Ontario NDP: McGuinty Government Cutting Children with Autism off IBI (ABA)

Number of Children Awaiting Autism Treatment Balloonslocation: Queen's Parkdate:

October 26, 2009 - 1:00pm

Ontario’s NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is citing more troubling facts concerning the McGuinty government’s approach to treating Ontario children with autism.

“The government is cutting off more children from IBI when schools are not able to provide the therapy. Instead of funding treatment, the government is allowing waiting lists to balloon and children to languish,” Horwath said in the Ontario Legislature today after revealing the government’s latest quarterly numbers for April to June, 2009.Compared to the previous quarter, 1,649 children are now waiting for IBI therapy. That’s 136 more than previously reported (1, 513) and a 9 per cent increase in just three months.

“When will parents see adequate service levels and proper funding for children’s autism treatment?” Horwath demanded of Minister of Children and Youth Services Laurel Broten. “It has been six years. These children and these families cannot wait any longer for this government to get its act together when it comes to the autism file.”The government is cutting off more children from IBI even though schools are not able to provide the therapy, Horwath said. The latest quarterly statistics from the ministry show another 114 children were abruptly cut off.

“The regular quarterly numbers don’t lie. Why are more children with autism waiting for treatment, and why are more children having their autism suddenly cut off and terminated?” Horwath said. “The McGuinty government’s autism program is not living up to the Premier’s promise of ensuring children with autism receive treatment regardless of their age.”
Horwath, the MPP for Hamilton Centre, recently brought the autism file into her portfolio as Ontario’s NDP Critic for Children and Youth Service.

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From House Hansard 10/26/09. The new Minister of Children and Youth Services has spoken:

AUTISM TREATMENT

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. According to her ministry's most recent quarterly numbers, the McGuinty government's autism program is not living up to the Premier's promise of ensuring that children with autism receive treatment regardless of their age. The IBI/ABA numbers for April through June 2009 continue to be troubling. Compared to the previous quarter, 1,649 children are waiting for IBI, 136 more than previously reported, and another 114 children have been abruptly cut off.

Why are more children with autism waiting for treatment, and why are more children having their treatment suddenly cut off and terminated?

1100

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: This is a file where I'm very pleased to be able to build on the work that's been done by our government and a variety of Ministers of Children and Youth Services since we took office in 2003. We've made a lot of progress. Kids are getting the help they need, we've expanded those services, and we're working to make sure that families also have the support they need. We're working to maintain that progress and push ahead, working with parents and experts. Over the last couple of years, we've been examining how we can do better for our kids in Ontario.

I had the opportunity last week to visit Surrey Place and speak directly with the experts and find out how they think we can best help kids in Ontario. There is more work to do-there is always more work to do. We continue to build on the efforts that we've put in place to make sure that Ontario kids get everything they need from our education system and that envelope of services around them.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It's been six years. These children and these families cannot wait any longer for this government to get its act together when it comes to the autism file.

The regular quarterly numbers don't lie. The government is cutting off more children from IBI when schools are not able to provide the therapy. Instead of funding treatment, the government is allowing waiting lists to balloon and children to languish. When will parents see adequate service levels and proper funding for children's autism treatment?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I want to put some key facts on the table. We removed the previous government's age 6 cut-off and more than tripled autism spending, from $44 million to $165 million. We've more than doubled the number of kids getting IBI treatment-more than 1,300 now, up from just over 500 four years ago. We've introduced respite programs that serve almost 7,000 kids. The growing waiting list is not acceptable. That's why we've put more resources into the system.

But I would say that the numbers being brought forward by the leader of the opposition are consistent with numbers that we've seen in the past: 114 kids have completed the services for IBI, and we now have 1,262 kids receiving that service.

We need to get service to more kids. We need to broaden that continuum of support. That's why we're working with world-renowned experts like Peter Szatmari and Nancy Freeman and why we've brought that group of expertise to the table to make sure that kids in our schools get the treatment.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question

.

