Fw: Book Launch Carly's Voice, Blocker Shields Meeting on Wednesday, Thistletown, Wind Turbines, etc.....1

[Guest guest]

----- Forwarded Message -----To: ' on' Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:24:18 PMSubject: Book Launch Carly's Voice, Blocker Shields Meeting on Wednesday, Thistletown, Wind Turbines, etc.....1

Firstly, I share Canadian coverage of last evenings book launch for Carly’s Voice. Tammy has a request for assistance from everyone….. she and the family have done so much for all of us through their lawsuits and advocacy and in so many more personal ways, I hope that everyone can help them get Carly’s book publicized more in the US, while also promoting the other book with an autism subject (written by Kate Winslet) that was released yesterday:

I have an idea – readers can write reviews on Amazon – I am wondering if you guys can go to The Golden Hat on Amazon.com and .ca but especially dot com and praise her book but then also let readers know that the Carly Fleischmann who is –featured in The Golden Hat –is also the subject of Carly’s Voice and urge people to look at that book as well.

We are having trouble getting U.S. media because of all the competition out there and this would really help and would not take too long – and the more the better!!

Thanks everyone!

Tammy

From the Globe and Mail:

Back to Watchlist The perfect tool to help you manage and track your investments.

The 'swamp' of autism: a challenged marriage and a child without a voice

sarah hampson

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Mar. 26, 2012 1:48PM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Mar. 27, 2012 12:08PM EDT

“I joked that the only thing I’d ever thought about writing is a suicide note.â€

Arthur Fleischmann offers a little laugh as he says this. He’s talking about his decision to write a memoir, Carly’s Voice: Breaking Through Autism, with his 17-year-old, non-speaking autistic daughter. After ABC did a story about the life-altering breakthrough Carly had at the age of 10 – when she typed out the words “help teeth hurt†on a computer – publishers approached him to write the story.

More related to this story

Finding her voice in a silent world

Parents of autistic kids fear diagnostic changes will mean reduced services

Early autism screening puts children at risk: researchers

Video

Autistic teen writes book

Video

Reassessing the definition of autism

Video

Should autism be redefined?

Mr. Fleischmann’s wife of almost 25 years, Tammy Starr, hasn’t been able to read the book, which chronicles the hardships of their lives as the parents of three children, a 22-year-old son, , and fraternal twin 17-year-old daughters, Taryn and Carly, who was diagnosed with severe autism when she was 2. “The book is too painful to read,†Ms. Starr says.

Mr. Fleischmann says, “I didn’t want the gauzy optimism so many working-through-hardship books have. You had to go through the swamp with us to be able to experience the breakthrough.â€

That “swamp†was the heartbreaking discovery that their child was so disabled their lives would never be normal again. Medical assessments of Carly from an early age are included in the book. The clinical language is chillingly stark. Doctors held out little hope for her to lead a productive life. She needed therapy to accomplish the most basic skills – rolling over, crawling, walking. She has never been able to talk. The description of Carly as a young child is unimaginable to most – emptying out closets, stripping off her clothes, braying, having tantrums, smearing feces.

But Carly wasn’t her parents’ only challenge. Ms. Starr has endured two bouts of cancer (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) – the first time in 1997, around the same time Carly was diagnosed with autism – and again in 2008. “Somebody once said to me, ‘You must have done something awful in a previous life to deserve all this bad karma,’ †she says. “Nice, eh?â€

The story here is the portrait of a marriage under extreme challenges. Mr. Fleischmann and Ms. Starr are seated across a table from each other in a boardroom of St. , an advertising agency of which he is a founding partner. A bright splash of modern art covers one wall. The lights above the table are a sculptural jumble of bare light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and shiny bits. The room is childlike and exuberant – the complete opposite of the mood between the couple, who have a sombre, shell-shocked manner. It’s the look of people who have seen more than most. It’s clear that their marriage bond is made of far more than mere love: determination, necessity, hope, acceptance. And a dose of sardonic, black humour to help them cope.

“I never understood the stronger bit,†Mr. Fleischmann says when asked if he believes the adage about adversity creating resiliency.

“Because we’ve been through so much,†Ms. Starr says, referring to her cancer.

“It’s actually very dehumanizing,†he explains. “You become robotic.â€

Was Ms. Starr against the book?

“Well, she was, but only after it was written,†he says.

The book, which took three years to complete, put him though “emotional wreckage,†he says, adding that he decided to do it to “amplify Carly’s voice†as she has now become an activist helping people understand the challenges of autism and the importance of understanding and hope.

