# Sent home, excluded or on a modified day: what child care and school staff need to know

> Child care centres and schools in Canada must accommodate an autistic child's disability-related needs, up to the point of undue hardship, before refusing a place, ending one, excluding the child or shortening their day. This duty comes from provincial and territorial human rights laws, and it covers privately run daycares as well as schools. A centre's own dismissal policy does not override it, and sending a child home informally is not a substitute for support.

- Canonical page: https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/exclusions-and-modified-days
- Publisher: Rocks Make Pebbles (https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca)
- Topic: For child care and schools
- Applies to: Canada
- Last updated: October 1, 2026. Checked against sources: October 1, 2026
- Professional review: Not yet reviewed (waiting for review by a education lawyer or advocate (for example a legal clinic such as ARCH in Ontario), school principal or child care supervisor and parent of an autistic child)
- Drafted with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources listed below. Editorial policy: https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/editorial-policy

## Key points

- Human rights law expects child care and schools to accommodate a child's disability-related needs, up to undue hardship, before removing or limiting their place.
- Use inclusion help first: Special Needs Resourcing in Ontario, Supported Child Development in B.C., the Inclusive Child Care Program in Alberta.
- An Ontario exclusion is a principal's decision under the Education Act, open to appeal, with recorded reasons, notice to parents and a return plan.
- A shortened day should be rare: agreed with the family, written down, reviewed often and paired with a plan back to full days.
- Never send a child home informally, and never release a young child unless a parent or caregiver is there to take them.

## Can a daycare or school refuse, dismiss or exclude an autistic child?

Not without first trying to meet the child's needs. Provincial human rights laws treat child care and school as services, and providers have a [duty to accommodate](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#duty-to-accommodate) a child's disability-related needs up to the point of undue hardship before they refuse a place, end one, send a child home or cut their day. A centre's own dismissal policy sits under that law: the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) says policies and practices "that have an adverse effect on students with disabilities are open to a human rights challenge" ([OHRC](https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-accessible-education-students-disabilities)).

Refusals and removals are not rare. In a 2023 Statistics Canada survey, close to 1 in 10 parents of children aged 0 to 5 with disabilities who used child care said their child had been denied a space because of their condition ([Statistics Canada, released October 16, 2024](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2024010/article/00003-eng.htm)). B.C.'s 2024 Inclusive Child Care Strategy says children with support needs "are being disproportionately excluded from child care in comparison to their peers without support needs" ([B.C. strategy](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/child-care/info-partners-prov/inclusive-child-care/inclusive_child_care_strategy.pdf)).

Staff who reach this point are usually stretched and short of help, not trying to push a child out.

## What does human rights law say about child care?

Every province and territory has a human rights commission or tribunal ([Canadian Human Rights Commission](https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/find-help/find-help-other-agencies-and-support-services/other-human-rights-agencies)). In the provinces below, a provider has to show it could not accommodate the child before refusing or removing them.

| Province | Law | The test | Complaints go to (within one year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | [Human Rights Code](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h19), s. 1 and s. 17(2) | Accommodate unless it causes undue hardship, judged on cost, outside funding, and health and safety | Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (s. 34) |
| British Columbia | [Human Rights Code](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/00_96210_01), s. 8 | No denial without "a bona fide and reasonable justification", which includes undue hardship | B.C. Human Rights Tribunal (s. 21 and 22) |
| Alberta | [Human Rights Act](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/A25P5.pdf), s. 4 | Services "customarily available to the public", with a duty to accommodate to undue hardship | Alberta Human Rights Commission (s. 20) |

- **Ontario.** The OHRC says the duty to accommodate covers "publicly funded and privately funded early childhood pre-schools (i.e. daycares)". Factors such as "student or instructor morale" and "third-party preferences" are "not valid considerations". Before claiming cost, a provider "would have to show that they took advantage of any available government funding (or other) program". Safety counts, but it is important to "substantiate the actual degree of risk in question, rather than acting on inaccurate or stereotypical perceptions" ([OHRC](https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-accessible-education-students-disabilities)).
- **British Columbia.** The tribunal says a provider must prove it took "all reasonable and practical steps", and "It is not enough to point to some hardship and say no more could be done" ([B.C. Human Rights Tribunal](https://www.bchrt.bc.ca/human-rights-duties/services/)).
- **Alberta.** "Providers of goods and services to the public have a duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship" ([Alberta Human Rights Commission](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/issues-with-services/duty-to-accommodate-in-goods-and-services/)).

