No new autism service offers, providers told; government denies wait list frozen
Posted February 25, 2019 11:46 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ontario’s social services ministry directed autism therapy providers in the fall to only honour previous service commitments, but the minister is denying the wait list for treatment was frozen.
The revelation comes amid anger from parents and advocates over the government’s new autism program, which they say will leave many kids without the level of treatment they need.
Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod has said the changes are intended to clear the wait list of 23,000 children, as many have been waiting years for treatment.
The new program was announced earlier this month, but the ministry says in a statement today that in October agencies were told to only bring new clients into service if service commitments had already been made.
But MacLeod says it’s “erroneous” to say there was a freeze on the wait list.
Government documents suggest that service providers were instructed not to tell families about the October directive.
