Source: https://www.thestar.com/politics/pr...four-years-if-they-didnt-support-changes.html
Be that kind of evil if old.
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Autism Group Says Minister Threatened ‘long, hard four years’ If They Didn't Support Changes, #ResignLisaMacLeod
- Thread starter Caz
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Be that kind of evil if old.
While I was in Montreal, the waitlist was also a shitshow. The only viable path forward was to pay for private services and begin a long term (years and years) fight against the government to review my kid's file until it hit the desk of somebody willing to give the appropriate amount of disability funding (Because if you do win, they will retroactively apply the funds). There was a strong resistance to the idea of autism as a major condition, and as you might imagine, a strong preference to stick to the system, which will quickly age your kid out of services unless you fight for it.
To make it even more harsh, they (CA and QC) do at some point need you to "re-prove" that your kid has not miraculously recovered.
I absolutely think covering kids for private programs makes sense (to address the shortage) but the age restrictions on funding are insane.
Most families cannot hope to afford a truly intensive program, but the hourly rate for therapy is (in my past experience) around $150. 20 hours a month (half the recommendation for any medium case) and you're already at $3000/month. Per that article quote (and ignoring both taxes on the therapy and other costs like BCBA visits) you're basically screwed once your child is 6. And existing kids stuck in the waiting list are hurt further because they don't get credit for the years missed.
To make it even more harsh, they (CA and QC) do at some point need you to "re-prove" that your kid has not miraculously recovered.
I absolutely think covering kids for private programs makes sense (to address the shortage) but the age restrictions on funding are insane.
Global News Story said:
Most families cannot hope to afford a truly intensive program, but the hourly rate for therapy is (in my past experience) around $150. 20 hours a month (half the recommendation for any medium case) and you're already at $3000/month. Per that article quote (and ignoring both taxes on the therapy and other costs like BCBA visits) you're basically screwed once your child is 6. And existing kids stuck in the waiting list are hurt further because they don't get credit for the years missed.
To be fair, I asked my wife and I think we both agreed: compared to the existing system, we would just take the money. Private therapy is typically superior and more flexible, and the government program (at least in QC) was bone-thin and extremely time-limited. And that's not even counting the paperwork, tests, etc.
But it would be taking scraps over nothing, rather than being a realistic solution. Most families in private therapy are probably spending more on therapy than rent/mortgage.
But it would be taking scraps over nothing, rather than being a realistic solution. Most families in private therapy are probably spending more on therapy than rent/mortgage.
This has all reminded me of how honestly surprised I am Canada doesn't seem to have an equivalent to CAMHS. Like, the US I understand - as much as it frustrates me - but Canada so commonly snipes the US about free health care, so that it seems to preclude mental health care is just... Wut. It's bad enough that we still have to pay for it as adults over here, but at least if you get the diagnosis early you can get support (though the quality thereof can be a dice roll). Wouldn't have made it this far without it.
With kids and autism spectrum issues, it's especially tough because your energy is already burnt on raising a kid, and then one day...your kid regresses. Maybe they don't talk, or they forgot some core skill. So now you have to go through panic>acceptance>diagnosis>treatment with very little help from the standard medical community while also doing the day-to-day childcare thing.
So when you find out there's a waiting list, or the hours are not good, it's especially difficult, because all of the literature says "act now" and the mechanics of the system prevent it. Which is why there are organizations like the one in the article (I presume, never having interacted with that one) that have emerged to educate and fight for resources.
Made worse I imagine if 'acting now' looks like it would basically bankrupt you. $3000 a month, jesus. That's just a no-win scenarios for kids
Oh, Canada in general fucking sucks when It comes to healthcare. No Pharmacare, no Dental, no Optical, Mental Health is spotty, Ambulances cost a shit ton of money.
Too many Conservatives are against any improvements to the system. Vitching about they will pay for them when we have decades of research showing that this fucking shit pays for itself.
Ford is going firesale with the province and he's going to ruin every one in his orbit too. Christine Elliot? Carolyn Mulroney? Lisa Mcleod? Doing all the public dirty work and taking the blame for Ford's shitty policies. Apparently, like his late brother's widow, Doug Ford is about ruining womens lives for his own gain
Considering the Federal Liberals messed up massively with regards to SNC-Lavalin, I'm scared at the possibility of a Conservative federal leadership. Andrew Scheer is Harper 2.0.
I already have a hard enough time coming to terms with the fact that the Ontario PCs won without a platform and are doing everything they can to make things worse in Ontario.
