OMG... where is this school , i would like to pay them a visit. that is childabuse, he is a child, not one that is in prison. they treat people in prison better than that. i would freak out too. only i would of been sent to jail from knocking the hell outta everyone in that school that agrees with the timeout room. or in a morgue from a heart attack.
i am with barb on the fact that i would report it and refuse to sign the iep until they make a promise of not doing that. you cant make a child with adhd, sit that long. my son would spazz out and go into shock if he had to do that. these children have a disability they arent criminals, i would request a new teacher as well.
good luck and let us know what happens. my heart goes out to you.
That is barbaric. I've heard of that also but I thought it was a very isolated case and wasn't even sure I believed it. I'm with Brig and Barb. With that said, I want to tell you how badly I feel for you. You poor Mom...that must have been awful for you knowing your son may very well be sitting in a closet on any given day.I am looking for information from other parents that have experienced the TIME OUT ROOMS that schools are using when children get out of control.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD about 4 years ago and we have been struggling with the school concering the time out room that they use. My son is now 11 yers old and is currently on Strattera 40MG. He does very well when not in school but has issues when ever he is in school.
Incase you are not aware of this type of room, in my sons school is it an old brick closet that has no windows, the walls are all brick and it has only a small mat in the room for the child to sit on. When the child is not complying with the adult requests or just does not feel like doing his or her work at the time they are sent to this room to calm down or think about what they are doing. Sometimes when the child resists they are physically as I call it (Dragged) into the room. The staff takes both arms and legs and puts the child into the room. They then close the door (which has a lock on it) and make the child stay in the room until the staff member feels it is time for them to be let out. If the child trys to open the door they are sometimes shoved back into the room and the door is shut behind them. My son has informed me that at times they have even shut the light out in the room which has really frightend him. I personally feel that this is abusive and do not see how it helps the child deal with the issues that are bothering them in the first place that is making them act out. The staff says that it does work after a while, the student resists for a while but after time them give in. I have been told by the school, special education director, and the principal that there is no other way for them to deal with children that are non compliant at times. I am in the middle of rewriting his IEP and do not want the time out room used but have been told that it they do not use the room that I have to pick him up from school every time he has an issue of non complience or behaves badly or I need to have my doctor put him on addtional medication to control his outbursts of anger.
Sorry I am going on and on but this is the first time I have been able to talk with peopel that have children with ADHD.
Has anyone out there had/have this type of experience with the school and if so do you have any advice.
Thank you for your time.
I have heard of that before but it is very hard to believe they actually exist. Contact your State Education department and enter a complaint. I would also notify the state child abuse agency about what they are doing. Contact your local paper and tell them about it.
If someone did that to me, they would be sending me to the loony bin because I would freak out! What monsters!
Refuse to sign the IEP unless they put it in there that he will never be put in that room or isolation anywhere, for any reason. They can do what other schools do and send the kid to the principal's office.
I can't imagine any of us parents getting away with doing that to our own child in our own home. Our kids would be in foster care in a snap!
OMG!!
That is seriously the most outrageous thing I have ever heard. It reminds me of the time out room from the book Matilda! What monsters!
When I was in elementary school, they used to make me sit facing the corner. It made me so anxious I almost vomited. Tell these crazies that your son had an actual DISORDER, the defintion of which is something that PERSISTENTLY inhibits his ability to function normally. Meaning: PUTTING HIM IN A TINY ROOM WILL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE! Would you put someone who is afraid of sharks next to a shark tank to punish them? NO! I see this and putting your son in this horrible little room as one and the same.
Tell somebody! Not only should they not be subjecting your son to this, they should not be subjecting ANYONE to this. This is the kind of trauma lead children to have increased anxiety!
Those lunatics should be put in that room and see how they like it!
Thanks so much for the support.
I do have the deparment of Social services involve now and a therapist that has agreed to consult with the staff and principal involved with this program.
