Families protesting recent changes to the Ontario Autism Program are getting support from Splash’N Boots.
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The children’s musical duo, Nick Adams and Taes Leavitt, have announced they would be joining families at a protest at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Thursday.
“We support the children and families affected by the Ontario government’s cuts to autism funding in Ontario,” Splash’N Boots said in a statement. “The recent announcement of changes to the Ontario Autism Program leaves families on the hook for more money for costly treatment for their children beginning April 1, in less than two months time.”
The duo continued, “The one-size-fits-all approach of the new program that allocates the same amount of standard funding to children whose autism is mild to those who are in need of intense Applied Behaviour Analysis therapy is ineffective and will put direct financial strain on families and education providers in Ontario. We ask that the government unfreeze the wait-list and resume services as before while consultation for a more effective solution for autism funding in Ontario can be defined.”
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In 2016, Splash’N Boots started a pen pal club for children with autism called Lucas Letters, inspired by one of their fans.
The duo have also worked with families and children with autism, making special visits for those not able to attend their shows.
“Autism cannot simply be an item to be dealt with on a budget line,” added about the new government changes. “These are real people that we meet every week. Each of these children deserves the right to specialized treatment. We have seen firsthand what happens when they are given the support that they need to reach their full potential.”
Watch “Splash’N Boots” Saturdays at 6 a.m. ET/PT on Treehouse .
