Fredericton Liberal Matt DeCourcey: Liberal Party Committed to A National Autism Strategy Addressing Access to ABA/IBI

Fredericton Liberal Candidate Matt DeCourcey

Email received October 2, 2015 from Fredericton Liberal Candidate Matt DeCourcey stating Liberal Party supports creation of a National Autism Strategy addressing ABA and IBI access and coverage under Medicare:

Hi Harold,

Thank you for the email. I apologize for the delay in my response. I want to let you know that the Liberal Party and I fully support the creation of a national autism strategy. Our party recognizes that in certain provinces, autism treatments, including ABA and IBI are covered under provincial Medicare programs and are more readily available in other provinces. Health care access challenges like these are something that the Liberal Party is committed to addressing.

First and foremost, we need a conversation that goes beyond simply mirroring previously made commitments. We need a partner in the federal government that is committed to innovation and collaboration with the provinces and territories to achieve a modern, efficient, equitable system of universal health care. The Liberal Party is committed to that collaboration.

A Liberal government will re-engage the provinces after 10 years of Stephen Harper neglect. We will meet on Canadian health care and negotiate a new Health Accord with the provinces and territories, including an agreement on long-term funding. Furthermore, our party is committed to pan-Canadian collaboration on health innovation. We will work with provincial jurisdictions to overcome obstacles to innovation in health care delivery and access.

Thank you again for your email. I hope that I’ve helped to clarify the Liberal Party’s position on support for those living with autism. If you have any further questions please reach out.

Best,

Matt

Wow! Federal NDP Replies to My Inquiry This Morning Re Negotiations to Include ABA for Autism under Medicare

I confess I was surprised  to get a same day response this evening from the federal NDP to my question this morning addressed to party leader Thomas Mulcair.  The federal NDP committed to continuing the efforts which they have in fact made over the years in Parliament towards creation of an EFFECTIVE national autism strategy.   

To Canada's  federal NDP and leader Thomas Mulcair I say thank you.

8:20 PM (9 minutes ago)

to me

Dear Mr. Doherty:

Thank you for providing such a helpful summary of your discussions with us on this important issue.

New Democrats have a proven record of working with the autism activist community toward increasing awareness and supports for those living with autism spectrum disorders. NDP MPs have, over many years, proposed bills and motions in Parliament toward the creation of an effective national autism strategy. We are committed to continuing that effort as government.

The success of any national autism strategy that includes medically recognized treatments such as Applied Behavioural Analysis and Intensive Behavioural Intervention, depends on the commitment and involvement of provincial and territorial, as well as federal governments. At the moment, for lack of federal leadership, the levels of support vary widely across the country.

Over the past decade, the Harper government has consciously chosen to abandon its leadership role in Canada’s health system and has turned its back on the federal-provincial-territorial cooperation necessary to maintain and improve our public system – including measures to better address autism needs. Stephen Harper has not only refused to renew the national health accord but has unilaterally cut billions of dollars from future provincial/territorial health transfers.

Under Tom Mulcair, an NDP government will live up to its national leadership role and move quickly to re-establish a collaborative working relationship with provincial and territorial governments. A New Democratic autism strategy would be forged within this renewed negotiation and would establish, with provincial and territorial cooperation, access to treatment across Canada.

Canada’s New Democrats | Le NPD du Canada

Ready for change | Ensemble pour le changement

www.ndp.ca

Mr. Mulcair Will the NDP Negotiate A New Health Accord to Include ABA for Autism Under Medicare?

September 30, 2015

Thomas Mulcair 

Leader of the Official Opposition

Dear Mr Mulcair

The Federal NDP has in the past been very helpful in addressing autism on a national level including efforts by Nova Scotia MP Peter Stoffer who worked with the late Fredericton Liberal MP Andy Scott to effect passage of a National Autism Strategy motion in the House of Commons albeit one  which did not address autism treatment coverage under Medicare.  In July 2014 I asked if the NDP would support a real National Autism Stragegy.  I receivd the following positive response from your office:

Dear Mr. Doherty,

Thank you for writing. We appreciate hearing of your advocacy work on behalf of your son and all individuals living with autism spectrum disorders.

Please be assured that New Democrats are determined to help put the needs of Autistic children on the political map. The NDP supports the continuing efforts to create a National Autism Strategy, therefore ensuring that individuals would receive the highest level of care, regardless of which region of Canada they live in.

As you mentioned, NDP MP Glenn Thibeault is helping to provide leadership on this matter along with working to have the Canada Health Act amended to include Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) as medically recognized treatments for individuals living with autism spectrum disorders. (http://glennthibeault.ndp.ca/post/thibeault-re-introduces-autism-legislation) 

Going forward you can count on our team of New Democrat MPs to continue to speak out on this matter. It’s time for leadership that will move Canada forward.

Again, thank you for taking the time to be in touch.

All the best,

Office of Thomas Mulcair, MP (Outremont)

Leader of the Official Opposition

New Democratic Party of Canada

Here in Fredericton I asked candidates in the current election the following question  as part of the Medicare for Autism Now!'s 1 in 68 campaign:

I was very pleased to receive the following excellent response to the One in 68 question from the Fredericton NDP candidate Sharon Scott-Levesque:

Hello Harold,

I wish to thank you for your message regarding the inclusion of Applied Behaviour Analysis in Medicare. As you have noted, this is an issue affecting a growing number of Canadian families, and I understand the high costs of treatment are of great concern.

