[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi Guys:

The IDEA's act in the US is now even better for the kids – below is the link to a press release -He had some great things to say about kids with disabilities and about how they can learn – expectations need to be there – and how the education system needs to help.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/12/20041203-6.html

We really need to get those petitions in and we need to create the kind of laws for our kids and Government has the power to do it – we have to have the power to push them into doing it. The only power we have right now is in our voices – for our kids – that comes in the form of petitions, letters and lobbying.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

re: Geoff Plant – you are right Dave – he gives the same practiced speech and you notice no one from the MCFD is responding – keeping quiet that way when they start slashing – they can say 'I never said…' such as Mr. Plant is doing.

I can't get the show but my ideas are – since Mr. Plant knows so much about numbers How many millions were spent fighting disabled children and their families for 7 years?

Is that 30 million dollars all going to individualized funding? Nope – it's going to contracted support and various other unproven babysitting services. Don't forget it costs the government run IBI program 60,000 a year – that's what they are paying and for that the kids get an average 17.5 hours with 60% of the cost of the 60,000.00 per year going to administration costs.

As for 'institutions' a 'group home' is a mini institution – warehousing means there's someone with no ability to enjoy life – a life wasted – a life lost – that does and is still going on and it's the future for many of our children now that the government has the ability to deny them treatment. The warehousing issue really needs to be stressed cause Mr. Plant is making it sound like they will be given a million dollars and a house in Hawaii to go and enjoy their retirement in a peaceful lovely setting as if they won't be in diapers, with severe behaviors and aggression and medicated up to try and control them while they then can sit in the corner and stim or self injury themselves(well my kid would have been without treatment).

Someone needs to mention the increase in autism births and let joe public know the catastrophic costs these kids are going to cost the system when they are adults – huge billions of dollars per year.

Just some more ideas.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

re: sedation

The drug they give them to settle them before surgery also makes my guy hyper and hard to control.

Now he had the gas a year ago with no effects – in fact – it was the best I had seen him come out of something – usual with the IV only he's drugged for days after. But does this mean the first time he could handle it and then maybe if it were to be adminstered again – then he could have a reaction?

How does one test for this?

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Twice now when I have heard AG Plant on the radio he has said 'oh we don't warehouse them anymore'. Well if any of you have seen 'outing day's' where these poor adults are put in wheelchairs (easier to control them) and taken out – warehousing is an adequate term. Below is my email to Bill Good also with a poem that I wrote 3 years ago when the Liberals cut Jeremy's funding because he was 7 years old – maybe some of those people in 'la la denial land' better look up the history of funding for our kids and realize that the Auton ruling has only been what was protecting and giving to our kids. We no longer have that shield – we need to fight not when our funding is cut but before – because trust me it's not a matter of 'will they cut funding' but 'when'.

Dear Mr. Good:

Twice now the Attorney General has stated that when our autistic children grow up – without treatment – they won't be warehoused or institutionalized – he keeps saying they don't do that anymore.

Yet, how does over medicating them – putting them into a wheelchair (when they can walk) and then taking them out on an outing where they just sit and self stim – not be warehousing them? Their lives have no meaning – they do nothing productive – have little if any quality of life. Whether they are put in large buildings (institutions) or small group homes – the cost is still extremely expensive starting at the low end of 75,000 per year and up. The aides are not trained in ABA – so there is no teaching, no learning with these poor souls. ABA does and can teach at any age – science tells us the younger the better – but each individual can make gains at any age.

As for the Government's promises not to cut funding – well – we all know they have before and the only reason money was put into to autism treatment was because of the Auton ruling.

As for the warehousing – many areas such as Langley, Maple Ridge or Penticton have 'outing day's' where they take their autistic adults out – they are always in wheelchairs even though they can walk.

When my son's funding was cut off the second time when he was 7 – we had to lower his hours and he started regressing. Below is a poem I wrote.

Do You See Them?

Do you see them, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
They're the adults and it's outing day
They are at the mall
Though where they are matters to no one-
Themselves – least of all.

They are in wheelchairs but they can walk
Maybe once some might have even talked
Now most no longer even try
Many no longer even bother to cry.

