[Bev Sharpe]

July 9, 2004. 10 years ago today, I sat in the Supreme Court of Canada court room, along with several other Auton litigants.

The Auton case is the case where a small group of parents brought an action against the government for failing to provide medically-necessary Applied Behaviour Analysis treatment to their autistic children.

Both at the Supreme Court of BC and the Appeals Court of BC, it was found that the failure to provide this treatment constituted a denial of the children’s rights under the Equality provision, Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This decision was appealed by all of the provincial and the federal governments, all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

On that hot, sunny day, 9 yrs. ago, I chose to skip the lunch break, and wait outside the court room, to ensure all of us getting our seats back at the front of the court room for the afternoon session. It was then, that the Sherriff informed me that it was the first time he had ever seen the Supreme Court of Canada re-arranged, to allow for a record number of intervenors against our autistic children.

Yes folks, the injustice against providing treatment to our children was pervasive across every province and territory.

In a stunning and shocking decision, the Supreme Court of Canada did not uphold the lower court decisions that ABA treatment was medically-necessary and must be provided. Rather, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the “core health needs” of our children had been provided. They meant that if our children break a leg, or get strep throat, they get treatment, but not for their Autism. The judiciary said that though they recognized ABA as “gold-standard” treatment, that they, the judiciary could not order the provinces how to spend their health care dollars.

The Auton litigation put the spotlight on the necessity of ABA for our children, essentially shaming every province to provide some funding of this treatment. Any funding provided today can be taken away with the stroke of a pen. It is vitally important that we get ABA treatment included in Medicare.

What can parents do now?
Hire a bonafide Behaviour Consultant, and start your ABA treatment program for your child.

Political activism with focus, clarity and persistence is the only thing that will change Medicare to include ABA treatment for Autism.

Parents educate yourselves. Read the Auton and Hewko decisions. Watch the film, “Medicare’s Orphans” at medicareforautismnow.org

Sign up for your free online newsletter Association for Science in Autism Treatment
ASAT is a not-for-profit organization of parents and professionals committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism. http://www.asatonline.org/

Get involved with Civil Rights Now! at civilrightsnow.ca

Read Dr. Sabrina Freeman’s blog at http://autismpundit.com Sabrina has always maintained that you must question everything about Autism treatment and expect evidence.

Thank you Dr. Sabrina Freeman for founding FEATBC and spearheading the Auton litigation. Thank you to all the parents, families, and concerned citizens that advocate for ABA medically- necessary treatment for autism.

[Bev Sharpe]

July 9, 2004. 10 years ago today, I sat in the Supreme Court of Canada court room, along with several other Auton litigants.

The Auton case is the case where a small group of parents brought an action against the government for failing to provide medically-necessary Applied Behaviour Analysis treatment to their autistic children.

Both at the Supreme Court of BC and the Appeals Court of BC, it was found that the failure to provide this treatment constituted a denial of the children’s rights under the Equality provision, Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This decision was appealed by all of the provincial and the federal governments, all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

On that hot, sunny day, 9 yrs. ago, I chose to skip the lunch break, and wait outside the court room, to ensure all of us getting our seats back at the front of the court room for the afternoon session. It was then, that the Sherriff informed me that it was the first time he had ever seen the Supreme Court of Canada re-arranged, to allow for a record number of intervenors against our autistic children.

Yes folks, the injustice against providing treatment to our children was pervasive across every province and territory.

In a stunning and shocking decision, the Supreme Court of Canada did not uphold the lower court decisions that ABA treatment was medically-necessary and must be provided. Rather, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the “core health needs” of our children had been provided. They meant that if our children break a leg, or get strep throat, they get treatment, but not for their Autism. The judiciary said that though they recognized ABA as “gold-standard” treatment, that they, the judiciary could not order the provinces how to spend their health care dollars.

The Auton litigation put the spotlight on the necessity of ABA for our children, essentially shaming every province to provide some funding of this treatment. Any funding provided today can be taken away with the stroke of a pen. It is vitally important that we get ABA treatment included in Medicare.

What can parents do now?
Hire a bonafide Behaviour Consultant, and start your ABA treatment program for your child.

Political activism with focus, clarity and persistence is the only thing that will change Medicare to include ABA treatment for Autism.

Parents educate yourselves. Read the Auton and Hewko decisions. Watch the film, “Medicare’s Orphans” at medicareforautismnow.org

Sign up for your free online newsletter Association for Science in Autism Treatment
ASAT is a not-for-profit organization of parents and professionals committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism. http://www.asatonline.org/

Get involved with Civil Rights Now! at civilrightsnow.ca

Read Dr. Sabrina Freeman’s blog at http://autismpundit.com Sabrina has always maintained that you must question everything about Autism treatment and expect evidence.

Thank you Dr. Sabrina Freeman for founding FEATBC and spearheading the Auton litigation. Thank you to all the parents, families, and concerned citizens that advocate for ABA medically- necessary treatment for autism.

[Bev Sharpe]

News of the mother in Prince Rupert who took the life of her autistic son, then took her own life, is devastating and tragic.
According to the news report, her son was receiving some respite care, not Applied Behaviour Analysis treatment for his Autism, and that his behaviours had become violent and uncontrollable.