As you know the Canada Health Act requires provinces to cover medically necessary services without naming any particular procedure.  This means that the decision on what to cover has been left up to the provinces, creating a patchwork system where some provinces provide coverage for Applied Behavioural Analysis and others do not.

-

I recognize that this disparity creates a hardship for families and myself and the NDP are interested in working with the provinces to see this disparity eliminated. This is definitely a subject we will raise with the provinces when we negotiate a new Health Accord.

I do support this change and hope we can work together in the future.

Regards,

Sharon Scott- Levesque RN

Fredericton NDP Candidate

Mr Mulcair, past NDP contributions have been helpful but the failure by the federal government to see that science based ABA/IBI treatment for autism is included under Medicare means that many autistid children have not received the training which could have helped improve the core deficits of their autism disorders.

NDP candidate Sharon Scott-Levesque's statement of her support is much appreciated. 

Mr. Mulcair, can you confirm that the NDP will commit to  negotiating a new  Health Accord with the provinces which will include science based ABA/IBI  treatment for autism spectrum disorder uner Medicare?

Respectfully,

Harold Doherty

Fredericton, NB

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

Fredericton NDP Sharon Scott-Levesque Supports ABA Coverage For Autism Under A New Canada Health Act Accord

Hello Harold,

I wish to thank you for your message regarding the inclusion of Applied Behaviour Analysis in Medicare. As you have noted, this is an issue affecting a growing number of Canadian families, and I understand the high costs of treatment are of great concern.

As you know the Canada Health Act requires provinces to cover medically necessary services without naming any particular procedure.  This means that the decision on what to cover has been left up to the provinces, creating a patchwork system where some provinces provide coverage for Applied Behavioural Analysis and others do not.

-

I recognize that this disparity creates a hardship for families and myself and the NDP are interested in working with the provinces to see this disparity eliminated. This is definitely a subject we will raise with the provinces when we negotiate a new Health Accord.

I do support this change and hope we can work together in the future.

Regards,

Sharon Scott- Levesque RN

Fredericton NDP Candidate

Thank you Sharon Scott-Levesque for supporting the inclusion of ABA for autism treatment in a new Canada Health Act accord.  Harold Doherty

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.

Medicare for Autism NOW! Campaign Kick Off Today!

Vancouver, BC – Today, the Medicare for autism Now! Society (“MFAN”), a non-partisan, not-for-profit, all volunteer organization, announced the launch of its nation-wide One in 68 campaign. “We will be holding a Campaign Kick-off this Saturday, June 27^th, at Douglas College, New Westminster, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,” said MFAN director and campaign manager, Dr. Sherri Brown, “It will outline the rationale for our initiative and lay-out our action and advocacy agenda leading to the federal election on October 19^th, less than four months away.”

The MFAN campaign takes its name from the fact that, currently in North America, one in 68 children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). “There is a national epidemic of staggering proportion happening in Canada,” said MFAN director, Jean Lewis, “And, unlike the situation in the United States, our federal government has to date failed miserably to demonstrate long overdue leadership in addressing this major and growing national health care challenge.”

The One in 68 campaign will seek firm commitments from those who wish to hold elected office in Ottawa to vote in favour of necessary changes to the Canada Health Act so that persons living with ASD across our country will have science-based treatment for their core health need covered by Medicare. MFAN intends to focus its efforts on  a limited number of highly competitive electoral districts in various parts of Canada. In Metro Vancouver, these include: Burnaby North-Seymour, Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Delta, Surrey Centre, Surrey-Newton, Vancouver Centre and Vancouver Quadra.

  

For further information, contact Jean Lewis at 604-290-5737 or at jean.lewis@telus.net.

Medicare's Orphans: Dr. Melvin DeLevie On Canada's Archaic Approach To Autism Treatment

Medicare for Autism Now! is featuring a series of interviews in connection with the Medicare's Orphans series.  Interview 3 features Dr.  Melvin DeLevie a practicing British Columbia physician with extensive experience with autistic children.  As summarized on the Medicare for Autism Now! web site:

"Dr. Melvin DeLevie, long-time Vancouver paediatrician with extensive experience dealing with children with autism. This 20 minute interview is a powerful indictment of Canada’s archaic approach to the treatment of autism which is in stark contrast to the treatment of children with any other disease or disorder. He gives examples of why social services personnel are ill-equipped to deal with what is in-fact a medical condition. He eloquently expresses frustration with the “people in charge” who are both “blind and deaf” toward what he terms the “lost children”."

Canadian Autism Shame: Canada Bars Autistic Teen From Permanent Resident Status

Canada has, to its shame and dishonor,  refused to include evidence based effective treatment for autism in the universal Medicare, our public national health care scheme,  that it offers to all Canadians thereby excluding  1 in 110 autistic Canadian children from receiving a fundamental benefit of our society.   Now it has extended that shameful treatment to autistic citizens of other nations, and even some of his family members, who would like to visit and reside in Canada.  

As Hugh Adami reports in the Ottawa Citizen:

"What Canadian immigration has done to an English teenager and his parents is cruel, embarrassing and hypocritical. The federal government has barred 17-year-old Lewis Crowe, who lives with his mother in England, from living in Canada because he has autism. Furthermore, he cannot visit the country without the permission of the immigration department. Stranger still is his father and stepmother, Robert and Pauline Crowe, are "inadmissible" as permanent residents because of Lewis's disability."

