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"OK Google:  Who do I call when my school isn't following my son's IEP?"

"OK Google:  I think my child might have ADHD, but I am not sure.  Where can I get her assessed?"  

OK Google... 

If you were surprised by how little information is readily available when you need specific supports for your family, then you're certainly not alone.  

Unfortunately our social services are so underfunded, under resourced, and overworked, that it's difficult enough for agencies to keep up with demand, let alone direct people to the right places.  

  

That's where we can help. 

ADHD 2e Pro can assist you in navigating our health, social services, and education systems as it relates to finding resources and supports for disabilities and neurodiversity.  

We can guide you through:

1. Seeking assessment and/or diagnosis 
2. Support and advocacy 
3. Student planning (SSPs, IEPs, BIPs, etc.)
4. Finding appropriate resources

  

We also have a wealth of both local and online resources listed on our website, as well as a page to help guide families with the process of self-advocacy.  

Our services are available on a sliding scale based on household income.  

Please contact us to inquire.  

About the Author

Jillian is an ADHD 2e Coach and Child Advocate in Manitoba, Canada.

Jillian has a diploma in Child & Youth Work and a Degree in Psychology, as well as being the parent of an amazing 2e/ADHD child.

Visit ADHDPro.ca and Facebook.com/ADHD2ePro to learn more.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, CLIFF CULLEN

An Open Letter to MLA Cliff Cullen, Minister of Education for Manitoba 

 

Cliff Cullen, Minister of Education

Room 168, Legislative Building

450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8

April 9, 2021

Dear Mr. Cullen,

Do not assume the parents who write open letters or express concerns about the proposed changes to our education system have not read the (sparse) information provided.  We *have* read the documents and we still have very serious concerns.  Stop insulting the intelligence of Manitobans.  With all due respect, Mr. Cullen, your open letter sets absolutely nothing straight.  In fact, it further highlights how out of touch our Conservative government is and how little you have listened to the experts trying to advise you on how best to support students in Manitoba’s public schools.

You claim the Conservative government has reduced child poverty by 25% since 2016.  That figure may sound nice when you offer it up without any context.  In fact, Manitoba's poverty rate has decreased the least of any province in all of Canada, and we are still 10% behind the national average.  Not to mention, poverty rates in Manitoba decreased largely due to the Federal Child Tax Benefit program, which coincidentally was introduced in July of 2016, and had nothing to do with the Conservative government.  Manitoba still has second highest rate of poverty in Canada at 28.3%.  

I’m also wondering how our government can expect single parents to volunteer for Parent Advisory Councils (PACs) while working multiple minimum and low-wage jobs just to scrape together enough to provide for their families?  In Manitoba, over 60% of single-parent households are below the poverty line, but they should somehow “sacrifice” in order to volunteer at their child's school?  Exactly which "sacrifice" does our Premier want these parents to make, I wonder?  Should they sacrifice buying groceries?  Paying rent?  Their utilities?  

In schools that have PACs, those councils are primarily made up of white, higher-income parents who have the resources, the time, and the privilege to volunteer at their children's schools.  This is in no way to devalue their hard work.  Unfortunately, Mr. Pallister’s comments made in question period on March 22 were based on faulty assumptions.  Due to systemic racism and ableism, most of the parents who work multiple jobs to make ends meet are Indigenous peoples, immigrants, people of colour, people with disabilities, and other minority groups that already experience systemic racism and oppression.  Most of the privileged families in Canada are white.  Because racism.  

So now, groups that are already struggling will have even less of a say in the way their children’s schools are run because the higher-income families will be taking up all the room at the table.     

How will high-income, white, stay-at-home parents understand the struggles faced by those in minority groups?  How will a parent whose children do not have any disabilities understand the needs of the families and students who do?  Parents whose children have disabilities are already busy trying to work to pay for therapies, taking their children to appointments, and meeting with teachers and school staff to advocate for their children.  Where are we supposed to find the time to volunteer?  And if we don’t, are we not making enough of a “sacrifice” for our children, as Mr. Pallister suggested?  

The only thing that we seem to agree on, Mr. Cullen, is that our current education system needs to change.  Yes, it needs a massive overhaul, but the Conservatives are clearly not equipped or qualified to do this and are not willing to listen to the experts who want to guide our policy-makers in the best interests of children.  

So, Mr. Pallister and Mr Cullen: Kindly step aside and let the experts do their jobs.  Perhaps there is room on your children’s parent councils for you to voice your ill-informed, uneducated opinions with the other privileged parents? 

Sincerely,

Concerned Manitoba Parents

and

ADHD 2e Pro

Source

Most of our statistical information came from The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg's Report Card on Poverty in Manitoba.  

We have included this open letter on our website and have also uploaded the Report of the Commission on K to 12 Education and the Poverty in Manitoba Report Card with the 2020 Update.  

February is Inclusive Education Month in Manitoba?

Yep, that's a question mark right there in the title.  Did you know this?

'Cuz.... Apparently February 2021 is Inclusive Education Month in Manitoba.... 

And what does that mean?

Apparently it means our Minister of Education regurgitates 15-year-old so-called "inclusion" policy that is vague and general, with no specific actions or commitments made to better the experience of actual children with disabilities in our public school system. 

