Liberal MPP apologizes to mom of autistic child, day after issuing statement

TORONTO – The mother of an autistic child who had police show up at her home after threatening a solitary protest at her MPP’s office says she has accepted his apology.

After the premier told him to apologize, Bob Delaney released a statement Tuesday, four days after police knocked on Melanie Palaypayon’s door.

But another 24 hours passed before Delaney phoned Palaypayon and conveyed his apology personally.

Palaypayon says she and Delaney are planning to meet in person at an autism service provider, so she can get answers to questions she has about a new autism program that has many parents upset.

READ MORE: Ontario Liberal MPP apologizes for calling police on mom protesting autism therapy cuts

The Liberal government has decided to defund Intensive Behavioural Intervention treatment for autistic children five and older, which has left more than 800 children – like Palaypayon’s son – who had spent years on the waiting list, suddenly removed from it.

The province’s new autism program – which will transition those kids to “enhanced” Applied Behavioural Analysis – will be fully rolled out in 2018, and in the meantime the government is giving those parents $8,000 to pay for private treatment.

But parents say that will only pay for, at most, a few months of intensive therapy.