USA's 1 in 68 Autism Rates and Canada's Fake National Autism Strategy

"At present there is no government monitoring system in place to provide us with accurate statistics on the prevalence of ASDs in Canada" 

Autism Society Canada 

The recent USA CDC reports that US autism rates are now estimated at 1 in 68 highlights, yet again, the lack of a Real National Autism Strategy in Canada. One of the few specific commitments made by the federal government over the years was a commitment to conducting a national surveillance program of Canadians with autism disorders.  As the above quote from the Autism Society Canada web site makes clear that has not happened.  Canadians must simply assume that US autism rates, now 1 in 68, also apply here in Canada. 

Canadian parents fought initially , and ultimately unsuccessfully, through the courts in BC (Auton) and Ontario (Wynberg/Deskin) for autism treatment coverage under medicare and autism services before commencing their more overtly political efforts, including the Medicare for Autism NOW! campaign.  Here in the Maritime provinces we took a political approach to developing a national autism strategy with the NB efforts in  which I was personally involved beginning  in 2001, primarily by many discussions with our Fredericton MP, the late Andy Scott.  In 2003  Andy Scott, made a public commitment in 2003 to work toward a National Autism Strategy at a tribute to his 10 years of service as an MP at the Boyce Famers' Market, an event I attended and reported on to the members of the Family Autism Centre for Education (FACE):

"October 19 2003

Hello everyone:

Some good news for those interested in autism issues emerged last night  at the Boyce Farmers' Market in Fredericton New Brunswick as Frederictonian's gathered to pay tribute to MP Andy Scott's  10 years of service as an MP on behalf of Frederictonians and as an advocate for human rights, services for the disabled, and cultural harmony. Andy announced that he would be meeting with Paul Martin in the hopes of pursuing a national Autism strategy. Although health care is primarily within provincial juridiction some health issues, such as breast cancer, HIV, etc. have been approached on a national level because of the magnitude of the issues involved.  While we have all heard political promises in the past,  Andy Scott has a proven track record of commitment to, and follow through on, disabilities and human rights issues.  Great news.

Harold Doherty

Family Autism Centre for Education (FACE)"

Andy's comments at the Boyce Farmers' Market were also featured in a 2003 Telegraph Journal article by Tali Folkins:

"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." 

Andy did answer the call on behalf of autistic Canadians and  actively pushed for a National Autism Strategy which he ultimately realized with the passage of Motion M-172.  However, the motion was essentially a commitment in principle with few obligations being undertaken by our federal government but it did help put autism on our national agenda and it was Andy Scott being Andy ... getting done what could get done ... with a view to moving forward further in future.  One of the specific items that the federal government did commit to in the motion was a national surveillance program, a program that would tell us how many Canadians now suffer from autism disorders.  It is a commitment that has still not been honored 8 years later. 

Andy Scott himself did continue the fight   as demonstrated in his June 5, 2007 statement in the House of Commons:

"Autism 

[Table of Contents]

Hon. Andy Scott (Fredericton, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that we have seen little action by the government toward implementing a national autism strategy.

It has been more than a year since I introduced Motion No. 172. My private member's motion called for evidence based standards, innovative funding arrangements for diagnosis, treatment and research, and a national surveillance program.

The motion was adopted in good faith and supported by the government. However, it was very disappointing to see no reference to a national autism strategy in the recent budget or any discussion this spring.

Recently, I joined my colleagues from Charlottetown and Sackville—Eastern Shore and Senator Munson at a rally in Halifax that reinforced that there are families with autistic children across Canada who need the government's help.

The Conservatives should move off their default position of jurisdictional excuses, show creativity and compassion and start helping these Canadians."

Andy Scott's reference to his colleagues from Charlottetown and Sackville-Eastern Shore were  references to PEI's Shawn Murphy and Nova Scotia's Peter Stoffer both of whom, along with Andy Scott and Senator Jim Munson, also worked tirelessly toward achieving a National Autism Strategy.  The rally of which he spoke was a Halifax rally organized by Jean Lewis and FEAT-BC who had been raising autism awareness, lobbying politically and fighting for national autism coverage in the Courts for several years and continued to do so with its "Medicare for Autism NOW!" efforts.  I attended the FEAT autism really in Halifax and had the privilege of meeting Jean Lewis, several of the BC advocates and tireless Nova Scotia autism advocate Jim Young.  Under the BC leadership there have been subsequent national meetings in Oakville and Toronto.

