Your family doctor may refer you to BCAAN(BC Autism Assessment Network) for assessment and diagnosis. BCAAN will arrange for an assessment to be done as close to where you live as possible. There is no charge for BCAAN services. At the completion of the assessment and diagnosis, you will receive a BCAAN Clinical Outcomes form which will indicate whether your child has Autism Spectrum Disorder. If your child has been diagnosed with ASD, and you wish to enroll in the Autism Funding Program, contact your local MCFD(Ministry of Child and Family Development) office to complete a funding agreement.

• The BCAAN Clinical Outcomes form or a Non-BCAAN (Private) Dignosis of ASD form, showing a diagnosis of ASD

• Proof of the child’s age (such as a birth certificate)

• The child’s BC Care Card

• Application for Autism Funding

• Confirm if MCFD receives your application package and make a note of the date and time along with the name of person you spoke with.

It is important to use the Early Intervention services in your community while you are waiting. You can access these services through your local community health office. You do not need a doctor’s referral to use these services. Services include:

• Infant Development Program (IDP) : 604-822-4014 or www.idpofbc.ca

• Child Development Centres

• Speech and Language Therapy

• Occupational Therapy

• Supported Child Care(SCC)

MCFD(Ministry of Children and Family Development) provides two autism programs:

• Under Age 6 : This program provides up to $22,000 per year as of April 2010 for families to purchase autism intervention services. Refer to A Parent’s Handbook about eligible and ineligible expenses for Autism Funding

• Ages 6 – 18 : Families may receive $6,000 per year towards eligible intervention services. Refer to A Parent’s Handbook about eligible and ineligible expenses for Autism Funding.

Parents of children receiving Autism Funding under age 6 are required to select professional service providers for their children from the RASP(Registry of Autism Service Providers) which is managed by ACT(Autism Community Training) on behalf of MCFD. Your child’s intervention program must be based on ‘Behavioural Plan of Intervention(BPI) which is written by a behaviour consultant, with input form family members and other professional team members, such as SLP(Speech-Language Pathologist), OT(Occupational Therapist), PT(Physical Therapist).  Families select BI(Behavioural Interventionist) to implement the BPI, under the supervision of Behaviour Consultant.  and will be executed according to the BPI. BPI must be submitted within 4 months after the Autism Funding Agreement with MCFD. (Source: A Parent’s Handbook, page 12)

• BC(Behavioural Consultant) collaborates to design and/or develops the individualized BPI and behaviour support plans, and provides ongoing supervision of the plans. Fees are $70 – $110 per hour and up to $160 for registered psychologists.

• SLP(Speech-Language Pathologist) has expertise in typical development and disorders of communication and swallowing. Fees are $105 – $130 per hour.

• OT(Occupational Therapist) assesses fine motor skills and sensory function such as dressing, tying shoelaces, eating, using a pencil, scissors, coping with a group environment, and managing sensory-based behaviors. Fees are $90 – $120 per hour.

• PT(Physical Therapist) addresses gross motor function including muscle tone, posture, coordination, flexibility, strength, balance, and cardio-respiratory function. Fees are $75 – 85 per visit.

• BI(Behavioural Interventionist) implements the strategies directly with the child to meet the goals set in the BPI. Fees are $10 – $40 per hour but $15-20 per hour is common.

It is wise to contact the school district’s Special Education Department at least six months before the new school year begins. Bring your child’s records, in particular the documents that confirm their ASD diagnosis. If your child is awaiting assessment, you should register your child in the local school and advise the district that your child is awaiting an ASD assessment. If you want your child to be enrolled in an independent  school, contact them directly.

Integrated classroom is the first option to be considered for students with special needs. This type of setting means students with ASD are placed a “typical” classroom with their peers. In this setting, in addition to the classroom teacher, a school may have a resource teacher who provides support to teaching staff who work with students with special needs and acts as case manager for students with special needs, and a Teaching Assistant or Special Education Assistant who assist a teacher in carrying out their responsibilities and duties.

• Adapted Program retains the learning outcomes of the regular curriculum, and is provided so the student can fully participate in the program. Adaptations may include alternate formats (e.g., Braille, books-on-tape), instructional strategies (e.g., use of interpreters, visual cues and aids) and assessment procedures (e.g. oral exams, additional time, assistive technologies). Students with Adapted Programs are assessed using the standards for the course and can receive credit toward a Dogwood Certificate for their work.

