6 February 2010

Should my son be discriminated from preschool because of Autism????

| mitcore
Join the conversation
46

Hi all, it has been a long time since i have posted here

I am posting this today to get advice or find out the laws for discriminating an autistic child from entering main stream preschool, I was told by the deputy principle that my 4 yr son shouldnt be entering pre school until term 3 or even term 4.

They did not give a reason on why this is to happen, I had his preschool teacher, very rudely comment that it would be better for her because she needs to settle her *normal* children into preschool, she has another special need child attending her class and from what i know there is no issue for that child to attend in term 1, (this statement has angered me and i have been trying to find out what the laws are for discrimination),

I do have to say my son is not toliet trainned and from what i have been told they can not stop him from entering mainstream school because of this, my 4 yr old son is newly diagnosesed with autism and i am now feeling that i am fighting for him to be able to do what other children are doing, he attends an EIU with no issues to the lack of toilet training, he is not able to socialise with other children, but should this be an excuse for him not to attend????

I say no, he has a very good understanding on what is asked of him and will do most requests when asked for, has anyone else suffered like this, if so can you pls tell me what to do and where i stand as far as the laws are concerned

Thank you all for reading

cheers mitcore

Join the conversation

46
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

grunge_hippy said :

autistic or not, your child should be toilet trained by 4. unless they are in a wheelchair and impaired in some other way, then this is just an excuse. there are numerous websites that have many different methods of teaching toilet training, especially ASD children. google is your friend.

i know this because i am a teacher of autistic kids in a mainstream school. unless you start helping yourself, you are going to get nowhere fast. you are especially are not going to do yourself or your child any favours by starting their education on the wrong foot by pissing people off who are trying to help you.

Hi Mitcore,
This is the wrong place to be getting advice, you will only receive ignorant responses like that above. Therapy ACT will be able to help you and connect you with services to help your child. I’m a mum of an autistic boy myself, he was toilet trained just before turning 4, and only because he was copying his younger brother going to the toilet. Ignore the TT comments on here from people who obviously have no experience with children with autism, otherwise they would know that toilet training is a common problem and that some can’t actually be trained until they are 10 or older.

I would be upset too if I were you, your child has as much of a right to be at school as any other child, regardless of whether she is using the toilet or not. If your child has a diagnosis of autism, The department of education will give your child an STA who will take care of nappies etc. My little guy started a few weeks after the other kids, for his own benefit and not for the other children or teacher. It was so that the other children could settle in to the routine, because as we know our autistic kids need routine and structure and it is easier for them when the other kids are in the routine as well.

I’m sorry that you have had such rude responses on here, unfortunately this is the society that we live in and people aren’t always accepting. We will not be building any ‘bridges’, because our children need us to fight for them. If you do not have a child with autism, you have absolutely no idea of the challenges and hurdles we face on a daily basis. It is this type of ignorance that we have to face when our child has a meltdown in the supermarket and people assume they are having a tantrum.

grunge_hippy – if you teach autistic children like you say you do, then you would definitely know that toileting is a huge issue for kids with autism. Which school do you work in? I would not feel confident leaving my child with someone who doesn’t even understand the challenges they face!

Best of luck Mitcore.

georgesgenitals8:35 pm 10 Feb 10

TheDJPea said :

Jim Jones said :

TheDJPea said :

I didn’t read the comments above, however, the long and short of it is they CAN’T discriminate against your child because of autism.

No matter how they try and sugar coat it “We don’t have the facilities” “We don’t have the staff”, the fact is they don’t have the right to discriminate

Try reading the comments, Joel.

No need

Can’t discriminate? Really? Slippery slope, pal…

While you might think it unfair that you were turned away since they already have”another special needs child” in the class\school, not all special needs children are as needy as certain others.

The point of getting the Federal $12k entitlement (ask one of the services around town about getting support) is to prepare children who need extra assistance in achieving school entry, and working to diminish their disadvantage, by supplying Early Intervention (AEI) support services through your assisting panel service.
It used to be entirely school-prep based, in that it ended once the Consortium gave a child a Deemed School Attendance date, eligibility ended on that day.
Now its just an Eligibility End Date of around the 7th birthdate (with extension available).

