Nova Scotia family feels betrayed after private school expels son with autism

Greg Richardson describes his 11-year-old son who has autism as "smart" and "high functioning."

But Adam's tendency to lash out at others when he perceives he is being ridiculed has earned him suspensions from public school.

Richardson and his wife Lisathought Landmark East, a private school in Wolfville, N.S., for children with learning disabilities, might be the answer. They hoped the school would help Adam learn and also help himcope with his sometimes violent behaviour.

That didn't happen.

The Richardsons paid Landmark East's $22,000 annual tuition but Adam still spentlarge chunks of time at home on suspension beginning lastNovember.

He was expelled on Thursday,almost two months before the end of the school year.

"It was about behaviour and the safety of other students," Peter Coll, headmaster at Landmark East, told CBC'sMainstreetHalifax. "I can't get into specific details about disciplinary cases because of confidentiality rules. I can talk about the fact that it is absolutely a last resort for us to ever remove a student from the school."

"We go to heroic lengths before that situation presents itself," Coll added.

Richardson acknowledges his son has struck other students. He said the most recent incident, which he described as "swatting" another boyon the head, was probably the last straw.

"Ironically, it's a kid he plays with a lot, that he is friends with, who he plays with on the weekend, whose parents we know," Richardson told Mainstreet.

He said the two made up later that day.

"The school is saying he is being expelled for what they call violent behaviour. The behaviour is part of Adam's autism spectrum disorder," he said.

Richardson said he and Lisa requested that staff deal with the boy's behaviour at the time it occurred, rather than punishing him after the fact.

Speaking to a child with autism about behaviour after it has occurred and suspending the child doesn't work,he said.

"It is something we presented to the school at the beginning. It is something we've been dealing with. It is part of who he is and part of his struggles in education," Richardson said.

"We assumed that is what we were paying for."

"Adam now feels really bad about himself" andrefersto himself as "stupid" and "a problem," Richardson said.

"What is the answer and where should Adam go?I don't know. We need help."

Coll said Landmark Eastfamiliarizes itself with each student's learning abilities, including behaviour triggers.

"We did everything we were asked to do in the situation and more," Collsaid.

Some tuition reimbursement

Richardson said he'dlike to be reimbursed for part of thetuition because the school's strategy for dealing with Adam's negative behaviour wasn't effective.

"To compensate us for the two months tuition for when Adam is not attending, May and June this year, to help soften the blow of expulsion and allow us to use that money for other mental health resources," he said.

But Coll said the contract signed by the Richardsonsclearly stated tuition cannot be refunded.

"I am sorry if the family is making it about money. We worked really hard to make it about helping this child. We're a non-profit charity and we're only in business to help kids," he said.

The Richardsons moved toWolfvilleso their son could attend Landmark East. They are now consideringenrollinghim in a local elementary school.