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Sabrina Freeman's Guide to Autism Treatments
Available here
Setting up an ABA team? Information on hiring and running a team here www.asdfunding.com
Parenting in the World of Autism
Course Registration Now Open here
View more info here
The ABA Support Network is involved and at the table for many issues faced by the autism community in BC and across Canada. Here is information on some of the projects that the ABA Support Network is involved in:
The Pacific Autism Family Centre
Two years ago Premier Campbell announced the creation of a center of excellence in autism in British Columbia and committed $20 million. Another $14 million has been committed by private individuals to make this center a reality. The ABA Support Network has been participating as an invitee for discussion of specific topics.
As of June 2010, a site has been selected for the centre (on Sunnyhill grounds) and various operational committees are working with an architect to design the building.
The ABA Support Network is meeting with various MLAs in BC to request the following programs.
Individualized funding for daycamps. Currently the CLBC receives funding which goes towards providing 1:1 support for children in daycamps during the summer. If the funding structure is modified to provide individualized funding then families will be able to put their own therapists into camp as support workers with their children.
Having consultants covered under single umbrella that covers services provided in the home and in school. The BC school system does not offer Behavioral Consultant services, and families are not allowed to spend their Autism Funding money on services provided in school. The ABA Support Network has tabled a proposal to modify the implementation of funding so that Behavioral Consultants are covered under a single umbrella and services provided in the home and in school are provided. See letter to MLA’s.
The BC Homeowner Grant is currently not available to families who have children with autism or any developmental disability and is structured to be approved for physical disabilities only. As families require constant care and in many cases do modify their homes to ensure a safe environment for their children with autism this Grant should be extended for both physical and “invisible” disabilities.
ABA Chair or ABA training programIn 2006 the we started campaigning the government to establish a chair at a university in BC. A $1million endowment for a chair was given to SFU, but SFU was unable to fulfil it's commitments to the chair. The $1million was then given to UBC instead, to expand their already existing BCABA certification program. However, our community would still like to establish an ABA chair or ABA Masters and Doctorate program that offers a controlled theoretical and practical experience.
Response to MCFD Changes to Autism Programs and Funding September 2009
In September 2009 MCFD Minister Mary Polak made the following changes to funding and services provided to children and youth with autism in BC:
- As of April 1 2010 funding for children under six years of age increased from $20,000 to $22,000 per year.
- As of January 31, 2010 the MCFD discontinued funding the provinces Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) programs that served 70 children in seven communities at a cost of $5 million annually.
- Effective October, 2009 the MCFD began moving families from Direct Funding to Invoice Payment in the Autism Funding Programs.
See the ministry’s announcement here.
See the ABA Support Network’s responses here
Shortly after the MCFD’s announcement, The ABA Support Network conducted on online survey of parents and professionals and had an overwhelming response of opposition to the above announcement. Based on those survey results, the ABA Support Network has met with Mary Polak herself as well as lobbied many MLA’s in BC to put pressure on the Minister to reverse her decision to eliminate the Direct Funding option. We have also been at the table in Ministry meetings which were organized to address concerns from various stakeholders with regards to the administration and allocation of autism funding.
The ABA Support Network wants parents to understand that these changes to autism funding only highlights the fact that in BC (and Canada) there are no laws that guarantee children with autism have access to evidence based treatment. Funding was brought into place in this province through litigation by parents (see the Auton case) and could be taken away with the stroke of a pen.
