Over the course of this year in Australia we have seen come to light a number of disturbing revelations of schools creating isolation and seclusion environments for autistic children which are nothing short of cages and prison cells.
The most recent case has come to light in a public funded school in Queensland. But there have been others, in the nations capital the ACT and in Victoria. It would be foolish to think that these are only extremely isolated cases.
Here is the media coverage seen so far.
Channel Nine’s A Curren Affair here
Channel Nine’s Today Show here
Unfortunately I am unable to embed the video here. But please go and watch it. It is essential viewing.
Autistic children are being locked in cages, they are being placed in dark rooms with no light, no ventilation and no way out.
This is a rage inducing situation. I am angry, so very angry. I am angry for the parents of these kids. I am angry even more for the kids themselves.
This is just not ok. Not in any way is it Ok.
I remember as a child being locked in my bedroom by my parents for hours on end. That was horrible and, in my view, harsh and abusive treatment. But, it did not have the added factor of no light, no ventilation, and no light.
This is cruel and inhumane treatment of children. Children are locked away and restrained by force in order to place them into the situation to begin with.
There is no question that as an autistic I face challenges with social interaction and behaviour and communication. I contend that this is largely the unwillingness my society has in accepting difference and making accommodations for that difference. But, those challenges do not negate my right to be treated with dignity respect and common humanity.
We take our autistic kids, place them in a socially dominated situation for 6-8 hours a day, in the care of inadequately trained teachers and carers. Then we wonder why there are behaviour issues to deal with.
Yes nobody said this would be easy. It just isn’t particularly easy, it can be tough, after all, behaviour is communication. And if we agree that behaviour is communication if the communication being presented is to a point that teachers feel that isolation in what is essentially a prison cell is needed, then there is something seriously wrong with the systems and social constructs in play to create the need for such communication.
There is no situation where this treatment of children is acceptable. There is no way when children should be locked away like this. I just should never ever happen.
I am so very angry about this. That my so-called democratic society can produce such terrible treatment of autistic children.
When Cecil the lion was shot, we rightly had outrage in all media forums, not least of which being social media channels. All of this was right of course. I am not complaining about this, I am however making a comparison. The lack of community outrage about these situations is disheartening.
How is it that we can raise our ire for the appalling treatment of animals yet somehow our rage is not triggered enough for a mass outcry about it to bring about change.
It’s just not good enough people.
This is never ok. What’s worse than the individual schools indulging these hate for people is the fact that the state education departments are sitting on their hands, making excuses and even defending the restraint of children. Shame on you education departments, absolute shame on you.
Of course, the problem here is yet again the presence of the pervasive negative narrative surrounding autism and autistics. Catastrophe and epidemic. The use of this language desensitises us to the fact that we are talking about real living children who have been threatened and assaulted.
The narrative must be changed from disordered and diseased to difference and diversity.
Let’s do this.
For more read: Fields of Stones: Mental Health and Mistreatment
This is a terrible situation! I became more and more angry as I read this. You are absolutely correct–how can we, as a society, as a world, allow this to happen?
Exactly
This is insane!! “No evidence that a criminal offense has been committed” Seriously?? So what did these parents just make this all up? Are all the children and parents lying? We are living in an upside down world where we can rally to support the mistreatment of animals but not do likewise for human beings especially children. I hope these parents continue to fight for the justice their children deserve. Thank you for this enlightening post.
These incidents are very disturbing and as I followed them when they occurred at the time I became extremely distressed. I too was locked in a dark earthen floored sheds by my parents…. that was more than half a century ago.
I feel that schools should be architecturally designed to cater for quiet areas in nature… have had many ideas about the functionality of such as I have been a teacher and am aware of lack of facilities.
However, I’m also aware via my teaching experience and witnessing of abuse of provisions designed for specific disabled children… I doubt if areas set aside for quiet respite from overload for autistic children wouldn’t be reassigned by stealth and become open to access from the mainstream school population.
Despite my worst fears I firmly believe that special provision should be made so that autistic people have access to a safe and quiet retreat when necessary.
May be time for architects to get on board and work in concert with autistic teachers and recent autistic pupils/students in reassessing the design of schools.
I recognise that children need to be supervised at all times and I’m sure that there is a way that classroom teachers can oversee their autistic students taking a respite break without the teachers leaving the classroom.
Have conjured up visions of classrooms designed around a nature courtyard with access from each room and visible from high windows ( to allow teachers to oversee the “refugee” without other students being distracted or being able to distract/intrude/ invade the privacy of that space and that of the autistic individual).
Provision for access in inclement weather can be provided via a variety of ways.
Just ideas…. but a huge task that would greatly benefit all if respite could be provided on site.
There is a way
I went to a school for autistics
There was a room adjacent to the main room in the class with a big window that had a big pillow in it
Students had the option to go into it during class if they needed to take a break without penalty
If they stayed in class and disrupted the class they’d lose points (they had a point system there…total of 5 points, points translated into money you could use at the school store, and if you lost points then you would have to sit for some of your recess per point)
But it was never locked, the room wasn’t even a punishment
It was a break room
It can be done
That sounds like a good idea Garrett . I doubt that the same facility would be available in a mainstream school.
In Australia it would be a very rare thing to find such accommodation made to autistic students in mainstream and possibly lacking in Special Schools.
It is a long time since i was inside a special School for Autistics .
Yes Garrett it can be done if those in power have the will to do so… it is just not a priority to them.