There are clearly some cases where mainstreaming into regular classrooms with a parapro to guard the student from hurting others or bring bullied goaded onto snapping and acting out doesn’t work. Some people don’t belong in a job with these parameters. Sad all around.
> When these kids had their own special schools I don’t ever remember hearing of stories like these. <
Those schools had staff specifically trained to handle such kids. Unfortunately, in many states parents now have the right to demand that their special-needs kids be sent to regular schools.
And so those poor kids end up being supervised by unqualified people.
I’m a retired city high school teacher. I saw that many times. And don’t get me wrong. Those unqualified people usually try to do their best.
I recall one case where a student was bed-ridden, and had difficulty communicating. But her mom demanded that she attend a regular public school. And so she did. It was a disaster.
That's because there was not social media back then because if there was you would have heard hundreds of horror stories, the most defenseless treated like animals.
the failure of PE got us here. FU, Carter
“No criminal charges have been brought...”
Why the hell not?
I spent a few years as a “direct support” professional with some of the worst behaviorally affected. Kid was new, twice my size at least. One morning he became angry at what? No idea but he literally tore a copper water pipe off the wall and was running around like a he had a lance. All we could do was close the doors and hold, praying the security glass wouldn’t break until he wore himself out. He had lots of behavior issues, dangerous ones. It is why his family sent him to us, they couldn’t handle him anymore.
This happened during the initial covid outbreak. We, the support staff, were not allowed to wear masks as it could dangerously trigger some of these people. Couple that with these people were denied their “routine” special schools and their whole regimen was thrown off.
Every night all 16 of them wet their beds, every day the bed linens were changed, washed, and the plastic beds cleaned and sanitized. Meals could not be served whole, everything had to be blended into soup like consistency so none of them would choke, floors and general housekeeping, they weren’t allowed outside unless two DS per person accompanied them. Of course there wasn’t enough of us at the time. Many received medications. I have no idea what kind(s). All of these people were perfectly healthy enough to be mobile.
I can understand why parents do not want their children in places like this. One child/adult in particular I felt really bad for. His chart said he was deaf and mute, mentally deficient. As I watched him every day his work on the computer was brilliant. Loved math etc., but if he wanted your attention he would spit at you, if you ignored he would punch you. In a few days with a few basic sign language lessons he calmed down with me. I am not a doctor, but it seemed to me...he should have been mainstreamed at some point early on in his life. His behavior appeared out of frustration with his world, not so much a developmental issue. But, I am not a doctor.
The pay for a ‘direct support professional’ ...$9.75 per hour. Remember that was just 4 years ago at the height of 2020 covid mania. At that pay rate I could understand a DS having issues themselves. Everyone seems to think these people are highly trained, they are not. Often they are just ordinary people with no degree or HS diploma holding a job to feed their own family. Does it excuse mistreating these less fortunate ones, of course not. But compassion fatigue does sometimes manifest itself in very cruel ways.