[Iliketophaff]

This should be in the Venting Board, but this needs to be a public vent.

Anyone, at anytime can become a carer. And this is what is happening to Carer's of kids with disabilities in Victoria. The less intervention a child receives in early childhood the greater the likelihood that child will be long-term dependent on a carer, usually their parents, usually their mum.

I think it is a feminist issue.

The Age - children missing out on disability services

A couple of thoughts.

Early intervention or early childhood intervention?

Not just semantics.
Early intervention says to me "intervention that takes place EARLY after becoming aware of the disability,". Get in there and treat it. Intervene in the progression of the development of the disability. Start the 'rehab' early, or ASAP.

Early childhood intervention is just intervention that takes place some time in the early childhood years - in Victoria this seems to be defined as birth - 6 years, or the year prior to school.

They are not the same thing.

Secondly, what is the nature of the 'intervention' referred to? For our son we were offered a 2hr session in a group with diverse needs run (physical, intellectual, medical etc) by a former occupational therapist, an assistant, with a visiting speech pathologist who attended for 1hr occasionally, and didn't work with all the kids. 2years later we were offered a speech pathology appointment once a fortnight.

I am very glad for the article, but there is more to it than simply 'are services offered or not?'. The issues go deeper into the nature, quality and amount of services provided.

[cinnabubble]

How is this a feminist issue?

[Iliketophaff]

Fair question.

Because the 1st 6 years of my sons life I stayed at home providing therapy to him. When he got to school I got a job, only 2 days/week, only to be 'asked' on day 1 if he could miss 3hrs of school each day (attend for the mornings only).

He is now at school full time, but not a day goes by that I don't fast forward 11years when he finishes school and wonder if I will again be his full time carer.

He can speak a little, and what he can say is difficult to understand. I have done the bulk of the work with him , his father struggles to understand him, which makes him more reliant on me.

I want to get back to work. In 11 years I will be 46 years old. Government provided services were lacking, and not what my family needed. Will services post-school be the same.

Most caring roles, and therapy roles fall on women (most, not all) this is why it is a feminist issue.

[Sinister Bonnet]

How is this a feminist issue?

Oh come on! How is it not?

[baddmammajamma]

Duffy, I just posted a somewhat related thread in Venting.

It is shocking how little is offered -- not just in (early) intervention but also in things like respite services.

In tonight's "A Current Affair" piece on autism that I referenced in my thread, there was a woman featured whose son with autism gets virtually no intervention. She is shouldering EVERYTHING by herself. With greater intervention, he would likely be able to develop greater self care skills and some degree of independence. Instead, there is nothing.

So when she asks "I am a single mum. What is going to happen to him when I'm gone?" that is a gut wrenching question, and it is most certainly a feminist issue.

[Tesseract]

It is totally a feminist issue. All caring, for children, elderly and people with special needs falls to women. I comppletely agree with you Duffy.

Duffy can you tell me what you think of the NDIS?

[JRA]

It is totally a feminist issue. All caring, for children, elderly and people with special needs falls to women. I comppletely agree with you Duffy.

I assumed this was sarcasm, but now I am not sure.

Surely you don't believe that.



This post has been edited by JRA: 19/02/2013, 08:28 PM

[Sinister Bonnet]

While I totally believe that disability and caring is a feminist issue, I also know it is not true that all carers are female.

My DH is a carer and a person with disability and has a penis.

[BetteBoop]

Of course it's a feminist issue. Most carers are females.

Most carers live in poverty while unpaid /volunteer work is considered the work of women. The contribution women make is unpaid, underpaid or devalued.

[smurfette14]

Just because something negatively affects females doesn't make it a feminist issue.

Parking fines affect more women than men... is that a feminist issue?