THE family of 16-year-old Tyran Fennell, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, say he was ‘‘uninvited’’ to his Year 10 formal by a teacher who wondered ‘‘what he would get out of it’’.
The teenager’s mum, Deanne Fennell, of Kearsley, said Tyran was initially invited to attend the formal and was looking forward to it.
But when she rang his teacher at Cessnock High School to find out more, she was told he’d been invited by mistake.
‘‘She said she would not be attending because it’s her son’s birthday and they don’t get paid to attend and what would he get out of it anyway,’’ Mrs Fennell said.
‘‘I told her that I thought he would enjoy getting dressed, dancing, and his sister said she would like to take him.’’
Mrs Fennell said she wrote a letter to the principal and met with the deputy principal who did not agree with the teacher’s response, and said Tyran would be supported to attend.
‘‘I think he is going to get a lot out of going to the dance - he loves music and dancing, and he doesn’t get many opportunities like this, because he doesn’t have many friends.’’
At that meeting she also learned about a Year 10 camp, held earlier in the year, that she was not aware of and to which she said Tyran was not invited.
‘‘I said, 'What year 10 camp?',’’ Mrs Fennell said.