TinyPinkBug

Re: TinyPinkBug

• TinyPinkBug member

  August 2012

  Not really.  I called the teacher first thing in the morning and told her that my son was NOT to be put in the rifton chair during a tantrum again.  I suggested the areas and strattegies that had been used during the school year, but she said they didn't have the staff to implement those things and that they were not effective with him.  She claimed they use the rifton chair to calm students and reassured me my son wouldn't be put in it again.  Unfortunately summer school staff is different from the school year staff, my son's teacher usually teaches 5th grade.

  For now, I haven't gone to the school principal.  Both Tuesday and Wed I was in the building all day as a volunteer on commitee and for an event so I was confident he wouldn't be placed in the chair.  Then Monday is the last day of class.  I haven't decided for sure if I am going to send him the last three days. 

  We have a social worker from the district who comes to my house once a week, she used to be the director of another preschool for students with special needs in our area and used to work in my son's current school.  I called her the morning after this happened and talked to her about it, she was concerned mostly on how they got him into the chair during a tantrum and that he was in the room alone with an aide not a teacher.  She said to go to the principal about it. 

  I am going to speak with the principal about it, I was going to speak with her on Tues when I was on CPSE committee but we were running an hour behind due to the very first family taking almost 2 hours, then my MIL called in hysterics because my 3 yr old got stung by a bee.  My 3yr old turned out to be just fine, but I signed out my son and left ASAP.  Then today was a big school event so things were hectic and busy.

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• TinyPinkBug member

  August 2012

  I finally sat down with the principal today about my son being restrained in the wooden Rifton chair earlier this week.  Initially she seemed to be a bit unsure if anything I was reporting was inappropiate staff response to the situation other than the staff claiming that they couldn't use the comfy-cozy room due to lack of staff.  But after I left she looked into the proper use of the chair and realized that this issue was much more serious than she originally thought.  She spoke with the room staff, they said the real reason they didn't use the comfy cozy room was because they felt he enjoyed it and was a reward for him.  The principal informed them that it wasn't appropriate for them to stop using methods put in place by the school year staff (summer school is different staff).  Especially without consulting parents and typical school year staff first. 

  In regards to the use of the chair itself, she herself was not even aware that it was an inappropriate use.  The school is going to have further training for all staff members on appropriate use of the strap for both school year staff and especially summer staff.  She also said that in the future (Monday is the last day) it will be discussed in much greater length in summer school staff meetings that teachers are to follow the procedures set up by school year staff for each student.

  I am satified with this outcome.  I think a greater awareness has been made about using restraints in the school, that they realized they fell short on this topic.  I also feel confident that they will follow through with making sure this doesn't happen again to another student.  I have been very close with this school for the two years my son has been there and the majority of the staff really do give and care 110% for its students.  It really did break my heart that this happened there, and I think that this was the general feeling of some other staffers being consulted today. 

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