The Incomprehensible Death of a 9 Year Old Autistic Boy In Quebec

The Montreal Gazette has reported the following information from the Conorer's report into death of a 9 year old autistic boy, Gabriel Poirier:

"A coroner's report released today revealed suffocation as the probable cause of the death of a nine-year-old autistic boy. ... After being told repeatedly to calm down by a teacher, he was rolled in a weighted blanket. With his arms by his side, he was left on his stomach for over 20 minutes with only his toes exposed. When the teacher went to check on him, he was "listless and blue in the face," the Coroner's report said. "

Arms Restrained
Face covered (only his toes exposed)
Left on his stomach
Left unattended for over 20 minutes

If that information is correct it is difficult for me to see the actions by the teachers involved, who owed a duty of care to that child, to be anything less than gross incompetence and negligence, possibly criminal negligence. I can think of no excuse or justification for their actions.

The death of 9 year old Gabriel Poirier is incomprehensible.

autism

Autistic Boy Left on Locked, Hot Bus for Hours

In Leavenworth, Kansas an autistic boy was left locked on a hot school bus for hours after the other students were dropped off at their elementary school on Monday. The KCTV5.com story indicates that there were 2 adult supervisors on the bus. The Leavenworth School District supervisor didn't answer questions about procedures for checking buses.

I think I can, all the way up here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, answer the KCTC5 news team questions on that one. There either are no procedures for checking the school buses in the Leavenworth School District or they exist only on paper. It is beyond comprehension that an autistic child could have been left on that locked bus by any competent, conscious and conscientious adult. The article indicates that the bus company employees were at work the NEXT day on a different route.

With the wonders of the internet you never know who will read your blog. If the 2 "supervisors" on that bus ever Stumble Upon, Digg, Google, or otherwise come across this comment I have some words of advice for them:

Find a different line of work. One where vulnerable children are not entrusted to your care.
If that is too harsh for you, if you continue your employment as supervisors then - SUPERVISE, earn your pay checks, fulfill your responsibilities.