When you send your children to school, you have some certain expectations. You expect them to learn. You expect them to behave in a way that would make you proud. You expect them to do their best. And you expect the adults at the school to protect them and keep them safe. But that last one should go without saying, shouldn't it?
Not always... especially not for children with special needs, who may not be able to communicate as well as other children.
A little over a week ago, Liz Johnson got a phone call from her state's Child Protective Services department. Her child had been abused. No, not by a family member, or by a babysitter, or by a neighbor. By her teacher. Liz's daughter is 6 and has Down syndrome. Over the past few months her teacher had verbally abused her by calling her names and degrading her. It escalated into physical abuse in recent weeks. The "teacher" had done things such as tape the little girl's wrists together, hitting her in the face with a book, kicking her, and pulling her hair. She also bound a boy's hands together with rubber bands and pushed him to the ground.
As shocking as this was for Liz, it isn't an isolated incident. In December of 2011, teachers punished a 9-year-old boy with autism by stuffing him into a duffel bag and leaving him there. Also some time in 2011, a special ed teacher was accused of throwing a 5-year-old student to the floor and kicking him. In February, 2012, an early childhood teacher was accused of slapping two four-year-old boys who had autism, kicking the backs of their chairs, twisting their wrists, and depriving them of food. In April, a special ed teacher was accused of physically abusing at least 12 first grade students by doing things such as throwing balls in their faces, standing on their backs, dragging them around by their legs, and even punching them. In December of 2012, a 16-year-old with profound physical and intellectual disabilities was slammed against the wall on several occasions by her teacher.
The bus is no safer. In September, an 8-year-old girl with autism was having difficulty waiting her turn to exit the bus. When the bus driver told her to wait, the child slapped and pushed the bus driver. The bus driver's reaction was to use her foot to shove the child off the bus. The child fell and broke her ankle.
In most of the cases, the children did not, or were unable to, tell their parents what had happened. The 8-year-old boy in Liz's daughter's class had tried to tell his mother that a "big bully" had pushed him to the ground and caused him to hit his head. His mother had been working on figuring out who the bully was, but she never imagined it could be his teacher!
This does not happen in all, or most, special education classes. I have worked in many different special education settings, and have never seen anything like this. But clearly, it does happen.
So what can parents do to make sure it doesn't happen to their children?
Make yourself as visible as possible around the school. Volunteer in the school, if possible. Show up at school events such as open houses and school plays. Also, make small talk with the assistants. Be friendly, show appreciation, and make it clear that you advocate for your child at all times.
Many people work and cannot volunteer around the school, due to work schedules or needing to care for other children. There are other ways that you can make sure you have eyes and ears around the school, watching out for your child when you can't be there. Get to know parents who do volunteer in the school. The mom who helps out in the library once a week or who works part time as a recess monitor may see things that other parents aren't privy to.
Keep in touch with your child's teacher through email, phone conversations, etc. Whenever you have any concerns about your child, speak up. Don't be afraid of being thought of as a "high maintenance" parent. You don't have to go in with an accusatory tone, assuming the teacher will do something wrong. Remember the majority of teachers, including special education teachers, love the kids they work with and have their best interests at heart. But if you make a reputation for yourself as the mom who will be calling the teacher because Johnny came home in a bad mood and you wondered if anything happened at school, everyone will know how serious you are about your child.
Many of the children who have been abused in schools were kids who had behavioral issues. These kids were not trying to be "bad," but some kids with special needs have trouble dealing with impatience and frustration. Being unable to communicate their needs can get them even more riled up. So some children may hit other kids, or pull the teacher's hair, or throw a book. No child ever deserves to be abused by their teacher, no matter what they do. But it is good to make sure that your child's teachers understand the behaviors she may display, and why. You can explain to them how you handle these behaviors at home, and work with them to develop behavior plans at school.
Become familiar with what crisis management protocols the school uses. (Crisis Prevention Institute, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, are some common protocols.) These protocols involve having all staff members trained in the correct ways to handle situations such as a child running from the room, hitting others, pulling hair, etc. Most suggest using body language and active listening to calm a child down before he or she gets out of control. If staff members at your child's school do have to restrain her (which they should only do if she is posing a danger to herself as others) they should notify you in writing. Each crisis prevention protocol will have its own method of physical restraint, so learn about these as well.
Finally, one more secret weapon. If your child has a sibling or a friend in the school who is able to communicate clearly with you, or perhaps you have a friend or neighbor whose child attends with your child, enlist in their help. You can say, "Timmy can't always speak up for himself, and he really needs people to look out for him. Can you please let me know, and/or let a teacher or other staff member know, if you ever see someone mistreating Timmy? Even if that person is another teacher? You don't have to say anything to the person or get involved... just let someone know, and let me know, right away."
Once again, remember that most teachers enjoy their jobs and enjoy the children they work with. So, something like this will probably never happen to your child. But just as we educate ourselves and our kids on how to survive a house fire even though one will probably never happen to us, it is best to educate ourselves on how to keep kids safe at school.
