Finally, A Response From The Premier's Office!!!

Remember my post titled "An Email To The Premier Of Manitoba Regarding Our Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders?"  I sent that email on April 26th.  Getting impatient, as we all know how impatient I am, I decide to call the Premier's office.

Premier's answering service:  "Your email is under review."
"Under review?  What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure..."
"You're not sure?!  Could you pass the phone to someone who can help me?"
"Yeah, can you hold?"

Silence.  Not even elevator music.  On hold for five minutes.  Do you know how long five minutes is when there's no music and you're ticked beyond belief?  It's a looooooooooong time.  By the time the poor girl got back on the phone, I was ready to scream.

She gets back on the phone:  "Your email is under review, meaning 'they're' looking at it."
"Does that mean 'they're' reading it now?  How long until someone calls me to discuss my email?"
"I'm not sure..."
"Well, put me on hold and find out, or get someone who does know on the phone!"  I've lost all patience now.  I have things to do and people to annoy.  Ugh!  I'm betting she's blond and her name is Bubbles.  I'm wondering if she's the coffee and donut girl.

Bubbles finally gets back on the phone, stammering:  "Reviews take between one and two weeks, then someone will get back to you."
"I don't have two weeks.  I'm very upset, and I've just been handed a five page "Threat Incident Form" from my son's school because the teacher feels my son puts her life in danger.  It seems the school thinks a 60 lb 9 year old is able to kill a 170 lb adult woman.  Each page is stamped with the word "CONFIDENTIAL."  I'm guessing this has to do with your office transferring the call I made to you last week to my MLA, who in turn called Manitoba Education.  Manitoba Education in turn called me as well as Dayton's school.  The principal threw the five page "Threat Incident Report" at me and through flaring nostrils told me Manitoba Education was paying them a visit.  Awwwwwwesoooooome...  So you see, I need to talk to someone NOW!!!"
Bubbles:  "Ummm, OK, would you like me to leave a message?"
"Ummmm, yeah!  Do that!"

About an hour later, I get an email:

May 2, 2011

Lou Lovrin

healthy.you.home@gmail.com

Dear Ms Lovrin:

On behalf of the Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba, I would like to thank you for your recent email.

We have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your correspondence to Honourable Nancy Allan, Minister of Education, and to Honourable Gord Mackintosh, Minister of Family Services for their consideration and response. 

Once again, thank you for writing to Premier Selinger.

Sincerely,

Judith Baldwin

Coordinator of the

Premier’s Secretariat

Of course, I lost my ever living mind.  Did Judith bother to read my email, or just saw the word autism and decided to forward the email to Manitoba Education?  Seriously?!  I had been calling the Premier's office since noon yesterday, when I received the email.  I've left at least a dozen messages for Judith to call me back.  This afternoon, I snapped.  I call the Premier's office at 3:26pm this afternoon, and guess who answers the phone...  That's right, it's miss Bubbles!  Oh joy!

"Hi, I just spoke to you a couple of minutes ago, and quite frankly, I'm done talking to you after this phone call.  I've left a dozen messages for Judith already, so I want you to leave her a new message.  Tell her I'm mad.  Tell her I've spoken to CJOB radio station and told them my story.  They're interested in doing an interview with me.  You let her know that if I don't hear back from her by 4pm tomorrow, I'm not only doing the interview with CJOB, but I'm going to Global TV and CTV and the Winnipeg Sun.  Any questions?"

Half an hour later, I get a call from Judith. Had I known that all I had to do is threaten her, I would have made this threat in my email to the Premier.

Judith sounded concerned about my fight for Dayton's education, completely missing the boat.
"This is not just about Dayton Judith, this is about all kids with disabilities.  1% of our children are now being diagnosed with some form of autism.  This 1% does not include the rest of the disabilities children are being diagnosed with.  We have a problem in our education system.  Parents are forced into bankruptcy because they have no faith in our education system and have to home school their children.  During today's "The Town Hall" on CJOB, a concerned parent asked the Premier why his teenage daughter's high school has 2 law textbooks for the entire class.  The teacher has to photocopy the textbook for the rest of the class.  WE HAVE A PROBLEM!  It needs to be addressed!  This is not something Manitoba Education can change, only our Premier can, which is why I emailed him, only to have YOU respond to me.  THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE."

