| AFASE at school Advocate For Appropriate Special Education |
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
My son who has autism is in a small placement class / special education
class and is on an Alternative Program. As part of the program he goes
on at least two community outings per month. His teacher has sent home
a note requesting up to $20.00 each month to cover "costs". I thought that
my son was entitled to free public education. Is it okay that the teacher is
asking parents to send money to pay for the cost of community outings?
Answer:
Since your son is in a "Life Skills" program, I will assume that these
programs, where the school is asking you to pay costs, meet the needs
as stated on the IEP either directly or indirectly. Needs such as social
skills, life skills, motor skills, appropriate behaviour in the community, etc.
As such they are "appropriate" special education programs for your child
and you should not be asked to pay for the cost, whether it is for
transportation, entrance fees, or cooking supplies.
Subsection 8(3) of the Act requires the Minister of Education to ensure
that appropriate special education programs and special education
services are provided in accordance with the Act and regulations.
It states that: "The Minister shall ensure that all exceptional children in
Ontario have available to them, in accordance with this Act and the
regulations, appropriate special education programs and special
education services without payment of fees by parents or guardians
resident in Ontario..."
Question:
I have been requesting a daily communication sheet to be filled out by my
son’s EA because he has weak functional communication skills. He can
say a few words when prompted, but is unable to come home from school
and tell me what he did at school, if any incidence happened, if he has
homework, etc. The principal has said that I am being unreasonable in
requesting her staff to do so because they don’t have the time. My
question is, am I being unreasonable in requesting a daily communication
sheet from the school?
Answer:
No. You are not being unreasonable. In fact the Ministry Publication
“Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders” outlines the importance of this practice. It states:
“While it will take a few extra minutes each week to manage the
home/school communication process, the responsive and responsible
reporting of the events of a student’s days at school makes a positive
contribution to both the home and the school experience. Parents feel
informed, supported, and more able to support the learning needs of
their child.”
Question:
I would like to go in to the school to observe my child in the classroom but
the principal will not allow it, saying that it will distract the other students.
How can I change her mind?
Answer:
This is a common question. Ministry of Education publications encourage
parent involvement in the education of all students, but especially
exceptional students. How can parents provide suggestions for strategies
to help with problem behaviours, and/or support their child’s learning at
home, if they don’t have first-hand knowledge of what their child is able to
do at school?
Try this: Make the request to observe your child his/her classroom in
writing to the principal. Explain why you want to observe and how it will
help to strengthen your collaborative working relationship with the school.
In your letter, promise to do 5 things: 1) You will report in at the office when
you arrive. 2) You will not interfere with the instructions of the teacher or
the EA. 3) You will respect the confidentiality and privacy of the other
students. 4) You will leave the classroom if you become a distraction to
any student, including your own. 5) You will share your observation notes
with the school.
Question:
My son who has autism recently received a service dog to assist him.
What should I do to arrange for the service dog to attend school with him?
Answer:
Many school boards don't have written policies regarding service dogs at
school for children with disabilities. However, under the Human Rights
Code, service dogs must be permitted to assist students with disabilities
at school. This Upper Grand District School Board service dog protocol
will help you and the school to plan for having a service dog at school so
that all staff and students feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the
new addition to the school.
Question:
My 8 year old son with autism attends grade 3 part-time. I withdraw him
from school 5 half-days a week for his home ABA/IBI program. I have
been trying to get permission for his therapist to go into the classroom in
order to support him using ABA methods while he is in school. He is only
doing some of the curriculum since he attends part-time and all
expectations are modified (lowered). He also has Communication,
Behaviour, and Social Skills on his IEP as alternative programs. I feel that
he could be doing much better if a qualified IBI Instructor Therapist could
work with him at school and I feel that it is extremely important that there is
consistency between home and school programs...in terms of both
expectations and teaching strategies. I have been told that it is against
school policy to allow "third party" service providers into the classroom.
What are my son's rights? Does the new PPM 140 change anything?
Answer:
One of the requirements of PPM 140 is the following:
School boards must offer students with ASD special education
programs and services, including, where appropriate, special education
programs using ABA methods.
