Ten years ago, I created a simple website to share my experience with other parents. I had one aim; show you how the heck to pay for autism therapy without sounding like a bureaucrat.
Nobody else wants to make this easy for you. We have governments, school districts and bureaucrats who continually create more paperwork and barriers for you, the parent on the front line.
What has changed?
We now have a website!!! The AFU now has an online portal. Yippee!
What hasn’t changed?
The money. We had one minor increase in BC autism funding in 2010. Meanwhile the government is content to ignore inflation and minimum wage increases each year, leaving our children with a smaller piece of the pie. The good people at AutismBC did some research and found the $6,000 funding from 2002 would now need to be $8,017 to address inflation. The $20,000 funding from 2002 needs to be $29,400 (rather than the current $22,000) to keep pace with inflation.
It doesn’t seem to matter which party is in power in Victoria. They feel our pain and show their outrage while in opposition and then do nothing when they are in power.
Has anything good happened?
The heartless Harper government gave us the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) which is seriously the best thing that has ever happened for your child’s financial future. If you don’t have one, please check it out at the earliest possible opportunity. If you don’t have anything in your bank account, don’t worry as the government wants to give you free money.
Meanwhile, the caring Trudeau government is sitting on a policy resolution passed two years ago by their own party members to include science based treatment under Medicare. The resolution can be read here. Please contact your Federal Member of Parliament and ask why this resolution is being ignored.
What is happening at ASDfunding.com?
The site has gone through 2 major redesigns, an online comment section has been added and the site is now friendly for handheld devices. Meanwhile I continue to receive many emails from parents telling me about their experiences. I can’t begin to tell you how much this is appreciated as I use all the information to refine the website and keep it relevant for parents new to the world of autism.
Thank you for your continued support. May the next ten years show more progress than the past decade.
Milburn
Autism Funding in BC 
Simply put, what would we do without you Milburn?
Thanks for all of your info and guidance over the years and most of all, thanks for being there for so many of us.
Jen
Thanks Jen. You are going to make me blush!
Oh Milburn…you have done so much to help parents navigate this insanity…..but it is still so upsetting about the government etc. Lack of action and political will…parents and families are in crisis…..this is so unacceptable and discriminatory
I hear ya. The one thing we do have is each other. We band together as best we can and do what we can. It may be political or practical, but everyone has a role to play.
How can I see and monitor what my service provider is billing?
The AFU now has an online portal that you can sign up to monitor your funding. Please review my previous post for more information https://asdfunding.com/2018/08/12/finally-online-access-to-the-afu/
Your site has been extremely helpful in navigating the new terrain we found ourselves in 2 years ago. I continue to refer to your site when I am unsure of something. Thank you for this!
You are most welcome!