[Nancy Walton]

We just had an AWESOME, media covered, meeting with Mark Warawa, MP for Langley BC. Mark received over 1100 signatures from my son Casey. He listened to each family there tell their story. He said that he would table a petition for each 25 signatures!!!

Thank you Mark Warawa, for listening to us with your heart. Thanks to your assistants who helped put this together and made us feel so welcome there.

And a big thanks to Loriane and Tash for organizing this event and for collecting SO MANY signatures!!! Big congratulations to you.

Bless you all,

Nancy Walton

[Nancy Walton]

Petitioners:

On the new website http://www.canadaautism.com you will be able to now register your signatures and the MP you sent them in to. If you have already sent your number in to me, it will be put into the data base, you do not need to enter it.

Some people have written to me and said they were gathering signatures but have not told me how many. I have not yet entered you into the data base. You may register your signatures on the web site. For a while, I'll be double checking what comes through the web site to make sure there aren't any double registrations. So if you are not sure if you have registered with me, do so on the web site and I'll check it.

Easy to remember the web site: http://www.canadaautism.com. I tell everyone it has two a's in the middle to help remember it.

Thanks again

Nancy

[Nancy Walton]

Hi Colleen, Susan and anyone else collecting signatures. First of all, thanks for your efforts.

It is a good idea to put a cover letter explaining your own situation, so there is a personal touch. You may also mention that the MP should get in touch with MP's Scott Reid and Stephen Fletcher, as they are well informed about the petition and can answer any questions. And thirdly, mention that we have a web site they can check out: http://www.canadaautism.com. (For that matter, all feat readers can check out the web site….and a big thanks to Justin Himmelright for getting it up and running).

Right now the MP's are at home until February. So I think it is a great idea to bring the petition into the local office and get to know the assistants and let them get to know you. Even better if you can get a meeting directly with the MP. If you want back up, put a post that you have a meeting and one of us will join you.

If you can't go into the office, there is usually an address for the MP's office in the phone book. The address at the bottom of the petition is in Ottawa and it will eventually get back to the MP, but may get delayed.

Nancy Walton

[Nancy Walton]

Hi Debbie,

I have met two children who have recovered and know parents of children who have recovered. Proper ABA does give you the best chance of that. In my son's first 3 years of therapy, I needed to believe he would recover in order to survive the hard work that we did. (and I strongly recommend the West Van workshop to inspire and motivate you)

My son did not recover, and the realization of this was something my husband and I had to adjust to. But what came of this realization was two things:

1) We have come to accept our son for who he is and we love him dearly and appreciate everything he learns.

2) While the therapy did not recover him, it did teach him everything he knows. He has overcome anxieties, has learned to tolorate what to him is intolorable (like having a drop of water on his pants), has learned to ride a bike, swim (level 5 at age 6), knows his letters and numbers and is learning to read. He has learned to express love when he is filled with it.

I think ABA is important for those who recover, obviously, but what many people need to realize is that ABA is equally important for those who don't recover. And it continues to be important as long as we want our non-recovered children to grow and learn and reach their full potential.

Nancy

[Nancy Walton]

WHERE ELSE DO WE NEED HELP?????

We have now sent in over 2300 signatures to Ottawa. Congratulations to Vancouver Island, Langley, White Rock and Surrey central where many people have gotten petitions sent in. Petitions have been given to 8 MPs in the lower mainland, one in the interior and 3 on the island. There are 7 MP's who have received petitions in Ontario and one in Manitoba.

We are well connected in BC thanks to the featbc chat board. WE NEED to reach out to relatives and friends accross the country and ask for help. I have been reluctant to ask for help in the past, but remember, this isn't just for your own child. This is for all autistic children in Canada.

Everyone who has gathered signatures has given me feedback that anyone they asked was willing to sign. I really believe that most Canadians want our children to recieve treatment. BUT how will the government know this??? We have to bring signatures to the government to show them.