It seems that Ontario School Boards' interpretation of the above is that
PPM 140 mandates schools to use ABA methods, not IBI (Intensive
Behaviour Intervention) which by the way, is an ABA method. And from
what I understand, so far the ABA training for staff has been focused on
ABA methods for dealing with behaviours, not for teaching new skills, in
spite of the fact that PPM 140 explains that ABA can be used to teach
new skills.
So as parents and advocates we need to continue to advocate strongly
for appropriate ABA methods, including Intensive Behaviour Intervention,
to meet the educational needs of our children - at school. They should not
have to be withdrawn from public school in order to access methods or
interventions (ABA/IBI) that they need in order to learn.
So what steps should you take to ensure that your son gets the
support he needs at school now?
First, I would ask the principal to show you a copy of the "third party"
policy....just to make sure that there is such a policy.
Next, ask if you or someone else (the instructor therapist) can volunteer in
the classroom to support your son and the classroom teacher. There are
some principals, who truly have the best interest of the child in mind that
have allowed this. Be very clear to the principal, and to the teacher, that
the volunteer will not be telling the teacher how to do her job...but rather
will be offering suggestions and sharing information about what strategies
work best for your son. It is the principal's job to assign volunteers (or any
staff) to classrooms as he/she feels is appropriate to meet the needs of
the students, so it is very important to articulate the student's needs to the
principal -- don't simply say he needs someone to provide ABA or IBI.
Also, PPM 140 places great emphasis on collaboration. It states: "This
memorandum is intended to strengthen collaborative working
relationships between parents, schools, and the community. This
collaboration is essential for supporting positive learning for students
with ASD. An example of such collaboration is the development of an
Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a student."
Bring the above statement to the attention of the principal and really
become involved in the development of the IEP. Don't leave it all to the
teacher, but again, do it without telling him/her how to do his/her job - a
fine line. Ask for several IEP meetings if necessary to ensure that the IEP
contains measurable goals and expectations that are in line with, or
bridge the home ABA program. Also ensure that the teaching strategies
on the IEP include ABA methods. This will be a new concept for teachers,
so they will need your help. And since your son has a home ABA
program, you can and should help to develop a good school IEP for your
son.
My workshop covers how an IEP should be written that includes
measurable goals and expectations and teaching strategies that
include ABA methods. See the workshop page of my website for details.
I hope that my comments are helpful. Thanks again for contacting me.
Question:
I attended one of your workshops about a year or more ago where
Lindsay Moir spoke. He talked about the process of requesting funding
for needed equipment from the board, such as a laptop. I am currently
looking at getting an AlphaSmart for my son who has a learning
disability and was wondering how to go about doing so. Can you please
provide me with some direction?
Answer:
The first step in accessing SEA (Special Equipment Amount) funding,
is to get the appropriate professional (psychologist, OT, SLP) to
document your son's need for assistive technology. Ask that they (the
professional) be very specific about the technology or equipment
needed, and ask that they
don't use words like "may benefit from" but use words like "is essential"
"is required" "is necessary".
The first $800 is paid by the school board and the rest is funded by the
Ministry of Education. The paperwork should include expenses such as
the cost of training staff, extended warranty, etc. The school board
should not wait for the funding before purchasing the equipment.
Equipment acquired for the student can be taken home by the student
for the purpose of school work, but not over the holidays. Your home
insurance should cover the equipment in case of damage while it is in
your home...check with your home insurance provider.
Question:
I have a 7 year daughter with a Learning disability who is on an informal
IEP at school. We recently had her tested for central auditory
processing because she had a speech delay and it confirmed she does
in fact have a hearing deficit.
I have met with the school and they will be providing the FM speaker
equipment next term (grade 2) as she is now a CAP student. However I
would like to know if I can apply for extra assistance for her in school
next term? To date she is still struggling with her school work and
cannot read or complete her school work without a teacher assisting her.
Answer:
Thanks for your question. Since your daughter has an informal IEP, I
assume that she is not formally "Identified" by an IPRC. This means
that the school is not legally obligated to provide special education
programs and services. You can write a letter to your school principal to
request an IPRC meeting to formally identify your daughter as an
exceptional student - Communication - LD.
It is good that they have agreed to provide an FM system. What about
other technology software to assist with reading and writing. Are these
provided with appropriate training?