As a Canadian I am proud of my country which I believe is the best country on earth in which to live.  As the father of a teen aged son with severe Autistic Disorder though I believe that Canada has behaved shamefully in treating autistic Canadians as second class citizens by excluding Autism treatment from inclusion in Medicare. Now Canada has extended that shameful treatment to autistic persons and their families from other countries who would like to visit and reside in our otherwise wonderful country.  

Shame Canada, shame on us. 

The Two Autism Faces of Greg Thompson

When it comes to federal financing of autism treatment for Canadians with autism Conservative MP Greg Thompson, Southwest, New Brunswick has presented two decidedly different faces.

FACE # 1 - Opposition MP Greg Thompson

House of Commons, Hansard, Wed. Sept. 28, 2005.

Statement by Members

Autism

Mr. Greg Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest, CPC):

Mr.Speaker, today along with other members of the House and parents of autistic children, I attended a rally on Parliament Hill urging the federal government to provide financial support to cover the cost of treatment for every child diagnosed with autism.

Autism rates are on the rise in Canada. This neurological disorder affects 1 in every 195 of our children.

Therapy which has been credited in helping children overcome the effects of autism can cost a family up to $60,000 a year. These families and children need our support and I urge the federal government to take the steps necessary to address this important issue.


FACE # 2 - Government MP & Cabinet Minister Greg Thompson

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA 39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION No. 115 (Unrevised) Wednesday, February 21, 2007 1:00 p.m.

Private Members' Business

Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Murphy (Charlottetown), seconded by Mr. Szabo (Mississauga South), — That 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, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Health.

YEAS: 113, NAYS: 155


NAYS -- CONTRE

Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest)

There it is. On September 28 2005 Greg Thompson, wearing Autism Face # 1, sitting as an opposition MP, rose in the House of Commons, not at a local backyard Bar-B-Q or in a beer drenched tavern, but in the House of Commons, to urge the federal government to address the important issue of financing treatment for autistic children in Canada. Then 15 months later, on February 21, 2007, wearing Autism Face # 2, now sitting as a MP and Cabinet Minister of the governing Conservative Party he voted NAY , he voted against, the Private Members' bill of MP Shawn Murphy which, if passed, would have required the federal government to do exactly what Mr. Thompson had previously urged a different federal government to do?

How to explain the Two Autism Faces of Conservative MP Southwest, New Brunswick, Greg Thompson? Was he being shallow and insincere when he wore Autism Face # 1, using the plight of autistic children and their families for political purposes? Or did he simply lack the courage of his convictions; was he afraid to stand up to Conservative Prime Minister Harper when he donned Autism Face #2 and voted against Bill C-304 which would have provided for federal government funding of autism treatment?

Only Greg Thompson knows for sure.

autism

Senator Jim Munson Says Medicare for Autism Now!

NOTES FOR REMARKS: THE HONOURABLE JIM MUNSON ONTARIO FAMILIES FOR EARLY AUTISM TREATMENT TORONTO JUNE 13, 2007

Thank you.

I feel very emotional about the subject of autism. It was because of a meeting, by chance, with the father of an autistic child, that I got involved in the issue. This father’s name is Andrew Kavchak and he works for the federal government. At lunch time, instead of eating a sandwich, he wears a sandwich board and walks on Parliament Hill to draw attention to the need for action to help children and families with autism.

It was my emotions that drew me into the issue and made me want to work on behalf of children and families with autism, but since then, after this emotional beginning, I’ve learned that there are many cut-and-dried reasons to work for this cause.

First of all, there are political reasons: autism is affecting about 1 in 160 families in Canada. It doesn’t discriminate and affects all groups of the population and in every region. It’s a far-flung constituency, if you will, and one that is getting bigger and, as you can see, certainly getting louder.

Second, there are financial reasons. Autism is a very expensive problem to address. Treatment that is proven to work, Intensive Behavioural Intervention, costs about $60,000 per year. But not providing treatment is even more expensive because it involves respite care, group homes, and institutionalization. A study by Harvard University puts the annual cost of autism to Canada’s economy at $3.5 billion. And this is without providing care across the board to every child who needs it. But it may surprise you to know that providing this care won’t cost us more. It will cost us less. In fact, by spending on treatment, we save $1.5 million per child, according to research undertaken in 2000.

So you see, addressing the problem is expensive, but not addressing it is even more expensive. Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism. And their devoted parents, who have repeatedly mortgaged their homes and undergone sacrifice after sacrifice to ensure treatment for their children, will one day pass away. And then it will be up to the state to look after the children they leave behind. Only five per cent of adults with autism are self-supporting. What happens to the 95% who need support? It could likely mean institutionalization – an alternative that is extremely expensive, much more expensive than treatment, and perhaps unnecessary, if early treatment is made available.

Harder to measure, but also very important, is the fact that the children who receive this treatment can show remarkable improvements that enable them to be part of society and contribute to it. It is an obvious benefit to individuals and society to treat autism rather than ignore it.

Some of you may be aware that I am also involved in the Special Olympics movement. My connection to this movement goes back many years to my first child, Timothy James Alexander Munson, who was born with Downs Syndrome in the late 1960s. He passed away before his first birthday. Being his father for that short time changed me. I learned first hand what it’s like to be a parent to a child with special needs.

