Re: meltdown and restraint help

[Guest guest]

Hi Tishanne,

Where I live we have a very large deaf community and other quite large

special communitys. The police departments have been forced to form

special units to deal with situations as they arise. I have heard some

complaints, but they are few and far between.

Thankfully has had only good experiences.

I'm very sorry to hear of your familie bad experiences. The police

should be the ones that our children can go to if they need help, not

run away from out of fear.

JMHO

- In AutismBehaviorProblems , " tishannepatterson "

wrote:

>

> Hi,has anyone dealt with police intervention during an autistic

> persons{any age} meltdown? How was that experience for everyone

> involved? Can the authorities use force or tasers or pepper spray

> when dealing with a meltdown and lack of cooperation or communication?

> Curious,

> Tishanne

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,I hope things keep getting better for you and your son. I

am so sorry you and your son have gone through such difficult times.

I had bad experiences with police also and it was negative. I feel so

bad for ever calling them or watching them ruff up and slander my

10yr son. I hate this feeling because there is nothing I can say to

my son to make it alright or acceptable. I hate being a hypocrite. I

tell my son that its wrong to hurt people. He says " mom,he hurt me "

and " why did you let him mom " It tears me up. He dont understand how

his behavior would make someone hurt him. He used to think cops were

good guys. Now hes afraid of them. I never wanted it this way. they

tell me its not domestic violence. If not what is it then? I know

they base the call reaction to the person,but a child should have a

childs intervention, not be swore at and ruffed up. I hated seeing my

sons arm twisted and him getting banged into the car. I still feel

very upset just thinking about it. How did you feel? What does you

son think about cops now,is he afraid of them?

Hugs,best wishes

Tishanne

> > >

> > > Hi,has anyone dealt with police intervention during an autistic

> > > persons{any age} meltdown? How was that experience for everyone

> > > involved? Can the authorities use force or tasers or pepper

spray

> > > when dealing with a meltdown and lack of cooperation or

> communication?

> > > Curious,

> > > Tishanne

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you! Thank you!

I hope changes come.

- In AutismBehaviorProblems ,

" abnormaldiversity " wrote:

>

>

> >

> > Hi,has anyone dealt with police intervention during an autistic

> > persons{any age} meltdown? How was that experience for everyone

> > involved? Can the authorities use force or tasers or pepper spray

> > when dealing with a meltdown and lack of cooperation or

communication?

> >

> They often do, but it's not at all helpful. That's actually a major

> problem - there are people saying the police need to learn more

about

> how to deal with autism (and other conditions, for example mental

> illnesses) because there are people dying. The police give commands

> that the person doesn't/can't obey, then use force which makes the

> person even more upset, and then escalate the force, very often to

> lethal levels.

> There's a yahoo group, I think it's called AutismRiskSafety, which

is

> about this issue.

> Ettina

>

[Guest guest]

I had a memory jar,years ago I worked with a small group of mentally

and physically handicapped adults. Sometimes someone would become

aggressive or meltdown and we never had a retraint procedure,room or

anything in place. It never even occured to me one was needed. We

would just go one on one until things were back to calm. Of course we

new the risk could result in injury in extreme cases. We did general

ed the firt hour followed by pe for an hour. In pe we were doin

jumpin jacks and free style dance to creedence clearwater,lol.

Everyone loved that tape! Then we had lunch,sometimes it got a little

tense over who had the better food in their bag. After lunch was

assembly line, work line-paid in tokens. It was a really peaceful,fun

day almost every whole day. Very few of the people lived outside of

an institution and arrived,departed by bus for school/class/work. I

wonder if society has changed in its approach to dealing with

meltdowns,aggression or if aggression has just got worse,or both.???

> > >

> > > Hi,has anyone dealt with police intervention during an autistic

> > > persons{any age} meltdown? How was that experience for everyone

> > > involved? Can the authorities use force or tasers or pepper

spray

> > > when dealing with a meltdown and lack of cooperation or

> communication?

