An autism town hall meeting in Windsor to address provincial cuts drew a big crowd.
Close to two hundred people showed up at the WFCU Centre to talk about provincial funding cuts to the autism program and services for adults with developmental disabilities. Independent Facilitation cuts is a particular concern. Parents feel it helps their children and want it to continue. Some parents say the program is a lifeline after high school because many autistic students graduate to their rooms to live in solitude.
April Pare said suicide among adults with autism is high and she fears for her seven-year-old daughter Adyson in the future.
"I can't tell you what the suicide rates are among adults with autism, it's alarming. Divorce rates among parents with autism is 80 per cent. Parents are going to end up in crisis because they have nowhere to turn," said Pare.
Last month, the province announced an overhaul to the autism program, including capping yearly funding for children over five at $5,000 before income-based clawbacks. The NDP, which hosted the meeting, said intense behavioural therapies can cost as much as $70,000 a year for high-needs children, leaving families on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars under the new program.
Pare said she is hopeful the province will eventually change its mind and disagrees with the province that the new program provides choice.
"They say they're giving us freedom of choice but they're really not. They're going to be sending out an approved list of service providers that we're going to be able to go to. That's not providing choice," she added.
Pare said parents are also at higher risk of burnout under the new program.
"The system is so broken, we as parents are just looking for them to go back to the table and revisit the things they're doing," Pare said.
