Stop termination in day programs
The Issue
For five years, I have watched helplessly as my adult son, who is on the autism spectrum, has been terminated from five different day programs. Each time, it's not because of his abilities, potential, or willingness to participate, but because of a glaring lack of understanding, support, and education about autism spectrum disorder within these programs. This systemic issue affects countless families, and it's time to take a stand.
Day programs are meant to offer a safe, supportive environment where young adults on the spectrum can learn, grow, and develop the skills they need to lead fulfilling lives. However, when their unique needs are not understood or supported, these same programs become exclusionary, leaving families like mine without the essential services their children deserve.
The termination from these programs often stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of behavioral expressions and communication styles that are common among autistic individuals. Without proper training, staff may interpret behaviors as noncompliance or disruption, rather than recognizing them as a form of communication or a challenge that can be worked through with the right support.
Studies show that young adults with autism benefit significantly from tailored, consistent, and understanding support networks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 54 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, meaning there's a significant portion of the population in need of competent day programs.
We are urging day program administrators and state officials to:
1. Implement comprehensive autism education and training for all staff members in day programs.
2. Create individualized support plans for each program participant, recognizing and adapting to specific needs.
3. Establish a review process for potential terminations that involve autism experts and advocates, ensuring decisions are fair and informed.
4. Increase funding for autism-specific support services in day programs.
These steps are vital to ensuring day programs fulfill their mission of supporting all individuals, regardless of their neurological differences. Every young adult deserves the opportunity to thrive in a supportive environment that understands and accommodates their unique needs.
Join me in demanding change—sign this petition today to ensure our loved ones receive the understanding and support they deserve in day programs.
Date: August 11, 2026
To:
The Office of the Premier
The Minister of Families
The Minister of Health, Mental Health, and Wellness
Elected Legislative Representatives
Subject: Urgent Request for Intervention Regarding Systemic Discrimination and Lack of Individualized Supports for Jakob
Dear Honorable Ministers and Premier,
I am reaching out to your offices to formally request immediate intervention and support on behalf of my son, Jakob, who is on the autism spectrum. Jakob is high-functioning, incredibly friendly, and outgoing. He has a deep, innocent desire to communicate, participate in community society programs, and feel like a valued, included member of his community.
Tragically, instead of receiving the foundational care and accommodation he is legally and socially entitled to, Jakob has faced systemic exclusion. To date, five different community programs have terminated his position as a client. These terminations occurred because Jakob attempts to engage with society in innocent, friendly ways—such as offering a handshake, a high-five, a fist pump, a friendly hello, a twirl, or a hug. Rather than supporting and guiding these positive social interactions, programming staff have rigidly stopped him from engaging. Forcing a complete restriction on his natural communication methods induces severe anxiety and emotional triggers. When he reacts to this forced suppression, programs use those very triggers as a justification to expel him.
It is entirely unjust that these publicly funded programs choose to terminate Jakob's services instead of working one-on-one with him, reviewing his professional psychologist reports, and collaborating with our family to understand what strategies work best. Using an individual's disability-related traits against them to deny them service is a fundamental human rights violation.
Despite writing extensively to advocacy groups, ministries, and representatives, our family has been left entirely isolated with zero actionable supports. We are being shunned by the very institutions built to assist us.
I am formally requesting a direct review of Jakob's case and an immediate meeting with a representative from your ministry to establish a dedicated, individualized, one-on-one support framework that brings out Jakob’s immense abilities rather than penalizing his disability. Enclosed with this letter is a formal petition detailing the systemic policy changes required to ensure no other family undergoes this trauma.
I look forward to your prompt, meaningful response and action on this urgent matter.
PETITION FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Petition to Demand Fair Treatment, Individualized Support, and Human Rights Accountability in Autism Programming
To: The Ministry of Families, the Ministry of Health and Mental Health, Community Care Advocacy Groups, and Elected Representatives.
Statement of Purpose
We, the undersigned, call for an immediate systemic review and administrative overhaul of the policies governing community programming for individuals on the autism spectrum. Specifically, we demand an end to the practice of terminating individuals from support programs due to behavioral manifestations of their disability, and we call for mandated, individualized, one-on-one care frameworks that actively incorporate professional psychological assessments and family guidance.
