I grew up very Conservative. Very very Conservative Christian family. I had an anti abortion binder that I carried around in junior high and high school that I was very proud of. It had pictures of babies on the front of it pasted on with information on abortion clinics. My uncle and aunt invited me to their weekly abortion clinic visits which they would attend and sit and protest women getting abortions. I didn't go to these I was too young but they would attend. Being gay or should I say practicing homosexuality was looked upon as truly a heinous behavior, a deprived behavior. I was very proud of myself when I would speak with others and very high high high on my high horse as the saying goes. I look back in shame on this. Shame that I was such a judging young person.
As far as politics go I can only remember my parents speaking negatively about Clinton briefly and his affair. I would say well if he can lie to the American people about his adultery imagine what else he is lying to us about.
It wasn't until this election, this Presidential election that things began to get heated. In the first election my husband and I voted for Clinton. In the next election or final election we voted for President Obama. My entire family voted instead for McCain.
Both my husband, my dad and my brother were laid off of work. My dad started watching more of Fox (Faux news) daily and reading Glen Beck books. Never before had he been interested in discussing politics or really bringing them into the realm of "christianity." All of the sudden his men's christian groups were focusing in on the political world namely our newly elected President. One church that our family is familiar with Calvary Chapel Chino Hills recently held a town hall meeting promoting that the health care for all bill is voted down. Something seemed incredibly wrong with this picture and still does to me.
Now I don't mind a debate. In fact I like to debate. I enjoy it. Where it gets trouble some for me is when it becomes personal. I have been told by family you cannot be a Christian if you support our President or are progressive. I am not affiliated with a political party but have said I am progressive so that's why they go that way. I have been told you grew up believing homosexual marriage is wrong and abortion is wrong how can you now be a progressive. I have been told I don't "serve my country" and wouldn't even if I had the chance. When I retorted I do serve my country I am a community server of sorts the response back was that's not serving your country.
But all this to say the point of my post the reason I am a Progressive. I am a Progressive thinker because of my son and the fact he has autism. Those that are Progressive their goal is to save programs that serve people with disabilities such as autism. The goal on the other side of the aisle has been to ward off tax hikes and cut programs. All of the programs that have helped people with autism have been spear headed by Progressives, from social security, medicare, Americans with Disabilities Act and more. One of my heroes and lion of the Senate Ted Kennedy made it his mission to assist those with disabilities. I believe at the root of Progressive is to put people before profit, a sense that we must look out for one another, love one another, care about one another. The other side speaks of letting the weak fail and that the strong shall survive and that you can get through things if you pull yourself up by your bootstraps. They speak lovingly of democracy and the country first motto but in reality what our country is is a capitalist me first society. When I think of what Jesus would look at in terms of how he was in the New Testament here on Earth I think of Progressive. And look I am not saying that this President is perfect or that I agree with every policy. I am purely speaking of the philosophy that goes alongside the party of Democrats that are Progressive and Republicans that are Conservative. I am a Christian and I am Progressive. And I believe that in my interpretation of the Bible and more specifically the new Testament Jesus would have called himself a Progressive rather than a Conservative anyday.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Parents Just Don't Understand
Something I have been thinking about writing about but haven't is the subject of extended family and their response to autism or a child who has autism. My family specifically likes to use food. Food represents love. So when my son who has autism can no longer eat the foods my extended family eats the choice has been to let him cheat, to force him to abstain, not to attend events etc. When I have had parties and have tried to make foods my son can eat for the entire family or order them special I have been criticized for doing so and told to make or buy the rest of the people there "real" food.
My son doesn't want to love on or hug just anyone. It seems the only way my parents especially can relate to my son is by disciplining him. Aidan get off that table! Aidan No, No! He looks at them and sometimes listens. That's the only time they get a look from him normally so that's all I find them doing with him, verbal discipline.
Then there are the other members of our family. Let's just say they don't all rush to volunteer to watch him while we are somewhere and I want to do something else like have a grown up discussion. Never mind the fact that my husband and I were the token watchers of all nieces and nephews for them. I have never ever been able to relax, take it easy and enjoy at a family gathering with someone in my family saying hey don't worry I will watch him for a bit.
Who I have become as a matter of becoming an autism parent is something my family and parents just don't understand. They have no idea what I do, what groups I belong too, why my ideology on so many things has changed. Some families especially grandparents when they hear a grandchild has autism it is as if some mechanism forces them into action and they become so interested and wanting to help their child who has a child with autism. I thought that would happen at least with my mom but it didn't. Oftentimes I feel like such an outsider with my extended family. Their reaction or lack of reaction has been so demoralizing. I think I just needed an outlet to express that.
My son doesn't want to love on or hug just anyone. It seems the only way my parents especially can relate to my son is by disciplining him. Aidan get off that table! Aidan No, No! He looks at them and sometimes listens. That's the only time they get a look from him normally so that's all I find them doing with him, verbal discipline.
Then there are the other members of our family. Let's just say they don't all rush to volunteer to watch him while we are somewhere and I want to do something else like have a grown up discussion. Never mind the fact that my husband and I were the token watchers of all nieces and nephews for them. I have never ever been able to relax, take it easy and enjoy at a family gathering with someone in my family saying hey don't worry I will watch him for a bit.
Who I have become as a matter of becoming an autism parent is something my family and parents just don't understand. They have no idea what I do, what groups I belong too, why my ideology on so many things has changed. Some families especially grandparents when they hear a grandchild has autism it is as if some mechanism forces them into action and they become so interested and wanting to help their child who has a child with autism. I thought that would happen at least with my mom but it didn't. Oftentimes I feel like such an outsider with my extended family. Their reaction or lack of reaction has been so demoralizing. I think I just needed an outlet to express that.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Cause for Incitement
Cause for Incitement
Budget Crisis in the State of California Public Comment
June 3, 2009
I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO WRITE AT MINIMUM NOREEN EVANS! MAKE YOUR COMMENTS KNOWN!!!!
Make comments on the Governor’s proposed cuts too (and other budget proposals) (via US Mail – faxing not recommended):
Assemblymember Noreen Evans, Chair
Assembly Budget Committee – Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Be sure to include your complete name and address. You should also send a copy to the vice chair of the Budget Conference Committee, Sen. Denise Ducheny (she is also the chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee).
