Donald Reilly

The parents of an 18-year-old student with autism appealed a decision of the Appeal Board that upheld an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) recommendation placing the student in a home instruction program for seven hours per week.

The parents argued the placement was inappropriate and sought a more flexible, full-time day placement.

The school board maintained that the student's aggressive behaviour necessitated a controlled environment and that no local agencies could provide the requested support.

The Special Education Tribunal dismissed the appeal, finding that the IPRC and Appeal Board decisions met legal requirements and that the home instruction placement was appropriate given the lack of available alternatives, though it strongly urged the parties to obtain a comprehensive assessment from the Geneva Centre for Autistic Persons.

The parents of a 14-year-old developmentally handicapped student appealed the school board's decision to place the student in a segregated Junior Developmentally Handicapped program.

The parents sought full integration in a regular classroom with a full-time teaching assistant.

The Tribunal dismissed the appeal, finding that the student's significant developmental delays and need for specialized life skills instruction could not be adequately addressed in a regular classroom, and that the board's proposed placement offered the most appropriate environment for the student's educational and social development.