Honourable senators, every year in October, I rise to speak about Autism Awareness Month in Canada. I often start by giving out the staggering statistics of people being diagnosed with autism each year, not to mention those going undiagnosed because of the lack of a national approach in diagnosis and wait times.

However, I usually also incorporate hope into my remarks and talk about good things that have or are happening — like the fact that it was 18 months ago that, together with the help from Senator Boehm and support from all of you in this chamber, Bill S-203 was passed, legally requiring the government to develop and implement the Federal Framework on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Unfortunately, while the framework and strategy have been announced, both are being universally condemned as being woefully insufficient and even a step backward. I will speak more to that at another time.

There are also good things happening in my hometown of Montreal, including the opening of the new Giant Steps Resource and Training Centre and the ongoing exceptional work of TACC, the Transforming Autism Care Consortium. But, colleagues, there is also distressing news out of my hometown this week that must be addressed, as it is a stark reminder that we still have a lot of work to do on autism awareness and acceptance.

On Monday, it was reported that 11 teachers at an elementary school in the Montreal area had been suspended pending investigation of some very troubling allegations. I want to be very careful in my remarks because we are still a country that believes in due process, and everyone involved here deserves that justice and fair due process happen.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t, in the strongest terms possible, dispel the myths about autism that are at the centre of these allegations and condemn the treatment of these students that is alleged to have occurred.

Allow me to be abundantly clear — autism is real. It is a recognized clinical diagnosis. It is not a weakness. It is not something that is being “preached” into someone’s head. It is not imagined. And anyone who believes otherwise should have no place in our education system and, for that matter, in this country, period.

Every child has potential for greatness in some form or another. While autistic children may not be able to learn the same way other kids learn, they have every much a right to an education as anyone else, an education free from mockery and, most certainly, free from abuse, especially if that mockery and abuse are coming from the very people entrusted with their safety and education. Colleagues, I truly hope that what’s being described here is an isolated incident.

Regardless, I wanted to draw attention to it because, after all of the incredible strides we have taken over the past many years, we must be vigilant in ensuring we don’t slide backwards and that we don’t allow these dangerous viewpoints to fester and spread. Thank you, colleagues.