Parents upset one-of-a-kind integrated program for kids with disabilities suspended

The board of a Toronto private school with a one-of-a-kind kindergarten classthat integratesstudents with disabilities and able-bodied children is making the difficult decision to suspend the program, despite an outcry from parents.

Parents of kindergartners, as well as representatives of the Bloorviewschool,attendeda meeting Tuesday evening inLeasideto discuss the future of the program.

Many families say the class greatly benefited their children, whether they have disablilitiesorthey are able-bodied kids, who areoften referred to as "typically developing children."

The meeting tookplace at the Holland-BloorviewKids Rehabilitation Hospital at Eglinton Avenue East and Bayview Avenue, which is also the site of the school.

"The typically-developing kids see the world through a different lens at such an early age. They learn compassion, empathy and how not to judge people with disabilities," said FabianaBacchini, whose four-year-old son Gabriel hascerebral palsy.

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"And for mychild interacting with typically developing kids, he's seeing more potential ... he wants to model those kids. So I think everybody gains."

The decision to suspend the Integrated Education and Therapy program, which has been running for around 20 years, comes after years of declining enrolment ofchildren without disabilities, which in the past two years was at zero.

"Rather than close the program, we have suspended the program since we have no new enrolment at all," said Dr. Julia Alleyne, chair of the school's board. "The board decided to ... set up a committee for this program to try to see if it can be saved."

The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study has been in charge of recruiting able-bodied and fee-paying studentsfor the school,

In 2008-09, there were 12 typically-developing students enrolled in the integrated program.This year,despite efforts to raise awareness of the program through theirwebsite, letters to parents and advertisements in local newsletters, there were none.

Richard Messina,principal at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto, says the institute does not have a budget for advertising but is hoping the committee can look at ways to effectively share the benefits of the programs with parents of children without disabilities.

"We have to now explore alternative ways to get the message out," he said. "I just don't think we've done a good enough jobsharing that information."

Chris Dangerfield, whose six-year-old daughter Abby attends the integrated program with Gabriel, says the program has helped his typically-developing child come out of her shell.

"I can't think of any better experience for her than this classroom," he said. "In terms of what it will be like when she integrates into a regular classroom she might be the only kid with a speech delay or anything else. She's going to have learned skills to help her communicate with other children."

Both Messina and Alleynesay the school noticed the decline in enrolment since the province rolled out full-day kindergarten.

"I am delighted that there is full-day kindergarten but that has proven to be a bit of competition for parents," said Messina.

Alleyne says that while she understands the frustration of parents who don't want to see the program go away, the board is able to better use the resources to accommodate students with disabilities that are on wait-lists to get into Bloorview School Authority, who could greatly benefit from the school and its resources.

"We currently haveninechildren on our waiting lists ... We'd like to use the capacity of the classroom and the teacher to allow some of our waiting list of children with disabilities into the school,"she said.

Future of program uncertain

The mandate of the primary school, whichenrols 205students in total from Junior Kindergarten through to Grade 1, is toprepare children with disabilitiesforintegrationinto local community schools, whichAlleynesays the school will continue to do effectively despite the suspension of theprogram.

However, Messina said, should interest and enrolment in the program from parents of typically-developing children see a spike in the future, the program could very well return.

"We're hoping tonight will buy us some time to rethink how to promote the program and how to fund the program," said Messina.