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BokeKaeru
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27 Feb 2010, 2:39 pm

redwulf25_ci wrote:
BokeKaeru wrote:
Here's my list, which is probably incomplete:

-Absolutely ban the use of aversive "treatments," seclusion rooms and unnecessary and dangerous forms of restraint (prone restraint comes to mind) in schools and institutions.


I'd love to ban such forms of restraint but what exactly do you propose someone do when a 6'5" 300+ pound LFA kid starts charging or otherwise attempting to harm his much smaller teacher/classroom aids/fellow students? Or if the same student starts slamming their head into a brick wall? Something has to be done to prevent the student from harming himself or others.

Also can I get a definition on "seclusion rooms"? Would the room the class I worked with had in the back count? It was a comfy place with dim lighting, soft couches, optional music or white noise generators that the students could turn on to block out noises and a collection of things the students tended to stim with. A place they could go and calm down and collect themselves alone when over stimulated. Hell I wish I had a room like that.


Edited because I some how lost a few words.


That's why I specified and said "dangerous forms of restraint" rather than all. I would like it to be possible eventually that NTs and high functioning neurodiverse people will be able to effectively communicate with people of lower functioning level in a way not involving force BEFORE low-functioning people get to the point of violence against themselves or others, because I think that at least sometimes it's a failure to communicate that builds up to these incidents.

Until then, we should at least ban the more dangerous forms that are known to frequently cut off air supply and lead to death, like my example of prone restraints. Furthermore, laws should be passed to say that someone can ONLY restrain someone if they are an immediate danger to themselves or others, and the burden should be on the school and/or person using the restraint to prove that it was necessary. No more using prone restraints on kids for "flailing dangerously" when they have seizures and other ridiculous things like that. We should also definitely enforce policies where if someone says or indicates that the restraint is causing them pain or other bodily distress, the hold should be released or at least changed to a less harsh method. Too often, aides and teachers don't believe kids when they try to communicate that their limbs feel about to break or that they can't breathe, and such kids are put at risk of severe injury, if not death. At very least, states and school districts should punish the people who injure or kill their charges. As of now, according to the Government Accountability Office's report on the use of restraint and seclusion, educators who cause serious injury or death to their charges are almost never prosecuted for it, and often even keep their license to teach. This reduces special education students at the mercy of such people to second-class citizens whose actual life or wellbeing is worth less than a normal child's would be.

Re: seclusion rooms - I'm talking about dark, unfurnished rooms with no windows, no bathrooms or food and no human interaction where special needs kids are sometimes put for hours upon ends. These rooms can often be ill-maintained and unhygienic as well. The effects of this range from kids found with soiled pants from not being given access to a bathroom to children who have hung themselves or inflicted serious bodily injury on themselves by hitting their heads against the wall. Why? Because they are left unsupervised, or if somebody is guarding the door, they assume the child is "just trying to get attention" or escape punishment when they tell the staff that they are going to kill themselves, or when they bang their heads against the wall. Also, like restraint, seclusion is used for a variety of offenses, not just severe ones - including being too hyperactive. A room like the type you mentioned, with supervision by people who actually meant to help the child rather than rigidly maintain order for its own sake, would make sense. However, as things stand, a lot of schools still use seclusion in the sense I have talked about.

If you'd like the link to the GAO's report about how dangerous restraint and seclusion are or can be and the lack of consequences for its misuse, I can post it. I can also probably dig up some articles I've found about deaths and injury that have come out of the use of seclusion.



pinkbowtiepumps
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28 Feb 2010, 5:48 pm

In general, a larger widespread understanding of ASD's, a no discrimination policy in schools and workplaces, serious consequences for bullying, and the resources and knowledge provided to autistic children so they know to speak up if something is wrong.



Thundaeagle
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02 Mar 2010, 11:58 pm

*Whistles* Don't know where to start.
For all people with ASD to get better and more appropriately delivered healthcare services especially in NZ
The police to be more understanding and knowledgeable about ASD
Schools and workplaces are inclusive
The awarness of the positives of ASD



murasaki_ahiru
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04 Mar 2010, 8:03 pm

psychohist wrote:
If it didn't have to be achievable, a world where all workers were judged on how well they did their jobs, rather than how well they socialized with their coworkers. Such a world would actually favor aspies over neurotypicals.


I think the same thing, but unfortunately can't see this becoming reality :(