NDP says families with autistic kids are being short-changed by province

From Ontario
New Democratic Party

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the McGuinty government is ignoring its own Autism Intervention Program guidelines and is allowing children to lose their therapy prematurely and languish without proper supports.

“Children with autism and their families are being given the short shrift in Ontario,” Horwath said. “They are victims of a process that is deeply flawed and terribly unfair.”

Horwath found problems in the government’s Autism Intervention Program (AIP) after filing a Freedom of Information to obtain details about the review of the government’s controversial benchmarking policy. Benchmarking deems whether a child is making sufficient progress to remain in IBI therapy.

In the $118,000 contract to review the benchmarks, the government’s hand-picked consultant, Dr. Louise LaRose, reported that no psychological data from assessments existed. This runs afoul of Ministry of Children and Youth Services guideline for the AIP, requiring final assessments before ending a child’s IBI, Horwath says. It validates the concerns parents across the province have raised with Horwath about missed assessments, arbitrary terminations and lack of fair and transparent protocols, she said.

“Many parents are reporting that benchmarks were used to end their child’s IBI therapy and without the required discharge assessment,” Horwath said in Question Period. “The Minister may choose to disbelieve her hired adviser, but she can’t possibly dispute the reports from affected families across Ontario.”

“Children with autism are being cycled through the system in a hurry to accommodate children from waiting lists,” Horwath said. “It’s a revolving door with the government looking the other way and having no particular regard for the individual needs of each child and family. Parents are desperate for a fair and comprehensive program.”

Joining Horwath were Viano and Maria Ciaglia, who came to Queen’s Park to fight for their son Luca, 6, who has autism. His parents say IBI has worked wonders for Luca. But he is being discharged after one year in an AIP in Hamilton, without a final assessment and certainly unready for school. The Ciaglias paid for IBI privately for two of the three years Luca was on the government waiting list.

“They know if Luca loses his IBI, he will regress. They are financially exhausted and deeply worried,” Horwath told Laurel Broten, Minister of Children and Youth Services. Why can’t children in Ontario like Luca receive therapy while they continue to benefit from it?”

“The autism program in Ontario needs an independent review to ensure all children receive the IBI they require,” Horwath said.