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Fredericton New Brunswick August 30 2008

CUPE Local 2745 President Puts Adults Before Autistic Children

New Brunswick has made great progress in helping autistic preschoolers and students. In both age groups children receive ABA instruction by autism support workers (preschool) and teacher assistants in the schools. Premier Graham has partially completed a pledge to the Autism Society New Brunswick by training two of four classes of teacher assistants at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. And yet there is determined opposition from some within the school system.

One of the most hostile opponents of the UNB-CEL AIT training of teacher assistants is Sandy Harding, President of CUPE Local 2745. Local 2745 represents a number of different groups in the school system, including teacher assistants. Ms Harding has expressed her opposition to the UNB-CEL provided autism training in conversation with me in the past. She has also stated it publicly:

" Unjustified layoffs in School District 2

June 25, 2008 11:21 AM

MONCTON – The Union representing the teacher assistants throughout the schools in New Brunswick is asking the government to put an end to the practice of laying them off each spring.

“This practice shows a complete lack of respect for some dedicated women who have been working in the schools for many years. This is appalling,” said Sandy Harding, President of CUPE 2745 which represents more than 3300 members across the province.

“School District 2 in the Moncton area just laid off 37 teacher assistants. Contrary to the schools in the northern part of the province where families are moving because of the economic situation, this region has seen an increase in school enrolment. There is no justification for such a large number of teacher assistants receiving their pink slip in School District 2. This represents 12% of the TA in that school district”.

“Across the district, close to 115 teacher assistants will be affected simply because of the bumping process that will take place”.

“Parents of autistic children and other special needs children have been asking for more stability in the schools. Instead of creating stability amongst the staff, the school district is creating a chaotic situation. The movement of teacher assistants is bad for the kids, the teachers and the parents.

“This type of practice is not what Inclusive Education is all about. It creates disruption in many classrooms and there is no stability and consistency for children that badly need it,” explained Harding.

“It is also unacceptable that some women are losing their job because they have been unable to take the additional training required to work with autistic children, called “Applied Behavior Analysis”. If the government is asking teacher assistants to have this certification in order to work with autistic kids then it should make sure that the training is available for them”, added Harding.

“The school district should rescind these layoffs and stop these ridiculous processes that disturb the livelihood of mostly low-wage women", concluded Sandy Harding."

In the first highlighted section above Ms Harding purports to speak for parents of autistic children. She has no authority or legitimate basis to speak for parents of autistic children. The autism society has sought stability but it is the bumping process that takes place, for union seniority reasons, at the start of each school year that creates the instability that parents are concerned about. For many autistic children change is very problematic. Some are getting used to a teacher assistant only to have them changed early in the school year. I know because my son went through that experience a few years ago.

Ms Harding goes on to refer to Applied Behavior Analysis and says "IF the government is asking teacher assistants to have this certification in order to work with autistic kids then it should make sure that the training is available for them". In the first place it is parents of autistic children and the Autism Society New Brunswick who fought to have ABA in our schools because of the solid evidence basis for the effectiveness of ABA as an autism intervention.

Further, the government has provided the training required. And many teacher assistants represented by CUPE Local 2745 have received that training. What Ms Harding objects to is the fact that UNB-CEL has entrance requirements for the training program and not all who apply are accepted. Some are unable to successfully complete the program.

The quality and integrity of the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program are keys to the success of the program and its acceptance by parents who want their autistic children to receive a quality education. The excellent instructional staff and course curriculum contribute to that success. So too do the entrance and graduation requirements for the program which are within the control of UNB-CEL and not the Department of Education or CUPE Local 2745 and they should stay that way for the good of our autistic children.

CUPE Local 2745 has taken the position that the seniority rights of teacher assistants lacking the autism training should prevail over the needs of autistic children in New Brunswick schools. The union has filed grievances when schools have tried to assign an autism trained TA to work with an autistic child instead of assigning the position to an untrained TA with more seniority. Their grievances and public pressure seem to be succeeding in some school districts such as district 2 in Moncton where untrained TA's are being assigned to work with autistic children instead of assigning UNB-CEL Autism Trained TA's with less seniority. In some cases the school has waived the exceptional circumstances provision that entitles the school to assign based on the child's best interest instead of seniority.