The Issue: Exclusion Instead of Accommodation
Many individuals on the autism spectrum are high-functioning, deeply friendly, and eager to communicate and participate in society. Their natural expressions of connection—such as offering a handshake, a high-five, a friendly hello, a fist pump, a twirl, or an innocent hug—are often misunderstood or rigidly restricted by programming staff.
When support staff forcibly suppress these benign attempts at social engagement rather than guiding them appropriately, it frequently causes intense confusion, anxiety, and emotional triggers for the individual. Tragically, the resulting distress is often mischaracterized as non-compliance or a behavioral disturbance. Instead of addressing staff training deficiencies or adapting to the individual's needs, multiple programs—in some cases, as many as five different organizations—have chosen to terminate services entirely, leaving families completely isolated and without essential supports.
A Violation of Human Rights
Excluding an individual from essential community programming because of traits directly linked to their diagnosed disability constitutes a fundamental human rights issue. Community programs receive public mandates and funding to support vulnerabilities, not to shun individuals when standard protocols require adjustments. Terminating a client’s position instead of implementing an individualized support plan violates the core principle of the duty to accommodate.
Our Demands
We petition the governing authorities and ministries to enact the following structural changes:
1 Mandatory Individualized Support Frameworks: Prohibit the automatic or arbitrary termination of services for individuals with developmental disabilities without the prior implementation and evaluation of an individualized, one-on-one support plan.
2 Integration of Professional and Family Insights: Legally require programs to construct care strategies directly informed by clinical psychologist reports, behavioral assessments, and foundational family input outlining specific strategies, triggers, and communication preferences.
3 Staff Training in Positive Behavior Support: Mandate comprehensive training for all community program staff focusing on proactive co-regulation, neurodiversity-affirming care, and positive behavior support, rather than restrictive control or avoidance tactics.
4 Independent Oversight and Appeals Board: Establish an independent, transparent review process where families can appeal service terminations or report instances of unfair treatment and discrimination within community programs.
By signing this petition, we stand with Jakob and every individual on the autism spectrum who deserves to be seen, wanted, and safely accommodated within our society.
Sincerely,
Mother of a young adult with Autism and a Advocate for him for 25 year
124
The Issue
For five years, I have watched helplessly as my adult son, who is on the autism spectrum, has been terminated from five different day programs. Each time, it's not because of his abilities, potential, or willingness to participate, but because of a glaring lack of understanding, support, and education about autism spectrum disorder within these programs. This systemic issue affects countless families, and it's time to take a stand.
Day programs are meant to offer a safe, supportive environment where young adults on the spectrum can learn, grow, and develop the skills they need to lead fulfilling lives. However, when their unique needs are not understood or supported, these same programs become exclusionary, leaving families like mine without the essential services their children deserve.
The termination from these programs often stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of behavioral expressions and communication styles that are common among autistic individuals. Without proper training, staff may interpret behaviors as noncompliance or disruption, rather than recognizing them as a form of communication or a challenge that can be worked through with the right support.
Studies show that young adults with autism benefit significantly from tailored, consistent, and understanding support networks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 54 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, meaning there's a significant portion of the population in need of competent day programs.
We are urging day program administrators and state officials to:
1. Implement comprehensive autism education and training for all staff members in day programs.
2. Create individualized support plans for each program participant, recognizing and adapting to specific needs.
3. Establish a review process for potential terminations that involve autism experts and advocates, ensuring decisions are fair and informed.
4. Increase funding for autism-specific support services in day programs.
These steps are vital to ensuring day programs fulfill their mission of supporting all individuals, regardless of their neurological differences. Every young adult deserves the opportunity to thrive in a supportive environment that understands and accommodates their unique needs.
Join me in demanding change—sign this petition today to ensure our loved ones receive the understanding and support they deserve in day programs.
Date: August 11, 2026
To:
The Office of the Premier
The Minister of Families
The Minister of Health, Mental Health, and Wellness
Elected Legislative Representatives
Subject: Urgent Request for Intervention Regarding Systemic Discrimination and Lack of Individualized Supports for Jakob
Dear Honorable Ministers and Premier,
I am reaching out to your offices to formally request immediate intervention and support on behalf of my son, Jakob, who is on the autism spectrum. Jakob is high-functioning, incredibly friendly, and outgoing. He has a deep, innocent desire to communicate, participate in community society programs, and feel like a valued, included member of his community.
