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| Last updated at 9:52 AM on 22/08/08 |
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Joann Harding and her son Christopher enjoy the Autism Support Group picnic last week. |
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Helping kids with autism shouldn't be a lottery 
BOBBI-LYNN HALL (ON THE TOWN) 
Halifax News Net
Last week, there was a picnic held in Sackville for families and friends affected by ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Sadly, the two hours of laughter and sunshine was overshadowed by the talk of a prominent HRM surgeon who had uprooted his family and moved out west to receive better treatments for his child, who has autism.
The challenges of raising a child with autism are the same across the country, but the support is not. As the mother of a child with ASD, I understand the helplessness felt by parents when it comes to the lack of funded treatments for children with autism in this province.
It's devastating enough to find out that your child has a disorder that will affect him or her for his entire life; a disorder that could make him unable to communicate or make friends or experience things in life that most of us take for granted, like falling in love, fulfilling a dream or having a child of his own.
But knowing that there are treatments and programs out there that could help, and that some children get this treatment while others do not, is heartbreaking.
In Nova Scotia, there are children receiving Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention, a treatment proven to improve vocabulary and social skills and reduce behaviour issues in most children with ASD, but it's based on a lottery system.
We all talk about how great it would be to win the lottery and what we'd spend the money on. But what if your child's future was dependent on winning a lottery and what if you didn't win? Would you be thinking maybe if you had picked a different number, or maybe if you had bought your ticket last week instead of this week, that maybe things would have been different and maybe your child would be the one receiving the treatments that could help him experience things that otherwise may not have been possible?
I love Nova Scotia. This is my home. I brag about it everywhere I go.
That's why it broke my heart when a mom of an ASD child called me to say she and her husband were moving here from Alberta. She wanted me to tell her about the services and support we have out here for her daughter. What could I say?
I told her if it was me, I'd stay exactly where I was.
As any party planner knows, holding an outdoor event is pretty much a crapshoot. You set your venue, book your entertainment, lay down your deposits and then cross your fingers and pray for sunshine.
I'm not a meteorologist, but I do know this whole 50 per cent chance of rain, 50 per cent chance of sunshine is frustrating.
On the Wednesday before our annual Bedford Sackville Autism Support Picnic, I checked my computer and there was a little yellow cartoon sun showing for Sunday, but by Saturday there was no cartoon sun at all, just a big cloud with rain and lightening bolts shooting through it.
So I stopped looking at the computer and began to pray. Sure enough, the day started with a big cloud, but then the sun came out and we were good to go.
My friend Paulette and I (we started the Bedford Sackville Autism Support group) hold a picnic at the Kinsmen Park in Sackville for family and friends of children with autism.
It's a great opportunity to create a little awareness and, more importantly, give our kids a chance to be themselves and our parents a little break from trying to explain behaviours that can be a little, or a lot, different than those of "typical" kids.
This year we had a bouncy castle, a maze and a big worm-like thing for the kids to crawl through.
There was a barbeque, lots of games and, of course, our hero: Milo the Clown.
All ages
There were young children who had just been diagnosed as well as young adults running around, having a blast. All were at different functioning levels, but all had equal amounts of fun. My favourite part of the day is always the balloon release.
Throughout the day, we ask people to write down their wishes and then, just before the picnic ends, we tie them to our environmentally safe balloons while someone sings, When You Say Nothing At All as performed by Allison Krauss.
We let our balloons go and we watch our wishes fly way up to the sky, then we wait for them to come true. It's emotional, and it's beautiful.
I wrote down two wishes this year; one was for understanding and one for that little cartoon sunshine to show up again next year.
blhall@eastlink.ca
Have something going on around town? Let me know.
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22/08/08
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Brad Campaigne from Orangeville, ON writes: Interesting to see that Governments all over the world still need to be urged to help their child citizens.
As an informed optimist I can tell you now that not a thing will actually change.
Your MP’s will not do a thing to help the children.
ABA/IBI is their only hope.
If your government is not doing all it can to provide this service directly to the children it is in complete dishonour.
We have created a generation of second class Canadians.
Funny, our Charter says that all Canadians are equal???
BTW is it just me or is our Prime Minister strangely silent on this subject.
He is truly a dishonourable Canuck.
Good luck children.
Your gonna need it.
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| Posted 23/08/2008 at 10:55 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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