Great. 

Thanks for that, Honourable Minister Cliff Cullen.  

If you can't find the proclamations, don't worry, that's because they're not even posted on the Government of Manitoba's Education website, nor anywhere other than some division websites.  No public awareness campaigns, no P.D. Days around inclusion, no updated policy....

No nothing.  

So, I have taken the liberty of outlining each proclamation (again, taken word-for-word from 15-year-old policy with no action points).  

February 2021 has been "proclaimed" Inclusive Education Month in Manitoba 

Proclamation #1 :  "Manitoba Education is committed to fostering inclusion for all Manitobans."

• How?  What specifically is the Manitoba government doing to foster inclusion in our public schools?  
• What resources will the Manitoba Government provide to schools in order to allow them to follow through on this proclamation?  
• The formal dispute guide has not been updated in 15 long years, since 2006.  When will this be updated to reflect current reality?  
• How will the Manitoba government provide education to parents, caregivers, and school staff about the formal dispute process, so that families are aware of their rights and of how to proceed with a formal complaint?  

Proclamation #2 :  "Inclusion is a way of thinking and acting that allows every individual to feel accepted, valued, and safe.  An inclusive community consciously evolves to meet the changing needs of its members."  

• How?  How do we know if students feel accepted, valued, and safe?  How do we measure this?  We need S.M.A.R.T. Goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, and time-oriented/time-bound.  

• What resources does the Manitoba Government provide to schools in order to allow them to follow through on this proclamation?  
• When teachers and administrators continue to be allowed to exclude children with disabilities, either due to extra supports they may need, or as a way of behaviour management, this sends the message to everyone in the school (most importantly that particular student) that they are not accepted, valued, or welcome.  
• Making children work in different rooms, suspending children for misbehaviour rather than investigating the antecedents and supporting the student to learn better coping strategies, making children stand in the hall when they are disruptive, etc. are shaming, exclusionary, ineffective, and harmful to the child.  

Proclamation #3 :  "Through recognition and support, an inclusive community provides meaningful involvement and equal access to the benefits of citizenship."  

• Um, what?  What does this even mean?  Who defines what is “meaningful” to a child with a disability?  
• How?  What resources does the Manitoba Government provide to schools in order to allow them to follow through on this proclamation?  
• What are the benefits of citizenship anyway? 
• Proclamations with a lot of vague generalizations are pretty useless.

Proclamation #4 :  "In Manitoba, we embrace inclusion as a means of enhancing the well-being of every member of the community.  By working together, we strengthen our capacity to provide the foundation for a richer future for all of us." 

• What exactly does this mean?  
• How?  What resources does the Manitoba Government provide to schools in order to allow them to follow through on this proclamation?  
• Once again, proclamations with a lot of vague generalizations are useless.

Proclamation #5 :  "The philosophy of inclusion is integral to Appropriate Educational Programming in Manitoba." 

• Yes, and....?  What resources does the Manitoba Government provide to schools in order to allow them to follow through on this proclamation?  
• Once again, proclamations with a lot of vague generalizations are useless.
• This philosophy was last updated 15 years ago, in 2006.  When will our provincial policy-writers update this document with more specific, meaningful, and practical directives?  

Proclamation #6 :  "Manitoba will foster school and classroom communities where all students, including those with diverse needs and abilities, have a sense of personal belonging and achievement."

• Exactly how are we fostering inclusive schools?  What resources does the Manitoba Government provide to schools in order to allow them to follow through on this proclamation?  
• Aren’t students with diverse needs and abilities still students?  Why do they need a separate caveat in this sentence?  They should not be “othered”, or put into a separate category, this is the opposite of inclusion.  
• How do we know all students feel a sense of personal belonging?  How do we measure this?  When will official actually ask children and their families about their experiences, and asking them what can be better?  How and when will our provincial government bridge the divide between the policies and the actual human beings who are directly impacted by those policies?  
• We just had a new budget released with specific funding earmarked for students with disabilities.  Who will decide how that is spent, school administrators?  Are those administrators going to meet with students and families to determine how that money will best be spent?  There needs to be meaningful community consultation.  Meaningful means that administrators actually listen to students and families and truly use their input to direct their decision-making.  
• We need S.M.A.R.T. Goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, and time-oriented/time-bound.  

Proclamation #7 :  "Schools, families, and communities make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth in Manitoba through their commitment towards inclusion."  

• Okay, right, yes…  and…  How so?  That’s a nice sentiment, but what exactly does it mean for children and youth, particularly students with disabilities here in Manitoba?  
• How are schools, families’ and communities making a difference?  How are they committing “towards” inclusion?  Why aren’t they committing to inclusion, full stop?

So...  now what?  

Now we band together and tell Minister Cullen about our experiences in Manitoba's public education system and about what our children need to truly experience inclusion and to have their needs met.    

If you could wave a magic wand and make anything happen at your child's school (talking our under-funded Manitoba public school system) - what would it be?  

You can email Minister Cullen's office yourself at minedu@leg.gov.mb.ca, or email Jillian@ADHDPro.ca* to share your thoughts, needs, wants, and wishes.

