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 Tonytamer (Tonytamer) posted on Monday, September 21, 2009 - 10:02 am
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NEWS RELEASE
Applied Behaviour Analysis Support Network
For immediate release: September 20, 2009:
Parents Oppose MCFD Announcement Regarding Elimination of Direct Funding
Surrey: Since the announcement of the cancellation of Direct Funding for autism services, members of the ABA Support Network have made it clear that they are opposed to such a move. On the government’s part, there is no financial gain to eliminating Direct Funding. On our part, the right to choose our own service providers is at risk.
Within the last decade, during a time of Invoice Funding, the government would only allow autism services from a select few government run agencies. Parents had to pay for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) out of their own pocket to bring in quality ABA service providers that were not part of the government’s programs. After the Auton lawsuit in 2002, the Liberal government did finally put Direct Individualized Funding into place. This allowed parents to fund their children’s ABA programs, and build a strong, quality base of ABA service providers in BC.
The shift away from subsidizing government agencies has lead to improved access to quality ABA programs. In the future, different politicians or bureaucrats could shift back to limiting access to government agencies. This will be more difficult to do if Direct Funding is still in place.
For this reason, the ABA Support Network is adamantly opposed to eliminating the Direct Funding option for parents of children with autism. We hope that the current government will leave us with a safer option for our children regardless of who wins the next election.
Contact: Dione Costanzo
Phone: 604-535-1162
The ABA Support Network is a newly formed non-profit society that is based in Surrey, BC. Our mission is to improve access to quality Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) treatment and support in the home and in the community for children, youth and adults who need it. www.abasupportnetwork.com |
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| Tonytamer (Tonytamer) posted on Sunday, November 01, 2009 - 10:30 pm
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE
I copied this from the FEATBC web site, but due to the size limitation of this forum, I could only copy excerpts:
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I have been asked to comment on and offer my opinion regarding the provincial government’s recent decision to discontinue the “direct payment” option in favour of “invoice payments”.
The province’s decision to discontinue the direct funding option is completely unacceptable. It is definitely not in the best interests of our children and their families. If passed, it will be a retrograde step, taking us back to the situation that existed in BC before the Auton decision. I believe it is the first step in dismantling autism treatment funding.
The government’s preferred “invoice payment option” effectively takes parents and, therefore, children out of the equation. With you out of the loop, others will decide what is best for your child and, eventually, might decide whether your child is making enough “progress” to keep funding treatment..(see what’s happening in Ontario)}
Lesson #1 – Never, ever abdicate your parental choice and control to a bureaucrat. Your child’s best interest is never their first priority.
How should parents respond to the provincial government’s decision?
If our child was much younger and his $20k of treatment funding was in jeopardy; this is what I’d do:
I would begin by organizing a MASSIVE rally at the Premier’s constituency office. I would make sure there were hundreds of parents, family members, friends, colleagues and supporters there…all carrying placards which would say a variety of things, such as: How many more Canadian children need to die before the government acts? In Canada – health care is a right! I would have as many media attend as possible. I would have lots of parents “tell their story”. I would arrange media interviews focusing on the recent deaths in Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal – each a result of government failure to take the morally right and economically sensible action. I would park myself at my MLAs office until they helped. I’d contact my local community newspapers and invite them to join me at the MLAs office for an interview…. and I’d keep doing it for as long as necessary….but that’s just me….
Now is the time to act. Parents must decide if you are going to continue being a supplicant - risking your child’s future to the whims of government bureaucracy, or will you stand-up and, as a citizen and tax payer, demand better?
Time to wake-up, get organized and and get it done!
Jean Lewis,
Medicare for Autism Now!
mfanow@gmail.com |
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| Tonytamer (Tonytamer) posted on Saturday, November 07, 2009 - 10:52 am
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FEAT Rally
Friday, November 13th, 2009
12:00 Noon
Premier Gordon Campbell’s Constituency Office
3615 West 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC
Why should you attend?
- The recent tragic deaths of two Canadian children with autism, killed at the hands of their own parents, is a wake up call! The status quo is putting the health of children and their very lives in jeopardy.
- September’s announcement by the Ministry of Children and Family Development has shown that our government is not concerned about the rights and needs of some of its most vulnerable citizens.
- No legislation or mandate exists to deliver health care to children with autism or to protect and enshrine their right to their medically necessary treatment. What little individualized funding being provided now is in jeopardy of being taken away.
- Autism is an epidemic! According to the Center for Disease Control, it now affects one in every 100 children in North America.
