CBC: Autism: The Long Wait

Marianne Clark
basement
daycare (centre)
NDG (= Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a neighbourhood in the west end of Montreal, Quebec)
walls
to be lined with
snowpants
winter jackets
to struggle
boots and coats
twin boys
Leo and Sam
not going all that well
to run around in circles
to flap one's arms
in the air
to voice one's displeasure
to be a handful
task
specifically
developmental disability
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
high-functioning
to be fully integrated into society
severe
mini-van
to keep a hand on
Josh
to trail behind
to run in the street
at any time
to have a sense of fear
an exhausting ritual

to go through
to be diagnosed
diagnosis
to suspect
to come as a blow
a scary thing
"You almost have to do a little bit of a mourning. You mourn what could have been.
But I don't want to get too much into that."
to hope for the best
research suggests
early intensive therapy
to be key to
to develop to one's full potential
infuriating
perfect age
tremendous change
at the prime time when...
to be on a waiting list
Quebec
to provides
up to (= as much as)
intensive behaviour therapy
to have access to
the 90's
to redefine autism
to expand the definition
Lee Tidmarsh
psychiatrist
Autism Spectrum Disorders Program
Montreal Children's Hospital
a wider range of symptoms
to be considered
higher functioning
to demand services

budget
to be put in (= submitted)
to treat
terrific
to make good progress
clinic
to sit on a waiting list
anywhere from...to...
their treatment turn comes up
health and education systems
to feel the impact
early intervention
health care system
dollars
to load up
to be taxed
next wave
vocational training
work places
with supervision
to help s.o. out of their coats and boots
prospect
a long way off
to make a huge difference
language skills
to acquire
that's it (= that's all)
to be hard to deal with
government
to take out a loan on
for time to run out
"...his light is going off."
therapy
anywhere from ...to ...

Listening comprehension questions:
1. What is autism and what are some of its symptoms?
2. What symptoms of autism do Leo and Sam display?
3. Why might autistic children walk straight into traffic without watching for cars?
4. Why did Marianne feel the need to "mourn" after receiving her sons' diagnosis?
5. What is recommended as the best treatment for autism in children?
6. What kind of services does Quebec offer for autistic children? Why may many people who need these services not receive them?
7. What is one reason why more children are now being classified as autistic in Canada?
8. What is meant by "the next wave is going to be vocational training"?
9. What do some parents do who are put on waiting lists and cannot receive government assistance with their autistic child right away? How much can this cost?
10. What does Marianne mean when she says she fears Sam's "light is going off"?