• A Modified Program is described as having learning outcomes that are substantially different from the regular curriculum, and specifically selected to meet the student’s special needs. For example, a Grade 9 student in a modified math program could be focusing on functional computational skills in the context of handling money and personal budgeting. Or, in language arts, a Grade 5 student could be working on recognizing common signs and using the phone. Students who complete their school education and have been on a modified program may receive an Evergreen Certificate.

There are two types of certificate of graduation in BC; Certificate of Graduation (or Dogwood Diploma) and School Completion Certificate (or Evergreen). The Dogwood Diploma signifies that a student has met the requirements for graduation as set out in the Graduation Program Order. Students with Dogwood Diploma may go to a university directly. The Evergreen is awarded to students who meet the goals of their educational program other than graduation.

The purpose of transition planning for youth with special needs is to identify opportunities and experiences during their school years that will help them better prepare for life as an adult. Transition planning can assist the youth in clarifying vision, securing employment, pursuing post-secondary education,  building relationship with friends, experiencing a meaningful community life. Transition planning is much related to future planning for a good life.

Without planning, it is hard to clearly grasp what parents should do even though they are thinking about their child’ future. Transition planning is essential as it provides an opportunity to review personal accomplishment and create an individualized vision for the future. This in turn prepares the youth for new and exciting challenges and opportunities.

It is critical that the transition planning process begins as early as possible – in some cases the youth may be as young as 14 years of age. Starting early allows time to adequately prepare and implement a Transition Plan that will address the challenges of preparing for adulthood. School graduation requirements include the successful completion of Graduation Transition Program. However, family must play a leading role in identifying the young person’s strengths, creating a plan for the future, and advocating on his or her behalf. Starting the planning at the end of graduation is too late.

Key to the transition planning process is an approach known as person-centered planning. Person-centered planning is a concept that places the individual with special needs in a leadership role during the transition planning and service delivery process. It means that there are many cases focusing on parents or services and programs not concentrating on the person in the center. Ideally, creating a transition planning team supports successful transition planning. Team members may include teachers, Behavior Consultant, Behavior Interventionist, social worker, and current and future service providers. PATH(Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope), one of the important planning tools, starts in the future and works backward to the present, identifying the progression of steps necessary to make the youth’s dream come true. Identifying a good transition coordinator is view as a best practice. Services to Adults with Developmental Disabilities (STADD) offers Navigator services for transitioning youth and their families in 116 communities across B.C. Navigators act as the primary point of contact for individuals in coordinating transition planning and access to supports and services through the transition period of 16-24 years old. Please contact Here & Now if you need help in this area.

Yes, now is the best time to start. The objective of a Personal Plan is to identify a clear set of goals, a plan of action, and to secure the commitment and participation of friends and family members toward achieving these goals.

She or he may participate in Adult Special Education(ASE) provided by some universities under the supervision of Ministry of Advanced Education or Day Programs provided by local service providers under a contract with CLBC. ASE programs are in the areas of employment, vocational skills, academic skills, personal success skills.

The Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act defines a person with disabilities as an individual who is at least 18 years of age, with a severe physical or mental impairment that is expected to continue for at least two years.

To request an application, you can access a few ways.

• Online with My Self Serve

• Toll Free with 1 866 866-0800

• In-person at an office location of The Ministry of Social Development & Poverty Reduction

The application form has three sections:

• You fill out the applicant portion

• Your doctor or nurse practitioner fills out the medical report portion

• A prescribed professional fills out the assessor report portion. For example, this could be a doctor, registered nurse or social worker

After you submit your application, we’ll review it. The ministry will let you know if you meet the eligibility criteria for the PWD designation.

Simplified Application Process

If you already take part in certain programs, you may be able to use a simplified PWD application process.

You’re eligible for this simplified process if you receive benefits from:

• Community Living BC (CLBC)

• The Ministry of Children and Family Development At Home Program

• BC PharmaCare Plan P – Palliative Care Benefits

• Canada Pension Plan – Disability Benefits

This means you’ll complete a shorter PWD application form that gives the ministry permission to confirm your eligibility from one of those programs. You won’t have to complete a full PWD application and get a new diagnosis.

