Some parents speak out in favor of school 'time out' rooms
AUBURN, Wash. -- Controversy erupted last week upon the discovery that several school districts use small isolation rooms --or "time out" rooms -- for special needs students to calm down or decompress.
Several parents made it known they were angry about their child being put in the rooms without their permission.
But now others say there is another side to the story -- a side that parents of special needs students understand.
"People don't understand what these rooms are for because they're not in our shoes," said Katherine Lynch, whose daughter Dakota has cerebral palsy. "These rooms are very important, because it keeps her safe from when the autistic kids have meltdowns, it keeps them safe, and keeps others safe so they're not injured."
Paulette Debourbon's son uses the rooms as well.
"As long as kids are not being forced into the room, or locked in, they're OK."
Jared is 11-years-old and has oppositional defiant disorder.
"I would be having a bad day, and they would ask me if I want to go in, and I would say yes or no," Jared said.
Jared makes use of a time out room at Auburn's Rainier Middle School.
Principal Ben Talbert says the room is used exclusively for special needs kids.
"You don't want to remove a student forever," Talbert said. "They're having a bad time, they have a hard time controlling it because of their disability, so you help them reset, and you get them right back on track."
A number of school districts make use of similar rooms besides Auburn, including Puyallup, Tacoma, Port Orchard, and Kent.
Lynch says they help our schools to be more inclusive of kids facing special challenges.
"It's so important to understand that these are not bad rooms," she said.
The key, according to Talbert, is that the rooms be used correctly. He says our schools are far more inclusive than they've ever been before, and that the rooms are a by-product of that philosophy.
Several parents made it known they were angry about their child being put in the rooms without their permission.
But now others say there is another side to the story -- a side that parents of special needs students understand.
"People don't understand what these rooms are for because they're not in our shoes," said Katherine Lynch, whose daughter Dakota has cerebral palsy. "These rooms are very important, because it keeps her safe from when the autistic kids have meltdowns, it keeps them safe, and keeps others safe so they're not injured."
Paulette Debourbon's son uses the rooms as well.
"As long as kids are not being forced into the room, or locked in, they're OK."
Jared is 11-years-old and has oppositional defiant disorder.
"I would be having a bad day, and they would ask me if I want to go in, and I would say yes or no," Jared said.
Jared makes use of a time out room at Auburn's Rainier Middle School.
Principal Ben Talbert says the room is used exclusively for special needs kids.
"You don't want to remove a student forever," Talbert said. "They're having a bad time, they have a hard time controlling it because of their disability, so you help them reset, and you get them right back on track."
A number of school districts make use of similar rooms besides Auburn, including Puyallup, Tacoma, Port Orchard, and Kent.
Lynch says they help our schools to be more inclusive of kids facing special challenges.
"It's so important to understand that these are not bad rooms," she said.
The key, according to Talbert, is that the rooms be used correctly. He says our schools are far more inclusive than they've ever been before, and that the rooms are a by-product of that philosophy.
I see where these rooms could be misused, and probably are in some cases, but the original purpose of them is still escaping most people. As for blaming the parent for a child's disability, that's really low. I am a parent of a special needs child and his issues have nothing to do with my parenting. He seemed to be developing normally until about the age of 3 1/2. Then for no reason that anyone could figure out he would go into fits of rage and aggression and would start beating his head on any hard surface until he bled. Just imagine being a parent of a 3 year old child and watching blood running down his face from a self inflicted wound and not understanding why? There are parents out there who are horrible parents and have kids who are unruly because of it but that's not all of us. There are also teachers who claim to know what they are doing and actually have no idea, along with teachers who are awesome when it comes to teaching special needs kids. My son had an awesome teacher until halfway through his 2nd grade year when he had to switch classes. He then was sent home 6 times in 2 weeks. The teacher never reported it to the special education director, I had to do that, which resulted to him being transferred into a separate school that was better equipped to handle his behavior. I don't know about other schools but I know that in the school my son is in now they have a "time out" room, although they don't call it that, and I have witnessed it being used with my child. He sits in the room, the door is left open, and 2 teachers sit outside the door waiting for him to calm down on his own. It is the only way he will calm down and it prevents him from hurting himself, see above. Oh and for the people who say that he probably acts this way because I'm too gentle with him and baby him, bull crap, he has gotten his fair share of spankings when they are warranted. But it doesn't make his disability disappear.
