Sometimes I have to ask myself if this abuse is really happening in the U.S.A.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012
Please click on the link below to view the channel 9 news video
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Are we Numb to the Numbers?
When are we going to WAKE-UP?
When are we going to WAKE-UP?
By Guest Writer Deb Davis
There continues to be no word on Part 2 of the 2009-10 Civil Rights Data Collection that includes the first ever data collected from the US Office of Civil Rights on physical restraint, mechanical restraints, and seclusion in schools. This data was due the fall of 2011. These numbers will only be from a cross section of the country collected from 72,000 schools. This report may be the wake-up call to finally pass federal legislation to keep all students and staff safe in schools. We certainly can’t wait for the 2011-12 data collection.
CT just recently reported over 18,000 documented incidents of restraint and seclusion in 2009-10. Using a simple equation, 50 states x 18,000 incidents = 900,000 incidents. It is commonly known that most of this particular data reflects an under reporting due to the confusion in schools of the definitions and terms. And some schools are flouting their laws and not reporting all incidents. Based on personal estimation, I will round up to an even 1,000,000 incidents in schools of physical restraint, mechanical restraints and seclusion a year. Is this a wake-up call?
According to a 2009 report from COPAA “Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities” 68% of the students who were subject to restraint or seclusion were diagnosed with Autism or Asperger’s syndrome. According to the US Department of Education, most of those children are under the age of 9. Based on personal estimation, there are at min 680,000 incidents of restraint and seclusion a year to students with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. Is this a wake-up call?
As a society, are we just numb to the numbers? This data paints a horrible story in way too many schools. The most recent upsetting headline is, “Teacher is accused of Using Hot Sauce to Punish Special Needs Students.” Back in August, Jessica Beagley, was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse after squirting hot sauce into her son's mouth for lying about getting in trouble at school, and recording the act on video. Beagley could face up to one year in jail, a $10,000 fine, and up to 10 years probation. Why do schools continue to flout laws concerning child abuse? Seems like a double standard and terrible modeling to students. Is this a wake-up call?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/teacher-hot-sauce-punish-students_n_1246961.html?ref=email_shareThere continues to be no word on Part 2 of the 2009-10 Civil Rights Data Collection that includes the first ever data collected from the US Office of Civil Rights on physical restraint, mechanical restraints, and seclusion in schools. This data was due the fall of 2011. These numbers will only be from a cross section of the country collected from 72,000 schools. This report may be the wake-up call to finally pass federal legislation to keep all students and staff safe in schools. We certainly can’t wait for the 2011-12 data collection.
CT just recently reported over 18,000 documented incidents of restraint and seclusion in 2009-10. Using a simple equation, 50 states x 18,000 incidents = 900,000 incidents. It is commonly known that most of this particular data reflects an under reporting due to the confusion in schools of the definitions and terms. And some schools are flouting their laws and not reporting all incidents. Based on personal estimation, I will round up to an even 1,000,000 incidents in schools of physical restraint, mechanical restraints and seclusion a year. Is this a wake-up call?
According to a 2009 report from COPAA “Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities” 68% of the students who were subject to restraint or seclusion were diagnosed with Autism or Asperger’s syndrome. According to the US Department of Education, most of those children are under the age of 9. Based on personal estimation, there are at min 680,000 incidents of restraint and seclusion a year to students with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. Is this a wake-up call?
As a society, are we just numb to the numbers? This data paints a horrible story in way too many schools. The most recent upsetting headline is, “Teacher is accused of Using Hot Sauce to Punish Special Needs Students.” Back in August, Jessica Beagley, was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse after squirting hot sauce into her son's mouth for lying about getting in trouble at school, and recording the act on video. Beagley could face up to one year in jail, a $10,000 fine, and up to 10 years probation. Why do schools continue to flout laws concerning child abuse? Seems like a double standard and terrible modeling to students. Is this a wake-up call?
Another recent headline, “Federal Office to Investigate Use of Scream Rooms at Middletown School , Disabled Students' Rights Violated”, says exactly where this issue is headed. These stories are happening in every state in this country.
http://articles.courant.com/2012-01-30/news/hc-scream-room-complaint-0131-20120130_1_timeout-rooms-specialized-population-10-by-6-foot-room
http://articles.courant.com/2012-01-30/news/hc-scream-room-complaint-0131-20120130_1_timeout-rooms-specialized-population-10-by-6-foot-room
Kymberly Grosso got it right when she said, “it’s time for society to wake-up and say enough is enough”! Please write to your senators to support or to co-sponsor the Keeping All Students Safe Act, S 2020. We can’t wait for another headline.
Deb Davis
Parent Advocate
Maine
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Please sign the petition found here http://www.change.org/petitions/suspend-seclusion-restraint
The school system uses seclusion and restraint exclusively against special education students. This is a violation of the student's Civil Rights, an official complaint has been filed by the parents of a 5 year old child and can be found at http://www.nc.fearfreeeducation.org .
Since most children diagnosed with Autism are incorporated in the special-ed community because of their special needs, and this diagnosis is reaching epidemic proportions, more and more children will be subjected to the cruel and inhumane practice of seclusion. There is no training for this and there is not a single peer reviewed scientific study that indicates that by forcing a child with autism into a room or any area at school and prevented from leaving. This makes the continued use of this "de-escalation technique" unsafe. According to a 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, restraints and seclusion have resulted in physical injury and psychological trauma to thousands of students in public and private schools throughout the country, many of them students with disabilities. Estimates from the GAO are that over 200 students have died due to seclusion and restraints being used in schools over the past five years.
We think it responsible as parents to demand that this practice stop immediately before one more child is injured or killed from it.
The school system uses seclusion and restraint exclusively against special education students. This is a violation of the student's Civil Rights, an official complaint has been filed by the parents of a 5 year old child and can be found at http://www.nc.fearfreeeducation.org .
Since most children diagnosed with Autism are incorporated in the special-ed community because of their special needs, and this diagnosis is reaching epidemic proportions, more and more children will be subjected to the cruel and inhumane practice of seclusion. There is no training for this and there is not a single peer reviewed scientific study that indicates that by forcing a child with autism into a room or any area at school and prevented from leaving. This makes the continued use of this "de-escalation technique" unsafe. According to a 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, restraints and seclusion have resulted in physical injury and psychological trauma to thousands of students in public and private schools throughout the country, many of them students with disabilities. Estimates from the GAO are that over 200 students have died due to seclusion and restraints being used in schools over the past five years.
We think it responsible as parents to demand that this practice stop immediately before one more child is injured or killed from it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
January 25, 2012
TASH member Kym Grosso was recently featured at PsychologyToday.com. Grosso, the mother of a thirteen-year-old son with Asperger’s syndrome, wrote of the all-too troubling realities that face many children on a daily basis. In her article, Kym brought attention to the chilling truth these students often must contend with, to which she said, “as I write, children with autism are regularly and legally restrained and secluded against their will. Most states have little to no laws regarding seclusion and restraint.” However, while the Federal Government acknowledges that restraint and seclusion are dangerous and traumatic, not therapeutic in nature, educating the public about this issue and passing protective legislation has been a slow and painstaking process.”