If I look back to when Timmy was born, people with Downs Syndrome were routinely institutionalized. They were not considered to be part of society. Thanks to many efforts by many people, and I think thanks in particular to the Special Olympics movement, today we don’t consider people with Downs Syndrome and other mental health problems in the same way. We have come along way and we see these citizens taking their rightful place in our society.

If I look at autism today, I think we are where we were in the 1960s for Downs Syndrome. We don’t support children and families with autism as we should. We don’t make treatment that is known to work universally available. Without blinking, we consider institutionalization as an acceptable course of action. I’m here today to say that we must move forward and make the necessary investments in these children and their families. We can’t afford not to for financial reasons and for moral reasons.

Eugene Levy Says Medicare for Autism Now!

Eugene Levy Speech

Over the years, my family has been hit by the ravages of cancer, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Every one of those afflictions is a worthy cause for wholehearted support. And every one of these afflictions has treatment that is covered by Medicare. The most recent affliction to hit my family is Autism. My cousin Brenda has a son Michael who has been living with this disorder since the day he was born. The treatment for autism is NOT covered by Medicare. Before I get started, I’d like to read a condensed version of an article that appeared in the Vancouver Sun on April 26, one of many installments written by Pete McMartin about a woman named Bev Sharpe who has a daughter with Autism. I think it really personalizes all the numbers and statistics we’ve been hearing about today.

(ARTICLE IS READ)

While autism itself remains a mystery in terms of its cause, what is not mysterious is why we all seem to know someone who has it. The answer is simple… it’s prevalence rate is skyrocketing. Today in Canada and the US, one out of every 94 boys is now being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is truly alarming. The US has a plan of action that is already well underway to address what Americans have now recognized as a national
emergency. The COMBATING AUTISM ACT was signed by George W. Bush on December 19, 2006 and with its 2007 budget of over $120 million, is empowering the National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other American organizations to conduct research into autism, offer early screening programs, raise public awareness and provide evidence-based treatment to those with an autism diagnosis.

We in Canada, have yet to see anything even close to resembling
THE COMBATING AUTISM ACT that will help our nation’s people with autism, like Michael and his family.

I am urging, and so should we all urge our federal politicians to take action and to do so quickly. As a nation, we cannot continue turning our backs on this crisis. It is not going away. In fact, the situation is becoming direr with every passing day. The Supreme Court of Canada has made it abundantly clear that it will not dictate what programs and services out governments should and should not provide, so after several lengthy and exhaustive legal battles including the “Auton” action in British Columbia and the “Deskin- Wynberg” case here in Ontario, families are not further ahead than they were over ten years ago when their legal endeavours began. Provinces continue refusing to step up and provide adequate treatment to their ever-growing autistic populations. Families are losing their homes and life savings in their brave albeit inadequate attempts to provide therapy privately to their autistic children.

Aging parents are struggling to meet the physically demanding needs of their growing or already grown up autistic children and have nowhere to turn in their state of desperate need. Marriage breakdowns are estimated at 75% when an untreated autistic child is being raised in the family home. The emotional and financial impact of autism on siblings is unimaginable.

Canada is urgently in need of a Federal Autism Strategy that will put a stop to this desperate situation. Such a strategy is certainly not a novel idea, as our country has been witness to many other precedents for federally conceived and led health related strategies including the Woman’s Health Strategy in 2999, a National Strategy to Reduce Tobacco Use in Canada, also in 1999, The Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS in 2000, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer Initiative in 2006, and the Health Heart Strategy in 2007 to name only a handful. If we as a nation value our children’s health and well-being, certainly what we ask is neither unreasonable nor extreme.

As the father of two great kids, I can imagine few things more painful for a parent than having a sick child and knowing an effective treatment exists but is not within reach simply because it is beyond the parents’ financial means. In a country where publicly funded healthcare is suppose to be an inherent right of citizenship, there is something terribly wrong when one looks at the plight of Canada’s people with autism. Fortunately, if we work together, we have the means to make things right.

I appeal directly to out federal politicians, regardless of partisan affiliation, to do what is right for these vulnerable Canadians, ones who cannot speak for themselves. I urge Canadians right across this country, to contact their MPs and provincial elected representatives. Let them know you want children afflicted with autism, and their desperate and often destitute parents, to be treated as equals in our society. Autistic individuals, child or adult, like all of us, deserve the chance to be the best they can be.

Thank you.

Eugene Levy, Senator Jim Munson Call for National Autism Strategy

Above Left - Eugene Levy , Above Right - Senator Jim Munson


I feel extremely passionate about the need for a National Autism Strategy. Canada is blessed in so many ways but somehow some of our most vulnerable citizens are being wrongfully neglected. It is time to
address this wrong and provide these individuals with the same access to
medically necessary treatment that the rest of us enjoy throughout our
lifetimes under our country's allegedly universal health care system.

- Eugene Levy

It is only when ABA - the most effective, science-based treatment for
autism - is brought under the Medicare umbrella and made available to
Canadians who suffer from this core health need, that we can rightfully claim
to be a nation committed to the values of universal healthcare

- Senator Jim Munson

Actor/Comedian Eugene Levy Gets Serious About Autism - Speaks Out on Need for a National Autism Strategy

TORONTO, June 11 /CNW/ - Canada's highly acclaimed actor, director and
screenwriter, Eugene Levy, is departing from his traditional funnyman role,
but this time there are no scripts, no directors and no film cameras in sight.
"I feel extremely passionate about the need for a National Autism
Strategy", states Levy, who has signed on as a spokesman for the cause and
will be teaming up with Senator Jim Munson for a press conference in Toronto
at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at the Intercontinental Toronto
Yorkville Hotel (Portman Room).

