[Isaac]

Upcoming FEAT BC Workshop for ABA Therapists
***********************************************

FEAT BC is sponsoring the next Autism Behavioural Therapist Training Workshop at S.F.U., on Saturday, June 7, 2003.

A workshop flyer and registration form can be downloaded here:
http://www.featbc.org/downloads/abtw.pdf

The workshop will include general information on autism and behavioural theory but will focus mainly on the practical aspects of delivering effective behavioural autism.

Topics covered:
The terminology and theory of Lovaas-style ABA, the art of reinforcement, when and how to prompt, an overview of a variety of different teaching processes, a practical look at maintenance and generalization, commonly used behaviour terminology and practices, professionalism and confidentiality and making data collection manageable.

Who can benefit from this workshop:
– Present and potential instructors
– Parents
– Teaching Assistants/Special Education Assistants/Aides
– Other individuals working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

For more information, please download a workshop flyer and registration form from this address:
http://www.featbc.org/downloads/abtw.pdf

[Isaac]

By Isaac (Tamir) on Monday, May 19, 2003 – 09:10 am:

From Times Colonist (Victoria)
http://www.canada.com/victoria

Appeal ruling hailed by autism advocates

Jeff Rud
Times Colonist

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Advocates for British Columbia's autistic children are applauding a Supreme Court of Canada ruling.

The nation's top court has decided to grant the provincial government leave to appeal a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that ordered it to pay annual intensive therapy costs for autism of up to $60,000 per child.

The group Families for Early Autism Treatment of B.C. says that in the long run, the decision will actually be good for autistic children across Canada.

"It means that every child with autism across the country will be protected when the Supreme Court of Canada rules on this case,'' said Sabrina Freeman, FEAT's executive director. "That is so significant, because this (the autism-funding controversy) is happening all across Canada.''

Freeman concedes that it is impossible to predict what the Supreme Court will decide after the appeal is heard, but "I am confident it will uphold the constitutional rights of the children.

"I cannot see the Supreme Court of Canada turning their backs on these kids.''

The appeal, which will likely be heard within the next year, is the latest instalment in a case that began several years ago when four B.C. parents with autistic children sued the province over a lack of funding for medically-necessary treatment of autism.

That resulted in B.C. Supreme Court Justice Marion Allan ruling in 2000 that the government had violated the rights of autistic children. Allan ordered that the province begin providing "medically necessary" treatment to all autistic children in B.C.

A government appeal of the decision was heard in B.C. Supreme Court last October. Not only did the court uphold the first ruling, it also ordered the province to provide treatment to all children under the autism- spectrum disorder until physicians say it is no longer beneficial.

The province subsequently applied for leave to appeal the B.C. Supreme Courtdecision.

That was granted last week. Leave for the parents to cross-appeal also was granted.

B.C. Attorney General Geoff Plant said the case boils down to determining to what extent the Charter of Rights can be used by the courts to dictate health and social spending decisions by governments.

In the meantime, Plant said, the government is fulfilling the obligations of the ruling by providing funding to autistic children.

Currently, autistic children under the age of six are eligible for up to $20,000 per year in funding, and with those over six are eligible for about $6,000 in out-of-school funding.

Freeman said this funding is woefully inadequate to provide what the court has ordered. Lovaas therapy, which Freeman said is the only science-based, peer-reviewed applied behavioural analysis treatment, can cost as much as $60,000 a year.

"Every child under the age of six receives one-third of the treatment necessary,'' Freeman said

Michael Lewis, president of the Autism Society of B.C., said a 40-hour week of applied behavioural analysis therapy is often what is prescribed for children with autism.

"Twenty-thousand dollars doesn't cover that,'' Lewis said. "These children are sick. They have a medical condition. If this was cancer, we wouldn't be having this discussion.''

[Isaac]

The Langley Advance News did a page three piece today on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to hear the Auton appeal. It’s available for download on the FEAT BC server at this address:

http://www.featbc.org/downloads/langley_advance_05_17_03.pdf

[Isaac]

REPOST FROM THR ME-LIST
********************************************
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 22:20:10 +0000
From: "N. Whitney"
Subject: Supreme Court of Canada to hear ABA case

I just wanted to let Canadian families know that the Supreme Court of Canada
decided to hear the Auton leave to appeal/appeal.

Both parties appealed and we are VERY pleased with the decision.

