POV

I work at the school and would like to say that staff here would share Linda Rosa's concerns about the approach of "Attachment Holding Therapy" and would never 'take a calm child and provoke(s) him for hours'.

We would also agree, to some degree, that a restraint is when the therapeutic approach fails. Barbara Dockar Drysdale, the founder of the school and a pioneer in the therapeutic residential care of children wrote about incidents of violence being the result of a breakdown in communication. A lot of time and effort is expended in understanding the children's behaviour and trying to find the meaning within it. This is especially the case with incidents and patterns of violence.

This work enables us to better understand the individual children, to notice their unique 'warning signs', to learn with them what helps and doesn't help and ultimately build stronger relationships in which they can trust.

However, when children first arrive, their inner worlds can be extremely fragile and, therefore, emotional collapses can be rapid and catastrophic. Over time, as their emotional world develops, resilience strengthens and their relationships blossom, the need for an adult to physically stop them reduces dramatically.

by Angus Burnett
July 27, 2009, 7:10 AM

I look forward to July 28 to see, "Hold Me Let Me Go"
The film will touch my heart, because I am a victim of fear at school and my parents drunkeness at home. I spent my youth struggling to stay alife until I
finally learned enough English to write my story. I titled it "Beyond Mud and Vines" because I was born in a jungle of mud and vines. I turned 67 by the time I published that book. It is written in simple English, but readers love it, and I hope that my story can reach Ms.Kim Longinotto, because "Beyond Mud and Vines" should be her next project. I'll write more after I see the film. Until then, thank you Ms.Longinotto.
Sincerely, Jacqueline, (Sabina Montalvo).

by Jacqueline Jorgensen
July 27, 2009, 7:22 PM

I understand these children are ED, but the level of control that these adults are trying to exert is over the top. All boys, ED or not, would fail when required to sit down and "not roam about" the classroom at all - ever. How awful for a room full of adults to go on about how "cross" they feel because the kids got a little wild. They are CHILDREN, whether or not it is convenient for us as educators is beside the point. Gosh, I am just sad as I watch this. Unrealistic expectations are so hurtful. One of the teachers even said "...you're a little boy..." perhaps she should remember that. These kids do not stand a chance - they will either have their personality trained out of them or they will be considered "failures."

by Stephanie
July 28, 2009, 10:33 PM

for those that are critizing the show what are the alternatives. You cannot allow children to run around in a class room, nor can you allow them to hit spit and be violent. Changing behavior and helping them understand that they are responsible for their behavior is better than drugging them which is what is done too much in the US. Not to mention there is no such place as this that I know of in the U.S.

by Lee
July 28, 2009, 10:57 PM

I am also an educator (high school, not primary). I teach one class per semester of "troubled" students. I do not agree that it is acceptable for children to run around the classroom. This is not the norm at any level of education. Not even kindergarten. The children are allowed to run around during recess and play time.
At other times they must learn to restrain themselves like all the other children if they expect to get along in school and later, in society.
Restraint is a subject that is fair game for analysis.
But to say that it is normal for little boys to run around the classroom uncontrolled is ridiculous. It would not and should not be accepted in any classroom environment, at any level.
Sincerely,
James

by James
July 28, 2009, 11:01 PM

In response to Stephanie's observation that "all boys...would fail when required to sit down" -- perhaps expectations of how children should behave in a classroom have changed since I was a child in the 1970s -- but I recall that all students, both girls and boys, were required to sit still and pay attention during class by the time I was in first grade. We got to run about during recess. From what I could see in this film the children were carefully restrained after they had been acting out and were in danger of hurting themselves and others. I also saw adults talking to the children in a very caring manner, encouraging them to express their feelings and helping them understand their own thought processes.

Stephanie's comment makes curious as to when it became acceptable for children to act however they wanted without adults having a right to expect correct behavior (and yes, a student not running about and paying attention to the teacher is the correct behavior for a classroom setting).

by Rachel
July 28, 2009, 11:01 PM

Having a degree in Special Education and being a Special Educator, this was all so familiar. Myself working in a field that often requires hands on restraints with children (teens), was able to understand the awareness of this film. Often children with ED do not know how to express their inner feelings and with out some sort of intervention can become extremely dangerous young men and women. When children are at the point of escalation where a hands approach is required there is a lack of thought on their part, so trying to get them to talk about what is going on inside of them is pointless. The debriefing afterwards with the child is crucial, as well as having them learn their cycle and utilizing coping skills to prevent aggression.

I know first hand what it is like to have a loved one in this situation and watch and see nothing effectively done. The outcomes leave a very socially inept individual who is not able to be successful. When children have to endure abuse, neglect, and always feeling like they don’t have a secure bond with someone; life is miserable for them and those around you. So to know that there are others out there who are trying to intervene appropriately at a young age and help these dear children makes the world a slightly better place.
I know first hand what it is like to have a loved one in this situation and watch and see nothing be effectively done. The outcomes leave a very socially inept individual who is not able to be successful

by Jessica
July 28, 2009, 11:03 PM

I am hearing too much of us (the adults) vs. them (the children). We are being shown minutes of behavior with little background information and no known diagnoses. It's only 45 minutes into the documentary, but has anyone considered medication for any of the students?

by J
July 28, 2009, 11:04 PM

After watching the program, I don't think the school was strict enough! I fully believe in the restraint program, and I think that it is a means of controlling out of control children.

I have seen several programs for children with behavioral problems ran in the United States. There was a "program" I saw in which the kids ran around the room all day and one child in particular tore up the room several times in one day. Unbelievable. He was a danger to himself, the other students, and the staff. Another program that utilizes the restraint program, I saw children learning and expressing themselves. There was a lot of learning going on and it was a very successful program.

These teachers are amazing to put up with these children and they deserve our respect and definitely deserve better pay!!

I 100% support restraint programs for behavioral problems.

by Emily
July 28, 2009, 11:05 PM

?

I think it is very sad for people to judge these adults in this show in a negative way. Can you imagine the patience they must have and the type of persons they must be in order to work with these children on a daily basis? They are amazing people! Working this job is in no way "convenient" for anyone and I suggest you try to do their job for a day before judging them so harshly. Stating to a child that "you're a little boy" is not mean, yes they are children and the teacher was explaining to him that he is not in control in that room, the teachers are. These teachers do an amazing job of taking these children in, caring for them, and these children leave much better then they would be otherwise. This is an amazing program and I commend these teachers for what they are doing. I only wish I had half of the patience, kindness, and goodness that these teachers have. Many, if not all, educators could learn a whole lot from watching these teachers! If you have been watching, you would see that the students don't leave feeling as "failures" they leave feeling great about the person they have become. These kids have great potential and I sincerely hope you are not a teacher, any teacher saying that a child "does not stand a chance" should not be an educator! Having children run around a room is okay but when it gets to the point of violence, these teachers step in. They talk with the children to find the real root of the problem and help these children become better people. I hope, Stephanie, you take these words into consideration and think before you speak, or type.

by Bri
July 28, 2009, 11:07 PM

Understandable

I could see it being alot easier just to hand the kid a video game. that would keep him occupied for hours. there should be a more effective method than physical restraint. You're not supposed to control the child. that's why he is upset to begin with.

by Kevin Erickson
July 28, 2009, 11:10 PM

Needed To Be Seen

I think that showing this in America was neccessary. The use of physical restraint is often completely looked at as abuse in the US, and it shouldn't be...why on earth would you expect these teachers to let a child hit them, kick them or attack them in any way? I would not allow this from my own children much less someone else's. I think that these teachers were using all restraints in a respectful way and when neccessary and I give them credit for having the heart to get up every day and try to help children that society in America would often cast away as "bad kids" and let them grow up and go to prison...thank you to the teachers, you all deserve raise in pay! You are doing a great service not just to these children and their families, but to the human race and everyone should aspire to your level of compassion and your patience!

by Valerie
July 28, 2009, 11:13 PM

Ridiculous

I after watching this hour long show can't believe that they think they are helping those kids. They allow them to swear and hit and overall act ridiculous and foolish. There is no way that this is helping those kids how can it, when they are letting them pretty much run them and the school. How about some good old fashion discipline, harsh discipline, hit them back when they hit you. They are showing those kids that there are going to be no penalty no punishment for acting like complete monsters. Then you have the parents crying and moaning it's all wrong and in my view the school should be closed down or better run. Thank you

by Christopher Malone
July 28, 2009, 11:15 PM

I think the shows editing and the bleeps were very stupid. If you going to put out a documentary make it seem more real and people hear what is actually being said instead of editing half the words out.

This comment has been edited in accordance with the commenting policy.

by barny boo
July 28, 2009, 11:16 PM

met them in mainstream schools

I'm a product of the British education system and had the unfortunate experience of sharing classrooms with children just like these. Back then there was nowhere else for them. These children do not respond to the usual techniques an average, poorly behaved child will respond to. Anyone watching this and imagining that when these children act out, they should be reasoned with and accommodated in ways that work with most children is very naive. I commend these teachers. Many of their techniques are part of a methodology, others have evolved out of what they know works with children like this. I have certainly seen examples of mental health workers being abusive to people in their care. Those examples almost always involved someone using authority to diminish the patient emotionally, and emotionally is where all the damage is and all the healing must take place. These children are certainly not being abused, they are being loved, and in spite of their best efforts to make themselves unlovable. Physically restraining these children when they act out sets up an expectation that violence is no longer available to them. They are encouraged at every turn to express themselves more appropriately. To get in touch with what it is they are trying to express, and to speak it. This is far from abusive. It's precisely what they need.

by mary
July 28, 2009, 11:17 PM

In response to J

Why do children with behavioral and emotional issues need medication? Why not try an approach that involves talking and expressing emotions and working through the anger first, and if that doesn't work, then talk medications...love and attention doesn't come in pill form, and it can take a long time to mend the broken heart of a child. Why shove pills down their throats when they need help?

by Valerie
July 28, 2009, 11:19 PM

Hit them back?

You don't hit children, ever, for any reason. Period.
Mr. Malone, please do not have children or teach them.

by James
July 28, 2009, 11:21 PM

I would love to see a program like this in the US. Staff would have to be rigorously trained and screened and assessed regularly for signs of stress, but I saw nothing that came close to abuse on this program.
Yes, you ARE to control children sometimes. They can't possibly control themselves until you've shown them as clearly as possible (using restraint if necessary) what the boundaries are.
Loved hearing the male counselor stressing personal accountability to the young boy. That is an unfamiliar concept to many adults - especially here in the US.
I loved Alex and watching him progress. How wonderful the staff was able to introduce him to the fabulous child who was always waiting inside!!

by Becki
July 28, 2009, 11:22 PM

FCC

To barney boo: As PBS is a public television channel (i.e., you don't have to pay to watch it), what content it can show is controlled by the FCC. Those bleeps are most probably a result of FCC regulations. PBS, in general, takes more chances with regards to content than any of the other "free" television channels.

by Rachel
July 28, 2009, 11:26 PM

In Repsonse to Becki

There are programs like this in the US. Some schools have also implemented programs like this and staff are highly trained on the correct techniques.
I personally work in a facility that works much like this one. And it does work, the children can be very successful when they are taught to express themselves appropriately.

by Jessica
July 28, 2009, 11:31 PM

Missed the girls

Film included stories about 4+ boys, where were stories about girls???

by Lynn
July 28, 2009, 11:34 PM

I have worked with ED children and adults for over 10 yrs, and this looked very familiar to me. I believe the restraint philosophy does work if it is done in the correct manner. I myself have fallen victim to the students that lost control of their feelings, chairs thrown at me, had my nose broken by a student head butting me in the face and a huge clump of hair bit out of my head ( just a few examples). This was at a school that did not believe in the restraint philosophy. Once I worked at a school that did believe in the philosophy I had little occurrences that led me having to go to the ER. I believe if it is used in the appropriate manner it is effective for teaching the ED children and adults how to be able to deal with their emotions.

by sheila
July 28, 2009, 11:35 PM

Live it before you criticize

I am a general and special educator as well as a parent to a child that acted exactly like those in the program. The program they aired tonight demonstrated all the strategies that with time work! In this country we either immediately medicate or allow them to be locked up. Yes meds are sometimes needed in order to be able to work better with the child to move her/him forward. The bottom line is it takes time and lots of patience. I personally feel that if you've never had a child spit in your face and try to physically hurt you then criticizing this staff is in pour judgement. Punishment is not what you do with these children...it doesn't change anything. Restorative work and working on them speaking what they are feeling is what works. These children need calm, comforting, emotionally strong adults who will not leave them (as other adults have)because they are sworn at, spit on or punched. they need these special adults to help them find ways to express what they are feeling safely. We do have some awesome places in US that have similar staff and success with chldren who just need out help.Again please don;t criticize if you've not experienced it first hand. The program was well worth seeing and I wish all educators were to watch it to better understand some of out "hurt" children.

by Cheryl
July 28, 2009, 11:39 PM

Teachers

I, as a teacher, loved this show. I sincerely hope that some of the people commenting are not teachers, will never be teachers, and some I hope are not even parents. Hitting children at all, let alone in a school to children that are not yours is not okay! The children are getting disciplined by being retrained from hitting or doing the destructive activity they were doing. Hitting back just shows them they can hit because the teachers do. Also, medication may solve the problem for the time being, but what these people are doing is solving these childrens' problems for the rest of their lives, helping they learn to deal with what makes them angry and therefore avert from their violent behaviors.

I have also been very happy by reading some great responses that have good insight to this program. :)

Look beyond your small mind frame and examine the bigger picture of this show. The children are leaving better people then when they came in. What this school is doing is clearly working!

by Bri
July 28, 2009, 11:39 PM

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

I was moved to tears several times during the broadcast. I am a psychologist in Minnesota. These children all came from emotionally charged households. How can someone expect a child of 5-14 to make sense of domestic violence, one parent leaving, and feeling unwanted. I think the program is great, but I would like to know if medication is part of the process. I personally am against medicating children because they are in such a fragile stage in their brain development. I was one of these children. As I sit and type this there are still tears running down my face. The frustration, the anger, the hopelessness, the feeling that no one cares for them. I am 36 and have no wife or children, and am scared to death that I will be facing a smaller version of me. If anyone deserves to feel wanted it is children, no matter how "bad" they may behave. It was an excellent program...I teach a cognitive skills course that works on basic social skills and problem solving. I am trying to get the state to make it part of public education curriculum. This was a powerful illustration as to the difficulty of dealing with children that were not given the benefit of social skills and other coping mechanisms. POV keep up the great work. mat_olson@yahoo.com

by Mat Olson
July 28, 2009, 11:40 PM

?

I used to work in a restraint free facility, and came home many days covered in bruises...i had been bitten hit, hair pulled nails dug into my hands, and the residents of this facility knew that they were going to be allowed to continue so they did regardless of the behavior plans that were being implimented...and often in the place of a simple physical restraint they recieved multiple drugs, which is horrible on their livers. I am so glad that these teachers are showing these students to express themselves in more appropriate ways, while stopping them from their disruptive and often violent behaviors, and not just overmedicating them and shortening their lives due to liver damage. Not to mention that the side effects from these drugs can often be worse than the original problem. I give these teachers credit for remaining so calm and only wish that more facilities in the US would put these proven techniques into practice with the right levels of training and supervision...could there be abuse problems, yes but only because the people in America who take care of special needs are generally low paid positions and trained minimally. Very few people want to take on the responsiility in America. God bless the ones that do!

by Becca
July 28, 2009, 11:41 PM

To Ridiculous

I cannot believe you! I have a child like those in the film....I know first hand how trying it can be.These children have major problems, hitting is not the answer it only escalates the problem. Watching that film hit home hard. It was like seeing my son in everyone of those boys. My son has been living at a school in my hometown alot like the one in the film for the past 6 years. He is 18 now and still has so many problems. I am thankful for the wonderful people who have helped all of us with their therapy and yes taught me restraint.

by Suzanne
July 28, 2009, 11:43 PM

A most EXCELLENT programme that shows how the teachers & staff @at Oxford's Mulberry Bush School for emotionally disturbed children are dealing with kids with emotional-issues.

