An Open Autism Letter To Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff

Dear Mr. Rae and Mr. Ignatieff

I am the father of a 12 year old boy diagnosed with autistic disorder and assessed with profound developmental delays living in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I know you both are busy challenging for the leadership of the Liberal Party. I hope you both have time though to consider the importance of health and education issues to Canada's future and, if one of you becomes Liberal leader and Prime Minister, do not simply use the Constitution as a shield to avoid development of national policies in these two areas vital to the lives of Canadians as Stephen Harper has done.

In particular I ask that each of you, should you ultimately become Prime Minister, introduce a real National Autism Strategy for Canada. Not the existing "slap in the face" strategy of the Harper government but a real National Autism Strategy that helps all regions of the country deliver evidence based effective autism interventions during the pre-school and school years and permits adult autistic persons to live in decent residential accommodations and participate to the fullest extent of their abilities in Canadian society.

The beginning of such a strategy was outlined in Bill C-304, the private member's bill introduced by Charlottetown MP, and steadfast autism advocate, Shawn Murphy. That bill included amendment of the Canada Health Act to provide financing for autism treatment wherever autistic children reside in Canada:


BILL C-304

An Act to provide for the development of a
national strategy for the treatment of
autism and to amend the Canada Health
Act

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate and House of Commons
of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National
Strategy for the Treatment of Autism Act.


NATIONAL CONFERENCE

2. The Minister of Health shall, before
December 31, 2006, convene a conference of
all provincial and territorial ministers responsible
for health for the purpose of working
together to develop a national strategy for the
treatment of autism. The Minister shall, before
December 31, 2007, table a report in both
Houses of Parliament specifying a plan of action
developed in collaboration with the provincial
and territorial ministers for the purpose of
implementing that strategy.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CANADA
HEALTH ACT

3. Section 2 of the Canada Health Act is
renumbered as subsection 2(1) and is
amended by adding the following:

(2) For the purposes of this Act, services
that are medically necessary or required under
this Act include Applied Behavioural Analysis
(ABA) and Intensive Behavioural Intervention
(IBI) for persons suffering from Autism Spectrum
Disorder.

Mr. Ignatieff, you voted in support of Bill C-304. I hope, should you accede to the Prime Minister's office that you will act on that expression of support for a badly needed national autism strategy.

Mr. Rae, you were not a sitting member of the Commons at that time but, having twice had the privilege of meeting you and discussing autism issues with you I know you have taken the time to inform yourself about, and shown interest in, the challenges facing autistic Canadians and their families. I hope that should you become Liberal leader and perhaps Prime Minister that you
would introduce as a government bill Shawn Murphy's private member's bill C-304.

I realize that you both have great issues on your minds. I hope you both have room in your hearts, and considerable intellects, for autistic Canadians.

Respectfully,


Harold L Doherty
Fredericton New Brunswick

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An Autism Question For Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

Ms. Elizabeth May
Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Dear Ms May

Re: Autism and the Green Party

I am the father of a 12 year old boy diagnosed with autistic disorder. The Center for Disease Control in the United States estimates that 1 in 150 children have, or will be diagnosed with, an autism spectrum disorder. This neurological disorder seriously restricts the lives of those who bear its burden. While there is no cure for autism at present there is an evidence based effective treatment, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) which has been recognized by many credible reviewing agencies as significantly improving learning, social and communication skills of autistic children receiving treatment. The gains have also been found to persist.

The most well known, and credible, of many studies, those of the American Academy of Pediatrics (2007), the New York State Department of Health (2005 rev ed), the MADSEC (Maine) Autism Task Force Report (2000 rev. ed) and the Office of the US Surgeon General (1997), all document the hundreds of studies over several decades that confirm the effectiveness of ABA as a treatment for autism. Families across Canada have sued, rallied and advocated, to obtain government funded ABA treatment for their autistic children. And yet across Canada we have a patchwork of provision of government funded ABA treatment. In many cases where treatment is funded the intensity of treatment required to provide effective treatment is not fully funded.

Shawn Murphy, the Liberal MP for Charlottetown introduced a private members motion Bill C-304 which called for a National Autism Strategy that included an amendement to the Canada Health Act to require provincial funding of ABA treatment for autism. The motion was defeated on a second reading vote by the combined opposition of the Conservative and Bloc Quebecois parties. The Liberal and NDP party members almost all voted in favour of the motion.

Ms May will the Green Party of Canada follow up on the Shawn Muphy autism motion by also seeking amendement of the Canada Health Act to require ABA treatment for autism?

Respectfully,


Harold L Doherty
Fredericton, New Brunswick

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NDP Leader Jack Layton's Response On Autism

The following document was forwarded by members of Medicare For Autism Now who received it from the New Democratic Party on behalf of NDP leader Jack Layton:

Jack's Response on Autism

First, both NDP MP Peter Stoffer and myself have challenged the federal government for not providing funding in its last budget to help families with autistic children. I fully recognize that families with autistic children are in crying need of support and they are very disappointed that the Conservative government has ignored their needs in their budget spending.

