Science for Sale in the Autism Wars: Medically Necessary Autism Treatment, the Court Battle for Health Insurance

Sabrina Freeman (1958-) graduated from Stanford University in 1995 with a Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in small group research and the study of organizations. Upon her return to British Columbia, Freeman spent 14 years advocating for the rights of children with autism to be included in the government funded health care system for their core health need -- autism treatment. During this period, so many parents were desperate to access treatment programs that Freeman created a 35 minute VHS/DVD Autism: Now What Do I Do? to help guide parents through setting up science-based treatment programs for their children. In 2002, she was awarded Queen Elizabeth's 50th Golden Jubilee Medal for advocacy work done on behalf of children afflicted with autism. Freeman's advocacy culminated in the now famous Supreme Court of Canada ruling Auton (Guardian ad litem of) v. British Columbia in 2004.  During these 15 years, Dr. Freeman wrote several books on autism, one of which Teach Me Language has been subsequently translated into French, Italian and Norwegian. The next book she wrote, Science for Sale in the Autism Wars, chronicles the struggle children with autism face against a system that does not recognize their rights to treatment. Her most recent book The Complete Guide to Autism Treatment (2011) is an up-to-date evaluation on the various treatments offered for children with autism. Her hope is that through her scholarship, thousands of parents will not have to go through the uncertain journey of generations of parents of newly diagnosed children. Instead, parents can quickly evaluate various treatments and make sure that their child receives science-based treatment rather than treatments based on testimonials and good wishes.