The child care licensing regulations we read for Ontario, B.C. and Alberta contain no rule on dismissing a child ([Ontario](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137); [B.C.](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007); [Alberta](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2008_143.pdf)). A centre's own policy sets the steps, and human rights law still applies to it.

## What should a child care program try before removing a child?

Use every support on offer first, starting with your province's inclusion program:

- **Ontario: [Special Needs Resourcing](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#special-needs-resourcing) (SNR).** Arranged through your municipal or district service manager, it funds resource consultants, extra staff, training and equipment "at no additional cost to families / caregivers" ([Ontario funding guidelines](https://efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Child%20Care/2025/EN/Chapters/Chapter3.1_EN.pdf)).
- **B.C.: [Supported Child Development](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#supported-child-development) (SCD) and Aboriginal Supported Child Development (ASCD).** Consultants work with staff and families on strategies for inclusion, and "families as well as child care providers may refer a child" ([ChildCareBC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/information-for-partners-providers/inclusive-child-care)). Waits can be long, so refer early ([B.C. strategy](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/child-care/info-partners-prov/inclusive-child-care/inclusive_child_care_strategy.pdf)).
- **Alberta: Inclusive Child Care Program.** It "aims to increase families' access to inclusive childcare and prevent the exclusion or removal of children from childcare programs", with consultation, training and short-term funding for up to 6 months. Licensed programs apply to the province ([Alberta](https://www.alberta.ca/inclusive-child-care-program)).

Next, write a plan with the family. Ontario requires an "up-to-date individualized support plan" for each child with special needs, developed "in consultation with a parent of the child" ([O. Reg. 137/15, s. 52](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137)). B.C. requires a care plan reviewed "at least once each year with a parent", and a record of "any behavioural guidance provided to the child, and its effect" ([B.C. regulation, s. 58](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007)).

Then change the day around the child: a predictable routine shown in pictures, a quiet space the child chooses, more movement, smaller groups and a trusted adult at hard times. Our guides on [supporting an autistic child in child care](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/supporting-autistic-children-in-child-care) and [meltdowns, biting and big feelings](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/meltdowns-in-child-care-and-school) go into detail.

> **Good to know:** Inclusion help does not wait for a diagnosis. B.C.'s SCD says "A diagnosis is not required" ([ChildCareBC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/information-for-partners-providers/inclusive-child-care)), and Ontario defines a child with special needs by the extra support they need, with no diagnosis named ([O. Reg. 137/15, s. 1](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137)). Talk with the family first: referrals need their agreement.

## Can a school send an autistic child home or shorten their day?

Only as a last resort, through a formal process, after accommodation. The Supreme Court of Canada, in a 2012 case about a B.C. school district, said: "Adequate special education, therefore, is not a dispensable luxury" ([Moore v. British Columbia](https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/12680/1/document.do)). The OHRC adds that "All students with disabilities, even students whose behaviour is disruptive, are entitled to receive accommodation" ([OHRC](https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-accessible-education-students-disabilities)).

### Exclusions in Ontario

The Education Act makes it a principal's duty, "subject to an appeal to the board", to refuse to admit a person "whose presence in the school or classroom would in the principal's judgment be detrimental to the physical or mental well-being of the pupils" ([Education Act, s. 265(1)(m)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02)). This is an [exclusion](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#exclusion). ARCH Disability Law Centre defines the term more widely: "any sort of removal of a student from the school or classroom that is not voluntary and is not a suspension or expulsion", including being asked to stay home ([ARCH toolkit](https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resource/advocacy-toolkit-your-right-to-not-be-excluded-from-school-in-ontario/)).

