|
A weekend interview with ...
January 24, 2009
A weekend interview with Phyllis
Musumeci, founder of Florida Families Against Restraint and
Seclusion. Musumeci, a Palm Beach mom, recently traveled to
Washington, D.C., to testify before Congress about the need to ban
the use of seclusion and restraint on children in schools. She spoke
with Jeff Solochek about the issue.
Talk about why you were in
Washington testifying before Congress.
Well, I went to Washington because
my son was restrained in school and put in seclusion, and I didn't
know about it. The seclusion I knew, but I didn't understand at the
time what was really going on. They used to drag his desk out in the
hall and leave him by himself. That was almost every day when he was
in seventh grade. The restraining I didn't know about. My son's
behaviors started changing. His personality started changing. ... He
went from a happy little boy to a very unhappy, angry little boy and
I didn't know what was going on. That happened over a period of
time, like about one year. And so at the end of seventh grade, he
just flipped out one day when I picked him up. ... I was scared.
It was about four days before
school let out. I called the doctor immediately and brought him in,
and he suggested I take him to a psychiatrist. ... I had some tests
run on him and then about maybe a month or two later I brought him
back to the psychiatrist and he was put on some medication to help
with his anxiety, aggression, depression, which he had never had
before.
You found all of this tied back
to the school?
Well, I can only assume that this
was the reaction to what they were doing to him.
Is that when you became an
advocate, or an activist?
Yes. What happened was, the summer
after school it took a long time. He basically stayed home and
recuperated during that time. ... I had to quit my job, stay home
with him. When eighth grade started I told the principal he had been
sick and we didn't know what was going on. So we eased him back into
school. I mean, I knew it had something to do with school. It was
obvious. He didn't want to go to school. He would cry in the morning
and tell me, 'No school. No school.' He would get up in the morning
and get dressed and then get undressed. He wouldn't eat breakfast.
He wouldn't get in the car. I never had that problem with him
before. He used to like school.
So about a month after school
started ... we eased him back in. And probably within two months it
started all over again. ... He would cry all the time. He would
throw tantrums. He would be aggressive if I tried to make him go to
school. So we pulled him out and decided to home school him.
How did you find out that this was
not an isolated incident? I read parts of the report ("School is Not
Supposed to Hurt,") that you were helping to present, and it turns
out this is something that is going on nationally.
Well, what happened was, I didn't
know about my son's issues, and somebody asked me to pull a report.
Or, not a report, their logs, their PCM restraint logs. ... I
believe it stands for personal crisis management. ... Personal
crisis management uses prone restraint. ... So I did what they said.
At this point he had been out of school over a year by now. He still
was recuperating. He had phobias that he never had before, like, he
didn't even want to go outside, let alone get in a car and try to
get him to go to the doctor. And I did request the logs.
Before that, he did come home with
bruises quite a few times. I didn't know what was going on. His
verbalization was not good. He has very poor expressive language.
... And any time he had bruises I asked him what happened. 'I fell
down.' So let me jump ahead to the log sheets. They sent me copies
of all the log sheets for seventh grade and just a few weeks that he
was in eighth grade. And when I saw them I started to cry. I just
was astounded at what they had done to him, how many times he had
been restrained. And they put a note in there that said the sixth
grade log books are missing. ...
And you never knew about any of
this?
No.
Is that the case with most
parents, that they don't know about this?
I am guessing that a lot of parents
don't know about it.
What do you advise them?
What happened was, I started
looking into it and I got onto a behavior committee at school.
Because I decided that something needed to be done. But the district
was trying to tell me that my situation was isolated. And I just
thought, how can that be? First of all, I didn't even know they were
allowed to do this to kids. I didn't know what PCM stood for, so I
looked it up. ... I was like, Oh my gosh. I was shocked. And I
thought, they do this to kids? So I just started checking around and
sending emails to support groups. And little by little, people
started popping up. ... Now I've got about 78 parents around Florida
that have contacted me in one way or another about restraint and
seclusion in their school.