For those of you interested I will be giving 11 separate radio interviews
regarding the decison starting at 6 am until 9 am (Ontario time) across
Canada.
I am not sure of the local stations but they are all CBC affiliates.

Here is the time sch.BOOKED: 6:00-8:50 a.m. ET

STATION TIME CONTACT PHONE #

Ottawa 6:00
Sydney 6:20

Ontario Morning 6:40

Winnipeg 7:00

St. John's 7:20
Yellowknife 7:30
Quebec city 7:40
Regina 7:50

Kelowna 8:20
Whitehorse 8:30
Victoria 8:40

Another riviting day in court again today. I strongly encourage Ontarians to
attend the trial. We will post next weeks sch as soon as it is available.

Best Regards,
Norrah Whitney
Feat of Ontario
aba4u@earthlink.net

[Isaac]

Hello everyone,

Following this post is a piece from the Toronto Globe and Mail on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to hear the landmark Auton case on our children’s rights to universal access to medically necessary autism treatment.

Canada’s nine highest judges decided they will hear this landmark autism case … and they don’t hear too many appeals each year (about 6 or 7 percent of cases filed is average). Our children’s autism struggle made the cut.

Canada’s apparent "newspaper of record," the Globe and Mail, covered the important event today; they found it to be a story of national importance as did CKNW — and CBC radio will be talking about this again tomorrow morning. What about B.C.’s "newspaper of record," the Vancouver Sun? In short, it’s not even on the radar screen. The Sun ignored the whole thing, as they have most of the autism war in this province. Worse still, one of the Sun's senior Columnists – Vaughn Palmer – ignored it this morning too.

Between 7 and 8, CBC radio broke the story about the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to hear the autism appeal. They also happened to be interviewing Vohn Palmer at the same time regarding the Liberals’ record thus far, at their second anniversary in power. Palmer had not a single word to say about the ongoing autism legal battle in B.C. – even as the Supreme Court of Canada story was breaking on the same radio program at the same time!

Hard to say what issues Mr. Palmer thinks are truly important and newsworthy in BC, but opining about the constitutional rights of disabled children — and BC’s ongoing, systemic violation of same — does not appear to be Vohn’s gig, even as a big BC legal story is happening when he’s being interviewed by the CBC.

Not to be left out of the myopia, the Vancouver Sun also failed to print the important autism story (again), but it WAS covered in Toronto (see below).

Isaac (Miki’s Dad)

************************************************************
Supreme Court to hear autism case

By KIRK MAKIN
Globe and Mail Update

POSTED AT 11:19 AM EDT Thursday, May. 15, 2003
The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a landmark
case involving the right of judges to direct how health-care money should be
spent.

In the decision under appeal, the B.C. Court of Appeal ordered the province
to provide intensive treatment for autistic children.

Siding with four sets of parents who had been denied an expensive therapy, a
2-1 court majority said they had no choice but to forcibly reorder
government health-care priorities.

The B.C. judges made it clear that when constitutional rights and the
welfare of children are at stake, governments lose their monopoly over
budgetary decision-making.

The B.C. ruling infuriated critics of judicial activism and gave renewed
hope to those who believe activist judges can prevent penny-pinching
legislators from making minorities absorb the brunt of their budget-cutting.

Not content simply to order intensive therapy costing between $40,000 and
$60,000 a year, the B.C. appeal judges awarded the parents 'symbolic'
damages of $20,000 each.

They also stressed that they are prepared to enforce their order if the
province fails to follow through with proper therapy.

"This case is obviously of great importance to the parents and their
children," constitutional lawyer David Stratas said Thursday. "But
governments who face competing demands from many groups, are looking closely
at it too. This is about a right to health care. It is a significant step
forward."

Mr. Stratas said the Supreme Court's ruling will provide an important signal
about its current thoughts on how fully the courts should throw themselves
into modifying government priorities that offend the Charter.

"Is it appropriate for courts in effect to order government to supply
funding in order to eliminate rights violations?" he said. "Or, is funding a
central task of the legislature Ñ and all courts can do is declare rights
breach and leave it to the legislature to design an appropriate response?"

Mr. Stratas noted that the Supreme Court also granted leave to appeal last
week to a Quebec case involving constitutional rights and access to health
care.

"These decisions have the potential to have an impact on our state funded
health care system," he said.

Autism is a neurobehavioural syndrome that affects 10 to 15 out of every
10,000 children. Symptoms, which include disordered thinking and erratic
behaviour, typically appear when children are two or three years old.