We could learn a lot from the strategies that are used to help these kids cope with their emotional distress. I could barely sit still at seeing how really patient & calm they were even while kids were displaying physical violence, cursing, running around the room uncontrollably, & then some!

Amazing.... Kudos to those adults who work with children, being able to reach and to care for them, so.

Ultimetly, isn't it society that pays a higher price if not?

by donna farnum
July 28, 2009, 11:46 PM

I was in "AWE" of the lovely and patient teachers in this documentary. They showed these children that they were loved - yes, even while holding them, of unconditional love. These children are so disturbed emotionally that I believe the holding technique, although it seemed harsh, forced the children to SAY what was bothering them. The communication afterwards was so inspiring to hear the children express what was hurting them so. I'm so much more in favor of this method of treatment than drugging the children which only supresses their emotions, thereby diminishing any real acknowledgement of their hurts and desires. Bravo - this documentary was spellbinding. My heart hurt for these kids, but I was also inspired to see a couple of them succeed.

by Carla Schube
July 28, 2009, 11:49 PM

I was so saddened to see how these troubled children had so little control over their strong emotions of anger and sadness. Also, I was deeply moved by how the teachers could be very firm but at the same time be loving, patient and acknowleging each child's feelings. I was very happy to see when each child was showing more progress towards handling their anger in more positive ways and some were able to move on to a less restritive classroom invironment and eventually leave their school.

by Lisa Cashmere
July 28, 2009, 11:53 PM

too much talking in restraints

there are some real communication moments, but as a teacher, I tell the students that if they choose violence to talking, they lose the priveledge of conversation until they show the self-control to be released. All the talking during restraint is meaningless when they've taken it to the next level.
Speaking of which, where are the visual reward/point systems?
Is it all talk? No points, tokens, tangible rewards?

by dan
July 28, 2009, 11:55 PM

Good job!

I have been an elementary educator for 37 years. When these children are in the regular classroom they can destory a room educationally. I have nothing but the greatest respect for the educators at the school. Kindergarten and first grade students are expected to sit down and do work. At no time would you ever just let children run around the room. Skip, dance, jog to music yes, but never just run. My concern was how little they saw their parents, although you could see how upsetting is was when they did. Are parent visits limited because it did upset the children.

by Caren
July 28, 2009, 11:56 PM

A moving film

I thought this was a touching portrait of children struggling to cope with horrible family circumstances. It was very sad to witness the effects of inadequate love and attention at home; on the other hand, it was encouraging to see improvement in some of the boys with the help of a caring staff.

Commenter Kevin would have the children play video games, but this would serve nothing in teaching them how to properly handle their emotions.

Barny should be aware that there are rules about profanity on broadcast television.

by Kathy
July 28, 2009, 11:58 PM

The teachers were nice and dedicated people but what good is that? The children were separated from their parents for 3 years and allowed to see them for a few days only. What kind of "service" is this that the local authorities claim to provide? The teachers in this school are doing their best but they are not questioning a type of charity that causes more destruction than benefit. If the State really wanted to help these children, instead of only taming them and making them fit, it would have provided for family assitance and support. Afterall, every single kid in this show (with one exception) wanted nothing but being with their dad or mom. Their frustrations, when verbalized, stem all from being separated from their parents and the teachers, though aware of it, seemed too tamed themselves to question the system... What a sad and oppressive world.

by Martha
July 28, 2009, 11:58 PM

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

I wish the entire show had been captioned in English; I had a very difficult time understanding/hearing the British English. It was VERY frustrating.
The program brought tears to my eyes....I know a young adult who might have benefited greatly from the love and careful care of the staff at the school.
A background of the school at the beginning of the documentary would have put what follows into better context.
Very much worth watching....hope this kind of institution can spread its wings around the world.

by Allen Wolk
July 28, 2009, 11:59 PM

P.O.V. hold me tight, let me go

i really liked the program. i would have appreciated an explaination as to why and how these children got to where they are in their lives. it would be helpful information in order to spot children whose lives are heading for distress. thanks connie grassold : )

by connie
July 28, 2009, 11:59 PM

I'm a special ed teacher in the U.S. I've seen children like this in my small town public school. I feel that the Mulberry Bush school has a methodology that seems to involve the teaching of normal behavior in a safe environment. I am interested in the outcomes for the children after their experiences at the school.

by Diane
July 29, 2009, 12:01 AM

Background

What kind of background did these kids come from? How can you offer any sort of response based on the content of this skelatal infomecial. I'm not taking anything away from the staff and their dedication. But give me a break. Most of them wouldn't be there if they had good parents.

by Bob
July 29, 2009, 12:02 AM

Brilliant*

I thought that this documentary was brilliant. I came across it by chance almost half way through so I don't know all the boys stories. (would someone care to share them?) But I can tell you from what I saw I was moved to tears. This school is doing amazing work. The staff seemed so loving and it was wonderful to see that there are people out there who really care about what happens to these children and want to help them get better. They should be praised not criticized. And I see nothing wrong with the restraining. You could see clearly that they were not physically hurting the children, it was for their safety and for others. This film was so moving and I hope that they have something like a follow up to let us know how things are getting on with these boys. I pray that they get better and can learn to deal with their problems and live happy lives.

by lauren
July 29, 2009, 12:02 AM

Director of a similar program

I run a program for children age 5-12 y.o with severe psychiatric, emotional, and behavioral problems. The types of children and situations depicted in the film closely resemble what we experience in our program. I believe the very high staff to child ratio (2:1) is crucial in providing necessary care and preventing staff burnout. Contrary to previous entries, the Mulberry Bush School is NOT utilizing the discredited methods of so-called "Attachment Therapy" (and it is irresponsible to suggest as such). Obviously, restraints are a last resort, to be used only when a child is attempting to cause real harm to themselves or others. As professionals we must strive to use our clinical knowledge and our creativity to help children develop their own inner ability to manage their emotions and behavior. I did see some missed opportunities when the Mulberry Bush staff did not recognize a child's attempts to communicate their feelings. Perhaps a little too much talking, and not enough listening. I believe it is crucial to provide intensive resources such as this for children, as the majority of kids do benefit.

by Karen
July 29, 2009, 12:03 AM

Those of you who are negatively reacting to the disciplinary aspects of the program have probably never been in direct contact with children who exhibit these extremely abnormal behaviors.
These children are not born with these particular obnoxious behaviors. Their behaviors are either learned from their environment, and/or have roots in their biological inheritance. While it is important to look at the genetic, prenatal, and environmental perspectives that can make up the combination of their behaviors, it is significant that this particular institution deals with each individual child, and their individual needs.
Restraints do not always have to be seen as harsh. In the instances I saw in the film, the physical restraints were generally, and eventually, a calming influence. Call it an "excessive hug".Psychology tells us that many agitated children are eventually responsive to warm, physical contact that they feel is non-threatening -- but in many instances they have to learn that the contact is non-threatening.
These are very sad children, who generally come from very sad environments.. And if we do not try something to alleviate these children's behaviors, we will be an even sadder society.

by Carol
July 29, 2009, 12:05 AM

Hold me tight Let me go

Having taught in a similar environment I am convinced that the restraint technique is necessary. What I disagreed with was that the teachers were making chide remarks at the child, further provoking him as it went on. Holding the child not only gets you through an otherwise impossible event in the classroom, but also, eventually becomes comforting to the child. I would simply like to see fewer negative remarks chattered at an already emotional child during the restraint time.

by Jamie
July 29, 2009, 12:06 AM

INFORMATIVE PROGRAM

I work in a special day school, and many students I have known are like these students. Students who have emotional problems need to be direct-taught the things, like positive social interaction and decision making, that most of us learn as a matter of course in our lives. Hitting these students to make them learn does no good. They need to process what they did that is not acceptable and figure out what they could do next time that would work better for themselves and their peers.

We do many of the same things that they do at Mulberry Bush, but some things are different.. We only restrain to keep a student from hurting him/herself. When a student is acting out and is out of control, we remove other students from the room. Those students go on with their studies in a different room. The student who is struggling with control is helped by not having an audience of his peers. Also, if a student is in crisis, that student is allowed to calm down, sitting at a desk or in a quiet room, with the adult several feet away. The adult doesn't talk to the student until they are calm. Then, processing the incident takes place.

Many of our students take medication. If you have a chemical imbalance where you cannot maintain without medication, then you need medication. Telling a child with bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, or ADD/ADHD to suck it up and get with the program, without medication, is like telling somebody with Type 1 diabetes that they should just think their way to health. When a student who needs medication has the proper meds and dosage where their brain chemistry is balanced, then they can work on behavior by talking and reflecting. Until then, talking is just like a Charlie Brown film when the teacher goes "Wah, wah, waaaah."

by Connie in KC
July 29, 2009, 12:07 AM

I grew up in the caribbean where children were expected to act like children. The fear of being disciplined made me think before i acted at home or at school. I had mixed feeling watching this documentary; these teachers should be commanded for their patience to deal with these kids without any drugs; now that i have two boys in this country, i pray to God that my kids will never have to face those conditions since they are in Wisconsin and i am in Florida. My heart breaks as a parent.

by Harry Auguste
July 29, 2009, 12:09 AM

connie in KC-
great explanation of proper drug use!

by dan
July 29, 2009, 12:11 AM

I'm watching it now

Absolutely brilliant movie. I plan on purchasing it. I am a current Psych student and I feel this movie is very relevant. Thank you for this!

by tiffany
July 29, 2009, 12:12 AM

Ever since the Janet Jackson incident, even PBS had to bleep language. Remember they use to show Schindler's for Holocaust Remembrance Day, now they don't because many smaller stations can't afford to pay the fines.

I have worked with kids like the ones in this program. The parents would give them drugs at home, but wouldn't medicate them at school to save money. It was difficult for the students who weren't like that, plus it was difficult to teach when you have someone taking up so much time. Eventually the district had a special program for students who had severe ED. Drugs, if used, should be used in conjunction with therapy. All should be in therapy: the child, the parents/caretakers and even the teacher- working together. If the child went to therapy (most parents rather do drugs than therapy). Also I saw a lot of mothers, but no fathers.

I wished they did focus on the girls. Most people won't believe a girl acts like this, but they do. I wished they gave some narrative background with the students. I came in a little late, maybe I missed it.

by Sienna
July 29, 2009, 12:13 AM

I am simply amazed by the work accomplished here. At first, I did not understand what I was viewing, but now I understand more. How awesome for these parents to see their children progress beyond what they could ever imagine! Many times children are here to teach us so many things about ourselves, about life, and about things we should never take for granted. Educators (whether you are a mom, dad, worker, relative, etc.), keep up the good work to give the best to our children.

by Megan
July 29, 2009, 12:15 AM

not black and white

I'm a little surprised at the extremes of opinions in these comments on how to work with children like these. Restraining isn't good or bad. It's a tool that has to be used in the appropriate way and the appropriate time. You have to know the child involved and what he's capable of, and how likely a situation is to escalate out of control.

Likewise, not all medication therapy is good or bad. It can be a tool in an arsenal that includes therapy, special education, etc. My own son has benefited from some drug therapy. It allows him to calm down enough to really think about his actions, and how they effect him and others.

The teachers and staff that work with these kids day in and day out are to be commended. My son has benefited greatly by dedicated teachers, therapists and doctors whose level of commitment always floors me.

by Kim S
July 29, 2009, 12:16 AM

Occupational Therapist

This is an interesting documentary. I like to see how calm the teachers/couselors were. The cognitive strategies were good and the staff were dedicated. From an Occupational Therapist viewpoint I could see some of these children appeared to have sensory processing disorders that I wasn't sure were being addressed by a qualified Sensory Integration trained therapist. Without that area being addressed also I worry about how effective the long term goals will be.

by Irene
July 29, 2009, 12:19 AM

impressed

kudos to the teachers who can, and do, exhibit profound patience and caring to those children who appear to return the love and appreciate the efforts made for them. where else, who else, can do better???applause, applause.

by rita
July 29, 2009, 12:30 AM

Many questions

In watching POV, I am amazed at the patience and positive support that these teachers offer under the most trying situations. The editing presented so very much talking, but all as adults talking to children. It appeared to be that this talking in many situations did not really solve the situation, more than time solving the problem. So much of the childrens actions seem to stem from situations at home, there were some of the parents are a critical component to the cause and solution of the problems.

While living with emotional issues, it appears that there is a great need for love from anyone and I wonder if the children feel consistency in love and trust from the staff. It appears that the teachers are providing this with compassion. I wonder if they are able to build trust with one of the teachers that may help with their long term progress.

Not being a fan of medicating the problem away and numbing the mind, I wonder if there are potential food allergies that cause the children to act out in certain ways. With my own son, I found that a small amount of beet sugar would completely change his personality and demeanor.

To the film maker, thank you.

by Neal
July 29, 2009, 12:32 AM

It is very obvious to me the people that have a clue about ed children than the ones that dont have a clue.

Before anyone can judge this program you to understand the dynamics of an ed child. As to the person stating that its about bad parenting. I am sorry but you have alot to learn.

I am a teacher and a foster parent. I have had wonderful children come through my classroom and my home that had horrible home lives. I have also had children come through my classroom and home that act like the children in this film.

I do believe medication is helpful but its not the miracle.

I worked a alternative school with middle school boys and yes restraining was absolutely necessary.

I do agree that a behavior contract with awards and consequences would have been helpful. I think I heard something of the sort at the end.

The conversations were very hard to understand.

by jen
July 29, 2009, 12:36 AM

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go- effective

This program which may seem harsh to some shows the importance of love and nurture and good, responsible parenting necessary from day one to enable and empower a child to become a healthy individual. While many parents today seem to be able to produce children easily, parenting is a role neglected by many. This school has to teach children the socialization and coping skills parents failed to teach or show by example and the school has to build each of these children's self-esteem up from basically nothing.

It also serves parents who are good parents, but lack the skills, strength, or abilities necessary to parent a child with any type of disability.

While the restraining seems harsh at first, it serves to not only keep the child from hurting himself, the instructors, and other children, but also a safe outlet to get out all of that negative energy. It was not used to provoke any child that I saw.

These instructors are not asking these children to sit all day long and work. They are working to help the children focus on tasks at hand and work to complete a task as children of their ages are expected.

I admire the patience and dedication of all staff and will hope for the best. As a teacher of inner city children, I know some children are so far gone, all we can do is hope for the best for them.

by Julie
July 29, 2009, 12:43 AM

What struck me most was how completely normal these kids/boys appeared to be. Apparently the threshold for the label "emotionally disturbed" is quite low. Of course that's not to say that some children can be more difficult than others but take a look at the parents or lack thereof and you'll discover the cause behind most of these so called ED cases. Another way to put it, fix the parents and you'll cure the children!

Why were only boys and none of the girls profiled?

by Vince
July 29, 2009, 12:45 AM

All of the people who think that these incredibly patient teachers are being too harsh or letting the children run the classroom have obviously never taught ED children. These folks are not dealing with typical children who will respond to typical methods of discipline harsh or otherwise. Those who recommend medication only or harsher punishments ("hit them back") haven't a clue and should never teach children. Having worked with ED children including 4 year olds who routinely say "I'm going to kill you" I know that there aren't words to express how disturbing this is. These teachers/staff remaind patient and calm during the most obnoxious situations and should be commended. Something needs to be done for these children and medication or harsh punishment isn't it! It looks like they're doing well to address the behavioral roots of their problems and teach the children more appropriate ways of dealing with them. Bravo!

by Barbara
July 29, 2009, 12:46 AM

*****

For such a short documentary, I found the presentation packed with tender, effective reactions to questionable and harmful behaviors. It was done with much unguarded attention to detailed. Well done P.O.V. It was intense, as well it should be, and left me shaken. I am curious whether the parent(s) are simultaneously being given any direction, correction or education in preparation for the return to them of their children.

by rosemarie sulek
July 29, 2009, 12:47 AM

Brilliant

The thought never crossed my mind that the mild force employed by the thoughtful staff to keep children from disruptive and dangerous behavior would be objectionable - then I saw some comments here, which went as far as to accuse the teachers of provoking children to misbehave when under restraint. That was just not the case. The staff would have been rendered ineffective had they allowed chaos 24/7 in the boarding school. With a teacher to pupil ratio of 108 to 40, and genuinely caring and well trained teachers, this school is wonderful. And the documentary was moving and excellent in every way.

by Mario
July 29, 2009, 12:48 AM

Hold Me Tight...