Sen, Denise Ducheny, Chair
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Disabled in California by Kristie Sepulveda-Burchit
The state of California made a solemn promise to its disabled population in the late 1970’s. The promise can be found in the Lanterman Act which was passed in 1977 and can be found in the California Welfare and Institutions Code beginning in section 4500. The language of the Lanterman Act I have often said is quite beautiful. The commitment and promise that this Golden state made to its disabled is sacred. Today the citizens of California are tested by Governor Schwarzenegger to break a promise made to the disabled as well as other newly disenfranchised groups. The question now remains what the people with ultimate authority will do about it.
During the events of last Wednesday during public comments several people likened the position that the joint budget committee (made up of senators and assembly members) were in was akin to the doctors put on trial in Nuremberg. More specifically the crime directed at these physicians was for their “crimes against humanity.” The doctors at Nuremberg, at minimum those who were convicted, committed or were responsible for ordering a huge amount of atrocities against the disabled including withholding medical care, conducting atrocious experiments and the list goes on and on. This was during the Nazi regime in Germany and its outer laying procured countries. Faced with the governors demand for cuts and elimination of programs and services to our disabled, if these are approved by the budget committee a majority of those from the public speaking believe that this committee is doing as much to deprive it’s disabled and other disenfranchised minorities that were represented of medical care as well as causing deaths to many just as those put on trial at Nuremberg did. The term democide comes to mind as this specifically is the murder of any person or people by a government; specifically the California government.
On that note, as I was recently flipping back and forth through news stations to see the different perspectives, during one of my visits to Fox Glen Beck made a statement about what the elite in this country have believed and always believed. Now he was talking about letting businesses fail but what he said of course can be extended to other areas of life. He said there is and has been a belief in this country in evolution as well as natural selection. He said the failure of the weakest makes others stronger. The panel and he went on to discuss other welfare related programs with the key person contributing being the equivalent of a glorified “bookie” but that is neither here nor there. Here you have a belief system entrenched in this country that has firm roots as a result of the Nazi party thinking that rather than helping our “weak” or aka disabled we should give up on them and let them and the programs and services fail and be cut so that the strong in this state and country can further prosper.
If this is the belief system that our society is beginning to hear and listen to and become desensitized by that is truly scary to me. In a time of recession and depression society tends to scapegoat a group. In Germany the time was ripe because their country was devastated financially so that Hitler could so easily blame what he viewed as the weakest because of their genes or because of (something often forgot about the Nazi’s) their disability. It is often forgot how many men women and children died after torture via experiments that were inhumane and authorized by physicians simply because the unfortunate were disabled. Today in 2009 we have often said since that time, never again. We falsely believe our society has changed positively overtime so that we would never be that type of people that hurt the weak and or the innocent. In this country, the United States is in a time of financial crisis. A state most entrenched in that crisis is California. The governor has made it clear in his budget proposals that he will scapegoat and penalize the weak and or the disenfranchised innocent for the financial crisis. It is up to the budget committee to decide if they will follow his lead or remember their humanity and remember the promise they made to us as citizens of this state when they accepted “responsibility for persons with disabilities” and agreed they had “an obligation to them which it must discharge.” (California Welfare and Institutions Code 4501).
I will now outline some of the things discussed during public comment. From 9-10 30 AM we discussed Healthy Families being eliminated as well as Medi Cal issues. We had several physicians, pharmacy representatives, single parents, elderly discussing both programs even some that cared for grandchildren in the program, as well as the disabled. Healthy Families is a state insurance program that serves over 900,000 lower income children in California. For every $1 the state pays in this program the federal government gives the state $2. President Obama recently in February of 2009 reauthorized the program as well as funding it and gave his written endorsement of the program to continue. Many children depend on this insurance especially in this economy with parents being laid off. Most of us parents know this program is very useful for services our children need such as speech, occupational as well as behavioral therapies.
I spoke three times during my public comment as they broke the day up in sections. I spoke briefly of the importance of this program for our children and some of the benefits for it. But what the committee is mostly looking for is innovative ideas to save these programs and services. So I discussed during this portion as well (we all had 90 seconds max) as the fact that the state needs new sources of revenue and that they need to think “outside the box.”
During the Public Health, Medi Cal Pharmacy, Proposition 36, emergency medical services authority portion several parties spoke. There were many there stating the law of proposition 36 doesn’t change so that a person could be offered rehabilitation or jail time could still chose rehabilitation and if the state has no program because they have cut it then there is a deep misunderstanding of what the plan would be. In addition poison control a phone number many parents have called is on the chopping block and even physicians spoke who actually get calls from patients and they in turn call poison control because they don’t have answers. There was a person with AIDS who had hepatitis B since birth there that will lose her much needed medication because that as well is being looked at for cuts. There were people during this time for shelters from domestic abusers that houses children and the victims. There were several ideas to raise revenue for these programs including raising taxes on alcohol and tobacco. According to research 85% of Californians support an alcohol tax. Apparently this is in bill AB 1019. People spoke about care for the elderly including those facing alzheimer’s. Some spoke of the fact that families are one hospital visit away from bankruptcy. A child’s illness can bring a family homelessness. Someone asked a very important question about why the Governor’s budget and what we were discussing that day was talking in terms of complete elimination rather than suspension as was supposed to be the plan.
During the discussion on Regional Center and Department of Developmental Services there were several hundred people coming and getting in line for their 90 seconds because that same day there was an event on Capitol Hill regarding the Olmstead Act anniversary. Most people got up and said please don’t cut this having to do with regional center and some suggested cutting down the developmental centers. My focus was on the early start program and I spoke a little about that because the people that are with early start the proposal from the steering committee would put the children out of the system potentially from age 2-3. I guarantee those parents are not thinking about legislation or advocacy so I felt I should speak on behalf of their kids. Being that I knew they wanted ideas of where to get revenue I gave them an idea to think outside the box involving “legalizing” and “taxing” items to get some revenue for which I got a few eye rolls by the committee and some laughter as well from the crowd and thumbs up from veterans in wheelchairs in line as well as some caretakers for IRC clients. I also said I was behind taxing of alcohol, sugar, caffeine products whatever to help protect the rights of the innocent here.
