Ontario Autism Coalition Ask Letter

The Ontario Autism Coalition is determined to get the political parties on the record in the Ontario Election 2007 with clear, specific answers to important autism questions. Ontario autism families were burned the last time out by the Promise Breaker, Ontario Liberal Leader and current Premier, Dalton McGuinty. The OAC will not be fooled in this election and is working hard at forging a political-social-moral contract with each party with respect to autism issues in Ontario. The precedent set by the OAC could be helpful in other elections across Canada, including the federal election expected, by some, to take place in the next year.


Ontario Autism Coalition Member Update September 05, 2007

Please distribute to all lists.

Formal Presentation of OAC "Ask" to All Political Parties in Ontario The Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) is a grassroots organization with over 600 active members throughout the Province of Ontario. Our members are connected to thousands of families and supporters affected by autism. The OAC is determined to ensure the delivery of services and supports to families and individuals with Autism in the Province of Ontario. As political parties in the Province of Ontario prepare for a Provincial election this fall, the OAC seeks commitment from all Provincial parties and has therefore sent the following letter to the leaders of each party (Liberal, PC, NDP, Green Party) and has asked for their response in writing by September 14, 2007. The OAC will then communicate their responses with the entire autism community and the media.

From: Laura Kirby-McIntosh To: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; gsmitherman.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; michael.bryant@jus.gov.on.ca; john.toryco@pc.ola.org; christine.elliott@pc.ola.org; frank_klees@ontla.ola.org; lisa.macleod@pc.ola.org Cc: ndpmail@ndp.on.ca; nancymorrison@ontariondp.com; cheridinovo@ontariondp.com; francegelinas@ontariondp.com; vserda@bmts.com; gpoadmin@magma.ca; lhelferty@sympatico.ca

Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 10:08:52 PM
Subject: Ontario Autism Coalition: REQUEST FOR POLICY INFORMATION

Dear Candidate(s):

As we near the official start of the provincial election campaign, I am writing to you on behalf of the Ontario Autism Coalition (the "OAC") to ask for information on your party's autism policy.

The OAC is a grassroots advocacy group made up of concerned parents, relatives and friends of children with autism. The group formed in 2005 and has since grown into an Ontario-wide organization with over 600 members. We receive no government funding, and we are not a charity. We are focused on direct political action to bring about positive changes for our children. Between 2005 and 2007, the OAC organized over 20 rallies to draw public attention to the need for publicly funded programs that effectively meet the needs of individuals in the Autism community. The OAC has also met with numerous government policy advisors, senior provincial Cabinet Ministers and M.P.P.’s from each of Ontario’s three major political parties.

The OAC is committed to placing autism issues front and centre in the upcoming provincial election campaign. We will be hosting events, issuing press releases and organizing parents throughout the upcoming weeks to ensure that all candidates—as well as our fellow citizens—are aware of our concerns.

The OAC is asking for a written response from you and your party to the following three points:

1) We want the next provincial government to allow Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) instructor therapists currently working within the Autism Intervention Program (AIP) entry into the school system so that scientifically valid, supervised Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) can be implemented. Children receiving intensive ABA through the AIP and students attending school should receive the same quality of ABA services.

2) We want the next provincial government to eliminate the wait list in the AIP and fully fund services for all children with Autism—from the mild to severe end of the Autism Spectrum.

3) We want the next provincial government to develop a formal credentialing system and a proper training and recruitment system for the implementation of ABA to ensure accountability and capacity within the system.

We are sending this request not only to you, but to all parties—Liberal, Progressive Conservative, New Democrat and Green. We would appreciate receiving an official response from you no later than Friday, September 14, 2007. Your leaders and/or local candidates are also welcome to respond by attending our Autism Day of Action the following day. On Saturday, September 15th, we’ll be holding events in several different cities—you can get more details by visiting our website at http://www.ontarioautismcoalition.com.

While we are happy to receive any feedback you may wish to share, we encourage you to respond specifically to the three points we’ve mentioned above. We will post your responses on our website and share them with our members and with the public over the course of the campaign. If you have any documents, links or video messages you would like us to place on our website, we would be happy to receive them as well.

If you have any questions or if you are interested in meeting in person, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy the campaign!