Speak with a worker at the ministry to request a Persons with Disabilities Designation—Prescribed Class Application. You’ll still have to meet all other eligibility requirements to begin receiving disability assistance.

• You will receive up to $1,133.42 (as of February 2019) per month

• Medical Service Plan(MSP) coverage, Dental coverage of up to $1,000 over a two-year period, Glasses every three years, Optometirst’s exam every two years, Prescription drugs, Annual bus pass($52)

• For more information on benefits, please see ‘Checklist for the PWD Benefit 2019 Help Sheet 3’

Starting application process early is important. CLBC will review documents for youth after they are 16 years old. For youth who are already accessing Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) supports, please contact your MCFD worker for assistance with transition. If not, the first step to apply for services is to contact a CLBC facilitator who can tell you about required documents and application process. Your family member needs to have professional assessments that show that they meet CLBC eligibility criteria. It may take several weeks or even months to get all the required documents to CLBC so it is very important to begin the process early.

The decision about what services are available is based on an individual’s need for help in specific area and local resources available. A CLBC facilitator talks with you, your family member and other people who know them. They discuss supports that your family member may need to assist them with: communication, personal care, decision-making, creating or maintaining relationships, work, learning and participation in the community, and health/mental health needs. Based on the conversation and the reports you give, CLBC will give you a copy of GSA(Guide to Support Allocation) Report which shows the level of support from Level 1 to Level 5 indicated for each area of daily life.

CLBC has established a complaint resolution process which the facilitator will explain and help you and your family member access.

Many service providers receive their funding under contract from government. Often one agency or organization provides the full range of services needed by the individual. That is, they own or lease the homes, provide the staff, and offer residential, employment, recreational, and other support services. People who use these services often have very little say over what happens to them. Many parents and individuals are not promoting a new approach called ‘Individualized Funding’. Individualized Funding gives money directly to the individual with a disability or their Representatives to enable them to purchase the goods and services they require. Individualized Funding covers the cost of food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and technical aids as well as program and personal care supports. The individual, with the help of supports, can then determine where to live, with whom to live, who to hire, and so on.

Please contact a local Health Office to apply for the services.

• Qualifying: you can register for the program if you:
  – Are 16 years old or older
  – Are the registered owner of a vehicle or have a joint ownership or an ownership interest in a vehicle registered to someone else.
  – Ownership interest in a vehicle means that you are not listed on the ICBC vehicle registration, but you are still an owner of the vehicle. A signed letter from the registered owner stating that you have an ownership interest in the vehicle.
  – Have at least one qualifying disability

• Registerting: You can register:
  – Online using eTaxBC
  – Mail to Ministry of Finance, PO Box 9442 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria BC V8W 9V4
  – FAX: (250)356-2195
  – Email: RegFax@gov.bc.ca

• Required Documents
  – Application for Registration (FIN 119)
  – Copy of your identification (BC driver’s license, BCID, passport, immigration card, birth certificate)
  – Copy of your ICBC vehicle registration
  – A signed letter from the registered owner stating that you have an ownership interest in the vehicle, if you have an ownership interest in a vehicle.
  – Copy of a power of attorney or Representation Agreement. (if someone applies on your behalf)
  – Documentation to confirm your disability.

• Process Time: approximately 4 weeks after receiving all the required documents

• Applying for a Refund: Once you register for the program and receive your confirmation letter, you can apply for a refund. The Ministry recommends you apply for a refund once each year. Required documents are:
  – Application for Refund (FIN 472)
  – Fuel Receipts

• Refund Rates: $0.255 per litre for Gasoline and $0.26 per litre for Diesel in Great Vancouver area (as of April 1, 2013)

• ICBC Insurance Discount: If you qualify for the fuel tax refund and your are the registered owner of a vehicle, you can take your confirmation letter from the Ministry to your ICBC agent and get an insurance discount

BC Sport Participation Program (www.viasport.ca) by Viasport, BC Special Olympics (www.specialolympics.bc.ca), Free camping fees (http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/fees/disability.html), Annual Angling License Fee Reduction Program with reduced fee of $1.12 from $36 (http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/licences/#FeeReduction). You may apply for these programs.

