October - Autism Awareness Month in NB - Adult Autism Care is Long Overdue

In Canada October is Autism Awareness Month

New Brunswick Is An Internationally  Recognized 
Early Autism Treatment Leader: 
BUT Has Nothing For Adults with Severe Autism

October 18, 2017

Premier Brian Gallant

Families & Children Minister Stephen Horsman

Health Minister Benoît Bourque

Dear Premier Gallant and Ministers Horsman and Bourque:

Re: Autism Awareness Month: Adult Autism Treatment and Care

October is Autism Awareness Month in Canada although that is sometimes lost in the Blue Light  celebrations of April n the United States.

I am sure you are all aware that New Brunswick has an early autism intervention program for which we can all be proud.  The NB program resulted from determined parent autism advocacy. It was developed at the UNB-CEL in Fredericton which established a program in both official languages that has been used in Saskatchewan and more recently in France. Conservative and Liberal governments contributed to the implementation and delivery of the early autism services. The Association for Science in Autism Treatment recognized the program as a model for consideration by other provinces and some US states. 

Parent autism advocacy also resulted in the training of approximately 500+ teacher aides/ education aides and some accommodation of autistic students in learning environments appropriate for their severe autism challenges.  Parent autism advocacy also resulted in the reversal of the decision to close the Stan Cassidy Centre Autism Team which provides consultation up to age 16.    

Nothing meaningful has been done though to address the very serious issues facing adults with autism in NB.  …. NOTHING.   In 2010 Professor Emeritus (Psychology) Paul McDonnell articulated the need for an adult autism network comprised of autism specific group homes located in communities around the province and a centre to provide the training and oversight for staff in the group homes.  A further extremely important function would be to provide permanent residential care, treatment and continuing education in a modern setting for those with severe autism challenges.  In a meeting two years ago then Minister of Social Development Rogers in the presence of Department advisers appeared to give careful consideration to a detailed proposal presented by Paul McDonnell and parent autism advocates. 

Since the meeting with Minister Rogers nothing has been done to advance the development proposed.  I ask you again, and will keep asking you, to stop ignoring the needs of adults with autism who can not be provided for in the community facilities that now exist.

I have been a parent autism advocate for more than 18 years plus.  I was pleased with the early autism intervention program developed for autistic children even though the program arrived too late for my severely autistic now 21 year old son to be eligible. 

If your government does not intend to work on and develop the adult autism network please advise.

Sincerely,

Harold L Doherty

Conor’s Dad

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient (Autism Advocacy)

Psychiatrist Keith Ablow MD Claims Las Vegas and Several Other US Shootings Implicate Autism Disorders

I never head of Doctor Keith Ablow until a few minutes ago. He is according to Wikipedia a Psychiatrist, television personality, author and contributor on psychiatric issues for FOX News channel and "The Blaze". The Wikipedia article points out that Ablow has been involved in several political controversies because of his expressed opinions.  Dr. Ablow has a blog called Res Publica in which he talks about the recent Las Vegas massacre and the possibility that the perpetrator of that massacre might have had Aspergers' Disorder.   

In Did Stephen Paddock Have Asperger’s Disorder? Does That Explain What He Did?  Dr. Ablow asserts that "The explanation for the carnage in Las Vegas may be as mundane as this: Stephen Paddock may have had Asperger’s Disorder—part of the spectrum of autistic disorders."  Dr. Ablow goes on to explain his speculation on various aspects of Paddock's life and connects them, in his opinion, to Aspergers' Disorders.  He also qualifies his speculation by pointing out that he had never met Paddock. He then goes on to state some very sweeping conclusions about persons with Aspergers' and other Autism Disorders:

"Many patients with Asperger’s Disorder become progressively more enraged as they note their tendency to fail in relationships, to lose employment and to lack the ability for joy.  And, sometimes, that feeling of being on the outside of everything makes them want to destroy everything.

I know this from my 25 years practicing forensic psychiatry, including my treating many people with Asperger’s. Some of these people shared with me thoughts of harming many others, and I took the proper precautions to prevent that.

Asperger’s Disorder or other disorders on the autism spectrum have, in  have, in fact, clearly been implicated in mass murders such as Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Aurora, Colorado.

I don't know if Dr. Ablow's claim that it is a FACT that autism spectrum disorders have clearly been implicated in other mass murders is correct. I am the father of an adult son with severe autism, intellectual disability and epilepsy.  My son is not even remotely capable of engaging in such planned activities as the Las Vegas massacre but I am concerned that Dr. Ablow has painted autism disorders as factually connected to several massacres.  

If Dr. Ablow's claim is accurate then so be it but I have never heard it before. I hope that other medical professionals either confirm, qualify or contradict his assertion. 

UNB Fredericton's Internationally Recognized Autism Expertise

UNB Fredericton, and NB, have enjoyed international recognition for its developing autism intervention expertise since the mid 2000's, The early intervention training program UNB developed was used to implement a provincial early intervention program that was soon recognized by the Association for Science in Autism Treatement in the US. UNB Fredericton has also achieved recognition in Europe.

Recently UNB-CEL Fredericton in partnership with Autism Connections Fredericton brought Princeton adult autism expert Dr. Greg MacDuff to Fredericton to speak for 2 days about adult autism care and treatment models he developed, evidence based autism treatment and adult autism principles generally. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the PNB had also helped bring Dr. MacDuff to Fredericton and to see Families and Children Minister Stephen Horsman as the introductory speaker. In addition there were a number of senior NB government employees in attendance at the event. 

During the 2 day session I also learned that UNB was now involved in the provision of autism intervention programming in France. I checked on the UNB-CEL web site and found the following information ... another testament to the internationally recognized autism expertise which UNB Fredericton is continuing to develop:

April 5, 2016

UNB partners with Université Blaise Pascale to license the autism intervention-programming curriculum

UNB has partnered with Université Blaise Pascale to license the autism intervention-programming curriculum, which will be re-designed for target employment in France. All developed curriculum will be co-shared for future opportunities of both institutions.

“We are very proud of the reputation UNB has and continues to build and expand upon on the autism and behaviour intervention front,” said Trisha Fournier-Hoyt, director, Autism and ABA training at UNB College of Extended Learning (CEL). “We continue to refresh and repurpose our programming to meet the needs of training partners across the world.”

Université Blaise Pascale has been charged with the development of a countrywide education strategy to provide an online autism intervention program for existing licensed psychology professionals in France. 

UNB has also achieved licensing recognition as a post secondary institution in France allowing UNB to provide education to students sponsored directly. This license was fostered through the partnership between UNB-CEL, l’Association Actions pour l’Autisme Aspergers France and the UNB-IRO.