Issue: Health Care: Autism and ADA

[jenindallas]

What are Dr. Paul's stands on Autism education and the American with Disabilites Act? If you have seen my myspace then you will know why I am asking.

[angelatc]

You're probably not going to like my answer, but I suspect that Dr. Paul would almost unilaterally let each state make their own decisions about issues that are addressed by the ADA.

I am not Dr. Paul, but as a Paul supporter I also do not think the issues addressed by the ADA should be legislated by the Federal government.

I think that the beaucracy creates more problems than it solves.

Before you discount it, please just think about it: if 50 states had devised 50 different versions of the ADA, those states would be able to refine their plans to best suit their individual needs. They would also be able to review the sucesses and failures of the other 49 states to make their individual plans stronger.

Your local legislators would have control of their own funding - they wouldn't need to beg Washington to please return the funds.

[jenindallas]

*sigh* That is what I figured. My poor little boy is out of luck either way it goes. No Child left behind was bad for children like him, and his school is already badly underfunded and understaffed for dealing with the other kids.

[Brandybuck]

Speaking for me, and not necessarily for Ron Paul, education isn't one of the federal government's constitutional powers. You need to look to the state or local level. As for the ADA, I have a very close friend who is severely disabled, who hates it, says it goes way too far.

[mdh]

*sigh* That is what I figured. My poor little boy is out of luck either way it goes. No Child left behind was bad for children like him, and his school is already badly underfunded and understaffed for dealing with the other kids.

Then taking education out of the hands of incompetent government managers should be a really great thing for him. :)

[Bryan]

Jenindallas, one of the main points to remember with Dr. Paul is to always consider the big picture. With Dr. Paul's positions of Constitutional government and abolishing the IRS (which is very do-able) it would be most likely that you would be able to provide better care for your son with tax savings. While true, without the ADA you may not get some of your tax money back through its program you can figure that overall you likely won't get back more than you would otherwise gain by not having to pay income tax at all. Effectively, bureaucrats are saying they know best how to spend your money so they tax you and redistribute it across a wide array of programs. If you had these choices to make for your self (freedom) it would seem natural that you would optimize using your money for what you thought was best and if that means more for your son then that is your choice.

This is how the cause of freedom brings us all together.

[cujothekitten]

*sigh* That is what I figured. My poor little boy is out of luck either way it goes. No Child left behind was bad for children like him, and his school is already badly underfunded and understaffed for dealing with the other kids.

This really isn't something the federal government should be involved with. I'm sure we can come up with a better solution that would be more beneficial for you and your child. Have you looked into private organizations and grassroots campaigns that lend support for parents of Autistic children? If so, what are some of the conclusions you've come to? If they're lacking in an area what would you like to see improved?

[jenindallas]

In answer to your question about grassroot groups for Autism, I have found a couple around my area. But so far all that are on thier boards are comments like "take you child to see Dr. ---- if you really care about them." And Dr. ___costs more than my family could ever afford. It is near impossible to get him decent insurance too, which stinks.

I am just trying to find what is best for him and it could be to take this away from the government. But I am afraid that without IDEA and the ADA he could be considered unteachable (which is untrue) and taken out of the education process. I am fairly sure that my fears are unfounded since there is now a wave of Autism Educatio reform going through our state as we speak. I think I am suffering from the "what-ifs".

[mdh]

I'd say that there are enough doctors out there genuinely committed to the teaching and integration of autistic children (I actually know a lot of mildly-moderately autistic people on the internet who've done just fine for themselves), that if education were privatized, no less than 5 of them would open up educational corporations, and Dallas is a big city, so you'd probably have a branch or a franchise there! :)