[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi Tony:

I don't know who you are using but you need to get her creditionals – where she was trained – she should have her Masters Degree and ultimately have been trained under a reputable consultant or firm.

That said – yes the ABLLS is compatible with an ABA program but I don't think the Lovaas clinic uses it – they have their own specific program chart I think (I am not up on their code anymore though).

But the ABLLS is only a tracking tool – I think some of the Government hacks are using it also so be careful- just to do it does not make one an expert anymore than by me reading on how to brain surgery and then preforming it.

So get her resume & creditionals and more importantly family references and call them. Call FEAT and see if they have heard of her.

But the ABLLS is a nice easy detailed grid to start with – by no means is it the be all and end all of what our kids need – but it's a nice beginning of things to work on.

Good luck to you.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Monika:

Great story! Front page is great also. Lots of great quotes/zingers! I pasted it for anyone who may want to read it also.

Allan Hewitson
Sentinel contributor
The Kitimat single mother of an 11-year-old autistic boy is 'deeply saddened" by the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that it is up to the BC Government to decide whether or not to pay for costly early treatment for children with autism.
Monika Lange, who has campaigned vigorously for what she described as "medically-necessary" treatment for children with autism, says unequivocally, "the Supreme Court got it wrong."
Lange said the decision was not about treatment for autism, but the power struggle between the courts and legislature on who define what medical treatment must be provided.
"Canada's top court has bowed to pressure from the BC government in its wake it has left children with no recourse," she added.
"What kind of Canada do we live in that members of the most helpless and vulnerable group in society cannot receive scientifically-proven medical treatment," Lange asked.
Attorney General Geoff Plant has welcomed the Supreme Court decision, while extending his sympathy to the parents of autistic children.
Currently the province covers core services which are provided by designated health-care practitioners.
Providers of the autism therapy known as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) do not have the required medical designation and their services need not be funded by the plan, the court said.
A group of BC families had argued ABA was medically necessary and that the decision by the province not to provide the treatment violated equality rights guaranteed under the constitution.
In its decision, the Supreme Court overturned two lower court rulings which it said failed to prove discrimination.
Lange disagrees. "A variety of medically necessary treatments are expensive. I wonder if Attorney-General Plant would volunteer to save the system money if anything were ever to go wrong with his prostate."
While her words were angry, she would continue to direct them at anyone, government official or not, who suggested her son was a second class citizen in terms of health care.
"The top court has set a precedent that any medical treatment is on the cutting block if it will help government serve its own interests," Lange warned.
"The BC government is spending $30-million a years on service providers and programs for autism that are ineffective, obsolete and not scientifically proven," she charged.
"And this is at the direct expense of the one treatment that is scientifically proven to be effective. The government says, sorry, we can't pay for scientifically proven treatment because we are already spending too much to treat autism."
Lange insisted ABA, also known as Lovaas treatment, is an effective intervention treatment. "Fully 87 per cent of those treated become fully independent, functional contributing members of society."
BC families launched their case six years ago, asking the government to pay for Lovaas treatment – it costs about $60,000 per patient annually.
——————————————————————————–

[Barbara Rodrigues]

For those of you wanting to print up petitions.

https://featbc.org/petition.pdf

If that doesn't work go to http://www.featbc.org and scroll down.

Thanks – let's get this going!!!

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance." H. Jackson Brown

Barbara

(Jean – I stole your ideas for quotes :-)

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi Guys:

The Province has a big letter and opinion on Autism/Auton today Ursula Lee's great letter is in there(awesome exposure!). The Sun printed another parent letter – The Globe & Mail has a letter from a lawyer whose sister is handicapped (not autistic) but they get the fact that what was done to our children has been done to all disabled/minority people. The National didn't have any letters (mind you I was just glancing through them all quickly at the store) so correct me if I am wrong

Our local paper remains quiet on the issue and no letters printed yet.

Just an update.

Barbara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

I found this one on a sound off web site – I really liked it – thought maybe we could work it into some of our letters.