Kym outlines why response to the issue has been slow but argues that such a response is necessary to protect the human rights of individuals with disabilities who have every right to a school environment without fear. The reason many school systems still feel the need to use practices such as restraint and seclusion is a lack of understanding about disabilities, like autism, she says. Many times, when administrators say that a child is “out of control” they don’t fully appreciate that many autistic children are simply non-verbal and struggling to communicate with their teachers or peers.
In order to combat the use of restraint and seclusion, school administrators and teachers must show a greater willingness to understand how autism and other disabilities impact those who have them so that they can more appropriately understand when a child is truly acting out or merely expressing frustration over difficulties communicating. Because states have been slow to adopt such measures themselves, it would be useful for the Federal Government to step in and provide guidelines about the use of such practices.
To learn more about this important issue, please read the article by Kym Grosso.
Some other important resources:
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Keep our Students Safe.
Shouldn’t School Be Safe? A parent’s guide on prevention, detection and response to restraint, seclusion or other aversive interventions.
The Cost of Waiting. A report on restraint, seclusion and aversive procedures one year after the passage of the Keeping All Students Safe Act in the U.S. House of Representatives (issued April 2011).
Scream Rooms…when will America say enough is enough?
TASH member Kym Grosso was recently featured at PsychologyToday.com. Grosso, the mother of a thirteen-year-old son with Asperger’s syndrome, wrote of the all-too troubling realities that face many children on a daily basis. In her article, Kym brought attention to the chilling truth these students often must contend with, to which she said, “as I write, children with autism are regularly and legally restrained and secluded against their will. Most states have little to no laws regarding seclusion and restraint.” However, while the Federal Government acknowledges that restraint and seclusion are dangerous and traumatic, not therapeutic in nature, educating the public about this issue and passing protective legislation has been a slow and painstaking process.”
Kym outlines why response to the issue has been slow but argues that such a response is necessary to protect the human rights of individuals with disabilities who have every right to a school environment without fear. The reason many school systems still feel the need to use practices such as restraint and seclusion is a lack of understanding about disabilities, like autism, she says. Many times, when administrators say that a child is “out of control” they don’t fully appreciate that many autistic children are simply non-verbal and struggling to communicate with their teachers or peers.
In order to combat the use of restraint and seclusion, school administrators and teachers must show a greater willingness to understand how autism and other disabilities impact those who have them so that they can more appropriately understand when a child is truly acting out or merely expressing frustration over difficulties communicating. Because states have been slow to adopt such measures themselves, it would be useful for the Federal Government to step in and provide guidelines about the use of such practices.
To learn more about this important issue, please read the article by Kym Grosso.
Some other important resources:
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Keep our Students Safe.
Shouldn’t School Be Safe? A parent’s guide on prevention, detection and response to restraint, seclusion or other aversive interventions.
The Cost of Waiting. A report on restraint, seclusion and aversive procedures one year after the passage of the Keeping All Students Safe Act in the U.S. House of Representatives (issued April 2011).
A must read by Kym Grosso!
Students Traumatized in Special Education Across America, Seclusion, Restraint, and Aversives
Scream Rooms...when will America say enough is enough?
A urine soaked scream room. A child stuffed in a duffel bag. Vinegar soaked cotton balls put in a child's mouth. Slapped on the head with plastic bottles. Child dragged through a playground across asphalt with pants down. Shoved to the floor and dead from asphyxiation. Handcuffed and duct-taped. Degraded. Dehumanized. Traumatized. Mob stories? No, it is just a scratch of the surface of what has happened to children in special education in the past year. Not in a third world country, but here in America.
To read the complete article, please click on the link below.
http://my.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students-traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r
Scream Rooms...when will America say enough is enough?
Published on January 18, 2012 by Kymberly Grosso in Autism in Real Life
A urine soaked scream room. A child stuffed in a duffel bag. Vinegar soaked cotton balls put in a child's mouth. Slapped on the head with plastic bottles. Child dragged through a playground across asphalt with pants down. Shoved to the floor and dead from asphyxiation. Handcuffed and duct-taped. Degraded. Dehumanized. Traumatized. Mob stories? No, it is just a scratch of the surface of what has happened to children in special education in the past year. Not in a third world country, but here in America.
To read the complete article, please click on the link below.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christopher Baker: Autistic Boy, 9, Put in Duffel Bag at School as Punishment
School Stuffed Autistic Boy in Bag as Punishment, Mother Says
Posted on December 22, 2011
LOUISVILLE, KY - The mother of a 9-year-old autistic boy said public school employees stuffed her son into a ball bag for misbehaving.
Sandra Baker’s son Chris is enrolled in a special needs program at Mercer County Intermediate School in central Kentucky. She said she was called to the school on Dec. 14 after receiving a call that Chris had been acting up.
“When I walked in,” Baker told CBS affiliate WKYT-TV, “I went down his hallway, and I saw this big green bag laying in the floor beside the aide that was sitting beside the bag, and I saw it moving.”
She was told Chris was in the bag as punishment and that it was a form of therapy.
“It was a drawstring at the top and it had a hole about this big around left in the top of it,” Baker described, indicating a small opening. “There was no way he could get out of it, could not get his head through it if he needed to.”
To read the complete story and view the news video, please click on the link below.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/school-stuffed-autistic-boy-in-bag-as-punishment-mother-says/
Online petition protesting alleged abuse of autistic student gains thousands of signatures
Posted: Dec 24, 2011
LOUISVILLE, KY (WDRB) –
Posted on December 22, 2011
LOUISVILLE, KY - The mother of a 9-year-old autistic boy said public school employees stuffed her son into a ball bag for misbehaving.
Sandra Baker’s son Chris is enrolled in a special needs program at Mercer County Intermediate School in central Kentucky. She said she was called to the school on Dec. 14 after receiving a call that Chris had been acting up.
“When I walked in,” Baker told CBS affiliate WKYT-TV, “I went down his hallway, and I saw this big green bag laying in the floor beside the aide that was sitting beside the bag, and I saw it moving.”
She was told Chris was in the bag as punishment and that it was a form of therapy.
“It was a drawstring at the top and it had a hole about this big around left in the top of it,” Baker described, indicating a small opening. “There was no way he could get out of it, could not get his head through it if he needed to.”
To read the complete story and view the news video, please click on the link below.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/school-stuffed-autistic-boy-in-bag-as-punishment-mother-says/
Online petition protesting alleged abuse of autistic student gains thousands of signatures
Posted: Dec 24, 2011
LOUISVILLE, KY (WDRB) –
The alleged abuse of a 9-year-old Kentucky boy who was stuffed in a duffle bag continues to garner national attention.
An online petition created by an autism advocate now has thousands of signatures. 18-year-old student Lydia Brown, says when she heard about the case of Chris Baker, she had to do something.
To read the complete story and view the news video, please click on the link below.
An online petition created by an autism advocate now has thousands of signatures. 18-year-old student Lydia Brown, says when she heard about the case of Chris Baker, she had to do something.
