A Vancouver family is pushing for the province to reconsider a decision that left their teenage son, who has autism, without the full-time care they believe he needs.

Seventeen-year-old Peter Sklavenitis can have unpredictable outbursts of aggression, which means he needs constant supervision. His family provides that when he's home, and for the last 12 years, Peter's attended Glen Eden Multimodal Centre for day programming.

Peter's doctors have told the Ministry of Children and Family Development that he should be moved into Glen Eden's residential unit for full-time care now that he's bigger and older.

"Continuity for Peter is huge. You cannot deviate at all. As soon there is any deviation in his day he becomes very, very, very reactive," Peter's mother Angela Sklavenitis said.

The ministry disagrees with the doctors' assessment, but the family says the government decision was made by a social worker who saw him for just 10 minutes. The Sklavenitises want to know why more qualified decision-makers didn't meet with Peter face-to-face.

Minister Mary McNeil told CTV News that officials do not believe the residence at Glen Eden is the best place for Peter.

"They really feel that that this facility does not have what they feel is the appropriate placement for the child," she said, adding that she'll look into the assessment process in Peter's case.

The Sklavenitis family currently pays $1,000 a month for Peter's care. Full-time care would cost the public about 15 times that amount.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger