In class we had a guest speaker, Chantelle, from BC Ed Access. This is a volunteer run organization that helps students with disabilities and their families navigate the BC school system and advocate for equity in BC classrooms.
After Chantelle did her presentation the class went into breakout rooms with some questions/prompts to guide our conversation. It was really eye opening to hear about other people’s experience in their field experience or in the past with students with disabilities or complex learning needs. I was reflecting that I was surprised about the impact complex learners had in the class I visited and how I was really impressed with how the teacher and EA’s can adapt and accommodate different needs at different parts of the day. The group I was in had a conversation about how to approach parents about issues like this that are noticed by teachers. While none of the group are teachers yet we came up with some tactics like recording everything in a binder, talking with support staff and principals, and asking the students previous teachers as a way to build up a case to help parents when they look for intervention. Chantelle ended up popping into our breakout room for a bit too and we were able to ask her questions about ways that a teacher can help parents with having a child assessed or diagnosed. It is, obviously, a very touchy subject for families but it can make a huge difference in a child’s education because a diagnosis can lead to them receiving the support they need in a classroom.
At the end of class we were given links to watch a couple of videos. The videos are a story of a student in BC who had to advocate for their own education and eventually left the public school system to complete high school at a private school. It was frustrating to hear about, but also inspiring because this student was able to find a way to graduate but I think it highlights the shortcomings of the system and a need for more acceptance of different ways of learning and showing knowledge.
Here are the videos that were shared in class
And this is the organization that Chantelle and others volunteer and run to support students with disabilities and complex learners and their families
https://bcedaccess.com/