WARRNAMBOOL autism advocate Bryce Pace has called on Senator Pauline Hanson to spend some time in his shoes.
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The 18-year-old Brauer College student said he was offended by her comments and he called on her to educate herself.
Despite repeated calls for Senator Hanson to apologise on Thursday she continued to speak about segregation as the best answer for both children with disabilities and other students, while denying she had advocated segregation.
“These children need special care and attention,” she said. “They are not getting it in a normal classroom. If they need special care and attention, then give it to them. You can actually have a special classroom to teach them in class hours.”
Bryce, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of nine, said her thinking was very outdated.
“To say that they hold other students back, I don’t believe that’s the case,” he said.
“My teachers spend just as much time with me as the other students. If there are people on the spectrum and they’re capable of attending mainstream school then they should be allowed to.”
I CAN south west chairman Anthony Boyle said at first he was gutted by Senator Hanson’s comments but he hoped some good could come of it.
“It’s really a dark ages ideology,” he said.
“At the same time what it does highlight is the support for inclusion.
“I would never have been able to get that type of publicity for the cause.
“Overall the support across the nation has been impressive and I hope we can build on that and some good can come of it.
“People in general don’t understand what it is to be on the spectrum.”
Mr Boyle said the comments also highlighted how little people understood about inclusion.
“I’d hope this stimulates discussion on inclusion and support in the school,” he said.
“In terms of getting the I CAN program in schools funding is always the issue.
“The teachers really do a great job and they need class room support and also personal development.”
Labor MP Emma Husar, who's son Mitch has autism, expressed her anger and hurt on Thursday morning over the speech.
"Senator Hanson's comments yesterday are just like all the other comments that Senator Hanson makes," she said.
"She owes an apology to every single autistic child in this country; to every one of the parents, like me, because we have got better things to be doing than defending our kids."