Nov 4, 2018, Troy Media: Put an end to the use of seclusion rooms for children https://troymedia.com/2018/11/04/seclusion-rooms-kids/ We need a national conversation about how Canadian schools can better deal with issues that lead to the use of such rooms. I’ve often wondered why there’s very little public outcry when the media reports on the cruel use of seclusion rooms for kids with developmental disabilities and delays in schools across Canada. … … Twelve years ago, when my son was born, I remember someone making a half-hearted attempt at reassurance after we were told he has multiple physical and cognitive diagnoses: “Well, this all will come easy to you. You’re really good at all things disability related!” … It would be difficult for anyone to fully understand the lives of families like mine given the mixed bag of (mis) information out there. So maybe this is why the use of seclusion rooms in Canadian schools never seems to get the attention it deserves. Seclusion rooms are separate spaces used to physically isolate a child in emotional distress. … One challenging reality for some kids with developmental disabilities is that there are often triggers that cause a child to physically lash out or ‘melt down.’ There are many reasons for this to happen, such as an inability to communicate, sensory overload or social challenges. So what else can be done in place of seclusion rooms when this happens?... A modern understanding of disability through research informs how to effectively deescalate these isolated ‘melt down’ moments, seeking solutions that ensure everyone involved remains safe. Forcefully locking a child in a closet doesn’t come close to making the list. … Alberta is moving in the right direction by convening a working group of parents, advocates, specialists and teachers to set new guidelines when isolating students with behavioural issues. It’s a first step anyway. But it’s time for a national conversation on the use of seclusion rooms in Canadian schools. …
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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