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Somebody tell that kid to shut-up while him mom is talking!

Geez, one thing to go through the trauma of being voted out of a class, but a whole separate deal to be paraded on TV around the world because of your disability.

And “exclusive” means she’s getting paid for the interview…

Soemthing is missing from this story.

That “teacher” is a F***ING monster.

The only thing missing from this story is seeing the teacher fired immediately.

Anyone who has been the parent of a special needs child will understand how these parents feel.

It’s heartbreaking to hear of stories like this.

I would think that day after day of 14 kids having to hold themselves back to accomodate one is just ridiculous and shows how close we are to falling apart as a country. There should be special classes for kids like him and for kids that act out. Our kids are going to have it rough enough without having to fall behind due to kids disabled or otherwise.

The teacher though should be fired and sued in civil court. Every year back in school we had to deal with these black kids that make the disabled kid look like a Rhodes Scholar! So if we can’t kick the black out, a black should not be able to kick anyone out. Does anyone else see the irony there? Take a good look that is what it means to be black…

Unbelievable… It will be hard to remove her as she’s a minority and the Teachers union will be batting for her the whole way.. Wish I could bet some money on this. Not gonna happen…

You underestimate the outrage GTK. I won’t put money on it because she is a minority, but the school is going to be under incredible pressure to do the right thing.

In a perfect world, the teacher would face punitive damages too for causing severe mental anguish, but dare to dream…

Has that teacher been fired yet? There is never an excuse for a professional teacher to publicly humiliate a 5 year old child for any reason whatsoever. There is a professional course of action for these situations. It clearly was not followed. The school needs to take immediate action and fire that cruel teacher. There is no excuse for her actions and my sincere wishes is with his family right now. I hope they find a teacher and a school that treats them the respect, dignity and compassion they deserve-that every parent deserves in such a situation.

Here is the complete story on the teacher, Wendy Portillo, including contact information. You know what to do:

http://autisticnation.typepad.com/thinking_in_metaphors/2008/05/wendy-portillos.html

NEA (National Education Association) CODE OF ETHICS

Section I: Commitment to the Student
Item #5:
SHALL NOT INTENTIONALLY EXPOSE THE STUDENT TO EMBARRASSMENT OR DISPARAGEMENT

Was Alex really doing disruptive thing like eating crayons, running in circles and generally acting like an ass? Nobody wants a kid like that in their classroom. My kids complain regularly that there are many disruptive kids in the classrooms, and that the teachers let the slower kids dominate the advanced kid’s classroom time.

While this teacher clearly shows bad judgment, any parent who tries to force an unruly kid into a classroom with peaceful kids also needs to have their head examined. If your kid is special, get special help. Forcing your problems on other people just makes them worse – as self-evident in this story.

If the parents hadn’t put this kid in the wrong school, this would have never happened.

Poor kid and his family, like they don’t have enough problems all ready now they have to deal with an assinine, ignorant, thoughtless decision made by an inept, unqualified teacher. Sounds like something the Nazi’s would have done.

Having as a child, been in a class where an unruly retarded child was placed with us, brought misery and disruption to the learning process. The other twenty or so children had their education damaged by
the antics of that one child who through his actions caused the teacher to focus most of her time just to keep him in control. The other twenty children deserved an education also. This “special” child should have been placed in a class for the mentally disabled where he could get the help he needs without hurting the education of normal kids.

Why does that teacher still have her job? This is outrageous. Someone needs to take the entire School Board to task, as well as the principal for allowing this type of bahavior to happen. I certainly would not want that woman (teacher) impacting and interacting with my children.

The decline of the compassion of our society continues. I have an autistic son and I have never been subjected to anything like this and he is entering high school in the fall. This teacher needs to be fired NOW, she is not fit to teach such young impressionable minds. Think of the lesson she taught those “typical” children. If you don’t like someone/something you can just dispose of it. This is an outrage. I hope the parents file charges against this teacher and the school if necessary.

Darwin would be proud of that teacher. And hitler too.

Look folks, yeah the teacher’s a moron and the kid absolutely does not deserve that abhorrent kind of treatment, but I also have a problem with a lot of these “in denial” parents who force these kids into regular classes because they “feel Johnny is normal” and should be in the class with all the other normal kids. It’s a recipe for disaster for everyone and completely unfair to the other kids who are held back in their own progress to placate the in denial parents who demand their kid be shoehorned into the class. Kids that cannot speak english at a conversational level are the same, this inclusiveness crap has gone too far.

I vote that the teacher be removed from the class.

Well, this is why parents who care, put their kids in private schools.

Face it. Public schools are mandated to move only as fast as the slowest kid can handle. That means YOUR kid ends up with a substandard, boring, and repetitive education, especially since they want to mainstream all the ADD and Autistic kids.

Life is a competition. YOUR kid will lack the skills to compete, not only in college, but in life if you leave them behind in the public school system.

Question it? Take a look at the test results and what the grads are doing five years after high school.

It’s got nothing to do with money, it’s about giving a crap about your kids education and providing every advantage you can.

This Asperger’s nonsense is nothing but a racket, and a pretty dangerous one at that.

I’d say that just about anyone who has made an exceptional mark on the world probably would have qualified as having Asperger’s for being a somewhat eccentric child.

The dangerous thing is that the medicine and treatments they’re giving these kids for being normal, smart kids is probably going to destroy their creativity and keep them from contributing to the world. If not that, certainly the victim mindset instilled in them will.

ENOUGH ALREADY

No wonder this child has problems!!!!! Look at his mother!!!! I am the parent of a child with severe medical problems and I cannot imagine taking a school situation like this and involving the child in it over and over!!! The teacher may have done something inappropriate; but for a parent to continue to talk about this in front of their child could cause many more problems!!! If we look at many of the children who are diagnosed as being on the “autistic spectrum,” all you have to do is look at their parents and you can understand why they are that way!!!!

The “teacher” is a monster, is not psychologically nor emotionally fit (by a long shot) to be teaching children of any ages, any child, at all.

If this school leaves this woman in a teaching position, they’re then also equally monstrous. I cannot begin to think of ANY reason, any at all, by which this teacher’s behavior would be considered acceptable. In fact, I believe she represents a child abuser.

Ohh, look at all the liberals screeching about DEMOCRACY in action!

And (more), this is how abusive behavior begins: people are “instructed” at a vulnerable age to act and evaluate abusively, BY AN ABUSER. In this case, this “teacher” has instructed this group of kindergarten age children to act abusively (and pressured them to do so, given her position and accordingly to some of the children who hesitated — their good character at work — but were then pressured to support the abusive behavior despite not agreeing with it).

A “special needs” child merits some understandings and “special helps” but in that sense, so does anyone and everyone at some time in their development as a child (and often, even as an adult). If the teacher had no tolerance or willingness IN KINDERGARTEN (for Heaven’s sake), to incorporate Alex into the class, then it’s the adult’s problem, not the class of kindergarten children.

This is a case of child abuse by this monster using kindergarten children as pawns to exercise her abusive intents upon a vulnerable child.

Utterly intolerable, from any adult, utterly intolerable particularly from anyone hired to lead children from a position of authority, as was this loathesome woman.

To libsukbad: children with Asperger’s can speak English at a conversational level. They also tend to be very smart mathematically. The child should be in a regular class like everyone else. As he gets older and IF he starts to fall behind, then put him in a special needs class. I know a child with this syndrome, he doesn’t eat crayons, run around in circles, or act like an ass. How anyone could say a 5 year old child acts like an ass is disgusting.
What all of these school districts need to learn is that it takes a lot more than a degree to teach a child.

Brenda: This is what is making us fall apart as a country? Cover yourself up. Your ignorance is showing. Perhaps you are so smart because Wendy Portillo was your teacher. You’re probably one of those people that think carbon dioxide is a dangerous chemical.

This sadist ‘alleged’ teacher needs to be fired. To do that to a small kid like that is an abomination. She belongs back in the jungle.

I was a teacher and had Asperger’s kids and “special needs kids” in classes. The do present special difficulties, as do super-smart kids or super-shy kids and others. But a skilled teacher can deal with them in a way that helps all the students. I know because I have been lucky enough to see how some of those students have turned out.

This teacher, Miss Portrillo, is not doing her job correctly. It may simply be because she has not had the proper training. (I’ve seen this too often, where teachers are put into classrooms without proper preparation.) Or it may be that she is simply not cut out to be a teacher. In any case, she should be removed from that classroom, or closely supervised, until she has shown she can deal with these challenging issues. Being a teacher is a hard job and teachers don’t get the respect and cooperation they should, but having unprepared teachers in the system only makes it harder for everyone.

This is a tough one for me. The teacher appears to be a closet psychologist. There is a body of research that contend that exposing the disruptive student to his classmates in this manner can be constructive. The second part about voting him out of the class was too far. Its clear to me that the teacher believes that this child isnt actually suffering from aspergers at all. As a father of a special needs child i have run into those who believe that these type of children should only be in a class with other special children and those who believe they should be main streamed.

I am not in denial as some have said on this forum about parents of special needs children. What i know is that the term special needs is so vast that just saying oh he or she has issues so she cant be with the other kids is flat out wrong.

Each child with special needs is provided the opportunity to go through the IEP process. The public school system is set up to deal with the needs of the child however due to cut backs and other fiscal restraints sometimes the needed help is immediately available.

In this case its clear she has gone through this process as it came up that the child has an aid in the class a couple of times a week. Its clear to me at least that the next IEP should recommend daily assistance to keep the child focused.

My son is an absolute legend at his school. All of the kids normal and special alike love him. I cant imagine what this child must feel like and finally for his mother to parade him in front of the camera discussing this topic is beyond shameful.

Oh and yes I live in florida to so i fully understand what trials and tribulations she could be going through with the schools.

My son is 21 and has Autism. In Alaska, when he was also five years old, he was suspended from school for a week because a group of parents and teachers did not want him at Chugiak Elementary.
Of course, legally he had every right to be there. They threatened to sue our family.
The principal told us the suspension was to “PROTECT” us until the issue was fully resolved. We had to all go in, Myself, his father, his grandmother, the principal, teachers and other support personnel and have a meeting.
My son had to come into the meeting, with all of us adults around a conference table, to prove he was not the “RETARDED DISRUPTIVE IDIOT” some had
tried to make him out to be. He graduates tomorrow and I’m so sorry these things happen, but I’ve been there. A church we attended also cut him out of a video sequence.

The level of ignorance in some of these comments is frightening.

Many of you probably consider yourselves Christians. Ever heard of this? “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me?” When Jesus broke social barriers and the aborrhent Judaic law of the time and associated with lepers, prostitutes, the disabled, and others. The core of his message is that the kingdom of God is open to all, and that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The level of ignorance in some of these postings rivals that if Jesus’ fiercest critics.

Where is your people’s sense of compassion?

What a great opportunity for a bunch of five year-olds to learn timeless lessons of compassion and sensitivity for those who are different than them?

I wonder who some of you people expect to take care of you when you are old and frail and need your diaper changed. Heaven forbid that your own offspring and loved ones should be “held back” by your needs.

This is kindergarten – not high school. How rigorous can the academic lessons be? These kids are basically playing and napping most of the day anyway.

Before the mother can explore the best school options for her son, he has to be diagnosed appropriately, which she was in the process of having done. The state does have a responsibility to give equal educational opportunities for all students, and the mother has a parental responsibility to do what is best for her child. Regardless of whether or not you think this child should be in this class at this school, the teacher’s actions are completely wrong on several other levels. If you can’t see that, you are among the most ignorant people on Earth, and certainly do not deserve to call yourself a Christian.

This Teacher should be fired immediately. Anyone who had anything to do with hiring her in the first place should be fired, and then the school owes a very special apology to this little boy!
Will any of this happen? Not likely in todays screwed up world. Our educational system absolutely SUCKS!!!!!

BOO HOO! What a bunch of liberal pansies here. Look, the kid was a distraction. His class voted him out. WORST Case it hurt the poor kids FEELINGS. So what? C’mon people. BEST case the other kids who MAY have parents who love them enough to spank them (unlike the kid in this story) might get a GOOD education free from the troublemaker. The teacher should be given a promotion.

And yeah – his mom is HOT. :) Maybe if she had a man to provide a good influence on the boy, and whoop his butt from time to time, her problems would be solved.

I have a special needs son in the Colorado school system. The school is constantly pressured to remove special needs services due to cost and possible disruptions.

In CO, the have done a good job of integration as well as seperate education where appropriate. The behavior of the teach is what is so surprising.

She aggreed to a job in a school district with integration approach. Her lack of professionalism and maturity suggests she should nor be teaching.

If she wants a different, “easier” classroom setting. quit. Teaching with special needs is not easy; however, many are great at it.

What the teacher did was through a temper tantrum and hurt a classroom of 5 year olds while attacking an easy target. Simply put a coward.

I am growing increasingly concerned with the decreasing value we put on atypical life. Wheither it is Cindy Shehann or a 5 year old with special needs.

This father of four is worried.

Best wishes to all who participate in the conversation productively.

The only thing more repulsive and pathetic than the dispicable teacher who allowed this to happen–and the school system who is apparently not taking action against her—are the idiotic comments by some uncompassionate, ignorant, small-minded people who post such ridiculous comments about the child, his mother, and the child’s condition. How on earth can someone blame the child and/or the mother in any way for this situation. At a minimum, the teacher should be fired immediately and never allowed to influence children in any way ever again. She is clearly a mean-spirited, low-class, lame-brain who isn’t fit to pick-up garbage, much less “teach.” And secondly, I hope the mother sues the school system for a warehouse full of money and wins so that the tax-payers in this community are also punished for not demanding this teacher’s immediate termination. For years now we have poured money on top of money into the school systems (thanks to the Democrat party)–and this is what we have to show for it. How sad. Until teachers are held accountable, the education system in this country will never be improved no matter how much money the Dems throw at in order to “feel good.”

SOmeone should put up a website with that idiot teacher’s ugly mug on it, and let us all “vote” on whether or not she should be allowed to remain in the human classroom. I don’t care WHAT the ‘backstory’ is–you don’t march a 5 year old up to the front of the class and have his mates vote him out. Disgusting. If he was truly disruptive, there are other ways to deal with this…

The teacher is clearly out of control of the classroom situation and should not be allowed near children because she has such poor interactive skills. Has she been evaluated for any “special needs” therapy herself?

Well truthteller sounds like a typical bigot so his/her opinion is already diminished. What could be worse? How about being illiterate armchair lawyer! Just laughable, come up to NYC and spread the word truthteller or just sit at the safety of your keyboard and type with your thumbs. It’s dumba**es like you that diminish any cause you’re foolish enough to voice.

It’s a tough one. What should this low-paid teacher do? Sacrifice the other kids’ education on a daily basis to accommodate Alex?

It was not the right approach and I agree the teacher overstepped her boundaries, common sense and should be reprimanded and removed. The buck doesn’t stop there though, plenty of blame for the school administrators too. However, I’m sick of parents smiling at me while their kids pull the f’g table cloth off at an eatery. Parents like this just smile at you with that, “Oh, isn’t my kid special and isn’t it cute how he/she expresses their “genius”.” Er no, it’s not and you’re doing your child a huge disservice by denying Alex a “special needs education” while being a “special needs child.” What the heck did you expect to happen? Not this, well me either but something was going to give sooner or later.

Bottom line, I’m appalled by how the teacher handled this but if you want to point fingers better start with the parents and the school system. Mom didn’t help things by putting Alex’s face all over the public domain either. It didn’t help the cause since his interruptions are likely the impetus for what happened in the classroom. I feel sorry for this kid.

As a kindergarten teacher who has taught many special needs children in my classroom, I truly see both sides on this one. The teacher obviously made a very poor judgement call by having the class “vote” the boy out. On the flip side of that, I know how difficult it is to try to meet the needs of all students when one student’s dissability causes him or her to require extra time and attention, which takes away from his classmates. That is not fair to anyone involved. I understand why the mother is so upset, but I also question her judgement in placing him in a classroom with all typically developing children. Is that really the best place for him to reach his academic potential? Obviously the teacher is not trained on how to deal with children with special needs. There is a tremendous difference in the education/training that a regular education teacher recieves in college versus a special education teacher. Inclusion can be very benefitial and an appropriate fit for some children, but not all. I have seen it work beatifully and I have seen it become disasterous. After watching the video and seeing how disruptive the child was during a five minute interview, can you imagine trying to teach to a class of 16 five year olds with his level of disruption/distraction? The teacher’s concerns should have definitly been handled more appropriately, but I feel that the parent in this situation needs to realize that the teacher has to be concerned with the welfare and progres of her other students as well.

I am a 59 year old retired kindergarten teacher. My first reaction was anger then tears. I had classes of 28 to 32 students and often a student like Alex. I always had the attitude that every child was precious even the Alexes. They all have something to contribute. The teacher could have taught her class to have empathy and love rather than hatred and segragation. Considering her heritage, I am appalled!

By the way, Sir Issac Newton is thought to have had Asperger’s Syndrome.

The teacher doesn’t think she did anything wrong? I would not only fire her but look seriously at the qualifications of the people who hired her.
Bravo for the 2 children who stood up to her and voted for Alex.
I hate the letigiousness of our society but this is one case I believe should be taken to the courts. Both the teacher and the school are culpable.

Liberals got what they wanted- mainstream kids of ALL abilities and afflictions into a single classroom. Teach them to the lowest common denominator. Accept greatly lowered standards of student performance across the board for the sake of not letting the afflict feel “different”. This only hurts everyone.

WHAT about all the children who go to school who WANT to learn – do they have rights – or should the one disruptive child RULE while the others have to be silenced? According to this video – seems the disabled child is not able to be part of a learning group

Never give up on your child. My Asperger’s syndrome daughter just graduated with honors from community college and plans to finish her B.A. These children can get special care and treatment for their affliction; they are often very smart but have troubles with communication and social skills. It does seem that the mother hasn’t yet come to terms with what Asperger’s means to her kid. His case looks pretty severe to me, so he shouldn’t be in a regular kindergarten class anyway, he should be in an exceptional class for special needs kids. That’s no excuse for the very unprofessional and downright heartless behavior of this teacher. She knows they can’t fire her because she’s a minority and probably has tenure. That’s what is disgusting here. Thanks to liberals you can’t even get rid of terrible teachers anymore.

I wouldn’t want this kid in class with my little one either. He belongs in a special need class where he can sit around and burp while the healthy kids can be educated so they can grow up and pay taxes to support the unemployable…

It appears that Morningside Elementary. Port St Lucie, FL has taken their website down. I wonder why????

One more thing, to those who would side with the teacher and school because it is a Alex was a burden and a distraction to the class. That is not the correct way to handle the situation. We are not “The Lord of the Flies”

Social miscreants……………….

Let me try this again, they’re trying to ignore my comments.

Never give up on your child. My Asperger’s syndrome daughter just graduated with honors from community college and plans to finish her B.A. These children can get special care and treatment for their affliction; they are often very smart but have troubles with communication and social skills.

It does seem that the mother hasn’t yet come to terms with what Asperger’s means to her kid. His case looks pretty severe to me, so he shouldn’t be in a regular kindergarten class anyway, he should be in an exceptional class for special needs kids. That’s no excuse for the very unprofessional behavior of this teacher. She knows they can’t fire her because she’s a minority and probably has tenure.

Do people (including this teacher) realize that Asperger’s is thought to be an autoimmune disease? It’s not a case of a child “acting up”, or misbehaving, it’s a legitimate illness.

