(Canada) BC: 3 year wait for ASD assessment
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
South Okanagan parents seeking an autism assessment for a child are waiting up to three years on average — placing high costs and burdens on rural families.
"There are private options, but the private options usually are somewhere between $2,500 [$1,800 U.S.] and $3,500 [$2,600 U.S.]; so they're usually too much of a barrier for most families, and these kids are forced to wait," says Dr. Miriam Oliver, South Okanagan pediatrician. . . .
For kids over six years old, the service gap is even greater. Children that age and older are supported only through schools and private providers, which means limited funding and help.
After a diagnosis, families see compounding problems such as long waits, large travel distances, time off work, out-of-pocket costs for accommodations, gas, and more. All of those barriers can lead to therapeutic and support delays in school.
"Delayed intervention can lead to a whole bunch of challenges in the school environment, learning challenges, behavioural issues, and family stress, later on," Kornelsen says.
"That makes it really difficult, first of all, to integrate the child into a learning environment. It's very time sensitive to do this." . . .
UBC study on services in rural B.C.
Examining the effects of accessing services on rural families, Kornelsen is working on a study that will examine families' experiences and costs of acquiring ASD support.
She is partnering with Princeton's BC Rural Health Network as a liaison for the Center for Rural Health Research, UBC. . . .
Disheartened by the lack of support for parents and excessive wait times, Oliver and a small team created the South Okanagan Assessment Program in August 2024. . . .
SOAP provides free autism assessments to high-risk children over six years old in School Districts 53 and 67, triaging clients based on need. The program also connects parents with family doctors and services, organizes neurodiverse events, and fundraising initiatives.
"This is the first time it was a combination of medical and education professionals are working together. And looking outside of the box to see how we can really create wraparound services for kids and families that will support them in the community," Oliver says.
"We want all kids to have access to physio, occupational therapy, speech therapy, behaviour intervention, and counselling."
Because of SOAP, Oliver is able to double the number of assessments she can do.
Oliver previously worked with the Interior Health Children's Assessment Network.
"Fifty per cent of my time was clinical, and 50 per cent was on administrative [tasks], having to write eight-page reports, having to review about 20 different reports and summarize some in the report. Things that I really felt would be better done by somebody who still had some clinical training but didn't necessarily have to be a pediatrician."
Due to the lack of services in the South Okanagan, she wanted to have another option for people to bridge the gap.
Thanks to various South Okanagan Rotary Clubs, the non-profits provided the funding to help launch SOAP.
"We actually got through most of the reds — the kids who are really struggling. And now we're seeing more like those yellows — kids who are struggling but still able to attend school, or struggling but still mostly able to function. And so it's really rewarding," Oliver adds.
Advice for parents
Both Kornelsen and Oliver recommend parents interested in an assessment or support reach out to a family doctor and a local pediatric group.
Even if parents are unsure, it's always good to ask for an assessment, experts say.
"If you're struggling, you're not alone [...] That's normal. We don't want to pathologize normal development, but we do want to provide help and support where it's needed, and help to celebrate ways that we're all different," Oliver says.
Additionally, the rural B.C. autism services study will likely issue a list of recommendations for policymakers on local services, as well as resources for families.
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