Schools aim to diagnose autism so students can get help faster
Staff at both Edmonton public and Catholic school districts will soon be able to diagnose or rule out autism to help families avoid a lengthy wait at the Glenrose Autism Clinic.
With an average wait of 18 months for a child to be diagnosed at the Glenrose, psychologists working in the city’s Catholic and public schools have either been trained or are undergoing training to identify which students are on the spectrum.
“We wanted to better support the process by helping families get answers faster, but still maintaining the high standards the Glenrose upholds,” said Alara Hedebring, manager of psychologists at Edmonton Catholic Schools.
Although children in both districts can receive extra services without a diagnosis of autism, health professionals can provide better treatment and adaptations once they’ve identified the causes, said Brenda Gummer, director of specialized services, inclusive learning, at Edmonton Public Schools.
“We knew that there was more that we could do,” she said.
Doctors from northern Alberta, northern B.C., northern Saskatchewan and Nunavut refer around 1,700 people a year to the Glenrose for neurodevelopmental assessments, Alberta Health Services spokesman Kerry Williamson said.
The clinic has the capacity to see 700 patients a year, he said. Depending on the patient’s age, the wait can be from one year to 20 months.
Psychologists at Edmonton public trained to diagnose autism in June 2016. Using a special set of toys and tools, called the “autism diagnostic observation schedule,” they watch how children use the objects, and also observe children in the classroom, Gummer said.
Children they suspect have multiple conditions still need a referral to the Glenrose for diagnosis.
How long a diagnosis takes through public schools varies, Gummer said. Sometimes, professionals who suspect autism must convince caregivers to allow testing.
“I think they’re terrified. That’s a parent’s real worst thought — that there could be something neurologically, developmentally wrong with my child,” Gummer said.
Psychologists at Edmonton Catholic Schools will work with a trainer from Calgary in March, Hedebring said. The school district will then collaborate with the Glenrose to ensure they’re using consistent procedures.
Occupational therapists and speech language pathologists working for both school districts also do assessments that inform a psychologist’s diagnosis.
For children age seven or older, an autism diagnosis will bring the school more government funding to provide help. A diagnosis also helps schools offer more personalized lessons, and can qualify children for more programs outside of school, Hedebring said.
The diagnosis itself isn’t as critical as what schools do with it, Terri Duncan, executive director of Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton, said Thursday.
Wait lists wax and wane, she said. The major bottleneck in Edmonton used to be access to therapy and programs, she said. Duncan’s organization has since opened two service centres to help meet those needs.
“When you hear your child has autism and you have nowhere to go, and no one that can help you, it can be really devastating,” she said.