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An Angry Mother Discovers Unconventional Practice at her Son’s Daycare
An incensed mother recently expressed her indignation after her toddler was found fitted with ankle weights at his nursery, aimed at restricting his movement speed. In a state of uncertainty, she sought advice from peers on parenting forums.
Steps to Curb Rapid Movements
The exasperated mother took to Reddit to share her ordeal: “While collecting my two-year-old son early from his regular, licensed, full-time daycare on Friday, I noticed him wearing ankle weights!” She clarified her son exhibits no medical conditions or aggressive behaviour. Instead, he is shy and leans more towards introversion. He is currently under the supervision of a Developmental Therapist (DT) and a Speech Therapist (ST).
Ironically, she mentioned the assistant director of his school, referred to as Katie*, regularly labeled her son as an indifferent listener. Additionally, other teachers observed he continued running despite being asked to stop.
She further articulated concerns over Katie hinting toward a potential diagnosis using terms like ‘stemming’, ‘non-verbal’, and ‘sensory processing stuff’. Although her son has a limited vocabulary for his age of 27 months, he is receiving speech therapy for improvement.
Coming back to the incident, she expressed her shock over seeing the ankle weights. Following that, a teacher mentioned that the weights were a safety measure to prevent him from potential injury due to running. Katie then joined the conversation and reasoned that the weights, which were previously used by a ‘big kid with sensory issues,’ might aid in slowing down her son.
Furthermore, she emphasized that her son, being average in size in his two-three age group classroom, had never hurt anyone, with the only exception of a toy car being thrown in his year and a half in daycare.
“Shocking Use of Weights”
Katie also clarified that the weights were “worn only in the mornings.” However, contradicting her statement, the weights were still in place at noon, five hours post her son’s 7 am arrival. The worried mother is yet to consult a lawyer but plans to meet with the principal and hope that the DT will guide the staff on using weights as a therapy tool. She also delivered her shame with the adopted method of using weights/restraints/compression and expected any future instance to be under the purview of an Occupational Therapist or medical professional.
She expressed shock at the realisation that ankle weights could negatively impact a growing child’s calf muscles. Who decided on this form of intervention? How long has this been happening? Are other children also subjected to this, and does Katie solely decide the need for weights?
In light of the situation, the parents are contemplating the idea of the father becoming a stay-at-home parent, as they cannot ascertain the safety standards at the daycare or the possibility of malicious repercussions for their child.
Responses from Other Parents
The post garnered attention from appalled parents who urged the mother to lodge a formal complaint. Advice ranged from consulting a pediatrician for a follow-up examination to notifying the State, given that restricting a child’s running movements is not just inappropriate but also counterproductive for a two-year-old.
A notable comment came from a Redditor who identified as a Special Education teacher and a dome-registered behaviour technician for children with developmental disabilities (primarily autism). They deemed the usage of sensory brushes and weighted items, which require specific individual needs, as illegal without a prescription from an OT.
They advised involving a local disability department or office for further investigation, suggesting a complaint might alert other parents. Echoing the sentiment was another Reddit user working with special needs children. They expressed shock at the event and suggested immediate action since it could be categorized as a restraint.
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