Public School: Is It Safe For Children With Autism? (Part 2)

https://www.talkactiveclinic.com/blog/what-are-the-types-of-autism-spectrum-disorders

    School should be a safe place where kids can go to enjoy themselves, while still learning! A lot of kids with autism struggle with communication and need people that have the patience and ability to work with them. These kids need to go to school in a safe and welcoming environment where they can trust the people who are supposed to help them grow! But, for some kids, that just isn’t the case.

Bullying

    A lot of general education kids sometimes don’t understand why the kids with special needs are the way they are. They might think they’re weird and not want to hang out with them, or even bully them. Things like this would make a kid with autism feel uncomfortable or unsafe when going to school. The children who are nonverbal likely won’t even have a way to tell anyone what is going on, so that it can be stopped!


https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/articles/2018/why-children-with-autism-may-be-at-risk-of-bullying/

Abuse

    In some cases, kids who have autism, especially those who are nonverbal, are treated very badly by their teachers or aides! The teacher or aide could run out of patience or get frustrated with the child for not cooperating or acting the way they want them to, and say or do things that would emotionally or physically hurt the child. Even by doing things like restraining them when it’s not needed! 

    According to the article: Behind Closed Doors: What’s Happening to Students With Autism in America’s Public Schools?, “children with disabilities were sometimes restrained and secluded even when they did not appear to be physically aggressive and their parents did not give consent…” These children were treated unfairly and physically harmed even when they did nothing to deserve it, and the teacher DID NOT have the parents permission to do this!

Why Does This Happen?

    There isn't really one specific reason why people would want to do things like this, but people have taken some guesses. Personally, I believe it happens because the teachers or aides were never properly trained to handle when these children have outbursts, when they don't understand things, or can't communicate. I think that they get frustrated and when the wrong person is in this situation, they get aggressive and take their frustration out on these kids.

How Can We Put A Stop To This?

    Stopping this, as someone who is a parent or family member of a child with special needs, you need to know the signs. If your child/loved one is coming home with unexplained bruises, or is often in the nurse's office for random injuries, this could possibly be a case of abuse. Another sign could be changes in the child's attitude, like going from being happy and playful to being sad and mopey all the time. 

    Preventing this, as a parent, may not be entirely in your hands, but you can do your part by teaching your child what is okay and what is not. Make sure kids know the differences between a HEALTHY and an UNHEALTHY touch. Teach them about dangerous situations, and what to do in these hypothetical situations. Also, make sure children know where and who they can go to for help when it is needed. 

    As a parent of a general education child, you can do your part to help, too! Teach your kids that children with autism are different, but not less! Let them know that they should not treat these kids differently, but try to make friends with them and make them feel more comfortable being at school! Also, teach your children these signs, and let them know that if they see something like this happening, to report it to a trusted adult!

Conclusion

    While we might not be able to completely prevent these things from happening, we can do our part to lessen the problem, and hopefully, eventually, put a stop to it! 

By: Kyele Dehoutaint 11.18.21

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