In general, unless your daughter demonstrates behaviours that lead to
safety concerns it would be highly unlikely that you would be successful
in advocating for one-on-one assistance. However, try to articulate in
writing, (Needs Statement) her specific need for accommodations to
ensure comprehension of verbal instructions, assistance with reading
and writing, etc., and try to have these accommodations written in the
IEP.
This is going to sound strange....but don't ask for an EA (Educational
Assistant). It is the parents job to communicate the needs of the child. It
is the school's job to figure out how they are going to meet those needs.
The next step is on-going communication with the teacher to ensure that
he/she follows the IEP.
Question:
Hi! I was thrilled to see this online questions answered service, as I
always have lots of questions and NO TIME! I am an autism consultant
and therapist. I am currently consulting for a family who have an eight
year boy with ASD. He is in the public school system and last
September he was placed in a "high functioning autism class". Current
stats on the class are 6 kids 1 special education teacher plus 1.5 EA
staff. This child has experienced repetitive aggression from another
child in the class, and today was injured, the extend of the injuries are
not known to me at this time, but he was certainly traumatized.
If you can, please advise me of her son's rights, as well as the best
course of action to take for pro-active, non-confrontational RESULTS if
possible.
Answer:
Thanks for your question. I cannot provide legal advice and
unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this one. You can bet that the
parent of the aggressive child is having to deal with some tough school
issues. I am usually helping the parent of the aggressive child...so I
know. It is natural to want to have the aggressive child removed from the
school if it is your child that has been hurt, but as you know, children with
autism have behaviours that are beyond their control. It is inappropriate
for the school to punish them because of behaviours due to their
disability. Following a functional behavioural analysis, the school staff
should be doing everything possible to accommodate the child to avoid
melt-downs that lead to aggressive behaviours, and if the child is known
to have aggressive behaviours, he should be under constant
supervision for his safety and the safety of others. SIPs (Special
Incidence Portion) funding is provided by the ministry for extra support
staff in these cases. In the event that the student has a melt-down that
cannot be avoided, the school staff should have a plan in place to get
the other students to a safe area as soon as they see that there might
be a situation where their safety is at risk. Ask the school to provide a
copy of such a plan.
class and is on an Alternative Program. As part of the program he goes
on at least two community outings per month. His teacher has sent home
a note requesting up to $20.00 each month to cover "costs". I thought that
my son was entitled to free public education. Is it okay that the teacher is
asking parents to send money to pay for the cost of community outings?
Answer:
Since your son is in a "Life Skills" program, I will assume that these
programs, where the school is asking you to pay costs, meet the needs
as stated on the IEP either directly or indirectly. Needs such as social
skills, life skills, motor skills, appropriate behaviour in the community, etc.
As such they are "appropriate" special education programs for your child
and you should not be asked to pay for the cost, whether it is for
transportation, entrance fees, or cooking supplies.
Subsection 8(3) of the Act requires the Minister of Education to ensure
that appropriate special education programs and special education
services are provided in accordance with the Act and regulations.
It states that: "The Minister shall ensure that all exceptional children in
Ontario have available to them, in accordance with this Act and the
regulations, appropriate special education programs and special
education services without payment of fees by parents or guardians
resident in Ontario..."
Question:
I have been requesting a daily communication sheet to be filled out by my
son’s EA because he has weak functional communication skills. He can
say a few words when prompted, but is unable to come home from school
and tell me what he did at school, if any incidence happened, if he has
homework, etc. The principal has said that I am being unreasonable in
requesting her staff to do so because they don’t have the time. My
question is, am I being unreasonable in requesting a daily communication
sheet from the school?
Answer:
No. You are not being unreasonable. In fact the Ministry Publication
“Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders” outlines the importance of this practice. It states:
“While it will take a few extra minutes each week to manage the
home/school communication process, the responsive and responsible
reporting of the events of a student’s days at school makes a positive
contribution to both the home and the school experience. Parents feel
informed, supported, and more able to support the learning needs of
their child.”
Question:
I would like to go in to the school to observe my child in the classroom but
the principal will not allow it, saying that it will distract the other students.
How can I change her mind?
