TORONTO - Parents of children diagnosed with autism in Ontario are facing significant delays in accessing government-funded core therapies. Ashley Ferreira, whose five-year-old son was diagnosed in 2020, expressed her frustration. "I thought that the diagnosis came with help," she said. "It wasn’t until I started joining Facebook groups like the Ontario Autism Coalition that I was like, ‘Oh.’ It was a slap in the face."

Recent surveys indicate that families are experiencing wait times of over five years to receive funding for essential therapies, such as applied behavior analysis, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy. Many families who are just now receiving funding registered for the Ontario Autism Program five years ago.

Children, Community and Social Services Minister Michael Parsa did not comment on whether the lengthy wait times are acceptable. He stated, "We want to make sure that every family is supported, every child and every youth in this province has the opportunity to succeed and thrive."

According to data obtained through a freedom-of-information request, more than 84,000 children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program, with only 19,600 currently receiving funding for core services. Parsa highlighted the government’s efforts to address the issue, noting that the budget for the autism program has more than doubled to an expected $778 million this year. The government has also expanded the types of services that qualify for funding to include mental health supports and occupational therapy.

In addition, the Progressive Conservative government has introduced temporary support options, referred to as “pillars,” for families awaiting funding. These include an entry-to-school program, urgent response services, and family support training. However, Ferreira criticized these measures, stating, "I see the pillars as Band-Aid solutions. They’re not continued support. Our children need continued support."

Ferreira's family has incurred over $100,000 in debt while paying out of pocket for her son's therapy during the wait for government assistance. "We’ve been paying out of pocket for five years for early intervention," she said. "So he’s thriving at the moment, no thanks to the government."

Alina Cameron, president of the Ontario Autism Coalition, emphasized the inadequacy of the current autism program. "Based on the 2021 Stats Can census, there are at least one in every 32 children in Ontario who are autistic," she said. "That’s not rare. That’s a population, and right now it’s a population being failed by this government. There’s a human cost. Families are paying the price. Our survey found that a staggering percentage of autistic children and youth, 44 percent, have at least one parent or caregiver who cannot work because of the demands of care."

NDP critic Alexa Gilmour described the findings of the autism coalition’s survey as alarming. "It is a damning picture that it paints of the Conservative government that is utterly failing our most vulnerable children and families," she said. "It’s asking them to trust in a safety net that isn’t there to catch them, that they have refused to provide. Less than one quarter of children registered for the Ontario Autism Program have been given access to the therapy that they were promised."