Tuesday, 30 June 2009 00:00
More than 1,500 children with autism in Ontario are waiting for years to receive government-funded ABA therapy, and as a result, they are regressing in their skills and missing out on the chance to live a normal life, says Sharon Aschaiek of Autism Resolution Ontario.
Sunday, 21 June 2009 00:00
The Liberal - By Kim Zarzour
A group of York Region parents would like you to imagine this:
You've just been diagnoed with cancer. To get chemotherapy you'll have to go on a waiting list behind 1,400 others. To move up the list, someone ahead of you has to dia or get better - three years or longer.
Sunday, 07 June 2009 00:00
Autism Resolution Ontario (ARO) participated in the 2009 Autism Speaks walk on Sunday, June 7, and had the opportunity to connect with many families seeking serious change for their children.Parents, relatives and friends of children with autism shared their experiences of their kids waiting for years to receive government-subsidized ABA, of not qualifying for publicly funded ABA even though they have a diagnosis of autism, of waiting years for therapy and then having it terminated after just a year or so of service, of not being able to access sufficient and suitable ABA-based instruction in school, and much more. Many families of preteens, teenagers and adults on the spectrum talked about how they haven't been able to access any subsidized ABA for their children.
Thursday, 30 April 2009 00:00
By: Taline Sagharian
When the publicly funded ABA initiative was first implemented in by Ontario’’s Ministry of Community and Social Services (later transferred to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS)), there was a stipulation of an age six cut-off. The assumption was that the school boards would take over the responsibility of continuing ABA for the children with autism entering the schools. The school boards were not prepared to meet the needs of the children transitioning in from the preschool program. They lacked the necessary expertise and the motivation to provide adequate programs and services. The flaw with the age six cut-off soon became evident, as there was no continuum of ABA for students with autism who were exiting the preschool initiative. A number of advocates fought through litigation and social advocacy to successfully remove the age cap.