Franco-Ontarian mom 'angry' at gap in French autism services

A Franco-Ontarian mother is speaking out about what she calls a gap in French autism services across the province after struggling to find immediate support for her six-year-old son.

Jasmine Maynard, who lives in London, Ont., said she was told she would have to move to Ottawa to receive specialized therapy for her son, Théo, who has high-functioning autism.

But it's not easy for the 27-year-old single mother, who has shared custody of her child, to pick up and go.

And English support services don't work as well on her francophone son, who responds only to French.

"I definitely feel helpless when my efforts lead me further instead of closer in terms of obtaining the services for my son. I feel angry that I feel like I have to choose between my identity and culture and my son's neurological developmental therapy options," Maynard said.

"That is the situation that kids with autism who are francophone face."

'Everything clicked'

Maynard said she "breathes French," as she's been immersed in the language and culture her whole life.

The Windsor-born woman moved to France in her teenage years and when she returned to Ontario, she only attended French schools, including Monseigneur-Bruyère Catholic Secondary School in London.

When she gave birth to her son in 2012, she was under the impression she would have no problem raising a bilingual son. She spoke with him in French, since his environment is English.   

Maynard started noticing behavioural issues when Théo turned three, she said.

"He wasn't verbalizing any words. He wasn't making any eye contact with me. I held no importance to him. He didn't want me to play with him. He didn't want hugs or kisses. My presence didn't matter to him," she said.

Shortly after, Théo was diagnosed with autism. He is high-functioning but non-verbal.

"I've been in fight mode for him and advocating for him ever since," she said.

Maynard sought French services at the Thames Valley Children's Centre, but was told there were none. She had no choice but to take him to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) treatment with an English-speaking therapist.

She said Théo wasn't showing much progress throughout the sessions.

One day, Maynard said centre officials told her they had hired a temporary bilingual therapist who was ready to help her son.

"[Théo] accomplished all his goals in one day. All of the goals that we had tried to accomplish throughout those [previous] sessions, he accomplished them all that same day just because that [therapist] was speaking to him in French," Maynard said.

"Click, click, click, bang, bang — everything clicked."

No choice but to leave

After completing ABA in 2017, Jasmine sought Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) treatment, which includes intimate sessions between a child and therapist.

She searched in London, St. Thomas, Chatham and the surrounding area and "found nothing" in French, she said.

She turned to Autism Ontario for help.

In a letter obtained by CBC, officials told Maynard "there seems to be a very low number of French-language services in Théo's region, as well as yearlong waitlists."

Maynard had asked for written documentation to be used in court should she need to move and revisit the custody agreement.

"Having access to French-language services can help develop Théo's functional living skills and provide a higher quality of life. For these reasons it is crucial that Théo have adequate access to French-language services," read the letter, written by a family support coordinator on August 3, 2017.

She reached out to Surrey Place in Toronto.

In a letter issued on February 1 and obtained by CBC, a centre official told her "you have indicated that Autism Ontario has informed you that there are limited French Language IBI providers in Toronto, and I can confirm that is our experience as well."

Maynard said she was told the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Autism Program in Ottawa was her closest option.

The clock was ticking and she said she had no choice but to leave.

Stuck with no support

Maynard was denied the right to move her son to Ottawa, she said.

She said a judge told her Théo had to stay close to his father who lives in the London area — it's a decision she's set to appeal.

"Now I'm in a situation where I have to choose: Do I raise my son as a French-language speaker as I have been for the past six years without any therapy … or do I accept the therapy that London can offer me, but that means my son would have to change schools and I would have to change my home language," she said.

Maynard is hesitant to move forward with English services because it would mean all the progress would be lost. "All of that would have to be retrained in him," she added.

She said autism service providers and the court system need to be held accountable.

"They can't help francophones and that is something nobody wants to admit," she said.

When asked about upcoming changes to the provincial autism program, Maynard said she wants clarity over the availability of services.