topic Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids in Community Chat

Handcuffing Disabled Kids

NoelSeven — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:15:49 GMT

Some disabled kids act out, most of us know that. Hopefully they are put in a special class with a well trained teacher who understands and knows how to respond without handcuffing or otherwise traumatizing them.

Calling in a huge hulking deputy who handcuffs them, and handcuffs them to a chair, not only doesn't work in correcting acting out, it makes the problem worse.

We already know stats show the disabled are often abused, and now stats are coming out that it's becoming more frequent that those who should be protecting children are instead hurting them emotionally and physically.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

Karnerblue — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:24:16 GMT

It comes from ignorance and fear or just plain lack of education on the issue.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

cowboy sam — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:26:45 GMT

I think that that police officer and his fellow offerciers need to be retrained!!!!

If he has children i wonder how he would feel it it happened to one of his family member????

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

CrazyDaisy — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:26:56 GMT

In a perfect world......sometimes you need to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Is handcuffing the best way to do that, maybe/maybe not. Sometimes people are just doing the best they can at the moment.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

NoelSeven — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:28:04 GMT

And it comes from those who believe Might Makes Right

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

Justice4all — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:31:06 GMT

I was hit in the head with a full bottle by a special education student who thought it was funny to throw it down the crowded hall. Missed my eye by a millimeter. He wasn't disabled that way!

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

grandma r — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:30:19 GMT

I am horrified at the actions taken by the police officer and school officials. Special needs kids require special education in every area. These kids are usually very bright and eager to learn. They just learn differently than others. Most special ed kids also need an aide assigned to them for the sole purpose of keeping the child on task. School districts have very high tax rates on homeowners, therefore, take some of that money and use it to pay aides. Schools don't need fancy chandeliers, hardwood floors, etc to educate our youth. The teacher is the most important part of the education process. If the teacher is not qualified or motivated they need to get out. Just because someone has tenure doesn't mean they stop teaching. Not all teachers are prepared to educate special needs kids. It is beyond time for an overhaul of our current education system. All of our students should have a good experience in school and be able to ssucceed in our world, regardless of their situation. Putting handcuffs on a young child with special needs is a form of child abuse!!!!!!!

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

NoelSeven — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:30:24 GMT

@CrazyDaisy wrote:
In a perfect world......sometimes you need to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Is handcuffing the best way to do that, maybe/maybe not. Sometimes people are just doing the best they can at the moment.

*******************************************

There's no maybe, it's wrong.

More importantly... it doesn't work.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

CrazyDaisy — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:33:33 GMT

@NoelSeven wrote:
@CrazyDaisy wrote:
In a perfect world......sometimes you need to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Is handcuffing the best way to do that, maybe/maybe not. Sometimes people are just doing the best they can at the moment.

*******************************************

There's no maybe, it's wrong.

More importantly... it doesn't work.

Everything is not always black or white, guess we just disagree.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

NoelSeven — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:34:45 GMT

@grandma r wrote:
I am horrified at the actions taken by the police officer and school officials. Special needs kids require special education in every area. These kids are usually very bright and eager to learn. They just learn differently than others. Most special ed kids also need an aide assigned to them for the sole purpose of keeping the child on task. School districts have very high tax rates on homeowners, therefore, take some of that money and use it to pay aides. Schools don't need fancy chandeliers, hardwood floors, etc to educate our youth. The teacher is the most important part of the education process. If the teacher is not qualified or motivated they need to get out. Just because someone has tenure doesn't mean they stop teaching. Not all teachers are prepared to educate special needs kids. It is beyond time for an overhaul of our current education system. All of our students should have a good experience in school and be able to ssucceed in our world, regardless of their situation. Putting handcuffs on a young child with special needs is a form of child abuse!!!!!!!

**********************************

You're right, it is. Two of the mothers are suing, sometimes that's what it takes to stop ongoing abuse.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

boquet bonnie — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:36:37 GMT

SERIOUSLY ??? !!!

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

boquet bonnie — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:37:49 GMT

That poor child will never get over the terror he went through that day. HORRIBLE !

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

cowboy sam — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:38:48 GMT

It broke my heart hearing that boy crying on tv....i also thought that is child abouse ..using the excuse it was to calm him down ot whatever cexused was used!!!

Why the need to have a police officer to be called in...instead a parent/parents shoud have been called to the school instead!!!!!!