But if people who work with children and special needs cases have concerns that the mainstream education system and classroom environment are not set up to deal with the specific needs of your child, maybe you could trust their professional judgement, listen to their interpretation of your circumstances , and take appropriate actions to address their concerns?
Unless of course you believe that Mother Always Knows Best, then you can go back to questioning the motives of people trying to help.
As a guide, question policy in the first instance, only question motives when you have evidence to support it.

Jim Jones said :

TheDJPea said :

I didn’t read the comments above, however, the long and short of it is they CAN’T discriminate against your child because of autism.

No matter how they try and sugar coat it “We don’t have the facilities” “We don’t have the staff”, the fact is they don’t have the right to discriminate

Try reading the comments, Joel.

No need

Some schools are not resourced to give appropriate attention to a child with special needs. Pre-schools in particular are usually staffed with one main head teacher and a pre-school assistant.

Toilet training is a big issue. A friend of mine kept her son back for a year as he was still not fully toilet trained (he did not have special needs). She tried for a month and was called down by the teacher a number of times each week to change his clothes. In the end she realised he was not ready. He has done well for being held back a year.

Teachers get a raw deal these days. They are expected to be super human, being able to cope with a classroom of children, act as social worker and deal with special needs all without support.

I would see if you can get into the program that allows a special needs child to attend mainstream school with a helper (don’t remember the proper name). They are paid by the Education Department to assist the child with classroom and play activities (if needed) which allows the teacher to get on with the job of teaching.

Clown Killer1:50 am 09 Feb 10

I would imagine that as a parent you would want a school environment where your childs nees were being met and they had the opportunity to grow and learn in a safe, well resourced and caring environment. Do you really imagine that forcing a school to take your child will provide that?

This topic has had my brain churning today 😉

@justanotherreader – what units and schools have closed down? In the recent closures most units moved to new schools.

Schools do need to be well supported in order to include all children – not just the kids with a ‘diagnosis’ but also those from ESL, disadvantaged backgrounds, gifted kids.

The special ed review has been completed http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/105341/Review_of_Special_Education_ACT_2009_Final_Report.pdf Not that I’ve read it yet, downloading now 😉

On the toileting thing – I don’t see that as being an issue with the right supports. I’m sure EIU are working towards it, as well as at home… but there’s no way a kid with, say, cerbral palsy who is dependent on carers for toileting but may be a close to or average learner with the right supports would be denied entry to preschool or school without challenge.

Make contact with these people, they’re brilliant

ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service (ADACAS)
(PO Box 144 DICKSON 2602)
2 Atherton Street
DOWNER ACT 2602
Phone (02) 6242 5060
Fax (02) 6242 5063
TTY (02) 6242 5065
Web site http://www.spirit.net.au/~adacas/
E-mail adacas@spirit.com.au

so long as you have confirmed diagnosis date, he will get $12k in Federal AEI support to use until he turns 7 (normally), find a Panel consortium and use it?

justanotherreader5:13 pm 08 Feb 10

I am sorry to hear about your son’s diagnosis.
A few years ago there were schools with special needs units around Canberra which helped children with special learning needs. I always thought this to be a sensible and practical approach to educating all children. Since these special needs units and the attached schools have been closed down, these children, as poorly equipped as they are, have been thrust into the mainstream education system under this ‘all inclusive’ policy. While I think ‘all inclusive’ sounds just great, it doesn’t work in reality. The schools are ill equipped to deal with these special needs children and the teacher’s spend most of their time dealing with the special needs kids at the expense of everyone else in the class. If you’re an average or above-average student, you’re all but invisible. Also, some special needs children lash out physically (probably in frustration of their surroundings). There are serial offenders in this category, however they are not disciplined like other ‘normal’ children. The special needs kids get off the hook with a warning (because of the fear of perceived discrimination against a special needs kid), and the kids they’ve attacked have to live in fear. I think it’s the ‘average’ kids who are discriminated against in support of the Government’s all inclusive education policy. Bring back school facilities which are properly equipped to handle children with these kinds of challenges.

I looked it up:
EIU = Early Intervention Units
“EIUs provide four hours (2×2 hours) of educational programs per week for groups of 12 children. Programs focus on attending skills, social interaction and independence and are held in preschool classrooms…”

ACT also runs “Autism Intervention Units (AIU”
http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/special_education

I probably should add that my son was stalked by a autistic child in primary school. The child was placed at the school because the parents wanted to send him there and they lived close by. He had problems interacting with other children and forming friendships so he would stalk other children and attack them if they wouldnt be his friend. If this didnt work he would move onto another child. My son was hit with sticks and finally the child attacked him in front of a teacher…fortunately he could get away.

I am in no way saying that your child will have these problems but doesnt my child have the right to have a stress free education too? Ultimately the boy was moved to a school which could meet his needs.

Lets be serious here – He needs the benefits of pre school where they can meet his needs. In a everyday preschool setting a teacher has to consider the needs of the other 24 kids too.

It is not reasonable to think one preschool teacher can manage a special needs child as well as all the other kids at the same time. It is not discrimination it is a reality – your child is not going to get the help they need nor are the other children. Everyone loses.
Standing on your digs and saying it is his right its great but doesnt really provide a sustainable outcome for anyone – especially your childs.

Better to seek assistance from your local Autism Advisor http://www.autismaspergeract.com.au/
and get the right help and the right preschool environment.

Wow I am blown away by the response to this issue, I had a very quick look at some of the responses and will read each very carefully,

I am currently talking to the powers the be and I have enquired about the discrimation, i am saying this not because of the lack of toileting but because they are *limiting his attendece to pre school* they are not allowed to do this to him it is unlawful, my information was recieved by looking at the dda ( disability discrimanation ACT 1992), it clearly states the above and from talking to my ppl they agree that is the case

My son is currently attending an EIU,

I have enquired about a special need school and are awaiting response
Thank you all for your response
I will read each one and respond to the comments
nice to be back on the riot act

cheers

TheDJPea said :

I didn’t read the comments above, however, the long and short of it is they CAN’T discriminate against your child because of autism.

No matter how they try and sugar coat it “We don’t have the facilities” “We don’t have the staff”, the fact is they don’t have the right to discriminate

Try reading the comments, Joel.

I didn’t read the comments above, however, the long and short of it is they CAN’T discriminate against your child because of autism.

No matter how they try and sugar coat it “We don’t have the facilities” “We don’t have the staff”, the fact is they don’t have the right to discriminate

It sounds very tricky and annoying. I think the preschool could have handled this much better.

how are you supposed to plan your life, if you’ve been expecting the child to go to preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays and you’ve planned work etc around it, and the preschool just suddenly says come back in 6 months.

I think the preschool needs to sit down, eplain their reasoning,and offer some solutions, or referrals to other services, or a list of things the child needs to be doing to be ready to come back – or something – anything really, other than just saying ‘P*ss off and come back another time.’

A friend’s child went to preschool not toilet trained, and not really speaking, and in fact preschool were the first place he started to get assessed for having some problems. Forcing kids who need extra help to just stay at home with parents who may be unaware of any problems, or unable to deal with them in any way is not a very good system.

To be honest I would seek out assistance with Student Support. They can provide the names of schools which have Autism Units attached and STAs/Teachers who are specifically trained to meet the needs of Autistic children.

PLEASE don’t be like one parent of a school I know. She forced the department to admit her child to one Learning Support Unit (high school) because it was closer to her home. The nearest Autistic Unit was a further 5-10 mins away. Neither the teacher or the STA at the LSU were trained to deal with Autistic children and as a consequence the teacher had to sit full time with the student. This child was unable to express herself or read/write. The abilities of the other students suffered and continue to do so as the mother refuses to admit she did not choose the right environment for her child. The teacher is exhausted every day and has thought about resigning as no one will assist with the student at all.

I’d seek out an environment that will assist your child and not impinge on the rights of others to learn and to do that I would start with Student Support.

If the preschool is not willing to take on your son, then they clearly do not have his best interests in mind and will not be willing to give him the extra support he will need. Do you really want your son in such an environment? As frustrating and wrong as it is, I think your time would be better invested looking into special education units in mainstream school settings. There is a non-profit organisation called Noah’s Ark, they are in several locations around Canberra and they run early childhood inclusive education classes. They have support workers there who work with special ed students in the mainstream classes. Their number is: 6287 1117.

Have you been involved with DET or ACT Health up to this point? Despite some public failures, they can actually be quite supportive, and would have been from a quite early stage (eg 2-3yo), noting you said this is a recent diagnosis.

Push the EIU for what you want and the services you need. You may need to be a bit assertive, but also remember that they know the system and can help you navigate your way through it.

Yes: Thats is what Malkara is for.

Fiona said :

perhaps talk to the school counsellors/resource teachers? If he is EIU/AIU, then the teacher there may be able to support with the transition. I doubt toileting will come into it with the right supports in place. If you don’t get the answers you want, perhaps trying to talk to the head counselor. If you have a social worker, talk to them. Get your therapy team involved with preparing the preschool and training the teacher and assistant/s involved.

+1

Seeing your son has a new diagnosis, you might also be in contact with the Autism Advisors – they can point you in the direction of therapy services to help with transitioning to preschool.

Autism Asperger ACT also have a great support group of parents who have gone through similar experiences to you – you can get into contact with them at http://www.autismaspergeract.com.au/ .

Good luck in finding a solution that suits your son and your family – don’t listen to the people on this forum saying such negative things – those who talk about toilet training a child with Autism like it is easy obviously don’t know what they’re talking about!

Good luck!

before going straight to legal action, try giving ADACAS (ACT aged, disability and carers advocacy service) a ring first – they’ll be able to help.
http://www.adacas.org.au/

Mitcore, I hope you have taken time to weigh up your options before taking the legal option. I agree completely with Jerry’s comments (post #8, well said), your childs needs are going to be unique to your childs condition as it falls in the ‘spectrum’ and specialist advice is what you need whether that advice leads to mainstream school or something more appropriate for your childs needs. The ACT has a lot of services available to parents of special needs children for free which you would be paying for in other states, but you do need to ask around. Speak to your EIU teachers, ACT Health peadiatricians, ACT Child and Community Health and especially other parents of autistic kids for advice on who to speak to and which directions to take. Having information from recognised experts in the ACT will help you to make informed choices. Through reading the posts before this one, you must know you are not alone. Good luck.

Holden Caulfield5:18 pm 07 Feb 10

grump said :

Can’t be easy having an autistic child but build a bridge and, you know the rest.

Get out of the poor me syndrome and expecting special treatment. Your child is not like the rest and has special needs – it’s your resposnibility to get him toilet trained like everyone else has to – so he starts later but get that done and stop whinging. Neither teachers nor other children should be expected to accommodate, at this stage, your child’s unpreparedness.

oh, and it’s “discriminating against” not “discriminated from”

+1

And also to lizw.

Seriously, you’ve managed to use the internet to post this piece on RiotACT but it sounds like you haven’t researched the Discrimination Act.

Apart from that, best of luck in finding a workable solution for you and your son.

Hi Mitcore,

perhaps talk to the school counsellors/resource teachers? If he is EIU/AIU, then the teacher there may be able to support with the transition. I doubt toileting will come into it with the right supports in place. If you don’t get the answers you want, perhaps trying to talk to the head counselor. If you have a social worker, talk to them. Get your therapy team involved with preparing the preschool and training the teacher and assistant/s involved.

Good luck.

grunge_hippy4:57 pm 07 Feb 10

autistic or not, your child should be toilet trained by 4. unless they are in a wheelchair and impaired in some other way, then this is just an excuse. there are numerous websites that have many different methods of teaching toilet training, especially ASD children. google is your friend.

I agree with eh_steve. call the ed dept. and sort it out. there are early intervention programs as well as preschool autistic units at turner, isabella plains, monash (i think), malkara to name a few. stop sitting on the net whinging to morons who know nothing about everything and ask the people who are actually going to help you. they are not the enemy. they are there to help you and your child.

i know this because i am a teacher of autistic kids in a mainstream school. unless you start helping yourself, you are going to get nowhere fast. you are especially are not going to do yourself or your child any favours by starting their education on the wrong foot by pissing people off who are trying to help you.

I am the parent of a girl with AS. It’s not easy, but going in with all guns blazing doesn’t help.

If would go back to the preschool teacher and deputy principal, and school councillor at a previously arranged time, and have a chat. Do some research beforehand on Departmental policies regarding preschool for neurotypical children, and then do some figure out what your child is or isn’t capable of doing.

It could be a case of easing him into the preschool environment, as much as for him, as for the other kids. You don’t say where he is on the spectrum, but that may have some bearing on how much he can handle at one time.

It might be that he’s better off not going to preschool this year. Lots of kids are held back for all sorts of reasons. Does he really need to go to preschool this year, or would he be better off at home for another year while he’s being toilet trained, and getting ready for dealing with other people. Is Pre-preschool (such as Kidstart) an option for you.

If you really do want him at preschool this year for all the right motives, then patiently, politely, and constructively prepare your reasons. Get information from people like Sue Larkey, Anna Tullemans (they each have websites), contact the school again, contact the department, the ASD Support Group in Canberra. But, from experience, stay positive, polite, calm, rational. Take an advocate if you think you can’t do this when you talk to the school. Sometimes it’s too hard for us parents, and we need someone to do it on our behalf. But don’t get their backs up, don’t threaten legal action (we’re not in the US of A,thank goodness), but hang in there.

On a final note, if you do end up needing a solicitor, local lawyer David Lander would have the approporiate experience:

http://australiandivorce.blogspot.com/2009/10/duty-of-lawyers-in-advocating-for.html

(ignore the ‘divorce’ label – the case in question has nothing to do with that)

Steps you should follow:
1. do your research so you can get the outcome you want:
a) contact an autism support group/network
b) contact P&C Council – there are some really good disabilities people that are part of the executive and they can help you
c) go back to your doctor and discuss your options

2. get some advice about whether you really do want to mainstream your child.
If you just have a new diagnosis, be aware that you could still have a bit to learn about how to negotiate the system. You might find a special school is best. You might also find that your child could cope (or even thrive) in a mainstream school, but the system is reluctant to put the effort in (which is where I suspect your concern is). The worst case will be if your child is severe enough to need help, but not severe enough to deserve funding. This happens a lot, and some schools are famous for turning away these children (with the ‘we can’t help you, do somewhere else’ line).

3. then (and only then) – go back to the school in question and try to negotiate a good outcome. If you are ‘in area’, you have a better chance.

4. if that fails, and you still want to go there, contact the department – the special needs section is probably a good start (avoid the regional directors, they are not there to help you). You might want to contact an advocacy service too, to go in to bat for/with you (probably do this before even going near a lawyer).

5. if you are completely fed up, contact the human rights commission and the ombudsman. There was a landmark case in NSW (Sydney i think) that pretty well ruled a school is not allowed to refuse a disabled student – even if it involves extra resourcing.

6. Note that I have not mentioned a lawyer. It probably isn;t worth your effort unless you are prepared to show the system is inherently discriminatory. In that case, you are actually fighting for a better outcome for eveyone else, and by the time it is resolved you child certainly won’t be in preschool.

I realise that a spceial school instantly limits your child’s future options (a problem if your child is high functioning), but your child might be happier there and end up with a better life in the long run (if your child is not so high functioning).

Sorry for the long post. Too much time with people in tight situations like this.

The lack of toilet training is a BIG issue. Pre-school is preparation for school – not daycare. There are certain stages of development a child (“normal” or otherwise) needs to have achieved before starting formal schooling – and toilet training is certainly one of them. I think whoever has given you advice on the toilet-training issue is absolutely incorrect.

I personally think, before you start throwing “discrimination” around, you need to get the school’s response in writing – particularly as they haven’t clearly articulated their position. Once you have that, you will be able to get clear advice from DET, and, should it be necessary – legal advice. Schools have access to DET funding to assist with schooling children with special needs, though this is usually woefully inadequate, and funding ‘kicks-in’ at a surprisingly (at least to me) high level of ‘need’. You should also get used to speaking to your child’s teachers about your childs needs, because; a) no-one knows him better than you, and b) it is unusual for the school to pass this information on to classroom teachers… I had a child in one class who had very complex mental health issues, and could become violent and aggressive, but the school didn’t let me know that until I had made several requests for assistance in dealing with his behaviour…

Try checking if there are any mainstream schools that specialise in catering to students with special needs, I’m pretty sure Turner school is one of those, and Isabella Plains Early Childhood School definitely has a program for autistic students.

Definitely get in touch with the Ed Department, just call Canberra Connect to find the right area.

Can’t be easy having an autistic child but build a bridge and, you know the rest.

Get out of the poor me syndrome and expecting special treatment. Your child is not like the rest and has special needs – it’s your resposnibility to get him toilet trained like everyone else has to – so he starts later but get that done and stop whinging. Neither teachers nor other children should be expected to accommodate, at this stage, your child’s unpreparedness.

oh, and it’s “discriminating against” not “discriminated from”

I agree with most of the posters here. Sad that some seem to immediately treat anyone involved in the education sector as ‘the enemy’ (the same kind of attitude so prominently displayed in any discussion of the myschool website).

I can understand why you’d be angry. But the ‘discrimination’ that is occurring here doesn’t sound malicious or bigoted, the simple fact is that the bulk of government funded mainstream pre-schools simply won’t have the resources or the expertise to be able to adequately meet your child’s needs while attending to the needs of the other children.

It’s all too easy to take solace by retreating to the idea that it’s unfair and that your child has a right to go to preschool like everyone else – but it you hamfistedly force this through, it will be to the detriment of everyone: the other children in the preschool, the teachers, your child and yourself.

For the record, I have friends with autistic children and have seen at close hand what can be involved with coping with this sort of challenge.

Obviously, as well as contacting DEST to see what sort of additional resources might be available, you should contact: http://www.autismaus.com.au/

The needs of all the children involved need to be taken into account – the other children have the right to a productive and calm environment. If your son is newly diagnosed, and isn’t toilet trained, wouldn’t it make sense to proceed in a measured way, see incontinence specialists, frame up an action plan (you’ll need to speak bureaucratese) and get the education department on your side? If your real need is for respite care, that’s a separate issue at the moment – are you sure your own desperate needs aren’t being muddied with those of your son?

Calling in legislation and getting them all offside will inevitably lead to a bad outcome. It sounds as though you need quite some guidance from parents who have learnt how to negotiate the system.

If your son is going to exhibit behaviours that are persistently distressing to the other children, and occupy a disproportionate amount of the teacher’s time, then you’d have to sympathise with the deputy principal for taking fright a little.

If your son won’t be able to socialise with the other children, would it make more sense to place him in an intensive therapy situation initially, until he can interact somewhat? I think there’s a model in Queensland.

Unfortunately, you risk a pyrrhic victory here – an in principle endorsement of your son’s rights – and a judicial/administrative decision that there is no realistic chance of the relationship with that school mending, so no decision to over-rule the principal.

one would hope the deputy & principal would discriminate – i don’t mean that in the pejorative, rather that s/he should be able to discriminate which children need what level of care – and if their school isn’t geared up for your child’s needs then they need to be frank. doesn’t excuse rudeness, of course.

i have done some work in a centre who’s research was based around the autism spectrum and i have every sympathy for you – with a still v. young infant i am hoping every day he will be a neuro-normal, but if not, then i know i will have a battle on my hands to have him accepted for who he is/will be…

swamiOFswank9:48 am 07 Feb 10

Speaking from experience – although not closely connected with Autism, there are a couple of things I’d like to say to you, Mitcore.

a) The sad reality is that depending on the severity of your son’s Autism, you ARE going to have to fight for services – probably for at least the next 20 years.

b) You really will want people around you who can help. There’s a fine line between advocating for your son, and becoming an aggressive, angry psycho-parent that people who can help, recoil from. Keep it positive, polite and avoid threats of litigation. Keep the ‘discrimination’ button for pressing in a bigger emergency than you have right now (you’re bound to have one). The system stinks, but people will help…if you can keep it positive.

c) You’re not alone! Join some Autism support groups – including online. There are great resources available, with behaviour management and socialisation strategies and techniques you can begin to implement yourself. Having the support of other parents facing similar issues may just keep you sane.

I wish you all the best – and a perspective that will keep you focused on meeting your sons needs, yet with objectivity, and an acceptance that MOST people have you and your son’s best interests at heart.

bd84’s advice to get hold of someone at DET (I suggest someone in Student Support) who can advise you on what you can and can’t expect is very wise. I suspect that, if your son would be as big a handful for staff as other posters are suggesting, there is probably funding available for a teacher’s aide to allow for his inclusion. Education departments in all jurisdictions in Australia have an inclusion policy on children with special needs, so I would try to find out about how they put their inclusion policy into effect. I know, for instance that pre-school students with Autism have access to an ‘Autism Intervention Unit’ IN ADDITION to pre-school.

