Restrained Again

Nathan was restrained today. Again.


He was in art class, and everything was fine. Then they returned to his regular room. The teacher has no idea why, but Nathan just went off.


He began throwing things around, and tipping over chairs. The chairs were falling at the teacher’s and para’s feet. He was getting close in proximity to the other kids in the class, and the teacher feared he might be getting too close. So rather than empty the room, the teacher and para decided to use their CPI training and remove him from the classroom. (From what I understand, CPI doesn’t advocate using restraint when there is another option, only as a last resort. This doesn’t sound like a last resort to me.) They brought him to the principal’s office again, where they restrained him in her chair, again. They now refer to it as Nathan’s “cool down chair.”


I was not called when all this happened. Later, when Nathan went back to class, he was not participating. They questioned him about why, and he told them he had a bad headache. So they sent him to the nurse’s office. The teacher now thinks it was possible that he had the headache to begin with, and that this is what started the meltdown, though they didn’t realize that until later. She also suspected that the room was hotter than the art room - it was very hot today, and the school is not air conditioned.


I had put on a form at registration time that I wanted to be informed of any meds they give him, so they called me to get the okay to give him kids’ Tylenol. They mentioned that he had had a “difficult morning.” I asked them straight out if he had been restrained again. “Only about five minutes or so.” (Geez, why do I have to ask them directly before they tell me he was restrained??)


He’s only been in school a little over a week, and he’s been restrained twice!


On Tuesday, I sent a letter along with Nathan for the principal, asking how I would receive the notification about Nathan’s restraint, if it would be mailed or emailed to me. I haven’t heard anything back yet.


I've also never heard from the new special ed supervisor, or the OT supervisor, even though they have both been forwarded questions that I asked about the medical release.


I am so frustrated and depressed about all this restraint. Afraid, too. I am losing all hope that he has any chance of having any success in this school.