Oppositional defiant disorder really!! My god they have medical terms and medications for everything now a days. If a kids is out of control and I have to worry about them hurting my child then yes I am all for it however parents really need to start teaching their kids respect. It starts when they are young and if my 11 year old lost control and threw temper tantrums like a 2 year old I wouldn't make excuses for him the only thing I would do is give him a good old fashioned spankin.
I will be more than happy to see the school or someone educating my kids,
put them in the time-out room if needed is fine with me ! If they deserve
that punishment,go ahead and do it,don't let them walk away with murder !!!!.
a child was just forgotten in one of these rooms, peed his pants and was left alone for who knows how long because the truth will never be told due to wrong doing.we have too many not so good teachers all over washington schools and they arent going away fast enough, not with out the force of the law. the parents need to be called and the unruly student sent home
 @maggie112Â
I am sorry to hear about your child.  One of my big concerns is the misuse of these rooms.  When it comes to the teachers, you are correct some are good and some are not so good.  When it comes to teaching children with challenging behavior, I don't know if we can judge the teachers.  First we need to assess if they really have been taught appropriate strategies to work with the kids.  I believe that some teachers are in crisis mode and are trying to do the best they can.  They are doing the best they can with the skills they have.  And the students are doing the best they can with the skills they have.Â
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If the child wants to escape school (demands) then sending him home would reward the child's behavior.  Then every time they want to go home, they just have to throw a desk or become aggressive.  That will be teaching the student the wrong thing. Â
Under the law, a seclusion rooms is supposed to be used in a very specific way.  Many of the storys stating "they are not so bad" are actually not using them legally.  They are NOT supposed to be places where children can spontaneously go to to calm down or use to take a break.  That is a different place.  A very needed but different place than a seclusion room.
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The WAC states exactly what the room must or must not have.  They can all look very different and follow the laws.  When it comes to using the rooms, we can find 20 districts using these rooms 20 different ways.  The schools within the district are using them differently.  Even teachers end up using them differently depending on a variety of things (teaching style, experience, patience level, etc).  That is the problem with these rooms.  People can say and write that they are using them one way, but they have the ability to be abused.  We have seen a story this week about a general education kindergarteners being locked in them. Â
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I just wish the teachers and students were taught more strategies so they did not feel they needed to rely on these seclusion  rooms. Â
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Just remember nobody can use these rooms without a parent's consent.......the parent has to know about this.......if they(the parent) don't see it as a good thing. They don't give consent. that is the end of the conversation.....it is NOT forced on children.......AGAIN IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IT ....... GO TALK TO A TEACHER WHO USES THEM.......you do not in any way have the right to judge something you do not understand.....this is not your child....then stay out of their business......I have a "special needs child".........I know what happens these situation.......STAY OUT OF OUR BUSINESS.........and move on......go put your opinion somewhere else......
@kristina
That is not true. Â Children can be place in here without parental consent. Â I discussed this with a teacher who teaches a behaviorally impaired class. Â She said that if she does, then an immediate IEP meeting is called.Â
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I know of other parents who have refused to sign the consent.  Some were told their child can't come to school without it signed.  A former client of mine (many years ago) was just put in a seclusion room.  This happened AFTER the family got the school in trouble for putting the child in a room.  They refused to consent.  he was put in a room multiple times.  The school got into trouble.  Then the school put him back in the seclusion room.  What does the parent do then?
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I would also like to see a parent re-sign the consent forms once they have watched videos of their child in the rooms.  That way it is truly informed consent!  If they are happy with the intervention, then they can sign it again! Â
For all of you short-minded people, how many of you need "cool downs" or simply just need to go for a walk when "over heated" That's EXACTLY what these rooms are for. These rooms are a "punching bag" for those kids who get too overwhelmed with their surroundings and need to take a break from the students and teachers. All this negative talk about Jared is UNCALLED for. That is MY brother and no @thebigteacher his disorder DOES NOT mean he will go to prison. that was an ignorant low ball statement you had made. Jared knows when he has reached that boiling point and chooses to take a cool down moment and step away from his current scenery when need be. He has been to MULTIPLE schools his whole life and suspended most of the year in those schools because he gets out of control and takes the anger our on those around him. Why should they schools suspend him every time he gets overwhelmed when they can get him a break and he can return to his learning when these rages are over.  His rages are no different then Tourette syndrome. He cant control them. So everyone who needs to feel the need to judge anyone, They were ASKED to do this interview. No one ASKED for your negative feedback. Good Day To All.
