In the photos above Conor is showing the love he has enjoyed and shared with his family including his brother Brandon at a young age on the swings in the centre, his late Nanny, Kay, and his Mom and Dad. For Conor family is important, very important The NB autism experts and parent advocates who advocated for and developed the internationally recognized early autism intervention program, introduced autism training for education aides and resource teachers in our schools and reversed the decision to close the Stan Cassidy Centre Autism Team that provides consultation to autistic youth up to the age of 18 recognized the importance of family in developing principles for the establishment of an autism network for adults with autism. Unfortunately the current Minister of Families and Children as it is now called has demonstrated no understanding at all of the importance of family to persons with autism in NB including my son Conor.
Under the intellectual guidance and leadership of NB autism expert Paul McDonnell Ph. D. a network with a centre based in Fredericton, was proposed with autism specific group homes around the province. Fredericton is the most centrally located of our major municipalities and the location of the autism expertise that has been developed in Fredericton and which Minister Horsman also appears not to be aware of. He appears unaware of the advantages of a centre in Fredericton where NB autism expertise currently resides. The centre would provide a permanent residence for those with severe autism and autism research and oversight to autism specific group homes around the province including in the Northern riding of Donald Arseneault.
In my discussion with Minister Horsman I was not happy; to the contrary I was admittedly upset and annoyed that the Minister of Families and Children was not willing to consider the network proposal which is in his government's possession a network which would continue the autism services success NB has developed under the leadership of Premiers Lord and Graham. When discussing a Fredericton based centre Minister Horsman did not think it was a big deal that adults with severe autism would spend their lives in the Restigouche Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton located on our Nothern border with Quebec as far as possible from most families located in the south. He didn't think it was a big deal when he was a police officer to drive from Fredericton to Campbellton on occasion. The Families Minister did not seem to realize that families would like to maintain regular contact with their loved ones. When he did comment about the travel burden imposed on families he seemed to be throwing the large numbers of autistic adults and families in the south under the bus by suggesting that families in the north would not like to travel to the south. It is my understanding from discussion with others in the autism community that the Minister of Families still holds that ill informed, harmful view of the challenges facing families and adults with severe autism disorders.
The Minister's comments do not reflect any understanding of the autism network proposal advanced in principle by Professor Emeritus (Pyschology) Paul McDonnell in his 2010 CBC interview with Dan McHardie and developed further and presented to Minister Horsman's predecessor Cathy Rogers. In particular he does not seem to understand that the Fredericton based autism expertise does not exist in Campbellton. He does not seem to understand that the central location would mean less hardship for a far greater number of families located in the south. He does not seem to understand that the autism specific group homes would provide residence with autism trained staff in locations around the province and in close proximity to families. The centre would also provide the oversight needed and consultation needed for all NBers with autism including those autistic adults capable of living in apartments with assistance. Nothing the Minister of Families has said seems to indicate awareness of these principles.
An infuriating aspect of the Minister's blank stare look at adult autism care and treatment is the failure to recognize NB's accomplishments in early autism services and in providing school based autism services. This is not a construction company or a department store on the verge of going out of business. It is not a wonky geo-lottery system. It is an extension of proven evidence based approaches to provision of autism services that has made NB a leader in the provision of autism services ... except at the adult level.
Most of all I am disgusted that the so called Minister of Families is so lacking in compassion for the vast numbers of adults with moderate and severe autism who will have to live out their lives so far from families. Stephen Horsman may be the Minister of Families in name but he doesn't show it in word or deed.
If Minister Horsman wants a lesson in family values and the importance of family to persons with autism disorders he can look at the pictures above and learn from Conor and the family that loves him.
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