Sask. Party pledges increased funding for autistic children

The Saskatchewan Party announced Tuesday morning that if re-elected, individualized funding will be introduced for children under the age of six who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

"This change is going to give parents the flexibility they have been asking for in terms of providing the appropriate care and support and service for their kids,"Sask. Party leader Brad Wall said.

The funding would startin 2017with a starting annual amountof $4,000. It would increaseto $8,000 by the 2019-2020 year cycle.

The Saskatchewan NDP responded to Wall's announcement criticizing the Sask.Party forunderfundingearly childhood intervention and development programs.

"Cam Broten will improve early childhood supports for all children who need them, including over $23 million more for early childhood intervention anddevelopment programs," the party said in a release.

Step in the right direction

Wall made the announcement at the Stepping Stones applied behavior analysis center in Saskatoon. Among those in attendancewasSheriRadoux, who is themother ofthree children diagnosed with autism.

"Individualized funding with the expectation that they'll increase funding over time is definitely a positive step," Radoux said.

She said since access to applied behaviouralanalysis treatment for her autistic children in the province is limited, her family brings specialists in from the U.S. to write programs for her kids. She said it costs about $60,000 out of pocket peryear for eachchild enrolled infull-time treatment.

This is really exciting that the province is making a step in this direction.-SheriRadoux,mother ofthree childrendiagnosed with autism

"We have been consulting with them for the last year and a half and prior to that, we had moved to Minneapolis, Minn.,for 3 years to receive direct services from them," explained Radoux.

She said in Minneapolis, the state paid for most of the applied behavioural analysistherapy because the childrenwere certified as disabled.

"This is really exciting that the province is making a step in this direction because treating early and treating intense enough, kids can lose their autism diagnosis."

She said,thiselection promise is likely to attract more trained professionals to Saskatchewan, to work with families.

Long-term plan

The plan, according to the Sask. Party,is to establish a working group of stakeholders to review jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, that have already introduced individualized funding.

Thatgroup wouldprovide recommendations on certain issues likeensuring there are enough professional practitioners and other support providers for pre-school children with ASD incommunities across the province.

According to the party, the eventual goal is to provide individualized annual funding of $15,000 to $18,000 for children under the age ofsix, and $4,800 annually for school-aged children under 18.