Parents in St.Thomas, Ontario, are sounding the alarm after children with autism were left without the in-school support they say is essential for their safety, learning, and well-being. Families report that educational assistants have been reduced or inconsistently assigned, leaving students struggling to cope in classrooms not designed for their needs. The situation has sparked anger and frustration among caregivers, who argue that school boards and the province are failing to uphold their obligations to some of the system’s most vulnerable learners. As concerns escalate, parents are demanding immediate action-and accountability-from education officials.
Parents say children with autism are falling through the cracks in St. Thomas classrooms
Parents across the city describe a pattern of supports being promised on paper but rarely materializing in real time. Individual Education Plans highlight needs like one-on-one assistance, sensory regulation breaks, and visual schedules, yet families say staffing shortages and inconsistent training leave their children overwhelmed and misunderstood. Several caregivers report their kids spending more time in hallways, offices, or at home than in the classroom, as educators struggle to manage large classes without adequate help. One mother says her son, who is non-verbal, comes home exhausted and anxious, “not from learning, but from just trying to cope.”
Advocates argue that what’s missing is not just money, but a clear, enforceable framework that guarantees support. They point to key gaps:
- Inconsistent EA coverage throughout the school day
- Limited staff training in autism-specific strategies
- Few quiet spaces for de-escalation and sensory breaks
- Reactive interventions instead of proactive planning
| Need | Current Reality |
|---|---|
| Consistent EA support | Shared between multiple students |
| Calm, sensory-kind room | Ad-hoc use of hallways or offices |
| Autism-informed training | Occasional workshops, no follow-up |
Educators describe staffing shortages and training gaps behind lack of in school supports
Teachers and educational assistants in St. Thomas say they are being asked to support more students with complex needs than ever before, without the time, training or colleagues to do it safely. Many describe juggling multiple individualized education plans while moving between classrooms, leaving some children with autism without consistent one-on-one help during transitions, recess or high-stress moments. Several staff members,speaking on background for fear of professional repercussions,say burnout is rising and that even the most committed educators are stretched beyond what they can realistically provide.
Union representatives and frontline staff point to a combination of unfilled positions, short-term contracts and limited professional advancement as key barriers to providing meaningful support. Educators say they need:
- Mandatory autism-specific training for all classroom staff
- Stable, full-time EA positions assigned to high-needs students
- Smaller class sizes where several students require intensive support
- Clear crisis-response protocols developed with specialist input
| Issue | Impact in Classrooms |
|---|---|
| Vacant EA roles | Students left without daily support |
| Limited training | Inconsistent strategies for autism |
| High staff turnover | Constant changes in trusted adults |
| Overcrowded classes | Less time for individual needs |
Experts urge overhaul of funding model and mandatory autism specific training for support staff
Education advocates say the crisis unfolding in St. Thomas classrooms exposes deeper structural flaws in how Ontario funds special education. Rather of stable, needs-based support, schools are forced to operate within rigid envelopes that rarely match the real number of students requiring intensive assistance. Experts argue this leaves principals in a constant triage mode, deciding which child gets an EA for which hour of the day. They are calling for a shift to a clear, student-centred funding formula that follows the learner, not the label, and automatically adjusts as needs change throughout the year.
Special education researchers and autism specialists also insist that any funding fix must be tied to mandatory, autism-specific training for all staff who work directly with students. They warn that placing undertrained adults in high-stakes situations not only undermines learning, but can escalate behaviours and lead to unsafe classrooms. Recommended measures include:
- Standardised provincial training in evidence-based autism supports before staff are assigned to students.
- Ongoing professional development built into paid work time, not left to “optional” workshops.
- Collaboration time with speech-language pathologists, behavior analysts and classroom teachers.
- Clear accountability mechanisms linking funding to training completion and classroom outcomes.
| Key Reform | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Needs-based funding | Matches support hours to actual student profiles |
| Mandatory autism training | Reduces crises, improves learning and safety |
| Data-driven oversight | Tracks whether students are truly getting promised help |
Families call for transparent accountability measures and clear timelines for improving services
Parents in St. Thomas say they are done with vague promises and shifting explanations. They want a concrete roadmap that details who is responsible for what, and by when. Caregivers are calling on school boards and the provincial government to publicly release service benchmarks, track progress in real time, and openly report where supports are falling short. Many argue that accountability must go beyond internal reviews, demanding self-reliant audits, public performance scorecards, and mandatory follow-ups when targets are missed. For families who have watched their children struggle without adequate educational assistants or specialized programming,the demand is simple: measurable commitments,not rhetoric.
Advocacy groups and parents are also pushing for timelines that are specific enough to be enforceable, not just aspirational. They have outlined key expectations, including:
- Clear deadlines for hiring specialized staff and filling vacant support positions.
- Public reporting on wait times for assessments and support services.
- Transparent criteria for how support hours and resources are allocated among students.
- Regular check-ins with parents and guardians on progress toward service goals.
| Priority Area | What Families Expect | Target Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing | More EAs with autism training | Within 3-6 months |
| Assessments | Shorter waits for evaluations | Under 90 days |
| Reporting | Public quarterly updates | Every school term |
| Support Plans | Updated IEPs with parent input | Reviewed twice a year |
Final Thoughts
As the Thames Valley District School Board continues to face scrutiny from families and advocates, the situation in St. Thomas underscores a broader provincial tension over how – and how well – students with complex needs are supported in public schools.
For parents here, the issue is no longer abstract policy but the daily reality of children sent into classrooms without the staff or resources they’ve been promised. Their calls for more educational assistants, clearer communication and a binding commitment to one-on-one support place renewed pressure on both the board and the Ontario government to clarify where duty lies, and how quickly change can come.
Until that happens, many families in St. Thomas say they will keep pushing – at school meetings, board offices and Queen’s Park – arguing that inclusion without adequate support isn’t inclusion at all, but another barrier for some of the province’s most vulnerable students.