To read the complete story and view the news video, please click on the link below.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Restraint and Seclusion news update from COPAA
Chairman Tom Harkin Introduces Keeping All Students Safe Act
COPAA Continues Work to Raise the Bar of Protection
December 16, 2011
http://www.copaa.org/public-policy/chairman-tom-harkin-introduces-keeping-all-students-safe-act/
We are pleased to announce the introduction of the Keeping All Students Safe Act in the Senate by Chairman Tom Harkin this afternoon. We sincerely thank Chairman Harkin for his unwavering commitment to the safety and welfare of our nation’s children. This bill would promote the development of effective intervention and prevention practices that do not impose restraints and seclusion; protect all students from physical or mental abuse, aversive behavioral interventions that compromise health and safety, and any restraint imposed for purposes of coercion, discipline or convenience, or as a substitute for appropriate educational or positive behavioral interventions and supports. Importantly the bill also works to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel and promote positive school culture and climate.
For years, schools’ use of restraint, seclusion, and aversive interventions was unpublicized and little-known, despite their widespread use. However, recent reports by COPAA and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and Congressional testimony of the U.S. General Accounting Office have served to shine a spotlight on these abusive practices. See e.g., Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities, COPAA (Jessica Butler, 2009); School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools, NDRN (2009); Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers (GAO-09-719T). This bill recognizes that “physical restraint and seclusion have resulted in physical injury, psychological trauma, and death to children in public and private schools,” as described in these reports. Existing laws alone have not protected students against such abuse and injury, though many do offer important protections. The bill, therefore, includes a critically important savings clause that preserves existing additional rights under state and federal law.
COPAA is a national organization of parents, advocates and attorneys dedicated to protecting the civil and educational rights of children with disabilities, whose members represent families in 48 States and the District of Columbia. As such, COPAA believes this legislation is a crucial first step toward the ultimate goals of eliminating abuse and restraint in schools and assuring that children who exhibit challenging behaviors obtain appropriate, safe, and effective educational services. COPAA is at the forefront of efforts to establish such federal protection and has been working on this issue for a number of years as a member of the Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS), and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).
Specifically, COPAA supports the bill because it contains many provisions that provide a minimum floor of protection that does not yet exist in many states. We are pleased that the bill establishes minimum standards for the use of restraint and prohibits locked seclusion in educational settings. Restraint may only be imposed on a student if there is imminent danger of serious bodily injury. We are very pleased that the bill prohibits restraint as a planned intervention in students’ education plans, including behavior plans and Individual Education Programs (IEPs). We applaud the emphasis on evidence-based practices shown to be effective in the prevention of the use of physical restraint; in keeping both school personnel and students safe in imposing physical restraint in a manner consistent with this proposed Act; in the use of data-based decision-making and evidence-based positive behavioral interventions and supports, debriefing, conflict prevention, behavioral assessments, de-escalation of challenging behaviors, and effective and safe conflict management.
COPAA actively continues our work to raise the bar of protection and safety for all students through the passage of this legislation. We will not rest until all students are protected in accordance with the principles outlined in our document: COPAA Declaration of Principles Opposing the Use of Restraint, Seclusion and Aversive Interventions.
We urge all of our colleagues to join us in support of this critical legislation at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KeepingAllStudentsSafeAct
COPAA Letter of Support for S 2020
COPAA Continues Work to Raise the Bar of Protection
December 16, 2011
http://www.copaa.org/public-policy/chairman-tom-harkin-introduces-keeping-all-students-safe-act/
We are pleased to announce the introduction of the Keeping All Students Safe Act in the Senate by Chairman Tom Harkin this afternoon. We sincerely thank Chairman Harkin for his unwavering commitment to the safety and welfare of our nation’s children. This bill would promote the development of effective intervention and prevention practices that do not impose restraints and seclusion; protect all students from physical or mental abuse, aversive behavioral interventions that compromise health and safety, and any restraint imposed for purposes of coercion, discipline or convenience, or as a substitute for appropriate educational or positive behavioral interventions and supports. Importantly the bill also works to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel and promote positive school culture and climate.
For years, schools’ use of restraint, seclusion, and aversive interventions was unpublicized and little-known, despite their widespread use. However, recent reports by COPAA and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and Congressional testimony of the U.S. General Accounting Office have served to shine a spotlight on these abusive practices. See e.g., Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities, COPAA (Jessica Butler, 2009); School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools, NDRN (2009); Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers (GAO-09-719T). This bill recognizes that “physical restraint and seclusion have resulted in physical injury, psychological trauma, and death to children in public and private schools,” as described in these reports. Existing laws alone have not protected students against such abuse and injury, though many do offer important protections. The bill, therefore, includes a critically important savings clause that preserves existing additional rights under state and federal law.
COPAA is a national organization of parents, advocates and attorneys dedicated to protecting the civil and educational rights of children with disabilities, whose members represent families in 48 States and the District of Columbia. As such, COPAA believes this legislation is a crucial first step toward the ultimate goals of eliminating abuse and restraint in schools and assuring that children who exhibit challenging behaviors obtain appropriate, safe, and effective educational services. COPAA is at the forefront of efforts to establish such federal protection and has been working on this issue for a number of years as a member of the Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS), and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).
Specifically, COPAA supports the bill because it contains many provisions that provide a minimum floor of protection that does not yet exist in many states. We are pleased that the bill establishes minimum standards for the use of restraint and prohibits locked seclusion in educational settings. Restraint may only be imposed on a student if there is imminent danger of serious bodily injury. We are very pleased that the bill prohibits restraint as a planned intervention in students’ education plans, including behavior plans and Individual Education Programs (IEPs). We applaud the emphasis on evidence-based practices shown to be effective in the prevention of the use of physical restraint; in keeping both school personnel and students safe in imposing physical restraint in a manner consistent with this proposed Act; in the use of data-based decision-making and evidence-based positive behavioral interventions and supports, debriefing, conflict prevention, behavioral assessments, de-escalation of challenging behaviors, and effective and safe conflict management.
COPAA actively continues our work to raise the bar of protection and safety for all students through the passage of this legislation. We will not rest until all students are protected in accordance with the principles outlined in our document: COPAA Declaration of Principles Opposing the Use of Restraint, Seclusion and Aversive Interventions.
We urge all of our colleagues to join us in support of this critical legislation at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KeepingAllStudentsSafeAct
COPAA Letter of Support for S 2020
Monday, December 5, 2011
Mommy, I Wish I Could Tell You What They Did To Me In School Today
Everyday Atrocities Faced by Special Needs Children
By Richard S. Stripp, Sr.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF NOAH V. VARCADIPANE
8/4/1996 – 11/14/2009 “MOMMY’S SUPERMAN”
The children and adult characters in this book are based on students and individuals that the author has interacted with and/or worked with directly.
8/4/1996 – 11/14/2009 “MOMMY’S SUPERMAN”
The children and adult characters in this book are based on students and individuals that the author has interacted with and/or worked with directly.
The majority of children who “speak” in this book are non-verbal. Their words which you will read are fictitious and were never spoken by them but are based on actual events that occurred in their lives. It is the author’s belief that if the non-verbal children in this book could speak, what you are about to read is what they might have said.
Any conversations between the author and anyone in the book are based on actual events and conversations.
“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
ADAM
I can’t believe that Mom is making me go to school again today. Doesn’t she know what they do to me there? Doesn’t she love me anymore? “Adam, you hid your shoes again. This isn’t funny. It’s time for school.” Yeah, I know it’s time for school; I don’t want to go, that’s why I hid my shoes.
Man, I wish I could speak. I wish I could tell Mommy what they did to me at school yesterday. I wish I could tell Mommy how it makes me feel to be treated like that. If she only knew, there is no way she’d make me go there today. I bet Daddy would beat them up.
The day started like most days. They took me off of the school bus and strapped me into that stupid wooden chair. My pull-up was soaked with pee but they didn’t even check. I just had to sit in it until I wet through. Then, the yelling began. Like it’s my fault I had to go to the bathroom again. I was trying to tell them. Kept on touching my private area; what did they think I was saying? “That’s disgusting, Adam. Knock it off!” Knock what off? I’m soaked. I’d change myself if I could, but I can’t.
Three hours stuck in this chair without being able to move and now they want me to stand up. My legs are so sore and stiff. I know my cerebral palsy isn’t as bad as Jimmy’s but I wish I didn’t have it at all. There’s no way I can stand right now but they’re pulling me, yanking me by my arms out of the chair. Yelling, yelling, more yelling. Sorry teacher, I can’t do it. The yelling hurts my ears. The chair is kicked away by the teacher and I get thrown to the ground. All of the aides and assistants just watch, listen and do nothing to help me. How can they just stand there? Why won’t someone help me? I need help. I can’t stand, I’m sorry. I’m trying, but I can’t. Now, when all the other kids are watching television during free time, I’ll have to sit in the corner again, facing the wall. I hate that.
Strapped back in the chair and being yelled at now because I’m waving my arms and moving my head from side to side. I don’t know why I do this; I just do. I don’t mean to do it; I just do. I’m not doing it to make you angry; I just do. Another kid in the class with autism does it too. How come they don’t yell at him? Why don’t they grab him? Is it because he can talk and I can’t? I don’t get it. I wish I could ask him. He’d tell me. He’s my friend. Now the classroom assistant is really mad at me. She says that she is not gonna let go of my head until I stop. I wish I could tell her that I want to stop, that I don’t mean to do it, but she just keeps grabbing me. It hurts. She is squeezing soooo hard. I’m going to try to stop. I’m going to try and keep it together. I remember that time on the field trip when we went to pick pumpkins. She got really mad at me for doing this. She grabbed me by the head that time too. When I got upset and started kicking, she sat on me. I was in my wheel chair. I couldn’t move. She was so heavy. It hurt my legs. Please don’t do that again. Mommy, I want to go home.
Sitting in the cafeteria and they want me to eat my lunch, but I can’t concentrate on that. Can’t anyone smell that? I have poop in my pants. It’s disgusting. I’ll eat after someone changes me. Please someone change me, it’s making my rash burn. Stop trying to stuff that sandwich in my mouth. I’ll eat after you change me. No, no, don’t throw my lunch in the garbage again. I’m hungry.
Back in the classroom again. Still got this poop in my pants. The other kids are watching cartoons. I’m in the corner. I can’t take this sitting in my poop anymore. I reach into the back of my pants, dig some out and throw it on the floor. That got their attention. Boy, are they mad but what else could I do? Hey! Ow! That hurts! Four people pull me out of the chair and stand me up. Dragged into the bathroom and the teacher starts to clean my mess. She wipes way too hard. It hurts. Can’t she see the blood on the paper? You’re all squeezing way too hard, all four of you. Don’t you remember that time you broke the bones in my hand doing that? At least I got cleaned up a little. Boy, am I hungry!
Just thirty more minutes and I’m back on the bus to go home. I can’t wait to get out of here. I used to like coming to school. I try not to listen to the bad things everyone is saying about me. It hurts my feelings. I wish I could tell them to stop. It’s so frustrating not be able to talk. If I could pick just one, walking or talking, I’d pick talking.
As I get put on the bus, the teacher tells me to do them all a favor and stay home tomorrow. Sounds like a great idea. I’ll try but Mom always finds my shoes.
About Adam
Like so many special needs children, whose disabilities aren’t understood by the people who work with them, Adam was thought to be difficult, a “pain in the ass.” In a school where the opinion of one can become “fact” to all, this meant that Adam’s stay there was going to be less than enjoyable for him, to say the least. Throughout this time, he would be subjected to both physical and emotional abuse. He would have his most basic needs neglected. Adam would be deprived of the education that he is entitled to by the very people that are paid to provide it to him. Unfortunately, in the school that Adam attended for that time period, he was not alone.
When I first met Adam, I was employed as a personal aide to another child that attended the same school. The school serviced individuals with various types of disabilities. There were no “mainstream” students that attended the school. All students enrolled were sent by their home school districts. A large number of schools that are attended by your “average” child are not equipped to meet the various needs of individuals with disabilities. Many of the students that attended Adam’s school required personal aides that were assigned to them for the entire school day. There were students ranging from three years of age through twenty-one years. These students not only had physical and developmental disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy and Autism, but many had medical issues as well. Numerous students were confined to wheelchairs. Numerous students suffered from seizure disorders. Some were verbal, some were not. Some had behavioral issues, most did not. The cognitive abilities of the students varied greatly. Some students’ medical needs necessitated them to be accompanied by a nurse at all times. A small number of students would not live long enough to participate in their graduation from the school. All of the students had “special needs.”
Schools that service the special needs population are in most communities. You may have one in yours and not even realize it. The sad reality is that the history of special education is one of seclusion. These types of students and schools are typically tucked away and not talked about. I believe this to be one of the many contributing factors that allow students such as Adam to be treated the way that they are.
Adam and I bonded immediately. The first time we met he was strapped in his wooden Rifton chair being pushed down the hallway by his teacher. A tray was attached to the chair that Adam was leaning on. He seemed sad to me. I stopped to say hello and introduce myself. “Hi, buddy, my name is Mr. Rick. Give me a high five.” My smile and raised hand were met with the same. The teacher told me that his name was Adam. I told Adam that it was nice to meet him and wished him a great day. Adam became very excited and happy. He began to sway from side to side in his chair while laughing and flapping his arms. His head was now constantly in motion. Although Adam was unable to verbalize his thoughts and feelings in the way that I can, I understood exactly what he was saying to me. The teacher told him to knock it off and continued to push him down the hall.
I initially thought that Adam must not be ambulatory. He was strapped in this Rifton chair being pushed down the hall. He must not be able to walk. I would soon learn that that was not the case at all. Adam, while sometimes had difficulty walking and standing, was in this wooden chair for other reasons. He was placed in this chair to contain him. He was placed in this chair to restrict his movements. He was strapped in this chair and he was being restrained. This was certainly easier than having to deal with Adam’s tendencies to walk away. This was certainly easier than having to try to explain to Adam that we’re not going there right now, we have to go here. The few moments it took to strap Adam into this chair was a whole lot easier than having to deal with him all day. If Adam can’t get up and wander away, the people that are employed to teach him and work with him throughout the day don’t have to pay much attention to him at all. They don’t have to do their jobs. They can get their paychecks without earning them.
