School official stuffs a kid in a duffel bag

[Zalatix]

Now the mother demanded that they remove her kid from the duffel bag. I for one would not demand it. I would do it myself. And God help anyone who got in my way.

http://news.yahoo.com/school-accused-putting-autistic-student-bag-182229844.html

School accused of putting autistic student in bag

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A 9-year-old autistic boy who misbehaved at school was stuffed into a duffel bag and the drawstring pulled tight, according to his mother, who said she found him wiggling inside as a teacher's aide stood by.

The mother of fourth-grader Christopher Baker said her son called out to her when she walked up to him in the bag Dec. 14. The case has spurred an online petition calling for the firing of school employees responsible.

"He was treated like trash and thrown in the hallway," Chris' mother, Sandra Baker, said Thursday. She did not know how exactly how long he had been in the bag, but probably not more than 20 minutes.

[Zalatix]

2. I hope the jury recommends putting the school official in a duffel bag

at their sentencing hearing.

[obamanut2012]

3. That child could have suffocated

Forget about being illegal or inappropriate or whatever. The fact the child could have been harmed is all that counts.

I truly hope an educator didn't do this. It's bad enough i an Aide did it.

[Odin2005]

4. OMG!

[tabatha]

5. Despicable.

How to make the problem worse.

[yellowcanine]

6. She did not know how exactly how long he had been in the bag, but probably not more than 20 minutes.

Holy sh*t! Even my big brothers wouldn't have left me in the bag for 20 minutes. And they were just doing normal pick on little brother kid stuff. These were adults.

[Turbineguy]

7. Where do they find these people?

Do they have to take a test and fail it?

[Zalatix]

8. Not sure, but I know where we should put them

in PRISON, for 10 to 20.

[TwilightGardener]

9. That's what I'm thinking, too. It's like they went on a search to find the people MOST unsuited

for dealing with special needs kids, and offered them jobs. Crazy and cruel.

[Trillo]

10. It appears that superintendent is having difficulty distinguishing between reality and fantasy.

"The employees of the Mercer County Public Schools are qualified professionals who treat students with respect and dignity while providing a safe and nurturing learning environment," Davis said in a statement.

OMG, the kid "smirked" at a teacher, so he's put in a bag? "respect and dignity"? Or abuse?

[DesertRat]

11. Unbelievable! What were they thinking?!

[sarge43]

12. Putting aside the probable physical harm,

over stimulating an autistic child is just about the worst thing that can be done.

Were these creatures trained by the CIA?

[etherealtruth]

16. It certainly seems that way!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

20. Touching a child with Autism can be overwhelming.

I don't think most people understand how sensitive these kid are.

[AverageJoe90]

24. Or someone who grew up in a dysfunctional family or was abused. nt

[sarge43]

27. The best description I've heard

It would like a person with normal sensitivity being locked in a rave club for 24 hours. For a person with autism the so called normal enviroment can be and often is overwhelming.

[MineralMan]

13. Another teacher who should be summarily dismissed.

When will the schools learn? Despite lawsuits and hefty awards from juries, they continue to employ people who should not be allowed anywhere near children.

Uff da!

[d_r]

14. here is a link to the petition on change.org

https://www.change.org/petitions/end-abuse-of-autistic-students-in-mercer-county-kentucky

[ljm2002]

15. Those people need to be criminally charged...

...that is abuse and as people who work for the school they are obliged to take care of the children, not to abuse them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. At a meeting with school district officials, the bag was described as a "therapy bag,"

I've never heard of such a thing. I can't even imagine. . .

[YellowRubberDuckie]

19. Therapy bag?

Is lack of oxygen considered therapy now? That is just ridiculous and infuriating.

[d_r]

21. There are such things but this doesn't sound like them

there are these sort of whole-body lycra suits, like whole body socks, that are used for children with sensory integration disorders. They are part of a therapy session - they are used so that children can experience sensation with the comfort of the body sock. They are also easy for children to get in and out of themselves, it is sort of a whole body suit fastens with velcro. This sounds more like those big gym bags that they keep playground balls in - it had a drawstring that the child clearly wouldn't be able to open or shut by himself. It also wasn't used as "therapy" - it was clearly used to punish the child for throwing a ball at the teacher. Clearly punishment.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

22. Oh, but do they call those body sock things Therapy BAGS?

You're right, I was thinking Laundry Bag with a draw screen.
Sensory Deprivation Tanks would be amazing for an Autistic Kid over a certain age when they get over stimulated. I hear they are calming and soothing and take you back to the womb. Sorry, total random thought.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

18. Since Autistic and Asperger's kids can't be treated the same as other kids...

....people are increasingly moronic when it comes to trying to get them to "behave."
Thom Hartman was talking about it the other day on his radio show. Apparently he has a school called Hunter's School where they actually know how to teach these kids and help them succeed. He got rather angry with their "behavior modification" technique bull crap. Maybe he needs to put together teams to go around and teach special education teachers how to treat kids with Autism and Asperger's and help them to succeed. Until someone does, this sort of crap is going to keep happening because these teachers don't give a shit and they are just so lazy unless forced, they aren't going to learn to deal with them.
This is abuse and needs to be treated as assault. But since it's a kid, it won't be. I'm not sure why kids don't have the same rights as adults, but shouldn't they have more? They're kind of defenseless when it comes to dealing with adults in their lives.
Duckie

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I am going to respectfully disagree

I know lots of teachers who work with autistic kids and not a one engages in abusive behavioral techniques like the bag described in the OP.

I don't think it's right to call these teachers lazy or claim they don't give a shit. Let's not slam an entire group because of the poor behavior of a few.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

30. I said these teachers, as in the ones in the story.

I didn't say all teachers, now did I? I know a lot of special ed teachers, however, I do all of them need some extra and special training for them. I also know some teachers who tortured me as a kid who should have retired about 10 years before they did.
Duckie

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. We don't know that it was a teacher who did this though.

The OP chose to use the term "school official" in the title. But it's not clear why, since that is not the title at the link and there is nothing in the story that says a school official was responsible for this heinous act. BTW, a school official would be an administrator like a principal or superintendent. Then the story says a teachers aide was with the boy when his mom arrived at school, which gave the impression that an aide did this. That was my first thought anyway. I work with absolutely wonderful aides but they are generally underpaid and overworked. I have also known literally dozens of teachers who work with autistic children - probably more than anyone reading this story knows - and know for a fact they are very highly trained in a specialized field. I honestly can't imagine any of them putting a child in a bag.

But hey, if broad brushing works, then go for it.

[The Doctor.]

23. What the hell could this kid have done?

Nothing justifies this kind of treatment.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. It says he threw a ball across the classroom

On edit: I've taught 32 years and here is how I would recommend handling a ball thrown in the classroom. Catch it and keep it. There's a good chance it belongs to the kid who threw it. Tell him his mom has to come get it back or give it to the principal and he'll never throw a ball in the classroom again. If it's not his ball, then it's probably a ball the class uses at recess. Keep it and at recess time, his classmates are going to want to know why they can't take the ball outside. Tell them to ask the kid who threw it.

Problem solved. No bag involved.

[etherealtruth]

28. That's a sensible way to deal with the situation with most kids

Would that work with autistic children? I'm asking because I don't know.

Clearly, your approach would not cause physical or emotional trauma (regardless of whether or not that approach would work with an autistic child)

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. I teach special ed.

I don't have autistic kids. But yes, I would do this even if the kid was autistic. Like you said, it wouldn't hurt.