Surrey parents object to revolving door for support staff for kids with autism

A group of Surrey parents is pleading with the school board to ensure their autistic children are assigned the same support workers next school year.

Parent Jennifer Newby says a policy of continuity with educational assistants (EA's) is the only way the students will get the care and support they need.

'Being bullied'

"We are being bullied to accept less than our children deserve, as far as their needs go," said Newby.

Newby said the EA's can be moved around by the district and union each year, meaning a child's support worker could be different every school year.

"When the child makes contact and a connection with the support worker they're placed with, beautiful things happen," said parent Tamsyn  Angelini. "Their progress skyrockets."

Eight parents have demanded hearings with the the Surrey School District board of trustees to discuss the issue.

"The next step after that is a human rights tribunal, that's where we're headed," said Newby.

The Surrey school district has 3,000 students who receive education assistance. It has received 20 requests to keep the same support worker next year.

"We fully expect a number of those [students] will have the same EA," said school district spokesperson Doug Strachan. "And they'll be some that won't, but there will be lots of consistent support by others in the school."

Strachan said a human rights complaint was launched last year on an issue similar to this.

"The board and union applied to have it dismissed — and it was," said Strachan.

That dispute was eventually settled when the school board and the union agreed to keep the student's education assistant in place, according to a letter sent to the parents obtained by CBC.

"If there's one filed [this year], we'll deal with it at the time," said Strachan.

With files from Meera Bains