Exclusion from school is highly traumatic for anyone, but for rangatahi with FASD, adding an extra level to the trauma they already experience is debilitating. It can mean that's its harder to get them back into school and from there it's even harder to get a job, so it's best to try everything you can to avoid exclusion if possible. There's more about your legal rights and options below.
• Homeschooling: this can be a very good outcome for some – find out more about home education here (scroll down once you've clicked through).
• if your rangatahi is old enough to leave school there are tertiary options for neurodiverse people. See more about this on our 'Leaving School and Getting a Job' tab on our Individuals page here.
Click here to watch some short videos from a few of our rangatahi with FASD talking about their experiences with tertiary education here – it's not all about going to university!
• special schools – we are working on providing a list of these in Aotearoa.
• Here is a full list of your rights as well as much more practical information on the government's education website.
• There is an Aotearoa-based website which has a number of resources for those experiencing, or trying to avoid exclusion, called Exclusion to Inclusion Aotearoa NZ. It includes digital presentations which discuss behaviour using a brain-based approach and identifies trauma-informed strategies which educators can use to support inclusion. There are also short films of rangatahi talking about what the impact of being excluded has been on their wellbeing. This video will be helpful to individuals, their whānau, schools, Boards of Trustees, and people who work with tamariki and rangatahi.
• In September 2022, we ran a webinar presented by Cherryl Waerea-i-te-rangi Smith (Nga Wairiki/Ngati Apa), a grandmother raising a 16 year old mokopuna who has a diagnosis of FASD. She has a PhD in Education from the University of Auckland and works as a researcher. You can watch a recording of her personal story about reinstating a mokopuna after they were excluded from school here.
A company called Youthlaw has been providing free legal help for nearly 30 years to tamariki under the age of 25. They cover various issues including educational funding in NZ. Youthlaw staff solicitors are unique specialist practitioners – they are some of the only lawyers practising in the field of education law. They have the ability to assist with appeals of high needs special needs funding under Section 10 of the Education Act.
Click here for more info, call 0800 UTHLAW (0800 884 529) or email them at [email protected].
