Families deserve affordable, timely access to services

Opinion

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This article was published 04/01/2023 (623 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It took the Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba approximately two years to find an available psychology worker who can assess Brandon and area students for learning disabilities, revealing just how strained that sector is.

The association’s intent is to offer diagnostic services that complement those already provided by school divisions in Brandon and Westman, not compete with them.

This is important because, according to LDAM Brandon executive director Jacqueline Goods, there are not enough psychologists to meet demand for this service in Manitoba schools. As a result, children with higher-acuity disabilities are prioritized while those with lower-acuity needs potentially fall to the wayside.

In last year’s budget deliberations, the Brandon School Division board of trustees was forced to cut a number of positions due to a $1.2-million deficit, including a psychologist (one full-time equivalency). The board blamed the cuts on the Manitoba government for a lack of funding as the province rejigs its education funding model.

Our province has faced a critical shortage of clinical psychologists for many years, according to the Manitoba Psychological Society. There are approximately 20 psychologists for every 100,000 people in the province, while the national average is in the 50s.

There are a limited number of psychologists available through the public health system in Manitoba. Those psychologists tend to focus on health and mental health issues, “but rarely are a learning disability or those types of academic or learning assessments covered by those systems,” says MPS president Jo Ann Unger.

Learning disability assessments are important because they help determine the educational needs of a child. Not only can a learning disability affect a person’s academic success, but it can lead to low self-esteem and behavioural problems if it’s not addressed. That’s why early detection is especially important, so families can establish strategies that support their child’s well-being and they are better prepared for the future.

“Within all levels of schooling, students need to know how to explain their learning disabilities and what accommodations support learning and task completion,” says the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. “Without this self-awareness and ability to appropriately self-advocate, persons with learning disabilities are less likely to participate in successful post-secondary studies.”

But when families are unable to access timely assessment and diagnostic services through the public domain, they are forced to seek outside care, meaning they will have to spend thousands of dollars to have a private psychologist assess their child.

LDAM’s new psychology worker performs around 12 hours of testing per child, which comes to $2,400, a rate set by the Manitoba Psychological Society. LDAM adds an extra $600 in fees. That is not pocket change for most families, especially if they have multiple children in need of an assessment.

Every student, no matter their ability, deserves to participate in education that meets their individual needs. But these financial and systemic barriers can make it next to impossible for families and their children to access this critical service.

It’s time for the Manitoba government to step in and offer families affordable and timely access to the services they need, so their children can succeed.

It all comes down to training, recruitment and retention efforts, the MPS says, otherwise “we’re not going to get anywhere.”