"Canada is blessed in so many ways but somehow some of our most
vulnerable citizens are being wrongfully neglected," Levy says. "It is time to
address this wrong and provide these individuals with the same access to
medically necessary treatment that the rest of us enjoy throughout our
lifetimes under our country's allegedly universal health care system."

Autism is included in the World Health Organization's International
Classification of Diseases, Revision 10 (ICD-10) and afflicts individuals of
all races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is fast becoming a
North American epidemic of staggering proportions. According to the
world-renowned US Centers for Disease Control, one in every 150 children (one
in every 94 boys) is today being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
It is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS, combined.

While there is no cure for this mysterious yet tragic neuro-genetic
condition, proven effective, science-based treatment for autism does exist. It
is called Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), also known as Intensive
Behavioural Intervention (IBI).

Norrah Whitney, the mother of an autistic son and Executive Director of
Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) - Ontario, states,
"Many are forced into privately funded treatment, with a price tag of $70 to $80 thousand per year. Families are losing their homes and cashing in their retirement savings yet are still not able to sustain treatment for their children.
This is nothing other than a two-tiered healthcare system", says Whitney, who
in an ironic twist, is the granddaughter of the late John Leo Whitney, one of
the founding architects of OHIP.

"We need more than a dedicated page on a Health Canada website, or a
'stakeholders' symposium'," states Brenda Deskin, a long-time advocate for
people with autism and plaintiff in the well-known Deskin-Wynberg court
action. "We are seeking equal treatment under the law - the same approach
that has been taken when our country faced other health-related
emergencies. Canada has a crisis on its door-step, one that demands a
concrete and immediate plan of action, one that includes the provision of
publicly funded, evidence-based treatment for people of all ages afflicted by autism."

Levy will be sharing his personal views on autism. The event will also
mark the unveiling of a practical, multi-faceted strategy that, if implemented
by the federal government, would bring autism under Medicare and end the
discrimination against people with autism in Canada.

"It is only when ABA - the most effective, science-based treatment for
autism - is brought under the Medicare umbrella and made available to
Canadians who suffer from this core health need, that we can rightfully claim
to be a nation committed to the values of universal healthcare," states
Senator Jim Munson.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/11/c3272.html

An Autism Question for the Hon. Stephane Dion

2007-06-05

The Hon. Stephane Dion, P.C., M.P.
Leader of the Official Opposition
Liberal Party of Canada

Dear Mr. Dion

An Autism Question

I am the father of two sons one of whom has classic Autism Disorder, with profound developmental delays, and I have been an autism advocate for the last eight years. This year I watched hopefully, but with no illusions, as Liberal MP Shawn Murphy of Charlottetown introduced Bill C-304, a Private Member's bill, which would called for amendment of the Canada Health Act to provide coverage for autism treatments. As expected, Bill C-304 was defeated by the governing Conservative Party and its partner, the Bloc Quebecois. The Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party both voted, by and large, in support of Bill C-304. You personally cast a vote in support of the Bill.

Autism is a serious neurological disorder which affects 1 in 150 Canadians, including 1 in 94 male Canadians. Persons with an autism disorder can display a wide range of deficits including intellectual, communication, behavioural and social deficits. While no known cure exists, a treatment which has been empirically demonstrated in hundreds of studies to decrease the negative autism deficits, and in some cases virtually eliminate, these deficits exists. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has been demonstrated to improve the abilities in all these areas and improve the quality of life of autistic persons in hundreds of studies. Effective, early and intensive intervention with ABA, in addition to being effective in treating autistic children, has also been shown to save governments very substantial sums of money in provision of government services over the life of an autistic person.

Despite these facts, governments in Canada have an atrocious record in dealing with the Autism Crisis which confronts Canada and in helping these very vulnerable people. In British Columbia and Ontario governing parties reversed election campaign promises to provide medicare coverage for autism choosing instead to spend hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars to fight in court the parents of autistic children they had pledged to help. Mr. Dion I hope that you will not follow these shameful precedents, I hope you will not forget your vote in support of Bill C-304.

Mr. Dion, will you tell me, and other parents and caregivers of autistic children and persons, if the Liberal Party of Canada will, once elected, introduce legislation in the first year of your taking office as Prime Minister, to include autism treatment in medicare for all Canadians with autism regardless of residence and regardless of income?

Respectfully,


Harold L Doherty
Fredericton
New Brunswick

cc The Canadian Public

FEAT BC Response to Betrayal of Autistic Children by Mike Lake & Conservatives

Personally I found the actions of Alberta MP Mike Lake in voting down Bill C-304 one of the more disheartening aspects of that defeat. Mr. Lake is a parent of an autistic child in Alberta where the province has the money to fund treatment for autism. He pretends to have the cause of autistic children at heart. Yet he was the front man for the Conservative Party which killed a bill which would have opened up funding for autistic children to receive evidence based effective treatement wherever they reside in Canada. Mr. Lake's wisdom and advice? Go after your provincial governments! What Mr. Lake does not mention is that not all governments have the cash resources to provide the treatment. And he has the nerve to smear Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy for daring to bring the bill to the floor of the House of Commons? You can claim to care and advocate for autistic children in Canada Mr. Lake. Few parents of autistic children in Canada will believe your audacious claim.

