Autistic Nanaimo student returns to class after family fights medical exclusion

A young, autistic student has returned to class in Nanaimo after a months-long exclusion, but his family still believes school districts are failing many children with disabilities.

In this 1130 NewsRadio follow-up, eight-year-old Luca’s mother says the family was told last month that his medical exclusion from the classroom was being lifted but they were not informed of the reasoning behind the decision.

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“We were not even given the medical certificate,” explained Macdonald.

“They said it was directed to the school district and so they don’t need to provide it to the parents. But, it’s a medical certificate for my child. It makes no sense. We did file a freedom of information, or FOI, request for the certificate because it was really weird that lifted it with no new information.”

In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools only said there is “ongoing collaboration between the school district and the family to support the student’s return to school.”

Luca — who is enrolled in a life skills program at Georgia Avenue Community School — had been placed under a medical exclusion for much of the school year for what the school district deemed disruptive and unsafe behaviour, something his mother disputed.

That started a struggle to meet what Macdonald suggested were moving goalposts for him to be accepted back in class, with the family ultimately taking Luca’s story public.

Macdonald says, despite the exclusion lifting, they chose not to put Luca back into the program at first because the plan for his return was no different than his previous program and they feared it would fail.

However, at a meeting with Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools last week, she says there was progress.

“There was a lot of pushback, which was hard, but I just kept saying, ‘this isn’t going to work,’ and they finally listened to my words and the data that showed that it failed,” Macdonald told 1130 NewsRadio.

She says she put her foot down and there have been changes, including bringing in an occupational therapist and speech-language pathologist for Luca, who is non-verbal.

“This is extra support that he should have gotten before the medical exclusion was put in place. They should have activated district and provincial supports before ever considering a medical exclusion. There was so much they could have done,” she said.

Macdonald says Luca has been doing well in the classroom since his return, but she feels the process has been difficult for her family.

“It’s hard for parents who have to be pushing as hard as we are pushing to be heard and advocate for our kids,” she said.

Advocacy groups like BCEdAccess Society work for equitable access to education for students with disabilities and complex learners. The charity tracks classroom exclusions across the province, and Chair Kim Block says they can be very stressful for families. 

“It often puts parents/guardians’ employment in jeopardy and many parents are forced to quit their careers,” she told 1130 NewsRadio in an email. “Exclusion can last weeks and months. We have had single mothers wonder how they are going to pay their rent at the end of the month. Siblings are impacted as parents struggle to balance children on different school schedules or at times being forced to be in different locations.”

Block adds that excluded children are very aware of the rejection, and that can lead to future school refusal.

“They often report not feeling wanted or safe in school. Everyone’s mental health suffers. Exclusion harms families and doesn’t benefit society.”

She blames chronic underfunding and understaffing along with “entrenched ableism” in the education system.

“The people who will always be more impacted by a failing education system will be children with disabilities and diverse abilities and their families.”

Luca’s mother says her situation, and that of other families, sends a message.

“It just really shows how broken our system is, and I hope this all speaks to how districts are failing special-needs children, because it’s not out children’s fault.”