So how does this tie in with the
national report? Because they're calling for an end to this
nationally in Congress, right?
Right. I got involved with the
National Disability Rights Network, asking them to help out. ... And
every time I would see a new article, I would forward it to them.
Every time a parent would contact me with a comment about their
child being restrained, or I would hear from out of state, because I
have a national blog site, I would jot things down, get their
permission ... It's astounding. Parents come from all over. Not just
Florida. So they had been working on this issue anyway. This just
gave them reason to push it further. So they invited me to come to
Washington to speak before a press conference and I guess Sen. Dodd
(shown with Musumeci, image from Palm Beach Post) has been
spearheading this. They had three families from Connecticut come and
testify, and me from Florida. And I'm hoping they will do something
on a national level. That's what this is all about. ...
What about in Florida? Is there
anything that can be done at the Florida level? Are the laws there?
No, there's no laws. I am working
on a bill with the Florida Advocacy Center and the Florida
Developmental Disabilities Council. ... And we're working on a bill
just for Florida, to see if we can get something taken care of here.
Do you have a sponsor?
I'm not sure. I thought we had one,
but now I'm not sure. I'm waiting for him to get back with me. We
tried to get something through last year. The DOE said they were
going to come up with something and we didn't need a bill. They did
come up with something, but all it really did was legalize what they
were doing.
Which wasn't what you were
looking for at all.
Which wasn't what we were looking
for. We don't want to legalize child abuse. So we're hoping that our
senator will work with us to move this bill forward. If the
Department of Education and the school districts feel like they're
not doing anything wrong, then there shouldn't be any problem with
putting this into a bill.
And the bill you want would say
what, exactly?
Well, the one thing is, prohibit
prone restraint. In my county I have documentation that Rep. Bucher
pulled for me last year that they're prone restraining children in
pre-k. Pre-k. That's three and four years old. And that's not
needed. That's not necessary. We have positive behavior programs
that are supposed to be the way to go for our kids. It's
scientifically proved that positive behavior works as opposed to
methods like restraint and seclusion. Restraint and seclusion is
traumatizing our children. They must have seen what this was doing
to my child, and yet they continued doing it to him. And I hear the
same story from other parents. Usually when parents call me, I don't
tell them my story. I listen to what they tell me because they want
to unload their story and talk to somebody. And I am just hearing
the same story over and over and over. ...
What do you advise parents ...
who maybe think they have a problem but they're not sure?
First of all, I tell parents not to
jump. You know, don't go into thinking all schools do this. Because
they don't. Especially with nonverbal children, I tell them if your
child is coming home and you see significant behavior changes and
personality changes, that's when I would be suspicious that
something is going on at school. ... Then you need to go into the
school and talk to them and find out what's going on. The problem
is, sometimes the schools are not honest with you and don't tell you
these things. And that's not right. Parents have a right to know.
If the school won't tell you,
are there certain things you should ask for to set the record
straight?
Well you should. But you don't
always think about those things. Like when my son came home with
bruises, I never thought someone was restraining him. I never knew
it existed. So my mind never went there. Parents today are a little
bit smarter than I was when I started out doing this. Because today
if their child comes home with bruises on their bodies, they're
taking pictures and dating them and documenting it. I think that's
good. I didn't do that. Because I never, ever in a million years
thought anything like this was going on. ...
What I would suggest is to try to
talk to other parents and work together. Contact your legislators
and talk to them about this problem. You have to educate your
legislators, because they don't know this is going on. If someone
would have told me this was going on four years ago, I would have
said, 'Uh-huh. Yeah, sure.' Sometimes, if it's not happening to you,
No. 1, it's not a problem. And No. 2, who's going to believe a crazy
story like that? ...
COMMENTS:
I have read the above posted
comments both negative and positive. In 2002 if someone would've
told me these things were going on in schools I would have found it
hard to believe. But in August 2003 I received the worst shock of
all not only to find out this was going on, but to find out it was
happening to my five year old verbal autistic daughter, then to
compound it to personally witness the teachers assualting the other
autistic children in the class.