“I go back and forth,†Ms. Starr says. “We didn’t include many things. Like my deeper, darker thoughts.â€

“Then write your own book,†he replies, his voice not unkind, just observational and neutral.

Nothing is sugar-coated between them. They don’t have the luxury of denying reality. Ms. Starr stayed home with the children and has suffered from depression.

“He has the happy gene,†she says, meaning that difficulties don’t easily overwhelm her husband.

“And you don’t,†he says, looking at her.

Hamilton Spectator and Toronto Sun :

Computer unlocks autistic teen’s exceptional voice

The book also features a funny, poignant and insightful chapter from Carly herself.

FATHER AND DAUGHTER Arthur Fleischmann and daughter Carly at the launch Monday of Carly's Voice, a book written by Fleischmann which tells the story of his daughter who despite being unable to speak due to autism has found her way to communicate through a keyboard.

RICK MADONIK/TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE

“Carly, type five words and I’ll give you the chips.’’

A small, sly smile seemed to cross Carly’s face.

“Five words,’’ she typed.

It’s the sort of cheeky response one might expect from any 11-year-old. But there was a time when no one would have expected those words — typed on a computer to two therapists working with her — from Carly Fleischmann, who’s autistic and is now 17.

When she was 2, doctors told her Toronto parents, Arthur Fleischmann and his wife, Tammy Starr, that Carly was different from her twin sister, Taryn. Carly had severe autism, as well as severe apraxia, an oral motor condition that prevents her from speaking. She would likely never develop intellectually beyond the mental age of a small child, doctors said.

They were wrong.

How wrong they were is detailed in a just-published book written by her father, Carly’s Voice, Breaking Through Autism (Simon and Schuster), which includes the typing anecdote. The book also features a funny, poignant and insightful chapter from Carly herself.

It’s clear that while Carly may be autistic and non-verbal — with a more-recently diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder — she is smart, witty, ambitious, fun-loving and adventurous. She also shares a drive, an instinct to get results, with her parents who went to hell and back to get her the support she’s needed over the years to develop and get that inner voice out.

Carly now attends a mainstream Toronto high school and is enrolled in gifted classes. She uses an iPad, tweets, posts on Facebook, gets involved with causes, hangs out with friends and gives herself challenges. Some of those challenges are audacious and amazing — and beyond what many able-bodied teens would even consider.

For instance, Carly’s Voice tells of her idea to have her TV idol, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, read her Jewish coming-of-age bat mitzvah speech when she turned 13.

Carly laboured for weeks typing — with one finger — a letter to persuade DeGeneres, explaining she has autism and can’t talk but can spell on her computer: “I like you because you make funny sounds like me. I like when you dance and act silly. You make me smile. . . . My dream one day is to talk but I don’t know if I will be able to. So my birthday wish is for you Ellen to read my speech and be my voice at my party.’’

Carly’s mom sleuthed on the Internet and contacted DeGeneres’s manger, agent, producer and personal agent to ensure the celebrity would actually see the letter. They also sent along the speech Carly wanted DeGeneres to read.

“We thought if they could get to know Carly and the amazing strides she had made, perhaps we could move them,’’ Arthur Fleischmann wrote in his book.

It worked. DeGeneres recorded Carly’s speech on a DVD. As Carly, brother , sister Taryn (also celebrating her bat mitzvah), parents, friends and relatives looked on, DeGeneres’s face flashed on a screen and she read the speech Carly had worked on for four months.

As with much of Carly’s writings, it contained humor, honesty and direct talk about autism: “Autism is hard because you want to act one way but you can’t always do that. . . .’’

The speech thanked many people, including her long-time therapist, Dalal, who has become like a second brother. Fleischmann describes him as Carly’s “Annie Sullivan,’’ the companion and teacher who opened up Helen Keller’s world by teaching her sign language.

Although Carly had made progress through intensive behavioral and communication therapy, her breakthrough moment came when she was 10 and having a bad day.

She reached over to a laptop computer and typed the word “mean’’ referring to Dalal’s efforts to get her to work that day. More words spilled out later that indicated she wasn’t feeling well. That was the start of a remarkable journey as her family, through instant messaging, emails and, later, tweets and Facebook postings got to know the inner Carly who heard everything but couldn’t speak.

