Special-needs kids in limbo under rules

Parents of children with autism fear their children’s learning ill significantly suffer because they can’t juggle working from home and providing the one-on-one support their kids need.

PARENTS of children with special needs have been left in the dark about whether they can send their offspring to school, fearing their children will fall behind after five weeks of homeschooling.

The Department of Education’s advice about which children can attend schools includes those of essential workers who have to be at their workplace and vulnerable children included those identified by schools, or who are involved with Child Safety, including those subject to a child protection order, a youth justice order, and children in designated indigenous communities.

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Parents of children with autism, who wanted to remain anonymous said they feared their children’s learning would significantly suffer as they couldn’t juggle working from home and providing the one-on-one support their kids needed.

One parent said while both parents could work from home, they couldn’t see how they could ensure their children don’t fall behind.

“How do I manage homeschooling the child who is neuro-typical who can sit on the computer and be checked up on and my other one who needs one-on-one support for everything they do from brushing their teeth, to going to the toilet, to schoolwork and hold down a full-time job,” they said.

LNP candidate for Mansfield Janet Wishart said children with special needs and their siblings should have been included as “vulnerable children”.

“I have been contacted by several families who are concerned that once again this Labor government is failing to understand the needs and very real issues these families face everyday,” she said.

Leader of the Opposition Deb Frecklington said no child should be left behind, calling for all parents to have the freedom to “send their kids to school if they want too”.

However, Education Minister Grace Grace said their advice for all schools and parents was the same, urging parents to contact their school if they have concerns.

“Despite the LNP’s best efforts to attempt to intentionally confuse the public during this global health pandemic, we have been crystal clear about this issue,” she said.

“If a parent is required in their workplace or is unable to supervise their child at any point then they are permitted to send their child to school.

“In order to ensure that students and staff can appropriately maintain social distancing while at school, the numbers of children in attendance needs to be significantly reduced.”

Late yesterday the Department of Education said schools were best-placed to determine students who they believe fit into that category of ‘vulnerable students’.