Mother Finds Autistic Son In Handcuffs At School

Local 6 Houston TX ^ | 11/12/02 | Staff

[Skooz]

STORY

Mother Finds Autistic Son In Handcuffs At School

School, Mother To Meet Tuesday

Posted: 11:32 a.m. EST November 12, 2002

HOUSTON -- A Houston-area mother who went to pick up her 8-year-old son at school said that she found him handcuffed and lying face down in his classroom in northwest Harris County.

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	Hear More Of What Happened In Class

The incident happened Monday at Haude Elementary School in Spring, Texas.

Lisa Calvin told Houston's KPRC-TV that she is upset after seeing her son, Adam, who is autistic and functions at a 5-year-old level, in handcuffs.

"It felt like some kind of freak show," Calvin said. "I could hear him begging. He was saying, 'please take these off' and he was crying. When I saw him on the floor, he was soaked in sweat."

Calvin said that her son was handcuffed by a Klein Independent School District police officer after having a tantrum.

"I heard the cop tell him, 'Boy, when you calm down, I'll take these off of you.' (It was) what he was saying when I was coming down the hall," Calvin said.

School district officials released a statement saying, "There was a situation at school in which a student was out of control. The situation was of such concern, that there were teachers, teacher assistants, and administrators that were injured due to the behavior. The options for the school district to control a child are limited. Restraint is one of them."

School officials said that Adam was handcuffed for just a brief period -- about two to three minutes -- and that the district does not use corporal punishment on special-education students.

The school suspended Adam for a day.

"(I've) questioned their ability to deal with him and they've told me that they're perfectly capable of handling a child with autism," Calvin said.

Calvin said that what she and her son experienced was fear and inexperience.

"If I go to work and I'm half-an-hour away or I'm on the other side of town, how long will they leave him handcuffed? Will he just stay in handcuffs until I can get there to pick him up? Or will they just go ahead and have them take him to jail?" she asked.

Calvin and school officials are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss whether Adam will return to school.

Copyright 2002 by local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Skooz]

Could it be that they.............teach at different schools?

My wife has stayed until 6:00 pm or 8:00 pm many times.

[NittanyLion]

But she, like all teachers, takes that on account against all the tough hours she puts in at other times, and the crud she has to put up with from administrators, uncaring parents, unruly students, and the ever-present bureaucracy with which she has to deal.

Not to mention 7 or 8 straight hours on her feet in front of a class, while the rest of us can sit at our desks and post to FreeRepublic.

I'm not a teacher, but I suspect most teachers work as hard (and put up with more crap) for their pay than I do...

[Illbay]

"phil," you have a tendency, once you have stepped in it, to go ahead and dive in.

If you refuse to understand that a teacher can feel a sense of responsibility and duty toward her children, then I can't help you.

You need a professional.

[Skooz]

But this tripe about "only nine months a year" is silly.

My wife starts her school year work in late July, several weeks before school begins in mid-August. The school year ends in the first week of June.

[philman_36]

My wife probably works an average of 10 to 11 hours per day during the week.
Let's see, "Bill"...
52 wks * 55 hrs = 2860 hrs/yr
$38,359 (avg) / 2860 = $13.41/hr
Not bad at all!
And then if you figure the rough 3 mo/12 wks that she isn't required to be there...
40 wks * 55 hrs = 2200 hrs/yr
$38,359 (avg) / 2200 = $17.44/hr
Those numbers about right, "Bill"?
Man! That's not bad at all! And then there are all the breaks for holidays...She's probably making about $18.00/hr isn't she.
And you think that is low pay?
I'm in the wrong business. I think I'll go teach, for the children, of course.

[philman_36]

You need a professional.
And are you qualified to make the determination that I "need a professional" or is that "just your opinion"?

[Skooz]

I'm in the wrong business. I think I'll go teach, for the children, of course.

Oh, I would love that. Then you could post your experiences here. Or maybe you would be too tired to do so.

[Fury]

I respectfully COMPLETELY disagree. I will bet you MOST people go into teaching to get summers off and other 2 week Easter and Christmas off. Not because they want to 'help others'. They only teach a few classes a day. Study halls and other free time give the teachers the time they need to 'grade papers', etc. What hours does your wife work? What time is she home? I see and know when the teachers that I know leave and are home. They are home 'by' 3:30pm. Add up the actual hours..and be honest. Compare this to the average worker like me, who works 9 hours a day (I do NOT get paid for my lunch)...and I work at least 40 hours a week....52 weeks a year. I get 6 holidays and 2 weeks vacation. I do not get paid for my sick when I leave...do teachers? Of course. I do not get a month off for CHristmas and Easter. DO teachers? OF course. I do not get off from May to Sept. Nor do I get paid extra for staying to do 'dentention classes' or any other extra curriculum activities. They do.

Unfortunately, these statements appear to be founded in ignorance by making such broad brush statements. My mother taught, retired from the public school (K-6) system and now teaches in a private school. She leaves the house by 7:15 Am and does not get home until 5:15 Pm. Add to that times spending correcting papers, attending professional development courses and it is a busy day, updating lesson plans, etc. The Summer? She tutors students for parents and students who request it - yes, for compensation.

[Illbay]

Yeah, why don't you do that, "phil"? Let us know how you like your new job, since you obviously have found what a "gravy train" that teaching is.

You shouldn't have a problem getting the job either--assuming you're qualified; the teacher's unions have made that kind of tough, btw and you might find that you have to spend about $7,500 as my wife did for "remedial training" so that you're "qualified" to teach.

But there are lots of job openings for teachers; the school systems seem to always have openings. Don't know WHY that would be, since as you said it's SUCH a cushy job!

[philman_36]

If you refuse to understand that a teacher can feel a sense of responsibility and duty toward her children, then I can't help you.
BTW...I can understand that a teacher can feel a sense of responsibility and duty toward other people's children. I don't need your help.
What she feels towards her own children is a different thing altogether. Your attitude is the same as the "It takes a village" crowd. Children become possessions of the community. And next year they become another teacher's students and then they'll be "her" students while your wife gets a whole new bunch to be "hers".
To be "someone's" means a lifetime commitment, not just 9 months in a class in school.

[Flint]

And I might add, that while darling Phillip is being restrained by the cops, she is obliged to keep the other 28 children "on task". She is completely responsable for the education of 29 children. If they fail she has failed. When the end of grade test come around, no matter if she has a room full of terrorists like above or 29 kids with IQ's of 90, she is still expected to have them getting better than national average results on a standardized test. Needless to say, while the Deputy Sheriff is trying to get the little darling out from under my wife's desk while he is screaming obcinities at the world, she is still expected to have the spelling words for the test the next day learned, the four kids who can't read very well, being worked with individually, and the advanced learners not getting bored with the spit, pee and smell of feces and moaning coming out from under the desk. Slapping some hand cuffs on the little devl's spawn and dragging is stinking behind out in the hall way for all to enjoy only allows (after the floors are mopped) the class room to get back to "normal".

[Fury]

No doubt about it, though. There are bad teachers, just as there are duds in any profession. They don't care, or stopped caring years ago. I had a few in high school and heard (and avoided) even more of these types while in college. Those teachers are found out in a hurry. If you want to sleep through class, they were the teachers who you sought out.

I remember one kid who went up to a teacher in College at the end of the course and asked him why he did not just leave teaching, as it was obvious he did not like what he was doing. The teacher told him to get lost.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Pain does not get the attention of these kids.
My son is almost impervous to pain. Spanking does nothing but make him feel small and guilty for things he cannot control. These are frustrated kids in the first place. What does work on Autism is removal from the situation that caused the problem and resetting them and teaching them coping mechinisms that they can use on their own. An 8 year old Autistic child may not have these skills. Some do not have the ability to learn them. I'll be willing to bet the child you referenced is not Autistic.

[Flint]

Hey Phil, in our county school system they are brining in "teachers" from Russia, Japan, England and Austraila. These folks are allowed to live over here for two years and "teach" without paying any income tax. Most NC schools are desparate for teachers, you could get a job pretty much anywhere in the state that you choose, come on down!

[philman_36]

Don't know WHY that would be, since as you said it's SUCH a cushy job!
I never said it was a cushy job. It is a well paying one though.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Some school systems hve no "gifted" programs at all, while the legally mandated "special ed" programs are soaking up colossal amounts of money. "Gifted" progrmas aren't legally mandated anywhere that I know of.

[NittanyLion]

Yep. I would never teach at any level other than college. I don't have the patience/temperament for it. But I have immense respect for the folks who do.

[Flint]

I understand what you are living with and admire you. Don't give up on your child. However these kids don't belong in a normal school class room. There is no one there to deal with their special problems. A teacher is trained to cope with a lot of things, but should not be asked to teach and deal with autistic issues. As you know every person with that problem is different. You have to deal with each one differently. My wife had a child that would "go off" if he was not the last "at bat" playing kick ball. Then if he didn't get to run to a base he would refuse to leave the play ground. Now what? 28 kids are supposed to be back at their desk, but no, they have to stay out and give the problem child what he demands, in order to keep from setting him off. There were days when she had to send another child back to her class room to get a chair with wheels on it, put the problem in the chair and wheel him back in the building, he refused to leave the play ground and would lay on the ground and go limp. What do you think this kind of carrying on does to the progress of the rest of the children?

[philman_36]

Most NC schools are desparate for teachers, you could get a job pretty much anywhere in the state that you choose, come on down!
Well thanks Flint. I don't know if I'd have the qualifications necessary to teach, but it would be an interesting job.

[philman_36]

Oh, I would love that. Then you could post your experiences here. Or maybe you would be too tired to do so.
Do you think that is why so few teachers post on FR? Too tired?