Kinney and Calan

‘All kids could do something productive and useful in their adult life if they're able to communicate.’

Calan’s sons are autistic and have global development delay. They are non-verbal and use augmentative and alternative communication.

‘They've basically just got a tablet computer that they carry around with them. They can point to symbols. And when they point to the symbols, it populates the message bar up the top. And then once they finish their message, they sort of press go and it speaks for them.’

Calan told the Royal Commission that the education system is failing to support the boys to use their communication devices.

‘I'd pretty much describe our schooling experience as just poor-quality childcare.’

One son, Kinney, has attended special schools and special units in mainstream schools.

His classroom is always ‘a little barricaded corner of the school’.  He has no opportunity to mingle and talk to his peers. 

‘I don't think that segregation is the way to go,’ Calan said. ‘Because it's just so isolating. The boys need some peer models of kids being kids and kid things to talk about.’

Because Kinney doesn’t have any behaviours of concern, he spends most of his time ‘at the back of the class amusing himself’.

No-one expects Kinney to communicate, so it’s not a priority.

‘That’s the disappointing thing. It's really hindered the boy’s opportunity for education.’

This year, not one of the adults in Kinney’s classroom ‘has taken any time’ to learn his communication system.

‘Surely if you've got a class of kids who use communication aides, then it's a prerequisite that if somebody comes in to support those kids, they learn about how to use communication aides.’

When Kinney’s device is used, it is for the teacher to talk to him, for example, ‘It’s time to pack up’ or ‘It’s time for lunch.’

‘They need somebody throughout the day actually modelling communication that's meaningful and valuable to them … they never get any modelling of what their message could be in that situation,’ Calan said.

Calan is expected to drop Kinney off at the gates each day and never has an opportunity to talk to the teacher.

He wants to know what Kinney is learning each day. He wants the teacher to tell him that they couldn’t find certain words in Kinney’s device and ask him to add the words. Then he would know school was working and Kinney was learning.

The school also refuses to support Kinney learn toileting skills. Staff check Kinney’s nappy twice a day. During the holidays, Calan was able to teach Kinney to ask to go to the toilet. Calan asked the school to follow through, but they haven’t.

‘We've lost that progress.’

Calan recently made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

‘It's pretty much a waste of time … It's really only a mediation service.’

The education department agreed to ‘try and do better’, but they refused to agree to anything that was outcomes-based and could be measured.

Calan says the next step is the Federal Court, but it will take time and money and soon Kinney will be in high school.

‘I can't see how school is helping to deliver any quality of life outcomes at the moment. And at some point, school's going to finish and we're just going to be left to do everything ourselves. Communication, it's just not a priority. And that's what it comes down to.’