Approximately 30 people came out to protest the announced cuts to the Ontario Autism Program announced by MPP Lisa MacLeod who is Minister for Children and Youth Services.
The protest took place in front of MPP David Piccini’s office on Friday, February 15, 2019 on Peter Street in Port Hope and was organized by the members of the Autism Advocacy Community.
Vehicles honking in support of the group and chants of “Lisa MacLeod has got to go” were heard throughout the protest.
Today’s Northumberland spoke with Mary MacNaull who is a senior therapist for children with autism and who owns Bright Beginnings Autism Services.
TN: Tell me how this effects children with autism?
MM: Every single child that I work with is soon to not have any funding or really what amounts to no funding and they are going to be thrown into the school system not prepared for it. Usually we used to transition kids into school. But the way this is going they are just going to be thrown into school. I can’t think of one child that I work with that is going to be prepared.
TN: How is this different from before?
MM: Kids were funded by need. The clinician was choosing how many hours they needed per week and when the child got to the point where they could be transitioned into school, it was a slow process and they were transitioned in.
TN: As opposed to now which is?
MM: They are pretty much cutting the funding. A child over five-years-old is going to get $5,000 at the most per year which doesn’t pay for funding. It costs about $80,000 a year so $5,000 is nothing. Parents will maybe be able to pay for some respite. Intensive Behavioural Intervention Programs you cannot run for that few hours a week.
TN: Solution?
MM: I know they’re saying there is not enough funds for the kids and I feel sorry for the kids on the wait list. But the parents (25%) that are getting funding now, they were also on the wait list and they waited years and years and if you talk to them, they say now that the kids that have the help it was worth the wait. The kids that are now waiting. They are not going to get the services they’ve been waiting for. So really it’s not a solution to take the money they’ve been given and spread it so thinly.
We are just going to keep fighting for our kids. They deserve the treatment that they need.
TN: Were you surprised at the announcement?
MM: Absolutely. I never in a million years would have expected this. I thought maybe some cuts, but what they’ve essentially done is cut the whole Intensive Behavioural Intervention Program.
Piccini was out of the office but did have a form for people to sign if they wished to have a meeting with him at a later date.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
