Find a paediatrician, psychiatrist or registered psychologist completes an assessment by examining your child's:
- Medical and developmental history
- Behaviours, social interactions and communication strategies
Step 2: Meet with a Children & Youth with Support Needs Worker
Contact a local children and youth with support needs (CYSN) office to meet with a CYSN worker. The CYSN worker will review your documents to make sure they're complete and discuss your eligibility for funding and family support services.
Bring the following documents when you meet your local CYSN worker:
- Autism Funding Application for Autism Funding
- Documentation of Autism Diagnosis
- Proof that the child is under age 18 (birth certificate)
- Current BC Services Card/Driver's Licence (as proof of residency)
After reviewing your documents, the CYSN worker will help you submit your application for autism funding.
Speed things up by sending copies of your required documents to the CYSN office before your meeting.
Step 4: Receive a letter and Hire service providers or purchase other types of support
You receive a letter that outlines how much funding they're qualified for and the funding period dates . You can start using their funding for:
Step 3: Sign the funding agreement
After meeting with the CYSN worker and submitting an application for autism funding, parents or guardians will receive two copies of an Autism Funding Agreement in the mail. Both copies must be signed and returned to the Autism Funding Program within two weeks.
Step 9: Manage your funding
- Through My Family Services, parents can:
- Manage their funding to check funding balance, invoices or send a message to the funding team.
- Change the amount of money you allocate to a service provider.
- Plan your funding for the following year
- Provide updated information to Autism Funding team
Step 8: Receive an authorization letter
Parents receive an authorization letter once their RTP Form is approved.
Up to 20% of total funding can be allocated to buy equipment that will support your child's skill development, pay for autism-related training or travel to access services.
Change the amount of money you allocate to a service provider. Transfer money using My Family Services , ask the Autism Funding team to make the change for you, or send in the Request to Amend Invoice Payment Authorization .
Step 7: Submit the form through My Family Services
Submit the RTP form once per year
The fastest way is to submit the form through My Family Services
Parents can also send the form by email, mail or fax. This option can take up to one month.
Tel: 1 844-878-4700
Email: AutismInformation@gov.bc.ca
Address: 3688 Cessna Drive, Richmond
Office Hours: M to F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Step 5: Select Service Providers/Agency
Complete this process every year to set up service providers.
- Step 1: Select service providers
- Step 2: Complete the Request to Pay (RTP) Service Providers Form
- Step 3: Submit the form every year
- Step 4: Work with service providers
- Step 5: Pay service providers
- Step 6: Manage your funding
Once a child is approved for funding, the parent or guardian will receive a letter that outlines the funding available and the funding period dates. Then, they can select service providers.
Meanwhile, Service provider will receive an authorization letter and billing number.
When deciding which services to use, parents can get advice by sending email to AutismInformation@gov.bc.ca or call 1 844 878-4700 .
If your child is under six and you want to use autism funding to pay for services, you need to choose service providers from the RASP .
Type of service providers are including Behaviour consultants, Speech-language pathologists, Occupational therapists, Physical therapists & Behaviour interventionist & Family counselling/therapy (Beginning April 1, 2021: Family counselling/therapy is an eligible expense for Autism Funding: Under Age 6 .)
Step 6: Complete the Request to Pay (RTP) Service Providers Form
Discuss your child's needs and therapy plan with your service provider. Work with them to complete the Request to Pay (RTP) Service Providers / Suppliers Form . Submit the form to the Autism Funding Program once it's complete.
The fastest way to submit the form is through My Family Services .
Only services that are qualified for funding are approved. This is based on international best practices and evidence to make sure that therapies or approaches will be successful.
SERVICES
Autism Funding Programme
We provide comprehensive services for Autism children
Introduction to the Autism Funding
It targets parents or guardians who have children age under 19 with Autism. Autism funding helps pay family for eligible services or supports that promote skill development for children living with autism.
Flowchart of Funding Application and Getting pay
How do parents get Autism Funding and how does it pay?
Step 1: Get a diagnostic assessment