Parents of some young students with autism in kindergarten are expressing concerns over the shortage of educational assistants (EAs) in schools. They fear that their children, who have high support needs and require extra help in the classroom, may face serious consequences due to the lack of adequate support.
Katelyn Andersen, a parent whose four-year-old son with autism attends Locke’s Public School in St. Thomas, Ontario, is worried about the impact of insufficient EAs on her child’s education. She joins other parents in urging the province to increase special education funding to enable school boards to hire more EAs to meet the growing demands.
Andersen’s son, who has level-two support needs, faces challenges in daily activities, communication, and focus. He requires assistance with basic tasks like toileting and getting dressed, and has a tendency to wander off or bump into others. The presence of an EA providing one-on-one support since November has notably improved his behavior and social skills. However, school officials recently informed Andersen that the EA would be reassigned elsewhere after January 23, leaving no clear plan for a replacement.
Another parent, Nicole Grove, shares a similar concern for her son Harrison, who also has level-two needs and attends Pierre Elliott Trudeau French Immersion Public School in St. Thomas. Previously, Harrison had a full-time EA dedicated to him and two other children. However, the school is reducing the full-time support, leaving only one EA working half-days for the entire school.
Both mothers emphasize the critical role of EAs in supporting children with special needs and express worries about potential academic regression and safety risks resulting from the staffing changes. They feel that the school board’s decision is solely driven by budget constraints, overlooking the individual needs of students like Harrison and Andersen’s son.
In response to these concerns, the Thames Valley District School Board stated that EA staffing adjustments are made based on evolving needs across the district. While acknowledging the shifting of supports between schools, the board assured that there has been no overall reduction in EA support. Principals have the authority to allocate EAs to address the most pressing needs within their schools.
Despite the reassurances from the school board, parents like Grove believe that the changes will have broader implications beyond individual students with special needs. They argue that the reallocation of EAs could impact the entire class’s learning environment, affecting both educators and students.
The school board’s financial challenges, including a projected deficit for the upcoming school year, reflect broader issues of underfunding in special education. Mike Thomas, the president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Thames Valley, highlights the growing needs of students outpacing available resources, leading to a strain on support services in schools.
Premier Doug Ford recently announced increased funding for education and plans to hire thousands of teachers and EAs. However, parents in St. Thomas emphasize the need for greater parental involvement in decisions affecting their children’s education, calling for more collaboration and transparency from the school board.
