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School Putting Autistic Children in Fenced Enclosure

Posted by samzenpus on from the 24-posts-and-96-pieces-of-wire dept.

In an attempt to deal with autistic children who "have no sense of boundaries and do not respond to staff asking them to stop," a Sydney primary school has created pens which hold the disabled children during play time. As you might expect, parents have expressed outrage that their kids are forced to stand inside a fenced enclosure that has one tree, a bench and a dirt floor. The Department of Education said in a statement: "The school is located on a busy road. Without this area, the students may leave the school grounds and could potentially be injured. Some of these children have no sense of boundaries and do not respond to staff asking them to stop. Once the school is satisfied a student will listen to directions from staff members and is also aware of playground boundaries, the child can use the playground."

4 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No Mention of the Size by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have NEVER seen a schoolyard that DIDN'T have a fenced playground. Besides... they put up a fence, the parents put up a fight. No fence, a kid gets injured or killed, the parents will sue the school. The schools are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

  2. Coloured writing by Kell+Bengal · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is yellow journalism and blue-faced agitation at its worst. These are special needs kids who are prone to wandering, at a school near a busy road. The fence was installed at the request of their parents. The article clearly states this (as does the summary); the coalition is complaining about it merely because it's an opportunity to cause a pernicious backlash against the school board. Frankly, they should be ashamed of themselves - it's like arguing that installing ramps at a school it singles out people in wheelchairs.

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    1. Re:Coloured writing by pvera · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yup.

      I am the father of an 11-year old autistic boy with an escape artist complex. He has already tried to run away from his teachers many times, and in one occasion he actually made it out of the school grounds. My only relief at the time is that when he took off running almost everyone was outside, so everyone, even the principal, took off after him.

      It still took a good 15 minutes to catch him, and they had already called the police.

      A fence is not going to stop this from happening, but it provides a decent speed bump for wandering children that don't understand the concept of danger.

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      Pedro
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  3. Someone please think of the tail-eating snakes! by Volante3192 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Parents complain about child's safety. Check.
    School responds by putting up fence. Check.
    Parents complain about putting children in fenced areas. Check.

    And thus another ouroborous was born.