Sudbury parent vows to fight for accommodations for daughter with auditory processing disorder

When Paige Skevington sits in class at Confederation Secondary School in Sudbury, she often has a hard time following the lessons, and the class discussions.

"They'll like teach all the work, and then I'll get the work and then I won't know how to do it," said Skevington, a grade 9 student.

Skevington has mild hearing loss, but recently, she was given an answer as to why lessons and conversations often seem to go "through one ear and out the other." An audiologist diagnosed her with an auditory processing disorder.

She's able to hear, but her ears and brain don't fully coordinate, so shehas trouble understanding what she hears, particularly if there's background noise.

But what cameas a relief an explanation for Paige's struggles in school has led to more frustration for the Skevington family. The Rainbow District School Board has denied Paige's request for a professional note taker. Paige's mother, BJ Skevington, is now calling on the board, and the province, to reevaluate how they decide who qualifies for accommodations.

"I'm at a loss as a mother and wanting to support her," said BJ Skevington, through an ASL interpreter.

'Her mental health is suffering'

BJ Skevington said she's watched her daughter struggle in school, particularlyafter entering the "new world" of high school, while also dealing with the added challenge of masks, because of the pandemic.

"She comes home with headaches, she doesn't want to go to school, her mental health is suffering."

Co-founder of the Northern Ontario Association of the Deaf, Travis Morgan said lack of accommodations for those with hearing loss is "a mental health issue that's being ignored."

"If you're having a hard time paying attention in school, you get tired easily. If you get tired that can affect your behaviour. So you have to wonder how many students with behaviour issues ... how many of them actually have hearing loss," Morgan said.

You need to look at the whole picture. BJ Skevington

BJ Skevington said after receiving the Auditory Processing Disorder diagnosis in late 2020, the family informed the school, which offered to provide a personal FM system to Paige, to amplify her teachers' voices. However Paige said the FM system hasn't helped, since there is still background noise.

Request for a note taker

At a meeting last month to review her individual education plan (IEP), Paige expressed her desire for a note taker.

"It's all in paper, so if I miss something I can do back like I can go home and reread everything we talked about in the class," Paige said.

That request, however, was declined, because Paige's hearing loss doesn't meet the criteria set out by the board.

The Rainbow District School Board's Special Education Plan states that in order to qualify for a computerized note taker, a recent audiogram must demonstrate "severe to profound" hearing loss. It also states there can be exceptions for those with "additional documentedlearning difficulties."

BJ Skevington said her daughter's auditory processing disorder and her own vocalized request for a note taker should be taken into consideration.

"You can't just look at a piece of paper or a graph, you need to look at the whole picture," Skevington said.

Response from province, board

BJ Skevington said she has contacted the Rainbow District School Board, as well as the offices of Premier Doug Ford, and Education Minister Steven Lecce.

In a statement to CBC, the ministry of education said "while the ministry is responsible for setting the funding policy that directs allocation of funds to schools boards, it is up to school boards to allocate resources for each school or program, such as assigning specific staff to support students, according to local needs."

The Rainbow District School Board declined CBC's request for an interview. The board said it would not speak publicly about students, but in a statement said it provides accommodations "as recommended by staff and experts."

BJ Skevington said she will continue to advocate for a note taker for Paige and for expanded supports for all students with exceptional needs. It's something she hoped she wouldn't have to do, years after her own experiences as a deaf child.

"I fought growing up to get accommodations," Skevington said.

"I'm now having to fight for my child,it should automatically just be provided."