Former Premier Shawn Graham, A Strong Advocate for New Brunswick's Autistic Children, Expected to Resign Today

Shawn Graham & Andy Scott with autistic children and parents at the

autism intervention and community centres in Fredericton in 2007

Canada News Service reports that NB Liberal leader Shawn Graham will announce his resignation this morning.  As a father of a son with Autistic Disorder, and an autism advocate for over 10 years, I will regret his departure.  Shawn Graham while official leader of the opposition, and then as Premier of New Brunswick, helped New Brunswick become as stated by David Celiberti, president of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, a leader in provision of autism services. Premier Lord had begun the early intervention program for delivery of evidence based autism treatment to NB preschoolers and had begun the training of teacher aides at the excellent UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program but Shawn Graham was active in pushing for these programs and in expanding them very significantly.  The people of NB said goodbye to him as Premier and today he is expected to leave.  

There are as yet no signs that Shawn Graham's commitment to evidence based intervention, treatment and education for autistic preschoolers and students in NB, in learning environments which accommodate their individual best interests,  will be carried on by  Premier Alward. To the contrary Premier Alward, and his cabinet ministers, are heavily influenced by the feel good philosophy of community living icon  Gordon Porter,  a member of Premier Alward's five man  transition advisory team, who has been openly hostile to autism representatives advocating modern evidence based approaches to educating autistic students.  Hopefully the gains made for autistic preschoolers and students during Shawn Graham's term as Premier will not be thrown away during the next four years.

I Am Voting Autism in the New Brunswick Election, I Am Voting Liberal

Shawn Graham, TJ Burke, Mary Schryer, Kelly Lamrock

The New Brunswick election is well under way, as the CBCNews NB Votes 2010 election countdown ticker tells us, with 22 days left until Election Day.  At this stage it is my hunch that autism services  will not receive any specific commitments from the parties.   Unless something dramatic, in the nature of a strong autism specific commitment to a new, modern residential care system for autistic adults emerges from one of the parties though this father of a severely autistic 14 year old son intends to vote Liberal.

Long before the last election took place autism groups advocated for early intervention and autism specific training for teacher assistants and resource teachers working with autistic students in New Brunswick schools. Many discussions took place with government and opposition political leaders. The then Conservative government of Premier Bernard Lord took some initial steps and Premier Shawn Graham's Liberal government developed those services substantially; particularly in New Brunswick schools.  The fact that autism advocacy groups, in direct discussion with the political leadership, played such a significant role in helping shape autism services in the schools did not always sit well with the interests of some career people in the Department of Education who opposed the changes and fought them, in some cases tooth and nail.  The changes were implemented though, after further study by then Liberal Education Minister Kelly Lamrock, and the autism commitments made by Premier Shawn Graham were honored to the great advantage of many New Brunswick students with autism disorders, including my son Conor.

Although both Conservative and Liberal governments have helped New Brunswick's autistic children in the past   autism specific commitments are not being discussed by any political party.  None of the three other parties, the NDP, the Green nor the new People's Alliance of New Brunswick have any hope of forming the next New Brunswick government.  

It is the prospect of further progress on advancing autism services, particularly for New Brunswick's adult autism population, that has me leaning strongly towards voting Liberal on September 27 2010. I will vote Liberal in the next election, in the likely absence of any autism specific commitment from the parties, because I know that the Liberal government including Shawn Graham, Kelly Lamrock, Mary Schryer  and TJ Burke, has a proven track record of helping autistic children in New Brunswick and I know from direct discussions  that they are solidly committed to helping with those with autism.  

Although I never had the opportunity to talk directly with former Conservative Premier Bernard Lord and former minister Tony Huntjens they did demonstrate a commitment to helping New Brunswick's autistic children.  Neither, however, are running in this election and Conservative leader David Alward has shown no substantial  interest in autism issues specifically, or in education, social or health issues generally.  His comments about requiring "volunteer" community service before New Brunswick students can graduate from High School cause me concern. The concept of requiring voluntary service seems illogical and contradictory. To this father of two high school sons Mr. Alward's comments also  suggest a  lack of sophisticated understanding of education issues.

The next great autism challenge in New Brunswick is to reform and modernize the residential care and treatment system for our  autistic adults.  The current group home system is inadequate for those who live there on many fronts include diet, recreation and access to treatment. The group home system as it is currently set up does not work at all for the lowest functioning autistic adults in New Brunswick who have  ended up living out their lives in psychiatric hospital wards in Saint John and Campbellton.

Current Health Minister Kelly Lamrock has stated that his department is studying, and working on the residential care system for New Brunswick autistic adults.  I know that autism groups, in which I have been included at times, have made representation on this issue. I believe Kelly Lamrock, who I have met and talked with many times, to be a  knowledgeable and trustworthy individual.  I believe that Kelly Lamrock will oversee the development of an autism specific residential care system for autistic adults.

I have   also met Premier Shawn Graham and discussed autism issues with him.  He committed to the Autism Society that his government would  train four years of classes of teacher assistants and resource teachers at UNB-CEL's autism intervention training program. Shawn Graham  kept that promise. He did so despite at times intense opposition from  interests within the Department of Education.

