End of legacy funding to send close to 4,000 children with autism back to school
Posted April 5, 2023 4:45 pm.
Last Updated April 5, 2023 5:02 pm.
Ontario’s Autism Coalition is raising serious concern over the decision to reduce funding for 4,000 children with autism and move them into the school system, starting as early as this week.
Officials are sounding the alarm, stressing that the schools aren’t ready for them.
Michelle MacAdam has two daughters with autism, some of the lucky few thousand children receiving funding in the legacy program, which means they received complete funding for therapy-based needs.
However, the Ford government has just ended that program, meaning legacy funding will now be capped. MacAdam’s daughters will now receive the same as other children enrolled in core services, a fraction of what they are used to.
She said she doesn’t object to sending her children to school, she fears the schools won’t have enough educational assistants to help them.
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“If they are put in a mainstream classroom, I don’t know if they will have support. My biggest fear for my girls is safety and being a flight risk,” said MacAdam.
Kate Dudley-Logue of the Ontario Autism Coalition, who also has a child with autism, feels the same way.
“Zero transition plan has been made for these kids, and in fact, school boards have not even been informed these kids are coming, nor given additional funding to ensure adequate supports in place,” said Dudley-Logue.
“We have great concerns schools will not be able to handle a sudden influx of high-needs kids.”
“They’re being thrown to the wolves essentially,” added McAdam.
The Education Minister’s office maintains the ministry has been planning for the legacy children and has increased special education funding to accommodate them.
“In the budget and every budget, we increased special education funding. We accept there is more to do,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce in Wednesday’s legislature.
A spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) tells CityNews the government did not tell them more children with special needs could be entering its schools, nor is it aware of any additional resources to help them.
McAdam’s daughters are non-verbal; they require help to eat, get dressed, and for all their other needs.
“The stress this has added to my life is tremendous … there are still so many unknowns,” said McAdam.
The Ford government has struggled with the autism file. The number of children on the wait list for core services is around 60 thousand, double what it was before the Progressive Conservatives took office.
Since 2018, four Ministers of Social Services, Community and Children have been in charge. The last one, Merrilee Fullerton, resigned last month. Michael Parsa has since taken over the file.