Sincerely,

Laura Kirby-McIntosh
Co-founder, Ontario Autism Coalition
Phone: 905-761-5226
E-mail: mailto:tosh555@hotmail.com

Read more »

Conor's First Days At Middle School, So Far So Good

So far so good. Conor is fortunate to have some well trained people involved with his education this year. The aides split their time with him but most of his day is spent with 2 aides with experience and training from the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program and a resource teacher equally well qualified.

The Nashwaaksis Middle School is very well organized which is in itself a good thing. There have been some hitches. Conor's work area has a noisy overhead light and that is being looked into. The changes in his daily schedule have caused him to be a bit agitated at night but, autism or not, many children (and their parents), require a period of adjustment the first week back at school. And he is still staying up a bit too late for school schedule. But overall things are working out well. Even as I am typing this comment Conor has come over to take another look at the inset image of Nashwaaksis Middle School - and smile.

So far, so good.

Read more »

44 ερωτήσεις για Debate!

44 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΕΙΣ ΓΙΑ DEBATE

Ρητορική εκλογολογία Νο 2

1.Γιατί εγκρίθηκε από ΝΔ σιωπηλά στην ΕΕ η ΠΔΓΜ σε καθεστώς υποψηφίου μέλους της;; Γιατί σιγοντάρισε το ΠΑΣΟΚ αντίθετα με το βέτο που θα βάζαμε;;
2. Γιατί δεχόμαστε ως Ε.Ε. ανεξάρτητο Κόσοβο;;
3. Γιατί τακτοποιήθηκαν 53.000 συμβασιούχοι νομότυπα αλλά οχι οι 5500 ανασφάλιστοι γιατροί του ΙΚΑ;;
4. Γιατί όταν υπάλληλοι κάνουν σωστά τη δουλειά τους και συγκρούονται με συμφέροντα μετατίθενται για να ανοίξει ο δρόμος στα παράνομα συμφέροντα;;
5. Γιατί χαρίζονται τα χρέη των ΠΑΕ;;
6. Γιατί δεν φορολογείται η μεγάλη Ακίνητη Περιουσία;;;
7. Γιατί δεν αξιολογούνται οι Καθηγητές ΑΕΙ με διεθνή πρότυπα;;
8. Γιατί δεν προχωρά το δασολόγιο και το δασικό κτηματολόγιο;;
9. Γιατί 10 ταξιτζήδες ξεφτιλίζουν κάτω από την Ακρόπολη την εικόνα του Ελληνικού τουρισμού;;
10. Γιατί δεν έχει μια μπάρα από άκρη σε άκρη στα ρεύματα της εθνικής οδού ΠΑΘΕ;;
11. Γιατί καθυστερούν τα έργα σε λιμάνια και μαρίνες πλην Πειραιά;;
12. Γιατί τα περισσότερα έργα(δημόσια) παίρνουν παράταση διπλή και τριπλή για να καταλήξουν σε κακή εκτέλεση αλλά παραλαβή τους;;
13. Γιατί επιδοτούνται ανύπαρκτα σωματεία και τόσες Μη Κυβερνητικές Οργανώσεις χωρίς έργο;;
