Part 4 of our Inclusion Advice series
Advocacy Fatigue
Part 1: Members share what inclusion in schools means for their children
Parents shared the exhaustive effort and emotional labour they needed to spend to advocate for their children’s educational rights.
- “I could never let my guard down as I was my children’s number one advocate. If I stopped, too many negative possibilities would pop up in their future.”
- “The process and fight are exhausting – all my time, energy, effort for improvement was up against what the school was willing or able to do. Inclusion meant they let you in the door, but accommodations and encouragement were lacking to have a fully inclusive experience at school.”
- “I wish I had known what ‘pace yourself’ meant. We, as parents are playing the long game!”
- “I hated the fight to get her right to an inclusive education, and the legal action required, but it had to be done, so that WAS worth it. I just hated it.”
- “It was exhausting to support inclusive education, homework, projects, etc. but that is the cost and for sure, it was worth it. Segregation, I think, can be easier for a family, but we do not believe in segregation and supported the most inclusive education we could. We were led by our son.”
- “It was a very difficult journey, and it did have impacts on my own health, but I don’t think there is anything that I think wasn’t worth the time invested.”
- “It feels lonely and intimidating attending school meetings.”
- “I wish I had known that learning how to process my own emotions about how my child was being mistreated and/or supported would go a long way to helping him be successful. If I could quell the panic and dread that I felt every single time I had to deal with the school, it meant I could keep a cool and level head and be better able to problem solve. Learning more about how to communicate effectively in difficult circumstances earlier would have been wonderful.”
- “Unfortunately, it can be a bumpy road, so the relationships you develop along the way can help when the going gets tough.”
Names have been changed to ensure privacy. Some responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. We are grateful to the dedicated parents who shared their experiences and guidance with other families by participating in this survey.