Like many New Brunswickers I was surprised and disappointed with Premier Graham's  reversal of his campaign commitment concerning NB Power.  I expressed my disappointment publicly but I think that Premier Graham entered into the NB Power deal  because he genuinely believed it was in the best interests of New Brunswick and felt that his first commitment, his first obligation as Premier,  was to govern in the best interests of New Brunswickers.    I believe that as a Premier he learned much from, and grew from,  that experience. And at the end of the day autism issues really carry my attention and Premier Shawn Graham has done much to help autistic children and students.

When we make our marks on election day it is for a local candidate in each riding. In this riding TJ Burke is the Liberal candidate and his personal and professional qualities are well known.  I know him as an MLA who I believe has represented our riding well in the Legislature. I know him as a very capable lawyer.  TJ Burke has always been very supportive on autism issues and even while the Liberals were in opposition he went out of his way to stop and talk with me at autism rallies I was involved with in Fredericton. I have talked with TJ several times about, and  know that he has been genuinely interested in, adult autism issues, and would be, if the Liberals are re-elected,  a strong supporter of improvements to New Brunswick's autistic adult residential care system.

On September 27  I will not be casting a protest vote or voting in anger. My vote will not be shaped by cynicism.  I will be voting for the party that I believe is most likely to help New Brunswick's autistic adults with a modernized autism specific adult residential care system, hopefully one with an enhanced facility located centrally in Fredericton near the autism expertise at UNB and the Stan Cassidy centre. I will be voting for the party that I know to be committed to, and knowledgeable about, autism generally. 

I mean no  disrespect toward the other parties, leaders or candidates.  But on September 27 I will be voting Autism.  I will be voting Liberal. 

Adult Autism Care in New Brunswick

Dear Honourable Elected Leaders, Representatives and Public Officials

I am writing to you as the father of a 14 year old son with severe Autistic Disorder and profound developmental delays, and within 48 hours of the deaths of severely autistic 22 year old Benjamin McLatchie, and his father Daniel McLatchie, in nearby Gray, Maine. The Maine state medical examiner’s office has ruled the case a murder-suicide, the father having shot and killed his son and himself. Reports describe the father as a caring stay at home father who despaired for his son’s future, in a state with inadequate residential care for autistic adults, after his own inevitable passing. There is speculation that the father’s fears and despair might have prompted this tragedy.

Many parents, including here in New Brunswick, including this father, fear what awaits our autistic children after our passing. In New Brunswick the governments of former Premier Bernard Lord and current Premier Shawn Graham have both been world leaders in helping our autistic children. The same can not be said with respect to autistic adults.

Autistic children aged 2-5 can receive government funded early intervention program from trained service providers. The Stan Cassidy Center’s autism pediatric tertiary care team is of great assistance to many autistic children. The UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program, has received expert recognition for its excellent program and has trained several years worth of early intervention workers, teacher assistants and resource teachers in autism specific interventions. Many autistic children have received the benefit of a flexible, student oriented approach to educating autistic children in neighbourhood schools where those autistic children who can learn in a regular classroom do so while those, like my son, who require more individualized curriculum and training methods and place of learning adaptations do so in environments structured for their specific needs and strengths.

In adult care however New Brunswick has been stalled as reflected in the 5 years without substantial progress that have passed since a youth was housed on the grounds of the Miramichi youth correctional facility while waiting transfer to the residential treatment facility in Spurwink Maine. We have not established a residential care and treatment system that would provide assurance of a decent, respectful future for those autistic adults who will live dependent on the care of others, adults like Benjamin McLatchie in Maine. Group homes are not adequate for all of New Brunswick’s autistic population. Right now many parents are struggling desperately, and facing severe challenges, while trying to care for their adult autistic children at home. The most severely, low functioning autistic adults live at the psychiatric hospital in Campbellton far from parents and loving family members.

I have been present at several meetings over the years where government has been asked to provide a decent residential care system here in New Brunswick. Autism representatives have asked for an enhanced group home system with community based locations in different areas of the province. Of urgent importance has been the need for a geographically centralized combined residential care and treatment facility for autistic adults in Fredericton, close to the resources and expertise of the Stan Cassidy Center, the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program and the University of New Brunswick Department of Psychology.

On this last day of Autism Awareness Month around much of the world and with the reality of the tragedy from Gray Maine still fresh in our hearts I ask you all to move New Brunswick forward to establish the autistic adult care system that is badly needed in New Brunswick.

Respectfully,

Harold L Doherty

NB Power Protest At the New Brunswick Legislature March 20 2010

Some pictures from the NB Power Protest at the Legislature this afternoon.  Protesters left gifts for MLA's backing the NB Power deal with Hydro-Quebec.  They signed pink slips terminating the MLA's and giving them the boot.  All the speakers, including Tom Mann a protest organizer gave impassioned, articulate speeches. NDP leader Roger Duguay was present carrying the NDP sign.  Opposition and Conservative Party leader David Alward was also present.  

Autism Residential Care in NB from 2005-2010: Nothing Has Changed

I have been publicly proud of this beautiful province of New Brunswick when it comes to helping autistic school children and pre-schoolers.  For those age groups I would stack New Brunswick's autism services and real accommodation up against any jurisdiction in North America, even better funded jurisdictions like oil rich Alberta and traditional Canadian economic hub Ontario.  When it comes to taking care of autistic youths living with the challenges of autism and Aspergers though New Brunswick is in very bad shape and has absolutely nothing to brag about.  

