An Australian father has shared a harrowing account of the problems and treatment his severely autistic son faced at school including being forced into a "holding cell". Photo / Getty Images
An Australian father has shared a harrowing account of the problems and treatment his severely autistic son faced at school including being forced into a "holding cell". Photo / Getty Images
An Australian father has shared a harrowing account of the problems and treatment his severely autistic son faced at school including being forced into a "holding cell".
Talking to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability in Canberra, father Edward Croft detailed the emotional moment he first saw the closet his son Ryan had been forced into.
The school in Western Australia turned the closet into a "timeout" room dubbed a "holding cell" to keep Ryan locked away.
The "holding cell" was just 1.5m across and 2-3m deep.
Croft explained his son is completely non-verbal and "struggles to make sense of the world".
Ryan, now 20, struggled at the mainstream school he attended. His behaviour escalated to the extent that he would have meltdowns during school.
While Croft says the school tried, he said the end result was traumatic.
"The school did try ... but they were unable and unprepared ... not trained in dealing with a child of the nature of my Ryan," Croft told the Royal Commission.
Edward Croft speaking to the commission about his son's treatment at school. Photo / Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability
On one occasion, Ryan's behaviour in year 3 and 4 saw his teacher separate him from his class and moved his desk to a corner surrounded by blackboards so he could not see any other students.
The teacher was "well-meaning", according to Croft, but he was upset his son was pushed to the side out of convenience.
Ryan started running away from his teaching assistants and often left school grounds and across the road.
His father explained he has no concept or awareness of danger.
The school then applied to have an enclosed space, which some describe as a "holding cell", to keep Ryan contained for "time out" or to "compose himself" if his behaviour got out of hand.
"The closed space was an emptied walk-in closet, approximately 1.5m across, 2-3m deep. The walls were painted pink. There was a bean bag, a window was put in the door," senior counsel assisting the commission Kate Eastman said.
Unfortunately, Croft and his wife felt they had no choice but to accept the plan given the school was struggling to cope with Ryan.
Despite reluctantly agreeing and feeling extremely upset, the couple said they didn't have the courage to speak out about the closet and Ryan's treatment.
"I remember my wife crying," he said, "We absolutely hated this. But we just felt we had to acquiesce.
"Our younger son came home from school very worried one day and we had to comfort him. He told us that he'd seen two or three male teachers carrying Ryan, who was screaming, by his arms and legs.
"It really hurt us a lot to know that our son was being put in this place."
Ryan had no capacity to understand the punishment and explain how he was being affected by it, with Croft saying he finally spoke out because "Ryan can't explain himself, I am his only voice".
The commission is investigating widespread reports of violence against, and the neglect, abuse and exploitation of, people with disability to prevent and better protect them going forward.
