B.C.’s long waitlist for autism assessments, diagnosis continues to grow
Quote:
One year ago, the wait for an autism assessment in B.C. averaged 55 weeks.
Despite efforts to speed up the process, that delay has now jumped to 60 weeks, with even longer waits in some regions of the province.
The provincial government increased funding by more than $1 million, which allowed for additional assessments, but demand continued to soar.
Last year, an extra 600 referrals were made, yet only about a 170 additional assessments were completed.
“We did respond in exactly the way we said, which was to significantly increase the number of assessments that cost anywhere between between $2,500 and $5,000 each,” Health Minister Adrian Dix told Global News.
“And we have to keep working on it, because clearly those wait times are too long for parents and for children.”
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
29 Nov 2019, 5:04 am
