High School- A Whole New World!

High school was a new experience, especially in Braden's new school. It's a great school but what surprised and concerned me from the first day was the very small size of the Resource Room. When schools are built in BC they are required to have a certain square footage per student. I was told that our Resource Room had that square footage, however, it did not include the vast amount of equipment required for those students. There is a small space, a "quiet room" and another room for changing students. There is a bathroom with shower stall as well. Also housed in that classroom were at least for wheelchairs/strollers, a standing frame, physio balls/rolls, special chairs. Anyone with a child with special needs will understand how much equipment can be required. The entire room was like a daily obstacle course. Braden is very unsteady on his feet, some days more than others, and the room was like a minefield for him to navigate. I know I, and several other parents, had serious concerns about potential injuries to students who were already having problems with co-ordination,balance and motor planning. There were many people, including some professionals within the system that fought for more space, with no results. 


My question is - Why are classrooms like this expected to function with the same space requirements as a regular class full of students who spend the day at desks? I know that when I objected to Braden being placed in his chair for hours at a time I was often told that due to safety concerns with the limited space it was often necessary to keep students seated. So instead of dealing with the safety concerns of a small space the students with disabilities were often offered less than optimal learning conditions for their needs.


The classroom Braden was attending in elementary school was larger, more open and definitely less hazardous.It was also more play based as a lot of learning was accomplished this way.


My observation about this transition is not that different from a 'typical' transition from elementary to secondary schools. When typical students advance to high school there is a level of maturity that is encouraged, as well as a "leaving behind" of many of the trappings of childhood. With children who have special needs there are some things that are not the same. My son will always be a 'child' His functional level is somewhere between 9 months and two years old. There are safety measures that must be taken and observed at all times because he will never be an "adult" other than by age. His "space" needs to allow for optimal learning and maximum safety.