[Toronto, ON]
Autism Ontario shares many of the concerns highlighted in the Audit Report on Special Education Needs by the Auditor General of Ontario. The report confirms what our families have known for years: current provincial special education funding and policies are failing to meet the needs of students, educators, and school boards, resulting in lower academic achievement and higher numbers of students being excluded from school.
The findings of the report reflect the current crisis faced by students, families, educators, and staff, as the Toronto District School Board announced plans to reduce the number of specialized kindergarten classes for students with complex needs. As we anticipate further announcements from already underfunded school boards to cut special education classes, educational assistants, and other essential special education resources without in-depth consultation from those who will be directly impacted, the consequences are dire and alarming.
Education is a fundamental human right. Special education programs and services are required by some students to have meaningful access to education in a system fraught with barriers. Special education is not a privilege or an afterthought. When school boards are forced to “balance budgets” or reallocate funding from other programs and resources to support special education — or accept that many students will be left behind — it creates instability across the system instead of a sustainable, equitable approach.
Autism Ontario continues to advocate for a human rights-based approach to education, which requires systemic change. At the same time, consistent access to accommodations for autistic students and students with disabilities should not depend on a family’s income or postal code. The province must dedicate stable and equitable funding for special education across Ontario’s education system. It is equally important for funding to be paired with active engagement and collaboration with students, families, educators, and advocacy organizations, and robust policies grounded in research to maintain transparency and accountability.
Autism Ontario is committed to ensuring the voices and expertise of autistic students and their families are centered in all decisions impacting their educational achievement, well-being, and ultimately, their life outcomes.
For more information, please email Autism Ontario’s media team at media@autismontario.com.
Make a meaningful donation today. Your support makes a difference.
References
Performance Audit: Special Education Needs. (2026, May 12). Office of the Auditor General of Ontario. https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/specialreports/specialaudits/en2026/Ar_2026_SpecEd_EN.html
Yazdani, T. (2026, May 14). TDSB to cut 15 specialized kindergarten classes for students with complex needs. The Trillium. https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/education-and-training/tdsb-to-cut-15-specialized-kindergarten-classes-for-students-with-complex-needs-12283860
About Autism Ontario
Autism Ontario is the province’s leading source of information and referral on autism whose mandate is to build a supportive and inclusive Ontario for autism. It provides autistic individuals and families across their life course with community-based access to meaningful supports, social learning opportunities, information, and connections. The organization’s commitment to significantly and positively impacting the autism community is driven by its vision: Best life, better world, making autism matter!