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Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty's Autism Therapy Wait Lists Harm Ontario's Autistic Children

I try to keep this blog site focused on autism and I try to keep it non-partisan despite being a life long Liberal. (With Prime Minister Stephen Harper washing his hands of Canada's autism crisis it is hard to present non-partisan commentary about federal autism initiatives. or lack thereof). In recent elections, provincially and federally, I have shifted toward a strategic voting mind set voting for the candidate, and the party, that is most likely to represent hope for autistic children and adults. As someone who has been a Liberal though I am seriously disappointed by the autism record of the Ontario Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty.

I am proud of New Brunswick's political leaders, both Conservative and Liberal, for what they have done on behalf of autistic children although much remains to be done. Both Conservative and Liberal governments in New Brunwick have failed to date to address the crisis in adult autism residential care and treatment.

One of the best things that happened to my autistic son Conor, was moving from the Toronto (Burlington) area back to New Brunswick in 1997, the year before he received his autism spectrum disorder diagnosis at age 2. At that time there was little in the way of autism services available here in New Brunswick. Determined and focused parent advocacy, access to amazing, community involved academic and professional help and conscientious, responsive political leaders from both Conservative and Liberal parties, have resulted in an autism service delivery model for autistic children in this relatively poor province that has earned national and international recognition. Such sweeping change for the good of autistic children has not taken place in the much larger, and wealthier, province of Ontario. Had we stayed in Ontario in 1997 Conor would not have enjoyed the autism services he has received here in NB. Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty may be many good things but he has not been a friend of autistic children in Ontario.

Attached hereto is a news release from Autism Resolution Ontario which speaks to the situation confronting autistic children in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario:

TORONTO, July 29 /CNW/ - A new documentary on the challenges of one child
with autism in trying to access publicly subsidized autism therapy effectively
captures the Ontario government's inadequate, harmful and discriminatory
autism intervention policies, and raises fresh concerns about the ongoing and
extreme neglect of all children with autism in Ontario waiting to receive this
essential treatment.

 Jaiden's Story: The Struggle for ABA Therapy in Ontario is a brief and
compelling portrait of three-year-old Jaiden, who has been waiting for
provincially funded applied behaviour analysis (ABA) therapy since September
of 2007, and whose family is trying to cope with the government's abandonment
of their son and with the high cost of private ABA therapy.

 "Jaiden needs ABA therapy to learn how to communicate and socialize
appropriately with others, and to function in society. By making my son wait
for years for this crucial therapy, the government is neglecting his basic
developmental needs, severely compromising his future prospects, and
ultimately, violating his fundamental human rights," says Sharon Aschaiek,
mother of Jaiden.

 ABA is the most established, scientifically proven and effective autism
intervention that is widely used by children with autism worldwide. Children
with autism benefit most from ABA when they receive it intensively-about 30
hours a week of one-on-one instruction-beginning in their early years.

 As demonstrated in Jaiden's Story, which can now be seen on the News
section of the ARO site (www.autismresolutionontario.com) or on YouTube
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgLJrIJsOvs), while Jaiden languishes on the waitlist
for the Ontario government's intensive behavioural intervention (IBI)
program-IBI is the early and intensive application of ABA-Aschaiek helps her
son in the only way she can-by paying for private ABA therapy. However, early
intensive ABA is costly: currently, Aschaiek spends about $20,000 a year, and
that cost will increase as Jaiden gets older and is able to participate in
more therapy.

  As a single mother of limited means, Aschaiek was forced to move with her
son into her parents' home in Thornhill to save on cost-of-living expenses.
She now spends almost every cent she makes on therapy for her son, but she
says it's entirely worth it, as Jaiden is making significant developmental
gains with ABA. However, because Ontario government will continue denying
subsidized intervention to Jaiden for many more months or even years, Aschaiek
worries about how she'll pay for Jaiden's future therapy.

  "Even with the minimal amount of ABA therapy I can afford, Jaiden has
advanced so much. Thanks to ABA, he can now express himself much better, and
he's more interested in family and friends," Aschaiek says. "However, when
Jaiden will require $30,000 to $50,000 worth of therapy a year, I won't be
able to afford it. Without receiving enough of the ABA therapy he needs to
develop and function, Jaiden will be at serious risk of losing the skills he's
gained, and failing at school and in adulthood."