Wow! A very powerful program. I've been a teacher for 20+ years and am starting to realize that many of us in the front lines are seeing more and more children in "normal" classrooms that obviously suffer from similar emotional problems to those exhibited by these children. I feel it is imperative that we begin to address these children's issues as early as possible, and to encourage parents, who are often in denial about their children's behavior, to realize what is really happening. I commend the staff for their patience and fortitude. I'ts not easy to feel love for ANYONE that is spitting, kicking and otherwise abusing you, even if they are children!

by Maria M.
July 29, 2009, 12:50 AM

Hold me tight...

I have a child like the children in the documentary. I had tried for years to be proactive and get him the treatment he needed when he was little but unless you have alot of money, or are on Medicaid, you have limited access to those services. My child has been denied service in school, provided by the local Mental Health Center, because he was the only child in the class with insurance. I had to advocate for my child to recieve these services at school. There are various community programs available, but you are not allowed to receive services unless you are on Medicaid. We couldn't get Medicaid for our son. We made too much money. If you are middle class, you are paying for services that you have no access to. I was able to get my son into one residential facility by placing him in the facility and having to wait and see if he was picked up by Medicaid. Medicaid sees children deserving of funding if they "have no financial resources". If he was out of our home, he was without resources. If he wasn't picked up,we would have had to withdraw him immediately as we would have gone bankrupt keeping there for any substantial time period. The school in the documentary looked so good to me. If only my child had been able to attend such a school at an early age. Maybe he wouldn't have been placed by the court (for deliquent behavior) in a residential psychiatric facility out of state. Early intervention is so important, but in our system, it is not available. It's also hard to find. Community services are isolated and fragmented, and therefore difficul to locate or to discover their existance. Thanks for listening.

by April Burke
July 29, 2009, 12:50 AM

Wow! I was riveted to this program. Unfortunately so many of the previous comments are about restraint. I personally cried when I saw how music speaks to the children that were filmed. The boy who was headed home chose to sing, "Suspicious Minds," for his swan song. What an insight! He should have a suspicious mind in going home, having been treated the way he was treated when he lived at home. Watching the self-discipline that the boys could show playing the recorder and the violin was astounding! And again "I Can See Clearly Now" was speaking for the boy as the therapist so astutely pointed out.
I have taught in class rooms like the ones at Mulberry Bush. I was so impressed with the consistent, supportive messages the staff kept giving the children. The bottom line: You, young man (or young lady), are going to have to be responsible for yourself and your actions. And you start to learn how to do that right now at Mulberry Bush!

by An American Educator
July 29, 2009, 12:54 AM

Hold Me Tight; Let Me Go

It's clear from reading the reactions to tonight's program that some are clueless when it comes to dealing with severely emotionally disturbed children. What a fantastic job the staff at the Mulberry School is doing for these kids. I so much admire the work being done and the gargantuan amount of patience required. These people must be exhausted at day's end. I certainly did feel the restraint methods used were quite appropriate and necessary. Do you think talking softly to an enraged child would actually stop him from throwing a chair, spitting or biting the staff? Speaking from experience, these teachers/staff members did EXACTLY what was necessary. Imagine these children trying to function in a regular classroom--total chaos AND injuries would result. And remember, mental and emotional illess can strike even the "best" of families, not just dysfunctional ones. Keep up the excellent work, Mulberry School; you are greatly appreciated and admired. Oh yes, to Barny Boo who was irritated that PBS didn't have the **** to allow
the foul language and tell it like it really is, I'm having a hard time believing that with a name like "Barny Boo", YOU are truly telling it like it is!!

by Sunny
July 29, 2009, 12:55 AM

My fear is that the children have to leave the Mulberry Bush School after three years, only to go back to their dysfunctional homes; thrown back into the mayhem of their parents’ decisions that led them to the school in the first place. I don't have the answer to the problem but, I feel that this approach may do more harm emotionally in the larger picture. The children have learned to trust the adults in their life at the school and when they go back home expecting a trustworthy adult they will be shocked emotionally, unless the parents or parent has changed for the better. Some help should be given to the whole family unit or the child should slowly be reintroduced to their homes. I agree with the schools therapeutic approach but not dumping them back into the situation that damaged them in the first place.
I really did enjoy this film and thank you PBS for enlightening me once again.

by Timothy
July 29, 2009, 12:56 AM

The COST of neglect ... how sad.

I found your program very stirring & it almost made me sick to my stomach to see those kids have to go thru such pain & mental anguish. It must be torture in their little minds to have to be separated from family & not be able to even control their feelings & actions. It made me realize even more, JUST HOW MUCH this society has BECOME NUMB to REALITY, & the simple life of just taking the time to REALLY CARE for those little ones that supposedly 'ADULTS' MAKE come into this world! Those kids DIDN'T ask to be born; & when an ADULT will not as much as CARE for it's offspring; WE HAVE A VERY SICK WORLD & ARE WORSE then an ANIMAL! EVEN animals, BY NATURE, NURTURE their offspring in the correct manner! To even attempt to help these UNWANTED children is in of itself; SELFLESS! You're heroes, in my eyes... but like 'Dan' said... I do think it pointless with most children to continue to talk to them. I have a little experience in this with a granddaughter of 5 yrs old that her mother ignores & mistreats; and I found it VERY irritating to try to talk to her while her mind is in 'a fit'; but I tried in very low tones to hum or sing something calming... it does pretty well. Also; I would like to know of some links that will give me more insight as to maybe what the child may be lacking in the brain, or how it relates to their behavior; or chemicals & minerals that may be lacking, or imbalanced. THERE HAS to be an answer for these 'special' kids! ALSO, I feel very strongly, that the PARENT(S) of these kids should be LOCKED UP for such ABUSE; IGNORED & MISTREATED just as they have mistreated their ON FLESH & BLOOD! God Bless your work ...

by Venus
July 29, 2009, 12:57 AM

Background 2

I have read some of the responses and admire the reactions towards the kids and the school. However I still can't understand how you can offer opinions when you have no idea about the background of these kids. When I was growing up and acted like that I would hve received a good walloping

by Bob
July 29, 2009, 1:09 AM

I am struggling with the behaviors of my own son and I don't like the idea of meds. This show was an eye opener and presented very well. Some of the previous comments of other people and their ideas of teaching, ie hitting, video games, letting them be boys, saddens me. This is a big part of the reason we have children that need these facilities. All children yearn for a sense of direction. Teach our children well, then let them lead the way.

by Tiffany
July 29, 2009, 1:37 AM

what about the parents

It seemed the parents of the child had VERY little contact- only 5 or 6 days out of entire year. I am assuming distance may be an issue but even so, is that making the problem worse? I also understand the parents may be the reason for the child's present condition ,but could there be a therapy for them together? If they go back to their same environment (at home) after 3 years would they not regress again and undo all the work it took to get them to emotional stability? I am a mother of 4 and cried when I heard Alex begging for another kiss- I would not leave. I admire the workers for their patience . Surely there are success stories or they would not be motivated to continue. I wish we could follow these children for the next 10 years. I hope when they grow up they are able to comprehend that even if their parents neglected them- someone cared.

by danielle ray
July 29, 2009, 1:47 AM

More programs like this one need to be aired. It not only showed the horrible pain that these children internalize, but an icredible staff who dedicate their lives to helping them. The children's need to control is completely out of control. Although not addressed in the film, Fetal Alcohol exposure was physically obvious with some. I hope that films like this will educate.

by Barb
July 29, 2009, 1:51 AM

Hold me tight

I enjoyed the documentary. There was one incident where the youngster was using excessive profanity, and was still allowed to play with the trains. I think this should have been dealt with differently. He should have not been able to enjoy his activity while being verbally abusive. I did not see how the holding restraint would be harmful to the child and there has to be some time where they realize that to do what they want is not warrented. I realize that this is based on emotionally negative behavior. My question is, Are the parents required to undergo any treatment along with the children, besides weekend visits or home visits How successful is the program if the child is released right back into the same environment that they were removed from in the first place. I think the patience, calmness, and positivity that is used is wonderful to the childs self esteem. For the most part, young boys are taught that showing emotions are a sign of weakness, so it ends up coming out in violence. I tthink your program is great. I don't know if there are many places like that here in the U.S, but, there needs to be. Keep up the good work, and broadcast more.

by Debbie
July 29, 2009, 1:59 AM

POV

I agree with the use of holding therapy if it is appropriate for the situation and to keep the child safe. I do not agree with the way the adults talk too much to the children during a tantrum or while they are otherwise distracted. At that time the child is confused and unaware of what is being said. I dont know if the adults use positive praise, you know, catch the child being good? it is more affective than catching the child being bad and giving attention to the bad behavior. This is all talked about and learned in any special ed classes or in regular ed classes. I do think that the adults have loads of patience and they have earned my respect.

by Christa
July 29, 2009, 2:02 AM

the Power of the Arts

As a couple of others have mentioned - it appears that the opportunity to explore the arts has a healing impact on these kids. Whether it is through the music, creating a "recyclables sculpture", or making up their own song (which I wish the adult had picked up on and encouraged the child to develop further). The arts allow for expressing one's thoughts and feelings and also provides an arena where kids can develop real skills. This all contributes to an improved self-concept.

by Anne
July 29, 2009, 2:21 AM

Hold me tight

American educators critisize this school - laughable! Our children are a mess. However, my reaction to the film is disgust! How would you like these teachers/therapists dogging you 16 hours a day? I'd scream too. Their constant attention to the child's bad behavior reinforces it. It's suffocating. The kids need to get outside themselves; instead this school imprisons them inside their confusion and anger.

The plight of these kids points to the utter failure of Western cultures to guide children to adulthood. "Primitives" do it day in and day out.

by bo moore
July 29, 2009, 2:28 AM

Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist

Christa makes an excellent point. The restraints could have been of shorter duration had the adults just been quiet and rocked the kids. Restraint is sometimes necessary if a kid is out of control and a threat to himself or others but I couldn't see how this particular program was helping these kids any. All efforts appeared futile to me.

by Susan Perlmutter
July 29, 2009, 2:32 AM

Little Chiding-LOTS OF LOVE

I did see a little chiding of a child being restrained. I do not know the woman's name so I will just describe her as the very heavy woman who seemed to be "burnt out". Her boss needs to take a look at her more closely as she may need a break and her behavior was not good for the little boy who already felt out of control. The chiding seemed almost like bullying and although not severe it was certainly enough that this needs to be looked at. I believe that the other people who saw this behavior might agree with me that it was coming from this one woman specifically. I could see that there may have been a difference of opinion between this woman and the other therapist who was also restraining the child. The restraining was done gently and appropriately. It was not that rather it was the words and the manner it which they were spoken by the first therapist that was inappropriate and disturbing. I do hope that the head of this school takes a look at this.as this woman definitely needs to take a vacation or obtain some stress management for herself. All the other therapists were so gentle and loving and thoughtful. I do hope that as much time is spent with the familes of these children. I worked in a hospital . My office was just down the hall from the inpatient psychiatric unit for children. The things I would hear the parents say to their children as they were taking them down the hall to the unit were just terrible. Often times there were threats and verbal innuendos of future harm were made. The adults did not know that they were being overheard. Sadly, it is the children who are being over medicated while the selfish,trashy, dishonorable parents, step-parents, grandparents continued on with their behavior. You can bet that I did report things overheard to the treatment staff on that unit. It takes a special group of people to work with these victimized children (no, no all are victimized) and no one short of that description should be allowed and entrusted with these children. Thank you for such a heartwarming, and disturbing show; one that will keep the issues of ED children affected with forefront in our minds.

by Eve
July 29, 2009, 2:35 AM

wow

I am in awe of the self restraint and patience of the staff. They seem to be very kind people who are mostly getting it right. I would tend to be a wee bit firmer. Some of the people commenting on this board do not seem to appreciate the absolute necessity of these kids learning how to control their own behavior. Without self restraint/self control they are going to hurt themselves or others and are headed for institutionalization or prison. They have to develop self control, period. I think that some of the commenters tend to blur the distinction between being firm towards the kids and being violent (i.e. hitting them).

When the kids are hitting, using objects as weapons, spitting or kicking I don't personally have a problem with putting handcuffs/leg irons/masks on them and/or putting them in isolation until they settle down. If the kid can squirm free (saw it happen a couple of times) they are being rewarded (with freedom and regaining a sense of control) for resisting. They should not have any expectation of avoiding consequences for bad behavior. Proper restraints would make the necessary task be a lot easier on the staff. This is what happens to grown men in prison. Leg irons, handcuffs and isolation if necessary. Of course to a kid who has been misdirected and living an undisciplined life this would come as a shock and tend to enrage. The kid showing rage upon being restrained means they are experiencing a consequence of bad behaviour. They need to develop a clear expectation of actions having consequences.

I have been a guard in a maximum security prison and am ex-military (infantry). Civilians usually don't understand or appreciate the conditioning effects of having new recruits drill on a parade square. Learning how to march in step and execute movements on command, immediately, exactly and without negotiation. The constructive thing about that is you can take undisciplined uttter misfits and make self disciplined, productive, better listening individuals capable of acting as a team out of them. Very quickly. It is absolutely shocking and remarkable to see.

by Weevie
July 29, 2009, 2:35 AM

SUBTITLES NEEDED THROUGHOUT!

As bad as I wanted to watch, I just couldn't continue
after a half hour. I could hardly understand much of what they were saying...except for the bleeps and occassional bad word that got through. WOW! That's some English there!

by J.P.
July 29, 2009, 2:48 AM

A lot of people are asking about the background of these children. I found a British paper's article about the film which gave some of the backgrounds. They have all had horrible, unimaginable things happen in their lives. Things that would be horrible for any adult to endure, let alone a sweet little child. Please stop saying these children need more "discipline", especially physical discipline. They need love. These teachers were remarkable in their ability to show these children love.

Someone was commenting on the boy who was allowed to continue playing with trains while using profanity, stating that the behavior should have been dealt with. My feeling is that with these children there are SO many behaviors to work on that it would overwhelm the child and the caregivers to work on them all at once. Maybe for this boy playing calmly was a great accomplishment so the profanity was let go for the moment.

by Laura
July 29, 2009, 2:50 AM

What I do for a living...