Tragically, instead of receiving the foundational care and accommodation he is legally and socially entitled to, Jakob has faced systemic exclusion. To date, five different community programs have terminated his position as a client. These terminations occurred because Jakob attempts to engage with society in innocent, friendly ways—such as offering a handshake, a high-five, a fist pump, a friendly hello, a twirl, or a hug. Rather than supporting and guiding these positive social interactions, programming staff have rigidly stopped him from engaging. Forcing a complete restriction on his natural communication methods induces severe anxiety and emotional triggers. When he reacts to this forced suppression, programs use those very triggers as a justification to expel him.
It is entirely unjust that these publicly funded programs choose to terminate Jakob's services instead of working one-on-one with him, reviewing his professional psychologist reports, and collaborating with our family to understand what strategies work best. Using an individual's disability-related traits against them to deny them service is a fundamental human rights violation.
Despite writing extensively to advocacy groups, ministries, and representatives, our family has been left entirely isolated with zero actionable supports. We are being shunned by the very institutions built to assist us.
I am formally requesting a direct review of Jakob's case and an immediate meeting with a representative from your ministry to establish a dedicated, individualized, one-on-one support framework that brings out Jakob’s immense abilities rather than penalizing his disability. Enclosed with this letter is a formal petition detailing the systemic policy changes required to ensure no other family undergoes this trauma.
I look forward to your prompt, meaningful response and action on this urgent matter.
PETITION FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Petition to Demand Fair Treatment, Individualized Support, and Human Rights Accountability in Autism Programming
To: The Ministry of Families, the Ministry of Health and Mental Health, Community Care Advocacy Groups, and Elected Representatives.
Statement of Purpose
We, the undersigned, call for an immediate systemic review and administrative overhaul of the policies governing community programming for individuals on the autism spectrum. Specifically, we demand an end to the practice of terminating individuals from support programs due to behavioral manifestations of their disability, and we call for mandated, individualized, one-on-one care frameworks that actively incorporate professional psychological assessments and family guidance.
The Issue: Exclusion Instead of Accommodation
Many individuals on the autism spectrum are high-functioning, deeply friendly, and eager to communicate and participate in society. Their natural expressions of connection—such as offering a handshake, a high-five, a friendly hello, a fist pump, a twirl, or an innocent hug—are often misunderstood or rigidly restricted by programming staff.
When support staff forcibly suppress these benign attempts at social engagement rather than guiding them appropriately, it frequently causes intense confusion, anxiety, and emotional triggers for the individual. Tragically, the resulting distress is often mischaracterized as non-compliance or a behavioral disturbance. Instead of addressing staff training deficiencies or adapting to the individual's needs, multiple programs—in some cases, as many as five different organizations—have chosen to terminate services entirely, leaving families completely isolated and without essential supports.
A Violation of Human Rights
Excluding an individual from essential community programming because of traits directly linked to their diagnosed disability constitutes a fundamental human rights issue. Community programs receive public mandates and funding to support vulnerabilities, not to shun individuals when standard protocols require adjustments. Terminating a client’s position instead of implementing an individualized support plan violates the core principle of the duty to accommodate.
Our Demands
We petition the governing authorities and ministries to enact the following structural changes:
1 Mandatory Individualized Support Frameworks: Prohibit the automatic or arbitrary termination of services for individuals with developmental disabilities without the prior implementation and evaluation of an individualized, one-on-one support plan.
2 Integration of Professional and Family Insights: Legally require programs to construct care strategies directly informed by clinical psychologist reports, behavioral assessments, and foundational family input outlining specific strategies, triggers, and communication preferences.
3 Staff Training in Positive Behavior Support: Mandate comprehensive training for all community program staff focusing on proactive co-regulation, neurodiversity-affirming care, and positive behavior support, rather than restrictive control or avoidance tactics.
4 Independent Oversight and Appeals Board: Establish an independent, transparent review process where families can appeal service terminations or report instances of unfair treatment and discrimination within community programs.
By signing this petition, we stand with Jakob and every individual on the autism spectrum who deserves to be seen, wanted, and safely accommodated within our society.
Sincerely,
Mother of a young adult with Autism and a Advocate for him for 25 year
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Petition created on August 12, 2026