In another story about physically managing a student at a New Mexico school, a teacher was recently suspended after taping shut the mouth of a student with ADHD who was acting up.

The mother of the 14-year-old boy was made aware of the incident by a progress report. She called the principal and received a call back from the teacher, who is now on paid leave pending an internal investigation.

Many people commenting on the story, posted on Firstcoastnews.com sided with the teacher. One reader said, “This teen knew what he was doing and this teen and his mom are making a joke about this. This teacher is getting in trouble because this so called mom did NOT raise her son to respect adults and their authority.” Another said the teacher should get “Teacher of the Year” and that the child should have been suspended for misbehaving in the first place.

Expanding beyond ADHD, special needs children (like those with cerebral palsy) do need a different approach to discipline, according to William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN. They talk about disciplining their Down Syndrome son, but say their tips can apply to other special needs as well. Some of their suggestions include:

• Don’t compare your child to others of the same age.
• Change your standards, as your special needs child will do things at a different developmental rate than his peers or siblings.
• Avoid treating your child as if they are fragile just because they have a special need. They should have to adhere to rules and routines just like other children.
• Look at behaviors as signals of needs. The Sears’ use as an example of a special needs child who pinched the hands of her classmates. Instead of yelling at her, the teacher saw that it was the child’s way of communicating, and gave her a task of passing out papers to the class so she had a way of interacting with her peers.
• Give your child choices by asking them to take responsibility for their behavior or actions instead of simply telling them to stop.

What are some of your tips for effectively disciplining your special needs child?

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