June 09, 2026

Collective accountability happens when we are brave enough to acknowledge our errors and
committed enough to fix them.

Mom Is Very Involved: Defending our
fundamental right to education.

Ontario schools cannot provide inclusive education if they disregard invisible disabilities and
underestimate the significance of the accommodations that help those individuals succeed.

Parents, caregivers, and professionals must learn how to advocate for and uphold the protected human right to education.

Educators must learn to practice in ways that connect them with their purpose for teaching while upholding these same rights. One cannot exist without the other.

My experiences as a professional, combined with my experience as a parent navigating the Ontario education system, have reinforced my belief in the importance of the relationships between adults and the youth whose outcomes they shape.

Unfortunately, we have lost our direction, and the way education is delivered in this province is being significantly affected.

Many are eager to discuss this issue, but few are willing to take action to bring about inclusive change, and even fewer are willing to listen to those who are victims of the system’s failures.

For these reasons, I developed my group.

But first, the path to graduation.

Learning from home continued throughout grade 12. While it was not an ideal arrangement and negatively impacted our well-being, it was the better option given the school’s poisoned environment.

Two of the teachers who attended our home to support this arrangement were incredible, and if every educator conducted themselves as they did, our schools would not be experiencing the challenges to the same degree that they are.

The teacher who was involved in the second semester of grade 12 was invaluable. When she was present, I stopped worrying, started breathing, and was able to step back from being a conscripted teacher.

I also want to acknowledge the principal and resource teacher of Grade 12. They were trying, and I noticed.

During this time, the role of the school board’s leadership in creating and maintaining a discriminatory and toxic culture within the learning environment grew more and more obvious.

Thankfully, we had a lawyer to help us overcome the obstacles they tossed at us.

I wish everyone had access to a lawyer, yet no one needed one.

What I had been learning about the Ontario Human Rights Code, along with thorough documentation from grade 9 onward, helped us in our discussions with legal. It also helped the firms assess whether we had grounds for a human rights claim.

While accessing personal information through the Freedom of Information (FOI) process is usually unnecessary, there are situations where it may be important to do so—especially if your case is complex or if you have reasons to believe you haven’t received the services and supports you are entitled to. This Act allows you to request and obtain information about yourself. Each school board in Ontario has a process to facilitate this.

With each of our FOI requests, except the last, I diligently reviewed the information and organized it chronologically alongside the documentation I had already gathered. This allowed me to accurately demonstrate that what was discussed in meetings was not being reflected in the school environment.

Furthermore, it showed that the actions taken—or not taken—were not in compliance with the Education Act or the Ontario Human Rights Code. It also allowed me to demonstrate when information was being used to mislead or manipulate the truth.

I haven’t read the documentation from the last FOI. Instead, I choose an act of self-kindness, as there’s no reason to think it’s different from the previous ones. Our lawyer has the file and will share it when necessary. Until then, I see no value in enduring more.

Remember my March 2026 blog? I shared that we had submitted a formal complaint to the school board’s Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility Commissioner.

While hopeful that the Commissioner would take our complaint seriously, we were no longer naive, and at this point, had begun consulting several lawyers specializing in human rights, disability rights, and education law.

ARCH Disability Law Centre was very helpful in this process, and I will be forever grateful for what I have learned and continue to learn from them. If you are not familiar with ARCH, please take some time to learn more about the valuable work they do to uphold the rights of Ontarians with disabilities.

The Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility Commissioner responded promptly to our complaint.

We had a single virtual meeting that lasted approximately 45 minutes. The Commissioner used this time to explain his role. We were asked a few clarifying questions. Aside from this meeting, we exchanged some emails, but little else was requested of us. A few months later, he concluded that no further action was necessary, as no violations had occurred.

None of the other lawyers, after consulting the same information, shared his perspective.

Despite the infinite value of our lawyer, I believe it is unreasonable to require one in high school.

What does the need for a lawyer say about our education system? What does it mean when families are forced to seek legal representation to advocate for accommodations and combat discrimination?

How can we expect to change the outcomes that all levels of our education system claim they want to improve if families have to spend thousands of dollars on legal fees?

We know that most families cannot afford to fight this fight, which is one of the reasons why the discrimination persists. Another reason is the cost and time required to file a human rights complaint with the Tribunal.

This past February marked the second anniversary of our formal complaint. In other words, we have spent thousands of dollars and have been waiting over two years to access a system designed to protect the rights we are supposedly born with in Canada.

I want to clarify that we chose this option after exhausting all processes at the school board level.

School boards are operating like a fortress, protected by a complex maze that makes accountability and conversation virtually impossible. Change will only happen through pressure outside of its walls.