One of the highest principles in our legal system is that, in matters involving children, it is the best interests of the children that should prevail over competing interests. Parents appreciate the work done by TA's and respect their need for employment security. But not at the expense of our children. The professional literature is clear on the importance of ABA for autistic children. And proper training is critically important. In insisting on seniority over proper training for working with autistic children they are not acting in the best interests of our autistic children. Quite the opposite.

Πουρκουά το φονιά δεν τον λένε Παλαιοκώστα;;....

ΦΟΝΟΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΞΟΡΙΑ, ΠΟΥΡΚΟΥΑ;;;

Παρατηρείται τα τελευταία χρόνια στις τραγωδίες και τις κωμωδίες που ανεβαίνουν επί σκηνής ότι οι αναφορές, μοντερνικές και μεταμοντερνικές, στα παρακμιακά χαρακτηριστικά της εποχής, συνήθως ανάγονται στα σκυλάδικα, την επικοινωνιακή ελαφρότητα, την κακογουστιά, τη λαϊκή ψυχανάλυση κι άλλα παθογενή της καθημερινότητας, αλλά σπανίως στον Λευκό Οίκο, ας πούμε, ή τις Τράπεζες ή τις Εταιρείες (έστω όταν δεν είναι... χορηγοί αυτών των παραστάσεων) και τα λοιπά άδυτα της Λαίδης Μάκβεθ... Θα μου πείτε ότι τέτοιες παρομοιώσεις και οι συνακόλουθοι συνειρμοί θα μπορούσαν να θεωρηθούν στρατευμένη τέχνη, μπανάλ ακαδημαϊσμοί, σοσιαλιστικός ρεαλισμός κι άλλα ξεπερασμένα τέτοια κουραστικάΣωστόν! Οι ακατάληπτες συσχετίσεις και οι άνευ αιτίας, λόγου και σκοπού εξυπνακισμοί είναι πιο ορθολογικές προσεγγίσεις, πιο σύγχρονες θεάσεις, πιο ενδιαφέρουσες προτάσεις για τα ανθρώπινα και πιο χρήσιμη σπατάλη ψυχής...
Η παράσταση των νεκρών.Δεν φθάνει που σκοτώθηκαν οι δέκα Γάλλοι στρατιωτικοί στο Αφγανιστάν - στου διάολου τη Μάνα, αν δεχθούμε ότι οι Ταλιμπάν είναι η σπορά των δαιμόνων.



Δεν φθάνει που σκοτώθηκαν σαν τα σκυλιά στο αμπέλι, καθ' ότι τους πήραν οι Αμερικανοί για κουνάβια και τους δολοφόνησαν - όχι, δεν έφθασαν όλα αυτά, αλλά πακετάρισαν τους σκοτωμένους, τους σκέπασαν με ωραίες τρικολόρε και τους παρέταξαν σε σχηματισμό σφήνας μπροστά απ' την πρόσοψη του Μεγάρου των Απομάχων στο Παρίσι για ένα τελευταίο σόου.Αποδίδοντας βεβαίως «τιμές»-χαιρετούρες οι αξιωματικοί, δακρυσμένος ο Πρόεδρος και η Κάρλα, αριστερά η μπάντα της αεροπορίας ταρατατζούμ τη Μασσαλιώτιδα, δεξιά η μπάντα της Λεγεώνας ταρατατζούμ πάλι τη Μασσαλιώτιδα, στο πιο αργό και πένθιμο αυτή, μπαμπαμπούμ οι συνήθεις βολές στον αέρα, ένας επίσκοπος, τέσσερις παπάδες κι οχτώ παπαδάκια να ψέλνουν τιρερέμ λατινιστί, αγήματα όλων των Σωμάτων με τον ουρανό της πόλης να συμμετέχει στο πένθος.