Do you see them, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
They are adults now but children with autism they used to be
Their lives seem of so little value to us all
Why, they are only societies burdens
Not productive at all.

These days you cannot get any eye contact
Their smiles no longer seem real
Some are hard to look at
Disfigured now – from years of self -abuse
Some are catatonic now-
From years of prescribed drug use.

Do you see them, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
They have families, they are so loved.
They lived at home when they were young
But without treatment — they never learned
They were never given the skills nor the abilities,it just became to hard for everyone
Years ago there was no alternative to this very sad outcome.

Please look at them, Mr. Premier
Please make sure you really understand
For more than 30 years of science tell us
That what you see here today
Well . . .it never had to be

Do you see him, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
The future I show you was to be my son's
My child's chilling destiny
But we have found Lovaas treatment
It will change this tragedy.

Years ago he was so lost
Never learned, nor smiled or laughed.
He was not yet two when he ceased eye contact
He pulled his hair, had a huge bald spot
He never slept, nor fed himself
Never played, just raged a lot.

Do you see him, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
With treatment he is learning
He is so happy. He has a long way to go.
But the path he is on is so much better
There are no institutions in this child's future.

You promised to help, Mr. Premier
You said you would give full treatment to all
And we believed your words
Why you shook our hands
You smiled and looked us right in the eye
We never knew it was all a lie.

Do you see him, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
Your government cut his funds
We had to scale back his therapy
His doctor's told you he would regress – they warned you of this.
And we pleaded, we cried and we fought . . . our very best.

Do you see him, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
That's him sitting staring in the chair
Do you see his balding spot
Can you see it there?
He's doing it again. . .
He's pulling out his hair. . .

Do you see him, Mr. Premier?
Do you see?
He is an adult now. . .and it's outing day. . .

Barbara Rodrigues

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hey guys:

Has anyone else got flack from their MP's office – the assistant at Stockwell Day's office was insistant that there was nothing that they could do blah blah blah. I explained to her there was – but I am astounded that she spent the time arguing with me and trying to pawn me back to Bill Barisoff – who is useless. Anyhow is everyone else getting good reception from their MP offices?

Just wondering. You would think with all the bad press Stockwell Day has gotten in the last few months that he would jump on this bandwagon and try and get some positive press.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Just another thought – on the blurb we are going to be handing out – be sure to put the FEAT website – and the online petition maybe??

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi Guys:

Just wanted to mention that our mall here in Penticton allows you to get a table all day (for free) – I did this back in 1998 when I had a petition drive for Jeremy. I am not sure if they still do it but it might be worth a try in areas we really want to get the signatures up. I am going to try it here also will let you know what they say. Just a thought.

I have to say – I am so inspired by everyone.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

For those asking about their friends in other areas with petitions. As long as they have the minimum of 25 signatures then my understanding was Andrew wanted EACH MP to table from his/her riding. So have them mail them or drop them off to their MP's offices. If Andrew wants to correct me – he will post.

Sorry for not posting sooner but the big wind storm must have blown out Telus lines as my internet was down all day.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Thanks for posting that DeeDee. What an a@#. Is he a government hack on the side?? Here's a poem for people like him.

REMEMBER?

"First They Came for the Jews"
By Pastor Niemoller

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

[Barbara Rodrigues]

re: Will they cut our funding

Well said, Stephen and Monika. Erik it's true this government told us when they were in opposition that they would not go forward with the appeal – then guess what.

Monika is right on concerning L.Reid – she takes things personally and will cut funding off to a disabled child because she might get in a yelling match over the telephone with the mother. The contractors have the power with the gang over in Victoria in MCFD – so now without the protection of the court – funds will go back to those incompetents – you can be assured of that.

So I cannot stress again to EVERYONE – get your petitions signed – get them into your MP – get this done please. Do not say 'oh someone else will do it' – Do not say 'oh, they won't cut funding – my kid is only 3' Do not say 'oh, it's okay L.Reid said it was so'. Do not say 'oh, I am too busy/tired/stressed/overworked/etc.' You need to do this for your kids because we can't do it without everyone of us doing it now.

Thanks in advance.

Barbara
Jeremy's Mom

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