It Shouldn’t Happen But…
A teacher’s assistant, Christopher Blansett of Baldwinsville, NY, is accused of slappig a 13-year-old autistic student and has been placed on administrative leave, today’s Post-Standard reports:
The charges stem from a Nov. 1 incident at Durgee Junior High School. A counselor told authorities he saw Blansett hit a 13-year-old with autism three times in the forehead with an open hand, [Baldwinsville police Lt. Michael] Lefancheck said………..
There are challenges in dealing with children with and without special needs, [Baldwinsville school district Superintendent Jeanne] Dangle said. But “it is very clear any child does not get slapped by anyone,” she said.
Make that very, very clear.
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POSTED IN: Education, Legal Issues, Safety
13 opinions for It Shouldn’t Happen But…
Marla
Jan 23, 2008 at 1:14 am
I am very glad the person who witnessed this took action. You are right about it needing to be made very clear. Apparently not everyone knows to keep their hands to themselves.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jan 23, 2008 at 1:47 am
And in the forehead? Makes my stomach turn.
chaoticidealism
Jan 23, 2008 at 2:48 am
Yeah, there’s just something about being hit in the face that’s especially frightening. Even a sudden movement in front of your face makes you flinch–it’s a reflex–but when somebody actually hits you… that’s scary.
I’m glad somebody spoke up. This kind of thing goes on every day, and most of the time it goes unreported.
M
Jan 23, 2008 at 4:54 am
The rational part of me knows that slapping the assistant back would solve nothing. And the rational part keeps repeating that fact to the rest of me: “violence solves nothing…no, no, you imagining the assistant getting slapped, it’s counter-productive”. But that other part of me doesn’t listen very well. It just feels sick about stories like this and growls a lot.
Maybe the rational part of me and the listening part of me should join forces, tag-team their efforts…see if they can undivide me. Hmm.
Mrs. C
Jan 23, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I do wonder how much of this is going on but we never hear about it. I know working with kids like this can be VERY frustrating and I wonder what system the schools have in place for when the teacher just needs to leave the room and chill for a bit. (I do that as a parent!)
I am NOT (not not not NOT) excusing the behaviour though.
Justthisguy
Jan 24, 2008 at 2:29 am
I think it was Rory Miller, who owns Chirontraining.blogspot.com, who mentioned that a blow to the face is particularly insulting, in all kindsa ways. He oughta know, he makes his living studying how to be violent. Has a coupla autistic kids, and seems a bit strange himself.
Though I must say that the very shock of a slap on a normal person’s cheek might be a good thing at times, (”thanks, I needed that”) it’s almost certainly a bad idea to use it against someone about whose mind you don’t understand, and a definitely nasty crime if one is in the situation described above by Professor Chew.
I think that person was just being mean.
Mean people, as all do know, or ought to know, suck
Regan
Jan 24, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Hmmm. Put the shoe on the other foot. If you were a person with a disorder and hit someone 3X in the face…where would you be? In trouble, or “having a behavior”. I would be willing to bet that some degree of frustration might be happening there too.
The paradigm fits all the way around.
Regan
Jan 24, 2008 at 1:24 pm
“This kind of thing goes on every day, and most of the time it goes unreported.”
Now here’s a question–every state has mandatory reporting laws if a professional (a pretty sizable list in many cases) even *thinks* that a minor is being neglected or abused by a parent or guardian. What are the mandatory reporting laws for school or program settings? Do we as parents have parity? Did that counselor report the assistant because it was the right thing to do (which it was), or in a role as a mandatory reporter?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jan 24, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Mean and “potentially” causing harm—-hitting any child (or anyone) on the forehead?
Regan
Jan 24, 2008 at 2:34 pm
A different case in Rhode Island, but back to my question about mandatory reporting, among other things, since the police seemed to have process questions as well, although their take seemed to be more in line with the events.
———————–
“…The sergeant said he is not clear about what the school’s protocol is for handling these complaints. He said the school did not notify the parents whose children were involved and did not notify the Department of Social Services. The police did notify the DSS, he said.
“These autistic children can’t communicate to us and here’s the school becoming aware of the possibility of abuse and no one told the parents,” Sgt. Majewski said.
Dr. Galton said she did notify the parents last week and sent a letter to all parents on Jan. 18, AFTER the story broke in the press…” (my emphasis)
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/290790768637468.php
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jan 26, 2008 at 12:55 am
In Raleigh, Wake County, 15-year-old Jamaal Smith came home with a broken arm and a shattered tooth. He does not speak; school officials says that he was not injured when he left school. Terrible already and then one reads this:
Kim H
Feb 14, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Just so you all know…this man is my brother. And I know full well that not only did he NOT do this, but that he is INCAPABLE of EVER hurting or laying a hand on a child. None of you know him, but are so quick to judge. Yes, there are people out there who do abuse kids, and that is unfortunate. But this man is not one of them. This man inspired me to work with special needs kids. He loved his job, and was very good at it. It’s just too bad that nothing happens to people that make false allegations, while the innocent suffer.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Feb 14, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Thank you for writing here. Are there other news stories about this incident?
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