I continued with my views on "inclusion" and how I really loved the "theory" of "inclusion," our children are not experiencing genuine inclusion.  As parents we don't have a choice in our children's education, nor do the schools get help with our children from the government, other than money.  We need more services, more Occupational Therapists, more Speech Therapists, more autism savy educators and teacher's assistants... etc.

She promised my concerns are not falling on deaf ears, and that she will be calling me back.  I told her not to bother unless I get an appointment with the premier.  And if I don't...  I told her to let him know that I will be talking to him on CJOB in person during his "The Town Hall" interviews every first Tuesday of the month from 11am to noon Central time!

Let's see what happens, shall we?!


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Choosing The Right School Division For Your Child With Autism

In the city of Winnipeg, there are 6 school divisions, and I've come to learn that they don't all operate in the same way.  Each school division is given money from the government to disperse at their own discretion.

I didn't know this almost two years ago when I moved from the Louis Riel school division to St. James.  Even if I had known this, chances are I would still have moved to St. James, as this was the only place I could find housing.  Housing availability right now for renters is at 0%.  You can not purchase a decent home for under $250,000 anymore, and they are few and far between.  Moving into a new school division is impossible right now. 

Our current government in Manitoba is not allowing parents a choice in educating our children.  This is not only the province of Manitoba that is binding our hands behind our back, most provinces in Canada are dealing with the same thing.  Take for example this case in B.C, where a six year old child has been kicked out of school because of the danger posed by the six year old autistic boy.  http://networkedblogs.com/gBomX.  "No one referenced in the article speaks of the need to have teachers and aides with autism specific training working with autistic school children."  Seeing as how 1 in 150 children (although I believe it's closer to 1 in 100, that's one percent of our children!!!) are being diagnosed with some form of autism, it seems none of the provincial governments in charge of education think it important to train their staff when it comes to autism to successfully "include" our children and mainstream them in public schools.  And yet, the provincial government's policy of inclusion prevents parents to seek other alternatives.  As parents, we have no choice but to send our children to these public schools, where our children are misunderstood and viewed as difficult or defiant on a daily basis.  Staff firmly believe that at the core of the problem is our parenting, rather than viewing autism as a neurological disorder, unless of course the child has classic, low functioning autism.  It seems the only province in all of Canada that recognizes autism for what it is, is Alberta, which allows for schools designed for children with special needs, such as Renfrew school http://www.renfreweducation.org/aboutrenfrew/testimonials.aspx, charter schools in Calgary and school of choice in the city of Edmonton.  I will give more information on charter schools and school of choice soon.  They deserve a post of their very own ;)

So I did some homework I'm sharing with you today.  How nice of me, eh?

I've called all six of Winnipeg's school divisions, and they all agree that level 3 funding (meaning your child has a full time aid and they are allowed to be autistic all day long) helps in getting services in the school division for your child.  In saying this, you must not only move to their school division, but also live in the catchment area of the school you feel would be the best fit.  In other words, Winnipeg is not autism friendly.  You may only have autism if you live in a certain are of the city, namely school division 1, which has schools that offer autism programs and adaptive skill programs (aka life skills programs) in their schools.


Some interesting information...


I've posted my email to the premier on the blog.  I've talked to our MLA...  they contacted Manitoba Education on my behalf.  I get a call from a Marlene Gregory from Manitoba Education, who tells me that I should fill out a "school of choice form" and have it submitted by May 15th...
I contacted Winnipeg School division right away, based on my research, it seemed the best thing to do.  Barb Ivans informed me that they don't accept these applications for children with special needs.  I call Marlene Gregory back sobbing...  "They, they, they won't take my baby..."
"Well Lou, the school division has the right to deny you...  Call the rest of the school divisions, there are lots of autism programs out there in other divisions..."
And so I did...  Did she seriously think she could get rid of me so easily?  
Here is the break down of services offered by Winnipeg school divisions:

