Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Duncan's 82% NCLB Failure Prediction Way Off Base, New Data Show
Duncan's 82% NCLB Failure Prediction Way Off Base, New Data Show
In fact, only three states, plus the District of Columbia, actually hit or exceeded Duncan's estimate on failure to make AYP: the District, at 87 percent; Florida; at 89 percent; Missouri, at 88 percent; and New Mexico, at 87 percent.
In fact, only three states, plus the District of Columbia, actually hit or exceeded Duncan's estimate on failure to make AYP: the District, at 87 percent; Florida; at 89 percent; Missouri, at 88 percent; and New Mexico, at 87 percent.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Adam’s Story Excerpt
Adam’s Story Excerpt
Mommy, I Wish I Could Tell You What They Did To Me In School Today
Everyday Atrocities Faced by Special Needs Children
By Richard S. Stripp, Sr.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF NOAH V. VARCADIPANE8/4/1996 – 11/14/2009 “MOMMY’S SUPERMAN”
The children and adult characters in this book are based on students and individuals that the author has interacted with and/or worked with directly.
The majority of children who “speak” in this book are non-verbal. Their words which you will read are fictitious and were never spoken by them but are based on actual events that occurred in their lives. It is the author’s belief that if the non-verbal children in this book could speak, what you are about to read is what they might have said.
Any conversations between the author and anyone in the book are based on actual events and conversations.
“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mommy, I Wish I Could Tell You What They Did To Me In School Today
Everyday Atrocities Faced by Special Needs Children
By Richard S. Stripp, Sr.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF NOAH V. VARCADIPANE8/4/1996 – 11/14/2009 “MOMMY’S SUPERMAN”
The children and adult characters in this book are based on students and individuals that the author has interacted with and/or worked with directly.
The majority of children who “speak” in this book are non-verbal. Their words which you will read are fictitious and were never spoken by them but are based on actual events that occurred in their lives. It is the author’s belief that if the non-verbal children in this book could speak, what you are about to read is what they might have said.
Any conversations between the author and anyone in the book are based on actual events and conversations.
“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Does your school have a secret history of abusing disabled children? Find out here - National special education | Examiner.com
Does your school have a secret history of abusing disabled children? Find out here - National special education Examiner.com
Missouri
1. North Mercer R3, Mercer, MO (Seclusion Room: Closet converted to seclusion room)
2. Underwood Elementary School, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Lee’s Summit, MO (Seclusion: Child kept in closet for most of a month)
Missouri
1. North Mercer R3, Mercer, MO (Seclusion Room: Closet converted to seclusion room)
2. Underwood Elementary School, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Lee’s Summit, MO (Seclusion: Child kept in closet for most of a month)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Penn State Scandal Shines Light on Child-Abuse Reporting Laws
Penn State Scandal Shines Light on Child-Abuse Reporting Laws
I have been witness to and heard stories of school employees that emotionally, psychologically, and verbally abuse children. This should be included in these laws. Bullying is bullying. Zero tolerance should apply to everyone in a school building. Not just the children.
I have been witness to and heard stories of school employees that emotionally, psychologically, and verbally abuse children. This should be included in these laws. Bullying is bullying. Zero tolerance should apply to everyone in a school building. Not just the children.
States Falling Short in Serving Infants, Toddlers With Disabilities?
States Falling Short in Serving Infants, Toddlers With Disabilities?
Some states fare particularly poorly, Easter Seals found. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, the District of Columbia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Tennessee serve fewer than 2 percent of their population. On the other hand, some states do much better: Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Wyoming serve more than 4 percent of their population through Part C.
Some states fare particularly poorly, Easter Seals found. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, the District of Columbia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Tennessee serve fewer than 2 percent of their population. On the other hand, some states do much better: Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Wyoming serve more than 4 percent of their population through Part C.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
2nd Bedford Co. bus attack lawsuit video shows child sprayed with aerosol
2nd Bedford Co. bus attack lawsuit video shows child sprayed with aerosol: The second video as part of the Kilpatrick family's lawsuit, claims to show more abuse against their autistic son by a former school aide and bus driver
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Special Needs Student Sues Missouri School District Over Rapes - ABC News
Special Needs Student Sues Missouri School District Over Rapes - ABC News
Thanks to ABC News for covering this story.
