In honour of World Autism Awareness Day (April 2),
Autism Canada is passionate about sharing the story of five cool grade eight boys
that over their years in primary school formed a very special friendship with one of their fellow classmates
diagnosed with autism.
Meeting these six amazing boys touched our Executive Director, Laurie Mawlam, so deeply she wrote an article
about them that was published last year in the Autism File magazine.
Autism Canada has a vision of sharing this story entitled, "Rewards of Friendship" with every grade eight student
in Canada this year in honour of World Autism Awareness Day.
Autism Canada is proud to present a Canadian Edition of the Autism Physician Handbook.
We would like to thank Linda Lee from the Help Autism Now Society,
who is the original designer and developer of this document
and has allowed us to revise it for Canadians.
The fully illustrated Physician Handbook,
with over 100 illustrations showing the common characteristics of autism in toddlers,
comes complete with the CHAT Checklist,
a visual guide to behavioural symptoms and
a comprehensive listing of provincial, national, and international websites and resources
that your family may find helpful.
Throughout 2009 and continuing into this year, Autism Canada has been advocating for answers as to
why children are being discharged from their provincially funded IBI programs in Ontario.
Below is a series of letters that have been sent to Dr. Nancy Freeman,
RAPON co-chairs Dr. Bisnaire and Mr. Moore and the Minister of Children and Youth Services.
To date we have had no response from Dr. Nancy Freeman, two responses from RAPON co-chairs Dr. Bisnaire and
Mr. Moore (which do not answer any of our questions) and no response from the
Minister of Children and Youth Services.
Autism Canada has been forthright from the beginning that we would share this correspondence with the public,
but it was our hope that we wouldn’t have to.
The lack of answers is very disheartening to Autism Canada and the families that we represent.
In our last correspondence to RAPON co-chairs Dr. Bisnaire and Mr. Moore,
which was carbon copied to the Minister of Children and Youth Services,
we questioned the appointment of Dr. Louise LaRose as an “independent third party” reviewer of the benchmarks.
Dr. Louise LaRose has in the past worked closely with Dr. Freeman, the Chair of the Benchmarks Committee,
and within the IBI program at the Thames Valley Treatment Centre. Given the apparent conflict of interest,
we have asked for an explanation as to how Dr. LaRose qualifies as an independent reviewer.
