Regional parents call for disability education support for WA children

For a year, Nicole Dowers and her son Cooper did a weekly 360-kilometre round trip from their small town in Western Australia's Midwest so he could attend the only special education school north of Perth. 

The pair stayed in Geraldton three days a week, away from the rest of their family, so Cooper could attend year one at Holland Street School. 

Cooper, who is now 12, was born with a rare chromosome disorder — 1p36 deletion syndrome — which affects every body system. He has hearing and vision complications, frequent seizures, mobility issues and intellectual disability. 

The family was living in the rural community of Morawa, a town of about 400 people and Cooper attended kindergarten and pre-primary at the one mainstream school.

However, Ms Dowers and her husband found Cooper needed more support.

"We loved Morawa [District High School], we love the community," Ms Dowers said. 

"But they really weren't set up for children with significant disabilities such as Cooper, because he is in a wheelchair, and he has a peg for feeding and he has seizures." 

The Dowers made the difficult choice to sell their home and move to Geraldton. 

A long way to go 

There are 16 education support schools, centres and programs across regional WA, and 61 in the Perth metropolitan area.

Department of Education WA deputy director general and schools Steve Watson said all public schools had the tools to respond to different student needs. 

"Regardless of location, all public schools can access professional development for teaching and support staff in catering for students with diverse learning needs such as ASD [autism spectrum disorder], specific learning disorders, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder," Mr Watson said.

"In smaller regional and remote towns and communities, students with disability attend and are well supported at their local school."

But some families, such as the Dowers, disagree.

Ms Dowers said Morawa District High School did not have the facilities, resources or expertise Cooper needed.

"I also understand the little towns are not going to be able to have millions of dollars of funding if there's only a small number of children with a disability," she said.

Ms Dowers said education support schools were designed and funded to meet complex needs. 

Holland Street School staff are trained to support Cooper medically, and an on-site nurse provides "peace of mind". 

"I think it would be quite nerve-racking sending him to mainstream school because I try to work, and I think that during the day I'd be thinking, 'Oh, he's probably gonna have to come home,'" she said.

Obstacles from diagnosis to management 

Geraldton-based mother Rachel Bressington rejected the initial suggestion her son Micah would need to attend a special needs school.

Micah, 15, was diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome at six months of age, followed by later diagnoses of global developmental delay (GDD) and intellectual disability.

Ms Bressington said a paediatrician advised early on that Micah would most likely be best suited to a special needs school.

"At that point, I wasn't interested at all, but [since] his first week of Holland Street, I've never looked back."

Micah has attended Holland Street School since kindergarten and is now in year 9. 

Ms Bressington said the school encouraged communication between Micah's support team, including herself, teachers, therapists and support workers. She did not think he would have had the same collaboration in a larger mainstream environment. 

"[It] makes it so much easier going forward together, instead of working against each other, in finding out the best thing for Micah." 

Difference of opinions

The findings of the 2023 disability royal commission made 222 recommendations for change but commissioners were split on the existence of segregated special schools. 

WA Education Minister Tony Buti was contacted for comment on the future of education support schools but did not respond by the deadline given.

Developmental Disability WA education advocate Maxine Drake said mainstream schooling gave students with a disability a mainstream life. 

"For those who believe that mainstreaming is a fundamental good, if there are less [education] support centres, then there are less children being streamed out of mainstream," she said.

However Ms Drake said people with disabilities at mainstream schools in regional areas faced further disadvantage than those in the capital cities. 

Parents' choice  

Based in Bunbury, disability support service Advocacy WA chief executive Stuart Schonell said education support facilities should "become a thing of the past".

But he also acknowledged the limitations of smaller schools to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

"There's not enough funding in small schools and regional towns for children with disability to be able to be fully included," he said.

He said families may turn to homeschooling or be forced to consider moving to a city, putting immense pressure on parents.

"They lose their network. They lose all those people that have been supporting them for many years and they basically have to start again," he said.