Disabled students need more help: Report
The Ontario Human Rights Commission wants the province’s schools to do more to accommodate students with disabilities. The commission released an updated policy Wednesday along with a number of recommendations to improve services at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels.
In particular, a recommendation to remove barriers in the disability accommodation process piqued the interest of Mary-Ann Fuduric, the executive director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Windsor-Essex County.
It’s estimated that one in five children in Canada are living with dyslexia, which makes reading and writing difficult.
These students often need technological supports like laptops and voice recognition software to help them keep up in the classroom. Long wait times for psychological assessments necessary for a child to be identified as an exceptional pupil can mean long delays in educational accommodations. “The school boards are restricted on who gets technology based on a psychological assessment,” Fuduric said. “We’ve heard talk about providing equipment without psychological assessments. I think everyone understands the importance of early intervention. We have kids in Grade 4 and 5 who can’t read who are still waiting for assessments.”
The Learning Disabilities Association offers supports and programs for children with disabilities.
Fuduric said teachers know early on who can read and who can’t, and delay in accessing technology is a source of frustration to them and to parents.
She said local wait times for an assessment by a board psychologist can take between one and two years.
Families can opt to pay for a private assessment but that can still mean a six-month wait for an appointment and it can cost several thousand dollars.
“The majority of parents can’t afford $2,000 for an assessment,” Fuduric said.
The commission’s policy states a “lack of a formal assessment should not thwart a student’s access to accommodation for their disability-related needs. In these cases, education providers should use the best information available to facilitate the accommodation.” Mike Wilcox oversees special education services for the Greater Essex District School Board and says the board does provide accommodations without an assessment.
“Our board’s position is we don’t want to delay any provision for accommodations,” Wilcox said. “So yes, we would do that without a psychological assessment.” Remedial programming, help from a Child and Youth Worker and other support services are also available at the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board. “We’re always working towards making it better,” said superintendent Joe Ibrahim.
The OHRC’s policy update stressed the need for sufficient resources and classroom supports and improved communication with parents and students.