Once again, the Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) would like to thank all of you who attended the debate last week. We also would like to thank the community for their input into the questions.
As promised, the AFA is forwarding the written responses from the debate that took place on Monday, June 04, 2007.
It is important for the autism community to know the position of all three parties so that we can make an educated decision for the upcoming election this fall.
If you are interested in purchasing a DVD copy of the debate, please email Lisa at lisa.prasuhn@sympatico.ca. The cost of the DVD will be $10.00 to cover the costs involved for the DVD, packaging and postage. There is also a portion that will go to the Alliance for Families with Autism inorder to cover costs associated with the debate and other operational expenses associated with the AFA.
As always, the AFA's mission is to improve the lives of children and adults affected by autism and to provide factual information in a non-partisan approach to all stakeholders.
Thank you,
The Alliance for Families with Autism
NDP WRITTEN RESPONSE
Question:
1) There has been an incredible increase in the number of children on the waitlist to receive IBI therapy from the AIP. What is your party’s plan if it forms the next government, to eliminate the waitlist and what is the timeline involved? As well, what will you do to ensure that all Regional Programs and Direct Funding Programs are consistent with the admission, review and discharge of children with autism from the AIP?
Response:
The wait list has grown 1,100% under the McGuinty Liberals’ watch. When the Liberals were elected, only 89 children were waiting for IBI treatment to begin. Now, the wait list of children assessed and eligible for IBI therapy has grown to 985 children. The provincial government must make a significant financial investment up front to ensure children who need IBI can receive it. Otherwise, as a society, we will pay so much more when these children are unable to finish school, find themselves in the court system, or end up in a group home or an institution, because they were not able to receive the treatment they needed.
New Democrats believe that we must make an important investment now. The current wait list must be completely cleared and new children who qualify for IBI treatment must be able to start their services as soon as they qualify. We believe doing both could be completed in a maximum of 3 years.
The issue of the consistent and fair delivery of Regional and Direct Funding Programs, across the province, is an important one. Parents of children with autism need to know that regardless of where they are receiving services in Ontario , access to these services is fair and consistent. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services has contractual agreements with the Regional providers to provide IBI treatment. In addition, the Ministry is the funding agent for both the Regional and Direct Funding Programs, and as such, has an obligation to guarantee that all policies and procedures set out by the Ministry are being applied consistently by all providers. If not, the Ministry must be accountable to parents and intervene directly with providers to guarantee that the rules regarding admission, review, and discharge of children from programs are properly followed.
Finally, we must ensure there is no cost for parents to choose the Direct Funding Option (DFO) as opposed to the Direct Service Option (DSO). The decision between DFO and DSO is often income based for families living on a tight budget. Current DFO rates do not cover all the costs, making it still difficult for the families with the most limited finances to choose DFO.
Question:
2) With the recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA into schools, how will your party, if elected, develop and monitor ABA models for school age children with ASD and ensure the proper qualifications and mandatory training will take place? Please explain what would be your action plan and timeline to ensure that each child with autism is receiving the services they require within the education system and would that include making the Individual Education Plan (IEP) legally binding like the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC)?
Response:
The recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA techniques into schools, falls short of what New Democrats believe is required in the school system today – that IBI therapists must be permitted into the classroom.
We appreciate that for children with ASD who are mild on the spectrum, the application of general ABA principles might be enough to support their learning. But for many other children with autism, especially those who are severe on the spectrum, their own therapist, in the classroom, is what is required to allow them to learn.
New Democrats believe that the 7000 children with ASD currently in the public school system must have the services they require to learn incorporated into their Individual Education Plans and that a copy of these plans, must be submitted to a separate office in the Ministry of Education to ensure boards are meeting their requirements in this regard.
A fundamental shift in the attitudes of some school boards and Ministry personnel is required with respect to ensuring children with ASD are having their education needs met. Justice Kiteley’s Court decision of March 2005, (Deskin/Wynberg case) made it very clear that too many boards were not providing the supports and services children with autism required, and that the Minister of Education was not giving direction to school boards to do so. This must change.
Question:
3) Does your party’s plan, if it forms the next government, include children that need to receive intensive ABA therapy within the education system? If so, please explain the plan and who would be accountable for putting together such programs and overseeing them? If not, how will your government, if elected, integrate children receiving intensive ABA therapy if it is not taking place within the education system? Once again, please indicate a timeline for each stage.