Answer:
This is a common question. Ministry of Education publications encourage
parent involvement in the education of all students, but especially
exceptional students. How can parents provide suggestions for strategies
to help with problem behaviours, and/or support their child’s learning at
home, if they don’t have first-hand knowledge of what their child is able to
do at school?
Try this: Make the request to observe your child his/her classroom in
writing to the principal. Explain why you want to observe and how it will
help to strengthen your collaborative working relationship with the school.
In your letter, promise to do 5 things: 1) You will report in at the office when
you arrive. 2) You will not interfere with the instructions of the teacher or
the EA. 3) You will respect the confidentiality and privacy of the other
students. 4) You will leave the classroom if you become a distraction to
any student, including your own. 5) You will share your observation notes
with the school.
Question:
My son who has autism recently received a service dog to assist him.
What should I do to arrange for the service dog to attend school with him?
Answer:
Many school boards don't have written policies regarding service dogs at
school for children with disabilities. However, under the Human Rights
Code, service dogs must be permitted to assist students with disabilities
at school. This Upper Grand District School Board service dog protocol
will help you and the school to plan for having a service dog at school so
that all staff and students feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the
new addition to the school.
Question:
My 8 year old son with autism attends grade 3 part-time. I withdraw him
from school 5 half-days a week for his home ABA/IBI program. I have
been trying to get permission for his therapist to go into the classroom in
order to support him using ABA methods while he is in school. He is only
doing some of the curriculum since he attends part-time and all
expectations are modified (lowered). He also has Communication,
Behaviour, and Social Skills on his IEP as alternative programs. I feel that
he could be doing much better if a qualified IBI Instructor Therapist could
work with him at school and I feel that it is extremely important that there is
consistency between home and school programs...in terms of both
expectations and teaching strategies. I have been told that it is against
school policy to allow "third party" service providers into the classroom.
What are my son's rights? Does the new PPM 140 change anything?
Answer:
One of the requirements of PPM 140 is the following:
School boards must offer students with ASD special education
programs and services, including, where appropriate, special education
programs using ABA methods.
It seems that Ontario School Boards' interpretation of the above is that
PPM 140 mandates schools to use ABA methods, not IBI (Intensive
Behaviour Intervention) which by the way, is an ABA method. And from
what I understand, so far the ABA training for staff has been focused on
ABA methods for dealing with behaviours, not for teaching new skills, in
spite of the fact that PPM 140 explains that ABA can be used to teach
new skills.
So as parents and advocates we need to continue to advocate strongly
for appropriate ABA methods, including Intensive Behaviour Intervention,
to meet the educational needs of our children - at school. They should not
have to be withdrawn from public school in order to access methods or
interventions (ABA/IBI) that they need in order to learn.
So what steps should you take to ensure that your son gets the
support he needs at school now?
First, I would ask the principal to show you a copy of the "third party"
policy....just to make sure that there is such a policy.
Next, ask if you or someone else (the instructor therapist) can volunteer in
the classroom to support your son and the classroom teacher. There are
some principals, who truly have the best interest of the child in mind that
have allowed this. Be very clear to the principal, and to the teacher, that
the volunteer will not be telling the teacher how to do her job...but rather
will be offering suggestions and sharing information about what strategies
work best for your son. It is the principal's job to assign volunteers (or any
staff) to classrooms as he/she feels is appropriate to meet the needs of
the students, so it is very important to articulate the student's needs to the
principal -- don't simply say he needs someone to provide ABA or IBI.
Also, PPM 140 places great emphasis on collaboration. It states: "This
memorandum is intended to strengthen collaborative working
relationships between parents, schools, and the community. This
collaboration is essential for supporting positive learning for students
with ASD. An example of such collaboration is the development of an
Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a student."
Bring the above statement to the attention of the principal and really
become involved in the development of the IEP. Don't leave it all to the
teacher, but again, do it without telling him/her how to do his/her job - a
fine line. Ask for several IEP meetings if necessary to ensure that the IEP
contains measurable goals and expectations that are in line with, or
bridge the home ABA program. Also ensure that the teaching strategies
on the IEP include ABA methods. This will be a new concept for teachers,
so they will need your help. And since your son has a home ABA
program, you can and should help to develop a good school IEP for your
son.
My workshop covers how an IEP should be written that includes
measurable goals and expectations and teaching strategies that
include ABA methods. See the workshop page of my website for details.