Rather than accepting an empty proclamation, let's tell our provincial government exactly how our children with disabilities would actually feel included, welcome, cared for, and have their needs met in Manitoba's public schools.

**Please share far and wide, especially in groups of Manitoba parents/caregivers of children with disabilities.**

*If you email us, please indicate whether you wish to remain anonymous and your name will not be included with any comments or concerns shared.  

*Emails and any communications shared privately will remain confidential unless we have your permission to share.  

Since our provincial government doesn't bother to ask parents of children with disabilities for their input, we decided to do it for them.  

The following is a compilation of comments from Manitoban parents whose children live with disabilities and are currently in public school.  

What "Inclusive Education" REALLY means to Parents of Children with Disabilities

• School staff need to do a better job of risk assessment (and acceptance), teaching children how to do their own risk assessments, and allowing elements of risky play with reasonable boundaries.  Schools are overly concerned with forbidding and banning certain activities because of the (usually low) risk of injury, thus robbing children of opportunities to self-monitor, learn to assess situations for themselves, and to develop skills to manage and mitigate their own risks.  

• Each school division and each school needs to identify the barriers and hurdles that they have put in their system that are causing special needs students to struggle and not succeed.

• Parents are tired of constantly trying to change a system that isn’t interested in change and instead puts up barriers that the parents always need to identify.  It's about time that they do their own inventory.

• Schools can be incredibly rigid in needing to apply rules consistently to everyone, "no matter what".  Instead, school staff could set an example of flexible thinking and being accommodating.  We can teach our students that everyone has different needs, and equity isn't always the same as equality.  This way, children won’t always expect everything to be equal because they will understand that what helps or hinders one person is not the same as what helps or hinders another.  

• Adults are often preaching to children about having a flexible mindset and about adapting to change, yet school staff tend to be incredibly resistant to change and administrators and policy-writers tend to have very fixed mindsets.  

• The learning environment should adapt to the needs of its diverse students, rather than always expecting children to adapt based on the rigid, out-dated expectations of the school (both physical environment and pedagogy).

• Teachers, resource teachers, principals all well trained in Executive Functioning skill development, including emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, time management, and organizational structures.  This would not only benefit kids with ADHD or other Executive Functioning disabilities, but all kids!

• Increased occupational therapy and behaviour specialist support staff for educators.

• Accountability for all school staff to be required to follow student IEP/SSPs and clinical recommendations.  For example, any instructions from a school psychologist, guidance counsellor, social worker, behaviour specialist, occupational therapist, other expert, etc. must be followed and strategies implemented.  

• If there are not enough resources to follow the recommendations, then the division must provide them, or make an application to the provincial government so that expert recommendations can be followed.  

• More classroom teachers and resource teachers to allow children to grow and thrive in a school setting for more than a few hours a day.

• Greater focus on emotional and social skills in the classroom: more than just an hour per week with the guidance counsellor learning the Zones of Regulation, or Fixed vs. Flexible Mindset.  This needs to be integrated into the daily routine of classrooms and students need to be supported emotionally and socially first, before they will be effective learners.  

• More training for all school staff in best practices for supporting students with special needs, as well as what proper accommodations look like in public schools on a day-to-day basis.  

• Training on compassionate and effective communication for school administrators.  

• Training for school staff on how to prevent and deal with bullying in schools.  

• Child-centred and evidence-based training for supporting students with challenging behaviours, such as the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model (Greene, 2008).  

• Believing children when they are sharing their perspective and concerns.  Taking their point of view seriously and truly working to understand their experience.  Teaching children to advocate for themselves, and then listening to them when they do.  

• Truly understanding that unwanted behaviours are not malicious or intentional, they are a form of communication.  School staff need to be trained in seeing beyond the surface behaviour and looking for underlying reasons, triggers, and causes.  It should never be acceptable for any adult to blame and shame a child for behaviour that they cannot control.  It is the adults' responsibility to teach children strategies for managing emotions, and coping with adversity.  

• Inclusion must be an all-encompassing attitude and culture where all persons are valued and their needs met.

• Truly educating all about what inclusive education means and what it is. Parents and caregivers of both disabled and non-disabled children need to be educated about neurodiversity and disabilities so that they can raise well-informed children who are inclusive and welcoming to all. 

• Inclusive schools, classrooms, and curriculum planning should be required courses for ALL teachers and all school staff, these should not only be mandatory for those specializing in special education.  Education programs and professional development should normalize and demand inclusion practices for all, not just specialists.  

• School divisions should only hire trained professionals, including Educational Assistants (EAs), which means divisions need better funding in order to better pay school support staff.  

• Some divisions hire parents and caregivers, or people wanting to go into education, but have zero training in supporting children with disabilities.  

• This is particularly true during recess and lunch times, when EAs or lunch room volunteers are the primary supervisors.  These times are unstructured and can be loud and stressful for many children, especially students with disabilities, yet they are the time when the least number of trained staff are available.  

“Many parents feel frustrated when support personnel handle the most stressful parts of their child’s day, leading to uninformed discipline decisions.  Whether the EAs are staff employees or parent volunteers, they should be educated to support all students.”  (Hirt, 2018).  

