Autism Society calls for revamp of P.E.I. funding program

The Autism Society of Prince Edward Island says the province needs a new funding model to support families with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Meanwhile, the Official Opposition accuses government of "cutting the budget by stealth" by keeping funding levels the same year after year, even as the number of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise.

For the past four years, the budget for autism services within the P.E.I. department of education and early learning has been roughly $1.4 million, with half of that $713,400, for each of the past five years offered in the form of grants for families to hire aides and tutors to work one-on-one with children.

'It's a real struggle'

The Autism Society says there are a number of problems that prevent, limit or otherwise discourage families from accessing the grants. One is that in many cases, parents themselves are required to act as employers.

"Basically, government provides the funding, but they cut it off at that," says Nathalie Walsh, executive director of the Autism Society of Prince Edward Island.

"So once the parent [becomes] the active recipient of that funding, they have to hire an employee, pay tax deductions, CPP, look into workers compensation, insurance so it's a real struggle and barrier for your average parent to have the time, the skills and the capability to do."

Walsh says some families find the prospect too daunting, and don't take advantage of help that would otherwise be available for their children.

"It's obviously a barrier on the child to be gaining social skills, independence skills, language skills, behaviour skills, if their families aren't able to access the funding that could be supporting them."

Numbers rise, budget doesn't

Under the autism grant program, families can access up to $6,600 per child, per year to help pay for one-on-one support. Walsh says if all families who could qualify for funding tried to access the program, the budget would be overwhelmed.

And the number of autismdiagnosesinchildrencontinues to climb.

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In 2002, there were 97 children in the P.E.I. school system diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A decade later, in 2012, the number was 256, with 137, just over half, receiving funding through the grant program.

By 2016 the number of diagnoses had reached 346. A government spokesperson said 128 families have accessed the grant program in 2016, but couldn't provide the number of students.

Diagnosis wait times

Meanwhile the Autism Society says it can take up to five years to get a diagnosisfor families who wait for a school psychologist to become available, rather than seek a private assessment.

During the spring sitting of the P.E.I. legislature, opposition MLA Brad Trivers asked Education Minister Doug Currie why funding for autism grants wasn't rising in tandem with the increase in diagnoses.

"What it looks like is that really, minister, your government has frozen the grant line despite a growing number of families requiring access to these supports," Trivers said on May 5.

"This is like cutting the budget by stealth. The need is growing, the budget line stays the same. It's really, it's basically a cut."

'Unprecedented' increase

Currie said an "unprecedented" increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorder has become a point of pressure in the K-12 school system.

He said addressing the issue would be a top priority once government passed its new Education Act, which has now received royal assent but has not been proclaimed.

As to why the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has increased so dramatically, Walsh says there's a lotof speculation, but she believes it's an increase in the incidence rate combined with more awareness and thus more cases being properly diagnosed.