Persons with Neurodevelopment Disabilities and their Interaction with Government

Abstract

This capstone project is meant to be an informative depiction concerning the process families in Alberta must pursue when they have children who display neurodevelopment disabilities. Provincial (Alberta Government) funding and services offered to an individual with neurodevelopment disabilities, as well as their families, are outlined throughout this project in detailed progression from diagnosis as a toddler until adulthood. The reader will become familiar with two key provincial government programs -Persons with Developmental Disabilities (POD) and Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). Parents experiences while dealing with provincial (Alberta's government) services are outlined throughout. There being no comprehensive, statistically valid surveys of which I am aware, these experiences are often anecdotal. This requires that they be interpreted carefully and that recognition be paid to the fact that I may not be able to give sufficient weight to different experiences by other parents not cited in secondary sources. This problem is inevitable but I have taken care to provide as balanced an assessment of parents' views and experiences as possible. This document concludes by revealing the approaches and practices which other provinces have taken and current policy suggestions that could help the Government of Alberta's move forward with respect to easing transitions between services and how to enhance the lives of individuals with neurodevelopment disabilities and their families.