If you haven't already sent in a petition, please take time over the next couple of weeks to get signatures. E-mail me if you don't know who to send them to. AND ask at least one relative or friend somewhere else in Canada to gather 25 signatures.

Remember to e-mail me if you have sent in signatures.

Thanks to all those who have helped in this effort so far.

Nancy Walton

[Nancy Walton]

This may be the most important thing you could do for autistic children across Canada.

A group of us are going to be collecting petitions at Oakridge Mall on Sat, Dec 11 and Sunday Dec 12. There are eight of us so far. If we have more, we can also gather petitions at Canadian Superstore at Marine Drive. Our goal is to give 1000+ signatures from the Vancouver South riding, to Ujjal Dosanjh, Minister of Health.

You only need to hold a clipboard and ask people to sign. I have had feedback from parents who have done this already and they found most people are very supportive.

Please, if you live anywhere near Vancouver South and can afford to give 2 – 4 hours of your time, e-mail me. Two of us are driving in from White Rock and another couple are coming from Maple Ridge. We'd appreciate your help.

nancy Walton
wiklo@shaw.ca

[Nancy Walton]

South Fraser ASBC meeting: Thursday Dec 9, 7-9pm at Semiahmoo House Society, 15306 24th Ave.

"Holy Cow, they Ruled Against Our Kids!"
and
"What do we do NOW??"

Important information meeting for all parents who wish to provide ABA treatment for their children.

"Holy Cow, they Ruled Against Our Kids!"

Birgitta von Krosigk of North Shore Law will be talking about the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling in "The Attorney General of British Columbia et al v. Connor Auton et al" and what that means to past, present and future autism medical treatment funding at home in BC, and across the land.

A limited number of copies of the judgement will be available; we encourage you to bring your own copy of the ruling to follow along.

Judgements are available at:
http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/cgi-bin/disp.pl/en/rec/html/2004scc078.wpd.html?query=%22auton%22&langue=en&selection=&database=en/jug&method=all&retour=/csc-scc/cgi-bin/srch.pl?language=en~~method=all~~database=en%2Fjug~~query=auton

"What do we do NOW?? "

After Birgitta's talk, I will bring parents up to date and answer any questions on petitioning activities for autism treatment. Find out what you can do to make a difference.

Refreshments will be served.

[Nancy Walton]

WE are still in need of volunteers to help get signatures in the Dosanjh riding of Vancouver South. We are planning on setting up a booth at a grocery store or mall Saturday (and sunday if we get enough volunteers). YOu do not have to live in the riding.

Nancy Walton
wiklo@shaw.ca

[Nancy Walton]

Dearest Autism friends,

WE have reached 2200 hard copy signatures (with another 1000 to be sent in soon). Signatures have been sent to 17 MP's.

However, most of these MP's are in BC. We need to keep sending a strong message here, but we also need to be reaching more Canadians and getting them to get petitions done in this area. PLEASE send an e-mail to anyone you know who lives outside BC. Ask them to download the petition at featbc.org/petition.pdf and hand the petition in to their MP. They can contact me wiklo@shaw.ca to let me know how many and who recieved it.

This is very important. Please do this for all the autistic children in Canada.

Nancy Walton

[Nancy Walton]

IMPORTANT action plan. Volunteers needed:

Let's send a message to Ujjal Dosanjh MP, Minister of Health, who says he is powerless to do anything for his poor constituents who have autistic children.

I would like to organize a petition drive in Dosanjh's riding. That is Vancouver South. Please contact me if you would be willing to spend an hour or two collecting petitions, door to door. We could hit a mall or two as well. But all signatures will be from Dosanjh's riding only. I want to get at least 1000. And then, we will present them PUBLICLY, and tell him he can do something…and his constituents WANT him to do something.

Please e-mail me if you are interested in helping out. Also, if someone knows the borders of the riding, please e-mail that to me too. I'll draw up a map and give people sections to hit.

Nancy Walton
wiklo@shaw.ca

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