Autism Waiting Lists In Alberta

The disparity in funding for autism treatment in Canada has, in the past, led some families with autistic children to move to oil rich Alberta, which has substantial government funding available for autistic children. But the availability of better funding has not translated into better services in all cases as children are stuck on lengthy waiting lists awaiting assessment. In Situation critical for autistic children Nicki Thomas of Sun Media reports on the critical shortage of staff and funding threatening the futures of autistic children in Edmonton. Terri Duncan of Children's Autism Services of Edmonton indicates that there are staffing shortages everywhere in Alberta and children are waiting up to a year for assessment. That year is a critically important year lost for autistic children in need of treatment:

Duncan said if autism isn't detected and treated early on, disruptive behaviour - like hitting, kicking and biting - develop from an inability to communicate effectively.

"Those behaviours can make lives really difficult and hard to deal with," she said.

"We would be able to take a lot more children off the waiting list if we had more qualified, trained staff," Duncan said.

Many credible studies and reviews of professional literature have confirmed that early ABA intervention is critically important for achieving the best possible outcome for autistic children. Lengthy waiting lists for assessment deprive autistic children of a better future.

In New Brunswick many, including me, have thought that a medical doctor is the only professional who can diagnose autism disorders. I was informed though that Psychologists can also make the initial autism diagnosis.

New Brunswick, Alberta, or anywhere else in Canada, it would seem that an important step in addressing the autism crisis, a crisis which is very real for families of children with autism, is to take steps to educate GP's in diagnosing autism. The tools being made available now by the American Academy of Pediatrics and similar organizations should be used by all doctors and psychologists to ensure autistic children receive early ABA treatment during the important early years without time being squandered.

autism

Autism Disappointment In Alberta

In Great expectations Calgary Sun reporter Tarina White reports on the disappointment facing families migrating to Alberta in search of well funded autism services in oil rich Alberta. She reports that, while Alberta may look best for autism services on paper, the reality is much different with long waits for services and few professionals to provide the services. Some families don't qualify for treatment and for some who do the service provided is not always. Families also face the same 6 year age cut off for services that exists in other Canadian provinces.

Add the stress of moving, leaving family, friends and support networks, finding work, and the cost of living and the Alberta Autism Dream may turn in to a nightmare for many families.

Four Strong Autism Winds Gaining Gale Force

In Four Strong Autism Winds I commented on the fact that families with autistic children from across Canada were migrating to Wild Rose country in search of oil rich Alberta's well funded autism programs. The Edmonton Journal has featured this trend today in Alberta a mecca for parents of autistic kids.

The Journal article provides an excellent treatment of the subject and, by the information presented, highlights the need for a National Autism Strategy in Canada. While the Alberta funding is outstanding the immigration of families seeking access to its programs from other parts of Canada is "gumming up the works" increasing waiting lists for all autism services.

Whether the winds of desperation sending autism families to Alberta will ever translate into a Rational National Autism Strategy to address Canada's growing autism crisis remains to be seen. Two solid concrete obstacles stand in the path of such a development - the Stephen Harper Conservatives and the Block Quebecois. Both of these "federal" parties are fundamentally opposed to federal government assistance on health matters and the needs of autistic children are no exception. Any hope for a Rational National Autism Strategy must rest with the Liberals and the NDP, alone or acting together.

Four Strong Autism Winds

Four strong winds that blow slowly
Seven seas that run high
All these things that don't change come what may
Now our good times are all gone
And I'm bound for moving on
I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way

Guess I'll go out to Alberta
Weather's good there in the Fall
Got some friends that I can go to workin' for
Still I wish you'd change your mind
If I asked you one more time
But we've been thru that a hundred times or more


- Ian Tyson

Ian Tyson's Four Strong Winds is viewed by many as Canada's unofficial national anthem, a tale of Canadian migration to Alberta in search of work. Today Alberta continues to draw Canadians in search of work. But it is also a magnet attracting Canadian families with autistic children in search of its government funded autism treatment. In neighboring Saskatchewan meanwhile government funding for autism is virtually non-existent.

In Parliament the Scott-Stoffer private member's motion calling for a National Autism strategy to deal with this national health crisis was passed while the Shawn Murphy bill seeking inclusion of autism treatment under medicare was defeated by the Harper Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois on spurious jurisdictional arguments. Canada would not have a national medicare system at all if this feeble rationalization was employed consistently. Indeed why do we even have a federal Health Minister, at present Tony Clement, if the federal government has no role to play in health issues? The reality is that prior to the election of the Harper Conservatives Canadians had long recognized the need for federal provincial cooperation to address health issues of national magnitude that might be beyond the ability of smaller or poorer provinces to address.

To most Canadians the hundreds of studies documenting the effectiveness of ABA in treating autism should be enough to justify extending a federal hand to ensure that Canadians do not have to move to Alberta to seek treatment for their autistic children. To most Canadians the fact that 47-50% of autistic children can be rendered indistinguishable from their peers by school age, with intensive behavioral intervention, would be enough to justify federal involvement. For most Canadians the improvement in quality of life, the increased ability to communicate, to function in society, to avoid self injurious behavior would be compelling motivations justifying an effective national autism strategy. Since Stephen Harper is Prime Minister though a different argument, one which does not rely upon empathy or compassion, must be found - studies show that autism treatment saves governments very substantial sums of money, in reduced government services, over the life of an autistic person.

How about it Mr. Harper, how about offering a real national autism strategy to address Canada's autism crisis? You have clearly said no. Still I wish you'd change your mind, if I asked you one more time.


Autism funding drawing parents to Alberta

Last Updated: Monday, January 16, 2006 | 9:37 AM MT

CBC News

Alberta's coverage of an intensive therapy for children with autism is prompting some families to move to the province to receive additional care for their children.

"I used to see easily a kid a month that came to Alberta for autism services," Calgary pediatrician Dr. Neil Cooper said. "Probably it's been 10 years that we've been in this office that we've seen kids come from other provinces, mostly because of the funding."

The therapy – known as intensive behavioural intervention – is time consuming and expensive, but parents like Kim and Mike Stafford say it's worth it.

The Moose Jaw couple moved to Calgary 18 months ago because Alberta's health care system pays for the therapy, which they say has led to a big difference in their son.

When six-year-old Trey was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder which can be accompanied by severe problems with social interactions and language, three years ago, it seemed he had retreated into his own world, his parents say.

However, since he's been involved in intensive behavioural intervention, his progress has been remarkable, they say.

For example, although now Trey spends part of each morning spelling words, he could barely even say them a year ago, Kim Stafford said.

"Now he knows all the kids' names in his class. He can write down the names, he can spell them. It's really wonderful to see," she added.

The treatment involves speech therapy, physiotherapy, music and games – between 20 to 30 hours per week. It costs around $60,000 per year.

The Saskatchewan Health Department would only pay for one hour a week, which the Staffords say was inadequate, so they moved to Alberta. Almost immediately, Trey began receiving the full 30 hours, the Staffords said.

Roger Carriere, executive director of the Saskatchewan Health Department's community care branch, said the therapy is expensive and there are questions about its effectiveness. He also noted there are many other priorities competing for Saskatchewan's health dollars.