Maria Garito worries about the meltdowns that will ensue and all the gains that could be lost if schools across the province close on Monday.

Her five-year-old son, Max, is autistic and non-verbal, and structure is key for him in senior kindergarten.

“When you take a child like Max out of school, you dismantle the work that has been done,” said Garito. “It takes them a long time to get back to that. Children on the autism spectrum really rely on routine.”

Whether that routine will be disrupted Monday remains unclear.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 55,000 school support staff, will continue bargaining Sunday with the province and school board associations.

All sides returned to the table Friday amid the looming threat of a strike. If they can’t hammer out a deal before Monday, CUPE members — including caretakers, school office staff, educational assistants and early childhood educators — will hit the picket lines. Boards will close hundreds of schools across the province, including the Catholic elementary school in Halton that Max attends.

For Garito, who lives in Milton, a school closure means dealing with “a very unhappy child.”

“The school worked really, really hard with me last year and dedicated a lot of time in transitioning him to school, getting him used to the routines and getting him used to his support staff,” said Garito.

Each week, Max goes to school for two full days and three half-days; in the remaining half-days, he’s in therapy. At school, he requires an educational assistant to help with things such as going to the washroom, accessing his backpack, eating lunch and working with his peers.

“Being in school and being loved and accepted is a form of therapy,” said Garito. “Just like every other child in the province, I want him to have the social-emotional connection to his peers and community.

“This government doesn’t understand what kind of work it takes for these kids to get used to their system in school. It’s not easy for them. It takes a lot of patience and time and a lot of resources.”

The Halton Catholic board is one of many in Ontario that have warned they will close schools in the event of a strike, citing concerns about student safety. The Peel, York and Toronto public and Catholic boards are also planning closures (the Halton public board will remain open).

A key issue for CUPE is job security — its members have seen hundreds of job losses, or cutbacks to their hours, as boards balanced their budgets for this school year. The union has also said it will not accept any concessions.

The province and school boards want to address absenteeism — both the cost and the “revolving door” of staff. Currently, CUPE members are entitled to 11 sick days at full pay, and another 120 for short-term disability at 90 per cent pay. CUPE staff average 15 days off each year.

If there is no school Monday, Max will stay home with Garito. She’s a teacher currently on leave from work because she is grappling with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.

She also cares for her son, juggling his school and therapy hours, and is not sure what she’ll do with Max in the event of a strike. On social media, parents have shared suggestions about kids’ camps. But those options aren’t available for a child like Max, who requires specialized care. Camps that do exist for children with autism typically have long wait lists and can be pricey.

“I have to just try and care for him at home,” said Garito, adding that trips to the park, grocery store or shopping mall can be overstimulating for Max, who’s prone to taking off running. “The normal, everyday things that parents do for their kids is not an option.”

The thought of Max not being in school makes the Milton mother anxious.

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“He’s not going to understand why he can’t go to school … He’s going to have meltdowns,” she said. “It’s difficult for me to de-escalate him.”

Garito said she’s “exhausted” from fighting for services for her son. Earlier this year, she was among a number of parent advocates who spoke out against provincial changes to the Ontario Autism Program that were intended to move families off long wait lists but left many with much less government funding than they required.

“It’s personal for me. This is my son’s access to school,” said Garito. “When school does open, kids go back to their everyday routine, but my son may not be able to go back to school because I don’t know if the funding is going to be there (for an educational assistant). That’s the scary part.”