Roselynn Desousa is seen with her husband Antonio and their three children Ava, Emmarose and Mila. The family has been working hard to find autism support for the coming school year in Mississauga.  Photo: Desousa family photo

As parents and students prepare for the first day of school next week, a Mississauga family is struggling to find the support they need in the classroom.

Roselynn Desousa said her twin daughters, Emmarose and Ava, were both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Both will enter Grade 2 at St. Charles Garnier Catholic Elementary School in the fall, but Ava, who also has hearing loss, is struggling to keep up.

“I just hate that she’s now going into Grade 2, but she’s not really Grade 2,” Desousa told INsauga.com. “She’s just falling completely behind.”

Desousa and her husband Antonio have tried different things to help their daughter. The Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) program was not successful.

“We tried different instructors. She did not do well,” Desousa said.

They have met with school officials and have been on the waiting list for the Ontario Autism Program for two and a half years.

A school educational assessment determined Ava needs an educational assistant with her at school, but the board doesn’t have the funding, Desousa said.

The Ministry of Education did not respond to requests for an interview, and the local trustee referred questions to the ministry.

Desousa said she is exhausted from trying to navigate funding, services and supports.

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“At times it feels like I am alone in this fight, and I am deeply worried about her future and whether she will receive the proper help she needs to learn, communicate, and succeed in school,” she said.

“My daughters are bright, loving, and full of potential, but the system does not feel accessible or supportive enough for their needs. I believe many families in Ontario are facing similar struggles but do not always have a voice.”

In fact, the Desousa family is not alone, said Tanya Jewell, subject matter expert, education advocacy, for Autism Ontario.

Autism Ontario helps autistic individuals and families gain access to supports, information and connections.

Jewell said Desousa’s situation is really common.

“The boards don’t have the funding to be able to hire all the EAs they’d like to,” Jewell said. 

But even when the boards do have funding, it is sometimes difficult to hire the EAs, especially in northern or remote communities, she added.

A May 2026 Auditor General of Ontario report found an increase in EA absences in the last few years. The absences were primarily due to stress and student-related physical injuries.

While EA is required for some students, Jewell said there may be other ways to meet student needs.

“Ultimately the board is responsible for meeting those needs, but there could be a number of ways of doing it,” she said.

There are several options depending on the needs of the students. Autism Ontario outlines options:

Regular class with indirect support – the student stays in class all day, the teacher gets specialized consultative services.
Regular class with resource assistance – the student receives specialized instruction, individually or in a small group, within the regular classroom from a qualified special education teacher.
Regular class with withdrawal assistance – where the student is placed in a regular class and receives instruction outside the classroom for less than 50 per cent of the school day from a qualified special education teacher.
Special education class with partial integration – where the student is placed in a special education class for at least 50 per cent of the school day and is integrated with a regular class for at least one instructional period daily.
Full-time special education class.

School boards choose how their funding is best used to meet the needs of students.

Students’ needs can change over time, Jewell added. Parents should advocate for meetings with their school, particularly before the school year begins. 

“Sometimes parents are afraid to make a decision because if they pick this option or this option, they feel like it’s the rest of the child’s life for schooling, but we’re talking about one school year,” she said. “So let’s look at what they need right now. Is there an option that a specialized classroom or more supports would help them?”

In one example, Jewell said she supported a family with a child who would wander away from school. The student was attracted to cars and water. But this particular student was also a very rigid rule follower, so in this case, it was simply a matter of using some spray paint and cones and marking a “no-go zone.”

Of course, that won’t work for every child.

“The hardest part is there are no quick answers,” Jewell said. “It really is a dialog with the school. It’s a process. We want to get everyone at the table. We want to get them brainstorming on every option available, so then we can pick which ones we’re going to try and go from there.”

Many school boards are under financial pressure and Jewell suggests people work together to make the most of it. 

“Whether it’s how do we best support the student, and then if we need to advocate for funding, let’s advocate for funding,” she said. “But let’s make sure that our students’ needs aren’t lost and that we’re not losing any options.”

If families have questions, need support, or are looking for opportunities to learn or connect through social and recreational programs, they can contact Autism Ontario. The organization posts the latest information on social media and through monthly newsletters. If it’s school specific, they also have tips and information in their School Collection.


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