There are two sides of every story and none that will benefit the best of autistic children the way I had when I was a kid.
See the story from The Aiken Standard (Aiken, South Carolina) or WISI 10 (Columbia, South Carolina).
The funds to care for autistic children at South Carolina are about to run out in June. They're seeking to find $1.4 million dollars that isn't readily available for them because Medicaid cut the funding for those services.
Amongst one of those services was Applied Behavioral Analysis. I did go through ABA or some aspects of it from kindergarten to first grade with my kindergarten teacher Ms. Entin (now Mrs. Blumethal, that lovely lady on my profile pic next to me at age five being interviewed by McCloud at a Save Autistic Children Telethon) from Leapwood Elementary School. ABA has worked for me in my early developments. I didn't get chained to a table if I didn't learn how to brush my teeth. Most of my early ABA treatments if i remember were rewarding phonetic sounds and geography lessons and stuff. After my kindergarten and first grade years, In my third and fourth grade, I went through Aphasia Speech and English Development with other students ranging from the fourth to sixth grade by my teacher, Mrs. Izumi at Annalee Elementary School. Aphasia is the loss of developing language due to brain damage. In my case, It was used to help me develop my speaking and language construction habits. Sometimes this can apply to autistic children to develop. Both of these developmental therapy sessions were helpful to me at a young age.
Mrs. Izumi had one of the greatest quotes that stuck in my head til the day I die: "Master The English".
The situation at South Carolina of funding shortfalls could be offsetted by fundraisers from other local Autism Groups. If AutismSpeaks would shift their fundraising priorities from trying to find a "cure" to actually helping the kids now with monies to help Autistic and Developmental Children, these kids wouldn't feel lost about having autism and their parents wouldn't have more to worry about for their autistic kid. There's a lot of other factors that complicate it such as taxpayer groups who demand a "reasonable" funding ratio of special education classes to mainstream classes by budgets and student to teacher ratios to combat school overcrowding. The public not wanting to pay higher taxes. The list goes on that goes nowhere. However, At least in South Carolina, $1.4 million could be raised in other ways and every penny counts to help these kids develop in their first 12 years. ABA to Aphasia to mainstream acceptance is not a quick fix, it varies, and it can help most autistic children become functionable in society.
Many of these parents can't afford a private therapy session for their autistic child. For many that aren't in the top 20% of the disposable income level of South Carolina, cutting autistic funding would be devastating for the progress of their child and if they have to take matters in their own hands, it would more likely involve moving to an another state, similar therapy at a lesser cost, or home schooling without the theraputic benefits.
This is the headline for the second story of my post that just says it all:
Supreme Court won't hear Ontario families' appeal on autism funding
I know our President wants to wage war on Autism with the Combat Autism Act in the United States, But At least I can sit here and poke at our president's war on Autism by painting me an "enemy combatant." But, In Canada, Their Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal to Autism Funding because [quote] The court, in this and a couple of other rulings, clearly suggested that decisions on social-policy spending belong in the hands of the legislatures, not the courts. [/quote] Parents at Ontario felt shocked but not surprised at the ruling. I can understand the bicameral process of passing laws, but I know this doesn't signal hope for families struggling to make ends meet with the rising costs of Autism.
Nothing I can express would ever change that. Action usually speaks louder than words so I would rather have you reply to the Canadian Parliament and voice your take on supporting Autism Funding in Canada. Your petition and action to support Families in Canada and South Carolina will help the funding and the power they need for their kids to go through autistic treatments that don't involve chelation as the answer.
Autism is a Gift. And at Canada, Organizations reflecting that gift I can think of are The Autism Acceptance Project and Autism Ontario.
Whether you are at Canada or not, please help support their National Autism Policy that will support autistic families of all provinces.
The National Strategy of Autism at Canada would cover lifelong services and support for people with Autism and burdening income taxes for families who have to cope with a child in the Autism Spectrum.
- The Canadian National Autism Policy
- Senator Art Eggleton. He's the Ontario Senator that is spearheading the Canadian National Autism Policy - Supporter -
If Art Eggleton supports the National Autism Strategy of Canada, I'm hoping if you live at a different province, you can convince your senator to support the National Autism Strategy. Hopefully, It can emulate to the likes of that of the States like the State of California's Lanterman Act.
There's always hope.
- Al
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