In New Brunswick we have an ad hoc system of residential care which has seen New Brunswick adults with autism shipped out of province far from families who love them. We have seen some NB adults with autism living on a hospital ward (information conveyed to me but unconfirmed). We have seen NB autistic youth and adults whose aggressive behaviour even with family members end up in jail facing assault charges.  On some occasions family members are urged by Social Development workers to press charges since the Criminal process will often result in a psychiatric assessment not otherwise available from public funds. The most severely affected by autism reside in a psychiatric hospital in the non central, Northwestern corner city of Campbellton again far from most family members living out their lives. I have visited that hospital and saw caring people in charge but people who have to deal with limited resources.

Things to day are not much different than they were 5 years ago for New Brunswick's autistic adults severely affected by autism who require residential care and treatment. 4 1/2 years ago New Brunswick was infamous for housing an autistic youth charged with no wrongdoing on the grounds of a youth correctional center in Miramichi pending his transfer to the Spurwink facility in the State of Maine.  As the Toronto media headlines faded away, so too did the apparent willingness of government to provide a decent residential care system for New Brunswick adults with autism. I have been part of a contingent of autism representatives that has surveyed the needs of our autistic population and presented our suggestions to government to consider on severeral occasions.  Still no action.  Still nothing to help our autistic  youths and adults in need of decent residential care and treatment.

Following is a Toronto Star article on the incident 5 years ago that saw the autistic youth residing on the grounds of a correctional facility because there was nowhere else for him to go in the Province of New Brunswick.

Autistic boy kept in New Brunswick jail

No other place for him to stay 13-year-old must go to U.S. hospitalNo other place for him to stay
13-year-old must go to U.S. hospital

The Toronto Star, KELLY TOUGHILL, ATLANTIC CANADA
BUREAU, Oct. 19, 2005

HALIFAX—A 13-year-old autistic boy now living in a New Brunswick jail compound will be sent out of Canada because there is no home, hospital or institution that can handle him in his own province Provincial officials confirmed yesterday the boy is living in a visitor's apartment at the Miramichi Youth Centre and will be moved to a treatment centre in Maine by November.

They stressed he is not under lock and key, has no contact with other inmates and is living outside the high wire fence that surrounds the youth detention centre.Nevertheless, the jailhouse placement and the transfer to Maine have outraged mental health advocates and opposition critics.

"They put this boy in a criminal facility because he is autistic," said Harold Doherty, a board member of the Autism Society of New Brunswick"Now we are exporting our children because we can't care for them. This is Canada, not a Third World country.``We are supposed to have a decent standard of care for the sick and the vulnerable, but we don't." 

Liberal MLA John Foran echoed his concern. "This boy has done nothing wrong, is not the subject of any court order, but is in a penal institution." Provincial officials yesterday insisted critics are misrepresenting the nature of the boy's situation and that in fact the province has done everything it can to help him. "This individual is not being held, and is not incarcerated," said Lori-Jean Johnson, spokeswoman for the family and community services department. "He has housekeeping, bath and a separate entrance. We are just utilizing existing resources."

Privacy laws prevent officials from discussing anything that would reveal the boy's identity, including details of his previous living situation and the whereabouts of his parents. This much is known: He suffers from a severe form of autism and is a ward of the state, under the guardianship of the minister of family and community services. He was living in a group home until recently, but became so violent that he was judged a danger to himself and others. At a psychologist's recommendation, he was moved to a three-bedroom apartment on the grounds of the Miramichi Youth Centre, a prison for about 50 young offenders. Two attendants from a private company watch the boy around the clock, at a cost to taxpayers of $700 a day. Johnson said she does not know any details of his care. 

Doherty said the jailhouse placement and move to Maine highlight the desperate need for better services for autistic children in New Brunswick and across Canada. He said staff at most group homes in New Brunswick aren't trained to deal with autism and don't understand the disorder. "If you don't understand autism, things can become very bad very quickly," said Doherty, who has a 9-year-old son with the disorder. "We have been pushing for (better facilities) in New Brunswick for several years. This is not a crisis that has popped up in the last two days. Residential care is a critical element for these people and it is not being provided."

Johnson said the provincial system of group homes and institutions that care for children and adults with psychiatric disorders and mental disabilities works for most people. "We do have existing resources, but once in a while, there will be an exception. Here, we are looking at a very extreme case." The boy will be moved to an Augusta, Me., treatment centre at the end of the month, said Johnson.

The centre, run by a non-profit group called Spurwink, specializes in dealing with autistic adolescents. A Spurwink representative did not return a phone call from the Toronto Star. Provincial officials could not detail the cost to keep the child at Spurwink, nor did they have information about why he's being sent to Maine, rather than a Canadian facility in another province.

The political standings have changed during the past 5 years in New Brunswick.  Mr. John Foran has been part of a Liberal government in power for almost 4 years now.  The Liberal government of Premier Shawn Graham,  especially  former Education Minister Kelly Lamrock, has done much to improve the lives of New Brunswick autistic students and pre schoolers.  But for New Brunswick's autistic youth and adults in need of decent residential care and treatment it is a different story.

5 years ago things were desperate. Little has changed since then for New Brunswick's autistic youth and adults who have been so badly in need, for so long,  of a modern comprehensive residential care and treatment system.

autism

Adult Autism Care in New Brunswick Is Our Top Autism Priority

The Daily Gleaner makes brief mention of the Oscars for Autism event held Saturday Night at the Delta Fredericton.