I'm sorry CA people suffering from these changes. This seems insane and ass backwards. My nephew is Autistic and I couldn't imagine if this was going on in the US for my SIL and BIL.
They fucked over my son with this.
Diagnosed at age 2. He hit age 5 and they just dropped him from the program.
After protests we got back in with full funding about 2 years ago. And now it's gone again.
Fuck these assholes. My wife is trolling Lisa McLeod on Twitter trying to get blocked by her as a badge of honor.
I've read of people who are selling their houses to pay for this. One family is getting divorced so their household income is lower and they get the maximum amount.
I've been angry and depressed all week.
Besides conservatives who don't want to pay for other autistic kids because it's not their problem?
They will set up some private agencies who will help guide people post diagnosis I'm sure.
They are full on destroying our government Republican style.
I can't wait for the inevitable war on the teachers union when they strike.
In the old system we got money directly and we could pay whomever we want. As long as it was supervised. They recommended 20 hours a week and it was covered. You could take the public option as well but most didn't.
This is so bad I'm probably moving to California this year. At least the shit insurance in the US has to cover autism therapy.
Living under Trump is better than under Ford
Diagnosed at age 2. He hit age 5 and they just dropped him from the program.
After protests we got back in with full funding about 2 years ago. And now it's gone again.
Fuck these assholes. My wife is trolling Lisa McLeod on Twitter trying to get blocked by her as a badge of honor.
I've read of people who are selling their houses to pay for this. One family is getting divorced so their household income is lower and they get the maximum amount.
I've been angry and depressed all week.
Besides conservatives who don't want to pay for other autistic kids because it's not their problem?
They will set up some private agencies who will help guide people post diagnosis I'm sure.
They are full on destroying our government Republican style.
I can't wait for the inevitable war on the teachers union when they strike.
In the old system we got money directly and we could pay whomever we want. As long as it was supervised. They recommended 20 hours a week and it was covered. You could take the public option as well but most didn't.
This is so bad I'm probably moving to California this year. At least the shit insurance in the US has to cover autism therapy.
Living under Trump is better than under Ford
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MacLeod is a fucking cunt of a person, even before this.
She's totally one of those snakes that claims to care about people but actively do things to make it worse. Her response to the gutting of the UBI pilot is near-GOP levels of cruelty, so I'm not shocked that that's her baseline, not a rarity.
She's totally one of those snakes that claims to care about people but actively do things to make it worse. Her response to the gutting of the UBI pilot is near-GOP levels of cruelty, so I'm not shocked that that's her baseline, not a rarity.
Yup she was protesting with parents when the previous government tried to cut the program years ago.
She's just blaming Wynne for every decision they make
Doug Ford has a well-known hatred for autistic people, so it's no surprise at all that he's whipped his cabinet into that position.
This Ford guy's government sounds worse and worse the more I hear about him. My therapy in the US was invaluable, and I've read plenty of stories about how people who can't get therapy can struggle.
That sounds awful. Hope everything works out for you.
That sounds awful. Hope everything works out for you.
Gotta love neurotypical people continuing to make decisions on how autistic people should live their lives.
Source: Am Autistic.
Source: Am Autistic.
Thank you.
Luckily he's only mild to moderate on the spectrum and we work with him at home a lot.
Yes that's basically the gist of it.
Sadly I'd say that isn't even the issue at hand; it's about access to and appropriate funding for support services they would otherwise claim to... Well... Support. So they can claim they provide resources for autistic people when basic ass math says it's not enough. In a way, it's sadistic because their answer to 'how should autistic people live' is an apathetic shrug that may result in some... Not living, whether poetically or literally.
Unfortunately, disabilities - particularly mental disabilities - are especially subject to thinly veiled eugenics rhetoric. Though, many politicians end up opting for a slimier approach, because well, explicitly saying you hate the disabled gets a bad rep much of the time. So instead, you starve the services they require, and just claim you're trying to help as people suffer.
Ah. The Global article made it sound like a new feature. Quebec was basically public or nothing.
Anyway, hope everything works out for you. I won't lie, it was a factor in me leaving Canada too.
That's what worries me. Right wing parties everywhere are becoming more extreme. In Ontario Ford has been targetting everything that helps impoverished people. Students, por families and now autistic children.
Social Darwinism.
You always had an option here. We hated the public agency in our area but we've had some private providers that were nothing more than glorified daycare.
I'm going to see if I can transfer to our US office in LA. Not what I planned but right now we've got nothing here. My wife is going back to school to get Psych degree so she can work with him better but we've got no other options here. At least we have family there who could help us out.