Swats at School

<Blink, blink> In what state is this not against the law???? I swat my kids, but I think everyone's threshold is different. I would not consent to someone else deciding how hard and when it is appropriate.

Hope this helps,
~K.

When I was in school and swats were an option my mom always sent a note at the beginning of the year stating if one of her children needed swats they were to call her and she would come to the school and give them herself. This made her feel more in control and as we got older it was way more embarrasing for mom to come give swats than having the teacher do it.

Hey S., with the Aspergers Syndrome i would tell them that they HAVE to contact you before they do any swatting. Our boys didn't have those type issues but we didnt' want anyone swatting our boys without our prior knowledge. i really don't feel that that is too much to ask....I am not opposed to this type action if it's necessary but i, as the parent, want that control over what happens with my kids. if it's warented then swat away but i want to know before it happens...good luck...R.

This may or may not apply to you since your son is 6 (the article mentions toddlers but it is probably still worth checking into), but for anyone who has a young child with autism, there is a program called Early Foundations here in OKC. This is an amazing program by the Department of Education. Google "oklahoma early foundations" and you should come upon an article on newsok.com website. The newspaper ran an article on the program in November. Good luck!

I would be worry too a unless I know for a fact that same is 1 with the teacher when he get swat or 2 a different teacher does the swatting that way the teachers emotions would not over come her it is too easy to push the line between a small swat and too much.

I have a 15 year old daughter and 10 year old son. Both of them are at schools which still use corporal punishment. I have always given consent and they know that. My opinion is that you and the administration MUST me partners in discipline. The kids have got to know it. My son recently received a pink slip for talking back to a teacher. It broke my heart and I really wanted to fight it. But, he has been able to work on this behavior now, and grow into a better "man". I don't want to stand in the way of them growing. Always, ask everyone involved for the whole story, though. That way you can make an informed decision.

Hi S.,

I don't see anything wrong with the swats at school as long as the teacher understands that it is the LAST resort for him. Also, if they plan on swatting him, they need to let him call you or have someone call you to let you know what is going on. Just don't want it to be a surprise to you. But, you are doing the right thing.

M.

personal i dont at all believe in any school staff of any kind swatting a child. if the child is out of control then the parent or grand parent needs to be called and they go to the school to help redirect the child into a possitive situation. we as parents/grand parents arent allowed to swat our kids and so either should any staff at school. i believe they are not in the right to do so by any means. there are other directions that can be taken to redirect kids into a possitive situation. mom of three and grandma of eight have been through this with schools. and no way will i ever stand for any adult at thier school to even swat my kids or grand kids. so talk to social services about this school. and if you can try putting your kid into a special school that can understand him better then a regular school can. good luck. and happy holidays.

I agree with the other comments about the sensitivity of this issue. In the end, it is your choice as to how you allow the school to discipline your son. My one bit of input would be this - how do you discipline your son at home? Having been exposed to Asperger's, I know that one of the most critical aspects of raising a child with Asperger's is to provide consistency, reliability, and the comfort of knowing what to expect. My thought is that the most critical issue is questioning whether or not the swatting at school is consistent with the methods of discipline at home. If swatting is something you do at home, then your son will be better able to respond to the discipline of his teachers if they discipline in the same way. If you do not use this method at home, there might be a disciplinary confusion. An "average" child could handle this transition because they understand the uniqueness of people and situations, but an Asperger's child does not make that distinction, and consistency is crucial. From the perspective of a mother, that is how I would approach this decision were it placed before me. Hope that helps!