On the matter of voting, in the April 3, 2006 to September 14 ,2007 session of parliament MP Shawn Murphy introduced his private members legislation Bill C-304, An Act to provide for the development of a national strategy for the treatment of autism and to amend the Canada Health Act. C-304 received first reading on May 17, 2006 but unfortunately it did not make it to third reading or a final vote because it died when the Harper government chose to prorogue that Parliament. I am also aware that on March 29, 2007, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs issued a report on the Funding of Treatment for Autism titled:" Pay Now or Pay Later: Autism Families in Crisis" in which they recommended that the federal government demonstrate some leadership in the autism file by collaborating with the provinces to create a National Autism Strategy and address the funding of treatment. However, this report was not put before parliament for a vote.

New Democrats recognize that providing support for families with Autistic children has to be a bigger priority for the federal government than another corporate tax cut. That is why Peter Stoffer has introduced Private Members' Bills, C-211, An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (Autism Spectrum Disorder) to "ensure that the cost of Applied Behavioural Analysis ( ABA) and Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) for autistic persons is covered by the health care Insurance plan of every province" and C -212, An Act respecting a Canadian Autism Day. ' The federal NDP is proud of Mr Stoffer's efforts to help put the needs of Autistic children on the political map.

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Conservative MP Patrick Brown's Photo Op Support for Autism

Conservative MP Patrick Brown, Barrie, Ontario, joined Jonathan Howard when the Run the Dream campaign arrived in the Barrie area this week. Mr. Brown ran a ways with him and got a good photo op out of it. Like other Harper Conservative MP's though, when Mr. Brown could have done something to actually help autistic children in Canada he turned his back on them.

When Shawn Murphy's private members bill C-304 calling for a National Autism Strategy and an amendment to the Canada Health Act to include ABA/IBI as a medically necessary treatment for autism was up for a vote in the House of Commons Mr. Brown voted against the Bill. He voted against a measure that would do more than raise awareness, he voted against ensuring that autistic children in Canada, regardless of where there parents live, would receive effective evidence based treatment for autism.

NAYS -- CONTRE



Brown (Barrie)

For Stephen Harper's Conservatives autism is a good photo op but they are not prepared to actually do anything to really help autistic children.

Stephen Harper's Canada does not include autistic children.

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The Two Autism Faces of Greg Thompson

When it comes to federal financing of autism treatment for Canadians with autism Conservative MP Greg Thompson, Southwest, New Brunswick has presented two decidedly different faces.

FACE # 1 - Opposition MP Greg Thompson

House of Commons, Hansard, Wed. Sept. 28, 2005.

Statement by Members

Autism

Mr. Greg Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest, CPC):

Mr.Speaker, today along with other members of the House and parents of autistic children, I attended a rally on Parliament Hill urging the federal government to provide financial support to cover the cost of treatment for every child diagnosed with autism.

Autism rates are on the rise in Canada. This neurological disorder affects 1 in every 195 of our children.

Therapy which has been credited in helping children overcome the effects of autism can cost a family up to $60,000 a year. These families and children need our support and I urge the federal government to take the steps necessary to address this important issue.


FACE # 2 - Government MP & Cabinet Minister Greg Thompson

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA 39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION No. 115 (Unrevised) Wednesday, February 21, 2007 1:00 p.m.

Private Members' Business

Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Murphy (Charlottetown), seconded by Mr. Szabo (Mississauga South), — That Bill C-304, An Act to provide for the development of a national strategy for the treatment of autism and to amend the Canada Health Act, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Health.

YEAS: 113, NAYS: 155


NAYS -- CONTRE

Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest)

There it is. On September 28 2005 Greg Thompson, wearing Autism Face # 1, sitting as an opposition MP, rose in the House of Commons, not at a local backyard Bar-B-Q or in a beer drenched tavern, but in the House of Commons, to urge the federal government to address the important issue of financing treatment for autistic children in Canada. Then 15 months later, on February 21, 2007, wearing Autism Face # 2, now sitting as a MP and Cabinet Minister of the governing Conservative Party he voted NAY , he voted against, the Private Members' bill of MP Shawn Murphy which, if passed, would have required the federal government to do exactly what Mr. Thompson had previously urged a different federal government to do?

How to explain the Two Autism Faces of Conservative MP Southwest, New Brunswick, Greg Thompson? Was he being shallow and insincere when he wore Autism Face # 1, using the plight of autistic children and their families for political purposes? Or did he simply lack the courage of his convictions; was he afraid to stand up to Conservative Prime Minister Harper when he donned Autism Face #2 and voted against Bill C-304 which would have provided for federal government funding of autism treatment?

Only Greg Thompson knows for sure.

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