teach force feeding my son | Autism PDD
Tzoya,
I have talked with our union rep about my concerns and she is the one who is also attending the disciplinary meetings with the teacher. Although this teacher is a good friend of mine I have made no secret to her that I will not stand by and let this happen to kids. I have also met with administration several times to express my concerns. I am so frustrated because I am worried about the kids....most of whom come from my class!!! I will keep you all posted on things. I have been assured that actions are being taken....but I have yet to see anything concrete!
In NY I know the law when it comes to getting tenured teachers out of the classroom. The adminstration sends them a letter requiring them to go to the Psychiatrist of the District's choice. No reason has to be given (tho it should be). The teacher has a choice. Go to the doctor within a certain number of days (30) or be taken to a dismissal hearing. Talk to your union and they will tell you all about this. This provision is often used to HARASS teachers, but it's there specifically to help in situations like yours. Search this at www.nysed.gov You'll find it. I'd talk with the admin. about doing this because the SCHOOL will be liable if this teacher hurts anyone. The teacher can be IMMEDIATELY put on adminstrative leave, with pay, until a hearing. The school probably doesn't want to do this because it will cost them money and trouble with the union. But if ANYTHING happens to any of the children in this teacher's class, the school will be liable for SO MUCH MORE, not to mention the horrible publicity and whatever misery the child and his family has to go through. This school is lucky to have you watching. And lucky that they have this provision in the law to oust a dangerous teacher -- even a tenured one. They may not be able to dismiss her, but they may be able to have her doing adminstrative work instead of classroom work until the psychiatrist gives her a clean bill of mental health.The latest on out situation is..DCF is frustrated because the teacher wont call her back. She is on admin leave for now while investigation is going on. Also ,the school wont call DCF back!! We are getting run around from the school district about a new placement.They are saying send him back to same school and we told them no way. They said but the teacher is gone for now and we are still sayingNO!!! Other paid staff witnessed the whole thing and did and said NOTHING!!!I am mad at them too!!!Sounds like you're in for a fight. Stick to your guns.
Since you are getting a runaround on a new placement, can the school system provide "homebound" education for your child until this gets resolved? It's worth a try, given the extenuating circumstances.
The non-responses are probably due to certain folks consulting with counsel or being advised by counsel to delay or avoid contact for the present.
[QUOTE=Maria1]The non-responses are probably due to certain folks consulting with counsel or being advised by counsel to delay or avoid contact for the present.
[/QUOTE]I was thinking that myself.
Thanks-I did just that earlier today. I emailed a letter to the big wigs in the district stating that we need a new placement NOW and that his old school is out of the question because paid staff{ that are still their! I am so sorry that this happened to your little one. I have been trained in feeding protocol and there is a safe way to do it. The reason I mention that is that I worked with a student in my class for two years with this protocol and he was making gains. He went to my friend's class next door (we are an all special ed school). She got in trouble in the beginning of the year for force feeding this child in a manner similar to what happened to your little one. Her staff complained and she implicated me in saying I told her to do that. Of course, I did not, and she got reprimanded. She has had a host of problems in her class for years. She has been very aggressive with kids and staff, upset kids for no reason, made unreasonable demands, etc. Even as her friend I have reported her numerous times to administration. Their response was to send her to counseling....which she attends and says that the counselor feels she is being picked on at school and there is nothing wrong with what she is doing. She was told not to engage in feeding the child after that incident earlier in the year. Last week I saw her trying to force the child to eat in the cafe....I walked over and said , "You need to back off, that isn't appropriate". She continued and several people went to the office and complained.....again, she was called in and spoken to. Their response was that she needs to attend a training on feeding. My feelings is she is dangerous and should be removed from the classroom. I have expressed my concerns as have several other staff. It is too expensive to get a tenured teacher fired (which is why I suspect no one has really acted on things). My fear is that it will take something happening to a child for severe action to be taking. I am outraged that it happened to your little one and that it continues to occur in other settings!!!!! Give that little one lots of love and support from me too!!!
Thank you to everyone for the happy thoughts coming our way
In my son's old school (before he was dx'd PDD-NOS), I observed an aide in the autism K talking a little too strongly to a student. It sounded impatient and snappish. Doesn't compare to what happened to your son, but I didn't witness any teachers or aides snapping at any NT students. If people can't take working with children with disabilities (or with children at all), they need to get the heck out and let someone else do the job!!!
Huge sigh. Please do keep us posted.
OMG!!!!
I can't believe someone would do that to a child - especially one that knew he has food issues! I feel terrible for you!!! OMG!!! I wish you luck. You could have him put into another class...when the teacher hit my son - this was when he was 3...we had him placed in a different school after I went to the school and personally talked to the principal, asst principal, teacher and nurse. Just my 2 cents.GOOD LUCK!
an dI don tknow where he will go to school.At least the teacher had to leave already so they could investigate!I am so nauseated after reading what happened to your son! The poor little guy. You should see if your state has a disability rights center. I think every state has one. I'm positive that they would be willing to help you with this. The school needs to be held liable for the trauma that they caused your son, and liable to help find him an appropriate education. The lawyers can make sure that they do a thorough investigation on the school. I cannot believe that other teachers, and staff would condone this kind of treatment. I'd even go to the media if I had to. If that incidence is a common practice in that school something needs to be done before a child dies in their care. IMO you need need an advocate, and some legal counsel ASAP!
How bizarre. Under what circumstances would ANYONE think that was okay???
Poor guy -- makes me sick to think about it!
Just give him a hug and kiss - tell him that you love him and are sorry that anything like that happened and that it won't happen again. Reassure him. We did a lot of that w/ Payne b/c his dr was afraid that b/c of the trauma from that he wouldn't overcome and be able to go back to school w/o freaking out. We switched schools so the environment wouldn't "trigger" it. It was to the point that Payne - who loved the bus and was potty trained by 2 - was refusing to get on the bus and was having accidents all the time, was screaming & hitting b/c she was the one who would take the kids to potty breaks and to and from the bus in the morning & afternoon. I just thought at the time that he was having a hard time adjusting to something....now I know when he does that stuff that I need to be VERY careful!What an outrage!!!!!
Good for you for filing a police report, I'm sure it took everything you had not march in there and tear her to pieces. They would have had to held me back. I would fight this to the bitter end, and be that teachers worst nightmare so that it may never happen to another child again.
I am just stunned by this! How horrible!
OMG I am so sorry that happened and I am so glad you filed a police report. We went through something similiar at the boys old school in DC. I often wonder what actually went on in that classroom. I picked them up from school one day and everyone but Andrew was on the carpet watching TV. he was sitting at the table with the same bite of peaches he'd had in his mouth since snack time. That was an hour before I picked them up. I was so mad. I told her he doesn't eat canned fruit. She said you sent them for his snack. I said I certainly did not I would not send something they don't eat. She knew they had eating issues too. She said she asked each student to eat and swallow at least one bite. She wouldn't let him spit it out. He didn't want to go back and I can't blame him. Its all very stressfull for you I'm sure, which would explain why you are tired. They are suppose to help our kids not hurt them! Was this a mainstream class or special ed? Sometimes I don't think those teachers are near as trained as they should be.
This kind of thing worries me, as if this had happened to my kid, i definitely think I would completely lose it and the police would be called on ME!
This kind of treatment of our kids is unforgiveable.
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