Daily Gleaner Jan. 12, 2002
BY HEATHER McLAUGHLIN

EARLY TREATMENT CUTS DOWN ON LONG-TERM COSTS

Fredericton psychologist and University of New Brunswick professor Paul McDonnell is keeping his fingers crossed that a provincial government review of health services might afford
a hearing ear for the pitch of early intervention funding.

McDonnell is polishing work on a presentation he and a steering committee have been working on to try to convince the province that money spent on intensive early intervention is money well spent.

Without early and intensive therapy, autistic children like Matthew Chamberlain of Quispamsis, left untreated, will end up costing taxpayers $1 million over a life-time.

McDonnell is convinced of the merits of applied behavioral analysis techniques and so are some other officials. In Prince Edward Island, the government pays 20 hours per week of ABA therapy.

Early and sustained intervention can help autistic children and other youngsters with similar disorders, like attention deficit disorder, become productive learners, high school graduates, employed workers, and ultimately taxpayers.

"It makes a lot of sense to provide this to families." McDonnell said.

The fact New Brunswick is willing to review its services is constructive and forward-looking, McDonnell said.

Apart from funding families, McDonnell would like to see a certificate program developed through UNB to teach health professionals as well as hands-on workers appropriate early intervention techniques.

"We're trying to put together a proposal at the university to offer training. People don't know how to do the techniques … It's not just specialized workers, it's the professionals who also work with these children and supervise people working with these children," he said.

That includes doctors, nurses, psychologists and social workers.

"It's to know how to best offer the service. The techniques are very specific. There's a lot of detail," McDonnell explained. "They need to have hands on experience to show them how to do it."

The university professor said he's visited U.S. centres that have outstanding levels of expertise in autistic spectrum disorder treatment.

"When you see the quality and the benefits, it really makes you want to do it. We want to see our kids have it," he said.

The behaviour techniques can apply beyond the 1,500 children in New Brunswick estimated to suffer some type of autistic disability.

There's a potential knowledge transfer to all kinds of disruptive behavioral problems, McDonnell said. The specific techniques may differ, but the principles remain the same.

Given that autistic related disorders can affect one in every 500 individuals, it's a significant health problem, McDonnell said.

Carol Salmon, pediatric team manager at the Stan Cassidy Rehabilitation Centre in Fredericton, said Friday's conference was an encore presentation from one which the centre coordinated last fall.

More than 80 people sat on a waiting list to attend an encore of the session designated to teach the teachers what to do when behaviour is a barrier to learning.

The conference was held in French and English because some northern parts of New Brunswick don't have the same level of resources and client care services southern New Brunswick enjoys.

Part of the rehabilitation centre mandate is to provide education for pediatric rehabilitation, Salmon said.