The OHRC says the Human Rights Code takes priority over the Education Act. Each student with a disability must be assessed individually before any sanction, including exclusion, and a principal "would need to be able to show, with objective evidence" that accommodation would cause undue hardship based on health and safety risks ([OHRC](https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-accessible-education-students-disabilities)).

Ontario's Auditor General reported on May 12, 2026 that the ministry "emphasizes that exclusions should be used as a last resort" but "had not established clear, province-wide guidance on when exclusions should be applied". In 2024/25, 39% of teachers surveyed at three school boards said they had observed or been involved in informal, undocumented exclusions. The ministry "will explore opportunities to provide further guidance" ([Auditor General](https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/specialreports/specialreports/en26/2026_SpecEd_EN.pdf)), and no new exclusion rules were in force on October 1, 2026. According to the audit, the ministry already requires schools to document the reasons for an exclusion, notify parents and have "a plan signed by the principal to support the student's return to school".

### Modified and shortened days

A modified day means a child attends for only part of the school day. Ontario's school regulation lets a board cut the day to under five hours "for an exceptional pupil in a special education program" ([Reg. 298, s. 3(3)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900298)), meaning a pupil an [IPRC](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#iprc) has found needs a special education placement ([Education Act, s. 1](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02)). ARCH calls a shortened day a "partial exclusion" ([ARCH toolkit](https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resource/advocacy-toolkit-your-right-to-not-be-excluded-from-school-in-ontario/)), and the OHRC has called for an end to the "improper use of exclusions" where principals ask parents to keep students with disabilities home "for part or all of the school day" ([OHRC](https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-accessible-education-students-disabilities)).

In April 2026, the Ontario Autism Coalition said a rising share of parents in its survey reported their child was on a "modified schedule" ([Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/11822549/advocates-urge-ontario-to-boost-special-ed-funding-report-exclusion-of-kids/)). Any change to the day belongs in the child's plan; see our guide to [IEPs, IPPs and IIPs for young autistic students](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/ieps-for-young-autistic-students).

## What are the rules in B.C., Alberta and other provinces?

The same human rights principles apply, with different school rules.

- **British Columbia.** In January 2025, the Ombudsperson began investigating complaints of "children, including those with disabilities, being excluded from school with little or no instruction", including students informally excluded "entirely or for much of the school day" ([BC Ombudsperson](https://bcombudsperson.ca/news_release/ombudsperson-investigating-exclusion-of-students-from-bc-public-schools/)). We found no published report by October 1, 2026. [BCEdAccess](https://bcedaccess.com/about-us/), a B.C. charity started by parents, tracks exclusions, including being asked to stay home and shortened school days ([BCEdAccess exclusion tracker](https://bcedaccess.com/exclusion-tracker/)).
- **Alberta.** A student a board finds in need of specialized supports and services "is entitled to have access to those supports and services", and the board must "consult with the parent" first ([Education Act, s. 11](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/E00P3.pdf)). In Grades 1 to 12, boards must ensure an [IPP](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#ipp) for every student identified with special education needs, and that teachers obtain "written informed parental consent on IPPs"; kindergarten has separate standards ([alberta.ca](https://www.alberta.ca/k-12-education-policies-and-standards); [Standards for Special Education](https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7d17d380-e56d-4ed0-bd3e-5e8628be84ac/resource/44926dd9-5c55-4ba4-8692-4d156570dfb3/download/2882799-2004-standards-special-education-amended-june-2004.pdf)).

> **Provinces and territories:** Other provinces fund child care inclusion too, such as Manitoba's [Inclusion Support Program](https://www.gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/centres_homeproviders/inclusion_resources/program-overview.html), Saskatchewan's [inclusion grants](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/entrepreneurs-start-or-exit-a-business/start-a-business/managing-a-child-care-business/start-a-regulated-child-care-centre/grants-for-child-care-centres), Nova Scotia's [Inclusion Support Grant](https://childcarenovascotia.ca/families/inclusion-early-intervention) and Newfoundland and Labrador's [Child Care Inclusion Program](https://www.gov.nl.ca/education/files/RTL-Policy-Version-5-FINAL-November-15-2023-1.pdf). Ask your licensing office or school board what applies where you work.

