Many autistic students are denied a full education

Opinion

As students settle into the school year, the reality is that many will not experience full inclusion in the classroom.

Every child has the right to an education under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet, for many autistic students in Canada, this promise falls short.

Our recent study published in Autism Research uncovers why so many autistic students are denied their right to a full education and highlights what must change to make schools truly inclusive.

WHAT EXCLUSION LOOKS LIKE

Exclusion takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s overt, with students being told they cannot attend school for a period of time.

More often, it is informal or partial, where students are told to come on modified hours or days or sent home early because there aren’t enough staff to support their needs, or they aren’t permitted to participate in certain activities, like field trips.

In our online survey of 412 primary caregivers of autistic children in Ontario, primarily recruited through Autism Ontario, 42.3 per cent reported that their autistic children had experienced some form of school exclusion.

These exclusions have cascading effects on families, forcing parents to miss work and jeopardize their employment. They also drive some households closer to poverty.

Previous research from our team has indicated that many parents of autistic children, particularly mothers, struggle to maintain full-time employment as they need to be available to care for their children during school hours.

PREDICTORS OF EXCLUSION

Our survey also identified several important factors related to school exclusion.

Something that predicted lower rates of school exclusion was greater parental satisfaction with the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) — a legally mandated document meant to outline supports and accommodations for students with disabilities.

Analysis of parent responses to the open-ended survey questions revealed two critical factors contributing to exclusion: bullying, where autistic children are victimized by peers, leaving them isolated, afraid for their safety and more likely to avoid school; a lack of specialized training and resources for school staff. This lack of training and resources leaves autistic students without the support they need to participate and engage fully in school life.

These findings echo international patterns. Autistic students face increased risk of exclusion because of sensory overload, lack of staff training and the absence of genuinely supportive environments.

THE ILLUSION OF INCLUSION

The assumption that simply integrating autistic students into mainstream settings guarantees inclusion is not only misleading, but harmful. As many advocates warn, true inclusion demands a fundamental shift in attitudes, environments and policies.

Current failures are seen in the use of physical restraint and seclusion practices as well as insufficient funding and under-staffing that leave children’s needs unmet and their safety at risk.

Parents’ responses also indicated concerns about IEPs that are written but not followed, and lack of effectiveness or practical application of existing anti-bullying policies that leave students vulnerable.

WHAT MUST CHANGE?

If we are serious about inclusion, several steps are critical.

Schools must develop robust anti-bullying initiatives that foster a culture of acceptance, empathy and understanding of neurodivergence. In Ontario, the Ministry of Education requires all school boards to have bullying prevention and intervention policies.

While previous research has examined the effectiveness of school bullying policies more broadly, research is needed to assess their impact within Ontario schools, particularly in relation to neurodivergent students.

Staff training must be comprehensive, mandatory and ongoing, centred on understanding the needs and strengths of autistic and neurodivergent students. Indeed, previous research has shown that targeted professional development can strengthen teachers’ confidence and preparedness to support autistic students.

Greater collaboration is needed, with families and autistic youth being real partners in IEP planning and schools held accountable for following through. Classrooms must be tailored to be sensory-friendly and flexible, providing predictable routines and spaces for self-regulation.

Importantly, increased funding is also necessary. School staff, such as education assistants, are often required to support far too many students, with a lack of replacements when they are absent.

These issues ripple out to affect the entire classroom. A stable workforce of skilled staff with specialized training who are compensated competitively is essential if inclusion is to be a reality and not just a slogan.

A CALL TO RETHINK INCLUSION

The latest estimates from the Public Health Agency of Canada indicate that about one in 50 children and youth aged one to 17 are diagnosed with autism.

In other words, just about every classroom will likely have at least one autistic student, among other neurodivergences.

Integrating these students fully and meaningfully is important not just for their education, but also for the betterment of the broader classroom culture, as well as families’ employment security and economic well-being.

In addition to exclusions, our previous research found that many families elect to keep their autistic children home, or enrol them in alternative programming, because they are unable to find an appropriate placement within a public school.

The current system is not working for too many; systematic improvements are needed to ensure that all children and their families are supported to reach their full potential.

We must start by listening to educators, parents and autistic students to understand these students’ diverse needs, and then put the resources in place to make these accommodations a reality. Until then, many children and youth will remain either partially or fully excluded from a safe, meaningful and reliable education.

» Vanessa Fong is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia. Janet McLaughlin is an associate professor of health studies and a research associate with the International Migration Research Centre of Wilfrid Laurier University. Margaret Schneider is an associate professor of kinesiology and physical education at Wilfrid Laurier University. This column was originally published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.