Kids with Disabilities Disproportionately Punished

Schools disproportionately use corporal punishment with students with disabilities, according to a joint report from Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union titled, "Impairing Education". According to the report, public schools used corporal punishment with about 19% of public school students with disabilities during the 2006-2007 academic year, although these students make up only 14% of the total population.

Although some instances of corporal punishment were unrelated to the child’s disability, the report found that some schools punished some students for “conduct related to their disabilities, including students with Tourette syndrome being punished for exhibiting involuntary tics and students with autism being punished for repetitive behaviors”, according to the ACLU website.

Although most states have laws prohibiting corporal punishment in schools, 20 states permit it, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. However, some school districts in these states do ban corporal punishment.

Community and individual reactions to proposed bans vary widely, from full support to support for continued use of physical punishment. It is likely that personal experiences and fears about school violence play a role in the varied perspectives. Clearly with or without bans, school personnel need more training in anger management, behavior modification, about disabilities, and the symptoms of various medical conditions.

SOURCE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/education/11punish.html?_r=1&ref=education

RELATED:
American Civil Liberties Union Children’s Rights Section:
http://www.aclu.org/intlhumanrights/childrensrights/40676prs20090810.html
Human Rights Watch, “Impairing Education”
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/84946/section/2

Major Congressional Events Update

FROM NRCA—
Update: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
The House Appropriations Committee adopted the FY 2010 Appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on Friday. The bill contains funding for entitlement programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and SSI. The House bill appropriates $163 billion for discretionary programs such as IDEA, and Vocational Rehabilitation. No action has yet occurred on a Senate bill.

Update: Departments of Transportation and HUD
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies bill. It includes a $100 billion increase for the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program.

Update: Employment
Last Thursday, the Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee held a hearing on reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. WIA authorizes the workforce development program and Title IV is the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. Officials from the Departments of Labor and Education provided testimony as well as other employment community stakeholders testified about ways to improve access and services for people with disabilities.