  Jaiden is far from alone in his lengthy wait for vital ABA treatment:
currently, about 1,500 children with autism in Ontario are waiting to
participate in the provincial government's subsidized IBI program.
Disturbingly, that's more than the number of children actually receiving it -
about 1,300. About another 400 children are actually waiting to wait - that
is, they are waiting to qualify to get on the IBI program waitlist.

  "The wait for my family has meant that my wife had to resign her job, my
mother exhausted her retirement savings, and we have exhausted all our savings
and retirement funds - all to self-fund/deliver our son's therapy," says
Mississauga-based Barry Hudson, father of Barry, 4. "So, not only does my
son's therapy still need funding, but I, my mother and my wife will require
income supplements in our retirement. In summary: the ABA wait list crisis
equals pay much more later."

  Aschaiek and Hudson are just a couple of the hundreds of highly motivated
parents across the province who are involved Autism Resolution Ontario (ARO),
a new grassroots, non-partisan advocacy initiative working to make publicly
funded ABA therapy more accessible, and to achieve social justice for children
with autism. ARO is leading an ongoing, high-impact, province-wide public
awareness campaign to promote the benefits of ABA as the most proven and
effective autism intervention; to expose the government's neglectful and
discriminatory autism intervention policies; and to promote practical and
cost-effective solutions-based on existing studies and reports-to resolving
the autism crisis in Ontario.

   Jaiden's Story is the first documentary in what is planned to be a
three-part series that will fully explore the most pressing ABA
inaccessibility issues facing children with autism in Ontario and their
families.

   Aschaiek echoes Hudson's sentiment that, ultimately, the Ontario
government's denial of early intensive ABA to children with autism is a
problem that affects everyone, because taxpayers will have to pay millions of
dollars more down the road to sustain these individuals as adults.

   "With sufficient ABA, our children have much better chances of becoming
independent and contributing members of society," Aschaiek says. "Without it,
the government is condemning them to a lifetime of dysfunction and social
services dependency."

For further information: To learn more, or to book an interview with
Sharon Aschaiek or other ARO family members, contact Sharon Aschaiek at (416)
352-8813 or sharon@autismresolutionontario.com

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Too Autistic In Ontario Blog

There are many autism blogs on the internet. They vary a great deal in perspective, interests of the blogger, views about cause and treatment and so on. I find them all helpful, even those I disagree with fundamentally, like the Neurodiversity, joy of autism blogs. Very few blogs that I have read though really shake me up.

"Too Autistic In Ontario" by Maryna is one that does.

On reading this blog I am absolutely disgusted to learn that in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario severely autistic children are discharged from Applied Behavior Analysis programs because they are not making enough progress. For these children any progress is a blessing. But the Ontario of Dalton McGuinty has decided to throw these vulnerable children overboard, into the frigid waters of indifference.

The discharge papers of Maryna's son Sebastien can be found at:

Discharge Papers

Premier McGuinty you are one cold, heartless excuse for a human being.

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Is Ontario's Autism Shame Contagious?

Ontario NDP health critic France Gelinas has blasted Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government, in an article in the Sudbury Star, for its shameful, on-again, off-again commitment to providing treatment to autistic children, leaving many of them languishing on waiting lists where some never actually graduate to receive treatment.


Ms Gelinas accuses the McGuinty government of closing the door on autistic children in Northern Ontario and leaves no doubt where she, and the Ontario NDP, stand on the issue:

Families have actually left Ontario altogether for Alberta where programs are fully funded. That western province and its comprehensive funding for autism attracted a world autism expert from Ontario. More could follow.

We have a choice to create the kind of Ontario we want. In my Ontario, autism treatment would be fully funded and the children's needs addressed. Along with my MPP colleague, Ontario's NDP Critic for Autism, Andrea Horwath, I believe there should be an immediate increase to the funding of autism services so regional centres can respond to the needs of these children.