Response:
The NDP would ensure that IBI therapists are allowed into classrooms in Ontario . For many children who are severe on the spectrum, having their IBI therapists with them at school allows them to learn and to access the public education system – a right they are entitled to in Ontario. Unless and until the Minister of Education directs school boards to permit IBI therapists into the classroom, children with autism will continue to be denied the public education every child in Ontario is entitled to receive. Justice Kiteley said it best in her March 2005 Court decision in the Deskin/Wynberg case,
“The Minister of Education failed to fulfill the statutory duty to ‘ensure that appropriate special education programs and special education services’ were available to all exceptional pupils without payment of fees. In particular, the Minister of Education failed to develop policy and give direction to school boards to ensure that ABA/IBI services are provided to children of compulsory school age. Indeed, the actions and inactions of the Ministry of Education and the Minister created a policy barrier to the availability of IBI/ABA in schools. The absence of ABA/IBI means that children with autism are excluded from the opportunity to access learning with the consequential deprivation of skills, the likelihood of isolation from society and the loss of ability to exercise the rights and freedoms to which all Canadians are entitled.”
The NDP would require the Minister of Education to take the lead and guarantee that all children with autism can access IBI therapy in the classroom if they need this to learn.
Question:
4) Families are being given true choices between direct funding and direct services for their children receiving IBI from the AIP. Will there also be a choice of funding for families not wanting to send their children with autism into the public school system?
Response:
The NDP supports public education. Every child in the province, including a child with autism, has a right to public education.
The unfortunate reality is that as a result of the failure of the Ministry and Minister of Education to fulfill their statutory duties to ensure appropriate programs and services are available for children with autism in the public school system, parents have been forced to send their children to private schools to access supports. They are being forced to pay out of their own pocket to secure an education for their son or daughter because they can’t get what is needed in the public school system.
New Democrats believe that the Minister and Ministry must fulfill their obligations to ensure the appropriate supports and services are in place (including having IBI therapist in the classroom), so that children with autism can fully access a public education in Ontario .
Question:
5) What does your party, if elected, feel will be their greatest challenges with regards to the autism community and why? What are your plans to overcome these challenges?
Response:
The greatest challenge facing the provincial government is to recognize the incidence of autism spectrum disorder is rapidly increasing (1 out of 150 children) and we are not ready to meet the needs of those children who are being diagnosed now and will continue to be diagnosed in ever increasing numbers in Ontario . Meeting this challenge will require substantial public investments in supports and services for children, both pre-school and school-age, and support for research to unlock the reason for the “epidemic” of ASD.
We will need to be steadily increasing the number of health care professionals who both diagnose and treat children with autism, including paediatricians, psychologists, senior IBI therapists and therapists. A specific strategy for recruitment and retention of these providers is required.
Given the number of therapists must grow to meet the increasing need for IBI treatment, more spaces must be made available in the college system to qualify and graduate more therapists. This will also lead to a need for some form of regulation of therapists in order to ensure the provision of high quality IBI services to children with autism.
The budget for IBI treatment must grow to ensure we are able to start services for children with autism once they are assessed and qualify for funding for treatment. This increased budget is also critical to ensure we don’t have children who qualify for IBI languishing on wait lists.
As children with autism grow into adulthood, and in recognition of the fact that many adults with autism now lack programs and services to support them in the community, we will need supportive housing, employment supports, etc., to ensure they can fully participate in the community.
Question:
6) How will your party, if it forms the next government, ensure families receive the proper services they need when they are faced with linguistic and cultural barriers? As well, we often concentrate our efforts on the children and youth affected by autism in Ontario . What are your party’s plans for adults outside of the preschool and education system, in terms of assigned living, work opportunities, and ensuring these individuals do not slip through the cracks?
Response:
The face of Ontario is changing and it is imperative that our public services take that reality into account and reflect cultural and linguistic diversity. The Regional Program providers, as employers, must develop a recruitment strategy for staff which recognizes the diversity of the families and communities they are working with. The provincial government must also provide public information about autism and available government services in appropriate languages to newcomer and settlement agencies, doctors’ offices, family health teams, community health centres, and childcare centres. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, in delivering college programs for IBI therapists, must also be conscious of the need to do outreach to attract potential students who reflect the diversity of the children with autism who they will be working with.