RE: Families of Autistic Children. The SCC decision did have an impact across Canada. The SCC erred in fact and law.

Accordingly to the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, Canada being a signatory to this Declaration,

CHAPTER 1, Rights – Article VII

ALL Women, during pregnancy and the nursing period, and all children have the Right to Special Protection, Care and Aid.

My question is: Where did the SCC receive their authorization to violate and/or circumvent this Declaration, we as Canadians hold as Law of Rights???

[Barbara Rodrigues]

okay – that's pretty bad forgot how to spell my name.

Barbara (red faced:-0)

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi again:

Can someone email me privately (as we know our list is monitored) what the just of what was said at last night's meeting 'Holy Cow they ruled against our kids'. Just basic facts is all – just curious.
Barbara – email joe_rodrigues@telus.net

Again please don't post it on this chat board.

Thanks in advance.

Brabara

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Thanks for the info again on the papers Justine – great articles.

I responded to the Sun's editorial with my letter below for anyone interested.

Dear Editor:

Your editorial was exactly right – the province should fund treatment and the taxpayers should be aware that the cost analysis was won in our own B.C. Supreme Court that paying for this therapy now – is millions of dollars cheaper than having to 'warehouse' these individuals later in life.

Don't let Attorney General Plant scare you into believing that if we pay for treatment for these kids – it will cost billions and bankrupt the provincial healthcare system – it's not true. Money is there and it's being mismanaged. So not only is money there and being abused but these kids once again are going to be abused and discarded by this government as they were by the previous NDP government – who could waste millions are such boondoggles as the FastFerries but couldn't fund treatment for our autistic kids.

This issue was only taken to the courts as a last resort – families did everything they could to lobby the governments to provide physician prescribed treatment for our kids but we were ignored by the NDP and lied to by the Liberals – please look up 'Broken Promises' on the featbc.org website.

The Supreme Court of BC and the BC Appeals Court deemed this treatment medically necessary and our kids right – the Supreme Court of Canada discarded both these rulings – they discarded our children and their rights under the constitution. Our children are not equal to you or I – the Supreme Court denied them their rights – so now my little boy's health and well-being along with the rest of our children in B.C. and possibly Canada is in jeopardy. In essence, the Supreme Court of Canada justices will allow my severely disabled child to be discarded like human waste because the Provincial Governments wanted to balance their budgets.

Not only do the children and families with autism lose in this ruling – but the children and grandchildren of every taxpayer because it will cost millions more to care for untreated autistic adults in the future.

Barbara Rodrigues
Jeremy's Mom & Advocate
A little boy who does not yet speak
But whose voice must be heard.

[Barbara Rodrigues]

I was asked to post this – let's do what we can and send letters up there for this Mom.

FEAT Members

I am interested in seeing if some of the posters to Featbc could send their "letters to the editor" to the Yukon Territory�s newspapers.

The Whitehorse STAR: letters@whitehorsestar.com and
Yukon News: stever@yukon-news.com

In a strange coincidence, the outcome of my Human Rights Commission case was finally decided on November 17 and I received notice on the 19th. It turns out we won our case. The government was found to have discriminated against us on the basis of disability and on age. The government has 90 days to respond. Along with the letter I received on the 19th, a copy of the Auton case was enclosed. I am hoping that this won't affect me… but you never know. I am hoping that if some of the letters featbc members are writing can make it to our
newspaper, and we raise awareness in the Yukon, then maybe the government won't be so quick to fight us.

If you could be so kind as to post this for me, I would appreciate it.

Thank you.

Dianne Villes�che
ravenink@northwestel.net

Mother of Sara, a 14-year-old child with autism

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Ah, Andrew – you brought tears to my eyes with your note – especially with your 'page across your chest'. Thank you for all your hard work and dediction. We are lucky to have you on board.

Barbara
Jeremy's Mom
A little boy who does not yet speak
But whose voice must be heard.

[Author]

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