So, what does this mean for us moving forward?

The past cannot be changed, but we can choose its meaning and how we apply the lessons learned from our experiences.

That’s why I decided to share what I’ve learned with other families facing similar challenges.

I am committed to confronting a discriminatory and outdated education system and helping one family at a time.

Together, we can recognize that we no longer need to accept claims that change is impossible or that all accommodation requirements have been met when they clearly have not been.

We do not have to be passive or submissive to this system.

We can communicate the truth assertively and respectfully, and we can choose not to tolerate unintentional or willful ignorance and discrimination.

We can choose to protect the right to education.

Many important issues are being overlooked in the current narrative, with few voices gaining meaningful attention.

We can change this; together.

What will you choose to do?

Your ADHD advocate,

Lynn

March 18, 2026

Collective accountability happens when we are brave enough to acknowledge our errors and
committed enough to fix them.

Mom Is Very Involved: Just How It Is

Our schools cannot claim to provide inclusive education if they deny the existence of invisible
disabilities and the essential accommodations required for individuals with these disabilities to
succeed.

Our education system is fundamentally misaligned.

Grade 11 began with the same vice principal and a new principal.

I can’t deny that I was feeling cynical at that moment. I no longer believed that collaboration was possible. This belief was neither 100 % correct nor 100% wrong. A few teachers were very invested, and like us, they deserved better.

During the first semester of grade 11, we heard back from the Ontario College of Teachers. 18 months had elapsed since we filed our complaint, and the opportunity to take action that could have led to positive change had passed. Their follow-up was so late and their process so riddled with errors that it bordered on ridiculous.

It made no sense to appeal the decision. What was the point of having the same people review the same information for another year and a half?

The College confused the roles of the involved teachers, failed to interview anyone at the school who could verify our claims, and sought no clarifying information. They stated that I failed to prove my complaint and used COVID as a reasonable rationale for an educator’s violation of human rights.

They are supposed to protect the public.

They are not protecting the public.

The VP continued to behave as he always did. He was calm, lacking in compassion, and confident that he never did anything wrong and had nothing more to learn. On most days, I could expect multiple telephone calls from either the VP or the principal; the first one usually came before I had even crossed the threshold of my workplace. Each of these gentleman had their own unique style.

The VP usually called me because someone had told him something. The individuals involved were usually the same people. Many teachers, likely influenced by their own teenage experiences, remembered the most effective ways to hurt a teenage girl and rarely hesitated to do so.

The new principal adopted a more authoritarian approach and seemed to expect everyone, including me, to fall in line. He would approach my daughter to ask why I did not answer his calls. He asked me where I had been some days. He told me over and over again that my daughter just needed to be kind and that I was making the teachers uncomfortable. While an overused term these days, this is a textbook example of gaslighting.

He frequently talked about how the school system was outdated and no longer met students’ needs. Although he aimed to find common ground by sharing this perspective with me, it only emphasized our differences. He expressed his view of the system’s failures with resignation, stating, “That’s just how it is,” while I rejected that notion.

He was not interested in progress. He was interested in compliance, and under his leadership, the environment became even more toxic

I could write a novel about the microaggressions and blatant abuses that occurred during four years of high school. I have already shared many examples, and I am confident you understand the point.

I will highlight a few incidents to help you understand how learning from home became a reality.

The first incident involves a Child and Youth Worker (CYW). By the end of October, our daughter was spending more time at home due to the increasingly negative effects of the school environment. The principal recommended that a CYW be assigned to be with her throughout the day. The CYW was meant to be nearby but not overly involved in her activities. The school’s goal was for the CYW to help increase her classroom time, while we hoped that they would serve as a deterrent and a witness to any concerning treatment she might experience.

On November 1, 2022, within days of the CYW’s involvement, problems began, and I emailed the principal to express my concerns.

That same day, my husband sent the following email to the principal. I know you will have received a version of events from the CYW today. My daughter would like to add the following:

1. She was referred to as very untrustworthy by the CYW.
2. The CYW suggested, contrary to her original opinion, that our daughter has absolutely no potential.
3. Two girls told our daughter they saw the CYW take a photo of her. She has kept the text message.
4. Lastly, the CYW made reference to other EAs having attempted and quit working with her because she is too difficult. The CYW wouldn’t provide names because she wasn’t allowed to.

It is obvious that any relationship that may have existed or had the potential to develop is destroyed.

I hate to send an email in haste, but there has been a trend set; the first to submit the information is the most truthful.

For your information, review and discussion at a later time.

