Family near Brockville, Ont. struggling to find summer camps for their children with autism

A family from just outside of Brockville, Ont. is running out of options for their two children with autism to go to summer camp this year.

Ethan Brodofski, 8, and Austin Brodofski, 6, have each been sent home from four different summer camps this year. They are both diagnosed with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

"There are behaviour issues with the boys. We understand that," said their mother, Sabrina Brodofksi. 

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She works as a registered nurse, and has been forced to take time off to look after her sons. She's a contract worker, so her time off isn't paid. Her husband is also a contract worker.

"It's put me under a lot of financial stress because I cannot work," she continued.

Part of the frustration for the Brodofski family has been the process of enrolling Ethan and Austin into the camps they are subsequently sent home from. They provide the camps with a list of needs the kids have, and have been told the camps can handle it.

"I was very upfront, honest about all the diagnoses," Sabrina explained to CTV News. "Their issues, their concerns, anything that they would need to know to be successful."

But once the camp starts, Ethan and Austin are sent home and the Brodofskis are then told the boys need more attention than the camp can provide.

It's an issue that Kelsey Davidson, an educational assistant with Autism Ontario, said is common in rural parts of the province.

"Some families may struggle to find the right fit, and particularly with families in more rural areas where they may not have a lot of options and camps available," she explained.

"There are areas that don't have a lot of access to camps and programs."

The Brodofskis feel they have exhausted all of their options in the area, and don't know where to turn next.

"My boys come first," Sabrina said through tears. "But not being able to provide for them and not being able to contribute… I can't be everything and do everything."