• Students need better consistency with their EAs.  Schools and divisions should make best efforts to keep the same EAs with the same students, and a student should work with the same EA for most of their school day.  If an EA and a student have developed a good working relationship, they should be able to continue working together.  

• However, if the relationship is struggling, then the EA and student need full support to improve the relationship, the EA needs better training to better support that student, or the student needs an EA who can more effectively support them.  

• Schools need to be transparent and communicate openly and regularly with families.  Caregivers need to be kept up to date on any issues at the school and whether an EA that works with their child is either being provided with additional supports and training, or whether they are considering having a different adult support their child.  

• School administrators should be responsible for spotting issues or concerns, notifying staff and students (if appropriate) involved, notifying families, and then initiating a plan for problem-solving. 

• If something isn’t working, they need to acknowledge this and sit down with their team of experts to find a better way, not wait until a parent complains, or hope that the problem goes away on its own.  

• Good policies are only effective if they are practiced, and this can only happen when divisions and schools are provided the resources to see them through.   

This list is by no means exhaustive, and we will continue to add to it as we receive additional comments and feedback from community members.  

References

Greene, R. W. (2008). Lost at school: Why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help them. New York: Scribner.

Hirt, Kelly. (2018). Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice-Exceptional Children. GFH Press.

Your Input Is Needed!

If you could wave a magic wand and make anything happen at your child's school (talking our under-funded Manitoba public school system) - what would it be?  

Please comment on our Facebook post, or email Jillian@ADHDPro.ca* to share your thoughts, needs, wants, and wishes.

Given that February 2021 is supposed to be Inclusive Education month in Manitoba, and we have a new Minister of Education, Mr. Cliff Cullen needs to hear our wish-list.

Rather than accepting an empty proclamation, let's tell our provincial government exactly how our children with disabilities would actually feel included, welcome, cared for, and have their needs met in Manitoba's public schools.

**Please share far and wide, especially in groups of Manitoba parents/caregivers of children with disabilities.**

*If you email us, please indicate whether you wish to remain anonymous and your name will not be included with any comments or concerns shared.  

*Emails and any communications shared privately will remain confidential unless we have your permission to share.  

February is Manitoba Inclusive Education Month

 

Apparently February 2021 is supposed to be Manitoba Inclusive Education Month

Though I'm not sure how we are supposed to know or what this is supposed to achieve.  Aside from school divisions posting this proclamation on their websites, I've seen absolutely nothing to indicate that this is anything other than yet another empty proclamation that achieves nothing.

Sorry if I sound cynical...  

No wait, I'm not sorry.  I'm cynical for very good reason and many other parents, caregivers, and professionals are too.  We are tired.  Tired of fighting, tired of advocating, and tired of shouting into the void.  We're tired of years of empty promises from both politicians and from schools.  

We're tired of seeing children punished for behaviour that stems from their disability; behaviour that, in that moment, was out of the child's control.  We're tired of seeing behaviour of children who are clearly struggling labelled as "defiant", "belligerent", "disobedient", "uncooperative", or whatever sugar-coated terminology some school staff are using to blame children rather than look beyond behaviours to see what is really going on.  

Children are hurting.  They're misunderstood.  Many children are being harmed by Manitoba's public education system: by ill-informed school staff, by long out-dated policy, and most of all by political inaction.  If we don't continue speaking up, louder and stronger and ever more persistent, to show politicians that there is a political appetite for change in our public school system, then things will not get better.  Unfortunately politicians need to see that their constituents care enough about this that it will impact how they vote in in the next provincial election. 

Let me be abundantly clear.  There are many absolutely amazing, outstanding teachers and school staff in our province.  They're also burning out faster than schools can find and hire "good" people and they need so much more support than they're getting: from their leadership, and especially from our province.  Our schools are pathetically under-funded, over-crowded, and under-resourced.  That is why teachers and school staff are overworked, under-trained, and under-paid.  That is why teachers are also exhausted and tired of fighting for their students.  That is why school staff feel helpless when they, too, are advocating for the needs of children and their concerns are falling on deaf ears.  Schools can only do so much with so little.  They need help too.  

So please, contact your Minister of Education.  In Manitoba, our newly appointed Minister of Education is the Honourable Cliff Cullen, MLA.  Constituents can email the office of the Ministry of Education at minedu@leg.gov.mb.ca.  

About the Author

Jillian is an ADHD 2e Coach and Child Advocate in Manitoba, Canada.

Jillian has a diploma in Child & Youth Work and a Degree in Psychology, as well as being the parent of an amazing 2e/ADHD child.

Visit ADHDPro.ca and Facebook.com/ADHD2ePro to learn more.

If you need help educating your child's school, your family, or with general ADHD coaching or advocacy, please feel free to contact us.  

Manitoba Education's SSP Handbook Needs An Upgrade

Manitoba Education's SSP Handbook 

Manitoba Education's SSP (Student-Specific Plan) Handbook leaves much to be desired.  The biggest issue is the lack of specific, concrete direction for school staff when implementing the goals outlined in a student's IEP or SSP.  If a school staff member has never written an SSP before, they unfortunately will not find much help in Manitoba Education's handbook.  

