Autism and Related Disorders in New Brunswick: NEVER ASSUME !

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

NEVER ASSUME !

NEVER ASSUME!

NEVER ASSUME. This morning I heard a hard coughing noise from Conor who was having breakfast in the next room and watching a movie on tv. Alarm bells went off in my mind and I could hear the words NEVER ASSUME as I jumped up to check on him. He was OK and Dad fixed the coughing problem with a glass of cold water.

I never assume anything anymore after Conor suffered gran mal seizures but I could also literally see the face of my former boss the late J. Gordon Petrie and hear him speaking the words NEVER ASSUME. I was working with his law firm in the mid 80's. Shortly after I started he assigned me a file to look at and I made an assumption about one aspect of the file. Gordon spoke with me calmly but firmly in a 1 on 1 meeting that evening and gave me a look only Gordon could do and said ... NEVER ASSUME. I will never forget those words and they come in handy in all aspects of life especially providing care for Conor with his complex autism, limited speech and epilepsy.

No comments:

Post a Comment

NB Needs an Adult Autism Center and Network

"Paul McDonnell, September, 2010 "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 behaviourally trained supervisors and therapists. In the past we have had the sad spectacle of individuals with autism being sent off to institutional settings such as the Campbellton psychiatric hospital, hospital wards, prisons, and even out of the country at enormous expense and without any gains to the individual, the family or the community. 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."