After autistic child's wandering from school, experts say Ontario's special education needs more support

It was Chantelle Bissaillion's worst nightmare on Monday when a school official arrived at her home just before noon looking for her daughter Amelia, whom she had brought to school that morning.

The Picton, Ont., parent and her husband then learned their nine-year-old — who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) — had gone missing during morning recess and that police were involved in a search.

While a neighbour searching town ultimately found and brought Amelia home in the early afternoon, Bissaillion, a mother of three, remains upset and shaken.

"You trust these schools to take your kid from the age of three, sometimes four ... and they're supposed to be safe," she said. "How can I send [my kids] back to school now?"