I hope that my comments are helpful. Thanks again for contacting me.
Question:
I attended one of your workshops about a year or more ago where
Lindsay Moir spoke. He talked about the process of requesting funding
for needed equipment from the board, such as a laptop. I am currently
looking at getting an AlphaSmart for my son who has a learning
disability and was wondering how to go about doing so. Can you please
provide me with some direction?
Answer:
The first step in accessing SEA (Special Equipment Amount) funding,
is to get the appropriate professional (psychologist, OT, SLP) to
document your son's need for assistive technology. Ask that they (the
professional) be very specific about the technology or equipment
needed, and ask that they
don't use words like "may benefit from" but use words like "is essential"
"is required" "is necessary".
The first $800 is paid by the school board and the rest is funded by the
Ministry of Education. The paperwork should include expenses such as
the cost of training staff, extended warranty, etc. The school board
should not wait for the funding before purchasing the equipment.
Equipment acquired for the student can be taken home by the student
for the purpose of school work, but not over the holidays. Your home
insurance should cover the equipment in case of damage while it is in
your home...check with your home insurance provider.
Question:
I have a 7 year daughter with a Learning disability who is on an informal
IEP at school. We recently had her tested for central auditory
processing because she had a speech delay and it confirmed she does
in fact have a hearing deficit.
I have met with the school and they will be providing the FM speaker
equipment next term (grade 2) as she is now a CAP student. However I
would like to know if I can apply for extra assistance for her in school
next term? To date she is still struggling with her school work and
cannot read or complete her school work without a teacher assisting her.
Answer:
Thanks for your question. Since your daughter has an informal IEP, I
assume that she is not formally "Identified" by an IPRC. This means
that the school is not legally obligated to provide special education
programs and services. You can write a letter to your school principal to
request an IPRC meeting to formally identify your daughter as an
exceptional student - Communication - LD.
It is good that they have agreed to provide an FM system. What about
other technology software to assist with reading and writing. Are these
provided with appropriate training?
In general, unless your daughter demonstrates behaviours that lead to
safety concerns it would be highly unlikely that you would be successful
in advocating for one-on-one assistance. However, try to articulate in
writing, (Needs Statement) her specific need for accommodations to
ensure comprehension of verbal instructions, assistance with reading
and writing, etc., and try to have these accommodations written in the
IEP.
This is going to sound strange....but don't ask for an EA (Educational
Assistant). It is the parents job to communicate the needs of the child. It
is the school's job to figure out how they are going to meet those needs.
The next step is on-going communication with the teacher to ensure that
he/she follows the IEP.
Question:
Hi! I was thrilled to see this online questions answered service, as I
always have lots of questions and NO TIME! I am an autism consultant
and therapist. I am currently consulting for a family who have an eight
year boy with ASD. He is in the public school system and last
September he was placed in a "high functioning autism class". Current
stats on the class are 6 kids 1 special education teacher plus 1.5 EA
staff. This child has experienced repetitive aggression from another
child in the class, and today was injured, the extend of the injuries are
not known to me at this time, but he was certainly traumatized.
If you can, please advise me of her son's rights, as well as the best
course of action to take for pro-active, non-confrontational RESULTS if
possible.
Answer:
Thanks for your question. I cannot provide legal advice and
unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this one. You can bet that the
parent of the aggressive child is having to deal with some tough school
issues. I am usually helping the parent of the aggressive child...so I
know. It is natural to want to have the aggressive child removed from the
school if it is your child that has been hurt, but as you know, children with
autism have behaviours that are beyond their control. It is inappropriate
for the school to punish them because of behaviours due to their
disability. Following a functional behavioural analysis, the school staff
should be doing everything possible to accommodate the child to avoid
melt-downs that lead to aggressive behaviours, and if the child is known
to have aggressive behaviours, he should be under constant
supervision for his safety and the safety of others. SIPs (Special
Incidence Portion) funding is provided by the ministry for extra support
staff in these cases. In the event that the student has a melt-down that
cannot be avoided, the school staff should have a plan in place to get
the other students to a safe area as soon as they see that there might
be a situation where their safety is at risk. Ask the school to provide a
copy of such a plan.