Μια παράσταση για τις μάζες, για την τηλεόραση, χυδαία και άτιμη. Που σκυλεύει τους σκοτωμένους στρατιωτικούς προσφέροντας «τιμές» όχι στους πεσόντες, αλλά στον ναρκισσισμό στην ιδιοτέλεια στην ακόρεστη βουλιμία για λεφτά εκείνων που τους έστειλαν στην άκρη του κόσμου να σκοτωθούν υπέρ Δημοκρατίας (εδώ οι νεκροί γελούν), υπέρ Ελευθερίας (εδώ οι νεκροί τρίζουν τα δόντια τους), υπέρ Ηρωίνης (εδώ οι νεκροί βρίσκουν κάποια λογική εξήγηση για την τύχη τους) και γεωπολιτικών συμφερόντων, έτσι όπως τα εννοούν αυτοί που έσφαξαν τους παππούδες των νεκρών στο Βερντέν, τους πατεράδες τους στο Αουσβιτς, οι ίδιοι που θα σφάξουν και τα παιδιά των νεκρών στο επόμενο θέατρο επιχειρήσεων που θα αποφασίσει ο Μπους, ο Σαρκοζί ή η κάθε άλλη σοβαροφανής πολεμοκάπηλη ύαινα.



Τα τύμπανα της μπάντας είναι τα τύμπανα του πολέμου, του κάθε άδικου πολέμου, κι άδικος είναι κάθε πόλεμος που δεν είναι αμυντικός. Η Δύση δεν αμύνεται κατά της «τρομοκρατίας» στο Αφγανιστάν, τουλάχιστον όχι όσον οι πετρελαιάδες των ΗΠΑ αλληλοσυνευρίσκονται με τους πετρελαιάδες των Αράβων - είτε της Οικογένειας Μπιν Λάντεν, είτε της Οικογένειας Μοσάντ. Αυτά τα τύμπανα ξυπνάνε τα φαντάσματα των νεκρών. Όλων των πολέμων, δίκαιων και άδικων. Διότι ο πόλεμος δεν κάνει διακρίσεις - όλοι οι πόλεμοι από κτίσεως κόσμου πρώτα τους αμάχους αφανίζουν. Και οι «αμερικανιές» για παράπλευρες απώλειες ή οι κορκοδείλιοι λυγμοί για τα «αθώα θύματα» είναι το ίδιο υποκριτικά με όλα αυτά τα μιλιταριστικά καραγκιοζιλίκια για τους πεσόντες - στην πραγματικότητα, θυσιασμένους.


Ποια «οδύνη της Γαλλίας»; Οταν τελειώσει η τελετή και παραχώσουν τα φέρετρα, η Γαλλία θα έχει ένα ακόμα προηγούμενο στη σημειολογία του πολέμου. Καθ' ότι αυτό είναι η τελετή: καθ-ιερώνει το ζητούμενο: τη νομιμοποίηση της σφαγής.
Καμία Γαλλία δεν έστειλε τα παιδιά της να πάνε να σκοτωθούν στα παπαρουνοχώραφα του Πακιστανοαφγανιστάν για τα πετροδολάρια των Εταιρειών.



Η άρχουσα τάξη της χώρας τούς έστειλε. Η πλουτοκρατία της και οι πολιτικοί της εκπρόσωποι, ο κάθε Σαρκοζί μετά Κάρλας ή άνευ, η κάθε Σεγκολέν, ο κάθε Μπλαιρ ή οποιοδήποτε άλλο εκλεγμένο τηβεννοφόρο παλιόσκυλο.
Για την τιμή του πετρελαίου κι όχι την τιμή της πατρίδας σκοτώθηκαν οι δέκα Γάλλοι (και χιλιάδες άλλοι) φουκαράδες· και στην τιμή των επιτοκίων αποδίδουν τιμές οι μπάντεςκι όχι στους μισθοφόρους ή παιδιά του λαού ή εκπαιδευμένους δολοφόνους ή λεγεωνάριους ή αλεξιπτωτιστές ή ό,τι άλλο σκοτώθηκε εκεί, στου διάολου τη Μάνα...


Δολοφόνοι κι Εγκληματίες Πολέμου είναι όσοι επιτίθενται οπουδήποτε και για οποιονδήποτε λόγο - κι όλοι οι ηγέτες της Δύσης ενέχονται σε επιθέσεις. Αμεσες είτε έμμεσες μέσω των ανδρεικέλων τους. Όλο και πιο πολλές, όλο και πιο συχνές...

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomatoes, a surprise attack and a meme

My oldest daughter getting her Blue Belt!!!

