Parents took to the streets in 21 locations across the province last week to protest funding cuts to the early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) autism treatment program that were announced in September. Organized protests took place everywhere from the Burrard Bridge to Surrey, and from Sechelt to Kelowna. The protests were led by Moms on the Move and supported by the Fighting Against Intervention Reductions group.

Chris McIntosh, who is involved with the FAIR group, said the EIBI program is vital, as it combines a raft of autism service providers such as speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, behavioural consultants and behaviour interventionists in an integrated fashion that provides more help to autistic children than those services would on their own. He said the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s claims that austistic children won’t be hurt by the cuts aren’t true.

“The current EIBI programs are like people going into a car dealership, and buying a fully operational car for $25,000,” he said. “The current non-EIBI programs are like having $7,000 and being shown to a garage full of parts, and having someone say ‘OK, everything you need is there, just like before. The parts haven’t gone anywhere. We’ve given you $7,000 to buy the parts, and assemble them into a car. What’s your problem?’”

The EIBI program, which began in 2001, currently has 70 children enrolled at a cost of $70,000 per child, which is paid by the government. Children and Family Development Minister and Langley MLA Mary Polak said the money used for EIBI funding will stay within the department after the program ends early next year, with annual funding to parents of autistic children under six increasing by $2,000 to $22,000 and $1 million going to improve autism outreach services in rural B.C.

McIntosh said that increase in funding to every child won’t come close to the EIBI program’s value, though, as $22,000 can’t pay for the full range of treatments involved in the EIBI program. He added that those treatments have less value when they aren’t delivered by an integrated team, as service providers may wind up working at cross purposes, and it can be a daunting task for parents to try and figure out what specific treatments their child needs.

“In a non-EIBI program, the parent has to become an expert,” he said. “In order to be effective, there must be a certain number of hours of treatment a week. The current funding does not allow for sufficient hours.”

It’s not as simple as parents simply stepping in and paying the remaining cost of the EIBI program, either. Polak said she can’t promise that the current EIBI service providers would continue to offer that kind of integrated program after the government stops supplying the full funding.

“That would be up to the service providers,” she said.

She said parents of children who were in the EIBI program may not be able to purchase that many hours of service outside the program’s framework.

“It stands to reason they’d have to modify their programs, because they have less time,” she said.

Polak said her ministry is focused on making sure that the component services of the EIBI program will still be available, though.

“We’re working with providers to keep the same type of services,” she said.

Polak said she’s also working with individual families affected by the cuts to try and address their concerns. McIntosh said it will be impossible to replace the effects of the EIBI program, though. His group estimates the decision to scrap it will cost B.C. taxpayers at least $175 million in the future to care for untreated adults with autism.

“Many parents have had their children in both EIBI programs and standard programs,” he said. “They note minimal progress in standard programs, but report their children show great improvement after only weeks in an EIBI program.”

McIntosh said the program’s importance can’t be overstated.

“This is life-changing for children and families now able to lead more normal lives.”

McIntosh’s group is planning a protest at Polak’s Langley office on Fradser Highway this Friday (Nov. 6), with families from around the province gathering to encourage her to restore EIBI funding. More details can be found on their Facebook group, “Reverse The EIBI Funding Cuts.”