Adults with autism deserve access to community supports and programs. Many never received any treatment, so those who are severe on the spectrum may have more challenges with respect to community living than others who received treatment at a younger age. Given the increase overall in the number of children now being diagnosed with ASD, adults with ASD and those moving to adulthood require a much broader range of supports and services than we are currently providing in Ontario. We need assistive/supportive housing to accommodate adults in the community; vocational training and supervised co-op placements which also support employers who are keen to participate; adult day programs for those unlikely to participate in co-op placements; and respite services for caregivers who care for their adult children with ASD at home. It is imperative that individuals who work with/support adults with ASD in the community have specific training to be able to recognize and respond appropriately to their needs.
Question:
7) Does your party support a National Autism Strategy and if so what will you do to ensure you are working towards this goal? If elected, what would be the components of a National Autism Strategy that Ontario should support?
Response:
The NDP supports the creation of a National Autism Strategy to ensure that parents of children with autism, wherever they live in Canada , have equal access to basic supports and services their children need – at home, in school, and in the community. Unfortunately, this is not happening.
Under the McGuinty Liberals, in May 2006, Stacey and Jonathan Haley of Bowmanville moved to Alberta so their twin boys could receive a full range of publicly-funded services and programs. “It was a heart-breaking decision – we don’t know a soul in Alberta and we have a great support network in our local community,” said Stacey. “But, we really didn’t feel that there was any other alternative. If we wanted 40 hours of IBI for each of our boys, we were looking at costs of almost $200,000 a year.”
Deborah Campbell left Ontario in August 2005 because her son Johnathan, was unable to access the autism programs he required. In Alberta , he receives publicly-funded IBI and other services which meet his needs. “Government ministries and school boards in the province of Ontario are forcing parents to become both political and educational refugees,” said Campbell .
These forced relocations must stop and the federal government needs a national strategy which establishes a range of publicly-funded autism services to be available in each province. The federal government must also provide funding to all provinces and be accountable to ensure each reaches that service level.
The federal government must also step up to the plate with significant funding for autism research, especially in light of the sharp increases in incidences of ASD. While many organizations are fund-raising for research (i.e. Autism Speaks Walk), the burden cannot fall exclusively to families, friends, and the private sector to pay for autism research.
The real way to ensure families with children with autism get the IBI treatment they need, wherever they live, would be to bring autism under the Canada Health Act. We support the work done by NDP MP Peter Stoffer, and other MPs who feel the same way, to try and make this an important national issue.
Question:
8) There are several legal battles being fought on the issue of ABA and IBI in Ontario . 120 Ontario Human Rights Commission cases under the group name Arzem, the Class Action case of Sagharian, and the Class Action case of Hartley. What will your government do, if elected in power this fall to compensate these families and to reach a fair resolution that will put an end to the legal battles? Will the governing parties categorically say that they will not seek compensation for legal fees which are a major risk for these members of the autism community seeking what they believe is a fair treatment for their children?
Response:
New Democrats would not seek compensation for costs from parents with children with autism who have gone to court to try and get the services their children needed. These parents have struggled enough. They should never have been forced into court in the first place, but were, because their government was not providing what their children were/are entitled to receive.
In the last election, Mr. McGuinty said, “I also believe that the lack of government-funded IBI treatment for autistic children is unfair and discriminatory. The Ontario Liberals support extending autism treatment beyond the age of six.” If Mr. McGuinty really meant what he said, then once he was elected, he would have stopped the court case against the Deskin/Wynberg families and settled with them. Instead, Mr. McGuinty fought these families in Court for another 11 months. He only stopped the age 6 cut-off of children’s IBI treatment when Justice Kiteley forced him to with her court decision at the end of March, 2005—a full 18 months after Mr. McGuinty had been elected. Taxpayers’ money, that should have been used to pay for IBI, was instead squandered by the Liberals to fight these families, not once, but twice, in Court. And now Mr. McGuinty is prepared to squander even more money by going to Court on June 18th, to try and block the release of information requested over 3 years ago by NDP MPP Shelley Martel on how much the Liberals spent fighting these families.
With IBI therapists in the classroom, the elimination of the wait list, province-wide autism program consistency, education programs that reflect linguistic and cultural diversity, increased support and services for adults to enjoy a quality of life in the community and an open ear to further assist families and individuals living with autism, the need to go to court should end.
