There's no Such Thing as a Safe Restraint.

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I must disagree that in some cases when children have been known to throw tables around in the classroom that they are being AGGRESSIVE???? Noooooo they are scared! It is their way of telling us to get out of their space and leave them alone.

Did you know that many meltdowns were actually epileptiform in origin? Meltdowns ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE, they are as a result of huge waves of emotion that come crashing down.

Restraint in children particularly is uneccessary and anyone resorting to it should not be working with children in my opinion. Children react badly to physical methods especially the ones with Sensory Integration disorder that cannot bear to be touched.

Restraint............................GET RID OF IT.

Have you ever had to use them, by chance?

I just think they should have been more careful about restraining, period.

Personally, I think I would fight anyone that tried to restrain me.

Personally, I think I would fight anyone that tried to restrain me.[/quote]

DITTO!! ! Get rid of restraints on children!! !! !! !! !! !! just a bunch of bullying adults!

DITTO!! ! Get rid of restraints on children!! !! !! !! !! !! just a bunch of bullying adults![/quote]

Is it inconceivable that a restraint might be for the child's own good? Accidents happen and people do make horrible mistakes, but how can you innoculate or draw blood or whatever when your patient won't stop squirming? I will admit that restraints can be misused. They can harm as well as help, but let's not get carried away with this...

How do you propose a professional should respond when a child goes nuclear? Does it matter at all if it's epilespy and not aggression? Waves of emotion, etc. The result is the same. And people can get hurt.

slowmutant!! Ummm yes it does matter actually! And these situations should never be allowed to escalate to the point of throwing tables. Teachers must learn NOT TO SHOUT or be openly hostile to these children. They are CHILDREN. Many of them undiagnosed but on the spectrum.

There is NO excuse and no reason to restrain a child. Understanding, respect and tender loving care should prevent all of this aggression?? Which is actually FEAR. Understand these kids get scared. They need calming down, and as adults with empathy and compassion we should be able to do that much?

Don't know what you mean when you say NUCLEUR? Presume that is what you are referring a meltdown as? Answer don;t let it become that bad! Don't blame the child blame the adults!!

Cortisol floods these children and they cannot think straight, come on do your homework please!

I'm sorry, this is going to sound awful but...

There was a kid in my primary school who had really severe AS. He'd throw tantrums and get violent and needed a classroom assistant with him every minute of the day in case he did something dangerous... everytime he was punished for doing something wrong, his parents would be in screaming about how it wasn't his fault because he had AS. From what I've heard, he's still a volatile little s**t only now he's 20.

I have AS. It's milder than the afore mentioned kid's, but it's there. I didn't know I had AS at school, so if I f****d around, there were consequences. I'm... calm, stable and generally reliable in social situations because of that.

Now obviously, I never went off it (because I knew there'd be consequences) and threw tables around the class or threatened the teacher with scissors or anything (this other kid did frequently - he lived in a consequence-free world) but if I was such a dangerous/volatile/violent/aggressive character, I would expect to be restrained. For my own and everyone else's good.

Yes, there's a line between "reasonable force" and needless cruelty, but why the hell should a kid who lobs a table across a room be left alone to do it in a consequence-free environment just because he might have ADHD or AS, as if that somehow excuses them from the norms of our society?

Bring back the f*****g cane.

Well, when you have a child throwing tables in class of 20 other children and a number of teaching assistants, you kind of have no choice. Would you rather see the rest of them have legs implanted in their skulls? Because that's the alternative, and that's the reality - sorry if you disagree, but there are definitely some instances where restraint really is the only option until help arrives or the child calms down. And this child in particular is not telling anyone to get out of his space and has no sensory issues, he's being a little ratbag and saying "Give me attention I want attention", nothing more - he's as much a victim of bad parenting than anything else.

I agree, bring back the cane.

Umm I have dealt with a classroom of kids and one throwing a table. I did not have to use restraint. Noone should have to resort to it. What are you adults? Children??? What kind of role model are you? These kids are scared, that is all, scared. Can't you see that? Would you restrain a child with Downs syndrome? Well would you?

If they were putting a class full of other children at risk, yes. Not smothering them or forcing them down for long, but until help arrived and the kid could be taken elsewhere. Same as ever.

Sometimes, if it's a choice between not restraining the kid or facing a table to someone's head, then it's not really much of a choice at all.

If the child was being violent, to be honest I wouldn't hesitate... I don't see why we should use this softly-softly PC approach just because a kid's "special". It's ridiculous.

Sorry but I have to agree to disagree with you. Meltdowns which is what these often are should never be allowed to get to this pitch. There are signs to watch out for. Plenty of research is available if you should want to know. It takes time to remember to SHhhhhhhh! Often it is quicker and crueler for the teacher to SHhhhhhOUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

Just take it easy with these kids. You do not know why they are melting down, try finding the cause before the fireworks go off. I never have to restrain any child and I work with a lot of them, most on the Austistic Spectrum. Tender Loving Care that is what it is all about. No excuses.

Well yes, it's in everybody's interest to simply avoid the situation completely, but that isn't the issue... you could still end up with a violent situation, despite your best efforts; you just never know.

It's like saying "the police should stop people from committing murder, therefore we shouldn't have a punishment for murder".

Thank you Scribbler for seconding my opinion. This has otherwise been a ridiculously one-sided debate. Why does no one even consider the teachers' point of view here?

Consequence-free evironemts are not helping anyone.

When I have my own HFA meltdowns, I often get the urge to do something violent & destructive. Like smash something. Or perform what amounts to assault on another person. But were I to indulge myself, there would be legal repercussions.

The local law enforcement may not be PC enough to understand
that whatever I do is excusable because I have autism. Who will teach these kids to be accountable for their own actions? This is a developmental milestone no one should miss. All you enablers, think it through!