It seems that a lot of people don't realize the difference between discipline and punishment. If I were a teacher in a special ed classroom, I would use the time out as discipline, and give the out-of-control child a chance to discipline his or herself first.Â
I see nothing wrong with a timeout room as long as the child can leave when he or she is able to calm down.
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 @Waif "It seems that a lot of people don't realize the difference between discipline and punishment."
Very true. Many people don't know the difference. Not only do they not know they are different they also assume that it means being beat or humiliated or some such nonsense.
People discipline themselves in various ways every day (get out of bed on time, etc). Coaches discipline their athletes etc. Discipline is typically a regimented training of oneself or others typically with a goal in mind.
Punishment is generally a retribution or penalty inflicted on someone in response to some offense. Punishment does not always involve beating or harsh treatment as some assume.
Properly used a timeout room can be a valuable benefit to the kids that need it.
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I have worked in schools that use time out areas similiar to this room. The ones I've worked with are not actually rooms, they are more of a padded area with walls that I could see over. They were never used for discipline with gen ed kids, they were only used for certain spec ed kids who would become out of control and flail their arms, bang their head forcibly on the desk, floor or wall, and they would be grabbing for the teacher's hair or clothing. They aren't bad children, they are unable to cope with their emotions at the time for whatever reason. Usually they were the kids who were non verbal and not being able to express their emotions vocally would cause the behavior.  I also believe if the teachers called the parents to come collect their child every time they experienced one of these periods of behavior, their opinion on the use of these rooms would change quickly.
 @justmyopinion well said. well said! Thank you!!!
The fact that we live in a society that now has a term "oppositional defiant disorder" with which we label young children speaks volumes about just how far we have fallen. I guess all of our forefathers and those that question authority should all be labeled as such. That way the pharma industry can continue to make big bucks on selling crap to further drug up the most drugged children in the world. Hook, line and sinker folks.
@Fury I thought the same thing when I read "oppositional definant disorder". I'm sorry but some kids I see act out the way they do have some of the weakest parents I have ever seen. No I am not saying abuse your child BUT there is nothing wrong with a good ol' fashion but spanking. Respect is something you teach your kids at a very early age. Push overs and dead beat parents are the primary reason for these out of control kids now a days.
@Fury ...Nailed it.
Is this a joke???? As a parent of two small children with special needs and on the spectrum I can assure you there is NEVER a circumstance in which you should stick a small child in a padded room, regardless of what you choose to call it (time out room, please). I'm distressed by the fact that any parent would advocate this type of isolation. To the school districts, how about if you take the money you spent on constructing padded rooms and redirect it to spending money on educating gen ed teachers on effective methods of dealing with a child who is losing control. It is the 21st century after all.
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ok kate so Im going to stick you in a classroom with special needs kids with no isolation room, time out room or safe room. And you figure out how YOU are going to handle being hit punched, sharp objects thrown at you, all the while while another kid has a meltdown and starts injuring themselves and you have no help. What are you going to do? How are you going to protect the defenseless special needs children that cannot get away or protect themselves so they are not injured? Tell me this how will you protect a legally blind child wheelchair bound that is say 15 years old and has the mental capacity of a 1 year old? You solve that problem it will be a miracle!
 @Kate Hopefully there are people in the Seattle School District that rely on more than just KOMO for information about these practices. Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities, COPAA (Jessica Butler, 2009); School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools, NDRN (2009); Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers (GAO-09-719T). Just Google it. There are safe alternatives available. These rooms should be banned.
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 @Kate First of all, the Kate above is not me (although I do appreciate her comment and tact). Second of all, k_did, you don't know me and you don't know how old my children are, nor their tendencies, so your assumptions that I cannot personally relate have no basis. You're going to stick me in a classroom with special needs kids and no isolation booth? Not necessary. Not only would it require you to pull your head out of your a*s, but I've spent plenty of time in such classrooms (as I mentioned, I have 2 special needs kids) and witnessed the full spectrum. Which leads me to my third point, that safe and effective alternatives exist and should be used instead of these 'isolation' booths. The Experimental Education Unit at the University of Washington is an excellent example. How do you protect the other children? Ask one of the amazing, competent, kind, gentle and effective teachers there. They've mastered the art. Â
 @kate As a parent of two small children with special needs and on the spectrum, you must realize that each child is unique and each child has different things that work and don't work for them. What may work for your family may not work for another. Notice that the kids in this article are included in the decision and in one case, the boy ASKS to use the room. As you grow with your children you will come to understand that too much stimulation very often is too hard for some of these kids. Providing them with a quiet place free from incoming stimuli allows them to regain focus so that they can carry on and have a good day.