No Ontario family with a child with autism should have to go to court to get the services they need—at home, at school, or in the community—because their government refuses to provide what is needed.
PC PARTY WRITTEN RESPONSE
Debate Questions
1) There has been an incredible increase in the number of children on the waitlist to receive IBI therapy from the AIP. What is your party’s plan if it forms the next government, to eliminate the waitlist and what is the timeline involved? As well, what will you do to ensure that all Regional Programs and Direct Funding Programs are consistent with the admission, review and discharge of children with autism from the AIP?
Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory announced in February that, if elected, a PC government would take action to help parents and children dealing with autism. The first step in the PC party’s plan is to begin by clearing the existing wait list for autism treatment for children under age of six by providing direct funding immediately for every child on the waitlist. Specifically, any child on the waitlist would immediately be offered direct funding.
The PC Party’s fiscal plan includes a new targeted investment of $70 million to clear Dalton McGuinty’s wait list (estimated at 1,400 waiting without service).
2) With the recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA into schools, how will your party, if elected, develop and monitor ABA models for school age children with ASD and ensure the proper qualifications and mandatory training will take place? Please explain what would be your action plan and timeline to ensure that each child with autism is receiving the services they require within the education system and would that include making the Individual Education Plan (IEP) legally binding like the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC)?
AND
3) Does your party’s plan, if it forms the next government, include children that need to receive intensive ABA therapy within the education system? If so, please explain the plan and who would be accountable for putting together such programs and overseeing them? If not, how will your government, if elected, integrate children receiving intensive ABA therapy if it is not taking place within the education system? Once again, please indicate a timeline for each stage.
Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory announced in February that, if elected, a PC government would partner with the education system, child support workers and school boards to ensure that upon reaching school age, children with autism have the supports they need – including, when recommended by a qualified professional, ABA and IBI - as part of a continuum of services to help these children integrate and succeed.
A John Tory government would not have age cutoffs and will provide the right, appropriate and best treatment at any age, as prescribed by an appropriately qualified professional – be it IBI or other services.
Furthermore, a John Tory government would seek more transparency within the public school system in relation to the almost $2 billion allocated to special needs children. A John Tory government will work with school boards, teachers and their representative organizations to ensure appropriately qualified professionals are in the schools to guide and deliver services and programs.
A John Tory government would also look at best practices and adopt international standards to accredit professionals who provide educational support for children with autism.
The PC Party has also included investment in our college and university system in our fiscal plan so that it can meet the appropriate standards and ensure we have adequate supply of accredited trained professionals here in Ontario.
4) Families are being given true choices between direct funding and direct services for their children receiving IBI from the AIP. Will there also be a choice of funding for families not wanting to send their children with autism into the public school system?
The PC Party believes in giving parents choices. Parents know their child best and understand what their needs and abilities are and the environment in which they learn best. A John Tory government would support parents in making the best choice for their child.
In Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario , there is no consistent option across the province. Under John Tory parents will be provided with flexible options that work for them.
A John Tory government will give parents the choice to meet the needs of their children in the best way they see fit – either through a regional service provider or through managing their own child’s services with direct funding for accredited providers.
A John Tory government will also invest an additional $5 million annually in respite programs to give parents and families the support they need and deserve.
5) What does your party, if elected, feel will be their greatest challenges with regards to the autism community and why? What are your plans to overcome these challenges?
The PC Party believes the greatest challenge with respect to the autism community will be restoring their trust in the government.
It is not surprising that parents are disillusioned - Dalton McGuinty has made so many promises and parents have been disappointed so many times. Dalton McGuinty made a promise but then said he didn’t have the resources to follow through and provide the services children so desperately need. When Dalton McGuinty turns around and commits $400 million to retrofit a casino, you have to wonder where social justice has gone in the decision-making process.
A John Tory government has made a commitment to you and to your children and – unlike Dalton McGuinty – he has costed that commitment and he has planned for it in his fiscal plan with the allocation of $75 million starting in the first year of his mandate. John Tory will do what he has said he will do.
6) How will your party, if it forms the next government, ensure families receive the proper services they need when they are faced with linguistic and cultural barriers? As well, we often concentrate our efforts on the children and youth affected by autism in Ontario . What are your party’s plans for adults outside of the preschool and education system, in terms of assigned living, work opportunities, and ensuring these individuals do not slip through the cracks?
