[Isaac]

Hello everyone,

There*s a radio news clip at the CKNW web site that may be of interest to parents on the FEAT BC list (requires RealAudio player; to listen, please click here …
http://209.115.161.208/cgi/vaultfile.cgi?4-10)

Although the story is a bit off topic for our discussion group, it*s noteworthy because it spotlights the hopelessly flawed, government special needs ‘system’ we are working so hard to keep our children out of.

Please be advised the CKNW clip may be upsetting to some; it*s about a BC mom who welcomes her son home from the government approved respite worker, only to learn he*s come home with a broken leg. The Children*s Ministry abruptly *closed the file* on the six year old boy, without explanation.

The story can be heard at this address: http://209.115.161.208/cgi/vaultfile.cgi?4-10

– Please move the RealAudio slider bar to 34:29 minutes into the clip

– The interview ends at 51:44 minutes

Isaac
(Miki*s Dad)

[NOTE: CKNW has the clip available until Thursday, January 25, 2002]

[Isaac]

The ongoing autism treatment dispute in BC is in the news again this week.

The link below downloads the front page piece from Okanagan’s widely distributed “Penticton Western”.

Full story is at –> https://featbc.org/downloads/Penticton_Western_11_13_01.pdf

Isaac
(Miki*s Dad)

[Isaac]

Vancouver Sun ran an editorial today on government policy and the ongoing autism treatment dispute … editorial can be downloaded from the FEAT BC server at https://featbc.org/downloads/sun_oped_10_30_01.pdf

Isaac (Miki*s Dad)

[Isaac]

The autism treatment dispute in the news again today …

1) CKNW's Bill Good show — http://audiovault.cknw.com/ram/d1-11.ram

2) BCTV News at six

Topic: ‘Broken Promises’

Regards,
Isaac (Miki*s Dad)

[Isaac]

No doubt many have already seen the story in the Vancouver Sun this week. For any who haven't had a chance to read it, a copy is at the end of this post.

Front page in Victoria as well: a well researched feature story on government's controversial pilot EIBI program appeared on the top of front page in the Sunday edition of the Victoria Times Colonist (August 12, 2001). The article is available at this address:
http://www.featbc.org/downloads/Times_Colonist_08_12_01.pdf (361k)

Isaac
(Miki's Dad)

___________________________________________
Vancouver Sun
August 14, 2001

B.C. weighs direct payments for autism
Parents would decide how to spend treatment dollars
Kim Pemberton Vancouver Sun
The B.C. government is willing to consider giving money directly to parents
of young children with autism as part of its new $16-million Early Intensive
Behavioural Intervention program.
The concept, which would be a first in B.C., means parents would be able to
spend the money they receive from the government in the way they consider
best to treat their child's autism, a neurological condition that causes severe
language and behavioural impairment.
Minister of State for Early Childhood Development Linda Reid said in an
interview that although the government is currently implementing
community-based programs for children with autism — from ages two to six
— it is willing to consider alternatives such as funding parents directly to
provide their own treatment programs with professionals they choose.
"The door is open and we are willing to explore this option. This
[individualized funding] is an area the previous government wouldn't have
touched," she said.
"There is no one size fits all. You have to be able to offer choice so if we can
put individualized funding as one of the options, that's fabulous."
But she cautioned not every family would want to have individualized funding.
"Not all of us can run a 40-hour intensive program in our home. There are
parents who will want to do that and others who will want to go to an existing
program. We will do our best to satisfy both schools of thought."
Individualized funding for parents of children with autism has been lobbied
for by Families for Early Autism Treatment of B.C. (FEAT) and the Autism
Society of B.C.
"This would be a first in B.C.– for individuals or families who have good
programs to bring forward their own programs to get funding," said society
program director Clair Schuman.
"The new government, across the board, has expressed an interest in parental