> > >

> > They often do, but it's not at all helpful. That's actually a

major

> > problem - there are people saying the police need to learn more

> about

> > how to deal with autism (and other conditions, for example mental

> > illnesses) because there are people dying. The police give

commands

> > that the person doesn't/can't obey, then use force which makes

the

> > person even more upset, and then escalate the force, very often

to

> > lethal levels.

> > There's a yahoo group, I think it's called AutismRiskSafety,

which

> is

> > about this issue.

> > Ettina

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tishanne, I have no clue about the legal issue sin the US but in the

Netherlands the police probably cannot use pepper spray (I don'tknow if

tasers are at all legal here) unless the person is a threat to the police,

eg. tries to physically fight them, etc. Oh well thsi woudl be the law for n

on-disabled people and I think it's the same for the disabled. Simply not

complying is not likely a legal reason for pepper spraying or tasering. I

also thinkt he police woudl attemtp other means before doign pepper spray or

tasers. Like, I've had many police encounters while in a meltdown, and I've

never been pepper sprayed. The worst I got, and I even cnsider that highly

disrespectful given the situatio, was being forcefully pushed into the

police vehicle after I refused to get in (this was nto in a meltdown, I was

picked up for no reason except for someone worrying that a blind person

shouldn't be out in the streets alone). Now I must say, I never get

physically violent during a meltdown. The police usually command me to get

ito their car, if I refuse they'll use some force (usually start with verbal

force, they don't often get physical but may) but as I said the one time

they got really forceful was not during a meltdown at all. I would say if

your child was pepper sprayred or tasered whe he was not a immediate

physical threat to the police, you can file a misconduct complaint. Also

with excessive physical force (I didn't file a complaint about the one

incident, but would if it happeend now - it took place in 2004).

Astrid

astrid@...

http://www.astridvanwoerkom.com/

meltdown and restraint help

Hi,has anyone dealt with police intervention during an autistic

persons{any age} meltdown? How was that experience for everyone

involved? Can the authorities use force or tasers or pepper spray

when dealing with a meltdown and lack of cooperation or communication?

Curious,

Tishanne

I'm protected by SpamBrave

http://www.spambrave.com/

[Guest guest]

Hi Group

Firstly I am so grateful for the way you all share. This makes me feel like I am not going crazy. I admire you al immensely and thank you for your true to life stories that are so valuably to me. I am an American citizen and have lived in England for many years. We foster. Currently the boy who I am foster mom to is 11 years old and has been with us nearly three years. He is on the spectrum --we had to fight and fight for a diagnosis--and he is aggressive/violent mostly towards the female caregiver--which is me! He is very big now and in the past has bruised and hurt me. Each episode happens so fast in the blink of an eye I have had to think ouch ouch and how can I peel this boy off me!! I have been working hard to find out how to stop these episodes and now recognize the signs-but it is still tricky. The last 2 times he kicked off I extricated myself as quick and quietly as possible and called the police. They really do not know what to do and it was a case of stand my ground and calmly explaining that he is a risk to himself, myself and in the last episode he was a risk to passers by as the incident took place out in public. I just had to be clam and stand my ground with the policeman stating that I am not allowed to touch him. With police intervention the situation was de-escalated. Our boy was shouting, screaming swearing, throwing large stones and had found a large stick to use to attack myself and my husband. We backed off. observed, tracked him all the way in this tirade until the baffled police officer took control. The guy was reluctant to intervene I think until he realized random passers by were getting hurt also. The time before that I had a better experience. The police officers were quick to grasp the situation and it was quickly diffused. Then the policemen bent over backwards to be kind to me and offer support if any such situation arose again. Our boy doesn't understand the idea of police and authority it is a concept difficult for him to process.

