Adults with Severe Autism and Intellectual Disability Excluded from The Atlantic Canada Autism/Neurodiversity Conference November 7 and 8

Conor as seen by his family and friends,

Conor, and oher adults with severe autism and intellectual disability, as seen by UNB-CEL

NB Adults with Severe autism & intellectual disability excluded from the Atlantic Provinces Autism Conference UNB-CEL Nov 7 and 8. I was starting to sign up for the above noted conference being held by UNB-CEL. I had second thoughts though when I reviewed the agenda in more detail. There are some credible speakers Dr. David Celiberti of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment in the US and Dr. Tara Kennedy of the Stan Cassidy Centre in Fredericton.

There are no NB Parents such as myself or the many other parents who advocated for the early autism treatment program, autism & ABA trained school aides or reversal of the decision to close the Stan Cassidy Autism Team. Nor are there parents of adult persons with severe autism disorder and intellectual disability who comprise 40-50% of the autism spectrum. The residential care and treatment of adults with severe autism and ID is not mentioned despite the horror of being imprisoned in the Restigouche Hospitral far from families and autism expertise in NB. I might attend the conference if questions are allowed or might attend outside to protest the exclusionary nature of the conference.

It is clear from a reading of the Autism Coneference web site page at UNB-CEL that the UNB-CEL which provided so much evidence based training ... in response to parent advocacy ... has now forgotten the now adult children of those parents, the parents themselves, and the very fact that autism is a mental health disorder requiring treatment and in some cases permanent adult residential care and treatment.