After lunch we discussed In Home Supportive Services. This time they made another announcement on concentrating on ways to save the state money for this program during public comment. I pointed out during my time that this state actually already saves quite a bit of money on this program conducting IHSS as they do. Other states hire a nurse at nurses wages ($40-$50 an hour!) to come and do IHSS services. When the state of California is paying between $8 to $11 an hour for IHSS services they are saving money! I also made a third plea for them to get out of their comfort zone and think outside the box in terms of revenue. I also reiterated what another man had said before me that the people did not speak when they voted no on the propositions. I said they didn’t understand them, we had a dismal turn out of less than 25% and that it was the legislator’s job to do a budget and not entrust the people to do that budget. I said furthermore if the majority does something to the disenfranchised minority where their rights are taken away this is unethical. In other words if the people voting no on props and our governor basing these cuts on that saying the people have spoken and no taxes, and this in fact directly impacts and hurts our community (the minority) that is unethical!
Several wise comments were made including these: the state of California didn’t vote as a whole to let the propositions fail. Instead it was a vote of no confidence. It was a dismal turn out of voters. The people of California have no confidence in a legislature that chooses to put the state of the budget in the hands of the people rather than solving it themselves. Even if the people had spoke as a majority, if the majority speaks for the disenfranchised minority who would be hurt by the majority this is unethical, immoral and unconstitutional. Someone said the cost of nothing is more than the cost of everything in terms of them cutting the budget down as much as they want too.
Some inventive ideas included repealing taxes that have been given in the form of tax breaks to the wealthy and the big corporations and big business even this last fiscal year. A young caregiver brought up taxing cookies, cakes, sugar products etc and went on to discuss what the state was paying for diabetes care. I mentioned tobacco and alcohol tax previously. Someone brought up re introducing the vehicle tax. I believe an elderly veteran brought up eliminating tax breaks to corporations and also he had an idea to have prisoners pay for their keep. He also went on to say increasing the tax amount to the wealthy and laid out a plan for this. He went on to say the budget committee should have a pledge card in which they say I won’t throw poor people, sick people, old people, disabled people, veterans, children under the bus!
They went on to discuss CalWorks programs, SSI and then Foster care but they didn’t want repeat testimonies so I didn’t speak on these programs though they are vital.
After the meeting within a few days more cuts and eliminations of programs have been discussed and I am sure will be discussed.
After this occurred last week they once again got together Tuesday I believe and discussed potential cuts to the education, the community colleges, CSU’s and UC systems and also the disability centers at these campuses. Yesterday (Tuesday, June 2nd) our Governor spoke and from his speech he said
The immediate task before us is to cut spending to the money available. And we have no time to waste. The Controller has told us we have 14 days to act or California is at risk of running out of cash. I have already used my executive authority to reduce the state's payroll. And I have proposed the necessary cuts to the three largest areas of our budget: which is education, health care and prisons. I know the consequences of these cuts are not just dollars. I see the faces behind those dollars .I see the children whose teaches will be laid-off...I see the Alzheimer's' patients losing some of their In-Home Support Services .I see the firefighters and police officers who will lose their jobs. People come up to me all the time, pleading, "Governor, please don't cut my program."They tell me about how the cuts will affect them and their loved ones.I see the pain in their eyes and hear the fear in their voice. And I hear the demonstrations outside the Capitol.(there was a demonstration going on yesterday with CDCAN) It's an awful feeling.
But we have no choice. Our wallet is empty. Our bank is closed. Our credit is dried up.
I implore you as citizens of the state of California to write to your legislators with any new ideas for revenue to the state or any cost savings ideas to the state. I implore you to briefly mention the importance of the programs but also to focus on cutting the bureaucracy that exists and hurts consumers as well. I implore you to quote from the promise made to the disabled in the language of the Lanterman Act. When I have seen items in the news recently about this issue I hear only one line about the devastating cuts and eliminations for the disabled but it’s only news worthy because they focus on the cuts to AIDS and education. While these are obviously worthwhile and notable items the cuts to the disabled have been happening for years and continue to devastate our community and in fact hurt or lead to death for many consumers. It must be stopped and I implore you to let your voice be heard for my child, for your child, for all of our children and the adults that these cuts affect.
BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The Budget Conference Committee consists of a total of 10 members – five legislators each from the State Senate and Assembly instead of the usual 3 members each.
Democrats will control the Budget Conference Committee with 6 members (3 members each from the Assembly and State Senate) with Republicans having 4 members (2 members each from the Assembly and State Senate).
The Assembly members of the Budget Conference Committee are:
• Assemblymember Noreen Evans (Democrat - Santa Rosa) – Chair
• Assemblymember Kevin de León (Democrat - Los Angeles)
• Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (Democrat - Woodland Hills)
• Assemblymember Roger Niello (Republican – Fair Oaks)
• Assemblymember Jim Nielsen (Republican – Gerber)
CDCAN Note: Evans is the chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. De Leon is the chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Niello is the vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
The State Senate members of the Budget Conference Committee are:
• Senator Denise Ducheny (Democrat - San Diego)
• Senator Mark Leno (Democrat – San Francisco)
• Senator Alan Lowenthal (Democrat – Long Beach)
• Senator Bob Dutton (Republican - Rancho Cucamonga)
• Senator Mimi Walters (Republican - Laguna Hills)
CDCAN Note: Ducheny is the chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Leno is the chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services and the Senate Public Safety Committee. Dutton is the vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
Take Action!
Cuts to the California state budget in the realm of HUMAN and HEALTH (think about that) services will no doubt be coming shortly within the next days and weeks and definitely prior to July 1st. Our voice must be heard! I urge you I implore you to SAY SOMETHING!
Our Governor's recent response to the promise in the Lanterman Act made available here
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1610528
Interviewer: "Joyce Hearn, one of our readers, wants to know if you intend to keep intact the Lanterman Act which is the California law that guarantees services for the developmentally disabled." Governor: "Um, you know it's all on the chopping block. It's all part of the budget And I think that we try to...I'm very sensitive about that because as you know my mother in law one time called me about that when I made cuts a few years ago there. So, but, like I said, I cannot pick and choose, to pick and choose would be the wrong thing here. It has to be somewhat across the board. And so that is also one of the things we are looking at."