The chair that Adam, and many other students, was placed in on a regular basis is made by a company called “Rifton.” When utilized properly, the chair is a helpful piece of adaptive equipment, providing body support when needed. There are individuals that benefit from their use. In Adam’s case, the chair was misused on a daily basis. Adam was, and is, more than capable to sit in a regular chair at a desk. He was placed in the Rifton chair to contain him.
The Rifton Company addressed this issue on their website (www.rifton.com). “Using straps, trays or supports to restrict a child’s movement is considered behavioral restraint, which may raise ethical and legal issues for your facility. Rifton Equipment is not intended for this use.”
Adam often exhibited behavioral issues while strapped in the Rifton chair. He would throw things that were placed in front of him. He would reach and grab things that were near him, only to throw them on the ground. If he got hold of paper, books or magazines, he would tear them. I believe, the majority of the time, Adam was reacting to how he was being treated or to things that he heard that were being said about him; sometimes directly to him, other times to others around him.
I remember seeing Adam in the hall one day. He was being pushed down the hall by the teacher assistant assigned to his class. As soon as Adam saw me, he began to smile and rock back and forth. Adam was acknowledging my presence and expressing his happiness in seeing me. I said, “Hi Adam. I love your smile. You have such a beautiful smile.” The assistant immediately replied, “There is absolutely nothing beautiful about this child.” She had a look of disgust on her face. She pushed him further down the hall.
Adam understood everything he heard. Adam has feelings just like you or I. One of the many innocent mistakes made by some of the people that work with individuals with disabilities is they forget that. They fall into the trap of assuming that if a person can’t speak, he or she must not be able to understand things as well. Often the behavior that teachers, administrators, aides or assistants find so disturbing is behavior that is a direct result of their actions and/or words. The student is reacting to how they are being treated or what they are hearing. Other times, the behavior may be a result of some sort of physical discomfort the student is experiencing but is unable to verbally express. I have a son who is a teacher with his Master’s Degree in Special Education. One of his professors in college told him that, “All behavior is communicative.” How true this is, yet so many “educators” are so quick to dismiss behavior that they witness as nothing more than a child acting out because they’re “spoiled”; their parents let them get away with things that they wouldn’t let a non-disabled child get away with. As was the case with Adam, the child is labeled a “pain in the ass” and is dealt with accordingly. They fail to understand what the child is attempting to tell them.
I was not in Adam’s classroom but, for a time period, visited him often. I was welcome by the teacher to do so. Adam always behaved while I was there. He looked forward to my visits. The teacher began to use me as a reward for Adam. He was told that if he did his work and behaved himself that Mr. Rick would come to see him. I was told this was a helpful tool in getting Adam to do the things that he was supposed to do. Sometimes, however, when I went to visit Adam, I was told that I could not see him. I was told he had lost that privilege that day because he hadn’t done what he was supposed to do.
My visits to Adam’s classroom ended entirely when I witnessed Adam being physically abused. I walked into the classroom to find the teacher attempting to pull Adam out of his chair. She was grabbing and pulling Adam by his wrists. She was yelling at him very loudly. Adam was pulled out of the chair but would not stand on his own. The teacher kicked the chair away from him. Adam would still not stand on his own. The teacher threw him to the ground. Adam landed on his backside and remained on the ground as the teacher walked away from him.
I immediately expressed my concerns to the teacher as to what I had just witnessed. I cited the possible consequences of injury that could result in throwing a child to the ground. The teacher justified her actions by telling me that Adam’s diaper had cushioned his fall so there was not a possibility of injury. A brief argument ensued. The teacher was not interested in my opinion that a head or back injury could have resulted from her actions. I informed her that if I ever witnessed such abuse again, that I would report it to the appropriate authorities. I was asked to leave the classroom.
The next day, I was informed by Adam’s teacher that I was no longer allowed in the classroom. I was told that my presence was a distraction to Adam and caused him to act out. A speech therapist who worked at the school approached me and warned me to “watch my back.” She stated that, following the incident with Adam and his teacher, there was a conspiracy among a group of the staff to discredit me.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Teachers caught on tape bullying special-needs girl
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
By Allison Gamble
09/26/2011
During the 2007-2008 school year, children with disabilities were pinned down over 18,000 times in Texas. Of these students, 20% were autistic, 40% developed emotional disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder. Black eyes and broken medical equipment were par for the course. Public school system, what have you wrought?
Abused children may suffer, in accordance with forensic psychology, effects including excessive fear, inability to trust, attachment disorders, eating disorders, depression, and suicidal tendencies. It's common for children subjected to all kinds of abuse to withdraw from society because of life-long effects such as anxiety, relationship problems, mental illness, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
These are heightened in children with disabilities that limit effective communication. Restraint and seclusion becomes a negative feedback loop: should the child express displeasure with his or her situation, the perpetrator of the abuse is likely to handle what they perceive as negative behavior by inflicting the same punishment. A disabled student may not be able to communicate that these steps are being taken to an adult, and sometimes, it’s already too late: there are 50-150 deaths related to restraint annually.
Abused or neglected children may show aggressive bouts of anger, lashing out and possibly injuring themselves or others. According to Non-Abusive Psychological and Physical Intervention International, research shows children subjected to imposed restraint and seclusion are apt to feel resentment, fear, and anger, and further confirms that there is no therapeutic advantage to restraint and seclusion.
It is imperative that victims have mentors, teachers, counselors, or other trusted adults as resources to help them feel safe to achieve full recovery. Our legislators should force the illegality of restraint and seclusion beyond a doubt, and criminalize those who perform it. Above all, our educators should be held accountable for their colleague’s actions, as well as their own, and act as advocates for their students.
Post-traumatic stress disorder was pathologized during the 1970s when Vietnam veterans returned home from the horrors of war. School shouldn’t be a battleground.
Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing with forensicpsychology.net
By Allison Gamble
09/26/2011
During the 2007-2008 school year, children with disabilities were pinned down over 18,000 times in Texas. Of these students, 20% were autistic, 40% developed emotional disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder. Black eyes and broken medical equipment were par for the course. Public school system, what have you wrought?
Abused children may suffer, in accordance with forensic psychology, effects including excessive fear, inability to trust, attachment disorders, eating disorders, depression, and suicidal tendencies. It's common for children subjected to all kinds of abuse to withdraw from society because of life-long effects such as anxiety, relationship problems, mental illness, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
These are heightened in children with disabilities that limit effective communication. Restraint and seclusion becomes a negative feedback loop: should the child express displeasure with his or her situation, the perpetrator of the abuse is likely to handle what they perceive as negative behavior by inflicting the same punishment. A disabled student may not be able to communicate that these steps are being taken to an adult, and sometimes, it’s already too late: there are 50-150 deaths related to restraint annually.
