Finding autism service providers can be one of the most stressful jobs of a parent whose child has been diagnosed with the neurological disability but a newly formed organization headed by a Coquitlam mom plans to offer some critical help.
Jodie Wickens, who unsuccessfully ran for school trustee in Coquitlam during the recent civic election and whose son has autism, is the executive director of the Autism Support Network, which launched this week across the province. Aimed at the parents of some 400 School District 43 children with autism - nearly 7,000 in B.C. - the new parent-run organization intends to be a one-stop shop for information, networking and advocacy.
"What we're focused on is finding good information on quality autism treatment," said Wickens, who is a trained behaviour interventionist and works one-on-one with children who have autism using applied behavioural analysis (ABA).
Wickens was among a group of parents that asked the School District 43 board of education for new training requirements for special education assistants who work with children with autism in 2013 but was turned down.
Now, with the new organization - the result of a merger of two autism organizations, the ABA Support Network and the Autism Education Society - Wickens is working with parents of autistic children of all ages and hoping to spare families the grief and frustration from mistakes that she and other parents have made since their children's diagnosis.
"That's why we exist, because we are parents and we know what works and what is promising something that doesn't work," said Wickens, noting that parents face a great responsibility in spending wisely the $22,000 they receive in provincial funding for services for children under six and $6,000 for children six and up.
HELP FINDING SERVICES
According to Wickens, parents typically don't know what will work best for their child or who to hire and costs can quickly add up. And she cautions against turning to Google for expert advise.
Instead, Wickens said parents can log on to the group's website (www.autismsupportbc.ca) for more information or to attend one of the monthly educational meetings, such as a Feb. 18 workshop on tax advice.
"We're simply trying to create a better community for kids. Parents don't have to pay for anything," she said, adding the group will also promote careers in working with autistic children and is speaking to students and at career fairs on the topic.
For ABA to work, an experienced professional will design a plan that meets the specific needs of a child and a team of behaviour interventionists will then work together and with the child to reinforce the desirable behaviours.
Wickens said the autism community is vulnerable because there is a lot of money involved and people promising "miracle cures."
To keep costs down, the group provides all of its help and support for free, Wickens said, although donations would be helpful, and now that it has charitable tax status, hopefully easier to get.
In the meantime, parents who need support or just friendly advice from someone who has "been there," Wickens said she invites parents to become a member and check out the website for resources and information.