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

MalteseMomma — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:44:48 GMT

Actually i don't think that was "crying" we hear,I think he was still throwing a fit. As a grandma of a kid like this ,I think handcuffs in general may be needed, but to put them high up on his arms and behind his bck as shown in the picture ,well,that is abuse!

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

songbird — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:44:36 GMT

@Justice4all wrote:
I was hit in the head with a full bottle by a special education student who thought it was funny to throw it down the crowded hall. Missed my eye by a millimeter. He wasn't disabled that way!

When I was a child at a sleep over camp, I was tormented almost every day by a special needs child. Why she picked on me, I'll never know. But every day she pinched and kicked me. I would complain daily to the camp counselor, but to no avail. Finally the kid grabbed a pencil and stuck in my cheek. It just missed my eye. The counselor finally did something. The child was sent home. Her parents were outraged and threaten to sue. They finally took the kid back, but she was placed in a different environment. My parents were so upset I went home.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

NoelSeven — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:48:48 GMT

@songbird wrote:
@Justice4all wrote:
I was hit in the head with a full bottle by a special education student who thought it was funny to throw it down the crowded hall. Missed my eye by a millimeter. He wasn't disabled that way!
When I was a child at a sleep over camp, I was tormented almost every day by a special needs child. Why she picked on me, I'll never know. But every day she pinched and kicked me. I would complain daily to the camp counselor, but to no avail. Finally the kid grabbed a pencil and stuck in my cheek. It just missed my eye. The counselor finally did something. The child was sent home. Her parents were outraged and threaten to sue. They finally took the kid back, but she was placed in a different environment. My parents were so upset I went home.

************************************

That's the problem, not the kids. Specially trained adults need to be in charge, you don't just throw a disabled kid into a mix and walk away.

You also don't call in a deputy sheriff to terrorize a child, if the teacher or camp counselor in charge can't handle it, hire someone who can.

Or, like cowboy sam said, call the parent.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

surfk — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 19:13:43 GMT

How it makes sense to anyone that its fine to handcuff a child in an educational setting is beyond me.

I can't think of any kid who is going to to learn (or even learn to behave) with his/her hands and/or legs restrained.

A special needs child who acts like this isn't always doing it due to something truly fully within his or her control anyway. Even what might be perceived to be a decision on their part is so complex that it isn't devoid of influence by his/her special need usually.

So if the behavior is so out of control or so dangerous as to require such treatment, obviously the classroom is not the place for that child - or for that child on that particular day when acting out.

If its a chronic thing endangering teachers, themselves and other students, then a better solution is to find a better solution than Gitmo tactics.

I mean, it is suppose to be an educational environment and not a lesson in torture techniques or prisonhouse restraint.

The entire situation would need to be reassessed regarding that student. And it should not be solely determined by the specific special ed teacher, let alone, the local police.

Its something that needs to be addressed in a more effective, meaningful and lasting way than a daily public humiliation and handcuff or rope burns. IMHO

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

cowboy sam — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 19:01:26 GMT

Thank you!

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

NoelSeven — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 19:12:30 GMT

Years ago I saw a young person, maybe 13, with her mother. Having a fit, screaming and yelling. I probably did glare, I know I thought something negative about the lack of parental control.

Then I started posting here, on the Q, board. We had several mothers of autistic kids who taught the rest of us about meltdowns some autistic kids have. Also how embarrassed they would sometimes get in public, how people would say awful things to them.

I got it, many others here got it, some never did. Most of us didn't know much about autism back then, we were lucky to have someone explain it to us.

I have done some work with other disabled kids. They can act up, they can have impulse control issues. Anyone who thinks handcuffs is the answer isn't well trained enough to be around those kids.

Re: Handcuffing Disabled Kids

RedTop — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 19:15:56 GMT

My oldest daughter has taught Special Education for nearly 15 years, and has restrained many of her students using state approved CPI measures. She is a certified CPI instructor, and teaches these techniques in her school, and to other teachers in the county. Regardless of the size of the child, there is a proper method of restraint to be used for the purpose of calming them down. For every child she has to restrain, there is a protocol to be followed, which includes detailed documentation of the incident from start to finish. Any of her classroom aides who witness or participate in the restraint incident have to document their involvement as well. My daughter has had desks, chairs, iPads, etc., thrown at her in the classroom by students who decide to act out over the slightest thing. Her response to seeing the video of this incident was that she would not restrain the child by that method. Her response to the way the child responded, was that he reacted just like many of the students in her classroom once they realize they have gone too far, and are in big trouble.