Human Dignity Policy
November 3, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
Christopher and Michele Komora are suing Decatur County Schools and the Indiana Department of Education on the grounds that their 15-year-old autistic son was physically and emotionally abused by staff members. According to today’s IndyStar.com, “school staff denied their son his lunch and snacks while they restrained him and say that their son, whose name was blacked out in court documents, was hurt during the process.”
Duane Hodgin, Assistant Superintendent of Lawrence Township Schools, notes that improper restraining of a student by teachers (such as “tying a child down,” as the IndyStar.com reporter notes) “‘would be a violation of our human dignity policy.’”
Isn’t tying down a child an outright violation of anyone’s “human dignity policy”? And do we needs a “policy” to determine what is, and what is not, “human dignity” for public school students?
In response to the “Human Dignity” article.
I have been working with the Autism population for 10 years now. In the classroom,community,and homes. I’ve worked with adults through toddlers. On every angle of the spectrum.
I am outraged about this article. You NEVER deny students food!!! I have been taught you never punish children by taking away their eating time… It is a human right for people to eat. Here in California we take a course in a program called CPI Crisis Prevention Intervention.
Every year it is mandatory we take this course.
In this course you are told to never handle a child ,unless they are causing self-injury..BUT there are regulations on how you handle the student and how long you restrain the child. Restrainment is crossing their arms for no more than 4 minutes.. You help them calm down as well. By offering a calm and quiet enviroment for them.
If they are lashing out at students , you are suppose to remove the students and staff to safety.
Restraintment is the last option you take..
These people should be terminated immediatley!!!
I feel jail time and fine should be included.
This is abuse and you sign a waiver working for the schools to report abuse. If they really understood Autism they would understand what triggers their behavior. If you understand that you have more compassion and patients.
I feel every teacher no matter if they are general ed or special ed. should get intense training on this population.
This article makes me sad and angry. I feel so blessed to be placed in each life , I was able to help. All these people have taught me so much more about life in their own way.They have brought so much more quality to my own life and the lifes around them.
Mika, Thanks so much for writing about all of this—-the article struck home to me deeply, as my own son has had some difficult behaviors at school in previous years and was restrained. Good teachers with solid training make the truest difference.