Parents irate as school puts boy in “padded cell”

[AllthatFunk]

I remember being appalled when a young boy in my sons kindergarten class was placed in a cardboard house to calm down. This boy had Down's syndrome and the parents were well aware of this method of calming. Apparently it worked, although i know that it upset numerous kids to see this boy placed in confinment. I've worked with an autistic child who is segregated most of the day. He's placed on a mat to calm himself and came become very violent if upset. However in this case the parent/guardian is well aware.

I would be quite upset if my 4 year old was placed in any small space to calm himself. Especially without prior consent. I am claustrophobic and I know that I would go ape if I was ever placed in a confined space, especially if I was already upset. I'm sure that in some cases, parents are aware of this room. However this mother clearly was not aware. For this reason alone I am shocked.

[WeatherWoman]

The school I work at has a calming room...it had soft blue walls and floor and a soft blue light. There is few calming activities in the room and I have seen a variety of children use it even sometimes in groups. For violent children it offeres a safe from harm place to de-exculate. Children with Support needs often have their EA in there with them unless they request to be alone.

[Fancy]

I find it a little callous to throw a 4 year old in a room by himself without notifying a parent.

[Lady tehMa]

Depends on the 4 year old. When my mom was teaching kindergarten she had a violent brat who attacked other kids, biting and peeing on them. His parents thought he could do no wrong at all . . . a room like that would have really come in handy for her. As it was, it took 2 months of escalating to the principal before he was sent home for the year, with the understanding that he wasn't allowed back until he could stop those behaviours. Mom keeps in touch with that town, those teachers. Kid has been in and out of jail . . . I'd put him around 24 now.

[Fancy]

That's not the point though - the room is not be used as discipline and the parent is to be notified.

[WeatherWoman]

So the room isn't the problem...the the method of discipline by the teacher that is the problem.

[Lady tehMa]

The room is for the child to pull himself together. Am I wrong in thinking that biting and peeing on someone is an unacceptable behaviour? The point is that they are removed from the stimulus that caused them to lose control, ie: other children.

The anecdotal followup was added as an interest point. Perhaps a room could have allowed him to de-escalate. As it is he was given such a room later in life, after he made poor choices. I found that somewhat ironic.

[Fancy]

If it's discipline that is required, then maybe the child should have been sent to the principal's office - not placed inside an enclosed room he can't see out of with no guidance.

another article:

http://m.en.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/ ... 60321.html

[Tero]

The room is for the child to pull himself together. Am I wrong in thinking that biting and peeing on someone is an unacceptable behaviour? The point is that they are removed from the stimulus that caused them to lose control, ie: other children.

The anecdotal followup was added as an interest point. Perhaps a room could have allowed him to de-escalate. As it is he was given such a room later in life, after he made poor choices. I found that somewhat ironic.

exactly. nail on the head.

[Fancy]

Against the wishes of the parent.

[Lady tehMa]

And we no that no parent has ever been too indulgent or completely lacking in discipline. All parents raise perfectly well behaved children, all the time.

/sarcasm

[Fancy]

I get what you are saying but the mother specifically didn't want her child to be segregated never mind not being told that he indeed was being put in a "cell". That's something the school should have addressed at the beginning.

[Lady tehMa]

In which case he should be simply removed from the school. Let her deal with him. I'm afraid I have no patience for people who don't deal with their kids, then squawk when others are forced to.

[Fancy]

Every other means would be used to de-escalate a situation and it would be used as a last resort," McKenna said.

When asked if he has concerns about sending a very young in child there, he said, "Yes."

Was this a last resort though?

[Fancy]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/16/to ... added-room

The calming room in the Portage View Public School in Barrie is padded and there is a window in the door. However, some school boards don’t put unruly special needs children in padded rooms at all.

One of the most vocal parents, Dawn Gratton from London, Ont., whose autistic son attends a Thames Valley District School Board school, said her son has been put into a former computer-server room off the library.

“Last year, there was still a computer on a table, with all of the electrical cords and stuff,” Gratton said.

“I’ve been there when they’re holding the door to the room closed and he’s crying, ‘Let me out, I’ll be good, please let me out’,” she said. “It’s confusing to him, because they tell him it’s supposed to be a positive room for him to go to, and then they don’t let him out