Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the goals of the 16th Legislative Assembly is
healthy, educated people. One of the activities identified under the goal is to improve support for children and adults with special needs and disabilities. FASD is a reality with the Northwest Territories. Unfortunately, there are many adults who remain undiagnosed in the Northwest Territories and are therefore ineligible to receive support and programming available which is available to people who have been diagnosed as children. As a result, these undiagnosed individuals may face greater challenges than those individuals not suffering from FASD or those who were diagnosed and have been able to take advantage of programming.
As a result, these individuals may find themselves more reliant on social programs and income support in order to maintain a basic standard of living. This is unfortunate, given that with a little support these individuals could develop knowledge of their condition and skills to overcome their challenges, which will give them a better quality of life and possibly avoid the necessity to access income support, thus saving the GNWT money over the long run.
The GNWT does not support or facilitate the assessment of adults. The GNWT does support the assessment of youth. Unfortunately, many cases of FASD in children are going undiagnosed because of the lack of awareness or stigma associated with the disorder. Once these undiagnosed children leave their parents’ homes, become adults and enter the world of employment and new responsibilities, they face additional challenges. Unfortunately, if they seek to understand their challenges, that they can attempt to overcome them, the GNWT is not willing to help. This isn’t so in other jurisdictions. Alberta, as an example, recognizes the value in helping their citizens and offers adult assessment for FASD to their residents.
As a government, we need to follow Alberta’s example and offer this level of support to our undiagnosed residents. With proper assessment and care, many people in the NWT with FASD can lead happy, productive and independent lives. Let’s do the right thing and support FASD assessment and diagnosis services, as well as treatment for adults in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.