Changes to Ontario’s autism program need to be put on hold and the system redesigned to better serve children and be more cost-effective, experts and parents said at a press conference Thursday. They also said girls and children living in rural areas will lose out on the bulk of the provincial funding under the new plan — which is based on age and provides more money to families with younger children — because they are typically diagnosed later, said Mike Moffatt, a father of two daughters on the autism spectrum who is also an economist and professor at Western’s Ivey Business School. “Girls get diagnosed significantly later than boys — even when they have the same symptoms,” he told reporters at Queen’s Park. “Girls will receive substantially less funding than boys simply because they are girls.”In rural areas, Moffatt added, “there are less existing health services … they are going to get less money from the program because they are not living in downtown Toronto or Ottawa.” Read more:Parents rally against Ford government’s autism changesFord government to boost school funding to deal with influx of students with autismGroup worries kids with other disabilities forgotten amid autism crisisThe changes, which come into effect April 1, are meant to clear a 23,000-waitlist and distribute funding to more families, Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod has said. However, that means the thousands of families currently receiving services could see drastic cutbacks.Families will be eligible for up to $20,000 a year for each child under 6, to a lifetime maximum of $140,000, and can be used for a number of different services of their choosing. Children older than that can access up to $5,000 a year up to age 18, to a lifetime maximum of $55,000. For children with intense needs, therapy can cost up to $80,000 a year. Funds are allocated based on income, with higher- ...
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