June 20, 2001
by Tracy Carr
~The Daily Gleaner

Autism Needs Funding

Jason Oldford of Fredericton knows first hand how people with autism can realize their potential with proper treatment.

The 30-year old was diagnosed with high functioning autism when he was three years old. He received the treatment he needed to learn how to deal with the disorder and now lives as an independent adult, with two university degrees.

He acknowledges his luck at having received treatment during a time when little was known about the disorder and how to work around it, and said he wishes every child had the same luck and opportunity as he did.

"If I were walking along the beach one day and something that looked like a magic lamp washed ashore, and if I were to shine it up and a genie were to appear and grant me three wishes, one of my wishes would be for all autistic children to grow up to be just like me or others like me," he said.

Oldford was addressing a crowd of about 100 people who were taking part in the Fredericton Autism Centre for Education's first fundraising dinner Saturday evening. Members of the audience, many of whom are parents of autistic children, listened intently to Oldford's words, often breaking into applause in agreement with his message.

He said the provincial government needs to step in with funding that will ensure all children with autism can receive the appropriate treatment they need to learn to interact with others despite the disorder. The cost of the most effective types of treatment can run from $35,000 to beyond $50,000 per year, per child, and many families cannot afford this expense.

"That is where the government comes in," said Oldford. "The government has to provide funding for treatments to people with autism.

"But consider the alternatives. An untreated autistic child will become a totally dysfunctional adult.

"An untreated autistic child will spend his or her adult days in a group home or in an institution. That's not what I want and I know that's certainly not what you want."

Paul McDonnell, a licensed child psychologist who specializes in childhood autism spectrum disorder, also spoke at the function, calling for government funding for treatments.

"A friend of mine pointed out that a child with a visible injury such as a fracture or a kidney disorder receives immediate publicly funded care," he said. "This level of care is not provided to children with autism at this time.

"So for parents or children with autism, every day becomes an emergency, without the support we expect from the system."