Not always... especially not for children with special needs, who may not be able to communicate as well as other children.
A little over a week ago, Liz Johnson got a phone call from her state's Child Protective Services department. Her child had been abused. No, not by a family member, or by a babysitter, or by a neighbor. By her teacher. Liz's daughter is 6 and has Down syndrome. Over the past few months her teacher had verbally abused her by calling her names and degrading her. It escalated into physical abuse in recent weeks. The "teacher" had done things such as tape the little girl's wrists together, hitting her in the face with a book, kicking her, and pulling her hair. She also bound a boy's hands together with rubber bands and pushed him to the ground.
As shocking as this was for Liz, it isn't an isolated incident. In December of 2011, teachers punished a 9-year-old boy with autism by stuffing him into a duffel bag and leaving him there. Also some time in 2011, a special ed teacher was accused of throwing a 5-year-old student to the floor and kicking him. In February, 2012, an early childhood teacher was accused of slapping two four-year-old boys who had autism, kicking the backs of their chairs, twisting their wrists, and depriving them of food. In April, a special ed teacher was accused of physically abusing at least 12 first grade students by doing things such as throwing balls in their faces, standing on their backs, dragging them around by their legs, and even punching them. In December of 2012, a 16-year-old with profound physical and intellectual disabilities was slammed against the wall on several occasions by her teacher.
The bus is no safer. In September, an 8-year-old girl with autism was having difficulty waiting her turn to exit the bus. When the bus driver told her to wait, the child slapped and pushed the bus driver. The bus driver's reaction was to use her foot to shove the child off the bus. The child fell and broke her ankle.
In most of the cases, the children did not, or were unable to, tell their parents what had happened. The 8-year-old boy in Liz's daughter's class had tried to tell his mother that a "big bully" had pushed him to the ground and caused him to hit his head. His mother had been working on figuring out who the bully was, but she never imagined it could be his teacher!
This does not happen in all, or most, special education classes. I have worked in many different special education settings, and have never seen anything like this. But clearly, it does happen.
So what can parents do to make sure it doesn't happen to their children?
Make yourself as visible as possible around the school. Volunteer in the school, if possible. Show up at school events such as open houses and school plays. Also, make small talk with the assistants. Be friendly, show appreciation, and make it clear that you advocate for your child at all times.
Many people work and cannot volunteer around the school, due to work schedules or needing to care for other children. There are other ways that you can make sure you have eyes and ears around the school, watching out for your child when you can't be there. Get to know parents who do volunteer in the school. The mom who helps out in the library once a week or who works part time as a recess monitor may see things that other parents aren't privy to.
Keep in touch with your child's teacher through email, phone conversations, etc. Whenever you have any concerns about your child, speak up. Don't be afraid of being thought of as a "high maintenance" parent. You don't have to go in with an accusatory tone, assuming the teacher will do something wrong. Remember the majority of teachers, including special education teachers, love the kids they work with and have their best interests at heart. But if you make a reputation for yourself as the mom who will be calling the teacher because Johnny came home in a bad mood and you wondered if anything happened at school, everyone will know how serious you are about your child.
Many of the children who have been abused in schools were kids who had behavioral issues. These kids were not trying to be "bad," but some kids with special needs have trouble dealing with impatience and frustration. Being unable to communicate their needs can get them even more riled up. So some children may hit other kids, or pull the teacher's hair, or throw a book. No child ever deserves to be abused by their teacher, no matter what they do. But it is good to make sure that your child's teachers understand the behaviors she may display, and why. You can explain to them how you handle these behaviors at home, and work with them to develop behavior plans at school.
Become familiar with what crisis management protocols the school uses. (Crisis Prevention Institute, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, are some common protocols.) These protocols involve having all staff members trained in the correct ways to handle situations such as a child running from the room, hitting others, pulling hair, etc. Most suggest using body language and active listening to calm a child down before he or she gets out of control. If staff members at your child's school do have to restrain her (which they should only do if she is posing a danger to herself as others) they should notify you in writing. Each crisis prevention protocol will have its own method of physical restraint, so learn about these as well.
Finally, one more secret weapon. If your child has a sibling or a friend in the school who is able to communicate clearly with you, or perhaps you have a friend or neighbor whose child attends with your child, enlist in their help. You can say, "Timmy can't always speak up for himself, and he really needs people to look out for him. Can you please let me know, and/or let a teacher or other staff member know, if you ever see someone mistreating Timmy? Even if that person is another teacher? You don't have to say anything to the person or get involved... just let someone know, and let me know, right away."
Once again, remember that most teachers enjoy their jobs and enjoy the children they work with. So, something like this will probably never happen to your child. But just as we educate ourselves and our kids on how to survive a house fire even though one will probably never happen to us, it is best to educate ourselves on how to keep kids safe at school.