Parents are key to prevention of abuse in special education classrooms

May 21, 5:38 PMChicago Special Education ExaminerKindall Nelson

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Parent volunteers will enhance any classroom. Photo courtesy of Twid @ Flickr.com

The recent report by the Government Office of Accountability (GOA) on restraint and seclusion of special education students is frightening to many parents and caregivers. Some are demanding answers as to why this has continued for so long as well as how they can make sure their children are protected. Reading these reports can make parents angry in addition to giving them a helpless feeling. However, parents are far from helpless when it comes to prevention of abuse in the classroom.

Documentation. When an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is in place, teachers have to follow the plan or face serious consequences. Parents of students with noted behavior problems need to have a behavior plan in place within their IEP. A behavior plan can list, step by step, exactly what a teacher is allowed and required to do in each situation that arises with a student. By discussing this during an IEP meeting and having this plan in place, a parent can have reassurance that his or her wishes will be followed. While it will not prevent all problems, it will help.

Unannounced visits. It is a parent's right to visit the classroom any time of day and for any reason as long as it can be done without causing a disruption. This may mean slipping in and out without ever being in view of the child. Teachers and staff may discourage these types of visits for many reasons, but barring any distracting behavior on the part of the parent, the visits can not be prohibited. 

Communication with child. For some special needs students, this can be extremely difficult. If parents see any new behaviors or their child has complaints about something at school, then the parents need to make sure they know exactly what the child is telling them. For example, one little girl with Downs Syndrome in Iowa began flicking her little brother in the face for no reason. Her mother scolded her, but it continued. It was several weeks before someone told her they had seen her child's teacher flick her in the face and tell her to keep her tongue in her mouth. There was also a boy in Florida who hung himself in an isolation room had come home complaining about being in "time out" all the time. His mother had no reason to think he meant he was being shut in an isolation room for several hours a day.

Know the teachers. It is okay for parents to want to know the qualifications of their child's teachers, classroom aides, and individual aides. They should also be sure the school has done background checks on everyone (especially if they allow volunteers from the community). Chances are, a short-term substitute teacher or aide (covering for a regular teacher or aide for one to three days) will not have a chance to do anything that would warrant action. If a substitute is hired for long-term placement, then the parents need to be sure that a background check has been done and the substitute has been screened for having the patience it takes to work with special education students.

Volunteer. Whether it be once a year or once a month, having a parent in the classroom as an extra pair of hands to help with an activity or do something to help out the teacher can ease the stress in the classroom as well as giving the parent a good idea of what goes on at the school on a daily basis.

Write it down. Anyone who has watched a court case being tried on television knows, "If it isn't in writing, it never happened." Parents often assume they will remember important facts and details about certain dates or their child's behaviors. Once in written form, the parent no longer has to worry that his or her memory and emotions will be questioned if that information is ever needed to prove problems or abuse in a classroom.

Parents also need to remember that the investigations that will surely be spurred from this recent report by the GOA are the exception, not the rule. While it is important for parents to know their child is safe from dangerous and ignorant people at school, they also need to take note that there are some very good, caring, devoted special education teachers in America's schools.

See Also:

GAO study on restraint and seclusion of special education students frightening

Check back soon or subscribe to Kindall Nelson's Email Alerts above for updates as the investigation continues to unfold.

Click here if you would like to read the 65 page report from the Government Accountability Office.