Neil Lacroix and Kim Gahan of Autism Connections Fredericton, and Brian Jones of TD Waterhouse, deserve applause for their hard work in making the Oscars for Autism event a huge success. Stan Cassidy Centre developmental pediatrician, Dr. Tara Kennedy, a great asset for New Brunswick's autistic children, gave an excellent overview of autism disorders. Psychologist Paul McDonnell was recognized for his outstanding contributions to autistic children in NB. Parents of autistic children who fought for autism services, the many civil servants and front line workers who provide them, and the leaders who responded, former Premier Lord and Premier Graham, were all saluted.

NB is literally a world leader in providing evidence based services to autistic children and the people of NB as a whole deserve credit. We must focus now on those autistic youths and adults who require what is currently lacking - a decent residential care system to provide for them when families no longer can.

autism

Christmas Cards and Conor Joy

Christmas cards arrive with the holiday season from relatives, friends, businesses even politicians. Like many New Brunswickers I received a very nice Christmas card from Premier Shawn Graham and his lovely wife Roxanne. They are all nice, even the commercial ones, but I have to admit that one is a bit more special than the rest. The card itself is your standard card company Christmas card but the inside is special to me .... very special. The stickers were placed on the card by the person whose name also adorns the card .... Conor, with one "n", my buddy.

I will never find joy in autism, but I find joy in Christmas and great joy in Conor.

autism

AutismPro Still Promoting But Where Oh Where Is The Evidence It Works?

I have commented on several occasions on this site about AutismPro, the Internet based autism "resource" usually after reading the latest PR release, about what an innovative product it is or what an excellent business opportunity it is. This past week the Daily Gleaner featured AutismPro, again, in its nbbusinessjournal section.

Virtual Experts Clinics, which developed the AutismPro product, has stated in the past that it uses several different autism "interventions" which range from interventions that are "somewhat" ABA based, a well researched effective evidence based autism intervention, to some interventions with no evidence basis of their effectiveness. Although respected autism expert Dr. Jeannette Holden, an advisor to VEC, had indicated two years ago that trial studies of the product were being run the results of those studies have not, that I have seen, been made public.

There is a need for autism support services in New Brunswick schools but those services should not be based on unproven Internet products. Premier Graham committed to funding training for 100 Teacher Aides a year for 4 years at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. The second of two classes of that 4 year commitment is currently proceeding and hopefully the full 4 year commitment will be honored. UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program provides the quality and integrity to ensure that autistic children in New Brunswick schools, including Conor, my 12 year old son with Autistic Disorder, assessed with profound developmental delays, receives a real education.

There is much pressure on Education Minister Lamrock to abandon Premier Graham's commitment. Some of that pressure comes from CUPE Local 2745 and its President Sandy Harding who insist that unqualified, untrained aides with greater seniority have the right to work with autistic students in place of the UNB-CEL Autism trained aides.

Some of that pressure also comes from VEC Inc which has worked with some senior education department officials to promote AutismPro as an internet based training tool which would have permitted the Department of Education to train teacher aides in house, with no entrance requirements for the autism training, work at your own pace training requirements and no completion exams. The in-house training would have been overseen on a project basis by an about to retire Director of Student Services who would have been able to , "double dip", to draw a pension while earning a salary as the project manager.

Hopefully Premier Shawn Graham will continue to honor his commitment to train 100 teacher aides per year for four years at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. The UNB-CEL AIT Program has been subjected to external review and received a very positive evaluation by Dr. Eric Larsson of the Lovaas Institute:


"The current AITP is a remarkable and thorough program that has been developed to an exceptional level of quality in the context of limited resources. The province-wide model is one that many other provinces should adopt, as it carries with it many cost-effective features. The curriculum content requires little modification".

Hopefully the results of studies assessing the effectiveness of AutismPro in educating autistic children will be publicly disclosed at some point. And hopefully those studies will have been conducted using ethical, objective and professional standards. We know that VEC Inc is effective at Promoting AutismPro but is AutismPro an effective tool for educating autistic children?

autism

CBC Autism Overview and New Brunswick

(CBC Image)

CBC has provided a good general overview of Autism Disorders in Canada in Autism Making sense of a confusing world. The overview includes a description of autism disorders, some autism history (Kanner and Asperger) and treatment. There is a good review of the funding and age restrictions for ABA services for autism in each province in Canada.

There is one important omission and that is with respect to New Brunswick. Here we have a 5 year age cut-off as stated. But New Brunswick has begun to provide ABA intervention in our schools. This has been done by training Teacher Aides and Resource Teachers at the University of New Brunswick - College of Extended Learning Autism Intervention Training Program in Fredericton. A couple of classes of the UNB-CEL AIT have graduated, another is about to, and the government of Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock have committed to provide another 3 years of training for TA's and Resource Teachers through UNB-CEL.

The UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program is a key part of this approach. The program was developed through the University of New Brunswick with input from the Autism Society New Brunswick. This program is critical to ensuring the quality and integrity of the ABA and other autism services provided in the schools. By training TA's and Resource Teachers the education system's existing human resource system is used to the maximum extent possible. Some Autism Support Workers and Clinical Supervisors have been recruited by the Education Department itself. These people have been trained through a parallel program offered by UNB-CEL so the transition into the Education system is relatively smooth.