FAKE, oops wrong website

I like how all of you guys are talking about what Asperger’s “is thought” to be. As far as I know “it’s thought” to be a parenting disorder.

Like a few other sensible people have said, when the accommodation of special people is to the detriment of average people, we have a real problem. Stop mainstreaming these kids.

For the comments about disruptive kids, I tend to agree with the comments about allowing learning disabled kids into the class resulting in dragging down the rest. The issue here is not that the child was more or less removed but how it was done. If this was an African American or Latino child and a white teacher all hell would break loose. I expect to have all children receive the same treatment despite the fact that it is not fashionable to protect all races equally.
The fact also remains that having English as a second language children in classes naturally slows all the children down in similar fashion. It was not that long ago where we had schools teaching teachers Ebonics to accommodate certain children that can’t seam to speak good English. Mexican children petitioning the state to give high school degrees to children that cant pass a basic competency test because they can’t speak or write English. If liberals want to accommodate all of these folks then they can damn well accommodate everyone including kids with learning disabilities.

Wow did you hear Charlie when Mom mentioned al-Qaeda?! Talk about showing his true colors. No Charlie, tell us how you really feel. Tell us more about how you and your ilk sympathize with an organization that would seize from you the very right that makes you able to spout your America hating leftist propaganda to millions of unsuspecting sheeple a day. Wake up sheeple! These are the people selling you down the river.

Oops! That’s Harry not Charlie. Sorry, they all sound the same.

It goes to show that the teacher of that child is a monster. Folks with special needs seem to be the only people that it is ok to descriminate against. She should be fired and sued by the parents and anyone else that finds this type of conduct unbecomming a person in a role of trust. If you dont like the system change it! If your child is different do not try to medicate them and kill thier creativity. Parents need to spend more time parenting. If you feel that your child is being slowed down it is up to you to seek a better education for them. For parents who whine about inclusion and do not think it is fair, move your child to a private school. sacrifice and be a good parents. For the Teacher, She should be lynched!

As a grandparent of a chld with autism, you would be surprised at how many teachers abuse these kids. Wendy Portillo is a monster that should bot be reassigned in the vacinity of any children. She should be reassigned to the zoo so she can hang with the animals, her own kind.

If anyone deserves to be thrown out of that kindergarten class, it is that moron of a teacher. I hope the parents sue the school district.

To Rick:

Asperger’s IS an autoimmune disease. If you have diabetes, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, lupus, or any other autoimmune disease in your family, YOU have the risk of having a child with Asperger’s.

That lady is not a teacher, she is a bigot towards handicap children. If that was my child, I would own here house when it was all said and done with the law suits. She has no business teaching/…….

This teacher should be voted out of her profession for malpractice. She does not have emparhy enough to be in charge of impressionable five-year-olds. This is separate from the issue of whether special needs children should be taught in regular classes.

The teacher (party hack) is a product of the socialist run education system.

She obviously thinks like socialist elitests, and more obvious a fascist.

Now normal people start to blame the mother.

Text book example of the new Liberal Fascisim at its best.

A good thing however she is a seriously underqualified actor because now average citizens can at least see the tip of the iceberg.

Will Soros and Huffington pay for the concentration camps and the ovens?

Or maybe just recreate the killing fields like the Democrat party did with the New Deal and in New Orleans, Waco, WWI, WWII, Africa (In process), Middle East, Cambodia, Vietnam, Soviet Union, China….etc.

Just like thier fellow travelors before them.

Portillo has been reassigned on an interim basis to administrative offices and removed from the classroom pending investigation. Worldwide outrage over what happened to Alex and no doubt a deluge of letters and emails has caused the school to reevaluate its position because as of last Friday, nothing had been done, two days after the incident took place. Ms. Barton stated in the comments that the school system didn’t seem to be taking the matter seriously.

This teacher handled the situation very poorly, but I suspect her intention was to show Alex the negative effect that his disruptive behavior has on how his classmates feel about him, in hopes of moderating his behavior. This was not the way to teach that lesson, but it is a lesson he may well need to learn.

Maybe it would help if Alex’s mom stopped focusing on building up his sense of “specialness.” In one sense, yes, every human being on Earth is “special.” Which pretty much makes us not so special at all.

When we are in a community, such as a kindergarten class, a job, a family, a club, whatever, the “special” contribution each of us has to make had better be well balanced with respect for the rights of others and a willingness to make the community work well together.

This child’s behavior as seen on camera was more like that of a two-year old than a five-year old. That could be Asperger’s or it could be temperament combined with poor parenting or it could be any number of things. But whatever the cause, there’s a reason we don’t put two-year olds and five-year olds in classes together for kindergarten.

Alex, in all his “specialness,” may be making life very difficult and unpleasant for his classmates. He’s clearly costing the school district far above the average. The question of whether the extra burden on the other children, the teacher, the school district, and the taxpayers is actually doing Alex any good deserves some consideration, and is entitled to be weighed in the planning for this child’s education.

I have a 4 year old girl with an Autism diagnosis with a strong leaning towards Aspergers. She is disruptive in her class and needs constant supervision. I am worried she won’t be suitable for regular classes as she gets older but I definitely won’t try to force her on the public school system. That being said, if a teacher ever singled out my child in front of the class and made her to feel less than the other kids…a lawsuit would be the least of their worries. A lot of the responses on here reflect opinions of people who don’t know what it’s like to have a special needs child.An interesting side note is that marriages with an Autistic child have a 75-80% divorce rate due to the stress involved.Good luck to that boy and his family.

Why do we have to pretend that a little retard like this belongs with normal kids? Imagine trying to keep that little brat under control for 6 hours a day while you teach 16 other kids.
It only slows down the kids who are going to graduate one day and actually hold a job. This nation will be ruined by the asinine quest for equality.

Put him back in his cage already or pitch him in the river – tell the mom to try again and have a normal kid. I’d volunteer to plow her.

I see it two ways. The teacher should be fired for acting like a kindergarder, showed no common sence at all.
Second, I helped part time with special ed kids in a junior high shop class. They really and truly shouldn’t have been it that class. It was disruptive and dangerous.
But the laws of most states say that the children
must be allowed in classes in public schools.

I believe that special needs kids and other disruptive children deserve the best education we can provide for them. However, their rights do not supersede the rights of the other student to get the best education we can provide. If a child disrupts class and lowers the ability of other students to learn they should be moved to a class where they can excel to the best of their ability and let the other students excel likewise.

hey folks, special need kids need special need schools. Of course now we all have to put aside the needs of normal kids for one. Stop being in denial and lazy. These kids are disruptive to the whole class. These parents should not have a choice of where these kids go. I am sick of hearing about their rights.

Stupid mother should not have had her son vaccinated. But that aside, sounds like hate crime based on racism. Where is the filthy ACLU when you need those roaches?!

I have Asperger’s, it is a lack of social skills, not a lack of intelligence. In fact, children with Asperger’s syndrome are often gifted. It also has an extremely high suicide rate. I never thought I had a disability (though I wasn’t diagnosed until 36, after my 3rd child was diagnosed with it). Though I knew I was different, and spent most of my life taking courses to improve my communication and social skills. What a relief to find out I had a syndrome! I’m so happy I can help my daughter understand these differences, and concentrate on her gift :D

This is a hate crime pure and simple. The teacher must be removed immediately. This is not an isolated incident and if more parents speak up, a pattern of this occurring in the public schools with similar targets is sure to emerge. My bet is there are related incidents that go back as far as the early 1980’s.

That is the true definition of a N.gger b.tch plain and simple. White woman do that to a black kid and NAACP and Al Sharpton would be going out of their friggin minds. N.GGER B.TCH

Disruptive and uncontrollable kids need to be removed from the classroom. They should be segregated into classrooms with more discipline that specialize in dealing with them. Why are the well behaved students discriminated against by not being permitted to get the education they want and deserve. Liberal social experiments are what’s wrong with public schools. A purely acedemic focus that puts great kids into classrooms where they can excel is needed. Forcing everyone to be equal means we have to dumb down the smart kids to be equal to kids who “can’t be left behind”. We cannot make everyone a genious, but we can make everyone a moron and that is what is happening.

I know I shouldnt agree, and I feel a bit evil, but after LMFAO I tend to agree with Ulric.

BRAVO to the teacher. If the majority don’t want him there, remove him. Send him to a special needs school or someplace.

Sounds to me like this teacher read the old email about the teacher who had all her students write down what they LIKE about someone–and how so many of them carried those wonderful affirmations around with them for years. But… she had to do it the OPPOSITE (her?) way. AND– the teacher in the email did this with HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS who were capable of realizing what and how their statements would impact someone.

Those poor impressionable, always-wanting-to-please-the teacher kids!!!! HOW on earth can a 5 year old REALLY assess a problem or seek to fix it? Yes, they know who acts up and who picks their nose on a regular basis and who smells funny— but they do NOT possess the ability to know how deep their words can hurt– they are just following this pathetic teachers’ lead.

Someone posted that it seemed something was missing here— the ONLY thing that would make a minute of sense, would be IF she did this little social experiment with ALL the students and they were ALL voted on… and this boy may have been the only one voted out… and even if THAT is the scenario, its still despicable for a KINDERGARTEN class. These kids are NOT old enough to know what to temper and when NOT to follow the teachers lead.

shame shame on her.

*sigh* I am sure the rest of the class is slowing HIM down. Why don’t we reserve school for the ‘gifted’ children? That should save some money. I can’t believe you people have taken an instance of abuse by a teacher and found a way to defend her by making up lies about the child! I take some consolation in the fact that you people probably eat your young…

There are education programs for special needs kids. My daughter was diagnosed High Functioning Autistic and because of the programs available she is mainstreamed finishing 3rd grade and doing fine. The mother has to get the diagnosis to qualify for the programs. Why has she waited until the end of school to sort this out? This whole scene has not been fair for all of the kids. The teacher should have pressed for this kid to be properly diagnosed so that all the kids get their education. Voting him out? Pretty lame on the teachers part and reflects some very sinister tones from the godless psychology based public education system in this country.

addendum:

I DO believe special needs kids should be in their own classrooms, though. THEY KNOW they are different, yet their parents don’t want to think they know the difference. How cruel is that? YES…. they should attend public school and not sent to an ‘instituation’… to me, it is STILL mainstreaming when they go to school with their siblings, neighborhood kids, etc etc… but it is terribly disruptive when they have to be in the same room.

My oldest taught algebra in HS and had TWO students, with their OWN teacher, who had to sit in her room EVERY DAY, while BOTH of them taught!! No barriers. These two kids with unspecified ‘needs’ MAY have been on a 6th grade level… yet it was deemed CRUEL to have them in their own class room. They had their OWn teacher, who moved from classroom to classroom, depending on the subject (I felt for her) SO..ALL day long, these slower-than-average students were subjected to regular and/or higher acheiving students EVERY day, 6 classes a day– with a constant reminder that they weren’t quite ‘up to snuff’ as the rest of the classroom. No wonder they acted up on a regular basis. Who wants to be reminded every day that they’re kinda retarded?

same thing happened in a catholic school to my 2nd grade grandson. therapist kept telling my daughter he was being bullied and sure enough it was the teacher. this is so heartbreaking because these kids struggle EVERY day of their lives as well as their parents and siblings. what a horrible experience for little alex and a sad lesson for his classmates. this teacher needs prayers because she is surely much sicker than a little 5 yr old asperger’s child!

Weird. Usually public outcries defending disruptive kids involve blacks 5-8 yrs older than this one, doing a lot more serious “disruption” than eating crayons. Usually nobody worries about white kids getting thrown out. Let anyone question that disruptive, sexually harrassing blacks be thrown out of grade school (yes, I’ve been in that scenario with and without forced bussing) and everyone goes into denial. The Holy Press assumes the sufferers are the evil one. This teacher is racist. what a delight she must have had seeing this disruptive, but rather cute little blond boy with the cute, blonde mom, get voted out by his class including several fellow whites.
Sorry guys. “racism” works both ways. I’d home school my kid.

Ugh! It is “a child with special needs” and not “a special needs child”. CBS should be ashamed of their own desire to alienate this child and people with disabilities by placing the disability before the child/person.

As someone pointed out, it is against the law and the civil rights of the child for a teacher to subject him to public ridicule. The “tell me what you hate about me” ONLY WORKS IF IT GOES BOTH WAYS. The little boy should have been given a chance to tell his classmates what he hated ab out them. And definitely what he hated about that teacher. But she wouldn’t have wanted to hear that, would she?

what a sad story…

First of all, the teacher was wrong in the way that she humiliated this poor child. Disgraceful.
Give her a pink slip and a boot her out the door for she does not deserve the privilege to teach children. By her actions, she is a very poor role model.

While no child, regardless of his/her medical problem deserves to be treated in such a manner, it is no-doubt difficult for any adult to maintain order in a classroom whenever disruptive pupils are present.

If the teacher had a problem with Alex, she should have brought the matter up privately with the principal, school administration and most importantly the parents. This is what a mature, professional, compassionate teacher would do.

This begs the question, should special needs children be educated with children without such needs? While we have to be careful and sensitive to the needs of those with special needs, at the same time we have to consider the very real needs of other children whose parents sent them there to learn.

If a child cannot be self-disciplined enough to avoid becoming a hinderance to other students, he should not be placed in a standard classroom. He deserves special care until he can manage himself appropriately, otherwise his parents should arrange for private educational arrangements. Public schools today are bad enough without children with disruptive difficulties, even though it is not their fault.

Life is tough and like anyone else, I wish that such children be made whole, healthy and happy. There are limits that must be respected and a reasonable balance acheived.

Do I have the answers? No. I wish I did. The parents need to work this out as educating this child is their responsibility.

Ah, what a fine generation of progressi-fascists our “public education” system is incubating….worthless teachers, uninterested parents, fatassed administrators, power mad,social experimenting school boards. Oh yes, the future is in good hands with these little monsters…

Aspergers used to be called “poor parenting.” Tell you kid to shut up.

Yes, yes. Horrible.

But yet a perfect example why we do not live in a democracy, but a constitutional republic.

Although i am against gay marriage, the liberal activist judge (help me) made the right decision in California by overturning the peoples vote barring gay marriage.

We are not a mob. We are not supposed to vote on issues. Only for candidates, and constitutional amendments.

This is what congress is for. (again, help me)We elect representatives that most closely resemble our views, and they vote the issues. (of course now we have a congress that most closely resembles the views of some third world communist dictatorship)

This vote against this child is ridiculous and unAmerican.

why were my comments referring to the role that race plays in public outcry deleted? Because they were too true? Even in a case like this you can’t refer to the fact that this child was white and the teacher black? My comments were perfectly correct, and without epithets or lewdness, such as earlier ones made here. Perhaps epithets and lewdness invalidates one, while simply stated facts are too close for comfort?
What a bunch of hypocritical wimps. Why don’t you just email this teacher and ask her to sit on you for 10 hours.
you better look more closely at some of these other comments and leave the informative ones alone. People are pretty fed up.

“WHAT about all the children who go to school who WANT to learn – do they have rights – or should the one disruptive child RULE while the others have to be silenced?”

I agree. What about the disruptive children? What about the black kids that make it a point to disrupt my kids education every chance they get? Is that ok?

Of course you can’t say anything without being a raci$t, and you have no “freedom of choice” to put your kids in the school which would benefit them the most.

Families move to a decent neighborhood thinking their kids will go to the neighborhood school, only to be forced to bus their kids across town to a “school” full of kids and staff that treat them like second class citizens. And the sad thing is these kids have nobody to sympathize with them, nobody to turn to, nobody to protect them. They just come home depressed, and sometimes beat up. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

You would not believe some of the stories I could tell you about how black kids and teachers treat white kids in public schools. But a disabled kid? That’s even worse.

Now, I’m sure, someone here is going to call me a racist for my comments… What a sad society we live in…

And yes, you can bet your a$$, if it were a white teacher that treated a black kid like this (disabled or not), he/she would be fired immediately and the teacher would be branded throughout the national media as a raci$t, and have a hard time finding work.

Keep voting liberal Democrats.

CK

Erik, CBS, nor anyone else has an obligation to learn whatever arbitrary semantic games you make up to make people feel better about being disabled. THE DISABLED have the obligation to either participate in society, with minimal concessions, or stay home.

The fact that he was just now being referred for possible Aspergers this late in the year indicates to me that his mom didn’t do crap with all of the meetings, calls, etc. She just didn’t think her kid had a problem. She was in denial. The bottom line is this teacher was getting tired of all of the instructional time being wasted by this screaming child, and she pretty much lost it. Yeah, it was uncalled for. Yeah, it was a mistake. These are five year olds. Worse things can happen to them and they are fine. If anyone thinks a five year old will be scarred for life over this, then there is some beachfront property in Arizona I would like to sell you:)

Where’s Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton standing up for this kid being wronged by the system……………..oh yea I forgot he’s the white devil, root of all evil in the world; I remember now it’s the “color of your skin not the content of ones character” that warrants the race baiters to come to your defense. How silly of me to expect otherwise :)

For all those who have written here about the outrage of having a ‘retarded’ kid in their kids classroom…What would you do if this were your child? Why did you not learn compassion?? And, in some cases (from examples above) Why did you not even learn to spell?

I’m autistic myself, and I remember a similar line of treatment when I was in kindergarten. I am now 40 years old and thankfully moved to another area after kindergarten. People wonder why there are those who are inclined to shoot up schools should consider that years of this kind of treatment would motivate a lot of people to become hateful. This is one reason why places like the Autism Education Center in Panama City, Florida are being started. No body deserves to be singled out like this kid was.

My son has autism. Public schools are nothing more than taxpayer funded, state sponsored day care for children with special needs. My son ‘rotted’ away in the Pinellas County school system despite promises and IEP’s to the contrary. Education on special needs children is criminally negligent in public schools. It wasn’t until we moved him to a private school that he actually made tremendous progress.

I hope this boy’s family sues and wins. Such stigmatization in a classroom is nothing less than teacher approved bullying. As a parent, we already have enough pain, suffering and hardship to go through without having this nonsense.

Shame on this teacher and the stupid posters like Kelly. Sadly nothing will happen to this teacher – she’s a government employee.

Kelly, you need some brains in your head, not on the toilet paper.

After reading “The Bell Curve”, and then “Stupid Black Men” by Larry Elder (a black man) and observing our increasingly screwed up society for many, many decades I am left to wonder if blacks aren’t, in fact, intellectually inferior to whites. They seem so incredibly stupid, insensitive and unaware that I am astounded at their behavior. Don’t get me wrong. They are entitled to ALL the rights the rest of us have. Mind you, I once joined a black sit-in in Memphis back in the sixties thinking it would do some good. Hah, evidently I was wrong. Why am I bothering writing this? Nothing will change. See yuh…

G.W.: Do you know how long it can take to diagnose a child with Asperger’s? Do you know how many other ailments mimic Asperger’s? The kid is only five years old, and the mother states (on another site) that she was getting her child assessed for quite some time.

Kindergarten is often open to most students as an assessment time, and afterwards, say grade one or grade two, a recommendation is made for special education if it’s needed.

For those of you acting like Asperger’s means the child is mentally delayed, let me tell you, that kid is probably smarter than his classmates, smarter than his teacher, and smarter than those of you casting disparaging remarks.

