May 16, 2019, ABC7, San Francisco: Parents suing Concord special ed school after students allegedly restrained https://abc7news.com/education/parents-suing-concord-special-ed-school-after-students-allegedly-restrained/5302882/ CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- A special ed school in the East Bay is being sued by families who say their children were put into frightening and traumatic restraint holds by staff members. The plaintiffs say these restraints are not allowed under California law. A mother, we'll call Elyse, has a daughter and son who both attend the Floyd Marchus Counseling and Education Center in Concord because of behavior disorders. Elyse says the disorders are getting worse. "In addition to being diagnosed with emotional disturbances and ADD/ADHD, now the diagnosis includes depression and anxiety," Elyse said. She says the primary reason is the restraints staff members put them in when they act out. … "It is very explicit in the law that it can’t be used for punishment and control" said attorney Arlene Mayerson. Mayerson says restraints can only be used in a real emergency where there's an imminent threat of bodily injury to the student or staff. They're asking for an injunction preventing further behavior, and changes to state laws and regulations involving special students. ABC7 News tried to reach both the Marchus School and the county board of education, but neither has responded.
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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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