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Families take autism battle to top court
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Posted by sylvia on Monday, August 03, 2009 (09:45:31)
Georgia Advocate By Michael Power
Parents of autistic children suing the province and seven school boards are taking their struggle to the highest court in the land.
The families involved in the suit filed a class action lawsuit in 2004 against the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the school boards, who, they claim, are not providing specialized treatment for their autistic children.
The suit sought damages for the families, who have paid large sums of money to cover the cost of the treatment themselves.
The treatment, known as Intensive Behavioral Intervention, can cost between $30,000 to $80,000 per year.
In March 2007, the Superior Court of Justice struck out portions of the claim. In response, the families then appeared in a Toronto courtroom Feb. 11 before a three-judge panel to press for the suit to continue.
That court decided last month the families could proceed with some amended parts of the case, though not all parts.
The decision led them to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, said Richmond Hill’s Taline Sagharian, one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
“We’re working on the details as to what the grounds will be,” said Ms Sagharian.
She and her husband, Harout, whose son Christopher is autistic, sold their house to pay for specialized autism treatment. They now live on a property half the size.
They have depleted their savings as well as education funds for Christopher and their daughter Natalie, who is nine.
The families are hoping their case before the Supreme Court, if it’s allowed to be heard, will give them the right to compensation.
To win the right to appeal, the plaintiffs must convince the Supreme Court their case is of national importance, said Faisal Bhabha, a lawyer working for the families.
That’s no easy feat, Mr. Bhabha said, noting the court only agrees to hear a small number of appeals.
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Wyeth wins thimerosal-autism case in Maryland court
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Posted by lightfoot on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 (08:07:06)
MADISON, New Jersey - Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) announced today that Wyeth's motion for summary judgment in the case of Blackwell, et al. v. Sigma Aldrich, Inc., et al was granted - an alleged vaccine injury case claiming that Jamarr Blackwell's exposure to thimerosal containing vaccines caused him to become autistic
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Autism study bill advances to House
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Posted by lightfoot on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 (16:52:20)
By Ray Reed - Jan 31 2008
RICHMOND - Legislation that could affect one baby out of every 150 born, by making treatment for autism more available, was approved in a House of Delegates subcommittee Wednesday.
Proposed by Del. Shannon Valentine, D-Lynchburg, the legislation would have a state agency study ways that a fragmented system of autism services in Virginia can be pulled together so doctors and parents can get information more easily.
Among boys, autism occurs once in 96 births, she said.
“The average age in the United States for a child to be diagnosed with autism is 2. In Virginia, the average age is 6,†Valentine said, and that’s because there is no centralized way to identify the best practices for diagnosing, treating and managing the mental disorder.
“It is the fastest-growing developmental disability in history. We don’t know the cause and we do not know the cure,†Valentine said, but Virginia has an interest in helping doctors and parents gather accurate information.
“The long-term cost of not treating this is going to be astronomical,†Valentine said.
The largest group of patients is in their mid-teen years, she said.
The problem is extensive enough that the Central Virginia Training Center has begun a day care center for adults with autism, Valentine said.
Her bill, which was approved Wednesday by a subcommittee of the House Rules Committee, calls for a state agency to study the autism services and information available from eight state agencies and seven private groups and recommend a way doctors and parents could get information without having to contact the 15 sources individually.
The next stop for Valentine’s bill is before the full House Rules Committee. If approved there, it would face two votes on the House floor and a similar journey through the state Senate.
One hurdle that “study bills,†such as this one face, is the cost of doing the study. House leaders are on record as saying they don’t want to approve too many studies.
“I know the competition is fierce,†Valentine said.
NewsAdvance.com
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Will autism be covered by health insurance?
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Posted by lightfoot on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 (16:51:07)
by Johanna Eubank
So you have a good job with benefits including health insurance. Maybe you have to pay a part of the premium each month, but that’s still a lot better than many. You’re lucky.
But then you start taking your child, who has autism, to speech, physical and occupational therapy. He needs a lot of it. But your insurance won’t pay for it because it isn’t deemed medically necessary. Or maybe it will pay for a limited number of sessions.
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An autism road map
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Posted by lightfoot on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 (16:42:35)
An Editorial
Definitive, compelling research on autism should drive significant changes in Washington state's approach to this medical condition.
The autism task force, created by the Legislature two years ago, has developed a knowledgeable and realistic road map focusing on issues of access and affordability for families with an autistic child. Its recommendations are doable. For starters, insurance companies ought to cover proven treatments for autism. Only two insurers in the state currently do so. That is unacceptable.
Insurers will argue that the disorder is a mental impairment, warranting restricted coverage. But such reasoning flies in the face of considerable research showing autism to be a broad spectrum of neurological and developmental disorders. Lawmakers must step in and mandate insurance coverage for autism.
Swift passage in the Legislature of a bill to improve screening and diagnosis of autism is also important. The earlier autistic children are diagnosed and treated, the more likely they are to grow up to be self-sufficient citizens.
Other needs include regional centers that would broaden geographical access to autism treatment, widening the pool of experts in autism and strengthening public-education services for autistic children.
With between two and six Washington children per 100 affected by autism, efforts must begin now. The autism task force can be counted on for guidance; the Legislature budgeted money last year to keep the committee going until June.
The additional time is sorely needed. The task force's report is but one piece of the puzzle. Recommendations need to be prioritized, implementation plans developed and opportunities sought for partnerships or assistance at the local and federal levels.
The Seattle Times
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