This past week, parents across Canada were joining an Ottawa father who was pushing for autism therapy and highlighting that autism should be treated as a national health crisis. Mark Chapeskie wants the federal government to allow for early intervention treatment to be funded by Medicare by including autism therapies under the Canada Health Act.

Chapeskie, the father of William, a four-year-old boy with autism, says Canada is falling short when it comes to caring for kids with autism. He started a national parliamentary petition calling on the federal government to treat autism as a neurological medical condition.

He said the out-of-pocket costs of raising and supporting a child with autism are beyond the means of most Canadians and he believes that autism should be considered a health priority since half a million Canadians are on the spectrum.

While some provinces do fund early intervention programs through social development programs, Doherty says most treatments end once a child reaches adulthood. There\’s a lack of consistency across the country.  Less than a week after Chapeskie’s formal petition was posted to the Parliament of Canada website, more than 2,000 Canadians had signed the document. That means that it will be read in the House of Commons.

While Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor would not commit to including autism care under the Canada Health Act she said the federal government is making strategic investments and a total of $10.9 million is being spent on a new online resource for families. Chapeskie applauds the move, but he said that’s not what parents needs and he hopes once his petition is read in the House of Commons that what he calls a national health crisis will also become an election issue.

This is a big move for this father but one that will hopefully inspire change at the government level. If nothing else, it has made a lot of people across the country rally together for greater rights and support for individuals who are on the autism spectrum.

A couple in Hope have launched a new website to provide a range of information for individuals with special needs so they can respond in the event of an emergency.The website, SNEP.ca offers tips to assist people with cognitive disabilities and their loved ones, with special needs emergency preparedness (SNEP).

The idea came up when Joshua Lemmens – one of the founders – was sitting in a cafe in downtown Hope. He was visiting a friend whose autistic adult son became entangled in a police conflict while a bystander. His arms were flailing and the man refused to listen to police orders and both Lemmens and his friend, the man’s mother, worried for his safety. “She said please don’t shoot, and went back into the house and came out with an orange … and his sole focus went on to this orange, and he was just peeling it” and it totally defused the situation. The orange, says Lemmens, was a positive trigger for the man, and “positive triggers are really important in emergency preparedness. It’s those sorts of tips that are on SNEP.ca.

So six months ago, the couple began designing the website, to which they now both contribute content: bit by bit, the duo are filling the site with “exciting and practical information that will help with preparedness for family members and caregivers of people with special needs.” Lemmens is producing informative videos and photos, while Crosbie is writing articles and creating their online presence.

To learn more about SNEP.ca, check out the article in The Chilliwack Progress.

A mother and an advocate for inclusive education is taking a stand in terms of classroom violence. Her thoughts are that violence in the education system is having repercussions outside the classroom. It is pitting parents against administrators, and parents against parents.

Those whose children struggle at school and have violent outbursts are being confronted by those whose children are witness to what is happening and feel the effects.

MacQuarrie is a mother of three adopted children in Halifax, ages 8, 9 and 11, who cause disruptions at school. She is also a human rights consultant for Inclusion International.

She agreed to risk speaking publicly as part of the program\’s continuing series on school violence. It began with Alisa Siegel\’s documentary, \”Hard Lessons,\” about the rise in violence against teachers by elementary school students.

Following that, a panel of three specialists with decades of experience in education weighed in. The program also shared input from parents who are frustrated and angry because their children are being affected by violent outbursts. Many of them are questioning the value of inclusive education.

Schools have adopted the principle of inclusive education, welcoming all kinds of children — including those with learning difficulties, behavioural challenges and mental or physical disabilities — into age-appropriate, regular classrooms.

MacQuarrie has stated that she is frustrated by the continued questioning of whether inclusive education is worthwhile. She firmly believes it is a right. MacQuarrie has argued that the issue isn\’t inclusion but integration and that part of the issue is that there needs to be more support to integrate students so there are less instances of frustration that leads to violence. MacQuarrie describes her children as amazing, funny and clever, but they are easily overwhelmed with anxiety due to \”sensory issues.\”

McQuarrie believes much more can be done to support children who see violent outbursts in the classroom and feel traumatized. She said it would be worthwhile to reflect on how a child is having a hard time using their words and having a hard time staying calm and in control. Then, we should try to identify what can be done so the child isn\’t having to communicate in a certain way in the first place.

MacQuarrie adds that it is also important to be empathetic with parents of children who feel stressed by violent incidents and to apologize, but they need to work together as a community to find a solution.

Situations like this always pose a challenge but, as MacQuarrie states, by working together to find a solution as a community is what will help all children excel in their lives and experiences.

A new online training module developed by the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) has been introduced with the Port Moody Police force. It will give Port Moody Police tools when engaging with individuals who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

An article in the Tri-City News discusses how Rob DeGoey said the diagnosis of his son\’s developmental disorder four years ago impacted his family. However, as a youth liaison officer with the Port Moody police department, he also knew his son’s tendency to wander and his repetitive behaviours when in a stressful situation could “present as a risk” to people who don’t know him, especially first responders like police.

As part of his own education about autism, DeGoey toured the Pacific Autism Family Network in Richmond, which provides supports for people and families affected by autism. This experienced really opened his eyes and made him motivated to do something in his local community. That seed grew to his involvement with CAN to help develop the new program, which also includes in-person training for a variety of possible scenarios.

Port Moody Police Chief Const. Dave Fleugel said the additional training for the department’s 55 officers and more than a dozen civilian employees was a major success.

Hallie Mitchell, the director of training at CAN, said since the online program was launched in January, more than 650 people — a range of first responders, including police, firefighters, RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services and government workers — have registered. She said the online model allows the training to reach more people, including first responders from other provinces who’ve shown interest in the program.

Fleugel said as police departments increasingly deal with calls that are more of a social service nature than criminal, they have to broaden their skills.

DeGoey is a finalist for an Autism BC excellence in autism award as its volunteer of the year that will be presented April 26th.

We are excited to hear that about the online training program as it helps our whole community move closer to greater inclusion across the Tri-Cities.

Finding appropriate, affordable housing can tough for anyone in the Lower Mainland, but for people living with developmental disabilities, those challenges can often be greater.

With that in mind, the charity L’Arche is building 39 new affordable units in partnership with BC Housing as part of its community in Burnaby.

“I think in a society where isolation and loneliness is more and more a reality, it’s been named one of the greatest disabling conditions in our society,” Executive Director Denise Haskett says. “This building and the people living in it will really have an opportunity to come together in different ways and just have that sense of belonging and being part of something, together.”

If everything goes to plan, the building will be complete by 2021. The plan is to address two issues — both related to the loneliness epidemic — around the Lower Mainland. The housing units will expand residential and program spaces for adults living with developmental disabilities, and will also offer additional affordable units at below market for those wanting to be part of the L’Arche community.

Haskett says rent varies, and adds there will be subsidy units as well as housing income limits in place.

This is an interesting project and we will keep everyone in our community posted about further developments of the project as it continues.

The employment rate for Canadian adults with autism is just 14%, according to a 2012 study. The article mentions a number of examples of individuals, most who are educated, that have a hard time getting a job due to the way the recruitment process is setup. It highlights some of the challenge these individuals face.

The hardest element of this is that it actually does a disservice to the employer as well. Many of these individuals who may not get through the interview stage could end up being very loyal, hardworking and valuable staff for the employer.

This job fair seeks to open up the dialogue and attempts to find new ways to handle the recruitment process. This is a step forward in increasing these employment rate figures and also break down employment barriers for people with autism.

Take the time to read the full story to truly see the experiences of these individuals and the steps being taken to encourage change.