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San Antonio mother calling for change after 7-year-old son with autism is handcuffed
KENS 5 ^ | 09/18/2019 | Roxie Bustamante

Posted on 09/19/2019 1:25:44 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd

SAN ANTONIO — A mother is outraged after her 7-year-old son was handcuffed by San Antonio ISD police at his elementary school, in an incident caught on video. 

The child's mother, Maria Herrera Arias, said that her son, who has autism, had a breakdown in class on Monday.  Arias said as her son got more agitated, the teacher called for the SAISD crisis officers to respond. She said the school tried calling the father, but miscalled.

"They were finally able to get a hold of dad. Dad immediately headed over there," Arias said. "Once dad was there the police were already there. So he was trying to tell them, 'Release him to me, I'll take him home.' They said, 'No, he was going to emergency detention.'"

The child's father started recording. His video shows his son in handcuffs, and he can be heard crying as he's taken to an SAISD Police vehicle. 

Arias said the district police took her child to a behavioral hospital where he was released to his father. 

"It was handled totally wrong and I just want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else again," Arias said. 

She said Hirsch Elementary School has known about her child's developmental disorder. She said she has also tried to enroll her son into schools for autism, but she can't afford it. 

"My hope is that they treat children with disabilities with that least compassion and understanding to the situation that they're in," Arias said. "For me, the handcuffs are a big no. You should never handcuff a kid. Even as an adult, when you get handcuffed, you get scared. There's other resources out there."

A spokesperson with SAISD released the following response to KENS5: 

"While I can not provide information on a specific child, due to privacy laws, I can share that there are times when children are in crisis and need to be transported to receive medical attention. Handcuffing may be part of the process, if it's determined that it is necessary to keep the child safe. This is not a disciplinary measure; it is a process to ensure students in crisis receive medical care."


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: arth; autism; badkid; handcuffs
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First thing we must remember: Schools are NOT equipped to handle special needs children. Your children and mine suffer because teachers, staff and other resources are directed to handle these kids first. Your kids can just read a book or something while little Johnny goes ballistic.

Second. Handcuffs? Necessary? Yes.

Discuss at will.

1 posted on 09/19/2019 1:25:44 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd

Get a straightjacket, and the handcuffs won’t be necessary.


2 posted on 09/19/2019 1:28:03 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Responsibility2nd

The only change I see is for you the parent to put your son in a special needs environment where their are professionals who know how to deal with his condition, shame on you! The handcuffs where not only to protect the staff, the students but also form himself, be thankful no children where hurt or you would be sued for negligence


3 posted on 09/19/2019 1:32:34 PM PDT by ronnie raygun (nicdip.com)
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To: Responsibility2nd
What the hell is "emergency Detention?!" Why didn't they just let the kids father take him home?
4 posted on 09/19/2019 1:33:37 PM PDT by 4yearlurker (A big mouth doesn't make a big man.~John Wayne)
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To: NorthMountain

Yeah. Or taze the little bastid till he stops twitching.

(Is a sarc tag REALLY necessary?)


5 posted on 09/19/2019 1:33:40 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd; metmom

Autistic children should not be sent to a public school that is not equipped to handle them.

The root of this story is the school district doesn’t care how badly they abuse these children just so long as they get their Average Daily Attendance money.


6 posted on 09/19/2019 1:33:47 PM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

He could have been at risk for hurting himself or other kids

I haven’t personally dealt with autism but I have seen a kid get absolutely out of control and the poor mother in tears apologizing to everyone saying her kid had autism.


7 posted on 09/19/2019 1:33:48 PM PDT by RummyChick ("Pills, money .. this city is wicked. Your best friend will kill you here." Smoove about Baltimore)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Cruel. Unnecessary. If approved by district,ong island school district will pay for your kid to go to a school for autism. It cost the district 30k a year. You have to fight for it. My relative attends one and is doing really well. He is like rain man.


