The Brian Gallant Liberal government is continuing the trend of pretending that the needs and well being of NB autistic adults, particularly those with severe autism disorders, are being addressed when in fact hey are not. Severely autistic adults have been sent to Spurwink, Maine in the past and to the Restigouche Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton. It's response to the proposal for an adult autism care network which has been discussed during the last decade in NB and recdently presented in a concise format the Gallant government has chosen to unleash its communications officers to brag about all that has been done while ignoring the most serious issues facing NB autistic adults: the need for adult autism treatment and permanent residential care facility for those most severely affected by autism and for autism group homes around the province with autism trained staff and expert autism professional oversight.
Psychiatric Hospital
Restigouche Hospital
10 Gallant Street
Campbellton, NB
The Restigouche Psychiatric Hospital is located at 10 Gallant Street in Campbellton NB on our NB's norther border with Quebec. As things stand now NB adults with severe autism disorders including my now 19 year old son when I am deceased or too old and infirm will live out their lives far from the vast majority of the NB population in the south and far from the autism expertise that has been developed at the UNB-CEL, UNB Psychology and Stan Cassidy Centres in Fredericton.
My Son Conor is now 19 and, so far, has had a happy life notwithstanding his severe autism disorder and related conditions including seizures, life threatening reactions to his meds, and serious self-injurious behavior. My experience raising my son, previous Autism Society representations and public statements of NB Autism Expert Paul McDonnel are ignored by the NB Government which has responded to a very serious well drafted adult autism care proposal by tasking its communication officers to pretend that everything is just hunky dory and all will be well as long as we all keep saying "community" and "inclusion" over and over".
Community cliches will not address the needs of severely autistic adults like my son. I know from 19 years of parenting and 17 years of autism advocacy in NB that ignoring the facts will not help my son and other NB autistic adults.
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