The all-party Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth is undertaking a project on children and youth with neuro-diverse special needs.
Those are people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder and developmental delays.
Nicholas Simons, is the committee chair and MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast and said they’ll be looking to better understand the experiences of people who have to navigate the services for special needs individuals.
“One area of child legislation and policy that has sort of been ignored, for the most part, is services to children with special needs. As a committee we have decided to look at the processes that parents have to go through, or guardians, to get their children the services that they need.”
Also on the committee is Parksville-Qualicum’s Michelle Stilwell, Sonia Furstenau, for the Cowichan Valley and Ronna-Rae Leonard of Courtenay-Comox.
People are invited to share their experiences at a public hearing, or by making a written submission by June 7th.
Public hearings will be held in eight communities with the only one in our listening area in Nanaimo on May 24th.
The committee will release a report with recommendations to the legislative assembly by the early fall.
