Who Is Allowed Help From An EA?

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I live in Ontario and have a highly functioning ASD boy in school. I've spent a lot of time of the past three years trying to figure out what to do for my son so he can succeed in school. His paediatrician has recommended that my son have an EA and legally, the school must provide one for him. The principal has said that EAs are not permitted to help students with academics and that if he is found to be allowing an EA to help a student with anything other than safety or medical needs, the school board will remove the EA from our school.

I've gone back to the doctor, and told him what the principal said. He said the principal is wrong. The advocacy group I've talked with has said that I should go to through the disabilities rights legal thing (I don't remember the exact name of it,) and take it to court. I have neither the time nor the money to do that, nor would it be a clear choice if I did, as dealing with the school, principal and teacher is something so personal and long term, that I would hate to mar those relationships by taking this to court, you know?

And yes, I do see the irony that an Educational Assistant is not permitted to assist with a student's education.

According to the job descriptions I've found for EA's, they are not nurses, and their job descriptions seem to line up with what is needed for my son.

The board says that my son has to be designated by them to qualify for any help, but according to what I've read of the law, a doctor's assessment of Autism needs to be accepted because of the long wait time for the board to assess the students. Does anyone have experience with getting assistance for their child at school? I don't know what steps I should take. It seems like the board is not considering what the law says, but I have a hard time thinking they would be breaking the law.

I'm in the Maritimes, but grew up in Ontario. As far as I can tell a child needs more than a doctor's diagnosis to get special assistance in schools in Canada; we don't seem to have a law that ensures that this will happen. A lot of people in Ontario go through their schools, which put a request for an educational psychologist's assessment in the works. This is free of charge but takes a long time. I found it easier here (and some people in Ontario have told me the same) to have my child assessed by a top-notch psychologist who specializes in autism. Had she been younger we would have had different options and services through the government and the autism team at the hospital. We had to pay for the assessment ourselves (insurance was supposed to pay for it but we're still appealing their decision not to), and it took six months, but it was very thorough and included very specific recommendations. We took the report to the school, and they assigned her to the methods & resources teacher (who had first recommended to us that she be assessed) and... let's see how to say this kindly... worked towards a proper special education plan (SEP). Throughout middle school she didn't get an EA, although it was recommended by the psychologist; we were told there was no hope of getting one for her based on her scores. In fact she didn't get any supplementary services, but at least they didn't allow her to fail her classes. However, the dx was on file and she was designated. Unless your child is designated, you won't get an SEP or get your child on an m&r teacher's courseload. I was lucky enough to find a tutor who is a retired special ed teacher who not only helped my daughter with academic work but also helped me with the planning / negotiating process. I went back to the psychologist and his partner in preparation for high school, but everything they suggested was hardly even necessary, because the high school m&r teacher took everything in hand and chose excellent teachers who were experienced with accommodations and modifications.
What I think they mean when they say EAs can't help with academics is that they are not trained or qualified as teachers. Classroom teachers are guided by the m&r teacher to put academic programs, strategies and SEPs (which basically list which courses are accommodated and which are modified and some specific goals) into place. The principal is responsible for ensuring the SEP is followed, although you may not have a lot of direct contact with the principal. Because of their union protection, pay scale etc. EAs can't be expected or asked to provide teaching support; it's mainly behavioural support that they give. Depending on your school board, getting an EA may be simple or next to impossible, and they may or may not have special training in autism.
Academic support for my daughter (as for some other kids on the spectrum I know well) came from her tutor. There were about three years after her dx that I figured she learned so much with her tutor I should just send her there for 2 hours a day and skip school. However, she did not want to homeschool (her brother is educated at home, so she knew it was an option) and she did pick up some things in class. She liked to be with and watch the other kids in her class, and made and kept a few friends. Since high school began, however, she has been thriving academically and enjoying the experience. She even says things like "high school is fun" and "I'm a lot smarter than last year." We have good relationships with a few key teachers, who are very positive about her. This was not the case in middle school.
Sorry to have been so long... I just wanted to share my experience in another province that may be similar.
J.

I was about to give you all sorts of advice about the system in the US, then realized you're in Canada. I imagine there are parent advocates and parenting groups there, who you could talk to. I don't know the specifics of the laws there, but I imagine the same thing happens there as here: the law says one thing, the schools interpret it in a way that suits their interests (usually saving money), and parents can interpret things another way, and usually there is some sort of formal procedure (or several) to resolve these issues.