Two benefits are recommendable: Endowment 150 (http://www.endowment150.ca/home.htm) by Vancouver Foundation and Access 2 Entertainment Card (http://www.access2card.ca) by Easter Seals. Endowment 150 offers one-time $150 gifts to Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP). With Access 2 Entertainment Card, a person with a disability simply need to present the card along with a piece of ID (not required for cardholders who are minors), and his or her attendant will receive a free ticket or a big discount in venues such as theatres, museums, art galleries, zoos, historical sites, aquariums and more.

The disability tax credit (DTC) is a non-refundable tax credit used to reduce income tax payable on the income tax and benefit return. A person with a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions may claim the disability amount once they are eligible for the DTC. Being eligible for the DTC can open the door to other federal, provincial, or territorial programs such as the registered disability savings plan, the working income tax benefit, and the child disability benefit.

• Preparing your Will

• Preparing a Representation Agreement for health and personal care, if appropriate

• Preparing power of attorney, advance medical directives and Living Wills or personal declaration about end of life decisions

• Deciding upon issues such as executor and trustee appointment, and finding ways to meet those needs

• Looking at strategies to reduce income taxes at death

• Advising about a trust for you or a trust for your relative with a disability

*Living Wills : A living will is a document in which you say what medical or legal decisions you want people to make for you if you become too ill to make these decisions yourself.

• Pay their debts, taxes, and other liabilities

• Provide a separate independent income for their spouse

• Distribute their assets according to their wishes

• Maximize the size of their estate for their children

• Protect the financial security of their relative with a disability

• Ensure that there is a guardian for their children under the age of 19

• Avoid delays, family strife, needless taxation, costly legal challenges, probate fees, and government involvement

• Allocate a portion of their estate to the charities and causes they are passionate about

• Appoint an executor to ensure that the instruction in your Will are carried out and alternate executor

• Divide your estate among family, charities, and others.

• Create a trust – usually a discretionary trust – for your relative with a disability and identify a trustee and perhaps co-trustee to manage the trust, and the beneficiary of the trust when your relative dies

• Appoint a guardian for your children who are under the age of 19 years. If you die without a Will and you have children who are under the age of 19 – and there is no surviving parent who is the legal guardian – then the government will become guardian of those children.

• Probate is the name of the legal process that confirms your last Will. Normally it is the job of your executor to file your Will for probate with the provincial court and pay probate fees. This process can be up to six months. Until your executor receives the grant of probate, assets of your estate cannot be released.

• Probate fees in BC are currently as follows:
  – Under $25,000: No fee
  – $25,000~$50,000: $6 for each $1,000
  – Over $50,000: $14 for each $1,000

• If you die without a Will, provincial laws set out how your estate will be distributed. The court will appoint an administrator who will divide your estate. This means you will have no control over how your estate is divided. You will not be able to protect the inheritance you want to leave to your relative with a disability.

• The Public Guardian and Trustee holds your relative’s inheritance until they turn 19 years, at which time they will receive their total inheritance outright. This situation may disqualify them from receiving BC disability assistance.

There is no perfect Will. Now is the time to develop and execute the “imperfect Will”. You may update it whenever you need. Additions and amendments (called codicils) are not costly.

Yes it does. This Act requires that your Will provide adequately for your spouse and for your children. If a spouse or children feel you have not provided adequately for them in your Will, then they can ask the court to change your Will to get a larger share of the estate. This must be done within six months of probate. If you do not leave your child with a disability a fair share of your estate, it is likely the Public Guardian and Trustee will intervene on their behalf and try to change the Will.

Often people appoint their spouse as their executor, but you may need to appoint someone else or someone jointly with your spouse. You should also appoint alternate in the event the original executor is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of executor. If you set a trust in your Will, usually the executor will be the same as your trustee.

You can state in your Will or in a contract how much your executor is to be compensated. If you don’t say how much they should be paid, provincial laws set a fee. In BC, executors can charge up to 5% of the capital and income of the estate. Your beneficiaries or the court must approve the fee.

• To ensure the availability of ongoing government benefits such as BC disability assistance

• To help your relative with a disability during their lifetime and then to pass on funds that remain to another generation or a chosen charity

• To protect a vulnerable relative from being taken advantage of by those with bad motives and also those with good intentions but limited skills or judgment

• To provide ongoing financial management of assets

• To take advantage of special tax treatment

• To give some protection of assets in a relative goes through a marriage breakdown or has creditors

There are two common trusts: non-discretionary trusts (also called income trust) and discretionary trusts.

