Northern Ont. public school holds flag raising ceremony on World Autism Awareness Day
On World Autism Awareness Day, a flag-raising ceremony with Mayor Michelle Boileau at Golden Avenue Public School in South Porcupine is meant to demonstrate to the community that it is a place to thrive.
Golden Avenue Public School hopes its annual community walk will encourage the general public to become more welcoming to anyone who is autistic. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)
“I think it's really about moving beyond awareness and approaching acceptance,” said Andrew Wray, a teacher at Golden Avenue Public School.
“So it's great to see all these people out here today and supporting our school and our students,” he said.
The Ontario Autism Coalition said approximately 1 in 50 Canadian youth are autistic and Golden Avenue Public School has six high support autism classes, supporting 40 students.
“We have an inclusive model where we have students who are in and out of the mainstream classroom, but also have support from a homeroom classroom,” said Wray.
“Our students have the opportunity to show their strengths academically, socially and then also are supported in the areas of need in their homeroom classrooms.”
One of the students told CTV News that she loves creating art among other subjects.
“My favourite activity is playing like reading a book,” said student Leah Tiffeault.
According to the Ontario Autism Coalition, there are 50,000 children in the province waiting for core services including speech and occupational therapy; and behavioural analysis.
“You know, when this government took over in 2018, the waitlist was only 23,005 and now it's 50,000 kids,” said Bruce McIntosh director and founding president of Ontario Autism Coalition.
“You know, they've more than doubled it just by being slow and underfunding it... Sooner or later, they're just going to have to recognize that they've got to do better.”
McIntosh said even with and 18 per cent increase in funding in the 2024 provincial budget, it’s not enough.
He said the Ontario Autism Coalition will be holding as many meetings as possible with politicians, including a lobbying day at Queen’s Park on April 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.