The children are being forced into
rooms that are less humane then a prison cell. They are routinely
denied the right to use the restrooms urinating and defacating on
themselves, they are denied food, they are physically beaten. These
very special gifts from God were sent to us to teach us something.
Most of all empathy for our fellow human beings.
Some of the persons who have posted
have the impression that all disabled children are violent and
therefore deserve this barbaric treatment, when this is simply not
true. Quite the contrary in fact, you have children who for one
reason or another can't make sense of our world and they try to
communicate the only way they can, then you take the teacher who is
unwilling to try and understand and continues to frustrate the
child. Then you antagonize the child further by locking them in a
dark room, or tying them to a chair, duct taping them to furniture
or in the instance of one teacher to a wall.
Now imagine yourself in that
child's shoes before you condemn or lay blame and show ignorance
investigate, research and understand. For the record I am a mother
of six wonderful children three of whom are autistic. My children
would no more harm you or anyone else, yet teachers thought one of
them deserved to be beaten to the point that they caused internal
contusions to the upper humerus, sent her home with bruises around
her throat from choking her.
She was then forced to watch her
classmates being beaten, thrown into concrete walls and locked up.
Our society has forgotten these are children and for the record
there are no laws or over sight to protect our most vulnerable
citizens. In 21 states it is LEGAL to beat children and it is done
without you the parents consent.
Just so people can understand the
brevity of this situation since 2000 we have had over 1500 CHILDREN
MURDERED in school by teachers as a direct result of Restraint and
Seclusion. We are better than this as a country and our children
deserve better than this.
Posted by: Theresa Edwards/MOM+6 |
January 25, 2009 at 03:13 AM
I am really appalled at some of the
comments here. But it is these 'attitudes' that are the problem,
obviously a true lack of understanding.
I am a retired RN and worked in
hospitals. We would only restrain IF and WHEN there was an immediate
and imminent danger to self or others. No other reason, and there
was no such thing as a 'time out' room. We had to be certified and
received annual training. Doctors had to sign off on the plan and
families were definitely in the loop. The goal was never to restrain
and we keep it at a minimum. All of us worked together to prevent
restraint of the clients. We had to learn effective techniques that
would de-escalate the situation, not make it worse. And that was
many years ago.
There is even more data now than
ever that restraint and seclusion is harmful and not helpful. There
is also mounting evidence that prone restraints should be banned
because it can cause death by asphyxiation, especially with
children. The airway, lungs, and face get compressed and the child
cannot breathe. Aside from the fact that special needs children
often do not understand why an adult is doing this, this is just
plain wrong.
The legislators need to ban face
down prone restraints immediately. It is a dangerous and sometimes
deadly practice.
Posted by: georgia mom | January
25, 2009 at 10:13 AM
This is happening all over the
country. It is a reality that too many children face. If these
children were adults they could not be imprisoned without a trial.
They would be presumed innocent. Yet, the school district is judge
and jury. Often the people making these decisions aren't even
properly trained. In the real world these children would win just
because of ineffective defenses.
It is so easy to blame the child or
the parent. I know that I certainly would have before I saw these
things for myself.
I have seen school districts lock
these kids in a room for 21 days straight. This is not positive
behavior management. It is putting the problem in a closet and
shutting the door.
I have seen children that are so
full of anxiety that they have to be medicated to go to school.
These are kids that don't even have behavior issues.
It is nice to be on the outside and
think that the problem is because of the child and that locking them
up will solve all our problems.
But, what will you do with these
emotionally damaged children when they are grown up? Who will pay
the price for the damage that has been done to them?
Posted by: Sherri Tucker | January
25, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Can Aversives and Restraints
Produce PTSD in People with Autism?
It is very tempting to take the
side of the perpetrator. All the perpetrator asks is that the
bystander do nothing. He appeals to the universal desire to see,
hear, and speak no evil. The victim, on the contrary, asks the
bystander to share the burden of pain. The victim demands action,
engagement, and remembering. ...
