Report: Autistic Child Handcuffed on School Bus in North Laurel
Howard County Police say the boy was restrained "for his own safety."
Police handcuffed an 11-year-old autistic boy on a Howard County school bus last week after the boy allegedly bit adults and students while being transported from the Kennedy Krieger Institute, reports The Baltimore Sun.
The bus driver and an aide contacted the police after the boy–who does not talk–broke free from his seat harness and bit at least four people, according to The Sun.
Howard County Police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn told the paper that the officer restrained the boy, "for his own safety and the safety of the others on the bus."
The boy's mother, who lives in Columbia, said she was contacted after the police were called and she wants both the school system and police department to evaluate their protocol for instances involving autistic children, reports The Sun.
Matt M
11:59 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
I'm not being snarky or funny here. What else could the police have done in this situation?
Laura
12:59 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
Are aides trained in therapeutic holds? I'm wondering if additional training for the populations the aides are helping with could have prevented the situation from escalating.
Leland L. Cogdell, Jr.
1:19 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
The coaching and leading of a person who lives their life in the autism spectrum can be a difficult thing to do. I'm sure officers are not really trained to deal with every single disability out there. I think we would need an autism expert on this one. The condition is a rather complex and misunderstood one by our society.
Remmy
1:32 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
I have been in this situation years ago, was bitten - I did not know how to deal with it and few teachers knew or were trained. The parents knew of the violence; but did not alert the staff. I agree with Matt M, what could the police have done? They are trained to bring a situation to a peaceful end. The parents need to insure qualified people surround the child to prevent injury to others. This child could leave a permanent mark on others - which happened to me. Parents are the responsible party here.