School Supports
What You Need to Know As a Parent
Autistic students have rights. The Ontario Ministry of Education has enacted legislation and regulations to support the education of students with special needs. School boards are responsible for implementing programs in compliance with current legislation and regulations.
Autism Ontario believes students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (where possible) and their parents must be actively engaged as full partners throughout the education process in order to optimize learning across home and school. This means that parents and students (where possible) play an active role, together with educators, in all educational decisions.
Parents may have to strongly advocate to ensure that their child’s rights are met at school. It is the parent’s right and responsibility to see that their child has an appropriate educational program, and it is certainly acceptable for parents to advocate for their child. A parent’s relationship with the school/school board is not a social relationship. It is a business/legal relationship with the goal of getting the most appropriate education for your child.
Additional Resources
- Read Autism Ontario's Position Statements on Education.
- Learn more about the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC).
- Learn more about Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
- Access the School Advocacy Toolkit.