To hold back on funding while children and families continue to suffer and struggle is inexcusable.

Each day children with autism languish on waiting lists and are denied access to services is another day that their potential for progress and success is thwarted by the McGuinty government's inaction. We can -- and must -- do better.

Hopefully, the lack of concern for autistic children exhibited by the Ontario government is not contagious. Here in New Brunswick a praiseworthy autism service delivery model for children has been built. But we are hearing rumblings that the next budget will see funding for autism services cut. Hopefully the rumours are wrong and Premier Shawn Graham will continue to back up his expressed concern for autistic children by providing the required funding as he has during the first two years of his term.






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Autistic Children "Rotting On The Vine" In Ontario - Why Not Consider "the New Brunswick Autism Model"?

In Wait list for autism therapy growing, critics charge the Star.com reports that "the wait list of autistic children who are eligible to receive intensive behavioural intervention therapy, or IBI, reached 1,148 on March 31, up from 985 last year." NDP critics argue that the government is moving at a slow, even glacial, pace resulting in many children "rotting on the vine" in the words of NDP critic Andrea Horwath who was also quoting parents she had met at a town hall meeting. The article describes spending increases by the McGuinty government but does not really describe a plan for getting children off the autism wait lists.

When I was in Ontario last week, as part of the Medicare for Autism NOW! campaign, I had the privilege of meeting some Ontario parents and discussing autism realities in Ontario. I heard of autistic children facing bureaucratic obstacles, waiting on lists for treatment only to "age out" before receiving treatment; or after just getting started. I mentioned the New Brunswick autism model as one that Ontario might want to consider.

In New Brunswick autism services are far from perfect but we have come far with the effort of determined parents, a sympathetic public and ... responsive political leaders. We have also been fortunate that political leaders of both major political parties in New Brunswick, aside from some exceptions, have tended to be genuine in their desire to help autistic children. So what is "the New Brunswick autism service model" and why is it working? (Yes, there are problems and the need to continually improve but generally we are much better off than Ontario.)

The key to "the New Brunswick autism model" is the University of New Brunswick Autism Intervention Training program offered through UNB's College of Extended Learning. The program provides training for autism support workers and clinical supervisors to provide evidence based interventions to children with autism during the pre-school years. Those interventions are provided by agencies which must be approved by the Department of Social Development and must be accountable for the quality of the services provided. The UNB-CEL AIT has also begun providing similar training to teacher/education aides and resource teachers. We are no longer debating whether ABA can be provided in New Brunswick schools as they are in Ontario. Here it has been happening. My son, Conor, has received ABA based instruction for the past 4 years. The teacher aides providing the instruction in school have been trained at UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program. While Discrete Trial Training is used for academic instruction, more general ABA principles are also employed in settings such as the school gym.

The UNB-CEL AIT program began as a response to a call for tenders by the Department of Family and Community Services (now the Department of Social Development) to provide pre-school autism intervention services in New Brunswick. It began, literally, at a meeting of the proposed UNB Autism Centre committee of which I was a member. Asked whether the College of Extended Learning could be of assistance Anne Higgins director of professional development at UNB-CEL listed the administrative milestones that would have to be met. Then, like few people I have ever seen, she and her team at UNB-CEL got the things done to meet those targets. The curriculum and instruction quality were overseen and assured by Clinical Psychologist and Professor Emeritus (Psychology) Paul McDonnell. With other Autism Society and parent reps on the committee we saw the program established from the outset and have complete confidence in the quality and integrity of the program. The program is continually evolving with input from the Departments of Social Development and Education and from the autism community.

A couple of years ago I was offered employment in the Toronto area with a labour organization whose leadership I had already worked with. It was really a dream job but I turned it down. In part because I grew up attending as many as three schools in one year as an "army brat" and my two sons had both had the opportunity to attend the same grade school and middle school without moving from place to place. But the biggest reason for not wanting to move was the fact that Conor was receiving ABA based school instruction from an aide trained at UNB-CEL using programs designed and overseen by a teacher who had received the Clinical Supervisor training at UNB-CEL. He has now had almost 4 years of such education and I am glad, for his sake, I decided to stay in New Brunswick.

