Children and Youth with Special Needs

It is estimated that up to 15 per cent of children in British Columbia (or approximately 200,000) have a developmental disability, mental health condition or learning disability. Of these children, approximately 25 per cent (or 52,000) have significant special needs that affect the child's functioning in their home, school and community.

These children and their families require significant medical, health, educational and social supports. Government currently spends over $500 million annually on various programs and services that support these children and their families. These programs and services are provided through three key ministries: Children and Family Development, Health Services, and Education.

Budget 2005 allocates additional resources for programs and services for children and youth with special needs and their families. A key expectation that accompanies the increased funding is that service providers, regardless of which sector they are funded through, will work collaboratively with other providers in moving towards a more integrated system of service delivery.

By 2007/08, government will increase spending on programs and services for children and youth with special needs and their families by $134 million.

The additional funding will be used to:

• Provide new and enhanced services for children who have developmental behavioural conditions including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) by:

– facilitating the development of an integrated diagnosis and assessment capacity for these conditions, including FASD, building on the process developed for autism, using the Provincial Health Authority for centralized functions and the Health Authorities for the delivery of assessment services. This will improve the timely and reliable assessment and diagnosis for children affected by these conditions (up to 1,500 children are expected to be assessed by 2007/08); and

– providing new intervention and support services including cognitive behavioural intervention, positive behavioural support, and assistance to develop functional life skills and respite through community agencies and service providers (up to 1,000 children are expected to benefit by 2007/08).

• Reduce waitlists in direct intervention services and key family support services, including:

– enhancing supported child development programs for children over 6 years of age (i.e. assessment, training and individualized specialized support to assist children with special needs to participate in child care settings) to benefit up to an additional 250 children by 2007/08;

– an additional 2,500 children will access intervention and therapies (i.e. occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech language pathology and behavioural intervention services) by 2007/08; and

– providing respite care for up to an additional 800 families by 2007/08 through direct funding and other contracted respite services.

• Enhance specialized supports for children and youth with sensory impairment conditions or complex health needs for over 600 children by 2007/08, including:

– providing additional nursing assessment and consultation services for children with complex health needs;

– providing mobility orientation training for blind and deaf blind pre-school children; and

– providing interpreters and counseling services to assist deaf, deaf blind or blind youth transitioning to adulthood.

• Enhance services to children and youth with special needs in the education system:

– increased funding for school boards to provide programs and supports for students with special needs;

– funding to recognize increased service levels needed when students enroll in a school district during a school year; and

– additional funding to enhance early intervention and inter-agency collaboration for students with complex needs.

These new funds will enable children with special needs and their families to have improved access to assessment, intervention and support when they are young and support their success in education programs when they are ready for school.

Government is committed to enhancing British Columbia's system of support for children with special needs by delivering services that are timely, of high quality and responsive to family needs.