www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, April 8, 2016 | 8 Children with autism face good and bad of new rules continued from p.3 wait list for public care. Sofia, who had previously been non-verbal, benefitted immensely from consistent therapy and can now pick out which dress she'd like to wear to school. "It's a huge, huge difference -- she can do every class, she can read. It is this amazing journey," Yu said. "This is the whole point I'm trying to tell the government is consistency. Those hours, those kids -- they really need that bad." Similarly, Campbell's son Casey has only come up for ABA therapy once, last summer, and had been on the wait list since he was diagnosed. "With the ABA, I can now get him to put his shoes on all the time by himself, but in general, his autism is getting worse and so are his behaviours," Campbell said. Queen's Park representatives in Oakville and Burlington have received approximately a half dozen calls or emails about the new autism program. Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon said the government's investment will mean families will be eligible for ABA services that are "more intensive, available for a longer period of time and tailored to children's individual needs." IBI therapy is generally up to two years, depending on the individual, and costs upwards of $50,000 privately, according to Campbell. Casey attended, and benefited from, a March Break program at Canoe Therapy in Burlington, but the $8,000 cheque from the province will only pay for a few hours a week over the short term. "I feel like a bad parent because I can't afford to put him (in IBI) the way I should be able to," said Campbell, who quit her job as a nurse at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) to care for her son. "We were told we wouldn't need to worry about that when he was diagnosed, that we just had to wait until he came up on the wait list." While also reducing wait times, the government plans to create space for "Families will work hand-in-hand with their local service providers to determine the best treatment path for this funding that is responsive to the child's personal needs." Casey, for his part, has plenty of energy, and according to Campbell, can sometimes act out: hitting, screaming or even darting out into the street. The city has even placed signs near the family's house letting motorists know a child with autism lives in the neighbourhood and to drive with care. "That's why this IBI was going to be so good for him because they were going to work with him for 21 hours a week (on his behaviour)," Campbell said. "The benefits would be him listening, doing, what he's being asked to do, not being so violent... his social communication skills are (also) lacking." Casey currently attends Junior Kindergarten at an elementary school in Burlington. Some of his favourite things include superheroes, art, the outdoors and jumping on a trampoline in his backyard. He also has a black Lab therapy dog, Neville, who will accompany him to school next year. "He's a very active kid that never stops," Campbell said. "He has all of these needs and I don't even have words to say how I feel that he's going to be discriminated against and removed off that wait list." Sofia 16,000 additional children to receive critical intervention and individualized intensive supports. McMahon said because clinical evidence has shown intensive intervention is most effective for children between two-four years old, the $8,000 in funding helps families right now. "Instead of continuing to wait, these children will have immediate access to services," McMahon said. Your Tax, Your Way Free Consultation! No obligation Quote! Free Doc Collection and Delivery! 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