TORONTO - A six-year-old autistic girl in Hamilton won the right to continue receiving treatment for her condition on a temporary basis Thursday, a day after her father asked the Ontario government to keep both his twin daughters on the program.
Paul Ceretti said he was happy to hear his daughter Delanie will continue to receive IBI, or Intensive Behavioural Intervention treatment, until the courts make a permanent decision in her case.
"They're still cutting her off -- they're just maintaining the status quo for now," said Ceretti, who still plans to fight to keep Delanie on the program long-term. "It's just a Band-Aid."
The Ontario government had decided to cut off Delanie's treatment while allowing her twin sister Mackenzie to stay on the program -- a move critics said was arbitrary and intended to reduce wait lists.
The government didn't provide any reason for reversing its decision, and declined to comment further.
Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthews has denied using arbitrary guidelines to disqualify children from autism treatment, and said those decisions are in the hands of experts.
But Ceretti argues he was told Delanie had been taken off the program because she wasn't learning fast enough -- even though her caregivers and psychologist disagree.
The Ontario Autism Coalition has expressed concern that other children will be thrown off the program through rigid and arbitrary benchmarks.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who had raised Delanie's case in the legislature Thursday, which was World Autism Day, said she would continue to lobby for the family.
"Dalton McGuinty promised that all Ontario children would have access to IBI therapy regardless of their age," Horwath said.
"We will do everything we can to ensure Delanie has this vital therapy restored permanently."
New Democrats said for the period ending Dec. 31, there were 1,419 youngsters waiting for treatment and another 377 waiting to be assessed.