## What should staff and principals do instead of sending a child home?

Treat removal as the last step of a documented process, never the first response to a hard day.

1. **Accommodate and document first.** Put the plan, the inclusion help and the changes to the day in place. Keep short notes on what happened just before hard moments, what the child did and what helped. Ask a specialist for a [functional behaviour assessment](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#functional-behaviour-assessment) to find out what the behaviour is telling you.
2. **Involve the family and specialists early.** Parents know their child best, so ask what works at home. With their consent, bring in your resource consultant or inclusion agency, or at school the [SERT](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#sert) or resource teacher, board special education staff and therapists. If you cannot meet a child's needs with your current staffing, ask your supervisor, board or service manager for more help in writing.
3. **Never send a child home informally.** A call asking parents to collect a child early, or to keep them home for a few days, is still a removal, even if no one writes it down. If a child cannot stay, make it a formal decision: record the reasons, tell the family and plan the return.
4. **Make any shortened day a plan, not a habit.** Use one only if it is truly needed for the child's own wellbeing: ARCH says a board "cannot shorten a student's day because they claim they do not have enough staff" ([ARCH toolkit](https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resource/advocacy-toolkit-your-right-to-not-be-excluded-from-school-in-ontario/)). Agree it with the family, write it into the [IEP](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#iep) or support plan with the hours, the reason and the supports in place, review it often, and plan each step back to a full day.
5. **Keep the child safe.** A calm space is somewhere the child chooses and can always leave, never a locked or guarded room, and your province's restraint rules still apply. If a child goes home, hand them to a parent or caregiver: the Auditor General warns that "unsupervised exclusions place student safety at risk" ([Auditor General](https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/specialreports/specialreports/en26/2026_SpecEd_EN.pdf)).

> **Get help now:** If a child or anyone else is in immediate danger, follow your program's or school's emergency policy and call 911. If you think a child is being harmed or neglected, follow your child protection policy and your duty to report to child protection services. Never leave a distressed child alone, and never send a young child home unless a parent or caregiver is there to take them.

## What does the research say?

Research on removing young autistic children is thin, and we found no trial of ways to prevent it.

- **Planning with parents.** In a 2018 survey of 412 Ontario caregivers of autistic children, those more satisfied with the IEP process were less likely to report that their child had been excluded. Parents named bullying and a lack of staff training and support as causes ([Schneider et al. 2025](https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70088)). A survey shows a link, not cause and effect.
- **Getting back to school.** In UK interviews with nine excluded autistic students (average age 13), families described unmet needs building up to exclusion. Return worked with changes to the environment, strong staff relationships, an understanding of each student's needs and attention to wellbeing ([Brede et al. 2017](https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941517737511)).
- **Classroom-wide support.** In a US trial with 40 preschool teachers and 494 children, coaching in the Pyramid Model left children rated as having better social skills and fewer challenging behaviours. It was not autism-specific ([Hemmeter et al. 2016](https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121416653386)).

## Where can staff and families get more help?

**For staff:** your resource consultant or SNR contact (Ontario), your local SCD or ASCD program (B.C.), your Inclusive Child Care agency (Alberta), and at school, board special education staff. B.C.'s free Behaviour in the Early Years course counts for 10 professional development hours ([ChildCareBC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/information-for-partners-providers/inclusive-child-care)).

**For families:**

- [ARCH Disability Law Centre](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#arch-disability-law-centre) in Ontario, whose free toolkit explains the right not to be excluded from school
- [Autism Ontario](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#autism-ontario), [BCEdAccess](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#bcedaccess) in B.C. and [Inclusion Alberta](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#inclusion-alberta)
- [211](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#211-canada) for local services
- Human rights complaints, usually within one year, to the bodies in the table above. Ontario also has a Human Rights Legal Support Centre ([Canadian Human Rights Commission](https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/find-help/find-help-other-agencies-and-support-services/other-human-rights-agencies)).

If a family wants something to read, our guides to [meltdowns, tantrums and shutdowns](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/meltdowns-tantrums-and-shutdowns) and [visual schedules](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/visual-schedules) are written for parents, and [waiting for an autism assessment](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/waiting-for-an-autism-assessment) covers help that needs no diagnosis.

