By The Canadian Press

REGINA - Parents of children with autism say the Saskatchewan government should do more to help families dealing with the condition.

Tim Verklan, president of the Regina-based Saskatchewan Families for Effective Autism Treatment, says for his son to get proper treatment, the provincial government would have to bring in consultants from other provinces.

Verklan says if his son was diagnosed with cancer, all sorts of help would be available for him.

Instead, he says his boy is condemned to what he calls a "life of emptiness."

Health Minister Don McMorris says the provincial government has a plan to hire 15 autism consultants and 18 support workers, and those plans are still underway.

Autism is a neurological disorder that results in unusual patterns of behaviour, difficulties with communication and social interaction.