Abused or neglected children may show aggressive bouts of anger, lashing out and possibly injuring themselves or others. According to Non-Abusive Psychological and Physical Intervention International, research shows children subjected to imposed restraint and seclusion are apt to feel resentment, fear, and anger, and further confirms that there is no therapeutic advantage to restraint and seclusion.
It is imperative that victims have mentors, teachers, counselors, or other trusted adults as resources to help them feel safe to achieve full recovery. Our legislators should force the illegality of restraint and seclusion beyond a doubt, and criminalize those who perform it. Above all, our educators should be held accountable for their colleague’s actions, as well as their own, and act as advocates for their students.
Post-traumatic stress disorder was pathologized during the 1970s when Vietnam veterans returned home from the horrors of war. School shouldn’t be a battleground.
Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing with forensicpsychology.net
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Restraint and Seclusion in Louisiana Schools
http://www.advocacyla.org/index.php/news-reader/items/restraint-and-seclusion-in-schools.htmlThe Advocacy Center is interested in information on the use of restraint or seclusion in Louisiana schools. We suspect that numerous students with disabilities across Louisiana are being subjected to some form of restraint or seclusion to deal with noncompliant behavior, though we have not received complaints about this issue. Here are some examples of what may constitute restraint or seclusion:
- Students left alone in locked rooms, “time out rooms,” or secluded areas;
- Students tied to wheelchairs or chairs;
- The use of tape, tie-downs, ropes, “calming blankets,” or weights, or
- The use of “holds” or “physical intervention” of any kind by teachers or other staff.
Please pass this information on to any families you know with special needs children in Louisiana
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Georgia Parents take Fulton to court over student abuse
Click on the link below to watch the video of CBS Atlanta News Coverage
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/15353535/parents-of-abused-student-take-case-to-court
Click on the link below to watch the video of CBS Atlanta News Coverage
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/15353535/parents-of-abused-student-take-case-to-court
Saturday, August 27, 2011
The Georgia Fulton County School System
Third parent claims Fulton County Schools covered up abuse
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Family Of Dead Student Plans To Sue School
August 11, 2011
Please click on the link below to view news coverage and read the full news article.
Georgia - The family of a special-needs student who died in the spring plans to sue the Fulton County schools.
Ronald Hatcher says his son Aaron, who was 18, suffered from muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy and couldn't talk or move on his own.
A specialized wheelchair and brace were required to keep him in a position where he could breathe, Hatcher said.
But he says a nurse assigned to Aaron at Roswell High School contacted him one day about a neck brace allegedly placed on the student by his teacher.
"She told us 'this is going on, and this is going on' and I was like, 'Can you do something about it?' and she said, 'They won't let me.'"
When he went to the school, Hatcher says he found Aaron wearing a sort of home-made brace that was not approved by either him or doctors, because of the the student's sensitive breathing situation.
Please click on the link below to view news coverage and read the full news article.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Shouldn’t School Be Safe? Parent Guide – Prevention, Identification and Response to Restraint and Seclusion
There are many families from all over the United States who have children with disabilities that are being prone restrained, tied and strapped to rifton type chairs, forced into locked and unlocked seclusion rooms and closets in the public school system because of behaviors that are part of their disabilities. Many of our children have little or no communication and the only way they can communicate is through behaviors. The trauma this has caused so many children and the emotional drain to families should never happen to any child or family.
Because parents have not been able to get help on this very serious subject, the parent guide "Shouldn't School Be Safe?" was developed by parents and for parents to help guide parents in ways to keep their children safe from restraint, seclusion and other aversive practices.
Please click on the link below to read "Shouldn't School Be Safe?" and pass this information on to all families of children with disabilities in the public school system. LEARN WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP STOP THESE AVERSIVE PRACTICES FROM HAPPENING TO YOUR CHILD.
Shouldn’t School Be Safe?
Parent Guide – Prevention, Identification and Response to Restraint and Seclusion
Developed by parents and for parents, Shouldn’t School Be Safe? is a guide covering the prevention and identification of, as well as the response to, instances of restraint, seclusion or other aversive interventions. This is available on the TASH website as a free resource. TASH members are encouraged to download this guide and share links to it with others. Shouldn’t School Be Safe? is a follow-up report to In the Name of Treatment. View and download this report by clicking on the link below.
http://tash.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/TASH_Shouldnt-School-Be-Safe1.pdf
Because parents have not been able to get help on this very serious subject, the parent guide "Shouldn't School Be Safe?" was developed by parents and for parents to help guide parents in ways to keep their children safe from restraint, seclusion and other aversive practices.
Please click on the link below to read "Shouldn't School Be Safe?" and pass this information on to all families of children with disabilities in the public school system. LEARN WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP STOP THESE AVERSIVE PRACTICES FROM HAPPENING TO YOUR CHILD.
Shouldn’t School Be Safe?
Parent Guide – Prevention, Identification and Response to Restraint and Seclusion
Developed by parents and for parents, Shouldn’t School Be Safe? is a guide covering the prevention and identification of, as well as the response to, instances of restraint, seclusion or other aversive interventions. This is available on the TASH website as a free resource. TASH members are encouraged to download this guide and share links to it with others. Shouldn’t School Be Safe? is a follow-up report to In the Name of Treatment. View and download this report by clicking on the link below.
http://tash.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/TASH_Shouldnt-School-Be-Safe1.pdf
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Miller: “There Is No Room for Torture and Abuse In America’s Schools”
April 6, 2011
Miller Introduces Legislation to Protect Students in School from Harmful Abuse
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, introduced The Keeping All Students Safe Act, bipartisan legislation to prevent schoolchildren from being abused as a result of inappropriate uses of restraint and seclusion, often involving untrained staff. According to government investigations, these abusive practices were used disproportionately on children with disabilities. The legislation first passed the House a year ago with bipartisan support.
Additionally, TASH, an international disability rights organization, released a media report today highlighting dozens of instances across the country of inappropriate restraint and seclusion abuses in schools since the bill passed the House in March of 2010.
“In the year since this legislation passed the House but failed to become law, more children were abused in school. The investigations and news reports about harmful restraint and seclusion show children being tied up with duct tape, sat on by untrained staff, locked in rooms for hours at a time – this behavior looks like torture. This legislation makes it very clear that there is no room for torture and abuse in America’s schools.”
The Keeping All Students Safe Act would, for the first time, put in place minimum safety standards to prevent abusive restraint and seclusion in schools across the country, similar to protections already in place in medical and community based facilities. After two years, states will need to have their own policies in place to meet these minimum standards. It would apply to schools and preschools receiving federal education support.
Miller first requested a government investigation in January 2009, after the National Disability Rights Network released a report highlighting these types abuses. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that abusive restraint and seclusion were widespread in schools across the country. The GAO report also found that, more often than not, teachers and staff who used seclusion and restraint in abusive ways had not been properly trained. These practices were often being used as a routine disciplinary tactic, rather than in response to an emergency.
Seclusion, as the term is used in this context, means the act of involuntarily confining a student in an area by himself. Restraint is used to restrict an individual’s freedom of movement. As GAO explained, restraint can become fatal when it blocks air to the lungs. In some of the cases examined, ropes, duct tape, chairs with straps and bungee cords were used to retrain or isolate young children.