## Questions staff ask

### Can a daycare refuse an autistic child?

Not simply because the child is autistic. Provincial human rights laws cover child care as a service, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission says the duty to accommodate applies to privately funded daycares as well as public ones. A program has to look at what the child needs and what help it can get, including provincial inclusion programs. To refuse, it would have to show it could not meet the child's needs without undue hardship, which is a high bar.

### Can we end a child's place under our dismissal policy?

Your policy still has to follow human rights law. If the reason is behaviour linked to the child's disability, you need to show you tried reasonable accommodation first: a written plan made with the family, help from your inclusion program or resource consultant, changes to the room and routine, and notes on what you tried and what happened. Talk to your licensing or inclusion contact, and get legal advice, before ending a place.

### Can a principal send an autistic student home for the day?

Ontario's Education Act lists among a principal's duties refusing to admit a person whose presence would, in the principal's judgment, be detrimental to the physical or mental well-being of the pupils, subject to an appeal to the board. This is an exclusion. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says principals must assess each student individually and show accommodation would cause undue hardship first. The Auditor General says the ministry requires schools to record the reasons, notify parents and have a plan for the student's return.

### Is a modified day allowed in Ontario?

Ontario's school regulation lets a board shorten the instructional day to under five hours for an exceptional pupil in a special education program. ARCH Disability Law Centre counts a shortened day as a partial exclusion, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission has called for an end to the improper use of exclusions where parents are asked to keep a child home for part of the day. A shorter day should be a rare, written, time-limited plan agreed with the family.

### Do we need a diagnosis to get inclusion support?

No, not for the main programs we checked. Ontario defines a child with special needs by the extra support the child needs, with no diagnosis named, and B.C.'s Supported Child Development says a diagnosis is not required. Alberta's Inclusive Child Care Program is open to every licensed program. Referrals usually need the parents' consent, so talk with the family first.

### What counts as undue hardship?

In Ontario, only three things count: cost, outside sources of funding, and health and safety requirements. Business inconvenience, staff or student morale and other people's preferences do not. Before claiming cost, a provider is expected to use available funding programs, and a safety risk should be real and assessed, not assumed. B.C. and Alberta use similar tests, and in each case the provider has to prove the hardship.

### What should we do if a child is not safe to stay today?

Keep everyone safe first, follow your emergency and behaviour policies, and call 911 in an emergency. If the child has to go home, hand them to a parent or caregiver; never send them alone. Then treat it as a formal decision: record what happened and why, talk with the family, and plan the return together, with the supports that will make it work.

