Edmonton MP Mike Lake, whom I have met (at IMFAR 2012 in Toronto) and communicated with a few times about autism in Canada, have different perspectives on the proper role for Canada's national government in addressing Canada's autism crisis.  The government of Stephen Harper, of which Mike Lake is a member,  is not a strong supporter of Canada's national medicare system generally and has done nothing to advance in a meaningful way the National Autism Strategy advocated for by former and present opposition MP's Andy Scott,  Peter Stoffer, Shawn Murphy and Glenn Thibeault and by Senator Jim Munson.   I know though that Mike Lake is a dedicated father and a strong advocate for his 17 year old autistic son Jaden, who appears to have many similarities to my own son with autism of the same age.  I enjoy seeing Jaden in television and video appearances and was pleased to read the Ottawa Citizen article about the Autism on the Hill Rally and the pictures featuring Jaden Lake.

In the past 36 hours I have criticized CASDA's claims to be advocating for a National Autism Strategy and to be presenting a unified national autism voice.  Lawrie Mawlam of CASDA, a conscientious and courteous individual with whom I have had the privilege of talking in recent months,  has taken some objection to my criticism and I thank her for expressing her opinions so forthrightly.   I hope though that CASDA will consider the criticisms of their efforts before rejecting them defensively.  I also ask CASDA, and any one else purporting to advocate for a National Autism Strategy to consider and support the private members bills of Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault. The two bills express a clear and coherent National Autism Strategy that would be great benefit to autistic Canadians and their families and that is consistent with the efforts by many Canadians seeking a REAL National Autism Strategy for many years before CASDA and its constituent elements began seeking a national approach to autism.

I recommend that CASDA, Conservative MP Mike Lake,  and all others seeking a real and meaningful national autism strategy support, and encourage their members of Parliament to support, Glenn Thibeault's private member autism bills as described on Mr. Thibeault's site:

In looking at the National Autism Strategy information from a CASDA (Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance) conference held in Ottawa on June 8 2011, and which I have posted following this comment,  I see that there is the suggestion for expansion of tax relief for autism families. That is certainly a specific, concrete step that will help some families with autistic children. Beyond that though I don't, with all due respect, see anything being proposed to assist autistic children, regardless of where they live in Canada, to receive evidence based effective early intervention, yes that still means ABA, a real education and for the many who will require it, decent, autism specific residential care and treatment as adults.

Early autism intervention across Canada resulted from a wave of focused determined parents advocacy which began over a decade ago. It did not result from conferences of persons building careers in politics or charitable bureacracies or attending subsidized conferences in Banff or Ottawa. 

I recommend that this organization stop pretending and start getting serious about helping with early intervention, education, adult residential care and treatment for autistic Canadians. Sorry I if sound harsh but these types of conferences, with their timid agendas,  have accomplished nothing over the past 10 years. Pretending to help is worse than doing nothing at all. It creates the illusion that something is being done when that is not the case.

Conservative government MP Mike Lake, to his credit, did provide  links to parliamentary sites if you are interested in following autism bills introduced by Sudbury NDP MP Glenn Thibeault who has been a determined advocate for a real National Autism Strategy for several years.  My final comment is to recommend to Mr. Lake and other attendees at the CASDA conferences to fight for a real National Autism Stategy as Mr. Thibeault has done along with fellow NDP member Peter Stoffer and former Liberal MP Shawn Murphy.

Although our federal government has done very little to help autistic Canadians receive effective evidence based early behavioural intervention, autism specific education and accommodation or decent residential care for autistic adults it is not for lack of trying by several members of parliament who are running again in Election 2011.   Peter Stoffer,  a Nova Scotia (Sackville-Eastern Shore) NDP candidate,  has been involved in national autism advocacy for many years and co-sponsored, with former Fredericton MP Andy Scott, a motion seeking to implement a national autism strategy.  Glenn Thibeault an NDP candidate from Sudbury Ontario also brought a private members motion in support of autism.  During debates in the House of Commons  both New Brunswick (Moncton)  Liberal candidate Brian Murphy and Ontario (Brampton-Springdale) Liberal candidate Ruby Dhalla gave strong speeches on behalf of autistic Canadians. 

This autism dad and advocate hopes that all of these strong autism advocates are re-elected on May 2. 

My #elxn41 autism request is  a request to the Canadian electorate.  Please listen to Senator, and long time autism advocate, Jim Munson  about the need for action on behalf of autistic Canadians who deserve better, who deserve national treatment standards. and who deserve effective treatment regardless of where they live in Canada.

Take action, during this election, to vote for a candidate who will support autistic children and adults in Canada by voting for a candidate who will support a bill to expressly and specifically include autism spectrum disorders, soon to be grouped together and  known, in the DSM5,  as Autistic Disorder, in the Canada Health Act or in a federal Act specifically dedicated toward dealing with Canada's national autism crisis.

As Senator Munson said in an Ottawa Citizen article, Autistic Canadians deserve better,  published on April 2, World Autism Awareness Day:

"In 2007, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology released a report titled "Pay Now or Pay Later -Autism Families in Crisis," a comprehensive study of autism issues. As a Senator who initiated the study and a member of that committee, I heard heartwrenching testimony from parents so desperate to get help for their autistic children.


Many had uprooted their lives and moved to places where care options were significantly better than what they could access in their own home province.


Two recommendations from the report that I consider most crucial are national standards for treatment and research, and a national strategy for equal treatment and services across the country. Courageous actions are now needed to deal with this emerging crisis.


It isn't much to ask that a federal minister sit down with provincial counterparts and representatives from autism organizations to devise a better way to operate. It is time for federal politicians to take a leadership role.


Such courage would rouse this nation and render much-needed comfort to the thousands of Canadians affected by autism.