I don't know if the Ontario bureaucrats would consider developing the New Brunswick model in Ontario for pre-school and school age children. Nor do I know if parents would want that. In Ontario they seem hung up on the IBI versus ABA labels a distinction without a real difference. But if autistic children are "rotting on the vine" in Ontario they might want to at least take a look at what we have done right here in New Brunswick.

If the people in Ontario are interested in what has happened in New Brunswick they might want to consider the CAUCE 2008 sessions, session five, on May 30 at the University of Western Ontario. Anne Higgins and Sheila Burt from UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training will be participating and speaking about the pivotal role of UNB-CEL in providing multi-partnered, systematized autism intervention services.

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Autism In Ontario Election 2007

Autism appears to be an impact issue in the current Ontario election campaign. On the first day of October, which is the Autism Awareness month in Canada, the Globe and Mail has an article on autism in the campaign which also highlights NDP candidate and autism mother Nancy Morrison. Ms. Morrison is the mother to whom Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty promised help for autistic children in the 2003 campaign before breaking the promise and fighting parents of autistic children in court.

"Mr. McGuinty promised in the letter to end the previous Progressive Conservative government's "unfair and discriminatory" practice of cutting off funding when children turned 6. "These children need - and deserve - our help and support," the letter says.

The problem for Mr. McGuinty is that Ms. Morrison kept her end of the bargain and he didn't."

- Karen Howlett, Globe and Mail, Plight of Autistic Children Resonates in Campaign

It would be great if the NDP or Conservative Parties formed the government, or held the balance of power in a minority government. A lot could change in the week and a half left in the election campgain. Right now though it is looking like another McGuinty Majority. And that would mean 4 years of keeping the pressure on Dalton McGuinty to provide real help for autistic children. If that happens then, hopefully, Nancy Morrison will be sitting as an MPP in the Ontario Legislature to see to it that Mr. McGuinty provides real help to autistic children.

Facing Autism in New Brunswick Hesitant Ontario Election Prediction - 4 More years of McGuinty and more broken autism promises.

Hopeful Note - I also picked Bob Rae to win the Liberal Party nomination, Ottawa to beat Anaheim in the Stanley Cup finals last spring, and France to beat Italy for the World Cup.

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What about the kids with autism who you fought in court, using taxpayers money?

What about the kids with autism who you fought in court, using taxpayers money?

- Conservative leader John Tory to Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty

Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty took a lot of heat during the Ontario leaders debate this evening over his record of broken promises during his first term as Premier of Ontario including the shot from Conservative John Tory above. McGuinty's broken autism promise was also featured in the Conservative leader's opening statement video which featured Tory with a mother of an autistic child who accused McGuinty of breaking his promise to help her child. Tory says : "Broken promises have consequences for families like Kathy's. I want to earn your trust."

Hopefully, autism will not be just a political attack point during the election. Hopefully, all party leaders will remember the autism issue when the next Government of Ontario is seated.

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Autism Debate Heats Up Ontario Election

Autism issues are heating up the Ontario election campaign, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the Ontario Autism Coalition, which has been very well organized and effective in getting autism issues in front of political participants. Today the NDP and Liberals squared off over the issues of age cut off and school provision of ABA/IBI services for autistic children.

The Canadian Press is reporting a commitment by NDP leader Howard Hampton to provide publicly funded Intensive Behavioral Intervention in classrooms for all autistic children. The NDP has committed to providing IBI therapy for an autistic child from the day they qualify and an end to waiting lists. Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers retorts however that there simply aren't enough trained autism support workers to provide one on one treatment to every child who needs it.

