People often believe these classrooms are safer because there is education assistant support and a lower teacher to student ratio. However, classrooms with only vulnerable students, many of whom may have difficulty communicating in neurotypical ways, are at greater risk of abuse, whether by neglect or by overt actions, such as verbal or physical assault. This abuse is more likely to go undetected in these environments.
In addition, it is possible to have a high concentration of students with potentially aggressive behaviours within the setting. This means students with disabilities can experience disproportionate exposure to potential violence, even if they are not themselves potentially aggressive.
News articles about abuse in these settings are not infrequent. In what other educational setting do we have to consider cameras in the classroom? For a more in-depth discussion about this issue from our former CEO, read “Wide Open Spaces: Maggie’s Story”.