## Sources

1. [Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h19), Government of Ontario (e-Laws), July 1, 2025
2. [Policy on accessible education for students with disabilities](https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-accessible-education-students-disabilities), Ontario Human Rights Commission, March 2018
3. [Human Rights Code, RSBC 1996, c. 210](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/00_96210_01), Government of British Columbia (BC Laws), September 22, 2026
4. [Human rights and duties: services, facilities, accommodations](https://www.bchrt.bc.ca/human-rights-duties/services/), BC Human Rights Tribunal, May 22, 2024
5. [Alberta Human Rights Act, RSA 2000, c. A-25.5](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/A25P5.pdf), Alberta King's Printer, April 1, 2023
6. [Duty to accommodate in goods and services](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/issues-with-services/duty-to-accommodate-in-goods-and-services/), Alberta Human Rights Commission
7. [Other human rights agencies](https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/find-help/find-help-other-agencies-and-support-services/other-human-rights-agencies), Canadian Human Rights Commission, October 1, 2026
8. [Child care for young children with disabilities (Kerr, Findlay and Arim)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2024010/article/00003-eng.htm), Statistics Canada, Health Reports, October 16, 2024
9. [Where all children belong: B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/child-care/info-partners-prov/inclusive-child-care/inclusive_child_care_strategy.pdf), B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care, June 2024
10. [O. Reg. 137/15: General (Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137), Government of Ontario (e-Laws), July 1, 2026
11. [Child Care Licensing Regulation, B.C. Reg. 332/2007](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007), Government of British Columbia (BC Laws), September 22, 2026
12. [Early Learning and Child Care Regulation, Alta. Reg. 143/2008](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2008_143.pdf), Alberta King's Printer, September 30, 2025
13. [Inclusive child care](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/information-for-partners-providers/inclusive-child-care), Government of British Columbia (ChildCareBC), April 2, 2026
14. [Ontario Child Care and Early Years Funding Guidelines, Chapter 3, Division 1 (Special Needs Resourcing)](https://efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Child%20Care/2025/EN/Chapters/Chapter3.1_EN.pdf), Ontario Ministry of Education, November 2025
15. [Inclusive Child Care Program](https://www.alberta.ca/inclusive-child-care-program), Government of Alberta, July 30, 2026
16. [Moore v. British Columbia (Education), 2012 SCC 61](https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/12680/1/document.do), Supreme Court of Canada, November 9, 2012
17. [Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02), Government of Ontario (e-Laws), September 22, 2026
18. [Advocacy toolkit: your right to not be excluded from school in Ontario](https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resource/advocacy-toolkit-your-right-to-not-be-excluded-from-school-in-ontario/), ARCH Disability Law Centre, January 2019
19. [Special Education Needs (special report)](https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/specialreports/specialreports/en26/2026_SpecEd_EN.pdf), Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, May 12, 2026
20. [R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 298: Operation of Schools, General](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900298), Government of Ontario (e-Laws), December 1, 2025
21. [Advocates urge Ontario to boost special ed funding, report exclusion of kids (The Canadian Press)](https://globalnews.ca/news/11822549/advocates-urge-ontario-to-boost-special-ed-funding-report-exclusion-of-kids/), Global News, April 29, 2026
22. [Ombudsperson investigating exclusion of students from BC public schools](https://bcombudsperson.ca/news_release/ombudsperson-investigating-exclusion-of-students-from-bc-public-schools/), BC Ombudsperson, January 14, 2025
23. [Exclusion Tracker](https://bcedaccess.com/exclusion-tracker/), BCEdAccess Society
24. [About us](https://bcedaccess.com/about-us/), BCEdAccess Society
25. [Education Act, SA 2012, c. E-0.3](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/E00P3.pdf), Alberta King's Printer, December 11, 2025
26. [K to 12 education policies and standards](https://www.alberta.ca/k-12-education-policies-and-standards), Government of Alberta, July 30, 2026
27. [Standards for Special Education (Amended June 2004)](https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7d17d380-e56d-4ed0-bd3e-5e8628be84ac/resource/44926dd9-5c55-4ba4-8692-4d156570dfb3/download/2882799-2004-standards-special-education-amended-june-2004.pdf), Alberta Education, June 2004
28. [Inclusion Support Program: services, supports and access](https://www.gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/centres_homeproviders/inclusion_resources/program-overview.html), Government of Manitoba
29. [Grants for child care centres](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/entrepreneurs-start-or-exit-a-business/start-a-business/managing-a-child-care-business/start-a-regulated-child-care-centre/grants-for-child-care-centres), Government of Saskatchewan
30. [Inclusion and early intervention](https://childcarenovascotia.ca/families/inclusion-early-intervention), Child Care Nova Scotia (Government of Nova Scotia)
31. [Responsive Teaching and Learning Policy (includes the Child Care Inclusion Program)](https://www.gov.nl.ca/education/files/RTL-Policy-Version-5-FINAL-November-15-2023-1.pdf), Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, November 15, 2023
32. [Schneider, Fong and McLaughlin (2025): factors contributing to school exclusion for autistic children in Ontario](https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70088), Autism Research, July 2025
33. [Brede et al. (2017): autistic students' experiences of school exclusion and re-integration](https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941517737511), Autism and Developmental Language Impairments, 2017
34. [Hemmeter et al. (2016): evaluating the Pyramid Model in early childhood classrooms](https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121416653386), Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 2016

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Our guides give general information for families in Canada. They are not medical, legal or financial advice. If you are worried about your child's health, contact your family doctor or pediatrician, or your provincial or territorial health line (8-1-1 in most places). In an emergency, call 911.