Ontario government makes changes to controversial autism program

Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services says the government is making some changes to its controversial autism program.

During a news conference Thursday morning, Lisa MacLeod announced several “enhancements” to the new Ontario Autism Program.

The changes include the elimination of income testing, and exploring supports based on need.

“Parents were right when they said that autism is a spectrum and that there are different needs for children on the spectrum,” said MacLeod. “I’ll take their input for the next several months to assess how we better support those with more complex needs and provide additional sources of support to them.”

Macleod said the government’s main focus is to move 23,000 children off the waitlist so they have timely access to support.

Parents of children with autism have been protesting the plan announced last month by the Progressive Conservative government. MacLeod has previously said that in order to clear the waiting list, kids with autism would receive direct funding to pay for treatment, with caps of up to $20,000 per year for treatment for children under six and $5,000 a year for children six to 18.

Intensive therapy can cost up to $80,000 a year and many parents with kids already in government-funded therapy say they could not afford to cover the difference.