God Bless you

Mal

[Guest guest]

Wow, Mel, I hope you and he are doing better. I think that is an instance where I would try medications. Have you tried any? Karac was helped by Clonidine; he doesn't need any meds at this time. Pat K

Hi Group

Firstly I am so grateful for the way you all share. This makes me feel like I am not going crazy. I admire you al immensely and thank you for your true to life stories that are so valuably to me. I am an American citizen and have lived in England for many years. We foster. Currently the boy who I am foster mom to is 11 years old and has been with us nearly three years. He is on the spectrum --we had to fight and fight for a diagnosis--and he is aggressive/violent mostly towards the female caregiver--which is me! He is very big now and in the past has bruised and hurt me. Each episode happens so fast in the blink of an eye I have had to think ouch ouch and how can I peel this boy off me!! I have been working hard to find out how to stop these episodes and now recognize the signs-but it is still tricky. The last 2 times he kicked off I extricated myself as quick and quietly as possible and called the police. They really do not know what to do and it was a case of stand my ground and calmly explaining that he is a risk to himself, myself and in the last episode he was a risk to passers by as the incident took place out in public. I just had to be clam and stand my ground with the policeman stating that I am not allowed to touch him. With police intervention the situation was de-escalated. Our boy was shouting, screaming swearing, throwing large stones and had found a large stick to use to attack myself and my husband. We backed off. observed, tracked him all the way in this tirade until the baffled police officer took control. The guy was reluctant to intervene I think until he realized random passers by were getting hurt also. The time before that I had a better experience. The police officers were quick to grasp the situation and it was quickly diffused. Then the policemen bent over backwards to be kind to me and offer support if any such situation arose again. Our boy doesn't understand the idea of police and authority it is a concept difficult for him to process.

God Bless you

Mal

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[Guest guest]

Hi Mal,thank you for sharing your lives! I have a rock garden that

has become an artillery supply for my son. We take cover when he is

acting out and gets near the rock pile. The police also helped once

when he had been throwing rocks in the neighborhood and was armed

with a stick. I watch him close when he is mad. If he gets outside

mad I always worry because there are sticks and stones everywhere.

Like the old adage,why ban the knifes while rocks are everywhere,lol.

Its worrisome for us still.

Best wishes,

Tishanne

In AutismBehaviorProblems , malhardiker@... wrote:

>

> Hi Group

> Firstly I am so grateful for the way you all share. This makes me

feel like

> I am not going crazy. I admire you al immensely and thank you for

your true

> to life stories that are so valuably to me. I am an American

citizen and

> have lived in England for many years. We foster. Currently the

boy who I am

> foster mom to is 11 years old and has been with us nearly three

years. He is

> on the spectrum --we had to fight and fight for a diagnosis--and

he is

> aggressive/violent mostly towards the female caregiver--which is

me! He is very

> big now and in the past has bruised and hurt me. Each episode

happens so fast

> in the blink of an eye I have had to think ouch ouch and how can I

peel this

> boy off me!! I have been working hard to find out how to stop

these episodes

> and now recognize the signs-but it is still tricky. The last 2

times he

> kicked off I extricated myself as quick and quietly as possible

and called the

> police. They really do not know what to do and it was a case of

stand my

> ground and calmly explaining that he is a risk to himself, myself

and in the last

> episode he was a risk to passers by as the incident took place out

in

> public. I just had to be clam and stand my ground with the

policeman stating that

> I am not allowed to touch him. With police intervention the

situation was

> de-escalated. Our boy was shouting, screaming swearing, throwing

large stones

> and had found a large stick to use to attack myself and my

husband. We

> backed off. observed, tracked him all the way in this tirade until

the baffled

> police officer took control. The guy was reluctant to intervene I

think until

> he realized random passers by were getting hurt also. The time

before that I

> had a better experience. The police officers were quick to grasp

the situation

> and it was quickly diffused. Then the policemen bent over

backwards to be

> kind to me and offer support if any such situation arose again.

Our boy

> doesn't understand the idea of police and authority it is a concept

difficult for

> him to process.

>

> God Bless you

> Mal

>