To that I say across the board cuts? Where there is potential to loss of human life and where there is potential to witholding health services from a life that is to be the priority over all else. To do nothing short of that is immoral, unethical and unconstitutional.
Budget Crisis in the State of California Public Comment
June 3, 2009
I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO WRITE AT MINIMUM NOREEN EVANS! MAKE YOUR COMMENTS KNOWN!!!!
Make comments on the Governor’s proposed cuts too (and other budget proposals) (via US Mail – faxing not recommended):
Assemblymember Noreen Evans, Chair
Assembly Budget Committee – Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Be sure to include your complete name and address. You should also send a copy to the vice chair of the Budget Conference Committee, Sen. Denise Ducheny (she is also the chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee).
Sen, Denise Ducheny, Chair
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Disabled in California by Kristie Sepulveda-Burchit
The state of California made a solemn promise to its disabled population in the late 1970’s. The promise can be found in the Lanterman Act which was passed in 1977 and can be found in the California Welfare and Institutions Code beginning in section 4500. The language of the Lanterman Act I have often said is quite beautiful. The commitment and promise that this Golden state made to its disabled is sacred. Today the citizens of California are tested by Governor Schwarzenegger to break a promise made to the disabled as well as other newly disenfranchised groups. The question now remains what the people with ultimate authority will do about it.
During the events of last Wednesday during public comments several people likened the position that the joint budget committee (made up of senators and assembly members) were in was akin to the doctors put on trial in Nuremberg. More specifically the crime directed at these physicians was for their “crimes against humanity.” The doctors at Nuremberg, at minimum those who were convicted, committed or were responsible for ordering a huge amount of atrocities against the disabled including withholding medical care, conducting atrocious experiments and the list goes on and on. This was during the Nazi regime in Germany and its outer laying procured countries. Faced with the governors demand for cuts and elimination of programs and services to our disabled, if these are approved by the budget committee a majority of those from the public speaking believe that this committee is doing as much to deprive it’s disabled and other disenfranchised minorities that were represented of medical care as well as causing deaths to many just as those put on trial at Nuremberg did. The term democide comes to mind as this specifically is the murder of any person or people by a government; specifically the California government.
On that note, as I was recently flipping back and forth through news stations to see the different perspectives, during one of my visits to Fox Glen Beck made a statement about what the elite in this country have believed and always believed. Now he was talking about letting businesses fail but what he said of course can be extended to other areas of life. He said there is and has been a belief in this country in evolution as well as natural selection. He said the failure of the weakest makes others stronger. The panel and he went on to discuss other welfare related programs with the key person contributing being the equivalent of a glorified “bookie” but that is neither here nor there. Here you have a belief system entrenched in this country that has firm roots as a result of the Nazi party thinking that rather than helping our “weak” or aka disabled we should give up on them and let them and the programs and services fail and be cut so that the strong in this state and country can further prosper.
If this is the belief system that our society is beginning to hear and listen to and become desensitized by that is truly scary to me. In a time of recession and depression society tends to scapegoat a group. In Germany the time was ripe because their country was devastated financially so that Hitler could so easily blame what he viewed as the weakest because of their genes or because of (something often forgot about the Nazi’s) their disability. It is often forgot how many men women and children died after torture via experiments that were inhumane and authorized by physicians simply because the unfortunate were disabled. Today in 2009 we have often said since that time, never again. We falsely believe our society has changed positively overtime so that we would never be that type of people that hurt the weak and or the innocent. In this country, the United States is in a time of financial crisis. A state most entrenched in that crisis is California. The governor has made it clear in his budget proposals that he will scapegoat and penalize the weak and or the disenfranchised innocent for the financial crisis. It is up to the budget committee to decide if they will follow his lead or remember their humanity and remember the promise they made to us as citizens of this state when they accepted “responsibility for persons with disabilities” and agreed they had “an obligation to them which it must discharge.” (California Welfare and Institutions Code 4501).
I will now outline some of the things discussed during public comment. From 9-10 30 AM we discussed Healthy Families being eliminated as well as Medi Cal issues. We had several physicians, pharmacy representatives, single parents, elderly discussing both programs even some that cared for grandchildren in the program, as well as the disabled. Healthy Families is a state insurance program that serves over 900,000 lower income children in California. For every $1 the state pays in this program the federal government gives the state $2. President Obama recently in February of 2009 reauthorized the program as well as funding it and gave his written endorsement of the program to continue. Many children depend on this insurance especially in this economy with parents being laid off. Most of us parents know this program is very useful for services our children need such as speech, occupational as well as behavioral therapies.
I spoke three times during my public comment as they broke the day up in sections. I spoke briefly of the importance of this program for our children and some of the benefits for it. But what the committee is mostly looking for is innovative ideas to save these programs and services. So I discussed during this portion as well (we all had 90 seconds max) as the fact that the state needs new sources of revenue and that they need to think “outside the box.”
During the Public Health, Medi Cal Pharmacy, Proposition 36, emergency medical services authority portion several parties spoke. There were many there stating the law of proposition 36 doesn’t change so that a person could be offered rehabilitation or jail time could still chose rehabilitation and if the state has no program because they have cut it then there is a deep misunderstanding of what the plan would be. In addition poison control a phone number many parents have called is on the chopping block and even physicians spoke who actually get calls from patients and they in turn call poison control because they don’t have answers. There was a person with AIDS who had hepatitis B since birth there that will lose her much needed medication because that as well is being looked at for cuts. There were people during this time for shelters from domestic abusers that houses children and the victims. There were several ideas to raise revenue for these programs including raising taxes on alcohol and tobacco. According to research 85% of Californians support an alcohol tax. Apparently this is in bill AB 1019. People spoke about care for the elderly including those facing alzheimer’s. Some spoke of the fact that families are one hospital visit away from bankruptcy. A child’s illness can bring a family homelessness. Someone asked a very important question about why the Governor’s budget and what we were discussing that day was talking in terms of complete elimination rather than suspension as was supposed to be the plan.