Carly’s Voice doesn’t sugarcoat the Fleischmanns’ turbulent, exhaustive lives, the years of sleep deprivation as the parents coped with a child who could not sleep through the night, the destructive outbursts and behavioral issues as Carly struggled, and continues to struggle, with the symptoms of autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Fleischmann speaks honestly about one of the most poignant moments in their lives, when they realized Carly “had intelligence far greater than we imagined . . . I regretted every scolding and the callous comments I would make about Carly’s behaviour when speaking with others directly in front of her. Several years later she told us, “You know how people talk behind people’s back? With me they talk in front of my back.’’

A door into the secret world of autism had opened when Carly started typing. Not only did her family get to know her and her potential, but she could explain behaviour and characteristics never before understood. Carly’s voice has been heard.

From CTV News:

You can view video on the story online at:

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120325/carly-fleischmann-book-20120325/

Teen with autism tells her story in new book

CTV National News: She can't speak, she writes

Carly Fleischmann, a young woman with autism so severe she cannot speak, has learned to type, and now, she has written a book. CTV's Medical Specialist Avis Favaro on her fierce determination to make herself understood.

More on this topic

Excerpt: 'Carly's Voice'

CTVNews.ca Staff

Date: Sun. Mar. 25 2012 10:28 PM ET

A Toronto teenager with severe autism whose remarkable and touching story CTV News has followed since 2008 has co-authored a book -- "Carly's Voice: Breaking Through Autism" -- with her father.

The book, published by Simon & Schuster Canada, documents 16-year-old Carly Fleischmann's long journey out of silence.

"I believe we all have inner voices that need to come out to the world," she told CTV News through a computerized digital voice.

Her father and co-author, Arthur Fleischmann, said it took Carly two months to write the 15- to 20-page chapter in the book, but that is was virtually flawless when finished.

"I told her how the book is structured . . . you write what you think is best," he said.

Carly has challenged the conventional notions of autism by demonstrating emotional skills that lay hidden for years. A computer has helped her reveal to the world what it's like to have her condition.

From an early age, it was clear Carly had autism. As a young girl, she would often rock back and forth for minutes on end, flail her arms and hit herself repeatedly. Equally troubling, she never gained the ability to speak.

Many people who didn't know her assumed she was intellectually challenged, Arthur said in a 2008 CTVNews.ca story.

Arthur and Carly's mother Tammy were advised to place her in an institution.

Instead, they opted for a therapy called ABA -- Applied Behaviour Analysis, the kind of therapy now recommended for kids with autism. But because of the expense and the need for specially trained therapists, isn't available to all children.

She learned to "talk" to people around her using the computer.

With her single typing finger, Carly has been able to demonstrate her emotional intelligence and witty sense of humour to a family who said they were stunned by what she revealed.

"We realized that inside was an articulate, intelligent, emotive person that we had never met. She was 10 at the time, and we just met her for the first time at 10 or 11 years old," Arthur said in the 2008 story.

Now, in many ways she's a normal teenager. In other ways, she's beyond remarkable.

Carly has become an international advocate for people with autism, even appearing on numerous television shows.

She has conversations with people around the world via Facebook and Twitter, often using her computer to speak her words.

For her contribution to the book, Carly typed out her thoughts, one letter at a time.

Her parents hope ‘Carly's Voice' will open the eyes of society to autism as it did for them.

While Carly still struggles with autism, Tammy and Arthur said she's doing well in high school and has her sights set on university.

"I am glad she dreams these big dreams . . . the bigger she dreams the more she will accomplish," Arthur said.

With a report from CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer St. Philip

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120325/carly-fleischmann-book-20120325/#ixzz1qMTjBNPk

From Simcoe County area advocates ( Barrie area):

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD IN THE SIMCOE COUNTY DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD (SCDSB)? PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING THE FOLLOWING MEETING. SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

DATE: Wednesday, March 28thTIME: PUBLIC session will commence at 6:00 p.m.Followed immediately by the Committee of the Whole in CLOSED session (Georgian Room). PUBLIC session will resume at 7:30 p.m. ( Roy Room).LOCATION: Simcoe County District School Board Education Centre 1170 Highway 26 Midhurst, Ontario

Education Centre Contact InformationTELEPHONE: The Education Centre in Midhurst may be reached without long distance charges from *most areas in Simcoe County at (Switchboard) or (Auto Attendant).* If you are calling from a 905 number, call for the switchboard or for the Auto Attendant.

Purpose of MeetingLarge, red Blocker Shields are being used with some special education students within the Simcoe County District School Board. They are used by school staff in the classroom, within the school and out in the community. This issue was brought forward and discussed at the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) meeting on March 19th. SEAC passed a motion recommending that the Board cease use of all blocker shields with students as they negatively impact on the dignity and

human rights of the students and create a negative social message which promotes fear and exclusion.This motion goes forward to the Board of Trustees at their meeting on Wednesday, March 28th at 7:30 pm at the Education Centre in Midhurst. SEAC plans to make a presentation to the Board. Parent and community support would be greatly appreciated!