This is a New Hampshire Elementary school. The program is called the STEP program. There are various steps in the prorgram from 1-5 (one being the worst) each day the child has goals to meet and they get points for each goal achieved and receive a total score at the end of the day. After a certain amout of time with good scores the child moves to the next step. Each step brings them more freedom and eventually release from the program. The children are supposed to get counseling and support to help them work through problems they have in school because of thier disability. My son has never in the years he has been in this program ever told me of any techniques that they use with him to help him calm down when he gets angry or frustrated. If the child does not do what the staff asks then they are put in the room with the door closed. Thier is a lock on the door but they say they never use it. (my sons begs to differ) Last year I wrote in the IEP that I did not want the time out room used for my son and this year they are trying to say that he can not be in this program unless all of the program techniques are used including the time out room. They say it shows other students that my son does not have the same consiquences as them and it disrupts the program. I feel the every child is different and not every technique works on every child. My son says to me that the other children talk to him about how they are afraid to be put in the time out room and how when he sees other children being sometime dragged into the room it makes him upset. The children say they are afraid thier parents will get mad at them it they tell them what is going on at school or will not believe them. I have learned that in some cases children will lie to ge thier own way but you can not ignore what they have to say. I sat down with my son and told him that no matter what happens I am always there for him and he can tell me anything, fortunatley he has or I would never have known what was going on in this class room.
I am going on and on again I am sorry I just want people to know some of the awful things that are going on out there with children with disabilities and hopefully with everyones help we can turn some of this around so that the children are not the ones suffering and that they get the help they need to lead a happy life.
Can't you take him out of there or tell them you don't want him in the step program any longer? Its a public school and they can't force you to participate in a program like that.
Contact your state department of education and make a formal complaint, please!
Get this out of the shadows and into the light!!!!!
I would still go to the news media with this. They would have a field day and all the parents would become aware of it even if their kids were afraid to tell them.
No child should be treated this way and any benefit they think is being derived in terms of better behavior is due to fear, not a child learning self control. They may control themselves in that environment, but they don't have the skills to use self control outside of it where abject fear is not involved.
It is outrageous to me that a room like that exists.
If a child has outbreaks that threaten the safety of other children, themselves or teachers, they should be sent to the principal's office. If the behavior repeats, suspension, or expulsion from the school are options.
I agree with Annidagostini, I don't think any child - disabilities or not should be put in a room like that, period. [QUOTE=mullaru]
When I was in elementary school, they used to make me sit facing the corner. It made me so anxious I almost vomited. [/QUOTE]
Wow - same here - but in my school way back in 1973 - it was nose to the wall just outside the principal's office. For a half hour, longer for continued ignoring of the rules. Might as well have tied me down and dripped water on my forehead - it was agonizing. A kid with ADHD just can't hold still in one place like that without meds - even with meds it's a concerted effort and makes you sweat buckets.
A room like that one described would be agony too. No input - just four walls in a small confined space? Sounds like a prison cell to me - I get anxious just thinking about being forced in a room like that. It's not bad if it's voluntary - then you know you can leave - but to throw them in and say they can't leave? Savage.
I'm all for good old fashioned dicipline where a child needs dicipline.
BUT
If a parent were to do this to their own child these days that would be considered child abuse and the parent could be facing the child being removed from the family home or if it continued even greater consiquenses for the parent. How can any government department anywhere overlook this and agree to it when they are charging loving parents for diciplining their children in love.
On top of that there is enough evidence to support the fact that not all people learn in the same way and some people CAN'T not wont sit still and take notes etc. I have learnt more as an adult through trial and error and mulling through myself than I was ever able to at school, it just didn't work. But now that should be recognised and this sort of philosiphy done away with.
I'd certainly be looking elsewhere.
