Parents of children with autism will be given the power to choose what services they want — but there will be a total family budget of $140,000 and high-earners will no longer be eligible.In an announcement Wednesday in Toronto, Lisa MacLeod, the minister of children, community and social services, also said the government is doubling funding for diagnostic hubs and planning to clear the 23,000-child wait-list within the next 18 months.Waiting for a diagnosis — which currently can take more than two years — can “throw a family into crisis,” said MacLeod.“This is the best approach and the most fair approach to make sure every single child” is well-served,” she added.The amount of funding will depend on the length of time a child will be in the program, and support will be targeted to lower- and middle-income families. Families with annual incomes above $250,000 will no longer be eligible for funding, MacLeod said.Under the overhaul, a child entering the program at age 2 would be eligible to receive up to $140,000 for treatment, while a child entering the program at age 7 would receive up to $55,000.Parent Laura Kirby-McIntosh of the Ontario Autism Coalition said she is worried about the government’s plans, and wonders why age cut-offs have been reintroduced.Featured stories:Ford government to overhaul autism services, give cash directly to familiesEven single Canadians who have enough money are hesitating about buying a home: SurveyTenants occupy damaged Junction-area house rather than risk losing affordable housing“This is no better than 2016,” she said. A limit of $140,000 is not nearly enough for most families — especially those whose children have severe needs and can spend tens of thousands a year on therapy, she added.“It ignores the fact that there are some kids on the severe end of the spectrum requiring tons of support and time and those on the mild end” who don’t, ...
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