Emmett, who lives with his family in Thornhill, Ont., is now one of the more than 60,000 children in the province seeking services through the Ontario Autism Program.
Ontario is boosting its funding for autism services by $120 million, and while advocates say the new money is welcome, thousands of children will still be unable to access therapy.
Documents show that as of mid-July there were 8,758 children whose families had a signed funding agreement for core therapy services. Enrolments were steadily rising.
Parents and advocates are raising concerns over changes made to the Ontario Autism Program, saying the provincial government is failing to meet the needs of kids and families.
The Ontario Autism Coalition says families are having a difficult time accessing consistent, reliable and transparent information about services.
Parents don’t want to exist in a constant state of activism just to ensure their vulnerable children receive the help they need and deserve.