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What is your opinion on this. (article on how schools handle things)
I was reading an article and it made me wonder.
The article was about a 4th grade child with autism who was having 44 violent acts per hour. The problem was that when he would act act he would be removed from the classroom and placed in a "calm down room." This room was small, had nothing in it. The door would be closed but a teacher or para would be right outside the door at all times. He would never actually be left alone. His parents apparently tried to sue saying that it violated his right to a free and appropriate education. They didn't want him placed in this calm down room.
Just curious. Do you think he could still get a free and appropriate education if he was being placed in a safe room until he could calm down and return to the classroom. (44 violent acts per hour!)
If your child had a student like this in their classroom would that change your answer? A child with 44 violent acts per hour seems like he'd probably be involving other kids at least some of the time. It didn't say that but in my imagination he was violent and others would get hurt, but it didn't actually say that. Even if your child wasn't being harmed they'd still be witnessing 44 violent acts per hour. That's one every, what, minute and 13 seconds?
I know the majority on here react much differently than I do to many things and I'm curious about the other perspective.
Re: What is your opinion on this. (article on how schools handle things)
I can view this from 2 different parent perspectives. If it was my kid that was having the violent acts, I would want the school to try to do anything and everything to keep things as normal as possible to work through them (if that is even possible) and work with the dr's to find the best answers.
BUT...if I was the parent of another kid in the class I would be hella.pissed that this kid wasn't removed from the room sooner. I would find it hard to believe that MY kid was getting a proper "normal" education with all of that going on.
Former teacher here...I don't understand how the parents of this child fail to understand or care about the other children in the classroom and the overall classroom environment. 44 acts per hour is a lot for EVERYONE to deal with--those kinds of disruptions have to be far-reaching, like even kids/staff in classrooms nearby might notice. I don't care if it's a fire drill, the custodial staff mowing the lawn outside my classroom, a voice on the intercom, or a student's behavior; an interruption is an interruption, and when you have x amount of curriculum to get through in a school year and assessments for which to prepare, every moment counts. Some distractions are tougher to tune out than others, and some students/teachers can roll with it easier than others.
The school at which I taught had a student in a different grade with Tourette syndrome, and she had a "safe" room right near my classroom, on the opposite side of the school than her grade was, that she would use on rare occasion. I think she had various other "safe" rooms that she would go in and scream with her SPED teacher right outside. (The one near mine was a curriculum supply closet...) I could hear her screaming through concrete walls, but she used that room near mine only when my students were attending music/PE/art etc. so it never interrupted my class. I think the point was for her to get away from her peers for a few minutes and return perhaps more calmed.
Not sure I addressed your questions very well. Am I completely off-base to wonder if maybe a traditional classroom isn't the place for this student, at least maybe not all day, or not at this time in his schooling? I guess I read the post as if he were in a traditional 4th grade classroom with several kids, but I suppose it could have been a SPED classroom too, with the same issues at play. I taught middle school, so admittedly I am not sure of how SPED works in elementary in terms of pull-out sessions, 1-on-1 or small group, etc.
Totally traditional classroom. SPED integration. Every type of 4th grade kid in the classroom.
The school where my mom teaches has a room very similar to this. The walls are padded, and there is nothing in it. There is an inverse peephole on the door so an adult can still see the student to make sure he/she isn't doing harm.
I don't see an issue with this if there are students that are posing harm to others. It's better than just letting them run around, or having a staff member try to restrain them and possibly getting hurt or hurting the child. With a student who is showing violent acts 44 times per hour, I'm questioning why they are in a mainstream classroom. I am all for integrating students into the regular classroom as long as it's still beneficial to that student AND doesn't disrupt the learning of the other students. Each child has a right to learn, not just a child with learning disorders or special needs. With this case, I can't see that it's beneficial to any of the students in the room, including the SPED student. Maybe if the student was in a more controlled environment, the episodes wouldn't be as often.
photos by jennied photography
Alissa Jean
9.10.2004
It's sad either way.
If it was my child, I would want some special help and wouldn't want him sitting in a room all day.
If I had my child in that classroom, I would be livid that it was disrupting their learning.
Schools have a tough job, they really do.
Call me horrible....as a teacher, if I have to leave my other students in order to stop the behavior of one student over and over again... how am I being an effective teacher? I feel that is not fair. But.....
Can I have a co teacher? Where I teach we are inclusive in some of our classes, and having a co teacher is amazing! Either one of us can easily leave for 2-7 min and class can still function. Any longer than that, we request someone else to come in. Co teaching is amazing!