A national campaign, based out of South Surrey, launched Thursday to encourage the federal government to fund medical support for families affected by autism.

Add Our Voices, founded by , is an autism-awareness campaign started by parents who do not have children on the autism spectrum.

The campaign, Williams said, aims to educate Canadians about the exclusion under the Canada含羞草研究社檚 Universal Health Care system of science-based treatment for those diagnosed with autism.

Although the campaign started this week, Williams has been advocating for a change since she learned of the exclusion in 2016.

含羞草研究社淚 just happened to pick up my daughter from a play date and the mom has two children who are on (the) autism spectrum. She was just telling me about her story, and when she said that medicare isn含羞草研究社檛 covered for treatment, science-base proven treatment, I was actually blown away,含羞草研究社� Williams told Peace Arch News Wednesday.

含羞草研究社淚 couldn含羞草研究社檛 believe it wasn含羞草研究社檛 covered, and secondly, how did I go this long in my life without knowing?含羞草研究社�

In that year, Williams presented a resolution asking for the government to provide funding for science-based treatment to a federal Liberal convention in Victoria. Her resolution received approval, then she went to the National Federal Liberal Convention in Winnipeg and presented her resolution in front of 3,000 party members, where it passed.

She said the party asked her to join a working group to write a report on the autism resolution, placing it in Liberal policy. The report was finished this spring, she said.

Although promising steps, Williams said nothing has been set in stone.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e since met with Liberal MPs to find out what含羞草研究社檚 going on with the report and nobody can tell me for certain if the Liberal party intends to do anything with this. That含羞草研究社檚 disappointing, it含羞草研究社檚 been 2陆 years since the resolution passed, there含羞草研究社檚 been plenty of time to look at this.含羞草研究社�

Williams, who said there are families who have been lobbying the government for change for decades, was critical of both current and former federal governments.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 kind of like 含羞草研究社榮hame on all of them.含羞草研究社� It含羞草研究社檚 not a Liberal thing, it含羞草研究社檚 a federal government thing. It含羞草研究社檚 about priorities they keep telling me. You have to talk to these families, their kids are a priority. They go through a lot every day just to manage this medical condition and families are going bankrupt.含羞草研究社�

The treatment that Add Our Voices would like to be covered includes applied behavioural analysis (ABA) and intensive behavioural intervention (IBI).

含羞草研究社淚t helps their child含羞草研究社檚 symptoms and is part of their children含羞草研究社檚 core healthcare needs but unfortunately, most families cannot afford to pay out of pocket,含羞草研究社� Williams said in a news release.

Williams said her team, which is made up of about 15 parents, launched a social-media awareness campaign through and their website,

A petition can also be found on the website.

This campaign marks the second that Williams has founded.

She led Communities and Coal Society, which recently lost a four-year-long legal battle challenging the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority含羞草研究社檚 approval of a U.S. thermal coal port facility proposed for Fraser Surrey Docks.