Parents claim 'discrimination' after child with autism expelled from Costa del Sol summer camp
The mother and father of the seven-year-old boy claim that he was kicked out of a sports centre in the city for "misbehaving" and are calling for inclusive protocols
Laura Casquero and David Alcalde from Malaga have two children, aged seven and three. The older one is diagnosed with grade one autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For four years in a row, the seven-year-old has attended a summer camp organised by a gym chain in one of their centres in Malaga city. However, this summer, with only three days to go at the beginning of September, their son was expelled "for bad behaviour".
The organisers of the summer camp wrote to the parents to explain why the boy had been expelled, from their point of view: "As we explained to you, in the hiring rules you can read that, in point 14, it is expressly stated: 'any student who does not respect fellow students or monitors may be expelled from the course.'"
"Because your child does not abide by the rules and does not respect, it is unfeasible for him/her to participate in the activities"
"Because your child does not abide by the rules and does not respect the monitors, the coordinator, the director or other students, it is unfeasible for him/her to participate in the camp activities," the company said in a message, to which SUR has had access. It went on to say, "That is why, regrettably, we do not see it feasible for him to finish the camp without endangering his integrity or that of his companions. The expulsion is effective as of 3 September."
The parents of the boy argue that "it is totally discriminatory to expel a pupil alleging behavioural problems" and add that "there are no inclusive protocols for children with specific needs" in this type of summer camp. The family has taken their complaint to Spain's Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) and the Andalusian Ombudsman.
"He did not engage in violent behaviour"
According to the boy's parents, their son "even managed to escape through a door without a safety latch" in the facility and was "on the verge of going out into the street". They added, "The dining room was in an unventilated room with over-stimulation, which aggravated his crises. In August there were fewer staff, which made his care more difficult."
What happened to their son, they say "was not a simple conflict, but an act of discrimination against a child because of his neurodiversity, which has also had a strong emotional impact on him".
The parents say they are not seeking "confrontation, but to give visibility to a reality that many families suffer" and add, "We need clear inclusive protocols, trained staff and compliance with basic child safety regulations."
"There were no reports of violent behaviour, and the monitors told us that it wasn't"
"During the previous three years we had not had any problems and this summer when he was more nervous we went to pick him up at lunchtime," says the boy's mother, who regrets that the centre did not agree to make several changes proposed by the parents, including their son eating lunch before the rest of his classmates. "There were no reports of violent behaviour and the monitors told us that he did not behave violently at any time, only that he became more nervous and pushed because he wanted to leave, especially if he was grabbed by the hands," Casquero adds.
She feels that "instead of protecting him, caring for him, looking for alternatives... they decided to expel him. Can you imagine what a child feels when they suddenly slam the door in his face? My son didn't understand what he had done wrong. He just felt the rejection".
"My son is not a problem"
"What has been conveyed to my son is not that he had a bad day, but a devastating message, 'You don't fit in. You're annoying. You don't belong. My son is not a problem. The problem is a society that still doesn't know how to include, that pushes away instead of embracing, that pushes away instead of educating. This is not an isolated mistake, it is discrimination. I will always fight for my son and for all children who, like him, deserve to grow up in a world that respects them, that welcomes them, that sees them through the eyes of love and not prejudice," argues Casquero.
The mother of two says, "True inclusion is not a slogan, it is a right and as long as children continue to be expelled for being different, I will continue to raise my voice. What happened to my son must not be repeated."
