

There are six Discussion Group Rules which should be reviewed by anyone wishing to post prior to posting. They can easily be found on the website. I will review two of the rules which really need to be understood and observed by anyone wanting to be part of or continue to benefit from the F.E.A.T. chat board.

6. "The F.E.A.T. B.C. Discussion Group has been designed to discuss any topic relevant to home-based A.B.A. programs (including Government funding and school issues). When we use the term A.B.A., we mean discrete-trial-based interventions(also referred to as "applied behaviour analysis" or "Lovaas" behavioural tratment) for autism and related disorders. This in not an appropriate forum to discuss the latest, unscientific "cure of the day"…." Discussions, questions, or recommendations about therapies other than "Lovaas" behavioural treatment are not permitted. The F.E.A.T. of B.C. mandate is very clear – we endorse only science-based autism treatment which is currently Lovaas Applied Behaviour Analysis. This is fact, not opinion. Our children deserve nothing less.

2. "Personal attacks are not permissible in the F.E.A.T. B.C. Discussion Group. We respect all opinions even if we disagree with them."

There is a vast difference between lively debate and the uncalled for personal attacks against F.E.A.T. members posted the last few days. There is zero tolerance for it. Posting priviledges will be withdrawn immediately.

The F.E.A.T. chat board like everything else we do in F.E.A.T. is about parents helping parents. We are all volunteers who help each other for the common good. This is the F.E.A.T. culture. How we choose our rules, our mandate and how we choose to organize is our business. Access to the F.E.A.T. chat board is a privilege not an entitlement. The F.E.A.T. mandate has served people with autism and their famililies in B.C. extremely well. Approximately 500 children under the age of 6 receive $20,000 a year and 1500 over the age of 6 receive $6,000 a year as a direct result of the Auton/Anderson litigation. Our family is one the thirty families that made this a reality for every B.C. family. I am honoured to be part of such an extraordinary group of parents who had the courage, strength of character and collective mentality to look beyond their own grief, their own debt, their own child's need to secure justice for all children.

If this kind of culture doesn't do it for you – create your own. Tammy Fazio, et al. – use your collective energy and passion to build something good, something worthwhile that will help other parents. Create your own website, your own chatboard, make your own rules, endorse whoever and whatever you want. F.E.A.T. of B.C. doesn't "own" autism or autism treatment, unfortunately there's plenty to go around. Make the "choice" to create something that works for you and hopefully others. Go for it! Be prepared though for hours and hours of hard work. Make sure your motives are about helping kids, because it you're looking for recognition or just a plain old , thankyou, you'll be sorely disappointed, because you need to know that "Gratitude is the shortest lived emotion." and that "No good deed goes unpunished."

Thankyou F.E.A.T. parents who everyday work to ensure every child, not just our own get what is their right – medically necessary, science-based autism treatment.

Jean

[Mike & Jean]

F.E.A.T. of B.C. Meeting, Feb. 16th

The next F.E.A.T. meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 16th, 7:30p.m. – 9:00p.m. at St. Francis-in-the-Wood Anglican Church, West Vancouver. (download a map off this website.)

Our topic is of tremendous interest – "Lovaas A.B.A. and the Real World or … programming for commonly overlooked skills."

Your child maybe involved in or about to start a Lovaas A.B.A. program. They are learning all sorts of new skills from matching and object labelling to math, reading, writing, conversation skills and peer interactions, but…what about the details or the skills required to do everyday life?

For example: Leisure activities – do they have any they can do competently? Can they ride a bike? swim? ice skate or participate in any community of family leisure activity? Can they behave appropriately in restaurants? in stores etc.? School – How independant are they in school? Can they line-up, hang-up their coats, get our their books etc. without prompting? Do they exhibit behaviours which exclude or limit their participation in certain classes or activities? Do they eat their lunch properly? Are they independent in the washroom? Do they act appropriately in circle times or school assemblies? Do they get invited to birthday parties? Do they have a peer group of typically developing kids? Do they look "cool"?

Skills, skills and more skills which are absolutely essential for our children to possess for their dignity,meaningful inclusion and independance. These tasks, just like every other task in a Lovaas A.B.A. program must be programmed for and taught to a mastery criteria.

Come and hear a panel of parents of children across the age range and autism spectrum share some "programming" ideas for you to discuss with your Behavioural Consultant. This meeting is open to all parents and therapists. Consultants are also very welcome to attend

Please e-mail me at jean.lewis@telus.net to confirm your attendance.

See you on Feb. 16th.

Jean

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