In order to escape accountability
for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to
promote forgetting. Secrecy and silence are the perpetrator's first
line of defense. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the
credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he
tries to make certain that no one listens. To this end, he marshals
an impressive array of arguments, from the most blatant denial to
the most sophisticated and elegant rational-ization....The
perpetrator's argu-ments prove irresistible when the bystander faces
them in isolation. Without a supportive social environment, the
bystander usually succumbs to the temptation to look the other
way...." (pp. 7-8)
How much more operative might this
principle be when the victim can be characterized as a person with a
severe disability and problem behaviors who must experience aversive
"treatments" as a "medical necessity," and when the perpetrator
seems both pleasant and reasonable? As Herman observes, those who
expect a purveyor of abuse to radiate warning signals will find
themselves confused: "Since he does not perceive that anything is
wrong with him, he does not seek help -- unless he is in trouble
with the law. His most consistent feature, in both the testimony of
victims and the observations of psychologists, is his apparent
normality....Authoritarian, secretive, sometimes grandiose, and even
paranoid, the perpetrator is nevertheless exquisitely sensitive to
the realities of power and to social norms. Only rarely does he get
into difficulties with the law; rather, he seeks out situations
where his tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or
admired. His demeanor provides an excellent camouflage, for few
people believe that extraordinary crimes can be committed by men of
such conventional appearance." (p. 75).
Posted by: Sherri Tucker | January
25, 2009 at 10:57 AM
I had a question.. aren't educators
mandated reporters for child abuse?
Posted by: georgia mom | January
25, 2009 at 01:30 PM
Q:What happens when an ESE student
teases another student who is not ESE, and the ESE student causes
the initial altercation and the non ESE student defends themselves
by physical means?
A: the ESE student receives a mere
3 days suspension and the non ESE receives ten days suspension and
possible expulsion...why you ask?
Because the law limits the ESE
suspension to ten days all year...unless there is a manifestation
hearing....to see if the incident was due to the ESE student's
disability.
Many parents do not know that these
kids get breaks that "normal" kids don't.
As the parent of a nonESE student,
an ESE student, and an educator, I believe that there are
injustices, but many parents are fed up with having the playing
field not being leveled for discipline issues. They are fed up that
their children are victims when the instigator was a disabled
student.
And many people will tell you that
ESE has an advantage when it comes to behavioral events that occur
inside and outside the classroom....but not out loud.
...these students often get breaks
that others don't....hence the feeling of many on this blog that if
a child interferes with the education of the majority then perhaps
another environment is more conducive.
Q:When will teachers/administrators
start to listen and cater to all?
A: When teachers who are trained to
deal with these issues are hired by schools and pay them a living
wage.
Oh but wait, this is
Florida..pardon my error...education is being cut yet we want the
best and brightest in the classroom but pay them peanuts....
you get what you pay for.
Posted by: momtoo | January 25,
2009 at 03:32 PM
One more attempt at trying to get
the message across:
Having a disability is a reason,
not an excuse.
The law also states that behaviors
that impede the access of the student OR THEIR PEERS must be
addressed in a positive manner.
"Positive" would mean something
that is "educationally relevant" and would not be punishment,
incarceration or killing.
But "teaching behavior" is costly,
therefore ignorance "saves money".
Posted by: Ignorance By Design
Keeps Costs Down | January 25, 2009 at 04:09 PM
should have stated "access to the
curriculum" of the student OR THEIR PEERS
Posted by: Follow up | January 25,
2009 at 04:10 PM
All these beatings you describe...
I'm sorry, but I have a really hard time believing you. Locked up
for 21 days straight? Sorry, don't believe that one either. I'll
tell you why.
For one, I teach in a school where
autistic children are served. There are way too many adults involved
with those kids for all of them to keep quiet about something like
that.
