This New Brunswick Autism Dad Asks YOU To Register Liberal Online Today and Vote for Mike Murphy

This autism dad asks New Brunswickers with autism, or autistic children or family members or friends, professionals working with autistic children and adults or people who just plain care to register Liberal today and vote for Mike Murphy as the next leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party.  I do so because I believe registering with the Liberal Party and voting for Mike Murphy for leader offers the best hope for rebuilding NB's autism services system currently being dismantled by the Alward government.

Why am I asking you to register and vote for Mike Murphy? Because I believe he is the best hope for a better life for New Brunswick children and adults with autism disorders. In making this statement I am well aware that both of NB's "government forming parties" have initiated change for the betterment of autistic children and students although neither have made positive steps toward helping autistic adults. Positive changes for NB'ers autistic population started with Conservative Premier Bernard Lord and continued with Liberal Premier Shawn Graham. I have publicly thanked and acknowledged their contributions in the past and do so again.  But that was then and since the Alward government came to power, as expected, and as I predicted, much of that progress is being rolled back. 

Specifically the world class autism training provided by the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program  to early intervention workers and education aides working with autistic children has been discontinued.  A theoretical in-house training plan has been developed which is a rehash of old plans submitted by Education department bureaucrats and rejected as lacking quality and integrity by the Autism Society New Brunswick.  Specifically there are no meaningful criteria for admission to the "in house" training, no significant testing or course completion requirements.  The in house training results will also be subject to challenge by the union representing aides and could become enmeshed in the grievance process. From the department's perspective though the "in house" system is cheap. That is why the department discontinued the UNB-CEL Autism program that provided quality and integrity for training autism aides and early intervention workers.

Education aides who already received UNB-CEL autism training and who have been working with autistic children are actually being replaced in some cases by aides with no autism training.  Alternative learning arrangements outside the mainstream classroom to accommodate severely autistic children are also being eliminated under the Alward government.  In particular, resource centres existing in some schools which provide an excellent service to severely autistic children and other children with serious challenges are targeted for elimination.

As with all previous governments no progress has been made towards a modern residential care system for NB adults with serious autism challenges. Such a proposal will not see the light of day in an Alward government which pats itself on the back for its inclusion practices while ignoring the plight of those with severe autism disorders living in psychiatric and general hospitals for lack of a modern autism residential care system as proposed by NB autism expert Paul McDonnell, Ph.D., psychology and clincial psychologist. 

If future autism progress is to be made in NB it will not be made under an Alward government. The alternative, at this time is the Liberal Party. The NDP may become a factor some day and perhaps before the next provincial election but to date NB'ers have had only 2 choices in electing a government Conservative or Liberal.  With the Liberal Leadership race on the choice of Liberal leader will have a huge impact on whether autism services have a chance of being restored.

There are nominally 3 candidates running for leadership of the Liberal Party. Of the three any discussion I have heard, with no offence intended toward  Nick Duivenvoorden, indicates that the race is between Brian Gallant and Mike Murphy.  I sat front row centre at the first public forum of the 3 Liberal candidates in Fredericton.  I was very impressed by Nick Duivenvoorden's personal qualities, especially his great sense of humor but I didn't hear a lot of specifics on policy issues.  Nor did I hear any specifics on policy issues from Brian Gallant.  The only  candidate who did provide detailed specifics was Mike Murhpy. That said: None of the three candidates provided any commentary at that session or since on "autism" issues.

Brian Gallant seems like an outstanding young man and a person with obviously unlimited potential in politics. But I do not see generally, and specifically with respect to autism, any reason to support him at this time.  I know he has powerful supporters like Dominic LeBlanc who left a robocall voice mail message on my home phone but powerful supporters, an allegedly new approach to politics,  and a background in corporate law do not provide me with any sense that Brian Gallant will have anything to offer to improve services for the 1 in 88 NB'ers with autism disorders.

Given that none of the candidates have provided an autism specific policy statement why would I endorse Mike Murphy, as I do, without reservation?  One reason, but it is not the major reason, is that I have known Mike Murphy since day 1 of law school.  I knew Mike as a friend than and after law school when we both worked at the same law firm in Moncton.  I know with certainty that Mike Murphy has, throughout the time that I have known him, helped people as an individual and has done so without seeking credit or recognition for doing so.  

I am asking specifically though that NB'ers with an autism interest register TODAY with the Liberal Party and support Mike Murphy and the major reason I am doing so is that I know, as an autism advocate over the past 12 years in NB that Mike Murphy stood with us back when NB's autism advocacy movement was going through a very active beginning phase.  I know and I could  say so under oath that Mike literally joined in our autism advocacy efforts.  As one specific example he assisted us in advocating for better treatment and care of an autistic man who was living at Centracare in Saint John.  More generally I have been able to engage Mike in discussion on autism issues and the importance of evidence based approaches to autism care at any time that I sought to do so.  And let me assure you of one thing, Mike understands  autism issues.

