Rough journey for "special" school

Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:35 AM

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BY LUKE DOUGLAS Career & Education writer editorial@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, October 18, 2009

ONE St Andrew woman, whose fate it was to have not one, but two sons with special learning needs, has been motivated to start a school catering to children with various learning disorders.

But the journey for the institution, called simply The Academy, has been anything but simple and straightforward.

The Academy principal Lavinia McClure shares a light moment with young students at her school during a break period.

Lavinia McClure started the school specifically because she was concerned that her older son, now 11, would not adapt well to a normal school setting.

"From he was in grade one I was thinking where would he go to high school because he is autistic. I was not happy with the options that were out there," McClure, a physics teacher at Hillel Academy at the time, told Career & Education.

She noted that children with autism or other learning difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit aisorder (ADD), aspergers syndrome or dyslexia, could perform poorly in a public high school simply because the typical class size of 40 students or more does not allow teachers to dedicate enough time to such children.

Lavinia McClure peruses a book with one of her volunteers at the school.

On the other hand, McClure found that existing schools focusing on special education cater to the more severely challenged child, such as those with hearing and visual impairments, and those with chronic mental challenges.

"My son was functioning well academically but had delays in terms of his social and emotional skills," she explained.

Autism is one of a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that appear in children, usually before age three. Though symptoms and severity vary, all autism disorders affect a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. It is estimated that three to six out of every 1,000 children in the United States have autism.

ADHD is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often persists into adulthood. Problems associated with ADHD include inattention and hyperactive, impulsive behaviour. Children with ADHD may struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school.

Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to socialise and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that manifests itself primarily as a difficulty with reading and spelling. It is estimated that dyslexia affects between five and 17 per cent of the United States population.

McClure's other son, now eight, was subsequently diagnosed with severe ADHD, "which is a completely different issue. He needs medication to do any work at all."

After trying a number of homeschooling situations for both her boys, McClure took the leap to start the The Academy for children who were "gifted, learning disabled or both".

But the process has been challenging.

The institution began life on Red Hills Road, moved to North Avenue to reduce its overheads, and was forced to relocate again because of intractable water problems at that location.

From a high of 56 students in 2006, McClure last year scaled down the school as she sought a more affordable location.

In April of this year, she moved to a former preparatory school building off Mannings Hill Road for what McClure calls a "godly rent". She has also cut her overheads by soliciting the help of part-time volunteers both in Jamaica and overseas.This has afforded her the ability to accept children who are not able to pay the full fees.

However, her student body has fallen to 12, with six day students and six others on an evening programme.

With fees of $267,000 per year, schooling a child at The Academy may seem expensive. But with class sizes of no more than 12 and detailed, constant monitoring, teaching special-needs children incurs far greater costs.

Meanwhile, McClure, a founding member and sponsor of the Jamaica Autism Support Association and representative in Jamaica for the US support group Unlocking Autism, is concerned about how seriously the Government is taking special education in Jamaica.

She says she offered The Academy for placement of public school students by the Ministry of Education, given the shortage of spaces in high schools. But only one student out of a possible 15 was placed in 2008 at a compromise rate of $100,000 as her annual fee was considered hefty.

But this September, with her overheads more manageable, McClure said she agreed to take more students at the Government's normal rate of $65,000 per year, but none was placed.

The educator is urging the ministry to purchase more spaces in private special education institutions to address the learning difficulties of the needy in particular.

"Studies indicate that approximately 10 per cent of Jamaican children are in need of something more than what is being offered in the public school system. When that is coupled with the fact that 20 per cent of students who enter high school at first form are not staying until fifth, we see it is a major problem," she said.

McClure notes also that people from lower socio-economic backgrounds have more children with learning difficulties, given their diet, environment and lack of early stimulation.

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