If you researched Asperger’s and realized the number of great minds who have it, you’d feel ashamed of yourselves. That is, if you were able to comprehend what you read. Because seriously, some of you aren’t too bright.

i now what the teacher did was terrible and should be punished for disobeying the rules of conduct but what can you do with achild who is running around like a maniac? and a lawsuit is just to much

That child should not have been in the class, disrupting it with his Aspergers failure. The regular children obviously made their voices heard, and the school should respect that. The child had to go. There is a very good article about this so-called “disease” he has here: http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Aspie

As a proud parent of a special needs child, i can tell you for sure that if this happened to my kid, there definitely would be a multitude of massive and damaging lawsuits launched first at the teacher, then, if that fails, the school, teachers’ union, and anyone else who stood in the way of my childs’ right to an education.

on a personal note, i was abused in school by teachers as well and it was always due to that teachers’ incompetance. Teachers are in a position of absolute executive power within their unit. The only check on them is the principal, and as someone earlier said, teachers’ unions have a nasty habit of sticking up for the wrong persons.

the teacher should definitely lose her job. and if any organization gets in the way of that, fine…BUT, they should then be responsible for allocating a free and quality education to the mother of this beautiful child, whom should never have to be insulted with this womans’ discipline again.

as per what the teacher SHOULD have done, call the principal, inform him of the childs’ lack of focus or whatever, have him taken out of class through existing, correct channels, and boom. problem solved. there IS a class that will accept this kid.

I am a long-time youth mentor, and a Bank Exec. by trade. I resent the posting by ‘Evil Banker’ who resents his own kids being held back by “disabled” kids. I would submit to you that the other kids in your childrens’ classes are being held back by the arrogant attitude that you are infusing into your own children. God forbid that someone like you is actually making lending decisions to the community you are supposed to serve. You personify all that is wrong in this world, as does this teacher. More kids with ADD, ADHD, and Autistic Spectrum Disorders should be mainstreamed to increase their odds of succeeding in society. I know a high school senior with the same “disorder” as this child has, and I would gladly hire him in my bank before someone with your lack of community awareness.

To everyone who says “put that kid in a special class” consider this….you’re probably the same one’s who ***** every time a bond measure comes up to pay for that.

Sure, this kid deserves special attention and the other children deserve a non-disruptive learning environment…but are you going to pay for it?

Equality of opportunity is not a guarantee of equality of result. This is a child who belongs in special ed. “Mainstreaming” is dumbing down our kids. The smart kids quit trying because they get labeled intellectually arrogant (or because they are smarter than the teachers)but succeed anyway, in spite of the public schools. The parasites figure out how to work the system and latch on to those with talent and get a first-place reward for last-place effort-breeding the welfare state. The majority waste away in mediocrity and the new liberal society peer pressure tells them they are doing great–obediant little subjects of an out-of-control government. All are inundated with leftist propoganda and subject to commie indoctrination. Public education in this country is a failure. We’re laughed at by the world for this sort of crap.

But back to the issue at hand, I am quite sure that after months of dealing with the endless disruption and parental denial, the teacher having exhausted every tool at her disposal simply tried to make the little kid conscious of what his disruption means to everybody else, hoping perhaps to elicit some tiny sliver of self-control from him. Yes, she probably shouldn’t have held the vote, but having the kids tell the subject why they don’t like his behavior is no different than adults in arbitration or marriage counseling. Does anybody think this kid’s life will get better if everybody continues with praising “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? Peer-pressure or not, at least she tried to communicate the seriousness of his misbehavior to the little bugger while the rest of the adults were probably praising him for being “special”, not a discouraging word ever before crossing his ears.

Funny how 1/3 of US kids have ADD, ADHD or some other “handicap” today, but almost none had it before liberalism invaded the schools. Roll back the schools to the curriculum and texts from 1950 and bring back the paddle, dunce-cap and the tough but loving teachers those of us over 45 years old had when we were in grade school and the problems will largely disappear. Keep coddling the undisciplined, disruptive and uncivilized and the mess will continue. Segregate based upon achievement and take the achievers as far as they can go (oops, that would mean replacing most of the teachers), push the average kidsto be above average, and be compassionate with the genuinely handicapped.

By High-School, the special-ed should be schooled seperately to avoid the normal cruelty of children and the remaining kids should be divided into 4 different tracks: Academic for college-bound, General studies for undecided but capable kids, Vocational for those with such desire, and Expulsion or Jail for those too disruptive to participate in the first three.
Works in the nations where the best performing schools are located. Bet it would work here.

My first assumption would be that we are not being told the whole story. If we are then the teacher should be fired immediately. But I don’t think it is fair to the teacher or the school for so many to condemn the act of the teacher without knowing the other side as to what led to this incident. Maybe the teacher has discussed this with the parent before and recommended a “Special” class for the student and maybe the parent threatend discrimination for suggesting her some attend a “Special” class. I want to know both sides of this story. I do not make ignorant judgments like so many have for this story.

I posted already about my mistreatment in school due to my autism. I would also like to point out that not only did I graduate High School, but I also graduated my local community college with honors as well as served in the Navy. I am trained as an electronics technician as well as a self taught software engineer. I also know enough to be a locksmith. Those of you who think people like me who are autistic need to educate yourselves. Many of the greatest inventors and scientists were recorded to have symptoms of autism. Some of these were Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Bill Gates, and Temple Grandon. Maybe people should think twice about training others to be cruel to those of us who are different.

The teacher violated federal law, as surely as if she had ousted a child because of his ethnicity, gender, or religious background. She also displayed a profound lack of judgment in having the other students “vote” Alex out of the class.

She should never teach again. I would not permit her to clean my toilet.

Every child in the United States of America is entitled to a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Since Alex was in the process of being evaluated for special services, also required by law, he was entitled to be in that classroom.

There is an extensive body of state and federal special education law through which this situation will, or should be, resolved. All the shared ignorance and bigotry in the world will not nullify the law.

If this would have been a “Black” child and a “White” teacher you can bet your last dollar that it would be labeled a RACE RELATED INCIDENT with all the “Reverends” claiming racism. But it’s not – why is it that “white” people don’t scream racism ??? More literate maybe?

God help him, but I send my kids to school to learn. He needs more attention and that takes the attention away from the 16 kids that aren’t “special needs”.

While it may have been frustrating at times to have a special needs child in the classroom, this absolute pig of a teacher ought to have her license yanked. Where is the decency, let alone sensitivity? What pedagogical theory was behind this outrageous act of abuse and humiliation? This creature not only inflicted grave emotional harm on her intended victim, but also the other 16 children in the class by setting such an atrocious example of mob justice, i.e. pick on the handicapped kid.
Seriously, this pathetic excuse for a teacher needs to be canned immediately, and if the union presses the issue, you REAL teachers with a conscience ought to agitate for the same treatment she gave Alex –let the rank and file membership vote on whether the union ought to lift a finger to help this vile sloth.

Aspergers can be well managed in a classroom, using a Spec. Ed. Asst. with experience. Any Teacher who askes a students “what’s wrong” instead of “what’s right” or “how can we be helpers?” needs to reconsider her line of work. I find this inexcusable. She should leave the field. Any decent school would have the student evaluated, get an Spec. Ed. Asst. for him, even short term, and keep the loop open with parents, Doctors, etc. I fault the Principal for hiring someone with such meager skills.

And these kinds of students aren’t “acting out” as in discipline, they simply don’t recognize appropriate social behaviors. One adult with Asp. said it’s like “being an anthropologist from another planet” – why do people act that way, etc.? Thay can be worked with and educated and be highly successful adults.

Former Special Education Asst.

This “special needs” kid (what exactly are his special needs anyways?) probably just needs a swat on the rump by his overly permissive mommy at home and needs to be taught how to act in public! But yeah I am sure the kid is so special he needs to be permitted to behave in whatever manner he wishes, and everyone else just needs to understand he is special! What B.S.

Another reason to enroll your child in private school. The lad appears incapable of conducting himself among others. He is disruptive! Why punish 16 sets of parents of THE OTHER CLASSMATES? Alex needs special education, not mainstreaming. Where is the principal in this circle of fools?

Ricks- one of the things schools teach is compassion and that we are all different. If the school isn’t providing the support he needs the Principal and District are at fault. If something happened to your kids to make them “different” I’m sure you’d appreciate a supportive environment and not a hostile one.

A nearly identical incident occurred when I was in 3rd grade, only the vote was 23-1 to kick the child out of the class. I was the single vote. Every other student said what they didn’t like about this child and I didn’t have anything to say. I’m sure all the other children in the class have forgotten about this incident as there was no stir afterward, but I like to think it was an incident where I was more mature as an 8 year old than my teacher because I knew what she was doing was out of line. And maybe she realized this too, because my single vote won.

What factual data has that kid (or his parents) brought forth that show he isn’t holding his fellow students back, intellectually?

Why should THEY have to be punished or suffer because of HIS intellectual/physical retardedness??? It’s not like THEY are the cause of his retarded behavior, so it’s hardly fair to make them suffer because of HIS lack of ability.

I can’t believe she compared the teacher to Al Qaeda! REALLY? I feel where the teacher and that class is coming from. I had to suffer, and I mean SUFFER, through 3rd and 4th grade with a special needs kid in my class. I’m sure today, they would call it Asperger’s. It was awful for everyone in that class except him. He was the golden child. Look at him the wrong way and you get in trouble but if he dumps over your desk, oh shucks kids, he’s special. Sorry if we had to spend 3 hours today JUST dealing with him. Sorry we didn’t get to Science or History, too much time with our special friend. There is NO SHAME in special education classes, none at all. The teachers are better prepared to handle those kids! And I think this gave those other kids a chance to voice their opinions and problems with an obviously disruptive force in their learning environment.

Warren: Do you ever think that those 14 kids and that less-than-stellar teacher are the ones holding Alex back? After all, Asperger’s children are often more intelligent (genius level in fact) than others.

The kids are right to vote him out. He takes away from their education. Put him in a special needs class.

Gosh ethan, you sound like such an ignorant, uncaring Leftist.

God deliver us from Leftist fools such as “ethan”!

“Many of the greatest inventors and scientists were recorded to have symptoms of autism. Some of these were Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Bill Gates, and Temple Grandon. Maybe people should think twice about training others to be cruel to those of us who are different.”

Let me add to this: Carl Jung.

I honestly feel badly for this child. The actions of the teacher were not appropriate. However, from the childrens perspective, you have to consider that they have to deal with this disruptive child on a daily basis. Eating crayons and hiding under tables are just a few of the things they have had to endure. Our society has become so PC that you cannot single anyone out even if they are disruptive and let’s face it, down right annoying! These kids should be in seperate classes so that they are not forced to integrate with children without disabilities and the children are not ignored and left behind because of so much time and attention for just one child. Sorry, I know that sounds harsh but it’s the truth.

God Bless this brave mom and her beautiful little boy. This story is the most heartrending travesty I’ve seen this year.

Don’t you just wish you could get hold of that “teachers” ignorant neck?

Anyone who thinks that he’s the only one eating crayons, would play with a microphone, squirms and has a lot of energy doesn’t know 5 year olds! :)

The teacher surely took and unseemly course BUT so did the kids parents! Why on earth would they ‘inflict’ their child on to a captive audience of kids wanting / needing to learn (well I hope anyway)? Why would they ‘inflict’ the ‘real world’ on their child? Easy to shove all the blame on the teacher, but I think anyone other than the typical sanctimonious leftist liberal can see that there’s more than one “guilty party” here. The leftist liberal ideal is to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator – here it is on display.

I have three nephews ranging from age 9 to 16 who are diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s syndrome. Although they were diagnosed as developmentally delayed by the time they were two and a half, the school district would not put them into non-mainstream classes until after they went through months of tests and meetings and IEPs once they reached school age. This was not only difficult for my nephews but for the teachers and other children who had to deal with them in a regular classroom situation until the system was worked through and they were put into the appropriate teaching situation. M— is in a straightforward full special needs/life skills/vocational training program because he has cerebral palsy as well as autism. A– is in regular classes for math, science, art and gym, but special classes for language skills and social studies. R– is in regular math, art, gym, and English classes but special social studies and science classes. All three boys are making a success of their schooling.

In regards to the case under discussion, we don’t have enough information to determine if the mom waited until too late to get her son evaluated for the time he was to start school. It might be that the school district determines where the child is placed pending the completion of the IEP and other testing.

Nevertheless, the actions of the teacher were inappropriate towards any student in her class, whether “disruptive”, “gifted”, “differently-abled” or “normal”. All her students should probably be given the chance to talk to a trusted grown up about how having to participate in such a debacle made them feel (especially the boy who felt pressured to change his “vote” to a “No”).

AS far as suing the teacher or the school district goes, instead of asking the court for monetary damages, I’d ask that the teacher’s certification/license be permanently revoked.

In any case, I hope that the child and his mother get the assistance they need.

I have become more and more saddened at the level of ignorance displayed in the comments sections of various articles, including this one. (Since when does labeling a lady in an article/video as a MILF considered an intelligent comment in any way, shape, or form. If you must display your stupidity for all to see please choose somewhere else so some people can have decent discussions.) It seems people have become less and less able to discuss matters without foul language, crude remarks, and/or racist comments. Of course, half are riddled with extremely poor spelling and grammar. Typos are one thing – the inability to create a complete sentence is another.

I just cannot believe we live in a world that cannot show compassion for this little boy and his mother. This child is not an idiot. As some have commented before, he is probably smarter than most of the children in the class. However, as schools must teach to the most common intelligence in the class, children with learning differences like his often cannot be taught in a manner appropriate to them. Public schools are required to educate and should be required to teach children according to how they learn best. For some children that may indeed mean the child will not be able to be in a class with the average children.
That being said, this incident revolves around an appalling action by a kindergarten teacher. This teacher should not be interacting with children. This fact has nothing to do with Alex’s behavior. If this teacher was so influeneced by a five year old’s behavior that she lost control of her ability to make good decisions she should not be around children. Period, end of story.

I’m curious as to how being really smart and lacking social skills is a “disorder”?

Christ, that’s not a disorder, that’s called being shy, and can easily be solved with social therapy. Is someone going to honestly tell me that these people with this so-called disorder went through some therapy sessions and still had problems making friends and communicating? I don’t believe that. How many people were autistic 100 years ago, and how many are autistic now?

Having lived in Florida for 10 years I understand the situation with the quality of the public school teachers, it took 6 months before I had all three of my children in PRIVATE school.
My daughter’s 1st grade class was continously distrupted by two young boys (alledged to have been crack babies). My daughters public school education came to an end when one of the former-crack babies sprayed the teachers pepperspray in the class. American public schools now equate to the LOWEST common demoninator.
I still remember Tim L. during my elementary school days. It was 1968 and Mrs. Contrince, our teacher, had to tie Tim down to his chair using a jump rope from the sports closet. It worked, the disruptive child, did not interfere with the class the remainder of the day. Imagine that happening now.

This is one for the lawyers out there :D

It will take a year or two… But this is the kind of thing that lays a school district out in the very hot sun…

Fry in Hell!!!

Oh this is so scary, I cannot believe how misguided some of these comments are. Please research autism before making a comment about this poor child. Autism is a neurological disorder. Telling this child to stop “acting up” is like telling a person who had a stroke to stop “talking funny.” Autism is an inability of different parts of the brain to communicate with other parts- leaving the person confused and unable to learn from the people around them. They are left extremely frustrated and want desperately to be able to see the world the way we do. Do not think that they do not have feelings, or simplify it by saying they just can’t make friends. This is an information processing disorder, it is so much more complex then some of you are making it! Again, please get facts before making some comment that shows such ignorance. It sounds just as silly as if you said cancer is made up! Read up on doctors such as Nancy Minshew, Peter Hobson, Steve Gutstein, Ami Klin. I can promise you that you will learn a lot from these people.

I think it is time to repeal the IDEA Act. You won’t see kids like this placed in normal classes to disrupt others in private schools. Only in public schools would a situation like this occur and it happens all the time. Some special kids can fit into a regular class, but most can not. The other kids see this behavior and start to learn from it. Little “johnny” gets to run around and talk all the time why not me? After a few years of this all discipline in the classroom breaks down and the education of all suffers.

Wow some of the people on this board don’t have a clue.

I would give anything to have my son be normal but he is not. My family and I love him but it is no picnic trying to raise three children with one a special needs child. Our parenting skills have been taken to a new level dealing with him and his issues, anybody who doubts it is welcome to take him for a weekend and see if they survive. When we see normal families out and about we used to feel sorry for ourselves and be jealous. We have gotten over that self-pity but when I read comments like Melissa Lively’s I realize how little people are able understand: “If we look at many of the children who are diagnosed as being on the “autistic spectrum,” all you have to do is look at their parents and you can understand why they are that way”.

Ms. Lively is ignorant but she has plenty of company on this board. I have met many parents of special needs children and none have insisted on mainstreaming where it is not appropriate. Our son is lucky, his school is very careful to educate the other children about special needs and the kids are wonderful helpers and nice to the special needs kids.

I will close by asking the posters here who say kids just need better parenting or autism is just a scam to educate yourselves and thank God every night you don’t have a special needs child.

As has already been mentioned there is three parts to this story.
Part 1. Child was extremely disruptive and this teacher was losing it after putting up with his acting up for almost a year.
Part 2. Fellow students learning was undoubtedly disrupted and the learning inhibited.
Part 3. Special need students need to be “educated” with similar exceptional students or home schooled. As was stated previously 80% of the families of autist children get divorced. If the parents are stressed, isn’t it logical that the teachers become stressed also?

I assume I was an exceptional student also. I got my butt beated 2 to 3 times a week up to 3rd grade and then about once or twice a week till Jr High. In Jr high it leveled off to a couple of time a year. And BOY, they were one hell of a paddling. I graduated and have been paying taxes for the last 41 years. Today we medicate youngsters such as me. I think the paddling worked, but NOW, the kid should have been medicated AND sent to a special needs classroom. It’s not fair to hold back the “NORMAL” kids. OH, by the way, the other kids learned the end result of bad behavior because the teachers in the ole days paddled you in front of the classroom untill you cried. It didn’t matter how many wacks it took!

Sorry to hear about the voting by the classmates. Be sure you don’t move to ND as voting is allowed during IEP’s and has been OK’ed by an Administrative Law Judge during a due process hearing and then up held by a Federal Judge to boot (even though case law does not allow voting at IEP’s). If you have a special needs student, stay out of ND at all costs! Even the state employees suggest that you may want to move out of state to obtain the services your children are suppose to have a right to by “Federal Law”. This is not all school districts in ND but, is supported by the Department of Public Instruction by their turning a blind eye when it comes to the “Law”. You need to SEARCH for those districts who are not afraid of those who have special needs and are there to TEACH all children – not just those in sports.

Saw the story first on Drudge, and without knowing where the issue occurred, something told me Florida. What is it with the people in that state?

That child should not be in that classroom. He needs to be in a classroom that can handle his needs along with other children that have similar “special needs” and a Special Education Teacher that is qualified to teach them.

The mother is an idiot by the way… you cannot compare a teacher’s actions (non-violent ones I may add…) to Al Qaida… if that is how she feels then she should send her kid to a private school – ’cause it sounds that HER child is slowing developing into the terrorist!

Memo to all the media-gullible sheep who are outraged by this “story”:

You have presented one side of an emotional too-bad-to-be-true anecdote with no rebuttal from the other side. No questions as to why if the situation was so traumatic for the child, he would be forced to sit through a retelling of the incident in front of cameras and strangers.

And of course, you lap it up like the ignorant pigs the media knows you to be. No curiosity, no skepticism, just blind acceptance of information from a historically dishonest source.