 @k_did yes i do realize every case is unique and not work for everyone. Its just frustrating bc a lot of people are missing the point. Thank you k_did for at least understanding. It was awful to see some of those comments directed at my friend attacking her so to speak and saying she just needs to punish her son more and then he'll behave. If the story hadn't been severely edited I believe it would have been better received and understood.
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 @Keletor This does not make sense. Â
"Disruptive students need to be punished." ---Ok so you want to decease disruptive behavior. Â I am following you
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"It is best to lock them up in those rooms instead of having the authorities lock them up in jail in the future." Â ---How does locking them up now, stop them from being locked up in the future? Â Personally, I think would would be teaching them that being locked up is "normal", that's what happens in live. Â
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"We do them a favor when we punish them." Â ---I disagree. Â When we punish, we don't teach anything. Â We try to teach them what not to do, but not what TO DO. Â Instead, I identify to function of the behavior and TEACH an appropriate replacement behavior. Â Teach and reward new behavior. Â
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 @Keletor These rooms are not used for punishment, they are used only with spcial needs children who require a safe place to decompress before they hurt themselves or someone else. In my experience, these rooms are not used for gen ed students. In my experience working in schools, they are only used when a child asks to go in one or when they are so out of control, we couldn't keep them safe. When you have a 5ft tall, 130 pound child out of control, flailing their arms, banging their heads on the floor, desk or wall, trying to get a handful of your hair you have to get them to a safe place for your safety and theirs. I have never actually seen a room like the one in this photo. The "rooms" I have seen used are usually short enough I could see over the walls. Children are never left inside them alone, there is always someone right outside watching over them. It's a safe way to control an unsafe situation, and very necessary when you are managing special needs kids.
"Time out" has been a very effective disciplinary strategy for decades. It offers a troubled child a place and time to calm down and become more centered while allowing education of other students to continue in the classroom that had been disrupted by the disruptive student. Other students have a right to an education, also; and the disruptive student has no right to usurp the rights of other students. In fact, Washington law demands that a teacher must maintain a level of discipline that allows effective learning for all students. A solitary confinement, "padded" cell sounds a bit extreme to me, but if a child were subject to uncontrollable rages that might cause him to injure himself, I can see that a room set up to prevent that kind of injury would be more appropriate. For the average disruptive student, just a quiet room away from the stimulation of interaction with others for a time is very effective in most cases.  It is one of the few options open to teachers who must maintain a classroom atmosphere which allows learning by all students.  Poor discipline in today's schools is a major reason for lack of achievement, and enforcement of adequate discipline is very difficult without the support of parents who have good parenting skills and understand that a teacher is disciplining a child because he or she cares about  the effective education of all students.
@Mary ... In addition, I think it would be a good idea to have a room like this one installed in private homes too. When I was little and would act up, I would get sent to my room where all my cool stuff was...it was very rewarding. But if I was to get sent to "the room", like this one, it may have been a little more effective. My parents might have just locked me in there until I was 18.
The Auburn school district already did so much emotional damage to my kid. While there are some spectacular teachers in this district, Auburn refuses to make necessary changes despite lawsuits and constant complains. We had no other choice but to leave. Seeing that her future middle school has rooms like this means we won't be coming back anytime soon.Â
 @makeadifference You are wise to be your own best counsel. You know what is best for your child.
Stop blaming schools! Wake up people! Parents are not parenting anymore and they are creating these unteachable kids. I mean, you have to have a healthy relationship with your kid before they get to school. I mean, you have to have taught your child how to listen and follow directions to learn.
As an example I see unruly, undisciplined and insolent kids at the grocery store, totally out of control. And the parent is either ignoring it, or shoving a candy bar at them, or screaming at them!  Hello! Those are NOT effective parenting tactics. Parents send their kids to school and expect the teacher to try and magically turn them in to "learners".  Believe me, that is an impossible job.Â
I am a special education teacher. I can tell you, at least half of the kids I work with have had very, very poor parenting, fwhich is extremely detrimental for developmentally impaired children.
