Photo source: www.autism.net

Chris Savard
Seaway News

September 8, 2006:

The McGuinty Liberal Government is failing families with autistic children, including many right here in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, by under-funding budgets dedicated to autism.

In a recent television interview with Michael Coren, who has an autistic niece, Premier Dalton McGuinty said his government has kept its promise to parents of autistic children. He said: “We’ve lived up to that promise. There is a myth that is being perpetuated out there.”

In a letter, dated September 17th, 2003 to Bradford parent Nancy Morrison, Dalton McGuinty made this promise:

“I … believe that the lack of government-funded Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) treatment for autistic children over six is unfair and discriminatory. The Ontario Liberals support extending autism treatment beyond the age of six… In government, my team and I will work with clinical directors, parents, teachers and school boards to devise a feasible way in which autistic children in our province can get the support and treatment they need. That includes children over the age of six.”

At the same time, there are many facts to consider that support the fact that the Liberal Government has not lived up to this promise. \

• A total of $67.2 million allocated for autism programming since 2003 has been spent elsewhere.
• The number of eligible children waiting for autism treatment in Ontario has increased from 76 to 753 kids since the McGuinty Liberals came to power.
• The McGuinty Liberals used taxpayer dollars to take the parents of autistic children to court so that Dalton McGuinty wouldn’t have to keep his promise to those parents.

In a recent Letter to the Editor in the Standard Freeholder, Cornwall resident and mother of a 12 year-old autistic child, Lee-Ann Jolicoeur was quoted as saying:

“Once elected in 2003, the government continued to discriminate against children over the age of six by cutting off their treatment funding. Furthermore, they fought parents of autistic children repeatedly in the courts, wasting taxpayers’ money that could have gone to autism services.”

NDP MPP Shelly Martel recently obtained figures under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and these numbers show that the government budgeted $99.4 million for the 2005-06 fiscal year, but under-spent that amount by $1.8 million. It is estimated that the under-spent money for this current fiscal year alone, could have provided IBI treatment to 35 children.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life: it is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. In Ontario, there is an estimated 70,000 individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Autism parents across Ontario are organizing a province-wide candlelight vigil on October 23, 2006, to coincide with Autism Awareness month. The vigil will be held in front of all 103 MPP offices in the province. Lee-Ann Jolicoeur can be contacted at 933-6327 or by email at lee-annej@sympatico.ca for details on the vigil in our riding.

chris@chrissavard.ca

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