Ontario is a culturally diverse province and so our programs and services need to be designed and implemented with that in mind. The PC Party understands the importance of awareness and education that cuts across cultural and linguistic lines and is committed to reaching out to all families in need of support to ensure that these families are aware of what services are available to them.
With respect to adults with autism, the PC Party understands that services have been heavily focused on early childhood interventions. It is important to address the very different set of challenges that adults with autism face.
The PC Party believes that there is more work to be done to provide vocational training for adults with autism to allow these citizens to benefit from the pride that comes from meaningful work. The PC Party believes in an inclusive Ontario and understands the need for more social, recreational and respite programs so that adults with autism are not left unengaged.
7) Does your party support a National Autism Strategy and if so what will you do to ensure you are working towards this goal? If elected, what would be the components of a National Autism Strategy that Ontario should support?
The PC Party would absolutely support a National Autism Strategy.
The PC Party believes a National Autism Strategy should begin by focusing on taking the lead role in three important areas:
1. Coordinating levels of service and programming being delivered across the country to ensure comparable services are being provided across the country, that all jurisdictions are learning from one another’s best practices, and that parents don’t feel pressure to move to another jurisdiction simply to access services for their children.
2. Showing leadership in autism research and sharing lessons from international best practices.
3. Providing more tax credits and programs that will improve the ability for parents, who are too often forced into bankruptcy, to better plan for the future.
8) There are several legal battles being fought on the issue of ABA and IBI in Ontario . 120 Ontario Human Rights Commission cases under the group name Arzem, the Class Action case of Sagharian, and the Class Action case of Hartley. What will your government do, if elected in power this fall to compensate these families and to reach a fair resolution that will put an end to the legal battles? Will the governing parties categorically say that they will not seek compensation for legal fees which are a major risk for these members of the autism community seeking what they believe is a fair treatment for their children?
The PC Party believes it is shameful that parents have spent years fighting with Dalton McGuinty in court to obtain the services for their children that he promised to them in his election campaign.
A John Tory government would not penalize parents in courts and would not be seeking any compensation for any legal fees.
LIBERAL PARTY WRITTEN RESPONSE
Alliance for Families with Autism Debate Questions: Liberal Response
Question #1
There has been an incredible increase in the number of children on the waitlist to receive IBI therapy from the AIP. What is your party’s plan if it forms the next government, to eliminate the waitlist and what is the timeline involved? As well, what will you do to ensure that all Regional Programs and Direct Funding Programs are consistent with the admission, review and discharge of children with autism from the AIP?
We need to talk about where we plan to go but we also need to talk about the progress we have made to-date. Our government is building an improved and expanded continuum of service. We have more than doubled annual spending on services for children and youth with autism to more than $130 million. We’ve hired almost 300 new therapists and established the Ontario College Graduate Certificate Program in Autism and Behavioural Sciences - 100 graduates in 2006, 100 graduates in 2007, and another 200 expected in the next two years. It’s about building the capacity to provide the services needed. More than 1,100 children are now receiving IBI– an increase of 105 percent since April 2004.
Wait list management teams, internal to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, have given the families of the most recent 231 children real choice when it comes to the Direct Funding Option (DFO) and Direct Service Option (DSO). We are changing the way parents get to choose in the future.
We ended an age cutoff that was implemented by the Conservative government. Since July 2005, children have no longer been discharged on the basis of age. That has caused both the number of children in service and the number of children waiting for service to rise. Approximately 60% of the children receiving IBI services are now age six or older. Approximately 45% of the children currently on the wait list are age six or older.
We also assess children for appropriate services sooner. There were more than 1,000 children waiting for assessment when we took office. By assessing children sooner, we have reduced the wait list for assessment by more than 65%. However, this has also contributed to the growth of the wait list for service.
We struck an Expert Clinical Panel for the Autism Intervention Program, an independent arms-length body that is developing a set of clinical practice guidelines to enable consistent and evidence-based clinical decision-making in the program. The Panel is chaired by Dr. Peter Szatmari and includes a number of experts, including a parent of two children with autism.