I've been working with ED children and teens in special classes like these for 17 years. I do believe restraint has its place, when the child is a threat to themselves or someone else. It's an incredibly scary experience for THE CHILD to be so out of control- they need external controls until they have developed internal ones. One thing I disagreed with was all the chatter by the staff! Engaging with a child when he/she is out of control is useless at best, and may escalate the child's behaviour. It should be "you are not being safe, so I need to hold you. I will let you go when you are calm." That's it. No discussion until the child is calm and better able to process his/her feelings. I was also VERY angry that while talking to the therapist, Alex didn't want to say that his Mom stabbed his Dad on camera, and the therapist guilted him into it. Horrible! There also needs to be intensive work with the families- not just the children- for any healing to begin. The diagnosis for the majority of these children is called Reactive Attachment Disorder.

by Hilary
July 29, 2009, 2:59 AM

I, too, was very impressed with the patience and consistent respect/love that the obviously well trained staff showed to these suffering children. Initially, I didn't like the holding restraint, especially in the presence of other children who could be frightened/intimidated/stimulated by watching both the behaviors of their peers and the physical restraint by the staff. As it continued, though, I could see how firm but gentle it was, and its effectiveness in preventing dangerous behaviors and encouraging better skills in self-management. Sometimes there was too much talking by the restrainer, as others have said; words probably can't be heard very well at that time. And, speaking of words, I also had great trouble understanding the Oxford English; subtitles would have helped. I also found the film somewhat choppy, and would have liked more information about the children's backgrounds, diagnoses, etc. And, where were the girls? If this was just a school for boys, it should have been said. Overall, though, a challenging, moving, and educational film. Thanks to all who made it possible.

by jenny
July 29, 2009, 3:03 AM

disorders

i am a music teacher in inner city schools and teach all the students. Also i have taught several years in a mental health school for EC students- mentally ill or disturbed students from the public schools. the latter had a closet sized room lined with rubber which the student was placed in, but not locked in. This was a problem. They would run out. I liked the hands on restraint, and I think they did it so they could continue to remind the student that they were being unacceptable and reminding them of expressing their feelings and showing them care and concern as long as it took. The way the teacher continued to work with the student in spite of the screaming and cursing, focusing on the activity they were doing, eventually eliminated the behavior, because she kept saying "You dont have to scream and swear because you are feeling sad." So she also showed continued love in spite of the negative behavior. This is very hard to do especially if it your own child. The school did not accept serios menally illness cases. I have a family member who has had the diagnosos of Bipolar I disorder for 6 years.
She also has a serious case of borderline personality disorder.
Bipolar requires medication. As the border line personality she displays many of the same traits as the students on this tape.

by Ann Kennedy
July 29, 2009, 3:06 AM

Wonderful to see such dedication to children who are suffering from
'Unlove'.

Alice Miller in her many books, holds that beating children in order to discipline them is nothing less than child abuse.

I was struck by the openess and care with which the teachers/helpers spoke to the children...even while restraining them.

It is so important for parents to be part of a family therapy program...but what does one do if the parents are 'missing'? Surely this calls for the introduction of some parenting guidelines and training for all people contemplating having children....After all, people are required to demonstrate competency before driving a car...How much more important for people to have some idea of how to bring up a child in a loving home enviroment, especialy if they have not had the chance of being loved themselves in their own childhood? If that is the case, parents simply repeat the abuse they themselves received in childhood, unless they were lucky enough to have what Miller calls, an 'enlightened witness'.

Thank you POV!

by Freda White Ph.D.
July 29, 2009, 3:08 AM

Inspiring Piece of Work

Great film... on so many levels. ED seems to pervade our society today more than ever. Not just kids but the walking wounded adults you see crowding our jails and on our streets. I'm not a child psychologist but it was apparent to me that the techniques that those teachers were using were working on those kids. An inspiring and thought provoking work. Congrats to all involved.

by Tom Bell
July 29, 2009, 3:12 AM

Wish I could view the school 24/7

I feel so grateful tonight. I surfed onto this program and saw adults who could teach ME how to be a better person. The teachers were so patient and dedicated! I will be watching this film online at this site several times. I just wish there were more films about teachers like these.

I don't know if, at the start of this program, the documentarian provided any initial explanation about the use of restraints. So I was quite unprepared to see it at all. I instantly noted that the boy showed no sign of pain and, through the rest of the program, that no other child did either.

My sister worked in a special school for kids whom no other school would take because they were so disturbed and disruptive. Her school used this same method of restraint, too, because it was the only way to protect those kids from hurting themselves, other kids, the teachers, and the physical property. Her school used many other approaches for the kids' others needs in socialization and education.

When I would ask her what would become of the kids after they "aged out" of the school system, she would just say she didn't know. The children had such severe problems that it was impossible to know how they would fare.

I am grateful, also, to be reading posts from the many teachers, parents, and one grandparent familiar with this type of child. Your insights are golden and so needed! Mat, bless you for giving the rest of us the benefit of the awful experience you endured; I wish it hadn't happened to you.

by Dorothy
July 29, 2009, 3:27 AM

restraints offer security

If you've ever been enraged, you recognize the feeling of power it gives, and also the feeling of being out of control. For children who have reached the end of their ropes, non-violent restraint offers them safety and security. They have someone with them who cares enough to say, "I won't allow you to hurt yourself or me or anyone inthe room." I agree with several comments about the teachers possibly talking too much while the children were not in a position to listen and/or not in a space where they wanted to listen. I also heartily agree with Eve about the heavy-set woman's reaction to the boy being restrained by another teacher. Those who work with children who act out like these really need to be in control of their own emotions and not get drawn in as it seemed this woman did.
A few more observations:
1. Music works wonders. Every child should have access to music and rhythm. Look at how the boy with the recorder and the one with the violin just glowed when they were focused and producing the correct notes. It was obviously a big accomplishment for them. This is how children build self-esteem and self-confidence.
2. Art works wonders. Children (and adults) who have difficulty finding words to express feelings can use art to bring things closer to the surface and actually then have something tangible to look at that helps explain what's going on inside. Have a child draw his/her family doing something together, and you will see by the placement of family members where he or she feels they fit in and how they interact with each other.
3. I would have liked to have seen the children have an opportunity to physically let out their anger and other feelings in a healthy way - the school has a wonderful grassy commons area where a child could run and run and run (as long as there was no danger of running off or of hurting him/herself).
4. Acknowledging feelings is so important. When the one boy split his head, I really liked hearing the teacher acknowledge the concern and worry the other boy had over causing his friend pain. I would have liked to have seen some kind of "reparation" or action from that boy to the one he hurt.
5. I worked in a juvenile detention facilty that used non-violent restraints and I've been spat on and hit. I truly believe restraints help a child calm down to where they can regain control without injuring themselves or others or destroying property.
6. Accountability is where it's at. Holding children responsible for their actions and language is the road to loving and respecting themselves. I'm not talking about punishment, but guiding them to understand why they acted out, tracing their feelings back to what triggered the behavior, and then giving them tools to choose something different at any point along the way.
And lastly, I loved the humor these children have (and the teachers, too!) and wished that were encouraged a little more.
Thanks for a great show. I'm sending the link to several people.

by Sue
July 29, 2009, 3:40 AM

Closed captioning

For the several people who wanted subtitles: they're available, if your television supports closed captioning. I usually leave mine turned on when I'm watching a documentary, and it was helpful for this one.

by Mart
July 29, 2009, 4:27 AM

addressing the issues

The fact that this is run as a boarding school encourages the separation from the environments that are linked to these childrens' emotional issues. As some may have noticed, one child (named Ben I believe) had seen a stabbing within his own family & was being taken aside to discuss the fact that he had attempted to do this to a fellow student.

A lot of the issues these & other children deal with seem to be feelings of abandonment as well as confusion of how to handle the world around them when their influences have taught them the very behavior they're mimicking.

It's NOT just from family or piers, the media thrives on acts of violence & abusive behavior. How can a poor kid be expected to act any differently than what they've learned, especially the ones that have suffered some of the unknown traumas that these children have.

I applaud the efforts of these educators at getting to the root of their problems through patience & kindness. I'm sure the burnout ratio is high in these educators regardless of their training.

It breaks my heart to have known a few people, now adults, that never had this kind of help in their formative years. Most are social outcasts by the time they reach adulthood.

I've heard many stories of emotional & or physical trauma going untreated & leading to lifelong troubles for them & those around them. Some were victims of violence so THAT is obviously not the approach needed (as it's actually at the root of the problem). Restraint is the only other choice to having them explode with the violence that's been haunting them, I for one being victimized by such children (& adults).

It's the first step to helping them calm down enough to tell another what's at the heart of the problem (when the educators have earned their trust). This only seems to work when the child is in an immersive environment (such as a boarding school) & in one on one relationships.

Our public school system is hardly equipped to deal with these outbursts & our old policies of corporal punishment failed miserably in the past. I would hazard a guess that these remarkable improvements in behavior would have taken others decades, likely well into the adult years if it had been attempted using intermittent visits to social workers or psychiatrists.

Well done, well done!

by Doug M.
July 29, 2009, 5:25 AM

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

The film was very engaging. How could you not love these kids? I wonder, though, whether staff has seriously tried Thomas Gordon's Parent Effectiveness Training. I know from personal experience with 2 children (now grown) that it helps children learn respect for others' feelings, mutual problem-solving, active listening, "I" statements, and other forms of self-knowledge, self-expression, emotional intelligence, and social skills based on the mutual trust established between adult and child. There's no need for punishment (or reward) to manipulate the children's behavior. Instead of being teachers, the staff would become counselors to the children, providing them a safe haven of acceptance in which to grow. Of course, P.E.T. doesn't turn little devils into little angels overnight. But if it's the only method used to relate to the children, it does work wonders by healing the heart of the matter -- the children's feelings.

by Steffi Glass
July 29, 2009, 5:50 AM

a world of pain

These children have parents that are unable to care for them. Theyve been abandoned to a large extent. Thats where their anger comes from. I know from first hand experience what thats like. All this talk about restraints and discipline dosent even begin to adress the grueling reality of their emotional lives. Its great that theye getting some support at least from this school. But teaching a child to play music or whatever art projects they were doing isnt going to really adress the rage and betrayal the children rightly feel at the world. It takes an incredible amount of time and commitment to start to understand ones life and these children are still in it, theyre still in the families that cannot care for them. I hate to be pessimistic but its a very tough road ahead for these children. I pray that at some point in their lives theyre able to seek a deeper understanding of themselves and start the real healing process. Bless all children.

by J. Camacho
July 29, 2009, 9:16 AM

I was shocked at the behavior the children were allowed to get away with. One child was hitting a lady who just kept chatting away at him and playing with him as if he had not done anything wrong. She only very gently said to him that he should not behave badly. I think there should be consequences to their violent behavior. What are they learning if they are allowed to be little monsters? This child even went from hitting the lady to "eating" her, as he put it, which he seemed to think was a loving act. He did not seem to understand he had done anything wrong. In a real-life situation is he going to expect to be treated with love and acceptance in spite of his extremely violent behavior? Is he going to think it is ok for him to act out in violence every time he is upset? I think the responses of the teachers should more closely mirror a real-life response the child can expect from people. No one is going to accept this abuse from anyone in real-life. The children should learn that in a non-violent way. This kid was in control and he knew it....and loved it.

by Linda
July 29, 2009, 9:29 AM

Another movie please.

My husband an I were completely abosrbed with this documentary. We were speechless during it and could not stop discussing it after watching it. The movie was well made, I felt like there was a cohesiveness amongst the children that were focused on. The staff was inspiring really. I wish that I could be as objective as this staff is as a parent. I think as parents and society we can't let children's actions go. I was very impressed with how the adults could move on and not hold the childs behavior "against" them after it was finished. Incredible really.
I do wonder why the girls weren't featured. In society when we think of children or adults who are emotionally disturbed or criminal males are in the forefront. I would have like to have seen atleast one story line of a female students at the school. I believe that this would open peoples eyes and created serious discussion as well. I believe it would be woth going back and doing another movie featuring just the girls and young women. Thank you for all your hardwork and your compassion for these children. You are all a blessing in these children's lives, and society's.

by Lori Paris
July 29, 2009, 9:30 AM

Hold me Tight, Let Me Go

Very powerful.
I also missed a bit of the beginning of this show, and will be looking to watch it again. I also agree it was difficult to understand the speech, at times. When I watch again, I will be using the sub-titles available on my TV

I am assuming that these children are in this school because they no longer could be in the home, for whatever reason. Maybe its a legal issue, maybe its because their home life is also very much out of control.
I agree with what some others have said about medication AND therapy in combination with each other are better in some cases.
As for those who are saying, the child needs to get control of themselves......well, that is the point. THEY CANNOT control themselves.
As for the teachers speaking too much while the child was acting out, maybe that was the case, but notice how eventually each child did calm down?

The methods used at this school seem to work to do just that. Help the child learn to control themselves.

There was positive reinforcement. Remember the "Good Book"?
Talking about the child's good behavior while at home on vacation?

Well done.

by MK
July 29, 2009, 9:40 AM

The Film Description states that the children "are not brain-damaged". Any child exposed to fetal alcohol has permanent organic brain damage.

by Barb
July 29, 2009, 10:22 AM

Adminstrative Assistant

I watch the docuementary last night, I was utterly amazed at the unwavering patience, devotion and care the consulores at Mulberry gave these children. The techiques and methods used to get the children to behave and be able to express themselve verbally I feel worked extremely well. The consulores support for one another, let alone the love and support given to the children could and should be a role model for other centers such as Mulberry. I've known children to be medicated in instances where psychological therapy would have worked better, but sad to say I don't think all centers have the capacity to invest in and develope techiques to enhance a childs life. If only there were more places like Mulberry,

by Marva McCollum
July 29, 2009, 11:06 AM

This film was fantastic. I am a NYC teacher and learned so much by watching how the staff spoke to the children and helped them discover why they were acting the way they were. The staff was so patient and it was obvious they knew their students so well. I learned so much that I can take back into the classroom with me. Kids are used to adults who escalate the situation by getting emotional and challenging the child. Thank you!

by Cat
July 29, 2009, 11:13 AM

Awesome

I watched this program with tears in my eyes most of the time. Not because I thought that these children were being mistreated, but because my heart just broke for each of these boys. Can you even imagen what it must be like to be a child who can not express themselves? I totally agree that the restraint program was working for these children, and by no means was it a form of abuse. The teachers all spoke so softly and lovingly to these boys at all times. I'm sure that there were days when they just wanted to pull their own hair out, but they were always so wonderful with these children. How can anyone say that these children were not rewarded. Did you not see how the little boy who kept wetting all over his room received a cd player after 3 weeks of no wetting? Or how the one teacher spoke to him after he went home for the weekend and had a book filled with all the good things that he had done. If you remember this young boy was not liked by his father and his father told him that he did not like him and did not spend time with him. But the look on that childs face when the teacher gave him a high five for doing so well when he went home for a visit over the weekend was truely moving. I only hope that the people who gave negitives feedback on this movie, never have to deal with a child like those.

