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)
School Support
Plain-language school guidance, the record to keep, and the next step available to your family.
When a school keeps your child out, that may be an "exclusion." This includes refusing entry, sending them home early, or asking you to keep them home. The Education Act (s. 265(1)(m)) lets a principal refuse to admit someone they judge harmful to other pupils' well-being. That decision is "subject to an appeal to the board." An exclusion is not a suspension. Suspensions have their own process and appeal rules. Ask for the decision, reasons, and return plan in writing. Informal "keep them home for now" arrangements are still time out of school.
Get the decision in writing
Ask the school to confirm in writing what the decision is, under what authority (exclusion? suspension? something informal?), and why.
Start counting days
Record every full or partial day your child is out of school, starting today. Dates are the strongest evidence in exclusion situations.
Ask for the return plan
Request the specific conditions for return, who is responsible for each step, and the date the school expects your child back full-time.
Ask for the board policy and appeal route
The Act says an exclusion is subject to an appeal to the board but sets no process — ask the board, in writing, for its exclusion policy and how to appeal. If they will not answer, write to the superintendent or board office and ask how your child will keep learning while out.
Send the exclusion letter
The generated letter below asks all of these questions at once and puts the school on written notice.
I need to understand exactly what is happening. Is my child being excluded under section 265(1)(m) of the Education Act, suspended, or is this an informal arrangement? Can you put the decision, the reasons, the expected duration, and the plan for returning to full-time school in writing? What is the board's process for appealing this decision? How will my child receive education while out of school? Please reply in writing.
Start with the principal in writing; escalate fast — days out of school accumulate.
See the full escalation ladderSOURCE
Government of Ontario • 2024-01-01
SOURCE
Ontario Human Rights Commission • 2018-03-01
Last updated: 2026-07-04
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