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Photo Credit: @jeswinthomas

4. School Experience: Disability Support

Significant findings:

  • 65% of respondent children were professionally assessed for special or exceptional needs.
  • 13% of schools have special needs documentation for children who were not professionally diagnosed.
  • 16% of schools have trained staff for mental health or school phobia.
  • More than half of respondents were blamed or criticized when their child was having difficulty attending school.

Response from parents about children with special needs

  • 335 (of 519) students had professional assessments
  • 427 (of 519) students were in schools with staff that were not familiar with or trained in mental health and school phobia
  • 347 (of 519) students were judged for their inability to attend school
  • 352 (of 519) were diagnosed with special needs
  • 260 respondents (parents) were blamed for their child’s difficulties in attending school
  • 289 (of 519) students had special needs documents

Have you had your child assessed for academic or psychological challenges?

Sixty-seven percent of respondents had children who were diagnosed with special needs.

Sixty-five percent of respondents had professional assessments.

Is there documentation in the school about your child’s special needs? (for example, an Individual Education Plan, a designation for special needs through the IPRC – Identification and Placement Review Committee)?

Most respondents had special needs documentation. Most respondents indicated that their child’s school did not have special needs documentation for undiagnosed students.

Does your child have school staff who are familiar with and trained in mental health and school phobia?

Only 16.76% of respondents indicated that their child’s school staff was familiar with and trained in mental health and school phobia.

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