Down Syndrome child, corporal punishment & school.. need input.. long

[ilovejack02]

OK now this is prob. going to open a big can of worms... but Im not sure where to even begin on this ..so I thought I would ask the smart folks here on the Dis.

I picked up my DS today at school and while in the office. I noticed a lil girl with Downs in the office holding hands with a teacher or aide. The child had been crying and the aide put down a piece of paper for the secretary standing before me.
It was a corporal punishment letter.. so I now know why the poor thing is so upset.
The child and aide enter the principal's office and I hear the principal yelling at another child and then the door shuts and he is spanked.. very loudly three times. I can hear ever y hit.. and was standing prob at least 20 feet away with several people around me talking.
I about came unglued.. it took alot of self control not to storm the principal's office.
There is so much Im upset about..
Why the need to spank and yell where everyone can hear it?
Why the need to spank a child with Down's .. I dont know much about it . but cant imagine it will do much good, doesn't Downs affect a person's metal capacity ?
Why is a child's corporal punishment state letter placed where all can read it?
Im know there is more im freaked out about.. but I cant really think clearly at this moment.
I let my son's teacher know I am NOT happy .. she didnt look real happy about the situation either. She was really surprised I could hear it all.. she also is not for spanking in our schools and I think frankly surprised the new principal wasnt more professtional.... I guess ?


Im just so upset. I want to write a letter to the Principal and I am also thinking of trying to get a group together to stop our parish ( same as a county) from spanking.
I dont know where to begin.. but it would be nice to hear from someone with Down's experience . What is the medical communities thoughts on it?
Are there any reliable websites I can read up on punishment and down's.

Oh just for FYI.. you have to sign a letter to opt out of corporal punishment in our parish.. you can imagine what I signed.

 

[Holly]

OK now this is prob. going to open a big can of worms... but Im not sure where to even begin on this ..so I thought I would ask the smart folks here on the Dis.

I picked up my DS today at school and while in the office. I noticed a lil girl with Downs in the office holding hands with a teacher or aide. The child had been crying and the aide put down a piece of paper for the secretary standing before me.
It was a corporal punishment letter.. so I now know why the poor thing is so upset.
The child and aide enter the principal's office and I hear the principal yelling at another child and then the door shuts and he is spanked.. very loudly three times. I can hear ever y hit.. and was standing prob at least 20 feet away with several people around me talking.
I about came unglued.. it took alot of self control not to storm the principal's office.
There is so much Im upset about..
Why the need to spank and yell where everyone can hear it?
Why the need to spank a child with Down's .. I dont know much about it . but cant imagine it will do much good, doesn't Downs affect a person's metal capacity ?
Why is a child's corporal punishment state letter placed where all can read it?
Im know there is more im freaked out about.. but I cant really think clearly at this moment.
I let my son's teacher know I am NOT happy .. she didnt look real happy about the situation either. She was really surprised I could hear it all.. she also is not for spanking in our schools and I think frankly surprised the new principal wasnt more professtional.... I guess ?


Im just so upset. I want to write a letter to the Principal and I am also thinking of trying to get a group together to stop our parish ( same as a county) from spanking.
I dont know where to begin.. but it would be nice to hear from someone with Down's experience . What is the medical communities thoughts on it?
Are there any reliable websites I can read up on punishment and down's.

Oh just for FYI.. you have to sign a letter to opt out of corporal punishment in our parish.. you can imagine what I signed.

Don't they have a woodshed?


OP, if I were you I would remove my child from that environment. Look up Reverend Allen and the House of Prayer. I'm not even going to get into how wrong that hitting a child with Down Syndrome is.

 

[ilovejack02]

Don't they have a woodshed?


OP, if I were you I would remove my child from that environment.

Well that is a thought... BUT I live very far from town . The closest private school is prob an hour away.
The reason there are no private school's near us is because the school system we live in is the 2nd best in the state.
Home schooling not an option. I really do know my limitations with my son.

BUT .. not the response I need right now : ).

 

[RadioNate]

they still spank kids in school? I thought that went out years ago. I know my grade school did it 25 years ago and my mom wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't sign the permission letter.

