Humane, Professional Adult Autism Residential Care and Treatment vs The Empty, Ridiculous Bricks and Mortar Cliche

Autistic Adults in NB have long been in need of long term, and in some cases permanent, residential care and treatment. Once again some political figures are preparing to dismiss the need for an autism residential care and treatment network with the decades old Bricks and Mortar dismissal. What has been available has actually BEEN bricks and mortar. ... The Restigouche Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton in particular. 

Look at the CBC image of the Restigouche hospital attached, you can see the Bricks and Mortar. Our political leaders from all parties have ignored that reality .... that evidence ... of how their empty rhetoric has simply no foundation in reality, how it has simply worked to hide our autistic adults on our northern border far, far from most families and far from the centrally located and internationally recognized autism expertise developed at the Stan Cassidy Centre autism team and the UNB-CEL.Autism program which was developed by UNB in both official languages and has been recognized internationally.

Attachment 1 Above : CBC Image of the Bricks and Mortar  Campbellton Psychiatric Hospital where  Autistic Adults Have Been Sent  

Attachment 2  Below : - a Map showing how far Campbellton, situated on our Northern Border, is from most communities, including the largest communities in NB; as far away from MOST families as possible

The Map also shows that Fredericton is much more centrally located. ... It is where autism expertise has developed in Canada. An autism center in Fredericton could provide training and oversight to autism homes and for persons providing assisted living in apartments for autistic persons for whom an apartment living would be possible. The center could also provide permanent residential care for the most severely challenged.

The Complexity and Challenges of Autism SPECTRUM DISORDER Must Be Addressed in Adult Autism Residential Care and Treatment in NB

My name is Harold Doherty, I am the father of a wonderful but severely autistic, intellectually disabled son Conor, who like a large number of persons with autism and ID also suffers from epilepsy. I have been involved in the autism advocacy movement in NB for 20 years now. I have received awards for my understanding and contribution to improving the lives of persons with autism. Two of those awards are set out in these pictures. 1. The hugs and smiles I received from my now 22 year old son Conor, the award which I value most; and 2. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal which I received for my autism advocacy here in NB.

There have been many autism advocates in NB who deserved the QE II Diamond Jubilee Medal as much as I did. One contribution I have always made is to speak directly and honesty about the very tough challenges of autism spectrum disorder a very complex disorder which reduces life expectancy from persons on the spectrum by 9 years on the "high functioning" end of the spectrum to 30 years, yes THIRTY years, on the "low functioning" end of the spectrum. (See the Autistica UK report Personal Tragedies, Public Crisis and the studies on which it is based, link at the end of this commentary) Many people on the autism spectrum have an intellectual disability estimated at 44% by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention to 50% estimated by the World Health Organisation. Many of the persons on the spectrum will engage in Self Injurious Behaviour, Reactive Agression (non intentional) aggression often to a care giver caused in the middle of a meltdown, usually impacting a caregiver, or cause damage to property.

I speak the truth about the serious, even severe, autism disorders which affect many with autism disorders, their loved ones and caregivers, because I have to and because public policy and programs are often drafted by politicians and civil servants who lack first hand knowledge of these challenges. As we move forward from NB's early autism and school years successes while still working to improve the services in our schools we have to design an adult autism disorder residential care and treatment network which has been started with a 2015 paper prepared by Professor Emeritus (Psychology) and Clinical Psychologist Paul McDonnell who has been available for input and who has been a key player in creating NB's internationally recognized early autism interventon program.