From The Economic Costs Of ADHD by Dr. Margaret Weiss. Thanks to everyone who participated in our campaign for ADHD students in BC, our #IEPsForADHD campaign. We had 37 BC school trustee candidates in 9 cities across BC committed to...
From The Economic Costs Of ADHD by Dr. Margaret Weiss.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our campaign for ADHD students in BC, our #IEPsForADHD campaign.
We had 37 BC school trustee candidates in 9 cities across BC committed to supporting ADHD students in BC’s schools and to promise to ask BCNDP Education Minister Rob Fleming when he would fulfil his promise more than 10 months ago to add ADHD as a standalone category in special education so they could get accommodations and #IEPsForADHD.
Thank you to all the school trustee candidates who supported ADHD students and committed to asking for #IEPsForADHD.
17 of those 37 BC school trustee candidates were elected to public office.
This is not a new thing. The BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC), Twitter @bccpac “a registered non-profit and non-partisan charity, represents the parents and guardians of over 565,000 children attending provincial public schools” did a resolution on this 8 years ago. October 2010.
Updating Designations
Resolution Number: 2010.10
Resolution Status: Active
“That BCCPAC urge the Ministry of Education and the Provincial Government to review and re-classify the level of designations so that additional learning differences including but not limited to ADD/ADHD, developmental delay, sensory disorders be recognized, acknowledged and funded accordingly.
Maybe some of you might want to ask BCCPAC to do another resolution on this or get them to ask Rob Fleming why 8 years later it’s still not done?
Thanks to the people who helped out with our campaign.
And asked the BC school trustee candidates online and by email, Liz, Matti, @hipmum, @EllenYeung myself and others.
I’ve been asking BC school trustees that basic question for at least 8 years, since the CADDAC ADHD provincial school report card which gave BC a grade of Unsatisfactory/Fail.
I asked them during elections and sometimes between them if they would support adding ADHD as a category in special education vs the current refusal to help them. Responses? Refused to answer, or I’ll look into it and never did. Team #PretendingToCare.
But this time after 8 years of futility, one Vancouver school trustee said yes Carrie Bercic which gave me hope.
I contacted CADDAC to see if BCNDP education minister Rob Fleming followed through on his 10-month old promise to ADHD students in BC. Despite the claim “Deputy Minister Laura Sampson will be staying in touch to up-date CADDAC on these issues.” They did not.
So I contacted a variety of people in Rob Flemings’s office and the education ministry asking when he will keep his promise to ADHD students.
When will the promise be fulfilled and create ADHD as a standalone category in special education which allows ADHD students to get an IEP, Individual Education Plan and supports/accommodations for ADHD students? Date or a timeline? I only got empty promises or no callbacks.
So if BCNDP education minister Rob Fleming won’t answer citizens who aren’t BCNDP donors, why not ask BC school trustees to ask Rob Fleming? So we asked a lot. Probably more than a hundred.
Two BC ADHD Support Groups to let your teachers and parents of ADHD students know about.
CHADD Vancouver ADHD Support Group. For parents of ADHD kids and adults and sometimes both depending on the topic. I’m on the board.
Vancouver Adult ADD Support Group. For adults with ADHD. ADHD is 80% genetic so unless your ADHD kids are adopted… I lead this group. Our members come from Mission to Victoria, Whistler to Delta.
No ADHD support group in your community? I’ve got several pages of links showing you how to start, run and promote one. How to start an ADHD Support Group.
Check out the full list of all 37 BC school trustee candidates supported ADHD students and said yes to #IEPsFor ADHD in 9 cities.
I blogged their responses and screenshotted the tweets just in case some politicians pulled a Brandon Yan and deleted their tweets.
We had 3 trustees elected in Richmond who supported our campaign for ADHD students, 7 of the 9 in Vancouver did plus 4 runners-up, one in Burnaby, one in Nanaimo, and 5 in Victoria in Rob Fleming the bcndp education minister’s riding.
Please thank the BC school trustees candidates who did what Canadian politicians rarely do, something good for people with ADHD.
In this case, they support ADHD students in BC who are the largest group of special needs students in BC school, they make up 8-10% of all BC students and promised to ask for #IEPsForADHD.
Just like it took me 8 years to get any BC school trustees to commit to adding ADHD as a category in special education, it took me 8 years to get any BC provincial politicians to promise me they’d reopen the BC Adult ADHD clinic the bc liberals shut down (not including Christy Clark who lied to me on it during her one townhall in her byelection and I have her lies on audio ).
So given it is so rare for any politicians to do anything positive for people with ADHD, please thank a few who did, whether online, by email or in person at a school board meeting.
Just like nothing improves a child’s hearing like praise, (Psychologist Dr. Candice Murray says this a lot during her CHADD Vancouver ADHD support group meeting presentations) nothing improves a politician’s hearing like praise.