The biggest issue is that the Handbook outlines how to write S.M.A.R.T. goals for the student, but says very little about accountability and direction for staff in terms of supporting the student to achieve those goals.  Goals will not be effective if there are not concrete steps that the school staff will take in order to meet the student's needs, and then concrete steps that the school staff and student will take together in order to achieve the goals outlined in the SSP.  That portion is missing from the Handbook, and without inclusion of those concrete steps, the SSP is of very little use to staff or the student.  

Highlighting and emphasis in coloured text added by ADHD 2e Pro

Here is what is included in the current Handbook:

(Not-so) “SMART” SSOs (Student-Specific Objectives) 

Specific: written in clear, unambiguous language

Measurable: allow student achievement to be described, assessed, and evaluated

Achievable: realistic for the student

Relevant: meaningful for the student

Time-related: able to be accomplished within a specific time period, typically one school year

Here is what must be included in order for those "smart" goals to be of any use:

(Student-Centered) S.M.A.R.T SSOs

Specific: written in clear, unambiguous language


Specific, concrete direction for the staff regarding what works best for this individual student and what school staff roles will be in helping to meet the student’s needs.  

Oftentimes these goals are written with what the school wishes the student would/could do, rather than what would be in the student's best interest, and that is not okay. 

Measurable: allow student achievement to be described, assessed, and evaluated


Yes, we need to be able to measure whether the accommodations and supports are achieving their desired outcome, which should be to meet the student’s needs and help the student to achieve their goals.  

However, the pressure should not be on the school staff, nor on the student, to perform for standardized testing or assessments.  The focus must, first and foremost, be on meeting the student’s needs, regardless of what that looks like on an evaluation.  

If the student's needs are not being met, then their goals are useless, and cannot realistically be achieved.  

To be clear: the primary purpose of the SSP is to outline what supports a student needs in order to be on a level playing field with their peers, not what goals the student should meet in order to make life easier for school staff.  

Achievable: realistic for the student

An SSP should also have supports and accommodations that are realistic for the staff to provide as well.  If an accommodation is required and staff do not know how to meet this need, then they are obligated to seek support from their division.  Accommodations for students' disabilities are not optional, and if the school or division lacks the resources to provide them, then it is their obligation to apply for funding from the province in order to meet the student's need.  

Relevant:         meaningful for the student


This point is incredibly important.  We will not get buy-in from the student if they don’t care about their goals, and if they are not involved in the process of creating their own goals.  In whatever way is developmentally appropriate, the student should be consulted and have input into their SSP.  They should be given an opportunity to express their wishes, and describe how they feel they can be best supported at school.  

Time-related: able to be accomplished within a specific time period, typically one school year


SSP goals should be short-term as well as long-term.  If there is a goal for the end of the school year, then smaller, achievable goals, should be made for the interim in order to help the student progress toward that year-end goal.  If you have a year-end goal in September, then that goal is too broad, and it needs to be broken up into smaller steps that can be re-visited quarterly.  Ideally, the SSP team is meeting each term, but also communicating very regularly, almost daily if needed.  This daily communication can be in the form of a staff log/communication book or short emails, but they team needs to collaborate and keep everybody up to date.  

The most glaringly inadequate portion of Manitoba Education's SSP Handbook is reference to staff roles and responsibilities when it comes to supporting the student and meeting the student's needs.  In particular when supporting younger students with SSPs, there needs to be increased focus on what school staff will do in order to support the student to meet their goals.  

This is their current framework for developing SSOs: 

This is what it should look like (with an example included): 

Manitoba Education's Roles and Responsibilities for Staff focus primarily on the tasks involved in actually writing the SSP and evaluating the goals, not on how the staff will actually implement the steps outlined within, nor on how they will specifically support the student along the way: 

That is a huge oversight, and one that can make the difference between an SSP that will actually help the student succeed, and an SSP that wastes a whole lot of time and paper. 

One document that is potentially quite helpful is the Parent Handout (appendix F), yet I've never seen it actually given to a parent (I made just a couple of notes that I feel are important to include - click the image to go to our website and download your own PDF copy): 

Schools should be required to provide this to each and every parent and caregiver that will be attending their first SSP/IEP meeting.  There should also be a student and parent "bill of rights" that every family receives.  Currently there isn't adequate legislation in Manitoba regarding the rights of students with disabilities, which I discussed in my last blog post.  

If you need assistance advocating for your child, please do not hesitate to contact us.  

About the Author

Jillian is an ADHD 2e Coach and Child Advocate in Manitoba, Canada.

Jillian has a diploma in Child & Youth Work and a Degree in Psychology, as well as being the parent of an amazing 2e/ADHD child.

Visit ADHDPro.ca and Facebook.com/ADHD2ePro to learn more.

If you need help educating your child's school, your family, or with general ADHD coaching or advocacy, please feel free to contact us.  

How Do I Advocate for My Child?

How Can I Effectively Advocate For My Neurodiverse Child at School? 

