We struggled a lot with school. One teacher told my child that her autism was a punishment from God – that is a terrible thing to tell a child! It led to permanent resentment of faith-based institutions. Another school did not know what to do after my child had a failed suicide attempt – instead of trying to find out what happened, the school tried to distance itself from the whole affair. No action was ever taken against the kids bullying my daughter. This led to a meltdown at school and a second suicide attempt. My daughter was assaulted at school – we were told that she was telling an inappropriate story and refused to stop when asked by the other student to do so (difficulty with social interaction is a symptom of autism) Her failure to stop talking provoked the other student into slapping her across her face. The school principal decided that she should be suspended for a day for her “part” in being assaulted. Victim blaming is never OK! It was after this event that we felt forced to take our child out of that school.
School Phobia and Exclusion
Youth Mental Health Canada