8 posted on 09/19/2019 1:35:14 PM PDT by gcparent (Justice Brett Kavanaugh)
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To: ronnie raygun

I agree with you. But the article says they can’t afford a special needs environment.

So the schools are stuck with these kids. Schools which barely handle functional kids; but sure as hell cannot handle dysfunctional ones.


9 posted on 09/19/2019 1:36:28 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: gcparent

Mainstreaming may have been well-intentioned, but it’s not the solution. Most teachers aren’t trained to adequately handle autistic students.


10 posted on 09/19/2019 1:37:05 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: MeganC

You are right. This has to do with school policy.


11 posted on 09/19/2019 1:37:17 PM PDT by 4yearlurker (A big mouth doesn't make a big man.~John Wayne)
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To: ronnie raygun

From the article...

“She said she has also tried to enroll her son into schools for autism, but she can’t afford it.”


12 posted on 09/19/2019 1:37:34 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (MAGA!!!)
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To: Responsibility2nd
I agree with you. But the article says they can’t afford a special needs environment.

Sure they can, just fire 90% of the administrators, and they won't miss a beat.

13 posted on 09/19/2019 1:38:03 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: gcparent

You might appreciate Blind Autistic Kodi Lee who just won a million bucks because he can sing and play the piano

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3779838/posts


14 posted on 09/19/2019 1:38:55 PM PDT by RummyChick ("Pills, money .. this city is wicked. Your best friend will kill you here." Smoove about Baltimore)
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To: dfwgator

He should have an aid. What would you have them do if it was your kid


15 posted on 09/19/2019 1:39:32 PM PDT by gcparent (Justice Brett Kavanaugh)
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To: gcparent

I know what you’re saying, I’m proposing a more structural change.

It should never have come to this.


16 posted on 09/19/2019 1:41:44 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

There is no government software program, rule book or training regimen that can teach one how to react in every situation. We expect big government to create a social software problem for its millions of agents and employees, but that’s impossible.

so, the devil is really in the details.

We live in a litigious, lazy and irresponsible society. Even though the kid’s only 7, maybe he was pushing or flailing, and no government apparatchik wants the responsibility to touch him or even think about other possible options. They could be sued, the kid could have an unknown asthma attack. Who knows? So just cuff him and let the department lawyers deal with it.


17 posted on 09/19/2019 1:43:00 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Responsibility2nd

Schools are not a patient centered institution, so addressing an autistic child in crisis guarantees that the exactly wrong course will be taken for de-escalating any crisis.

The typical reactionary procedures of public schools immediately precludes doing anything helpful, instead, the goal is only about
a speedy removal of the school staff from bearing any responsibility and liability.

Just Call parents and Call cops! Whoever gets there first wins.

Parents will seek an emergency health measure.

Cops will seek a set of handcuffs and a fear filled ride in the cop car for an afflicted child.


18 posted on 09/19/2019 1:46:19 PM PDT by RitaOK (Viva Christ Rey! Publik Ed/Academia are the farm team for more Marxists coming. Infinitum.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

I notice these “autistic” kids never seem to attack a hells angel or a scary looking gang kid. He needed the board of education ... a wooden one, right across his little ass.

An earthwork avoids an electric shock. Where were all these little hellions when I was a kid? Nobody raised hell with a teacher and exploded in class.

This comes from parents labeling them “autistic” and making sure everyone tippy toes around them.


19 posted on 09/19/2019 1:47:35 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: RummyChick
I haven’t personally dealt with autism

I have a 25 year old stepson with autism who lives with us. We sleep with the master bed door locked and I keep a pair of handcuffs in the drawer next to the bed.

He has had several violent meltdowns over the years and can be quite dangerous when highly agitated. Thankfully it only happens maybe once a year and we have learned how to spot when a meltdown is coming on and how to medicate him in advance.

20 posted on 09/19/2019 1:51:21 PM PDT by usurper ( version)
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