COMMENT
SHORT SIGHJTED: for sure, for sure, say the valley girls…

California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism
Summary of Policy Recommendations
1*Early identification of ASD;
2*Education and treatment of children, adolescents, transitional youth, and adults with ASD; and
3*A comprehensive and integrated continuum of programs, services, and funding required to address the “aging out” of children who comprise the current autism epidemic.

The policy recommendations related to the three key areas are outlined in Chapters 2 through 8 of this report and summarized here as follows: [if interested goto: http://senweb03.senate.ca.gov/.....UMMARY.pdf

We needed a commission to tell us this? Vice a commission: just do it! the CA Dept of Developmental Services (DDS) is required by law to take all action:

CA law, Lanterman 4434b, say: The department [DDS] shall take ALL necessary actions to support regional centers to successfully achieve compliance with this section and provide high quality services and supports to consumers and their families. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/.....ssage/5853

surely DDS didnt need a commission to tell them the necessary actions…

Another parent’s opine: “The main goal of this type of commission is to serve the legal/financial/political and personal agenda of some disability pimps and their friends.”

Tho not that cynical, there has been little or no change…any Californians see change?

stanley seigler

I recall a similar reaction to a blue ribbon panel in our state. Perhaps we live in the same state, perhaps not. I wouldn’t be surprised if blue ribbon panels had the same focus all around the country.

It is short sited. I’m the parent of a young child. I won’t be forever. I will spend a lot of time as the parent of an adult and, unfortunately, my (then adult) kid will spend a lot of time without me. It is in my best interests to focus attention on making a better life for autistic adults.

Not that there is anything wrong with early detection and getting the proper tools early, but I couldn’t believe I was the only one trying to get through thier heads that children GROW UP!! And in my state, particularly if you are considered to “high fuctioning” once you hit 18 there is absolutely nothing! The only thing my fellows on the spectrum have is my advocacy group ASPIE. It’s redicoulous!!

I am working on setting up a piolet project were I would like older aspies who have been in the world a while and have learned how to navigate through things to mentor younger aspies, in particular those around middle-school. It would be for development instead of just companionship. Families and mentors (I include the aspie in families duh I’m kind of a dork forgive) work out plans and goals to work on.

Like learning how to deal with crowds, or how to deal with sensory issues in public, how to talk to employees etc.

comment:
Universal digging…and difficult to understand…circa 1968-70, CA-USA paved the road, passed cutting edge legislation (Lanterman Act), to provide a quality life for those with special needs (those on spectrum)...since then legs have been digging it up with 1984 doublespeak.

stanley siegler

I’m of the same mind, Larry. And, sadly, my mind wouldn’t change with the colour of the government: they’re all as bloody bad.

I can vividly recall all the changes that got us this far, the fund holding GP’s, the primary care groups, and then the primary care trusts.

It was interesting to attend the AGM of our wannabe foundation trust, and to learn how there (our) bid has got tangled up in the new government’s agenda.

Originally such things were opt in, but the new proposal is that all hospitals will be foundation trusts whether they want to or not, those that want to, are now caught in the bureacracy as by now the governers ought to have been elected.

So it goes with GP’s originally it was a choice and now a demand.

I suspect that the hidden agenda is privatisation, in that many GP’s either incapable (loads of them) or unwilling (another big bunch) will be happy to employ private agencies to do the donkey work, see what I mean? I am not unique in suspecting that.

An interesting take in history. Way back when, when new labour was new, I applied for a particular position with one of the PCG’s the trouble was I was interviewed by people who knew me too well, I am the guy who compared during a public meeting on hospital closure that the difference between maintaining a hospital in the heart of the city and moving everything out was no more than the cost of a couple of cruis missiles. That got reported in the paper.

I was hoping to put myself up as a governor of the foundation trust (because somebody has to) but that ain’t happening now.

I wouldn’t bank on this governments commitments to autism, everything else they are doing is making the road harder, indeed they are digging it up.

That is also why I think it is time the current chair of the NAS stepped down, he is too enmired in party politics to be neutral.

Implementation the problem…the illusion (bureaucratic paperwork, bs) of implementation is also a problem in CA-USA…

CA dreaming: if existing, feel good, legislation were implemented and funded adequately…a quality life for all would be SOP…

stanley seigler

Ouch. Same problem in the US. Budget deficits in the federal government and the states and local education districts has already led to budget cuts in special education programs. Lots of feel-good talk by government officials but the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality.