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When the School Bell Ends, So Does the Support: Three Solutions to Build Bridges.
By Kenneth Ajila.

For many youth living with disabilities or complex needs, the school day provides essential structure: visual schedules, consistent staﬀ, and predictable routines. But when the school bell rings, that structure often ends, and what happens next is often unclear.

Working across both school and residential care settings, I’ve seen the vulnerability that can result from that after-school window. Youth who thrive on predictability are suddenly navigating environments with fewer supports, fewer trained staff, and less routine. The result? Escalated behaviours, emotional dysregulation, and missed opportunities for meaningful engagement – not because youth are ‘acting out,’ but because these systems don’t align.

Communication tools like logbooks or notes sent home can bridge some gaps, but they’re not enough. When there’s no follow-through on strategies or no shared understanding of what happened during the day, youth are left to start over emotionally every afternoon.

A 2019 policy blueprint from the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance called after-school care one of the most under-supported time periods for children with autism in Canada, especially for youth over the age of 12. The report emphasized the lack of national guidelines for transition planning across school and community-based services.

Likewise, in 2022, the Ontario K to 12 Education Standards Development Committee identiﬁed transitions between school and home as a frequent point of stress for students with developmental disabilities and called for structured communication strategies to bridge educational and residential settings.

These are not abstract ﬁndings. They mirror what many frontline workers, including myself, witness daily: structure often stops at 3PM, and with it, so does consistency, support, and sometimes safety.

When Collaboration Works… and When It Breaks Down.

Educational Assistants (EAs), teachers, and Child & Youth Workers (CYWs) often do everything they can to support students during the school day, especially those living with disabilities and complex needs. In the best cases, collaboration between school staff and families ensures that this support doesn’t end when the bell rings.

I remember supporting a young student on the autism spectrum who responded well to sensory learning apps. Working alongside the classroom teacher and the student herself, I tested several apps to identify which ones engaged her best. I shared our observations in our communication book and followed up directly with her family. Because the family was involved and responsive, they could reinforce what was working at home. This kind of collaboration created continuity, not just in the classroom, but across the student’s day.

But that kind of consistency isn’t guaranteed. In group home settings, many youth don’t have parents/caregivers who can attend school meetings or write daily check-ins. Some families, stretched beyond their limits, place their children in care out of necessity, not abandonment, and strive to remain deeply involved. They show up. They advocate. And they stay in contact with schools and support workers. But when families are absent or systems are fragmented, that crucial line of communication can vanish. No check-ins. No Individualized Education Plan (IEP) follow-through. No evening routines built around what the school team has discovered works.

The result? Youth are left in environments that may not fully understand or reinforce their educational and behavioural needs.

The Ontario K to 12 Education Standards report stressed that many students with disabilities experience communication breakdowns between home and school, which can lead to a loss of behavioural and emotional progress when transitions are not well managed.

When The Gaps Are Felt Most.

When school ends and there’s no clear bridge to carry that support into a young person’s evening or weekend, the impact is immediate – and often invisible to those not directly involved. For youth living with disabilities, particularly those who are non-verbal or have complex communication needs, transitions between school and home settings can be disorienting. Without consistency, key goals in behaviour, communication, or learning can be lost in the gaps.

For young people living in group homes, these challenges can be even more pronounced – not because the group home model is ﬂawed, but because consistent follow-up often relies on strong collaboration with parents, guardians, or caseworkers. When families are actively involved, regularly communicating with the school and the residence, the kind of wraparound support that helps youth thrive can be created.

But in many cases, families are facing their own challenges (ﬁnancial, emotional, systemic) and aren’t always able to maintain that level of engagement. Some youth may have limited or no family involvement, relying instead on rotating staff or overburdened social workers to follow up. In those situations, important details can fall through the cracks: a teacher’s note might not get read, a staff member might not know what happened at school that day, or behavioural plans might not be reinforced consistently across settings.

These aren’t failures of intention, they’re structural limitations. But the result is the same: a young person navigating fragmented support, often with no one clearly responsible for making the pieces connect.

Three Practical Solutions to Build Bridges.

1. Strengthen after-school programming through inclusive collaboration.
Across Canada, many organizations (such as the YMCA, BGC Canada, and local community centres) oﬀer after-school programs that play a vital role in supporting young people. However, for youth living with disabilities or those in group care settings, consistent access or appropriate accommodations can still be limited.

This isn’t about pointing ﬁngers – it’s about identifying where deeper collaboration can ﬁll the gaps. By fostering stronger connections between schools, after-school programs, and caregivers, including group home staﬀ, we can create a seamless circle of support. Simple coordination, such as sharing daily updates or aligning goals across environments, can transform after-school hours into meaningful, safe time for growth.

2. Promote parent/caregiver-school communication as an ongoing practice.
Educators, EAs, and group home staﬀ often go above and beyond to communicate through notebooks, apps, or calls. But real continuity is achieved when parents/caregivers engage with that communication consistently. When this happens, students thrive; their needs are better understood, and strategies used in school can be reinforced at home or in care settings.

For youth in care, when family engagement isn’t possible due to personal or systemic barriers, schools and group homes can proactively step in with check-ins, shared routines, or collaborative planning meetings. This isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing it together.

3. Foster a culture of shared responsibility.
The support of a young person shouldn’t end when the school bell rings. Youth who experience barriers, such as communication diﬀerences, trauma, or inconsistent caregiving, often rely on a wider circle of adults. That circle must feel connected, informed, and responsible, not siloed.

Rather than expecting schools, parents/caregivers, or group homes to carry the load alone, systems should build in mechanisms for shared planning. That might look like joint IEP reviews, shared training on sensory needs or communication tools, or simply creating space for open dialogue. A culture of shared responsibility empowers everyone – and centres the youth in the process.

Kenneth Ajila is a Research Assistant at Youthrex, a Youth Worker, and an Education Assistant. He holds a BSC in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Benin and a Master's in Public Administration from Benson Idahosa University, both in Edo State, Nigeria. His passion for serving humanity inspired him to further his studies with a Graduate Diploma in the Social Service Worker program at Seneca College, York Campus.

When the School Bell Ends, So Does the Support: Three Solutions to Build Bridges.
By Kenneth Ajila.

For many youth living with disabilities or complex needs, the school day provides essential structure: visual schedules, consistent staﬀ, and predictable routines. But when the school bell rings, that structure often ends, and what happens next is often unclear.

Working across both school and residential care settings, I’ve seen the vulnerability that can result from that after-school window. Youth who thrive on predictability are suddenly navigating environments with fewer supports, fewer trained staff, and less routine. The result? Escalated behaviours, emotional dysregulation, and missed opportunities for meaningful engagement – not because youth are ‘acting out,’ but because these systems don’t align.

Communication tools like logbooks or notes sent home can bridge some gaps, but they’re not enough. When there’s no follow-through on strategies or no shared understanding of what happened during the day, youth are left to start over emotionally every afternoon.

A 2019 policy blueprint from the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance called after-school care “one of the most under-supported time periods for children with autism” in Canada, especially for youth over the age of 12. The report emphasized the lack of national guidelines for transition planning across school and community-based services.

Likewise, in 2022, the Ontario K-12 Education Standards Development Committee identiﬁed transitions between school and home as a “frequent point of stress” for students with developmental disabilities and called for structured communication strategies to bridge educational and residential settings.

These are not abstract ﬁndings. They mirror what many frontline workers, including myself, witness daily: structure often stops at 3PM, and with it, so does consistency, support, and sometimes safety.

When Collaboration Works… and When It Breaks Down.

Educational Assistants (EAs), teachers, and Child & Youth Workers (CYWs) often do everything they can to support students during the school day, especially those living with disabilities and complex needs. In the best cases, collaboration between school staff and families ensures that this support doesn’t end when the bell rings.

I remember supporting a young student on the autism spectrum who responded well to sensory learning apps. Working alongside the classroom teacher and the student herself, I tested several apps to identify which ones engaged her best. I shared our observations in our communication book and followed up directly with her family. Because the family was involved and responsive, they could reinforce what was working at home. This kind of collaboration created continuity, not just in the classroom, but across the student’s day.

