Few services for adults living with autism in Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Anick Blais has to take care of her 24-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder. Although it is functional, she still has to supervise it almost constantly: remind him to wash, feed him or even manage his emotions.

Once his schooling was over and he reached the age of 21, Anick’s child no longer had the right to all the services he had had since his diagnosis of ASD.

It’s as if at 21, it’s bye bye and we leave you to yourself. I had been told to put him in foster care so that he would have access to more services. […] He’s still locked up since he no longer has services, he doesn’t want to go out anymoreshe laments.

24/7 supervised housing

Annick Blais recognizes that an apartment where her son would be constantly supervised and supported by resource people would offer her respite, she who also takes care of her grandson living with an ASD.

I have a restricted life. It’s nice to be a parent, the energy is not there all the time and we don’t have all the tools. I know what awaits me if nothing changes, I dread she points out.

Could a shelter for adults living with ASD, like that of the Véro & Louis Foundation, see the light of day in the region? This is at least the wish of the director general of the Autism Society of Abitibi-Témiscamingue (SAAT), Tommy Bédard.

I find that their way of doing [celle de la Fondation Véro & Louis] is wonderful. Are there better ways to do it elsewhere? I have no idea. We will no doubt get in touch with them to find out what the possibility of having a partnership is.he considers.

When it was created, the Véro & Louis Foundation aimed to build five houses like the one currently established in Varennes, in Montérégie. With higher than anticipated costs, the orientation of the foundation has changed, indicates its general manager, Katty Taillon.

We want to serve as a leverage effect for future projects and partner with foundations, associations, organizations that are local and have the desire to open a Véro & Louis house with our new accommodation model.she says.

The Government of Quebec wants to make living spaces like that of the Véro & Louis Foundation available throughout the province, attests the Minister for Health and Social Services, Lionel Carmant.

I think that’s really the kind of environment it takes for adults with an ASD or an intellectual disability. The intermediate resource model, I’m trying to get away from it. That is why we are investing in supportive housing. People must be able to have their own residence and live their life there.he believes.

throughout life

Nancy Provencher and Jacques St-Pierre are the parents of Fanny, 21 years old and living with an ASD. During her childhood and part of her adolescence, she was followed by several specialists.

She stays with us at home, but she has her car and a job. She is still quite independent. She was always very cheerful and smiling.explains his mother.

With Fanny’s agreement and willingness, her parents asked two years ago for the support of a specialized educator in order to work on certain difficulties related to her autonomy and the acceptance of her condition. The young woman will finally be able to meet a specialist from the public health and social services network.

Fanny’s parents are concerned, however, that she may not have access to consistent, long-term follow-up throughout her life.

We were told that an intervention plan will be made, but that once the objectives have been achieved, yes, we can work on something else. But there will be an endspecifies Ms. Provencher.

The director general of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Autism Society, Tommy Bédard, recognizes that once past the age of 21, it is more difficult for a person living with an ASD to obtain services in ongoing from CISSS-AT professionals.

These are service episodes. Depending on the stage of life, certain objectives will be able to be worked on, but once that’s over, we close the file, we go elsewhere. The person may therefore still have difficulties or an issue. The important thing is that the follow-up is constant

With its own workers, the SAAT works in partnership with the CISSS-AT to offer more sustained support to adults with ASD and their parents.

We try to have interesting daily activities that serve to maintain what we have learned. We also want them to develop new onesemphasizes Tommy Bédard.

SAAT has only one point of service in the form of a day and development center in Rouyn-Noranda. As they live in Val-d’Or, Fanny’s parents would like such a center to open in their city. Tommy Bédard assures that he is working so that each of the main towns in the region can be served by SAAT.

Without putting pressure on what to expect, Fanny sees the next few years with determination and positivism. She wants to live somewhere other than her parents, but she wouldn’t see herself in a supervised apartment.

I don’t really care. I don’t think it’s for me. I am able to do things, cook, drive and workshe mentions.

Fanny has the full confidence of her parents, who admire her tenacity. They support her in her desire to strike out on her own, but reiterate that she will need people to lean on all her life so that her ASD does not limit her momentum.

Fanny will have her place, but she must have supervision the day we are no longer there. It would relieve us of worrieshopes his mother.