Families protest autism funding changes at Queen’s Park

Thousands of concerned, sad and downright angry parents flocked to Queen’s Park for another demonstration against the province’s new autism funding program. The group says the new program leaves families on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars for treatments.

When the Conservative government implements the new funding plan on April 1, parents who were receiving full government coverage for their children’s therapy could be handed as much as $20,000 for kids under age five to as little as $5,000 a year for those older.

The Reynolds family from Brampton has twin boys that are both autistic. The children were flourishing with their current therapy sessions, but now the family fears their futures are in doubt.

“With therapy and the services provided they’re improving everyday, we hear positive feedback from their schools. The cost is i’m assuming a lot less if we handle this now with our children and make them independent instead of making them dependent on the system later,” said Jessica Raymond.

These parents are used to fighting for their children. Back in 2017, similar demonstrations were held after the Liberals released a funding structure that cut down on wait times but only kids under age six received funding. The pressure forced the Wynne government to react and create a $533-million program that was open to all autistic youth 18 years and younger.

Many parents we spoke to say in order to pay for their children’s treatments they’ll go deeper in debt. Whether it means remortgaging their homes or signing up for lines of credit. Some have even mentioned leaving the province altogether.