IA - 8 year old Autistic Girl Handcuffed at School

[SoobsinMI]

I know plenty about Autism. This child is high functioning. I am sorry if you took offense personally at anything I said. In my experience, too many parents of children with behavior problems and disabilities excuse their behavior instead of making every attempt to correct it.

Asperger's means she is high functioning. There is not a reason in the world why this child can't learn to control herself physically.

High functioning doesn't mean this child doesn't have a tactile sensation disorder. MOST children with autism have severe reaction to basic touching. Autism is NOT a "behavior problem." This isn't something the child can control, anymore than one can control their hearing. I'm just astounded that one can state that autistic behaviors can be "corrected."

 

[wildTrose]

So you would have let this child leave????because she wanted to? just because she is austistic? She was told she could not wear the sweatshirt, she disobeyed, decided to leave and so the teacher stepped in to prevent her from leaving which probably meant restraining her, she then became combative and with a zero tolerance as most schools have with violence the cops were called
The school was right in this case and any other case involving a child who gets physical.
My son is autistic (high functioning) and can and does learn that rules broken have consequences. it may take awhile of repeated consequences before he gets it but eventually he gets it!
Ths is the only way this child is going to learn how to behave. and yes she can learn!!!
Ask yourself if Austistic wasnt in the headlines what would you think then? which side would you be on the schools or the childs?
(handcuffs and police station were a bit much but again they were following policy)
One more thing...it doesnt matter how much the police know about autism if they see a violent child or adult its their job to restrain them. how are they to know if the person is autistic, has mental issues or is drugged out on something? all they see is the possiblility of somone getting hurt and they have to step in no matter what then.

 

[MeoW333]

So you would have let this child leave????because she wanted to? just because she is austistic? She was told she could not wear the sweatshirt, she disobeyed, decided to leave and so the teacher stepped in to prevent her from leaving which probably meant restraining her, she then became combative and with a zero tolerance as most schools have with violence the cops were called
The school was right in this case and any other case involving a child who gets physical.
My son is autistic (high functioning) and can and does learn that rules broken have consequences. it may take awhile of repeated consequences before he gets it but eventually he gets it!
Ths is the only way this child is going to learn how to behave. and yes she can learn!!!
Ask yourself if Austistic wasnt in the headlines what would you think then? which side would you be on the schools or the childs?
(handcuffs and police station were a bit much but again they were following policy)
One more thing...it doesnt matter how much the police know about autism if they see a violent child or adult its their job to restrain them. how are they to know if the person is autistic, has mental issues or is drugged out on something? all they see is the possiblility of somone getting hurt and they have to step in no matter what then.

IMO, i would still side with the child's as i feel it's ridiculous to arrest an 8 year old over wearing a sweater when they could have just called her mother to the school, autistic or not.

 

[lizzybeth]

Well, I think she was handcuffed and arrested for her behavior towards the teachers or staff, not so much because of the sweater or wanting to leave.

No, she shouldn't have been allowed to leave school and yes, the teacher may have had to put his/her hands on her in order to get her to not leave but calling the police and then HANDCUFFING her was totally uncalled for.

 

[Linda7NJ]

So you would have let this child leave????because she wanted to? just because she is austistic? She was told she could not wear the sweatshirt, she disobeyed, decided to leave and so the teacher stepped in to prevent her from leaving which probably meant restraining her, she then became combative and with a zero tolerance as most schools have with violence the cops were called
The school was right in this case and any other case involving a child who gets physical.
My son is autistic (high functioning) and can and does learn that rules broken have consequences. it may take awhile of repeated consequences before he gets it but eventually he gets it!
Ths is the only way this child is going to learn how to behave. and yes she can learn!!!
Ask yourself if Austistic wasnt in the headlines what would you think then? which side would you be on the schools or the childs?
(handcuffs and police station were a bit much but again they were following policy)
One more thing...it doesnt matter how much the police know about autism if they see a violent child or adult its their job to restrain them. how are they to know if the person is autistic, has mental issues or is drugged out on something? all they see is the possiblility of somone getting hurt and they have to step in no matter what then.

:clap::clap::clap:I just love a responsible parent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mr. E]

IMO, i would still side with the child's as i feel it's ridiculous to arrest an 8 year old over wearing a sweater when they could have just called her mother to the school, autistic or not.

Well said.