First off the "surprise attack". My oldest daughter takes Karate and attends classes 2 nights a week. Last night was the first night in months and months that I have not taken her. T. took her. Well they must have only just gotten there and my phone was ringing. She was testing for her Blue Belt tonight and did I want to be there? Well hell yah!!! My youngest daughter and I got into the car and took off. We made it in plenty of time. How special is that! I was so incredibly proud of her. She is now more then halfway to her black belt!!! She has a few more colors and degrees of those colors to go through so it will be a few years yet but we are on the right track!!! Not bad for an 8 year old girl!

Now for the recipe:

With the "surprise attack" I needed to have a quick and easy dinner to prepare. I had some shrimp and basil so I decide to throw it together with some tomatoes and pasta and call it done!


Pasta with Shrimp and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pkg of you favorite pasta
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp
1-1/2 Cup of tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 Cup white wine
1/4 Cup parsley, chopped
1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fish or shrimp stock
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

Directions:
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in a colander.
  2. Heat olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.
  3. Stir wine, parsley, and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted . This adds a nice creaminess to the sauce. Add tomatoes and shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Loved this dish and was able to pull out some of the shrimp and sauce before I added the tomatoes for my tomato hater! I will definitely be making this one again!!!

I was also tagged for a meme by superfinefeline at Gastronomic Ruminations. Due to lack of time I used the answers to a meme I did a while ago and changed some around and added a new one!

6 Random things about me...
1. I once ran away from home when I was 16...spent the night trying to hide out in a park, slept in an apartment stairwell and realized that the life I ran away from was not nearly as bad as it seemed the day before!!! LOL

2. Used to suffer from Hyperhidrosis but found a product called drysol which has cured me!

3. Was diagnosed with ADD as a child but my Mom stuck it out and never medicated me (thanks Mom!). Funny thing is what goes around comes around. I am fighting the same battle with my youngest daughter...any advice out there??

4. This is my second marriage. First one lasted for a very, very, very short time (felt like forever).

5. I have been married for 12 years (together for 4 before that) to my very best friend! It even sucks when we fight because I can't go bitching to my BF because it is him!

6. I have an incredible and irrational fear of pond and lake water. I can swim in pools and the ocean but a lake or ponds with weeds and stuff in it will do me in!!!

I am not going to tag any one blogger on this but consider yourselves all tagged and take a few minutes and let us get to know you better! If you decide to do this let me know so I can come and read it!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Autism In New Brunswick Schools - The Globe & Mail Gets It Wrong

In Ontario parents continue battle for accessible autism therapies the Globe & Mail reports on documents submitted to the Supreme Court of Canada by families involved in a class action lawsuit who are arguing for access to ABA and IBI therapies for their children in public-school classrooms. In comparing the situation in Ontario to British Columbia and New Brunswick schools the Globe & Mail stated, incorrectly with regard to New Brunswick, that:

In British Columbia and New Brunswick, funding is available for children with autism to bring support workers specially trained in IBI and ABA therapy into public-school classrooms. In Ontario, the government will only pay for teacher's aides, and IBI and ABA therapists are not allowed in the classroom.

In New Brunswick we do have ABA instruction, for autistic children, in our schools but it is not provided by therapists brought in to the school. What we have done in New Brunswick is provide autism intervention training to teacher aides/assistants. The training is provided at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. The TA's receive essentially the same training as provided by UNB-CEL to pre school Autism Support Workers. The TA's must meet UNB's entrance criteria to enter the program and must pass both academic and practicum components of the course - which not all of them do. Resource teachers have also been trained as Clinical Supervisors.

Apart from the TA training, New Brunswick has accommodated the needs of those autistic children like my son who require a quieter setting outside the regular classroom to learn. My son receives his ABA based instruction in a small room with his TA. He goes to the school gym and pool and outdoors for physical activity, to the school library, and to a kitchen to learn some kitchen skills. Conor also helps with tasks at the school such as lowering the flag. Other children see him in the common areas mentioned and in the hallways and some say hello to him by name as I walk with him in the halls to take him home at the end of the day. Some autistic children do well in the regular classroom and their aides are permitted in the classroom.

