Autism Ontario’s special workshop aims to help parents be heard by school boards

Autism Ontario organized a special workshop, to help parents be heard by the school board.

The Windsor Essex chapter of Autism Ontario organized the session at their center for parents whose children are living with autism. The workshop focused on helping the parents better understand their rights when dealing with school boards, as many face problems “on a daily basis” according to Livia Congi, program manager for Autism Ontario Windsor-Essex.

“We try to organize an event like this once a year to have parents understand their rights in the school system, just so they can better advocate for what their child needs,” said Congi, explaining why the workshop is important.

About 30 parents attended the workshop presented by education consultant Ed Mahony. The workshop was designed to support parents in asserting their rights and to teach them how to be heard in a respectful and positive manner.

“I can learn about what my rights are, and my son’s rights are, further, to be able to get him to what he needs to be successful at school,” said Tanya Sinasac, participating mother. “In Grade One, my son had full time Developmental Services Worker (DSW) support in the classroom, although they didn’t document it that way.”

Sinasac said the DSW support was pulled partway through the year and her son began to have problems.

“He was sent home unofficially, two or three times,” said Sinasac.

Another participating mother, Michelle Hrcan, has a nine-year-old son living with autism and said he has faced many barriers and obstacles. Hrcan said the workshop will help her because “information, knowledge is power.”

“Knowing the rights for your child is paramount, you have to have it,” she said. “Any child that steps foot on Canadian soil has a right to an education, the standard education that’s provided. I just want them to have what everyone else has.”

According to the People for Education Report 2019, the proportion of students requiring/receiving special education support has increased steadily over the last two decades. Ontario’s special education policy is based on the principle of inclusion—that every child, no matter what their learning needs, should have the opportunity to learn and thrive, and to be included in the education system. However, it appears that system supports are not matching students’ needs.