St. James School Division:  (this is the school division my family lives in)
There is only one Occupational Therapist in this school division, who works part time and is spread thin across 26 schools!!!  Unbelievable!  No wonder Dayton is falling through the cracks!!!  The school division has eight speech therapists, and speaking to one of them today, I found out she had seen Dayton ten times since September.  I don't understand...  Not only did the school not tell me Dayton was being seen by a speech therapist, but they keep telling me that they don't need my help because they are the "professionals."  Also important to note, this school division does not require their educational assistants to have a para educator diploma or any post secondary education related to the field.  They do offer a para educator program of their own for $7,000.00 and the program lasts 6 months, however it is not mandatory to take the program in order to become someones child's aid.  Teacher assistants that take this program will only "touch" on autism briefly during the program.  Isn't that FANTASTIC?!  (Yes, I'm dripping with sarcasm).  School division's phone number is 885-1334, contact person is Candice Borger.  Candice was awesome on the phone, knew her school division inside out, and was very concerned about Dayton's school experience.  Kristi Benwa, the speech therapist, also was very concerned, and was more than happy to talk to me about my ideas for Dayton's education and what works for me at home.  I just wish his school was just as open to ideas...  Also, I wish they had stronger programming.  This school division has no autism programs or adaptive skill programs.  http://www.sjsd.net/

Pembina Trails School Division:
There are 33 schools that make up this school division.  They have 8 Speech Therapists and 4 Occupational Therapists, all working full time.  The para educators (your child's aid) have two years training in something called Rehab Assistance Program.  This program is designed to help aids to follow Occupational Therapy programs!!!  This kind of makes me giddy!  Sounds really good, but I wonder if it's as good as it sounds.  Jane Freesen (the director of Clinical Services) was very professional on the phone and answered my questions well, and made me feel like I wasn't wasting her time.  I was really impressed with her ease of navigating through her school division like a pro.  She didn't seem to hide anything, and didn't give me any run arounds like most of the school divisions.  Unfortunately, this school division has no autism program or adaptive skill programs for elementary school children until they hit middle school...  School divisions phone number is 488-1757.  http://www.pembinatrails.ca/index.html

River East Transcona School Division:
Mary explained to me that the school division consists of 42 schools.  The school division has five Occupational Therapists, some working full time, some part time.  They have 8 Speech Therapists, and each therapist services six to seven schools.  These therapists do not work one on one with children, they observe and make recommendations.  The children are observed once every four to six weeks.  The para educators do not require training, and can be hired off the street.  Education is not mandatory to be a child's aid.  There are no autism programs or adaptive skill programs in the school division.  Mary was not interested in talking to me, and made me feel like I was pulling teeth for information...  The division's phone number is 222-9577.  http://www.retsd.mb.ca/

Louis Riel School Division:
One of my favorite bloggers (Welcome to normal, population 0 at http://www.welcome-to-normal.com/) and fellow autism mom had her son enrolled in a school within this division, and each year she tries to put her son back in school, she yanks him out and home schools her children.  My son was also in one of their schools and was locked in a closet size room with the lights turned off and no one could find the keys to the room...  Numerous suspensions and numerous physical restraints until the day the staff bruised Dayton's face from his ear to his jaw.  Knowing this, I still did the research...  You can decide for yourself if this is the school division for you.  Who knows, maybe they've changed since we last lived in their school division...
Speaking to Lora Molgat, I learned the school division has an autism support teacher, who has her own para educator that goes around and teaches other para educators on autism, compliments no doubt of my autism mom friend who is a strong advocate for her son.  This mom has spent countless hours of time advocating and advocating and advocating some more.  Yes, I respect this autism mom very dearly...
The division is in charge of forty schools, with four Occupational Therapists and between ten and twelve Speech Therapists.  The division has some adaptive skill programs (Lora wouldn't name them or tell me how many), which are reserved for children with severe autism.  They do not have any autism programs, and their para educators have five to seven years experience.  Some of the para educators have their para educator diploma from Red River College, some don't.  Their phone number is 257-7827.  http://www.lrsd.net/

Seven Oaks School Division:
Sharon Holderson is the division's Director of Education and Clinical Support Services (ECSS).  The division has twenty-one schools, with four Occupational Therapists (two working full time, the other two work part time), six Speech Therapists (four of them work full time, the other two part time) and three Physio Therapists (I was shocked to find out they had Physio Therapists and forgot to ask if they worked full time, sorry).  Some para educators have their diploma some don't.  The division is moving away from para educators working one on one with children, which I'm not particularly fond of.  All para educators have to take a course in Non Violent Crisis Intervention.  While this school division has autism programs for middle schools, they have none for elementary schools (what happened to early intervention???)  They have no adaptive skill programs.  Their phone number (ECSS) is 582-3383 and the school division's number is 586-8061.  http://www.7oaks.org/Pages/default.aspx.

