... 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? ...
Get inside the world of Florida education with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We'll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news and dig deep into Tampa Bay area school issues.
To-
BesideMyself | January 24, 2009 at 08:37 PM
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! Let me repeat- You have absolutely no idea what youa re talking about!
Hmmm, I wonder why this bothers you so much? I hope you keep that anger well controlled.
Posted by: Sick of ignorant people | January 25, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Do we know what's going on in Pinellas County schools? The Pinellas County School District (PCSD) has not been very forthcoming with its data, but here is some information that I received when I asked for it.
In 2005-2006 there were 67 Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) children in one elementary ESE school. During this school year, the behavior specialist(s)received 5,959 calls to a classroom where 'a student was interrupting the learning of other students'. During the same school year 39 of the 67 students 'needed to use secure seclusion'('secured seclusion' meaning to be removed from the classroom to another room away from the classroom situation).
These 39 students were put in secured seclusion 287 times for an average duration of 25 minutes. One student was put in secured seclusion 81 times.
The middle school had a total of 50 students. In 2005-2006, the behavior specialist(s) responded to a total of 2,528 calls to a classroom where a student was interrupting the learning of other students. According to the report, 31 of the 50 students 'were in need of secure seclusion due to unsafe behavior'. Secured seclusion was used 91 times for an average duration of 25 minutes.
Snapshot, yes, but only because of the fact that the Pinellas County School District (PCSD) was not able to provide me with additional data. Apparently, these are not the kind of issues that district administrators are much concerned about.
There are five ESE schools in Pinellas County School District, each one equipped with a room for secured seclusion. Based on the information just provided (and there is very little other information to go by) it seems reasonable to assume that in 2005-2006 behavior specialist(s) responded to about 40,000 calls to a classroom where a student was interrupting the learning of other students.
Furthermore, based on the information just provided, it seems reasonable to assume that in 2005-2006 ESE students were frequently put in secured seclusion (maybe 2000 times for an average duration of 25 minutes).
It seems to me that based on this information it is reasonable to assume that very few ESE students in PCSD receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
If such is the case, parents need to unite (strength in numbers).
Please write to
fransvanhaaren@gmail.com
Posted by: Frans van Haaren | January 25, 2009 at 11:34 PM
I have written multiple letters to the Georgia state advisory panel concerning the use of time out rooms and paddling as well. Yes, they still paddle children in GA too if one can believe that. We are proudly listed as the eighth highest paddling state in all of America on www.stophitting.org and we are near the bottom in student achievement. I think we are competing with the 48th spot right now.
My main concerns about the time out rooms is....do they meet fire code?, do they meet building code? Who inspects them on a regular basis to be sure these rooms are safe and not a fire hazard? Who disinfects them should a child soil himself/herself in the room? Is there a potential for the spread of disease if a child has an accident. If that is the case, does the health dept inspect the room or should the health dept routinely inspect the room....I also wrote the state d.o.e. in georgia, the state insurance commissioner and called the state fire marshall several times.
Any parent can and should do this.
When I worked in teh hospital setting we had to document everything and report to the state. We had to be inspected and audited. The same should be true for schools, you would think.
Posted by: georgia mom | January 25, 2009 at 11:34 PM
To all those saying the children deserve it...if you have ever witnessed a prone restrain, I think your opinion will be very different. It is VERY scary to watch. It something that should only be used if the child is presenting a clear and immenent danger..i.e. the 280 lb. special needs child who is about to physically harm someone. It shouldn't be used on children who are simply yelling. And trust me it is. As for endangering other "normal" children, children who need to be restrained should not be in the regular classroom setting; they are in a special needs classroom and usually have multiple aides. As for timeout rooms, I have never personally seen them, but have heard stories and they are not pleasent.
I say go parents, because the school system definately won't help you on its own.
Posted by: Fed Up Reading Teacher | January 25, 2009 at 10:35 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
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
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
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 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
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 are you supposed to ask non-verbal children what is wrong???????????????????????????????????????
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at 06:01 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
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 withhis breathing! I personally witnessed this abuse by the Martin County Sheriff Deputy (resourse 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
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
Theresa, can you please cite the source of the murder information?
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at 04:24 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
should have stated "access to the curriculum" of the student OR THEIR PEERS
Posted by: Follow up | January 25, 2009 at 04:10 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
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
I had a question.. aren't educators mandated reporters for child abuse?
Posted by: georgia mom | January 25, 2009 at 01:30 PM
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
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
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
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 comminicate 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 themin 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
BesideMyself @8:37, you are right on!!!!
Posted by: | January 25, 2009 at 02:21 AM
From 2008 news article
I once consulted with a school in another state and had a weekly appointment with a child to do some counseling and when I got there they told me he was in a time-out room. "He was in a janitor's closet with no windows, no ventilation, open cans of paint.