But that kind of consistency isn’t guaranteed. In group home settings, many youth don’t have parents/caregivers who can attend school meetings or write daily check-ins. Some families, stretched beyond their limits, place their children in care out of necessity, not abandonment, and strive to remain deeply involved. They show up. They advocate. And they stay in contact with schools and support workers. But when families are absent or systems are fragmented, that crucial line of communication can vanish. No check-ins. No Individualized Education Plan (IEP) follow-through. No evening routines built around what the school team has discovered works.

The result? Youth are left in environments that may not fully understand or reinforce their educational and behavioural needs.

The Ontario K-12 Education Standards report stressed that many students with disabilities experience “communication breakdowns between home and school,” which can lead to a loss of behavioural and emotional progress when transitions are not well managed.

When The Gaps Are Felt Most.

When school ends and there’s no clear bridge to carry that support into a young person’s evening or weekend, the impact is immediate – and often invisible to those not directly involved. For youth living with disabilities, particularly those who are non-verbal or have complex communication needs, transitions between school and home settings can be disorienting. Without consistency, key goals in behaviour, communication, or learning can be lost in the gaps.

For young people living in group homes, these challenges can be even more pronounced – not because the group home model is ﬂawed, but because consistent follow-up often relies on strong collaboration with parents, guardians, or caseworkers. When families are actively involved, regularly communicating with the school and the residence, the kind of wraparound support that helps youth thrive can be created.

But in many cases, families are facing their own challenges (ﬁnancial, emotional, systemic) and aren’t always able to maintain that level of engagement. Some youth may have limited or no family involvement, relying instead on rotating staff or overburdened social workers to follow up. In those situations, important details can fall through the cracks: a teacher’s note might not get read, a staff member might not know what happened at school that day, or behavioural plans might not be reinforced consistently across settings.

These aren’t failures of intention, they’re structural limitations. But the result is the same: a young person navigating fragmented support, often with no one clearly responsible for making the pieces connect.

Three Practical Solutions to Build Bridges.

1. Strengthen after-school programming through inclusive collaboration.
Across Canada, many organizations (such as the YMCA, BGC Canada, and local community centres) oﬀer after-school programs that play a vital role in supporting young people. However, for youth living with disabilities or those in group care settings, consistent access or appropriate accommodations can still be limited.

This isn’t about pointing ﬁngers – it’s about identifying where deeper collaboration can ﬁll the gaps. By fostering stronger connections between schools, after-school programs, and caregivers, including group home staﬀ, we can create a seamless circle of support. Simple coordination, such as sharing daily updates or aligning goals across environments, can transform after-school hours into meaningful, safe time for growth.

2. Promote parent/caregiver-school communication as an ongoing practice.
Educators, EAs, and group home staﬀ often go above and beyond to communicate through notebooks, apps, or calls. But real continuity is achieved when parents/caregivers engage with that communication consistently. When this happens, students thrive; their needs are better understood, and strategies used in school can be reinforced at home or in care settings.

For youth in care, when family engagement isn’t possible due to personal or systemic barriers, schools and group homes can proactively step in with check-ins, shared routines, or collaborative planning meetings. This isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing it together.

3. Foster a culture of shared responsibility.
The support of a young person shouldn’t end when the school bell rings. Youth who experience barriers, such as communication diﬀerences, trauma, or inconsistent caregiving, often rely on a wider circle of adults. That circle must feel connected, informed, and responsible, not siloed.

Rather than expecting schools, parents/caregivers, or group homes to carry the load alone, systems should build in mechanisms for shared planning. That might look like joint IEP reviews, shared training on sensory needs or communication tools, or simply creating space for open dialogue. A culture of shared responsibility empowers everyone – and centres the youth in the process.

Kenneth Ajila is a Research Assistant at YouthREX, a Youth Worker, and an Education Assistant. He holds a BSc in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Benin and a Master's in Public Administration from Benson Idahosa University, both in Edo State, Nigeria. His passion for serving humanity inspired him to further his studies with a Graduate Diploma in the Social Service Worker program at Seneca College, York Campus.

When the School Bell Ends, So Does the Support: Three Solutions to Build Bridges

December 2, 2025 • YouthREX

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