Our founder & CEO is in the press supporting families in Highland Region this week.
PABSS tries to raise awareness that all behaviour is a form of communication. When children with neurological conditions like autism have a "meltdown" it's almost always due to to anxiety and distress. What are we saying to a distressed child if our response to their cries for help is that we throw them like criminals into the back of Police van?
This is an utterly appalling situation which should never have happened. The trauma of an event so serious will stay with that little one forever! We will not be silent. These are our children, and its time they were treated with respect. Children with disabilities are often treated like lesser human beings just because they are communicating their distress, and I'm afraid its almost always because of unmet needs or anxiety.
Staff, families,carers and now Police need to be supported better, they should not be trained in restraint methods as a first response, they should be trained in understanding behaviour as communication and in Positive Behaviour Support to pro-actively understand and meet the needs of our children so these situations can be avoided.
Our thoughts are with this child and their family.
You can read the story HERE.