Let pose a simple question to you, and I’ll type _really slowly_ so you won’t miss it:

Do you really think that, just this once, the media has accurately reported a sensationalistic story like this, or do you think that maybe they are attempting again to provoke controversy and conflict among the gullible masses over yet another triviality?

Let me give you some hints to jolt you from your stupor: Richard Jewell, Iraq War, WMD, the need to attack Iran, Alar, lack of a bubble in the housing market, domestic terrorism, Britney Spears, Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson, etc.

Notice the unspoken highlights of the story — the very black perpetrator, the very white victims. Next time, the roles will be reversed. Read the comments and notice how predictably you sheep are lead into ethnic conflict.

All while basic commodities continue to skyrocket and we face a lifetime of war. A few are benefiting at the expense of many and as long as you are so easily manipulated, it won’t change.

Ok, I’m done. Resume being outraged at _other_ stupid people.

Again I say, how many people were autistic 100 years ago? I’m willing to bet there’s a lot more autistic people now, and this is called a disorder?

I feel sorry for this kid, I really do. But you can’t keep disruptive kids in a class. It just isn’t fair to the rest of the class. This is the one reasons why my sister and her husband are sacrificing and sending their child to a private school. And it is one of the reasons if I ever have a kid I will try and do the same.

I see how the little children may have seen Alex as odd. Just like we do to Republicans that we are going to all vote out in November. But this kid could grow up to be another George Bush and become president one day. Just like the retarded pile of s*** in there now. And just like the new Republican candidates of failures to follow (McCain).

But one day soon, everyone will be standing on the ground they deserve to have, and they will have the responsibility that they are trusted with. Those that have failed all of us and our country they stand on now, May god have mercy on your souls…

It is really sad to me to see how many people believe anything they see on television. You need to get both sides of every story. People in this country are so very gullible. You cannot lynch a teacher on the word of one parent. You have to get her side too.

So sorry if I’m repeating previous comments. The story here is very much one sided and sensationalized already by the media. I speculate, but the mom doesn’t seem to be too bothered by this, only wants “revenge”, i.e. payment.

A point in case though is this. The child is in the process of being classified Sp. Ed. He is not classified already. Only in extreme circumstances will the schools test then classify before the age of 6. IDEA is not a factor here due to this.

The teacher may have been un-wise. On the other hand it’s the end of the school year, maybe they’re playing a game similar to survivor and he was chosen. We don’t know though, due to the bad reporting. We don’t even have a statement from the school!

Why are so many posters here so angry with the teacher?

She is obvious a special needs person herself. She needs your help, not your hate.

So she lost her patience and made a mistake and hurt the education of this class for a moment.

Alex does the same thing all day, every day. We don’t want to punish him by removing him from the school do we?

Than why do you want to punish this special needs teacher?

The public school system at its worst? Or should I say…normal. No harm here? This teacher will not loose anything. Nor, be fired. If this was a white teacher and this was a black child the MSM would be up in (Jesse, Al S. etc…)arms. I’m so sick of the non-reporting/over reporting PC crap.

There are several issues in this story that should be addressed.

1. The teacher needs to be fired, jailed and heavily fined.

2. How should parents and school systems deal with mainstreaming children who have obvious psychological problems. If you look at schooling as a competition, some children will lead, most will finish in the pack and become productive adults, and a few will not finish. In this day and age when the nation has a huge demand for it’s best and brightest to step forward, when we need to produce engineers and doctors, to promote highly skilled individuals, we can’t allow these exceptional children to be denied the best education simply to carry out a feel good, progressive scheme to make parents happy. It doesn’t benefit the majority of successful students and the little benefit gained through inclusion of the handicapped is probably erased because many simply can’t keep up.

3. A fundamental restructuring of how the U.S. educates it’s children. The school systems most of us were educated in haven’t changed except to become laboratories of social engineering. Urban schools, in particular, have absolutely collapsed and if we don’t get a handle on the situation it’s sure to spread into suburban and rural schools – similar to the teen birth rates moving from cities into the other regions. This will be the hardest area to address since so many people have a sacred cow to protect.

It’s easy for parents of “Normal” children to say that it is the mothers fault. They don’t know how the smallest thing can affect a child with special needs. My son has high functioning autism and we have been struggling with his school as well. How does a child feel when a resource teacher tells him how well he is doing and then his teacher tells him he is failing everything. Where are the teachers like those I had when I was in elementary school. I agree most teachers DO care about their kids. It’s teachers like this that make me sick. I suppose it is easier to try to get a parent to pull their child out of school instead of loving that individual and trying to teach. But what does that do to us as a society. My prayers are with you. I know what you are going through and all I can say is that special needs children may pose greater challenges but they also give more love than anyone else.

I was outraged when I heard this story, and I feel for Alex- the victim in all of this.
I have to say though, I think I felt just as outraged- if not more- reading some of the ignorant comments people made.
For those of you who OBVIOUSLY don’t know- Autism has nothing to do with intelligence. Many autistic kids- including my son- score high on cognitive tests, but have limited vocabulary. Many kids with Autism are mainstreamed and do well- with minimal distrubtion to the classroom. For ‘Evil Banker’-if your child is the genius you think he is- he will accel no matter the situation in one year of his academic life. He may even come out a better person than you- with some compassion for those not born with the ability to communicate as well as he. For ‘Been there”- autistic children are not “retarded”- although you might qualify based on your remarks here. For ‘BRENDA’- you are obviously ignorant- and a racist. You could no doubt benefit from some special need classes yourself- as could many others.

My first child is very intelligent (her teachers will tell you so). My son, has Autism. He is also very smart and sweet. He struggles everyday with things that most of you seem to take for granted. If I were you- I’d be thankful that you and your families have all these abilities that many with autism do not. You choose instead to spew your judgement and ignorance- and I know this comment will not stop you or others like you. However, I hope 1 person will stop and think before they comment. It is but for the grace of God that your lives are not affected by a disorder of which you clearly have no understanding.
I use to question why my son God. I don’t anymore- he is a delight, I wouldn’t trade him for anything. I also realize now- God has to give these special kids to those of us more accepting of others differences and less self absorbed than many of you here.

It is very sad to see the negative comments against the child. My grandson has Asperger’s Syndrome. For those of you who judge without knowing what the syndrome is, Asperger’s is a highly functioning form of autism. My grandson’s IQ is extremely high. Many of you say children with Asperger’s should be in special education classes. Granted they often need a little more patience and understanding than others but you should try to get special help for them. It is almost impossible. Anyone who has a child with any sort of special needs knows what hell it is to deal with the school system.

What really hurts me more than anything is to see just how many bigoted, close-minded people there are that pass judgement and make comments without even knowing what Asperger’s is. Albert Einstein was thought to have Aspergers. It is also thought that Bill Gates does too as do several other prominent people. Those who think these children should be put in special education classes where they will not bother “normal” children should be careful of what they are teaching their children. What bothers me the most about my grandson having Aspergers is having to live in a world with people like you.

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
The real monster here is the ‘teacher’. She should be arrested and charged with felony child abuse. After she has had five or six years in prison to reflect on her evil actions we could consider letting her out under the condition that she lives by the same rules as convicted sex offenders. Hopefully this way she will never have contact with another child ever.

Schools all around the country are failing! My son is special needs and we had to develop his IEP with his doctors assistance because the school and all their professionals had no clue how to deal or adapt. After visiting my sons school it is apparent the teachers are clueless and the students run the show. Teachers do not take control of the classrooms.

Children are cruel regardless of their age. My own child has had trouble in school developing social connections due to his disability. Unfortunately there are only a total of 20 kids in the entire 4th grade, a very tiny school. I would feel very outraged if the students were asked what they didn’t like about my child.

I recommend the mother get a special needs attorney that deals in education and develop an IEP and possibly consider legal action. It seems the only way schools will learn is through their pocket books!

Voted out of the classroom? This is what today’s TV driven culture has become … Survivor.

To those who complain about “disruptive kids” it is entirely possible that the boy is in a mainstreaming process so that he can learn to be with non special needs peers. To put him in a straight special needs classroom would mean that on top of all he has gone through, *his* education is damaged.

Ausberegers children tend to be very high functioning, they just have trouble with social issues.

The administratio is who should be blamed for this, not the teacher. She reached her breaking point – and not in the best of ways, either…obviously. And clearly the mother is just now finding out that her son is indeed special needs, so how was the teacher supposed to know that for a fact? They can’t move the kid until they know that. As for what he was doing that got him kicked out of class, I knew plenty of “normal” kids in school that displayed a lot of anti-social behaviour, including myself, so let’s not disparage this one and make him feel like he’s the bad guy.

As for the commenter who criticized Harry Smith for his comment about “not going there” – he was just reining in this woman’s outrageous comparison! Al Queda compared to this one teacher? Gimme a break. She needs to climb down off that ivory tower and chastise her special little guy for talking while she is attempting to talk. He may be slightly autistic, but that doesn’t mean that he’s beyond learning manners. In many ways, autistic children have a lot of talents that we mere mortals don’t possess.

Larse,
Only a fool would take the plight of a child and use it to bash the president. Get your head examined.

For all of you people out there disparaging the student and the accommodation given him by fellow students and the school, take a breath. Your brain cells are dying. This is a country of compassion. We all possess attributes that make us unique. We are all entitled to the same education access and for parents of “normal” kids to comment as if they are entitled to a “special – free” class just shows how our society has degraded over the past 30 years. You are an embarrassment as an American. This child is entitled to quality education through the No Child Left Behind Act, and if he is able to function in a standard class, he ought to be allowed. Period. As for the teacher, she ought to be civilly liable for all of the cost the school district is going to pay out in legal costs. She ought to be wiped out financially, stripped of her teaching certificate and removed from her duties. I am a teacher and this example of classroom leadership is an embarrassment to the rest of us who bust out butts to provide a quality learning environment. This is one instance where our union ought to tell its member to take a hike. Examples like her are unwelcome in the Union. As for the school leadership, they ought to suspend the teacher immediately, pending the outcome of legal action. She should be assigned duties not to include teaching or instructing school students. That type of classroom would not be tolerated in Idaho, where action against the teacher would be immediate, Union not withstanding. We prefer our teachers to possess a bit of integrity, which is clearly lacking in this Florida teacher.

This is what happened to Keith Olberman, in 2nd grade and at ESPN.

I would still like to hear the teacher’s side of the story. The very heartbreaking way that this story is framed is clearly inflaming passions, and that is not the best way to learn the truth. As a teacher, and knowing how far education classes go to instill “tolerance” into every new teacher, I find it hard to believe that someone can do this. If this really is the whole story, she needs to go, and now.

However, sympathy for the child and outrageous behavior from a teacher should not lead us to ignore a crucial question – should the child have been in that class in the firt place? I have taught many special ed students in my science class, and am very sympathetic to including/mainstreaming as many of them as possible, but it also seems to me that the desire to “include” everyone sometimes leads to bad choices. Again, in no way shape or form does that excuse this behavior from this teacher (again, assuming it is an accurate depiction).

“Ausberegers children tend to be very high functioning, they just have trouble with social issues.”

And why do we call this a disorder?

What I don’t like about Wendy Portillo: She’s a gang leader. She lead the other students into berating and rejecting this helpless kid.

My vote: I vote her “OUT” of the human race.

My prediction: NEA to the rescue.

Here is the deal:

1) Depending on the ethnic makeup of the school’s community, the teacher may not be fired because she is a minority. That’s not a racist statement, that’s a factual statement based on how public schools tend to evaluate situations such as these when making decisions. It’s horrible, but this is a reality we all need to understand.

2) Being in an Education program, it astounds me at some of the people that are produced to teach. Fault certainly lies with the people who trained her.

3) The teacher should be fired IF the events described here are factual. Parents are, to be blunt, sometimes idiots and tend to blow things out of proportion depending on how involved they are with their children.

4)I question why the mother would appear on television with her child. But then, see #3

5) To the idiots promoting private schools- I know people who work at Private Schools. Let me tell you, they are the biggest educational joke in the world. Everything is rubber stamped for the kids as long as their tuition check clears. Putting a child with special needs there, unless it is a school specializing in the area, would fix nothing.

6) The child should be allowed to remain in the class with students until he is officially diagnosed, at which point (based on severity) a decision should be made as to whether or not he needs special classes. You simply cannot lump all special kids together. Doing so is detrimental for those with lesser handicaps

7) If you don’t like what happened here, get more involved with your school community and prevent things like this from happening again.

It’s psychologically damaging for an adult to work with five year old kids year after year. One hour teaching them is like working 3 to 4 hours of a normal job. Who have you got to talk to? A 5 year old! Not to mention the noise. Compound that with the normal stress of life and mistakes will happen.
Some school systems in Europe are now reducing considerably the work load of preschool/kindergarten teachers because the teachers are totally burned out. I feel sorry for Wendy Portillo, she needs a break.

Well, it’s clear now that our education system is one big fat failure. Not only because of the horrendous situation regarding Alex, but mainly because of the outrageous, ignorant commentary some people have the sad need to display in a public forum.
There is no need to wonder aloud about these people, you’re just giving them the attention that they crave, They’re like children, throwing rocks in the dark…spouting hate behind the anonymous curtain of the internet. It makes them feel big, and tough…like the bullies they most likely were when in school themselves. Cowards. Crank callers. Hit and run ‘drivers’.
This doesn’t just happen to children with special needs. It happens to the unpopular kids, the ‘chubby’ kids, the ’skinny’kids, the ones who eat the paste, or pick their noses. Most teachers know better than to single the unpopular kids out (although they are nearly always abhorent to punishing the bullies..they rather focus on the victim, and try to make him/her learn to “COPE” with the abuse.). But I must say, you have to be a particularly harsh brand of stupid to ostracize a child with special needs. These are the ones that need our compassion and understanding the most. Believe me, the other students aren’t ’suffering’ for the wont of learning to help the ones who needs it the most. Instead, they learn valuable life lessons, that one can only HOPE they someday bring home to their less compassionate, so much more ignorant parents.

Naw, that kid would never do anything to disrupt his class. I’ll bet the rest of the class got about 15 min. of teaching a day with that kid around.

If story is true, teacher should be fired.

Wendy portillo should be fired. I would love to see the reaction if the teacher was white and the kid was black! jesse jackson where are you??

Actually, Susannah Kleindinst, we prefer our teachers have a bit of intelligence, which is clearly lacking in yourself.

Of the teacher, you say “She ought to be wiped out financially”. What?!? You don’t even know that this story is even close to being accurate. You have uncritically accepted the words of a journalist without hearing the other side. And because you are so voluntarily ignorant, someone else should be financially ruined?

Oh, you’re a unionized teacher. Your incoherent comments reinforce the stereotype of unionized public school teachers as generally dimwitted and less than ideal role models for our children, unless the goal is to prepare them for a life of subservient mediocrity.

Think about it (yes, you, think). Just as this story is a heartbreaking tale about a teacher and a classroom of children ganging up on a child because he is different, imagine another story. The story of a teacher whose career and life are ruined because a gullible public is eager to burn a witch based on a one-sided unsubstantiated sensational story in the media. Which one is true? I don’t know and neither do you. But that doesn’t stop you from calling for her head.

So, no, integrity is not so clearly lacking in that Florida teacher as it is in yourself.

This story saddens me not only for what this child and mother have been subjected to but also because of the comments that have come from this situation that shows how intolerable people are becoming.
One should just whack the child on the rump because she doesn’t have good parenting skills, that will take care of the problem, how ridiculous!!
Or why are we just now finding out about autism because it wasn’t diagnosed 100 years ago. I was 52 years old before I found out I had Marfan syndrome and ended up with 4 open heart surgeries. My doctor said I was lucky they were just now finding out about this because so many were dying without realizing what the cause was nor what to do to help prevent further problems.
I understand what Asberger’s is because we have it in our family and this person is highly intelligent and a beautiful musician but he does lack the social/communicative skills that we take for granted.
If this teacher was at her breaking point she needed to look at other avenues of releasing her frustration but to take it out on this child and force the other children to be part of this is just plain wrong in my eyes.
I hope those who have children or are themselves diagnosed with autism that you will find more sympathy and assitance than this teacher or school system showed. I never heard of voting a child out of a class. Where is heaven’s name did this ever become part of the educational curriculum.
If this teacher feels she is being treated unfairly with this news article, she needs to speak up and explain her side and why she did this to this beautiful child.

Hey lets let the teacher tell what happened. This is a one sided conversation. If the teacher actually did this ,of ourse it should be “goodbye teacher”. It is the principal’s job to investigate . They would have to follow the school district policy. Can anyone see a lawsuit coming?

I would consider not functioning well with the majority of your peers while possessing a higher intellect a gift. This is especially true when your peers are the mindless majority who lack any critical thinking, logic, or self-control. No matter how cool their peers are in school, or what kind of illiterate, overemotional reactionaries their peers grow up to be, it is definitely good to not fit in with the majority.

Get your kids into appropriate private schools. If they have ’special needs’ then find a school that can address that. Move to a new town or state if you have to. Live in a hovel and drive a POS to your two jobs if necessary to afford it. Your kids will thank you.

I know I thank my parents. I survived the Utah AND California public daycare systems (as well as the states and their disfunctional societies themselves) before my parents had enough and put me in a private high school. It wasn’t until the 9th grade that I was actually held to an intelligent standard, and I started trying to meet and exceed it.

Granted that only one side of the story has been presented thus far. IF true, that teacher should be fired immediately for subjecting that child to such humiliation and for encouraging the kids to humiliate and brutalize their classmate like that. Conditions like his may respond well in the early years but not with teachers like her!

Compare this story to the one about the huge (225+pound) 13-yr-old autistic kid in Minnesota whose mother was legally restrained from attending Mass. If THAT child had received the help he needed when he was around Alex’s age, he might have developed differently! Let’s hope Alex doesn’t turn into another Bertha-Minnesota tragedy!

Also, Alex needs to be diagnosed and his educational future decided at that time, and not by an impromptu Lynch Mob of kindergartners stirred up by a bigoted teacher!

The grotesque inhumanity expressed by some people in response to a story that is obviously meant to evoke emotions sickens me.

Now that I’ve convinced all y’all to at least try drowning the witch before you burn it, why don’t we turn to more important topics than whether this sensational one-sided story has any resemblance with the truth. Here are the larger questions that the media doesn’t even want to even present _one_ side of:

1. Why have we had such an explosion in Autism and related spectrum disorders? Increased awareness and reporting is nonsense. You know what autism looks like. Think of how many autistic children you have encountered in the last 5 years. How many did you meet/see/know when you were a kid? Big difference, huh? Think it’s your lack of awareness when you were a kid? Ask someone who is 60 years old and they will tell you they have seen the explosion occur during their adulthood. Media would rather have you hunt witches than ask this question.

2. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a parent to deal with an Asperger’s or autistic child? Whatever difficulties you may face in life pale when compared to the unrelenting 24-hour demands of even a moderately autistic child. Not too many stories in the media about this.

3. What effect does the mainstreaming of an autistic child have on the students and teacher in a classroom? Ask any teacher you know what is the single most difficult issue they are dealing with today and if it is likely to drive them from the profession of teaching. No sensational stories in the media about this.

4. Has it occurred to you that a society that is unwilling to see the root cause of autism is therefore not willing to find an effective remedy, because to do so would acknowledge the cause? What emotional impact does this have on parents of autistic children? Media won’t go there.