Left untreated during a window of opportunity that lasts only a few years,
most autistic children are doomed to a lifetime of social dysfunction and
isolation. Many end up being institutionalized.

Funding of autism therapy varies from province to province, and gaps in
treatment have spawned several class-action lawsuits. Many children with the
diagnosis get little or no treatment because they are beyond the upper age
range for treatment Ñ usually about six Ñ before they are selected.

David Corbett, a Toronto lawyer battling the Ontario government over autism
in one suit said recently that he hopes the B.C. decision induces other
provinces to do "the right thing" and stop putting money ahead of children's
health.

"I think the court is saying that it is very difficult to draw the line on
health-care services, but that leaving this service out was just plain
wrong," Mr. Corbett said.

The B.C. court specified that the province must supply funds for Lovass
Autism Treatment, an intensive and time-consuming technique that is
considered the most effective therapy available.

"Having created a universal medicare system, the government is prohibited
from conferring those benefits in a discriminatory manner," the court said.

The ruling is rooted in equality guarantees enshrined in the Charter of
Rights as well as the inherent duty of courts to look after the interests of
children. The court said that the province failed to justify treating
autistic children as if they were 'less worthy' of medical assistance than
non-autistic children. "It is to say that the community is less interested
in their plight than the plight of other children needing medical care and
adults needing mental-health therapy," Madam Justice Mary Saunders and Mr.
Justice John Hall said.

While they expressed sympathy with government arguments that the courts
ought not to be dictating health-care priorities, the judges said that the
consequences of not treating autism in a timely manner are unacceptably
grave.
************************************************************

[Isaac]

There is a relevant Victoria Times-Colonist story on front page,
Sunday March 2, 2003.

It can be downloaded here:
https://featbc.org/downolads/TimesColonist030302.pdf

For those who do not have Adobe Acrobat, the text only version of the piece is below.

________________________________________________

$11-million 'insult'
Court orders province to cover treatment costs but parents say amount is woefully
inadequate

Jeff Rud
Times Colonist

Sunday, March 02, 2003

The provincial government hails it as up to $11 million in new
funding for children with autism spectrum disorder.
But the head of a provincial advocacy group for the proper
treatment of autism describes it as an insult.

Sabrina Freeman, executive director of Families for Early Autism
Treatment of B.C., said the $11 million will be woefully
inadequate to cover treatment that the B.C. Court of Appeal has
ordered the government to provide.

"It's kind of like an insult,'' Freeman said.
"There's so much wrong with this, it's hard to know where to
start.''

Until now, children over the age of six have not been eligible
for any autism treatment funding from the province.

But the Court of Appeal decision against the province last
October mandated treatment be extended to children until their
physicians deem it is no longer of benefit, in effect making the
province responsible for funding treatment of older autistic
children.

The Ministry of Children and Family Development announced last
week that new funding for children 6-18 would be available
beginning April 1.

The release said direct funding of up to $6,000 a year will be available to
families for the purchase of extended autism-intervention services for
out-of-school hours.

Details of the program are sketchy, say parents.

"I haven't heard anything about it,'' said Karen Anthony of Victoria, whose
10-year-old son Ryan is among those who will be eligible.

"Eleven million dollars — they haven't really said where that goes and who that
goes to.''

The ministry release said families will be able to use the money "to choose
qualified consultants, behavioural interventionists and other therapists who best
suit their children's needs."

The ministry said the new funding builds on a broad range of services already
provided by four ministries — Health Services, Health Planning, Children and
Family Development and Education.

The release said the funding model is interim, "as responsibility for services to
children and youth with ASD will be moving to the community-living governance
authority once it is established.'' More detailed information will be available
to parents in mid-March, according to the release.

But Freeman said no matter what the model for the new funding looks like, it will
be inadequate because it will provide only up to $6,000 annually per child.

Freeman said Lovaas therapy, the only scientifically based treatment for the
disease, can cost as much as $60,000 annually per child. That intensive,
one-on-one therapy is based on 30 years of research by Dr. Ivar Lovaas of UCLA
and his contemporaries. Freeman said Lovaas therapy basically helps a child with
autism spectrum disorder put his life together "brick by brick.''

"You cannot set up a treatment program for $6,000,'' Freeman said. "It's just
ridiculous. Believe me, I wish we could do this program for $6,000."

Anthony's son has been on Lovaas therapy for six years. The family has gone
heavily into debt and her husband has taken on supplementary work to pay for
therapy that costs thousands of dollars a year, she said.

