Flashbacks to news article a couple of years ago covering a child with autism being l

I don't know why, but today, all out of the blue, I've been having flashbacks to a news article a couple of years back where a child with autism was locked in a cage at school in Australia (I think), and was absolutely gobsmacked as to how kids with said condition are still treated so inhumanely in the 21st Century, which belongs in Victorian times!

I know it wasn't in this country, and things are mostly better here nowadays in terms of treatment of children with LDs, but sadly there are still certain schools for such children where staff have all kinds of agendas of their own and 'physical restraint' is often the first resort, plus the typical 'treat the symptoms rather than the underlying causes' knee-jerk responses, and coming up with 'blame-game' excuses like 'it's the (Tory) cuts wot made me do it'!!

I really struggle to comprehend why there is still so much ill-treatment of helpless children like that, especially in establishments that should otherwise be places of relative safety and trying to help them, rather than dehumanise them and treat them like criminals?

And in developed countries like Australia, and even the USA!

I know! Even here it seems we don't get enough support for learning disabilities. This is the main reason I consider my autism to be a curse!

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Originally Posted by FrankT

I know! Even here it seems we don't get enough support for learning disabilities. This is the main reason I consider my autism to be a curse!

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That sounds a bit defeatist. I certainly don't consider mine to be a curse. When I was younger perhaps more so, but not really nowadays.

I agree with you that even in this country we don't get enough support, but I don't think we ever really have TBH. Even during the more economically favourable period of the mid-90s through the mid-2000s, a fair bit of the support we did get was accompanied by zero tolerance policies and physical restraint, so I personally believe the situation Down Under is the tip of the iceberg pretty much the world over.

So glad Cameron and Co never ended up bringing back school corporal punishment in this country after 2011, which he was seriously contemplating soon after the English city disturbances in the August of that year.

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Originally Posted by Lencoboy

I don't know why, but today, all out of the blue, I've been having flashbacks to a news article a couple of years back where a child with autism was locked in a cage at school in Australia (I think), and was absolutely gobsmacked as to how kids with said condition are still treated so inhumanely in the 21st Century, which belongs in Victorian times!

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Some autistic kids are locked in rooms, rather than cages now. Or humiliated by taping a sign on their jumper. Or being made to wear a Hi-viz vest to single them out from the other kids. This is in mainstream of course, and all true stories - the locked room being my friend's autistic son!

We were luckier with our son in mainstream. By lucky, I mean that the teachers did their best, but were still woefully under-trained to be able to deal with my son. Instead of having a trained ST - he had a woman whose previous job was a dinner lady at the school and she occasionally helped out as a classroom assistant. She was so out of her depth it was dangerous, and she kept having to go off sick. The last time I was called to the school before the council were forced to do something - was to see a trashed classroom - tables and chairs upturned - stuff all over the floor. My son was standing on a toilet in the bathroom making animal noises and she, the ST, was stood by the exit in tears and shaking. Those of us who understand autism will know why this happened and how lack of the correct training can actually cause these meltdowns.

On another occasion my son was in a side room after he'd had a meltdown and one of his old teachers walked up behind him and touched him on his arm. He smashed the computer. I had to go to the school and explain why you don't touch an autistic child who is in, or coming out of, a meltdown - which is severe anxiety. A touch can feel like a punch in a sensitised body and can flare everything back up again. Then the guilt of damaging school property. We got an apology and the promise not to do it again - but it was always the case that lessons were only ever learned at the expense of my son's mental health.

Within 2 weeks of being at the right school (autism specific) my son's meltdowns had all but ceased and he was actually learning, rather than being 'contained' and singled out as he had been in mainstream.

The damage that untrained teachers do, even unwittingly, with autistic children can be catastrophic.

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but sadly there are still certain schools for such children where staff have all kinds of agendas of their own and 'physical restraint' is often the first resort, plus the typical 'treat the symptoms rather than the underlying causes' knee-jerk responses, and coming up with 'blame-game' excuses like 'it's the (Tory) cuts wot made me do it'!!