I am not trying to push anyone to act against their political leanings.  I am not asking you to vote for Mike based solely on our personal friendship.  Anyone who knows me, including Mike, knows that I would throw him under the bus in a heart beat if it would result in better autism services in NB. 

I am simply explaining why I, as an autism dad and autism advocate, believe the best thing we can do in NB at this time to rebuild and improve services for autistic children and adults is to register Liberal and vote for Mike Murphy.  If you agree please register online TODAY and vote for Mike. If you agree please encourage anyone you know with an autism interest to register Liberal TODAY and vote for Mike Murphy.

Respectfully,

Harold L Doherty

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Autism Society New Brunswick Meeting January 15, 2011

The Autism Society New Brunswick will be meeting Saturday, January 15 2011 beginning at 10 am at the Wu Centre, UNB Fredericton.  Everyone in NB affected by autism, whether you are autistic, have an autistic child, family member or friend is invited to attend.  The preschool autism intervention services now in place did not exist a decade ago. Teacher aides and resource teachers had not been trained at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. Individual learning environment accommodation did not exist to any extent. These services resulted from a  determined group of parents working through the Autism Society New Brunswick.  ASNB was unfunded by government and did not have paid staff.  We were conflict free and dedicated our energies toward making changes for the benefit of autistic children, youth and adults.  

More needs to be done.  Let's  get it done. Come to the ASNB meeting at the Wu Centre, UNB Fredericton on Saturday January 15 2011 beginning at 10 am and get started. 

See you there.

Harold L Doherty

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Association for Science in Autism Treatment: New Brunswick (Canada) is Already a Leader in Autism Treatment

During the recent election campaign CBC published on its web site an article by New Brunswick autism expert Dr. Paul McDonnell. The CBC headline read “N.B. Can Be a Leader in Autism Services" and the article appeared on September 14 2010.   David Celiberti BCBA-D, President Association for Science in Autism Treatment, commented on that article pointing out that New Brunswick is already a leader in autism services. Dr. Celiberti is very familiar with New Brunswick's autism service delivery, having spoken in Fredericton and having met with parents, autism advocates and autism professionals here.  His comments on the CBC article can be found on the ASAT website under the title ASAT Responds to Canadian CBC's "N.B. Can Be a Leader in Autism Services" and are set out following this introduction. (The bold blue emphasis is added by me - HLD)

ASAT's recognition and encouragement to continue in our efforts here in New Brunswick are most welcome.

"ASAT Responds to Canadian CBC's "N.B. Can Be a Leader in Autism Services"

Saturday, October 23, 2010

I read with great interest your recent article about the state of services in New Brunswick (“N.B. Can Be a Leader in Autism Services," September 14, 2010). I do beg to differ about the title of the piece. New Brunswick is already a leader. To have amassed 800 trained agents of change in six years is nothing short of incredible and inspiring, particularly given the diversity of your province with respect to geography and language. Other Canadian provinces can look to New Brunswick for an exemplary model of how things could and should be for children with autism and their families.

There is a misconception that services in the United States are superior to that of our neighbors to the north. I can assure you that children with autism in rural areas and in economically depressed areas of the U.S. do not always access state of the art, science-based treatment such as those based on applied behavior analysis. In many cases throughout the US, children with autism receive poor quality behavior analytic services that may be lessened if providers were able to access more intensive training and networking opportunities similar to what is being offered in your province. Part of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT)'s mission is to help close that gap through information dissemination, and we are keenly interested in the efforts of leaders like yourself developing, implementing, and evaluating systems.

And like other true leaders, you have looked critically at your accomplishments with an eye toward making every year of service delivery better than the previous year. We applaud your recognition that treatment parameters such as intensity need to be tailored to each child to maximize gains. When resources are scarce, this individualization can be an arduous task, but nonetheless critically important. Equally important is the need to communicate to government officials, tax payers and other stakeholders that immense financial savings are attached to doing right by our children when they are young.

It is unfortunate that funding for parent training is not more abundant. Optimal outcomes for children with autism are predicated on the support of educated, informed and skillful parents. Promoting carryover, ensuring consistency, and enhancing skill development across all environments are crucial roles for parents, but parents require support and training to assume these crucial roles. Your stated concerns and insights about the dearth of services for adults are much appreciated, and reflect the challenges that we have here in the U.S as well.

Families of children with autism in New Brunswick are blessed. Keep fighting the good fight.

