What seems like many years ago I was a  Special Education teacher at a residential facility for children who were too dangerous to be at home or for kids whose family couldn’t care for them. These were students who needed more specialized care than could be offered at home or really were for families who could afford to ship their kids somewhere else so that they didn’t have to manage the care of their troubled child.  Most of the kids in my class had severe behavior disorders coupled with mild forms of neurological disorders–autism, tourettes, etc.  Many of these kids had caused serious harm at home or were exhibiting behaviors that caused families and others to fear for the safety of the family. 

That being said.  It was a dangerous job.  I was hit, had a desk thrown at me in a fit of rage, my face was spat on (which let me just say is the most disgusting thing  ever), my hair pulled, etc.  I spent hours at times holding/restraining a child who wanted in that moment to hurt me or anyone badly.  I am putting my bias out there as I understand what it is like day after day after day to deal with children who have issues–behavior and learning.  I don’t know if you have read about the recent events that have come to light in recent days with congressional hearings about abuse and deaths that have been attributed to teachers and assistants attempting to restrain troubled children.  I don’t know all the details and I certainly haven’t done all the research, but I do know that these incidents aren’t isolated and am shocked that teachers who were linked to the cause of death in a child are often still teaching and at the same school.  I have seen some atrocious behaviors by teachers towards students–who were not labeled in anyway and can only imagine behaviors that have been used against students who are labeled.  Anyway…

I think back to my time working for a public school district as a spec ed sub.  I was a TA in a self-contained room in an elementary school so there was no need really for any restraint training and I don’t know exactly how the system here in my city/state works.  But I don’t remember hearing about any training.  In Cali, where I taught–the school was funded through the county public schools we were just a private facility–I had to endure an entire week of traning on how to restrain a student who was posing a threat.  It was tough training.  We were each restrained by others in the same positions we might need to use to restrain our students.  It was rigorous and I certainly felt safe at the end of the week that if the case should arise I could restrain my students.  And I had to.  In the year I was there not one student was injured during an instance of restraining and it was used only as a last resort.  I just don’t understand why teachers attempt to restrain a student when they trained and really don’t know what they doing or the damage they could cause. 

Here’s a link to a story from back in December.  I’ll look for current stories more recently.