It breaks my heart that over 80% of students suspended from school have a disability. My name is Louise. I am a mother of two beautiful neurodivergent boys, and a parent advocate for kids with learning disabilities.

Detentions, suspensions and expulsions reached record highs during the pandemic, with devastating and lasting effects on kids like my son with disabilities such as ADHD, Autism and dyslexia.

This is why I am calling on all Australian State Education Ministers to stand with vulnerable students and their families: adopt Collaborative Proactive Solutions in schools across the country.

Collaborative Proactive Solutions is a model of care that empowers our children by helping them identify the problems that cause disruptive behaviours, and working with them to come up with solutions.

The CPS approach was developed by Dr Ross Greene from Harvard Medical School, as an alternative to the outdated model of teaching behaviour, which baits our kids to behave by using rewards and punishments. Dr Greene is actively supporting my campaign to bring CPS to Australia.

When our son was behaving aggressively and emotionally at school 3 years ago, we employed the collaborative problem solving techniques that form the basis of the CPS model. My son is now recognised as one of the best behaved high school students at his local school. He self-advocates through problem solving and responds well to positive relationships with his teachers.  

In Australia, the way kids are taught in school is harmful to kids like my son whose brains work in different and wonderful ways.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Together, let’s call for better outcomes for vulnerable kids. Please sign this petition to let Education Ministers around Australia know that parents, teachers and students are calling loudly for the adoption of this model of care for our children!

Click here to read more about this issue and why we need #CollaborativeSolutions in our schools.

Louise

Listen to my interview with Dr Greene on my podcast "Square Peg Round Hole"