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Parents believe their children are being short-changed by Michael Gregory Metroland West Media 3 | Friday, April 8, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The families of two four-yearolds in Oakville and Burlington are devastated after learning their children are among 2,200 people in Ontario no longer eligible for publicly-funded intensive autism therapy. "I think it's disgusting and I think it's a disgrace," Burlington single mother Crystal Campbell, whose son Casey was diagnosed with autism at age 18 months. "It's one thing for the government to make this change, but it should owe something to the children." The province announced $333 million in funding last week that will help revamp the Ontario Autism Program and set a wait list target of six months or less by 2021 for Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) and Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). As part of the changes, families of children on the more comprehensive IBI wait list who are turning five between May 1 and March 31, 2018 will be given one-time funding of $8,000. "Why should my son, and everyone else's child, be discriminated against now because they've decided to change their standards?" Campbell asked. According to the Ministry of Children and Youth Sofia, 4, has been waiting two years for Intensive Behavioural Inervention (IBI) therapy. | photo courtesy of the Yu Family Services, clinical evidence has shown children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) benefit the most from intensive services at an early age. "This means children, who are five and older, who are currently waiting for more intensive therapy, are not in the right development window for this service," said ministry spokesperson Peter Spadoni. In Halton, ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development administers the wait lists for IBI and ABA. To make matters worse, both Campbell and Oakville mother Athena Yu received letters from the organization recently saying their children would be eligible for IBI in the coming months after both were waiting more than two years. "I'm speechless. I cannot even think about what I'm going to do with my kids because our family situation is tougher than others," said Yu, who is also a single mother and currently pays a behavioural therapist $40 an hour to work with her daughter Sofia, who turns five in August. "I feel like the government promised us so much. This is not fair. I'm going to fight for this for my child." Yu's parents helped her pay $50,000 for her daughter to receive private ABA therapy instead of holding out on the see Children on p.8 Today's School for Tomorrow's World www.GlenburnieSchool.com Announcing Our Newest Team Member "As fiduciaries we provide objective, transparent and goals-based wealth management, resulting in solutions for affluent families and business owners. I am very proud to be a part of a truly holistic financial planning and portfolio manager. - Andrew Brydon, CPA, CA abrydon@wealthstewards.ca T: (905) 891-6052 wealthstewards.ca Glenburnie School OPEN HOUSE Wednesdays 9am Preschool - Grade 8 2035 Upper Middle Rd. East at Ford Drive,Oakville (905) 338-6236 see xxx on p.8 Established in 1997 Trafalgar Ridge Montessori School register for september 2016 New Patients Ar Are AL ALW WAYS Welcome Lower elementary program grades 1, 2, and 3 · Low teacher to student ratio · Enriched individualized curriculum · Enhanced French language instruction · Comprehensive Music and Physical Education programs · Evening & Week eekend Appoin ppointmen tments Available · Female Den Dentist Available · Same Da Day Appoin ppointmen tments · Same Da Day Emer Emergenc gency · Walk alk-in Ser ervic vice · Family & Cosmetic Den Dentistr tistry · Insur nsuranc ance Billed Dir irec ectly · Dig igital X-R -Ra ays · Seda edation for Childr hildren & Adults Doctor FA UR A small school environment where all children thrive! 2379 trAfALgAr roAD, UNit 6 OAKVILLE · 905.257.5955 www.trms.ca admin@trms.ca T · MO B EN G IC 4 Teeth ET Call today to book your appointment E IL IL Dr. Manchanda www.doctor4teeth.com 627 Lyons Lane, Suite 100, 100 www.doctor4teeth.com 627 Lyons Lane, Suite Oakville 905-339-1666 Oakville, ON 905-339-1666 M M Y & COS