Calls for more resources for families on World Autism Day

On World Autism Day, officials are calling for more action to help the roughly 1 in 50 Canadians who are dealing with autism.

On Wednesday, communities across the globe recognized people who are neuro-diverse.

Northern Ontario cities marked World Autism Day with flag-raising ceremonies.

“Having a day such as World Autism Day means the world to those of us who live at 365 days a year,” said Autism Ontario’s Erika Luoma, who has an autistic son.

The newest flag at city hall in Sault Ste. Marie celebrates the uniqueness of the many locals on the autism spectrum.

“Today is really important that we recognize the struggles of autistic individuals and their families, said Sault Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen, who has an Autistic son.

“And even though we, you know, embrace it, we still have a long way to go. And I think it’s really important for folks to recognize the abilities that people with differing abilities have and to respect those.”

Roughly one in 50 Canadian youth have been diagnosed with autism, and officials with Autism Ontario said more needs to be done to help them, most notably from the provincial government.

Don’t have the staffing

Advocates also say classrooms don’t have the staffing, supports and safeguards they need to accommodate youth on the spectrum.

“I believe it’s incumbent on the province to support all students,” said Jason Young, from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation who has an autistic daughter.

“Shortages and lack of resources in our classrooms present difficulties for all students, but particularly for students with neurodivergent issues.”

Another area of improvement, according to those on hand for Wednesday’s flag-raising, is community involvement.

They say that each of the attendees has a close personal connection to someone with autism, and they hope to see more advocates without such a strong tie at next year’s World Autism Day.

A lengthy statement from Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said the province has significantly increased funding for many programs.

For example, the statement said the government doubled funding of the Ontario Autism Program to $720 million.

“This investment will continue to support the enrollment of children and youth in core clinical services,” the statement said.

“Approximately 22,000 children are actively enrolled in core clinical services as of March 2025, which has grown from 8,000 since 2022. With more children being invited every week, in the order that they registered for the OAP.”

“Our government launched Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion, our long-term strategy for developmental services,” the statement continued.

“Through 2024-25, we are investing approximately $3.5 billion in developmental services, an increase of $1.2 billion since 2017-18. This includes an additional $114 million to support current service recipients and high-risk individuals entering service. The 2024 budget also invested an additional $310 million over three years for community organizations. From that funding, approximately $90 million is going to the developmental services sector.”