Here is Australia some schools are so aware of this that they specialise in kids that can't learn the "traditional" way. I say "traditional" like that because it is traditional in the last few hundred years if that. I have a personal theory that God didn't create us to to sit in four walls throughout our childhood to be force fed what isn't a natural diet for some ( academically speaking ). I believe some people never were ment to be schoolars, academic etc. Some where created with the gifts of creativity, the ability to love hard physical work, the thought process to think of ideas that no one else thinks of or says what others are to scared to say for fear of appearing foolish. We were all created with individual purpose, giftings and personalities but we have created a society that says we should all fit into one single mould which is physically, mentally and emotionally impossible for some.
This would most certainly be damaging to your child an probibly many others over time. Speak up and if they are not going to change it quick put in a formal complaint to your education department then move your child.
GymRose38638.6742361111
hello,
my dd has adhd and her school send them to another class for their time out but i'am having problems with my childs teacher this year and we are having a meeting and i will be asking for a IEP for her because children with adhd are not like children with out it they need something to keep them busy even in time out they need a outlet to get back on track. I think what your childs school is doing is wrong and noone should ever be allowed to put their hands on your child. I think in the long run this time out room of theirs will hurt the children more than help, think about you as your child and being put in a cold ,empty room and the lights being off on you and if you try to get out you are put back in and lock the door . please talk to you childs school do let them do this to your child it is not right, my prayers are with you and your family hope all works out.
I finally brought the state into the school, was able to get my son out of the program. If took alot of aruguments, meetings and time but I was able to put together a program that will help him not make him feel like a caged animal. I refused to sign his IEP and told the school if they could not meet my reuqests then they would have to pay for him to go to a private school. Ever since he has been out of the old program and in the new program my husband and I helped put together with my sons therapist he has been doing great. I really think most of the problems he was having was with the teachers and the overall classroom program. My son now comes home from school happy and is ready to go to school everyday because he enjoys it now. This is all I ever wanted for him and it is a shame that it takes so much fighting and pushing for these teachers and even special education directors to realize when a program is just not working. You would think with all thier education and experience they would see the signs the parents do and would want to help these children. They are so busy trying to blame the parents or the children that the child is the one who gets hurt in all this. I am so happy that my son has finally has a chance to show how independent he can really be he just needed a chance and thankfully we were able to get it for him. I still am working on getting help for the other children in this program because thier parents need to know what is happening to thier children and be given the chance to help them because no one else will.
coreysmom:
I am in the same boat...that you where before your new program was implamented... Can you send me a outline of your new plan??? please... Thanks.. very very discouraged here in South Bend.. Genna
Our son is pushed a side to do work independently. He has also has been taken in Se to a closet to work.We got more Se time now. He gets 6 months Si therapy. I hope that helps.
We are blaimed for our sons behavior since they claim he is a angle at school. I know they are lyeing cause he has been to the principal and Iss before.
WE have what they call the Apple room.. But let me tell you this. YOU GO to that school and you tell them that if they do this again you are going to contact a lawyer.. blieve me if they ever done this to my daughter who btw is taking the same meds as your son.. I would go off like crazy.. I would have there heads spinning faster than they could say boo... I don't allow any disrepect for her and I won't allow any teacher to disrespect her.. Let's just say the teachers and all don't care for me much but I don't care they are going to do what I feel is right I won't allow anyone to scare my daughter.. YOU gotta stand up for your son and make them know you Won't tolerate that crap anymore.. Excellent Job Corey's Mom! I'm so glad everything worked out for you. Just seeing your sons happy face everyday must be a joy! All's we as parents want is for our children to learn in a good environment that makes them happy and encouraged to learn, and you've accomplished that for your son. Please share your story with other parents in that school. You'll be surprised with how many lives you will touch. Good Luck.Hi coreysmom, my sons infant school does exactly the same as you explained to my son -mikey. they never told me about shutting the light out thou. Also when i asked them id rather they find another form of disapline for him, they told me it was time out room or i would have to collect him from school & he would be suspended. i did'nt want him to suffer in school so i gave in & collected him. I fought with his school lots of times.