‘An animal wouldn’t be treated this way’: 35% of children with disabilities secluded or restrained at school, poll showsOne parent has told The Irish Times that his autistic child, now aged 10, was left alone in a school hallway and taunted with being humiliated in front of his class if he did not calm down. Photograph: iStock
Parents also shared stories of children who, in extreme cases, were locked in rooms alone, dragged across school floors or physically held and lifted against their will. Families also reported feeling powerless and fearing retribution and the removal of vital supports if they protested against these measures.My son is studying a subject outside school for the Leaving Cert. How can he submit his coursework?‘We felt like failures.
“She held him there for a while and shouted at him about how struggling was futile due to her superior strength,” one parent said. “In many cases these children are desperately trying to advocate for themselves and are being told over and over again from very young that what they have to say doesn’t matter and who they are is wrong,” she said.