And finally...

Winnipeg School Division (aka school division one):
This is Winnipeg's largest school division, in charge of seventy-seven schools.  I spoke to Barb Ivans, the special needs coordinator, and Julie Miller, a student support services worker.  They weren't able to give me the number of Occupational Therapists.  They have thirty-five Speech Therapists, eighty percent are working full time.  To work as a para educator in the school division, all you need is your grade twelve diploma.  Some aids have their para educator diploma, some don't.  Their starting wage for level A (meaning the aid does not work one on one, but is a teacher's helper) is $14.69.  Level C and D means the aid is working one on one and they make over $18.00 an hour.
Adaptive skill program school:  Prairie Rose, Woolsley, Lord Roberts, Norquay, Inkster and Greenway.
Schools offering autism programs:  Robertson, Greenway, Inkster and Montrose.
Winnipeg school division number is 775-0231
Student support services (Julie Miller) number is 788-0203
Barb Ivans' (special needs coordinator) number is 774-4525 (this is the one that made me cry)
http://ww.wsd1.org/
Oh, and by the way, Barb Ivans informed me that even if I moved to Winnipeg School Division, their autism programs and adaptive skill programs are...  FULL!!!

NONE OF THE SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACCEPT THE SCHOOL OF CHOICE APPLICATION IF THE CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS!!!

So, ummmmm, what's the point of this application?!

I'm sorry...  WHAT?!  For those of you that are perturbed along with me, you can reach Marlene Gregory of Manitoba Education who sent me on this freaking wild goose chase for NOTHING at 945-5563

Marlene, if you're reading this post, you can bet I'll be banging on your door for some answers.  For those that wish to join me, here's her office address:  Room 307, 1181 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg R3G 0T3

And for the record Marlene, you can't get rid of me.  


My friends, consider yourselves hugged.
Marlene, no hugs for you.  Maybe a foot up the...  nah, you're so not worth it.


Lou

An Email To The Premier Of Manitoba Regarding Our Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Dear Mr. Premier,

This email is written to you in the hopes of getting your attention to the problems faced by parents with children on the Autism Spectrum.  I ask that you read this email with an open mind, and recognize that I am not merely criticizing the school system, but desperately seeking some change.  My son Dayton's diagnoses are as follows:  Global Delays, ADHD and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified, a very, very high functioning form of Autism).

First, I would like to say that I am very pleased that the government does not shun our children into a "special school" where the building is considered more of a dumping ground for the inept children.  I am glad that in the government's eyes, my son is entitled to the same education as anyone else.  I love the "theory" of inclusion. 

My concern is that not all schools are equipped or skilled to follow through with "genuine inclusion.'  Most of my son's inclusion has proven to be "cosmetic inclusion."  Dayton spends the majority of his time in the hallway.  The school he is currently attending claims that this is by his choice, not the school's, but it appears they have no control of my son or his behavior.  If they did, he would genuinely be included in the classroom.  I think the problem stems in their misunderstanding of the Autism Spectrum.  Please don't take my opinion as though I'm suggesting that the school Dayton attends is not working hard with Dayton, but they are not skilled or knowledgeable in teaching or including a child with autism.  The Autism Spectrum is a very, very broad spectrum.  If you've had the pleasure of meeting a child with autism, you've met a child with autism.  Not one child is the same.  What works for one child, will not necessarily work for another. 