Second, most of the times I
actually see the children, THEY are flailing, screaming, and
throwing themselves on the ground and into objects while the adult
is standing there or trying to keep the child from hurting themself.
Maybe the bruises, etc. are caused
by the child. You would never think of that, though, because most of
you are a bunch of whiners who want to take advantage of the fact
that you have a child with special needs to find a reason to sue
someone.
When you find that reason, you can
get up on your soapbox, look like a hero, and have a fat bank
account.
Please, do us all a favor and get a
life. I don't doubt it's difficult raising a special needs child,
but to get paid barely enough to scrape by to listen to several of
them scream at you all day long is SURELY no picnic.
So, why don't each of you spend an
entire year in charge of an autistic class of children. Then and
only then can you criticize someone who cares enough to put up with
your kids all day.
Ever heard of catching more flies
with honey than with vinegar? Your poor attitude and overly
aggressive way of approaching problems with school personnel do not
win you any favors. Teachers are humans too and if I want my child
to be treated with respect by other adults, I should respect those
adults and not treat them in a subhuman manner. To sum it up, you
all look like a bunch of psychos with your crazy rants about your
children. Get it together and you might have better results!
Posted by: open your eyes! |
January 25, 2009 at 04:19 PM
Theresa, can you please cite the
source of the murder information?
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at
04:24 PM
The practice of restraint and
seclusion in public schools is the direct result of the fact that
teachers and administrators have never been properly trained in how
to effectively deal with problem behaviors as they occur in
classrooms (and other) settings.
This lack of training and the utter
disregard by upper-level district administrators for the seriousness
of this problem continues to put students and teachers in situations
that have and will continue to results in serious harm to one or
both. If anyone wants to share his/her experience with Pinellas
County schools write me at: fransvanhaaren@gmail.com.
Posted by: Frans van Haaren |
January 25, 2009 at 04:26 PM
Hi Phyllis:
Rcently, on a Friday morning, I
received a call from Challenger School, informing me that paramedics
had been called to school to help Justin, and they would be taking
him to the hospital.
It seems Justin had been hitting
his head against the wall in frustration, due to having to use the
restroom, and not being permitted to. Instead, when he got up and
attempted to leave the room, four of the teachers and staff pulled
out a mat and put Justin on it, and held him down.
Justin became so upset, he began to
hyper-ventilate, and at least three on staff saw his eyes roll back
and say he suffered a seizure that lasted approximately two minutes.
It was at that point the paramedics were summoned, and I was
contacted. This situation where Justin has been unable to breathe
properly, has happened before, usually due to being put in a face
down, prone position, with his arms twisted into an abnormal
position, behind his back, and a knee pressed into his back, just
above the waist, which interferes with his breathing!
I personally witnessed this abuse
by the Martin County Sheriff Deputy (resource officer) who is at
this school, on a daily basis. The new principal at Challenger was
quick to tell me that the school staff restrains a child
differently, from law enforcement.
What does it matter, that someone
can abuse a child who is in a supposedly safe space, such as a
public school? I have repeatedly pleaded with these school
employees, to stop using brute force tactics on Justin, and begin
communicating with him instead. Talk to him first, and find out why
he is so upset! I am deeply concerned that they simply do not intend
to show him the respect he deserves, as a human child, with multiple
disabilities. Sincerely,
Virginia
Posted by: Virginia Kenyon |
January 25, 2009 at 04:56 PM
Obviously some of the hurtful,
sarcastic comments come from people who are ignorant about the
heartbreaking disabilities some of our children have. Still as
parents, should they not have compassion and caring?
These innocent children need
structure with kindness, not revenge and hate. I am so sorry for any
damage our schools are causing these kids.
As a retired teacher, I am appalled
at these tactics. I hope all parents join hands to abolish this
cruelty.
Posted by: Rosalie | January 25,
2009 at 05:00 PM
How are you supposed to ask
non-verbal children what is
wrong???????????????????????????????????????
