April 19th, 2016

Liberals should come clean about taking away autism services for children: NDP

During Question Period today, Monique Taylor, the Ontario NDP’s critic for children and youth services, challenged the Liberal government to provide the information it is using to justify kicking children with ASD, 5 years and older, off of lists for essential therapy. 

“When it comes to our most vulnerable kids, you would think government members would at least understand the devastating impact of their decisions. The Minister claims that, in the name of science, she had to remove children five and over from the list.  That’s simply not true,” Taylor said. 

“Can the Minister please tell me on what page the Clinical Expert Committee recommends kicking children with ASD over 5 off the list?”

Last Friday, parents along with opposition MPPs held protests across the province against the government’s decision to remove children 5 and over from essential autism therapy.   While most Liberal MPPs refused to make contact with parents and defend themselves, some made factually inaccurate statements, claiming the creation of 16,000 new IBI spaces. 

“If the report doesn’t recommend removing children with ASD five and over from the list, this must be about money,” Taylor said.  “Children with ASD should not be paying the price for this government’s failure to invest properly in services.”

Taylor pressed the Liberal government to stop taking away therapy that children with ASD need.

“And now, telling them they will never get access to therapy, just so the gov’t could make a good news PR announcement about reducing the waitlists. That’s shameful when lives hang in the balance,” Taylor said. 

“Will the Minister do the right thing and immediately reverse her decision to remove children with ASD, 5 and over, from essential therapy?”