14. Γιατί δεν πληρώνουν οι ιδιώτες καναλάρχες για τις δημόσιες συχνότητες που χρησιμοποιούν;;
15. Γιατί δεν έχουμε φτηνά λιπάσματα;;
16. Γιατί δεν έχουμε κτηνοτροφία βοοειδών επαρκή;;
17. Γιατί δεν φυτεύει κάποιος ένα δένδρο;; Γιατί δεν εξαγγέλεται αναδάσωση περιμετρικά από τα καμένα;;
18. Γιατί δεν ανανεώνονται οι προσλήψεις το προσωπικό του ΕΣΥ;
19. Γιατί δεν γίνονται τα αστικά Κέντρα Υγείας;
20. Πότε θα λυθεί το πρόβλημα των σκουπιδιών;
21. Γιατί δεν υπάρχει υγιής ανταγωνισμός στα διυλιστήρια πετρελαίου;
22. Γιατί δεν συλλαμβάνονται για κακούργημα οι ρυπαίνοντες του Ασωπό με εξασθενές χρώμιο;
23. Γιατί δεν τιμωρήθηκαν οι φονιάδες της RICOMEX κ’ του ΣΑΜΑΙΝΑ;
24. Γιατί δεν φορολογείται η Εκκλησία όπως κάθε επιχείρηση;
25. Γιατί δεν υποχρεώνονται οι ρομά και κάθε αλλοδαπός λαθρομετανάστης να έχει ένα λογαριασμό τραπέζης, πιστοποιητικό γεννήσεως και γάμου και κηδείας όπως κάθε φορολογούμενος Έλληνας πολίτης;
26. Γιατί έχουμε τη μεγαλύτερο ποσοστό αναπήρων στην Ευρώπη ;
27. Γιατί δεν εκλέγονται οι Περιφερειάρχες;; ;
28. Γιατί διαδόθηκε ψευδώς από τα ΝΕΑ οτι το λάδι που πρότεινε ο Καραμανλής στους Κινέζους ήταν νοθευμένο;;
29. Πότε θα παρθούν μέτρα για την υπογεννητικότητα στη χώρα;;
30. Γιατί δεν έχουμε φτηνό Internet και ADSL ;;
31. Γιατί τα φρέσκα φασολάκια είναι τόσο ακριβά;;
32. Γιατί δεν έγινε ευρέως γνωστό ότι οι γεννηθέντες 1989 ψηφίζουν ήδη για πρώτη φορά;;
33. Γιατί δεν υπάρχουν δρομολόγια στις άγονες γραμμές των νησιών του χειμώνα;;
34. Γιατί υπάρχουν ραντάρ και πύραυλοι εκτός λειτουργίας στο Αιγαίο;;
35. Γιατί οι μουσουλμάνοι Ελληνες της Θράκης έχουν μουφτή για δικαστή;;
36. Γιατί δεν βρίσκονται τρόποι αποσυμφόρησης των δικαστηρίων από τα πταίσματα;;
37. Γιατί μετά από 10 χρόνια ζωής και ασφαλισμένης εργασίας στη χώρα μας κάποιος αλλοδαπός δεν παίρνει υπηκοότητα και δικαίωμα ψήφου;;
38. Γιατί για το βιβλίο ιστορίας ΣΤ Δημοτικού αποφασίζει κάποια κα Ρεπούση ανιστόρητη;; Το Πασοκ και ο Σύριζα γιατί δεν πήρε θέση;;
39. Γιατί δεν υπάρχουν ταμειακές μηχανές στα βενζινάδικα;;
40. Για πόσο καιρό ακόμα θα είμαστε πρώτοι στα τροχαία της χώρας μας στην ΕΕ;;
41. Γιατί δουλεύουν ακόμα τα παράνομα νταμάρια του Μαρκόπουλου;;
42. Γιατί δεν φυτεύονται ήδη δένδρα στο Ελληνικό και το Φαληρικό Δέλτα;;
43. Γιατί αξιοποιήθηκαν μόνο 5 από τα 35 Ολυμπιακά ακίνητα;;
44. Γιατί χρειάζεται υπογραφή υπουργού για την υλοποίηση μιας επιχειρηματικής πρότασης για ανανεώσιμες πηγές ενέργειας (φωτοβολταϊκά, ανεμογεννήτριες)
5-9-2007 ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΣ

