New here? Start with our 2-minute guide to OAP registration , no sign-up required.
Education Guide
Start with one email. Identify the home school, email the principal, request a transition meeting, and gather communication, sensory, safety, and therapy information.
Case file
What's happening
Start with one email. Identify the home school, email the principal, request a transition meeting, and gather communication, sensory, safety, and therapy information.
Ask for it in writing today
Whatever you decide to request, put it in writing and date it — a verbal answer leaves no record. The School Support Navigator can draft a letter for your specific situation.
What records to keep
A dated log of calls, emails, and meetings matters more than memory once a dispute runs past a few weeks. The Parent Documentation Toolkit walks through what to track.
The rule or duty that applies
2 governing sources for this topic, listed below with what each one covers.
The escalation ladder
If the first request does not resolve it, there is a standard next step — from the school, up through the board, to the Ombudsman and the Tribunal.
The evidence
4 verified figures for this topic, sourced below.
What to do next
A short list of concrete next actions, including where to raise this with your MPP.
Begin transition planning at least six months before school starts. Contact the school to arrange a meeting with the principal and kindergarten team. Share your child's diagnostic assessment, therapy reports, and any relevant information about their strengths and needs. Ask about the school's experience with autistic students, available supports (Educational Assistants, resource teachers), and what the kindergarten day looks like.
If your child is receiving early intervention services (OAP, EarlyON, daycare support), ask your service providers to prepare a transition summary document. Many therapists are willing to participate in transition meetings with the school. Early communication sets the tone for a collaborative relationship.
Preparation should be gradual and tailored to your child's communication and comprehension level. Use social stories about going to school, visual schedules of a typical school day, visits to the school during quiet times to familiarize your child with the environment, and practice with school routines like using a cubby, sitting in circle time, and eating in a cafeteria.
Work with your child's therapists to target kindergarten readiness skills: following group instructions, transitioning between activities, toileting independently (if possible), managing personal belongings, and basic social greetings. Not all of these skills need to be mastered before school starts — schools are expected to support ongoing development.
Request an IEP or equivalent support plan before school starts or within the first weeks. The IEP should address communication supports (visual schedules, AAC devices, PECS), sensory accommodations, transition supports between activities, behaviour strategies, and safety considerations. Ask about the process for requesting an Educational Assistant if needed.
Establish a communication system with the school team — daily communication books, email updates, or brief phone calls at a frequency that works for both parties. The first weeks are an adjustment for everyone. Clear communication prevents small issues from becoming big ones and builds trust between home and school.
Ontario Ministry of Education
The Kindergarten Program (2016) and transition planning resources (ontario.ca/education)
Ontario Ministry of Education
Special Education in Ontario: Policy and Resource Guide — early identification and transition
Escalation ladder
This is general information, not legal advice, and no outcome is guaranteed at any rung. It is the same escalation path used across End The Wait Ontario's School Support Navigator.
Put your concern in writing to the principal. Most issues resolve at this level once there is a dated, written record — and every later rung will ask what you raised here.
If the principal does not respond in writing or the issue continues, escalate to the board's superintendent responsible for special education, attaching your correspondence with the school.
The board level: the Director of Education, and in parallel the board's SEAC (Special Education Advisory Committee) for systemic issues. Suspension appeals also live here — with a 10-school-day notice window (Education Act, s. 309(3)).
Since September 1, 2015, the Ontario Ombudsman takes complaints about school boards. It reviews how the board handled your concern — bring your dated chronology and the record of the steps you already took.
The HRTO hears applications about discrimination, including disability discrimination in education services. Applications must be filed within one year of the incident (or the last in a series) — Human Rights Code, s. 34(1). This site provides general information only; get advice from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (hrlsc.on.ca) or a lawyer before filing.
The answer depends on your school board because each board has its own rules and procedures for children who need help using the toilet. Check with your board before Kindergarten starts to learn its toilet-training requirements. If your child's need is related to a disability, tell the school what help they need, ask for an individual accommodation plan, and ask whether to send extra clothes for accidents. If the school says it cannot provide that accommodation, it must show the steps it took and the concrete reasons why accommodation is not possible.
In Ontario, school attendance is compulsory from age 6. Junior Kindergarten (age 4) and Senior Kindergarten (age 5) are optional. Some families choose to delay entry to allow more time for early intervention. Discuss the decision with your child's therapy team and the school, considering the benefits of early socialization and structured learning against readiness factors.
EA allocation is determined by the school board based on need, not by diagnosis. Having an autism diagnosis does not automatically guarantee an EA. Schools assess whether the student's safety, communication, or learning needs require dedicated EA support. Advocate with documentation if you believe an EA is needed, and request a clear rationale if denied.
Next steps
Commitment to Accuracy: Our data is verified against official government reports (FAO, MCCSS), peer-reviewed scientific literature, and accessible public records. Last updated: March 24, 2026.
Next Steps
Now that you know how it works, here's how to navigate it for your child.
Related Resources
Can autistic students get an educational assistant (EA)?
VerifiedSchools 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
What rights do autistic children have to timely services in Ontario?
VerifiedCanadian Charter of Rights (Section 15) protects against discrimination based on disability. The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits unequal treatment in services. OHRC has investigated the OAP waitlist as potential systemic discrimination. Families can file human rights complaints for unreasonable delays.
Source: Canadian Charter, OHRC · Verify Link