A petition is circulating online among parents and advocates of children with autism.
It asks the province to make exceptions for specific children under the Ontario Autism Program (OAP).
The goal is to allocate funds for one-on-one support for kids with greater needs, instead of putting them in classrooms.
“By doing so, we can ensure that all our kids get the right to education set forth in this country while also making efficient use of Provincial public funds,” wrote Whitby Resident Raluca Urlea.
“Our son Logan, like many other children, is one such child on the severe end of the autism spectrum,” she explained. “The recent funding cuts have had a devastating impact on his education, mental health, social engagement, and overall well-being. Instead of receiving [Applied Behavioural Analysis] therapy that specifically helps him build skills and learning to support his effectiveness now and in later years, he’s been placed into a public school system that isn’t equipped to handle his behaviors, learning methods, and overall needs.”
On Wednesday, a reporter from ‘The Trillium’ asked Premier Doug Ford about Logan.
“When I took office in 2018, that system was broken; it was done,” said Ford.
“We increased the funding of the Ontario Autism Program from $300-million, which was serving 8,000 families in total, to now more than $779-million serving more than 45,000 families through multiple streams,” added Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “And we’re never going to stop.”
“The program […] is one that was developed by the community for the community,” he stated. “Even the implementation came as a result of advice from the Ontario autism communities, families, experts-those in the sector.”
“If a child has severe behavioral, social or life skill challenges that are especially tough to manage within a public education environment, there is no recourse or funding exception process for children with extraordinary needs who cannot attend or thrive in Ontario schools but rather require full-time ABA or other therapies,” counters the petition.
“The public education system isn’t designed for these unique needs and full-time school staff lack appropriate training or qualifications to work effectively under these circumstances,” it adds. “Support teams are typically brought in to counsel; build programs; model; and measure how day-to-day staff support these children.”
Advocates have long been urging the province to better ensure safety for special-needs students in schools.
In April, the Ontario Autism Coalition pointed out several cases where students left school property while unsupervised.
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