NB MP Andy Scott, FEAT-BC, Medicare for Autism NOW!'s Jean Lewis

National Autism Rally, Halifax, May 26 2007

NS MP Shawn Murphy, Senator Jim Munson, NB MP Andy Scott 

National Autism Rally, Halifax, May 26 2007

Nova Scotia MP Peter Stoffer,  National Autism Rally, 

Halifax, May 26 2007

In 2006 Shawn Murphy went on to introduce his own private member's bill, Bill C-304,  in the House of Commons which, if passed, would have put Canada well on the way to establishing a REAL National Autism Strategy:

C-304

First Session, Thirty-ninth Parliament,
55 Elizabeth II, 2006

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-304

_____________________________________________

FIRST READING, MAY 17, 2006

_____________________________________________

MR. MURPHY (Charlottetown)

1st Session, 39th Parliament,
55 Elizabeth II, 2006

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-304

An Act to provide for the development of a
national strategy for the treatment of
autism and to amend the Canada Health
Act

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate and House of Commons
of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National
Strategy for the Treatment of Autism Act.


NATIONAL CONFERENCE

2. The Minister of Health shall, before
December 31, 2006, convene a conference of
all provincial and territorial ministers responsible
for health for the purpose of working
together to develop a national strategy for the
treatment of autism. The Minister shall, before
December 31, 2007, table a report in both
Houses of Parliament specifying a plan of action
developed in collaboration with the provincial
and territorial ministers for the purpose of
implementing that strategy.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CANADA
HEALTH ACT

3. Section 2 of the Canada Health Act is
renumbered as subsection 2(1) and is
amended by adding the following:

(2) For the purposes of this Act, services
that are medically necessary or required under
this Act include Applied Behavioural Analysis
(ABA) and Intensive Behavioural Intervention
(IBI) for persons suffering from Autism Spectrum
Disorder.

Bill C-304 was defeated soundly by a coalition of Harper Conservatives and separatist Blog Quebecois votes in the House of Commons. During debates in the House of Commons Harper conservative MP Mike Lake from Alberta, the autism face of the Harper government, a father of an autistic son, fought against the Murphy bill and helped vote it down to defeat.  

The hard truth is that there will never be a real National Autism Strategy as long as the Harper government rules in Ottawa.  Nor will a REAL NAS emerge from national autism charities that were never part of the struggle for a national autism strategy to begin with and who do not acknowledge the efforts made by parents across Canada who fought hard and long for a National Autism Strategy. National charities dare not speak contrary to federal government policy for fear of risking their charitable status. 

A real National Autism Strategy, even a real, current estimate of the number of Canadians who suffer from autism disorders will not come into existence until the Harper government is retired from office and will only come into existence with parent driven initiatives for whom helping their autistic sons and daughters is their most important objective.   Until then we will have to accept US figures for autism prevalence.  Accordingly, let it be known:

1 in 68 Canadians has an autism spectrum disorder. 

Autism Reality in Nova Scotia: Jim Young Delivers Autism Truth, Straight Up, With No Joy of Autism Sweetener

I met Jim Young a couple of years ago, May 26, 2007 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, at the FEAT-BC Goes Coastal kick off of the national autism strategy campaign. Jim and I had a chance to talk briefly. He got straight to the point in discussing autism and the state of autism advocacy in Nova Scotia. In a guest column in the Halifax Chronicle Herald Jim once again delivers hard hitting autism reality without any sugar coated joy of autism nonsense.

Jim offers the perspective of a father of an autistic child who fights hard to make life as good as he can for his child. He has done his homework on a number of contentious autism issues and he has been an active autism advocate. In this article Jim addresses many of the contentious autism issues that hinder the ability of parents to help their autistic children. He offers his views on autism cures and treatment favoring an evidence based professional treatment that stands out above all others at this time - Applied Behavior Analysis - ABA.

Jim expresses his admiration for high functioning autistic persons who do well in the world but pulls no punches about the leaders of the Neurodiversity ideological movement and the threat they pose to the health of our autistic children:

The neurodiversity proponents do not represent the realities faced by the majority of families. My view is that they represent a real threat to the health of our children. Not only do they imply that it is fine to have autism but they urge us to "celebrate" our children’s disorder. Nonsense. Should we "celebrate" juvenile diabetes, leukemia, pediatric aids, fetal alcohol syndrome?

I can testify that there is very little about autism to celebrate. I love both of my children and could not love my daughter, who is deeply affected, any more if she woke up tomorrow without autism. But I will continue to advocate and provide treatment opportunities for her forever, despite what these people say.

