He is also currently in Occupational therapy which helps him with his fine motor skills. 

John’s parents have done their best to keep him in these 3 therapies regularly since he was diagnosed. 

Speech Therapy - $140/hr 

Occupational Therapy $140/hr

Physiotherapy $135/hr 

According to the government the best early intervention treatment is called Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA).  John was in ABA instead of going to preschool or playing sports. In order for him to receive ABA he had to be enrolled for a minimum of 9 hours a week. 3 Hours 3 times a week.  This meant a weekly cost of $650-$700. Adding speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy could be added to this at additional costs. 

He is currently on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist. He has been waiting since 2019 – 4 years now.

John’s mother Jennie says that she has cried many tears of hopelessness and frustration. She naturally wants to fix things for her son and has spent many nights doing her own research.  We don’t know what causes autism and therefore there is no cure but many possible cures. 

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, stem cell therapy, TMS and the list goes on.  She finds it hard to believe that in a country like Canada her disabled son cannot access life changing treatment because of costs. 

John’s sister Melina was born in July 2018 and has more recently also been diagnosed with autism. With continuous work with her speech therapist she has started speaking and communicating with her peers. 

John’s parents decided to separate roughly 2 years after receiving his diagnosis, which has brought on a whole different set of heartbreak and struggle.