The response of FEAT BC to Mr. Lake's audacious betrayal of autistic children follows:


Ottawa’s Ongoing Refusal to Provide Autism Health Care
Why Federal Conservatives and Mike Lake MP are Wrong in Killing Bill C-304!

On February 21, 2007, MPs were asked after several hours of debate at Second Reading to vote on whether to refer Bill C-304 to the Committee Stage for detailed examination or whether to kill the Bill. Regrettably, the Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs ganged up to kill it, along with any hope that families with children afflicted by autism may have had that the discrimination against them in Canada’s Medicare system may come to an end within the foreseeable future. On that day Alberta MP Mike Lake issued a “Media Statement” explaining his motives for voting against Bill C-304 and many Conservative MPs have been sending it to parents of autistic children as an explanation of why they refused to allow the Bill to be examined by a House Committee and opted instead to defeat it. The Media Statement is a disingenuous, flawed and misleading text that must be refuted. The words in bold below are those of Mike Lake. The text in italics is the annotation.

As background, please consider this:
• The cause and cure of autism are not yet known.
• The medical and scientific community have known for over twenty years that the early diagnosis of autism combined with the immediate application of Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI) therapy treatment based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) can lead to as many as 48% of autistic children developing to such an extent that they become indistinguishable from average kids. IBI/ABA constitutes the core healthcare need of autistic children.
• The “universality” of Medicare, one of they key five principles of the Canada Health Act (CHA), does not apply to autism. Regrettably, not one province offers the treatment under Medicare. While some provinces offer nothing, or next to nothing, others offer treatment programs under social service departments that are plagued with lack of resources and expertise, as well as unconscionable waiting lists and discriminatory age cut-offs. Of all the provinces Alberta is considered to be the most helpful to parents in terms of financial assistance and access to treatment, and many parents have opted to move to Alberta solely because of their child’s autism.

MEDIA STATEMENT of MIKE LAKE, MP dated February 21, 2007

To Whom It May Concern,

Tonight, I will vote on a Private Member’s Bill titled “An Act to provide for the development of a national strategy for the treatment of autism and amend the Canada Health Act.”

I have a son with autism. I have heard from countless other parents of children with autism, virtually all of whom are wholeheartedly encouraging me and my colleagues in all parties to support this bill. There is nobody who wants to help these families more than I do. Nobody.

Mr. Lake here conveniently omitted making any reference to the reason why “countless” parents were encouraging him to support Bill C-304. Any discussion of whether and how to address a problem has to begin with some discussion of the nature of the problem. The fact is that Medicare has a huge discriminatory gap. Between the time that Bill C-304 was tabled (May 17, 2006) and defeated, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that the prevalence rate of autism has increased (again). 1 in every 150 children can be expected to be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In response to this growing public health crisis the U.S. government passed the ”Combating Autism Act” which will pour an additional $1 billion over five years into improved autism diagnosis, treatment and research. In contrast, the Canadian government adopted an ostrich approach to crisis management.

If I were to vote to support Bill C-304, some parents of children with autism would be very happy with me; my colleagues who disagree with me would support me because of my unique family experience; my constituents would applaud my compassion and sympathize with me; and there seemingly would be no downside.

The problem is this. Bill C-304 is bad legislation. It proposes an ad hoc amendment to the Canada Health Act that changes the entire meaning of the document. It would set a precedent that would eventually undermine the entire Canadian health care system when taken to its logical extension.

If there are some flaws with a proposed piece of legislation, but its underlying purpose and intent are valid and good, then why not try to fix it at the committee stage and propose amendments? Why not offer positive alternatives, instead of killing the Bill?

The clairvoyance about the death of Medicare is a shameful attempt at fear mongering that is akin to saying the doomsday clock will move a minute closer to midnight if autistic children get access to public health insurance. Bill C-304 contains two parts. The first, which Mr. Lake completely omitted making any reference to, would require the Minister of Health to meet with his provincial counterparts and develop a National Autism Strategy and require that he table the plan of action. If this part of the Bill was not a problem, then why not support it or at least propose an amendment or alternative Bill that would contain this part? Candour would necessitate that at least this first element of the Bill be recognized for what it is: something that is long overdue and that would be good if it finally happened.

Regarding the proposed amendment to the CHA, what is this “logical extension” that Mr. Lake is referring to? He provides no explanation of why such an amendment would undermine the “entire” Medicare system or justification for his hyperbole. The sky will not fall any more than the institution of marriage collapsed after the legalization of same-sex marriage.

If this Bill were to pass, autism would be the one and only disorder or disease named in the Canada Health Act. Cancer is not named. Neither is diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Why autism and not these? Why not Down Syndrome? Why not Schizophrenia?

In the interpretive section of the CHA, there are named services specified under “extended health care services”. Moreover, the regulations provide some of the operational rules for the CHA. If it had the will to fix the autism treatment problem, the federal government certainly has more than enough levers, legal and financial, to get the job done.

Mr. Lake misses the point about adding autism treatment to the CHA. Cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. are already dealt with and covered by Medicare. If you feel sick you go to the hospital and if you are diagnosed with cancer you get treatment. Medicare covers the core healthcare needs of those Canadians who suffer from those medical problems. However, autism is not covered. Medicare discriminates against those who suffer from autism by not providing the recognized core treatment. That’s why the autism community has pursued every avenue it could to get autism treatment into Medicare, including this one.