There is with any such development resistance. Some senior Education Department careerists have preferred to struggle against the UNB-CEL training in favor of "in-house" training combined with a commercial internet training program but, to date, they have not prevailed. The CUPE local representing Teacher Aides have also filed grievances on behalf of its members since not all current TA's meet the UNB qualifications for admission to the Autism Intervention Training Program. As a labour lawyer I understand the role of the Union in protecting ALL of its members interests but the long term interests of the greatest number of their members is best protected by providing the autism training to those members who qualify for admission. And I would expect that any labour arbitrator hearing these grievances would give the greatest weight to the best interests of the child principle in arbitrating these grievances - in these cases the best interests of children with autism disorders.

Apart from the omission of autism services in New Brunswick's education system the CBC review is a balanced, comprehenseive and informative overview of autism disorders and autism services in Canada.

autism

Autism and the Saskatchewan Party Government

The Saskatchewan Party will now form the government of Saskatchewan which, despite a booming economy, has done nothing of substance to help autistic children receive treatment. The defeated NDP government did nothing to address autism treatment issues and many Saskatchewan residents have moved next door to Alberta so their autistic children could receive treatment.

One thing that is abundantly clear in Canada over the past decade is that autism is not a partisan issue. Governments of all political stripes, including the just defeated NDP government of Saskatchewan, have been indifferent at times to the plight of autistic children and adults. Here in New Brunswick it was the previous Bernard Lord Conservative government that first began to take serious steps to help autistic children with pre-school funding for evidence based autism treatment, and that effort is being carried forward now by the Shawn Graham Liberal government in New Brunswick schools where Teacher Aides and Resource teachers are receiving quality autism training at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program.

Federally the Chretien-Martin Liberals did nothing to help autistic children or adults in Canada while in power. And the NDP did nothing to push a minority Liberal government to address autism issues. In opposition the Liberal Party led by Andy Scott and Shawn Murphy and the NDP led by Peter Stoffer have committed to implementing a National Autism Strategy. Now it is the current Conservative government and an obstructionist separatist party which has indicated they will do nothing of substance to help address autism issues.

Autism was not discussed by campaigning political candidates in the Saskatchewan election as it was in Ontario recently. The Saskatchewan Party is reported to be a right of center party. That may mean something, or it may mean nothing, in terms of its willingness to help the autistic population of Saskatchewan. The one lesson that is clear from history is that autism is NOT a partisan issue. All parties have ignored autism issues for years but change has begun for the better in several jurisdictions by governments bearing different political labels.

Hopefully autistic children and adults will be included in the Saskatchewan of the new Saskatchewan Party government of Premier-Elect Brad Wall.

Autism Education Instructors - Quality and Integrity of Training Are Critical

I recently had the privilege of attending the 2007 graduation ceremonies of the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program. The graduating class this year was a mixed class with some moving on to work with pre-school children with autism in New Brunswick's autism agencies and others destined to work as Teacher Assistants and Resource Teacher/Mentors with autistic students in our schools. This summer will see a program for pre-schoolers with a second program (K-12) for graduates who will work in the schools with autistic students. This latter program had more applicants than spaces and the demand is very high by parents for UNB-CEL Autism Intervention trained Teacher Assistants to work with their autistic children. The UNB-AIT has already received national recognition but there are other more basic indicators of the quality and integrity of this program apart from national recognition. Excellent professional instructors who enjoy the confidence of the Autism Society New Brunswick and a program which includes mandatory, evidence based, theory and practicum completion are two significant factors.

One of the most significant indicators of the quality and integrity of the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program is that not everybody graduates from the program. If the course candidates don't acquire the knowledge, and demonstrate the ability to apply the skills acquired, during their participation in the program they don't graduate and they don't get a certificate. That fact, along with entrance standards for program applicants, has caused some negative reaction from executive officers and some members of CUPE Local 2745 which represents all teacher assistants in New Brunswick, whether they have autism training or not, and from members of the Education Department bureaucracy.

The latter, notwithstanding an express, clear and specific commitment from Premier Shawn Graham to train 100 TA's and Resource teachers a year for 4 years at UNB-CEL tried to develop alternative "in house" training arrangements for TA's and teachers working with autistic children. The Department tried to represent this alternative in house proposal as fulfilling the Premier's commitment to autism training which was specific to UNB-CEL. The Department even went to great lengths to keep me personally, as a known critic of their in house training proposal , from attending a meeting with ASNB at which the Department's final version of the alternative proposal was discussed. The alternative proposal offered by the Department did not require that candidates complete the in house training on any specific schedule, it was work at your own pace with no testing required of candidates. Nor did the Department proposal require any entrance standards for assistants who were seeking to work with autistic students.

The UNB-CEL program does require standards, completion time lines, theory and practicum completion and testing. These elements also require something else of the candidates - commitment. As a parent I very much appreciate the commitment, sacrifice and efforts made by the participants in the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program.

I believe that Premier Shawn Graham also appreciates these qualities in the graduates of UNB-CEL AIT. In opposition Mr. Graham stood with us as we demonstrated outside the legislature and called for funding for pre-school intervention for autistic children and for trained TA's for autistic students. As Premier Mr. Graham has met autistic children and attended the opening of a new Autism Connexions Resource Centre in Fredericton, a centre which is part of a new wave in New Brunswick of child and family focused resource centres working hand in hand with the agencies that provide treatment and with the provincial Autism Society New Brunswick. As Premier Mr. Graham has acted decisively to ensure that the first year of his four year commitment to UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training is honored.

