In this week’s Ed Tech class we had guest lecturers Tracy and Kaori from BCEdAccess. They talked about the multitude of needs that fall outside of the normative setup the current education model holds. Tracy talked about the waitlist for an autism assessment being around 84 weeks. The psycho-educational assessment only received once the Tracy’s children were graduating. This gap of information is harmful for the child, parents as well as the teachers. Speaking to the usefulness of this information for the teacher, is two fold; firstly: the teachers will be able to have a more nuanced understanding of how best to motivate, assess, and connect with the student. Secondly: the student will be more likely to avoid the discouragement and disengagement cause by repeated negative experiences.

The common challenges include, as stated above, the lack of access and support. This can be for both the family and the teacher. The current formation of support systems and programs do not (as stated by the speakers) supply easy access to solutions. Instead the family must navigate through many layers of complicated steps before receiving any tangible results. Other concerns can be the resistance to change, privacy concerns, and technology as a distraction. 

Advocating for funding can be instrumental in enacting change in the programs and ensure continued or increased funding. 

The talk also covered the importance of reducing barriers in the classroom. This includes topics of ableism, racism and discrimination. The speakers also stresses the importance of teachers building strong connections with the family. Things like following the IEP, communicating with the student and family, will help setup students and teachers for success. 

🔗 BCEdAccess