• Non-Discretionary Trust means that the beneficiary of the trust can request payment of funds out of the trust and the trustees has no discretion. The trustee must pay out the requested fund. If the capitalcontribution to the non-discretionary trust is more than $200,000, then the individual will no longer be eligible for BC disability assistance.

• Discretionary Trust: If your relative are the beneficiary of this type of trust, it means he or she has no control over the money held in the trust or how it is spent. The trustee, who knows you and your needs, has complete authority to decide whether to give your relative funds, or to spend funds on his or her behalf. A discretionary trust is usually not considered an asset. As a result, there is no limit to the amount of money that can be held for your relative in a discretionary trust.

The trustee manages or looks after the trust assets and makes sure your relative receives trust benefits according to your wishes.

You may want to have one trustee with financial skills and a co-trustee who has a personal relationship with your relative. One trustee might make investment decisions, keep accounts, management tax return, an so on. The other trustee – a sibling or friend – would be in a better position to advise on how to spend trust funds. You may appoint 3 trustees if you want to avoid a conflict of interest. You may consider using a respected trust company as one of the trustees in case you hold more than $750,000 in the trust. If you name a person as a trustee, then you should also name a successor in case the first person dies moves or is otherwise not willing or able to continue.

The fees that trustees charge are determined by the amount of time, effort, and skill that has been required of them while action as your trustee. If your executor is also administering a trust, then they may claim an extra amount of up to 0.4% of the average value of the assets in the trust each year. These amounts are set out in the Trustee Act.

• Depending on family net income, the Federal government may match each $1 contributed with up to $3 through the Canada Disability Savings Grant. An RDSP can get a maximum of $3,500 in matching grants in one year, and up to $70,000 over the beneficiary’s lifetime. A grant can be paid into an RDSP on contributions made to the beneficiary’s RDSP until December 31 of the year the beneficiary turns 49.

• For low-income Canadians, the Canada Disability Savings Bond provides up to $1,000 per year with no contribution required. The lifetime bond limit is $20,000. A bond can be paid into an RDSP until the year in which the beneficiary turns 49.

• Since 2011, you can carry forward unused grant and bond entitlements to future years. The carry forward period can only start after 2007 and lasts for 10 years. Grants and bonds will be paid on unused entitlements up to an annual maximum of $10,500 for grants and $11,000 for bonds. 

• An RDSP is considered an exempt asset. This means that a person can have any amount in an RDSP and still be entitled to receive their disability income and related benefits. Monies received from an RDSP are exempt from clawbacks against BC disability assistance.

There is no annual limit on amounts that can be contributed to an RDSP of a particular beneficiary in a given year. However, the overall lifetime limit for a particular beneficiary is $200,000. Contributions are permitted until the end of the year in which the beneficiary turns 59.

You can designate an individual as beneficiary if the individual:

• is eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC);

• has a valid social insurance number (SIN);

• is a resident in Canada when the plan is entered into; and

• is under the age of 60

To open an RDSP, a person who qualifies to be a holder of the plan must contact a participating financial institution that offers RDSPs. For current listing of financial institutions offering the RDSP please visit www.rdsp.com.

An Enduring Power-of-Attorney is a document that permits you to appoint someone that you trust to make legal and financial decisions on your behalf but not health and personal care decisions. It must have mental capacity before you enter into it.

A Representation Agreement is a legal document that an adult may give people they trust the legal authority to assist them with important matters that affect the quality of their life – such as managing finances, consenting to health care and choosing where and how they want to live.

Anyone over the age of 19 years can make a Representation Agreement.

There are two types of Representation Agreements, Standard and Enhanced.

• The Standard Agreement, outlined Section 7, covers routine financial, health, and personal care decisions and is more that adequate to provide support for most of the decisions our relative will make. You don’t need the requisite mental capacity. It requires just an appreciation that you trust the person you are appointing as your representative. This may permit parents and other family members to continue advocating on her or his behalf. It does not require a lawyer.

• The ‘Enhance’ agreement, outlined in Section 9, permits covers all health, financial, and personal care decisions no matter how complex. This includes end of life decisions. You need to have the same mental capacity as is needed for any other contract. You do not need to consult with a lawyer to make an Enhanced Representation Agreement.

The Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre provides a self-help kit and will assist you through the process of developing a Representation Agreement for your relative. Please visit www.nidus.ca for more information.