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My holiday reading included @AndrewKavchak’s The Fight for Autism Treatment in Canada. I encourage all advocates to read this book and learn from past attempts to help shape our advocacy efforts most effectively going forward.

#NationalAutismStrategy #autism Throughout Canada, autism programs are underfunded, limit the amount of services one can receive, reduce services available based on age, impose age cut-offs and have long wait lists.

#NationalAutismStrategy

2 YEARS AGO today @MacLeodLisa and the @fordnation govt ordered providers to freeze the waitlist for autistic kids therapy and hid this from parents.

2 years later and @ToddSmithPC hasn’t fix the mess. Utter fiasco!

#onpoli #AutismDoesntEndAtFord ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new… “Note the ministry has asked us not to stray outside of their messaging. (i.e. we would not tell families directly that there will be no service offers through the end of the fiscal year.)”

This was 2 years ago!!! Unreal.

#onpoli #AutismDoesntEndAtFord

Thread on FAO Autism Report

1. $608M wasn't actually spent on services in FY19/20. $174M is tagged as carry forward to this FY for childhood budgets (that's if the OAG okays it). Also, $97M in CBs received does not = spent on services last FY.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli

https://twitter.com/InfoFAO/status/1285560224699604993

2. If the OAG okays the carry-forward budget expense, will the government spend $774M this year ($600M budget plus the $174M carry-forward)? I'll believe when I see it.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli

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One year under @ToddSmithPC leadership and we have a 75-83% decrease in the number of children in therapy! The choice to continue @MacLeodLisa's childhood budget scheme as the interim plan has had serious consequences

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli
medium.com/@scottcorbett_… The reality is that nearly 2 years since “freeze-gate”, thousands of autistic children are still waiting for the services they need.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli
thestar.com/politics/provi…

THREAD:
It’s a disgrace that nearly a year since @MacLeodLisa started her destruction of the Ontario Autism Program that advocates are still protesting for the government to fix this mess.

#onpoli #AutismDoesntEndAtFord

ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new… 2/4:
This time the protest was brought to @JR_Ottawa office. Despite nearly doubling the autism budget @ToddSmithPC can’t figure out how to direct the money towards needs based services. Wants to stall until 2021! Parents and advocates are fed up.

#onpoli #AutismDoesntEndAtFord

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1/ As 2019 ends, it’s time to reflect on the decisions being made to the Ontario Autism Program.

@ToddSmithPC @JR_Ottawa have lost sight of the highest and most urgent priority

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli 2/ By prioritizing system design of the new OAP and delaying services until 2021, @ToddSmithPC has chosen process over people, a terrible decision given the dire straits the @fordnation has put the autism community thru
#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli

Thread – 8 thoughts on @ToddSmithPC Dec 17 Ontario Autism announcement

1/ April 2020 was a fantasy target date tied to the start of the govt fiscal year, there was NO PLAN.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli 2/ @ToddSmithPC frames his interim choice between wait list children getting nothing or a 1-time payment.

That’s a false choice.

He could have enrolled them into ABA with @Roman_Baber 30/hr wk cap.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli

Thread: 8 things @ToddSmithPC can do to course correct the interim Ontario Autism Program plan:

1. Make the interim program needs based. Either thru extending legacy program or by making budgets renewable.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli 2. Address the poor uptake on Childhood Budgets. Does the @ChildrenON know why there was a mere 22.5% uptake? What are they doing different to ensure success this time around? Otherwise only 135 out of 600 monthly invites will receive cheques.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFor #onpoli

Well, it looks like #ClearTheWaitlist is officially dead!

@ToddSmithPC says he's not committing to clearing the waiting list, a task he called “difficult.”

#onpoli #AutismDoesntEndAtFord

theglobeandmail.com/canada/article… @ToddSmithPC @ToddSmithPC also says the autism waitlist "now closer to 25,000, due to an expanded list of therapies available to families."

Wait, what? Did you just merge other waitlists into the OAP? What are they, SLP/OT?

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli