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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[xm177e2]

I heard the cop tell him, 'Boy, when you calm down, I'll take these off of you.'

This is the correct way to deal with kids who throw tantrums. This is how principals used to do it all the time, before the social worker types forced them to stop, "for the children."

[Only1choice____Freedom]

I guess that means you would rather leave some children left behind and forget about the next Stephen Hawking who may be out there.
What? I can't remember saying that!

Sorry I misunderstood. It sounded like you didn't want any of either to me at first.

[xm177e2]

They could have been plastic.

[SCalGal]

This is the correct way to deal with kids who throw tantrums. This is how principals used to do it all the time, before the social worker types forced them to stop, "for the children."

For most kids, you're right. For the special ed kids, you're dead wrong. They won't stop; the screaming and kicking will just get worse. These kids get caught in a "loop", like a broken record, and they literally can't stop.

[Fintan]

His parents must've voted Republican.

[valleygal]

There is a child like the one that you described in post #15 in my son's class. It's a charter school and their big "thing" is diversity and funding for their building program.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

My son has come a very long way and for the first time last year arrived at the "Within normal" range of acedemics. We have seen signs that he is a very intelligent person. However, he still is working at the other areas described in the book I mentioned. We are still reading the book but it is like they were in our house watching.
It's sad but there are some parents in the same posistion we are that are struggling with accepting the fact that their child is going to require additional effort to deal with. We have IEP meetings often and we are required to sign a statement every time that explains our rights as parents. We want what is best for our children. I think we are the best judge of that but I can't say that every parent is. If all you see is the weaknesses of your child, you will not see their strenths.

From the book - "Try to remember the golden principle - The more Authority you have, the less you will need to punish."

This is our experience with both of our children.

[VeritatisSplendor]

$250 a day? Where on earth do you live? Can I move there? Here in NJ instructional aides as they call them get paid about $50 a day, for a lovely $9000 a year.

Mrs VS

[valleygal]

Thanks, Shane, for your perspective and to all of you here who teach special needs kids. Especially, those of you (or your spouses) trying to do it in regular classroom settings.
Teaching is a hard job...I don't think I could do it, anymore (and I have a BA in Elem. Ed!) :)

I don't have a special needs child and so, won't comment further.

[valleygal]

"Sorry, but you are wrong.(at least in AZ) My homeschool son has received speech therapy at the public school for 3 years."

Homeschoolers here have it quite a bit easier than other area of the country. If someone wants to homeschool AZ is a good place to do. Hardly any restrcitions and the kids can participate in public school activities (sports and even some classes.

It's not like this everywhere. My sister in MD had "officials" make special "visits" to see if see if she was "doing it right." I homeschooled, also. The homeschoolers here are organized and lobbied the legislature for fewer restrictions and got what they wanted.

[luckystarmom]

It is no longer a federal requirement. The law changed about a 1 1/2 years ago. They do not have to offer services to homeschool or private schools.

It may be a state requirement, but it is not a federal requirement.

I don't have the law that changed, but I can get the information for you.

[PLMerite]

No, the "real" victims of mainstreaming "special" children are the non-disabled children whose educations suffer while they and/or the teacher are distracted.

After more than 25 years I still remember the "special needs" kid who amused us in class with his antics which, if performed by one of us, would have resulted in suspension.

My education would have been a much more rewarding and productive experience if the 'tards and thugs had been dealt with realistically.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

>>I'll have to read that book. I haven't read it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Here is a link that describes the book in more detail.

http://www.network54.com/Realm/Spirited_Kids/turecki.htm

[Illbay]

Unfortunately, we have too many of the non-rational type of "conservative" that simplistically lumps teachers together with everything else about which they disapprove in our education system. Some of the comments on this thread are ignorant, but the ignorance is willful. To them, every aspect of public education must be "evil," or their agenda suffers.

My wife is a teacher, and she has sacrificed for her profession, for only one reason: She loves the kids and wants to do her best job for them.

She doesn't COMPLAIN about the hard job--though she does get irritated when they get negligible cost-of-living raises as happened this year. She won't quit as long as she feels she's making a difference.

But that doesn't mean that she has a "cushy" job. If she enjoys a few weeks off in the summer, she believes strongly that she earned it!

[Spirited]

"Ah, but they must be mainstreamed we are told by Washington, D. C.,"

That's because Washington doesn't have enough tax money to take care of American school children and to fund numerous governments and perks around the world. We already spend more per child on education than any other nation in the world, yet our children are not the best educated.

If this child does not go to school his parents will be hauled into court because he is truant. Somebody needs the money.

Add to it, one needs to find out if this only happened after government mandated vaccination, which is the case for most autistic children these days. Autism is increasing exponentially with infant multiplied vaccinations, to be certain it's coming to someone near you.

[PLMerite]

Remind me to *never* piss you off.

[luckystarmom]

Tell your wife "Thank You". This year my family is blessed with good teachers.

I have a feeling your wife is one of the good teachers.

[afraidfortherepublic]

This is the most heartbreaking story.I would have posted it myself, except the story "locked" my computer and caused it to crash. If anyone ever did this to my grandson (autistic) I'd have them up on charges.

(I would have posted this story myself yesterday, except the story "locked" my computer and caused it to crash.)

[afraidfortherepublic]

I wonder if this child was being "mainstreamed."

I don't know about this particular case, but not necessarily. My grandson's teachers and aides have done some dreadful things to him, but I am 2000 miles away and unable to help. The truth is that the Federal government mandates that these kids be provided special education by the states. In actual practice, the kids are thrown in with lots of kids with many different problems that have nothing to do with autism -- cystic fibrosis, a for instance. The supervisor of the program may have a lot of degrees, but the aides that work directly with the child may only be high school graduates -- if that. In point of fact, the supervisor may not even be there on a day to day basis.

My grandson was in a class last year that operated without a teacher for 7 months -- she was on maternity leave. The treatment in his class was brutal, in my opinion. Some autistic children are very hard to handle and a danger to themselves and others. My grandson is not that way, yet they had him in tears all day, every day for most of that period. One of the punishments they used was restraint. His mother's complaints about the treatment went nowhere. The schools answer was to suggest that the child be kicked out. My daughter had to take them to court where she won on every point. My grandson is now being provided with the appropriate education (speech therapy, occupational therapy, etc.) but his mother had to sue to get it. Her case is not unusal -- most children in the district have had to hire their own case worker and sue to get what is mandated by law.

In short,my grandson lost a critical year of his education over the stubborness and ineffectuality of his so-called teachers. I think that some of these programs are a rip off of the taxpayers and the children. They a "special ed" programs in name only.