Modified schedules and outright exclusions from school are an enormous obstacle that prevent a large number of special education students from receiving a free and meaningful education. Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) data for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years show that approximately 33% of special education students are not attending full school days, with the number one reason for the modified schedule being that the school lacked the resources to safely support the student. In 2024-25, six percent were not attending school at all. The consequences are absolutely unacceptable.
Max Simao was a seven-year-old boy with autism who loved his iPad and Christmas. He also had grown to love going to school and had really settled in this year. Max lost his support in late October when there was no longer an Education Assistant available to work with him. As a result, Max began what was supposed to be a short term modified schedule while the school sorted out further support. This exclusion meant that Max could only attend school for part of the day. On the afternoon of December 11, 2025, Max was tragically killed after slipping under a Hamilton bus when he should have been in school, where he had every right to be.
"We are so heartbroken and mad because we truly believe he would still be here with us, and would have celebrated the Christmas that he was so excited for, if he was in school where he belonged," said Chris Simao, Max's father.
Max's modified schedule had other effects on the Simao family. Max's mother Emily was missing shifts at work, during the busiest time of year, in order to care for Max. It must have felt like every day was a snow day. That sort of stress, combined with the constant effort to advocate for their child's education often leads to caregiver burnout.
"If this were happening to non-disabled students regularly, there would be immediate public outrage. It would not be accepted. It would not be normalized," said OAC vice-president Kate Dudley Logue. "Yet when it comes to students with special education needs, exclusions have quietly become routine."
The OAC is calling on the Ford government to end the normalization of exclusion and to commit to ensuring that students with special education needs are receiving access to full school days and a meaningful, safe education.