Thanks to ABC News for covering this story.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Profiles In Courage-Stories Of Living With Autism
Profiles in courage- stories of living with autism
Posted Friday, April 15, 2011, at 11:19 AMLet me tell you about courage. The kind I never want to have to know.
Jessica Simmers lives it every day. You might have seen Jessica and her blonde hair, angelic-face little boy on the front page of the Southeast Missourian this week.
Let me take you back.
Landyn, did everything early. Jessica said as soon as he started crawling he wanted to walk.
And then everything stopped. Landyn turned 2 and he stopped talking. He grew extremely distant from other children, almost like he was ignoring them. He was obsessed with routine. He had to eat breakfast as soon as he woke up. He wanted to go outside, no matter the weather, or he would become agitated, cry inconsolably.
About seven months ago, Jessica's finance saw a program about autism and noticed startling similarities in Landyn. They did their research, mostly online. Of the 15 basic symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, Landyn exhibited 14.
Jessica took her son to the Southeast Missouri State University Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment in January. The diagnosis came down fast, and it was just what this young mother suspected: autism.
"I was upset but relieved," she told me. "I knew what it was, and I knew how to help him."
Help is on the way. It appears Landyn, 3, Jessica's "blessing, is getting the care he needs through a suite of services at the center and beyond. And the earlier treatment the better, reams of studies on autism and plenty of experience teach us.
Dr. David Crowe, of Cape Girardeau, has felt the heartbreak that autism brings.
His son, Taylor, was a happy, joyful toddler, advanced in speech and development before he shut down. He lost virtually all of his language skills by the time he was 3 1/2.
Here's the part that really hits me where I live as a dad, and as a son of a father whose ability to speak was robbed by stroke.
"One morning we were having breakfast, and Taylor said, 'Daddy, my mouth won't say the words, my mouth won't say the words,' and he started crying," Crowe said. "He was letting us know that's what was happening; we just didn't know what he was saying. Then it was gone."
Taylor couldn't stand being touched, he was impatient, he couldn't communicate and he was frustrated. He cried all the time.
"It's very difficult to put into words what it's like to have your child essentially change overnight, becoming distant, uncomfortable and unhappy after he had been a happy, joyful little child," Crowe said.
Taylor experienced what appears to be Landyn's diagnosis: Childhood disintegrative disorder. The average age of onset is between three and four years of age, although symptoms may appear by 2. Until this time, the child has age-appropriate skills in communication and social relationships.
To watch your child grow, to learn, to experience the joys of toddlerhood and then watch so much of it virtually taken away overnight is frightening beyond comprehension to me.
But the Crowe family, especially Taylor, never gave up.
Through meticulous speech therapy work, deep social connections, patience and love, Taylor, who turns 30 this year, is an artist and an author who has traveled the country telling his story, explaining autism spectrum disorders. Crowe calls him a "living, breathing example of what the human potential could do." Taylor, he said, is his hero.
"We always felt that happy little boy was locked in there, and we just wanted him back," he said.
There are an estimated as many as 700,000 children and young adults are living with autism spectrum disorder. Some cases are more severe than others, some stories don't have the kind of happier endings the Crowes experienced. And with so many autistic children beginning to come of age, experts in the field say a crisis of service and resources, too, is coming.
This is National Autism Awareness Month. It's a time to remember the people affected by this group of neurological disorders and, I believe, the courage they must have to carry themselves through to the other side of fear.
As one parent of an autistic child put it, living with autism is about patience and love.
I think it's also about a kind of strength unknown to most.
All qualities that teach us how to live and learn.
Here are some upcoming Southeast Missouri State University events commemorating National Autism Awareness Month
* The Alpha Xi Delta sorority at Southeast Missouri State University is hosting its annual Walk Now for Autism Speaks and Alpha Xi Delta BBQ on Sunday. The walk, which takes place at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau, is open to the public. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the walk starting at 9:30 a.m. A BBQ will be held after the completion of the walk at 11:30 a.m.