The Autism Society New Brunswick lobbied hard for autism specific training for aides working with autistic children. ASNB also fought hard to move away from a philosophy based total classroom inclusion for all approach to an evidence based approach which focuses on teaching autistic children where, and how, they learn best, an approach that looks at the needs and abilities of the individual child.

This is how ABA is used to teach autistic children in New Brunswick schools.

Health Minister Clement Hides In Denver But Autism Follows

Alleged federal Health Minister Tony Clement is not known for facing tough issues head on. Although he is the federal Health Minister he refuses to use the federal spending power to send dollars to the provinces to ensure that ALL autistic children receive effective evidence based treatment for their autism disorders regardless of where their parents live. Mr Clement hides behind provincial authority but does not credibly explain why federal money can't be sent to the provinces to be used for autism treatment. There is no dispute that treatment is needed and I find it hard to believe the provinces would refuse federal money to treat autistic children.

Now "Health" Minister Clement is at the Democratic Convention in Denver and avoiding difficult questions over the tragic listeriosis outbreak as reported in the Globe and Mail:

Clement's arrival in Denver on Monday drew fire from the Liberals.

"While Mr. Clement is enjoying himself at cocktail receptions at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, people back home are dying," said Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett.

Clement fired back, saying that Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was the lead minister on the massive food recall that followed the listeriosis outbreak.

"Health" Minister Clement may be able to void questions about Canadians dying from listeriosis while wining and dining at the Democratic Convention in Denver but he has been unable while there to hide from autism which he routinely ignores in Canada. Both Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton mentioned autism in their prime time speeches Tuesday and Wednesday.

Senator Hillary Clinton, as reported on ABC news, stated:

I will always remember the single mom who had adopted two kids with autism, didn't have health insurance and discovered she had cancer. But she greeted me with her bald head painted with my name on it and asked me to fight for health care.

Former President Bill Clinton, as reported on the Wall Street Journal, stated:

I will never forget the parents of children with autism and other severe conditions who told me on the campaign trail that they couldn’t afford health care and couldn’t qualify their kids for Medicaid unless they quit work or got a divorce.

Although "Health" Minister Tony Clement is oblivious to the challenges confronting families with autistic children in Canada the same can not be said of the Senator and President Clinton. They get it. It is probably too much to hope that some of their autism awareness might rub off on our Minister Clement. But hopefully when he is not enjoying cocktails he can reflect on their words and start taking autism seriously in Canada where he is, in name anyway, our federal Health Minister.

The Royal Foodie Joust for September!

Yummm...Ginger/Orange Quick Bread with an Oatmeal Crumb Topping

After missing out on doing the Royal Foodie Joust for last month I was suffering a huge amount of guilt and no matter what happened I was going to get it done this month. Well life happens and tends to get in the way of things and I didn't get it done as early in the month as I would have liked but I did get it done!!!

The Royal Foodie Joust is a monthly challenge that is hosted by my friend Jenn-The Left-over Queen. Every month the winner from the previous month is allowed to choose the 3 ingredients that must be used in the up coming challenge. Sounds like fun huh?

Last month's winner was Kittie from Kittens in the Kitchen.

Kittie's Picks:

Whole Grains (or at least they have to be whole at the start of the recipe!)
Ginger (in any form)
Citrus (any, in any form!)

As usual for me my days are too short and I have not nearly enough time in them to get everything that I wanted to get done done. My entry this month is a quick bread. And was it ever quick and simple to make!


Ginger/Orange Quick Bread with an Oatmeal Crumb Topping

GINGER/ORANGE BREAD:

1 1/2 Cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp zested orange rind
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Cup milk
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a loaf pan. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and orange rind. Set aside. In a medium bowl and with a mixer, cream butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time beating after each. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, stirring until blended. Stir in the orange juice.

Pour batter into prepared pan.


CRUMB TOPPING:

2 Cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 Cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick of butter, softened

Grind oatmeal in your food processor until finely ground. Add and all other ingredients and pulse until the mixture is a coarse meal.

Sprinkle the crumb topping on the batter and bake at 325 degrees for about 55 to 60 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack and remove from pan and allow to cool completely before serving.

This turned out delicious and I would love to make it again using fresh ginger and more crumb topping!!! Thanks again Kittie for great ingredient choices!!!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

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