"We've basically been doing it on our own,'' Anthony said. "We wouldn't be going
into debt unless we thought it was a worthwhile thing.''

Anthony said her son's medical needs have been unfairly ignored for years.

"His medical needs have to be properly accommodated, like any other B.C.
citizen,'' she said. "His rights and freedoms are being violated on a daily
basis.''

Freeman said the government bulletin on the new program also lumps treatment for
these children in with things such as respite, supported child care and parent
support.

"This is completely different,'' Freeman said. "This is treatment that they
(government) have to provide. Four judges have already told them they have to
provide it and have recommended it be provided through the Health Ministry.''

Children age six and under who have autism spectrum disorder are currently
eligible for direct funding of up to $1,667 per month, or about $20,000 a year.
Even that still leaves them well short of what is medically necessary treatment,
Freeman said.

"Is our government paying one-third of a kid's chemotherapy treatment?" Freeman
said. "Of course not.''

Still, those parents are worried about their funding when the province goes to
the new community-living governance authority, Freeman said.

In 2000, a group of parents with autistic children sued the province over a lack
of funding for treatment of autism, resulting in B.C. Supreme Court Justice
Marion Allan ordering the government to provide "medically necessary" treatment
to these children.

A government appeal of the decision was heard last October. Not only did the
court uphold the first ruling, it also ordered the province to provide treatment
to all children under the autism spectrum disorder — not just those under seven
— until physicians say it is no longer beneficial.

The government is appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada. A spokesman for the
Ministry of the Attorney General said the provincial government would have no
comment on the case while it is before the courts.

Meanwhile, 23 of the same families involved in the original B.C. lawsuit have
launched another legal action against the government.

The families had originally asked for certification of a class action against the
government in 2000, Freeman said. She said the government's lead counsel insisted
that the class action wasn't necessary and that a decision in favour of the
children's rights would immediately change government policy.

That promise was not kept, Freeman said.

"They basically are reneging on the deal (the lawyer) made,'' she said.

The suit, which includes the Anthony family, is asking for reimbursement and the
cost of future treatment for all 23 families.

The World of Autism

[Isaac]

A large number of families filed a new lawsuit in Supreme Court against the BC Government on Thursday (02/27/03).

BCTV covered the story. The video can be viewed at this link:
http://www.featbc.org/files/media/video/BCTV022803/Jean.mov

CKNW’s Bill Good Program interviewed Jean Lewis on this issue. Audio is available at this link:
http://www.featbc.org/files/media/radio/Good022803/Jean.mov

[Isaac]

Parents of kids with autism filed a new lawsuit yesterday (Thursday 02/27/03) against the BC Government.

FEAT BC Director, Jean Lewis, was on CKNW’s Bill Good program talking about close to two dozen families forced to go back to BC Supreme Court for autism treatment (this clip is highly recommended).

The direct link to hear the interview is here:

http://216.18.67.21/20030228_11.wma

Please scroll to about 42 minutes into the clip for the autism interview.

(Note: Windows Media Player is required to hear the radio program)

[Isaac]

A postscript to the previous post on the Squamish Chief article, 'Waiting for Ted to Call.'

The Geddes family actually said,"Without effective treatment autism is a life sentence," not "Autism is a life sentence."

[Isaac]

Here’s a worthwhile article for the discussion group. It’s from the Squamish town paper about an MLA who seems to have forgotten he works for constituents (the article is reproduced at the bottom of this post, from http://squamishchief.com).

The piece is appropriately entitled ‘Waiting for Ted to call,' about a West Vancouver family struggling with autism and dealing with a neglectful MLA, Minister of State Ted Nebbeling, who never returns their phone calls; must be very busy with the IOC and all.

While reading the Squamish article, one can’t help but feel a painful sense of irony. When in Official Opposition, Ted Nebbeling embraced a pioneering advocacy role in presenting the autism treatment struggle before a hostile NDP government. Mr. Nebbeling was the first politician to speak out formally for autism treatment rights in the Legislature, at a time when not a single Liberal or NDP politician would take up the cause. Much to his credit, Mr. Nebbeling welcomed a FEAT BC delegation to Victoria in 1998 and presented their 8200-signature petition to the Premier, urging that ‘medically necessary’ treatment for autism be publicly funded. Long before families were forced into legal action for redress of government discrimination and neglect, MLA Nebbeling stood alone and apart in going on record for autism treatment rights. His powerful speech in the BC Legislature on behalf of constituents Allison and Ben, was unprecedented.

