DIR and RDI Recognized in British Columbia!

In British Columbia, children diagnosed with autism receive funding, which they can use to choose a service provider from an approved Registry of Autism Service Providers.

Up until now, ABA has been the the main therapy available, along with clinician supports.  However, after 10 years of requesting, the Ministry for Children and Families Special Needs have just included DIR Floortime, RDI, and other approaches under the category of “Developmental Social Pragmatic Approaches” in the newly revised “Parent Handbook: Your Guide to Autism Programs.” This guide is provided to parents when their child receives a diagnosis of ASD.

What changed?  People in British Columbia persisted in making the case for family-centred, developmental choices for children with autism.  Along with their efforts, the research base for developmental approaches has continued to grow.

Congratulations to those who worked hard to advocate for options that fit the needs of families in British Columbia, and to those families, who will now have easier access to information about a variety of therapies and approaches and can make a more informed decision as to what they think will best fit the needs of their child and family dynamics.

We’ve still got work to do here in Manitoba.  However, maybe this will help encourage our government to listen to families who would like to choose a therapy that fits their child’s needs and will continue to support them as they grow.

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