Teaching Students w/ASD 3.4: Funding and Other Supports

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According to the Ministry of Children and Family Development's Autsim Funding Program, families who have children or youth with an Autism diagnosis are eligible for financial support. "The Under Age 6 program provides families with access to $22,000/year and the Ages 6-18 program provides families with access to $6,000/year. Children and youth with ASD and other developmental disabilities are also eligible for other services and supports through MCFD, such as Early Intervention Therapies, School-Aged Therapies, Infant Development, Supported Child Development and Family Support Services, including respite." (Ministry of Children and Family Development in ACT, n.d.)

I am aware of the funding available to families with children who have ASD and the drop in funding after a child’s 6th birthday. I think for many families that may find challenges accessing information due to language barriers, lack of technological know-how, or unawareness of the process, getting the support they need can be challenging. I also think that if families have to wait for reimbursements, they are less likely to use the funds because expenses for professionals are high and families may not be able to put out the money upfront and wait for the reimbursement later. Another reason for families not accessing funding is the possibility that they haven’t finished completing the diagnosis processor weren’t aware of their atypical neurodevelopment.

Funding Resources:

Visit British Columbia's Autism Funding page to learn about and apply for funding

Visit A Parent's Handbook: A Guide to Autism Programs to learn about funding, how to apply, how funding can be used etc.

References:

ACT. (n.d.). BC autism funding program. Autism Community Training. Retrieved from https://www.actcommunity.ca/resource/2964