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School shut our son in a room

My son is seeing a second psychiatrist. The first one diagnosed him as bipolar with slight adhd but son refused to talk with her, just her associate. This was a couple of years ago. He was started at that time on bipolar and depression medication through his primary with consult with this psychiatrist.

He appears to need his meds increased. Primary refuses to do so until son sees new psychiatrist.

Started with new psychiatrist a couple of weeks ago. I had consult with him (husband injured so I went myself). Last week he consulted with our son. This week he is to meet with our son.

Friday, however, our son ran off during recess because he was afraid he was going to get in trouble for something he says he didn't do. A child had gone to the recess supervisor complaining that students said they didn't like him. She was calling the students over to her and my son was one of them. He ran to the end of the school property. Believe where he was was still school property but not absolutely sure.

They called me. I told them I would be right there. They said he'd be outside if they couldn't get him inside. I found out after that they bodily put him in someone's car, drove him to the school entrance and carried him inside. When I got there they had him in a very small white room (5' x 10' or so) without windows and were holding the door shut. They said they were letting him "cool down".

This is the first major problem they've had with him and this was how they handled it. He is 10 years old.

The principal told me he couldn't return to school until "YOU come up with a safety plan." I meet with the principal on Monday.

I feel angry now but was crying Friday night.

Any advice?

Julie

I am sorry that you are going thru this...it sounds awful.
I bet your son is afraid.
when does he see his new psych doc (pdoc)?
there are folks on this board that deal with children and special programs teaching rules acceptions given to special children, like individual testing etc...Donna may come along and help you...
sorry I don't have any good answers for you.
I just wanted to let you know that I read what you said and feel for you.
bizi

"seclusion room" and "time out room" for 10 yr old child in school

HI,

Wait.
First, I absolutely would not talk to the principal unless I had a lawyer or advocate with me.
It's ok for the child to miss some school while you work this out.
There are volunteer as well as professional organizations that will advocate for you with the school.

How long was the child in the room? About 15 minutes max?
Was he constantly supervised the whole time?

I'm pretty sure that the principal can't really expect you to have a safety plan in place. You are supposed to come up with a plan with school personnel.

See this link for phone numbers for NAMI and CHADD.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/..._illness/15677

Also contact bpkids.org
http://www.bpkids.org/learn/library/...ional-advocate

If you give us some hints about about where you live or tell us in a PM if you don't want to post it here someone might be able to give you some suggestions about how to find help dealing with the school.

A few states have laws against "seclusion rooms" and "time out rooms."
Some others have guidelines that schools are supposed to follow.

http://www.informationliberation.com/index.php?id=26314

Quote:

Few states have laws on using seclusion rooms, though 24 states have written guidelines, according to a 2007 study conducted by a Clemson University researcher.

Texas, which was included in that study, has stopped using seclusion and restraint. Georgia has just begun to draft guidelines, four years after Jonathan's death.

Based on conversations with officials in 22 states with written guidelines, seclusion is intended as a last resort when other attempts to calm a child have failed or when a student is hurting himself or others.

Michigan requires that a child held in seclusion have constant supervision from an instructor trained specifically in special education, and that confinement not exceed 15 minutes.

Connecticut education spokesman Tom Murphy said "time-out rooms" were used sparingly and were "usually small rooms with padding on the walls."

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed (Wright's Law H.R. 4247) to prohibit schools from using seclusion and harmful restraint. I suppose that the Senate version of the bill has not passed yet.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/restr...247.butler.htm

Here is a link to Wright's law. http://www.wrightslaw.com/

Are you seeing a pediatric psychiatrist?
ADD meds and antidepressants are sometimes harmful to children who have bipolar as they can increase agitation and agresion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie_B (Post 662044)

Primary refuses to do so until son sees new psychiatrist.

Primary docs are not equipped to deal with child with possible bipolar.
It is good you are seeing a psychiatrist.

I'm angry for you.
School personnel in general are not trained, experienced,or motivated to deal with children out of the average range When a problem comes up the administration bullies the parent by trying to get the parent to agree to measures that suit the school but not necessarily the child or parent. Even though your partner cannot come to school, it will help that he will be in phone contact with the school. Maybe, for example. when you do have the next meeting with the advocate and the principal, your partner can be on speaker or at least in phone contact.
The school is more likely to respond to your concerns if they know that both parents are involved.

It might be that once the principal is clear that you are clear about your son's rights and your own rights, he will work with you.

Please keep the faith that you can fix this and help your son.

M.

Dear Julie,

that is horrible that the school did that to your boy. i hope that you can work things out soon for him. i definitely agree that it is ok (probably better) to keep him home from school until some sort of plan can be established with the school. INCLUDING establishing/understanding their conditions for taking certain actions ... such as locking your son in a white room! :eek: i would want to get a good grasp of the lay of the land and something in writing from them before sending him back.

good to know that some states are establishing regulations about that... but scary that the other states don't have any! :eek:

:confused:

wishing you good luck with everything and hoping your son does well with his new pdoc.

~ waves ~

Julie
I responded to you in the parents forum. But I wanted to say that
Mari was totally correct the principal was off to expect you to
meet without other personal present to help make this plan.

I hope you go read my thoughts. And if you give me some information
as to your state. I can help you locate the advocacy program in
your state.

I'm really sorry, this was used. Its the kind of room that is reserved
for students that are so out of control they are considered a risk
to either themselves or others.

There is nothing in the room that they can use to hurt themselves.
And this way they can't do damage to others or throw things in some
cases.

