Parents, advocates and caregivers spoke out again at Queen’s Park, as they did in this file photo. (Photo: Ontario Autism Coalition)
Parents of autistic children were joined by advocates and supporters in front of the legislature building at Queen’s Park March 7 as hundreds gathered to protest the Ford government’s new policy on therapy for autistic children.
In a Canadian Press article by Allison Jones, parents said cutbacks in the aid they receive for therapy would force them to place their children in schools that were not ready to handle them. One, Tina Walker, said her daughter needs full time therapy.
“She is non-verbal, she’s not toilet trained, she is a flight risk and she doesn’t know about danger, so she doesn’t know that if she runs into the street she could be hurt,” she said.
“It feels like we’re up against a party who doesn’t care about our children, who seems to be wrapped up in just having their own way,” she said in an interview with Jones.
To read the complete article, please visit this link (the Hamilton Spectator) or this link (CityNews).
ETFO joined four other unions in issuing a statement against the Ford government’s proposed policy. You can read more about the statement by following this link to ETFO’s main website.