Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to take part in the debate on Motion M-172. People are always somewhat reluctant to talk about pervasive developmental disorder. The same is true when it comes to talking about cancer: no one can remain indifferent.
The term “pervasive developmental disorder” can at first seem very vague. It is used to describe specific problems that affect the overall development of the child, particularly, cognitive, social, emotional, intellectual, sensory and language problems. Autism is the most well known.
In Quebec, 46,500 people have autism or a pervasive developmental disorder. This affects four or five boys for every girl. Boys are more often affected by these disorders. It is also defined as a neurological disorder characterized by a disturbance in the global development of the individual in all areas of functioning.
The Fédération québécoise de l'autisme et des autres troubles envahissants du développement is the only provincial organization and the only organization to support those with autism in Quebec. However, 80 agencies in Quebec belong to the federation, which is, in turn, a member of the Autism Society Canada. The federation is a frequent partner with the Quebec department of health and social services.
However, the federation has not had much contact with the federal government to date. There was just one intervention within the framework of support for training. The federation believes that the federal government should not get involved in this debate because it finds it hard to believe that supplementary structures coming from Ottawa would have a real impact in the field. It also believes that the intervention strategies are much more likely to involve local players, community groups, CLSCs and schools and that the need is quite simple: money. We are still talking about the fiscal imbalance, unfortunately.
In Quebec, since 2002, we have had our own program. As usual, in Quebec, we are ahead of the game. We tend to come up with our own programs before many of the other provinces do because, yes, we pay more taxes, and, yes, we spend a lot more on our social programs—as some have pointed out—but, yes, we are taking care of the health of our citizens.
There are therefore services that were created for people with pervasive developmental disorder, for their family and loved ones. The organization of the services in Quebec's plan of action is based on social integration, social participation, responsibility of the parents in the development of their child and the interaction between people and their environment. The objectives are to implement an integrated services approach, to offer target recipients a wide range of the services they need in their community, to provide them with the tools to properly support the optimal development of their potential and their social integration process, to obtain adequate support for the families and loved ones and to foster cooperation between the various sectors of intervention, child card services, continuing education and various players in the community.
The priorities set out in this plan of action are: to provide services based on the needs of the person and their family, including: information, awareness, pervasive developmental disorder detection, diagnosis, patient navigators, access to services, comprehensive needs assessment, specialized adjustment and rehabilitation services, services for school-aged children, services for adults, residential support, accommodation and suitable support for families. As hon. members can see, every effort has been put into providing as much help as possible to people with autism.
We also seek to focus on partnerships with other public, semi-public and community service sectors. In Laval, we are ahead of the times. Mr. Germain Lafrenière has established Les Entreprises Qualité de Vie, which operates an organic farm, BioFerme Laval, and also Table champêtre BioFerme Laval. This is a social economy enterprise that promotes access to various trades for individuals with a pervasive development disorder, autism or an intellectual disability.
The social and occupational integration of the participants is supported by professionals who understand the needs of these individuals, who gain confidence and pride along with their practical training.
Each participant learns about various trades and activities including farming, arts and crafts, ceramics, cooking, small animal husbandry, sales, and of course the farm's restaurant. I would like to quote from an article written by a journalist who visited this organic farm. She went away feeling very satisfied with and even enchanted by the experience. She wrote:
One of about 500 Quebec organic farms that grow vegetables and raise animals, BioFerme Laval is worth the drive. The Sainte-Dorothée enterprise has a dual mission, one more vital than the other: not only does it offer an impressive array of fresh food at its restaurant, shop and farm gate, but it also provides autistic individuals with the opportunity to achieve their potential through their work. Travel to a farm that is unique in Canada.
She adds:
With each course, we marvel at the thought that almost everything on our plates (which were made, like all the dinnerware, in the ceramics workshop next to the house) comes from the garden and the animal pens, just over there, in back, and contains no preservatives and no traces of GMOs—
This is very important because working is very difficult for individuals with a pervasive development disorder.
These people take great pride in becoming independent. About 12 people work on the farm at all times. They are divided among the various workshops: ceramics, woodworking, greenhouses, animals, fields, and organic products. These workshops are run by professionals.
The article goes on, and the author quotes the chef:
The therapeutic effect is undeniable...You should see them getting off the bus in the morning. They are happy to be working here, and we enjoy being with them. They have their routine, feel useful and are entitled to make mistakes.
Of course, the Fédération québécoise de l’autisme et des autres troubles envahissants du développement is well acquainted with this farm. The federation is convinced that such projects can further the cause.
Clearly, Quebec has a plan. It knows what people with autism and their families need, and it has put in place services to meet those needs. What is missing is money.
We in the Bloc Québécois recognize the importance of fighting to find a treatment for autism and to provide patients and their families with the support they need to have appropriate quality of life. I agree with my colleague that this is important, but only Quebec and the provinces can determine what services are needed for people with autism and their families.
Government intervention should happen in collaboration with local partners, community education organizations, and other sectors under provincial jurisdiction. We are, however, opposed to the federal government developing a national autism strategy. It would be interfering yet again in an area under provincial jurisdiction.
Quebec already has its own policies. This would be a costly duplication of what is already in place. Instead, the federal government should transfer funds directly to Quebec and the provinces so they can use the money in their own programs.
Correcting the fiscal imbalance will give Quebec and the provinces the freedom to make their own choices and to implement effective programs for people with autism.