Autism treatment is not yet covered by Medicare.

What can you do?

Continue your child’s ABA treatment program – it is the single treatment with the science , data and efficacy behind it – it works.

Keep informed. Sign up for the free newsletter from Association for Science in Autism Treatment at:
http://www.asatonline.org/signuphttp://www.asatonline.org/signup

Join Medicare for Autism Now! Their website: medicareforautismnow.org
Your autistic child is a Canadian citizen who is worthy of their core treatment need for ABA and worthy of being included in Medicare.

Get active with Civil Rights Now! People living with a disability in British Columbia do not have the legal rights and protections they believe that they have. Anyone and everyone, as a result of an accident, an illness or merely by getting older can become vulnerable. And that’s why everyone needs to get involved in this campaign. Their website is: civilrightsnow.ca

Read and understand the Auton and Hewko decisions. These decisions outline critical facts which you can use to advocate for your children’s treatment both at home and in school.

[Bev Sharpe]

This latest edition of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment is a must-read.

http://www.asatonline.org/pdf/winter2014.pdf

On page 18 of this newsletter there is a summary of the guidelines that will help parents differentiate good from poor consultants. From this newsletter you can download the entire consumer guidelines for consultants.

[Bev Sharpe]

This latest edition of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment is a must-read.

http://www.asatonline.org/pdf/winter2014.pdf

On page 18 of this newsletter there is a summary of the guidelines that will help parents differentiate good from poor consultants. From this newsletter you can download the entire consumer guidelines for consultants.

[Bev Sharpe]

The newest edition of the ASAT newsletter is here!

The Association for Science in Autism Treatment: ASAT is a not-for-profit organization of parents and professionals committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism. Since autism was first identified, there has been a long history of failed treatments and fads, levied on vulnerable individuals as well as on their families. From the scandal of the “refrigerator mother” theory, to the ongoing parade of “miracle cures” and “magical breakthroughs,” history has been dominated by improbable theories about causation and treatments.

Many of these treatments have been too quickly adopted by professionals, too readily sensationalized by the media, and too hastily embraced by hopeful consumers – well before supporting evidence or reasonable probability existed for their effectiveness or safety.

Since ASAT was established in 1998, it has been their goal to work toward adopting higher standards of accountability for the care, education and treatment of all individuals with autism.

http://www.asatonline.org/pdf/winter2014.pdf

This organization is not-for-profit and accepts donations to keep this organization running.

[Bev Sharpe]

The newest edition of the ASAT newsletter is here!

The Association for Science in Autism Treatment: ASAT is a not-for-profit organization of parents and professionals committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism. Since autism was first identified, there has been a long history of failed treatments and fads, levied on vulnerable individuals as well as on their families. From the scandal of the “refrigerator mother” theory, to the ongoing parade of “miracle cures” and “magical breakthroughs,” history has been dominated by improbable theories about causation and treatments.

Many of these treatments have been too quickly adopted by professionals, too readily sensationalized by the media, and too hastily embraced by hopeful consumers – well before supporting evidence or reasonable probability existed for their effectiveness or safety.

Since ASAT was established in 1998, it has been their goal to work toward adopting higher standards of accountability for the care, education and treatment of all individuals with autism.

http://www.asatonline.org/pdf/winter2014.pdf

This organization is not-for-profit and accepts donations to keep this organization running.

[Bev Sharpe]

The FEAT BC 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-type" Intensive Behavioural Treatment for autism and related disorders.

Postings for positions for Applied Behaviour Analyst and qualified Behaviour Consultants are the only postings permitted.

Postings which do not conform to this criteria will be removed.

Beverley Sharpe
Director

[Bev Sharpe]

The FEAT BC 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-type" Intensive Behavioural Treatment for autism and related disorders.

Postings for positions for Applied Behaviour Analyst and qualified Behaviour Consultants are the only postings permitted.

Postings which do not conform to this criteria will be removed.

Beverley Sharpe
Director

[Bev Sharpe]

Season’s Greetings to all FEATBC families.

I am so proud to share that on Christmas morning my beautiful daughter
set the breakfast table, made a pot of tea, helped clean and put away the dishes.

She then participated fully in turn-taking with gift opening, identifying her gifts and made an appropriate statement about each gift. In the evening, she sang Christmas songs and again, fully participated in dinner preparation and clean up!

Applied Behaviour Analysis is the treatment program, designed and implemented by our Behaviour Consultant – thank you Shelley Davis and therapists of past and present! – that have taught my daughter the skills which allow her to participate fully in such celebrations.

ABA is the only bonafide, scientifically-based, data-backed treatment for Autism. It works.

For 2014 I encourage all parents and families to advocate for ABA to be included in Medicare. Political activism with focus, clarity and persistence is the only thing that will change Medicare to include ABA treatment for Autism.

Educate yourselves. Read the Auton and Hewko decisions. Watch the film, “Medicare’s Orphans” at: medicareforautismnow.org

Check out Civil Rights Now! at: civilrightsnow.ca

Thank you Dr. Sabrina Freeman for founding FEATBC and spearheading the Auton litigation.

Happy New Year.

[Author]

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