During the discussion on Regional Center and Department of Developmental Services there were several hundred people coming and getting in line for their 90 seconds because that same day there was an event on Capitol Hill regarding the Olmstead Act anniversary. Most people got up and said please don’t cut this having to do with regional center and some suggested cutting down the developmental centers. My focus was on the early start program and I spoke a little about that because the people that are with early start the proposal from the steering committee would put the children out of the system potentially from age 2-3. I guarantee those parents are not thinking about legislation or advocacy so I felt I should speak on behalf of their kids. Being that I knew they wanted ideas of where to get revenue I gave them an idea to think outside the box involving “legalizing” and “taxing” items to get some revenue for which I got a few eye rolls by the committee and some laughter as well from the crowd and thumbs up from veterans in wheelchairs in line as well as some caretakers for IRC clients. I also said I was behind taxing of alcohol, sugar, caffeine products whatever to help protect the rights of the innocent here.
After lunch we discussed In Home Supportive Services. This time they made another announcement on concentrating on ways to save the state money for this program during public comment. I pointed out during my time that this state actually already saves quite a bit of money on this program conducting IHSS as they do. Other states hire a nurse at nurses wages ($40-$50 an hour!) to come and do IHSS services. When the state of California is paying between $8 to $11 an hour for IHSS services they are saving money! I also made a third plea for them to get out of their comfort zone and think outside the box in terms of revenue. I also reiterated what another man had said before me that the people did not speak when they voted no on the propositions. I said they didn’t understand them, we had a dismal turn out of less than 25% and that it was the legislator’s job to do a budget and not entrust the people to do that budget. I said furthermore if the majority does something to the disenfranchised minority where their rights are taken away this is unethical. In other words if the people voting no on props and our governor basing these cuts on that saying the people have spoken and no taxes, and this in fact directly impacts and hurts our community (the minority) that is unethical!
Several wise comments were made including these: the state of California didn’t vote as a whole to let the propositions fail. Instead it was a vote of no confidence. It was a dismal turn out of voters. The people of California have no confidence in a legislature that chooses to put the state of the budget in the hands of the people rather than solving it themselves. Even if the people had spoke as a majority, if the majority speaks for the disenfranchised minority who would be hurt by the majority this is unethical, immoral and unconstitutional. Someone said the cost of nothing is more than the cost of everything in terms of them cutting the budget down as much as they want too.
Some inventive ideas included repealing taxes that have been given in the form of tax breaks to the wealthy and the big corporations and big business even this last fiscal year. A young caregiver brought up taxing cookies, cakes, sugar products etc and went on to discuss what the state was paying for diabetes care. I mentioned tobacco and alcohol tax previously. Someone brought up re introducing the vehicle tax. I believe an elderly veteran brought up eliminating tax breaks to corporations and also he had an idea to have prisoners pay for their keep. He also went on to say increasing the tax amount to the wealthy and laid out a plan for this. He went on to say the budget committee should have a pledge card in which they say I won’t throw poor people, sick people, old people, disabled people, veterans, children under the bus!
They went on to discuss CalWorks programs, SSI and then Foster care but they didn’t want repeat testimonies so I didn’t speak on these programs though they are vital.
After the meeting within a few days more cuts and eliminations of programs have been discussed and I am sure will be discussed.
After this occurred last week they once again got together Tuesday I believe and discussed potential cuts to the education, the community colleges, CSU’s and UC systems and also the disability centers at these campuses. Yesterday (Tuesday, June 2nd) our Governor spoke and from his speech he said
The immediate task before us is to cut spending to the money available. And we have no time to waste. The Controller has told us we have 14 days to act or California is at risk of running out of cash. I have already used my executive authority to reduce the state's payroll. And I have proposed the necessary cuts to the three largest areas of our budget: which is education, health care and prisons. I know the consequences of these cuts are not just dollars. I see the faces behind those dollars .I see the children whose teaches will be laid-off...I see the Alzheimer's' patients losing some of their In-Home Support Services .I see the firefighters and police officers who will lose their jobs. People come up to me all the time, pleading, "Governor, please don't cut my program."They tell me about how the cuts will affect them and their loved ones.I see the pain in their eyes and hear the fear in their voice. And I hear the demonstrations outside the Capitol.(there was a demonstration going on yesterday with CDCAN) It's an awful feeling.
But we have no choice. Our wallet is empty. Our bank is closed. Our credit is dried up.
I implore you as citizens of the state of California to write to your legislators with any new ideas for revenue to the state or any cost savings ideas to the state. I implore you to briefly mention the importance of the programs but also to focus on cutting the bureaucracy that exists and hurts consumers as well. I implore you to quote from the promise made to the disabled in the language of the Lanterman Act. When I have seen items in the news recently about this issue I hear only one line about the devastating cuts and eliminations for the disabled but it’s only news worthy because they focus on the cuts to AIDS and education. While these are obviously worthwhile and notable items the cuts to the disabled have been happening for years and continue to devastate our community and in fact hurt or lead to death for many consumers. It must be stopped and I implore you to let your voice be heard for my child, for your child, for all of our children and the adults that these cuts affect.
BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The Budget Conference Committee consists of a total of 10 members – five legislators each from the State Senate and Assembly instead of the usual 3 members each.
Democrats will control the Budget Conference Committee with 6 members (3 members each from the Assembly and State Senate) with Republicans having 4 members (2 members each from the Assembly and State Senate).
The Assembly members of the Budget Conference Committee are:
• Assemblymember Noreen Evans (Democrat - Santa Rosa) – Chair
• Assemblymember Kevin de León (Democrat - Los Angeles)
• Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (Democrat - Woodland Hills)
• Assemblymember Roger Niello (Republican – Fair Oaks)
• Assemblymember Jim Nielsen (Republican – Gerber)
CDCAN Note: Evans is the chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. De Leon is the chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Niello is the vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
The State Senate members of the Budget Conference Committee are:
• Senator Denise Ducheny (Democrat - San Diego)
• Senator Mark Leno (Democrat – San Francisco)
• Senator Alan Lowenthal (Democrat – Long Beach)
• Senator Bob Dutton (Republican - Rancho Cucamonga)
• Senator Mimi Walters (Republican - Laguna Hills)
CDCAN Note: Ducheny is the chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Leno is the chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services and the Senate Public Safety Committee. Dutton is the vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
Take Action!
Cuts to the California state budget in the realm of HUMAN and HEALTH (think about that) services will no doubt be coming shortly within the next days and weeks and definitely prior to July 1st. Our voice must be heard! I urge you I implore you to SAY SOMETHING!
