'They fail special needs students': B.C. mom speaks out after son excluded from field trip

While the rest of his kindergarten class was enjoying a field trip, Luca sat in an empty classroom with his educational assistant. His mom says the school decided his disability would make it too difficult to include him

While the rest of his kindergarten class was enjoying a field trip at a bowling alley, five-year-old Luca sat in an empty classroom with his educational assistant. His mom says the school decided his disability would make it too difficult to include him and did so without even telling her.

Andrea MacDonald lives in Nanaimo. Her son Luca is non-verbal and has autism and a global developmental delay. She and her husband considered sending him to a school for children with special needs, but opted for public school because they wanted him to have the experience of socializing and learning alongside neurotypical kids.

"He's a pretty happy little guy. He lives in his own little world most of the time," she says.

"All we ever wanted (was for) him to be included and not be bullied and not be excluded and it doesn’t seem like that has happened this year … That was our fear about going to school, was him being excluded and rejected."

Late last month, when MacDonald was dropping Luca off, she learned of the class trip for the first time. She says she was never notified that it was being planned, nor was she approached about any concerns about how or whether to include her son.

"It was sort of heartbreaking watching him go into an empty classroom," she tells CTV News, adding that she was relieved the class had already left by the time she dropped her son off.

"But him watching his entire class go onto a school bus and drive away without him – when the bus is his favourite thing – that would have been even more heartbreaking."