Autism is a serious health issue requiring aggressive treatment. It is not a learning disorder, lifestyle choice or expression of individuality. The risks of claiming that it is, for the rest of us, are that it provides government just the excuse they need to withhold funding – the community is divided and the disorder is not an alarming epidemic. These people need to shut up. They do not represent the children with autism that I see. They represent themselves, which is fine, but no one else.

Jim Young also takes the Nova Scotia government to task for its immoral, shabby treatment of autistic children. (Nova Scotia actually has a lottery system to determine which children receive autism treatment). Jim Young is a dad who has actually been fighting to help his autistic daughter and other autistic children in Nova Scotia. He has been fighting an uphill battle but he soldiers on.

I encourage anyone interested in autism, particularly parents of children newly diagnosed with an autism disorder to read Jim's column in the Chronicle Herald. It offers a healthy dose of autism reality, straight up, with no joy of autism, neurodiversity nonsense, to divert you from helping your autistic child.

autism

National Autism Political Strategy, Dartmouth, May 26, 2007

Yesterday began early up at 5, off to gas up and then on the road to the Dartmouth Holiday Inn to meet the folks from FEAT-BC as part of their national autism strategy tour. Above, the charming ladies at the registration desk got everybody signed in and welcomed. My sister, Belinda Doherty, and Chris (aka Jim aka Bruce ) Armstrong arrive from the Valley. (Annapolis Valley), Shawn Murphy, Senator Jim Munson and Andy Scott exchange pleasantries, Andy and Jean Lewis from FEAT-BC, Denise Cameron Scott TRIES to grab a relaxing moment after a long journey but is bothered by a pesky blogger, Brian Rimpilaenan travelled from Fredericton for the event, and last but far from least, Peter Stoffer, who with Andy Scott in presenting a national autism strategy motion in the House of Commons cleans up on the door prize a beautiful piece of art by a BC First Nations artist.

It was a great day and the message we all shared was crystal clear. It is time for the autism community in Canada to GET POLITICAL. The courts have, as was noted in some of the speeches, washed their hands of Canada's vulnerable autistic citizens. For autistic children in Canada section 15 has been turned into an empty and hollow promise by the Supreme Court of Canada decisions in Auton and Deskin-Wyneberg. Political solutions are all that is left and political solutions, as past history in BC and Ontario has shown, will not come easy, with politicians, once elected, backtracking on and backing out of their promises. For some unknown reason judges and political leaders both feel free to disregard the compelling realities, needs and challenges of Canada's autistic children and adults.

But politics remains the only solution and there has been progress, real progress, on the national political scene. The Scott-Stoffer motion put autism in the national political consciousness. The valian effort by Shawn Murphy was defeated on the votes but it continued that growth of political consciousness, and continued the momentum towards a true national political solution to Canada's autism crisis.

The FEAT people intend to focus on ridings where the margin of victory in the last election was 2% or less and work on electing candidates with a commitment to autism. That looks like it will achieve some good results but it is not enough. Individual MP's do not establish laws or otherwise govern in our party based parliamentary democracy. Parties, usually under tight Prime Ministerial direction, govern in Canada. That means the autism community must help elect parties that WILL introduce legislation to include ABA, and any other evidence based treatments for autism, in Canada's national medicare coverage scheme. As Murphy, Munson, Stoffer and Scott all noted, that can be done in Canada's cooperative form of federalism regardess of who has primary constitutional jurisdiction over Health care.

But our political history is clear on this subject. Medicare was an idea borne of the NDP (CCF) and was put into effect by the Liberals. More recently the Bloc Quebecois and Stephen Harper's Neo-Con Conservatives all voted unanimously against including autism treatment in medicare. Any realistic national political strategy must acknowledge these realities. And we must be candid with the autism community and with Canadians. As a dad with an autistic son my party is the Autism Party which exists only in my mind and my heart, but guides my political actions. And it tells me that the best interests of autistic Canadians will be served by electing Liberals and NDP members of parliament so that one or either or both in a minority government situation, can actually pass legislation to include autism treatment coverage in Medicare. Let's GET POLITICAL, let's elect a government which will include autism treatment in Medicare so that autistic Canadians wherever they live will receive effective government funded autism treatment.

Thanks to Jim Young of FEAT-NS whose province hosted this event and the folks from FEAT-BC who have done so much for the cause of autism in Canada. Special thanks too, to the politicians with consciences, Andy Scott, Peter Stoffer, Shawn Murphy and Jim Munson, all of whom have made serious efforts to advance the cause of autism nationally.