Most of the people who have posted comments here are morons. Classroom instruction only works when everyone clearly understands the rules of instruction: You raise your hand and are recognized by the teacher before you open your yap and start to drool. There is no standing and running around. There is no hiding under tables. If you have a child that cannot understand and go along with these simple simple rules than you have a child that needs special education.

All the morons that tried to make the point that the idiot subject of this debate is more intelligent than his classmates and is special are welcome to advance him to the appropriate special grade his intelligence is best demonstrated in. I figure he’s at least a 13th grader and should get prompt admission to that grade.

Those of you who think the teacher should be fired are morons. Those who think that treating exceptionally stupid out of control children as if they are no different from normal children are morons.

I can get away with calling most of you morons because most of you refuse to accept or believe in the whole idea of classifying intellect and refuse to believe or accept that some people are morons. Morons. What exactly is wrong with gathering all of the lowest common denominators and providing them with instruction where they can all appreciate the uncontrolled outbursts and sudden enthusiasms of their peers? Really, what’s wrong with that?

What do you expect from an ignorant n****r?

Childhood joke:

Q: A big moron and a little moron were standing on a mountain and the Big moron fell off. Why did the big moron fall off?

A: Because he was Curtis. Get it?

No, and neither does Curtis. There is no bigger moron than a simplistic moron who sees everything in black and white and has the emotional IQ of doorknob.

Melanie May 28th, 2008 – 8:02 pm — “I have Asperger’s, it is a lack of social skills, not a lack of intelligence. In fact, children with Asperger’s syndrome are often gifted…”

Exactly. And this child’s problems are predominantly behavioral, accordingly. Asperger’s does not (almost, never) apply to individuals who are “morons” or intellectually/mentally impaired as to intelligence, but who are moreorless “contained” in a series of social, “display” limitations and they’re very often perceived by “normal” individuals wrongly.

Asperger’s, as also others with Autism, have aversions to direct eye contact, don’t often speak or display well (watch the video) and CAN be INTERPRETED as being mentally challenged or affected, when, it’s anything but with Asperger’s. Asperger’s are usually quite bright, exceptionally more well focused than “average” or “normal” individuals and becuase of that, with good opportunities and resources, can become exceptional achievers. Steven Spielberg, for example, has Asperger’s Syndrome and many others of similar accomplishments have had it.

As to this situation, however, THIS IS A KINDERGARTEN ENVIRONMENT. These children are four or five years old and are present in this kindergarten environment FOR PURPOSES OF LEARNING SOCIAL SKILLS — it’s not an academic environment, they’re still literally developing an awareness of society outside their own families. So, thus, what this teacher did to this child — Asperger’s or not — was particularly damaging and just plain wrong. Certainly it was an inept act that damaged the very learning environment for the general child, including this child with Asperger’s.

I agree that later in academic development (say, by the mid-grade level) that there needs to be separation according to achievement levels. This produces excellence up to achievement levels among all achievement levels: classes organized upon academic performance and limited to peers of a shared academic ability, from the highest achieving down to the least. The classes are taught “to the level” of the peer environment and are not disarrayed to any lower level that then discourages the more intelligent and/or well prepared from being challenged.

But this case is kindergarten. The children are there to develope social skills, empathy, to increase awareness of behaviors. Thus, a child with Asperger’s should pose a learning environment for all children, in a realm of social skills, not discourage or “annoy” them.

Bravo to the children who supported this child and attempted to exercise some proper empathy with his behavioral conflicts. But this individual as teacher is not qualified to be in this profession. I am, literally, aghast at her crude, severe and emotionally damaging behavior in this situation.

my son has been diagnosed with asberger’s syndrome. he is 12 yo. my son has a multitude of problems;not the least of which is peer pressure. the first questions asked are usually asked of the the class mates of the child; and not the the child in question. when asked first these children usually answer that they feel left out,like no one else in their classes get or understand them.instead of trying to make my son understand the ways that the other children see my son is different to each child in the room, they have asked the others what is different here.MY BIG QUESTION IS WHAT IS SO DIFFERENT????? instead of pointing out differences amongst students, should’nt teachers be pointing out what is the same between these students.or better yet; maybe these teachers that MY MY MY MY tax money pay for would be better used to teach everyone in the classroom about reading,writing, an arithmitic,social studies,science,history……………… it seems to me that everyone here has lost their mind .these kids with asbergers need to be taught; and i thought that was what teachers were for until recently.We as AMERICANS need to realize that we are all different. instead of celebrating our differences;which make us individuals and different;;(this is what has made the world go round for sooooooo long now),we have celebrated what makes us the same. political correctness goes out the window with difference. what should be politically correct now is WE ARE DIFFRENT. THIS IS WHAT HAS MADE AMERICA GREAT FROM 17776- 1928. SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE LOST OUR FOCUS. WHAT USED TO BE ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAS NOW CHANGED.it is now all about me and what i can get.instead of let me help you out it is now about let me walk on you. at some point comes a revolution in thinking.at some point in the near future comes a new way; till then my son is a ward of the state,diagnosed with multiple disorders;that usually come with (INSERT PROBLEM HERE).maybe now is the time for change in how we treat others day or in how we teach others to treat ourselves day to day……….

“Ausberegers children tend to be very high functioning, they just have trouble with social issues.” — And why do we call this a disorder?

Because Asperger’s Syndrome is a “syndrome” or “range” of BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS. Not of the “criminal” or “moral” kind but just generally a range of behaviors that is not entirely socially tuned-in; individuals don’t recognize the same social signals that a normal person does, they aren’t integrated socially like a normal person is or has the capacity to be.

It’s not caused by parents, it’s just a hardwiring problem of the central nervous system; those with Asperger’s, for example, don’t focus well in general but then have this intense focus on certain, often inexplicable, issues or events or subjects that a person of normal function would become bored from in time (Asperger’s are, by comparison, remarkably focused on issues THEY deem important and can often ignore general other issues that they’re asked or commanded to focus on, and it creates an appearance of being unruly or “stupid”).

But it’s not a case of mental limitations; quite the contrary. Many with Asperger’s are exceptionally intelligent, they just are not focused like a normal person is. Eye contact with others is bothersome to them very often, in average situations, they don’t understand how to socially behave in a “non annoying” fashion, it’s a general behavioral sortof “buzzed” or disarray socially. And because of that, Asperger’s are often misperceived by “normal” people as being annoying or not paying proper attention or being vague and perhaps unreliable mentally and such, when it’s anything but that.

The social signals they display tend to bother normally socially displayed people, in other words, yet Asperger’s work out in their own minds how to excell despite these limited social skills or even problematic social skills. So it’s not a case of retardation or mental limitation, it’s a case of social integration or lack thereof, or, inability to literally just “act normally” among others. Asperger’s can be traumatized by social criticisms and keen attention, looking at them, singleing them out, these are traumatic situations for those with Asperger’s.

Dr No May 29th, 2008 – 12:09 am — “I feel sorry for this kid, I really do. But you can’t keep disruptive kids in a class. It just isn’t fair to the rest of the class.”

The proper thing for this teacher to have done was to appeal to the school Administrator for special considerations, not to take it upon herself to emotionally abuse and traumatize the entire class of four and five year olds to solve what the teacher decided was a problem of “disruption” of the class.

There are professional and capable ways to contend with these situations and if any child’s truly not capable of being tolerable within and to a group of peers, age-wise, then it’s the adult’s responsibility to act responsibly.

In this case, even after watching the child’s obvious affects on this tape, he sounds intellectually quite capable — he could respond very sensibly for his age or any age to the teacher’s inquiries (”where are you going to go now,” or “what are you going to do now” and the little guy answered very reasonably, also knew how to best care for himself in that traumatic situation by going to the school office and waiting there for his mother), he knew how to explain the situation to his mother, etc., he essentially acted responsibly and without harming anyone (important).

The teacher, on the other hand, appears to be the one who was disfunctional, who acted in all the “anti social” ways most adults would not want any child to act. In this case, the little Asperger’s guy seems to have “out adulted” the adult, who in turn behaved like a problem child.

And I bet the Asperger’s child did not understand what the problem actually was and in that, learned nothing other than he was “bad” somehow without knowing why.

I just love public schools. I can’t say Fuc%, Shi%, Pis$, etc on this forum BUT I’m supposed to have my 5 Y.O. child hear it from this demented child Every Day in a Learning Environment!

This failed Social Experiment known as Public Education needs to be brought to ground.

I bet if they try to to fire this teacher, the union will be there to make sure she stays in her job. Making sure teachers are overpaid, and keeping the worst, most vicious people in control of our kids is what the NEA is all about. They put kids, and education. The National Education Association is to education as the American Cancer Society is to cancer.

1. It does not always correlate that a child with Asperger’s is also a disruptive force in a classroom environment.
2. There are varying degrees of severity with Asperger’s. Many children diagnosed with Asperger’s continue on to live normal, productive adult lives. Asperger’s is simply a label to classify a subset of behaviors within the autism spectrum.
3. Parents, by and large, aren’t “forcing” their children to be part of a normal class, though what parent wouldn’t desire that of their kid. Rather, the IEP arrived at and agreed upon by the school officials and the parents describes the environment that will be provided to assist the child. School officials certainly have the right to recommend removing children from a regular classroom if they feel the behavior is having a disruptive influence. For whatever reason, that didn’t happen here.

Regardless of your opinions about how this situation was handled, I think that reasonable people could conclude the following:

A. We don’t have enough information to form an opinion on the appropriateness of the child being in the regular classroom.
B. Even if he ought not to have been there, the teacher acted inappropriately and negatively impacted not just Alex, but the rest of the class. That simply isn’t how a class of kindergartners should be taught to deal with other children.

I know two children with Asperger’s:
* My son, who is in regular class but pulled out for specialized services. He is never a disruption and is very popular.
* His friend. He too is in regular class but his personality is such that he is hard to control and sometimes very disruptive.

The issue isn’t simple or straightforward, except for this: The teacher should be fired. No brainer.

Kelly,
You a bigger jerk than that f****** teacher.

I think all of these disruptive kids need to be in one classroom Together. If they are not disruptive as some of you claim, what would be the harm of them being with their peers?

The treatment of these kids should not include making their problem the problem of someones else’s kid!

If you have a disruptive, damaged kid, deal with it, don’t make it my problem. I have my own problems that you don’t need to nor want to deal with. That’s called Personal Responsibility!!!

Whata concept!! Had one yet some of you continued to have other damaged kids. What kind of selfish sense does that make?

1st one, Pity me, 2nd one Pity You!! Real World!

Good, get the little retard out of there. Quit dragging down everyone else in the class so this little creep can have pretend to be like the others.

Another thought!

What if you were in a public environment and the person next to you keeps Farting stinky farts?

Would you expect them to excuse themselves? Would you tell them to move? Would you think it was your problem? Would you call the management and ask them to remove the Farter?

Very similar to what we have here!!! Common sense gives you the answer! Oh yes, and as the Farter is being removed by management he is going to threaten a law suit!! As we know it is certainly his right to Fart in our faces!!

For all of you so willing to throw the autistics of the lifeboast maybe you should really learn about it first. It is a neurobiological disorder. And, it takes your childs lifes and its so sickening to know that people older tha 8 call children like my son retards. You see he is not. In certain instances he is smarter than most of the people on this board – judging purely by what they think they know about Autism. Most Autism parents do not want our children mainstreamed because they improve at the greatest level when surrounded by other children of the spectrum. From low to high functioning. Behavior modification therapy takes years, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy in order for our children to ever have a shot at a mainstreamed normal life.

the more they do in groups together and especially outside school the better. My son is high functioning he talks endlessly, he bites he’s agressive he must have his rigid routines and they must be following just like most Autistic of his type. He can also tell you every single piece of any type of Fire Engine and how to work each includge the gauges or water pressure he litteraly has freaked fireman out since he was 4 he is now nearly 8. He knows algebra and talk at length about both the early current and future plans of NASA. That is what will happen with that kid that was kicked out of class he just had doctors that didn’t know what they are doing. We had to go to John Hopkins to get my son offically diagnosed and I stayed behind for over a year for him to get the intense treatment he needed with he was 21/2 or else he would be in God knows what state today.
Autism is an epidemic today 1 out of 150 children born each day in the US will be autistic. I would be careful of Karma people if I were you because it is a difficult and crushing journey to take and we are lucky in debt but lucky. I would hate to have my kid on most of your lifeboats.

wow!! i guess we now know why our country is in the state its in…. we have a bunch of illiterate, amoral adults like kelly, mule, and mary right thinking its ok to ostracize a child because he has developmental issues brought on most likely by our crappy environment and overuse of vaccines…
My aspie daughhter gets a social skills class .. TOO BAD THE OTHER IDIOTS ON HERE HAVENT BEEN FORCED TO TAKE A SOCIAL SKILLS CLASS, perhaps theyd learn tolerance.
Afterall WE have all had to learn to live with obtuse a****** like kelly, mule, and mary right in our world and they are far more damaged than my aspie kid or any other dev delayed child will ever be… lets hope those idiots never reproduce !!

I vote this woman OUT of the classroom!

Three cheers for those two children, who at age five or six, were able to stand up to an adult and 14 peers and vote their conscience! Perhaps they will be President one day and then we can have a voice of reason!

SO, all of you critics of me—

You think I should set there smelling the Farts just to be fair?

Or better yet, make sure I dry My kids eyes and Suck it up every time they come home from the public school that I fund and tell me the stinking farts are taking their minds off of why They can’t learn in Their classroom!!!

You just can’t admit it is a problem your family has can you. You intend to make my life hell because you have a problem!

How about if I’m your neighbor and I start a pig farm, have a constantly barking dog, have loud fights with my mate, don’t mow my grass, leave junk in my front yard, repair my car on jacks in my front yard for the last 3 years, etc.

Of course you get it, it is just too much to bear by yourselves so you need to make it my problem so I understand what your migraine feels like!!

Political correctness, once again, is clearly proven to be destructive of everything it touches. The idea that one undisiplined kid is allowed to screw up the education of dozens of disciplined kids is outrageous.

Damned liberals are taking this nation down. I hate ‘em.

So lets see here—Typical Public Education Class Room

We have these disruptive autistic kids.

We have the blacks from “disadvantaged” homes from the projects who have had No guidance since birth and who have seen it and been diddling cousin Makala
for 3 years.

We have the jewish kids who report back to their zionist parents if a prayer is given or a U.S. Flag is presented in class.

We have the illegal spanish speaking kids who can’t understand a thing that is being presented in class.

AND we have my kid who is the child of a U.S. Citizen, not a trouble maker, has been loved and nurtured since birth and knows he has a future as a good, productive citizen if he can Just learn!

Let’s Have a special education class Just for him!!!

Let the others be together in the Zoo you bleeding hearts want!!

That cruel teacher should not be in charge of a classroom of 5 year olds. It’s evil to do what she did, she should be fired. I have four children and the effect of a bad teacher can last for years. I hope she Ms. BArotn can home school Alex and get him out of that abusive environment. FORCED public education produces the elitist attitude of teachers like Alex got stuck with. Miserable teacher should be in another line of work.

I’m curious to know if all of those that wish to have the child removed from the mainstream classroom environment would feel the same if the child decided he wanted to wear high heels and a dress? Because we all know that being gay is hard wired into us from birth while high functioning autism is learned. So just have the little guy dress up like his mom and he’ll be considered perfectly normal and he’ll even become a celebrity for the school. There obviously is no tolerance being taught in this school unless your part of a politically correct form of biological disorder?

Some of the comments written here are mind boggling and point to the ignorance of most of our society about special needs children and those with an autistic spectrum disorder in particular. The prevailing attitude seems to be that if someone is slightly “different” and you do not quite understand them, then exclude them. A special needs child can fit seemlessly into a mainstream class with the help of a qualified special ed. itinerant teacher assigned to that child specifically. This integration is not about denial as one idiotic poster put it, it is about integrating a child into mainstream society where he or she can have peer models. The poster referring to denial obviously does not have a special needs child as for those who do, denial is difficult when they are faced with their child’s struggle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is something you never escape. The ignorance blows me away.

5 year olds are not competent to make such decisions. Clearly, neither is their teacher. Having monitored kindergarden classes for years aiding exceptional teachers in a K-12 school, I can tell you, had any such votes ever occurred, the children that would be voted out were the class leaders and academic stars in high school.

Aspergers syndrome, while socially discomfitting to the collective pack mentality, produces some of the greatest scientists and mathematicians Western society has ever known. Maybe some of those 5 year old future non achievers could use the example in situ.

You people that say this child deserved what he got are idiots. I have a special needs daughter and guess what, until you walk a mile in the shoes of the parent then kiss my A**. Yes this childs needs to be in a special class, however, this child also should mainstream with “normal” kids. The “normal” kids help in the development and can make the child feel better. Maybe this child was Smarter than the other kids, but had a problem expressing himself. The thing is you DO NOT KNOW!!! Until you have a special needs child, you don’t know.

Also, since it is a black teacher, she will not be touched. What would happen if it was a minority child with a white teacher? The white teacher would be lynch mobbed by the NAACP right now and fired on the spot.

Granted the Child was distracting to the other Children but the Teacher handled the entire situation very badly and should be disciplined.
What should have happened was the Schools Counciler
should have spoken with the Parents about getting Him into a special needs class instead of what happened.Then again some Parents refuse to do this.
There was a Child in My Son’s School that was in a Motorized Wheelchair and was totally out of control. He would yell and scream in Class and needed the kind of care that a Public School cannot give but the Parents refused to have Him in a special School and threatened Legal action if the School refused Him entry to Class.
Maybe Kid’s should be evaluated for learning problems before They are allowed to enter Regular School to help prevent this from happening again.

Give me your torch Alex!

I love these light hearted stories.

Where’s Al Sharpton and the Rev Jesse Jackson and the band of rainbow merry men? They arent crying racism for the public scrutiny of this teacher? If the roles were reversed, there would be parades, bus loads of supporters, and public outlashings to get the teacher fired. Wow how the roles are reversed and the teacher is placed on administrative duty

It’s stunning to read the liberal’s take on this situation.

Notice how they are incapable of acknowledging facts? If discipline cannot be maintained in the classroom no one can learn — only idiots, fools and liberals ignore this reality.

How do liberals suppress factual evidence on…any subject? They inject feelings, sensitivity, emotion — just as, say, chimpanzees or dogs react to events which they “feel” are potentially harmful to their pack or personal mental vision of life — they jump up and down chanting, “I feel sorry for him! Don’t hurt anyone’s feelings! Treat everyone the same because we’re all equal!”

Or they bark (at us) “I’m better than you because I love everyone and I want to hug everyone and help everyone! I CARE, AND YOU DON’T!”

The same liberals will tell us that an America-hating, unpatriotic liar like Hussein Obama is who we need as president.

Liberals…I hate ‘em.

I am a father of two special needs children, both autistic. Were this to happen at either of their schools, the first thing I would do would be to request to see the training this woman had to teach autistic children. Well, actually, that would have been done prior to my children being placed in the classroom. You know, we do have rights, as parents, to find out what kind of training these teachers have. It’s the law – in Maryland, anyway.

She is clearly untrained, and further, completely out of her league when it comes to dealing with any child’s feelings. How she is capable of teaching 5 year olds is beyond me. I’d like to know what the parents of the other 16 children think. Are they comfortable with a teacher who is capable of being so very callous to a child? Today, it’s my child with autism. Tomorrow, it’s your child who stutters.