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at
06:01 PM
Ghraib Schools or Grade Schools?
http://ednews.org/articles/33134/1/Ghraib-Schools-or-Grade-Schools/Page1.html
Posted by: DirtyDeeds | January 25,
2009 at 06:02 PM
How sad that a teacher would use
the phrase, "to put up with your kids all day". That seems to say it
all.
"You would never think of that,
though, because most of you are a bunch of whiners who want to take
advantage of the fact that you have a child with special needs to
find a reason to sue someone. When you find that reason, you can get
up on your soapbox, look like a hero, and have a fat bank account.
Please, do us all a favor and get a life."
I have never sued anyone and to
take a district to due process costs families tens of thousands of
dollars. That's why the districts get away with what they do. I
don't want to be a hero. I want to be a mom. I had a life before my
child went to school. I had to give it up to advocate for my child.
"So, why don't each of you spend an
entire year in charge of an autistic class of children. Then and
only then can you criticize someone who cares enough to put up with
your kids all day. Ever heard of catching more flies with honey than
with vinegar? Your poor attitude and overly aggressive way of
approaching problems with school personnel do not win you any
favors. Teachers are humans too and if I want my child to be treated
with respect by other adults, I should respect those adults and not
treat them in a subhuman manner. To sum it up, you all look like a
bunch of psychos with your crazy rants about your children. Get it
together and you might have better results!"
I want my child to be treated as
well as an animal. If we treated animals the way that we treated
these children we would all be in jail.
I don't need to spend an entire
year working in a class of autistic children. I have spent 16 years
raising my child. I will spend the rest of his life caring for him
because the school district didn't do their job.
I used to volunteer in his class
for 3 hours per week. I worked at the health fair. I worked at the
school carnival. I did everything that a good parent is supposed to
do. I raised my children to respect adults and those in authority.
Too bad those in authority don't understand their jobs and return
the favor. I tried the honey. It didn't work. Now I have vinegar and
I'll use until every child in America gets the free and appropriate
education that they are entitled to.
By the way, here is the story about
the child that spent 21 days in isolation. It went to due process.
The parent won. The district is still using seclusion.
http://familiesagainstrestraintandseclusion.blogspot.com/
The use of the Room for the
Student, did not in and of itself constitute a “change of
educational placement” for her. OSEP Memorandum 95-16
(1995)(in-school disciplinary measures such as study carrels,
time-outs or other restrictions in privileges are not considered to
be a change in placement).
Accordingly, the Panel unanimously
finds as follows:
Issue Number 1. The District’s
evaluation of November 7, 2002 was appropriate.
Issue Number 2. The IEP of November
21, 2002 was appropriate.
Issue Number 3. The District
afforded the Student a free appropriate public education at all
times prior to August 20, 2003, and further, any claims relating to
failure to provide FAPE prior to August 23, 2003 are time barred.
The District did not provide the Student FAPE from August 23, 2003,
to September 23,2003. At all other pertinent times, the District
provided the Student FAPE, when required to do so.
Issue Number 4. Giant Step, the
private placement choice of the Student’s Parents, was not an
appropriate educational placement for the Student.
Issue Number 5. It is a moot issue
as to whether the Parents gave the District appropriate notice of
their unilateral withdrawal of the Student from the District.
Issue Number 6. The District was
not obligated to conduct an IEP without request from the Parents,
after the Parents unilaterally withdrew the Student from the
District on September 23, 2003.
Issue Number 7. The placement of
the Student at Marillac between August, 2004, and August 23, 2005,
and even through the due process hearing in this matter, was an
appropriate placement in the least restrictive environment.
Issue Number 8. The Student was not
afforded FAPE, within the time frame of August 23,2003 to September
23, 2003.
Remedy: The District shall provide
the Student with 54 hours of compensatory education for failure to
provide FAPE from August 23, 2003, to September 23, 2003.
