Emily Pearce makes 26 trips to her son’s school each week.
“I’m going to pick him up for classes, take him home for recess, take him home at lunch and that only allows him to unpack and then go back to school to stay together again. “, he said.
Key points:
- WA does not have a school specifically for children with autism
- A group of parents has decided that change is needed
- Education experts say it’s not about segregation, it’s about having options
Her 16-year-old son Samuel is on the autism spectrum and after years of struggling with his education, Mrs. Pearce is now struggling to offer more options to other families through the first independent school of WA autism.
Samuel was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at just two years old and attended therapy hours each week, but fell back severely after attending a local elementary school north of Perth.
“Sam went from being a reasonably happy child to self-injuring, not wanting to go to school [and] he stopped sleeping, “Mrs. Pearce said.
Emily Pearce takes Sam home for recess and lunch. (ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)
“We went from school to school, and it became a nightmare.”
Ms Pearce said she felt Samuel did not have adequate support in the general school system and was forced to quit her job and teach it at home for seven years.
“If you told me I would be a mom at home, I would have said more chances to fly to the moon and I’m afraid to fly … but there was no other option for us,” she said. .
WA does not have a specific school for autism
After hearing about the success of state-specific autism schools, Ms. Pearce and a small group of parents whose autistic children also had problems with schooling decided it was time for WA to continue. his example.
They founded a non-profit organization called Furthering Autistic Children’s Education and Schooling (FACES) with the goal of opening an independent autism school in Perth.
“The education system is overwhelmed and now you’re throwing some autistic kids into the equation, and you have a recipe for disaster,” he said.
Emily Pearce says she had no choice but to quit her job to help with her son Sam’s education. (ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)
“We look forward to providing another educational option for families, but we also look forward to working with the school and community to help improve teacher skills, help provide additional resources, and provide additional training.”
The school aims to provide high-quality, evidence-based education that meets individual needs in all areas of learning, including academic, social skills development, and emotional regulation.
“Let the children be part of a school, let them be part of a community [and] being in a safe learning environment where they can reach their full potential, is a life change, ”he said.
“It’s almost like a magical experience”
Curtin University professor Cindy Smith works with the organization as an educational consultant to develop the school’s teaching model that supports the academic and behavioral outcomes of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Curtin University professor Cindy Smith says WA has lagged behind in proper education for people with autism. (ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)
“[Children with autism] they want to be in school and they want to have friends, but they really don’t know how to participate properly so they can make it a reality, ”Dr. Smith said.
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“This model helps them teach them these different skills and fill in the gaps so they can succeed. It’s almost like a magical experience, seeing them unlock their ability to learn, and that’s really exciting.”
Dr. Smith said it was time for WA to catch up with the rest of the nation by opening an independent school.
“We need to catch up as soon as we can, because we have kids who are falling behind and in these developmental milestones, if they fall far behind, they may never be able to catch up,” he said.
Undo the damage a “hard process”
In South Perth a six-week pilot program is already underway for the school, with the children grouped according to their skill and verbal skills, rather than their level or age.
Perth’s mother, Jenny, enrolled her 10-year-old son in the program after facing hardship at several conventional schools.
His son was diagnosed with a different profile of autism, characterized by an overwhelming or obsessive need to resist or avoid demands, which can often lead to violent blows and outbursts.
Jenny’s youngest son has had a more positive experience at school. (ABC Nou: Tabarak Al Jrood)
Her young son, 7, also has autism, but unlike her brother, she has had a positive experience at school.
“So for my little one, the main system works and can be adapted, but for my big one, I don’t think there are the right arrangements to adapt to their needs,” he said.
“The experiences [my eldest] what he has had in school so far has left him quite traumatized, so trying to undo that damage and start a new beginning is a difficult process. “
Jenny says her two children’s educational needs are very different. (ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)
Jenny said it was “crazy” that a group of parents had taken it upon themselves to open an autism school, without any help from the state government.
“Families of neurotypical children can choose where to send their children, but for us, as parents, it’s not that simple … we have no options, we have your local recruitment and if that doesn’t work for you, we have no choice .back, “he said.
He hopes to enroll his eldest son in the Perth Autism School, which is expected to open in 2024.
“These are options, not segregation”
The WA Department of Education offers 16 specialized learning programs (SLPs) at several conventional schools for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, with an investment of $ 18.2 million for eight SLPs announced in the last state budget.
“The Western Australian public school system responds to the individual needs of students with autism spectrum disorder by providing a variety of educational options based on the principles of equity and inclusion,” said Jim Bell, Acting Director General. for the achievements of students in the WA Department of Education. .
However, Dr. Smith believes that “it is not enough.”
“There are about 7,000 children in WA diagnosed with autism and for every child diagnosed, there are probably one or two more who are undiagnosed,” he said.
Dr Smith believes there are thousands of children in Western Australia who are on the autism spectrum, but who have not been diagnosed. (ABC News: Tabarak Al Jrood)
“There’s something like 400 places available for kids with autism in these schools … that’s a huge, huge problem.”
While some disability advocates argue that separating students in conventional and special schools is a form of segregation, Dr. Smith believes having options is important.
“There’s an old saying that says if you’ve worked with a child with autism, you’ve worked with a child with autism, because every child is very unique,” she said.
Building a brighter future
Emily Pearce continues to school her son at home part-time after finally finding a school that works for him.
The 16-year-old hopes to go to college and “would love to do something with computers.”
Although Mrs. Pearce is determined to help Samuel achieve his goals, he believes his school experience could have been avoided if there were other options available for children with disabilities.
“If these children do not receive adequate schooling, academically, socially [and] emotionally, then they will not be productive members of society, ”he said.
“I’m not sure what the future holds for Sam, but I know that if he had different options as a kid, he would potentially be in a very different place from where he is now and his future would probably be much happier.”
Posted 21 hours 21 hours ago Tue, 10 July 2022 at 21:19, updated 15 hours, 15 hours ago, Monday, 11 July 2022 at 03:46