You can also tell them why this is important and what else you want them to do to help ADHD students, like making mandatory training for BC teachers on ADHD students, targeted funding for students with ADHD who need it, based on challenges in the classroom (similar to what is provided for autism ), additional education for new teachers learning at the university level, specific to ADHD and specific to challenges teachers may encounter in the classroom, etc.
If you are having problems with your ADHD child in school and your child’s teacher is not helping, you might want to talk to these trustees and see if they can help. Maybe ask the other trustees if they’d support#IEPsForADHD too.
Also, consider asking your BC MLA’s if they would ask Rob Fleming when he’ll fulfill his 10-month old promise to add ADHD as a stand-alone category in special education. Or ask reporters or open-line talk shows.
List of 17 BC School Board Trustees that were elected who support ADHD Students and #IEPsForADHD
7 Vancouver School Board Trustees that were elected who support ADHD Students and #IEPsForADHD
COPE Vancouver. Full Slate Support ADHD students. One of 2 elected.
Idea Party. Full Slate Supports ADHD. None elected.
One City. Full Slate Supports ADHD. Only one of 3 elected.
NPA Vancouver 4 supported ADHD students, 2 elected.
Fraser Ballantyne? and Oliver Hanson
VanGreens. Full Slate Supports ADHD students. Full slate elected
3 Richmond School Board Trustees that were elected who support ADHD Students and #IEPsForADHD
Independent
Richmond Education Party
Richmond First
1 Burnaby School Board Trustees that were elected who support ADHD Students and #IEPsForADHD
Burnaby Citizens Coalition
1 Nanaimo School Board Trustees that were elected who support ADHD Students and #IEPsForADHD
Independent
5 Victoria School Board Trustees that were elected who support ADHD Students and #IEPsForADHD
Independents. All five who supported ADHD students in BCNDP education minister Rob Flemings riding were elected.
What To Do If BCNDP Education Minister Rob Fleming Refuses to Honour His Promise to ADHD Students In BC?
File A Human Rights Complaint Like ADHD UBC Medical Student Carl Kelly Did. He Won.
And if Rob Fleming does not fulfil his promise to add ADHD as a standalone condition with accommodations and #IEPsForADHD I hope some BC parents think of doing what Dr. Carl Kelly did, when as a medical resident at UBC they violated his human rights by not giving him proper accommodations for his ADHD and LD.
BCNDP just recently reinstated the BC Human Rights Tribunal after BCLiberals killed it off. I coach a lot of lawyers with ADHD. So if you decide to do file a complaint, you might find some ADHD lawyer or a lawyer who cares about civil rights who can help you.
Kelly v. University of British Columbia (No. 4), 2013 BCHRT 302 ($75,000)
“Area: Employment and Services
Grounds: Mental disability (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Non-Verbal Learning Disability)
Discrimination: Removed from the medical residency program
Lost wages: $385,194.70 plus tax gross-up
Expenses: $14,457.13 for expert reports, tuition, and attendance at the hearing
The discrimination: Dr. Kelly was in a medical residency program at UBC. UBC took some steps to accommodate his disabilities but then removed him from the program without taking all reasonable steps. As a result, Dr. Kelly lost his job as a medical resident.
Vulnerability: Dr. Kelly was in a vulnerable position. He was a student and a resident with mental disabilities. He complied with UBC’s requests for medical information. He was dependent on UBC to accommodate his disabilities so that he could complete the program.
Effect: Dr. Kelly wanted to be a doctor for most of his life. He spent a lot of time and resources working toward this goal. He lost the chance to complete the program and to practice as a doctor.
He restarted the program after the Tribunal’s decision, but this was about six years later. The discrimination had a serious effect on him, especially in the context of his family dynamics.
He felt deep humiliation and embarrassment. He had symptoms of depression. He lacked interest in life. He had trouble sleeping and other health problems. He felt worthless, despair, and uncertain about his future.
He thought about “ending it”. He was embarrassed looking for other work when he had a medical degree. He lost his income. He had to move home with his parents. He isolated himself socially. His relationships were strained.”
See the full BC Human Rights Tribunal Ruling
UBC appealed it up to the BC supreme court which took away the $75,000. But Carl was persistent and took it to the Court Of Appeal.
Who overturned the BC supreme court’s ruling and gave him back the $75,000 for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect, as well as the $385,000 for lost wages.
See full ruling, University of British Columbia v. Kelly, 2016 BCCA 271 (CanLII)
Maybe some will follow Dr. Carl Kelly’s lead?
Teaching ADHD Students Resources.
Accommodations for K-12 ADHD Students
Accommodations for College and University ADHD Students
Overviews of ADHD in Education
Educational Guides for Teachers of ADHD Students
Other Articles for Teachers of ADHD Students
Parent Resources For Their ADHD Children in School
Intergenerational cycle of lower human capital Intergenerational cycle of lower human capital formation formation in family with ADHD
Slide 17 ADHD: Impact on parents
Teaching Students with ADHD: Teaching Students with ADHD: A Cognitive Perspective By Dr. Rosemary Tannock, PhD
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