PADDED CELL?

PADDED CELL?
National Disability Rights Network Report- School Is Not Supposed to Hurt

SECLUSION ROOM OR QUIET ROOM?

SECLUSION ROOM OR QUIET ROOM?
EAST GOSHEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA

TO BE PRONE OR NOT TO BE PRONE? THAT IS THE QUESTION.

TO BE PRONE OR NOT TO BE PRONE? THAT IS THE QUESTION.
Abbie was Restrained 14 times in one day for noncompliance issues

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION COST TOO MUCH! RESTRAIN HIM IN THE RIFTON CHAIR INSTEAD.

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION COST TOO MUCH! RESTRAIN HIM IN THE RIFTON CHAIR INSTEAD.
CCIU/EAST BRADFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WEST CHESTER, PA.

QUIET ROOM OR CELL?

QUIET ROOM OR CELL?
NAA: The Restraint and Prevention Symposium

ABUSE IS ABUSE, REGARDLESS OF WHO IT IS

ABUSE IS ABUSE, REGARDLESS OF WHO IT IS
Man Arrested For Abusing His Autistic Son

WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND FAMILIES AGAINST RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION

The abuse of children at the hands of school personnel has risen over the last two decades and the nation is outraged. The children most likely to be abused are children with disabilities. Children who are poor and homeless are not excluded from the abuse.

The abuse presents itself in various forms -restraints, seclusion, suffocation, and sometimes even death. Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation found hundreds of allegations that children have been abused and some have died as a result of the misuses of restraints and seclusion in public and private schools, often by untrained staff. United States representatives George Miller and Cathy McMorris Rodgers introduced the "Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in School Act" (HR 4247) and senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut introduced it's sister bill, (S. 2860). This legislation is the first national effort to address the problem and ensure the safety of students and school staff.

The abuse of a child in school can easily escalate into retaliation against the parent(s), caretaker(s), or advocate. Retaliation can include the denial educational services, the denial of a child to attend school, an illegal eviction from your residence, neglect and abuse charges filed against you by the school, a loss of employment, removal of the child from the caretaker by child protective services, false charges against the parent, caregiver, or advocate that can lead to an arrest, etc.

We must stop asking, "What are they (everyone else) going to do about the abuse of our nation's children?" While the rest of America sits blind, not necessarily their fault, they are under the assumption that their tax dollars are paying for an education without abuse, restraints, seclusion, or retaliation. American citizens believe that when they send their children to school, they will be safe, not abused or killed by school personnel.

It is our belief that all children are entitled to a free, appropriate, and SAFE education in the public and private school system, as specified under IDEA. We need your support in effecting change within the system.

Thank you!

Saturday, November 30, 2013

ENSURING THE SAFETY OF SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS, SCHOOL BUS PESONNEL, AND OTHER STUDENTS ON SCHOOL BUSES.


WHO SHOULD WE BLAME?  THE PARENT, THE SCHOOL, THE BUS COMPANY, SOCIETY, AND/OR GOD?



Recently, the Parents of 13 year old Arizona (Photo right), allege that while on his way home from school in Coventry to Barrington, R.I., Arizona was assaulted by his substitute bus monitor, James Caton.  The parents believe that the bus driver, James Miller, assisted Caton; due to blood stains on Miller’s hand and comments that he made to the father, “ I am not driving this F_ _ king animal around anymore, he’s an F-ing animal.  If I have to drive him around, I quit.  This is my last day, I’m not driving that F_ _ king animal.” Both monitors, Pauline Souza and James Caton stated that bus driver Miller never left his seat and kept driving the school bus.  What complicates the matter is that Arizona is limited verbally and cannot communicate to tell authorities what actually happened.  As a result of this incident, Arizona’s parents are calling for cameras on school buses, comprehensive training for bus personnel and national BCI checks.  A few days before, R.I. State Representative Antonio Giarrusso announced that he would be introducing legislation that would require bus personnel to have national BCI checks prior to being hired on school buses.  On May 31, 2012, Rick Bella of the Oregonian, reported that an autistic boy attacked and injured a bus driver (Photo right).  The Oregonian further reported, Joe Krumm, North Clackamas School District spokesman, said the district has "no history with this child on buses."   In the case of disability-related behavior, the student's special education plan could be revised, such as adding more staff support for the student, moving the student within or out of the district, or creating a support plan that helps the student recognize problematic behaviors.

We have two situations in which safeguards could have assisted.  In Arizona’s incident, the training of bus personnel is key and cameras are necessary to tell the story when the students on the bus cannot.  In the incident that occurred 2012, the student was not assigned a trained aide on the school bus, nor was a functional behavior assessment performed to find out the student’s triggers for his behaviors.   Rather than spending time wasted on determining who is to blame, it would be more productive spending time training bus personnel, having FBAs performed by certified behavioral analysts, installing cameras, performing national BCI checks, educating bus personnel about the students they work with, and not waiting until incidents, such as, the one’s mentioned, to take action.  

To Read Full Story Click on: http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2012/05/autistic_boys_attack_on_school.html
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)