Are teachers bullying autistic kids?

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  Posted by Jennifer Marie Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:48pm PDT

  WHAT??!!.... Let me find out!! my 4 yr. old son has mild autisim!! I go postal on them.. whoa whoa whoa!!!!! I'll go boof of revelation's on their @ssa's!!!!!!

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  Posted by springtime Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:53pm PDT

  It is against the law in my state to do that. In a nearby school, a child was so violent ( throwing things , hitting other children, biting himself and others, etc) that the teacher would call 911 to come and restrain him. The fire truck was often heard roaring down the street toward the school.

  Anyone who thinks a teacher should be able to control this child and 33 other kids in the same room at the same time is out of touch with reality.

  States need more resources to properly teach and control these children because most times they are teachable and lovable but not when having an episode. But to just place them into a regular ed classroom invites disaster for that child, other children, and the teacher... who is liable in a court of law if that child is hurt or is allowed to hurt another child.

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  Posted by PiNk Chick Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:42am PDT

  I know that the teachers are mean to special need children. Parents cannot always be there all the time. I feel so bad because these kids need love and all the attention they can get. I have a friend.. and her son is (ADHD and has a mild case of autism). And he really needs alot of attention. Well, he has been kicked out of school three times... (Elementry School)

  That makes me so mad because he is in elementry!

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  Posted by Caramel Cake Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:07am PDT

  My son has ADHD and Emotional Disturbance Syndrome. He used to go to a Day Treatmennt Program, for "bad" kids who couldn't control themselves in a regular classroom setting. This school has been through three teachers in 2 years. This last teacher, wanted him to go to the restroom one day, and he said he didn't need to go but she dragged him in any way then punched him in the nose. We called DCS, and they wanted us to go to court and file chareges, he had x-ray s performed and everything. We didn't goto court about it, but we did have the teacher removed from the class. I am now trying to homeschool him so life can get a little better for him. You are rigth when you say that they need more training, this school also does the restrain system, holding them down like they can't breathe. He is being homeschooled thsi year, that's just too dangerous; I dom't want them calling me one day saying he has died!

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  Posted by Mysterious Gryphon Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:48am PDT

  I think that this is a very difficult phenomenon, and one that is even more complex that we realize.

  Teachers who are not trained in special education are being forced to deal with conditions and diseases they have no particular knowledge of, and frankly, if they felt called to working with special needs children, they would have gone into that field. But they didn't feel that call, and they didn't go into that field. Why are we as a society forcing them to?

  In addition, more and more school districts are eliminating school nurses, expecting the teachers to perform blood sugar tests, administer drugs, and deal with the general "boo-boos" of childhood.

  With all of these distractions from the teacher's true calling to, um, TEACH, who can blame them for being confused and frustrated?

  Special needs kids belong in special needs classrooms. Sick kids belong with the school nurse. Naughty kids belong in time out. And average, healthy kids belong in front of a well-equipped capable teacher.

  The end.

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  Posted by Sunshine Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:25am PDT

  Just because a child has a diagnosis of Autism or any other special need does not make him/her "unhealthy" or "not average" Emily Jane... Ever heard of INCLUSION. All children need to be taught together; there is NO reason a child with special needs should be segragated from his peers. Inclusion works! All students have a right to meaningful participation in curriculum and instruction; a range of curricular adaptations and modifications offered to all learners; a right to move with peers to subsequent grades in school. Students with disabilities have the right to have the same school day (length of day, time of arrival and departure) as those without disabilities. Teachers need better training, yes. But if a teacher is willing to use violence on ANY student then he/she should NOT be teaching children.

  People need to stop living in the "good old days" when students were segragated based on skin color, learning ability, or special needs. We all know that doesn't work. Seperate classrooms for special needs children is NOT the answer.

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  Posted by Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:59am PDT

  My 5 year old nephew has mild Autism. It's horrible to hear that this is going on. People may think it's not a big deal, but it puts absolute fear into me to think that the people we trust to help him might end up hurting him. These "teachers" better suffer the consequences.

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  Posted by PORKCHOP Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:33am PDT

  No teacher EVER even thought of abusing my kid in any way shape or form. I made it VERY clear to teachers on day one... THEY WORKED FOR ME, I PAID THIER SALARY AND THEY WOULD TREAT MY KIDS WITH RESPECT AND WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME IF THEY DIDNT.

  I never had any issues with teachers, wether my kids had issues or not.

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  Posted by kaliluna Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:58am PDT

  Wow this article is quite disturbing but sadly, not surprising. In Oregon (where I live) teachers are not allowed to go hands on with kids unless they teach in a behavior classroom and are certified in certain programs. While we have systems in place to help these kids, lots still fall through the cracks. I have worked in a Special Education classroom, a Day Treatment Center and a Residential Treatment Center. Special Education classrooms have changed dramatically since I've worked in them though. It seems like any kids who have any behavior problems get shipped off to the Special Ed class, and they are lumped together with kids who don't speak English and kids with emotional and learning disorders. Only a few schools have true behavior classrooms that help to address the behavior and emotional side of things, and when that gets out of hands kids are often referred to either Day Treatment or Residential care.

  To Caramel Cake, I'm very sorry your son had that experience in Day Treatment. Day Treatment is NOT for "bad" kids... there are no "bad" kids period. It is to help kids get treatment while still attending school and it doesn't take them out of their home. The Day Treatment center I worked at had a great Special Ed teacher, but all staff (including the teacher, therapists and the psychiatrist) were trained and certified to go hands on if the children became violent. Residential care is a step above that, kids are taken out of the home anywhere from 90 days to 6 months. Granted a lot of times these kids have no stable home, are in foster care or have a very chaotic home life so we saw more extreme cases. But every staff on campus was required to be certified to go hands on and seclusion trained. We had very rigid rules around using these techniques and every incident was reviewed by a panel of therapists and psychiatrists to make sure we weren't abusing our power. I find it horrific that more and more teachers are going hands on and even secluding kids without training and without being held accountable. I understand that in most cases teachers are stretched to the limit with huge classrooms with special needs kids lumped in, and they are just trying to do the best they can. But the "teachers" who go to the extreme of going hands on, secluding and berating kids really aren't teachers anymore and shouldn't be in a school setting.

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  Posted by Catie Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:58am PDT

  I am a 7th grade student and I see teachers lock students in classrooms almost every week. It is sad, they can't help it if they have a mental problem. I try my best to be nice to everyone, including the autistic kids because they get picked on a lot. I just find it sad. =/

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