Parent backs Calum’s Law bid after boy left traumatised in classroom

Chelsea Clark and her son Kylan, who was traumatised by the incident at school.

A mum whose autistic son has been left traumatised by a classroom incident has been told the staff member involved will not be returning to school.

Chelsea Clark says police should have been called to the primary School in Montrose after her non-verbal son Kylan was allegedly screamed at by a member of staff who reportedly told him: “I’m sick to death of you!”

She says the incident, on June 25, has left the nine-year-old so traumatised he does not want to return to school. Chelsea, 31, says she witnessed the incident by chance and is demanding a full inquiry into a series of other alleged incidents.

She said: “I went to school to collect Kylan, but when I went to the classroom a teacher told me to come back in 10 minutes as they were having a meditation time.

“I went towards the car park, but I heard a female voice screaming loudly: ‘I’m sick of you.’

“It was so loud and aggressive, it stopped me in my tracks. I couldn’t believe an adult was screaming like that at any child, never mind a class full of children with special needs.

“I turned on my heel and rushed back to the class to see a woman was actually screaming in my son’s face: “I’m sick to death of you!” and “I’ve had enough of you!” while Kylan was shaking and in tears.

“I tried to get into the classroom, but the door was locked. A teacher came out of the room and was profusely apologetic, but the woman involved pushed past me and fled along a corridor.”

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Chelsea took sobbing Kylan and handed him to her mother, who had accompanied her to the school. Then the angry mum went to see the head teacher to report the matter.

She said: “The teacher who witnessed what happened also went to the head teacher and told her how horrified she was, too.

“I wanted the police to be brought in, but I was told that there was a process the school must adhere to. I believe I only discovered what had happened by chance.

“It’s left me thinking back to several other incidents that are completely out of character for my son, who is a quiet, gentle little boy.

“Kylan came home with his hand all bloodied a few weeks ago.

“Teachers told me he’d bitten himself, but when I washed his hand there were no bite marks.

“A couple of weeks before that, Kylan came home very agitated, throwing himself on the floor. He even began hitting me.

“He’d never behave like that unless something had happened to him. But, because he cannot tell me as he cannot speak, I am tormenting myself wondering what may have happened to cause this sudden change in behaviour.”

Chelsea is now backing the Calum’s Law campaign to have statutory guidance preventing the use of restraint and isolation unless to prevent harm to a child, and mandatory reporting of all incidents.

Chelsea has a younger son Keenan, five, who is also autistic, non-verbal and has global development delays, and who attends the same school.

She said: “I would go even further and have cameras in classrooms where there are such vulnerable children.”

In response to Chelsea’s complaint to the school, Audrey Osborne, Service Leader at Angus Council’s Education department, has issued an apology to the mum and Kylan for “any distress caused”.

Osborne also said: “I can let you know that the member of staff has not been working in this school since this incident and will not be returning.

“As confirmed with you, the proper procedures were, and continue to be, followed.”

Chelsea said: “It concerns me where will this person turn up next?”

Campaigning mum Beth Morrison, who has been fighting to have statutory legislation in place to protect Scotland’s most vulnerable children, says that, despite promises from John Swinney before he became First Minister, she fears the Scottish Government will not implement the changes she believes are necessary.

Beth, whose own autistic son Callum suffered restraint and abuse at school, said: “We’ve been fighting for 14 years to bring forward much- needed change but, despite taking part in working groups to develop new guidance, I fear we are no nearer to seeing those protections being made statutory.”

Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner, Nicola Killean, who has also been a powerful voice against restraint, said: “It is deeply concerning that the Scottish Government remains committed to non-statutory guidance which fails to meet its human rights obligations.”

The Scottish Government is due to publish its guidance on restraint and isolation in schools imminently but, despite being just days away from the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child becoming embedded in Scottish law, campaigners say there is still no firm agreement in place.

Angus Council said: “We are aware of this matter and Angus Council procedures are being followed.”