Hi @Oneofeach and welcome to the forums. It is obvious from your post that your situation is incredibly hard to live with daily and must be so difficult for you and your family. I would love to congratulate you for persevering throughout this and not losing sight of helping your son get the best life-long outcomes.
Whilst I am not able to give you any legal advice around your rights, I totally understand how difficult it can be to get any concrete information about this for a number of reasons such as the fact that it might differ state by state.
One thing that does seem to be common to all states, however is that parents do have the right to participate in decision making around these types of situations – but how this is handled might differ depending on where you live. Have you contacted any of your state government departments to ask about this? Maybe talking to someone about the exact process in your state might give you some clarity?
One of the things that struck me from your post was when you talked about the school guidance councillor and the advice that has been given to your son. I can only imagine how hurtful this must have been for you and your family. I really hope that this has not turned you off the idea of seeking external help to get resolution with this situation.
Have you considered talking to Relationships Australia (you can find them by following this link)? They offer a mediation service that can help resolve family disputes. It might help to have an impartial third party that hears both your and your son’s side of the story and help you communicate after hearing both sides?
I am so happy that you found these forums as there are amazing parents in here who have had similar experiences who might be able to give you their perspective on your situation. @taokat and @Zoesplace in particular has spoken beautifully on this in the past.
