New clinic designed to help
autistic children
MONTREAL - Autistic children and their families now have a new clinic
in Montreal.
The
Montreal Children's Hospital has launched its Autism Spectrum
Disorders Program designed to provide a whole range of services to
autistic children and their families.
The program brings the Montreal Children's Hospital's autism specialists together in one clinic, where they can offer medical and social services to autistic children and their parents.
"Our waiting list is long, unfortunately, as in other centres," says Dr. Lee Tidmarsh, a child psychiatrist at the Children's Hospital.
"But we are prioritizing those children that are very young—under three—because we believe that early intervention with these children may set them on to a better development path."
Surprising numbers
Tidmarsh says autism is a complex neuro-developmental disorder which strikes children from all classes and cultural groups.
She says there are more and more cases.
"The number of autistic children took us by surprise. In the past when we thought of these children as being four per 10,000 we now think of them as being in the numbers of six per 1,000," Tidmarsh says.
On top of the medical and social services, it will also conduct many research studies on autism.
Two burn units
Meanwhile, a Liberal MNA responded to rumours that the Montreal Children's Hospital might lose its burn unit to Ste. Justine's Hospital.
Russell Williams, MNA for Nelligan, in the northwest part of Montreal, was at the Montreal Children's Hospital on Wednesday to announce the opening of a new autism clinic.
Williams says the Liberal government is committed to keeping both hospitals operational.
"We believe that there are two children's hospitals: the Ste. Justine and the Children's [Hospital] and we want them both to have a vibrant and active future," says Williams.