Re: PT Article on Preventing/Reducing Seclusion & Restraint

[Guest guest]

Thank you for writing this...

On Friday, September 23rd, I received a phone call from the school nurse. She

started the conversation with a request for my son's current immunization

records and I immediately agreed to supply that information within a matter of

days. The nurse then continued the conversation by informing me that R was being

too aggressive with his peers at recess (he's a sensory seeker - his latest OT

eval is 8 pages long). The teachers then made the decision to place R in the

PPCD playground, away from his peers (and away from direct adult supervision).

The nurse continued by saying R defecated and urinated in the PPCD playground.

She also informed me that my child told numerous adults (including the Principal

and Assistant Principal) that he tried to get the teachers attention but they

did not hear him. The teachers both say that R made no such effort to contact

them.

Upon hearing these events, I went into the school and spoke to my son and the

principal. The Principal said they would not write him up for the incident

because they saw no indication of malice or deceit when interviewing him. The

Principal and I then walked outside to the playground area so she could show me

where the teachers were in relation to R. She explained that the teachers were

in their " usual spot " for observing the children during recess (near the picnic

tables under the awning) and took me to that spot. She continued to explain by

stating that the teacher decided to do a " quick scan " and then she noticed

something was wrong with my son.

The PPCD playground is placed away from the school and across a two lane road

with additional green space on both sides. The teachers' area referred to above

is between two additional playgrounds and multiple classes were outside playing

at the same time. The PPCD area is enclosed with a gate. A stabilization bar

that goes in-ground is used to keep the gate closed along with a swing latch.

The bar and gate are both approximately 48 inches high. My son is 42 inches tall

and weighs about 34 pounds. R told me the gate was " locked " and he couldn't get

out by himself.

When I went back to the school later and physically measured the distance from

the picnic tables to the outer perimeter fence of the PPCD playground, the

distance was over 60 feet. I also tried to open the gate on the PPCD playground

twice and I could not. I did not see any kind of lock - Perhaps it was stuck on

something.

My child has been having bowel movements consistently in the commode for almost

a year now. He literally runs to the bathroom when he feels the need. I find it

difficult to believe that he did not ask for help and I think the teachers were

too far away to hear him, especially with the extra noise of the additional

children playing in such close proximity to the teachers.

My son was banished to another playground and forced to relieve himself in an

embarrassing way. If any of his peers saw what happened, the social stigma

attached to those circumstances would be devastating to his already fragile

self-esteem. The teachers left my son unattended and that's a huge safety

concern. There are too many things that could've gone wrong. I wrote a letter to

the superintendent of schools and they told me the teacher did nothing

wrong...My son has been removed from this school and placed in a smaller special

ed/behavior class and I have an advocate from the state helping me.

>

> My latest article....lots of references and links to help parents,

> advocates and schools reduce/prevent seclusion & restraint in schools.

> Students Traumatized in Special Education Across America, Seclusion,

> Restraint, and Aversives

> <http://www.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?

> <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

> http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students-\

> traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r

> <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

>

[Guest guest]

BTW, I know this isn't anything like the restraint or the scream rooms you are

describing...just amazed at the seclusion aspect of it. My son had just turned 5

at the end of August...recess all alone and no adult supervision for a child

dxed at the time with ADHD (mostly inhibit) and SPD (sensory seeker). He's in

the middle of an eval now to see if he's in fact on the spectrum.

> >

> > My latest article....lots of references and links to help parents,

> > advocates and schools reduce/prevent seclusion & restraint in schools.

> > Students Traumatized in Special Education Across America, Seclusion,

> > Restraint, and Aversives

> > <http://www.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?

> > <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> > -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

> > http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students-\

> > traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r

> > <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> > -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Good for you for making your son's environment the best for him. YOU are his greatest advocate! To: autism-aspergers Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 8:05 PM Subject:

Re: PT Article on Preventing/Reducing Seclusion & Restraint

BTW, I know this isn't anything like the restraint or the scream rooms you are describing...just amazed at the seclusion aspect of it. My son had just turned 5 at the end of August...recess all alone and no adult supervision for a child dxed at the time with ADHD (mostly inhibit) and SPD (sensory seeker). He's in the middle of an eval now to see if he's in fact on the spectrum.

> >

> > My latest article....lots of references and links to help parents,

> > advocates and schools reduce/prevent seclusion & restraint in schools.

> > Students Traumatized in Special Education Across America, Seclusion,

> > Restraint, and Aversives

> > <http://www.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?

> > <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> > -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

> > http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students-\

> > traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r

> > <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> > -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

OMG this is so about me right now! I am a mom of an 11 year old. I just posted a

new thread about this. I feel like crying reading this.

Jane

>

> My latest article....lots of references and links to help parents,

> advocates and schools reduce/prevent seclusion & restraint in schools.

> Students Traumatized in Special Education Across America, Seclusion,

> Restraint, and Aversives

> <http://www.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?

> <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

> http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students-\

> traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r

> <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/autism-in-real-life/201201/students\

> -traumatized-in-special-education-across-america-seclusion-r>

>