[it can still be viewed at this address –> https://featbc.org/files/lobby_and_advocacy/Ted_Nebbeling_BC_Liberal.ram
… and, the CBC TV News story about the Nebbeling presentation in the Legislature is here –>
http://www.featbc.org/files/media/video/CBCNEWS_06_01_98.ram

Fast forward to 2003 and Nebbeling’s sharp 180-degree turnabout on autism. This MLA now doesn’t return phone calls on autism issues and his memory lapse includes a shocking delusion that Liberals actually supported the NDP’s appeal of the Auton case in August 2000. In fact, Liberal MLA’s were trying to out compete each other in August 2000 for the best ‘righteous indignation’ sound bite regarding the NDP’s appalling war against children with autism:

1) Liberals and Autism, on the record –> https://featbc.org/downloads/brokenpromises.pdf)
2) Liberal press release –> https://featbc.org/downloads/release_07_28_00.pdf)

WARNING: “The heady atmosphere in government may cause amnesia — please use caution.”

It would seem amnesia is an epidemic in BC politics, especially where autism is concerned. Mr. Nebbeling has forgotten the struggle of his constituents, who daily brave their children’s autism. He’s forgotten the cause of publicly funded autism treatment he so nobly championed while in Official Opposition and … Ted Nebbeling has also forgotten what Liberals once opposed stridently — the NDP appeal of the landmark Auton ruling. This hypocrisy is the high-octane fuel of public cynicism in politics and it’s outrageous. Constituents in West Vancouver-Garibaldi should be disturbed and demand better of their MLA.

As an aside, a simple message for Mr. Nebbeling and fellow Liberals might read something like this: “remember Diefenbaker.” For benefit of the younglings in our discussion group who may have been away from Canadian History class that day, Diefenbaker was the Prime Minister who won an unprecedented electoral landslide in the go-go 60’s (yes, before the swavo PM made a rose-in-lapel de rigueur). But alas, Diefenbaker was a one-hit wonder … “Deif the Chief” was sabotaged by a permanent Ottawa bureaucracy he neglected to summarily fire after he was sworn in. His government was wiped out in the next Federal election. Are BC Liberals making the same mistake? If autism policy is the ‘canary in the cage’ this is very much an open question.

A landslide electoral victory is never a guarantee of permanent power, especially if one allows the bureaucracy of a former, failed government to remain intact and hold sway over policy. In our case, the same top-dog bureaucrats driving the autism train during the NDP days are still firmly in charge (even getting post election promotions, no less.). All this is perfect logic if one wants to be found in contempt of court … or if government wants to be “Deifenbakered” come the next election.

Isaac (Miki’s Dad)

***************************************************

‘Waiting for Ted to call'

