Private vs Public Funding for Rehab

The Daily Miner news (Kenora, a Northern Ontario city) is reporting that funding for autistic children's rehabilitation is being slashed. As a result children on the waiting list are being dismissed.

Having a young son with a speech disorder I can tell readers first hand the the public funding situation for speech pathology is pathetic already. We waited months for assessment and were given superficial treatment through the public system. Luckily, we had private insurance and could afford private therapy for him.

I have yet to look at rehabilitation wait times but it seems to be another problem in our system. In addition, assessement and superficial treatment does not equate to intensive therapy which is often what is needed at young ages. Every society has choices to make in terms of health care dollars but I don't think any citizen chooses to limit therapy of any kind to children. The cost (both emotionally and financially) is great a burden for most of us.