 

[SoobsinMI]

So you would have let this child leave????because she wanted to? just because she is austistic? She was told she could not wear the sweatshirt, she disobeyed, decided to leave and so the teacher stepped in to prevent her from leaving which probably meant restraining her, she then became combative and with a zero tolerance as most schools have with violence the cops were called
The school was right in this case and any other case involving a child who gets physical.
My son is autistic (high functioning) and can and does learn that rules broken have consequences. it may take awhile of repeated consequences before he gets it but eventually he gets it!
Ths is the only way this child is going to learn how to behave. and yes she can learn!!!
Ask yourself if Austistic wasnt in the headlines what would you think then? which side would you be on the schools or the childs?
(handcuffs and police station were a bit much but again they were following policy)
One more thing...it doesnt matter how much the police know about autism if they see a violent child or adult its their job to restrain them. how are they to know if the person is autistic, has mental issues or is drugged out on something? all they see is the possiblility of somone getting hurt and they have to step in no matter what then.

Did you handcuff your son when teaching him? Did you purposely do something you know would extremely irritate him as a consequence to his unacceptable behavior? I certainly hope not.

My cousin's son is autistic and very high functioning. He was ill, and had to be hospitalized, and it set him back many, many months, as his sensory disabilities were greatly affected. It was awful. It is not something I would encourage, especially as a way to "teach" him.

It doesn't really matter if the police knew she was autistic. Presumably her teachers and principal did.

 

[txsvicki]

So, the little child not only got bruised from being held down, arrested by big scary men, and didn't even get to attend the Christmas party with the other little children. Maybe all the excitement of the holiday cause the girl to get out of hand, but if this was her favorite sweatshirt then she must have worn it to school before. I believe the mother about the behavior plan. She should be able to prove whether she signed it or not. School systems can keep having their magical thinking and wishing away disabled kids, but until something changes, they have to be at school. It's the law. If they can't handle it, get another job, or try to get some changes made. Get mental health experts to work at schools full time, do whatever it takes to quit treating tiny kids like common criminals. When I worked at a school for the mentally retarded for adults I got hit, scratched, bit, spit on, my hair pulled, and called a bi$%h. A few nurses ended up in the ICU. We didn't call the cops and get the disabled arrested.

 

[Atanua]

They put her in a 'room' away from the party. She wanted to leave the room.
They had no business not allowing her to wear her sweater, and putting her in a room to herself simply because of it is ridiculous.

By all means restrain her if she tries to leave the school... but she just didn't want to be segregated.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hH-1oS-AF8kMqryyBatS7HIl9tOwD95NTEB00
"Towry said his daughter was not allowed into a school Christmas party because of the cow sweat shirt. Instead, she was put in a separate classroom away from the party. "

 

[wildTrose]

Rules dont always make since and Im betting theres more to the story then the teachers not letting her wear the sweatshirt...Every think that maybe the sweatshirt was dirty, or smelled? or she always had to have the hood on? The other kids made fun of her when she wore it? maybe the teachers didnt want her to wear it for a reason....and altho we dont know the reason she did disobey...
if she was a average student who did this, kicked, screamed spit at the teacher everyone would be saying she was trouble in the making
I agree she should not have been handcuffed but again she was combative, she could easily have grabbed an officers gun and then everyone would be asking why didnt they handcuff her she was fighting them?????
quote:Did you handcuff your son when teaching him? . qoute
the only hand cuffs i have are the pink fuzzy kind (blush blush lol)

 

[SoobsinMI]

quote:Did you handcuff your son when teaching him? . qoute
the only hand cuffs i have are the pink fuzzy kind (blush blush lol)[/QUOTE]

Hehehe :woohoo:

 

[Jen38]

I believe some education of law enforcement is necessary about autistic behaviors - what if they skipped the cuffs and used a taser? That being said, I don't believe the school handled the situation correctly - to create this brouhaha over a sweatshirt is ridiculous. Call the mom if it's that offensive, have her bring a different shirt. Is the discipline plan in this child's IEP? The parent says she never signed off on anything like this. Everything must be spelled out in this plan, from speech, OT, social skills, discipline, etc.
I think there are too many questions unanswered here. Is this child known for this behavior? What has been their actions in the past in handling this? The parents and school need to work together as a team - if either one is non-communicative problems arise.

Please understand I am not excusing this child's reaction, but I am trying to understand what precipitated it. Did the child feel overwhelmed - is the child ultra-sensitive to any touching - are there certain routines that they usually follow that were changed because of the holiday situations? Things that most neurotypical kids take in stride and are excited about can easily agitate autistic children. Discipline is ESSENTIAL, but to take to the level of calling the police is extreme. IMO the school doesn't know how to handle these kids. And that's sad. As are comments that this kid is just a spoiled brat with no discipline. We don't know the whole history here. JMO.

 

[MeoW333]

""We're definitely going to proceed with a lawsuit," the girl's father, Charles Towry, said Thursday. "She's not a delinquent child. She's very sweet and loving. She's definitely not a criminal."