Our Governor's recent response to the promise in the Lanterman Act made available here
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1610528
Interviewer: "Joyce Hearn, one of our readers, wants to know if you intend to keep intact the Lanterman Act which is the California law that guarantees services for the developmentally disabled." Governor: "Um, you know it's all on the chopping block. It's all part of the budget And I think that we try to...I'm very sensitive about that because as you know my mother in law one time called me about that when I made cuts a few years ago there. So, but, like I said, I cannot pick and choose, to pick and choose would be the wrong thing here. It has to be somewhat across the board. And so that is also one of the things we are looking at."
To that I say across the board cuts? Where there is potential to loss of human life and where there is potential to witholding health services from a life that is to be the priority over all else. To do nothing short of that is immoral, unethical and unconstitutional.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Considerations
Aaron and I are considering different directions for Aidan's schooling. We are considering charter schools as well as looking at non public schools. It is not as though there are terrible teachers in the county programs. There are some very good ones. There is though a lack of the the things I find incredibly important like a 1:1 aide for kids who need them, inclusion and mainstreaming in regular classrooms during parts of the day and definitely lunch, recess with the other children. These aren't happening and I see some of these classes failing because of that fact. I think there is a lot to consider as we move forward and nothing is set in stone.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
To every season....
First some positive things to report: Aidan has been making more of reciprocal connections with us. Smiling and dancing while we imitate him and smile and dance and keep the interaction going. He even laughs in delight at this back and forth. It is awesome!
We just had a very very collaborative IEP with the school and I look forward to working with them to discuss placement in the upcoming month. Aidan is going into kindergarten and I am looking around at placements that would accomodate his needs.
Will update after the next IEP in May.
We just had a very very collaborative IEP with the school and I look forward to working with them to discuss placement in the upcoming month. Aidan is going into kindergarten and I am looking around at placements that would accomodate his needs.
Will update after the next IEP in May.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Private Practice Pushes Pharma
There are a myriad of reasons why the episode of Private Practice that recently aired bothered me. It could be the lack of empathy from the doctors discussing a parent who chooses not to vaccinate but rather a discussion of the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics saying vaccines do not cause autism and perhaps we should report her to child protective services for not vaccinating. It could be the characterization of the mom and her child with autism. Mom whose comments ranged from autism stole his soul and he's not there anymore (FYI media and parents who think and speak this way: They are there! Everything is going in!!!) Believe it!!) . To mom ultimately looking like she is wholely responsible for her child's death and that her actions were negligent and uncaring and that her truths and reality were unsubstantiated (that vaccines cause autism.) Though I did like her statement to her pediatrician of I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU KNOW! I KNOW WHAT I KNOW! It could be the drastic action taken by her child's pediatrician after her son almost died from a severe onset of the measles when he went outside and with vaccine in hand poked her youngest unvaccinated son with the measles vaccine in self righteous indignation. I was aghast. In talking with other parents of children with autism who by the way mostly have children that are fully vaccinated they were hopeful the episode would translate into an onslaught of seeing how terrible this pediatrician was in his action of forcefully, unethically and without permission vaccinating a parent's younger child. Instead what has occurred is the public I hear through message boards and in general conversation not exposed to the world of autism is that people admired what the pediatrician did! People think the parent (mom) was out of line for choosing to not vaccinate her other children. People think that this mom was responsible for her son's death. This show and probably more shows and news segments to follow will aide in the desensitization of society to these untruths and more. It's sad and it's scary.
Change in the economy change in treatment plan
Well the economy straight up sucks. Jobs are being lost. Wages are decreasing. Gas prices that had gone down are going back up. Times are tough all around. Nowhere I think is this more evident than in the world of autism or at least those who chose to do alternative treatment. We had been doing homeopathy or energetic homeopathy for a year or so but could simply no longer afford it. So we are now doing with our lil man something called homeotoxicology. We are in stage one which is stabilizing him. It's the first level and that name sounds so severe like trying to get a patient on the table stabelized and that's exactly what it is.
These are the stages and I am sure we have a road ahead of us. But that's okay. It's affordable and doable for us. I struggle with should I give straight up meds or no because that might be the easier road but for now we are sticking to this.
Phase I (Stabilize) with emotional support. Phase II is Vitalize where we build up the adrenals, neurotransmitter and gut support, Stage III is Neutralizing toxins from the outside-in, inside-out and Stage IV is Energize where the child is on a maintenance schedule customized for them.
These are the stages and I am sure we have a road ahead of us. But that's okay. It's affordable and doable for us. I struggle with should I give straight up meds or no because that might be the easier road but for now we are sticking to this.
Phase I (Stabilize) with emotional support. Phase II is Vitalize where we build up the adrenals, neurotransmitter and gut support, Stage III is Neutralizing toxins from the outside-in, inside-out and Stage IV is Energize where the child is on a maintenance schedule customized for them.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
To every season...
Well I am no good at transitions. I'll tell you that's my big autistic trait I have all on my own. Perhaps my son does better than I do. We are both going to be transitioning to an ABA agency moving from one to another. I am scared. I am scared for Aidan but mostly scared for me. Not a fan of change. We are sad to have to leave one agency but it was better in the long run because we want to work with the school district as we may have to be good friends for years to come. Who knows what the future holds.
Also I am running for the school board. So if you live in Alta Loma Elementary School District, come this November vote for me!
Also I am running for the school board. So if you live in Alta Loma Elementary School District, come this November vote for me!
Dr. Klinghardt Conference August 2008
I have learned a great deal in the world of alternative medicine in the past several months. First there was the LIA Conference out of Indian Wells, CA and next this past weekend I attended the Dr Klinghardt Autism 2008 conference. Both gave such valuable information that is truly ground breaking.
Since I live in an area that has not "caught up" shall we say with where medicine is heading I try to simplify what I learn to not overwhelm parents.
Two points I feel are most crucial for a parent, their children and family are:
1.) Turn off all fuses at night: avoid noise and light pollution. You are creating melatonin DURING SLEEP to detox. MORE IMPORTANT than glutathione with good restful, HEALING sleep!
2.) Eat a purely organic diet with NO GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS!
