OP-ED: AUTISM FUNDING CHANGES
“In Budget 2026, the government announced that two existing programs, the Autism Funding Program (AFP) and part of the School Age Extended Therapies (SATE) will be phased out and replaced by new funding and support programs, including an expanded commitment of $80 million for community programming…”
Op-Ed: Changes to Autism Funding, by MLA Botterell
April 6, 2026
The best part about being your MLA is the opportunity to hear first-hand from you! The constituents of the Saanich North and the Islands riding have a great deal of wisdom and lived experience to offer concerning a range of provincial issues. Often times that lived experience, as well as the knowledge of those most impacted by provincial government decisions, is ignored when the BC government takes a top down, administratively efficient, “one size fits all” approach. Sometimes, even if the government gets it right, it can fail at communicating and implementing the beneficial changes it proposes. A great deal of unnecessary stress and uncertainty results.
Take for example the funding and supports for children and others living with autism. In Budget 2026, the government announced that two existing programs, the Autism Funding Program (AFP) and part of the School Age Extended Therapies (SATE) will be phased out and replaced by new funding and support programs, including an expanded commitment of $80 million for community programming. An expanded commitment of $80 million for supporting those living with autism sounds like a good thing but many constituents, including experts in this field, have contacted our office to express concerns about these changes.
Will successful individualized support be replaced by community programs? Will autistic children without intellectual disability remain eligible for funding? Will preventative care continue? What if a child is no longer “high needs enough” under the new functional criteria? This is only a small sampling of concerns I have heard raised. The stress of a budget announcement about phasing out programs without the reassurance that the decision will not cause greater distress is particularly acute for families with autistic loved ones. Change and autism are seldom a happy combination. When I learn about harmful impacts of provincial decisions in my conversations, I press the BC government to make it right.
Over the next month, I will be convening a roundtable of SNI families that are impacted by these autism funding changes for the purpose of ensuring their concerns are fully addressed by the BC government. I will be guided by the wisdom and experience of my constituents to advocate for no child with existing coverage receiving less support and that all children and young people have access to the resources they need to grow and thrive in this province. Please join me on April 24th at 5pm, at the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office, 9828 Fourth Street (Sidney).