Comments | mollidog: Autism Controversy in Olympia School District...

mollidog

Autism Controversy in Olympia School District...

Jun 19, 2006 19:53

There has been some recent controversy in our school district surrounding the use of the "safety spaces" in the all-autistic classrooms (there is one in Jimmy's preschool classroom, for example). Here is a link to a story the Olympian did about this issue last week ( Read more... )

Comments 9

darkphilodox June 20 2006, 08:50:29 UTC

I remember having a room similar to that at Bayview Inn, But it could only be used if a client had a program for it. Which took several people to ok it and lots of documentation over several months before it could be ok'd.

And even then a client was only in there for less than five minutes, It seemed to help the one client that had such a program, but she wasnt autistic just mentaly handicapped.

I do know that the younger a child is the less time it takes to keep them in some kind of timeout. If you keep them in to long they seem to quickly forget why they are there, were the older they get the more time they need.

But either way I think anything over 10 minutes is much to long let alone 20 minutes, unless the kid wants to stay in there longer.

mollidog June 20 2006, 15:25:03 UTC

There is one girl in the elementary-level autism classroom who is locked in there almost all day. They lock her in for 20 minutes (during which time she kicks and screams - there are huge dents in the door from her), take her out for a little while, and then she's thrown back in a little while later for another 20-minute session. Obviously it's not working if they keep having to do it.

Also, none of the prominent autism methodologies promotes the use of aversives. Things like this went out with shock treatment in the 60's.

WOW! darkphilodox June 20 2006, 15:37:51 UTC

I have only worked with one autistict guy in his early 20's, he was constantly on the go. Locking him up like that would have never worked. Just grabing his arm to stop him from getting hurt annoyed him greatly, I would have hated to see what would have happened to a the timeout room if he had been put in there.

You would think they would call somebody who could at least give them some advice on how to better handle this girl.

dmb38 June 20 2006, 15:06:31 UTC

I have a 6 year old myself and if someone forced my child into a box or a room I would be LIVID!! I do not see this as punishment but down right abusive !!

mollidog June 20 2006, 15:26:58 UTC

Likewise. I'm thankful that Jimmy's never been thrown in. The sad part is that of the kids who are locked in the most often, none of their parents have complained. I honestly think the kids are so out of control all the time that the parents are at their wit's end and think this is a justifiable solution. I doubt any of them realize the extent these rooms are being used.

dmb38 June 20 2006, 16:57:36 UTC

I did respit with handicapped childern for a few years and your right many parents where just down right exhausted and couldnt wait for the weekends to drop off their childern just to get some rest and relax and get their wits back togther!! So maybe the parents are getting the magnifcation of this..

V2.0 After spell check gaelfarce June 20 2006, 21:39:48 UTC

I agree that the 'box' shouldn't be used as punishment. I also believe a room where the student cannot hurt themselves or others can be very useful for students with communication and emotional concerns. At times the Least Restrictive Environment for a child with a BD IEP is physical containment until they move past the anger and can communicate ( ... )

Re: V2.0 After spell check mollidog June 20 2006, 23:42:01 UTC

I like your idea of contracting out for private services for SPED with one addition - that the SPED students have at least some of their time spent with typical peers. Segregating SPED students into a special school or solely to private practice for all their educational needs seems too reminiscient of how minorities were treated in the educational system prior to the civil rights movement. And with autistic children in particular, exposure to typical peers is essentially the only way for them to gain social skills, something they are grossly lacking. Up in King County, if a school is unable to provide FAPE for a SPED student, they send the kid to the Children's Institute for Learning Differences (a private SPED school - very expensive) on Mercer Island. But the kid is still brought into regular school as much as possible for exposure to typical peers ( ... )

Barbaric robinsnow June 21 2006, 15:51:48 UTC

...is putting it mildly.