I accused a teacher of abuse

[HockeyMom]

No, not physical, but phychological, which is from all the courses I have taken in another state, is just as bad. I am a special needs TA and have worked in this field for 15 years. I raised my own special needs children.

I have been working with this little almost 5 year old CP little boy 1:1 for almost 2 years. He is in a wheelchair and also has very limited use of his hands. He does speak, but it very "scripted" speech. He has been working on his colors for over a year and can only recite them, not identify them. The same for his letters and numbers. Basically, he is very much like a 2 year old.

The Head Start teacher, who by her own admission is not a Special Ed Teacher, said she was "told" to treat him the same as all the other kids in her class. He has had to write just like all the other kids. He can't. At most he can just about make a mark on the paper. One day he refused to even do this. The teacher took him and pushed him to "time out" facing a wall. The boy started sobbing and screaming, "Daddy, Daddy, I want my Daddy". "Daddy HELP me." The other kids in the class were very, very upset and were telling the teacher to take him out of there. She said to them, and him, that he has to LEARN that he cannot say No. It was horrible. I know I should have just gone over there and pushed him out of the class and to the office, but frankly I was afraid of her.

I spent a very long sleepless night over this. I decided that she could not do this to a "normal" child, let alone a disabled child. I went to the principal. She took down everything I said, but that was the end of it. I WAS PUT in the library and the teacher is still there with him. Another aide is working with him. Frankly, although I am upset about being "demoted", I am more concerned with this child's SAFETY. I would want the same thing for MY OWN special needs kids. BTW, there was another incident involving this teacher and abuse of a child by her mother. The other aide in class got reprimanded by the teacher for reporting THIS abuse.

I just plain cannot believe all this is happening. It completely goes against everything I have ever learned, in other schools, and having a Law Degree. I hope "my kid" will be ok, and all the other kids in this class.

What the hell is wrong with the state of Florida?

[barbtries]

1. heartbreaking.

there's a lot wrong with the state of FL but education is being short shrifted all across the country i believe.

[pnwmom]

2. This is evil. I'm glad you reported this.

One of my sons, who is not special ed, had bad handwriting caused, at least in part, by 10 very double-jointed fingers. (His piano teacher was the one who explained this to me.) His third grade teacher kept making him stay inside at recess, re-writing and re-writing his assignments, if his writing didn't look "good enough." Of course my bright son started to hate school. (What he really needed was to learn to type.)

I emailed the teacher some concerned but very diplomatic notes -- he responded harshly and stubbornly. All those emails became very useful in the end . . . his end, at least at that school.

Not everyone who wants to be a teacher should be a teacher, unfortunately.

[mzteris]

10. dysgraphia - or written language disorder

can get children an IEP and accommodation for "bad handwriting". It's so much MORE than "bad handwriting" for some kids.

[pnwmom]

3. You have a law degree. Have you formally put all this in writing?

Maybe you should go over the principal's head.

[abelenkpe]

4. Can you please write your representative asking them

to look into the situation? Also the school board and local news station. That story is absolutely heartbreaking and for that child I beg you to do all you can to help him out. I'm sure it upset the other kids in the class as well. Please update if you can.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Do you mind if I ask

If you have a law degree, why are you working as a school aide?

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. Sounds like ED. bureaucracy run amuck.

I know nothing of Head Start but the rest of education is awash in "inclusion" ; whether or not inclusion is practical for a given child and whether or not the gen ed teacher is knowledgeable or experienced w. special needs kids.
(Sounds like she' s not.)

It happens a lot in the regular grades. Although your teacher sounds particularly clueless. ( Also, she was "told" to treat him like everyone else. God forbid she should defy her supervisors and employ a little elementary common sense.)

How long has she been in the classroom?

Ya 'done good' in speaking up. Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the rear end.

[DebJ]

7. Is the parent aware of what happened?

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Interesting you aren't answering the questions posted in this thread.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[teachingfordemocracy]

11. Approach the Teacher

Have you interacted with the teacher since the incident? 
Perhaps addressing the "white elephant in the room"
would help to clear the air and you may be able to return to
the classroom and provide the additional support.