School Services
In Quebec, all children 5 and over have to be schooled. Children with autism/PDD however have the right to be schooled from 4 to 21.
Here is the registration process for the public school system:
- Get the official autism or PDD diagnosis.
- Go to your neighbourhood school to fill out the school registration form and submit a photocopy of the assessment report stating the PDD diagnosis.
- The school will then open a file on your child and send it to the school board. An educational adviser or a committee will study the file and determine which school setting will better serve the child’s needs.
- In Montreal, the French school boards have established three levels of service:
- Integration in a regular classroom: Children who are able to follow a regular academic curriculum are integrated in their neighbourhood school. The child may get the help of a shadow in the classroom, but the frequency of this service is determined by the needs of the child.
- A classroom for children with PDD: Specialised classes for 7 to 8 children with PDD. These classrooms are found in regular schools throughout the school board.
- Specialised schools: Children presenting with more delays and needing more supervision go to specialised schools.
- The Montreal area English school boards favor integration in regular classroooms. Children presenting with more delays go to specialised schools.
Please note that even if the parent has to register to child at the local school, it is likely that the child will be sent to a different school, chosen by the school board.
There are also a few private and semi-private school in the Montreal area catering to the needs of the autistic/PDD clientele. Please contact us for more information.