[Dorothy Ray]

Experienced ABA Therapist wanted for 8 year old girl. We hope for an experienced person, but it's not necessary.

2 shifts a week, 2.5 to 3 hrs for 1 shift. We are living in Fleetwood, Surrey.

Please Email Resume to Pine50@hotmail.com

[Dorothy Ray]

Hi everyone. We have reached a point in my son's life where we need to make some critical decisions about which direction we want to go with his therapy. He is receiving glowing reports from a "reliable source" that he is doing well (better than half of his classmates) in terms of his schoolwork, behaviours, social skills etc., and he is seeking and being sought after for playdates that he doesn't have time for because of the combination of homework/extracurricular/therapy he contends with daily.

How do you know when it's time to "let your child fly" so to speak? I'm very reluctant to discontinue therapy altogether as he has a couple of things (food issues, pencil grip…) to work on with professionals who specialize in these areas, but I do wonder how other families have dealt with the question of when to end the behavioural aspect of their child's therapy or how to keep it going while allowing their child more time to participate in the "typical" activities of childhood. At what point do you stop looking at every behaviour or foible as being autistic vs. being a typical kid thing to be dealt with in a more non-therapeutic, "typical" way.

I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has or is facing this question themselves. Please feel free to respond either by way of this chat board, or privately at roganddot@shaw.ca or (604)583-4385.

Thanks so much! Dorothy

[Dorothy Ray]

This message is for Christine Hung.

Hi Christine. Regarding the extra pediatrician's diagnosis, I know of an excellent doctor who diagnosed both of my boys, and has helped other families I know in this regard. I don't know if he would want me to post his name for various reasons, but if you'd like to send me your email address, I would be happy to give you his contact information. My email is roganddot@shaw.ca .
Good luck. Dorothy

[Dorothy Ray]

Just read an interesting story in Saturday's "Now" Surrey paper, pg. 21 "Growing old behind bars…". It states that U.S. figures estimate that the cost of housing prisoners is $20K for a younger inmate and $60K to $75K per year for geriatric inmates. These costs apparently include prescriptions, doctors, caregivers, medical procedures and equipment.

How amazing to me that aging prisoners guilty of terrible crimes are still getting more government (and taxpayer) funding than our babies, many of whom are living as prisoners inside their own bodies.

Food for thought – not that we needed any more! Dorothy

[Dorothy Ray]

Hi Justin. Sorry I'm so slow to respond – my kids are computer-aholics and I only get time when they're in therapy!! In response to your Saturday post, I'm in Chuck Cadman's riding and am working on the petition. If you want to contact me about it, you can reach me at roganddot@shaw.ca. Hope this helps!!

Just wanted to say that I am breathless and in AWE at the way FEAT families have shaken off their huge disappointment and are already jumping all over this country! You inspire me!

Dorothy Roy

[Dorothy Ray]

As I read everyone's responses to the Supreme Court decision, I feel emotional and proud. I am a newcomer to the FEAT family, but with two on the spectrum, I've had a fast introduction to the world of autism and ABA. Aside from the petition (which I'm working on) I wonder what I can contribute to the effort to secure our children's futures. I've recently heard discussion that if the government and courts have abandoned children with autism, we must appeal to the public – and soon, before the media spotlight seeks fresher fodder. Could we brainstorm? What kinds of actions attract public attention in positive ways? How can we create an emotional appeal that will convince Joe Public that our kids' futures are important to him in a personal way? How can we encourage him to make some small effort toward our cause? What about welcoming the media into our homes to share our worlds? What about a public display (peaceful of course) of our numbers in front of a government location, or a store to store "ribbon for autism" campaign – anything to keep our issue in the public eye in a positive and emotional way. I'm no spin doctor, but amongst our devoted and talented numbers there must be some brilliant ideas fermenting. The fight is not over yet – just the rules have changed. Let's hear those bubbling ideas and see if we can launch a new campaign toward the public. They may be more sympathetic than those with political axes to grind.

Joining the fray, Dorothy

[Dorothy Ray]

Woops! I forgot to leave contact information. To reach Dorothy Roy re: a good ABA consultant for my 2 yr old, please phone me at (604) 583-4385, or email me at roganddot@shaw.ca

Thanks so much! Dorothy

[Dorothy Ray]

Hello everyone. I'm posting in the hopes of picking your collective brains – again. My second son has just been diagnosed with mild ASD and I am once again going through the steps of setting up a treatment program. This time, though, I need to find a consultant who is experienced with 1-2 year olds, and preferably the AVB (Applied Verbal Behaviour) program, as my son is very behind in his speech/language development. If anyone knows of such a consultant, especially if that individual is local, I would be extremely grateful for the recommendation!

Thanks, Dorothy

[Dorothy Ray]

I am responding to the anonymous posting of Jan. 2/2004 11:50 pm re: Dr. Melvin Delevie etc.

I would be delighted to provide Dr. Delevie's contact information. He gave both my sons their initial diagnoses and has been instrumental in obtaining further assessments. I'm not sure whether I should post his info. on the general board, but if you'd like I can email or phone it to yourself or your friend. You can contact me at roganddot@shaw.ca .

Also, I was told that the MCFD (Ministry of Children and Families) requires a "multidisciplinary assessment" of autism or ASD in order to proceed with funding. We had to provide the following assessment reports:

*Pediatrician (such as Dr. Delevie)
*Auditory (hearing test – can be accessed through your local health unit)
*Psychological/cognitive (we went to the ABLE clinic in Surrey, but there are many options)
*Speech/language (needs to be done by an MCFD approved speech pathologist who has access to and knows how to implement basic as well as any autism-specific speech/lang. tests)

You can either get these assessments from:

*professionals acting separately (and paid for out of your own pocket and/or extended health insurance) or
*through an organization such as Surrey Memorial Hospital, Sunny Hill Hospital, or Children's Hospital (paid for in full by the government, but may have long wait lists).

We had our first son assessed privately (he was four at the time and we needed to move more quickly than the hospitals allowed for), and our second son assessed at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Both experiences were good and gave us equally useful results (the wait for Surrey Memorial was actually not too long – 3.5 to 4 months from the pediatrician's examination.

If you want further information about our processes, I can provide that as well. Good luck!

Dorothy Roy
roganddot@shaw.ca

[Dorothy Ray]

Hi Everyone. Has anyone had trouble with their child's food fetishes and eating hang-ups? I have a 5 yr old son with ASD who will willingly eat only about a dozen foods, most of which are carbohydrates. As well, he will not eat any of those foods if they don't "look right" – brown spots, slightly over-toasted edges, chicken nuggets with the breading coming off here or there, apples that aren't cut the right way, ….!!! I have allowed him to choose what he will eat for the last two years, as he systematically dropped foods from his diet. Now I'm not sure what to do. I'm concerned for his nutrition and health, and I wonder if this is simply a manipulative behaviour that I should take a firmer stand with. If anyone has any advice or experiences to share, I'd be grateful to hear them! I can be reached at roganddot@shaw.ca and will also watch the discussion board for responses. Thanks everyone!

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