Dash and Anika
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘My intelligent, creative son has now lost over a year of schooling. I don't know what to do anymore.’
Dash has autism and a disability that affects his ability to walk and run. In year 3 he started to resist going to school.
Anika, Dash’s mum, was surprised. She told the Royal Commission that when Dash started primary school ‘he made friends and achieved very well academically’.
Anika contacted Dash’s teacher who was new and inexperienced. The teacher didn’t understand autism and underestimated Dash’s academic ability. The teacher believed that if a child has autism they also have an intellectual disability. The teacher disregarded Dash’s need for routine and structure in the classroom.
The teacher also dismissed Dash’s physical disability. ‘He was not offered realistic alternatives to participating in sport,’ Anika said.
As the year progressed, Dash became more and more anxious and distressed about attending school.
Anika contacted the education department and requested Dash be placed in a class that catered for students with autism.
The department was unable to do this, instead offering Dash a place in a multi-categorical class at another primary school some distance away from where they lived.
Anika said she accepted this offer because she was desperate for Dash to return to school.
‘However, despite assurances from our new school that they understand autism and school refusal, my son's school attendance has not improved. Our new school is even less supportive than our old school. I feel judged and that the school blames me for my son's school‐based anxiety.’
Dash’s school refusal means Anika is unable to work outside the home and she recently had to turn down a position. ‘I am highly educated and I would very much like to return to the workforce and contribute to society,’ Anika said.
‘I feel isolated and overwhelmed. I continually worry for my son's future and I am deeply concerned that he may never go back to school.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.