PC government to provide funding for schools taking on new students with autism

Ontario’s education minister is giving money to school boards to handle the students on the autism spectrum who will be transitioning into the school system as part of the PC’s policy changes.

Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce, made the announcement in downtown Ottawa Monday morning.

It comes after criticism from education groups, including Ottawa’s largest school board, that the PC government’s changes to autism policy would overburden schools with students currently getting intensive therapy outside the classroom.

Her department says it will give school boards an average of $12,300 for each new student on the autism spectrum who enters the school system, expand after-school programs and create an autism-specific teacher training course.