Posted by: Floridamom | January 25, 2009 at 01:16 AM
http://iput.org/RestraintSeclusionIssues.aspx
Posted by: Parents Trying To Teach The Professionals | January 24, 2009 at 11:27 PM
"Ineffective Inservice Programs
Many professional development programs depend on an outside “expert” providing knowledge in a “spray-and-pray” approach—a
one-shot infusion of knowledge, typically through a partial day workshop.
“Despite recognition of its importance, the professional development currently available to teachers is woefully
inadequate. Each year, schools, districts, and the federal government spend millions, if not billions of dollars on in-service
seminars and other forms of professional development that are fragmented, intellectually superficial, and do not take into
account what we know about how teachers learn.” (Borko, 2004, p. 3)"
"CONCLUSION
Turner (2002) writes, “There are still too many children with disabilities that are not getting the education that they deserve. The
main factor contributing to this is the lack of teacher training and support. There are too many teachers who are not trained and do
not have the resources to give special education students what they need” (p. 12). Developing and maintaining a school-based, onsite
transdisciplinary autism team can help with both aspects Turner describes: the lack of teacher training, and the lack of teacher
support. Transdisciplinary teaming helped teachers develop strategies for school-based problem –solving, and provided teachers
with the team support needed to successfully implement these strategies. This research study has contributed valuable information
to the special education knowledge base to aid school-based practitioners"
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi30/159-30.pdf
Posted by: Ask Any Site Administrator- They Are All Highly Qualified Experts | January 24, 2009 at 11:16 PM
"Particularly disturbing, she said, was the large number of incidents in which disabled kids seemed to be wrongfully disciplined."
http://www.pdmiami.com/Herald-zero-tolerance_policy_for_schools.htm
Posted by: zero accountability with zero tolerance | January 24, 2009 at 10:46 PM
http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2007/10/middleton-high-.html
http://badbadteacher.com/stephanie-ragusa/
Posted by: Multiple Restraining Positions | January 24, 2009 at 10:41 PM
http://www.theledger.com/article/20081104/COLUMNISTS/811040308?Title=Schools_Overlook_Disabled_Students
Posted by: Expert Education At Work | January 24, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Published in The Communicator, the newsletter of The Autism National Committee (Summer 1998)
"The human response to danger is a complex, integrated system of reactions, encompassing both body and mind. Threat initially arouses the sympathetic nervous system, causing the person in danger to feel an adrenalin rush and go into a state of alert. Threat also concentrates a person's attention on the immediate situation. In addition, threat may alter ordinary perceptions: people in danger are often able to disregard hunger, fatigue, or pain. Finally, threat evokes intense feelings of fear and anger. These changes in arousal, attention, perception, and emotion are normal, adaptive reactions. They mobilize the threatened person for strenuous action, either in battle or in flight.
Traumatic reactions occur when action is of no avail. When neither resistance nor escape is possible, the human system of self-defense becomes overwhelmed and disorganized. Each component of the ordinary response to danger, having lost its utility, tends to persist in an altered and exaggerated state long after the actual danger is over.
Traumatic events produce profound and lasting changes in physiological arousal, emotion, cognition, and memory. More-over, traumatic events may sever these normally integrated functions from one another. The trauma-tized person may experience intense emotion but without clear memory of the event, or may remember everything in detail but without emotion. She may find herself in a constant state of irritability without knowing why. Traumatic symptoms have a tendency to become disconnected from their source and to take on a life of their own." (p. 43)
Posted by: No excuse! | January 24, 2009 at 10:36 PM
"When applicants fail to disclose information on their resume, they usually are given a second chance if the falsehoods are considered relatively minor and if they admit it, a school district spokeswoman said."
http://www.tbo.com/news/nationworld/MGBTUMV33GF.html
Posted by: a warm body is needed in front of the special ed class | January 24, 2009 at 10:28 PM
As a mother of a child with autism it is absolutely terrifying for me to read some of the comments posted. I have to tell myself that these people cannot possibly have any idea what they are writing about. The comments are promoting the use of cruel and unusual punishment on disabled children. It is a known fact that most children with severe delays have some form of behavior issue due to communication difficulties.
The child described above was not harming himself or anyone. Even if he was-would it still be alright to abuse him?
Imagine for 15 minutes not being able to communicate or process informaiton properly. Really try! Now imagine being that way permanently while people screamed at you all the time.
Most disabled children have been placed in special programs in order to get help. Schools are required to provide these children with positive behavior interventions. This is rarely the case. The child's behaviors are a result of their disability. PUNISHMENT is neither appropriate or legal.
What kind of a society have we become to accept this abuse on our children? Furthermore, research proves that the use of aversives are not effective and nearly always cause more harm than good. What's next? Bring back the electric shock- Well let me correct myself! There are schools still using this torture method.
For some reason disabled children are thought to have no civil rights. Their lives do not seem to be valued in the same way as their typical peers. What would happen if this were a non-disabled child described above? What would happen if a parent was caught pinning down their child or locking him/her in a room?
