(Canada) Jewish schools can't accommodate neurodivergent/autistic students

Oct 31, 2025, Canadian Jewish News: ‘Why don’t they want me?’ Families say neurodivergent kids are falling through gaps in Jewish day schools

https://thecjn.ca/news/why-dont-they-want-me-families-say-neurodivergent-kids-are-falling-through-gaps-in-jewish-day-schools

Ten-year-old Yaakov stands at the back of his Grade 5 classroom, shifting side to side and snapping invisible pucks out of the air. In his mind, he’s not in class at all, but on the ice—making the kind of save that wins the game and sends fans to their feet.

He does this most school days, says his mother, Ariel Davidson, who lives in Montreal. “He’s a solid player. He wants to be the next goalie for the Montreal Canadiens.” His favourite player, she adds, is Carey Price, the Habs’ former goaltender. “He knows every fact about the Canadiens. He’s only interested in hockey.”

But hockey isn’t really the only thing on Yaakov’s mind. Diagnosed with autism in Grade 2, he’s also spent years trying to find a place in the Jewish school system. “He goes around telling everybody, ‘I’m autistic,’” Davidson says. “I tell him, you know, it doesn’t define you.

But he pushes back and says, ‘If autism doesn’t define me, then why don’t they want me?’”

After completing kindergarten at a Montreal Jewish day school—which Davidson chose not to name—Yaakov was told he could only continue if the family paid for a full-time classroom “shadow” or assistant at $700 a week. When Davidson called other Jewish schools across Montreal, she says, “they didn’t even ask what his needs were. They just said they couldn’t accommodate him.”

Yaakov now attends a Montreal public school, fully integrated in a regular class. “He’s doing well there,” Davidson says. “His good grades prove the only barrier was the Jewish school system’s lack of will, not his ability.”

But the rejection, she says, has left an emotional mark. “He’s very connected to his Jewish life, but also not connected,” she explains. “All his friends go to Jewish schools. He hears about all these amazing things they’re doing, and he can’t be there. He’s a very smart kid, and he doesn’t understand why people don’t want him.”

Across the country, Jewish day schools are confronting a complex reality: families seeking inclusive classrooms for neurodivergent children, and institutions eager—but often unable—to meet those needs. While many schools have made significant progress in recent years, parents like Davidson say there’s still a wide gap between intention and access.

Gaps in provincial funding

The support provided to students with special needs, including high-functioning autistic children like Yakkov, vary from province to province.

According to Daniel Held, chief program officer at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Jewish day schools in Ontario have shown progress.

“Our schools have come a very long way in the past decade or two in terms of serving an increasing number of students with neurodiversity or differentiated learning needs,” Held told The Canadian Jewish News. “On one hand, we should feel proud about that progress. At the same time, we have to recognize that they still can’t serve every child—and that’s largely a function of resources.” . . .