Also one more point: about the medicating of the children. Why is it that the USA is always thinks that the first thing to do to "fix" someone is medicate them? I myself have 3 children with ADD or ADHD and yes I do believe in medication for school. But it wasn't the first thing that I tried. I tried many other things to get their attention and behavior intact before I chose to put them on medication. Please people quit thinking that the only way people will get better, or the only way to "fix" people is by medicating them for the rest of their lives.

by Dawn
July 29, 2009, 12:22 PM

Understanding

I can tell that most of the people who felt negatively about this program have had no experience with children who have psychological/behavioral problems. As someone very close to the situation, I saw a member of my family in one of the children at the school. The behavior and reactions of one of the boys was a carbon copy of my loved one's own behavior. In our case, my family member has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and a couple of other problems and is under treatment medically and with an excellent psychiatrist. Despite all the excellent care he is receiving (his age is between 7-12 years) he has violent outbursts that make him a danger to everyone around him. He has been known to grab dangerous objects to use as weapons. For his safety and the safety of those around him he has to be restrained. He also has destructive tendencies and has left his home full of holes in the walls, doors ripped off their hinges, broken ceiling fans, broken windows, etc. For the person who said that restraining the children was what made them upset, she is mistaken in most cases. It takes very little to upset our family member. He feels he has the right to have anything and everything and do anything he wants without regard to other people's rights. When he is denied, he becomes very angry, violent, foul-mouthed (and his family does not use foul language), vulgarity, etc. He hits, kicks, bites, spits, throws heavy objects at people and laughs about it afterwards. Remember, all this is after being medicated AND with treatment by a psychiatrist. Before you criticize someone who cares for a child in this situation, you must understand the entire situation. This child's dear mother is doing her best to keep him with the family, to see that he is educated, to let him have experiences that any normal child has and enjoys and in the process suffers the brunt of almost all of his outbursts in order to protect his syblings and others around him. Please be understanding of the children, parents, and teachers in these situations.

by ABM
July 29, 2009, 12:51 PM

Hold me Tight, Let me Go

My eyes never left the TV screen! Before I retired, I taught exceptional people for over 28 years. My spatiality was children with emotional/behavior disorders. This school is exactly what I always wanted for my ‘kid-oes’. I always worked in medium to small public school settings and it was very difficult to get administration, parents, and the community on the same page.
One slightly negative comment: The blond rather heavy set woman who had problems with a couple of the boys reminded me of myself toward the end of my career. This young woman needs a break! After being bitten, spit on, pummeled and sworn at for an extended period of time, you become disillusioned (especially with little or no positive feed-back). She seems to be taking the children's comments/actions personally; and is responding negatively. As she probably already knows, this only adding to the original problem. I wish there was some way to let teachers in extremely stressful situations take a week or two respites when they need it. We lose so many good teachers to stress.
If I were 30 years younger, I would jump at a chance to work in this school. (Even though I'd have to leave the country.) I still do substitute teaching, but this film stirred my blood and made me want to jump back in with both feet. Thank you for this film and thank you to all the wonderful people in it. Michal Magee

by Michal Magee
July 29, 2009, 1:15 PM

A Big Disappointment

I found this POV documentary to be very difficult to follow -- unintelligble speech, poor intro and follow-thru with the individual children, disappointing in its content -- no depth, no explanation for the behavioral theories they used, and a waste of my time. I wish a film maker would produce a film about ED children for the general public that includes some effort to introduce the children, is subtitled for American audiences (if it is a non-American director), and explains the therapies being applied so we can hope to understand what is going on. A major disappointment from POV.

by Lisa
July 29, 2009, 2:58 PM

Better then drugs!

In American it is unfortunate that most families and their doctors are too quick to 'medicate' a child. Medication should only be used as a temporary fix (if the child is having a dangerous out of control temper fit where is a danger to himself/others) or for disorders that are by no means ever controllable.

Unfortunatel these children suffered and are full of anger (mostly). Drugs will not help. They have to learn to control their anger and/or express it in a healthy way. Gently restraining a child is harmless, my parents did it, my grand parents did it an so on. They are not being hurt, they scream because they are mad, not from pain. They are being forced to realize that their behavior is unacceptable.

Talking to them after calming down is a great way to get a child to hopefully see the error of their 'fit' while it is still fresh in the mind. Hugging a child to stop them from hurting themselves or others is harmless. Letting the child speak (swear and such) is almost necessary...let the child get out their anger and only after that will they calm down

Reminding them that they are a little boy is just helping them face reality. They are a little boy, their are not adults and therefore have to learn their place and this will help them be better children.

Drugging them wouldn't even allow them to mentally think about their behavior. Drugging them wouldn't allow a 'follow up' to happen and get the child to think or answer honestly.

Helping them early is important. Drugging them is useless, eventually they go off the drugs and then you still end up with a very angry, dangerous, and stronger person....

I'm not a specialist by any means. I have family, seen all types of children and can only say that an angry child has to work thru their anger and learn a healthier way to express it...Kudos to those teachers that have the patients of a saint...I know NO ONE that could handle that day after day (withoug drinking).

Drug companies pressure doctors to give out their prescription and doctors love to do it for the kick-backs. The drug companies don't care about the patients, just making money. Drugs can't cure everything and espially 'anger'. Drugs help put money in their pockets and let parents ignore a situation that they can't handle or don't want to. It is sad

So to all those who would rather drug a child with behavorial disorders and lock them in a solitary room until the calm down (refrain from hurting others) - you are only building to their anger.

Our generation is so full of spoiled children with the lack of respect for adults, lack of respect for others property, and lack of respect for themselves because parents ignore signs at an early age or don't believe in a little smack to the butt or strict home environments (rules/regulations). Children are children. Children depend on adults to do what is best for them.

by Sandra
July 29, 2009, 3:35 PM

P.O.V. "Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go"

What a beautiful documentary of dedication and love in both teachers and students! The title is appropriate for both as well. To be held onto is to be loved; physically hugged, protected from harm, to be kept safe emotionally as much as physically. To be let go is freeing developmentally, emotionally, and autonomously. It's a chance for the child to express, "Let me show you what I learned!"

I have Autism and it's hard to know where I begin and others' end. Positive Management of Aggressive Behavior (P.M.A.B.) trained faculty worked with me as a child and teen helping me learn safe ways of coping with this ambiguity. I need pressure to help me find myself-- to get grounded, so 'basket holding' was more calming than a gentle frontal hug.
I saw this occurring in the film with the E.D. boys I presume were non-autistic. P.M.A.B. is structured to prevent injury to either party, so there is no bruising, external apparatus like ties or belts, and the aggressive party is never left alone.

I think here in The States we have a serious problem with instant gratification that carries over to how we problem solve. If children aren't learning to a standardized test, then teachers are fired. When the children have emotional or behavioral problems in the classroom, then they are suspended-- removed; stay in the home, which likely escalates their problems. This leads to more violent behavior (cries for help), which are met with police response, and the juvenile justice system.

I applaud the Mulberry Bush School as an example of exemplary educational goals for M.H.-M.R. students and staff here in the US.

by Jo A Slaight
July 29, 2009, 3:52 PM

Objections to Restraint Techniques

All those who object to the restraint techniques used by the Mulberry Bush school, or any other technique for that matter, should first consider the 61 years of success the Mulberry Bush school has achieved.

by Lynda
July 29, 2009, 4:46 PM

Hold me tight, let me go

I watched this program last night and again tonight.
It was very emotional for me, as a matter of fact, I am crying again right now.
I had a very bad night dreaming about it, participating in it, and it followed me around all day.
I have dealt with some of the same issues as a child and maybe that made me more understanding of those afflicted children. The school is marvelous, the treatment of the children fantastic. Still, will those kids grow up emotionally more healthy as they enter teenage and adulthood, seeing the behaviour of the parents? Are those parents being counseled too?
Wonderful program, thank you so much, Kim and PBS..

by Ingrid Larson
July 29, 2009, 9:06 PM

Hold me tight, let me go

I am a grandmother & mother of six (5 sons). I was transfixed watching this documentary, saddened to see these disturbed young boys and heartened to witness the firm & loving treatment by a kind and patient staff. The boys' progress, even in small increments, was encouraging and the teachers' calm attempts to draw out the students' feelings were admirable. At times I was heartbroken but then exulted in the small successes. Congratulations to the filmmaker and to the Mulberry Bush School!

by Nancy J.
July 29, 2009, 9:36 PM

I would really like to see a follow up on the same kids when they are older, or a format that shows how they have developed over a period of years.

by Weevie
July 29, 2009, 11:27 PM

Let's listen, watch, and learn

A moving film: though some may disagree with certain techniques, no viewer can help but recognize the caring and love offered to these precious but damaged children. I fear we as Americans are now summarily labeling many such children as ADD or ADHD and handing them little more than a prescription for medication. SHAME on us if this is so! Nothing but patience, time, attention, and love - just what Mulberry Bush offers - can help. We as Americans do care, but we want a quick fix. Let's stop nitpicking and defending our pet methods, open our minds, and take what we can from this excellent film.

by Karen Dellabarca
July 29, 2009, 11:41 PM

Striking and revelatory documentary

Unable to sleep, I drifted into this show after it had started; mesmerized and moved to tears, I lingered until the program's end.  As someone who has not yet experienced the blessing of having children, I am so thankful that the filmmaker stayed engaged with the children enough to draw out the story arc.  It was apparent that viewers would get an eye/earful of shocking and troublesome behavior in many instances; however, I was compelled to watch more when I was able to see the children speak about what made them upset--in their own words and in their  own time (to an extent).  The children were so beautiful and clearly so intelligent--their phrases (even filled with horrible cursing) were coming from minds mired in thought.  The things they revealed about their parents were heartbreaking, yet these children so desperately wanted to be loved and treasured by them.  Seeing the family members on visitation days made me furious and deeply saddened--the mother who for some reason couldn't get herself on the earlier train to see her son for the whole day, the mother who avoided her son's kisses and wiped away those he managed to lavish pleadingly on her.  At 34, I've had times of deep heartache and misunderstanding with my parents, but seeing this makes me all the more appreciative of their unwavering love for me and my ability to internalize its assurance.  Thank you for this film.  Knowing children suffer like this will always haunt me, but knowing there are those with the fortitude and compassion to unconditionally reach out to them softens my heart for this world.  However one might feel about their techniques, these teachers and family liaisons deserve our prayers.

by Natalie Burton
July 30, 2009, 5:27 AM

Hold me

“Hold me tight..”was quite interesting and thought provoking to watch. I did admire the staff for their patience, but did not agree with their methods. The holding while a child is in a super emotional state seems entirely wrong and simply exacerbates their feelings and behavior. Allowing children to treat teachers or playmates with disrespect is absolutely unacceptable. Why not “time-outs” instead? If a child does not respond properly after showing signs of strong feeling or anger, they need to have an explanation of how to express their feelings and how to behave appropriately. Then they should be removed from the situation so they do not escalate their behavior, alarm other children or injure themselves or others, and be put in a quiet, safe place to pull themselves together. Later the teacher should approach him in a calming accepting way and help him to talk about his state of mind, and suggest alternative ways to express these feelings.
The children who were restrained looked and behaved amazingly like children I have seen in videos of supposed “exorcisms”. Such children (in both cases) are reacting to the violation of their space, the denial of the validity of their emotions, and the experience of being restrained.
The teacher in one case allowed a situation to develop (“Will you marry me”). She did not pick up the cues. She should have said no, that she cared for him, but that he was asking an inappropriate question. His out of control behavior was a response to imagined rejection.
Not all acting out was due to deep trauma. In one case the boy was simply frustrated that he could not do his math. Teachers need to deal with what is happening to the child at the moment. Show him how to take a brief break then return to the task. Teach him how to express frustration. Again , nip it in the bud before they behavior gets wild. I noticed the teachers simply did not catch on fast enough to head trouble off at the pass.
I worked with ED adolescent girls who could be very dangerous. I found that by showing honest caring but not reacting to their sometimes scary attention-getting behavior kept them from causing harm. Restraint has never worked for me, even with my own, emotionally healthy children.

In this country (U.S.), teachers are advised not to touch students for any reason. I thin that these students need some warm supportive holding (hugging, not restraining).

It is important to give the child the idea that he is lovable and worthy of love and respect.

It was absolutely not OK to have the teacher insist that the child reveal his family secret on-screen. When he said no, she should have given him privacy.

by Candace Downing
July 30, 2009, 5:32 AM

All they need is love!

These kids need love from their parents or someone who can trust and feel secure, they do not need to be restraint or "think" how to change their behavior. It was horrendous to see the "gentle" restraint, thats just PURE CRUELTY! ..
Yes, the kids are not easy to live with, but violence can not be ended with more violence..and just because this "adults" are not hitting back, spitting back or "getting angry", does not mean they are not abusing them!..They are ABUSING the little ones!.
SHAME ON YOU !

by Alicia
July 30, 2009, 7:16 AM

thanks for giving the public a good picture of intensive therapeutic work with our very needy children.it gave me much graditute to see this very well trained staff working in such a wonderful team setting.
how much dollars does this school cost-many!but consider the many dollars saved in possible later courts and prison costs!not mentioning the humanitarian responsibility we have to each other!
seeing the well thought through and implemented work with the children in the school ---i can't imagine that there is not a long term follow up with the children and their families while back in their homes [or forsterhomes -i guess ?]
i think intensive family therapy is of importance during the childs placement in such a school and thereafter to have the caretaker or family take an active role in the childs growth.
a short documantary can't give us all the details about one school,but this is just to remind us again about an important place to spend tax dollars!

by christiane
July 30, 2009, 9:22 AM

Memories

Not as extreme in temperment - though close ,and not as young in age -but I was a student at a school for kids with emotional issues . Was not a place I wanted to be-but needed to be at the time . I was lucky My hopes and good wishes go to the staff and kids.

by JOHN
July 30, 2009, 10:33 AM

Close to home

I was shocked when I changed the channel and found that there were other kids like my nephew out there. I have tried everything with him and I can't seem to figure him out. His parents don't see any problems because they too are ED. If I suggest he needs some help they think I'M crazy. His grandparents, 12 year old sister and I worry about his future.

People that think this is wrong haven't ever met these types of children.

Thank you for making this film. Keep up the good work and my hats go off to all of the staff having so much patience.

by Janet
July 30, 2009, 12:21 PM

So Moving

This last school year I volunteered quite a bit in my daughter's 4th grade class. In so doing I was able to see first hand how disruptive an ED child can be in a mainstream classroom. And I came to have a great amount of compassion for this boy as I witnessed, first hand, his shifts from normal play to out of control rage. What must it be to feel like that? And to be 10? I can't imagine.

I live in a small town in the U.S. and our school district is not equipped to deal with this child in a way that will help him be a success. I commend what our teachers an administrators do, no doubt, but they are not properly trained for this level of disturbance. This child is, I fear, forever branded as a "bad kid" with parents rallying to get him removed from the classroom. He probably *should* be moved into an environment with people trained to deal with his unique issues but not in the spirit these parents are going about it. He doesn't need a lynch mob. I think he needs what the folks at Mulberry Bush School provide.

This fall I will be finally beginning college pursuing a much longed for degree in social work. I can only hope that I can one day enter my career with the same level of love and patience I saw in this documentary.

by Angela
July 30, 2009, 12:23 PM

parents

I just got done watching the show-- it was very good. I teach in a prgram very similar to the program shown. The students I teach are all teen-age (middle school) boys and the most of them have a similar level of contact with their parents. But the really sad thing is- just as one mothers in the video said- that many of the parents had similar situations. It ends up being a vicous cycle in which people who either had a background of abuse or limited skills and resources have children (yes I know that is not always the case or the whole reson but it can exagerate other issues and with my students it is large factor). Almost all of my students have a background of signifigant abuse that is allowed to go on and happen numerous times. I have always thought our program would be better served if it was a residential program for the whole family. The saddest part of my job is when I have students leave go home, have a significant traumatic event happen, then have to come back. It is just a ridiculous cycle.
Also we do use restraints-- Unfortunatly I do see that this sometimes elevates a situation but safety is an extreme concern. This is especially the case when the children are older and stronger. It does concern me though when I see staff using it as a first line of defense not a last defense. I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to use restraints in over three years. However I do know that their are staff (usually not teachers or other professional staff) that have brag sessions about how many restraints they have done that day. Unfortunatly though I think it will always be an issue of educating staff and empolying compasionate staff. I thought all of the staff at this school did an amazing job with the student, both patience and compassion.

by jen
July 30, 2009, 12:28 PM

I admired this film and the work that this school does in many ways, but want to reinforce two concerns expressed in previous postings. First, many of the staff engaged in arguments with the children while restraining them, which is not effective, and just makes it more difficult for the child to calm down. It is much better to tell the child that you need to hold him because he is not being safe, and when he is calm, you will talk to him about what happened. Secondly, I was concerned that there appeared to be so little work being done with the children's families, as it is the families that, ultimately, will have a much larger continuing impact upon the children than the school. It should be a priority to provide families with parenting education, family therapy, and assistance in obtaining concrete services, so as to enable them, to the extent possible, to provide for their special-needs children in the future.

by Eleanor
July 30, 2009, 3:19 PM

As a parent of ED 7 year old child, I would like to commend the efforts of the staff at Mulberry school. My experience with my son has taught me that you have to walk a very fine line between discipline (we do restrain our son when he loses control of his emotions and could possible hurt himself or others), behaviorial training (talking about his feelings after an episode and discussing how we can better handle situations) and showing him a tremendouse amount of love as he is very concerned about his behavior and is emotionally fragile.