* The Southeast Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment along with Counseling and Disability Services is co-sponsoring a movie night, showing "Temple Grandin" at 6 p.m. April 18 in the University Center Program Lounge. The award-winning HBO movie, starring Clare Danes, is a story of an Autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock-handling industry and is a widely-respected presenter and author in the field of Autism.
* The International Counseling Honor Society, Chi Sigma Iota, at Southeast will host a meeting on April 19 to focus on interventions and treatment for working with individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Moore and Hébert will be the presenters for the evening.
*Autism and developmental screenings will be available on Friday, April 29, in Dexter, Mo. The screenings are co-sponsored by the S.H.O.W. Mobile (Southeast Health on Wheels) at Southeast and the University Autism Center. Families who have concerns regarding child development are encouraged to come to the S.H.O.W. Mobile for screenings. The S.H.O.W. Mobile operates out of the College of Health and Human Services in a partnership with Southeast Health. Once time, location and procedures for obtaining an appointment are finalized, information will be available on the University Autism Center website at www.semo.edu/autismcenter or by calling (573) 986-4985.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Support Youth with Significant Disabilities Get Equal Opportunities to Become Productive, Responsible, Contributing Citizens of Society in Adulthood
Support Youth with Significant Disabilities Get Equal Opportunities to Become Productive, Responsible, Contributing Citizens of Society in Adulthood
Cosponsor the Transitioning towards Excellence & Achievement in Mobility through Education
(TEAM-Education) Act of 2011
POLICY OVERVIEW
Despite significant public expenditures in special education, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities frequently transition out of high school lacking the proper skills required to find and maintain employment or pursue post-secondary education. This trend is due to a reluctance among state and local educational authorities in providing hands-on work experience and training (including mentoring, internships, summer work programs, and career development) that is typically offered to non-disabled students during their transitional years. Instead, low expectations dominate individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with special needs despite the potential and desire of many students to pursue opportunities that will help them gain experience to better prepare them for the workforce and adulthood. Although the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide transition services to support students with disabilities during their high school years, there currently lacks no enforcement, monitoring or evaluation of school districts to ensure that they are complying with this important provision in the law.
It is no surprise then that upon exiting the school system, these young citizens are woefully unprepared and unsupported in finding and maintaining employment in the community and at wages which promote optimal self-sufficiency and independence. Yet research demonstrates that when provided with preparatory, hands-on job experience in the form of part-time work, internships, or summer employment, individuals with significant disabilities can successfully obtain and sustain work in integrated settings and earn competitive wages.
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
The TEAM legislation provides three separate legislative responses to better align existing federal programs providing publically-funded systems and supports to focus on one uniform goal – ensuring that every youth with a significant disability has the opportunity, encouragement and support to become gainfully employed in an integrated setting, pursue a post-secondary education, and contribute to and meaningfully engage in typical community settings upon leaving high school.
TEAM-EDUCATION ACT OF 2011: BILL SUMMARY
The TEAM-Education Act amends IDEA to encourage and empower schools districts, states educational authorities, students with significant disabilities, their familiesand transition teams to plan for and achieve employment in an integrated setting at minimum wage or higher after high school.
Adds requirements to ensure Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) holistically address the transition needs of students: Under this bill, the IEP changes the age when transition planning must be included in a student’s IEP from age 14 to 16, and requires school districts to invite the State Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) Authority to participate on the IEP & transition planning team for students expected to be eligible for adult I/DD services. The bill further requires the IEP to include comprehensive transition planning and services, including objectives for developing the skills, knowledge-base, training and experience to successfully obtain integrated employment, economic self-sufficiency, independent living and community involvement. The bill would require schools to produce a comprehensive portfolio of the student’s skills, experiences and talents relevant to employers, tobe given to the student and parents once the student exits the school system. Additionally, the bill offers
TEAM-Education Act of 2011 Page 2
advocacy training for students and families to help them prepare better for articulating the wishes of the student during the IEP process.