Mom should press charges against the teacher. Little Alex did not deserve to be treated that way.

And as for the commentary on why Alex should be in a special needs classroom–I agree. However, thanks to No Child Left Behind, and a host of financial issues that schools go through, the parent often has to FIGHT to have their child placed in an appropriate classroom setting. It seems that Mom is seeking to have Alex coded, and that the school is reluctant to undertake the special education testing and subsequent IEP planning that would follow.

I hope that Mom is able to have Alex identified with whatever disability that he has, and that the school fires the teacher, and that the school also recognizes that Alex deserves an APPROPRIATE education, a one on one aide, and whatever else is deemed necessary.

This kid should not be in class with normal children ruining the first year of school in their lives. He should be in a special school or special class with others like him and teachers specially trained to deal with his condition.

Although the teacher was wrong to entrust 5 year olds to decide such a thing not to mention having the kid stand and be told why the other kids don’t like him. I suspect she was so exasperated by him that she wanted to take out the frustration by seeing him suffer.

It is disgusting that this child and mother were put in this position, as well as shocking that the teacher could be so heartless.

But that should not cloud the facts. Poor Alex deserves a proper education, which likely does entail an alternative classroom setting, for his and other students’ benefit. It is a sad state of affair that we have so many parents convinced that they are doing the right things for their children with disabilities by blindly trying to “integrate” them into normality. Alex likely as a good chance of living a very decent life, if everyone stops playing politics and addresses the facts as soon as possible.

Likewise, as mentioned by Lyn, the teacher’s action likely comes as one of absolute desperation, borne out of seeing her class fall behind, not being able to provide the care and attention Alex needs, and finding no support within the educational administration.

If a society is to be judged by any criteria, surely how it protects and provides for its weak is the most valuable one. This is a serious indictment of our culture and our values.

Wendy Portillo is not a teacher. She is a bully. She is a destroyer.
By her intimidation, inciting her class to vote!!!? Is this really happening?! This is an absolute outrage!!!
There are some ugly, unacknowledged truths in this woman’s closet. Anger management might be in order. Perhaps face time with a psychologist.
Not only should this unfortunate woman be fired immediately, the school needs to be sanctioned and put under white hot scrutiny.
I am appalled at this incident and am heart-broken for Alex.
All my love Alex XOXOXOXOX

It is obvious that the kid does not belong in a regular education classroom. How about the education of the 16 other students that the kid is impeding? The best thing for that kid is to be moved to a special needs classroom.

It should be noted that Asperger Syndrome is not Autism. It is Autism Spectrum disorder. I have worked with many children and Parents who have children who have been labled this, and even the school physcologists change the term from Austism Spectrum Disorder to Autism. Asperger’s is basically the P.C. term for “nerd”.

Children with this “disorder” *wink *wink are typically high functioning but lack nonverbal communication skills. It should be noted that Autism Spectrum Disorder is not Autism.

I was once in a meeting where a teacher who worked with these students was highly upset because the state recently passed a ruling that said that only people with Physcology/Medical degrees could diagnose students with Austim Spectrum Disorder. They are now starting to require that parents get second opinions from sources outside of schools. The teacher was very upset about this, because she felt that she was qualified to be testing and labeling kids, even though she has her Master’s in Special Education. Later, she informed us that we should be labeling the kids with the disorder that is the most severe (in general terms), even though that disablity may not be the most severe case that the child has (in personal terms). This was handed down from the school adminstration and told to us because it “helps with funding”.

It should be noted that from my personal experience, students who are entirely normal functioning but highly intellegent are sometimes classified into Autism Spectrum Disorder, by a teacher who has NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND. This is akin to a Person with a Poly.Sci. degree practing law without going to college for it or passing the bar exam.

I am not saying that this disorder does not exist, or that the teacher was doing the right thing by kicking the kid out of class, but I want to bring to light an issue that has bugged me involving this disorder. I just think it is very odd that no one is questioning this when it is so obvious that there are many students with bad behavior who aren’t punished at home for being bad, end up being labeled with Austim Spectrum Disoder by unqualified school workers for the purpose of getting school funding.

Does this disorder exist? Yes. Does every other child have it? No.

Some children cannot be mainstreamed. Perhaps this is one of those children. It is not fair to all of the other students. If this childs behavior on camera is indicative of what he does in the classroom, I feel sorry for the other children. Shame on the school for letting it go this far. The teacher should have removed him daily until the school or mother got him a special needs teacher.

First of all, this teacher needs to be placed in front of all her teacher peers and let each one of them tell what they do not like about her.

Second, she needs to be fired.

Third, the principle needs to be fired for not taking action.

Fourth, thanks to CBS for trying to censor the mother in what she can say and think. The mother is right, terrorists see nothing wrong in what they do and this teacher in effect did terrorize this child who will be affected by this incident for a long time.

The other children NEED to be exposed to all kinds of other kids and not just perfect little WASPS with wealthy parents. Weigh this against the rights of the other children to receive a well-founded education free from distraction and nuisance, and there is one perfect answer. Have Alex put in a zoo where the other kids can visit him and throw him marshmallows. They can learn about his strange behavior, and they can also pity him as his mother desires.

Democracy at its finest.
What a traumatizing experience for the kid, being only 5/6 and then being made painfully aware that you are an outcast and that all your peers dislike you.

I’m amazed that a minority teacher would be so insensitive. This is just a smidgen shy of a public lynching.

It’s my honest belief that social security should be used almost exclusively to the benefit of disabled people. Instead we’re goign to be using social security to pad the coffers of citizens who have made a conscious decision NOT to save up enough money to care for themselves.

Socialized money should go to those who are incapable of changing their own situation..not to those who made bad decisions (i.e all the BS about mortgage forgiveness for those idiots who tried to make a quick buck by flipping houses)

What do we ACTUALLY know about this situation? How many of us were there? NONE of us have the context or circumstances to know the full story. We shouldn’t be using such broad strokes about the teacher, the educational system, the kids who deal with learning/developmental disabilities or anything else. We decide in absolutes based on hearsay, second-hand conjecture and that which we assume is true. OUR OPINIONS DON’T MEAN JACK IN THIS SITUATION! We need to shut up and take care of the children in our own social circles, where our “expertise” in child-rearing make a difference. No one on this board is going to help this child by tappity-tapping our little thoughts.

I’ll start by stopping.

Anyone who has a “normal” child is heartbroken that these children are allowed to interfere with THEIR child’s education!!

If he is a “special needs” child why isn’t he in a special needs class?

I don’t want a kid disrupting my child’s learning because of whatever infliction they have. It’s not fair to the rest of the students who are not “special needs” and can severely hinder their learning.

WOW! What a teacher. I think she might be on to something here. If she thinks that the whole class can vote out a student, Then the parents of the children going to school should be able to vote out any teacher without any way it could be stopped. The teach would permanently be out of the School and can not ever come back to the same school for any reason at all. Even if she is Black and a minority she should have to play by the same rules as she just set in her classroom, so no protection for her job from any government law, rule, or any special help becuase she is Female or Black. Ok everyone lets vote for her being removed from the School. I VOTE “FIRE HER!!!”

Hey Brenda… You’re a F%$#^ing Moron!

I sent my 2 bits to the principal; this is the address of the Morningside Elementary administration & staff:
http://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/mse/staff/administration.html

“5) To the idiots promoting private schools- I know people who work at Private Schools. Let me tell you, they are the biggest educational joke in the world. Everything is rubber stamped for the kids as long as their tuition check clears.” JaredJalick May 29th, 2008 – 2:02 am

I tell you what – I’ll put any highschooler in my daughter’s private school up against most of these posters and she’ll put them to shame with her arguing skills. And, she won’t even resort to using one insult, calling a name, using profanity, or any of the number of things some so called well-educated adults have done. True education is out there – believe it or not. With that education comes the ability to disagree while being respectful and the ability to communicate effectively. Obviously many posters on here have missed out.

I don’t know if children with special needs should be mainstreamed. I do not know enough about the issue to make a knowledgeable comment about that. I do know, however, that no teacher should do to a child what was done to Alex. I would like to hear the teacher’s side of the story but, as I tell my children, you can’t let the actions of another be an excuse for your poor decision.

It’s funny how a lot of people say “It’s not fair to the other kids.” Maybe it is maybe it’s not. But, in a society where people are forced to pay for public schools, they should have every right to send their kids there.

Important points:
End mainstreaming–it is not working
Fire this teacher–perp walk would be nice touch
Alex is a cute kid–get him treated/educated
Alex’s mom seems kinda hot…milf material

Sticks and stones……You know the rest. Instead of whining it’s time for the kid to buckle down and do well in school. Later in life he’ll be signing the checks of the kids that teased him.

I love the way CBS’s Julie Chen acts disgusted at the idea that someone would “vote off” a child. The teacher probably got the idea from CBS’s Big Brother or Survivor.

What the hell is going on?

Where were all these “Special Needs” kids when I was in elementary school way back in the 1960’s?

I honestly can’t remember any.

We had some disruptive students in my high school, but they were removed (expelled) for their actions.

My daughter is a junior in high school now and I’ll bet you that 50% of her classmates are on some type of medication for a “Disorder” of one kind or another.

I definitely feel sorry for both the little boy and his mom, but if he is a constant disruption to the class then he needs to be removed, just not in the way this so-called teacher went about it.

Maybe the mother should have to observe the class for a few days and see just how distracting & unfair it is to the other students to be forcibly subjected to her sons condition.

BTW, I also agree that if the colors were reversed in this instance, all the TV networks would be broadcasting live from in front of the school while Jesse & Al ranted on with all their nonsense.

To Steve who asked:

“And why do we call this a disorder?”

For the same reason we call epilepsy a seizure disorder. Asperger’s is an autoimmune disorder with neurological implications.

Some people with Asperger’s, autism, and other related disorders hear sounds too loudly (which is why they cover their ears or zone out when someone is talking to them), see things too brightly (which is why they cover their eyes), or don’t have typical brain function when it comes to relating to others socially. However, other areas of their brains are hyper-developed, which enables them to excel at math, science, and other similar skills.

The link between vaccinations and autism? Vaccinations will “wake up” ANY autoimmune disorder. Vaccinations alone don’t CAUSE the disease, but will cause a pre-existing propensity to a disease to become active.

Outrageous. The teacher should be fired – obviously she is not capable of performing in a teaching or caring role.

Why is the racist element not brought up, clearly this teacher-pig hates white kids.

1. Teacher was frustrated because the only thing she could do during class time was to deal with this kid- sacrificing any other social or learning experience with the other kids.
2. Stop forcing assimilation until the child is ready.
3.Having said all that, the teacher did step over the line,should be disciplined,not fired unless there are other issues.

Public School in America is a JOKE. I would NEVER send my children to these people.

Unfortunately education is largely a financial matter. Years ago special eductaion classes dealt with special needs children in special ways specifically designed to foster appropriate social behavior and the development of skills necessary for independent living. That meant small classes, and bussing to classes that are geographically separated – because few students with identical needs live in near proximity to one another.
Not 20-30 yrs ago mainstreaming was pitched as the ideal setting for a disabled child. It’s much less costly. It, at best, individualizes the educational program. It is not an individual program, as were the classes that were specific to a certain disability.
Taxpayers may win in the short term. We are not graduating tomorrows less able taxpayers, as we once were. Worse, we are shortchanging Americas most able.

I guess the fat ugly (rhymes with Jigger) is to stupid and lazy to be able to teach 17 kids.

This is exactly why teachers should be made civil servants with no union rights whatsoever. To put a disabled child through the humiliation of being voted out of class because of health conditions that “mainstreaming” demands otherwise simply proves that many teachers should be fired immediately.

Unfortunately, the NEA, which subsidizes the Democratic Party, won’t allow such punitive measures. It’s time to outlaw unions among teachers, police, fire prevention, and any civil servant, so such selfish idiots can’t strike against the taxpayers who pay them to commit such idiocies as the one depicted here.

Maybe some of you need to watch the clip again.. They are in the PROCESS of diagnosing him. That doesn’t get done overnight and would you, as his parent trust it if it was? For all you parents of “normal” kids, if you’ve been parenting your children into being “over achievers” then I’m sure you’ve taught them anything they may learn in a public school kindergarten class before they got there anyway. It’s daycare. Anyone recall the old saying: Anything I ever needed to learn I learned in kindergarten.. look at the lesson of the day!! I know most of you know someone in your circle who has a child with special needs and I wonder if you would have the audacity to say to their face that it’s because of their parenting that their child behaves the way they do. It’s much easier to sit at your keyboard and anonomously say what’s really on your mind ( and in your heart ). I know a lot of children with special needs and I know a lot of children without and I can tell you that a bunch of those “without” are the nastiest little brats and it’s probably YOUR kids because , and here’s another golden oldie, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Enough of the fable that asperger’s kids have superior intelligence. Most of this is based on the fact that under the broad criteria for diagnosis almost any person ever considered a genius would probably be diagnosable.

What these people fail to realize is that most of the -reason- that Einstein and Bill Gates were successful is because they weren’t coddled and given free reign in their classes. If they were disruptive, they were disciplined. And they integrated themselves into society.

Had any of these geniuses been diagnosed with AS and given the course of treatment and perpetually indoctrinated with a victim mindset they wouldn’t have even moved out of their mothers’ houses, let alone done what they did.
-Adversity- is a necessary component of greatness.

Where’s Daddy through all this?

To Mary Right – I only hope that one day you do not find the compassion for these children you are so painfully lacking through personal experience.

The kid is a brat and doesn’t need to be in that class. There is an obvious reason that almost all the kids hate him. All of you need to join the real world.

I work with special needs children in the schools. To the extent that what is alleged here actually happened, this teacher needs to be GONE. Asperger’s Syndrome is subtle and nuanced, and it is apparent that the teacher simply doesn’t ‘get it”. She’s inept and insensitive just for starters.

It is so outrageous that it is hard to believe that there isn’t some hidden agenda or more to the story. On the other hand, if this representation is even remotely accurate, then the child should enjoy private education for the rest of his life after the legal settlement.

I’m so sick of you conservatives and your “special kids have special needs…” and “they’re holding our ‘normal’ kids back from getting a good education”…blah blah blah…this is KINDERGARTEN people!! Kindergarten is a place for our children to learn how to interact with others, where they learn tolerance and hone social skills. What are these kids “learning” by telling this boy what they hate about him? Not compassion, that’s for sure. I am appalled at the actions of this so called teacher. This isn’t about this country’s lack of providing proper education for kids with disabilities; or parents with disabled kids wanting them to be “normal”; this is about a grown woman using her influence to teach young human beings, encouraging them even, to be TOTAL A-HOLES!; much like most “human beings” are becoming these days. When this boy gets older he’ll be put into special needs programs, but not kinderarten…come on.

As for the teacher, I don’t know. Fired? Sure; but justice is rarely served in situations like these, so I don’t bother holding my breath. I just can’t get over the fact that someone with the nerve to do this has even made it so far as to become, not just a teacher, but a KINDERGARTEN teacher. Did she sleep through child development?? How did she pass that class?? And who the heck hired her?? Yikes!

As for the boy, I’m not worried about him. People with such disabilities have big hearts and don’t understand pettiness and hatred. It’s the other 16 kids in that class who are victims. They’ll grow up to be parents who make comments like “that kid should be in a different class. He’s keeping my ‘normal’, brilliant kid from getting his Ivy League scholarship. Eww, that boy’s ‘condition’ might rub off onto my kid. Keep him away!…” …….

The teacher is a hero. We are too soft with brats. We give teachers no recourse other than sit and take it. She maybe got too creative with the few tools she had. But better one child get their feelings hurt than twenty lose an education because of the antics of this one kid. And everyone has a sickness now. Everyone has an excuse why they should never be offended and should be able to do whatever they want. If the kid is sick then put him in a place that can handle him. Don’t force everyone to dumb down to match your kid. He has selfish and stupid parents.

Is it really that hard for people to see that there is a difference between:

A) Having a disrputive child – disabled or not – removed from the classroom

and

B) Putting a 5 year old child up in front of a room to be insulted and told that they are not wanted. Not only is that cruel to the child, it is a horrible lesson to be teaching his peers.

Moe
I agree with everything you said except for blaming the conservatives for this. It’s the liberals ie: ACLU who brought that mind set about.

Kids with Asperger’s commit suicide at an alarming rate, even shockingly young kids. Guess we dont need to wonder why.

I used to be self-righteous like some of the posters on this string . . . until my deceased constant-care father became too difficult to handle. When I put him in a nursing home, and saw what the staff there has to deal with on a daily basis, I acquired a lot more mercy.
Bottom line: if you are not in the trenches doing the grunt work caring for demented elders and bratty kids, BACK OFF with your self-righteous judgmental attitudes.
Change the dirty diapers and clean up the puke yourselves, j-e-r-k-s!
And s-c-r-e-w the mother of the autistic brat. Let her educate the kid herself. She’s got a lot of nerve to pawn him off on other people (the poor at-wits-end teacher) and then bitch about the job they are trying to do.
And s-c-r-e-w the touchy-feely, therapy-culture media for making a mountain out of a molehill.
Q: Do any of you bleeding hearts care about whether or not the other kids in the class get an education, or do ALL of your sympathies lie with the disruptive brat?
Some of the posters on this string don’t have enough common sense to come in out of the rain. That’s why our culture of individual freedom is going right down the toilet.

John who posted May 29th @ 10:46 am

STFU and don’t comment on subjects that you know NOTHING about! Its NAZI’s like you and Mary Right that marched disabeled people into the gas chambers in Germany during WW II.

Count your lucky stars your not standing in front of me.

Keep in mind that they are no longer “Public Schools”. They are now “Government Schools”. When is the last time the public had a say in their school’s operation?

Anyone who is the parent of a non-special needs kid, whose education is being undermined – because of some special needs kid monopolization of the teacher’s time and energy – is cheering!

John,
What is the matter with you? A “brat?” Did you just crawl out of your cave? Children with Asperger’s or Autism CANNOT control their impulses. Many have behavior issuse that they cannot help. Children with autism tend to follow the lead of typical children when possible. They all should have rallied around this child and teach him what is appropriate behavior. He is not an idiot, and most likely quite intelligent. What ever happened to teamwork? This child was part of a team…he should have been treated as such and not singled out. This country is so screwed up because of people like you. We complain about how people are treated in other countries, we complain about inhumane dictators, etc…yet we cannot band together as a whole and help our own. I pray you don’t have any children and if you do, God help them.

Al May 29, 2008 11:08 am
I should have addressed this to you:
Kim May 29th, 2008 – 10:38 am
Maybe some of you need to watch the clip again.. They are in the PROCESS of diagnosing him. That doesn’t get done overnight and would you, as his parent trust it if it was? For all you parents of “normal” kids, if you’ve been parenting your children into being “over achievers” then I’m sure you’ve taught them anything they may learn in a public school kindergarten class before they got there anyway. It’s daycare. Anyone recall the old saying: Anything I ever needed to learn I learned in kindergarten.. look at the lesson of the day!! I know most of you know someone in your circle who has a child with special needs and I wonder if you would have the audacity to say to their face that it’s because of their parenting that their child behaves the way they do. It’s much easier to sit at your keyboard and anonomously say what’s really on your mind ( and in your heart ). I know a lot of children with special needs and I know a lot of children without and I can tell you that a bunch of those “without” are the nastiest little brats and it’s probably YOUR kids because , and here’s another golden oldie, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Let’s stand this teacher up in front of a group of her peers (other women her age) and let’s look her over and tell her all the things we don’t like about her…

You look like a chocolate covered Sta-Puff marshmallow man to me…

What’s up with that hair?…

You buy that outfit at the local Tent and Awning store?…

Feel free to add your own.