David Celiberti, Ph.D., BCBA-D, President

Association for Science in Autism Treatment

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Ontario's Brutal Autism Reality, For Autistic Children It's Not A Place to Stand and Grow

Give us a place to stand And a place to grow

And call this land Ontario.
A place to live
For you and me
With hopes as high
As the tallest tree.
Give us a land of lakes
and a land of snow
And we will build Ontario A place to stand, a place to grow
Ontari-ari-ari-o !

From western hills,
To northern shores.
To Niagara Falls,
Where the waters roar.
Give us a land of peace,
Where the free winds blow.
And we will build Ontario A place to stand, a place to grow
Ontari-ari-ari-o

Dolores Claman and Richard Morris, A Place to Stand

If they think of autism in Ontario the three anti ABA amigos, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Michelle Dawson and Dr. Laurent Mottron. must be very, very happy. In the province where I attended high school (General Panet High School, Petawawa), and worked for several years (Ottawa, Toronto), ABA services for autistic children are in such a state that many autistic children miss out on the chance for optimum development in the preschool years. Barry Hudson, a well informed father of an autistic child active in autism advocacy, described in a recent comment to me the situation in the province which was once, but is no longer for autistic children, a place to stand and a place to grow:

"In terms of how things are for services in Ontario they have actually gotten worse since your last post about Ontario. I have seen letters newly diagnosed parents have received from the Ministry responsible for ASD therapy funding (post diagnosis) and they are being told now that funding for therapy can be 3 – 4 years, add the wait for diagnosis (usually one year) and the quickest Ontario funds therapy is 4 years (we waited just shy of 3). The reality of Ontario is that most will not see funding until 5 years. The government does not even bother to pretend to care now since they have the economic excuse, last time I had any communication with my MPP I was flatly told to not bother to make any contact on this issue – the government intends to do nothing more than what is being done now.

As you have written many times - the parents are largely left to their own and no government is serious about aiding the vulnerable. In Ontario it is very trendy for politicians to make grand statements to support helping the truly vulnerable but when delivery is needed the vulnerable are getting “all we can afford”. The recent spending scandal here for a billion dollars blown [it will likely tally to over $1.7 billion when the dust settles] on an eHealth system that did not get delivered shows me that it is more important for the pigs to be at the troth than anything else."

Forty-two years after Ontario's unofficial anthem took to the airwaves the government of Ontari-ari-ari-o is simply not helping it's autistic children to stand and grow.

autism

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Autism Epidemic Denial : The Flip Side of the Autism Services Obtainment Argument

Reported cases of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses have risen dramatically in the past 15 years. There can be no dispute that the expansion in the definition and diagnostic criteria of autism disorders in the DSM play a significant part in that rise. Another argument often made by those who would argue against any real increase in autism disorders is that the increasing availability of autism related services results in more autism diagnoses as physicians assign an autism diagnosis in questionable cases in order to qualify a child for receipt of those services.

I suspect that such incidents do occur but I have no idea whether "service obtainment" diagnoses occur with such frequency as to have a measurable impact on the numbers of autism diagnoses. I have never seen any reports of studies which accurately measure such an impact.

On the flip side I have never even heard anyone mention whether the provision of services specific to autism could result in children who actually have autism being denied an autism diagnosis as a result of autism service providers placing pressure on diagnosing physicians or psychologists. If it sounds too bizarre to contemplate read the story of Alex Thompson and his family in the UK where Alex's treating physician was subjected to pressure to give Alex a different diagnosis for his autism disorder by the local service provider.

In NHS trust apologises to newsreader after changing son's autism diagnosis the Telegraph reports that the chief physician in the organization responsible for assessing Alex admitted to having withdrawn his autism diagnosis under pressure from organization's education officer. The story also indicates that the physician discharged Alex from her care because his parents, who fought a years long legal battle to have his services restored, had made it impossible to continue.

The Thompson's are certainly not unique in being labelled by officials as difficult because they fought for their child. And according to Alex Thompson's father their situation in fighting for proper care for their child is not unique in the UK:

“We are certainly not the only family to have gone through this. It is happening up and down the country and it has got to be stopped.”

The autism service obtainment argument speculates that the push for autism specific services by parents results in more autism diagnoses being provided in order to qualify children for receipt of those services. The Thompson case illustrates the possibility of a push back factor - autism diagnoses being changed or denied under pressure from service providers seeking to avoid funding of autism specific services.

autism

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Autism Disappointment In Alberta

In Great expectations Calgary Sun reporter Tarina White reports on the disappointment facing families migrating to Alberta in search of well funded autism services in oil rich Alberta. She reports that, while Alberta may look best for autism services on paper, the reality is much different with long waits for services and few professionals to provide the services. Some families don't qualify for treatment and for some who do the service provided is not always. Families also face the same 6 year age cut off for services that exists in other Canadian provinces.

Add the stress of moving, leaving family, friends and support networks, finding work, and the cost of living and the Alberta Autism Dream may turn in to a nightmare for many families.

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