@lilly ....I agree that parents need to fess up and take responsibility early in their child's life instead of handing the rearing of the child over to a stranger. C'mon parents you only have yourselves to blame and nobody else.
@lilly You sound horribly uneducated with your comments. Obviously it is true that many children do not receive appropriate parenting; however many children do have diseases and/or disorders that you can't just "parent" out of them. As to your quote friend of 33 years you mention below, not all autistic children have the same symptoms to the same extent, and some respond to different treatments better than others. You would know that if you were educated in your field. Stop blaming parents, teachers (except those like you) and focus on the horrible misfortunes that SOME children are really born with.
 @lilly You don't have a clue what you're talking about. While these cases do exist, so many of these children have issues requiring extensive therapy and understanding from those that would dismiss them as brats. Even with the best therapists, dedicated parents and the best of everything, these children still have issues. I think it's time for you to find a different career. I'm also pretty sure you're aware that many schools slap a label onto a child to get extra funding.Â
 @lilly When I got to the end of your comment and actually read you are a special education teacher and are saying something as crazy as what you just said.  My jaw drops in AMAZEMENT that you are teaching special ed and actually placing the blame on the parents.  Obviously you are in the wrong field with NO understanding of these children. Your training or lack of is obvious. WOW what district are you in?  How many hours do kids spend in school versus the home?  Are you kidding schools are full of LAZY people who don't understand how to help special ed kids.  My experience fighting the system keeps showing me how BAD our education system is here at least for our special ed education.
 @Annie  @lilly It's ultimately up to the parents.  I am a parent of two developmentally delayed boys.  If my boys were harmful to themselves, other students or teachers I would not have them in school.  It's too much to ask of these teachers.  It isn't teachers against parents or visa versa.  We all have to work together.  The behavior of my children ultimately reflects on me as a parent and with the two I have that have special needs, they just take more time and patience.
@Annie @lilly And what is your claim to expertise in managing special ed kids? Are you a trained teacher? It sounds as if you are one of the parents who has allowed her kids to get out of control, so you find it necessary to blame the "system," Maybe you should stop "fighting the system," get some training in parenting, and get your kids under control. In today's schools ALL teachers must manage special ed kids because of the mainstreaming law. Teachers working with supportive parents who are helping rather than fighting the "system" have more success in working with special ed and all kids. This is the opinion of another, very experienced and not lazy teacher. :-)
 @Annie You are right, many of the teachers have no idea how to work with Special Ed kids. But in a reform movement, parents were the ones who insisted on mainstreaming about 15 years ago.  Most teachers are not Special Ed trained, so what do you expect?
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 @Annie I am totally opposed to these rooms!  I have been told by numerous parents and students that I have been the best teacher they have every had. You have no experience with the horrible, despicable side of this equation, having to work with parents who are just interested in blaming someone else for their mistakes.
 @makeadifference you are an Angel. God bless you, thank you for your time.
 @lilly  @Annie No, I'm passionate about children and education. As for getting my head out... I volunteer over 700 hours a year for Auburn kids.
@lilly @makeadifference @Annie I am glad that you are not my child's teacher.
 @makeadifference  @Annie sorry, you are wrong about that. you sound burned out. Try starting a parenting support group, or volunteer at a soup kitchen, get your head out of your own world and you'll see that you are not the only one suffering in this world.
 @lilly  @Annie Why are special ed parents so defensive? The system is so incredibly bureaucratic. So influenced by additional funding. So impossible to get anything done without a meeting with 10 people in the room and one or two parents. Defensive because you see our children as autistic rather than children that have autism. Special ed focuses on what is wrong and not what is good. Nothing is done to foster the good things. Highly capable children are either given busy work or paired with children that are struggling. They marinate while struggling kids are focused on, labeled and pushed into pull out services. Once everyone fits into a nice little box and becomes America's cubicle rat, all is well in education. You may have taught special ed or had a friend with a son dealing with autism but I can tell you personally do not have children with special needs.Â
 @Annie Genetics? No, I think I clearly stated good parenting is a set of behavioral characteristics.   Just because I am a special ed teacher doesn't mean I have never taught "mainstream" kids....I am certified K-12.  For goodness sake, why are special ed parents so defensive?  Stop with the guilt.  Just take responsibility and more along. And not all of my comments are relevant to Special Ed kids!  Again, I say, go to the school and see what kids are actually doing in school. Not just your child, but other children. Many parents send their kids to school with no decent meals and no decent sleep. As a parent you should not use your child as "cause". He is your child, not a reason to be angry at the educational system. You are only hurting yourself and your family with your anger.  Special Ed parents are responsible for using good parenting and getting help if they need to learn good parenting. By the way, my best friends son is autistic. We've been friends for 33 years, her son is in a group home (a good one, which I helped her find) and doing great. But she had a very hard road. And yes, I have been there for them every step of the way.Â
 @lilly Your response elaborates your opinion too well.  Blame the parent.  How is it the parents fault?  Are we talking genetics here?