In New Brunswick we have faced the same issues over the past several years. The UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program grew out of the need to train Autism Support Workers and Clinical Supervisors in the pre-school and school years. That training has been taking place over the past several years with training of another 100 Teacher Aides (Autism Support Workers) and Resource Teachers (Clinical Supervisors) scheduled to start in October. Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock have committed to train another 300 TA's and teachers over the next 3 years. In proportion to Ontario's population that would be roughly the equivalent of a commitment to train a further 4,000 Autism Support Workers and Clinical Supervisors to work in Ontario schools. We are very confident that New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock will keep their promise to New Brunswick's autistic school children.

The McGuinty government should quit making excuses for why they can't address the needs of Ontario's autistic children, stop breaking promises, stop fighting parents in court and buckle down and get to work helping autistic children. Maybe Ontario parents will decide to Get Orange and vote for the NDP.

As the Ontario Autism Coalition has said so succinctly - No More Excuses!

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Autism Mom Nancy Morrison Gets Political

Nancy Morrison is the NDP candidate for York-Simcoe in the Ontario Election 2007. She is also the mother of two children, including eight year old son Sean who is autistic. Nancy is the "autism mom" who wrote to then Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty during the last Ontario provincial election campaign asking for help for her autistic son. Mr McGuinty promised to help. You know the rest of the story. Promise broken. Court fights to prevent families from obaining services for their autistic children. Court costs pursued against the families of autistic children that Mr McGuinty had promised to help.

Nancy is not taking the Promise Breaker's betrayal lying down. She is getting political in a big way, running as the NDP candidate for York-Simcoe in the Ontario Election. She has herself gone out on a limb and stated that she has full confidence in Howard Hampton and the NDP autism platform:

"I have been in discussion with him about what they will be doing, and I want the party to be able to release their stuff when they choose to release it," Morrison said.

Asked how other parents with autistic children can trust the party when they don't know what's planned, Morrison replied: "They will know what the party plans to do in the next two days ... I am very reassured. I have no worries at all about what the platform will be with the NDP."

Good luck on October 10th Nancy!

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No Autism Proposals, So Far, In Ontario Election

Autism, not surprisingly, has become a hot issue in the Ontario election with both opposition parties slamming Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty's notorious about face on autism as reported in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. But so far there has been little indication of autism plans or proposals put forth by any of the parties. That could change in the next few days though, according to the report in the Toronto Star , which noted that NDP leader Howard Hampton, after slamming McGuinty, still wasn't ready to announce his party's autism plans:

Hampton had no problem putting his $7.50 in Gabison's bowl but he wasn't willing to say exactly what his party would do for autistic children if elected.

Parents will have to wait "a couple of days" to hear his plans, he said.

...

Nancy Morrison - who received the promise letter from McGuinty in the last election — is now the NDP candidate in York Simcoe.

Parents will like what they hear from Hampton on autism, she said.

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Autism Promise Breaker - Can He Be Trusted?

Autism Promise Breaker, Ontario Liberal leader, and current Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, is being ripped for his infamous broken autism pledge by his opponent, Conservative Leader John Tory, in the press release which follows this comment. McGuinty did not just break his autism pledge, he fought tooth and nail the very parents of autistic children he had pledged to help. Can Dalton McGuinty be trusted - by anyone? Ontario voters will answer that question in Ontario Election 2007.








Photo - CBC



JOHN TORY 2007 CAMPAIGN:

Dalton McGuinty's Record on Autism

    TORONTO, Sept. 7 /CNW/ - For a politician who claims he wants to run on
his record and who claims that he's "being straight with people," Dalton
McGuinty sure has a funny way of showing it.

 <<>>

 Now, on the eve of an election, Dalton McGuinty is making yet another
promise to children with autism. And if, as he's so fond of saying, the best
predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, then why should the parents
of autistic children trust Dalton McGuinty?

 Leadership Matters.

For further information: Mike Van Soelen, (647) 722-1760

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Ontario Autism Coalition Ask Letter

The Ontario Autism Coalition is determined to get the political parties on the record in the Ontario Election 2007 with clear, specific answers to important autism questions. Ontario autism families were burned the last time out by the Promise Breaker, Ontario Liberal Leader and current Premier, Dalton McGuinty. The OAC will not be fooled in this election and is working hard at forging a political-social-moral contract with each party with respect to autism issues in Ontario. The precedent set by the OAC could be helpful in other elections across Canada, including the federal election expected, by some, to take place in the next year.


