Tony Clement, the Health Minister of Canada is under fire from families of children with autism and related advocacy groups for not providing a strategy for laying out treatment resources equally across all of Canada's provinces.

Sam Yassine, father of an autistic child and a Families for Early Autism Treatment advocacy group member, tells CanWest News Service, ''Parents across the board, they are tired of waiting," adding that, ''We need action now. Enough time wasted on raising autism awareness.''

Clement, in response to the pressure, released a series of small steps intended to disseminate public information and help researchers studying the abnormality.

Clement said in a news conference, ''Today's new initiatives will contribute to laying foundations to improve our understanding of autism and its prevalence."

However, there is no agreement between the provincial and federal governments on how to deal with the condition or on what the standard treatment might be.

Clement responded that the conservative government is "obliged to help unravel the mysteries of the disorder."

But Yassine emphasizes that the government is slow to take action and that the children and their families are suffering as a result.

In the meantime, the Autism Association suggests that the national government come up with strategies to strengthen resources and help professionals to ascertain early detection of autism.

Yassine adds that it is also essential to develop "behavioral intervention programs" to help children and families affected with autism throughout the provinces.