A mother is pleading with the Saskatchewan government for more resources for children with intensive needs in schools.
Brittany McDonald’s three-year-old daughter, Ru, lives with autism and is currently in Kindergarten. Ru was initially approved to be in an integrated preschool. But, provincial cuts caused the Regina Public School Board to close three preschool programs, including the one to help Ru.
On Wednesday, the McDonalds were at the legislature to share their concerns. The government offered Brittany a spot for Ru, but that didn’t put an end to her concerns.
“What we’re looking at going into school right now is we may have one speech therapist for the entire school or school district, which means that that person is spread so thinly that they cannot provide us the services that we need,” she said. “As soon as we move into the school system, we lose the supports of the autism centre.”
“Certainly there’s more work to be done,” Minister of Education Gordon Wyant said. “My commitment and my undertaking is to continue to have those ongoing dialogues and discussions with the school divisions, with teachers, with parents.”
McDonald said she will continue to call on the government to put more resources into programming for children with intensive needs.