Parents of children with special needs deserve responses to their questions about how special education services are being offered in our board.

You can email or contact the Spec. Ed. Administration Henry Executive Assistant to Phyllis Hili, Superintendent of Education Simcoe County District School Board ext. 11412 jhenry@...

or

Phyllis Hili, Superintendent of EducationPhone: ext. 11244

CTV News from last night, the video of the telecast can be viewed online:

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120326/barrie-school-special-needs-foam-blockers-120326/20120326?hub=TorontoNewHome

School uses foam blockers on special-needs teens

Updated: Mon. Mar. 26 2012 8:58 PM ET

A Midhurst mother says she is shocked after learning school staff routinely carry large, red blocker pads to subdue her autistic son and other children with developmental disabilities.

Anita Walsh learned of the technique after someone anonymously emailed her a picture of school staff from Barrie North Collegiate escorting students, each one carrying one of the large red pads in their hands.

Her 16-year-old son, Mathew, attends North Collegiate.

"To me, they look like they're marching down the street, or the sidewalk, ready for battle," Walsh said. "My mouth just dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

The images Walsh saw in the picture were confirmed by CTV Barrie, which filmed the staff members with blocker pads in hand, escorting special-needs students.

The practice of using the foam blockers has been in place since 2010, said Simcoe County District School Board officials.

The board also said that there have been complaints from other parents.

They maintain that the blockers are only used as a last resort and are necessary because of health and safety concerns for staff, students and the public.

Gumbrell, principal of special education at the Simcoe County District School Board, said staff can face threats from children with developmental disabilities and the pads can be used to de-escalate a situation when things get tense.

"The blocking pads would be used when we have a student who is highly escalated and may be demonstrating some aggressive behaviour," Gumbrell said. "We can, in a fairly unobtrusive way, use some of those foam pads, to block some of those attempts to injure others."

Angie Bridekirk, chair of the Simcoe County District School Board special education advisory committee, disagreed, saying that it's wrong to automatically treat all special-needs kids as a safety risk.

"If we create these barriers, with red blocker shields, we have lost our advocacy, our hope and belief that we're going to create an inclusive community," said Bridekirk.

When it comes to her son, Walsh said the blockers create a physical barrier that will further prevent other students from interacting with Mathew.

"It would say that ‘these students are violent, stay clear,'" Walsh said. "I think it promotes fear and it would also promote exclusion and being left alone. Who is going to approach these kids? What other student is going to come up to my son and say ‘hey, how's it going, give me a high-five, bud?' Nobody."

The special education advisory committee has already passed a motion calling on the board to stop using the blockers. The motion will be presented to the school board at a meeting Wednesday.

Barrie Examiner:

‘Shields’ anger parents

Use of padded device for special needs students causes concern

Updated 15 hours ago

Anita Walsh isn’t afraid of her autistic son. She loves him.

She knows , and his tendencies, and says he’s not a danger to anyone.

But that’s not the message that red foam blocker shields used by staff in her son’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) class at Barrie North Collegiate are sending.

“My son is a big teddy bear. He’s a big mushy marshmallow who just wants to be hugged, kissed and tickled,†the Alcona mom said of her 16-year-old, non-verbal son.

“Matty’s never hurt one of us, and he’s happy. He’s not violent.â€

Walsh said she’s furious with not being consulted about this new equipment by the Simcoe County District School Board, and she’s upset at the implications of the bright red foam shields against autistic students like her son.

“I didn’t know anything about these being used, and I was completely stunned when I found out they’re in my son’s class,†she said. “I’m shocked and disgusted over this. ... He doesn’t say a word so he can’t tell me what’s happening at school. My first reaction is, ‘Has my child been hurt in the use of these blockers?’

“Our children’s dignity is being violated. These are two-foot-by-three-foot pads, and that will promote fear. What do people think when they see EAs (educational assistants) carrying these around with these students? Who’s going to want to be their friend?

Clough, a member of the school board’s Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) who represents Autism Ontario Simcoe County , agrees with Walsh. She’s also against the use of these blockers and the negative student image they create.

Clough, who also has a non-verbal teenaged son with autism in the Barrie North class, said parents and SEAC were not made aware of the use of the equipment.

