18 yrs. Grade 12

Secondary School

My daughter started having trouble attending school in grade 7. For months, we worked as hard as we could as parents to try to get her to attend. We felt we were listening to her concerns while also pushing her to go. It wasn’t until months later that we learned not only that her IEP (for an LD that limits written output) was not being followed, but also that she was being humiliated in front of other students for limitations that were part of her diagnosis. It was really disappointing to find this rigidity at an alternative school that claimed…

8 yrs. Grade 2

Elementary School

My son has a diagnosis from a psychologist/paediatrician. He has been suspended from his school 34 times. He is only in grade 2. He also does not even do full days at school, because he does not have supports in place, even with documentation saying he needs the supervision. I have had phone calls multiple times saying they have lost him in the school and they cannot find him. The police have been called. I’m not sure what else to do to help my son. I am a single mother of three and have to pay for his education out…

8 yrs. Grade 3

Elementary School

My son has suffered from anxiety toward school since he entered grade 1. In kindergarten, he loved school and was even subtracting numbers and adding numbers from the dice correctly. Soon after entering grade 1, he started to dislike school and say it was hard. His teacher would email daily telling me he was not paying attention or was disrupting the class. I had him privately assessed again and found out he had a learning disability in reading and writing, but also a full-scale IQ of 122. A very difficult and challenging diagnosis. When I addressed the school with the…

10 yrs. Grade 5

Elementary School

Our daughter is very scared of thunderstorms and high winds, and if she thinks there is such weather coming, she says that she will not be going to school. We will do whatever we can to support her, but the fear is real and can incapacitate her. The school has been extremely supportive, and will offer whatever help they can, but really all she wants is mum or dad.

9 yrs. Grade 4

Elementary School

My 9-year-old son has always had a lot of anxiety around school, but this year we have experienced flat-out school refusal where I’ve had to miss work. It’s affecting our income. Now that he’s a “big kid”, I can’t simply make him go or carry him to the car like I used to (while dying inside). I’ve had to look deeper at why this is happening, and what I see is sensory overload, fatigue, and low self-confidence. He is simply shutting down, and I’m not sure why. We need professional help. While he is very bright and a “pleasure to…

8 yrs. Grade 3

Elementary School

While sitting in the principal’s office (school and family relationship has been difficult because school has tried to impose their point of view), the psychologist says, “It takes a village to raise a child,” to which I responded, “You’re NOT part of my village.” Schools need to learn to respect parents’ point of view and to work together, rather than playing the “know-it-all” or the “expert” card! My child is not the only one who does not trust school; I as a parent DO NOT trust schools!

10 yrs. Grade 5

Elementary School

The worst of it started in grade 3; by grade 4, my daughter’s teacher had alienated her from her fellow classmates, and subsequently staff, due to issues with her peers. The school counsellor did nothing but make the problems worse; the principal told the teacher to send her to the office whenever there was an issue, as they believed that when she got upset it was interfering with other kids’ ability to get an education. I took her out of school when it got bad enough that she started getting stomach pains on a regular basis. Grade 5, same thing…

14 yrs. Grade 8

Elementary School

“You can do better than this” was the common message given to our child. Because we are a high-functioning , educated, middle-class family, our child was always overlooked and under-supported. We did the right things as parents in our home to accommodate his needs but the school didn’t attempt to accommodate. Every intervention to support him was a punishment. “Go to the library to finish your work quietly….go sit in the hall because you’re being too disruptive….your child doesn’t know how to control himself in class….your child would have much better grades if only he applied himself”….IF ONLY…. If only…

15 yrs. Grade 10

Secondary School

My daughter was in grade 9 – so already a big transition year for her in starting high school. She was also recently diagnosed with ADHD, LD, and anxiety. When she was overwhelmed, her anxiety would peak. She went on ADHD medication that made her anxiety worse. Once she went off the medication, she had missed so much school and was behind already; she had missed important lessons/quizzes/assignments, and it was tough getting back to routine and catching up. Damage was done, but with the school’s help, she was able to finish the year and get all of her credits…

15 yrs. Grade 9

Secondary School

My child’s anxiety has always been due to bullying or inappropriate behaviour from other kids. She has never felt supported or protected by anyone at the school. She once got punched on the school bus by a boy with fetal alcohol syndrome. When I went to the vice principal about it, the boy was fully protected, and I was told: he’s special needs; she needs to be aware of that and not do anything to get punched. Her entire school career has given her the message that other kids’ poor behaviour towards her must be tolerated because: they are special;…