Question # 2
With the recent announcement regarding Policy/Program Memorandum 140 to incorporate ABA into schools, how will your party, if elected, develop and monitor ABA models for school age children with ASD and ensure the proper qualifications and mandatory training will take place? Please explain what would be your action plan and timeline to ensure that each child with autism is receiving the services they require within the education system and would that include making the Individual Education Plan (IEP) legally binding like the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC)?
Since taking office in 2003, our government has undertaken a number of key initiatives to focus on better student outcomes, including better outcomes for children and youth with autism.
Our government has committed itself to improving supports for children and youth with autism in schools. We launched the Autism Spectrum Disorder Reference Group to provide our government with recommendations on how best to provide this enhanced support. The Reference Group’s recommendations have set the course for the progess we are making.
On May 18, 2007 , the Ministry of Education released a Policy and Program Memorandum (PPM) on the use of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) in schools. School boards have been directed through the PPM to use ABA methods with students with ASD, in accordance with their individual education plans. This includes intensive forms of ABA .
The PPM provides direction to school boards, principals and educators in the following areas:
· To support the use of ABA as an effective instructional approach for many students with ASD ;
· To ensure that ABA methods are incorporated into the Individual Education Plans of students with ASD , where appropriate;
· To ensure that parents and relevant professionals are invited to provide input and participate in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process;
· To plan for students’ transitions and to use relevant ABA methods to support transitions, where appropriate;
· To develop a plan for the implementation of the PPM and to consult with their local Special Education Advisory Committees ( SEAC ) regarding the implementation; and
· To consult with their local SEACs regarding the monitoring of the implementation of the PPM, at least on an annual basis.
· The Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education, as well as members of the Ministers’ Autism Spectrum Disorders Reference Group who wish to be involved, will be consulted twice a year regarding the implementation of ABA methods by school boards.
To support school boards in the successful implementation of the PPM on ABA , extensive staff training will be provided. Our government is currently implementing training on ASD for school board teams, up to six to eight representatives from every school board, including superintendents, principals, teachers, teachers’ assistants, school support staff and SEAC members. The school boards’ team training will be followed by principal training and training for school teams - funded through a $1-million investment. Both training opportunities will take place over the summer months to prepare staff to implement the PPM in September 2007. It is estimated that up to 1,400 principals will be trained as well as 1,400 other staff directly working with students with ASD , including principals, teachers and teachers’ assistants.
In addition, our government has provided a grant of $2.75 million to Geneva Centre for Autism. The Centre has committed to use this investment to provide further team training on ABA approaches with school staff in the fall.
We will hold school boards accountable for the implementation of the PPM, as it is a fundamental component of our efforts to strengthen the supports available to children and youth with autism in schools.
Question # 3
Does your party’s plan, if it forms the next government, include children that need to receive intensive ABA therapy within the education system? If so, please explain the plan and who would be accountable for putting together such programs and overseeing them? If not, how will your government, if elected, integrate children receiving intensive ABA therapy if it is not taking place within the education system? Once again, please indicate a timeline for each stage.
Our government recognizes that all children, regardless of their needs, are entitled to a high quality education in Ontario .
Directing school boards on the use of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) with students with autism in schools, through the PPM released on May 18, 2007, was an important step forward in addressing the need for ABA methods to be available to students with autism who need it in schools across the province. We will be carefully monitoring the implementation of the PPM in September in school boards across the province. As previously mentioned, the implementation of the PPM is supported by a number of training initiatives our government has undertaken.
Our progress to-date has been made possible by working in patnership with parents, school boards, teachers, educators, and experts in the field of autism. We will continue to work in collaboration with our partners to implement ABA in schools, including intensive ABA , such as Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI).
Question # 4
Families are being given true choices between direct funding and direct services for their children receiving IBI from the AIP . Will there also be a choice of funding for families not wanting to send their children with autism into the public school system?
Our government looks forward to a time when all schools across the province are supportive of children with autism in their schools and are able to provide the services they need. However, we believe that it is important for parents and families to not feel that they are being forced to send their children to school to receive services that they are not comfortable receiving within that system of service provision. The important thing is ensuring that kids who require support be able to get it. We will continue to strengthen and improve all the service options available for children and youth with autism and their families.
Question # 5
What does your party, if elected, feel will be their greatest challenges with regards to the autism community and why? What are your plans to overcome these challenges?
