A good reminder that not all teachers are created equal and trust should not be blind
What you want to know as a parent is that your child is safe and loved whenever you put them in other people's care. We don't even want to think about them experiencing a moment of feeling alienated, confused, or hurt without us, as was the case with this exceptional 5th-grade child, Jamar, in Washington State.His teacher refused to let him use the restroom, and when he tried to push past her she locked him out of the school and even shut the window blinds in his face.He was caught on camera wandering aimlessly until another student eventually let him back into the school building.See the video:https://w3.cdn.anvato.net/player/prod/v3/anvload.html?key=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%3D%3DSIDE NOTE: Allan N. Schwartz, LCSW, Phd
In my opinion, based on years of experience dealing with the public schools, special education teachers are not specially trained to cope with and help these kids. There are school systems around the country that utilize teaching methods based on psychological research that are successful in handling special needs children. One of them is the Lehigh School system in Pennsylvania. However, with few exceptions, special education is a neglected aspect of education in most places.As a result, many of these children drop out of school by the time they reach the Middle and High School years. By that time, they have soaked up the self image that they are "bad and hopeless," join the ranks of other damaged kids and become involved in alcohol, drug abuse and anti social activities. In the end, society pays the cost of neglect because so many of these youngsters become criminals and enter the prison system. If public funds were used to properly train special education teachers to provide programs that help these child overcome their problems the cost would be minimal because we would not need so many prisons.
Additional Reading:
- Abuse and PTSD among youth with autism
- Behind Closed Doors: What's Happening to Students With Autism in America's Public Schools?
#GovernmentSchooling101 h/t to @btsigall