New Brunswick needs an institutional level of adult and youth residential care and treatment center for the more severely autistic. There are many existing models of care which could be adopted and existing examples abound, primarily in the United States. The Autism Society New Brunswick has also had discussions with long time autism mentor, clinical psychologist and professor of psychology (emeritus) Paul McDonnell around the development of a village model. This concept would envision an autism village with a central hub located in Fredericton. The hub would provide treatment and secure residential placement for severely autistic persons.
The village component of the facility would include smaller buildings residential facilities specific to persons with autism disorders of varying severity and age. Fredericton is recommended as the location because of its relatively central location and its proximity to autism specific expert services such as the Stan Cassidy tertiary care pediatric team, the University of New Brunswick and the UNB-CEL autism intervention training program. It is also the seat of government and senior officials in health, family services and education would have ready access to the centre.
The autism village concept does not detract in any way from the community living concepts that have held sway for the past 30 years. It would address the need for residential care and treatment for autistic youths and adults with expert professional services and trained staff knowledgeable in autism disorders, interventions and behaviour management. The residents would be in close physical proximity to the general community in which they could be taken with assistance. Community groups like the Special Olympics and in particular the Autism Community Center could be tapped for volunteers to assist in providing recreational and exercise outings at community trails, parks, pools, and other recreational activity centres."
New Brunswick has known of the need for an autism village including a Fredericton based autism centre to provide training, oversight and long term care for those most severely affected by autism and related disorders since 2008 when informed by the ASNB and was reminded again in 2010 by Professor Emeritus (Psychology) Paul McDonnell and again in 2015 in a meeting with Professor McDonnell and parent advocates, parents who met again with NB government Minister Dorothy Shepard prior to the Hutch Tour and Report which put the breaks on further examination of the needs of adults with severe autism and related disorders.
Will you as an MLA take action to make the Autism Village happen or let our adult children with severe autism disorders fade away when their parents are gone? Can you face the challenges that parents face every day in loving and caring for our children who face severe, life shortening (30 years premature death) challenges every minute of their lives?
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