Calgary, Canada – The city in Alberta is in high need of autism support as many on the spectrum prepare to graduate. According to a report released by University of Calgary economist Herbert Emery, there are about 1,771 students on the autism spectrum in Calgary’s schools.
The report further details that 1 in 94 students overall have been diagnosed with the learning difference while 1 in 84 high school students have already been diagnosed. CTV News met with Carolyn Dudley from School of Public Policy who contented that the high autism numbers comes from the fact that the providence may offer better early intervention programs for those on the spectrum then other provinces in the country.
But high numbers are often met with high costs. In the CTV News article originally posted on September 25, it stated that care for a child on the spectrum costs individual families around $60,000 a year. On top of that, 140 students are expected to graduate the school system each year, overwhelming an already stressed government researchers say, and they have yet to prepare for the flood of adults who are on the spectrum needing help. Herbert Emery confirmed this fact to CTV News adding:
“This is a number where we can get the public to start to understand that it’s not just a handful of people, it’s a fairly sizable number and we need to get a better grasp on what they need and what we can do to make the outcomes better.”
The original article by Ryan White on the CTV News Calgary website can be read here
Contributed by Audrey L. Hollingshead