Re: THIS ISNT ALL NEGATIVE (so let's keep it that way!)

December 9, 2003

Hi MARY JANE MICHAEL AND SULLY and all,

I get a sick feeling in my stomach reading up on restraints. In the

book Toys That Kill which I read when I worked in the toy industry -

it was disgusting for me to learn that three children had to die due

to a toy before it was recalled. The person that built our pool

here in Florida has twins and her company is named after them. She

told me - " The day any child drowns in any pool we built is the day

we stop building pools. I couldn't build another pool even if it

was " an accident " as a mom -I just couldn't do it "

I do this all the time with the EFAs -I search for bad information

on them -any negative -because as a mom I would want to know for my

child and all the rest. EFAs -no problem telling the world about

them -in fact I find it funny people can be hesitating on using

them. It's like I said -not drinking water.

Restraints...that's another story. The more I read up on it -the

more I see the huge black hole area where a child can die -and

nobody is to blame. There are no controls to this -and yes, stories

about it are fluffed off. We didn't even cover restraints in The

Late Talker book (yet -I'll see what I can do) because it's...I

don't know not something you believe the average late talker would

be confronted with. And it's not something we suggested be added to

one's IEP because it didn't come up much in the past.

I don't know if Tricia -or Jane want to go forward with what

happened to their children. We know it's happened in the past -but

rare in our group - and it's just shocking it's happened twice

recently in the Carolinas now with little children, verbal disabled

children at that. In my gut I'd say most people when they think of

death related restraints think of older children -teens and adults.

They think of violent or out of control individuals, they think MR,

autistic or psychological issues. Does 'anyone' think of a five

year old child...in kindergarten...who has a verbal disability, who

doesn't need to be strapped into a chair for stability reasons (yes

I know children do need restraint chairs for therapy reasons -just

like we all appreciate that seat belts are restraints that are

necessary too) What is Charlie's history of bad behavior? Tapping

his foot during music class? I mean his past SLP is the President

of the Missouri Speech Hearing Association -and she wrote a poem

about him that is up at their website and CHERAB's. He is not

faceless and nameless -they can't just say he's this out of control

child -he has a history. Jane and -in my first post to

you -that's what I said -get all past professionals to document your

child. I guess we all need to do this -not that Tanner appears to

be at risk for this. Tricia never knew her son was either however.

My gut is telling me that this issue of restraints coming up twice

in such a short time -together with the lack of advocacy in the area

and all the gray areas in the law and the rising group of

communication impaired children is a warning -and we need to act

before there are any deaths..to any of our children. Forget three

which made me sick to read in the Toys That Kill book -One death is

way to many.

As President (of CHERAB -but thanks !) I say we stick together

on this and figure out the best way to move forward in unity as a

group to put together a press release that documents a few of the

stories already posted -and the stories of deaths that have already

happened. I found this one site that is just horrifyingly (is that

a word?)scary to read as a mom

http://courant.ctnow.com/projects/restraint/ Has anyone read this

site yet? They have " 11 months -23 dead " (from restraints)

Rest in peace to all of them -here are just three of the stories I

read at this site:

" Slammed face-down on the floor, Clayborne's arms were yanked across

her chest, her wrists gripped from behind by a mental health aide.

I can't breathe, the 16-year-old gasped.

Her last words were ignored. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Randy Steele was out of control, a 9-year-old whirlwind in a

furniture-throwing rage, when two orderlies at the San

treatment center stepped in Feb. 6 to calm him down.

They did a lot more than quiet him.

After Randy was forced face down on the floor, he started vomiting.

Then he stopped breathing. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" She was a 15-year-old patient, alone in a new and frightening

place, clutching a comforting picture from home.

He was a 200-pound mental health aide bent on enforcing the rules,

and the rules said no pictures. She defied him; the dispute

escalated.

And for that, Edith Campos died. She was crushed face down on the

floor in a " therapeutic hold " applied by a man twice her size. "

http://courant.ctnow.com/projects/restraint/

We all learn early on the appropriate uses of scissors and knifes -

if something has the potential to kill -we perhaps have to teach the

world the appropriate use of restraints. Perhaps the sick feeling

in my gut is just from knowing this is happening - and not my

inventor gut kicking in as it does -seeing the writing on the wall

for our rising group of children. Doesn't take " super natural

expectations " and psychic ability to see this -to me it's obvious it

could have already happened. Please -let's do this.

Marina -as one that is highly experienced in the media. What is the

best way to proceed?

=====

December 9, 2003

lisa this whole thing makes me sick too! what can i do . where can i

start ? im planning on hammering the school thursday (and husband)

were both pretty infuriated . that will probably be the hardest part

to sit face to face with the woman who mistreated my son this way .

something inside of me wants to humiliate her the way she did my son.

i want to help other kids. to protect them from this treatment.

where do we start? if this happened to sully it could happen to

anyone . he is a sweetheart.he didnt deserve this and nobodys child

does.

lis a

>

> I don't know if Tricia -or Jane want to go forward with what

> happened to their children. We know it's happened in the past -but

> rare in our group - and it's just shocking it's happened twice

> recently in the Carolinas now with little children, verbal disabled

> children at that.

December 9, 2003

The thing that bothers me too is that many of the children on this site

could at least beg for help, not that it did any good!!! Some of our

children might not be able to even beg for help! This just sickens me to

read. I have been a mom for a very long time & never given this any

thought. I have never read in any paper or seen anything about this on the

news. Is this our country's dirty little secret in the system?? This seems

like something that might have taken place in the 40's or there about. Wow,

I am appauled at this. I have thought about Tricia so much since yesterday,

I would be so upset I don't think I could even speak!! Something needs to

be done, where do we start??

Tammy I. in FL mom to 5 apraxic, 7, 19 & 22

December 9, 2003

This parent should write the district and ask for their policies on the use of

restraints in writing (if they haven't already did this). That will help them

focus their complaint letter which I would hope they'd be filing with their

state department of education. I'd also be contacting the OCR (office of civil

rights) and talk to them. And I'd contact my state's advisory council to see if

perhaps they'd take the case (then it would be free to sue the district). Of

course everything needs to be documented in writing. I cannot think of even one

situation in which a kindergarten aged child would need to be restrained in such

fashion. The district will probably have a lot of explaining to do...especially

if their district policy is weak or they didn't follow it.

[ ] Re: THIS ISNT ALL NEGATIVE (so let's keep it

that way!)