To individuals that don't have direct experience with these kids, you really need to be open to this type of "treatment". These kids needs help and understanding not punishment and certainly don't need to be taught violence by hitting them.

by W Boland
July 30, 2009, 3:58 PM

Hold me

“Hold me tight..”was quite interesting and thought provoking to watch. I did admire the staff for their patience, but did not agree with their methods. The holding while a child is in a super emotional state seems entirely wrong and simply exacerbates their feelings and behavior. Allowing children to treat teachers or playmates with disrespect is absolutely unacceptable. Why not “time-outs” instead? If a child does not respond properly after showing signs of strong feeling or anger, they need to have an explanation of how to express their feelings and how to behave appropriately. Then they should be removed from the situation so they do not escalate their behavior, alarm other children or injure themselves or others, and be put in a quiet, safe place to pull themselves together. Later the teacher should approach him in a calming accepting way and help him to talk about his state of mind, and suggest alternative ways to express these feelings.
The children who were restrained looked and behaved amazingly like children I have seen in videos of supposed “exorcisms”. Such children (in both cases) are reacting to the violation of their space, the denial of the validity of their emotions, and the experience of being restrained.
The teacher in one case allowed a situation to develop (“Will you marry me”). She did not pick up the cues. She should have said no, that she cared for him, but that he was asking an inappropriate question. His out of control behavior was a response to imagined rejection.
Not all acting out was due to deep trauma. In one case the boy was simply frustrated that he could not do his math. Teachers need to deal with what is happening to the child at the moment. Show him how to take a brief break then return to the task. Teach him how to express frustration. Again , nip it in the bud before they behavior gets wild. I noticed the teachers simply did not catch on fast enough to head trouble off at the pass.
I worked with ED adolescent girls who could be very dangerous. I found that by showing honest caring but not reacting to their sometimes scary attention-getting behavior kept them from causing harm. Restraint has never worked for me, even with my own, emotionally healthy children.

In this country (U.S.), teachers are advised not to touch students for any reason. I thin that these students need some warm supportive holding (hugging, not restraining).

It is important to give the child the idea that he is lovable and worthy of love and respect.

It was absolutely not OK to have the teacher insist that the child reveal his family secret on-screen. When he said no, she should have given him privacy.

by Candace Downing
July 30, 2009, 5:48 PM

Amazing documentary!

There were so many amazing children in this documentary. The students really opened up to their care givers, which I find uncommon. From the ED children that I have met, most tend to bottle up their feelings. As for those criticizing the techniques used, did you not notice the love being shown to these boys? If I were in a situation where a child attempted to spit on me or throw a chair, then I would hope that physical restraint is an option. What I find sad, is that some of these children will be placed back into their parent's homes. A few of the parents admitted to being disinterested or disliking their children, I can't imagine how horrible it must feel to have a parent with that type of attitude. I'm curious as to whether or not the parents received any type of counseling or instruction on how to essentially act like a responsible parent.

by Cara
July 30, 2009, 6:58 PM

I was not so much captured by the filmmaking as I was the objects of the film. Although I was very impressed by this documentary, like others I wished that it followed the lives of some of the girls as well as the boys, and I would also have benefited from some background on the kids they focused on to better see the "before" and the "after".

I strongly second Eve's concerns when she wrote "I did see a little chiding of a child being restrained. I do not know the woman's name so I will just describe her as the very heavy woman who seemed to be "burnt out". Her boss needs to take a look at her more closely as she may need a break, and her behavior was not good for the little boy who already felt out of control. The chiding seemed almost like bullying and although not severe it was certainly enough that this needs to be looked at. I believe that the other people who saw this behavior might agree with me that it was coming from this one woman specifically. I could see that there may have been a difference of opinion between this woman and the other therapist who was also restraining the child. The restraining was done gently and appropriately. It was not that rather it was the words and the manner it which they were spoken by the first therapist that was inappropriate and disturbing. I do hope that the head of this school takes a look at this as this woman definitely needs to take a vacation or obtain some stress management for herself." I was relieved, however, that this teacher was the exception and not the rule.

I am chagrinned (but sadly not shocked) at the many commenters who blurted out their remarkably ignorant opinions such as Alicia who wrote, "It was horrendous to see the "gentle" restraint, thats just PURE CRUELTY! ..Yes, the kids are not easy to live with, but violence can not be ended with more violence..and just because this "adults" are not hitting back, spitting back or "getting angry", does not mean they are not abusing them!..They are ABUSING the little ones!. SHAME ON YOU !"

I would be very interested to see how Alicia would respond as a teacher in such a school.

To sum it up, I would say that this is a must-watch film, and I would like to see others like it, or better yet, a follow up on the children we saw tonight. I think that as a society we need to be more educated about emotional disorders and more involved in thinking about how we respond to children (and adults) with ED, and I am generally encouraged just by the conversation I have seen the film generate here on this site.

This comment has been edited by the moderator for inappropriate content.

by Rianne
July 30, 2009, 9:18 PM

Mom

From USA: I caught this in the middle and I cannot wait to see it in its entirety. I was so impressed with the entire staff. For their Love, Patience and Overabundance of Human Compassion. Unfortunately (honestly) my first reactions were "there is no way I could ever do that, I would get so impatient". Especially if it is not your child your dealing with. But from wherever you receive your strength, I thank God that these children have such wonderful adults that truly care. I was so touched by what I saw. Tears fell for the children, concern was felt for the parents, respect and admiration was felt for the adults. And tonight when my son (6yrs old) and I were brushing his teeth, I remembered what I saw and I went that extra, extra step to talk with him, read to him, love him. Every parent needs a reminder from time to time to stop, listen, hug, understand where the other person is coming from. We take so much for granted in this life. They will only be young once. Thank you for the reminder!!! When all is lost sometimes you need to watch something like this to regain your faith in humanity. This is what a married mother of 3 (ages son-23, daughter 18, son 6) got out of your program, and like I said I only saw half of it. And I look forward to watching it in full. Thank you and God Bless

by Elizabeth
July 30, 2009, 9:51 PM

As a lay person, I would like to know how effective this therapy is. I know nothing of the methods demonstrated in the documentary. What is the long-term prognosis for these children in this setting?

by Susan
July 31, 2009, 1:07 AM

helpless children among insane adults

I felt very sad and angry while watching this film. The children are behaving like they are supposed to. They feel abondonment by their parents.
This is an awful feeling. The kids are taught to suppress their feelings and are being forced to act calm and cooperative. What that school is creating are angry and depressed men that will have a high chance of becoming aggressive towards women and or sociopaths with so much suppressed anger. It is a scary and dreadful thought so many more children will go through this abuse.
The film is well done but the school needs to be shut down and the mothers and fathers that tore up these kids lives need to be accountable and responsible instead of just handing them over to the state.
Hey, someone tell the school that the kids want to talk about their feelings not what color anger feels like.
What an idiotic way to try to help these poor abandoned children.

by ISABEL
July 31, 2009, 1:09 AM

Mulberry Bush

came away impressed and heartened by the care and rigorously thought out, sensitively applied care/education/therapy for the children.

What really struck me though: here's a straight-ahead, everything-on-the-table, honest system for the children and modeled by the adults: be clear about your feelings and expression, honest, straightforward--with one gaping hole-one huge inconsistency. In many if not all of these cases (hard as it may be for us 'good, sensitive people to bear'), the parent did NOT like the child--one father said as much to the therapist and was there during visiting day kissing his son for all the world like the most devoted father, and the woman who cliung to her young daughter but almost assiduousy avoided her son of her son ( the daughter movingly ran back to spontaneousy embrace her borther) while the mother was wiping off the boys' kisses and really not wanting to stay when he lay there restrained and begging her to stay. Then when the parents left the staff revealed the gaping hypocrisy, the one lie at the center of this otherwise rigorously honest enterprise--"oh, your mommy gave you such a nice kiss, oh, wasn't it great to see your dad", etc not only does this NOT help them metabolize the hypocrisy and try to come to grips with their intuitive understanding of their parents' non-caring, but the staff who have been stalwart and true up to now would seem to reveal their true faces (NOT--they actually do not reaize what they are doing)...i.e., lying to the kids in the midst of their pain at the hands of the rejecting parent, and thereby betraying their hard-earned trust.
God knows we all understand about the desperate, dna-deep need for attachment, but don't these chldren deserve some way to gradually, humanely learn the truth that no, their parents do not like them perhaps, but it is not their fault, and there are other people (like the wonderful staff) who can and do love them (if they do). this understanding should NOT be tacit, tho I believe that perhaps as it now stands at Mulberry House the effective therapeutic outcomes rely on precisely that tacit lesson from a deeply caring, dedicated staff.

by Wendy
July 31, 2009, 1:28 AM

POV

I found the accents a bit difficult to follow. Other than that the program as facinating. The restraint method was used by me in dealing with my own children, however I was not suffisticated enough to hold all of the insightful dialogue with my own as these teachers were. These kids were being taught that they and only they are responsible for their behavior. My children( three sons) when they were adults commended me on preparing them for the real world. These teachers were magnificent examples of helping these children to stop blaming. Yes, some were made to feel either verbally or physically that they were wothless but at Mulberry House they were given worth. When did the era of asking our children what they want to eat or put on or where they want to be schooled start? Keep up the good work poeple of Mulberry.

by Margo
July 31, 2009, 11:18 AM

I was the Sound Recordist on "Hold Me Tight".

It's been fantastic to read all the comments on this board and see the great concern people have for the well being of children.

I thought it might be helpful join the topic as a few questions seem to be coming up more than once. I don't in any way speak for the school or anyone else involved in the film making process other than myself.

Before I spent time at the school I too wondered why a child would need to be restrained, you don't have to spend long there to realise that working with this group of children without the last resort of restraint would result in serious injury to both children and adults. As it is staff often are bruised and sometimes have more serious injuries (at least one broken nose while we were there) Restraints are only used when they are needed. There are many children at the school who are seldom restrained because they simply don't need to be.

Several people have brought up the issue of talking during restraints. Children at the school are usually not spoken to during periods of the restraint except to be told something like "I'm just holding you until you calm down, if you relax we can start to let go". Restraints can never be called pleasant but they are done with love and care I promise you. What you see in the film may sometimes be the start or the end of a restraint, so you don't see and hear absolutely everything - there just wouldn,t be time for it in the film, and it's impossible to show the full hour or so leading up to a restraint where maybe a child has already been very violent. Sometimes what you may see in the film are adults at the end of a difficult shift with a child who may have been behaving violently for hours. Adults swap in and out to give each other a break but if things are particularly difficult it can be very hard for the staff to get a break.

I always felt the staff were very brave to allow themselves to be filmed doing a job (particularly restraining children) which not everyone would understand. Allowing that to happen even when they were frazzled at the end of a long day, having their actions on record for ever, knowing other people would be able to see their every action, hear their every word, pick them apart and comment on it. I think if any of us were filmed for a year, doing our jobs, there would be moments in this when we were not at our best or we wish afterwards we had done things a bit differently. Add to that that their work can include being bitten, spat at, punched and verbally abused over and over again - whilst being filmed. The film is the result of many weeks filming and all the staff risked the final edit including their lowest points and maybe not their greatest successes. Please consider this before criticising a member of staff who has been brave enough to be in the film and consider the other scenes they appear in and the way the children talk about some of the adults. "She's kind, she's fun to play with and she helps me a lot". The school provides a safe place for the children to express their feelings, including anger, which the adults have to soak up everyday. When criticising parents, consider the upbringing and difficulties they may have faced, Mulberry is about breaking the cycle.

Where were the girls? Good question. At the time of filming there were fewer girls than boys at the school. I wondered at the time whether this was because boys tend to act out more violently and get excluded more quickly from mainstream schools and perhaps girls react differently. There are however now some more girls at the school. There were a few girls at the school when we filmed but getting permission to film children is a complicated process involving a network of people, especially if the child is in care so we were restricted in which children we were actually allowed to film.

How often do the children see their parents? This is different for each child and isn't as I understand it under the control of the school. The children all go for weekends "home" every few weeks, plus normal Easter and Christmas and half term breaks breaks and the summer holidays; "home" could be parent(s) or another relative, foster carers or occasionally a children's home. Where a child can go home they may move towards being a weekly boarder or even a day pupil - the decision is based on what a child and their carers can manage. The school does work with the families of children / their carers while they are at the school, and offers support, including supporting the child and their family in the holidays by visiting and phone calls.

Staff have extensive, regular, ongoing training at the school. In addition many are trained social workers, therapists and teachers.

No film could fully explain how complicated the situation can be for some of these children, when you read in the newspapers about children who have witnessed terrible things or found themselves in awful situations and wonder what happens to them... these are the kinds of situations some of the Mulberry Bush children may have experienced.

It's hard to show everything in a short time. But to answer some specifics - children do have reward charts, stickers, certificates etc. etc., and this helps them to begin to learn acceptable behaviour and boundaries. Incidents of aggression and restraint fall massively while a child is at the school - I'm told by over 90 percent, it's huge - so something is really working. The staff know each child very well so they know when is the right point to step in physically if needed - they will know that, for example, if one child starts spitting then they are going to escalate quickly into punching or biting - so will know that this child responds best to being held quickly - whereas for another child the best thing may be to give them space to run around on the front field (which does also often happen). Usually the amount of freedom a child can use in this way to help manage their feelings increases with the time they are at the school - the newest children need the most physical holding, and these are the children that feature heavily in the film. The children do get a lot of outdoor exercise and running around, trips, sports and adventurous activities. They have a lot of fun and time to just play. And by the top class of the school, things look a lot more like a regular classroom and their time includes regular visits to a mainstream school.

There's loads more I could say about the Mulbery Bush but I hope I've answered some of people's questions. I found it a wonderful and fascinating place and it was a privilege to film there and meet such amazing children and staff.

by Mary
July 31, 2009, 12:03 PM

Lead by Example

I watched this film last night and thought it was fantastic. I am a children's social worker and often work with children who are ED and have a history of extreme trauma. I was touched by the level of compassion and patience the staff had while working with these children. Their ability to let the verbal and physical abuse the children were doling out roll off of their backs was impressive. I loved that rather than reacting to this behavior negatively (which would reinforce this maladaptive coping mechanism for the children) they lead by example, shared their feelings and provided a safe environment for the children to do the same.

I was especially impressed with their ability to model appropriate behavior and disclosure of feelings for the children. Someone earlier commented on it being inappropriate for the staff to tell the children they were feeling “cross” with them about their behavior. I would argue that what the staff was doing was modeling the appropriate expression of feelings and thereby teaching the children how to express themselves and their feelings without being destructive and violent (hitting, kicking, biting and spiting).

I find that often in our system, in the US, the individuals that work with many of these children are undertrained, underpaid and there is not the necessary ratio of staff to children to be effective. I think what they are doing at the school is very impressive given the trauma these children have experienced. The fact that they are doing it without the use of medication is commendable. Too often do we medicate our children because it's easier to suppress the behavior than it is to do the work to change it.