 

If your child seems to be needing additional support at school, do not hesitate to reach out to the support team.  Positive communication between the school and home is one of the greatest predictors of success for children's education, and the earlier the better.  Don't wait for something big to happen and then react, be proactive.  If your child has had struggles in the past, be open and honest about them.  Let the teacher know what has worked well for your child in the past so that the school can be prepared to support the student and set them up for success.  The school support team usually consists of their teacher, the school principal, the resource teacher, and the guidance counsellor.  If your child has an SSP/IEP, or has required in-school support in the past, this team may also include the division's school psychologist and social worker.  These people are usually awesome, so please do not be intimidated by or worried about their involvement unless or until given a reason to be.  

First and foremost, start with the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can with the tools, skills, and resources available to them.  If your child's needs are not being met, you may just need to sit down with the classroom teacher and resource professional and discuss how they can help.  If more involvement is needed, then go ahead and ask for it, then proceed with the assumption that everyone has your child's best interests in mind.  Start with open dialogue and a desire to be collaborative.  Aim to work as a team to do what is best for your child, then check in frequently to ensure the plans are being put into place, and to see how they are going.  Teachers may currently be feeling too overwhelmed, or may not want to "bother" you and ask for ideas, but if you initiate conversation they will likely be more than willing to converse and ask questions.  Most teachers have a desire to help each student flourish and a desire to get to know them better. 

Be patient with your child's school, but do not accept less for your child because there is a pandemic.  Children with disabilities need even greater advocacy during this time, not less.  While the focus is primarily on physical health, as it must be, we cannot lose sight of children's mental health.  Children with disabilities deserve, need, and must be treated as equally valuable and important members of their communities, and this includes their school community.  

If you need help advocating for your child, below is a guideline for getting the process started.  If you are unsure as to the procedure to follow, check your division's website as they may have an organizational chart or concern procedure posted.  We have posted a suggested protocol on our website as well.  

 

When More is Needed 

1. After meeting with your child's teacher and resource professional, send an email thanking them for meeting with you and summarizing the next steps agreed upon to support your child.  End your email expressing your willingness and desire to help in any way you can and invite them to contact you (and/or your child's co-parent) with any questions.  
2. If this does not bring about a resolution, and you've tried working with the teacher, next contact your school's principal, in writing.  If you speak on the phone or in person, take notes and follow up with an email summarizing your conversation so that you have documentation of the communication.  Ask for concrete steps that will be taken, as well as timelines, and follow up on these.  
3. We suggest maintaining a record of communication with school staff and other professionals when advocating for your child.  This is to help parents keep contacts with professionals organized and to visualize the efforts parents are making on behalf of their children.  
4. If you have a school support team, you may seek their input as well.  As mentioned, this team may include a school psychologist, resource teacher, guidance counsellor, or social worker.  These professionals are there to advocate for and support the students, so please do not hesitate to seek out their help and expertise.  
5. If at any point in this process you feel you need a support person to attend a meeting with you, that is your right.  It can be intimidating and overwhelming to meet with school teams, so it may be helpful to have someone you trust along for moral support, or even to take notes so that you can review them later once emotions have settled.  
6. If you have tried working with the teacher and principal and are not satisfied, contact the principal's next-in-charge.  For some divisions this is a Director of Student Services.  This may differ by region, but your school division's website should have a guide for parents for escalating concerns.  If not, they may have an organizational chart outlining the roles and responsibilities of each team member.  
7. If you are not satisfied, and have tried your best with the principal and Director of Student Services, next contact your division's Assistant Superintendent.  Maintain documentation.  This is not to be combative or confrontational in any way, good documentation will help you stay organized during a stressful time and may be important to reference in the future.  
8. If you are not satisfied, contact your division's Superintendent.  As you will have been in contact with other divisional senior administration, it is likely they will have already been made aware of your concerns.  

On the Manitoba Education website, they have a formal dispute resolution protocol listed.  This may look slightly different across provinces.  

The Ministry of Education website also has a brochure called Working Together: A Parent's Guide to Formal Dispute Resolution

It has been our experience that many people within the system either don't know this process, or don't guide parents to this information, meaning that parents and caregivers aren't provided the details on what steps to take next if they don't feel heard somewhere along the way.  It is available on the Student Services website  and we have also uploaded a PDF file of the brochure onto our website to help make it more widely available and accessible.  

In our experience, if you are not getting the help you need from your school's senior administration, or if the problem is such that it requires assistance from someone with greater authority, these may be the next steps to take:  

1. Parents have the right to hire or contact an advocate.  This can be a private advocate the family hires on their child's behalf, or a non-profit organization that can assist.  The Manitoba Advocate also plays a role in advocating for children in the public education system.  They are an independent office, visit their website to learn more about their role in advocating for children and youth.  
2. If you are not satisfied, you can then file a formal complaint with your division's board of trustees.  Each division has a different board of trustees which should be listed on your school division's website.  School trustees are elected officials whose prime responsibility is to function as a board to set policy regarding the provision of educational services.  
3. If no resolution can be found at this level, families in our province can contact the Inclusion Support Branch of Manitoba's Department of Education.  
4. If none of these processes brings about a satisfactory resolution, families can bring their concerns right to the Minister of Education.  A Minister of Education is an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who is then appointed a portfolio based on their qualifications and experience, such as the ministry of education and training.  They are your representative at the Provincial level.  
5. If you are unsatisfied with both your Division's School Board and the Ministry's response, you can then formally request that the Minister appoint a 3-person committee to review the board's decision.  You may also wish to involve your region's MLA as a local representative in the Legislative.  Elections Canada has a handy online search tool for finding your MLA based on your home or school locations.  
6. Another option is to contact your local Legal Aid office, or to hire an Education Lawyer.  Hiring a lawyer privately would be a very expensive option.  If you are unable to get assistance and have gotten this far, we strongly recommend hiring a professional advocate before exploring the legal route.  If you've gotten this far, you may also consider changing your child's school or exploring other options for meeting their academic needs.  