Allows for IDEA Part B discretionary dollars to be used by school districts to hire or contract with professionals possessing transition expertise for youth with significant disabilities: The legislation clarifies that school districts are allowed and encouraged to use IDEA discretionary funds for either hiring transition experts within or contracting out transition services as needed, based on stringent criteria that these contracts be focused on the preparation and confirmation of integrated, competitive employment or other desired post-secondary education outcomes.
Modifies the Definition of Transition Services: Ensures that the definition of transition services includes customized employment services and training in advocacy and self-determination activities to better prepare youth for job preparation and advocating on their own behalf. Additionally, the bill clarifies that transition services do not include facility-based or other segregated programs.
Establishes Support for Local Transition Coordinators: Provides $50 million to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to pilot the hiring of internal transition services coordinators who would be responsible for facilitating relationships with public and private entities on behalf of the student and the student’s family to ensure the successful provision of desired transition services necessary to achieving the student’s transition objectives.
POLICY RATIONALE
The goal of publically-funded transition services and supports for youth with disabilities should be focused on helping youth with significant disabilities acquire the skills, knowledge and experience required to successfully obtain a job in an integrated setting at minimum wage or higher, ensure maximum community participation and achieve optimal self-sufficiency. To achieve this goal, Congress must establish a coordinated, comprehensive approach to the investment of public resources that expands and improves the choices of youth with significant disabilities who are transitioning into adulthood to ensure the design and execution of an individualized , coordinated strategy aimed at securing meaningful post-secondary educational opportunities, career development and training, supported employment in an integrated setting, and inclusion in the community setting through independent living and social engagement.
The TEAM-Education Act would streamline the transition process at the high-school level and require coordination and collaboration between the state education authority and the State I/DD authority to maximize the efficient use of resources through systems alignment. Clarifying that facility based or other segregated experiences are not acceptable transition services will focus IEP teams on having high expectations of all students and in identifying opportunities that lead to integrated employment, post secondary education, independent living and optimal self-sufficiency for students with significant disabilities. The legislation ensures that the newest and most promising practices for assisting students in finding, creating and maintaining employment are implemented, rather than promoting a continued dismissal of the potential of students with disabilities to become productive citizens and contribute in meaningful ways to their communities.
ACTION REQUIRED
Congressional leaders dedicated to improving the future opportunities of youth with significant disabilities through fiscally responsible, innovative systems-reform strategies are encouraged to co-sponsor all three of the following legislative proposals: TEAM-Education Act of 2011; Team-Empowerment Act of 2011; and TEAM-Employment Act of 2011. To cosponsor one or more of these innovative legislative bills, please contact Scot Malvaney in the Office of U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-MS) at scot.malvaney@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5031.
Cosponsor the Transitioning towards Excellence & Achievement in Mobility through Education
(TEAM-Education) Act of 2011
POLICY OVERVIEW
Despite significant public expenditures in special education, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities frequently transition out of high school lacking the proper skills required to find and maintain employment or pursue post-secondary education. This trend is due to a reluctance among state and local educational authorities in providing hands-on work experience and training (including mentoring, internships, summer work programs, and career development) that is typically offered to non-disabled students during their transitional years. Instead, low expectations dominate individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with special needs despite the potential and desire of many students to pursue opportunities that will help them gain experience to better prepare them for the workforce and adulthood. Although the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide transition services to support students with disabilities during their high school years, there currently lacks no enforcement, monitoring or evaluation of school districts to ensure that they are complying with this important provision in the law.
It is no surprise then that upon exiting the school system, these young citizens are woefully unprepared and unsupported in finding and maintaining employment in the community and at wages which promote optimal self-sufficiency and independence. Yet research demonstrates that when provided with preparatory, hands-on job experience in the form of part-time work, internships, or summer employment, individuals with significant disabilities can successfully obtain and sustain work in integrated settings and earn competitive wages.
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
The TEAM legislation provides three separate legislative responses to better align existing federal programs providing publically-funded systems and supports to focus on one uniform goal – ensuring that every youth with a significant disability has the opportunity, encouragement and support to become gainfully employed in an integrated setting, pursue a post-secondary education, and contribute to and meaningfully engage in typical community settings upon leaving high school.