I would also suggest you find out what kind of holds they used. There
are only some that are legal.

Donna

Call the school superintendent and voice your concerns about what your principal allowed to happen to your son. In the same breath get an advocate (maybe call around a few organizations that are related to your sons condition?) to help fight for your son. That is abuse. He wasn't hurting anyone or himself so no reason to "lock' him up. I am angry for you. :hug:

Do not meet with anyone until you get legal and sound advice from an advocate. Anything can be used against you. It may help to call your sons doctor and let him know what happened and how to approach this.

Thank you all - one more question...

Thank you all for your responses. I am looking into advocacy for children's mental health in my state. I have an appointment now set up with the school on Wednesday but until I am sure I can have advocacy with me or get advice from them first may call and delay that meeting also.

Met with my son's doctor today and he helped me come up with our son meeting with a trusting person at the school for him to talk to when anxiety issues arise, instead of running off. I think he felt they over reacted with the small white room time out thing.

I am wondering too, should I be looking at 504s or IEPs and are they more of a help or a hinderance. Want him to reach for the stars and be all that he can be. However, do not want them mistreating him again either...

Thanks,
Julie

IEPs / 504s / Americans With Disabilities Act

Hi.

Keep delaying that meeting.
I'm glad that you got help from the pdoc and that you are looking into getting an advocate to help you at the next meeting.

With the suggestions of the pdoc, you can have it written into the IEP that your son is allowed to find a trusted person when he is feeling anxious. This will have to be written down. If it is not written into the plan, the school does not have to do it (and won't do it).

Maybe your son, does not do well on the play ground. Maybe the IEP can include an alternate to the playground -- like someplace inside and quiet
Or maybe he should be on the playground for a short period of time instead of the full school wide scheduled time.

Here is a sample IEP:

http://www.bipolarchild.com/IEP/

Quote:

PRESENT LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE

Joseph has anxiety that expresses itself in school whereby he becomes oppositional and irritable, disruptive, and unable to stay in the classroom. This is not Joseph's regular demeanor; these traits become observable when he is extremely anxious.

ANNUAL GOAL

Given a visual cue by staff, Joseph will utilize the permanent pass in his possession and seek out either the school guidance counselor or the school psychologist to utilize relaxation tools and strategies to reduce his anxiety, and to reduce the chances of his becoming irritable, oppositional or disruptive. He will do this without protesting or complaining 80 percent of the time.

Objectives:

~Given a visual cue by staff, Joseph will utilize the permanent pass in his possession and seek out either the school guidance counselor or the school psychologist 20 percent of the time for the first marking period.
~Given a visual cue by staff, Joseph will utilize the permanent pass in his possession and seek out either the school guidance counselor or the school psychologist 40 percent of the time for the second marking period.
~Given a visual cue by staff, Joseph will utilize the permanent pass in his possession and seek out either the school guidance counselor or the school psychologist 60 percent for the third marking period.
~Given a visual cue by staff, Joseph will utilize the permanent pass in his possession and seek out either the school guidance counselor or the school psychologist 80 percent for the fourth marking period.

Each IEP is tailored to the individual student and to the resources of the school. I'm not saying that your child needs the items in this particular IEP. I am pasting this here so you can see how an IEP might work.

Quote:

Want him to reach for the stars and be all that he can be. However, do not want them mistreating him again either...

He can reach for the stars. The IEP is to help him get there.

The IEP is a legal document that requires the school to do exactly what it is supposed to do.

About.com has lots of links and good info:
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/...f/iepfaq01.htm

http://learningdisabilities.about.co...eameetings.htm

By law, if your son has a documented disability (diagnosis from his pdoc ( and perhaps the school psychologist - not sure), the school is required to reasonably accommodate him.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/section504.ada.peer.htm

Quote:

These civil rights laws require not only that students with disabilities take part in these accountability assessments, but that they receive any reasonable accommodations necessary to participate.

To be honest I am almost thinking the local authorities should be involved. I mean, think about when parents have been caught locking their children in a room? It's unacceptable, period. Your child has bipolar disease, not a schizophrenic or a harm to himself or tohers right? So their choice seems way off base in my opinion. Mari is right on about the IEP's and how to approach the school. It may be they panicked and did what they thought was necessary at the time. But in hind sight it was wrong whether they know it or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyC (Post 662663)

Your child has bipolar disease, not a schizophrenic or a harm to himself or tohers right? So their choice seems way off base in my opinion.

ok, wait wait wait. :o

most schizophrenics, under most conditions, are not harmful to themselves or others. :o psychosis and violent behavior / threat of harm to self or others can present in schizophrenic or bipolar patients, under certain conditions - especially if there is psychosis or paranoia, both of which can occur in either disorder. in all fairness, however, even people who are not psychiatric patients, under certain conditions may be harmful to themselves or others.

that is the bottom line - whether a child poses any risk to his welfare of that or others, or whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that is the case, based on a childs behavior at a given time. it doesn't matter what the cause is for behavior, or whether there is illness or not.

i can't see where running away or screaming could constitute a need for protective confinement! :confused:

if the child was confined for any other reason than reasonably warranted protection, it was inappropriate and then, i agree that the authorities could be called in. but i would not get the authorities involved without first ascertaining what specific behavior led the school personnel to confine him, because that could backfire bigtime.

i really see a need for a professional advocate here, to help figure out what's what, and especially to make sure the right things get said - to the right people - in the right way. ;)

~ waves ~