Schools need to be aware that parents are gaining knowlege and will not tolerate this abuse. Swift action needs to be taken by the federal government and other disability agencies to create laws to protect our most vulnerable. It is ludicrous that no laws exist in most states. To add insult to injury, parents are not even afforded the right to be notified if such abuse took place! This must end now. Thank you to the brave mom in this interview! Lisa
Posted by: Save the children | January 24, 2009 at 10:24 PM
http://www.bucsgameday.com/News/051801/news_pf/Hillsborough/Parents_denounce_teac.shtml
Posted by: Kingswood Elementary, Hills. - May 2001 | January 24, 2009 at 09:58 PM
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5564976,00.html
Posted by: Professionals at work | January 24, 2009 at 09:53 PM
Restraint & Seclusion - Deadly Restraints
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhYVPFDgyXc
Posted by: | January 24, 2009 at 09:26 PM
As a special education teacher, I am an advocate for the student, not the system. I have seen and reported such abuses, and will continue to do so as long as these injustices exist.
Posted by: Teacher | January 24, 2009 at 09:21 PM
This child was restrained once for not blowing her nose......
Restraint & Seclusion - Violent Lessons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUQV8q3hAQk
Posted by: | January 24, 2009 at 09:14 PM
Posted by: ?
This poster couldnt even put their name.
It is clear that this mom has never been at the other end. What else are you suppose to do when a child is flipping out, throwing chairs, and endangering the safety of other students.
Why is the child flipping out? I noticed you forgot to mention what was done to the child before hand.
Why do you try & make the public believe these things just happen for no apparent reason?
How many children have you watched being abused & as a mandatory reporter didnt bother to report it?
Posted by: Anna | January 24, 2009 at 09:12 PM
Posted by: BesideMyself
It is over-protective, hyper-defensive, cult-of-victomolgy types like this that have contributed to the onslaught of aggressive, defiant, blame-mongering young people who take absolutely no responsibility for their often over-aggressive, hostile, and even dangerous behavior.
You are obviously a bad teacher. It is your mentality that is getting our children abused & killed. It is obvious by your post you know nothing about special needs children. These children are being restrained & locked in closets for what is being viewed as noncompliance by uneducated teacher's.
Do you think you can make an autistic child's neurological system change by abusing them?
Mentalties like yours are a disease in our school system & society.
Posted by: DirtyDeeds | January 24, 2009 at 09:05 PM
Restraint & Seclusion Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8RlcIRkBkw&feature=related
Posted by: Anna | January 24, 2009 at 08:57 PM
I have given the school system a loving boy. He'll stay loving too if he is nurtured and taught with accommodations. However, if he has to suffer from the systemic abuse of peers, teachers and paraprofessionals, I guess they'll just blame him.
Posted by: Anna | January 24, 2009 at 08:54 PM
Many of these children did not have severe behavior issues, especially before restraint and seclusion started. Special needs children are being restrained due to their disability. Some of the restraints and seclusion have been for a child with autism that does not comply with a task, a child that does not speak who uses sign language and supposedly disrupts the class, the developmentally delayed child that runs from class because others are bullying them, or the child that refuses to do the work because they do not understand it. These are not children with behavior problems, these are children coping with a disability that they have no control over. These are children that may be trying to express themselves the only way they can. If I treated my child the way the schools have treated him I would be brought up on felony charges, but since it is the school, people see it as ok. Children die from restraint in the schools and children have committed suicide after being secluded.
These children are often not being restrained or secluded because they are a danger to themselves or others, but as punishment and a way to avoid helping the child. Provide these children the services they need before it is too late. How many children have to die or be injured for this to stop?
Posted by: | January 24, 2009 at 08:53 PM
It is over-protective, hyper-defensive, cult-of-victomolgy types like this that have contributed to the onslaught of aggressive, defiant, blame-mongering young people who take absolutely no responsibility for their often over-aggressive, hostile, and even dangerous behavior. How about advocating for the teachers and other students who are often held hostage in the classroom by these rampaging children? Or is it that your child's behavior, and not the intervention, is not the issue? If more parents would take discipline as seriously as so-called advocacy, then we would have no need for restraint and seclusion!
Posted by: BesideMyself | January 24, 2009 at 08:37 PM
http://www.wrightslaw.com/howey/iep.special.factors.htm
Posted by: It Is Apparent That Ignorance Abounds | January 24, 2009 at 06:54 PM
It is clear that this mom has never been at the other end. What else are you suppose to do when a child is flipping out, throwing chairs, and endangering the safety of other students. I am sure the parents of other children who get hurt because of these type of children are grateful for this type of procedure.
Posted by: | January 24, 2009 at 06:42 PM
Wow, this woman is a complete moron.
Posted by: | January 24, 2009 at 06:02 PM
Maybe your kid is psycho and that's why he was stuck in the hall. I doubt your kid became psycho because he was in the hall. Oh, yeah, I'm sure the teacher picked a kid at random and said, "Let's isolate this kid so he goes bananas."
Posted by: Cart before the horse | January 24, 2009 at 05:22 PM