The most common thread of these children is their inappropriate behavior due to their inability to control impulse and their inability to cope with emotions and sensory issues.  I have moved through three different school division to get Dayton the education both you and I believe he is entitled to.  Dayton's current school thinks that at the core of Dayton's inappropriate behavior is my parenting.  They have called CFS about my parenting twice in the last year. I can not begin to explain the humiliation of this experience.  Furthermore, they did not believe that Dayton's diagnosis of PDD-NOS falls under the Autism Spectrum, which has resulted in them "disciplining" Dayton in the way that makes sense to with a typical child.  Sometimes even worse...  An extreme example of their discipline was when they had four teachers force my son to the floor, all of them laying on top of him over a misunderstanding because of a torn back pack, at eight years old, weighing fifty pounds...  This resulted in my loss of daycare, forcing me to work part time.  The incident traumatized my child into hiding under his bed for a few days, not being able to eat because of a sore throat due to his screaming at the school staff to let him go.  Suspending a seven, eight or nine year old child who is delayed by two years is not teaching him a consequence, it is a punishment to the parents.  My son is now looking for ways to get suspended, as to him it means that he doesn't have to show his peers just how far behind is from the rest of them.  The suspensions have been a "reward" for him.  In his mind it is better to be seen as "bad" then "stupid" in front of his peers.  Dayton's self esteem is at an all time low, as he constantly tells me he is stupid, he can not learn, so what's the point of me trying to help him at home...

The last CFS call resulted in them immediately closing the file, and asking me what they could do for me.  I wanted an advocate from the system to advocate on my son's behalf in his school.  They provided me with Brenda Suderman, an amazing woman, who is fighting for my family.  She is a true advocate, and very much a support to my family.  I have humbled myself and allowed a worker to come to my home to give me advice on working with my son once a week, but even the worker is telling me that I am doing everything with Dayton that she would recommend herself. 

On calling your office, my call was transferred to my MLA, whom I had already spoken to.  The MLA's office promised to  contact Manitoba Education with my concerns, and assured me that someone would call me to discuss my concerns further. 

Marlene Gregory of the Manitoba Education "student services," suggested that I fill out a "school of choice application form" and have it submitted by May 15th, giving me false hope for my son's future education.  It turns out that school divisions do not accept this application if the student it is being filled out for has special needs!  Even if there was a chance I was able to move to their school division (rental availability in the city is sitting at 0%, furthermore, my child with autism needs stability, and I've moved from school division to school division three times to get him a "promised education"), I can not get my child into an autism program or an adaptive program because they are all full.  When I called Mrs. Gregory back and conveyed my results, she informed me that the school divisions have the right to deny the application...  I have every reason to believe by Dayton's child psychiatrist who diagnosed Dayton with PDD-NOS, that he can live a productive life, become a contributing member of society, providing he gets the services and support his current school division is not providing him.   

Mr. Premier, I ask for an appointment to see you, and discuss my son's education.  This is not only a concern for my son, but for all children who have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  One in a hundred and ten children are being diagnosed with a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder today and the numbers increase every year.  These children are our future and they need your help.  Help them...  You can make a difference in these children's lives, if you want to, and I know you do.  You are a wise man, if you weren't, you would not be the premier of Manitoba.  Imagine our future if these children do not receive your help...   You are our leader, our voice of reason.  I know that as a parent alone, I can not make a change, but you...  You can make all the difference to our children's lives and education. 

The stress I have endured as a result of Dayton's discrimination has taken a toll on my health.  I am currently on medical leave, and am available at your earliest convenience to meet with you. 



You may reach me at home at 837-6308 or by cell phone at 771-4546.  My email addresses are healthy.you.home@gmail.com and autism.diva.help@gmail.com.  I look forward to your call.






Sincerely,


Lou Lovrin, a mom of a beautiful nine year old boy, who desperately seeks your help.

I'm Raising A Child With AUTISM... What's Your Superpower?

Talking to a facebook friend today, whom I have the utmost respect for, I realized that there are two types of autism parents out there.  Those that are looking for a cure, and those that are accepting their child with autism and embracing autism as a lifestyle and call for an acknowledgement of neurodiversity.  I think most parents experience both sides in their journey in raising a child with autism.

When Dayton was first diagnosed, I was definitely on camp "cure."  OK, got the diagnosis, now what do we do to fix this?  The psychologist just looked at me and said good luck.  Good luck?  Seriously?!  Wha'da ya mean?!  He told me there's many theories circulating out there on therapies, and I just have to find what works for Dayton.  OK...  Could you name me some examples?  Nope.  He can't do that because he can't encourage one over another, a "conflict of interest."  He prescribed medication and sent me an invitation to a parent support group.

So off to the internet I go.  Research, research, research.

At age 7, Dayton was to old for ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), which is the one therapies that has been scientifically proven to help.  Unfortunately, it is only available to children from the ages of 2 and 6.  So this therapy is out.  In saying this, did you know that Alberta allows this therapy until the child turns 21?  What the hell?!

