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Parents lash district for not providing ABA training for education assistants

Concerns raised during a budget meeting on Tuesday
School board meeting
Peter Raptis and a supporter were among parents, teachers and administrators who spoke at a School District 43 budget meeting Tuesday. Parents called for education assistants to be trained in applied behaviour analysis (ABA) methods to support children with autis

Parents took School District 43 to task at a budget meeting Tuesday for not requiring applied behaviour analysis (ABA) training training for education assistants.

They say the training is critical for helping their children learn and claim families are leaving to obtain the help in other districts.

Peter Raptis, a Coquitlam resident and father of a boy with autism, said he was surprised he couldn’t get the support of an EA trained in ABA — which breaks tasks down into steps for children to learn — and said he is worried that his son could lose “incredible gains” without it.

The district “refuses to even try,” Raptis said in his presentation, which drew a standing ovation from parents.

It was a dramatic moment in an otherwise straightforward meeting that was supposed to be a dialogue — with trustees asking questions at the end of presenters’ reports and asking for questions back.

The unusual structure of the meeting, and the fact that most groups presented hard copy notes in advance, enabled district administrators to respond to delegate queries as they were made.

But Paul McNaughton, SD43's director of instruction for learning services, was on the hot seat for much of the discussion because many of the concerns raised were about supports for students with special needs. McNaughton said the district hired a consultant with ABA expertise to train team members who deal with kids with autism and has consulted parents on the matter.

SD43 puts “ a lot of resources toward programs and collaboration,” McNaughton said, “It’s thoughtful, not just willy nilly.”

Jodie Wickens, a former Coquitlam-Burke Mountain NDP MLA, asked why the training wasn’t required, as it is in other districts, with the result that people leave or file appeals.
“How can that be good for families’ mental health?” she asked.

McNaughton acknowledged that each district has a different approach but SD43's programs are based on research “to make sure were doing a diligent job on the resources we are providing.”

Parents with children who have autism were among eight groups who made a delegation and it was clear from the presentations that many would like to see more support for special needs students.

Coquitlam Teachers' Association president Ken Christensen said more counsellors as well as skill development, student services and English language teachers are needed to meet increasing challenges in the classroom, including more violent and extreme behaviour.

Other calls were for more programs for gifted students, more money for career resource workers, less teaching time for school principals and more money for school band programs.
District administrators told members of the audience the budget will address many of their concerns.

Assistant superintendent Carey Chute said $25,000 has been set aside in the budget for school band trips and release time for teachers while McNaughton addressed the gifted issue, noting that the district provides supports for teachers so they can teach gifted students in the regular classroom.

Meanwhile, principals were told that a provision had been made in the budget to reduce teaching time in schools and teachers learned that more career and library time was going to be provided at high schools.

What was billed as a chance for trustees to listen was also an opportunity for the district leadership team to point out gains made in the district, including 86 classroom conversions to accommodate students, 200 new teachers in the system and a year-end expectation of a $4-million surplus.

Chris Nicolls, SD43's secretary treasurer, told the audience the surplus will be used to smooth bumps in future years to avoid “extreme” volatility in school staffing and budgets.