I think those are the two statements best to give a parent and then when they have done the two above lets talk more and delve more into getting our families the healing they need.
Since I live in an area that has not "caught up" shall we say with where medicine is heading I try to simplify what I learn to not overwhelm parents.
Two points I feel are most crucial for a parent, their children and family are:
1.) Turn off all fuses at night: avoid noise and light pollution. You are creating melatonin DURING SLEEP to detox. MORE IMPORTANT than glutathione with good restful, HEALING sleep!
2.) Eat a purely organic diet with NO GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS!
I think those are the two statements best to give a parent and then when they have done the two above lets talk more and delve more into getting our families the healing they need.
Why What Savages Say Matters
I went with my husband on a once every six months or so date last night. We went to see the movie Dark Knight. We love to watch the previews but one of the previews struck a cord with me and brought me to tears a bit. It was a preview for a movie called Blindness based on a book by Jose Saramago. The premise of the storyline is that certain random people are struck with blindness and because it cannot be understood these individuals are quarantined in a mental institution and for fear of their disease of unknown origin that is contagious they are left abandoned to defend themselves.
This struck a cord for me as a parent because I realize that in these times we are slowly as a society becoming desensitized to the need for understanding when we have a generation of children afflicted, in growing numbers, with another illness of unknown origin: autism. There are countless examples I can give of how select members of society have begun to treat families with autism with disdain, ignorant and uneducated comments, and downright hatred including acts of inhumanity. Some of the these include a teacher who wanted to vote a child with autism out of a class, a child asked to leave church, a toddler asked to leave a plane, and another told to leave a restaurant because they were making too much noise by a patron.
When we allow these voices of inhumanity to remain uninterrupted in this country against our families and our children, others begin to slowly and methodically believe what they say. At first a person not familiar with autism but perhaps believing it not right to talk about a person in a negative fashion might be stunned to hear words like "brat" about a child with autism. But maybe they tune in again and hear " What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot." Maybe that person wonders if there is any truth to those words.
They wonder if more kids with autism perhaps are father less or have a dad not included in their life. Maybe, they wonder, they could be faking it? Maybe they do need to toughen up? This is called slowly and methodically desensitizing a nation. I assure you it's happening right now.
So getting back to that preview for the movie Blindness and connecting it to autism, I realize there are two words that come to mind: fear and unknown. That is the connection. Blindness in this movie, like autism happens of unknown origin. We are not even close to understanding why our numbers in autism have increased so dramatically and continue to increase. For this reason fear begins to abound in society. Fear of a disease of unknown origin and fear of it's complete dominance and effect on everyone and everything. Fear creates scapegoats like our children with autism blamed for the ills of society. This extends to chaos and further acts of inhumanity. Ultimately if it gets the best of us it will lead to a breakdown in society.
I believe we are in dark times and I worry about the future for my five year old son Aidan. But I truly believe as a parent, a caregiver, a friend to children with autism we have a responsibility to educate society YES but also to SILENCE the SAVAGES of the world. I believe all of us are working pretty dang hard to understand what is yet unknown in autism. Of course we are not there yet. However when others are desensitized by a message of inhumanity and hate, it is our responsibility to our children and our family to shut it down!
If we don't do it now we need not be surprised in the coming years if that fate of those in the movie Blindness is the fate of our children as well. I plead with you fellow parents, fellow citizens to take action now. Take a stand against inhumanity. Take a stand against hate. Take a stand for the future of our children.
LIAF wants to encourage parents, friends, family, acquaintances and anyone you can think of, to take action on this issue. We as parents, caretakers and friends to children with autism need to be emailing Talk Radio Network and Clear Channel network and asking for Savage to be fired. Also add if he is not immediately fired, you and everyone you know will be contacting advertisers to pull support from TRN and Clear Channel. Savage's tactics are all about 'shock' and getting more listeners.
Tactics to Avoid: By calling in to the Savage show or by writing Savage requesting an apology you are adding fuel to his 'shock jock' fire! By taking time to try and educate the ignorant Savage you are adding fuel to his 'shock jock fire!' Writing local radio stations does little because they don't make any decisions on programming. Please these tactics are a waste of your time and energy.
Tactics we Recommend: Go to the top. Ask for the firing of Savage AKA human rights violator. Threaten their advertising dollars. If emailing the below supplies no reply then start finding out who the advertisers are on the Savage show and contact them. Tell advertisers to demand Savage be fired or you and your friends will not support or buy what they sell. Threaten the money trail. That is the way to make a change here. Make sure you aren't listening to ANY network that plays Savage on their station and make sure your families and friends do the same. Everything else is small potatoes.
Email addresses are here:
customerservice@TalkRadioNetwork.com
LLowryMays@clearchannel.com
MarkPMays@clearchannel.com
RandallTMays@clearchannel.com
This struck a cord for me as a parent because I realize that in these times we are slowly as a society becoming desensitized to the need for understanding when we have a generation of children afflicted, in growing numbers, with another illness of unknown origin: autism. There are countless examples I can give of how select members of society have begun to treat families with autism with disdain, ignorant and uneducated comments, and downright hatred including acts of inhumanity. Some of the these include a teacher who wanted to vote a child with autism out of a class, a child asked to leave church, a toddler asked to leave a plane, and another told to leave a restaurant because they were making too much noise by a patron.
When we allow these voices of inhumanity to remain uninterrupted in this country against our families and our children, others begin to slowly and methodically believe what they say. At first a person not familiar with autism but perhaps believing it not right to talk about a person in a negative fashion might be stunned to hear words like "brat" about a child with autism. But maybe they tune in again and hear " What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot." Maybe that person wonders if there is any truth to those words.
They wonder if more kids with autism perhaps are father less or have a dad not included in their life. Maybe, they wonder, they could be faking it? Maybe they do need to toughen up? This is called slowly and methodically desensitizing a nation. I assure you it's happening right now.
So getting back to that preview for the movie Blindness and connecting it to autism, I realize there are two words that come to mind: fear and unknown. That is the connection. Blindness in this movie, like autism happens of unknown origin. We are not even close to understanding why our numbers in autism have increased so dramatically and continue to increase. For this reason fear begins to abound in society. Fear of a disease of unknown origin and fear of it's complete dominance and effect on everyone and everything. Fear creates scapegoats like our children with autism blamed for the ills of society. This extends to chaos and further acts of inhumanity. Ultimately if it gets the best of us it will lead to a breakdown in society.