 

[Uncle Remus]

And most definitely speak out.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You are starting a spanking thread on the DIS? Are you crazy?

It is a private school. Didn't you have issues with this school before?

I don't agree with the religious indoctrination of schools, so I have a problem with just that part of it, much less the spanking.

But you are free to send your child to a religious school and they are free to spank. At least they allowed you to "opt out".

If you don't agree with their policies and feel that strongly you should pull your child out.

 

[chrisw127]

It's wrong to hit any child. I had no idea there were schools that did that anymore.

 

[harleyquinn]

I would think for a child to have the letter the parent would have to sign it? Of course that doesn't mean another child should ever have the chance to witness it being carried out. I had no idea there were CP letters.

That's so terrible. I really feel ya OP. I would have reacted the same way.

 

[harleyquinn]

Oh, wait this is private school?

 

[ilovejack02]

My child attends a PUBLIC school.

 

[ilovejack02]

Oh, wait this is private school?

No.

 

[Holly]

Well that is a thought... BUT I live very far from town . The closest private school is prob an hour away.
The reason there are no private school's near us is because the school system we live in is the 2nd best in the state.
Home schooling not an option. I really do know my limitations with my son.

BUT .. not the response I need right now : ).

I didn't realize that it was a public school. That does narrow down your choices when it comes to pulling him out.

I would definitely start talking to other parents about it. Call the principal and express your concerns.

 

[ilovejack02]

You are starting a spanking thread on the DIS? Are you crazy?

It is a private school. Didn't you have issues with this school before?

I don't agree with the religious indoctrination of schools, so I have a problem with just that part of it, much less the spanking.

But you are free to send your child to a religious school and they are free to spank. At least they allowed you to "opt out".

If you don't agree with their policies and feel that strongly you should pull your child out.

Ive never had issues with school before. He is getting a good education and I love his teachers.

Really my my question was directed towards Downs parents and what their reactions on spanking a child with Downs and what the medical community and experts thoughts on it are.
If I bring this before the school board I would like to have my facts straight and thought Downs parents would have some answers.
I know what I think about the spanking issue in general and where to find info on that.

 

[happygirl]

Most school you have to have permission to spank kids in school, Since no one knows this child IEP plan it's hard for me to say what discpline works for her

 

[lil mermaid]

I don't know what a "corporal punishment letter" is, or what this poor child did to "deserve" to bit hit at school, but if anyone ever put their hands on my child that way there would be hell to pay.

 

[RitaE]

What in the --- that really hot place I'm not allowed to type here?


They're beating a disabled child? How can that even be LEGAL?

 

[RadioNate]

Ive never had issues with school before. He is getting a good education and I love his teachers.

Really my my question was directed towards Downs parents and what their reactions on spanking a child with Downs and what the medical community and experts thoughts on it are.
If I bring this before the school board I would like to have my facts straight and thought Downs parents would have some answers.
I know what I think about the spanking issue in general and where to find info on that.

It doesn't really matter. I doubt anyone is going to think it is 'right' but the parents obviously signed the letter to allow it so it is what it is.

 

[TeresaBelle]

Well the DS child's parent had to sign the letter right? Obviously they are okay with spanking as punishment. Not that I agree. I would never sign a letter giving someone else the right to hit my child, DS or not!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ive never had issues with school before. He is getting a good education and I love his teachers.

Really my my question was directed towards Downs parents and what their reactions on spanking a child with Downs and what the medical community and experts thoughts on it are.
If I bring this before the school board I would like to have my facts straight and thought Downs parents would have some answers.
I know what I think about the spanking issue in general and where to find info on that.

Can you go to a superintenent? I am sure you can get corporal punishment of special ed kids thrown out. However if the parent challenges it, you will have a fight on your hands.

Oh and being from the midwest, when you said "parish" that means Catholic here.I see you are from LA, so that explains that.

 

[happygirl]

What in the --- that really hot place I'm not allowed to type here?


They're beating a disabled child? How can that even be LEGAL?

beating that a little far fetched.