A house dedicated to autistic people in Saguenay

2023-04-29 00:07:46

People with autism can now take advantage of a brand new respite home in Saguenay, called Le Repaire. A project of more than $650,000 on which the organization Autisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean has been working for more than three years.

It is the only respite home in Saguenay that is entirely dedicated to people living on the autism spectrum. The place has been open to users since last September, but its official unveiling took place this morning, as part of Autism Month.

“It took a bigger space with bigger rooms because autism requires that we are not too close to each other. A potential that we did not have in our other workplaces,” explained Guylaine Cauchon, director of the organization Autisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

The objective was to group its three service locations under one roof in order to optimize its resources, but also the rental costs. The organization can now say mission accomplished and the users too, since they now have their own benchmark.

“It evokes a place of gathering, a place where we feel in our place because it is difficult to integrate the difference in the world of “normal” people. What is fabulous with that is that we tell ourselves that we are all the same when we are with people who have the same difference as us,” explained Olivier Martel, who lives with spectrum disorder. ‘autism.

It was David Baril, one of the users of the landmark who found the name of the place.

“It’s a beautiful space both for breathing but also for those who want to move, like dancing. It represents a lot, even just as much for those who attend here, but also for the parents, ”he said.

“When they come here we have no worries, we know that they are framed, that they are supervised. I leave with a light heart. And that allows us a little weekend as a couple because the daily routine is not always easy, “said Nathalie Côté, mother of an autistic boy and foster family for a child, also autistic.

Important demand

This project fills many needs in the region since demand is high and new registrations are on the rise. Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean currently has more than 350 members, including 34 new registrations this year. A record according to the director of the organization.

The house can accommodate up to 14 users aged 5 and over, on weekends and during summer camps.

“We have an annual grant of nearly $500,000 to help us provide services. A weekend of service for one person costs the organization approximately $1,700, and parents are asked to contribute $121. We try to save here and there to ensure that the parent is not financially penalized and can benefit from our services,” explained Ms. Cauchon.

Users have three bathrooms, five bedrooms and several rooms adapted to their needs, including a multisensory room and a rest area.

“I really envy the youngest people who are autistic, because they will really be able to take full advantage of this landmark. Whether with young people or adults, we are happy here, we feel together, ”admitted Olivier Martel.

The organization wishes to offer in the future, at the Repaire, conferences that will be adapted to the needs of parents of autistic people.

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