MLA denies parents' claim Liberals changed tune on funding for autistic children

By Tim Shoults, Reporter

A Squamish family is looking for answers from their MLA on what they see as a flip-flop by the B.C. Liberals on funding for autistic children ó including their son.
But more than that, they're just hoping to hear from Ted Nebbeling.
Dan and Jenn Geddes's son, Jaiden, was diagnosed with autism in 2001. Autism is a biological disorder of brain development, usually identified between ages two and three, and affects approximately one in 2,000 people. There is no known cause or cure for the disease.
Children with autism exhibit marked deficits or excesses in communication, social interaction, interests and activities that can range from severe to mild. Without effective treatment, autistic people face a bleak prognosis of a life of isolation and often institutionalization.
"Autism is a life sentence," said Jenn. "It's like someone comes in and steals your baby's soul."
When Jaiden was diagnosed, he had no receptive language (to indicate what he understands) or expressive language and was indifferent to others, usually ignoring them as if they were not there.
But last spring, Jaiden started an intensive therapy program called Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). The therapy, which takes place in the Geddes' home 35 hours a week, has led to major improvements in Jaiden's behaviour, according to Jenn.
"Ten months ago Jaiden was not able to understand any language," she said. "Now, he is able to identify hundreds of objects and actions, body parts, shapes, colours, familiar people and simple instructions.
"It's really helping. It's going slowly, but it's working."
The key to ABA's success is starting it while children are young (ideally before age five) and ensuring the therapy is intensive (35 to 40 hours a week). Nearly half of children in ABA therapy recover enough to interact relatively normally with other children.
In Jaiden's case, they hope to bring him into kindergarten this fall ó something that wouldn't even have been possible a year ago. "We want him to be there to interact," said Jenn.
The cost of intensive ABA is staggering ó up to $60,000 a year ó and is currently only partially funded by the provincial government for children up to age five only.
In the Geddes' case, they're paying about $45,000 a year for the therapy, with about $20,000 covered by the provincial government.
Jenn works full-time and Dan owns his own business, but the cost of treatment has still forced them to cash in their retirement savings and seek help from their families. The couple is looking at selling their house next spring to continue the treatment.
When Jaiden turns six in November of this year, the government funding is cut off completely ó yet he requires another three to four years of therapy, says Jenn.
But what has the Geddes most upset is what they call the Liberals' change of heart on funding from when they were in opposition and their MLA's silence.
Parents of autistic children filed a class action lawsuit, Auton et al., in August 1999 to force the then-NDP provincial government to fund ABA treatment. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in the parents' favour in July 2000, but the government appealed to the B.C. Court of Appeals on the grounds that the courts should not determine government funding of programs.
At the time, Liberal opposition politicians, from soon-to-be premier Gordon Campbell to Colin Hansen, now Minister of Health Services, castigated the NDP for appealing the case.
West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA Ted Nebbeling was also vocal on government funding for autism while in opposition. In 1998, he presented a petition signed by more than 8,000 parents to the Premier on behalf of Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT). At the time, the government provided no funding for ABA.
"I am appalled with the lack of government understanding of a program that has been proven to help these children," Nebbeling said at the time. "To deny children a quality of life otherwise unattainable, condemning them to a life sentence in an institution, this is a negligence which should be considered criminal.
"How can we deny a child our help, when we know a proven treatment method?"
Nebbeling later said in the Legislature that autism was a medical condition, not a social problem and praised the merits of ABA therapy.
"The key is that it shouldn't be an issue of whether it is worth the money or we can afford the money," he said. "The thing is that we know that there is not a cure, but there is a mechanism to make the quality of life so much better for patients with autism and for the families who live with them, and I think that's what we have to focus on."
Upon taking power in May 2001, however, the Liberals allowed the Auton appeal to continue. In October, the B.C. Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in the parents' favour that the government policy discriminates against children with autism and ordered the province to fund medically-necessary treatment for autistic children regardless of age.
On Nov. 29 of last year, the Liberals announced their intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada.
"The government is not taking issue with the funding for autism treatment generally," the Ministry of Attorney-General said in a news release on the appeal. "Rather, the government has decided to appeal the decision's broad implications for how government funds and delivers not only health-care services, but also social programs.
"The court decision affects government's ability to determine which services and programs it will fund. This expansion of constitutional principles constitutes a serious and unprecedented intrusion into government's policy and spending priorities."
Dan and Jenn Geddes say they have been trying to arrange a meeting with Nebbeling for more than a year to discuss their case, but they haven't heard from their MLA in person in the last year and a half, despite asking for a personal response through his office.
While they have received response letters from several ministers and Premier Gordon Campbell as well as front-line agencies and workers, they still want to hear from Nebbeling himself.
"Where is he?" asked Dan. "What's it take to phone back? The comfort for a citizen starts with somebody listening. I have to talk for Jaiden. He can't talk to Ted. Just like I have to represent Jaiden, Ted has to represent me and Jaiden to the government and represent the government.
"He's a conduit to the people. Where is he?"
Contacted by The Chief Monday, Nebbeling said that he has done all he can for his constituent.
Staff from Nebbeling's office have responded to all inquiries by the Geddes family and have encouraged them to take their case to Linda Reid, the Minister of State for Early Childhood Development, who is responsible for autism funding.
Nebbeling added he has spoken to Geddes personally "a couple of times in the past" as well.
"We have done so much on behalf of Mr. Geddes, but Mr. Geddes wants more and more," Nebbeling said. "We have responded to his letters, petitioned the ministerÖunfortunately for him, the program is finished at six [years] and other programs come into play then. It is not that these kids are abandoned at that point.
"He keeps writing back, but there is a point where we say there is nothing we can doÖthe bottom line is, he doesn't get the answer that he wants."
Nebbeling also denies the Liberals changed their position on autism funding. He said the Liberals supported the NDP's appeal in 2000 because they agreed that the courts should not decide which programs government should fund.
"That would be a horrible precedent," he said.
Nebbeling said he could not comment on the Auton case as it is before the courts.

[Author]

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