Under the Canada Health Act, the provinces are clearly responsible for decisions on which medical treatments they will fund. If we are to maintain the integrity of the Act, only the provinces can make those decisions.

While it is true that the provinces have the right to decide which treatments to cover, they do not have the right to decide which people to cover or not cover. Everyone must be in Medicare for his or her core health needs. The functional effect of not funding autism treatment is that the provinces exclude from Medicare an entire (and growing), identifiable group of Canadians.

Mr. Lake argument here is a classic illustration of obstinate thinking. If a statutory amendment will affect other parties, the traditional Canadian procedure is to consult with those parties and attempt to develop consensus. Negotiations occasionally result in surprising and positive outcomes, as was the case with the Health Accord of September 2004, which involved billions of dollars and specified specific medical services (except autism). There is a crisis, which by any measure is an epidemic, and the federal government has had 11 consecutive years of budget surpluses. There is no reason why the federal Minister of Health could not raise this matter and the potential amendment with his provincial counterparts. If this element of the Bill is so problematic, why not have the Standing Committee on Health examine the Bill and explore alternatives such as the “Combating Autism Act” in the U.S.? Regrettably, now that Bill C-304 is dead no House committee will have a chance to explore the feasibility of this process or alternatives.

In my opinion, it is completely unacceptable for any province not to fund Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) for those who need it. If voters feel as strongly as I do about this, they must let their provincial governments know and then hold them accountable at election time.

This argument is clearly specious. It is exceedingly difficult for a minority (e.g. families struggling with autism) to “hold government accountable” for any specific policy failings, including the healthcare neglect of their children. They simply do not have enough votes to do what Mr. Lake says.

The autism community has nonetheless been letting the provincial governments know for years about the need for ABA in Medicare and the responses have always been inadequate. Time and again, in practically every province, and with every political party, the matter has either been ignored, or excuses have been proffered with crocodile tears, or, as was the case in Ontario during the last election, promises were made that were broken. For example, former Opposition Leader Dalton McGuinty stated in writing during the last election in a letter to a mother of an autistic child that the age six cut-off from treatment in Ontario was discrimination and that if he was elected he would do away with it. Once he became Premier he not only continued the practice, he continued litigating a case on the issue. When the government lost at the Superior Court he immediately announced an appeal to the Court of Appeal. When the “Auton”case from BC was heard before the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004 every province and the federal government intervened against the kids being able to access treatment in Medicare. The fact is that the provinces have been negligent and irresponsible on the autism file and federal leadership is needed. If Mr. Lake feels as strongly about this as he says, what has he done to address the crisis (apart from contributing to the death of Bill C-304)?

The sad thing is that Shawn Murphy, the Liberal Member of Parliament who is sponsoring this Bill, knows all of this. He has been in Parliament since 2000 and would never have supported this piece of legislation when he was in government.

Children with autism need treatment. Accusatory personal arguments among politicians is not going to help. The autism community is not naïve. Political parties frequently make promises and fail to fulfill them. What any MP would have done yesterday is not relevant to the February 21, 2007 vote on whether to refer Bill C-304 to the Committee stage. The autism community is grateful that Bill C-304 was tabled in the House and that its contents had to be addressed.

What he apparently doesn’t understand is that this is not an appropriate “wedge issue” to exploit for political gain. These are real people, with real challenges, who are absolutely desperate for real solutions. This Private Member’s Bill gives false hope to families who deserve so much more than to be treated as pawns in some political game.

It is highly inappropriate to call the wholesale healthcare neglect of tens of thousands of Canadian children a “wedge issue”. This trivializes and minimizes what is in fact a catastrophic issue for families who are going broke and/or falling apart trying to pay for medically necessary autism treatment on their own.

Before Mr. Lake starts to accuse anyone of spreading false hopes he should take a look at his own Party. They are the governing party now with the hands on the levers of power. They cannot blame anyone else if they used false hopes to get into power with no intention of using it as stated. The Conservatives ran in the last election (2006) on Healthcare and Childcare. Autistic kids need both. The Conservative platform certainly provided hope. Now we know it was false.

Before the election many of his Conservative colleagues attended autism rallies on Parliament Hill and spoke about the need to do something, including speaking at press conferences, including Colin Carrie, Steven Fletcher, Pierre Poilievre, Gary Goodyear, Peter Goldring, Guy Lauzon, Stockwell Day, Randy Kamp, Gord Brown, James Lunney, Mark Warawa, Scott Reid, Carol Skelton, and Marjory LeBreton.

Pierre Poilievre had an Op-Ed article of his published in “The Hill Times” in March 2005 in which he accused the then government of a “shameful low in Liberal hypocrisy” for intervening in the “Auton” case against autistic children. He further went on to say ”So what can be done? We must amend the Health Act so Medicare will include effective, scientifically validated autism treatment for children with autism;” Now that Pierre Poilievre is a Cabinet Minister and voted against this amendment with his caucus, shall we call it a “new low in Conservative hypocrisy”?

On the first anniversary of the “Auton” decision Alberta MP Peter Goldring spoke at an autism rally on Parliament Hill and issued a November 17, 2005 press release titled “Golding calls for funding for early autism treatment: federal government has national role” in which he stated “the current situation of no financial contribution from the federal government, specifically dedicated to the early treatment of autism, is unacceptable”. He further added, ”The true measure of a government is in how it treats its citizens who are most in need. At present, in terms of the needs of the many autistic children across Canada, our federal government measures very poorly. Things must change, soon”.

