Gallant Government Shows No Signs of Addressing Serious Adult Autism Care Issues

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.

Conor Countdown Continues In Support of FLEXIBLE, EVIDENCE BASED Inclusion

The Conor Countdown continues, as Conor gets up each day at 6 am and changes the number reflecting the number of days until school resumes.

My son Conor, and his autism disorder disability,  have been well accommodated in schools here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.  He has benefited both from the assistance of education aides and resource teachers trained in the UNB-CEL Autism program and by placement, at our request, outside the regular classroom for his ABA based instruction.

 His placement is not segregation in the sense of the racial segregation which once prevailed in the American south.  His placement reflects the fact that Conor's autism based sensory sensitivities and need for predictable routine, coupled with his individualized learning style and instruction methods require a quieter learning environment. 

In the regular classroom, early in Conor's education,  he bit his hands every single day until he was removed to a quieter location where the self injurious biting ceased. Now in high school his individualized instruction continues but he has many, many opportunities for socialization at the Leo Hayes High School Resource Centre with other students with special needs, in common areas and activities like school outings, visits to the cafeteria and ... Conor's favorite by far ... in weekly visits to the Nashwaaksis Middle School swimming pool. 

Conor loves his flexible, evidence based schooling so much that the summer, with no school, is a difficult time for him.  We do our best to help him during this period and Conor does his best to help himself.  One of the activities that helps him get through the summer break is the "Countdown".  Each day, every day, at 6 am Conor gets up and changes the number on his board under the question "How Many Days Until School?"  He can see the number getting smaller each day, he can take steps each day to make the number smaller reducing his anxiety and frustration.

Conor's self injurious biting while placed in the regular classroom was a vote against the extreme, non evidence based "regular classroom for all students" philosophy. Now, during the school year Conor packs his lunch bag every night and puts it in front of the side door to the driveway and Dad's car. During the summer Conor does his "How many days until School" countdown.  Both activities are strong compelling statements from Conor in support of the flexible, evidence based, inclusive education he has received at school since being removed from the regular classroom.