Listening to your intuition as a parent and the need for cameras... Not knowing what is happening to our children in schools and in disability places of care, or with one on one support workers, and programs, or even respite, when they are nonverbal – is the worse thing for parents… What happened to the little girl Portia?
In an article from 9News back in 2019 it was reported on an incident involving a little girl, Portia, at Riverstone public school she was only five years old and had multiple disabilities (which many of these kids do - and makes them so vulnerable) she had Downs syndrome and autism and was non verbal. Her mother Janey knew from her intuition that something was not right with her daughter’s classroom and it was this mother’s intuition that saved her daughter from a verbally abusive teacher.
First there was a little bruise on Portia’s arm, but then Portia just did not want to go to school. Something was wrong. Her mother knew she had to do something about this as her daughter could not speak and tell her what had happened.
First the parents went to the Principal of the school who said everything was fine she said ““She’d say that [Portia] is in the classroom that we believe is best for her, that she is there for her safety - so she gets the best amount of attention as possible,” Jason explained.(the father)
The parents were still not satisfied and made a meeting with the teacher who said all the right things “My wife asked again, ‘Has there been any trauma? Any bullying? Is there anything?’ She asked those very direct questions and, looking us right in the eye, they would say, ‘She had a great day, she’s doing so well, she’s so happy here'.”
These are the sorts of things the providers have said to me in the past when I ask what is happening with James at respite or in a day program. They say everything is great when in fact the truth is not so. They always cover up especially if there is money involved. The parents could not let it go the mum said “You feel it with your child - ‘Mum, I’m hurt’,” she said. This is what she felt from her daughter.
(9News Natalie Clancy, Dimiti Clancy Feb 2019) ‘Janey said her decision to take matters into her own hands wasn’t made lightly. She said she and Jason gave the school ample opportunity to really listen to their concerns. It was only after not one, but two, face-to-face meetings at the school, that Janey said she just knew something wasn’t right and she had no choice but to act.
“It was her maternal instinct,” Jason said.’
Janey the mother, bought a little black audio recording disc off the internet and put it in her daughter’s pocket when she next went to school.
What was on the disc shocked and sickened Portia’s parents. The article notes what was said on the recording device
There are three non-verbal students in the high needs class - Portia and two children in wheelchairs. It couldn’t be further from a loving learning environment. “Oi! Stop doing it! Do not spit into your hands! You are not going outside! Get up!” Portia’s teacher said. Janey explained that Portia is not “spitting”, but blowing raspberries; a sign she was scared.
The teacher and the teacher’s aide spoke about Portia’s toilet training program. “Right, today Portia, your mother can have lots of wet, shitting pants, and if she shits in them, I’m sending them home." Portia was called names. “Can you go away and stop licking the cupboard please? You weird child. I don’t care if you don’t like us, Portia, you don’t lick the cupboards.” And much more was said than that…
Portia’s father Jason said he could not believe the language of the teachers, which was so inappropriate when they were working with these special needs children. Portia’s mother Janey said she felt sick, she felt appalled when she heard what the teachers were saying and she felt very, very, angry (9News Clancy 2019)
I cant believe the attitude of these teachers! Why were they even working with disabilities kids? The teachers are the ones that need educating on how to treat those who are so vulnerable and how to have the right attitude, and teachers in special needs definitely need to learn empathy and care as these did not show care and were awful toward the vulnerable children. I cannot believe how they spoke to these kids. It was so wrong. They were just in it for the money a job - if there was no heart no love there at all. So arrogant so full of their power over these little powerless precious ones.
The teachers also knew that no one was watching them and that they did not have to be accountable and also that what they were saying and doing was wrong the article notes from the recording “And just as alarming, they suggested they knew rules were being broken. “Luckily, we have no WHS people here.”
WHS means ‘Workplace Health and Safety’. “What’s happening in that classroom, I don’t know, but she’s saying [it’s] lucky there’s no-one monitoring them,” Janey explained.
https://www.9news.com.au/.../040c3b63-a979-425c-a676
It the same in disabilities care – there are no work and safety people watching what is happening to our children. The NDIS should be implementing Health and Safety in all the providers organizations more strongly. They get away with literally murder through their neglect and lack of care to our vulnerable children.
In another article on Portia, it was noted that the teacher was sacked from the school that year. Thank God. How many other children are being treated like this in special needs classrooms still? We don’t know who is being nasty who is abusing who is harming them because our children cannot tell us just as Portia could not tell her mother. Parents of disability kids have to navigate the school system and later the disabilities system where no one is really looking out for these vulnerable children except the parents. Parents live on edge and in a constant state of anxiety worrying what may be happening to their children especially when they are nonverbal and unable to protect themselves or speak up when someone hurts them.
We need the cctv cameras for evidence and to catch those who are harmful to our children out, those who would verbally or physically abuse them. And we need to call out those teachers, schools or organizations and workers where they have done wrong and hurt or verbally abused our children. We must not accept it when they are harmedor treated wrongly. We parents must not be passive. Our children are worth more than that.
I had to fight for my son when he was around 5 years old at a school in the Blue Mountains, because the principal had without my knowledge moved him to another special needs class different to where he had been, one with no windows no pictures and a gate with bars on it between the rooms! I called the principal and said move my son back into the room where his friends are and people that he knows – she said no we decide each year what happens. I said I am his mother you need to tell me what you are doing with him. Six months later after visits to the school and phone calls to the school from a local MP and from the Minister of Education there was a meeting at the school with my advocate and myself and then husband and the principal and the minister of education. They had inspected the school, and seen for themselves first time ever a special needs class room. The room the teachers had put James in had children lying on the floor who could not move and James was the only one who could move and was running in between them – it was the wrong place plus it was a dark classroom and not right for those kids as well. We argued the principal and I in front of the advocate and Education inspector and minister. Move my son back to his room I said. You shouted at me on the phone she said, you shouted at me I answered. The principal went out with the Education NSW INspector and then came back. We will move some of the children James knows into the classroom James is in. I wasn’t happy but accepted it was something. Three days later I received a phone call saying that James would be moving back to the classroom he was originally in where there were windows and pictures and brightness again. The principal took long service leave. I had also written to her from the start of James being moved, and said your school also receives extra funding (at least another $70,000) for having a special needs classroom now do the right thing by my son. I found out later that a teacher had not wanted James in the classroom where he first was because she found him annoying in some way and she was friends with the Principal. Go figure.
The principal never came back from long service leave. Good job.
We need those cctv cameras in all disabilities places our children are the most vulnerable when they cannot speak or even physically defend themselves. The cameras are needed to prove what has happened as the perpetrators never admit what they have done and the organizations always deny and cover up abuse and neglect. WE must call them out on any abuse and an exploitation of our children’s funding
Sign my petition change.org/disabilitycameras
All the best
Anndrea x
#disabilitylivesmatteroz