A number of Windsor parents will be in the crowd at an autism rally in Toronto on Thursday, but Ontario's minister of community, children and social services will not be there.

Lisa MacLeod says she won't attend the protest planned at the legislature because she has received threats.

MacLeod did not detail the nature of those threats or say if she has alerted the police to them.

But she says she won't be going out to the protest on the lawn of the legislature because the tone of the debate has given her concerns about her personal safety.

Families of children with autism are set to protest a new program unveiled last month by MacLeod that they say will leave kids without access to the level of treatment they need.

April Pare is one of 20 local parents who will be at the rally.

Her daughter Addison has autism, and she has been a vocal advocate for autism rights in the wake of the changes by the PC government.

The Financial Accountability Office also says it will investigate the budget for the autism program, after the Liberals raised concerns about the government's claims.

MacLeod has said the Progressive Conservative government increased the autism program budget to $321 million from $256 million, but the Liberals, who were previously in power, say their government had also budgeted the larger amount.

With files from The Canadian Press