“Parents have not been advised of the use of these blocker shields with their children and there’s nothing to our knowledge in the board’s policies on using them,†Clough said. “They are using these big shields and the fear and exclusion they create is a huge problem.

“Worker safety is important, but human rights of the students is, too. I walked into the school one day and saw two EAs backing out of the classroom with their blockers up and my son walking calmly out. What kind of message does that send?†she added. “I am very concerned with why these shields are being used with special needs students. Our children are non-verbal and we need to be their voice.â€

Gumbrell, the board’s principal of special education, couldn’t say exactly why notifications weren’t made.

“Certainly, there are some issues that come to the committee’s attention,†he said. “We share a lot of the broader information on behaviour management, but I don’t know if we go into the exact details with them.

“Because there is so much information surrounding special education, if a SEAC member has a question about a specific issue, we would bring that information forward in a report or at the next meeting.â€

Gumbrell said he was aware that blockers are being used in a few schools, but wouldn’t specify which ones.

“They first started being used in the spring of 2010 in a few schools,†he said. “Part of the challenge of speaking directly about these schools is there might be a breach of confidentiality with the students.â€

Clough’s concern over these blockers has prompted her to deal with the issue on a personal level.

“This is very upsetting to me and I’m personally involved in a legal claim before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario,†she said. “But it affects more than just my son.â€

Gumbrell noted that the blocker shields aren’t the only pieces of personal protective equipment EAs use when working with ASD students.

“We have a variety of equipment to ensure staff and student safety,†he said “We have kevlar sleeves, sweaters and vests, padded clothing and shin pads for staff safety. We have students who bang their heads on the floor, or will bite, punch or kick their EAs.

“We try to design a school environment that reduces the negative sensory impact on these exceptional students, but those measures aren’t always effective, so we have other strategies involving safety equipment,†Gumbrell added. “We have to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for all students.â€

Walsh doesn’t see anything respectful about keeping parents in the dark.

“If they are keeping something like this from us, what else are we not hearing about?†she said. “I’ve gone over my son’s safety plan from school and there’s nothing outlining the use of these (blockers). His communication book is sent home every day and nothing was indicated in there. There has been plenty of opportunity to let us know what’s happening.

“You need to go through parents to get their OK to use these things.â€

SEAC members echoed Walsh’s comments at the committee’s March 19 meeting at the school board’s education centre.

“This is yet another example of the school board not including us,†said LaChance, one of the committee members. “We were never made aware of their usage, and we weren’t given any chance to make any comment on these blocker shields.â€

A photo was circulated of EAs from a Barrie school walking autistic students to their bus with the blockers in their hands.

Angie Bridekirk, committee chairwoman, was shocked at that photo, and that the shields are being used publicly, let alone in schools.

“I am finding it hard to contain my emotion seeing this photo. I have never seen such a prejudicial display,†Bridekirk said at the meeting, bewildered and shaking her head. “The message it gives me is heart-breaking. If I saw my son out like this, I’d drop to the sidewalk of a coronary.

“I see nothing about inclusion no love no warmth (in the image) and it’s the fact that they infringe so much on those with disabilities,†she added. “None of us knew these were being used and if our practice is to accept these massive foam blockers, these students will never make friends, never get invited to parties.

“We cannot allow this to go on.â€

Committee member Joanne Brown also voiced her concern over the photo.

“That seems very shocking to me. It’s really upsetting me. It looks like riot gear,†said Brown, a rep for Learning Disabilities Association of Simcoe County. “It’s awful that there’s an outing in our community and these children are being seen with staff carrying these blockers.â€

LaChance said the blocker shields go against the school board’s ‘commit to character’ program.

“I can’t fathom in a school board with so much emphasis on character education that we’d ever have any rational of the use of these devices,†she said. “There has to be a better way to preserve the child’s dignity and promote employee safety.â€

Gumbrell said, after hearing the outrage about the blockers, he knows communication must be stepped up with all involved.

“I can certainly understand the frustration, and the board has many responsibilities we have to fulfill,†he said. “One of the things I addressed in the APM (administrative procedures memorandum) is with regard to the consultation with parents and community partners on this.â€

Walsh said she can’t understand why EAs assigned to ASD students aren’t able to handle situations with student behaviour without resorting to using equipment.

“My question is, if you are that afraid of these children’s behaviour, why are you working with them?†she said. “If the EAs find themselves with a child at that level of anxiety, they’ve missed the signals. If there’s a heightened anxiety of that student, that would be noticeable before the point where equipment was needed.â€

Bridekirk said the situation has becoming more about staff and less about students.