So many children need to be nurtured and cared for when their parent’s and families are at a loss for how to help them, or are incapable of doing so because they have not processed their own trauma. Keep up the great work!

by Debbie
July 31, 2009, 2:09 PM

Mulberry Bush

I found this documentary very interesting and I'm so glad someone is showing the world what many teachers deal with on a day to day basis. The only suggestion I would make to the staff at Mulberry Bush is perhaps to start the day with a long physical hike, game of soccer, swimming, some physical activity that would help the children release some of their pent up frustrations. When they are calm and open to learning is only when I would try to teach the children one on one. In one scene the boy became frustrated with his work. He might have done so because because he didn't understand the work he was given. The teacher escalated his frustration by trying to reason with him when he was already agitated. I think this whole scene could have been avoided by the actions of the teachers. There was another scene when a boy was happily wiping the window. He was in his own world until another child came and interrupted his bliss. There were two windows. The boy who interrupted the other boy could've been redirected to work on his own window but instead the teachers eventually restrained him on the floor. This problem could have been avoided by quickly assessing that the other boy was at fault for invading the other boy's space. ED children often feed off the reactions of others. Its important to "nip this behavior in the bud" before it happens. The only other point was when one child was hit in the back of the head and bled. I don't understand why these children were left alone together. I think ED children need strict confines and parameters. Hitting, hurting are unacceptable in any situation. Also peeing on the floor. Why didn't the teacher let the boy clean up his own pee?

by Joan
July 31, 2009, 3:16 PM

One last point

The teacher asked that the boy not to write on her hand, the boy continued to write on her hand not respecting her wishes, then she laughed. She's giving the boy mixed messages by doing this. The approach to help ED children is two pronged. On the one hand they need socialization skills while on the other they need to learn to process their feelings and control their impulsivity. Both are needed to really help a child be a productive individual in the outside world.
Also I think the parents should be an integral part of their children's lives, learning child development skills simultaneously with their child. When one of the parents was eating with her child she made funny faces at him and got him all hyped up. If the parent was made aware that she was unconsciously doing this, her experience would've been better. Instead he started jumping all over her and overwhelmed her. Parents need techniques to deal with their own children otherwise what's the point of the school. I think the parents should live at the school too but visitation monitored and controlled until the parent has a reasonable skill set to deal with their own child.

by Joan
July 31, 2009, 4:39 PM

Finally and wonderfully

Thank you SO much for this. I'm a physician who was also emotionally traumatized as a child and have had a long hard career and never married as a result of family dynamics. This school IS HELPING THESE KIDS tremendously. I wish I had gone there. Being "held" (in the situations portrayed) encourages the child to feel safe, wanted, cared for and helps them learn what is appropriate and what works (is rewarded in the program and will be in later life). I found it curious and refreshing there were no DSMIII diagnoses. The essence of it must be simple and the answers also. This program along with Nanny 911 show us the Brits have got it right. Plus their clipped accented speech make one pay attention. There is no fluff. It is straight forward and appropriate. Perhaps this is a British trait. The "old school" taking time to talk and listen to the children, hold their hand, sit on the floor with them, not let them get away with thier maladaptive behavior works. It is time to lasse faire in the USA. I agree any physical restraint belongs in carefully monitored settings, however so it is not abused. I would love to train and work at this school or with anyone who would like to start this in the US. Mother Earth and humanity cries out for healing and the tantrums of now adults cease. Thank you.

by Gretchen
July 31, 2009, 4:54 PM

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

I was concerned by the active provocation to physical response that the educators were tending to practice.

There were several instances where the subjects were only being verbally violent. In most of these incidents the educators would immediately respond with physical actions such as taking away notebooks or other items. Some of these educators would continue on in their confrontational manner by leaning into the subject and grabbing the subjects hands to forcefully removing objects such as pens. This obviously caused the subjects to immediately step up their defiance to a physical level greater than that which they were faced with. This is a basic fear response.

There was a constant air of confrontation throughout this movie. There were several instances where the educators would laugh at the subjects outbursts, obviously elevating the level of confrontation and reactivity. The educators standard tone of voice implied confrontation, questioning, disbelief and derision towards the subjects.

These educators would benefit greatly in their efforts if they were to remove their own confrontational physical postures and closely examine their particular speech patterns.

The educators constantly asked questions of the subjects instead of posing solid statements that are easily understood. If a question is posed to the scattered mind it only serves to scatter it further. Precise and verbally simple statements are easier to process and require no value judgements (frontal lobe processing) by the subject.

It takes great skill to master the deadpan face, soft voice and non-confrontational posture required to be accepted wholly. If one can manage to be familiarised by the subject far more ground may be covered in shorter periods. The energy that is wasted on confrontational speech and social situations may be turned into positive learning experiences for the subjects.

I am not in opposition to the use of physical restraint, but it must only ever be used to prevent IMMEDIATE harm to the subject or others. Each instance of restraint should be entirely documented and examined to reveal better techniques for the educators to utilise. An incident report should be made and ALL situational variables should be considered whenever a physical escalation by the educators occurs.

I am a disabled single father with sole custody of my biological daughter. My daughter has severe FAS which caused her several developmental and behavioural problems. I have been her primary caregiver since she was 14 months old. I have a familial history of caregiving and grew up helping physically, mentally and emotionally disabled individuals in several different social and teaching environments. I have seen methods and techniques come and go like the wind. After all the smoke clears the only thing that ever consistently works is connecting pleasantly with the subject. It is surprising how effectively this curtails angst and enhances the learning experience.

by James T. Randall
August 1, 2009, 8:04 AM

Opinion - Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

I have no problem with the physical restraint that was used on the children. I would add that it is important to teach the child to communicate what is bothering them without hitting, spitting etc. The people working with the child should defend themselves so the child learns that when you attack a person they will fight back. In the real world people will not accept hitting, spitting because they can not get their way. This forces the child to find a better way to communicate, by speaking than fighting.

This was a good program showing how important one to one instructions is important for children with behavioral and learning problems. I would suggest when a child has problems, remove them to a quiet room where there is no distractions. Many of these children have problems with focusing on solving behaviors and learning.

I did not agree with the film where the child was sad and the person working with him gave him playtime instead of quiet time and education. I would of given him a limited quiet time to TALK about what he was feeling not play time and than put him back into the classroom.

Education is so important for these children. Many of these children do not know how to learn let alone communicate. This is intuitive for normal children to know how to learn. I did not agree with how he was rewarded for being sad.

Also would suggest Marshall Arts training it is more than learning to defend yourself - how to solve problems.

The program did not go into diet. It has been found white sugar and artificial food flavorings etc adds to hyperactivity. I would recommend parents and educators to watch this program.

In a classroom of hyperactive and learning disability children. The teacher would read after lunch to the students. You could hear a pin drop in a classroom of 15. Later in the day when one of the students would act up or become hyper the teacher would go over to the student and tell them how quiet they were in hearing the story. Than tells the student be quiet the same way now. Beginning of taking over the brain. Or self discipline.

This is my personal opinion base on experience.

by Eugenia
August 1, 2009, 1:47 PM

Restraint: Yes or No?

i don't think talking during a restraint is always 'wrong.' there may be research about this that i don't know about. but my thought is that some children might be able to feel comfort from hearing the voice of the caretaker speaking clearly and 'not out of control' while the child is raging. the child may on some level realize the world is not total chaos, that there is something-someone to hold onto -who is 'holding me tight', who is restraining me -but who wants me to understand and be able to 'be' in this world. it would be more a feeling than a concrete thought at the time.
my experince is that there are times when the caretaker can establish a deep connection with the child during a restraint and thus take part of the child's burden. talking during the restraint can be a part of that.
on the other side, talking also can enrage the child further if he or she is not ready to hear the voice and 'hates you for taking over'. then just holding is probably more useful.
the most successful use of restraint involves the caretaker being aware of the state, feelings, and reactions of the child at the time.
my personal opinion is that restraint should only be used when a child is truly out of control and in danger of hurting themselves or others. there are therapeutic approaches which use restraint in other situations, and i find these questionable.
often, it seems, there is not one answer to a question-just more questions.
just want to say again thank you to the wonderful people working at this facility in england for working so hard with our needy children. i wish all children who need help would be able to get it.

by christiane
August 1, 2009, 2:19 PM

social worker

Thank you to the film maker. I just had the opportunity to view this documentary. It brought back memories from when I worked at a Home for troubled youth. When I began at the home I thought all of them were there because they were special ed. No, this was not the case and is not the case in this documentary. These are troubled youth in both instances.

Some of the comments are premature. Go back and view it again. The families that the youth come from are broken, abusive, alcoholics and who knows what else. There was not one normal family in the children's lives.

Of course they are going to act out. I have seen kids act out who do not come from abusive families. What would YOU do if this was happening to you? This behavior comes from rejection from those they look to for love and care.

These youths were spitting, hitting, cutting, yelling etc. these behaviors come from pain. They are too young to understand how to express themselves. How to get attention and be heard. The staff handled each situation in a professional caring manner. Its good to tell the child what you have said or done hurts. Restraints was a good way to calm them down or would you rather they be tossed in an isolated, dark padded room? This is what they do in America. Nothing is perfect EVERYONE can improve therefore every situation can improve.
I was so glad to see this documentary. I can not wait to show it to my husband so that he can get an idea of what I went through all those years. It is not easy to do this type of work. I also worked with teenagers....think on that for a second. So remember these kids are not special ed per se. They have family issues and when the family is broken so is the child.

by Ane
August 1, 2009, 5:21 PM

social worker

To my friend: Gretchen at 4:54 PM on July 31, 2009

I agree with your post. See mine -social worker -

I can tell you or restate - the staff did a good job talking to the children right then and dealing with their feelings right then. The behavior was nipped in the bud right then. Rewards and consequences are right then. This helps the children to learn to recognize the behavior quickly and this way they themselves will learn what to do when they are feeling - hurt.

There are many many hurting adults who, like you stated Gretchen, could have used some of this tough love. It would have save many of us tax payers a lot of money.

by Ane
August 1, 2009, 5:34 PM

An Important Film

I've never worked with children with severe behavioral problems, but my specialization is early-childhood music & movement. I think this is an important film for ANYONE who loves children and works with them.

It is also improtant for the general public to see this film, and to understand the repercussions of childhood abuse and neglect. I also agree with Social Worker above - so much tax money is needed to "try to" repair the broken souls left by people who should have NEVER been parents. I say "try to" because so many fall through the cracks.

I myself was such a child, and despite achieving a bit of success musically, a combination of criminal childhood neglect and abuse mixed with a government's discrimination against my family (USA) has left me disabled and on SSI (i.e. - tax dollars).

I've never met a person with severe mental illness who was NOT from a tortured childhood.

by John Bisceglia
August 1, 2009, 6:35 PM

in support

I work with developmentally disabled adults, who alot of times have some of the same behaviors as the kids on this program ( I am not calling these kids disabled by any means). When i watched this show it moved me to tears. The staff or "adults" in the program deserve a round of applause!!! They are teaching kids unconditional love, understanding, forgivness, and friendship. They are giving them the skills to express thier emotions orally rather than acting out by hitting, kicking, spitting, ect., when they are angry. The adults are doing a great job expressing thier emotions trufully to the kids without being hurtfull and remaining calm. They are teaching them it is ok to be angry, but not to hurt others. I cant wait to catch more of this program! BIG kudos to the "adults" involved!

by wenda
August 2, 2009, 11:43 AM

in support

i watched the film on pbs here in bloomington indiana at 1 pm 8/2. it was amazing to me not only what the teachers had to deal with but the results that they got. i couldn't deal with it myself. what they do for those kids is such a great service for the community and probably the world as a whole. i hope they keep up the good work.

by chris haynes
August 2, 2009, 1:45 PM

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

There is nothing more heart wrenching than to see children in distress. There is nothing more heart warming than to see those same kids receive the love and attention of caring adults. When they smile, it's like watching the sun coming out after a long, dreary rain. This film made me smile. It also made me cry.

My son was just like one of the boys at Mulberry Bush when he was the same age. The trauma of enduring the abandonment of his dad and then having to see me struggle with single motherhood on my own (3 jobs, a mortgage "under water, no supportive family or savings and an elder daughter to provide for as well) drove him to self-destructive, violent and dangerous behavior.

When his dad did want to come back into his life- after quite some time away- I was "guilted" into allowing TOO MUCH contact between them. This was altogether the wrong thing for me to allow. The father launched a vicious custody battle ( after an amicable divorce, 5 years previously) and my son was used as a pawn. To please his dad my sweet, gentle son began to hit me, he threatened me with knives, tried to throw me down the stairs and started using the foulest language - in the exact same way his father was accustomed to, with exactly the same offensive phrasing.

Long story short: I surrendered custody of my son to his father, when he was 11, after a 2 1/2 year, insanely waged, unremitting "war". It was the hardest thing to do but I still believe that it saved his life and possibly mine, too. He was suicidal by that time, emotionally and mentally split down the middle. All the psychologists and therapists couldn't reach my son. Nor could I any longer. The father got what he wanted and the relationship between mother and son was stamped out, completely. I was never allowed to contact or visit him again and his father would never let him contact me.

My son is 22 now. His father died a year ago. I try and try to make up for the way things went down, but he still hates me and pushes me away.
It's been 11 years of pure torture for me. However, better that I live with the pain and NOT him. My heart cannot bear the heaviness of knowing that
he is still suffering, too.

This film brought back so many memories. Some good, some horrible. I was left with the feeling that there is real hope for those children. As one of the boys said to another: "Try not to remember the bad things, try to remember more of the good things."

"Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go" will linger in my memory for the good things shown far more than for the unpleasant things. It took tremendous courage and compassion to make this piece. Sincere thanks and praise to the film makers, the staff and, especially, to the kids..

by Mari McAvenia
August 2, 2009, 10:59 PM

Abused caregivers

I don't feel I'm being critical of the caregivers. It hurts me to see how abused they were by the children. Despite suffering horrible abuse, you have to help children stop the cycle of abuse in their own lives by not tolerating the abuse they were heaping onto the care workers and you do that by placing strict limits on them. You can tell a child, "I understand you're feeling angry right now but hitting me won't help your pain right now. I talk to children about their pain and instead of intellectualizing their pain they start to feel their pain. When they get down to those deep emotional levels and feel their pain they cry and that releases those negative emotions. That's really when their healing comes when they cry over it and cry over it and cry over it until they're tired of crying over it which can take months, years. Then simultaneously socializing them so that they know whst to do when they start to feel the pain again and have the urge to hit outward. I think the teachers have an extraordinarily difficult job but they don't need to be a punching bag for their students. If you let the children reach deeply inside themselves to relive their pain they will overcome it and find more positive ways to express their negative emotions. You can even say, I noticed she said something you didn't like and you seem like your getting frustrated can you use your words to explain what's frustrating you? Helping children snap out of a meltdown can teach them clues to managing themselves. Explaining interactions to children can also help like I've noticed that when you two play together, you both get very hyper then Sam tends to blame everything on you. You need to protect yourself so that the teachers don't always target you as the troublemaker. If things are getting out of control you need to walk away or play with someone else. I just feel that strategies can really help children a lot and we don't really give them enough strategies to deal with others, their emotions etc.
My hat goes off to the Teachers at Mulberry School. It's such a difficult job. I honestly don't know how the teachers cope year in and year out. It can be emotionally exhausting. Thank you for caring for England's noble kings snd queens.

by Joan
August 3, 2009, 2:16 AM

Monicatfp

I was recently restrained as an adult. I found it to be very difficult to comunicate at that time. I think that struggling against this sort of discipline
is only natural. I also found that it took too long of time for me to try to "calm dowm." I can not imagine how difficult it would be to settle down if I were a child.

by Monicatfp
August 3, 2009, 8:53 AM

HOld me tight let me go

I watched this program and saw my grandchildren that I am raising with the same disorders. To the people who say that children shouldnt be restrained look at it this way, It protects the child from harm, the other children from harm, and these children need to learn that their behavior is not the norm or acceptable in society. Many of these children will not stop the behavior unless it is dealt with. And these children have learned to get thier way by using violence instead of words to deal with thier feelings. Try dealing with a teenager acting in this manner. Until you have walked in the shoes of the caretakers of these children, your openmindedness is required. Hats off to the wonderful caring and heroic staff that love these children.

by Donna Diamond
August 3, 2009, 10:00 AM

THIS IS TOO FAMILIAR

I happened to catch the airing of this documentary lasnight, just flipping through channels. It caught my eye because I believed I saw my son right before me on the television. The child was not actually my son, he was a few years older and his features were much different, but his behavior was identical to that of my son. I started to cry. For I have been struggling for the last 5 years with what to do with my "abnormal" son. He behaves much like a few of the boys in this docu. I am wondering if ANYONE, ANYONE at all can help me. I am willing to do anything, before it is too late. He just turned 7. I am starting him into therapy, but I believe he and I both need it together and he also needs a constructive outlet for his anger and we BOTH need to be around other children and their parents for emotional support. I live in Portland, Oregon and I am hoping that someone out there will see this and please contact me to give me if nothing else, some suggestions or networking. He only has this one life and I want to make it the best I can...and in doing that, he must some how own his behavior.

