Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to stand and speak to Bill S-211 and follow the excellent presentations on the part of the other members who have spoken today, as well the members who have spoken at previous times the bill was debated.
As mentioned, the bill was sponsored by Senator Munson. He has on several occasions sponsored the bill. Of course, with elections and prorogation of the House, we are still not quite there yet.
As an MLA for a number of years in Manitoba, I received dozens of inquiries from parents over the years, people who were very frustrated at the lack of programming available to them in the province, and within the province itself. This came after a time of probably 40 years of recognition that improvements had to be made in dealing with different disabilities and diseases.
People would call our office and talk about how it was such a financial burden on the family, where they would have to take extra jobs, or as a matter of fact, even quit jobs to be able to spend time with their children. Then they would have to sit on big waiting lists to take advantage of programs. That was in the city of Winnipeg, where we had a decent program. Can one imagine the problems if one lived in a rural area where the programs are not available at all?
We have to look at this and take a national approach. I guess that is one of the downsides of health care being a provincial responsibility. What we have is a patchwork quilt of programs across the country.
It is widely known that Alberta has a very good series of programs, but that should be available right across the country. It is incumbent upon the national government to work with the provinces and stakeholders to come up with a national approach.
I am reminded that the United States is much further along than we are in that area.
I look at the preamble of Bill S-211 to get a perspective on what is anticipated here. It is an act respecting World Autism Awareness Day, but the preamble points out that autism spectrum disorders affect a significant number of families in Canada. I have heard the statistics and the numbers are quite alarming.
The preamble continues:
Whereas Canada has a health care system and social safety net to prevent illness and serve citizens;
Whereas Canadian families affected by autism spectrum disorders have unequal access to services across the country;
I think that is a crucial statement in itself.
For example, my wife worked for six years in Winnipeg with Versatech Industries. It is a very well-known organization in Winnipeg that employs people with different abilities. It provides a very important source of help and certainly some financial help to people.
However, I am not certain that this type of program is available across the country. As a matter of fact, I am not aware that it is available in any part of the country other than Winnipeg.
We really do have to pull everyone together here and not simply look at this in terms of each province on its own basically trying to solve the problem. That is not going to work.
Worldwide, the number of diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders is growing as well.
Many speakers have mentioned that there is a greater awareness of the importance for early diagnosis, which is a big help in terms of getting treatment for people with autism. Also, early intervention in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders can have promising results in helping people engage with and contribute to society. A number of years ago I think people were simply not aware of the problem and tended to ignore it. The recognition that we have to be proactive is coming to the forefront in this country.
It has been pointed out that there is no known cause or cure for autism spectrum disorders and 192 United Nations representatives agree that the World Autism Awareness Day could draw the attention of people across the globe to this neurological disorder that is affecting an increasing number of families. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly designated April 2, from 2008 on, as Autism Awareness Day.
Canada is a signatory, as members know, to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which maintains that children with disabilities should enjoy a full and decent life in conditions that ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate their active participation in the community, while also enjoying all active human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children. That is contributing to the demand by parents in society in general that these children need to be helped now and not somehow put off for future attention. Canada is a member of the United Nations and supports the vital work of that organization.
April 2 will be known as World Autism Awareness Day. I believe the federal minister announced last year that April 2 would be World Autism Awareness Day.
In terms of autism itself, ASD is a neurological disorder that causes developmental disability. The term “spectrum” refers to a continuum of severity or development impairment. People with ASD develop differently from others in the areas of motor , language, cognitive and social skills. Autism causes difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication, difficulties with social interaction and understanding and unusual patterns of behaviour, activities and interests.
Approximately 200,000 Canadians are living with an autism spectrum disorder. This figure does not account for the numerous family members and caregivers whose lives are profoundly affected by autism. It is estimated that 1 in every 165 Canadian children born today has ASD.
One of the Liberal members mentioned that there is a feeling on the part of some people that vaccinations may play a part in this. Another member mentioned genetics, which I think is probably a more reasonable assessment than the former.
Disabilities caused by ASD may be very mild in one person and quite severe in another. As a matter of fact, it has been pointed out that autism is four times more common in boys than in girls.