“We’re leaving out the students and it’s become more about this self protection equipment,†she said. “The more we put up blockers, the less we’re going to pay attention to what the students’ needs really are.

“Their behaviour is communication for them.â€

nichole.cruickshank@...

Bruce McIntosh from Ontario Autism Coalition has posted the following message on facebook:

Petition files are available at http://www.ontarioautismcoalition.com/ and soon on savethistletown.com as well

Toronto Star:

Supporters rally to save Thistletown Regional Centre

Published On Fri Mar 23 2012

Hauch Staff Reporter

The fight to save “T-town’’ or Thistletown Regional Centre, marked for shutdown by the province, has started with a Facebook page that has garnered more than 860 members in less than a week.

The Save Thistletown Regional Centre group was started by some of the centre’s 260 staff and has been joined by hundreds of supporters. Some 400 children, youth and adults use facilities and programs at the renowned mental health centre.

Supporters defeated a provincial attempt in 1995 to shut it down. They’re vowing another fight to keep the doors open at the north Etobicoke facility, slated to close over a two-year-period.

The closing will also mean an end to the TRE-ADD (treatment, research and education for autism and developmental disorders) classes run by Thistletown staff at various schools in the GTA and Peel.

Staff at the centre — who’ve been told not to talk to the media — and parents are questioning the government’s stated aim of providing a “seamless transition’’ of Thistletown’s clients back into “community-based agencies.’’

In many cases, staff and parents said, children, youth and adults use Thistletown because no community agencies exist to take care of their needs.

“Where are these folks to go?’’ asked Beverly McKeddie on the Facebook page.

“Once again the fools at Queen’s Park want to mess with something that works and works well. When will they ever learn?’’ was the comment from Lloyd n.

At least one Thistletown supporter complained she had been “unfriended’’ and blocked from Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Facebook page after she commented that closing Thistletown was “shameful.’’

“I can’t believe this is happening again,’’ posted Nick Ranieri, whose autistic 44-year-old brother, , has been living at Thistletown since 1983, one of 15 full-time residents who will have to leave.

Ranieri told the Star his parents were forced to put his brother, who had lived at home, into the facility because his aggressiveness had gotten to the point where they couldn’t cope.

is calmer now but his brother fears he would not be a good match for a community setting and would regress.

Ranieri said his brother is well supervised at the facility which has group homes for the live-in residents on the 19.4 hectare site adjacent to Rowntree Mills Park , near Finch Ave. W. and Kipling Ave.

“What they don’t understand, if you put my brother in a house in a regular house in a regular community and he sees a child on a tricycle across the street, he’s going to run over there and rip the tricycle away from these kids,’’ said Ranieri.

Dr. Hoskins, Ontario minister of children and youth Services, has promised there would be no cuts in funding for services because of Thistletown’s closing.

Hoskins’ senior adviser, Gabe De Roche, said the situation is much different from 1995. “Clients receiving residential treatment will have individualized plans so they get the same quality of services after the transition, and services accessed by day clients will be funded at least the same level in a more responsive community setting.’’

People may remember , who did the cross Canada run to raise awareness for autism issues. and his family continue to advocate for those with autism. Warren has shared the below information for anyone who may be dealing with a similar issue. There is a lot of resource material has shared….. please contact me if you wish to receive a copy, if I attach it to this mailing it will be much too large to get through to many of you.

Also, asks that anyone sharing the same concerns, please write to the Minister of Education:

I thought that I should provide you with an update on developments since our last exchange of notes. I have managed to track down some relevant articles that show that children with ASD are particularly sensitive to effects of wind turbines. I have attached copies in case others are interested. This information came from the group that operates the Society for Wind Vigilance site - http://www.windvigilance.com/. Unfortunately they have not had the time to get the information made available on the website but it is a good resource for general health issues and

wind turbines.

I raised that issue at a town hall meeting hosted by Randy Pettapiece (PC MPP for Perth-Wellington). (Huron-Bruce) and Vic Fedelli (Nipissing) were also in attendance.

The concern is that the Elma Township school which hosts special programs for autistic children in North Perth is about 1 kilometre from land leased for a wind turbine. The issue was mentioned in press coverage of the event and has been the subject of discussion at the school's Parent Council. A trustee from the Avon-Maitland School Board is also following up with the school board.

I understand that the School Council is going to raise the matter with the North Perth Municipal Council at the first April meeting. While the Provincial government has taken away most authority from local Councils to control the installation of wind turbines, I am a member of this Council and will see what can be done to put pressure on the wind development company. At a minimum, we can raise the issue with the Minister of Education on behalf of the School Council.

