Boy with autism arrested for assault after police called to classroom.

[modem77]

This is terrible. If I were the parents I would be livid.

http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=805042#.UGG7BFF_Wz4

[BanzaiBonnie]

1. WTF!

[BanzaiBonnie]

2. A few years ago, there was a child with autism

placed in my grandson's general education kindergarten class.

The teacher was well versed in exactly what to do. The other students were taught about autism and how to conduct themselves.

On occasion, the boy would have a meltdown. Everyone would do what they needed to and it was soon over: handled smoothly and without escalation.

When my grandson told us about this other child, he had absolute compassion and kindness flowing through his body. It was an enriching experience.

[enlightenment]

3. If the child needed special attention

"You just can't handle them like they are a regular gen-ed student,” she said. “They require special attention. And if anybody is going to be in that aspect and dealing with them, they need to have the proper training to deal with them before stepping into the classroom.”

Then why was the child in a regular classroom? That special attention and proper training is not usually available in a mainstream classroom. Given that teachers and administrators are too afraid of litigation to even touch a child anymore, it is not surprising that the only recourse they saw to managing this child was to call the police.

I don't excuse the police for formally arresting and booking a nine-year old, but have to question why the child was left in an environment that did not have the ability to deal with his behavior.

[dawg]

10. The child is in a regular ed classroom because it is cheaper.

Until society properly addresses this issue, these problems will continue to get worse.

[Daemonaquila]

25. It's not because of cost.

Schools are required by law to handle special needs kids in the least restrictive environment. When they err, they're generally going to err on the side of keeping kids in class versus sticking them in a room with a few other very disabled students - providing usually a much lower grade of education. Mainstreaming is a good thing. The problem is, there are a lot of supportive measures needed to make mainstreaming work, which may include taking a child out of the classroom during the day for periods of less stimulation, individualized tutoring, counseling or various types of therapy, etc. Those do get expensive, and most schools skimp as much as possible - mainstreaming done AS INTENDED is often far more expensive than a restrictive special ed setting.

[dawg]

26. I'm aware of the least restrictive environment doctrine.

But my experience has taught me that this very good concept is being used as an excuse *not* to provide the additional resources that are clearly necessary. This results in a lower quality education for both the special ed student and the distracted neuro-typical students in the classroom, who are having to share their teacher with a special ed student who is taking up 40% of his time.

Not to mention the increased likelihood of violent events. Neuro-typical children can be hateful and mean. Oftentimes, when an autistic child has a meltdown in a regular ed class, there was plenty of provocation. Not saying that is an excuse so much as it is a problem that we should try to avoid.

[HappyMe]

19. I agree.

I think that if the child has a form of severe autism, they shouldn't be in a regular classroom.

[dawg]

6. The purpose of the police is to catch criminals.

They have no business at all being involved with autistic children. If you aren't able to manage your classroom, the district should assign additional personnel with adequate training sufficient to handle the situation. Law enforcement isn't the answer. That isn't their job, and these kids are not criminals.

[Daemonaquila]

9. You make great points, but the charges were sheer stupidity.

I agree that there is a huge problem with mainstreaming kids with various mental difficulties. I am a disability attorney who has a number of such clients, and as much as I feel for these messed up kids, I also feel a lot of sympathy for their classmates and teachers who have to deal with everything from homicidal tendencies brought on by a family of internal voices telling a child to hurt others, to uncontrollable urges to get out of their seats and start throwing things, yelling, singing, etc. The fact is, the system is busted.

We went to mainstreaming because the model of institutionalizing, or near-institutionalizing, these kids was terribly destructive. However, having taken the opposite route, the government won't adequately fund the very special supports needed for anything approaching success. Schools, with their risk-averse, cost-cutting-first administrations, often try to pretend the problems don't exist or underfund solutions that might work at least for some.

The bottom line is that sometimes you need to call the police, especially if the school prohibits its personnel from dealing with a situation that's escalating into violence or physical threat to the child involved. The police often screw up terribly, not just with mentally ill kids, but with mentally ill adults. The "I don't need this shit" mentality is acted upon too easily against someone with a cognitive impairment. It may be that in this situation, the kid was so out of control that the only reasonable action would have been to remove him from the school - but the choice of arresting and charging him with aggravated assault is idiotic. You take him into a holding cell and get medical personnel involved if needed, or take him to a hospital, and call the parent to come get him. This is a medical emergency, not a crime.

