The federal government's plan to create a Canadian Autism Partnership will see $2 million invested in an 11-member working group tasked with consulting residents across the country.
The Autism Spectrum Disorder working group will consist of a broad range of stakeholders from across Canada. Key autism organizations, front line service providers, health care professionals dedicated to providing care and treatment and top autism researchers make up this newly formed committee.
“Canadians can expect the working group to consult broadly and engage stakeholders, including those affected by ASD, and to report back on how Canadians of all ages living with ASD can be supported to reach their full potential,” said Cynthia Carroll, Chair of the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance and member of the working group.
Consultations with the public plan to address topics such as information sharing, research, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and ways to support Canadian families affected by autism.
Bonnyville resident Gary Mostert, who is the president of Rednecks with a Cause, a local group that has raised thousands of dollars in support of autism research and treatment, is slightly skeptical of the new working group.
“It all depends on what the group is trying to achieve. If the group is trying to lobby the government for funding I think it is amazing,” said Mostert. “If it is just another money pit where taxpayers throw money and nothing happens, I obviously have my reservations about that.”
Mostert was the driving force behind the Rednecks with a Cause's annual Autism Awareness dinner, dance and auction. The event has been held in Bonnyville the past two years and resulted in over $70,000 being raised.
The first year of the event the local group connected with Autism Speaks Canada, and donated some of their over $35,000 in proceeds to the organization.
Since then the local organization has changed its tune and has now been focusing on making sure their dollars go to providing front line support and treatment.
“I felt that Autism Speaks Canada does great things for advocacy, research and awareness, but I don't think they do much for the actual work on the ground,” said Mostert.
“We turned our focus away from Autism Speaks Canada in the sense that we want to use every dime that we raise to actually put services in place or train service providers.”
He feels the best outcome for this working group is if they actually start to lobby the government to fund treatment, training and provide services and tools for parents dealing with a child who has been diagnosed with autism.
“I'm not saying we don't need research. I just don't know that more research or more awareness will put the tools in the parents' hands to serve their children better,” said Mostert.
“Right now the focus for us is to put the tools in the parents', teachers' and service providers' hands to serve the community we already have diagnosed.”
Mostert plans to attempt to talk to someone from the working group to get his voice, along with the collective voice of other parents in the Lakeland heard.
“My question, as President of Rednecks with a Cause, is what are we doing with kids and adults who have already been diagnosed and don't have any services?”
Minister of Health Rona Ambrose, who announced the creation of the working group, feels that the committee will be able to move forward and create “real solutions” for those families affected by autism.
“The experience and expertise in the working group members and their dedication to making a difference for Canadians and their families, will lead us to real solutions,” said Ambrose.
Other members on this newly minted committee include; Jill Farber, executive director of Autism Speaks Canda, Laurie Mawlam, executive director of Autism Canada and Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, the co-director of the autism research centre at Edmonton's Glenrose rehabilitation hospital.
Mostert hopes that some of these people will hear him out and shift the focus to helping families who are dealing with autism by increase services and training.
“I just think in a town like Bonnyville we don't have enough people trained,” said Mostert.
“I would like to see more feet on the ground serving the population that we know is on the autism spectrum.”