TEAM-EDUCATION ACT OF 2011: BILL SUMMARY
The TEAM-Education Act amends IDEA to encourage and empower schools districts, states educational authorities, students with significant disabilities, their familiesand transition teams to plan for and achieve employment in an integrated setting at minimum wage or higher after high school.
Adds requirements to ensure Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) holistically address the transition needs of students: Under this bill, the IEP changes the age when transition planning must be included in a student’s IEP from age 14 to 16, and requires school districts to invite the State Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) Authority to participate on the IEP & transition planning team for students expected to be eligible for adult I/DD services. The bill further requires the IEP to include comprehensive transition planning and services, including objectives for developing the skills, knowledge-base, training and experience to successfully obtain integrated employment, economic self-sufficiency, independent living and community involvement. The bill would require schools to produce a comprehensive portfolio of the student’s skills, experiences and talents relevant to employers, tobe given to the student and parents once the student exits the school system. Additionally, the bill offers
TEAM-Education Act of 2011 Page 2
advocacy training for students and families to help them prepare better for articulating the wishes of the student during the IEP process.
Allows for IDEA Part B discretionary dollars to be used by school districts to hire or contract with professionals possessing transition expertise for youth with significant disabilities: The legislation clarifies that school districts are allowed and encouraged to use IDEA discretionary funds for either hiring transition experts within or contracting out transition services as needed, based on stringent criteria that these contracts be focused on the preparation and confirmation of integrated, competitive employment or other desired post-secondary education outcomes.
Modifies the Definition of Transition Services: Ensures that the definition of transition services includes customized employment services and training in advocacy and self-determination activities to better prepare youth for job preparation and advocating on their own behalf. Additionally, the bill clarifies that transition services do not include facility-based or other segregated programs.
Establishes Support for Local Transition Coordinators: Provides $50 million to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to pilot the hiring of internal transition services coordinators who would be responsible for facilitating relationships with public and private entities on behalf of the student and the student’s family to ensure the successful provision of desired transition services necessary to achieving the student’s transition objectives.
POLICY RATIONALE
The goal of publically-funded transition services and supports for youth with disabilities should be focused on helping youth with significant disabilities acquire the skills, knowledge and experience required to successfully obtain a job in an integrated setting at minimum wage or higher, ensure maximum community participation and achieve optimal self-sufficiency. To achieve this goal, Congress must establish a coordinated, comprehensive approach to the investment of public resources that expands and improves the choices of youth with significant disabilities who are transitioning into adulthood to ensure the design and execution of an individualized , coordinated strategy aimed at securing meaningful post-secondary educational opportunities, career development and training, supported employment in an integrated setting, and inclusion in the community setting through independent living and social engagement.
The TEAM-Education Act would streamline the transition process at the high-school level and require coordination and collaboration between the state education authority and the State I/DD authority to maximize the efficient use of resources through systems alignment. Clarifying that facility based or other segregated experiences are not acceptable transition services will focus IEP teams on having high expectations of all students and in identifying opportunities that lead to integrated employment, post secondary education, independent living and optimal self-sufficiency for students with significant disabilities. The legislation ensures that the newest and most promising practices for assisting students in finding, creating and maintaining employment are implemented, rather than promoting a continued dismissal of the potential of students with disabilities to become productive citizens and contribute in meaningful ways to their communities.
ACTION REQUIRED
Congressional leaders dedicated to improving the future opportunities of youth with significant disabilities through fiscally responsible, innovative systems-reform strategies are encouraged to co-sponsor all three of the following legislative proposals: TEAM-Education Act of 2011; Team-Empowerment Act of 2011; and TEAM-Employment Act of 2011. To cosponsor one or more of these innovative legislative bills, please contact Scot Malvaney in the Office of U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-MS) at scot.malvaney@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5031.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Corporal Punishment More Likely For Students With Disabilities - Disability Scoop
Corporal Punishment More Likely For Students With Disabilities - Disability Scoop
How is Jeff Grisamore addressing this and all of the other injustices that our children face in public education?