You are entitled to apply for a school of choice, either within another division, or outside your school's division altogether.  You are also entitled to homeschool your child if you feel this is in their best interest.  Remember, your child's mental health and psychological well-being are more important than academic achievement.  Students can catch up on missed work, but the psychological impact of being mistreated in school can be much more significant.  

Keep Calm and Advocate On

With all that said, sometimes teachers don't have the time, support, resources, or experience to provide the support needed.  This may not be their fault, they may need more support from their school leadership, from their resource and guidance departments, or from their division.  Education in Manitoba (and in Canada) is sorely under-funded, so resources are always stretched thin.  In fact, teachers may be playing the part of a professional when they ask for your patience, but inside they may be nearly as frustrated as you are.  Most educators wish they had unlimited resources so they could pull out all the stops for every single student in every single class.  

Especially at this time when they are already stressed due to Coronavirus concerns, teachers are overwhelmed and overworked.  Please be compassionate toward yourself, your child, and their school support team.   

When you feel yourself getting heated, save that email in your drafts folder and come back to it after at least 24 hours, or send it to yourself or a close friend first.  Seek advice from an unbiased person you trust, seek support from your co-parent and/or close friends and vent to them first, rather than in an email to the school.  Remember that it is in the best interest of your child to get along with their school, so do your very best to communicate in a calm, respectful, and cooperative manner.  This may not always be easy, so seek support when you need it.  

This process can be incredibly long, stressful, arduous, and taxing.  And while all of these meetings and formal disputes are happening, children are still suffering and not receiving the support they need.  So in the mean time, parents may choose to homeschool, or move their child to a different school that may be better equipped to meet their needs.  

Parents & caregivers:  Find a support network.  Find one now and lean on them.  Whether it be other families who have children with disabilities, trusted neighbours, close friends, family members, whomever.  Don't forget to take care of yourself.  This system was designed for "typical" students and is not set up for those outside the "norm".  There have been small steps toward improvement over the past decade, but progress is very slow and change takes too long, so gather your village and support each other because we are better parents and advocates when we are in a good place ourselves.  Be kind to yourselves and to each other.  

Plan for The Future 

As your child grows older, and as is developmentally appropriate, they will need to develop self-advocacy skills in order to speak up for themselves.  

Developing these skills begins with understanding their own neurodiversity, how it impacts them, what their strengths are, and what specific supports they find helpful.  This way they know what to ask for when they do need help.  

As they mature, our children will need to learn how to advocate for themselves in a respectful yet confident way.  This means learning what their rights are, standing up for them, yet taking personal responsibility where appropriate.  It's a difficult balance that most of us are still working on as adults, but these skills will be very important for our children in their future endeavours.  

Please visit our website for a list of ADHD Resources available in Manitoba.  

If you need assistance advocating for your child, contact us and we can recommend and provide resources or arrange services.  

Children with Disabilities are NOT an Afterthought

September 15, 2020 update:  Karen Sharma, Executive Director of The Manitoba Human Rights Commission, has written and shared an open letter to Kelvin Goertzen, Minister of Education in Manitoba.  

This letter outlines the rights of students with disabilities as they relate to Covid-19 while in class, hybrid and/or distance learning, and ensuring accommodations are being met wherever and however students may be learning.  

Originally posted on August 29, 2020

Children with disabilities can not, should not, and will not be an afterthought

With schools and divisions working very hard to prepare for a return to classes this Fall amidst Coronavirus concerns, individuals and budgets are stretched to their limits.  This is an unprecedented time, and no doubt very stressful for many parents, children, and education staff.  

This blog post is not in any way intended as a knock on teachers, who are doing the very best they can with paltry budgets, very limited resources, and poor government support.  

This issue is much larger, and stems from a lack of provincial funding for education in Manitoba, and in Canada.  

On August 24, 2020, the Province of Manitoba announced an "additional" (so-called additional, not but not really, and I'll explain why...) $52 million in funding to "focus on putting in place the public health measures needed to keep students and staff as safe as possible while learning."  

So, why is this not really and truly additional funding?  Because the money is not presently in the pockets of the school divisions.  It is funding that is earmarked for schools, but each school has to apply for grants, prove and explain why they need the funding, and then cross their fingers and hope they get it...  eventually.  

This does not help schools now, when they desperately need it the most.  Parents are, understandably, asking schools a million and one questions and unfortunately schools don't have the answers because the province haven't given them enough information.  Parents, teachers, and students need plans right now, not in a few months' time, and they can't plan for funding they don't yet have and may not receive.  

How can parents possibly send their children to school when they don't know what it's going to look like?  

