2025 Year in Review

Please note there are hyperlinks in this post

(1) Advocacy

In October, Balance SSCS met with Parliamentary Assistant Natalie Pierre to discuss the controversial and traumatic practice of using seclusion rooms within schools.

We had the pleasure of meeting again with Minister Michael Parsa and his team at Queen's Park in November to share our own experiences with utilizing Core Clinical Services and discuss ways to improve the OAP (Ontario Autism Program)

(2) Press Releases

Mar 3, 2025 - Open Letter to Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

Mar 26, 2025 - Statement Regarding the New Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra

Sep 23, 2025 - Our Statement to the US Administration's Claim That Tylenol is Linked to Autism

December 9, 2025 - Our Statement Regarding Minister Calandra’s Response to Ontario’s Latest EQAO Scores

(3) Community Engagement and Outreach

In October, Balance SSCS and Fundamental Life Services held their first Halloween Fun Fair at River Road Nature School in Haldimand. Families gathered together for an afternoon filled with costumes, crafts, games, and sweet treats. We hope that this will become an annual tradition and are planning to hold more community events in the future

Balance SSCS reaches out to the community via our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky. Our blog remains a place to access valuable resources about the OAP, community supports and education. We will strive to create content that is informative and relevant to families of autistic and neurodivergent individuals.

We continue to fundraise through Mabel's Labels and the sale of our two books - Colour Me Calm and Life: All the Details 

(4) Looking Ahead

While the current OAP is an improvement over the previous program, more work still needs to be done to onboard families faster into Core Clinical Services and expand service capacity. We will continue to meet with the government to provide feedback and recommendations. We will advocate for neurodivergent and disabled children/youths who don't have access to a comparable program like the OAP.  Alberta, and eventually British Columbia, has a program for children of all disabilities. Such a program in Ontario is long overdue.

We aim to bring awareness to the shortcomings of other government programs such School Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS), Special Services At Home (SSAH) and Ontario Disability Supports Program (ODSP)

We will also continue to advocate for reform to Ontario's public education system. A drastic overhaul is needed to make schools inclusive, accessible and neuro-affirming.

In addition to our advocacy efforts, Balance SSCS is committed to providing information and guidance to families of autistic/ND and disabled loved ones. We will seek out partnerships with other organizations / not-for-profits dedicated to supporting individuals with diverse needs.

To our volunteers, members and friends - thank you. There are no words that can describe our gratitude for your continued support. With your allyship, we will continue to raise your voices, share our stories and strive for change.