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Education Series
The children in these classrooms
School-age children make up the majority of families waiting for OAP services.
Registered
Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
OAC FOI Dec 2025
Funded
Have active funding
Just 23.4% of registered children
FOI: 20,666 active
Waiting
Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
FOI: 67,509 waiting
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 88,175 |
| Have active funding | 20,666 |
| Still waiting | 67,509 |
Visit your school board's website and search "SEAC" or "Special Education Advisory Committee." Meeting schedules, agendas, and past minutes are publicly posted.
Contact the board's governance office or SEAC secretary. Most boards require 1-2 weeks advance notice. You may need to submit a written outline of your topic.
Keep it to 5-10 minutes (check your board's limit). Focus on systemic issues — EA allocation, ABA support gaps, exclusion practices — not individual student complaints. Use data and cite policy (PPM 140, Education Act).
Deliver your deputation. Bring copies for committee members. After the meeting, follow up in writing with the SEAC chair. Ask how your concerns will be addressed and what the board's response is.
SEAC Deputation — [Your Name]
Topic: [e.g., EA Allocation for Autistic Students]
Date: [Meeting date]
1. The issue (1 minute): Briefly describe the systemic problem affecting autistic students in this board.
2. The data (2 minutes): Reference specific policies (PPM 140, Education Act), statistics, or board data that support your concern.
3. Impact on students (2 minutes): Describe how this issue affects autistic students in the board — use anonymized examples if possible.
4. Your ask (1 minute): Make a specific, actionable recommendation. What do you want SEAC to recommend to the board?
5. Follow-up request: Ask for a written response from the board on how they will address the concern and a timeline.
SEAC is most effective when deputations focus on systemic issues affecting multiple students — not individual complaints. Here are the strongest topics for autism advocacy.
Ask how the board allocates EA hours across schools. Request the formula used to determine EA FTEs per school and how the board's special education budget maps to actual EA positions.
Ask what ABA-based programming the board offers for autistic students, how many Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are on staff, and how PPM 140 is monitored across schools.
Request data on modified days and early dismissals for students with exceptionalities. Ask whether the board tracks these and what policies exist to prevent informal exclusion.
Ask for the board's restraint and seclusion data for the current year. How many incidents have been reported? What training do staff receive? Is there a consistent reporting protocol?
This page is part of the Education & Schools topic cluster. School rights, IEPs, IPRC, and advocacy for autistic students in Ontario.
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.
Verified Facts
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)
88,175 — children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
1 in 50 — According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
23.4% — Only 20,666 children have active funding agreements () — 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