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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, May 5, 2016 | 10 `Autism does not end at 5' Oakville parents tell Premier by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff A dozen parents of children with autism were at the Oakville Convention Centre last Friday (April 29) to deliver an emotional plea to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne personally, as the premier visited to speak at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce AGM. Holding signs that read, "Autism does not end at five," the people, who came from across the GTA, shared their stories with Wynne as she arrived to speak about jobs and the economy. The Premier listened and fielded a few questions before she headed inside while Ontario Labour Minister and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn remained to hear members of the Alliance Against the Ontario Autism Program. The parents say they are among the families of more than 3,600 Ontario children, who no longer qualify for publicly-funded intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) services -- a type of therapy for children with autism. The provincial government recently announced a new Ontario Autism Program, with $333 million in funding over the next five years, that will provide more IBI services to children two to four years old, but gradually transition children five years and older, who are currently receiving IBI, to applied behaviour analysis (ABA) services. Children and Youth Services Minister Tracy MacCharles has said the investment will help Stephanie Ridley, far right, of Oakville, whose son Ewan has autism, was among those who protested therapy program changes when Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, far left, came to Oakville last Friday (April 29) to speak at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting | photo by Riziero Vertolli­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) more children receive the critical services they need, earlier and with services that are better tailored to meet their individual needs. However, as part of the changes, families of children on the more comprehensive IBI waitlist -- who are turning five between May 1, 2016 and March 31, 2018 -- will be given one-time funding of $8,000 and be dropped from that therapy's waitlist. Long-time Oakville resident Stephanie Ridley, whose child is affected, said she feels the government isn't really listening to parents. During her brief encounter with Wynne Friday, Ridley, whose son Ewan was diagnosed with autism before age two and who is now fourand-a-half, told the Oakville Beaver, the Premier kept repeating the same "political rhetoric," instead of hearing what the real issue is -- that parents are upset not only because their children won't receive publicly-funded IBI services, but that, from now on, children five and older won't be getting it. She noted in Canada, the average age of diagnosis for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is around four years. "If a kid isn't diagnosed until four, they're not even going to be able to have a chance at receiving IBI and those kids are going to suffer the most," she said, noting the government has stated IBI services will be focused on children aged two to four. Ridley considers it lucky Ewan was diagnosed early because she has a relative with autism and was able to seek out a developmental paediatrician. But with that said, Ewan has been on the IBI waitlist for two and a half years and is being transitioned off because he's almost five. She describes him as non-verbal, but extremely smart. "He has a very visual memory, where he can put puzzles together in sequential sequence and he's very good at the iPad and things that are visual, he remembers very well. That's why the IBI is so important. To give him the voice for that see Mom on p.15 ALL YOU CAN EAT Dine in for AllYou cAn eAt Lunch or Dinner 280 north Service road W. @ Dorval 7 DAYs A week www.august8.ca 905-338-6228