01-26-2006, 09:42 PM
Imagine watching your child locked in a room banging their head against a wall and screaming in pain, how would you feel?
Outrage, disbelief?
What if the child was only 9, was autistic, and had been locked in that room by a teacher?
Would you be horrified at viewing such treatment?
That is how Christine Trueman felt as she watched her autistic son in a video filmed by his school of his time locked in a room as he screamed to get out and banged his head against the unpadded wall. Still distressed from the incident three months ago she said "It was the most horrible thing i ever saw".
Her son Joey, aged 9 at the time, had refused to do math and so was placed in the time out room.
He is semi-verbal, not fully toilet trained, and has some degree of mental retardation. In his free time he likes to play video games.
Autism is a lifelong condition that affects communication and social behaviour.
According to his mother, since his long periods of time locked in the room, sometimes for up to four hours continuously, Joey has regressed in ability, has nightmares, and draws pictures of violent, disturbing scenes. He screams when in small areas, and won't allow doors shut on enclosed spaces. This is very distressing for them both.
Incident reports were made by teachers of his time locked in the room. On one occasion he banged his head on the unpadded wall for 28 minutes. On some occasions he was left in the dark in the room.
After witnessing the actual video footage of her son in the time out room that was often useed daily for him, Christine made a complaint and the State authorities closed the Time out room down.
However, Christine then found her son locked in a closet by a support worker at the school, and this was on his birthday.
That was the last straw and she withdrew her son from the school hoping to find him a placement that would not use such punishments.
That had not been the only problem at the school, Joey's toileting needs were left uncatered for, and the family doctor's instructions to the school as to how to heal the sores on his body from being left in urine and feces whilst in the time out room was left unheeded. Christine says that he would be sent home with urine and feces stuck on his buttocks.
Joey has now been out of school for 3 months, and no new placement has been offered by authorities. The family have requested home tutoring until a placement can be found, and that has not been given.
Christine is hoping that a civil lawsuit will highlight the neglect and abuse that her son suffered at the Deltona elementary school in Florida, and that other time out rooms will be closed. She doesn't want to have other parents see what she saw on that video tape, with their own children. She told AutismNews "I wish parents and communities would stand up and help stop this".
http://www.autismnews.co.uk
Outrage, disbelief?
What if the child was only 9, was autistic, and had been locked in that room by a teacher?
Would you be horrified at viewing such treatment?
That is how Christine Trueman felt as she watched her autistic son in a video filmed by his school of his time locked in a room as he screamed to get out and banged his head against the unpadded wall. Still distressed from the incident three months ago she said "It was the most horrible thing i ever saw".
Her son Joey, aged 9 at the time, had refused to do math and so was placed in the time out room.
He is semi-verbal, not fully toilet trained, and has some degree of mental retardation. In his free time he likes to play video games.
Autism is a lifelong condition that affects communication and social behaviour.
According to his mother, since his long periods of time locked in the room, sometimes for up to four hours continuously, Joey has regressed in ability, has nightmares, and draws pictures of violent, disturbing scenes. He screams when in small areas, and won't allow doors shut on enclosed spaces. This is very distressing for them both.
Incident reports were made by teachers of his time locked in the room. On one occasion he banged his head on the unpadded wall for 28 minutes. On some occasions he was left in the dark in the room.
After witnessing the actual video footage of her son in the time out room that was often useed daily for him, Christine made a complaint and the State authorities closed the Time out room down.
However, Christine then found her son locked in a closet by a support worker at the school, and this was on his birthday.
That was the last straw and she withdrew her son from the school hoping to find him a placement that would not use such punishments.
That had not been the only problem at the school, Joey's toileting needs were left uncatered for, and the family doctor's instructions to the school as to how to heal the sores on his body from being left in urine and feces whilst in the time out room was left unheeded. Christine says that he would be sent home with urine and feces stuck on his buttocks.
Joey has now been out of school for 3 months, and no new placement has been offered by authorities. The family have requested home tutoring until a placement can be found, and that has not been given.
Christine is hoping that a civil lawsuit will highlight the neglect and abuse that her son suffered at the Deltona elementary school in Florida, and that other time out rooms will be closed. She doesn't want to have other parents see what she saw on that video tape, with their own children. She told AutismNews "I wish parents and communities would stand up and help stop this".
http://www.autismnews.co.uk