Closing autism intervention program a false economy
By Reid Johnson, President, Health Sciences Association of B.C.
Vancouver Sun
September 17, 2010

Thursday marked a sad anniversary for children with special needs in this province. On Sept. 16, 2009, Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak announced funding cuts of more than $3 million for autism services for children under age six. As a result of this decision, Victoria's Queen Alexandra Centre for Child Health laid off 40 highly trained behavioural interventionists and closed its autism behaviour intervention program. This was a program that made breakthroughs with autistic children, releasing them from a lifelong sentence of isolation and costly supported living. Intensive behavioural interventionists collaborated with the centre's occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language pathologists and other staff to make a successful long-term experience for autistic children.

The program cost about $70,000 for three or four years of intensive treatment. That may seem steep, but compare it to the alternative: Studies estimate that if people with autism are left untreated, caring for them over the course of their lives costs about $2 million per person.

Last year, Polak claimed autistic children would still receive adequate services. However, parents say the program closure has been devastating. Affected families are reporting almost universal regression in their children.