Behaviors In Children example essay topic

Lemon juice Pepper sprayHandcuffsBlindfolds These are terms that should never enter a parents mind when they send Their children off to school. Especially, if their child is autistic, or has some other kind of learning disability. These terms are known as aversive's, and are used to reduce behaviors in children mainly with autism. They cause pain and are a form of punishment for a behavior no matter how large or small i.e. Biting, kicking, punching, not blowing your nose, or not sitting when told to do so. If a command was not followed by a student, the teachers' immediate reaction is to use one of the many aversive's. This is something that has to be stopped and should not be allowed.

This type of behavior modification is used all through out the United States and there are even two known programs that use aversive's in New Jersey, Eden Institute and Bancroft Neuro health. I was personally at Eden and witnessed this going on right in front of me, and I knew of a student that unfortunately past away in one of these places. (will not name which) these techniques are dangerous, torturous, over used, and should not be allowed. There are millions of different things that can be done to achieve the same success rate of reducing behaviors. They may not be as quick, but they can and will work. How about positive reinforcement? A technique used in schools also to reduce behaviors.

That means you speak to the child is a positive manner or use a reward system like verbal praise, or a piece of cookie, or a sip of a favorite drink to reduce a behavior. If a child does not listen or does not like to follow directions, you can say "Mike if you sit quietly then I will give you a piece of cookie" and most of the time the child will listen because he / she really wants that cookie. Now some may say that's fine and dandy but what about more aggressive behavior? Like biting or pulling hair.

I would say if a child is biting try to find out why the child is biting. Is it because he is upset, can't verbalize what he / she wants or maybe his / her teeth are bothering them. There are a lot of things that can be done. For starters develop a behavior plan, using the ABC method.

This means Antecedent Behavior Consequence. Find out what happens right before the behavior begins, and go on from there. Sometimes restraints and "take downs" are necessary but only if the child is being a threat to him / her self or someone else in the area, and as soon as the child calms down the child should be let go. After visiting Eden Institute and seeing what goes on there I was sick and upset.

I asked the gentleman using aversive's why he was pulling on that child's hair? And he said it was to stop him from shaking his head. THAT'S IT just shaking his head. And when he saw the look on my face he told me it is ok we have parental permission to do this. I also found out that these types of restraints are used in a van for when the are taken out into public for various trips. I read in this article about a child named Matthew who was restrained and was forced to wear a helmet and wraps on his arms and hands.

He was put into a room completely isolated from the rest of his peers and did not receive much in the way of adult attention or supervision. Matthew eventually developed pneumonia and tragically past away. I had read about this in a newspaper article a while ago and the response of the program was that Matthew was such a biter and so violent that they were afraid to take off his helmet so they could not check his temperature or give him proper medication. Knowing that this goes on in programs disturbs me to no end and I think that these programs should be forever shut down. There was this other school that was shut down in Massachusetts for using aversive's, and one thing they were doing to children was locking them in trunks, and using other forms of unnecessary restraints.

I understand that these programs do have a high success rate for behavior reduction but look at they are doing to these children to achieve these results. Children are being hurt sometimes bones are broken and they are becoming afraid of people. It is also mentioned in this article that a child was restrained on her stomach in a public school for not following the simple command "blow your nose" These restraints are part of a behavior plan in which the school or program designs and is signed off by parents, but I am not so sure are fully aware of what these restraints mean or what exactly goes on during on of these take downs. I am going to quote a very disturbing behavior plan used on a child at a residential school " When Roy becomes person or object aggressive he is to be placed in arm restraints and seated. Staff is to ask, "Roy, your behavior is irresponsible. Are you ready to accept responsibility for your behavior?" If Roy replies "yes" he is to be forced to inhale ammonia for three seconds, sprayed with water for thirty seconds, and again forced to inhale ammonia for three seconds.

Roy is then to thank staff for their help. If Roy responds negatively and does not accept responsibility for his behavior, staff are to repeat the ammonia, water spray, ammonia sequence If asked again to accept responsibility for his behavior, he again refuses the aversive sequence is to be repeated twice in succession. I want to know what type of people can wake up everyday, and go to work knowing that they are going to have to do all of this to a child. If a child became aggressive and I felt an arm restraint was necessary then I would use it and ask the child "are you ready to stop or calm down?" if the child replied "yes" then immediately I would let go and I would have the child sit quietly for a few seconds, and if the child were able to do so then an immediate verbal praise would be issued for sitting quiet. This whole subject is horrifying and sickening but needs recognition so it can be stopped. I chose this topic because I feel very strongly about having a good report with children and reducing behaviors through positive reinforcement.

I also think people need to be aware of the types of torturous things children are being subjected to for not following simple or complex commands. Maybe if the commands were spoken in a softer, slower, and more clear voice the child / children would be able to understand what was being asked of them, and possibly have being restrained or sprayed avoided. Fortunately for these children there are many different organizations out there like NCD (the National Council on Disability) and COSA C (Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community) that work very hard each and every day to have the use of aversive's stopped. If in the United States of America, it is illegal to treat a rapist, molester, or a killer like this, even though they have committed such heinous crimes that they are in prison for the rest of their lives, then how come it is perfectly ok to do this to a child with special needs. What is wrong with this picture?