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Abusers will always be drawn to the vulnerable, Len.

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Originally Posted by NoraB

Some autistic kids are locked in rooms, rather than cages now. Or humiliated by taping a sign on their jumper. Or being made to wear a Hi-viz vest to single them out from the other kids. This is in mainstream of course, and all true stories - the locked room being my friend's autistic son!

We were luckier with our son in mainstream. By lucky, I mean that the teachers did their best, but were still woefully under-trained to be able to deal with my son. Instead of having a trained ST - he had a woman whose previous job was a dinner lady at the school and she occasionally helped out as a classroom assistant. She was so out of her depth it was dangerous, and she kept having to go off sick. The last time I was called to the school before the council were forced to do something - was to see a trashed classroom - tables and chairs upturned - stuff all over the floor. My son was standing on a toilet in the bathroom making animal noises and she, the ST, was stood by the exit in tears and shaking. Those of us who understand autism will know why this happened and how lack of the correct training can actually cause these meltdowns.

On another occasion my son was in a side room after he'd had a meltdown and one of his old teachers walked up behind him and touched him on his arm. He smashed the computer. I had to go to the school and explain why you don't touch an autistic child who is in, or coming out of, a meltdown - which is severe anxiety. A touch can feel like a punch in a sensitised body and can flare everything back up again. Then the guilt of damaging school property. We got an apology and the promise not to do it again - but it was always the case that lessons were only ever learned at the expense of my son's mental health.

Within 2 weeks of being at the right school (autism specific) my son's meltdowns had all but ceased and he was actually learning, rather than being 'contained' and singled out as he had been in mainstream.

The damage that untrained teachers do, even unwittingly, with autistic children can be catastrophic.



Abusers will always be drawn to the vulnerable, Len.

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Exactly Nora.

Abusive practices still went on under Labour as well amongst misguided 'zero tolerance' policies with staff proclaiming that they had the full powers and rights to restrain people in their care and trumpet that they (the staff) reserve the right to work in a safe environment without fear of the threats of violence and abuse, which actually, in many cases, masqueraded as the staff's legal right to be violent and abusive to the vulnerable people in their care themselves.

And like I've said before, it's been in schools, colleges, day centres for adults with LDs, respite units, hospitals, you name them. I've seen it all!

Here you go LB
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-...n-cage/7747494
Not so much a "cage" as a fenced outdoor area.

Maybe best not to click on the link, Lenco?

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Originally Posted by pulisa

Maybe best not to click on the link, Lenco?

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I already saw it a few years back.

There were actually multiple incidents of that nature reported in Australia. One was in the outdoor area, another was inside one of the school buildings.

I wish I hadn't have read it...

This is a private school specifically for autistic kids as well! Scares the shit out of me!

Having worked in a children's private nursery, I am well aware of how different staff can be in front of parents and OFSTED inspectors - and what they are like the rest of the time. An eyeopener, for sure!

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Originally Posted by NoraB

I wish I hadn't have read it...

This is a private school specifically for autistic kids as well! Scares the shit out of me!

Having worked in a children's private nursery, I am well aware of how different staff can be in front of parents and OFSTED inspectors - and what they are like the rest of the time. An eyeopener, for sure!

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Bit like at the residential school I attended back in 1986-88.

There was a culture of staff lying through their teeth in denial of ill-treating kids in their care when parents questioned them about it, and the staff accusing the kids of lying about them, which could have got me drowned by that conniving barsteward Mr. Norton when he dunked me under the water in the swimming pool, and whose default response in general was to dish out slaps willy-nilly and shout really loud!

I now kind of understand as to why the school had a ban on kids bringing in portable cassette recorders!

And it really beggars belief that in a developed country like Australia, and also parts of the USA, that they still treat kids with ASD like criminals at school!

And still sadly to a certain extent here in the UK, though thankfully much less than was once the case.