Families welcome changes to Ontario’s autism program | Toronto Star

Riche Fevidal stood in front of television cameras and a crowd of families on Thursday and choked back tears as he recalled the despair of trying to find help for his preschooler who showed symptoms of autism.

“We knew that something was wrong with his development,” Fevidal said. “We did not know where to start.”

For families relying on provincially funded services, the journey from autism diagnosis to treatment has involved red tape, wait lists, information overload, bewildering rules about who qualifies for therapy and for how long, and then lining up for years to get it.

The long-awaited new Ontario autism program announced Thursday is aimed at fixing that frustrating process and making sure children and youth until age 18 get the help they need when they need it, said Michael Coteau, minister of children and youth services…

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