How is Jeff Grisamore addressing this and all of the other injustices that our children face in public education?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Homicide ruled in 4th death at troubled kid's facility
Homicide ruled in 4th death at troubled kids' facility
Boy, 16, asphyxiated in November after being restrained inside a closet (Owens had refused to show the staffer what he was holding in his hand, which turned out to be the cap of a pen)
By TERRI LANGFORD HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Jan. 7, 2011
Texas - The restraint death of a 16-year-old boy at Daystar Residential Inc., a facility for troubled children, has been ruled a homicide caused by "complications of mechanical asphyxia," according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science.
Michael Kevin Owens suffocated and died on Nov. 5 after a Daystar staffer placed him in a physical restraint inside a bedroom closet because he would not show the staffer what he held in his hand. Owens' death was the fourth restraint-related fatality to occur at Daystar or its sister facilities. Daystar is located 25 miles south of Houston.
The name of the staffer has not been released, and the case will go before a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges will be filed, according to Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne.
Owens' death occurred just days after the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services notified Daystar that it was on probation, and the incident prompted the agency to place the Manvel-based facility, for the third time, under the watch of a state monitor.
The agency is reviewing the autopsy report, which was issued to them late Thursday.
"We have been going through a very deliberate process of evaluating Daystar's state license, and this ruling is an important piece," said Patrick Crimmins, DFPS' spokesman.
Earlier this summer the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Tribune reported that Daystar staffers had once urged developmentally disabled girls to fight one another for a snack. The 2008 incident was one of 250 confirmed abuse cases involving Daystar and 79 other residential treatment centers.
Since that report, the state agency has not moved any new foster care children into Daystar. After Owens' death, DFPS officials began relocating Texas children from Daystar because of its probation status. The last Texas foster care child was removed from Daystar on Wednesday. Five other foster care children — all from California - remain there.
Use of restraints cited
Last month, the agency issued its first report since Owens' death. In it, the state monitor raised questions over the repeated use of restraints during the same behavior incident. Daystar, wrote monitor Jeff Enzinna, releases children after two minutes of being restrained to give them a chance to regain control. But if a child continues to behave poorly, the staffer restrains the child again.
In November, 14 restraints were reported at Daystar, occurring during seven separate incidents.
One child was restrained four times during an 11-minute period. Another was restrained four times in a 15-minute period.
"If these children had not been released after 2 minutes but were held until calm as DFPS regulations allow, the number of restraints would have decreased by 50 percent," wrote Enzinna.
Daystar attorney John Carsey did not immediately return a Houston Chronicle phone call asking for comment.
*UPDATE*
Texas shuts down treatment center for kids
Daystar loses license after teen's death is ruled a homicide
By TERRI LANGFORD
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
State child welfare officials on Friday shut down Daystar Residential Inc., a home for troubled youth, one day after a foster child's recent restraint death was ruled a homicide.
"Today, we have revoked Daystar's license to operate, effective immediately. The DFPS investigation found that this facility is just not safe for children," said Anne Heiligenstein, commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
The closure, which can be appealed, was precipitated by the death of Michael Keith Owens, 16, whose death in November was ruled a homicide on Thursday.
All Texas foster care children had been removed from Daystar, a facility once licensed to care for as many as 141 children, by Thursday. Five other children placed at Daystar by California authorities were moved elsewhere Friday.
The Manvel-based Daystar, in operation since 1995, has made millions of dollars over the years caring for some of the most troubled and mentally disabled foster care children in the state, many of whom were housed in trailers about 25 miles south of Houston.
It was one of 80 residential treatment centers, known as RTCs, across the state licensed to care for such children, who number about 1,600. Since 2006, RTCs have received more than $300 million to care for these emotionally disturbed or disabled foster care children.
History of problems
But Daystar's 15-year history has been problematic, particularly over the last year. In June, the agency confirmed that a 16-year-old mentally ill girl had been sexually abused by a Daystar staffer the previous January.
That same month, the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Tribune reported that Daystar staffers had urged developmentally disabled foster care girls to fight one another for a snack in 2008. It was one of 250 confirmed abuse incidents that occurred at Daystar and the other 79 residential treatment centers.
As a result, no new children had been placed at Daystar since July while DFPS investigated the home. The agency quickly hired Jeffrey Enzinna as a state monitor to report on Daystar practices. Once there, Enzinna found lax record-keeping and a one-size-fits-all type of treatment for children.
