Editor:

Re: Re: Dale Bass’s column of Oct. 2 (‘The problem is, Campbell and Polak just don’t get it’), in which she documents the trials and tribulations facing my grandson, Regan, who is afflicted with autism.

Little Regan started in the funded program — $20,000 per year, $1666.66 per month. If they didn't spend it all that amount could have  been lowered.

The funded program was bogged down with paperwork.

To start with, the parents have to get a Revenue Canada business number, a WCB number, do their own payroll, submit employee remittance and file reports to the funds administrator monthly.

They have to find a company that works with autistic children as young as Regan.

They found a company out of Vancouver. The set-up fee was $3,200, paid upfront. A fellow came to Kamloops, spent five hours in my living room doing a video/discussion training session with Samantha and Dru, the eager teacher they were able to hire, and any family members who could attend — then he went home to Vancouver.

He communicated via e-mail and telephone, but not very efficiently. The teacher worked hard following the program that took two weeks to arrive. She worked with Regan when her teaching and home schedule allowed her to.

She did the best she could with the bit of experience she had with autistic children. Being Regan's grandparent, he came to our house for an overnight visit once a week to give mom a bit of rest. I saw no real change in Regan over the six or eight weeks in this program.

To me, Regan's future looked hopeless. The funded program leaves families on the edge of a cliff. There is no help in finding 'real' therapists for their child.

If they are bad with paperwork, they could lose the funding altogether. It is mind-boggling! When Regan was accepted into the EIBI program, I wasn't so sure there would be any difference, but I agreed with Samantha and Dru that they had to try it because the people to be working with him had years of experience in their fields and they were based right here in Kamloops.

They had scheduled team planning meetings. They demanded a set number of scheduled therapy hours per week. If any hours were missed, they scheduled make-up hours.

Regan was going to work hard! Within two weeks, I was stunned by the difference. While monitoring Regan in the bath one night, he looked at me, deep into my eyes.

He held my gaze as if to tell me, "I see you, Nana".

I cried. Today, he is such a different little boy. He is happier, he babbles constantly while mixing in some real words, points at things he wants, speaks the names of some things he recognizes. He tries to tell us stories.

I am disgusted with our government. It could literally be taking Regan's future away in ending the EIBI program. The government should shell out the money now to allow Regan and the others to work hard  at becoming a less-dependent individual giving hope for them all hope for their futures.

Rosella Boulton

Kamloops