I believe we are in dark times and I worry about the future for my five year old son Aidan. But I truly believe as a parent, a caregiver, a friend to children with autism we have a responsibility to educate society YES but also to SILENCE the SAVAGES of the world. I believe all of us are working pretty dang hard to understand what is yet unknown in autism. Of course we are not there yet. However when others are desensitized by a message of inhumanity and hate, it is our responsibility to our children and our family to shut it down!
If we don't do it now we need not be surprised in the coming years if that fate of those in the movie Blindness is the fate of our children as well. I plead with you fellow parents, fellow citizens to take action now. Take a stand against inhumanity. Take a stand against hate. Take a stand for the future of our children.
LIAF wants to encourage parents, friends, family, acquaintances and anyone you can think of, to take action on this issue. We as parents, caretakers and friends to children with autism need to be emailing Talk Radio Network and Clear Channel network and asking for Savage to be fired. Also add if he is not immediately fired, you and everyone you know will be contacting advertisers to pull support from TRN and Clear Channel. Savage's tactics are all about 'shock' and getting more listeners.
Tactics to Avoid: By calling in to the Savage show or by writing Savage requesting an apology you are adding fuel to his 'shock jock' fire! By taking time to try and educate the ignorant Savage you are adding fuel to his 'shock jock fire!' Writing local radio stations does little because they don't make any decisions on programming. Please these tactics are a waste of your time and energy.
Tactics we Recommend: Go to the top. Ask for the firing of Savage AKA human rights violator. Threaten their advertising dollars. If emailing the below supplies no reply then start finding out who the advertisers are on the Savage show and contact them. Tell advertisers to demand Savage be fired or you and your friends will not support or buy what they sell. Threaten the money trail. That is the way to make a change here. Make sure you aren't listening to ANY network that plays Savage on their station and make sure your families and friends do the same. Everything else is small potatoes.
Email addresses are here:
customerservice@TalkRadioNetwork.com
LLowryMays@clearchannel.com
MarkPMays@clearchannel.com
RandallTMays@clearchannel.com
We moved....and then moved again
We moved to Riverside but ended up moving back to our home in Rancho Cucamonga. We ended up buying a home with a broker in Riverside who then declared bankruptcy and left us hanging so we quickly relocated back to Rancho Cucamonga. We are trying to make things right with the bank now but we have to get back in their good graces.
It's a long story but the bottom line we are back in our original home in Rancho Cucamonga. I think Aidan was a little distraught with the move back since we moved in such a short amount of time. His dad and I were too because moving just is stressful period.
It's a long story but the bottom line we are back in our original home in Rancho Cucamonga. I think Aidan was a little distraught with the move back since we moved in such a short amount of time. His dad and I were too because moving just is stressful period.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
We are attempting to move...Yeah in this crap market
Well finances have gotten the better of us and we are trying to move. I guess I should say we had a plan when we moved here in 2004. The plan did not include or have knowledge of the word autism. I was going to get a job and go to work while Aidan went to preschool. So we made massive improvements and put a lot of money into making this our dream home. Prior to Diagnosis (or PTD) we put in a pool, spa, brand new Milguard windows, wood blinds (not faux, not that I have anything against the faux!) completely changed the landscaping of this home outside and in. We thought hey it will all work out we will have two incomes in a bit. Well you know the rest. I am a stay at home mom and my son is in an in home program. I don't trust many others in my home and those that I do are family. I can't expect family to be available for a full time schedule. So we are attempting to sell in this terrible market.
We will probably rent for awhile until we decide where we want to really move. More than likely we want to move out of California. Who knows? Where services are good is really all we care about. If you couldn't tell our son is our world.
Which brings me to another point. A few of my family members or extended family have asked why don't I go to work? We could put Aidan in daycare or a preschool where he is completely segregated with only children with autism in the school. Heck here in San Bernadino county schools are being BUILT on toxic land no less to house solely preschooler children with autism. They aren't even wanted in the regular schools anymore.
I will tell you why. Aaron and I would rather go bankrupt. We would rather live on the streets. We would rather lose everything we own (and we are heading that way). We are 100% committed to our son. His well being is our primary concern and always will be. He isn't a child who can go up to a teacher and say something is wrong. He couldn't tell me if he came home and was being hurt or abused. But here in my home at his tender young age if he is upset and has a certain cry or sounds I know what it means. There is no one that is more vested in Aidan than Aaron and I. We aren't willing to settle for ANYTHING less.
Does this mean I will never send him to school or that I trust no one else? Well we do intend to send him to kindergarten when is six years old. We do intend to bring along supports in the form of shadows and aides that we know and trust. But for the next two years of his life I will be here for him and nurturing him. That's my job. If nothing else respect the fact that I am doing what I know in my heart defines ME as a good parent to my son.
We will probably rent for awhile until we decide where we want to really move. More than likely we want to move out of California. Who knows? Where services are good is really all we care about. If you couldn't tell our son is our world.
Which brings me to another point. A few of my family members or extended family have asked why don't I go to work? We could put Aidan in daycare or a preschool where he is completely segregated with only children with autism in the school. Heck here in San Bernadino county schools are being BUILT on toxic land no less to house solely preschooler children with autism. They aren't even wanted in the regular schools anymore.
I will tell you why. Aaron and I would rather go bankrupt. We would rather live on the streets. We would rather lose everything we own (and we are heading that way). We are 100% committed to our son. His well being is our primary concern and always will be. He isn't a child who can go up to a teacher and say something is wrong. He couldn't tell me if he came home and was being hurt or abused. But here in my home at his tender young age if he is upset and has a certain cry or sounds I know what it means. There is no one that is more vested in Aidan than Aaron and I. We aren't willing to settle for ANYTHING less.
Does this mean I will never send him to school or that I trust no one else? Well we do intend to send him to kindergarten when is six years old. We do intend to bring along supports in the form of shadows and aides that we know and trust. But for the next two years of his life I will be here for him and nurturing him. That's my job. If nothing else respect the fact that I am doing what I know in my heart defines ME as a good parent to my son.
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