Join Fredericton Green Candidate Mary Lou Babineau In Signing the Medicare for Autism Now! Petition

                          https://www.change.org/p/government-of-canada-medicare-for-autism-now

Statement on Medicare for Autism now!

While it is true that the tremendous advancements in medicine and technology have granted us longer lives, there are still distressing developments: for instance, the increasing number of illnesses and syndromes appearing and affecting our children. The rates of attention deficit disorder, autism and others are on the rise.

The Canada Health Act has five general principles – public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, and accessibility, but the federal government has not been applying them to support greater national consistency and equal quality of services from coast to coast. In addition, the federal government has failed to develop a national strategy to address such challenges as autism and dementia.

I recognize that it is vital to ensure that the federal government provides funding as necessary and I also think that this funding needs to be accompanied by strong federal government leadership. I pledge to follow through on our commitment to a science-based national Mental Health Strategy and this is something I will advocate for in the amendment process for a new and improved Canada Health Act. 

Sincerely,

Mary Lou Babineau
Green Party Candidate for Fredericton

Join Mary Lou Babineau in signing the Medicare for Autism Now! petition 

here: https://www.change.org/p/government-of-canada-medicare-for-autism-now

The Environment Is Of Vital Importance - Next Time Include Elizabeth May

This blog is focused on autism disorders, very closely related conditions including intellectual disability and epilepsy.  It is about my son and the joy he brings me each day despite his serious disorders and challenges.  Occasionally it is just a celebration via pictures of the pleasure I experience each day that I live in Canada's Green City .... Fredericton.  Fredericton has been called the Green City, not because of any political party dominance under the green banner although Mr David Coon shook 'the traditional voting patterns one year ago when he was elected as an MLA in Fredericton , but because of its abundant natural growth and wildlife.  It is a beautiful green city and I love Fredericton.  Beyond these topics I don't usually touch directly on politics unless it involves advocating for autism services in  New Brunswick and federally.

I am making an exception today though.  I am asking whoever organizes future debates in this election period to include Elizabeth May in those debates. I am seriously disappointed with the "masterminds", the old boys, who decided to exclude Green Party leader Elizabeth May from the debate last night.  Obviously elections are about electing representatives including a party to form our government.  But elections are also about discussing important public issues and few public issues are as important as our environment.  The wizards that organized yesterday's leaders debate, hiding it so it could barely be found and excluding Elizabeth May did a disservice to all Canadians.  Regardless of the party affiliation for the person we vote for as MP this country can use Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May can discuss all issues with her very sharp  and well informed mind.  But she brings an exceptionally important perspective  and presence to the discussion of our environment ... the most important issue, in my humble opinion, facing all Canadians. 

Fredericton Green Mary Lou Babineau: A Resounding YES!!! to Including Science Based ABA/IBI Autism Treatment Under Medicare

"Dear Harold,

It was wonderful to speak with you, too! This is an issue that is so critical to me and to my family.

Please post my response as a resounding YES!!!

Hope to see you again soon,

Mary Lou"

The One in 68 campaign of Medicare for Autism Now! is well under way.  Candidates in various ridings are being asked to provide clear answers to the "One in 68 QUESTION": "As a member of parliament, will you introduce or support legislation amending the Canada Health Act to include science-based autism treatment (ABA/IBI) under Medicare"?  The One in 68 refers to autism rates as estimated by credible US authorities.  Our federal government has been made aware over the past decade and more of the need to include science based ABA/IBI under medicare.  Some Canadian provinces including New Brunswick have provided ABA treatment for autism in various degrees,  Others including neighboring Nova Scotia have provided minimal services for autism. 

I hope to speak with all candidates in the Fredericton riding to discuss autism generally and to ask their response to the One in 68 Question.  It was a plesasure to meet with Mary Lou Babineau of the Green Party.  As her answer above indicates she has a real, family based interest in the One in 68 question.  We had a great discussion about autism generally and  how it has affected those close to us. and the need for assistance for those affected by autism. Her very sincere interest in autism is reflected in her answer:

Thank you Mary Lou Babineau for your  resounding YES!!! to inclusion of science-based autism treatment (ABA/IBI) under Medicare.

Autism and the Green Party New Brunswick 2014 Election Platform

I was pleased to see some autism issues addressed in the Green Party 2014 election platform.  Much as I like the Green Party, particularly leader David Coon, in standing up for NB's environment, I didn't expect anything relevant to my central "issue" ... autism.  I was wrong. Although there is not a lot of details on how specific changes would be put in place the statements of principle are encouraging:

ACCESSING HEALTH CARE

Establish regional residential facilities for autistic adults who are unable to care for themselves.

Regional residential facilities for autistic adults would be a major step forward for many autistic adults.  The proposal still lacks a central facility in Fredericton near the autism expertise located there which could develop the expertise to accommodate the most severely autistic adults and share their expertise with the regional facilities but it is much better than we have now with generic group homes with untrained staff as one option and the Campbellton Regional Psychiatric Hospital as another and placement outside the province as yet another.  A good start but autism disorders are heterogeneous in  nature and can be very complex at the severe, lower functioning end of the spectrum including sensory challenges, self injurious behavior, severe intellectual disability, epilepsy, gastro intestinal issues in addition to the social communication and repetitive cognitive, focus and speech patterns. It is the kind of complexity that requires varying expertise in both autism behavior and common comorbid medical conditions  ...  and requires a facility that can provide both residential care and treatment as required in the most severe cases.