A few days later, the principal informed us that he had investigated the concern and that nothing had been substantiated.

A week or two after this unsubstantiated incident, another incident occurred. The CYW was recorded verbally abusing our daughter.

The audio recording made it impossible for the principal to deny that the incident occurred. We are unaware of any investigation being conducted. However, we know that the CYW remained at the school but was no longer working with our daughter. Many of her colleagues approached our daughter, making statements that the CYW was a good person who didn’t mean what she said and had simply made a mistake. The principal expressed sympathy for the CYW, suggesting he viewed her as the victim in this situation.

Another incident occurred on November 19, 2022, while my husband and I were out with friends. I was engaged in a conversation when one of them turned to me and said she had been with a couple of her friends the night before; both are teachers, and one works at the same high school our children attend. She shared that she had heard “all about my daughter”.

This is a clear violation of confidentiality, and I reported it to the school board. I am unaware of any actions or investigations.

During this time, I started to question whether these violations were part of a series of incidents rather than isolated events. This line of inquiry prompted me to speak with both the superintendent and the principal in December 2022. In that meeting, I discovered that the board had hired a human rights specialist. The superintendent encouraged me to write a detailed report outlining all of our concerns and to submit it to the human rights commissioner for review.

On January 6, 2023, we submitted a more than 70-page document and a formal complaint to the school board’s Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility Commissioner.

On January 23, 2023, another incident occurred. Our daughter had left the classroom with permission. The principal was unhappy to find her in the wrong bathroom. Only wrong because that is not where he wanted her to be. Not wrong because she was doing anything wrong. He and approximately six other educators positioned themselves outside the bathroom. Surprisingly, this did not help the situation. Nor did his comment about how a forty-year-old man should not have to babysit a sixteen-year-old. The teacher who had given our daughter permission to leave the
classroom came to the scene and spoke to the principal. Our daughter returned to class with the teacher’s reassurance that she was not suspended.

Coincidentally, that same day, I picked up the next freedom-of-information report from the school board.

Upon arriving home from picking up the FOI, the principal called me. He told me his version of events and said he was considering suspending her for the next day. He did not care for my response and told me, “If it is so harmful for her to be at this school, why do I continue to send her there?” He then stated, “If something was hurting my daughter, I would not continue to send her, I would do whatever it took”. Our conversation continued longer than necessary and ended with him declaring that she would be suspended.

This is a reprisal.

I then informed him that we would not be sending her back to school and that learning would take place at home.

On January 24, 2023, we received formal written notice of our daughter’s suspension. That same day, we initiated the appeal, and on January 26th, the suspension was rescinded.

They also hired a teacher to support her learning from home. 

It’s time for all parties to recognize that they are part of the problem, so we can focus on the important work of fixing it.

We need to acknowledge that more funding is essential, as well as more skills, knowledge, human decency, and compassion.

We must increase accountability and stop rationalizing abuse or discrimination. Professionals who cannot own their mistakes and believe they have nothing more to learn should not be granted access to people or power. School boards should not operate like fortresses.

It’s crucial for us to listen to all voices, including those of students, parents, caregivers, and educators who are struggling and seeking more support in the classroom. We need to understand that most of these individuals recognize how unmet needs affect not only their child’s learning but also the overall learning environment. The solutions are complex and cannot be found solely within the confines of the home or the classroom.

Your ADHD advocate,

Lynn

January 8, 2026

Collective accountability happens when we are brave enough to acknowledge our errors and
committed enough to fix them.

Mom Is Very Involved

Our schools cannot claim to provide inclusive education through a social justice lens if they deny
the existence of invisible disabilities and the essential accommodations required for individuals
with these disabilities to succeed.

Our education system is fundamentally misaligned.

A better place to learn?
Some of you may have wondered why we didn’t change schools, given our experiences at our current school.

The short answer is that we tried to.

At the end of grade 10, we talked it out and applied to our catchment area Catholic High School. It was late in the school year, and we were informed that they would not be able to review the application until the start of the next school year. That sounded reasonable.
We were confident that the transfer would be a straightforward process since our children had attended a Catholic elementary school, received all their sacraments, and this was their designated Catholic high school.

In September, the Catholic school was slow to respond, so I reached out to them directly. A staff member, whom I believe was an office assistant, informed me that they would not be accepting our daughter for this school year. The person on the phone mentioned that this decision was probably for the best, as the school was currently struggling with conflicts among the girls.

What an odd thing to say, I thought to myself. Did every female student who applied that year hear the same message?