[dawg]

16. Exactly.

Now this poor family will be forced into a legal nightmare. Society should be helping these parents, but instead it seems like society generally just piles on more grief.

Schools should have adequate personnel, including security when necessary, for dealing with these students. There are lots of these kids - enough that special classrooms are needed in even the smallest school districts. The lack of concern that school boards show for these families is appalling.

Lots of folks seem to want to blame the parents. Like they could help it.

Any resources that are provided come with an attitude of "look how far we're bending over backwards for you".

[HockeyMom]

33. "Right to Know" under HIPPA

HIPPA records are not sealed for those individuals who have a right to know under the law. That includes medical personnel, caregivers, and classroom teachers and assistants who work directly with the child or disabled adult. Nobody ever told you this? Before I could work with developmentally disabled adults, I had to sit through hours of HIPPA classes. Before I worked with any (adult) consumer, I had to sit down and read all their case histories, which included their medical records. As a classroom assistant in a self-contained class, I had to read all the students IEP's, and all records in their files. That is horrible how as the classroom teacher they denied you this information. Under HIPPA law, as a student's teacher you have that "Right to Know".

I have worked as an assistant, including 1:1, with Autistic children in public schools. One Autistic boy I worked 1:1 with was never vaccinated because his parents objected on religious grounds. The family traveled back and forth to Eastern Europe several times a year. This child was also a biter. The teacher and I were told by the Principal of his un vaccinated status, with the suggestion that we get "up to date on our booster shots". Without specifically mentioning the boy, the teacher wrote home to the parents of the self-contained class suggesting their kids should be up to date on their boosters.

Besides protecting staff, the other children in the class need to be protected also. I am not just talking about medical conditions either. A child having a meltdown is not going to only attack a teacher. They will attack other students. Maybe some will say screw the teachers, but can you say screw the other kids too? Yes, these kids have their rights, and many, many times they are abused, but other children have rights. Staff has to protect ALL the children.

The district where I worked eliminated all self-contained classes and these kids were mainstreamed. The only exception to this was self-contained Autism classes with no more than 6 students with a teacher and 2 assistants. Every school with one of these classes had a full time ABS on duty. These teachers and assistants carried around a radio. If a situation arose, the ABS came to help if the child had a very bad meltdown. The cops were never called because the school had (enough) properly trained staff in place, and small, special classes, to keep it from getting totally out of hand.

All this costs $$$$$$ which in so many places is being cut.

[mcctatas]

37. you remind me so much of someone else who used to post here...

Like him you sound like you are suffering from burnout and it saddens me that a person who speaks of these kids with thinly veiled contempt is somehow able to teach the police how to "manage" them (my mother does the same thing with police departments, school districts and other groups all over the country) and she goes in to each situation as an advocate for the children, not an adversary. I'd take some time off, brush up on your HIPPA laws (frankly I can't believe how woefully ill informed you are) and for fun google the posts of snoutport.

[Eddie Haskell]

43. Do you teach these kids?

Have you ever had your hair pulled out by the handful, been bitten so bad you required stitches, or had your fingers broken one at a time. These teachers are Saints not masochists. They deserve every tool at their disposal to protect themselves and their students. Shame on you!

[mcctatas]

44. i was the director of a CBRF for "these kids" for several years (3 of them as a live in)

And until i decided to complete my Masters degree I worked on the children's unit at our state mental health institution. Now I just do in home therapy with children on the spectrum (oh and I parent one too). Or course I have been injured by consumers during the course of my 20+ years working with the population and I have damned.sure earned the right to an opinion on the matter and I can certainly recognize burnout. Shame on me? Pffffffttttt.

[Wetzelbill]

50. Boom

This wins. EOS.

[CreekDog]

40. You would likely be tested after a bite anyway

Regardless whether or not the district knew the kid had Hepatitis B.

[LeftyMom]

45. I know a lot of SpEd teachers and while all of them have stories that would curl your hair,

none of them have quite so many as you. Are your kids enraged by heavily processed snack foods or what?

[mcctatas]

46. corn nuts perhaps?

In all honesty, a person who racks up an injury list that long would be a good candidate for additional training.

[LeftyMom]

47. I was thinking anybody who routinely gets their charges that upset ought to be job hunting,

but I suspect that the post is a creative writing exercise in any case.

edit: I hear the port is hiring. Maybe they could snout around for leads.

[mcctatas]

48. i suspect you are correct...

Sadly it is at the expense of maligning an already misunderstood population but hopefully the part where he's training the pd is part of the creative writing process.