choice. We welcome the opportunity for people with autism."
FEAT spokesperson Sabrina Freeman said it is critical for individualized
funding to be offered immediately.
"It would be so easy to clean this problem up by giving individualized funding
but the leftover bureaucrats from the NDP days are against the idea. Their
idea of individualized funding is to have parents go to one of the sites that
already have gotten the money and choose from a variety of 'treatments' and I
use that term loosely," she said. "That is not parent choice."
(The government was ordered by the B.C. Supreme Court last February to
provide early intervention programs for children with autism after four
families sued on behalf of all B.C. children. Both sides are appealing the
ruling.)Tuesday, August 14, 2001 Vancouver Sun – Top Stories Page: 2
FEAT prefers a type of treatment pioneered by Dr. Ivar Lovaas at the
University of California at Los Angeles. It involves intensive interaction with
therapists.
Freeman estimates there are 200 B.C. families who are already privately
funding their own Lovaas-style programs, at a cost of $25,000 to $60,000 a
year.
Since the government announced it will provide $16 million for early
intervention programs for young children with autism it has awarded
contracts to three specific community programs so far. They are in Victoria,
Delta and the Okanagan. Seventy-five children are now in those programs, but
about 450 children qualify for early intervention dollars.
The children in the three existing programs are getting at least 20 hours of
intensive therapy each week.
Pat Mirenda, associate professor at UBC's department of education,
counselling, psychology and special education, said there is no question early
intervention is critical for children with autism.
"It makes a big difference…. Right now we have young kids, [from ages two
to six] who were getting nothing, going to fairly substantial programs," she
said.

[Isaac]

Hello everyone.

Government’s fraudulent EIBI program was a topic on CKNW radio this afternoon.

The piece is available at the address below for the next four days:

http://audiovault.cknw.com/ram/d1-15.ram

The interview is at 44 minutes + 42 seconds into the clip. To hear the interview, move the Real Audio slider control up to that time mark in the audio clip.

Feel free to send your thoughts to government! Now is the time.

Isaac
(Miki*s Dad)

[Isaac]

CKNW's *Bill Good* program discussed the autism treatment controversy today with two parents of children with autism, Bill Rice and Debora Antifaev (05/07/01). The interview focuses on government's inadequate response to the landmark BC Supreme Court decision regarding medically necessary autism treatment (Auton, July 2000).

Many thanks to Bill and Debora for representing our children so well today!

For anyone unable to tune in to the program, or for those out of broadcast range, this worthwhile clip is available at the CKNW archive for 5 days. The address is http://audiovault.cknw.com/ram/d1-13.ram (Bill Good segment, 1PM to 2PM, 05/07/01).

Isaac
Miki*s Dad

[Isaac]

This weeks*s issue of the Georgia Straight is worth a read … page 13 *Election Has Big Impact on Less Fortunate*.

This commentary by the Straight*s Charlie Smith, spotlights the dichotomy of governments*s claim to a *social conscience* versus it*s abysmal failure of children with autism.

Highlights from the article:

NDP candidate, Alicia Barsallo (Glen Clark*s old riding, Vancouver-Kingsway) believes her party is best suited to upholding *basic values like humanity*

Relevant to folks concerned about government*s fraudulent autism program known as EIBI (formerly known as P-CARD, expending $213,333 per child for ineffective services): Liberal finance critic, Gary Farrel-Collins, states, *One of the things we will do as soon as we*re elected … is a core review … we want to go through each and every program and try to find out if the money is being spent properly, to find out if it*s the right program, and if we can do it a better way.*

The article goes on the state, *The NDP government has come under intense criticism for services to autistic children.*

The rest of the article can be downloaded at: https://featbc.org/downloads/straight_05_03_01.pdf

Isaac
Miki*s Dad

[Isaac]

For those interested in government ‘s so-called “EIBI” autism project (formerly known as ‘P-CARD’), Jean Lewis, FEAT BC Director, delivers an incisive discussion regarding government’s ‘made-for-court’ solution to the autism controversy. The interview can be heard on CBC radio’s ‘Daybreak’, aired a few weeks ago, available at this address: http://www.featbc.org/the_media/

[Isaac]

Follow-up to the discussion board post of 04/12/01, RE: “gem from former MCF Minister, Penny Priddy”, from her comments made to the Vancouver Sun as Government adjourned the legislature this week.

The post states:

“For the first time in B.C. history, Government was accused and found guilty of violating the constitutional rights of disabled children; for the first time in Canadian history, government was accused and found guilty of neglecting to provide or fund “medically necessary” treatment. All this during Minister Priddy’s tenure at the helm of the Children’s Ministry. This shameful history is part of the Priddy legacy too.”

In fact, the impetus for the autism treatment legal action and the court judgments all happened during Minister Priddy’s tenure at the helm of not only the Children’s Ministry, but also the Health Ministry AND the Education Ministry. Minister Priddy headed ALL three Ministries at various times from Sept. 1996 through November 2000.

Only one government cabinet minister has the dubious distinction of serving as head of all three ministries originally named in the Auton case — interesting legacy indeed.

Isaac (Miki’s Dad)

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