Thank you for your time and I pray that someone will contact me with a connection here in the NW, USA.

Thank you,

Keri
keborn@gmail.com

by Keri
August 3, 2009, 3:06 PM

I was only able to see the last half of the broadcast, it was on when I turned on the TV and could not tear myself away. I have a 6 year old son who has been "diagnosed" as ASD/PDD-NOS. He was a perfectly lovely young boy and almost overnight he went haywire for me. His violent, reactive behavior has decreased, slowly over time, but still tinges on the psychotic fringe. He bites his teachers and paras, he hits, spits, kicks, pokes, jabs, pinches, etc. anyone he can reach. On the subject of restraint; I have often been required to use firm but calm restraint; it is sometimes the only way to stop him. The children I saw in the broadcast were very similar in their behavior to my own experiences. I cry because there is no way I could find teachers and counselors that would be that consistenltly gentle, patient and calm in dealing with a child like this, at least not from where I can see. I commend the staff at Mulberry Bush for their skills and pray there would be a place in US for such a facility.

by Kari Gigstead
August 3, 2009, 6:16 PM

moving

I found this documentary very moving. I feel that physically holding children who are explosively reacting is a good and very solid and reassuring and even loving experience for the children. I feel that such holding is emotionally comforting when done calmly, as was happening in this documentary. I hope such work can help children, but the fact that they are going back to such "disabled" and "dysfunctional" parents and home environments is, of course, disheartening.

by Marsha
August 5, 2009, 10:17 AM

Another irreplaceable documentary. These teachers, true teachers---unlike the educators the majority of students in America encounter---who communicate openly by using concrete, direct language with the children, with co-workers, with themselves, should be honored for the work they do, bringing out emotion in order to address it and deal with it.
I'm moved by this film and reassured by it, however depressing and unfortunate it is to see children who have been neglected from the start (by those who are presumed to love them the most).
While watching the film, I came to think, "My, there will be comments about the status of restraining children in America," and sure enough, there are plenty of such comments. I support this restraint, though the word itself is horryfing and should be discarded. Children who act up need such physical contact to be lead to a calmer state of things; they do not necessarily know how to lead themselves there or they cannot look beyond the downpour of feeling.
It is unfortunate that the parents of these children and countless others cannot or will not be present in their lives, but I am enthralled to think that there are such educators as those in this film. I kiss the floor in their name.

by Ena
August 10, 2009, 1:54 PM

An excellent documentary. I'm a social worker who recently was working with a family who's child behaved much like these kids. Restraint is necessary or he would harm himself and/or others. The documentary Boy, Interrupted details another family's serious problem with a youngster with what I believe is now called a "mood" disorder

by Sarah B.
August 11, 2009, 7:33 PM

HOLD ME TIGHT, LET ME GO

I appreciate the insight / knowledge /frustrations of staff {for the right reasons} the frustrations of the children because they have been taught unconsciously or consciously / patience of the staff and the impression that the children feel safe with the staff at the PEGASUS School.

The documentary is informational for any group/population of peoples who do not have any knowledge regarding this population {children/youth ‘at-risk’}. As a for managerial staff person that worked with this special/challenging group of children/youth; our own family members/significant others can not " grasp the rational for why "we that special group of persons would even work with "children/youth 'AT-RISK." I commend you all...

I have one constructive criticism; It is not the ' basket holds or the prone positions restraints. ' I have had to deal with the physical/verbal aggression; this is the only way initially these children/youth know how to cope.

My concern is that learned most of my lessons and training from the students; I have worked with children/youth ‘at-risk’ for many a year’s…. not only formally but informally {conceptually structured classroom and/or within the cottage setting}. I would like to believe that I didn’t hear the words associated together that I heard. If I misunderstood, I apologize. Our oath is ‘FIRST DO NO HARM’ and to stand against the forces/images/negativity that the children/youth have been taught in the environment that they were taught these negative images, words, vulgarity, etc. I would like to believe that the association of the word ‘nigger’ and black person’ was not associated, I apologize. However, I have if the association was made consciously or unconsciously; we, as Human Service Providers, are in the ‘business’ of healing… must be conscious not to perpetuate stereotypes of any type...

by J-M Styles
August 12, 2009, 3:13 AM

WOW

I just want to say that the program was shocking but necessary. People who judge the techniques and program may want to go for a visit. As a parent of an Ed child, I fully u=nderstand the need for the program. My child was taken care of at home, there was no program like this. How wonderful to know that we made a difference in his life and he is a functioning, productive person in society. And for those who ask about medication....meds do not fix or deal with the inner problems, they are a mask for society so they can accept a problem. Not all meds are bad but obviously these children need to act out in order to get to the root of their problems and deal with them like adults should. They then can own their problems, learn to function, and get real.

by kim
August 14, 2009, 7:23 AM

OMG

WELL ..
I FIRST WOOD LIKE TO SAY I AM LOST FOR WORDS. I FEEL SO BAD FOR THE KIDS AND I WOOD LIKE TO SAY THAT THAY ARE LUCKEY . TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU ALL TO CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THAM. THE WAY YOU ALL DO BUTT. I WOOD LIKE TO COMENT ON ONE SOME THING . WHEN THE LITTLE BOY ... I CANT REAMBER HIS NAME BUTT. THE MOUTHER WAS LEVING HIM AND ALL HE WANTED IS HER LOVE. SHE WALKT AWAY AND HIS SISTER . WHO WAS JUST LIKE MABBY 3 CAME IN AND GAVE HIM THE LOVE THAT HE WANDED . AS A MOM I COULD NEVER WALK OUT ON MY KIDS. I WAS CRYING WHEN I SEEN THAT AND AFTER SHE LEFT. HE SEAD ALL HE WANTED WAS A HUGG FROM HIS MOM . AND THAT POOR LITTLE BOY WAS CRYING .I JUST WANTED TO COME AND HOLD HIM AND GAVE HIM THE LOVE HE WANTED . AND TELL HIM IT WOOD BE OK . BUTT I WILL SAY AFTER WASHING THE SHOW . I SEE THAT AS HARD AS IT IS BEING A SINGEL MOM . NOTHING COULD EVER BE A HARD FOR ME AS THE KIDS . I SEEN IN THE SHOW. I LOVE THE SHOW AND LEARND ALOUT. FROM IT AND HOPE THAT THING GET BETTER FOR EVERY ONE OF THE KIDS I SEEN ON THERE .

THANK YOU SUSAN
P.S. XOXOXOXOX FOR ALL THE KIDS I SEEN

by SUSAN
August 20, 2009, 11:08 PM

ED/MR Direct Care Supervisor

Hi All,
Am watching a rerun of this program, as I write this.
I am a Direct Care Supervisor with 25 years experience with an ED/MR population.

I've reade many of the commenst (apparently posted after the first airing). I've noticed a few misconceptiuons, especially in the area of Physical retraints, as well as several comments that appear to misperceive some techniques as being punitive or corrective in nature. I should note that my experience is completely within the US.

While watching the program, an incident of use of physical restraint on a young man named "Ben" by 2 women was depicted. Subsequently, several commenst on this were made that appeared to be engendered by concern in using physical restraint as depicted by the episode in question.

First and foremost, the incident shown - where the 2 women were attempting to physically restrain the young man - was not an accurate example of what a SUCCESSFUL Physical Restraint would look like. If a staff that I supervised were to conduct a PR (Physical Restraint) in this manner, I would remove them from the restraint one by one, replacing them with more experienced staff.

The purpose of such PRs is not punitive or corrective: it is an attempt to allow the person to regain self-control and re-integrate back into the current routine in an acceptable manner. It is also on a continuum ranging from a least restrictive intervention such as problem-solving and redirection; through increasing levels of restrictive intervention such as Time Out (TO), Physical Restraint (PR) Mechanical Restraint (MR) and, in some settings, Chemical Restraint.

Although several commentators observed that one or more of these interventions were somehow "wrong" or disfunctional when compared to folks who do not demonstrate ED/MR, it should be realized that all that is being done is providing external mechanisms of control that the subject is unable to provide on his own.

As to the particular restraint that is referred to here, with young Ben.
The 2 staff involved demonstrated very poor control over Ben, despite the fact that they outweighed him by several times over. Presenting yourself to a person who is out of control as a mechanism for regaining control; and then utterly failing to rpovide that control, will only cause the person to escalate his lack of control.
The 2 staff failed were in error in that they attempted to impliment several techniques at once: redirection, problem solving, refocusing and physical restraint all at the same time. This was evidenced by the constant dialogue that was going on during the restraint. If less restrictive "talking" techniques did not prevent the subject from esxcalating into physical behavior BEFORE the restraint, there is no reason to believe that such things will work during the restraint. When restraining an out of control person (PR) there should be no eye-contact, no talking ("dialogue"), no deal making and no negative comments. ( The lady in the black slacks and pink top referenced Ben's negative behaviors, inappropriate actions and even possible character defects while attempting to get him to regain control.) There is virtually no chance of any meaningful success in helping Ben regain control and (more importantly) learning how to regain self-control by a staff acting in such a manner.

In order to not make this an extremely lengthy post, I'll end here, but I will be happy to address any concerns , questions or comments. There are very real, observable, positive effects of properly implimented Physical Restraints and there is adanger that misunderstandings and misperceptions engendered by misunderstandings may result int he loss of a valuable tool for helping children and adults wit ED/MR based behaviors.

DCLee

by Lee A. Coddens
August 22, 2009, 1:13 AM

the whole situation

I missed the beginning but it was obvious the kids were lacking LOVE from their parents. I dont know exactly what happened but I do know these kids NEED their parents. These parents need to wake up!!!! These kids did NOT ask to come into the world and these mothers and fathers need to STEP IT UP! PARENTS, WAKE UP, TRY. U dont feel a connection with your kid, give it time and make it happen. You brought them here, love them unconditionally and help them make it in life!! Obviously you screwed up or you wouldnt be seeing your kid 4 times a year. Obviously he is acting out!!! He wants his parents!!! Go talk to your doctor, get on antidepressants, do whatever. I know the system makes it easier to fail than succeed. Straighten your life out. Do what they tell you and get your kids back!!!!! They NEED you. Hug them kiss them laugh with them. And to the workers, all I have to say is if i am pissed off from lack of love or whatever, the last thing i want is to be restrained!! Get them involved in an activity to get out their agression and that teaches discipline; running, karate, sports, etc... I understand what you're trying to do with the restraints, but i think its making the situation worse. Something needs to be done to work with these parents and get their kids back to them. Help them bond. There is NO reason these kids should have only 4 to 5 days a year with their mom or dad.

This comment has been edited by the moderator for obscenity.

by Heather
August 23, 2009, 7:48 AM

Worst Fears Realized

If you are going to make a film where physical restraint is a major feature, you should damn well give the public a background on the research regarding restraint. The fact is that research shows that physical restraint escalates problems and is in no way therapeutic. Quite the opposite.

Research also shows that when restraint is an allowable option, staff will overuse it.

Where is the school's evidence that they have success subjecting children to three years of institutional care, restraint, and what is known as "belt-looping" (keeping the child at an adult's side at all times)?

How does this compare to teaching their parents more effective parenting skills and keeping the child in the home, with relatives or foster care?

The incidents of restraint show in this film were unwarranted, as little was done to redirect or diffuse. And there were no serious threats of children harming themselves or others.

Nor was the restraint "calming." Restraint was also used inconsistently, e.g. one counselor was trying to redirect a boy, but totally ignored the fact that a boy was hitting her repeatedly.

Counselors missed numerous opportunities to LISTEN to the children. There was no follow-up when a boy said: "Many of the adults get things wrong." These are smart kids; I wanted to know what he had to say about that. Why didn't the counselor? Not something Mulberry Bush wanted being filmed?

According to one counselor, Mulberry Bush uses restraint for catharsis. While Ben was being restrained by two counselors, one said: "You obviously have a lot inside you to come out." This indicates adherence to the old, totally discredited belief that anger needs to be drained out of an abused child -- by expressing anger. (Research shows overwhelmingly that it only makes people more angry.)

What has Mulberry Bush School done but teach children that using physical force is the way to solve problems -- the way to treat weaker/smaller people who don't behave as you want?

Just because a nice person works with "difficult" children doesn't make him or her automatically worthy of our admiration. They need to take the responsibility of caring for children seriously, and that mean using effective and humane practices.

by Linda Rosa, RN
August 24, 2009, 4:11 PM

Additional thought...

Regarding the two-person restraint of Ben: I found it interesting that the filmmaker did not include footage of the actually takedown, i.e. of the counselors putting Ben on the floor. This is a difficult maneuver with a resistant child. Might it have looked too brutal for the audience?

This film reminds me the film "Warrendale" made in the 1960's about the institution for children by the same name. Physical restraint was a feature there, as well.

by Linda Rosa, RN
August 24, 2009, 4:20 PM

Great Job

I watched the film and was really excited about seeing it. I liked the way the adults were patient with the children and how they used their language, and encouraged the children to use theirs. I work in a school for special needs and the use of restraint is forbidden. Many days I went home with bruises. I was kicked, bitten, spit in the face and even tripped up and fell and sprained my wrist. Watching the programme, I can see why restraint had to be used. I applaud all those teachers who have the patience and shows love to all our children. It really is a difficult job.

by Mentie
August 26, 2009, 7:12 PM

The missing piece

I am so very glad to have seen this documentary. At the Mulberry Bush school the follow up the children received after a restraint or an incident was amazing. This is the missing piece in changing behavior in our country. Speaking to the child about his behavior and letting him know early on that as he grows older he will become accountable for his actions impressed me because despite the child being in a school for the emotionally disturbed, he was not brushed off as incapable of learning and improving. The same day Ted Kennedy was laid to rest, a man who learned to implement change incrementally, and a man who learned to be responsible for his behavior - I came accidentally upon this documentary. How fitting. Both the man and the teachers/counselors in the film model dedication, patience and faith. Thank you PBS for persevering in your mission.

by Michelle
August 30, 2009, 4:01 AM

some concern

I had experience with emotional disturbed children. Also I've studied Behavioral Therapy and worked with it. Your movie showed a great attempt in how to reach out to children in desperate need. Watching the movie for 1 hour so was getting fustrated since their was never any history on child, much showing of positive interactions or counselling with parents. This movie only showed bits of incredible fustrating behavior , boys at its worst with counsellors keeping it together to keep them safe and cared for. Sometimes I feared for the counsellor being so stressed or getting hurt by some headbanging. Also the spitting seemed undesired to put up with but at least wasn't painful in physical damage. My concern is that without more details and explanations this movie can turn into a horror show for difficult kids and their counsellors. I belief in showing lots of love and patience for kids in needs. So good for you to try an alternative behavioral approach but show more details and explanations and follow ups to each incident and its causes. Also leaving other kids in room with agitated kid can be so triggering and agitating in itself. I'll be concerned for the others and what it triggers in them.I can't imagine it all being on a learning curve. To learn from each other has to be carefully assest and monitored. Just some concerned input

by Maria from Perth, Ontario, Canada
September 6, 2009, 3:51 PM

It so upsets me to read the destructive criticism of the work being done at Mulberry Bush. We are all human beings, none of us whom have all, if any, of the answers for any given situation and we rarely, if ever, get everything right. It will only be these disturbed children who may be able to say in the future if what was done for them at Mulberry Bush helped or not. The dedication and compassion shown here is not found in many places and so in my view that makes it a special place. Please keep up the good work and thank you for your dedication to these children and as such to the future of our society.

by D C from Herts, UK
October 10, 2009, 12:55 PM