[GObamaGO]

53. I bet he will be looking forever for stamps

to mail his resumes and cover letters.

[LeftyMom]

54. Hopefully his search will produce greater fruit than worn shoe leather.

[mcctatas]

55. and *poof*

Self-deleted

[GObamaGO]

56. Some people do not want to be called on their contemptuous behavior.

[IcyMint]

58. I wonder why.

This is ducking strange IMHO.

[Eddie Haskell]

5. What about the rights of others?

Autism doesn't give one the right to threaten the safety of the class. The school has to protect everyone ... including the teacher and the other students.

[dawg]

7. The way to protect other students and teachers is adequate resources.

School districts don't want to spent the money needed to help educate these children, so these problems occur. And calling law enforcement is their easy "out". It solves nothing, and creates a new world of torment for the parents who are already being tormented enough.

We can either spend the extra money that it takes to help educate and care for these differently-abled children, or we can go back to the days of locking them in basements. Or, I guess prisons will do.

[cyberswede]

12. School districts probably DO want to spend the extra money...

legislatures across the country are underfunding schools, unfortunately.

[gollygee]

13. Very true as well

but that doesn't make calling the police over a kid being disruptive a solution.

[dawg]

18. There is such a thing as local property taxes you know.

No one, even on the local level, is willing to spend what is required.

Multiple millions for a new football stadium, but to hell with these unruly special ed kids.

[leftyohiolib]

14. schools went to calling the police to limit the lawsuits that come pouring in when the school

handles a situtation in a way the parent doesnt like or if the child is harmed by people trying to help but are not capable of providing the help a child like that needs. so now they call the police

[Eddie Haskell]

15. My wife taught these children for thirty years

One of her former students, while being restrained by three trained professionals, ended a teachers career. What about her rights?!

[dawg]

20. Teaching these children is a dangerous job.

There are lots of dangerous jobs. Policemen, firefighters, soldiers, and many other occupations have their risks. People should realize that.

Are we going to stop responding to fires because the firefighters might get injured? No. We will do everything we can to make them as safe as possible, and take care of them and their families in the event something does go wrong. But we will continue to have that job, because it is a job that is too important not to have someone do it.

What else is the choice? Lock them all up? Euthanize them?

[Eddie Haskell]

23. A person with a dangerous job should have the right to self defense.

Calling the cops to insure the safety of the class may be required.

BTW, how do you feel about charging the parents for failure to give the child the required medication?

[dawg]

24. Of course there should be adequate security and the authority to use it.

School personnel and school districts should have protection against lawsuits except for clearly abusive situations. The preponderance of doubt should always be on the side of the trained educational and security professionals.

As for medication issues, there is no such thing a "required" medication. As long as a parent continues to be the legal guardian of the child, it is that parent's decision to medicate or to not medicate.

You should be aware, however, that some recommended medications actually make these children *more* aggressive not less. I'm very much in favor of the use of medication in the treatment of children when it can help their outcomes, but for most of these kids there is no magic pill that makes most of the problems go away.

Some of the worst incidences we have experienced have been the result of recommended changes in medication that did more harm than good.

[Eddie Haskell]

31. "As for medication issues, there is no such thing a "required" medication."

That's 100% correct and here's my point. Many parents medicate their kids at home, but send the child to school without any medication. There's little the school can do and it's a huge problem. Maybe these parents should be charged for their neglect.

[dawg]

32. I have a real problem with parents who won't give their children medication that would help them.

But medication decisions should remain in the hands of parents up until the state determines they are unfit and the child is taken into state custody. And that should be considered only in the most egregious of cases.

But I do get that it's aggravating that parents would hold back medication like that.

Do you guess they do it because the medication is so ridiculously expensive that they can't afford it? I can't think of any other reason.

I know that our son's meds were initially not covered under insurance because it was a "mental" health issue. Same goes for psychiatrist visits and therapy.

I'm rich enough to afford all that stuff out of pocket, but most people are not.

[Eddie Haskell]

41. I agree regarding the parents rights, but with those rights, come responsibilities ...

Some parents couldn't afford the meds, some worked two jobs just to pay the rent, and some simply didn't get up to see their children off to school. A number of my wife's students came to school without breakfast or meds and wouldn't have eaten at all without a school provided lunch. What I don't understand is parents who do nothing to communicate their plight, refuse to let the school obtain and administer needed meds, and then blame the school when their child must be restrained to protect the others.