Quality and integrity count. In training autism workers for our schools. And in political leadership.

Thank you Premier Graham.

"We Can Do Better" - Flashback - May 2004 Autism Education Rally

Autism advocacy is never easy as illustrated by this article covering a May 2004 rally held to push for ABA based instruction for autistic children in NB schools. At that time Conservative Family & Community Services Minister Tony Huntjens stated that an education program was being set up at UNB to train teachers to provide ABA based instruction. In fact the Conservatives did provide for approximately 85 Resource Teachers and Teachers Aides to be trained at UNB-CEL's Autism Intervention Training Program, a small but important first step in addressing the needs of New Brunswick's autistic students. Subsequently Liberal Opposition Leader Shawn Graham promised to train 100 TA's and Resource Teachers per year for 4 years at the nationally recognized UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program. Unfortunately, all signs now indicate that the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training training will not be provided as promised by Premier Graham. Unfortunately, it does not look like the Liberal government "can do better" as opposition critic Kelly Lamrock, now the Minister of Education, once boldly asserted.


Daily Gleaner | Provincial News
As published on page A3 on May 4, 2004

Parents march to protest tight funding for autism
Group contends age ceiling leaves many stranded

PROTEST:
(The Daily Gleaner/Dave Smith Photo)
Dawn Bowie, left, a parent of an autistic child, and 11-year-

JOEL O'KANE
for The Daily Gleaner

Frustrated parents picketed outside the Centennial Building on Saturday
against what they call "discriminate funding policies" by the Lord
government when it comes to educating children with autism.

"We're here so children of school age can benefit from the funding, because
right now it's discrimination," said Nancy Blanchette, who chairs the Family
Autism Centre for Education (FACE).

Currently, parents with autistic children can receive funding aid for their
child's special needs, but only up to age five.

Once they grow old, or enter the school system, the funding dries up.

Parents argue that they need the funding to pay for special education for
their children, such as applied behavioural analysis (ABA). They say that the
early intervention ABA offers for their children has made great differences,
but it isn't cheap.

"My son Justin was diagnosed with autism when he was about two years
old," said parent and FACE board member Dawn Bowie. "Back then, we
couldn't find much support around. There was none."

Bowie said the family did know about ABA, and was able to be evaluated
by a child psychologist who's an expert in the field.

"We paid big, big money. Tens of thousands of dollars. And we're still paying
big, big money."

ABA works one on one with an autistic child to pinpoint behavioural
problems and works to correct them. It teaches routine, responsibility,
and normal behaviour to children with autism.

Parents say that autistic children who receive ABA intervention are less
disruptive in school, and more apt to become socially involved.

However, many parents say the current funding is useless unless the age
restriction is lifted and children can continue to receive ABA after they enter
the public school system.

"We want to let the government know that autism doesn't go away at the age
of five," said Blanchette. "A lot of children aren't even diagnosed until
later than this, so there's still progress to be made to help them reach
their full potential.

"If (Premier) Bernard Lord's touting his quality learning agenda, where no
child gets left behind, he has to understand that this also applies to children
with special needs in the school system."

FACE had publicly invited Lord to come out and talk to the crowd
on the weekend, but was instead greeted by Fredericton Liberal
MLA Kelly Lamrock.

"We can do better. We know the options," he said. "We know that
ABA treatment works. Premier Bernard Lord says he has to make
tough choices? I say he made bad choices and cut taxes. If you
can get up every day and deal with this, you deserve the Liberals'
support."

Tony Huntjens, minister of Family and Community Services, says that
the current funding system is new, and it will take time to work out
the kinks.

"First, we need to tackle autism at an early age, because that is
where most good can be done," he said. "Once they get to age six or
enter the public school system, these children can work with their
teachers."

Huntjens said the Lord government has no intention of raising the age
limit for autism funding.

Parents say that children with autism need to have ABA throughout
their childhood, and that leaving the problem to the teachers when
their children enter school will only put more strain on the public
school system.

"I've told Minister Huntjens that he might as well throw his money to
these families over the Westmorland Street Bridge," said Dawn Bowie.
"The progress ABA makes stops after these kids get to school, so what
good is that?"

Huntjens said an education course is being set up at the
University of New Brunswick that will train interested teachers to
provide ABA to potentially autistic students.

Autism Connections Fredericton Grand Opening Photos

Yesterday was the grand opening of the Connexions Autisme/Autism Connections Fredericton resource center. Premier Shawn Graham and Fredericton MP Andy Scott, along with some young helpers, did the official ribbon cutting as shown in these photos. Also shown is Lana Thomson of Autism Connections Fredericton. The place was packed and the opening lasted for two hours with opportunity to talk with a wide range of people in the Fredericton area interested in autism issues and helping autistic children. The resource centre, as the pictures show, is in the same location, side by side with Service d'Intervention Autisme/Autism Intervention Services the agency run by SLP Danielle Pelletier. Fredericton's pre-school autistic children will be well served by Autism Intervention Services and Autism Connections efforts. Yours truly is also shown talking with Danielle.

