The idea of denying children the therapy that helps improve their lives and diagnosed conditions is unthinkable. But that's what is happening in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario with regards to children with autism. The lack of funding for autism services is a provincial shame.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common developmental disabilities, usually appearing during the first three years of life. It is a serious neurological disorder affecting children and their brain development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills, often resulting in severe and pervasive impairment. The prevalence rates in recent years have been increasing, now with 1 in every 150 children diagnosed with ASD in Ontario alone. The good news is that early diagnosis and intervention programs have dramatically insured positive outcomes for children immediately and into adulthood.

After hearing from the Liberals in the 2003 election that children with autism would receive treatment regardless of their age, families today across our province are learning the hard way that this government's talk is cheap.

Instead of putting sufficient funding behind its promise, the government created a waiting list, where children can languish for years before a coveted space opens up in a treatment program. But with the crisis in funding and the absence of a long-term strategy to deal with autism spectral disorder, families lives have been turned upside-down. Children with autism benefit markedly from one-on-one therapy called IBI/ABA (intensive behavioural intervention). Without it they suffer.

Most families can't afford the amount of treatment their children need. Some have mortgaged their homes. Others hold community fund raisers. The government's pledge to fund autism treatment was supposed to end all this.

Now here's the reality: Regional centres all over the province are in deficit and have been forced to tell waiting families they can't provide further service. When vacancies become available, regional centres don't have the financial resources to fill the empty spaces with children from the long waiting list.

Imagine a parent like Paula Barrett, who played by the government's rules, waited 25 months for her son to reach the top of the treatment list. Days before the boy was to begin publicly funded IBI treatment, the family received a letter from the regional service provider containing the bad news. The centre was out of money and the youngster was out of luck. Finally he was at the top of the list only to be let down.

Lack of funding and a deficit-ridden program deprived this youngster and hundred of others of the opportunity to come out of the shell autism puts them in.

Families dealing with autism need to be able to plan for their child's future. That's impossible with the on-again, off-again nature of the McGuinty government's approach.

The not-for-profit Child Care Resources, which serves already under-serviced Northern Ontario communities, estimates its funding shortfall would result in reduction of up to 50 per cent and a severely limited capacity in their Autism Intervention Program. Parents are being warned to expect a two-year wait to begin their child's treatment.

The Liberals have closed the door on essential supports for children with autism and their families in Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario. With much fanfare they announced a summer camp for children with autism. But when summer rolled around, they cut off families from the fund that was supposed to provide a camp inclusion worker for children with autism. Moms and dads were blindsided by a new catch - if they didn't put their child in camp in July, they lost out because there was no funding for inclusion workers for August campers.

Families have actually left Ontario altogether for Alberta where programs are fully funded. That western province and its comprehensive funding for autism attracted a world autism expert from Ontario. More could follow.

We have a choice to create the kind of Ontario we want. In my Ontario, autism treatment would be fully funded and the children's needs addressed. I believe there should be an immediate increase to the funding of autism services so that Regional Centres can respond to the needs of these children.

To hold back on funding while children and families continue to suffer and struggle is inexcusable foot-dragging.

Each day that children with autism languish on waiting lists and are denied access to services is another day that their potential for progress and success is thwarted by the McGuinty government's inaction.

Andrea Horwath is the MPP for Hamilton Centre and Ontario's NDP Autism Critic