My Gov. wants vouchers so private institutions can compete with our public schools, but those private schools reserve the right to educate only those students (and parents) they want. If we want public schools to survive, parents will have to do their part of the job.

[dawg]

42. I could not agree with you more.

Parents have to be the primary advocates for their children. As much as I think society should do more to help these families, the parents have to do their job first. It is, however, an overwhelming job.

[mcctatas]

36. in the district where I.worked and where my kids attend...

the school can (and often does) bar children from attending school if they are not following their physician's orders including taking all medications as prescribed. This ie a bone of contention when it comes to ADD meds especially but it is a way to protect the students and educators.

[dawg]

38. I'm puzzled as to why parents would do this anyway.

If I seriously disagreed with my doctor's advice, and thought it was harmful for my child, I'd just get a new doctor.

I suspect some parents hold back medication due to financial issues, which is sad.

Others have a closed mind regarding the potential benefits of medication, which is even sadder.

[mcctatas]

39. I'm sure there are myriad reasons....

I would definitely switch doctors if I didn't agree with a medication decision and couldn't resolve it with my child's MD.

[leftyohiolib]

8. especially if they can transmit hepatitus- if your uncontrollable child can give mine hep

i dont want your child in my child's classroom.

[gollygee]

11. They can protect others without having him manhandled by a police officer

and labeled a criminal.

They need to have adequate trained staff, and not send every behavior issue to the police. When they called the police, the kid was climbing a dividing wall. He wasn't a danger to anyone, he was just disruptive. He didn't "assault" anyone until he was pulled aggressively by the arms and legs by a police officer and his eye smashed into something and got hurt badly. That might not have happened if someone trained in dealing with autistic kids were handling this instead of someone trained to deal with criminals.

[leftyohiolib]

17. will that child be labeled a criminal?

[dawg]

21. Very possibly.

This is happening all over the country and it happens all the time.

As a parent of a kind, sweet, but occasionally violent special-needs child, this threat hangs over me like an executioner's blade.

[One_Life_To_Give]

27. Not sure they can Restrain someone without officially "Arresting" them

In-spite of being kicked in the face. I doubt most cops really want to put a autistic kid on trial etc. More like "how do I get thru this situation without getting my arse sued off".

[leftyohiolib]

34. i think people can be picked up and held for 24hrs w/o charges but

if he's to be labeled a criminal what would be the charge?

[dawg]

35. Aggravated assault.

Or assault and battery. Something along those lines. There are plenty of charges.

Sometimes, these kids will be charged for just things that they said. Terroristic threats, or something similar.

[Jim__]

22. It wasn't so long ago that we treated children like children in this country.

It seems like we've developed standard ways to handle situations - e.g. assault on a police officer - and there are no exceptions to that standard way. There's a difference between an adult attempting to hit a police officer and a 9 year old boy, hanging from a wall, hitting an officer with his swinging legs.

When we fail to treat children differently, we all wind up acting like children.

[Odin2005]

28. This like this is why I, an Aspie, am terrified of cops.

[David Zephyr]

29. OMG.

Horrible. Thanks for passing this story on. It needs to be read.

[dawg]

30. The problem is not with the use of police to restrain and remove the child ...

although I do think that could be better handled by school employees specifically trained to deal with violent special needs children.

The problem is arresting and charging these children with crimes, forcing their families to fight their way through the legal system, and potentially having these disabled children thrown into prison where they are likely to be severely mistreated and abused.

These children don't ask to be the way they are. They can't help it.

[surrealAmerican]

49. I read this story expecting it to be about a big ...

... dangerous looking teenager, who could pose a real threat to the police officer. This kid is nine years old. What on earth is the point in pressing charges here?

[valerief]

51. Teachers aren't allowed to subdue the boy? I would think the police

would provoke him all the more.

[Warpy]

52. The kid is going to have quite a shiner to show off

The charges against him need to be dropped. It's a case of a sick kid defending himself.

Pulling him out of a school system that doesn't follow written plans is a good idea.

[Jennicut]

57. I have seen some meltdowns by autistic children up close

and it can be very hard to calm them down. But sending a police officer after them and then restraining them with handcuffs seems the opposite way to defuse a situation. I have only been a paraprofessional sub for special ed kids now and then. I give huge amounts of credit to the teachers at the schools I sub in. Many of them are amazing and can defuse a situation right away. This parent said she had a plan on how to deal with any meltdowns but it wasn't followed. Could have been handled a lot better.

[mcctatas]

59. this!

+1