I am sure that other communities are having similar problems as wind turbines are deployed across the Province. The Province allows wind turbines within 550 metres from homes and schools but this is not sufficient to prevent health problems. Other jurisdictions are using much greater set-backs (i.e. 2 kilometres for two States in Australia while the French Medical Academy is recommending set-backs of 1.5 kilometers). Given their greater sensitivity, I think we should error on the side of caution with schools hosting ASD programs, if not all schools.

Warren

Owen Sound Sun Times:

Father makes raising awareness about autism his ‘mission’ in life

By Phil McNichol

Posted 8 days ago

At the family-owned and run Europa restaurant on 8th St. E. one evening recently, Acheles Stavrou was talking to a regular customer about something he clearly cared very deeply about, his eight-year-old autistic son .

Acheles, named after a legendary Greek warrior, is a big man with a shock of red hair and the passion to go with it. It wasn’t hard to overhear what he was saying about some of the exciting events happening in his son’s life; for example, about the fact young was being featured on the website of Olympiacos, the most popular soccer team in Greece and with millions of fans around the world. Stories about and the Whitby-area Challenge soccer league he joined several years ago have also appeared in major newspapers and magazines in Greece , including the Greek edition of People magazine.

I was curious to hear more. And Acheles was eager to talk on the record, as we say in this business. He wants to do everything he can to raise public awareness about autism for the sake of his son and every other child and adult in the world with the brain disorder. It has become his “mission†in life, especially since he’s seen the “amazing†progress his son has made in recent years with the support and encouragement of his family and other caring people.

Acheles and his wife Demetra were living in Toronto when their son’s pediatrician first saw warning signs of autism in when he was 18 months old. He had by then managed to say a few words, but suddenly stopped talking and didn’t look well. He was officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) a year later.

Acheles said he and his wife feel fortunate to have had a doctor who saw the warning signs early. “She’s a special lady,†one of many heroes in this story, Acheles said.

“The earlier the better,†when it comes to autism and helping a child reach his or her full potential, Acheles said. He and Demetra quickly made a commitment to do everything they could to “help our son.â€

Autism and similar ASD disorders, such as Asperger Syndrome, were once thought to be rare. But they’re “now recognized as the most common neurological disorder affecting children, and these children grow up to be adults,†says the website of the world-famous Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto.

“The latest statistics indicate 1 in 165 Canadian children ( U.S. stats indicate 1 in 150 children) are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), an increase of over 600% in the past 10 years.

“There is no known cure for ASD but effective, structured intervention combining education, support and training can provide people affected by ASD with the skills necessary for successful integration, participation and acceptance in their communities.â€

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism Ontario says an estimated 70,000 people in Ontario have ASD. Yet most people including many medical and educational professionals are still unaware of how autism affects people and how they can help them.

“Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in non-verbal and verbal communication, social interaction and leisure or play activities. They find it hard to communicate with others and relate to the outside world. Behaviour exhibited may be aggressive, and/or self-injurious, repeated body movement (hand flapping, rocking) unusual responses to people, or attachment to objects and resistance to change in routine. People may also experience sensitivity in sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.â€

Acheles and Demetra signed up for a special night courses for parents of autistic children. They soon learned an intensive behavioural intervention program was available. But there was a three-year waiting period for it in Toronto . So they decided to move to Pickering , where Demetra’s parents live and the waiting period was much shorter.

Acheles and his wife were told might never talk. And that was indeed the case for several years. But when he was five something wonderful happened. He joined the Challenge League, a soccer program in the Whitby area, with 70 special needs children currently involved. Acheles, who is a “huge†soccer enthusiast, was thrilled to see his son in his first soccer uniform the day of his first practice. “I was in heaven.â€

But it got even better because on that first day, with Acheles cheering him on and recording every moment on video, scored his first goal.

“Goal!†Acheles cheered. And then suddenly and to his great surprise and delight, turned around, lifted his arms and shouted, “Goal!†right back at his dad.

Acheles was so excited he decided to put the video on YouTube. “I could hardly believe my son had just yelled out his first word. I wanted the world to see this moment.â€

Search YouTube for “ Stavrou†and you’ll find it. There’s also one of cheering, “Go Attack Go,†with his dad last year at a game when the Owen Sound Attack were on their way to winning the OHL championship. And there’s another one of singing with devoted six-year-old sister Anastasia, one of his biggest supporters, and the first to say, “Good job, .â€

Anastasia is a shining example of the good things that happen when people are more aware, understanding and loving about autism, Acheles said.

