[Maureen St. Cyr]

We use Dr. Don Scheideman at the Pediatric
Dental Group. They have offices in Richmond,
Coquitlam and at Oakridge. Obviously there's
an office closer to you, but the one at Oakridge
is more 'team-friendly' I find. In any case,
they're the best, and Scheideman's fabulous,
though I understand his partners are excellent
too.

[Maureen St. Cyr]

Sabrina, thank you for your reasoned, objective and impartial post. I wish I had it in me to be as open-minded as you.

For two years, I have had to attempt to battle the poisonous beliefs which school staff have picked up in workshops run by some of the groups you mention in your post; workshops paid for with my tax dollars while the same government that collects them denies my daughter medically-necessary, scientifically-proven, physician-prescribed treatment.

I was unaware that any members of the profit-oriented anti-Lovaas groups you have mentioned had any form of privilege here whatsoever. While I can applaud the democracy of allowing them to further their disproven goals, I would be much more comfortable if I knew who they were in ANY post, not just in messages advertising for staff to continue their track record of ruining the lives of children who deserve better. My assumption was always that the people with posting privilege here were parents of chlidren with autism and members of FEAT BC, with all the implications thereof. I now find myself having to read each post while simultaneously trying to distinguish between those with good intentions, and those whose goals may be malignant towards my daughter's life and future. If I have to second-guess the motivation of everything I read here, it lessens by powers of magnitude the benefits for me of hearing from other parents running Lovaas programs. To say the least, it frustrates me.

Avery
Ariel's Dad

[Maureen St. Cyr]

Peggy, I normally reserve debating for usenet where it belongs, but to use the vernacular of the newsgroups, you are off topic…WAY off topic.

> The premise….there is no right or wrong in what
> families choose(for all – those who have a child
> who lives with ANY disability-not just Autism)…

Admirable sentiment. But this is FEAT, not Families Seeking to Correct All the Perceived Wrongs of Government. I won't even attempt to speak for others, but I personally do not have the energy to campaign for all the other special needs families in the province or the country. They must find their own voice and form their own group.

> In terms of what this initiative might do for
> children with autism whose families choose Lovaas
> style ABA programs – very little, if anything,
> probably nothing whatsoever…

Exactly my point — why are you raising it here? And yes I understand that there are people who suffer under the yoke of multiple disorders for their children, and for those people, ABA may not be enough, but you seem to be forwarding the philosophy that the government should just hand money to parents to pay for any — I'm sorry — quackery they might be grasping at in faint hope. If I may be so bold, OUR fight is about the government WASTING money on quack so-called treatment, and about the government refusing to fund the only treatment regime which has been scientifically proven over decades to help our kids.

>To me, this initiative is about the big picture.

Devoting my energy and resources to doing whatever I can to give my daughter a full and rewarding life IS the big picture for me. I expand my picture to the best of my abilities to do what I can for other families I've come to know with kids on the team…first and especially for those who did so much for us when we first discovered something about Ariel was different. If that is not enough for you, Peggy, I'm sorry.

Avery
Ariel's Dad

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