The Act early program acts "halfway", denounces a mother

2023-06-01 21:47:56

Joanie Méthot leads an obstacle course for her 4-year-old son. Suffering from a severe language disorder, Léon waited two years before obtaining speech therapy services from Agir jeune in Montérégie-Est. He had five intervention sessions. “The speech therapist was excellent and it was great,” says her mother. But services ceased in mid-January and we are on hold again. For me, it’s “Acting halfway”. »

In addition to a severe language impairment, Leon experiences motor delay and shows signs of possible autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He is also suffering from a slight deafness – he has had eight consecutive ear infections.

After offering him speech therapy and physiotherapy sessions, Agir jeune referred him to the CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest, the health institution responsible for specialized rehabilitation services (ASD, intellectual disability and physical disability) for all Montérégie territory.

Léon has been on a new waiting list since April. “I received a letter indicating that it could take 365 days before receiving the services, laments Joanie Méthot. To have the diagnosis of a severe disorder and to fall into waiting again, it is inhuman. »

Joanie Méthot has put Léon on all private speech therapy waiting lists in the hope that he will receive help. Her son is already undergoing physiotherapy in a clinic. The mother contacted The duty following our survey revealing average waiting times for speech therapy of at least 10 months in about ten regions.

The resident of Longueuil appeals to her deputy, Lionel Carmant, minister responsible for social services. “I would like us to maintain Léon’s speech therapy services, until we get the follow-up with the new team. Even if we can’t have a once a week frequency, once a month would be better than 52 weeks of nothing. »

Joanie Méthot believes that “we must act now”. “I had learning issues at school, the same for my spouse, and we know how important it is to have the right tools in place,” she says.

She is worried about Léon going to a group of older children (4 years old) in September in her CPE. “The language has improved a lot, but it’s still hard to understand,” she says. Sometimes she can’t do it herself. “It tears my heart out…” Joanie Méthot fears that her son will find himself isolated in his corner, without a friend to play with.

Motion on Act Early

Waiting times for speech therapy at Act early were discussed in the National Assembly on Wednesday. The CAQ government opposed a motion presented by the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) with the support of Quebec solidaire, the Parti Quebecois and the independent MP Marie-Claude Nichols.

This motion took note of the “significant increase in delays” for intervention in speech therapy through Agir earlier, noted that the latter “compromise the objectives of the program” and asked the government to “increase the resources necessary to reduce of the wait, “in addition to ensuring uniformity in the provision of services in all regions of Quebec, and this, as soon as possible”.

The CAQ government indicates that it has proposed an “amendment” to this motion. According to the Liberal Party of Quénec, it was rather a “complete rewrite”.

Asked about Léon’s situation, Minister Lionel Carmant’s office indicates that he does not comment on specific cases. “The CISSS and CIUSSS are responsible for managing their service offer in their respective territories,” it is specified.

“Beacons”

The CISSS de la Montérégie-Est recognizes that the number of meetings planned in speech therapy with a child is subject to “tags”, “in particular in anticipation of a new school year or in the event of referral to a rehabilitation center”. “These guidelines guide the decisions of the professionals, but, ultimately, it is the intervention plan established by our professionals that determines the number of meetings carried out with the child,” he wrote in an email.

According to this CISSS, the 365-day wait for specialized rehabilitation services is the “maximum time” for care. “In fact, the real waiting time is often less and the number of meetings carried out by our team adjusts according to this,” we add. The establishment claims to be working “to make the transition between services as smooth as possible”.

The CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest specifies that the average time for access to a first specialized service for 0 to 6 year olds is approximately four months in speech therapy and approximately two to ten months in physiotherapy and occupational therapy. “In intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, the average time for a first service is about four months,” we wrote in an email.

Joanie Méthot wants to continue “fighting” so that her son has access to services. She intends to send a complaint to Lionel Carmant. “I can’t let go, because it’s for my son. I don’t understand why the delays are so long for children,” she says.