Can autistic students get an educational assistant (EA)?
Schools may assign EAs based on IEP needs, but 47% of families report insufficient supports. EA availability varies by board and often fails to match clinical needs, leaving many autistic students without necessary classroom support.
Source: Ontario Education Act & OAC · Verify Link
How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
As of May 13, 2026, 91,974 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program. However, only 20,711 (22.5%) have an active Core Funding Agreement. This represents ~300% growth in registrations since 2019, with 71,263 children still waiting for essential funding.
Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · Mar 2026, FAO Report 2024 · Verify Link
What rights do autistic students have in Ontario schools?
In Ontario, students with autism have the right to an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and reasonable accommodations without a formal diagnosis, based on need. Parents can request an IPRC meeting to identify their child as 'exceptional', guaranteeing specific rights to support services.
Source: Ontario Education Act · Verify Link
What is the "Duty of Care" in schools?
Schools have a legal "Duty of Care" to ensure student safety. For autistic students who elope (wander), this means schools must have safety plans, supervision, and protocols in place. Failure to prevent elopement resulting in harm can be a breach of this duty.
Source: Ontario Education Act / Legal Precedent
Education Series
Educational Assistant support is documented in the IEP, but getting it requires knowing your rights.
Registered
91,974Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Funded
20,711Have active funding
Only 22.5% of registered children
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Waiting
71,263Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Verified , MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Still waiting | 71,263 |
“1-to-1 Support” is almost never written in an IEP anymore.
School boards assign EAs to the school, not the student. The principal then decides where the EAs go based on safety needs first, then learning needs. Most support is “Shared Support” (e.g., 1 EA for 3 students).
While you can't always demand a dedicated person, you CAN demand that your child's needs are met. If the need involves safety, the legal duty to accommodate kicks in.
If a student is a flight risk (elopement) or has severe aggression/self-injury, constant supervision is a safety requirement.
Focus your advocacy here: “My child is unsafe without supervision.”
Toileting, feeding (g-tubes), and mobility usually require dedicated support times.
This is often non-negotiable for human rights reasons (dignity).
Need for prompting or staying on task is usually met with “Shared Support”.
Boards will rarely provide a 1:1 EA just for academic focus.
Support during recess to help with social skills.
Often overlooked, but can be argued if safety/bullying is a risk.
A strong EA support request is specific, documented, and ties directly to your child's safety and learning needs. Here is what to include.
EA Support Request Template
"Dear [Principal],
I am writing to request increased Educational Assistant support for [Child's Name]. [Child] has documented needs that require dedicated supervision:
- Safety: [e.g., elopement risk, has left the classroom/building X times]
- Personal care: [e.g., requires toileting support, assistance with feeding]
- Learning access: [e.g., cannot access curriculum without 1:1 prompting]
Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, the school has a duty to accommodate these disability-related needs to the point of undue hardship. Please confirm:
1. How these needs will be met in the school day
2. Whether a SIP (Special Incidence Portion) claim has been submitted
3. What level of EA support will be provided and for which hours
If you are unable to provide the requested support, please provide a written explanation of the rationale.
Sincerely, [Your Name]"
An EA decision is easier to challenge when you can show what happened, when, and what the school committed to in writing.
For a full step-by-step system, see the Parent Documentation Toolkit.
Escalate in order. Each step gives the school a documented chance to respond before you move to the next one.
Put the request in writing to the teacher
Use the template above. Ask for a written response and a timeline.
Request an IEP or IPRC meeting
Ask that EA hours, purpose, and SIP status be documented in the IEP itself, not just discussed verbally.
Escalate to the superintendent of special education
If the school cannot meet a documented safety or personal-care need, ask the superintendent for a written rationale and next steps.
Consider a Human Rights Tribunal application
If a documented disability-related need is still not accommodated, this may be a duty-to-accommodate issue under the Ontario Human Rights Code. This is not legal advice, consider consulting an education rights advocate or legal clinic.
The Special Incidence Portion (SIP) claim is extra money the board applies for from the Ministry for students with extraordinarily high needs (usually safety/medical).
“Schools have a duty to accommodate students with disabilities to the point of undue hardship. Where EA support is necessary for meaningful access to education, it is part of the accommodation obligation.”
Based on Ontario Human Rights Commission policy guidance
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
Under the Ontario Education Act, every student with special needs is entitled to an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and access to an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
1 in 50
According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about 1 in 50 children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism. Timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement