Many parents of autistic students are concerned about the province’s back to school plans in light of the pandemic.
Vanessa Taylor is among them. The Langford mother is considering not sending her two children to school next week.
“I don’t feel safe with the information that I have sending them back to school,” said Taylor.
She’s especially concerned about her eight-year-old son, Lysander, who’s on the autism spectrum and he needs some extra support.
“I’m concerned about the size of the group and public spaces areas and just his ability to maintain social distancing,” she said.
Taylor says the remote learning option now offered takes away all the social connections to his elementary school, unlike the format in the spring when schools reopened for three weeks, which she preferred.
And she’s not alone. Nearly two thousand people have signed an online petition to B.C.’s premier.
It calls for inclusive education plans that could see students learn from home without losing all the resources they had in the classroom.
In a statement, BC’s Education Ministry says ” all students with disabilities or those who need extra support in school will continue to be prioritized for full-time access to class and additional support as part of their learning…” It goes on to say increased provincial and federal funding is also in place to support remote learning.
Taylor feels like she’s still stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“I don’t know what the outcome of this year will be so I feel it’s almost a write-off. [It’s] almost like holding him back for a year,” Taylor said.
She says that’s the last thing she wants for her son who she’s already held back from school for one year.
Kendall Hanson
