As we, at Kalyana, continue to navigate the Ontario Autism Program changes, we will attempt to update our community regularly. ONTABA, the organization to which our behaviour professionals belong, is hard at work to ensure that it advocates for the most effective, equitable and responsible program to meet the needs of Ontario's children with Autism. The following is ONTABA's most recent letter to its members.
📷
April 5, 2019
Dear Members,
ONTABA representatives met with staff members from the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services on April 2, 2019. During this meeting, we expressed a willingness to work with the Ministry as it moves forward in consulting with families, stakeholders, service providers, self-advocates, and experts in the field. We were also encouraged to see a step towards an inter-ministerial approach to autism services during the press conference earlier that day.
ONTABA will continue to work with the ministry to have behaviour analysis represented in the advisory panel. At the meeting, ONTABA was asked to share our previous Ontario Autism Program model which focuses on a needs-based approach to treatment and includes oversight and regulation of behaviour analysts.
Although we are encouraged by the recent changes the MCCSS announced, we strongly encourage members to continue to contact your MPPs and to participate in the town halls and roundtables during the consultation process. During this time of consultation, members have an opportunity to share the importance of the government investing in scientifically supported interventions including ABA across the lifespan and to share stories of how ABA can meaningfully change the lives of individuals of autism and their families. Further, members may wish to consider highlighting the critical need for regulation of behaviour analysts in order to protect the people we support.
ONTABA fully recognizes the complexity of autism services and we remain committed to providing the necessary supports and evidence-based services for children and youth with autism. ONTABA believes that all people with autism and other disabilities deserve access to timely, individualized, evidence-based intervention, at the intensity required for best outcomes. We will continue to advocate for regulation of ABA and communicate with the relevant ministries to share our service models, clinical supervisor qualifications, and ethical billing model.
Please feel free to share this information publicly.
Sincerely, ONTABA Board of Directors