how does your ms school handle physical outbursts?

[knat]

DD is due to start school in September and she can have quite violent outbursts (she's asd and adhd). She gets very distressed at going home time and on a visit to the new school she completely broke down at home time which resulted in the two TA's carrying hr out of the classroom by her arms and legs to the door. I was shocked at this and wondered why they didn't just get me to come in and help? After a meeting today the phsyical side really is an issue to deal with. Obviously school need to bear in mind safety of dd, teachers and other children and if she needs to be removed to a quiet area how do they physically move her? What's your experience?

AFAIK staff are supposed to have restraint training before they are allowed to physically remove children. I know that ds2's teacher told me that she personally didn't like the idea of restraint and that she would not be using it. If ds2 gets angry then they give him space to calm down. Over the year (he's now at the end of Reception) they have been working with him on ways to recognise when he is feeling angry and how to take himself off to the quiet area so that he can calm down. Ds2 is 5 and has AS.

Sorry. Silly name change from another thread.

thanks. Apparently restraint training is only used in special schools (according to our meeting this morning). I'm not a big fan of restraint but i can understand that they may have problems containing her if she gets phsyically angry. The school are going to look into the training and also policies relating to physical handling. I have to say i was completely shocked to see them carrying her out of the classroom and i think this is going to be a big learning curve for everyone.

Training can be given in MS school. TEACCH i think is the training in positive handling which has been used with my DS. My DS has a DX of ODD and suspected ASD and is very aggressive and TBH MS have struggled to cope with his aggression.

Positive handling techniques should be offered to anyone working with a child who has violent outbursts. Your LEA should know about it. It is a 2 day course with refresher courses every other year.

The special school that I work at does approach training. The reason that they use two LSAs is to avoid hurting the child.

I believe that my son's mainstream school uses approach methods as well. But I'm not sure.

Ultimately restraint should be used as a last restort. It shouldn't be a means of discipline. Restraint techniques are to ensure safety. If your little girl was attacking another child then it would be reasonable to restrain her as quickly as possible. If she was throwing a tantrum then that is not a reason to restrain.

For example if a six foot boy who is cognitatively at the same stage as an 18 month old baby decides he wants to climb on the roof then its sense to restrain him for his own safety.

I have a desperate sad feeling that some staff are desperate to put the restraint techniques that they have been taught into practice rather than using other techniques of discipline.

I am surprised that they used restraint techniques on a child who has not yet joined the school. Without a doult the LSAs would not have been insured if anything had gone wrong. The LSAs could be charged with assult if she is not yet a pupil of the school.

Any time that physical restraint is used it should be recorded in the restraint book. As a parent you have a legal right to see the book.

thanks everyone. REallyTired the fact that something could have gone wrong - got bruises etc is something that has crossed mine and my family's mind. I really don't think they're geared up on this front. They've been very good at trying to prepare for dd going in September but i keep getting mixed info regarding her TA. Everyone says shes very good and lots of experience in autistic children but they have only had one hfa/aspergers child in the school before? Bonkerz - dd has poss ODD aswell and this is what causes a lot of the problems. I perfectly undertand the need to restrain if dd is causing danger to anyone, including herself but this was effecting no other pupil etc and i was outside. I just wish they had come to get me! They now know that they shoudl do this. I will see what they come back with re the handling situation and will mention the positive handling courses if necessary. Thanks again

knat,
If your daughter is bruised then the restraint has done incorrectly. You have very strong grounds for complaint. The whole point of restraint training is to restrain a child without hurting them in anyway. Its not as if she is a large teenage boy.

If the restraint had gone SERIOUSLY wrong and your child had ended up with spinal injuries then the school would have been completely uninsured as she has not yet started school. Technically the LSAs could be charged with assault.

yes - it seems that they haven't had any restraint training at all but apparently the TA assigned to dd has had a lot of experience with autism? Surely she should have needed restraint training at some point? I've raised my concerns and will again and see what they suggest they are going to do about it. Thanks for your comments.

A restraint training course is only valid for a year. You have to re do the course each year and pass a practical exam.

Ideas on how best to restrain children change. Also people's physical fitness declines. If you are not restraining children on a regular basis you forget the difference between a cross over hold and tuck up hold and which hold you are supposed to use in different circumstances.

I have never been directly involved with a restraint although I have helped with moving chairs and opening doors. It is a very rare occurance at the school I work at. I am quite small and many of the children are bigger than me.

The school really need to get some restraint training asap. All TAs and teachers working with ds have to have it - his MS school are Team teach trained. Its really important for their safety as well as your dd's. As the others have said it should only be used as a last resort.