Autism clinic expanding in Barrie

Autism clinic expanding A new facility is opening in Barrie to provide therapy for special needs children and teens.

A privately run autism clinic is expanding in Barrie to help families in and around Simcoe County.

The IBI Behavioural Services clinic is the third facility owner Amanda Baysarowich has opened in the area.  She says the goal of these clinics is helping families who are on a government-funded waitlist.

“The need is so great.  The waitlists are substantial for funded services.”

The waitlist for specific therapies for children with special needs within the county can be more than a year.

“The need is astronomical,” says Baysarowich.  “We have over 150 families in service between Simcoe County, York Region, and the GTA.”

On Friday, provincial ministers and the assistant to the minister of children, community and social services toured the full-service autism clinic.

The clinic’s psychologist, Dr. James Porter, says it’s essential for the government to understand some of the issues with autism funding and therapy.

“We want the government to take a look at it and see what we can do to make sure that every child and every family in this province gets the therapy and the services that they need."

Amy Fee, the parliamentary assistant to Minister Lisa McLeod, toured the centre and said she knows, firsthand, how much it’s needed.

"The minister herself has said that the waitlist is her biggest concern in the autism file, so we are looking at it,” she says.  “I'm also a parent of two children with autism, so I know firsthand what it's like to sit and wait on those waitlists as well."

Baysarowich says the new expansion will help some of those families who are still waiting.

"We have forty-one spots that we'll be able to fulfill in the new facility. Right now we only have about nine of those spots remaining, and then we will be at capacity again."

The latest expansion is scheduled to open on September 4.