Soon after the exciting soccer goal moment Acheles approached Steve D’Souza, a young CBC News reporter, at a soccer event about doing a story about the Challenge League. He also told him about his son, and referred him to the YouTube goal video.

Less than two hours later D’Souza called back and said he’d like to do the story. Other parents agreed to have their children included.

Acheles said he didn’t know how much, or even if, would be part of the story. But when it aired and his “Goal!†were featured.

“A League of their Own,†can still be seen on the CBC News website.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my life,†Acheles told me. “It’s so special. It shows the world what our kids can do. All we want is respect and love for our kids.â€

He’d like to see the story shown in every school across Canada and the rest of the world. It could start changing a lot of negative public attitudes toward people with autism, he said, recalling an upsetting incident at a fast-food restaurant in Owen Sound when a group of teenagers made fun of ’s mannerisms. He told them what they were doing was wrong and hurtful.

Wonderful things kept happening: The CBC story got picked up in Greece . Acheles and Demetra started getting calls from friends who said and the Durham Region Challenge League were being featured on the Olympiacos soccer team’s website. Stories also appeared in major newspapers and magazines in Greece , including the Greek edition of People magazine.

People like the Hoffman character in the movie Rain Man are rare. But some people with autism do indeed have remarkable abilities in some ways. When was six he did a five-day course in video game design for computers. “At the end of it he came home with a hard disk of a game he created with cars,†Acheles said.

The most amazing thing was the enthusiastic way he responded when he was enrolled in karate lessons. “That totally caught us off guard; he loves every minute of it.â€

Acheles said his wife Demetra is from Sparta , famous for its warrior culture in ancient Greece . has inherited his mother’s “feisty†and determined Spartan spirit. He said Demetra and other mothers of special needs children are the real heroes for all the work they do and the love they give in support of their children.

“My role is I’m a playmate for my kids,†Acheles said. But he added, parents “have to stick together. You have to be a team.â€

is being gradually integrated into a regular Grade 2 public school class, and may be able to be fully integrated after an assessment at the end of this year.

Acheles said he and Demetra are excited and happy about the progress has been making. There’s no telling yet how far he can go. “For parents of special needs children, when we see any steps, whether a small one or a big one, it’s always big. We celebrate these steps. We want him to enjoy his life.â€

And they want him to become as capable of independent living as possible for that inevitable day — though they hate to think of it — when they will no longer be alive. But it’s comforting to know Anastasia, who cares as deeply for as they do, will be there for him.

Another big moment happened last summer when a young man on a cross-Canada bicycle tour to raise awareness about the need to help special needs people get the equipment they need to help them communicate rode into Owen Sound . Acheles met Skye Wattie at the Farmers’ Market.

“When I shook his hand and congratulated him he turned to me and said, ‘you inspire me, I’ve seen the CBC News report.’â€

“As I walked back to my parents’ restaurant I said to myself, ‘I have to do something more.’ So I created (’s) Facebook page, ‘ Stavrou inspires.’â€

Acheles is proud to say the page has so far been viewed by 1,400 people from every part of the world.

Acheles was born in Owen Sound 42 years ago. His name was misspelled in the translation from Greek to English when his birth was registered. It should have been “Achilles.†The family went back to Greece where Acheles was raised, then returned to Owen Sound to open the Europa. He made another trip back to Greece to serve his time in the Greek military.

This proud Greek-Canadian has his own personal challenges, including a serious health problem. He had a heart attack six years ago about the same time as was diagnosed with autism.

He’s been travelling back and forth between Owen Sound and Whitby this past year to help his aging parents run their restaurant.

There are many heroes in this story, and other children and adults with autism, especially. Acheles downplays his role: “I’m just a dad trying to make a difference,†he told me.

But in my books he’s a hero too, in the best sense of his heroic ancient Greek name, no matter how it’s spelled.

Phil McNichol appears Saturdays.

From Canadian Press, budget cuts that will affect many of our families:

Ontario’s budget will include welfare freeze: McGuinty

TORONTO— The Canadian Press

Published Sunday, Mar. 25, 2012 3:28PM EDT

Ontario's cash-strapped Liberals are freezing welfare and delaying planned increases to the Ontario Child Benefit in Tuesday's budget to help slay a $16-billion deficit.

Social assistance, which includes Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program, will be frozen for a year, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Sunday.

on

Parent to twins (ASD) and Meredith

Please visit Phil on at: