Funding Autism
Re: Accessing Autism services. Editorial, October 3, 2022
Unpublished letter submitted to the Toronto Star
Financial supports and services for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are virtually non-existent when you look at the range, breadth, and diversity of needs in the Autistic community while the number of people with Autism grows daily. Even medical professionals have a paltry and limited appreciation of the disorder.
First of all,we need to stop talking about Autism as though it was a childhood problem that can be helped with expensive early intervention therapies. The FC (Facilitated Communication) debacle should be a cautionary tale about unproven therapies that promise the moon but are proven to be fake. There are no longitudinal studies of current early intervention techniques. People are Autistic for life and they have a normal life-span. We need a long-term view, strategies and funding that will support Autistic people throughout their lives.
Secondly, Autism is generally a severe disorder. Only a very small percentage of people are high-functioning yet these individuals are often the focus of media attention. The majority need life-long intensive lifetime support in behaviour, language and social-emotional which is generally non-existent at the present time. The main fear of parents like myself who are often the sole-supporters of Autistic adults is what happens to them when I die? As well we need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that the supports that we currently provide in our education system are even adequate. Most services are general special education services and most support settings are general service “warehouse” approaches. Neither of these helps Autistic people grow or advance. ASD is an extraordinarily complex disorder that is multimodal (affects all aspects of life). The disabilities that the majority of Autistic people deal with each and every day and for which they receive no support are overwhelming. Our own 41 year old son needs 24/7 / 365 support and care with all aspects of his life yet he has been forgotten by the system. At 73 time is running out for my wife and I.
We are not alone. We and other parents of Autistic adults are in desperate need of a lifelong life-line that will let our children live out their lives in dignity. A few bucks thrown at the problem isn’t going to cut it.

ain fear of parents like myself who are often the sole-supporters of Autistic adults is what happens to them when I die? As well we need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that the supports that we currently provide in our education system are even adequate. Most services are general special education services and most support settings are general service “warehouse” approaches. Neither of these helps Autistic people grow or advance. ASD is an extraordinarily complex disorder that is multimodal (affects all aspects of life). The disabilities that the majority of Autistic people deal with each and every day and for which they receive no support are overwhelming. Our own 41 year old son needs 24/7 / 365 support and care with all aspects of his life yet he has been forgotten by the system. At 73 time is running out for my wife and I.
We are not alone. We and other parents of Autistic adults are in desperate need of a lifelong life-line that will let our children live out their lives in dignity. A few bucks thrown at the problem isn’t going to cut it.