Similarly, B.C. MP Randy Kamp also attended the rally and issued a press release (November 21, 2005) in which he stated “Minister Dosanjh has been unsupportive of autism groups since his days as Premier of B.C. I understand their frustration with him. As the federal Health Minister, he now has an opportunity to do the right thing and I call upon him to have compassion for autistic children and move forward with a National Autism Strategy”.

On a more positive note, in 2006 Mr. Murphy’s Liberal colleague, Andy Scott introduced a Private Member’s Motion, M-172, on a national strategy for autism. To his credit, Mr. Scott designed his motion not to divide the House, but to build consensus among members of all parties. Mr. Scott’s carefully considered motion chose to focus on areas within the federal realm, and the Government (and the vast majority of members of the House) agreed with him – with a few minor amendments.

The fact is that a motion is not binding and is not law. The motion was watered down by the Conservatives who insisted on amendments to the original motion in order to make it palatable enough to support. The passage of the motion was historic but no one is expecting it to result in any government action and certainly no meaningful improvements with respect to access to treatment.

What is interesting in terms of action is that after almost a full year of sending letters to parents saying that autism is a provincial issue and has nothing to do with the federal government, the day before a previously announced FEAT BC autism rally on Parliament Hill in late November, 2006, the federal Health Minister Tony Clement held a press conference which he began by stating that the autism situation is now so serious, that doing nothing was “not an option”. He proceeded to outline five new autism initiatives that by his own description are “modest”. To many in the autism community, that is an inflated exaggeration. “Exploring the establishment of a research chair”, holding a “symposium” and creating a website will not help a single autistic child get access to treatment anytime soon. The autism community is tired of feigned consultation, showcase conferences, website window-dressing and motions with no teeth. Our kids need treatment.

When I first saw Mr. Murphy’s Private Member’s Bill I suggested to him that perhaps he might consider changing his course and introduce something that would build on what was done by Mr. Scott rather than play politics. Mr. Murphy’s actions obviously demonstrate that he is not focused on helping families dealing with autism. My sincere hope is that every other Member of Parliament will put the interest of these families ahead of their own political ambition.

Rhetoric and personal attacks aside, why won’t Mike Lake change his own course and actually do something for autism? What has Mike Lake done to promote the interests of the autism community besides standing with his autistic son next to Minister Clement during the November 2006 press conference or providing MPs in his party with this empty letter to justify the continuation of what most Canadians consider intolerable.

In a December 2004 Ipsos-Reid public opinion poll 84% of Canadians indicated that they supported the inclusion of autism treatment in Medicare. Has Mike Lake organized any information/education sessions for other MPs about autism and the needs of the autism community? Has he contacted autism groups with a view to consulting on a strategic approach to advancing the community’s interests? Has he tabled any motion or Private Members’ Bill of his own? Has he lobbied to get the treatment of autism on the agenda of the Standing House Committee on Health? Etc… If so, he has not made it public.

What we do know is that in 2004 an autism treatment petition was drafted and posted at www.CanadaAutism.com and that the community supplied thousands of signatures on the petition to MPs for tabling in the House. The petition calls on the government to create a graduate level teaching chair in IBI/ABA at a university in each province and to include autism treatment in Medicare. The petition was tabled 88 times by dozens of MPs. Shortly after his arrival in Ottawa Mike Lake met in his new offices with two members of the community. He was presented with several signed pages of the petition. Although tabling a petition is not synonymous with supporting a petition, Mike Lake is the only MP we are aware of who took a look at the autism petition and immediately gave it back stating that he refused to table it.

Personally, I am determined to fulfill my commitment to families dealing with autism as stated in my maiden speech in the House of Commons, “that I will do everything that I can do to promote action to the full extent that the federal government can play a role within its area of authority.”

And what has Mike Lake done to date? What specifically will Mike Lake do in the future? What action is he referring to (besides voting against Bill C-304 and criticizing the MP who tabled it)?

As I mentioned in the opening paragraphs of this statement, the easy decision for me would be to vote in favour of this legislation. However, I was not elected to make the easy decisions. I was elected to make the right decisions, and in this case the right decision is to vote against Bill C-304.

Wrong. The easiest thing is to vote against change and to preserve the status quo. The hardest thing is to promote change and improvement in institutions where the culture is one of a herd mentality. Doing what the Party leaders tell you to do is easy. Voting against their wishes is what takes courage and is considerably harder. The right decision would have been to vote in favour of sending the Bill to the Committee Stage for a review and examination there of the problem and whether the Bill is the best means to solve it. By voting against the Bill, we will have no National Autism Strategy and certainly no treatment in Medicare anytime soon. However, since the Conservatives came to power, the federal government has on a regular basis been announcing the creation of a National Cancer Strategy, a National Heart Health Strategy, a National Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Research Strategy, etc. Why is it that certain medical conditions are more attractive to the federal Conservatives and more deserving of special status than autism? The autism community is seeking equality and equal access. Nothing more, nothing less. If disabled children cannot count on Mike Lake and the Conservative Party for equality, can you?

For more information about the discriminatory exclusion of children with autism from Medicare,
please call Families for Early Autism Treatment of British Columbia (FEAT BC) at 604-534-6956
http://featbc.org