Posted on 04/30/2010 6:46:44 PM PDT by Abathar
INDIANAPOLIS -- A teacher and an aide at Perry Meridian Middle School have been charged with neglect after police said they strapped a student with autism to a chair and left him on the floor.
Veteran teacher Catherine Littleton, 52, and Jeffery Stokes, 27, were charged with battery, criminal confinement and neglect of a dependent in connection with a Feb. 18 incident in a classroom, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Stokes taped socks over the hands of a non-verbal 12-year-old student, strapped the boy's arms to his chest and belted him to a chair. The boy was then tipped over backward in the chair and left on the floor, police said.
"It happened several times over the year, and even though there may be no signs of physical harm, there's concern over the mental anguish he may have gone through," said Sgt. Matt Mount.
Another teacher's aide reported the incident to school administrators, who contacted Child Protective Services, which prompted a police investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
Soon to be standing in the unemployment line near you.
I posted the original story a couple of days ago, seems that the public outcry was heard.
The kid is autistic. Not exactly sure he’s gonna suffer any mental anguish
ping
You Know The Drill
Click the PicHey! FReepers!
Help Fill The Tank!
How About It? Huh?
It Ain't Askin' Too Much
Ya Know....
“Not exactly sure hes gonna suffer any mental anguish”
Kinda depends on his individual case, in many ways it probably makes it worse.
Or is it ok to do this to autistic kids?
The kid is autistic. Not exactly sure hes gonna suffer any mental anguish
_________________________
I hate to say this to someone I don’t know but I think you’re toast!
You really don’t understand autism or you never would have posted that.
I’ve never understood this obsession with wanting to mainstream special needs kids. They turn them over to an average school and we shouldn’t act surprised when something like this happens.
I’m popping some popcorn right now because you are so going to be taken to task.
Hope you wore your asbestos undies...
But do we know for sure?
The socialists scream if we would do this to terrorists yet they feel it is ok to treat a child this way?
Unemployment line?
Jail for both of them.
Isn’t that the truth?
I thought there were supposed to be special schools for autistic children; schools that are run by professional specialists who are familiar with autism and how to treat the children afflicted with it.
Autistic children are usually smarter than the rest of us (or, their intelligence is intensely concentrated in one narrow area); we should let them develop to the extent they can and benefit from what they have to give us.
Einstein, Howard Hughes, and many others, are assumed to have been at least slightly autistic.
What kind of staff needs to be "re-trained" so they don't do this to non-verbal autistic children?
Do not judge.
These cases are tough.
It depends on the severity of the illness, some kids really do well in a public school setting. If it is so severe it disrupts the class then I agree they belong in a different environment.
I was thrown out of a class for being a smartass once, if the teacher can do that to any student for disrupting the class I can’t believe she couldn’t have him transferred to a special needs class.
Ass/u/me
How do you know what the child feels?
He may well feel everything and more that you do but be unable to express himself to others.
Unfortunately, I can speak from experience. The ADA mainstreamed most children into the public school system. Most teachers have very little expertise in dealing with their special needs and the training we did receive was a joke. Parents who think that regular teachers are properly equipped to deal with their special needs child in a regular classroom are fooling themselves.
I feel bad for this child because I’m sure this was a terrible experience for him. However, we should blame the courts and the system that has thrust these children into a system that does not meet their needs but sits around and pats themselves on the backs while they try to be all things to all people while the teachers shoulder the blame for the mess.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.