Fears Over How TVDSB Schools Will Cope With Autism Changes

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Monday, 1 April 2019 13:04

As layoff notices are issued and training cancelled, educational assistants fear September turmoil for TVDSB students.

OXFORD COUNTY - As the number of students with Autism continue to grow in the Thames Valley District School Board, the amount of support staff is dwindling.

The EA's work with students with special needs, including autism. The union that represents educational and instructional assistants at TVDSB warns that students' education and well-being will suffer as a result of the loss of 35 educational assistant positions and the lack of trained staff to work with children with autism. Monique Greczula an EA with the TVDSB and president of CUPE Local 7575 says that the problems will only intensify when the effects of the government’s changes to the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) hit schools next year.

"There will be fewer educational assistants in September, just as more children with autism come into the system and EA's are being told that they can't be spared to take ABA training. The combination will have a direct and negative impact on students in our schools."

CUPE places blame for the layoffs squarely on the $300-odd million in cuts to education grants by the Ford Government. TVDSB superintendents told union representatives in March that the board was expecting more than 500 students with autism to enrol in Thames Valley schools because of cuts to the OAP. Greczula says even last week's announcement of a temporary rollback to program cuts is not expected to make a significant difference in the number of children enrolled.

"Some children with autism have already returned full time to the school program; some who attended part time are coming full time. And we expect even more enrollments in January, because that's the end of the six-month funding extension for the Ontario Autism Program. Layoffs among EA's and a shortage of specially trained workers will only add to the stress on the system that this increased demand will bring."

CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions President Laura Walton says that EA jobs are short-staffed in almost every school across the province and that there are dangers that come with these shortages, especially when they're among those who are trained to work with children with autism.

“There are never enough EA's to support the children who need them, even when there is an overwhelming demand for these workers and their skills. These shortages put everyone in the school at risk."

The following is an official statement from the TVDSB on the layoff notices:

“TVDSB regrets that it was required to issue layoff notices to Educational Assistants (EAs) due to a recent reduction in funding from the Ministry of Education. At the time the notices were issued, 23 EAs positions were vacant, and a total of 12 EAs received layoff notices.

To lessen the direct impact in the classroom, two EAs were asked to temporarily postpone Autism Behavior Analysis (ABA) training. However, these EAs have been provided an opportunity to attend training at the end of this month. Overall, 25 EAs will receive ABA training in the coming months

Despite the reduction in staff, TVDSB has a comprehensive system in place to provide support to schools when a student with an autism diagnosis registers at a school. This includes, but is not limited to, support from senior staff in the ASD portfolio, coordination with Thames Valley Children’s Centre (the OAP local provider), in-take meetings and goal-setting with the parent(s)/guardians.

About 41 new students diagnosed with autism are expected to be joining TVDSB in September.”