INCO 4006

Prof. Marta Y. Pabelln Imbert

801-10-7792

CHILD ABUSE
BY
THERAPISTS
By: Deborah M. Soto Burgos

CHILD ABUSE BY THERAPISTS

Statement of the Problem:

Most children with disability are abused by the therapist at the clinic.
Purpose and Scope of Work:
The purpose or this research is to determine why the therapist abuse children with
disability in the therapy clinic and what type of abuse is more common in this environment.
Introduction:
Many children with special needs are mentally and physically abused by their
therapists both in clinical therapy and therapy in school. During my research I will focus on
the conditions of Autism and Down syndrome and Occupational Therapists and Speech
Therapists. We must know that causes therapists to get to the point of abusing these
children, and if there is already a pattern previously established. As preventive measures, I
will discuss two alternatives: parental guidance and counseling. In addition to the
prevention, drastic measures should be taken once the abuse is known: denounce this
conduct before the board that oversees the ethics of the profession and remove them from
the center or school in which they work.
Child with disability:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of
complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying
degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and
repetitive behaviors. With the May 2013 publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, all
autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD. Previously, they were
recognized as distinct subtypes, including autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative
disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and
Asperger syndrome.

CHILD ABUSE BY THERAPISTS

Children with autism are the most abused children in an environment of therapy.
This is for the poor eye contact they have. Also his difficulty expressing what they want,
express themselves makes them incorrectly and often have temper tantrums, and even
assault therapists but this is due to the same condition. Many therapists are frustrated and
do not understand what children want to express and how they deal with them is with
verbal or physical abuse for children to take notice, without knowing they are doing them
harm.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in
extra genetic material from chromosome 21. This genetic disorder, which varies in severity,
causes lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays, and in some people it
causes health problems.
Down syndrome is the most common genetic chromosomal disorder and cause of
learning disabilities in children. Better understanding of Down syndrome and early
interventions can greatly increase the quality of life for children and adults with this
disorder and help them live fulfilling lives.
Children with Down Syndrome are also abused, but these a little less than children
with autism. This is because children with Down Syndrome have a condition that is
noticed physically and specialists tolerance is higher. However, many of these children
also suffer from mental retardation. That is where therapists lose control when they try to
help children learn and do not. Often they begin to offend and to hit them.
Therapists:
Occupational therapy is a health profession whose goal is to help people achieve
independence, meaning and satisfaction in all aspects of their lives. Treatment of speech

CHILD ABUSE BY THERAPISTS

defects and disorders, especially through use of exercises and audio-visual aids that develop
new speech habits.
Occupational and speech therapists are the most marked by this kind of behavior.
This is the high frequency with which offer therapies. Many of these children have often
up to 3 times a week, which makes the tolerance decrease specialist. In comparison of both
specialists, occupational therapist has less tolerance for these children that therapist speech
because occupational therapist covers many areas of development that speech therapist no.
Types of Abuse:
Physical abuse is deliberately hurting a child causing injuries such as bruises,
broken bones, burns or cuts. Verbal abuse is the only type of abuse that can affect every
single person with any type of communication ability or understanding. You may be
assaulted by verbal abuse at work, at home, at school, on the road, or walking through a
park, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. You could even be a victim of verbal
abuse if you live alone because if your self-talk, the voice in your head, diminishes you or
your belief in yourself in any way, then you subject yourself to verbal abuse when you
allow your inner critic to put you down. No one, anywhere, is immune to verbal abuse.
Between these two types of abuse, the easiest to make is verbal abuse, it leaves no
trace. However, verbal abuse makes children lower self-esteem and emotional problems, so
besides being verbal abuse is considered emotional abuse. Physical abuse, it is easy to
detect and is the least that is committed, however when a therapist comes to the point of
committing physical abuse, you have exhausted all their tolerance, and should neglecting
that child. Both types of abuse are equally important and should not commit for any
person.
Environment:

CHILD ABUSE BY THERAPISTS

There are two common therapies when giving environments, school and clinic. The
greatest abuse is in the school area, as the therapist has little contact with the parents.
When therapy is in school, teachers are those who receive the child when it comes to
therapy, and as the child has many teachers but the therapist is easier to hide the abuse, or
not knowing who it was. In the case of the clinic, abuses are easier to detect, so they are
harder to make. Therapies in the clinic you have direct contact with parents and abuse
could be detected immediately.
Prevention:
It is important to remember that abuse these children can be avoided. Coordinate
guidance to parents and therapists on the subject is a method of prevention. In these
guidelines types most impacted conditions, handling to be carried with these conditions,
and avoid reaching the abuse and how to make an excellent therapy are discussed.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the abuse of children is unacceptable, whether verbal or physical.
This conduct is outrageous and humiliating for children and families. Therapists must be
responsible for taking the guidance to stay educated about such conditions and know what
is the best way to work with this population.
References:
Monge, F. A. (2009). De los abusos y agresiones sexuales a menores de trece aos (anlisis
de los artculos 183 y 183 bis CO, conforme a la LO5/2010). Barcelona, ES: J.M. BOSCH
EDITOR.
Child abuse trauma: Theory and treatment of the lasting effects. Interpersonal violence:
The practice series, No. 2. Briere, John N. Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, Inc.
Child abuse trauma: Theory and treatment of the lasting effects. (1992). xx 203 pp.

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Rogers, Henry O. Turner, Raymond A. (2012). Child Abuse : Indicators, Psychological

Impact and Prevention New York : Nova Science Publishers