How To Be Your Child's Best Advocate: An Introduction

I'm looking forward to following your series. Your writing brings material, facts, to life elsewhere on Health Central, I'm sure it will here too. All children deserve protection, education and opportunity. Often, such a tragedy is a localized news story, dealt with quickly, promises made and intentions fade, until the next display of indifference, ignorance or hostility brings another, somewhere.

We do need uniform laws and then continuing education about their requirements, procedures and the means to provide what the law demands given to those caring for the children.  Parents need  to clearly understand them too, probably most critical to preventing this. Good luck with your work.

My son from 1st grade through the 4th grade was put into time out rooms. The first couple years the room he was in had a lock on it. He would bang his head on the door and the walls and floor until he would go to sleep. They would let him sleep until he woke up. After awhile they would start sending him home. He ended up during them first two years, spending more time at home, than in school. The next two years the time out room they put him in was not locked, but they would hold the door shut as he screamed, swore, kicked, and tore the dry wall off and threaten to kill himself and others. Then he would be punished for that and sent home on suspension for numerous days. Them 4 years were a nightmare for my son and myself. He is now in the Jr. High with as far as I know there isn't a time out room, but he is back to spending more time at home, and is filled with so much anger now. He has been diagnosed with ADHD, Depression, and Aspergers Symdrome. I really need how to be an advocate for my son. I'm tired of these people running over me and him. We need all the help we can get.  The school system here doesn't seem to care about these special needs children. I swear if it were up to them there wouldn't be any schooling for these children.They seem to have no rights. They say they're looking out for the child's best interests. NOT!

As I read this I do have to ask myself are there guidelines for such students in the school system in my own county... and what are they... and do the teachers know.  One assumes its all in order, but therein may lie the real problem. Everyone assumes there are facilities, that training is provided and so on.  One thing I have learned over the years is that what you assume is often not the case at all.

I will be looking forward to your following articles... but this one has already made me think,

In my case I refused to let my son go to a school that had a padded room.

I guess it is the old squeeky wheel gets the grease adage.  If the child has a parent who is watching carefully and has established a relationhship with the school, there is much less of a chance the things you described in your article will occur.

But many children do not have strong parent advocates or someone watching out for them.  They need and deserve protection too!!! 

We need laws enacted that will put an end to barbaric practices and activities that put children at risk in school because of their disabilities.  No one should be punished or put at risk because of their disability.  That is a simple idea but it is the right idea!!!

Once again you have opened the eyes of someone who had them closed to this particular subject as I have never been exposed to these special needs issues.

I am absolutely amazed by what you have introduced me to here. I cannot believe that we still have a society that can behave so barbaricly to human beings that are so obviously in need of the exact opposite attention

As I approach retirement and have been idly wondering what I might do with my new found spare time, maybe there is something in this direction on a charitable basis I can become involved in - Hmmm food for thought

The old expressions rubber room and padded cell, as distasteful as they are, don't exist in a vacuum, unfortunately. This is a very good piece of writing, Diane, and more significantly it is an 'important' piece of writing. Keep up your very good work. You're a wonderful advocate.

Ian

Hello, I am new to ADHD Central and Eileen had refered me to your site to read you posts. This one absolutely broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Not only for the child in the CNN story but also for any other child being put in these horrible rooms. I am so shocked that this is still allowed as the poster above me stated it is child abuse and neglect for a child to be locked in a closet, how are these rooms any different!

I know that at my childs school they have a room for in-school suspensions but there is always a substitute teacher or someone in the room with them, it is open and has 3 windows in it.

I really ned to talk to you...I need to know what rights my child has in N.C.?  Please email me....