Rhonda,
You’re fat, ugly, and your mother dresses you funny. And YOUR stringy hair is nothing to brag about either. There . . . I added my own.

Larse is like all the non-thinking left wing social malcontents that have to have someone to blame for the failure of their socialistic programs. Just look at their pick for president… either of these people are supposed to be better than Bush?? My
dog has more going for her then that bigot oboma.
Get real the leftest Democrats are willing to take the country down just to win the power that comes with the office.

The teacher should be voted out of a job! What a moron!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

****Gabriel****

Please direct me to the photos of the “Gas Chambers” you refer to. There has never been a wartime photo taken of one of them even though thousands of recon photos are available.

In fact, a jewish student investigated the claim and was told by the administration at the “death camps” that the only gas chambers that can be viewed are built according to what was told to them by the “survivors”!

There is even a video you can view by this student if you are at all interested in the real world!

is it true it was 13 to 2 until alex voted?

Why and when did the term ‘retard’ become pass’e? Even 5 yr olds know that he doesnt belong in a ‘normal’ class…wake up America…homeschool dad.

First, I think that the teacher’s actions are deplorable and that her firing was well-deserved.

Second, I have a family member with autism, so I’ve been reading a lot about this subject lately.

There seems to be a fairly pervasive myth that ALL autistic children or all children with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) are geniuses or have extraordinarily high IQs. This is simply not the case. While it has been speculated that a few prominent scientists like Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton may have had AS, that doesn’t mean that every autistic child is destined for greatness. It’s true that some people with AS are very gifted mathematically but that doesn’t mean that all of history’s great mathematicians had AS.

The people with AS who have great success in life succeed IN SPITE of their condition, not because of it. It’s still important for them to learn basic social skills and not to use their handicap as an excuse.

This is a perfect example for all of us on the difference between a “democracy”…rule of the mob, and a “Republic”…rule of law.

If one kid is making it hard for fourteen others then that kid should be removed. This kid will never do anything positive for society. Only weigh others down for the rest of his life. This country needs to stop making others treat these people like they’re “special” when they are only needy. If i am disruptive at work i get no “special” treatment. If i am retarded will it be acceptable? Absolutly not. His own mother makes no attempts to control him. Why should any teacher have to? Banish all “Special Needs”. If you can’t play by the rules that everyone else does then you shouldn’t be allowed to play. Don’t hurt productive children. These problems will continue throughout this kids life.

Mary Right, time to change your name to “Mary Wrong”

Everything that has come out of your mouth in this thread has been wrong. Now get out of my sight and I pray you are not raising children.

Well, what I learned as a school teacher and then a school board member is that this kind of thing is more normal than the public would ever believe. And, now that this teacher has been reassigned to the district office she’ll get a raise, protected position, and when someone else has a problem, they’ll have to go to her for help…. Hitler said, ‘give me the kids for one generation and I will change the world.’ Well, the establishment of education has had control since the mid 80’s or so and they are working on the second generation. It’s time for an education revolution if we are going to keep our country.

I wonder if the child is just “in the process of diagnosing” because the parents needed to find a way to demonize the teacher. Why shouldn’t the child hear from his peers why he is a disruption to them? Who best to hear it from? You don’t have a right to never be offended and you don’t have a right to never be criticized. Those complaining about this teacher probably have created monsters of their own who they unleash on the public education system and expect to work miracles with the little pampered beasts you created. I bet there is a classroom of students who must be dumbed down to deal with your one ’special’ kid. Either allow teachers to remove disruptions or bring back the paddle. We keep dumbing down our children for the sake of politically correct BS..

This is the kind of things that happen when “special needs” children are mainstreamed. This kid should not have been in this class.

Chisum (JISSUM) May 29th, 2008 – 11:59 am

This is the kind of things that happen when “special needs” children are mainstreamed. This kid should not have been in this class.

He hasn’t been “mainstreamed” because he hasn’t been diagnosed yet

Before many of you rush out and execute the teacher, a couple of facts to consider. 1) is this kid really disabled? I have yet to see a firm diagnosis from any MD referenced. Is it possible that the kid is just a trouble making brat who has not been properly educated and/or disciplined by his parents? And speaking of parents, where is the father figure? 2) are you aware that the child was constantly disrupting the class and in fact just prior to this incident had to be sent yet again to the principal’s office. Why didn’t the school’s principal resolve this issue instead of dumping him repeatedly back on the teacher and her well behaved students – who deserve an education as well. 3) are you aware that the mother is being paid for her interviews and also intends to sue the school district, etc. 4) Something about this story doesn’t fit. I predict it will come out sooner or later what’s really going on…

This teacher is obviously heartless and cruel. Odd career choice for a person whom possesses such flaws.

On the flip side, maybe this will open a dialogue about the problems with mainstreaming, least restrictive environment, and the effects on average to high learners in the general, public education classrooms.

Ability grouping has become a proverbial curse word in our society; but, the statistics show that the ONLY benefit to the child whom is mainstreamed is social. Ability grouping fosters safer environments for all children of varying ability levels to achieve.

If my child were a special needs child, I would want the best for him/her educationally. Socialization, we could handle. The best situation would be to group him/ her with like ability students. Mainstreaming seems to be more for the parents than the children.

I am truly saddened by the ignorant & bigoted comments made here, but will do my best to ignore them because they (the comments) are not worth considering.

What I want to say, however, is that the real issue here, is not whether Alex “deserves” to be in that classroom or belongs in any mainstream classroom, but the abusive treatment by the teacher, and then supported by the principal. “Doesn’t deserve to be in the classroom” indeed. Please. And to teach those other children to behave in that way is nothing less than training a classroom of monsters to behave just as selfishly. I would certainly support a lawsuit in this case and that teacher should definitely be fired immediately.

whether Alex belongs in a mainstream classroom or not is not the issue at all. I know many parents of “special needs” kids who, prior to their beginning kindergarten, fight for all they’re worth to have the child’s needs taken into consideration when beginning school. There are ways of having a special needs child in the classroom without jeapordizing the education of the others, but if the school system doesn’t agree that the need is “special” enough, the parents are forced to allow him to be mainstreamed or, if they can afford it and don’t mind having their own tax dollars go down the drain, send him to private school.

wonder what the reaction would have been had the student been african-american? I’m sure the Rev Al Sharpton and his side kick Jessie Jackson would be all over this.
The teacher should be flogged and then fired.

The Kids have the right idea. As mean as it sounds, that’s how they feel. I am truly sorry about your child but it’s “special needs” children that are sucking the schools dry of money.
Yes your child has a right to an education (although that’s Not in the bill of rights) but not at that kind of cost. I’d bet my pay check that almost half of the budget for the county school goes for “special needs” kids and that is maybe one in three hundred students. Special teachers cost an arm and a leg. special equipment is almost always custom made at space science rates. A slow kid almost always holds the rest of the class back. Just think how much the rest of the class could learn if your child wasn’t holding them back.
Yes it’s to bad about your son but, he’s holding them back and they’re telling you that. What about there right to learn the most they can???

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to American Education. We have gone so far out of our way to protect “special needs” children that other suffer a great deal. IDEA is ruining and will ruin public education. You have 1 or 2 identified children ruining the learning environment for 28 others. When you have IEP’s where things like this are written in “Child shall be able to take the test until they receive a C or higher”. Yes this is a true IEP statement, would we not all want to have that priviledge? Though it would give us no incentive to learn or work. IDEA (under Clinton) and “No Child Left Behind” (Bush) is dumbing down America. Yes, it may look like “No Child Left Behind” is working but has no one realized that we are lowering the bar so more people can get over it? Also, people with “special needs” children do not pay more in taxes or tuition for public schools, yet they get extras. There are times where schools have to provide a child with a computer for their disability, but no other children get a computer, and the parents of the child do not have to pay extra for it. So, when you are wondering where you tax dollars are going ask the important question. “How much of my tax money is going to educate 100 or so “special needs” children in my district. You will be amazed what Special Education costs a district compared to educating normal children. One last thing, Private schools do not have to follow the same guidelines so over the next few years you will see private schools growing in size because parents will finally start to rise up and say “Hey why is it my child’s learning being impacted by this child that may never learn pass the 3rd grade?”

I had a similar experiance when I was in 6th grade. The entire class of 28 kids decided I had “cooties” and all of them avoided me (all started of course because I would not let the class bully cut in line on the first day of school), and the teacher and principal refused to do anything about it. No-one would stand next to me in line, no one would sit with me, eat with me, talk to me, or work with me. I was not only alone, but avoided and treated as if I had some horrible catching decease. No-one stopped the abuse until the last month of school, when my teacher died of a heart attack and was replaced by another teacher. She, the new teacher, stopped the abuse, and she is my hero. Adults, ANY adult should not permit this kind of abuse, EVER. This is why now a days kids fight back. They kill teachers and adults who do not listen. Do not ever alow this kind of abuse. Do you really think this kid will change just because you are mean to him??? I hope he does not have to shoot someone to be heard. WE SHOULD NOT ALOW THIS ABUSE EVER!!! TEASING IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE WAY TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR!!! PERIOD!!!

This is what happens when you put a monkey in charge of people.

I am a father of a special needs child and I am blessed he isn’t as severely autistic as some of his classmates. He is also in a special class…but, if this was my child, I don’t care who’s head would roll, but someone’s would. As far as being on TV…I applaude this Mom for going nationwide……this abuse and insensitivity needs to be known!

While I think that publicly humiliating him like that was wrong, I agree with his teacher’s decision to remove him from the classroom.

According to an article I read in the newspaper, there’s a lot more to this story than what’s being told here.

1.) Alex was a bully – THE OTHER KIDS WERE AFRAID OF HIM. He was physically aggressive towards his classmates and had trouble controlling his anger.

2.) Alex was a constant disruption. His presence made it difficult for the other kids to concentrate because he wouldn’t sit still and he was constantly making strange noises and talking out of turn.

3.) Alex’s behavior had been an ongoing problem. His teacher didn’t arbitrarily decide to kick him out one day – this is something that had been building for a long time.

4.) Alex’s mother had been contacted SEVERAL TIMES about his behavioral problems.

I feel sorry for Alex, I really do, but based on what I’ve read about him, I can completely understand why the other kids wanted him out of the classroom.

The teacher went about this in the wrong way but this kid should have been in another class.

All you bleeding heart morons would be raising hell if your children were being prevented from getting an education because of a continually disruptive child, “special needs” or not…

You wouldn’t sit by and say “My kid is not getting the instruction and education they deserve but it’s all right because one child out of 20 is special needs.”

Way to go Kim, I appreciated your comment.

I am the Grandfather of an Autistic 3 yr old boy who looks alot like Alex. This a new thing for our family and we are learning as we go along. We are confident that it is associated with Vaccines and how tragic and horrible this is for those children and families affected. We will make the best of it and love our little family member completely, remembering; “what so ever you do for the least of these my brethern, so too you do unto me”.
Some of you folks are very cruel, mean and nasty, and this teacher has no excuse. What goes around, comes around, one day you will reap what you sow.
Mrs. Barton and Alex; there are good Americans out here who understand your pain. Take heart and be of good cheer. Your dedication and perseverance will win the day, there is a place for you in this Free society. Do not be discouraged by the Black Hearts and Knaves, their rotten comments are windows into their wretched lives

Bushi Noichi Gau
American Kintaro

TUITION VOUCHERS FOR ALL!!!!

reminded me of when Florida voted out Al Gore, and for the same reasons too!

The mother in this story mentioned how unfair this was to her child. Did she ever think of how unfair it was to send him to school? Why didn’t she find a special school for him or homeschool him? Did she just need a free break from him?

I’m very disappointed that the situation ended this way, but I’m sure there is more to the story. How many times was the mom contacted by the school? Did she merely dismiss the school’s pleas for help by saying he was “special”?

The teacher’s actions were deplorable, but I think the mom’s actions were equally horrible. She has not taken into consideration the other children’s feelings and needs. This little boy clearly needs help, and the mother should not rely on the school system for that help. She needs to be working with him instead of allowing him to disrupt an entire class and hinder the learning of the other students.

Repeal Public Law 94-142

BTW: Many school budgets are paying for the care of Hydroencephalitic Children too.

Education budgets are now being used for medicare purposes.

On the surface, this situation is monstrous. But something doesn’t sit right with me. Why has this mother taken no action toward the legal aspects of this situation? She seems to want to tell the story. Or is that only the case when she is being paid for an exclusive interview?

I’m not convinced of her “emotion” either. She repeatedly says, “I’m sorry. This is just really [insert emotion here].” But her emotion is barely readable.

I do think the teacher should lose her job. I just don’t buy that this mother is doing this for the right reasons. She seems to be more interested in her 15 minutes.

It appears that this teacher as well as some of the moronic comments on this forum have forgotten about the right for the boy to get an education and NOT “separate but equal”.

Special needs children, for those of you who haven’t learned anything as of yet especially the teacher, does not preclude the boy from getting the SAME educational benefits as the other children in his class. HE IS NOT A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN!!!! If the school needs to do more then DO IT! But to “cast out” the boy at a time when he needs the educational system to work the most only proves how asinine the system has become.

Simply put, the teacher impeded on the boys right to a safe environment at school, the school is at fault for hiring the beastly teacher and now the boy will receive a nice stipend to cover his educational needs for a good number of years. OH and I forgot, the teacher will probably go somewhere else to teach because she is protected by a union.

hats off to those strong-willed two kids who voted against the grain.

i once had a high school teacher who looked just like Ms. Portillo call an overweight young lady in my class “Hubba Bubba” IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. very classy.

…but that being said, there are many outstanding teachers out there who look just like Ms. Portillo, too, so ease up on the vitriol.

we should condemn the action only.

From Wikipedia

Some believe that public schools are an essential part of the infrastructure of the United States. They are available to all citizens regardless of income level. These schools meet a fundamental societal need by creating an informed electorate, and promote the general welfare by creating a more skilled workforce. Others believe that most, if not all, public-school users benefit from government subsidies in attending public schools, thus their parents incur a lower cost (if any) to attend public schools than do their tuition-paying private-school counterparts to attend private schools, and given the existence, support for, and proliferation of private schools, at present it remains indeterminate whether public schools are a government entitlement program, or a feature of the welfare state.

According to the definition,Alex absolutely deserves to be there. If you want to suck off the teet of the gov’t that’s what you get. Your kids are no more entitled to an education than he is. Dip into your pockets and send them to private school like I do.

They say that children with this disability do not have the ability to pick up on social cues others normally do. Maybe having the other children tell Alex how they felt about him was intended to show him how his actions affected others and how it made them dislike him. Would it be wrong to ask a child how they felt about a person who hit them, to show the other child that it hurts people feelings.

The basic truth is that parents with disabled children way overreact and blame all the child’s misconduct on the alleged disability. These children need to be in special classes, so that the greater percentage of children can obtain a good education. Certainly no one can deny that every extra minute spent with a disabled child, is one minute less to be spent with the classroom as a whole – which should be societies’ primary concern.

Sounds to me like Alex acts like a lot of average 5 year olds. Not all kids are ready for the rigors of a regular classroom at this tender age. They still need the security and love a mom at home. (Think of all the kids who wet their pants or cry at school, why do you think that happens?) We seem to expect kids to act more grown up than they are at increasingly younger ages, and when they don’t, they get labeled and medicated. Let the child grow up a bit more in a safe environment — preferably his own home — then start school when he is ready, which may not be until he is 7 or more (as they are not all alike).

On the issue of the teacher, she was obviously very frustrated but also unprepared for the job. Perhaps only experienced, mature teachers should teach kids this young. She should definately be reprimanded and moved out of this grade level, and reevaluated as a teacher – but sued?– Don’t we all make mistakes, sometimes horrible ones? Why do we have to be so sue-happy? Perhaps if the mother would quit dragging her son through the situation over and over again, no permanent damage will result. And the other kids need to be lovingly taught about being nice and no picking on others. (For that matter, all school kids should have that lesson!)

Wow, what poor excuse of a teacher. Asperger kids can be downright annoying and lack any social skills, but any kid regardless of their mental capacity would find being placed in front of a class to criticized by their peers and voted on as humiliating and devastating. This ‘teacher’ has no business in a classroom anywhere.

Re: You aren’t getting the whole story… 12:15 pm

Insight – perspective – things we need to hear.

One more point:
The teacher did not ask the class what they didn’t like about Alex. She asked “What has Alex done that you don’t like?” This has nothing to do with the horrible (and childish) name calling I’m reading.

Everyone is ignoring the 800lb. gorilla in the room. (I don’t mean portillo)
If this had been a white teacher and a black student the teacher would have been fired immediately and probably left the school in handcuffs.
This is what “diversity” has brought us.

I am amazed at all of the idiot trolls posting here. And the – just plain idiots. As an aside, can’t Florida afford aides for these kids? That would alleviate any special attention the child would need from the teacher. It works in my neck of the woods. The teacher is an *******. But come on, people, don’t make this about race. There are plenty of white jerks teaching kids in public schools.

I hope she is given the chance to be hired at the private school my kid attends.

My married mate and I don’t take any vacations, eat at home and drive old cars but our child goes to a great private school because I won’t allow the mind bending public schools to lay a hand on her.

I’m tired of the way the jews have taken taken over the U.S. and are arranging for us to live under Talmud laws. The only way to achieve this is to corrupt our minds, corrupt our society and rule this divided country.

Don’t give me any of the anti-semetic B.S. I’m a realist who reads a lot and who believes in the Constitution.

Just as this case shows, it is the 2% of students who rule the classrooms, it is the 2% of jews who rule the U.S. (or try to)!

Sorry for taking up the space, but I couldn’t let this lay.

I am shocked at the number of people who wish to make the child out to be undeserving of an education, and the mother out to be selfish about wanting to provide her child with that education. Shame on you all.

That child’s classmates and their teacher missed out on a chance to learn and exemplify understanding and compassion for a kid who may be different. The parents of those kids should be horrified that their children participated in such an act. Let’s hear it for our reality show culture. Kids who are empathetic and caring do better in life, folks… but, I don’t expect most of you to really get that.

Our society is not falling apart because we try to help those who need it, if indeed it is falling apart, it is because many people have digested the self serving, me-me-mine, do anything as long as it makes ME feel good, culture spoon fed to us by mindless television, careless media, and parents who won’t say ‘no’.

As a parent, I know it’s hard to do the right thing for your kids… I understand what this kid’s mom is trying to do, and I understand the responses as well. I wish her luck with her battles to come.

ANOTHER VICTORY FOR HOMESCHOOLERS.THIS CHILD CANT HELP HIMSELF.THIS TEACHER DID A HEARTLESS DEED AND SHOULD CLEARLY NOT BE A TEACHER.THE CHILD SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PUT IN THIS SITUATION.

We need to get a little more info on this CBS News!! I’d like to hear the teachers side of the story before you plaster her face all over the nation! I have a feeling the little boy did something that sparked this issue. FACTS PLEASE FIRST!! Otherwise this is just a pathetic attempt at grandstanding news!