This is very biased. Â Why don't you interview the people that are against these rooms? Â They probably OUTNUMBER the idiots you did interview tonight. Â Our children are not animals and do not deserve a society that treats them like animals. Â This has to stop. Â An institution has no right to have closets for children with holes in the ceiling so they can breathe. Â Don't treat children like they are criminals. Â Find a better way to help them. Â Find qualified staff. Â This story is an outrage and something needs to be done. Â Autism has been on the rise and there is NOTHING in the public school system that caters to our children. Â So frustrating.
 @Annie are you kidding? The current public school system caters to the the least able to learn. The child who has no attention span and no respect for authority has to be catered and give the majority of the teachers attention. Otherwise,  they make such a disruption other students can not do any learning.  How do you expect teachers to teach? Go visit a classroom and see what is going on before you talk about "the school system". You obviously have very limited experienced. Perhaps with just your own child or small circle of friends. I have been a teacher for 15 years.
@lilly @Annie In our school, parents volunteer and work with those who are struggling to help the teachers. Maybe if you were more welcoming and kind to parents they would want to come and help you out. I'm sure that your attitude comes through in your dealings with the parents of your students, who if they are truly special ed, you know are not just spoiled brats with no parenting. You paint with such a broad stroke that I find it disturbing. This opinion is coming from a mom who has a very high functioning child on the spectrum but who refuses to tell the school that is the case and who handles the needs at home. He is 3.90 and 13th in his class right now and never had to go to Special Ed because I didn't want him pigeonholed and viewed as different. I wanted him mainstreamed!
 @lilly WOW you sound like the wonderful teacher of the year.  You sound like you hate your job and your students.  "The child who has no attention span and no respect for authority has to be catered and give the majority of the teachers attention".  What would you do with them?  Again sounds like you have no IDEA of what it means to have a child with special needs.
I have been disgusted seeing the segregation not integration that is going on. Â Putting Bright orange vests on them when they go out to the playground with the typical kids. Â Why? so the teacher doesn't lose them. Â Mind you they have para educators with them at all times. Â Are you kidding me? Â What are they doing? Â why should a 6 year old be segregated this way and identified by typical kids as the kid that is nothing like them. Â The school is doing this. Â Then you ask about bullying. Â This is how it gets started. Â Special ed children being identified as different. Â The school is doing this. Â
 @AnnieSo, I am an IDIOT?! Who the are you to judge me? So do away with the rooms and who is going to protect my daughter when say a child with downs syndrome has a meltdown? Or when a child with autism melts down, I HAVE SEEN FIRST HAND THESE MELTDOWNS my daughter is in a wheelchair and does not have the mental capacity to protect herself! Her learning level is 6 months of age and she is 15 years old. These rooms will always be a controversy but it is NOT a bad thing. I fully support the use of these rooms when used properly, and yes I DO BELIEVE that there is NOT enough educated people out there equipped to deal with special needs children. The point of mine AND my close friend Paulette was to hopefully educate people but our story was severely edited. SO before anyone deems themselves God like and passes JUDGMENT all the facts were NOT shown on air. And until you PERSONALLY live and walk in our shoes YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE DEAL WITH 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK. I not only am there for my daughter 24/7 but I also do this for a living. I LOVE WORKING WITH SPECIAL NEEDS PEOPLE they are the ones the need the most care and love; and I will continue to speak out and hopefully some ignorant people will finally get the message.
 @Annie Yes, you are so right. And this is due to the laws, which were designed to protect children. A Special Ed child went missing and the parents sued, now the district has to make them wear a vest. Do you really think people are so cruel that they are trying to be hurtful? The majority of the people I work with really care.