Unlike in hospitals, other health care facilities and most non-medical community-based facilities that receive federal funding, there are currently no federal laws that restrict the use of seclusion and restraint in public or private schools. State regulation and oversight varies greatly. Only 23 states have meaningful restraint and seclusion laws or regulations. As of today, only 13 states ban the use of restraints that impede breathing, only 10 states ban mechanical restraint and 10 states ban chemical restraints.
Specifically the legislation would:
• Limit physical restraint and locked seclusion, allowing these interventions only when there is imminent danger of injury, and only when imposed by trained staff;
• Outlaw mechanical restraints, such as strapping kids to chairs, and prohibit restraints that restrict breathing;
• Require schools to notify parents after incidents when restraint or seclusion was used;
• Encourage states to provide support and training to better protect students and prevent the need for emergency behavioral interventions; and
• Increase transparency, oversight and enforcement tools to prevent future abuse.
http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/newsroom/2011/04/miller-there-is-no-room-for-to.shtml
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Bermudians Seek Justice for Autistic Son
March 11, 2011 by bernews
A Bermudian couple living in Ohio has started a Facebook campaign to help draw attention, and seek justice, for their autistic son, whom they say was abused by a teacher.
The couple say their four year old son suffered abuse including
His mother, Ashlie O’Connor, asked for people to “Please show your support, show Adam your support, please comment on Justice for Adam’s wall.” The page has attracted over 1,100 fans as of this writing, and you can join it here.
The Facebook page tells the full story, which is reprinted below:
Hello and thank you for taking the time to read our story, Adam’s story. As many of you were asking us what has happened to Adam, I decided to start this facebook page as a way to inform you and others of the serious wrong my son endured while attending pre-school. I am trying to achieve justice for Adam, but no matter where I turn no-one seems to be listening, no-one wants to hear me or Adam.
To help other’s understand I have decided to write his story, for him and us.
To read the complete article, please click on the link below.
http://bernews.com/2011/03/bermudians-seek-justice-for-autistic-son/
March 11, 2011 by bernews
A Bermudian couple living in Ohio has started a Facebook campaign to help draw attention, and seek justice, for their autistic son, whom they say was abused by a teacher.
The couple say their four year old son suffered abuse including being held upside down by his feet, and having the teacher force
his jaw open while forcing him to the ground, and is now suffering
from the emotional effects of the alleged abuse.
His mother, Ashlie O’Connor, asked for people to “Please show your support, show Adam your support, please comment on Justice for Adam’s wall.” The page has attracted over 1,100 fans as of this writing, and you can join it here.
The Facebook page tells the full story, which is reprinted below:
Hello and thank you for taking the time to read our story, Adam’s story. As many of you were asking us what has happened to Adam, I decided to start this facebook page as a way to inform you and others of the serious wrong my son endured while attending pre-school. I am trying to achieve justice for Adam, but no matter where I turn no-one seems to be listening, no-one wants to hear me or Adam.
To help other’s understand I have decided to write his story, for him and us.
To read the complete article, please click on the link below.
http://bernews.com/2011/03/bermudians-seek-justice-for-autistic-son/
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Join the APRAIS Pledge to End Restraint and Seclusion
The following is an important notice from the Alliance for the Prevention of Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS). Click on the link below to find out how you can help put an end to the use of restraint, seclusion and aversive treatments used on children with disabilities in the public school system.
http://tash.org/join-the-aprais-pledge-to-end-restraint-and-seclusion/
The following is an important notice from the Alliance for the Prevention of Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS). Click on the link below to find out how you can help put an end to the use of restraint, seclusion and aversive treatments used on children with disabilities in the public school system.
http://tash.org/join-the-aprais-pledge-to-end-restraint-and-seclusion/
Friday, January 14, 2011
To the President of Towson University,
I can't begin to describe to you the outrage I felt about your University when I heard about the way you have treated one of your students, Melissa Mooney. Melissa has done nothing wrong. To the contrary, she is a hero, with the courage to do the right thing. She deserves commendation from your office, and a special effort made by you to make things right.
Melissa did nothing more than report child abuse in a special needs classroom. Instead of being lauded as a hero, she lost her internship, lost a year out of her career, and is in fear that she will not be able to pursue her passion of teaching special students. Any reasonable person would instantly recognize how wrong that is. What is taking Towson University so long to figure it out, and do the right thing?
Melissa has been vilified, and very effort has been made to discredit her. Have we lost our minds? She made a good faith effort to report abuse, and she is treated like a pariah? What message does that send to the rest of your student body, and to our society as a whole?
Towson's role in the affair is shameful. It is time for you to take charge here, and do the right thing. Melissa deserves better. And so does every one of the students she was trying to protect.
Sincerely,
Alan XXXXXX
Please watch video below.
I can't begin to describe to you the outrage I felt about your University when I heard about the way you have treated one of your students, Melissa Mooney. Melissa has done nothing wrong. To the contrary, she is a hero, with the courage to do the right thing. She deserves commendation from your office, and a special effort made by you to make things right.
Melissa did nothing more than report child abuse in a special needs classroom. Instead of being lauded as a hero, she lost her internship, lost a year out of her career, and is in fear that she will not be able to pursue her passion of teaching special students. Any reasonable person would instantly recognize how wrong that is. What is taking Towson University so long to figure it out, and do the right thing?
Melissa has been vilified, and very effort has been made to discredit her. Have we lost our minds? She made a good faith effort to report abuse, and she is treated like a pariah? What message does that send to the rest of your student body, and to our society as a whole?
Towson's role in the affair is shameful. It is time for you to take charge here, and do the right thing. Melissa deserves better. And so does every one of the students she was trying to protect.
Sincerely,
Alan XXXXXX
Please watch video below.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Mom: School guard hurt special-needs boy
8th-grader reportedly had broken pelvis after being subdued following panic attack
Dec 10, 2010
Indiana - The mother of a special-needs student in Wayne Township says her son was seriously injured when a school security guard knocked him to the ground and pinned him there with his knee.
Deborah Faver said Thursday that her son, Luke Freeman, was then left writhing in pain on the floor of a locked room at the Sanders School for two hours after the Dec. 2 incident.
When she took the 15-year-old eighth-grader to Community Hospital South's emergency room that evening, she said, a doctor told her an X-ray showed Luke had a broken pelvis.
Please click on the link below to read the complete article.
http://tinyurl.com/39fyfee
8th-grader reportedly had broken pelvis after being subdued following panic attack
Dec 10, 2010
Indiana - The mother of a special-needs student in Wayne Township says her son was seriously injured when a school security guard knocked him to the ground and pinned him there with his knee.
Deborah Faver said Thursday that her son, Luke Freeman, was then left writhing in pain on the floor of a locked room at the Sanders School for two hours after the Dec. 2 incident.
When she took the 15-year-old eighth-grader to Community Hospital South's emergency room that evening, she said, a doctor told her an X-ray showed Luke had a broken pelvis.
