DARTMOUTH, N.S. - A British Columbia-based group pushing to have costly treatments for autistic children covered under medicare brought its fight Sunday to the East Coast.
Representatives from Families for Early Autism Treatment of B.C. met with dozens of parents and their autistic children in Dartmouth, N.S., as part of a cross-country tour.
The non-profit organization has been calling on Ottawa to work with provincial and territorial governments to set a national standard for autism treatment.
The group also wants intensive therapy, known as applied behaviour analysis, covered for all Canadian children regardless of where they live or their family's income.
"This is a health-care issue; this is science-based, effective treatment,'' said Jean Lewis, a founding director of the group.
"It needs to be funded through health care so that it doesn't matter if you live in British Columbia or Newfoundland, your health care is looked after in the same way as everyone else's.''
The treatment, which can include one-on-one time with a trained professional, can cost up to $60,000 a year.
Without a national standard, coverage for autism treatment differs across the country. In Prince Edward Island, for example, coverage is assessed by income.
"That's not the way they deal with a cancer patient, that's not the way they deal with a cardiac problem,'' said Shawn Murphy, the Liberal MP for Charlottetown.
"And that's not the way they should deal with this particular issue.''
Murphy said Ottawa has agreed to meet with the provincial and territorial governments by the end of the year to create a strategy.
Both levels of government will have to pitch in funding for treatment, support and diagnosis, said Murphy, who was recognized by the association for his public support for a national autism framework.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Andy Scott, Nova Scotia New Democrat MP Peter Stoffer, and Liberal Senator Jim Munson, were also recognized.
Jeff Reeves of Charlottetown, whose five-year-old son Owen has autism, attended the event to push Ottawa to provide more funding for autistic children.
Reeves said his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. He said Owen finally began treatment after sitting on a waiting list for nearly 18 months.
"Owen is very intelligent, but it's his social interaction ... eye contact, how to play with kids correctly,'' said Reeves, 33, who is married and works in the IT industry.
"He's made strides that we can't believe ... but if he would have gotten (treatment) at three, he could have been much further ahead.''
Owen's treatments costs more than $10,000 a year, and Reeves said the province covers about 60 per cent. The family also pays for supplemental treatment out-of-pocket.
"The federal government has to do something about the funding for (the treatment),'' said Reeves.
"The earlier they intervene, the better off these kids will be.
"If they leave them until they're 18, 20 years old, they're going to become drains on the system.''