Autism protest planned for Friday

Critics say bringing back 'age-based' funding instead of 'needs based' means any child over the age of six receives significantly less funding that anyone under that age.

A protest against new plans by the provincial government will be the target of a protest in North Bay Friday in front of Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli's Main St. office.

It will take place over the noon hour.

A government announced this month said changes should help bring relief to 23,000 children and their families who are currently on a waitlist for autism services.

See: New changes should cut autism wait lists says government

And: Sudbury parents raise concerns over government's autism funding plans

Reforms to the Ontario Autism Program is raising hope that it will restore fairness, equality, and sustainability to the program said the announcement.

However, critics say bringing back "age-based" funding instead of "needs based" means any child over the age of six receives significantly less funding that anyone under that age.

Meanwhile, about 200 people representing families from throughout the province joined the Official Opposition Wednesday at Queen’s Park to take their stories straight to the government — all families with a child with autism.

Timmins MPP Gilles Bisson and MPP Guy Bourgouin for Mushkegowuk-James Bay shared stories from Northern families in the legislature, directing their questions to the Conservative minister responsible for the cuts, Lisa MacLeod.

“Parents in Northern Ontario and across the province are extremely upset with the changes your government has made to autism services,” said Bisson.

“Tyler Stone is a father of three in Timmins. Two of his young children live with severe autism. Although the Stone family was one of the 23,000 families on the waitlist for IBI therapy and were left waiting too long under the Liberals, they were at least hopeful that the care their children needed would be coming.

“Tyler left his career to care for his children. Now Tyler and his wife are a one-income family that needs to pay for therapy for two children.

“How does this government expect them to be able to come up with $60,000 to $80,000 per year, per child, to pay for intensive IBI therapy?"