"From reviewing incoming documentation, my impression is that there was a frequent use of emergency personal restraint and emergency medications," Enzinna wrote last fall. "There also appeared to be no program-wide systems of analyzing the use of restraints or emergency medications."
On Nov. 1, after Enzinna left Daystar, the agency decided to place the facility on probation because of the confirmed sexual abuse allegation from the previous June.
Boy was holding pen cap
Four days later, the 16-year-old Owens, who had been diagnosed with a mood disorder, died after a Daystar staffer physically restrained him in a bedroom closet. Owens had refused to show the staffer what he was holding in his hand, which turned out to be the cap of a pen.
Ruled a homicide by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the case has been sent to a Brazoria County grand jury.
In December, the Chronicle reported that information on restraints used on children at RTCs was paltry at best. At least 54 of the 79 RTCs provided DFPS with only partial information, and 17 of those had failed to submit any documentation at all.
This potentially dangerous technique has been used at least 44,720 times on Texas children living at RTCs from January 2008 through August 2010.
DFPS' letter to Daystar, which notified the home it was to close, cited the restraint issue as one of the key reasons, saying Daystar officials failed to monitor and apply physical restraints that "minimized the risk of harm to the child."
Phone messages left for Daystar administrator Cal Salls and the company's attorney, John Carsey, were not immediately returned. There was no answer at the home of Daystar owner Clay Hill.
3 other restraint deaths
Owens' death was the fourth restraint fatality to occur at Daystar or its sister agencies in Manvel and owned by Hill, of Sugar Land.
In 1993, 16-year-old Dawn Perry died of an apparent restraint applied at Behavior Training Research, a facility that voluntarily relinquished its residential license to DFPS in 1998.
In 2001, Stephanie Duffield, also 16, died at Shiloh Residential Treatment Center after restraints were applied. Today, that facility is still open in Manvel, owned by Daystar's owner, but does not house Texas foster care children.
In 2002, 15-year-old Latasha Bush died at Daystar after restraints were applied.
Boy, 16, asphyxiated in November after being restrained inside a closet (Owens had refused to show the staffer what he was holding in his hand, which turned out to be the cap of a pen)
By TERRI LANGFORD HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Jan. 7, 2011
Texas - The restraint death of a 16-year-old boy at Daystar Residential Inc., a facility for troubled children, has been ruled a homicide caused by "complications of mechanical asphyxia," according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science.
Michael Kevin Owens suffocated and died on Nov. 5 after a Daystar staffer placed him in a physical restraint inside a bedroom closet because he would not show the staffer what he held in his hand. Owens' death was the fourth restraint-related fatality to occur at Daystar or its sister facilities. Daystar is located 25 miles south of Houston.
The name of the staffer has not been released, and the case will go before a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges will be filed, according to Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne.
Owens' death occurred just days after the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services notified Daystar that it was on probation, and the incident prompted the agency to place the Manvel-based facility, for the third time, under the watch of a state monitor.
The agency is reviewing the autopsy report, which was issued to them late Thursday.
"We have been going through a very deliberate process of evaluating Daystar's state license, and this ruling is an important piece," said Patrick Crimmins, DFPS' spokesman.
Earlier this summer the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Tribune reported that Daystar staffers had once urged developmentally disabled girls to fight one another for a snack. The 2008 incident was one of 250 confirmed abuse cases involving Daystar and 79 other residential treatment centers.
Since that report, the state agency has not moved any new foster care children into Daystar. After Owens' death, DFPS officials began relocating Texas children from Daystar because of its probation status. The last Texas foster care child was removed from Daystar on Wednesday. Five other foster care children — all from California - remain there.
Use of restraints cited
Last month, the agency issued its first report since Owens' death. In it, the state monitor raised questions over the repeated use of restraints during the same behavior incident. Daystar, wrote monitor Jeff Enzinna, releases children after two minutes of being restrained to give them a chance to regain control. But if a child continues to behave poorly, the staffer restrains the child again.
In November, 14 restraints were reported at Daystar, occurring during seven separate incidents.
