Medicare for Autism Now! has released episode 10 of our "Medicare's Orphans" web-series. This episode features Medicare for Autism Now, Civil Rights Now and co-producer of "Medicare's Orphans", David Marley. David is a former trial lawyer and long-time political activist. In this 25 minute interview, he discusses why it is crucial for Canadians, particularly parents and families of autistic children to become politically engaged.
As a parent I have advocated, together with other parents, for over a decade for a real National Autism Strategy. Here in New Brunswick our advocacy involved working with former Fredericton MP Andy Scott over a decade ago for development of a National Autism Strategy which resulted in a strong commitment by Andy as reported by Tali Folkins in the Telegraph Journal on October 20, 2003:
"Fredericton MP Andy Scott said Saturday he has been lobbying prime- minister-to-be Paul Martin for a federal program to help young children with autism. "I desperately want a national autism strategy - and let me just assure you that Paul Martin knows it," Mr. Scott told supporters at a party celebrating his 10th anniversary as an MP in Fredericton Saturday evening.
Early work by therapists with young autistic children, Mr. Scott said, can make a big difference in their capacity to lead fulfilling lives as adults - and can save money in the long run. But the costs of starting such early intervention programs are high and should be borne directly by Ottawa rather than each individual province, he said. "We have responses and therapies and so on that I genuinely believe can work," he said. "You're going to save millions of dollars over the lifetime of an autistic adult. If you can get in at the front end, you can make enormous progress.
"But it's very expensive, and there's not a lot of stuff being added to Medicare, generally - that's why we have catastrophic drug problems and other things," he said. "In the province of New Brunswick, P.E.I., or even Quebec or Ontario it's very, very expensive. The feds are going to have to step up to the plate." "
As reported on Facing Autism several times Andy Scott, with NDP MP Peter Stoffer, and other MP's, was ultimately successful in getting a National Autism Strategy motion passed in the House of Commons. That effort was important in obtaining recognition of the need for a national autism strategy but it did not provide what parents of autistic children were fighting for from BC to Nova Scotia: a federal commitment to provide Medicare funding for ABA which to date remains the only evidence based effective intervention for autism.
The federal government has done nothing, absolutely nothing, to address the real needs of autistic children, school kids with autism or adults with autism needing assistance in the workplace or needing residential care. The federal government has done nothing to help those adults with severe autism who need 24/7 residential care and treatment. The federal government has stayed outside the battle content to hide behind constitutional jurisdiction line while ignoring the challenges faced by autistic Canadians and their families.
The fight for a real National Autism Strategy, one that includes medicare coverage for autism treatment has been long and difficult. I have met David Marley on several occasions, and very much appreciate having David with his his commitment and determination in our corner. The fight for a real National Autism Strategy, a strategy built on inclusion of evidence based ABA treatment for children with autism disorders in our national Medicare has not been easy. It is not easy now and will not be easy in the future. We need everyone to pull together and fight.
The current government, despite having within its ranks Alberta MP Mike Lake, father of an autistic son, is ideologically opposed to taking positive steps to ensuring that all children with autism, not just those living in Alberta, receive treatment under Medicare.
The Toronto Star reports that children in Ontario wait up to 4 years for therapy: The Autism Project: Children face up to four-year wait for therapy. The significance of a 4 year wait is that children in Ontario are not receiving treatment during the critically important early years of 2-5. In Ontario, early intervention for autism is largely non existent. The most effective treatment for autism is not generally available in Ontario.
Canada's 1 in 88 autistic children are, for the most part, doomed to move through the critical early years without the medical intervention they need. The fight for medicare coverage for autism must continue and we need strong leadership, strong advocates. David Marley has been answering the bell in this fight for many years. Join David Marley and the Medicare for Autism Now! team, join the political fight to help Canadians with autism disorder receive the effective, evidence based autism treatment.
The Toronto Star reports that children in Ontario wait up to 4 years for therapy: The Autism Project: Children face up to four-year wait for therapy. The significance of a 4 year wait is that children in Ontario are not receiving treatment during the critically important early years of 2-5. In Ontario, early intervention for autism is largely non existent. The most effective treatment for autism is not generally available in Ontario.
Canada's 1 in 88 autistic children are, for the most part, doomed to move through the critical early years without the medical intervention they need. The fight for medicare coverage for autism must continue and we need strong leadership, strong advocates. David Marley has been answering the bell in this fight for many years. Join David Marley and the Medicare for Autism Now! team, join the political fight to help Canadians with autism disorder receive the effective, evidence based autism treatment.
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