what do you think about this artical about my son school?

Hi, I'm the mom of a boy with autism and a girl in the public high school. They are in middle and high school. I see two issues in your question, the way the boy was treated and the way money is allocated in schools. In well to do districts, you're right, special needs students and lower income students do often get the short end of the stick. But parents of special needs kids who have the resources for lawyers and advocates get a lot of resources for their children. And parents of typically developing kids who have the resources scream for the extras they think are important. The school districts end up ignoring the people who are quiet about their needs. It is a me, me, me society we live in. "My kid needs this.... Our school needs this new facility... my kid is educated this way". We're almost forced to be this way as parents because if we don't look out for our kids, no one will.

First, the way the student with autism was treated was awful, and shows how little the public and school officials know about the disability. Autism is becoming so much more common and is catching some districts off guard. People meet one or two high functioning people with autism and that makes them an expert or they've only dealt with lower functioning people and they assume that all people with autism are identical. Until recently, they didn't have much experience with it. First, by law, the student in the article is entitled to a free and appropriate education. That is often in the public schools, sometimes its in a non-public placement funded by the schools. Just because the student is in the schools doesn't mean that the people working with him have any training or would know how to prevent or de-escalate a tantrum. Even some "experts" will lump all people with autism together and say, "do this, do that" to the teachers and staff, when those things may or may not work for an individual. The School Resource Officer is usually a city police officer stationed at or near the school who responds to incidents on campus. He probably never dealt with a situation like this and totally botched it. Reading the article, it seems the superintendent realizes this. Moneys have to be allocated to training ALL people who work with people with autism. Police officers are trained to deal with out of control people with force. That would only aggravate a situation like this. It's not about this student being a criminal. It seems obvious to me that the parent of the student doesn't have the resources to hire advocates and lawyers to get an appropriate IEP, or the parent would have been able to bail the student out. I am sure there are students with special needs in a district like this who have gotten the services they need and are entitled to. In our society, the haves get what they need, the have nots don't and no one looks out for them.

As far as your son's situation, I'm so sorry it's like this. It's like this in every district right now. But it really isn't the same issue as the lack of training and sensitivity to the disability that the article shows. It's more of an issue of how little as a society we value all our children and our schools. They are a reflection of our society. Some people would rather opt out and that's good. But it's not good to do that and just point it out without having some overall social responsibility. Bond issues are always used for capital improvements. Taxes are used for funding necessities. What is a necessity anyway? Sometimes 50 year old pools and buildings do need major renovations. People don't want to put their money where their mouths are and fund schools through taxes. They don't want to take on the administration heavy school districts to cut from the top.

Hang in there, keep working at your son's school. Make sure you vote. Go to the school board meetings. Become loud. Someone has to advocate for children.

The kid with autism being put in jail for his actions is terrible, that being said I think children with special needs( especially with violent outbursts) should not be in the public school system. If the county is so rich maybe they should provide a special needs school for those who need it. I don't see how this article dealing with a 19 year old student is affecting your 6 or 7 year old though. Just because this situation was not handled properly does not mean all are handled improperly. I guess your concern is more about the rapid growth? There are way too many districts all over the U.S. in the same situation, so moving will not guarantee resolvement there either. I would try to be as helpful to my sons teacher as I could be to help her with her stress level. All teachers love helpful parents no matter how small. It will also put a favorable light on your son. With the bus driver I would send a letter with your son asking if she would allow your son to sit in the seat behind her so you can be assured that your child is not being bullied or harassed on her bus. Best of Luck, making things work for now seems your only option.

I think that is really wrong. my oldest son has a form of autism, but he is in the special class. they do grade level work, but it is smaller than the normal classes. there are only 2 full time kids in the class and others that come in for about an hour or 2 at the most. he used to only go for the hour or 2 but the regular class was to hard for him to focus and get his work done. too much noise and distractions in there for him and he would get angry and have an outburst that would get him in trouble often. he does not have that problem anymore. he is 10 and in the 4th grade. my middle son is 9 and in his 2nd year of 2nd grade. i am beginning to wonder if he has a form of autism as well. i mean the smallest things that just roll off the other kids will send him into a fit and he sometimes gets violent with certain kids who do not directly do stuff to him, but are being super loud and annoying in class and my son will just fly off on this kid. he is not usually violent but he has choked this kid on more than one occasion. he does not have the option of the special class full time like his brother, because that would put them in the same class all day long and then be together at home all the time. that is a bad combo, so he is stuck in regular class full time, except like an hour or so a day where he goes to special class with his brother. he has even hit the staff before and locked himself in his locker or hit his head on the walls or lockers. he will throw chairs and try to throw desks around as well. he knocks things over and throws them around the room. he gets mad when people disrespect the teacher and her things. that is usually what sends him over the edge. any ideas what is up with him?

So if I read the story correctly, the school does not have the appropriate resources for this boy as required by law, so they punished him with a night in jail? Lovely.

We live in a similar district. Two year ago a bond measure was passed because the voters failed to read the small print...the money was spent on "essentials" such as a new pool for one of our two high schools.

We homeschool, so our child is not directly affected by these issues, but we are watching the toll it's taking on her friends who are in school.

My heart goes out to you. Hang in there.

All the best.

In Muslim faith, this can be a mortal sin thus far a Christian allow by myself end up one, the foundations are transparent, you holiday em and your useless. So many instances of dying for the reason that they dishonored Allah, their father or brothers, and they've a correct to homicide for the reason that of this perception, definitely mistaken. But that's their Law, and it's going to retain. it doesn't matter what we consider