New education plan leaves out students with special needs: Autism Nova Scotia

HALIFAX – Autism Nova Scotia is speaking out against the province’s new education plan.

In a statement released Monday, the non-profit organization state the “education plan forgets students with special needs.”

“There’s lots of wonderful great things around trades and increasing co-op placements” said Cynthia Carroll, executive director of Autism Nova Scotia. “But again how do students with special needs and people with autism access these supports (because) they’re equally important for them as well.”

The three-year Kids and Learning First plan does include some iniatives – such as helping those with special needs transition out of high school. 

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But Carroll says more support should be available before that.  

“In those 12 years that students with autism and special needs are in school, what is the meat and potatoes of support that is going to really make their experience successful – and that was really missing,” she says.

According to Autism Nova Scotia, there are about 500 students currently diagnosed with autism in HRM.

Jo-Lynn Fenton, the mother of two teens with autism, also spoke out against the plan.

“It’s lacking in a lot of details and where it’s really lacking in details is for students exceptionalities or special needs,” she says

She says the lack of initiatives is a real concern – especially since there currently aren’t enough resources to support students with special needs.

“The needs are greater and the capacity is really not there. So, it’s quite scary to think that, you know, without adding something to that it’s going to be a problem,” Fenton says.

But according to the province’s education minister, resources are in place to support students with special needs even though they might not be listed in the new education plan.

“Not everything is in the plan laid out very specifically because it gives an overview on the actions that we’re working on,” says Ramona Jennex.

Jennex says more details will be coming out in March with the release of the province’s autism strategy for public school systems.
Kids and Learning First