This needs to happen.

My son has struggled for years in school. While not one teacher, school psychologist nor member of a school resource team ever said he didn’t need to support - there was always a reason he didn’t get it, despite his ADHD diagnosis https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/adhd-learning-challenges-1.5883325?fbclid=IwAR248zeDCDOceANoL7-CZQavXmRPJj1lYKA3pavQNh0VLEqd40Oxy8gnAZA

Teachers advocated for EA support, to no avail.

I was told there was no funding stream for ADHD. Denied an IEP over and over.

One-on-one testing done by the school (at my insistence) showed my son was incredibly intelligent - further excluding him from resources.

I can’t tell you how aggressive I felt in my fight to get help. Not ONCE did any member of his school staff tell me he didn’t need it.

I’ve screamed in my car after meetings, banging my steering wheel while sobbing. Not knowing what to do. Feeling like I’m failing my son.

Last year, certain behaviours began to become prevalent/obvious that were not explained by ADHD, our (wonderful and thorough) pediatrician said he suspected my son has autism (high functioning).

Wait list for public assessment? TWO YEARS, he said. I was dumbfounded.

Refusing to wait, we did a private assessment. Close to $3000.

He does, indeed, have autism.

This week I received the final 25-page report. These pieces of paper mean he gets the support we all knew he needed.

HERE IS WHERE MY BREAKS AND I GET ANGRY

My son didn’t change because of his diagnosis.

He is the same boy that we all knew needed help YEARS ago. I banged down doors, kicked and screamed trying to get him support that everyone AGREED he needed but could never provide. No IEP. No EA. “No” was always the answer....

Pieces of paper. And a diagnosis that has a funding stream from the Ministry of Education is what it took.

WHY CAN’T WE SUPPORT CHILDREN WHO SO OBVIOUSLY NEED SUPPORT.

What happens to children whose families don’t advocate so strongly. Who can’t afford private assessments?

Sharing this from my son’s assessment because guess what?

His ADHD is HUGELY impacting his ability at school - as we’ve known for years. As have school staff. Yet the autism diagnosis now = supports?

I’m thrilled for my son but FURIOUS at the system. #bcpoli #autism #ADHD

I’ll end with this. Children who are unsupported can’t thrive. So many are being improperly supported. Then they fall through the cracks.

Dean should’ve had an EA/IEP years ago. And we all knew it. The rules MUST change.

We’re failing our children. #bcpoli #adhd #autism