 A Green Government would:

Provide the resources required to fully implement the provincial inclusion policy and ensure all children can achieve their full potential. For those children who are unable to function successfully in the regular classroom even with increased resources, provide alternative education settings within the schools.

The full implementation of "the" provincial inclusion policy would be helpful for many with autism disorders.  The Green Party also accommodates those, like my son, who are severely autistic and require alternative education settings within the schools.  We fought successfully for such accommodations for my son and the Autism Society New Brunswick has long advocated, over much resistance, for the alternative education settings within schools for those who can not function in the regular classroom.  An excellent step forward for all autistic children in NB schools.

I went for a stroll on the North Riverfront Trail early this evening.  I have deviated from autism occasionally on this blog site to feature pictures I have taken on the NRF Trail that I love.  On my walk I noticed the Green Party candidate in my home riding of Fredericton North busy with her Green Party colleagues putting up the sign in the picture below.  Although she was kind enough to stop and pose for a picture she had been working hard herself at getting the sign in the picture set up.  One of her colleagues, an acquaintance from my Brunswickan days at UNB by the name of John Bosnitch, came across the access ramp and chatted.  It was interesting to learn that the pleasant lady in the picture is also a level 3 mechanic.   She was not native to this area and was stranded here a few years ago with a damaged vehicle.  She was told it would take a while to effect the repairs. She then asked if she could work at the shop because she could not afford to pay for the work otherwise.  Since then she has worked up to a level 3 mechanic; very impressive to this son of an excellent army mechanic who lacks my father's skills.

Will Adult Autism Care Issues Be Considered During #nbvotes 2014?

New Brunswick election 2014 is underway with the NDP, Liberal, Green and PANB parties going all out to replace the PC party.  Party signs are proliferating around the city of Fredericton. The Liberal Party kicked off big time in Fredericton with special guest federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and provincial leader Brian Gallant. It was a lively, well organized event and the optimism was clear. I enjoyed my brief chat with the charming greeting ladies pictured outside the Fredericton Ex building. In a general sense I enjoy elections, I firmly believe, despite the many legitimate bases for criticism that they are the foundation of our amazing freedoms that our soldiers have fought for and died to preserve.

There are many important issues in this election as in many others.  It will be easy for our political party leaders to overlook the needs of adults with complex severe autism disorders for whom group homes are not always an option.  In the past our "inclusive", "community" oriented province has sent severely autistic adults out of the province or to the psychiatric hospital on our northern border with Quebec far from most families in the much more heavily populated south of New Brunswick.  Maybe, just maybe, beginning with this election, our leaders will accept the reality that NB includes severely autistic adults in need of permanent residential care in a facility with professionally trained staff and oversight, a facility located in Fredericton close to the autism expertise  developed at the Stan Cassidy Centre and the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention program.

This Autism Dad Will Not Be Voting Conservative or Green

I will not be voting Conservative in this election. Nor will I be voting Green.

As the father of a son with Autistic Disorder, assessed with profound developmental delays, I am heavily influenced by party autism platforms and histories. The Conservative Party of Stephen Harper has made clear on many occasions that, while it governs, there will be no meaningful attempt by the federal government to assist autistic children and adults or their families. That position has also been made crystal clear by the responses of Conservative candidates to questions from the Medicare for Autism Now Society.

Some Green Party candidates have been positive, and some negative, in response to the MFANS question: "If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment?"

The Green Party has responded to an email from Autism Canada about creating a new federal autism bureaucracy by stating that it does not have a specific position on autism at this time. The Green Party answer, perhaps because of Autism Canada's focus on bureaucracy building, reflects the possibility of future Green Party support for an autism bureaucracy but shows no awareness of the need to provide targeted federal funding to ensure that all autistic children in Canada receive evidence based, effective ABA treatment:

On behalf of Elizabeth May, I would like to thank you for your email and for sharing with us your concerns.

While the Green Party of Canada does not have a specific policy on autism at this time, we are strongly in favour of the Department of Health furthering its mandate to include mental health, as well as developmental health, such as autism. Similarly, we would be committed to expanding the mandate of the Public Health Agency of Canada to include studies on developmental and mental health.

I asked Elizabeth May and the Green Party the following question on September 22, 2008:

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 amendment 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 amendment of the Canada Health Act to require ABA treatment for autism?

I received no reply to my question. Autistic children in Canada do not need another federal bureaucracy to study autism and"better inform Canadians as promoted by Autism Canada. The Green Party of Canada, with no specific autism platform at present, has shown interest in Autism Canada style bureaucracy building but no interest in actually taking real action to help autistic children in Canada receive effective treatment wherever they live.

The Green Party, like the Conservative Party, will not be receiving this autism dad's vote in this election.

autism