Mom of autistic boy who was handcuffed says school system failing kids like hers
OTTAWA – The mother of a nine-year-old autistic boy who was handcuffed by a police officer during a "difficult day" at school says children like hers are being failed by the education system.
Stephanie Huck says she and her husband were called to her son Daniel's school in Ottawa yesterday after he acted out in the principal's office.
She says they arrived to find a police officer in the school and were told their son had to be restrained, although details were not provided.
Huck, who is outraged at her son's treatment, says the incident highlights the need for better training and more support for school staff on how to deal with children with autism.
She says there needs to be a realization that every child has different needs and says there are children with autism that are "sinking in the school system."
The Ottawa Catholic District School Board says its staff "acted appropriately to ensure the safety of everyone involved."
Ottawa police aren't commenting on the specifics of the incident but say officers may handcuff people to protect the public, the individual being restrained or the police officer.
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6 responses
We don’t live in their world, so imagine what it must feel like to have a stranger grab you and put hand cuffs on you.There must be another way of containing those kids until the people they love her called. I agree where are we heading?
WTF? I am a mom, and I am so upset by this.Don’t they have trained teachers to deal w special needs children at this school? My daughter has adhd, and is w special teachers, and given modifications to cope.I would flip if they ever put hand cuffs on her! Why is a group of grown ups afraid of a 9 year old.Where are we heading?
I took my kids out of school and taught them at home cuz of crap like this. My son got beat up 3 times in one day and no one from the school called me. I had to rush him to the hospital when he got home off the bus. Nice child care system. If I had to do it again I would never let them go to school.
it is not only autistic children it is any children wether it be behavior or down syndrome or any other disability that the education system is failing due to the fact that our government keeps reducing what is allowed to go to the school sytems so there are a lack of aids to help out with the children that are still apart of society and need some extra help out there.
I really feel for the parents and the boy….I know what it is like when the school system fails a child with difficulties…….education is always a battle!
that is rediculous!