Doesn't one have to go to school to learn how to work with children who are special needs? Maybe participate in some training? Or can any yahoo off the street become a special education teacher? It seems that may be the case in Kentucky, where an autistic child was shoved into a ball bag as "discipline." Yep, get ready to get super, duper enraged, parents. Especially if you're a parent to a child with special needs, but even if you just have a sane way of looking at the world and empathy for your fellow man.
Because a teacher put a 9-year-old child into a bag used to hold soccer balls, basketballs, footballs -- anything except a 9-year-old child.
When Sandra Baker showed up to her son's school after being phoned to pick up Christopher, she arrived to find that Christopher had been shoved into a ball bag and was, naturally, quite agitated. When Baker demanded to know what was going on, the special education teacher admitted that they used the bag as discipline for Christopher.
If I had a special needs child in this Mercer County school, I'd be up there right now trying to find if my kid had spent any time in the bag as well. And demanding some re-training or firing of the person who thought it was a good idea to trap a kid inside a bag.
I'm sure being a special education teacher is beyond trying. That's why we should have admiration and empathy for people in these challenging positions. But resorting to, what could be described as abuse, is never okay. The negative effect on Christopher will reach far beyond the immediate, which was bad enough. Christopher's mom said he went straight to his room when she brought him home, did not come out all night, and would not communicate with anyone. Yeah, that's helpful to a special needs kid.
Hopefully the school will get to the bottom of this crazy situation and Christopher (and any other kids who were victims here) will recover with minimal damage.
What do you think should happen to this teacher?
Image via Dave Center/Flickr
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Comments 43
She should never be allowed to work with people that have special needs! They can't always defend themselves and there is no way of knowing she will change her ways. Poor kid :(
They all need to be fired. The teachers and aides who did this and the principal who either didnt know it happened or allowed it to. If a dog is put in a duffel bag it would be called animal cruelty. This is sick.
I can't even begin to express my outrage at the way some "professionals" treat children with special needs. This is sick, depraved, abusive, mean, horrible, uncalled for, and that staff member should be fired and thier name should be spread all over the country so she cannot do this to another child!!!!!
Everyone who let this happen needs to be fired. Immediatly. Seriously?! A ball bag?? What the buck is with people?
At the very least, anyone who had a part in that should be fired!!!!! I can't imagine someone doing something like that. Maybe they should be shoved into a bag and see how they like it!