The best way to overcome challenges is by working together, in partnership. The improvements we have made to the provision of services for children with autism would not have been possible without us having the opportunity to hear the advice and the experiences of parents. We have learned much from the parent community and the progress we have made is the result of that.
Funding is not the only answer to improving services for children and youth with autism. As funding increases and the demand for service grows, we must also build and retain the human resource capacity to absorb this growth. That's why we started a college-level program to train new therapists. We are also working to overcome a significant shortage of child psychologists in Ontario . We will continue to grow the capacity of the system to better meet the growing demand for service in the long-term.
We plan to continue the good work we have already done to improve the learning environment for our children and youth with ASD. We plan to continue building the relationships we have with members of the autism community – with parents, community groups, educators, school boards, and within government.
Question # 6
How will your party, if it forms the next government, ensure families receive the proper services they need when they are faced with linguistic and cultural barriers? As well, we often concentrate our efforts on the children and youth affected by autism in Ontario . What are your party’s plans for adults outside of the preschool and education system, in terms of assigned living, work opportunities, and ensuring these individuals do not slip through the cracks?
We recognize that families with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds can also have different needs. Addressing this need is part of our effort to build the capacity within the service system.
Services for children, youth, and adults with autism must be provided through a collaborative, interministerial approach. By working through interministerial collaboration, we are able to offer a broad range of coordinated services to address the needs of children, youth, and adults with autism as they move along the service continuum.
As announced in our 2007 Budget, our government is investing $200 million more over the next four years to strengthen the developmental service sector. Our government has begun drafting of a new piece of legislation for the developmental services sector. This piece of legislation is the first new piece of legislation in this area since the 1970s. The McGuinty government wants to bring the developmental services sector into the 21st century. We are proposing an enhanced consistent approach to determining eligibility for developmental services by updating the definition of developmental disability, which will benefit autistic adults in that they may have the intelligence to perform daily tasks but not the social skills that help them do so. This new piece of legislation will also allow families and individuals the choice to receive services through a transfer payment agency or to receive funding directly to purchase the services themselves. It will also allow funding to transfer with the client if they move from one community to another. Outside of this legislation, we are adding autism clinical expertise over time to our specialized networks of care, which includes long distance teleconference diagnosis.
Question # 7
Does your party support a National Autism Strategy and if so what will you do to ensure you are working towards this goal? If elected, what would be the components of a National Autism Strategy that Ontario should support?
Our government is on record as supporting a National Autism Strategy.
On November 8, 2006 , Minister of Children and Youth Services Mary Anne Chambers appeared before The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology in Ottawa , where she presented her case for a national autism strategy to benefit children with autism and their families across the country. She was the only elected official across the country who accepted the invitation to appear before the committee. In her presentation, she suggested the federal government consider the following:
• A public awareness campaign to help more people understand autism, including how to socialize and live with those with autism;
• Direct grants or tax deductions for parents/families with children with autism, similar to support for caregivers who provide babysitting services and for people who look after their senior relatives;
• More funding for research on autism;
• Recruitment of more child psychologists to work with children and youth with autism;
• More funding for residential supports to provide respite for parents and help children with autism learn to take care of themselves to some degree;
• Standard certification for service providers nationally; and
• A regulatory body for behaviour analysts and therapists.
The full transcript of the Minister’s presentation can be found at:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/soci-e/10eva-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=39&Ses=1&comm_id=47
Question # 8
There are several legal battles being fought on the issue of ABA and IBI in Ontario . 120 Ontario Human Rights Commission cases under the group name Arzem, the Class Action case of Sagharian, and the Class Action case of Hartley. What will your government do, if elected in power this fall to compensate these families and to reach a fair resolution that will put an end to the legal battles? Will the governing parties categorically say that they will not seek compensation for legal fees which are a major risk for these members of the autism community seeking what they believe is a fair treatment for their children?
Our focus has been, and will remain, improving the services and supports available to children and youth with autism, and their families. Our interest is to work in partnership with families because our experience has demonstrated that working with the parent community yields real results.
The Ontario Court of Appeal decision in the Deskin-Wynberg case left the government with the option of reinstating the IBI age six cutoff. We chose not to because our commitment is to improve services for all children and youth with autism, regardless of age.
The alliance for families with autism
Please contact us “AFA” at
autism_yassine@rogers.com
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ktchmeifucan2002@yahoo.ca
