Rachel Notley responds to Calgary mother’s Facebook rant over aid cuts for autistic children

Hunter S. Thompson is a lucky five-year-old. Every week a development aid worker spends about 15 hours with him, helping him with challenges related to autism.

But those hours have been cut back in recent years – and for other families – all-together.

“Instead of having clinicians work with kids anymore, they now have clinicians come on a consultation basis only to consult with parents, and they’re getting rid of aids entirely,” Hunter’s Mom, Jenn Thompson said.

That’s the subject of her recent Facebook post titled #DearRachel. The letter to the premier targets a refocus of family support on training parents, not children.

“Parent training means parent blaming. The onus is on the parent to deliver services to their child, even though the intent of the Act was to help families be ‘normal’ families, not to turn mothers into therapists,” Thompson said in her post.

It got the attention of Rachel Notley, who responded by saying, “It has always been my impression that the idea of parent training had been a recommended (but optional) component in order to COMPLIMENT therapy (ie ensure that behavioural strategies were applied consistently across the child’s day), but never to REPLACE therapy. So, I am concerned by the description you outline here.”

Notley went on to say, “In addition, I’m aware of other families who have successfully appealed the level of service provided through FSCD and have used the same thoughtful arguments you outline.”

Autism Calgary said it’s an issue it knows all too well.

“Concerns from this family speak to similar concerns I’m hearing from many families that are calling Autism Calgary for support,” Executive Director Lyndon Parakin said.

In recent years the charity has been dedicating more and more resources to help with appeals.

“Families in Alberta are backed by very strong legislation that I definitely would be defending. The problem is in the implementation of it,” Parakin said.

“The fix isn’t even asking for more money,” Thompson said. “The fix is to take the money they’re already spending and instead of spending it on my son’s psychologist talking to me, have him sit with my son and work.”

The Ministry of Community and Social Services said it’s looking into concerns raised by Thompson and others.

“We recognize and commend the dedicated, loving work of parents like Jenn Thompson who work to ensure their child has the best supports to meaningfully engage in their everyday lives,” spokesperson Samantha Power said as part of a statement. “We want those parents to know that they are not alone in this process and we will work to ensure that those supports and services exist for their children and families.”