Ontario autism advocates urge special ed funding boost

Autism advocates in Ontario are urging the provincial government to boost staffing and funding for special education, citing a surge in schools placing children with autism on modified schedules and persistent safety risks.

The Ontario Autism Coalition's recent survey of families in the special needs community highlighted a rising number of parents reporting that schools are reducing their children's attendance to less than full time due to insufficient in-class supports. Advocates argue these measures prevent children from fully participating and expose them to hazards.

Shannon McNally, a mother in Ottawa, described how her seven-year-old son Owen, who has autism and other complex needs, was told in February he would be limited to a two-hour school day. "They did not have enough supports to keep him there safely for a full day," she said. McNally quit her job and spent months advocating before securing a specialized classroom placement for him.

Safety concerns emerged as a dominant theme in the survey. Chantelle Bissaillion recounted a recent incident involving her nine-year-old daughter, who has autism and additional special needs. Last week, the girl left school property...