CUTS COULD DERAIL SUCCESS OF SPECIAL-NEEDS STUDENTS
Changes will have ripple effect for children on the autism spectrum
The roads in Saskatchewan are getting bad. And so too, the journey for children on the autism spectrum. I am heartbroken that the success of my daughter’s autism journey could now be in jeopardy.
In my daughter’s first year of life, my husband and I had some concerns. She wasn’t sleeping, she crawled and walked early but didn’t do a lot of babbling or talking. We questioned if she knew her name when called. She wanted to be held but not cuddled like a “baby.”
By her first birthday there were red flags. Our concerns fell on deaf ears, on more than one occasion, because (I believe) many people are heavily influenced by past studies that “girls are less likely to be on the autism spectrum.” Also, we were told she showed very few of the stereotypical markers that boys her age did on the spectrum. We were given parenting advice and pamphlets.
After advocating to have our daughter assessed, the first interview ended with the professional telling us, “Not to worry because I doubt your daughter is anything but a strong-willed child.” After the evaluation was complete, that same professional said, “I have to say that I am not usually wrong, but I am today. I am sorry. But yes, your daughter is on the autism spectrum.”
At this moment of diagnosis, our daughter had just turned three years old. She was non-verbal and would suffer at least two or three daily meltdowns which lasted hours. She ate very little, slept less, didn’t want to be held, and yet didn’t want to be alone. And the nights of sleep, if there was some, were maybe four hours because of the “night terrors” she would have for over an hour.
So what started to work? Being home was the first step. I was able to facilitate an environment that was positive and safe for her to grow. I kept a strict schedule, studied her, and learned from her. I read, talked with other moms in the same situation, took online courses and went to conferences. Did the same thing day in and out, week to week. She was able to work with a speech therapist through the Autism Centre. An interventionist came to our home to help her with social programming and to give me a break. Being at home like this took a toll on me personally, and on our finances, but it was a sacrifice that led to improvement. Eventually we started to see her personality shine without autism being in the way.
By 3 1/2 years old, she spoke simple, small sentences, which few of us could understand. She was starting to regulate herself. Her meltdowns were once every other day because we started to understand her sensory triggers. Another major factor this year — she started an early intervention program at school.
By the age of 4 1/2 years, she made unbelievable growth. The combination of early interventions at home and school, with the help of speech therapy, helped the autistic parts of her brain to make connections.
My daughter is now in kindergarten. She has a wonderful teacher and a class EA who have accommodated her sensory and social needs to a degree in which she is thriving. The EA is there to help with the special needs of all the kids, which enables the teacher to continue the flow of education to the whole class without any big distractions or interruptions. Although my daughter has her moments and setbacks, more days than not she is ready to learn throughout her time at school.
Was the road for my daughter in getting diagnosed easy? Hell no. But there was something. It’s a start, but needs improving to cut down on wait times, the lack of specialized professionals and better communication within the health sectors.
Were these early interventions completely without potholes? No, but at least there was something in place for my daughter to benefit from.
Is there room for improvement? Yes, with better communication and openness within the Autism Centre and parents, more specific programs for all autistic kids throughout the early intervention process, more time with speech pathologists and more speech pathologists made available. There is an occupational therapist at the centre now, but it was at the expense of the summer camp program.
Early interventions made the difference! My child is a poster child for this statement. I am scared to think of what she would have been like without any early interventions or the diagnosis.
But with the financial cutbacks over the years by the Saskatchewan Party to education for special-needs children, as well as to education funding overall, they have forced Regina Public Schools to make drastic heart-stopping cuts to special-needs programs. Were these cuts a political move? I absolutely think so. Were they an eye-opener to the fact that our schools need funding? Absolutely! But if the ministry says it is not essential to have these programs and isn’t going to fund them, then why does the school system need to fund this themselves? All at the expense of what little money there is to run public education at a standard that meets everyone’s needs, everyone’s future? Hence, drastic measures are taken in drastic times!
The ramifications of the Saskatchewan Party’s continued cuts in education are starting to show. Without funding to the schools, early interventions that were once funded by the government might be no more. This is going to have huge implications on special-needs children in getting them ready for school and keeping them focused during class. More time and more staffing will be needed in the future where early intervention is now working to get them ready for full integration and a future of independence within our school systems.
The political drama that the Saskatchewan Party is playing is that of a bully on the playground with its latest crack of the whip. Yes, they are placing a freeze on the special-needs programs from being cut within Regina Public, yet it will be at a cost to the very educators who are making the accommodations for my child’s successful integration and future independence into school. There is no winning with this current government.
And yes, there “might” be individual funding coming for children with autism, according to an election promise by Premier Wall, but really, it’s more of a pipe dream at this point. The individual funding was a mere sprinkle of gravel to a developing road. Now without the road (whether it’s the programs or the teachers and EAs), sprinkles of gravel aren’t going to make a difference! The road for special-needs children in Saskatchewan is only going to get riddled with potholes, on a road that was just getting started.
Early interventions made the difference! My child is a poster child for this statement. I am scared to think of what she would have been like without any early interventions or the diagnosis.
JACQUELINE PATRON