2017-04-10 09:57:37 -0400
To: Honourables: Kathleen Wynne, Patrick Brown MPP, Andrea Horwath MPP, Michael Coteau MPP, Marie-France Lalonde-MPP, H. Jody Mitic, H. Stephen Blais, H. Yasir Naqvi, MPP, Carolyn Bennett MP, Laurent Marcoux CEO of CMA,
Justice For Josh: Action for Adults with Autism
Dear Sir or Madame: Last year the government’s announced that $333 million in new funding for autism services would be provided for children over 5 with autism. It is time to start to really listen to the plight of parents with older children with autism. Their pain is real. Keep your word and start allocating funds as promised to the many families awaiting better support, resources and more options for their adult autistic child's future specifically, employment opportunities, respite and longterm residential care facilities. Simply put optimize services and minimize costs. Real and tangible changes are necessary. Bringing your child to emergency every week or calling the police should not be the only option. Create more longterm opportunities for adult children to live independent of their sometimes aging parents while maintaining the professional support, dignity and care they deserve and take the guesswork out of how to get adequate services for your child once they are over 18 or leave high school.
Why is this important?
Many families are suffering in silence with their adult autistic children. The lack of immediate resources for autistic adults in crisis, or consistent triaged therapeutic/medical care with follow up creates an insurmountable stress on families and paints a bleak future for their children. Why funnel money into early intervention and then not offer the same level of care once these kids grow up and become adults? Doesn't make any sense. Statistically 1 in 68 children are born with autism and the incidence of autism has increased 100% over the past 10 years. Autism is the fastest growing neurological disorder and that is a fact. Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody with Autism and that means that autism affects us all. So I am begging you to get from under the bureaucracy of red tape and indecision and really do something about it. Start by providing adequate longterm care facilities with medical professionals, behavioural specialists and different levels of staff that can continue to optimize the adult autistic person's unique potential and make the future a brighter place for all of us. What is currently in place is not enough and obviously not working.
Josh is a 19 year old boy with autism who has been in what can only be described ascycles of rage, including self-injurious and schizophrenic type behaviours. In this state he has no quality of life, nor does his family who spend many sleepless nights feeling helpless. His parents have been searching for appropriate resources and services for several years. They have spent many nights at emergency and gone to doctors only to be sent home with another referral that doesn't pan out, medication that renders him a zombie or even more agitated. More often than not they are simply told "that's autism" and left to go home and fend for themselves. His parents have had to resort to essentially dropping him off and leaving him in the hospital to force them to admit him so that he can get the care he deserves and bring attention to this dire situation. Imagine how desperate you must be to have to walk away from the child you love. They had no other options and they are not alone. There are many more people like Josh and they need your help now.
Josh is a 19 year old boy with autism who has been in what can only be described ascycles of rage, including self-injurious and schizophrenic type behaviours. In this state he has no quality of life, nor does his family who spend many sleepless nights feeling helpless. His parents have been searching for appropriate resources and services for several years. They have spent many nights at emergency and gone to doctors only to be sent home with another referral that doesn't pan out, medication that renders him a zombie or even more agitated. More often than not they are simply told "that's autism" and left to go home and fend for themselves. His parents have had to resort to essentially dropping him off and leaving him in the hospital to force them to admit him so that he can get the care he deserves and bring attention to this dire situation. Imagine how desperate you must be to have to walk away from the child you love. They had no other options and they are not alone. There are many more people like Josh and they need your help now.