The first step has to be to know your rights well, going into a meeting with an administrator ignorant of the law, you are sort of at their mercy. parent advocates can help here, as can behavioral health providers (if Canada has a system where they exist outside of the school district). Lawyers can also help, but I'd consider that a last resort, as it would put you in an oppositional position with the school.

I'll also throw out the possibility that the school may be acting completely correctly. Some kids don't need that level of support. Your kid may need a specialized curriculum, but not the intensive, constant one-on-one support that you may think would help. Additionally, a pediatrician, upon discovering ASD symptoms should be referring to a mental health specialist (i.e. psychologist) for testing, and treatment recommendations. It is not really within the pediatrician's specialty to be recommending specific behavioral interventions for children...so I'd consider the advice as friendly and well meaning, but not gospel. You really want to go to a specialist who would likely be doing some intensive assessments to determine the diagnosis (if not already given), behavioral supports and educational supports needed for your child. These sorts of tests can be expensive - although in the states that is usually covered by the school - I can't imagine it's harder in Canada. In any case, you know your kid, and the situation best.
I see your question as two separate questions:
1 - what does my child need?
2 - what is my child entitled to?
You should focus your efforts on addressing question 1 first, before worrying too much about 2 - agian, no need to get into a fight with the school if their recommendations are reasonable.
Good luck to you!

Postcards, my son has an IEP (I think that sounds like the SEP you mentioned?) and it's followed well by his teachers. The school does have on file the ASD diagnosis and they accept that for modifications in the classroom, but it doesn't help him stay on school property at recess, or stay in the classroom with the other students. If this was about just learning the curriculum, I agree that I could teach him in a couple hours a day, but there are several reasons I prefer him being at school. It's good for him and it's helping him in some ways, for sure. I was thinking an EA would be perfect to keep him in the classroom/gymnasium when there's only one teacher and 18 other children. Someone to keep him engaged at his desk so he does the work he's capable of.

I'm glad to hear that your daughter is thriving in high school. I'm worried about sending my son to high school. He's involved in a lot of ASD social training right now, ABA and occupational therapy and various other things, but I still worry that high school can be extreme, for better or worse.

Emile, I am certainly not trying to fight with the school, since they are doing really well with my son, and I know my son doesn't need constant one-on-one support. It just seems to me that it would be best for my son as well as all the other children if the teacher had someone else to help her with him so that the other students aren't being left alone, or if the teacher can't leave them at the time, my son can't get off school property.

Thank you both for your responses.

-wait - he leaves school property during recess and runs out of the class room? In behavioral health, we call that "elopement" and it is one of the main justifications that I have used for getting children one-on one support paid for by Medicaid - which is probably a more tight-fisted organization than anything you've got in Canada. Why does medicaid pay for a one-on-one in cases of elopement? Because it represents a serious risk to a child's health!

If this has happened only once and the school has taken reasonable steps to contain the issue, and ensure that it does not happen again - for example, fenced off the recess area / posted someone to watch your son specifically / made it impossible for your son to run out of class, and then proceed to run out of the school / or even developed a behavioral plan that builds in strong reinforcers for staying on school grounds- then it may be ok. If that is not the case, then the school is putting your child's health at risk, and I believe that asking for a one-on one as a solution is reasonable.

Depending on your laws this may be handled inside the school or out. In the US, federal law demands that both medicaid and the schools provide these services as needed. In practice, both medicaid and the schools often argue that it's the other's problem and try not to pay for anything, and on a state-by-state basis, one or the other winds up taking more of the burden. I imagine there would be a similar dichotomy in Canada - this sort of difficulty can be seen as a mental / behavioral health problem, and handled through those channels, or it can be treated through educational channels. Good luck in sorting that out. Sorry, my earlier advice was based on the assumption that there were no serious behavioral issues - elopement is potentially very serious, and it should not recur without some sort of preventative response from the school.

I'm finding it hard to know how to help without understanding more about what kind of help you are looking for. From what I understand your child has been given an IEP (same as our SEPs), but has not been "designated." I'm not sure what designated means in Ontario, because here having a SEP means they have been designated for special help. I do think that having a physician's dx is an important piece of the picture, but I don't think that requires the school board to provide an EA. That would have to depend on how severe the disability is and what resources and services were indicated.
You didn't mention that elopement was a major concern; you mentioned academics. I agree that your child's safety is something an EA could help with. I find that behavioural issues may prompt schools to release funds for EA more quickly than anything else.
My approach was to gather as much information as I could from a lot of different sources. I don't know how many people you have spoken to, but here is one suggestion:
http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/En ... iders.aspx
Parent support groups are great help.
J.