June 2001

Parents of autistic children launch class action suit

MONTREAL-A group of parents of autistic children is launching a class action suit against the Quebec government. The parents say the government doesn't spend enough on therapy they say could save their chiIdren from suffering. The group says children who have received early stimulation therapy are better able to deal with their illness, which means they have fewer symptoms and they're better able to function in society.

Saving society money

As a result, he says, early stimulation therapy costs the system less in the long run. "There has been published studies showing that an early stimulation program will save for an average of about a million dollars per person with autism over the long term," says group spokesperson Peter Zwack. "Since there are ten thousand people with autism, we're talking about a lot of money over the long term."

Zwack says both Ontario and British Columbia spend millions on early stimulation therapy. He says some families have moved to Ontario to take advantage of that, and that some other families spend their own money on the therapy. The class action suit will ask for them to be compensated.

"We've done our part": Quebec

However, Social Services Minister Agnus Maltais says the province has already committed funds to the therapy, "We have added $5 million in December and we have always said, that the impact of this money (would be felt) in June/end of June," Maltais says. Maltais says the money has been used to hire new professionals. Zwack says the money wasn't ear-marked for early stimulation therapy and it has been used for other things.