.."When Evelyn tried to leave the classroom, instructors told her to stay, and then physically restrained her, causing his daughter to react violently, Towry said."She felt that her personal safety was in danger, so she started kicking and flailing," Towry said. "She was scared. They were holding her down and she panicked."
He said he's having a hard time finding out what took place from his daughter.
"She doesn't even like talking about it," he said."
Towry, who is to meet with the school board Friday, said he plans to look for a different school.
..."There are other elementary schools around here, and some with better special needs programs, so we're going keep that option open if we can," he told the Bonner County Daily Bee"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hH-1oS-AF8kMqryyBatS7HIl9tOwD95NTEB00

I hope the family wins the lawsuit, the little girl is traumatized of the incident. The only reason she became combative is because the teachers grabbed her, which they never should have put their hands on her. They should have had a teacher the girl is comfortable with "talk her down" until her mother could get there.
and no, the sweatshirt wasn't dirty or unwashed, they had told her to tuck in the sewn on ears and tail. Her mother had sewed her the sweatshirt. I hope their family can find a school with better "techniques" and more understanding. What was the school thinking to call police on an 8 year old girl, let alone an 8 year old on the Autism spectrum?? Obviously the girl can't go back to that school, the other children would probably make fun of her about the event that happened. Kids can be cruel and aren't always understanding.

 

[Nyla4]

You should go to some different sites on Autism and the spectrums of it so you can learn more. I take offense to what you said, and i'm sure a lot of parents of autistic children would also.
It's not always easy as 1,2,3..

Do you know offhand of any good sites about autism? I would love to lean more about it. When I was a little girl in Daisy's an autistic girl joined our troop because the troop leader in her district wouldn't let her join. My mom was my troop's leader and had her join our troop.(this was in the late 80s) I remember at age 5 or 6 my mother's outrage at the other troop denying to take in the autistic girl. We eventually went to middle and high school together and she was a beautiful, smart, "normal" girl. Heck, she even helped me with my math a few times. I'm proud to have been one of her friends. She just was a little more sensitive to things then other kids were. I'm interested to learn more about the different spectrum of autism.

 

[MeoW333]

Here is a link to some sites about Autism:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer

Hi Nyla4, here are a couple sites i posted before

 

[kelly.catarozoli]

http://www.kxly.com/global/story.asp?s=9669140 :furious:

"COEUR D'ALENE -- A Ponderay mom was left outraged when school officials ordered her autistic 8-year-old daughter handcuffed and taken from the school in a police car. Outside her Ponderay home, 8-year-old Evelyn Towry, in her pink boots and favorite sweatshirt explains why she's now suspended from school.
"Because I was trying to leave and they hold me down," Evelyn said."


I put this in this section, it should be a crime that police would handcuff an autistic child.
Police need to be educated about Autism, as we are seeing more of police being called to deal with school problems nowadays.

I totally agree. I do not want to underestimate the many challenges teachers face, but with the prevelance of children on the autism spectrum being 1 in 100 (depending) they need to be able to handle these children properly. My heart really goes out to the mother. As if her life isn't hard enough dealing with the many battles she faces. This story outraged me and reaffirmed how out of touch our educators, law enforcement and medical professionals are. People that have never had experiences with an autistic child respond so matter of factly to this and put the blame on the child but it is much more complex. It is an embarrassment that a school full of "educated" professionals were unable to handle an 8 year old child.

 

[Beyond Belief]

To me putting handcuffs on a child is way out there some place.
But a third grader can be a fairly large strong child who can do quite a bit of physical damage to another person if they are out of control. So how to do you restrain/stop the violent outburst of kicking, hitting etc.?

 

[Opie]

To me putting handcuffs on a child is way out there some place.
But a third grader can be a fairly large strong child who can do quite a bit of physical damage to another person if they are out of control. So how to do you restrain/stop the violent outburst of kicking, hitting etc.?

First of all, you try to de-escalate the situation before it reaches that stage instead of making it worse by doing all the things that will almost guarantee the out-of-control behavior.

Once it reaches that stage, things are really tough.

(I have a grandchild with Asperger's and have experienced this firsthand.)

 

[Opie]

I totally agree. I do not want to underestimate the many challenges teachers face, but with the prevelance of children on the autism spectrum being 1 in 100 (depending) they need to be able to handle these children properly. My heart really goes out to the mother. As if her life isn't hard enough dealing with the many battles she faces. This story outraged me and reaffirmed how out of touch our educators, law enforcement and medical professionals are. People that have never had experiences with an autistic child respond so matter of factly to this and put the blame on the child but it is much more complex. It is an embarrassment that a school full of "educated" professionals were unable to handle an 8 year old child.

Excellent post and amen to what you said.

Welcome to Websleuths.

 

[MeoW333]

First of all, you try to de-escalate the situation before it reaches that stage instead of making it worse by doing all the things that will almost guarantee the out-of-control behavior.

Once it reaches that stage, things are really tough.

(I have a grandchild with Asperger's and have experienced this firsthand.)

:clap: Thank you