Ontario Autism Coalition Member Update September 05, 2007

Please distribute to all lists.

Formal Presentation of OAC "Ask" to All Political Parties in Ontario The Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) is a grassroots organization with over 600 active members throughout the Province of Ontario. Our members are connected to thousands of families and supporters affected by autism. The OAC is determined to ensure the delivery of services and supports to families and individuals with Autism in the Province of Ontario. As political parties in the Province of Ontario prepare for a Provincial election this fall, the OAC seeks commitment from all Provincial parties and has therefore sent the following letter to the leaders of each party (Liberal, PC, NDP, Green Party) and has asked for their response in writing by September 14, 2007. The OAC will then communicate their responses with the entire autism community and the media.

From: Laura Kirby-McIntosh To: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; gsmitherman.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; michael.bryant@jus.gov.on.ca; john.toryco@pc.ola.org; christine.elliott@pc.ola.org; frank_klees@ontla.ola.org; lisa.macleod@pc.ola.org Cc: ndpmail@ndp.on.ca; nancymorrison@ontariondp.com; cheridinovo@ontariondp.com; francegelinas@ontariondp.com; vserda@bmts.com; gpoadmin@magma.ca; lhelferty@sympatico.ca

Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 10:08:52 PM
Subject: Ontario Autism Coalition: REQUEST FOR POLICY INFORMATION

Dear Candidate(s):

As we near the official start of the provincial election campaign, I am writing to you on behalf of the Ontario Autism Coalition (the "OAC") to ask for information on your party's autism policy.

The OAC is a grassroots advocacy group made up of concerned parents, relatives and friends of children with autism. The group formed in 2005 and has since grown into an Ontario-wide organization with over 600 members. We receive no government funding, and we are not a charity. We are focused on direct political action to bring about positive changes for our children. Between 2005 and 2007, the OAC organized over 20 rallies to draw public attention to the need for publicly funded programs that effectively meet the needs of individuals in the Autism community. The OAC has also met with numerous government policy advisors, senior provincial Cabinet Ministers and M.P.P.’s from each of Ontario’s three major political parties.

The OAC is committed to placing autism issues front and centre in the upcoming provincial election campaign. We will be hosting events, issuing press releases and organizing parents throughout the upcoming weeks to ensure that all candidates—as well as our fellow citizens—are aware of our concerns.

The OAC is asking for a written response from you and your party to the following three points:

1) We want the next provincial government to allow Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) instructor therapists currently working within the Autism Intervention Program (AIP) entry into the school system so that scientifically valid, supervised Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) can be implemented. Children receiving intensive ABA through the AIP and students attending school should receive the same quality of ABA services.

2) We want the next provincial government to eliminate the wait list in the AIP and fully fund services for all children with Autism—from the mild to severe end of the Autism Spectrum.

3) We want the next provincial government to develop a formal credentialing system and a proper training and recruitment system for the implementation of ABA to ensure accountability and capacity within the system.

We are sending this request not only to you, but to all parties—Liberal, Progressive Conservative, New Democrat and Green. We would appreciate receiving an official response from you no later than Friday, September 14, 2007. Your leaders and/or local candidates are also welcome to respond by attending our Autism Day of Action the following day. On Saturday, September 15th, we’ll be holding events in several different cities—you can get more details by visiting our website at http://www.ontarioautismcoalition.com.

While we are happy to receive any feedback you may wish to share, we encourage you to respond specifically to the three points we’ve mentioned above. We will post your responses on our website and share them with our members and with the public over the course of the campaign. If you have any documents, links or video messages you would like us to place on our website, we would be happy to receive them as well.

If you have any questions or if you are interested in meeting in person, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy the campaign!

Sincerely,

Laura Kirby-McIntosh
Co-founder, Ontario Autism Coalition
Phone: 905-761-5226
E-mail: mailto:tosh555@hotmail.com

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