Autism Therapy Must Be Funded

Fredericton's Daily Gleaner has long been supportive of the cause of autism in New Brunswick and once again it has stepped up to the plate with an editorial calling on the Liberal government of Shawn Graham to fund autism therapy past the current 5 year age cut off and into the school years. Not just because Premier Shawn Graham promised to train 100 TA's and Resource teachers a year at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program but also because it is a good investment which will defray the costs to society of additional care for autistic children as they age and costs incurred by the stresses leading to marital breakdown. The Gleaner has offered sound advice. Hopefully, Premier Shawn Graham will heed such advice and honor the commitment he made as part of his campaign to become Premier.

Autism therapy must be funded

Published Wednesday April 25th, 2007
Appeared on page B7

Parents of autistic children are in a race against time. It’s a race in which they are heavily handicapped with too many burdens to carry, too much worry on their shoulders and far too many roles to fulfill.

They must be not just mother, father and all the chauffeuring, chefing, cleaning, dressing and boo boo-kissing that entails but also teacher, social co-ordinator, mentor and the many other functions needed to help their autistic child cope.

And as the province has failed to fulfill its promise of funding training for support workers for autistic children, parents must also play the part of fundraiser to pay for the special treatment that can literally change an autistic child’s life.

The Liberal government promised to pay for autism intervention training for 100 teacher’s assistants and resource teachers a year for four years. That would help autistic children have a chance at working with a specially trained teacher’s assistant.

Currently, applied behavioural analysis intervention therapy is the most popular and successful therapy for autistic children. It’s a program of intense therapy which, when started early on, can help autistic children reach their full potential.

The government funds the therapy for pre-school age children, but once the child enters kindergarten, the funding stops.

And then there is nothing.

So desperate parents struggle to pay for the therapy which can cost more than $50,000 a year. And that means holding benefit dances and any other fund-raising event they can think of on top of all their other tasks.

Election promises aside, funding this therapy is a good investment. Autistic children who grows up to be severely autistic adults not only have a low quality of life, they cost the system more money. Helping autistic children reach their full potential, translates to autistic adults who will be better able to care for themselves.

Doing whatever is necessary to support parents of autistic children is also a good investment. When parents are exhausted and stretched to their limit, the whole family suffers. Marriages break down, other children come off the rails, some drop out of school. There’s a whole slew of expensive problems that go with family breakdown.

Among the Liberal government’s election promises was a little one about self-sufficiency, one that’s getting all the attention. But if we are not all on the road to self-sufficiency — and that includes autistic children — none of us will get there.

The Face of Autism - Loss of funding spells loss of skills

The Daily Gleaner/David Smith ph


I have on previous comments applauded New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and the Liberal government for its promise to train 100 TA's and Resource Teachers a year at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program. Some TA's and teachers have already received the training but the commitment made during the election campaign by Mr. Graham is being held up now and, it appears at least, that the commitment is in serious danger of being abandoned or watered down beyond recognition, replaced by in house training by the Department or some other "innovative" alternative. While we remain hopeful that the pledge will be honored we are aware of positioning by the Department of Education officials that would see training of much less quality and integrity than the UNB-CEL program offered by the Department. The attached article from the Daily Gleaner here in Fredericton New Brunswick illustrates the predicament faced by autistic children who have been receiving intervention when the turn five years of age in New Brunswick.





Loss of funding spells loss of skills

By JACQUELINE LEBLANC
leblanc.jacqueline@dailygleaner.com
Published Monday April 23rd, 2007
Appeared on page A1


Tying shoes is a simple task for most eight year olds.

But for Austin O'Donnell, it takes a little more practice.

Austin is autistic, and through intervention therapy, he learns many skills that don't come easily to him.

Just tying his shoes was broken down into 25 steps to make the task easier for him to remember.

But without continuing the therapy, his mother Jennifer O'Donnell worries Austin may lose some of the skills he worked so hard to acquire.

The government funds an intervention program for preschool-aged autistic children.

Applied behavioral analysis intervention therapy is the most popular and most successful therapy for autistic children. It's not a cure for autism, but it helps children reach their maximum potential.

But once the child enters kindergarten, the funding stops. But that doesn't mean the intervention should stop too, said O'Donnell.

That means big money for parents who have to hire the intervention workers themselves.

For the last three years, O'Donnell has organized a benefit dance to try to raise enough money to be able to hire an intervention worker to spend time with Austin every week.

"There are no resources," she said. "I'm a single parent. I've worked two jobs and held the benefit dance for the last three years to split the bill financially. And I'm willing to do that.

"If I don't fund raise, he simply won't have it. To me, that's just not an option. I'm hoping at some point that there's going to be a change, where (the government) provides some funding."

Austin was diagnosed with autism when he was four, so he only took advantage of the therapy for eight months before the money stopped.

"I knew the funding would be cut when he entered school," she said. "I knew that in my mind, but it didn't really hit me that there was nothing. And, when it happened, I just thought quickly, how can I raise money to continue this?"

The dance usually helps fund about eight to 10 months of intervention therapy.

Most autistic children have a teacher's assistant in the classroom. But they're not all trained for autism intervention.

Harold Doherty is with the Autism Society of New Brunswick. His 11-year-old son Conor is autistic.

He said it's important that the intervention therapy follows the children into the schools.

One way of doing that, he said, is training the teacher's assistants (TAs) to be qualified to do autism intervention.

"We're pushing to get the TAs trained," he said. "If you're going to have a TA anyway, that you need in most cases, why not train them in some way to be effective to help the children learn?"

There is a course at the University of New Brunswick that trains resource teachers and teacher's assistants in autism intervention.

