The Autism Society of Prince Edward Island is standing behind parents who say their autistic children were unfairly removed from school for extended periods.

But the Eastern School District argues it was a matter of safety.

"Parents feel in some cases as if they've been abandoned and the school system is turning their back on the child," said Jeff Himelman, vice president of the autism society.

Since December, four families have come forward after their children were removed from school, in some cases for weeks.

They've been told it's because the kids were being loud and disruptive.

"It's a safety concern. If we're involved to that level where a student is asked to leave, it's safe to say the behaviour is aggressive, said Adrian Smith, director of student services for the Eastern School District.

Smith won't say how aggressive the children were, only that no one was harmed.

Although the current district policy says children can be removed for things like bullying, threats, and physical harm, it does not address what to do when children with special needs are involved.

Two of the families were asked to sign crisis intervention plans, said Himelman.

"Possible involvement of law enforcement to remove their children from school property if they don't come and collect them. That's a little concerning," said Himelman.

The school district says these interventions are rarely used. Smith can't explain why there have been two issued in the last few months.

The school district hopes to come up with a new policy by the end of the year with procedures, and standardized procedures for everyone to follow, said Smith.

That policy will include extra training for staff, including educational assistants who look after the 78 children with autism in the district.

via www.cbc.ca

Washington (CNN) — President Obama won a historic victory in the struggle for health care reform Sunday as the House of Representatives passed a sweeping bill overhauling the American medical system.

The bill passed in a 219-212 vote after more than a year of bitter partisan debate. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.

The measure, which cleared the Senate in December, will now go to Obama's desk to be signed into law. It constitutes the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago.

A separate compromise package of changes expanding the reach of the measure also passed the House over unanimous GOP opposition, and is now set to be taken up by the Senate.

The overall $940 billion plan is projected to extend insurance coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans. It represents a significant step towards the goal of universal coverage sought by every Democratic president since Harry Truman.

Most Americans will now be required to have health insurance or pay a fine. Larger employers will be required to provide coverage or risk financial penalties. Total individual out-of-pocket expenses will be capped, and insurers will be barred from denying coverage based on gender or pre-existing conditions.

via www.cnn.com