Bizarre and primitive options such as hyperbaric chambers or electric shock therapy was definitely out of the question for my little guy.

There's special diets, which can get pretty costly, namely the GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) and the specific carbohydrate diet.  Some parents swear by these diets, and others say that it doesn't make a difference.  Both sides agree that the diet requires many hours of work and that it is quite expensive.

Chelation, a process of administering substances that draw out heavy metals such as mercury or lead has been used by parents who believe their child's autism is caused by vaccines.  Chelation is suppose to either reduce or completely reverse the symptoms of autism.  The use of diet, vitamins, supplements and chelation is also known as a biomedical approach.  Unfortunately, certain biomedical interventions have caused harm, even death (2005, Abubakar Rariq Nadama passed away as a result of an improper chelation procedure), so this is not an approach I feel comfortable taking either.  The diet perhaps, but definitely not taking the change with chelation.

Today I'm sitting pretty in the "neurodiversity" camp.  There's a sense of peace upon accepting the autism diagnosis.  Prayer to our heavenly Father helps too.  Psalm 46.10 says to "be still and know that I am God." Sometimes the most powerful act is to be silent...  simply trusting that God has a purpose for my little Dayton.  The less I fight the diagnosis, the more I am certain that this is true.  The bible also tells us that man is made in God's image.  This means Dayton is made in His image, not the image I had chosen for him, but the image God chose.

A couple of quotes to consider:  "I know of nobody who is purely autistic or purely neurotypical.  Even GOD had some autistic moments, which is why all the planets spin" - Jerry Newport (Let's not start a gospel war people, none of us have ever met God face to face.  What we do know is that He is perfect).
One of my favorites:  "If I could snap my fingers and be non autistic, I would not because then I wouldn't be me.  Autism is part of who I am." - Temple Grandin

Acceptance to me is the act of "letting go."  I love my son.  Dayton is the driving force in my life.  While yes, I need to ensure that he is as self sufficient as possible and a contributing member of society, I also need to ensure that Dayton feels accepted for who he is, and how he thinks.  Dayton deserves happiness just as any other child does.  If I can not accept Dayton myself, how on earth can I expect anyone else to?  I've heard many parents say that once they reach the point of complete acceptance, their children blossom, and I'm slowly starting to see this with Dayton as well.  I think that my acceptance of him is the most important therapy he could ever receive!  It's not that I love Dayton in spite of his autism, it's that I love him because of his autism.  There is a huge difference, and our children can feel it!

The second most important therapy is your child's EDUCATION.  Manitoba's education system has much to be desired, especially when it comes to education of children on the autism spectrum.  My goodness, with statistics at 1 in 150 children being diagnosed with a form of autism, you would think our province (all provinces, the whole country with the exception of Alberta) would do educate their school divisions on autism!!!  With the rapidly growing numbers of people being diagnosed with autism, our government places little priority upon autism.  Inclusion is wonderful in theory, but oh my goodness...  It just isn't working!  A fellow blogger who's son has Asperger's syndrome has pulled her son out of school last year after her little one sat in the middle of a circle, while his teacher had the rest of the class sit in a circle around him.  She instructed each student to look at this poor little boy and tell him what they didn't like about him!  This, this "they" call inclusion?!  Shortly after this, his mom pulled him out of school and decided to home school him. 

Camp cure and camp neurodiversity...  One thing to remember is that what ever camp you belong to at this point in time, to ACCEPT EACH OTHER and be SUPPORTIVE of each other.  We're all doing the best we can for our children, and our goal for our kids is the same - EDUCATION.  This is education for ourselves, the people involved in their education, the people around them who love them as well as our kids, and we're all doing what we can to help our children be contributing members of society.  Both sides love their children!  Both sides feel attacked by the other, and this needs to change.  Many autism parents feel judged and criticized by the world already, and the last thing that's needed is for them to feel attacked by the autism community.  We need to band together, no matter what our views are, we still have one thing in common:  Autism Awareness!!!  What we need is one unanimous voice.  We need to accept each other's work, we may not agree or see the relevance, or understand, but it is crucial that we accept and do not attack each other anymore!!!

Consider yourselves hugged!!!

Lou