I informed the person on the phone that I believed they could not deny the application because we are within their catchment area. She replied, “You’re right, we can’t, but we can say that we are unable to accept her because we cannot provide her with the necessary timetable.” Since they are a public school and she is in grade 11, taking the standard courses for that grade, this situation seems impossible. The person I spoke to appeared to be unconcerned about this misuse of their process.

I said nothing; by now, I had learned that this was part of the maze.

We submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to uncover the actual reason for her denial of entry. Thirty days later, we received the FOI response, which included only our original application forms and a scribbled note on the office calendar referencing a telephone call. The absence of documentation suggests that there may be no established student review process, no clear standards for documentation, or a possibility that information is being withheld. It could also mean that administrative staff are making decisions based on informal conversations regarding a student’s eligibility to attend.

This is how it would be done in the upside-down.

Over the years, I have observed that our local Catholic board has minimal documentation  practices. I’m not sure if this issue is common among Catholic boards throughout Ontario, but it may be worth investigating.

My FOI request led to an invitation to a meeting at the Catholic high school, which I attended. Ultimately, they offered admission for the second semester. To my amusement, every staff member they could find was present and gathered for this meeting. Picture a large boardroom with a long formal table. I sat at the center seat along one side, while at least ten staff members surrounded the table.

One of the people at the table was the principal, and she stated that the Catholic board does not recognize ADHD as a disability and that they do not provide accommodations for people with ADHD.

And that, my readers, is the focus of this month’s blog.

Is there a policy stating that the Catholic school board does not recognize ADHD as a
disability?

No, but I hear it from parents all the time.

Imagine how a board must view itself to state this so openly to so many people without fear of reprisal.

This strong sense of confidence drives many individuals, including students, parents, caregivers, and educators, to firmly embrace this belief.

If you’re interested in this topic, consider watching “Understanding ADHD,” which premiered on TVO Today one year ago. Around the 27-minute mark, it discusses how the education system denies ADHD as a disability.

ADHD is a disability.

Every person affiliated with our education system should recognize that they do not possess the authority to define what a disability is or is not. The Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) provides that definition for us.

“The definition of disability in the Code, and as interpreted in human rights case law, is broader than the Ministry of Education exceptionality categories. For example, human rights jurisprudence has explicitly recognized ADHD as a disability requiring accommodation under
the Code.[25]”

Better yet, “The OHRC has heard concerns from parents and advocacy organizations that some Ministry of Education documents fail to specifically name ADHD as an “exceptionality” and that, as a result, some education providers are failing to provide accommodation for this
condition.[24] “

Equity and Inclusive Education Policies.

Let’s take a moment to review the Equity and Inclusive Education Policies 700 and 701 of the local Catholic school board I have been discussing. They assert that they uphold the teachings of God and comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

In their policies, they clearly define terms such as: 2SLGBTQQIA+, accommodations, accommodations for students with special education needs, anti-racism, anti-racist education, anti-oppression, barrier, bias, caregiver, creed, culturally relevant teaching, discrimination, diversity, equity, gender, gender expression, harassment, inclusive education, intersectionality, positive school climate, progressive discipline, racialized group, racism, religious accommodation, sexual orientation, and social justice.

They do not define disability. In fact, it is only minimally referenced.

Section 10 of the Code defines “disability” as:

a. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis,
amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,

b. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,

c. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,

d. a mental disorder, or

e. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

And let’s not forget, “human rights jurisprudence has explicitly recognized ADHD as a disability requiring accommodation under the Code.”

The Code also affirms the social model of disability, highlighting the critical role that environments and attitudes play in creating disabling experiences.

What would the uproar be if racism and 2SLGBTQQIA+ were omitted? Would anyone dare to claim it is due to a lack of government funding? And if that were the excuse given, would you accept it?

Fellow advocates, keep in mind that the Code takes precedence over other legislation, including the Education Act. For your upcoming meeting, bring a copy of the Code, copies of their policies, reach out to the congregation affiliated with the school, and voice your concerns.

The discrimination against children with ADHD and other invisible executive functioning disorders will only end when we choose to stop it. Meaningful change occurs only when we hold ourselves collectively accountable.

Your ADHD advocate,
Lynn

November 10, 2025

The education system fails to acknowledge the environment they have allowed to develop.

Mom Is Very Involved: A lesson on
youth resiliency.

Teachers are essential.

They are as important as emergency services and healthcare professionals.

No other professional has the same access to and influence over our children during their most crucial developmental years.

Given their significant impact, both positive and negative, they must be regulated to the same extent as other essential services.

They should be held to the highest standards.

Governments, school boards, educational institutions, regulatory colleges, and many educators themselves have forgotten that without healthy youth, we cannot achieve healthy communities.

