Educational and medical services for Autism
As children with autism pass the age of 18 in Canada, they are seeing the supports and services available to them drop off significantly. As Caryn Lieberman reports, this is a frightening time for their families. Feb 18, 2020
It is a reality for dozens of families across the Canada. Once a child turns 18 an adult in the eyes of the government they typically lose access to a lot of government funding and services intended for children. Autism services are currently a provincial jurisdiction, but many adults end up in psychiatric wards where they don’t get the care they need. Many types of autism support greatly decrease or even stop altogether when a person turns 18. According to Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, senior clinician scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, this is the wrong approach.
“Autism is a developmental condition. By definition, you don’t stop having autism when you turn 18,” she told Global News. “There’s [nothing] magical about the number 18. People a day under 18 will get quite a bit of service, and the day they turn 18, the services start decreasing rapidly.
There are gaps in care throughout the system, but according to Autism Speaks Canada, the major problems are the availability of post-secondary programs, employment, innovative housing solutions, mental health support and support with medical health conditions commonly associated with autism.
Mental health support is crucial. Seventy per cent of individuals on the spectrum have a comorbid mental health condition (like anxiety, depression, psychosis and suicidality), with 40 per cent having two or more disorders. “For a family with a young child, they may be able to choose between a handful of early-intervention or social skills programs in their community. However, as one grows up, the selection decreases significantly if available at all.: How
the current system which calls on each province to create its own autism strategy results in inconsistent care for Canadians with autism, varying widely between jurisdictions and leaving whole communities vulnerabl. Many adults with autism live at home or with a friend or family member. When additional support is needed, in-home services may include a companion, homemaking/housekeeping, therapy and health services or personal care. Respite Care. Some individuals with autism remain in their parents’ home far into their adult years.
However,Canada has a total of 2,039 long-term care homes; 46% are publicly owned and 54% are privately owned; the breakdown for privately owned homes is 28% for-profit and 23% not-for-profit.Sep 24, 2020
Care home fees will vary depending on the area that you live in, the individual care home itself, plus your own personal financial circumstances. Costs average around £600 a week for a care home place and over £800 a week for a place in a nursing home.Jul 7, 2020.
For instance, Developmental Services Ontario helps adults with developmental disabilities connect to services and supports in their communities. There are nine agencies across Ontario to serve them. Their organizations are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. Wherever you live in Ontario, They can help individuals with DD to connect with available residential supports, caregiver respite, community participation supports (like recreation, volunteering, employment, or in-home supports), professional and specialized services, person-directed planning, and other supports to help people with developmental disabilities become more involved in the society.
Once a child turns 18 and is considered an adult, they are presumed competent until they are legally declared to be incompetent. They also have the right to make their own decisions about special education services (including the right to give up those communities!
Elahe Soiuzi
CMO of IMUTISM
Refrences:
Autism after 18 by Meghan Collie in Global News
Posted February 18, 2020 7:00 am
Updated February 22, 2020 2:39 pm
Health Concerns and Health Service Utilization in a Population Cohort of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published in 2018.