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Hello to all that wrote to discuss their concerns with me regarding the proposed benchmarks.

I am sorry for the tardiness of this response. I have been very busy at the office of late, but have kept your concerns in mind.

First, I need to be absolutely clear. I did not sit on this Panel as a politician. I sat on it as a parent of a child with ASD - a child that was discharged from the IBI program without, in my opinion, a clear reason.

The purpose of this panel was to address the current practices used in the IBI program. There is currently no clear criteria and parents are often left wondering why their child was discharged. A group of medical experts looked at this problem and recommended that a panel be formed and a set of benchmarks be created using evidence based research found in medical journals and similar sources.

Using this information, the Panel created the current benchmark policy. It will be at the discretion of the Province whether or not a benchmark policy is used. While I cannot say with absolute certainty that a benchmark policy is the best policy to put in place, I can say that the current method is not working and a solution needs to be found. If benchmarking is the chosen solution, this is the best benchmarking policy that the panel could develop and I support it for that reason.

I feel that the recommended benchmark policy that we developed is evidence based, transparent and allows for a clear appeals process. It also strongly recommends continued support and care for the child if they are discharged.

I understand everyone’s frustration with the current policy, and I respect your opinion if you do not feel that benchmarking is the best method to use to address the current problems. The Panel was assembled with the purpose of creating a benchmarking option. As I said before, it will be up to the Province to decide if this is the best policy. If you do not feel that it is, I respect that. I also ask you to make any suggestions with regards to what could be used in place of benchmarks. I think we all agree that the current system is not working. We need to find a solution. The benchmarks are one suggestion, and I feel that we have created the best possible benchmarks; however, benchmarks are not necessarily the best solution. If you think that you have a better one, I strongly suggest that you contact your MPP with your concerns.

I want the best possible program for children and families dealing with ASD and a clear and fair method for choosing who qualifies for the IBI program. I cannot say for certain that benchmarks fulfill that need, but I can say that the benchmarks we developed are, in my opinion, the best possible benchmarks that could be developed.

I hope this clarifies my support of the Benchmarks that the Panel developed.

Sincerely,
Councillor Terry Whitehead
Ward 8 - West Mountain
City of Hamilton
Office: (905) 546-2712
Fax: (905) 546-2535
Cell: (905) 317-6001
Web Site: http://www.terrywhitehead.ca
My Blog: http://terrywhitehead.typepad.com
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