Our youth should not have to survive our public schools.

A Canadian expert on youth resilience.

Dr. Michael Ungar is a therapist, researcher, and professor at Dalhousie University.

I first discovered his work while pursuing my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree.

I have had the privilege of attending two talks on resilience given by Dr. Ungar. Both presentations took place in my local community: one was organized by the school board, while the other was facilitated through local partnerships aimed at improving youth mental health.

I wish more members of the school board had attended the conferences they helped to organize.

Key insights from Dr. Ungar’s research.

“In the context of exposure to significant adversity, resilience is both the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their well-being and their capacity individually and collectively to negotiate for these resources to be provided and experienced in culturally meaningful ways.” (Ungar, 2008, p.225)

“While positive thinking and ‘grit’ might predict better psychological outcomes for the general population, we can help more children with complex needs faster when we change their environments first.” (Ungar, 2015, p.16)

“Despite a popular belief to the contrary, children’s level of motivation to achieve positive developmental milestones like high school graduation or to resist substance abuse is actually less important than the resources children are provided by their caregivers, educators, and policymakers.” (Ungar, 2011)

“Sometimes young people cope in ways that others perceive as harmful but that clients themselves argue are protective. Children adapt to their environments in ways that make sense to them, given the psychological and social resources available.” (Ungar, 2004)

“Problem behaviours in poorly resourced environments can simply be an individual’s best ‘choice’ (though there really is very little choice!) to make do with what little she has.” (Ungar, 2015, p.41)

“An interesting example is the tendency of youth who perform poorly at school to leave before graduation. The strategy may appear to disadvantage them except that by their own account leaving a situation where they feel their self-esteem is threatened, and where opportunities for a good job in the future are perceived as few and far between even if they have a high school certificate, may be a protective strategy relevant in a particular socio-historical context (Dei et al., 1997).” (Ungar, 2015, p. 41)

“The map we are using to chart young people’s problems and their solutions is wrong. We’ve started with a map that is for individual change processes even though children who face significant risks need their environments changed before individual changes will be sustained.” (Ungar, 2015, p. 162)

Real examples of how our educational environments are harming our youth.

Remember the grade 9 English teacher? Well, here she is again, in grade 10, trying to undermine my daughter’s success. If this issue had been addressed in grade 9, perhaps she wouldn’t feel so emboldened to attempt it again in grade 10.

Before the quadmester began, the English teacher wrote the principal, “I have noticed that she is in my 2D English class next quad. I have some reservations with this one. One – she barely passed 1D with me and should be in an applied class, and 2, I had a great deal of issues with her in the class. My experience with her is that she is very disruptive and refuses to do work. Is there a plan moving forward with her? Can she work in the PLC or student success? I am extremely not comfortable with her in my class, given our experience last year.”

After not receiving a response from the principal, she reached out again, “I am messaging again about this issue as it is really bothering me and creating a lot of anxiety. I have taught her before, and I know exactly what to expect. I know that last time I taught her, there was going to be a plan in place moving forward for how to deal with her behaviour in class and constant phone use. I could send her to the office daily, but there has to be a better way. Can she work in the PLC with student success? I don’t want her to disrupt a grade 10 academic English Class. Please let me know what you think.”

Here is another example from a different teacher, “Good morning, I have spoken to (the principal) twice about what’s been going on…(you were busy or not in office). She has been sent to the office on 3 of the last 4 days. I had that civics class in the first quad, and not a single kid was sent to the office. Can you please read her Edsby observations and hold her accountable for her actions in the classroom?”

Unaware of this email, I had already contacted the principal about this teacher. I was horrified by his actions when I learned that he had pretended to lose my daughter’s phone after she had entrusted it to him. This was part of a new strategy we were trying to implement to help her break her dependence on her phone. Instead of doing everything possible to ensure its success, he did everything to make sure it didn’t. Following this incident, she found it challenging to trust teachers with her phone, granting that privilege only to a select few.

This was a lost opportunity. If successful, it may have been the start of a repair.

Remember, “Problem behaviours in poorly resourced environments can simply be an individual’s best ‘choice’ (though there really is very little choice!) to make do with what little she has.” (Ungar, 2015, p.41)

Young people cannot choose their educational environments or the adults working within them. Therefore, our government, unions, and regulatory bodies must ensure that abusive, discriminatory, stigmatizing, and ignorant individuals do not enter any school.

Children who have suffered harm grow into adults impacted by it.

Let’s establish a system that selects and supports professionals who enhance youth resilience rather than undermine it.

Your ADHD advocate,
Lynn