Medicare for Autism NOW! Petition

Please click on the url following to download the Medicare for Autism petition. Get your signatures and present them to your Member of Parliament with a minimum of 25 signatures and ask your MP to present to Parliament.

The Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal (Auton, Deskin-Wyneberg) have made it clear that the equality provisions of the Charter of Rights are of little or no assistance to Canadians seeking treatment for autistic children. Now is the time to GET POLITICAL!

http://featbc.org/petition.pdf


PETITION

TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED

We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:

Whereas children suffering from an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are among the weakest and most vulnerable sector of Canadian society;

and whereas, in Canada the rate of children being diagnosed with ASD is high and increasing at an alarming rate (currently approximately 1 child in 195);

and whereas, until the cause and cure of autism are found, children suffering from autism can benefit from the provision of Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) therapy treatment based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA);

and whereas, for a variety of reasons including lack of assigned resources, unconscionable waiting lists, and delegation to Ministries with little or no expertise, the provision of IBI/ABA therapy treatment to children with autism is woefully inadequate;

Therefore, your petitioners call upon Parliament to

1) amend the Canada Health Act and corresponding Regulations to include IBI/ABA therapy for children with autism as a medically necessary treatment and require that all Provinces provide or fund this essential treatment for autism; and

2) contribute to the creation of academic chairs at a university in each province to teach IBI/ABA treatment at the undergraduate and doctoral level so that Canadians professionals will no longer be forced to leave the country to receive academic training in this field and so that Canada will be able to develop the capacity to provide every Canadian with autism with the best IBI/ABA
treatment available.


http://featbc.org/petition.pdf