One child was restrained four times during an 11-minute period. Another was restrained four times in a 15-minute period.
"If these children had not been released after 2 minutes but were held until calm as DFPS regulations allow, the number of restraints would have decreased by 50 percent," wrote Enzinna.
Daystar attorney John Carsey did not immediately return a Houston Chronicle phone call asking for comment.
*UPDATE*
Texas shuts down treatment center for kids
Daystar loses license after teen's death is ruled a homicide
By TERRI LANGFORD
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
State child welfare officials on Friday shut down Daystar Residential Inc., a home for troubled youth, one day after a foster child's recent restraint death was ruled a homicide.
"Today, we have revoked Daystar's license to operate, effective immediately. The DFPS investigation found that this facility is just not safe for children," said Anne Heiligenstein, commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
The closure, which can be appealed, was precipitated by the death of Michael Keith Owens, 16, whose death in November was ruled a homicide on Thursday.
All Texas foster care children had been removed from Daystar, a facility once licensed to care for as many as 141 children, by Thursday. Five other children placed at Daystar by California authorities were moved elsewhere Friday.
The Manvel-based Daystar, in operation since 1995, has made millions of dollars over the years caring for some of the most troubled and mentally disabled foster care children in the state, many of whom were housed in trailers about 25 miles south of Houston.
It was one of 80 residential treatment centers, known as RTCs, across the state licensed to care for such children, who number about 1,600. Since 2006, RTCs have received more than $300 million to care for these emotionally disturbed or disabled foster care children.
History of problems
But Daystar's 15-year history has been problematic, particularly over the last year. In June, the agency confirmed that a 16-year-old mentally ill girl had been sexually abused by a Daystar staffer the previous January.
That same month, the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Tribune reported that Daystar staffers had urged developmentally disabled foster care girls to fight one another for a snack in 2008. It was one of 250 confirmed abuse incidents that occurred at Daystar and the other 79 residential treatment centers.
As a result, no new children had been placed at Daystar since July while DFPS investigated the home. The agency quickly hired Jeffrey Enzinna as a state monitor to report on Daystar practices. Once there, Enzinna found lax record-keeping and a one-size-fits-all type of treatment for children.
"From reviewing incoming documentation, my impression is that there was a frequent use of emergency personal restraint and emergency medications," Enzinna wrote last fall. "There also appeared to be no program-wide systems of analyzing the use of restraints or emergency medications."
On Nov. 1, after Enzinna left Daystar, the agency decided to place the facility on probation because of the confirmed sexual abuse allegation from the previous June.
Boy was holding pen cap
Four days later, the 16-year-old Owens, who had been diagnosed with a mood disorder, died after a Daystar staffer physically restrained him in a bedroom closet. Owens had refused to show the staffer what he was holding in his hand, which turned out to be the cap of a pen.
Ruled a homicide by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the case has been sent to a Brazoria County grand jury.
In December, the Chronicle reported that information on restraints used on children at RTCs was paltry at best. At least 54 of the 79 RTCs provided DFPS with only partial information, and 17 of those had failed to submit any documentation at all.
This potentially dangerous technique has been used at least 44,720 times on Texas children living at RTCs from January 2008 through August 2010.
DFPS' letter to Daystar, which notified the home it was to close, cited the restraint issue as one of the key reasons, saying Daystar officials failed to monitor and apply physical restraints that "minimized the risk of harm to the child."
Phone messages left for Daystar administrator Cal Salls and the company's attorney, John Carsey, were not immediately returned. There was no answer at the home of Daystar owner Clay Hill.
3 other restraint deaths
Owens' death was the fourth restraint fatality to occur at Daystar or its sister agencies in Manvel and owned by Hill, of Sugar Land.
In 1993, 16-year-old Dawn Perry died of an apparent restraint applied at Behavior Training Research, a facility that voluntarily relinquished its residential license to DFPS in 1998.
In 2001, Stephanie Duffield, also 16, died at Shiloh Residential Treatment Center after restraints were applied. Today, that facility is still open in Manvel, owned by Daystar's owner, but does not house Texas foster care children.
In 2002, 15-year-old Latasha Bush died at Daystar after restraints were applied.
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