Posted by: Sherri Tucker | January
25, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Posted by: open your eyes! |
January 25, 2009 at 04:19 PM I don't doubt it's difficult raising a
special needs child, but to get paid barely enough to scrape by to
listen to several of them scream at you all day long is SURELY no
picnic. So, why don't each of you spend an entire year in charge of
an autistic class of children. Then and only then can you criticize
someone who cares enough to put up with your kids all day.
So you justify abusing children
because you dont get paid enough???? Go find another job if your not
happy but dont abuse our children! I would gladly teach autistic
children I would know how to understand them & be proactive not
reactive!
We should be thankful to the
abusers who care enough?
You are one sick indivdual. It
sounds like you are an uneducated aide put in an ESE classroom in
Florida & you actually get paid to abuse children.
Go work for a prison & find some
pedophiles who desrve your hatred NOT disabled children!
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at
07:13 PM
How are you supposed to ask
non-verbal children what is
wrong???????????????????????????????????????
If you have to ask that question
then I sure hope you dont work with any nonverbal children.
I sure hope these comments are
being monitored. These are people who work with disabled children &
have nothing but hatred for our kids. They sure cash their checks on
Friday but could careles about the children. This is a prime example
of what parents are up against.
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at
07:17 PM
I have a 10 year old son who has
been a victim of the overuse of restraints in 2 Florida schools. I
was never notified of when my son was restrained. Instead, I was
lied to by administration & his teachers that the incidents never
even occured. His classmates witnessed him being grabbed under both
arms by the principal & assistant principal & physically removing
him from the room.
My son is not an animal, deranged
lunatic or an undisciplined child acting out because he doesn't get
his way. My son has NEVER acted out aggressively towards his peers.
Why is it that the behavior is only towards the people who initiate
the aggression in the first place? He is one of the many children
diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. He doesn't just "flip out" because
he feels like it. Many times, it is provoked at the hands of
insensitive & uneducated teachers. Some have a certification in ESE
yet they do not know how to handle our children appropriately. If a
child is tapping a pencil, does this warrant restraints? Restraints
are to be used as a last resort, however, many teachers,
administration & school personnel use it in an attempt to control
the situation. Most of the time the early initiation of restraints
causes a power struggle between the teacher & the child. To those of
you who have children on the autism spectrum, we know that our
children are senstitive to touching. If an autistic child perceives
pain at a much higher level than the average child, how do you think
an autistic child will react when they are grabbed, held, etc.?
Many educators are not trained to
handle children on the autism spectrum, especially those with
behavior problems. To the posters who agree with this type of abuse,
your perception is as warped as some of our educators &
administration. You are just as ignorant as they are. Schools should
provide positive behavior training for students with autism or other
disabilities that present behavior problems. Instead of holding CPI
inservices every year, they should be educated on long term
interventions when dealing with children who have disabilities that
affect their behavior, aka manifestation of behavior.
Our children are entititled to a
FAPE in an inclusion or mainstream setting, without being a victim
of physical, mental & emotional abuse. We send our children to
school to be educated, not to be traumatized. We need laws in place
to protect our children.
Posted by: Flamom02 | January 25,
2009 at 08:35 PM
I am shocked by some of the
comments made by people who obviously do not know what they are
talking about, or who have never had a child with special needs.
It is not until you either have a
child with special needs or a relative or close friend that you can
really understand what people go through.
Our society needs to take this
issue seriously. The mother who has dared to speak out about the
abuse to her son should be commended, not attacked. It takes a
strong, determined, and caring mom to do this and I personally
commend her!
Stop and take a look at what is
happening to children who deserve our help, not punishment or
critism. There are many positive ways to deal with children with
special needs. Yes, there are times when children are out of control
in a classroom situation and no, teachers and others should not be
held hostage by them. If the situation were to be handled properly
in the first place, and if people were trained to cope in positive
ways rather than turning immediately to restraints and seclusion,
perhaps some of the problems would disappear.
Visit www.caica.org and you'll see
some of what is happening to children in our country. Maybe it will
open your eyes and more importantly, open your hearts.
Posted by: Concerned | January 25,
2009 at 08:46 PM
|
