Autism Society New Brunswick Invitation to Premier Alward, Ministers, Opposition Leaders to Attend ASNB AGM

February 7, 2013

Dear Honourable Premier Alward, 

Honourable Ministers, 

Respected Leaders of the Liberal, NDP and Green Parties of New Brunswick

You are all respectfully invited to attend the 2013 annual meeting of the Autism Society New Brunswick scheduled for March 23, 2012 commencing at 12:30 at MacLaggan Hall, UNB Fredericton.  The meeting will be open to anyone in New Brunswick affected by or with an interest in autism spectrum disorders.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States currently estimates that 1 in 88 persons will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  The primary diagnostic features of autism as set out in the DSM and ICD diagnostic manuals indicate three primary concerns of deficits in  social, communication and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities. Serious features often found in conjunction with autism include intellectual disabilities, epilepsy and seizure activities, sensory issues and self injurious behaviours.

In our province the Autism Society New Brunswick and our parent members have been instrumental in advocating successfully for evidence based early intervention for children with autism disorders. We were actively involved in assisting in the creation of  the internationally recognized UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Treatment program.  Our advocacy prompted the UNB-CEL autism training of approximately 500 education aides and resource teachers. 

It was also the ASNB representation during the inclusive education reviews  of the Lord and Graham administrations (MacKay,Ministerial Committee) that helped ensure the emphasis in the PNB definition of inclusive education on a student focused, individualized,  evidence based approach to inclusive education.  We have further advocated for the maintenance of a range or continuum of learning and placement alternatives in providing inclusive education; consistent with principles enunciated in Canadian case law such as the recent Moore decision of the Supreme Court of Canada and by credible autism authorities such as the TEACCH Autism Program at the University of North Carolina. 

ASNB and our representatives have also advocated persistently, albeit with very limited results, for systemic improvements in adult services.  One key area that has repeatedly been brought to the attention of government, and for the most part ignored,  is the need for an enhanced network of residential care and treatment  for New Brunswick adults with autism as described by respected New Brunswick autism expert Paul McDonnell.  

The adult care issues are of grave concern and have not been seriously addressed in NB at all.  There are also serious concerns among parents about a perceived regression in provision of early autism intervention with valuable early intervention time being lost needlessly by bureaucratic and service provider procedures. In our schools the quality and integrity of the UNB-CEL autism training has been replaced by an in house autism training model which the ASNB objected to strenuously over many years.  Pressures are continually being exerted to place all students with autism disorders in regular classroom settings contrary to the legal and professional requirements noted above for a continuum or range of education settings and service delivery based on the needs of the individual students.

The issues articulated are  provided in an attempt at candid, courteous discussion of issues that are of fundamental importance to our ASNB members and persons affected by autism. They are provided to avoid surprise and to allow any respected invitees who choose to attend to come prepared for discussion without fear of being "bushwacked".   This invitation will itself be placed in regular and social media consistent with ASNB practice of transparent, arm lengths and public approach to autism advocacy that has worked so well in dealing with previous administrations. 

if you choose to attend you will be welcomed on behalf of the  1 in 88 persons in New Brunswick and their families. Kindly reply as soon as possible  to this email if you wish to attend so that preparations can be made to accommodate any needs, requirements or concerns you might have in attending. 

Respectfully,

  

Harold L Doherty

Acting President (ASNB, 2012 AGM)

Autism Society New Brunswick

cc.  ASNB, media  

Canada's Autism Epidemic? To Start With We Have to Use American Numbers 1in 88 Children, 1 in 54 Boys

Canada Flag Photo by Harold L Doherty

The CDC in the US has released new numbers on the autism epidemic in the US.  It now estimates that 1in 88 children (1 in 54 boys) have an autism disorder.  There are no known, reliable estimates available for Canada which has not updated its autism estimates in several years.  The Harper government has not taken Canada's national autism crisis seriously preferring to hide behind constitutional walls and leave the availability of treatment to an autistic child to depend on which province his/her parents live in.  

A National Autism Symposium was cancelled once the Harper government became aware that serous autism advocates were planning to participate.  The symposium was rescheduled and the resulting symposium was a sham. Speakers and so called  "community representatives" were chosen who would not take an aggressive advocacy position on any autism issues.  

The speakers list even included persistent anti-ABA activist Dr. Laurent Mottron who believes that the idea of curing autism is nonsense.  Mottron's mentor and fellow anti-ABA, anti-autism cure activist Michelle Dawson was also in attendance. Causes of autism stressed the genetic bases of autism with no attention to possible environmental causes or triggers.  The prevalance rate of 1 in 165 advanced by Dr. Eric Fombonne at that 2006 symposium is still the only figure recognized by the Harper government and by the Autism Society Canada. 

With the release of the United States CDC estimate of 1 in 88 Autism Speaks has called for a serious response to the autism epidemic:

Autism Speaks called for the development of a national autism action plan that should include, among other elements:

• Increased funding for basic science uncovering the genetic underpinnings of autism;
• Increased funding for environmental research detecting the causes of autism;
• Accelerated funding and development of effective medicines and treatments;
• Commitment to a strategy where all children with autism from every background are diagnosed no later than18 months of age;
• Commitment to a National Training Corps to recruit more therapists and service providers, as well as specially trained teachers and teacher assistants;
• A strategy to address the growing needs of adults with autism, specifically around continuing education, employment, housing/residential living and community integration.

The Autism Speaks recommendations are solid and, hopefully, will be adopted in the United States.  In Canada we can not realistically expect a serious response along those lines from our current Federal government.  That has been clearly demonstrated over the past several years of Harper Conservative rule.

In terms of the prevalence rate though it is absurd to rely  on the outdated figure of 1 in 165.   In the absence of any credible, current estimates from Canadian government institutions or from federal autism advocacy groups, the US figure of 1in 88 should be taken as the best available estimate of Canada's autism rates. 

We must also continue the push for national Medicare coverage of effective ABA autism treatment, for continued, real autism research of causes and cures, and for the beginnings of a plan for adult autism employment opportunities and adult residential care and treatment facilities.  

The US has stepped up to the plate, again, in offering meaningful, honest information about the autism epidemic.  Canada has long suffered from a lack of will that has allowed our autism epidemic to become a national autism crisis.   We must begin now working toward the day when a new national government is elected that will take our autism crisis seriously. 

In the meantime we should abandon the ridiculously outdated autism estimate of 1 in 165 and use the American estimates: 1 in 88 children, 1 in 54 boys.