"What remains to be done? While we need to celebrate the achievements to date, we need to make a commitment to the needs of all families and all age groups.Our greatest need at present is to develop services for adolescents and adults.
What is needed is a range of residential and non-residential services and these services need to be staffed with behaviorally trained supervisors and therapists Some jurisdictions in the United States have outstanding facilities that are in part funded by the state and provide a range of opportunities for supervised and independent living for individuals with various disabilities."
We need an enhanced group home system throughout the province in which homes would be linked directly to a major centre that could provide ongoing training, leadership and supervision. That major centre could also provide services for those who are mildly affected as well as permanent residential care and treatment for the most severely affected. Such a secure centre would not be based on a traditional "hospital" model but should, itself, be integrated into the community in a dynamic manner, possibly as part of a private residential development. The focus must be on education, positive living experiences, and individualized curricula. The key to success is properly trained professionals and staff.
Autism parents advocated successfully for the early autism services currently provided to autistic children in New Brunswick. We also advocated successfully for autism trained teacher aides and research teachers and for the reversal of the decision to close the Stan Cassidy Centre autism team which provides consultation services to age 16. We also argued for many years, including by a written submission in 2008, for adult autism services.
In 2010 we were joined in our adult autism advocacy efforts by Professor Emeritus (Psychology) Paul McDonnell who was interviewed by CBC journalist Dan Mchardie and articulated clearly the need for an autism network of group homes with autism trained staff with a centre in Fredericton to provide oversight to the services provided in the homes which would also provide permanent residential care and treatment including continuing education for adults with the most severe autism related challenges.
In 2015, with input from me and from fellow parent autism advocate Cynthia Bartlett, Mr. MacDonnell elaborated on the network proposal in a submission presented with Cynthia and I also participating, at a meeting with then Minister of Social Development Cathy Rogers. While things stalled after that it seems clear after a recent meeting with myself and my severely autistic adult son Conor and Minister of Families and Children . Stephen Horsman, with 3 department representatives, in attendance that the Minister is working to address the needs of autistic adults in NB. Hopefully he will consider carefully the statements by Paul McDonnell in 2010 and the joint submission he made with Cynthia Bartlett and myself in 2015.
The concept of a hierarchy of needs has long been discussed in humane societies. The spectrum of adults with autism includes many with very intense residential care and treatment needs. Hopefully Minister Horsman will address those needs with the adult autism centre and network proposed by Paul McDonnell and parent autism advocates for so many years.
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