Doherty said the Liberal government promised that it would train 100 teacher's assistants and resource teachers at UNB per year for four years.

This would help autistic children have a chance to have a trained teacher's assistant.

Yet, Doherty said, there still hasn't been any move on the promise, and the autism society is worried the government is stepping back, or planning on watering down the promise.

But O'Donnell can't wait for the teacher's assistants to be able to take over the intervention work. Austin needs the help now, she said.

"He's beginning to get to an age where he's struggling socially," she said.

"And that's a big deal because if he's having troubles at school in that way, then it's causing a whole other can of worms.

Loss of funding spells loss of skills


"Not wanting to be at school, and being upset all the time, and not really understanding why he doesn't have friends or why he has such a hard time keeping friends. We've been working on that for the last year."

O'Donnell works with her son on evenings and weekends at home, but she said he needs more intervention time than that.

She said every little bit of therapy can help her son in big ways.

The benefit dance will be held Saturday, April 28, at the Tier II Lounge, above Winners Restaurant on the exhibition grounds at 9 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Mazzuca's on York Street.

What Does Throne Speech Autism Commitment Mean?

Yesterday I commented that the Graham government's throne speech contained good news for students with autism because the speech contained a commitment to autism specific training for TA's. Opposition leader Shawn Graham had committed during the campaign to training 100 TA's and Resource teachers per year for the next 4 years via the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program. This morning's Telegraph Journal APPEARED to indicate a major watering down of that commitment though indicating in a story carried on page A3 , that Education Minister Lamrock was committing to 100 TA's over the course of his government's mandate. The Minister also appeared to be wavering over whether the training would be done by the UNB-CEL folks, widely respected by the NB Autism Community and across Canada or on the cheap by Department of Education civil servants. The difference is substantial.


- Telegraph Journal, February 7, 2007, Joshua Errett Minister promises 100 autism support workers in schools


There are literally hundreds of students with autism in New Brunswick schools. Many are effectively excluded from receiving a real education because they do not have the autism trained personnel working with them to assist their learning by specialized methodologies such as Applied Behavior Analysis. They have been betrayed by New Brunswick politicians before. In the past an interdepartmental (Education, Family Services, Health) committee (the IDC) was established to examine autism services in New Brunswick. The IDC took almost two years to conclude that autism specific services were virtually non-existent. It issued a report and recommendations which sat unread by the lead Minister on the IDC, for almost a full year and most of its recommendations were never fulfilled and are now seriously outdated. Autistic children do not need any more political betrayals. Hopefully, the new Liberal government is not about to water down its commitment to a fraction of what Mr. Graham promised.

On May 4, 2004 a Fredericton Liberal MLA stood in front of the Centennial Building with protesting parents of autistic school children and said ""We can do better. We know the options,... "We know that ABA treatment works. Premier Bernard Lord says he has to make tough choices? I say he made bad choices and cut taxes. If you can get up every day and deal with this, you deserve the Liberals' support."

- Daily Gleaner, May 4, 2004, Joel Kane, Parents march to protest tight funding for autism

I hope that Education Minister Lamrock remembers his words from May 4, 2004, remembers Mr. Grahams campaign commitment and honors that commitment fully.

Good Autism News in New Brunswick Throne Speech

Premier Graham's first throne speech today contained good news for students with autism in New Brunswick schools. During the election campaign Mr. Graham made a very specific promise to provide autism training at UNB-CEL autism intervention program to 100 TA's and Resource teachers. The wait for confirmation of that commitment has been nerve racking but the Throne Speech contains good news in the form of a plan which will be announced this session to increase the number of trained autism support workers in the system. This is of course a very general statement but it means a lot to have such a commitment made in the throne speech. Parents will remain vigilant. We have no choice, we have been let down before and our children can not afford more setbacks on their learning journeys. But today is a good day for New Brunswick school students with autism - a very good day.

http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/Promos/Throne-2007/speech-e.asp

"Your government earned the trust of New Brunswickers by outlining the Charter for Change which will form the basis for many of the initiatives that will be introduced in the coming months. The cornerstones of the Charter for Change are the Three Es – education, energy and economic development.

Your government will work with New Brunswick's teachers, District Education Councils and academic institutions to build the best education system in Canada. This year, your government will release a new Plan for Education. The Minister of Education has been consulting with teachers, District Education Councils, parents and students on this action plan of new ideas and programs to begin transforming our schools.

This year, your government will begin its commitment to implement the MacKay Report recommendations for improving our inclusive education system and meeting the diverse needs of all our students . The Minister of Education will appear before the Standing Committee on Education in order to initiate the discussion on how to ensure that each child in New Brunswick has the chance to reach his or her full potential.

Your government will further demonstrate its commitment to inclusive education by ensuring that new hope is given to children with autism. A plan will be announced this session to increase the number of trained autism support workers in the system.

Your government understands the importance of a school to the community around it. Your government will move forward on a new community schools policy that will enhance the quality of education in rural and urban communities alike by transforming schools into true centres of learning for the whole community.

Truly innovative change will be driven by teachers and your government will announce new measures to support our best teachers and principals in being leaders in innovative education.

During the upcoming session, your government will unveil a new accountability agenda for improving results for early literacy and exceptional learners.

The Departments of Education and Family and Community Services will work jointly and in partnership with stakeholders to develop a long-term plan for child care and early learning."