Balance Support & Self Care Studios Responds to Community Living Ontario's Call for Provincial Restraint and Seclusion Policy
Hamilton, Ontario — October 2026 — Balance Support & Self Care Studios supports Community Living Ontario's call for the Ontario Ministry of Education to establish clear provincial guidance governing restraint and involuntary seclusion in schools.
Students with disabilities and their families should not face substantially different practices or safeguards depending on which school board they attend. Ontario's own K–12 Education Standards Development Committee recommended in 2022 that the Ministry establish a policy with strict criteria for restraint and seclusion, mandatory parent notification and provincial reporting.
But provincial rules governing restraint and seclusion are only one part of the solution.
We also need to ask why students are reaching the point where restrictive practices are being considered in the first place.
For autistic and other neurodivergent students, sensory overload, communication barriers, unpredictable environments, excessive demands, lack of processing time, insufficient opportunities for movement or breaks, and inadequate accommodations can all contribute to distress.
Prevention therefore needs to begin before the crisis.
That means creating school environments that are more accessible from the outset, providing appropriate accommodations and communication supports, ensuring staff receive meaningful training in disability and neurodiversity, and helping educators understand the difference between distress and intentional misconduct.
It also means asking whether a student's behaviour is telling us something about what they are experiencing—and what we can change about the environment—rather than focusing only on changing the student's behaviour.
A sensory or calming space can be an important support when it is voluntary and accessible to the student. It should never become a form of isolation or punishment. The 2022 K–12 recommendations specifically recognized this distinction.
Ontario needs both: strong safeguards around restraint and seclusion and a broader commitment to preventing the conditions that make these practices more likely.
Every student deserves a school environment where they can communicate, regulate, participate and learn without having to reach a crisis before their needs are understood.
For more information, please contact our team at balanceSSCS@gmail.com
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Balance Support & Self Care Studios was created with parents and caregivers of individuals with diverse needs in mind. We recognize the value of the staff and community. We are committed to striving for excellence through inclusiveness, team collaboration, quality of services, and the participation and contributions of volunteers and community members. To learn more, please check out our website
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