On the other hand, the toilet training issue is not a small one. My boy is starting pre-school this year, and he only got out of nappies very recently; until then we were worried that he might miss pre-school as they simply wouldn’t take him unless he was toileting (which is fair enough).

I think that you should be able to expect that your school should not discriminate between your son and another child with special needs on the basis of a condition like autism, but that they may reasonably discriminate between a child who is toilet-trained and one who is not. You probably need to try to get a clearer picture of your principal’s concerns, as well as your/your son’s rights.

It should be remembered that autism is a “spectrum” disorder which in individuals can range from mild behavioural difficulties (not problems)to major disfunction – non verbal, aggression, lack of toilet control etc. Each autistic child is different and each needs individual assessment to recognise his (usually) or her needs. Often this may be a special school.

Solicitors and attacks on authorities are totally counter productive.

Autistic children have a special place in this life. Try not to be disappointed that he doesn’t fit into an everyday mold and have joy in his particular personality, though I know that it can be hard sometimes.

I have an autistic grandson.

georgesgenitals7:14 am 07 Feb 10

I think it’s worth considering that the deputy principal may know what they’re talking about. It could well be that that simply can’t give your son the care he needs if they aren’t geared up for it. Also, if your son is not toilet trained, and doesn’t socialise with other children, it may be that he will have a hard time from the other children, and he needs to extra 6 or so months to overcome the toilet training issue (at least).

Perhaps instead of trying to find laws that support you in forcing the school to do what you want, you could try working the school and asking for advice and references to other education and health professionals who can help you. To what level is your son autistic? I understand there can be a wide range in what is considered autistic.

I know this must be a really difficult issue and time for you. I really hope you find a good solution. Let us know how you go.

hi mitcore,

my son, unlike many canberran kids, has never been to daycare and has no “socialisation” experience either (beyond his older brother) so it sounds like discrimination (that is, it suits the needs of the teacher more than the needs of the child) to me. though obviously i don’t know all the details.

having said that, while i agree with you on principle and while i think a “stink raising” is eminently justified, i don’t want to put my kids into a school that doesn’t want to have him. i am sure that there are many other schools out there that would love to have your child join them–i would go for a school that will embrace your child rather than one that will take him only under threat of litigation, etc.. if you live in the inner north area o’connor cooperative is an *excellent* facility with small student numbers and highly personalised care. at least it was when my eldest attended.

if you are going to go after punishing the deputy principle (go for it, i say) probably talking to the dept. of education will be faster and more effective than a lawyer. if you get a lawyer and file a lawsuit everyone in the dept. of education will be your enemy. if you talk with the minister of education and suggest that a lawsuit will be commenced if things aren’t changed, i imagine you will see some immediate action.

i would also suggest trying to find various support groups that must exist for the parents of autistic children and see what other parents who have already endured this bullshit attitude have to say. no doubt they will be the best ones to talk to about which schools are most accepting.

The education department be the first place of call, given that the run the school system and make the ultimate decisions. I would think that there would be a limit on where children with a disability could be placed and the number of students with a disability at each school based on the facilities and resources, in particular having teachers for the students. I would think that these are the most likely reasons for the responses that you may have misunderstood.

There was a clear policy at our preschool that all kids must be toilet trained prior to commencement. One teacher has responsibility for 24 x 4 year olds; so I’m thinking that it would be difficult to attend to cleaning up one child throughout the day whilst the other 23 remain unsupervised? Might be a practical issue, rather than one of discrimination.

A preschool is not a daycare centre. With class sizes and the staffing arrangements if he is not toilet trained he cant go to school. Its as simple as that.

This is the last place I’d be asking for legal advice. Speak to a solicitor or legal aid

Mmmm, I am no expert but how autistic is your child? From my experience autistic children can be quite a handful, especially when some hit puberty and can lash out. They also require a lot of attention and may have a personal aid with them.

Maybe they like to place your child later in the year so they can have all the other children settled so then they can focus on yours with more ease. Instead of trying to handle all 25 or so kids at once.

I recommend you seek out some local organisations or groups for autistic children and possibly get a second opinion from other schools and make sure whichever school you put your child in, that it is adequate to his needs.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.