And here's the kicker: If parents of children with special needs don't want to send their children back to school yet, because they feel the school is unprepared, or they don't have enough information to feel confident in sending them, and decide to homeschool them?  Well, then the school loses the funding for that child, because they're not registered and in class.  So, if and when that student is ready to return, their school will have to re-apply and wait for their funding all over again.  It's a catch-22, it's not fair, and it disproportionately impacts children with special needs and their families.  

This isn't supposed to happen.  Legally, this isn't even allowed to happen.  

There have been Supreme Court Decisions (Moore vs. B.C., 2012), as well as the United Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, that have decreed this should not, and legally cannot, happen.  A fantastic summary on the implications of these is available on the Inclusive Education Canada website.  

Key points from this article include:

• “adequate special education is not “a dispensable luxury.”
• “human rights law requires education providers to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities."
• "the CRPD prohibits discrimination against children with disabilities and mandates the right to inclusive education."

Most relevant to our current situation is this: 

"School districts in Canada must take a proactive approach to budgeting and programming, to ensure that the rights of students with disabilities to accommodation are taken into account. Appropriate budgeting by provincial governments is also crucial. School districts make program choices within budgetary envelopes determined by provincial governments. Children and families must be ensured of their right to the benefits of public education in an inclusive community or neighbourhood school."

Note the word proactive.  Children with disabilities are not, should not, and can not be an afterthought.  Both provincial and divisional budgeting must include their needs, schools must be considerate of these needs when planning for our return to school next week.  

Manitoba's stated philosophy of inclusion falls far short of this and is very weak in comparison to the statements made in the CRPD.  

I understand that this is an incredibly challenging and unprecedented situation. However, that is even more true for persons with disabilities and their families, so the coronavirus is no excuse to continue putting their needs on the back-burner.  

Children with disabilities deserve, need, and must be treated as equally valuable and important members of their communities, including their school community.  They have every right to appropriate access to education, and parents are exhausted and tired of having to fight for this every step of the way. It's long past time for our provincial government and school divisions to step up and carry more of this responsibility, because parents and families cannot do it alone, and children should not continue to suffer due to poor funding and poor planning.  

If you need help advocating for your child, ensure you have done the following: 

1. Contact your school's principal, in writing.  If you speak on the phone or in person, take notes and follow up with an email summarizing your conversation so that you have documentation of the communication. 
2. If you have a school support team, you may seek their input as well.  This may include a school psychologist, resource teacher, guidance counsellor, or social worker.  
3. If you are not satisfied, contact the principal's next-in-charge.  For some divisions this is a Director of Student Services.  
4. If you are not satisfied, contact your division's Assistant Superintendent.  
5. If you are not satisfied, contact your division's Superintendent.  If you have been in contact with other divisional senior administration, it is likely they will have been aware of your concerns.  

On the Manitoba Education website, they have a formal dispute resolution protocol listed.  This may look slightly different for each division.  In our experience, these are the next steps to take:  

1. Parents have the right to hire or contact an advocate.  This can be a private advocate the family hires on their child's behalf, or a non-profit organization that can assist.  The Manitoba Advocate also plays a role in advocating for children in the public education system.  
2. If you are not satisfied, you can then file a formal complaint with your division's board of trustees.  Each division has a different board of trustees which should be listed on your school division's website.  
3. If no resolution can be found at this level, families can contact the Inclusion Support Branch of Manitoba's Department of Education.  
4. Finally, if none of these processes brings about a satisfactory resolution, families can bring their concerns right to the Minister of Education.  A Minister of Education is an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who is then appointed a portfolio based on their qualifications and experience, such as the ministry of education and training.  They are your representative at the Provincial level.  

This process can be incredibly long, stressful, arduous, and taxing.  And while all of these meetings and formal disputes are happening, children are still suffering and not receiving the support they need.  So in the mean time, parents may choose to homeschool, or move their child to a different school that may be better equipped to meet their needs.  

Parents & caregivers:    Find a support network.  Find one now and lean on them.  Whether it be other families who have children with disabilities, trusted neighbours, close friends, family members, whomever.  Don't forget to take care of yourself.  This system was designed for "typical" students and is not set up for those outside the "norm".  There have been small steps toward improvement over the past decade, but progress is slow and change takes too long, so gather your village and support each other because we are better parents and advocates when we ourselves are in a good place.  

Be kind to yourself and to each other, we're in this together.  

If you need assistance advocating for your child, contact us and we can recommend and provide resources, arrange services, or provide referrals.  

About the Author

Jillian is an ADHD 2e Coach and Child Advocate in Manitoba, Canada.

Jillian has a diploma in Child & Youth Work and a Degree in Psychology, as well as being the parent of an amazing 2e/ADHD child.

Visit ADHDPro.ca and Facebook.com/ADHD2ePro to learn more.

September 15, 2020 update:  Karen Sharma, Executive Director of The Manitoba Human Rights Commission, has written and shared an open letter to Kelvin Goertzen, Minister of Education in Manitoba.  This letter outlines the rights of students with disabilities as they relate to Covid-19 while in class, hybrid and/or distance learning, and ensuring accommodations are being met wherever and however students may be learning.