O.U.R Children’s Safety Project
Council for Exceptional Children Sets Landmark Safety Policy on Child Abuse and Neglect
By Sara Kennedy, H&V Headquarters
Moving beyond recognizing signs of maltreatment and annual reporting in-services for educators, the Council for Exceptional Children, the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to high standards in the field of special education, recently considered and approved a policy to address the critical safety needs of students with disabilities.
Children with hearing differences or any disability face a far higher risk of maltreatment that students without disabilities, ranging from bullying, neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse. These adverse childhood experiences (ACES) are linked to far-reaching difficulties and chronic illness even into adulthood. As the CEC states, the Council for Exceptional Children recognizes that all children and youth with disabilities have the right to live and flourish in a safe environment where they are protected and have support to protect themselves from all forms of maltreatment—neglect as well as physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
Dr. Harold Johnson, Emeritus Director, Hands & Voices HQ and a lead on the Hands & Voices O.U.R. Children’s Safety Project noted that this policy represents a significant change for the field of Special Education. “Recognizing and reporting abuse and neglect are no longer sufficient. Educators will now be expected to provide their students the knowledge and skills they need to be safe at home, school, and in the community. In addition, educators will be expected to use trauma-informed practices as they respond to students who have already experienced abuse and/or neglect. The new CEC policy is designed to evoke a cascade of new research, publications, professional standards, professional development opportunities, curricular resources, support systems and school policies. All of these changes are designed to accomplish one goal, i.e., to enhance the safety and success of children with disabilities. A goal I think that we can all agree is essential for all children.”
Janet DesGeorges, Executive Director of Hands &Voices, highlights the impact of the new policy on families: “With special education administrators on board, and a document about how safety can be incorporated into schools, we as parents of children who are deaf/hard of hearing or have any additional needs should see less resistance to safety-related goals and accommodations. It won’t just be families trying to push a conversation about safety, but a sustainable culture will be created around safety in schools with this policy.”
We applaud the CEC’s foresight in adopting a policy that also focuses on all-important prevention throughout the special education system as well as recognizing, responding and reporting efforts. We celebrate with our partners in advocating for this policy as well: Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International Founder and Executive Director, Childhelp, the CEC Division of Communicative Disabilities and Deafness and Interdivisional Caucus, and the Association of College Educators – Deaf/Hard of Hearing. We look forward to this policy implementation. ~
H&V Communicator – Spring 2019