Please click on the link below to read the complete article.
http://tinyurl.com/39fyfee
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Pahrump school officials charged in special ed abuse case
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 By Jackie Valley (contact)
Nevada - Four faculty members at Floyd Elementary School in Pahrump have been formally charged in connection with the alleged abuse of children in a special education class, Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi announced today.
Principal Holly Lepisto, teacher Sarah Hopkins, and classroom aides Kathryn Cummings and Phyllis Du Shane have each been charged with one count of child abuse or neglect, a category B felony, officials said. They were arrested Nov. 23.
Hopkins, Cummings and Du Shane allegedly used physical force on four students in Hopkins' special education class during the past year, according to the criminal complaint. The 5- to 7-year-old children, who have a variety of physical and mental disabilities, were subjected to "spankings," "flicking," "pushing," "slapping," "violent shaking" and "grabbing," the criminal complaint alleges. Please click on the link below to read the full article.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/02/pahrump-school-officials-charged-special-ed-abuse-/
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 By Jackie Valley (contact)
Nevada - Four faculty members at Floyd Elementary School in Pahrump have been formally charged in connection with the alleged abuse of children in a special education class, Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi announced today.
Principal Holly Lepisto, teacher Sarah Hopkins, and classroom aides Kathryn Cummings and Phyllis Du Shane have each been charged with one count of child abuse or neglect, a category B felony, officials said. They were arrested Nov. 23.
Hopkins, Cummings and Du Shane allegedly used physical force on four students in Hopkins' special education class during the past year, according to the criminal complaint. The 5- to 7-year-old children, who have a variety of physical and mental disabilities, were subjected to "spankings," "flicking," "pushing," "slapping," "violent shaking" and "grabbing," the criminal complaint alleges. Please click on the link below to read the full article.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/02/pahrump-school-officials-charged-special-ed-abuse-/
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Student with bloody eyes will likely change schools
Abdullah Fisher, 14, still has red eyes from injuries he said he sustained after a school resource officer put him in a hold at Dorothy Thurman Alternative School last Thursday.
11/04/2010
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/nov/04/041857/student-with-bloody-eyes-will-likely-change-school/
TAMPA, Florida - A 14 year-old boy who claims a school aide put him in a restraining hold that led to his eyes bleeding will likely wind up at a new school. The white part of Abdullah Fisher's eyes were still blood red today, a week after the incident at Dorothy Thomas School.
"When Abdullah was getting choked - he told him that he couldn't breathe," said Deborah Williams, his mother. "I don't want Abdullah going back to that school."
Fisher said it started last Thursday when he "smacked" paper out of his teacher's hands. Staff called in the school's resource officer, formally called an exceptional student education aide, and a scuffle escalated, according to Fisher. That aide tried to put Fisher in a time-out room, but he fought back
"He took me up and he slammed me," Fisher said. "He had me ... in the Full Nelson move. I kept telling him I couldn't breathe."Fisher is 14, but because of a disability is on a third grade level, according to his mother. By the time he got off the bus Thursday afternoon, blood was dripping from his left eye, according to family witnesses at home.
"I had blood on my shirt," Fisher said. "The bus driver [saw] it … and asked me what happened."
Hospital paperwork shows he suffered a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which causes blood to leak from a broken vessel in the eyes. He also sustained an acute cervical strain.
By Wednesday afternoon, school administrators called Williams to set up a meeting today. A special education instructor will evaluate Fisher and his mother to see what school will fit him best. Williams said school leaders could have Fisher placed in a new school by Monday.
"Just have special ed. kids alone in the classroom; not special ed kids mixed with regular kids," Williams said. "They tease him a lot and he gets angry and fights back."The state attorney's office will investigate whether the aide should face charges. The Hillsborough County school district reassigned him away from children until the investigation is over.
"This is an aide who is trained in legal measures for restraining out of control students and that appears to be what the situation was," said Linda Cobbe, Spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Public Schools. "When the student left the school there were no visible injuries but we reported it to child protective investigations and there's an investigation ongoing."But Fisher said his eyes started bothering him while he was sitting in the time-out room.
"When they put in the room my eyes started getting puffy," he said. "When [the officer] came back and saw my eyes, he shut the door back and locked it."That doesn't sit well with his mother.
"He's just a child; he's going to want to fight back, but there's a way to restrain people," Williams said. "You don't have to choke him and shorten his breath [or] cut off his circulation."
**************
Full Nelson Hold - A wrestling hold in which both hands are thrust under the opponent's arms from behind and then pressed against the back of the opponent's neck.
Abdullah Fisher, 14, still has red eyes from injuries he said he sustained after a school resource officer put him in a hold at Dorothy Thurman Alternative School last Thursday.
11/04/2010
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/nov/04/041857/student-with-bloody-eyes-will-likely-change-school/
TAMPA, Florida - A 14 year-old boy who claims a school aide put him in a restraining hold that led to his eyes bleeding will likely wind up at a new school. The white part of Abdullah Fisher's eyes were still blood red today, a week after the incident at Dorothy Thomas School.
"When Abdullah was getting choked - he told him that he couldn't breathe," said Deborah Williams, his mother. "I don't want Abdullah going back to that school."
Fisher said it started last Thursday when he "smacked" paper out of his teacher's hands. Staff called in the school's resource officer, formally called an exceptional student education aide, and a scuffle escalated, according to Fisher. That aide tried to put Fisher in a time-out room, but he fought back
"He took me up and he slammed me," Fisher said. "He had me ... in the Full Nelson move. I kept telling him I couldn't breathe."Fisher is 14, but because of a disability is on a third grade level, according to his mother. By the time he got off the bus Thursday afternoon, blood was dripping from his left eye, according to family witnesses at home.
"I had blood on my shirt," Fisher said. "The bus driver [saw] it … and asked me what happened."
Hospital paperwork shows he suffered a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which causes blood to leak from a broken vessel in the eyes. He also sustained an acute cervical strain.
By Wednesday afternoon, school administrators called Williams to set up a meeting today. A special education instructor will evaluate Fisher and his mother to see what school will fit him best. Williams said school leaders could have Fisher placed in a new school by Monday.
"Just have special ed. kids alone in the classroom; not special ed kids mixed with regular kids," Williams said. "They tease him a lot and he gets angry and fights back."The state attorney's office will investigate whether the aide should face charges. The Hillsborough County school district reassigned him away from children until the investigation is over.
"This is an aide who is trained in legal measures for restraining out of control students and that appears to be what the situation was," said Linda Cobbe, Spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Public Schools. "When the student left the school there were no visible injuries but we reported it to child protective investigations and there's an investigation ongoing."But Fisher said his eyes started bothering him while he was sitting in the time-out room.
"When they put in the room my eyes started getting puffy," he said. "When [the officer] came back and saw my eyes, he shut the door back and locked it."That doesn't sit well with his mother.
"He's just a child; he's going to want to fight back, but there's a way to restrain people," Williams said. "You don't have to choke him and shorten his breath [or] cut off his circulation."
**************
Full Nelson Hold - A wrestling hold in which both hands are thrust under the opponent's arms from behind and then pressed against the back of the opponent's neck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)