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Aug 18, 2007 04:30 AM
Kristin Rushowy
Education Reporter
More than 200 autistic children will receive treatment thanks to a $12 million pledge by the provincial government to provide ‘intensive behavioural intervention’ for the developmental disorder. The money will also be spent on additional therapists and respite for 3,000 families.
‘For those families on the wait list, this is welcome news,’ said Deborah Kitchen, president of Autism Ontario, noting an announcement earlier this year took an additional 200 children off the wait list for IBI, considered the most effective therapy.
The rest of the funds ‘will provide families with the opportunity to get a much-needed break from the stress and challenges of day-to-day life with children with autism.’
But critics were quick to point out that 1,042 children remain on waiting lists for the expensive, one-on-one treatment.
New Democrat MPP Shelley Martel said the Liberals ‘have failed children with autism, have failed their parents and now have failed to clear the wait list.’
She said the announcement gives no indication when children will start to receive IBI.
A spokesperson for Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said some of the funds are already flowing, and a total of 1,400 kids will now receive IBI.
Wait lists have grown under the Liberal government because it ended the practice of cutting off treatment at age 6. About 60 per cent of the children waiting for IBI therapy are older than 6. The Ontario Autism Coalition said the government must allow IBI instructors into schools and also provide treatment to every child who is assessed and qualifies for it.
Intensive behavioural intervention is a one-on-one therapy where instructors work with autistic children to improve social interactions, communication skills and developmental delays. Each child’s therapy is individualized. Children can undergo 20 to 40 hours of IBI each week.”
(Via .)
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