'A step in the right direction' is how the Executive Director at Autism Services Incorporated of Windsor and Essex County is describing the funding increase announced by the Ontario government.
Jillian Fenech is reacting to the increase in investment for the Ontario Autism Program that was announced during the Ontario Budget last week.
The Doug Ford government announced $120-million in 2024-2025, double the previous year's increase, for the program which will help enrol 20,000 children and youth in core clinical services.
While Fenech says she's not sure exactly how many individuals are on the waitlist for the program in Windsor-Essex, there are more than 60,000 children across the province in need of services.
She adds that while the funding is never truly enough, unless it's 100 per cent, this is an improvement moving forward to help families.
Part of Autism Service Incorporated's mission is to bring more awareness and acceptance to autism, and provides information to local families about core clinical services that are offered.
Fenech says this could make a big difference to those affected locally.
"I think doubling it is definitely a step in the right direction, and locally if we can see more kids accessing those services hopefully we would see an improvement in how they're functioning in the community, how they're doing in school, because all of that is interconnected."
She says the children waiting for services are enrolled based off when they registered for the waitlist.
"That 20,000 that they want to see entering core clinical services, meaning families are getting that funding in hand so that they can purchase services for their children directly, that number is spread across the province. So it's not that we're going to see 20,000 locally, but it would be the kids that are waiting for core clinical services, they're picked up kind of in queue."
Fenech adds that they could always use more funding.
"I think any increase is going to be a step in the right direction, any number of kids that we can get out of that window of waiting and into active services is better. So of course could we use more? Absolutely. But is this a step in the right direction? Of course it is."
Core clinical services include behaviour analysis, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, mental health services, and technology, program materials and/or therapy equipment.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disability that affects one in 66 individuals in Ontario.