Read more »

Conor Is Ready For School!

I commented Saturday about Conor's transition to Middle School which will start tomorrow and the preparations that we have done to help him get ready. He appears to be pretty excited about getting back to school. These pictures are of Conor's handiwork yesterday practicing his letters and numbers.

The bananas seemed to need the number 4 on them?
















Conor practiced his letter writing by tracing over the letters on his alphabet puzzle board.














One sample of Conor's printing yesterday, including a not so subtle message about what he wanted for supper. (Yup, he got what he wanted, and the KFC chicken was tasty!)

Read more »

Canada's Autism Wasteland To Take First Step Forward

It is hard to believe that Canada has a province with NO autism program in place at all but that appears to be the case in Saskatchewan where the "Faces of Autism" conference is being presented by Newfoundland native Carolyn Forsey on October 26-27, in Meadow Lake Saskatchewan, some 10 years after similar advocacy and awareness efforts began in Newfoundland. The conference is hosted by Saskatchewan Health, Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Prairie North Regional Health Authority and Northwest School Division #203 and will feature author, teacher, trainer, keynote presenter and consultant Barbara T. Doyle MS and Ronald Leaf, Ph.D licensed psychologist and co-author of A Work in Progress, a book on behavioral treatment.

Forsey said Saskatchewan is far behind the rest of the country when it comes to autism support.

“In Newfoundland in the beginning they were diagnosed with autism and told to go home and forget about it, and Saskatchewan parents, that’s what they are living with,” she said. “In Newfoundland we began this process and it’s sad that ten years later Saskatchewan is going through the same thing.”

She added that today, Newfoundland has child management specialists and behaviour specialists to work with autistic children, and the government continuously puts money towards autism intervention. Currently, Saskatchewan Families for Effective Autism Treatment (SASKFEAT) is working towards getting the much needed support for families in the province.

“Saskatchewan is the only province that does not have a provincial program set in place for ASD,” explained Ferguson. “There’s nothing in the province of Saskatchewan for the parents.” Winkler said this conference is a step in the right direction, but it is just the beginning. “I think it needs a focus, and I think this conference will help do this,” he said.

“The government needs to be pushed and there needs to be a focus and recognition of difficulties faced by the parents of people suffering.”

Forsey said she hopes that at the very least, this conference will give the parents and those affected by autism a little hope. “We need to tell the parents, you know what, we’re going to start to try to do something really good for these kids,” she said. “Parents are going to leave there with a sense of hope. That’s the whole premise of this conversation. They’re not alone."

As someone who has been actively involved with autism advocacy in New Brunswick for the last 8 years I can empathize with the predicament of Saskatchewan families who have such a big hill to climb. Fortunately they should be able to catch up more quickly through emulation of, or at least by learning from, existing programs in other Canadian provinces and US states.

Of course it would be easier if there were an injection of funds to assist the people of Saskatchewan construct programs even remotely similar to those of oil rich, next door neighbor, Alberta. With the federal government of Stephen Harper, oblivious to the needs of autistic Canadians, that could be difficult. The mythological Big Foot has a better chance of getting assistance from Mr Harper's Conservatives.

Read more »

Take My Son - A Family's Painful Autism Reality

"Take my son".

- Teresa Abernathy

These are the words that families with severely autistic children know they may someday have to utter. They are the words that I know I will probably someday have to speak, as the father of a severely autistic 11 year old boy, although I do not know the context or the circumstances that will give rise to them. In A Painful Choice To Save A Family the Arizona Republic tells the story of Teresa Abernathy and her family including her husband her severely autistic son Colin and his siblings brother Connor and sister Erin.

The Abernathy's did all they could to help their son overcome his severe autism but finally the disruption in the lives of family members and the violence that Colin inflicted on his mother, the bruises and bite marks, were too much. Colin's mother made the gut wrenching decision to give up her son to the care of the state. As the article indicates it was the right decision for all, including Colin, who benefited from the care and attention he was able to receive. This is a story that all who truly want to understand the realities of severe autism should read. The Arizona Republic, and reporter John Faherty, deserve full credit for telling a story that will not be told by Dr. Gupta and CNN or featured in a Hollywood movie. The Abernathy family - Teresa, Jim, Connor and Erin, all deserve credit for their courage in telling their story, and Colin's story, to the world.

Read more »

Autism Transitions - Middle School

Transitions are often difficult for children with autism, particularly those at the lower functioning end of the autism spectrum, for whom it is more difficult to explain major changes in their lives. When we moved from our old house to our current home in December 2005 we prepared Conor with a storybook with pictures of "old house" and "new house" and we took him for drives over to the new house to see it several times before making the move. It went well.

Tuesday will be Conor's first day at Nashwaaksis Middle School after 6 years, K-5, at Nashwaaksis Memorial School. All summer we worked with Conor trying to get him ready for the transition to Middle School. Fortunately, the Middle School also hosts two community events the Fredericton Indoor Pool which has been like a second home for Conor who loves to swim and a public library which Conor has visited often with his therapists. We visited Middle School with Conor and toured the school earlier in the summer and did so again this week. We were able to introduce him to his Methods and Resource teacher and show him the area where he will be spending most of his time.

Conor is fortunate to have two Teacher Assistants who will work with him for on shifts for most of the school day who have received training at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. One of them is a TA who worked with him his last year of grade school which should help ease the transition. The Resource Teacher working with Conor this year has also received AIT training and has substantial autism intervention experience. Nothing is guaranteed, particularly with such a big transition, but there is much reason to be hopeful - and thankful - as Conor starts his transition to Middle School.

Read more »