It is time for our provincial government to recognize its responsibility to act and to demonstrate leadership for the rest of Canada!
Who should attend?
Parents, grandparents, friends, consultants, therapists… anyone who is concerned about this injustice to our children: We urge you all to attend this rally!
(For more information email abarocks@gmail.com) |
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| Tonytamer (Tonytamer) posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 10:15 am
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PRESS RELEASE
November 11, 2009
For Immediate Release:
Parents of autistic children and their supporters will rally outside Premier Gordon Campbell’s constituency office this Friday, November the 13th at noon to protest the provincial government’s attempt to begin to dismantle individualized treatment funding and to mark the 5th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Auton decision.
FEAT of BC (Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC) is a not-for-profit volunteer organization of parents and professionals working towards universal access to effective, science-based treatment for all Canadians diagnosed with autism.
Louise Witt, board member and spokesperson for FEAT of BC states that “The recent tragic deaths of two Canadian children with autism, killed at the hands of their own parents, are a wake up call. The status quo is putting the health of children and their very lives in jeopardy. At present, no mandate exists to deliver healthcare to children with autism or to enshrine their right to this medically necessary treatment.”
“It’s been five years since the Auton decision was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada and kids with autism are still being denied their treatment” says Bev Sharpe, one of the founding members of FEAT of BC. “How many more children have to die? It’s long past time for the government to do the morally right and economically sensible thing, which is to provide treatment to these vulnerable children.”
For more information, contact Louise Witt at 778-999-0971 or www.featbc.org |
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| Tonytamer (Tonytamer) posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 08:33 pm
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Please tune in to The Bill Good Show on CKNW radio (980 on the AM dial) on Thursday, Nov 12th at 9:00 AM.
Louise Witt, FEAT Spokesperson, and Jean Lewis of Medicare for Autism Now! will be discussing the upcoming rally at the Premier’s office. This rally is about providing necessary healthcare and its purpose is to keep pressure on Government for full science-based autism treatment, thereby ending discrimination against people with autism |
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| Michael (Michael) posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - 10:47 am
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Are these words true for you?
“Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on mental or physical disability” Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Lack of effective public policy and political will has allowed Canadian institutions at all levels to deny Canadians with disabilities equal access to full citizenship as guaranteed in our Charter. Despite what our politicians tell us and the rest of the world, systemic discrimination is an everyday reality in Canada for most of us living with a disability.
The way to right this wrong is through real advocacy, political will and law.
The Paladin Advocacy League ( PAL ) is a recently formed, not-for-profit society which advocates for public policy changes which will provide Canadians with disabilities equal access to the equality provisions of our Charter. Actions speak louder than words.
We intend to put our founding principles into action by advocating for:
1. Public policy changes which will put the equality provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into practical force and effect for all British Columbians with a disability.
2. Portable, consumer-driven, individualized funding for British Columbians with disabilities.
3. Government-funded legal counsel for test cases.
Canadians with disabilities are also Canadian citizens with the responsibility to vote and make clear to our politicians and public servants that it is nothing more than reasonable to expect equal rights in Canada in the 21st century.
We want to meet with you to talk, listen, discuss, plan, laugh and, of course, eat cookies! Coffee will also be served. Everyone is welcome, particularly Canadians with disabilities, their families and supporters. Please meet with the Board of PAL on:
Saturday, May 29th, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Program Room, 2nd Floor, Collingwood Neighbourhood House
5288 Joyce St., Vancouver (two blocks south of the Joyce Sky Train station)
RSVP
To palsharks@yahoo.ca
Or call Paul Caune (604-928-1644)
Or visit our Facebook Group page PAL: the Paladin Advocacy League |
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| Michael (Michael) posted on Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 09:45 am
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Hello,
My name is Jan Couchie I live in North Bay Ontario with my husband Randy and our daughter Harley. Our son Garret was diagnosed with autism at the age of 4. On Jan 6,2009 Garret passed away, he was 1 month away from turning 15.
I carried life insurance and my 3 children were riders on the policy. On Jan 15, 2009 I was informed that Garret had been denied coverage by insurer ( Sunlife) because he had autism! I had been paying for 9 yrs. believing all my children were covered!
We have set up a facebook page " In Loving Memory of Garret Sasyniuk- Fight for Autism" to inform parents. NO isurance company will cover a child after they are diagnosed unless the policy was taken out before that.
Please join the facebook page , leave comments, and help us to make change in the insurance industry!!!
Send this to ALL your members.
Thank You,
Jan Couchie, Randy Sasyniuk, Harley and Garret |
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