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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autism

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NDP's Hampton Speaks Up For Autistic Children, Promise Breaker McGuinty Blasted by Autism Parents

A group of approximately 25 autism parents protested at Dalton McGuinty's Ottawa South constituency office yesterday according to a report by the Ottawa Citizen. The protest was part of the Autism Day of Action organized by the Ontario Autism Coalition. Meanwhile Howard Hampton and the NDP left no room to doubt their commitment to autistic children and students.

A McGuinty spokesperson appeared and listed some of the actions taken by the McGuinty led Liberal government during the past term of office including elimination of the age cutoff with about 60 per cent of children in the IBI program now being six years of age or older. The number of children receiving IBI was stated to have gone from 531 in 2004 to 1,400 today, the McGuinty government more than tripled spending on autism services for children and youth from $44 million in 2003-04 to $140 million in 2007-08, and created a college program to train new therapists.

Those numbers are significant but they do not actually address the enormous challenge in Canada's most heavily populated province. The Citizen article tells the story of the Lander family of Kanata who spend $40,000 a year for behavioral, speech and occupational therapy for their autistic son. With waiting lists for diagnosis and receipt of services the wait for autism services has grown to four years. Four years! Unless a child is diagnosed at birth they would miss completely the important early development period for treatment between ages 2 and 5. The Ontario Autism Coalition wants waiting lists eliminated, proper training and accreditation of therapists, and specialized instructors to work with autistic children in schools.

Sam Yassine, an Ottawa member of the Ontario Autism Coalition executive committee points out recent Liberal spending commitments for autism have come at the end of the McGuinty government 's term.

"For the last four years he denied our children, "Now, before the election, he announces $10 million. We find this very cynical. It's another promise to be broken."

Andrew Kavchak, who has maintained a vigil for years at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa seeking a national autism strategy, including Medicare coverage of ABA treatment for autism, is blunt in expressing his feelings about the Promise Breaker:

"We don't want Dalton McGuinty re-elected, he doesn't deserve our trust."

Despite the focus on the Promise Breaker and his betrayal of autistic children and their families there was good news from NDP Leader Howard Hampton yesterday:

Hampton Offers New Resources For Children With Autism

location: Bradford

date: September 15, 2007 - 12:00am

body:

Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton joined NDP York-Simcoe Candidate Nancy Morrison and other families at a local playground to announce the NDP’s plan to support families with autism.

The NDP will put children and families first by providing publicly funded Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) services in classrooms for all children with autism, and clear the waiting list for autism services.

“Every child who needs IBI autism therapy should have access to it. That’s the only fair thing to do. It’s a practical, doable and sensible thing we can do that will make an immediate difference to the day-to-day lives of today’s families.” said Hampton.

During the last election, McGuinty wrote a letter to Morrison promising to provide autism services to Ontario children who need it. McGuinty broke his promise. As of March 31, 2007, 1,100 children were languishing on waiting lists for autism services. That's an increase of 1,200 per cent from when the McGuinty Liberals took office.

McGuinty even wasted $2.4 million of public money fighting parents in the courts for the right to break his promise.

“Dalton McGuinty wasted $2.4 million dragging families through the courts instead of addressing the pressing need for autism services for today’s working families. That much money could have funded special treatment for 50 children with autism for a year,” said Hampton.

“McGuinty’s priority was to give himself a $40,000 raise and slush fund money to his friends. New Democrats will stand up for a fair deal for today’s working families.”

Howard Hampton, and the NDP, are absolutely right. Provision of therapy to autistic children is practical and doable IF it is a real priority of government to get it done. In the past that has not always been the case. The Ontario Autism Coalition, and parents of autistic children, are making sure that persons with autism occupy a more deserving spot in the hierarchies of government priorities in Ontario. Mr. Hampton and the NDP have indicated clearly and unambiguously where autism needs would be placed in an NDP government list of priorities.

The Ontario Autism Coalition and the Ontario NDP both deserve credit for advancing the best interests of autistic children in Ontario.

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