The Ontario government says it will look at moving to a system of needs-based funding for children with autism — and eliminate means-testing for services — after facing intense pressure from families of children with autism.Funding levels remain the same but parents will be able to spend the money on more services such as speech therapy and physiotherapy.From the day changes to the autism system were announced in early February, autism advocates have warned it would have drastic consequences for families who would no longer be able to afford behavioural therapy. A huge protest was held at Queen’s Park before the March Break. Last week, autism advocates and experts spoke at Queen’s Park, urging the Ford government to put its plans on hold, and come up with a system that will better serve families — something they said could be done without costing the government any additional funds.The government had budgeted $321 million for autism services for the next fiscal year. The new system, which comes into effect April 1, is meant to clear a 23,000-child wait-list and distribute funding to more families, MacLeod has said.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.However, for children with intense needs, therapy can cost up to $80,000 a year. Funds are allocated based on income, with higher-income earners ineligible.“Our reforms to the Ontario Autism Program were developed with a belief that all families of children with autism deserve support from their Ontario government,” a spokesperson for MacLeod has said.MacLeod has said three out of four children with autism were languishing without services when she took office, calling that “unconscionable.”But critics have said the plan ...
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