I don’t feel this is an issue for people to sit around and debate. No one really cares about peoples opinions of how and why the child was put into a mainstream classroom or why and how he got this disease. What the teacher did was wrong. It was humilating and degrading to the child who is all of five years old. If she had a problem dealing with the child, or if the child was having problems in class, she should have brought it to the attention of the parents and the school. They could have had a meeting to discuss options for the child. To bring the child up in the front of the class to listen to what others didn’t like about him is totally digusting. No one should be put through something like this not even the so-called normal children you all speak out (whatever is considered normal) Instead of blaming this one and that one for this tragic event, people should be talking about solutions – ways to keep this kind of thing from happening to our children in the future.

I’m very saddened by the comments I’ve read here today. I will never understood how people can be so cruel – its no wonder this world is the way it is today.

To the person who made the comment about not wanting a child like this one around your little one – this could be your little one someday. What comes around goes around. I wonder how people would treat your special needs child. I hope for your families sake better then you would. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Herb… 12:41 pm said:
They say that children with this disability do not have the ability to pick up on social cues others normally do. Maybe having the other children tell Alex how they felt about him was intended to show him how his actions affected others

… so she asked the other children to tell Alex how they felt about what he does… his actions… his behaviors
she didn’t ask how they felt about him – that would be pointless, other than to have the opportunity to vent

This woman isn’t fit to work a checkout counter in retail, let along teach young children in their formative years.

Public school is child abuse. Wendy Portillo is living proof of that.

***** According to an article I read in the newspaper, there’s a lot more to this story than what’s being told here.

1.) Alex was a bully – THE OTHER KIDS WERE AFRAID OF HIM. He was physically aggressive towards his classmates and had trouble controlling his anger.

2.) Alex was a constant disruption. His presence made it difficult for the other kids to concentrate because he wouldn’t sit still and he was constantly making strange noises and talking out of turn.

3.) Alex’s behavior had been an ongoing problem. His teacher didn’t arbitrarily decide to kick him out one day – this is something that had been building for a long time.

4.) Alex’s mother had been contacted SEVERAL TIMES about his behavioral problems. *****

It sounds like this kid was a bully who got what he deserved and now his mom (who was paid for this interview and is trying to sue the school, BTW) is trying to make her son out to be the victim here.

Honestly, would you want your kids to be in a classroom with a kid who was beating on them all the time and making it impossible for everyone else to focus on their schoolwork?

Tina haaaas Cooooootieeeees!

“There should be special classes for kids like him. . .” This kid and kids like him have a chance at living a good and independent life if given the chance, secluding them will only hurt them more. The heroes in this situation are the parents of the 2 children who taught their children correct value–such as compassion and love. Obviously, the teacher still needs to learn these values and should be removed until she does.
Children with autism are amazing individuals with more insight into the world and feelings of others then most of us normal people. Awareness for the function in this world would go a long way for their success and tolerance by others.

and later that same day the teacher has a banggang with the class.

This teacher must be euthanized. Let’s not vote on it.

I have never in my life heard of such a ridiculous and tragic thing. I hope the schoolboard is doing something to get this so called teacher out of a job. I guarantee you, if they are not, the entire families of children with autism spectrum disorders will. I am the grandma of a child slightly on the spectrum. I will fly anywhere and confront anyone on this issue and I will not be alone!!! This teacher is supposed to teach about differences and have the other children learn compassion. Whoever heard of a teacher taking a poll??????? on who they want in their class. There are some circumstances, I will admit, when a child should IMO be in a special class. However, most function well with slight differences in a class of neurotypical children.

To the idiots who say they should not be with their “normal” kids…no child could turn out “normal” with fools like that for parents!

To the above poster – there is no justification for what she did!!!! How would you like your child to get picked on and told how how their classmates disliked him. Use your brain!!! All this did was needlessly hurt a little child and his family – who – I can tell you have been HURT ENOUGH BY LIFE ALREADY!!!

I had a brother who was disabled. He had Cerebral Palsy and couldn’t walk, but he was cognitively intact and very smart. He did have add, but wasn’t any more disruptive in class than any normal kid.

When he was starting out in school, the “powers that be” want to put him in a “special school”. This meant he would learn to build widgets and count to ten, but not much else. The guy was a genius. My mom had to fight tooth and nail to get him into a “regular school”. If she didn’t, he never would have had the opportunities at life that other kids get.

My back gets up when we discuss farming kids out to “special schools” because people like my brother, a perfectly normal guy who can’t walk, get thrown into the mix.

Instead of “special schools”, why not staff appropriately so that the special needs kids have an attendant to manage their behavior? At least give ‘em a chance at life, instead of sentencing them to 12 years of purgatory in a “special school”.

Chris – those behaviors are all part of the Autism and related diseases. This isn’t just a kid who misbehaved in class because he’s brat. He needs structure and special help, and if that classroom wasn’t the place for him, the school district and the parents should have placed him someplace else. The teacher had no right to embarrass and humiliate him in front of his classmates. Perhaps teaching the children more about the disease and finding ways they could help him would have been more appropriate and helpful.

Mary Right, you’d better re-read the Constitution.

I hope they teach your kids empathy and compassion at private school cause there sure is a deficit at home.

Good thing some of you one celled animals don’t have a child with learning difficulties, you wouldn’t be able to handle it.

KELLY: The child’s behaviour is the very symptoms of aspergers. You people who seem to think he is just a troubled child have no idea what you are talking about. Read up on the subject before saying ignorant things. That lady has no right to be a teacher.

I have a son with autism and I would never wish it on anyone’s child….until I read these comments. I actually wish the haters here to have a child with special needs so they can finally understand what it is all about. Until you have walked in someone else’s shoes you truly should keep you hateful, ignorant opinions to yourself.

I keep telling you… 99.99% of the people on this planet aren’t worth knowing. Don’t trust anyone!! Walking pieces of meat, ought to throw her and the entire American school system to the lions. At least it would feed the animals for a day.

If it was a white teacher and black disabled kid, you know Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would be there with “Jena6″ type rally saying how bad white people are.

Hal Turner, where are you??? We need your help!!Support the white man!!!

I have a autistic child as well, Autistic Mom and I’m quite bothered by some of these people’s comments. What is happening with the people on this planet?

First off, the teacher’s action are unconscionable. I doubt many would argue that, she wasn’t using her head when she put the child up on a stage to be humiliated. She should be fired indeed.

It’s also true however that if a child is disruptive to a classroom it needs to be dealt with. The axiom, “Every child deserves an education” is idelic, but not realistic. Many of the comments here use the axiom citing the selfishness of parents that wouldn’t want that disruption in their child’s classroom. This is where the irony occurs as I see it. The fact of the matter is that one child is causing problems for the other sixteen children. What makes your child so special that sixteen other kids’ education should be sacrificed?

I’m not saying that the ousted child here shouldn’t have an education, I would encourage that he be moved to where he can exist in society and possibly be self sufficient one day. I do admit to ignorance of Aspergers’ but find it irrelevant to the issue. Regardless of what causes it, if the child is a disruption affecting the education of sixteen others’ he should be removed so he doesn’t violate every one else’s right to that same education.

*quote*If it was a white teacher and black disabled kid, you know Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would be there with “Jena6″ type rally saying how bad white people are.

Hal Turner, where are you??? We need your help!!Support the white man!!! *quote*

Hahahaha!! You aren’t kidding.

CHECK HER GREEN CARD. Are you certain she is a legal american citizen? Does she have teaching qualification? Does the teacher have 50 felonies for child abuse and is daughter of a murdering crime family that eats human remains from cemeteries?

We need to have a rally to support white people at the school and her home!!! Racist teacher needs to lose her job!!!

TO KEITH: How dare you, you uneducated ass include ADD with Autistic. My ADHD has carried over into adulthood, and I can tell you that you are way off in your thinking to place those 2 condition’s in the same sentence. I was a gifted child who was far advanced compared to my “normal” classmates, I entered kindergarten already reading, writing and doing simple math.(advanced for 20+ years ago) In 2nd grade I also had a teacher that decided that I needed “special” treatment who would embarass me in front of my peers on a daily basis. I was so ashamed of myself because of her, I didn’t let my parent know what was happening until the last 2 weeks of school.

This child should be applauded for speaking out and telling his mother what happened and the mother should be praised for taking a stand for her child’s rights. Too many parents expect the system to raise their children for them so that when it fails (as you have all been complaining about) they have someone else to blame.

Eric: How in the world can you say, “I do admit to ignorance of Aspergers’ but find it irrelevant to the issue”?????

Isn’t that the actual subject.. a child with Aspergers?

My son is in a, “normal” class and excels in the academic department.. it’s the social that is the issue and putting him a class room full of severely autistic children, will NOT help him learn the social skills that are needed.

To all of the people bringing up the issue of “compassion,” what about having a little compassion for Alex’s classmates? Don’t they deserve a learning environment where they feel safe?

What the teacher did to him was wrong, but if Alex is going to be violent and disruptive, then he needs to be removed from the classroom for the safety and wellbeing of the other children.

Just because someone has a disability, that shouldn’t give them free reign to do whatever they want.

It sounds like Alex wasn’t ready to be a regular classroom yet and he shouldn’t be allowed to return until his behavior problems (particularly the aggression) are under control.

ahhh…the little libs show their true colors..

Is this the same teacher that forced all the white and blacks to sit in the hallway during Chinco-De-mayo? Forces SPANISH down our American children’s throats!! How disgusting, even PBS is forcing Spanish during morning programming. They will never get another red cent from me during their begging for money TV auctions.

[quote]It sounds like Alex wasn’t ready to be a regular classroom yet and he shouldn’t be allowed to return until his behavior problems (particularly the aggression) are under control.[/quote]

Yet another ignorant comment from the peanut gallery. He can’t get it, “under control” because that is the disease… geez. *rolleyes*

And whilst I’m on my soap box, what is up with the political statements?? Weird.

I have avoided reading most comments sections of articles because once I get through a few comments I am too depressed by the lack of education, lack of personal responsibility, and just plain crudeness of many posters.
However, I have continued to read these comments because I have a particular interest in education.
One thing I have discovered is that I have been living with my head in a hole in the ground. I just never knew such bigotry existed in so many. I am amazed at the racism and such spewed by such hate-filled people. (For the record I am white.) I’m sad to learn how incredible pathetic some act and the ugliness in their hearts. There is just no excuse for comments like these. It is a sad, sad commentary on society.

He didn’t deserve to be publicly humiliated, but if he was hitting the other kids and making it hard for them to learn (climbing on the tables, being loud, eating crayons, etc.) then he deserves to be taken out of the classroom.

The teacher was wrong to do this and should probably be fired because she is taking something a liberty that is not hers to take. It appears she forced the children or at least one child to vote what she wanted voted and not what he originally voted. Is that bad politics? Maybe the child should not have been in the class but what is the parent to do, if she keeps her kid out of school then he is truant. In toll the teacher had her own agenda and if she does not think she did something wrong then we are in a world of trouble. What she did and the consequences of her actions are much more dangerous than this little boy.

While I feel for parents of special needs children, the children here are smarter than most adults. We have dumbed down our society to match the needs of the slowest. We should not be holding back kids with natural talent from excelling as much as possible. Instead, we teach at a level that doesn’t embarrass the slowest in the class. Special needs children should not be in a regular classroom. People need to admit to themselves and to the special needs children that they need their own classes tailored to their needs. The other classes should not be held down while attention is going to special needs. This whole concept is crazy. I don’t agree with how this teacher tried to make this point, however, the discussion needs to start on stopping this craziness of teaching to the lowest common denominator. If you can’t see, you wear glasses. If you can’t walk, you use a wheelchair. If you can’t learn, you should be in a special learning environment.

LIN:

The story is indeed about a child with Aspergers, however that wasn’t the point I was trying to make.

More to the point, I would ask you, why does your son have more of a right to an education than the other fifteen to thirty children in his classroom? Disruptive behaviors -regardless of the cause- affect the other children.

I hope my comments show me to be a thinking person, not an automaton. I would also ask that you look into the heart of the argument I present. It’s simply not fair of a parent to insist everyone else be held back because of the needs of one person. The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.

I haven’t met a black person yet that was worth a dime. Just my opinion, as valid as yours.

The interview itself demonstrates how disruptive he is, and that is with his mother there to ‘manage’ him.

Education is not a right that comes at the expense of others, and this child’s behaviors clearly jeopardize the educations of the other children.

This young man is precious, but he needs a class better suited to accomodate HIS needs.

I am appalled at all the parents who don’t want their “perfect” children in with “special needs” children. This child has the most high-functioning type of autism…in many cases, such a child is intellectually on-level with, even above, his age-level peers. The piece that is missing is the social piece.

And I agree, private school is probably the answer for these “perfect children” (not that any of those have been expelled for being disruptive, of course). I wouldn’t want my autistic daughter to be subjected to the narrow-minded, bigoted views of these “perfect” people.

I have had several autisitic children in my band class and have always welcomed them as have their classmates.

This teacher only reports to work to collect her ***taxpayer paid*** paycheck and the tens of thousands in incentives and heath insurance. She is a “minimum” teacher.

The teacher should be fired and all her health and retirement benefits revoked.

The school system better settle on the lawsuit, give the mother $5 million for it’s fault in hiring bad uneducated teachers.

The minute I heard this story I made a bet that it was somewhere below the Mason/Dixson line. Sure enough…Florida! What happens there is like nothing that happens out here under the yellow sun. If you are looking for sense or justice you might as well look for frog hair. Not even the law will help smart people in that part of the world.

The school is now in real trouble and so is the teacher. As a special needs child he is protected by several federal and state laws that guarantee his right to public education at the full expense of the school(read-taxpayer) Furthermore if the child requires special services in order to help him stay in public school the school HAS to provide those increased services at any cost.

The school board needs to immediately reinstate the child to class. Maybe the mother will agree to move him to another teacher’s clas. Furthermore the teacher needs to have a full reprimand placed in her personnel file.

Regardless of the teacher racial status she clearly violated school policy and has to be dealt with. It is nothing to do with politics, this is just the business end of schools.

Just another reason to hate liberals and every thing they pretent to stand for. Civil war 2 can’t be far off!

I have a nephew with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s 23 and he’s currently working on his degree in engineering. His parents never let him use his disability as an excuse for acting up and they helped him develop his social skills in variety of setting outside the classroom (church, science camp, etc.). Growing up, he was very shy but I don’t remember him being disruptive or anything like the kid in this story.

In the interview, the mother said that her son was in the process of being diagnosed, so it’s possible that he doesn’t really have Asperger’s and that his behavioral issues are being caused by something else.

Bob, should we lock up all autistics on an island and forget about them? Would that make you happy?

This story made me laugh and laugh. The teacher picked the wrong method to get rid of the kid, but it sure was funny. Talk about life imitating art! These kids and the ridiculous adults they interact with watch reality tv and now they’re adopting the gimmicks in their lives. I love it! It seems so right to me I can’t help but laugh.
As for the kid, well, I’ve dealt with disruptive retards, which is what Special Needs really means, and other mentally disturbed people. It’s wrong to put retards in class with normals. It’s wrong to inflict screwed up people on normals, especially since the crappy education those kids get will be their only shot at success in life.

All over America parents of retards have forced legal battles so they can include their dumbass kids on the rest of the school system. They like the free daycare they get out of it and it somehow makes them feel better that little Jonny is as normal as everyone else. This bit of selfish self-delusion might make them feel better, and save money, but it screws everyone else over. If that lady is burdened with a retard, then she should get him in a special school where they can try to educate him.

Oh, and who realized this was all about the money when she dragged Al Qaeda into it? That was pathetic. She was soooo coached and prepared on this one. You can practically see the dollar signs in her eyes. I’m sure it was her idea to put her dumbass kid on the mic, too. Nothing emphasizes her plight than her sqirmy babbling kid right there in her lap. It wouldn’t hurt to feed him a can of JOLT or something half an hour before show time, too.

Finally, I hate network television. ABC’s pathetic milktoast morning host and his dripping-with-sincerity method was awful to watch. What a mawkish display of sensitivity and synpathy for a poor, poor victim. Seeing as he and his ilk get by on exploiting the pathetic and the saccharine to get the female viewership, and she gets by on playing victim; they’re made for each other. It’s like watching some kind of symbiotic parasites in action. It’s a shame and a crime that in our pathetic short-sighted victim-friendly nation that they’ll do so well.

That’s why I want to homeschool.

Enjoy-Paul R. Bear

People who have Asperger’s are not dangerous-the other children in the room have no reason to feel unsafe. This teacher has obviously not had enough training to mainstream children with disabilities. Also, to the poster who mentioned the child talking while his mom is talking, if you do a little research on Asperger’s you will see that in general they have trouble in social situations, understanding the seriousness, reading people’s facial expressions, etc. His talking around her is symptomatic of the syndrome. My first reaction to this whole thing is that this teacher should be fired. I am an adult education teacher and work with adults who have various disabilities including one with Asperger’s-not once have I felt myself in any danger. Nor, no matter how exasperating being around someone with Asperger’s can be (there are many excellent books on the subject, BTW) have I ever tried to get rid of my student or held her up to ridicule in front of others. What makes everyone else so sure that they’re “normal?”

I am a teacher. I have a Master’s Degree in Reading, and work with lots of kids who have never been successful in school, as well as some “regular” kids. I have had 100% passing rate for the state accountability test for the last 5 years.

I can tell you this, speaking from “the trenches,” as it were: it only takes one kid to disrupt a classroom and interfere with everyone else’s education. Asbergers kids have a great impact on other students’ education. Some of my middle school students who are now in high school still talk about the Asberger kid who used to say “I’m bored, will you shut up,” or “I hate this class,” to another teacher in the building. Kids wanted to transfer out of the class with the Asberger student in it.

While I am in complete sympathy with the parent and this child, I can and I have seen the other side of the situation. All the other kids in whatever school Alex will attend throughout his life will be affected by his presence, and not always in a positive way. Some of them will get behind. Some of them will grow to hate school. It’s sad that Alex has the condition. It is equally sad that the classroom setting was not a good experience for him or any of the other teachers and students in the class.

School districts spend a ton of money on Sp.Ed. students. Some districts have to hire one-to-one aides to work with certain students, for example. Another poster above mentioned all the custom equipment school districts have to purchase for each individual child with a disability. All that money is being drawn from the same pool as the regular education funds: your tax dollars.

The “free public education in the least restrictive environment” aspect of the IDEA law has a great impact on the regular student’s education. The regular kid does not get a “least restrictive environment,” the regular classroom is the least restrictive environment, and that is where more and more special needs students are being placed. Parents, if this concerns you, please approach your school board to discuss accomodations for all kids.

22 years classroom experience has taught me that some special needs kids engage in disruptive behaviors that are manifestations of their disabilities, and some engage in those behaviors because (just like some “normal” kids) they are bullies. But bullies who also happen to have special needs.

Either way, that kid should NOT be in a regular ed classroom. Every other kid in that class is being cheated out of the education that their parents tax dollars are paying for, while the real NEEDS of this kid are being sublimated to his parents need to promote P.C.

I couldn’t resist adding to the mayhem. I went to the website “Thinking in Metaphores.” While I didn’t see anythign particularly metaphorical about it, I did see something interesting.

First, there’s an anti-bully law in Florida this year. How laughably silly is that?! I was bullied as a kid and you either took it or fought back. I’m still kicking, so I guess I didn’t need the powers of the all-mighty government on my side. I can’t help but think that letting kids deal with this first minor challenge to them on their own terms is better to their development than sending the state charging in to fix it. Remember, laws of the state are ultimately backed up with guns. Somehow having the state ready to arrest bullies seems extreme. A good ol’ fashioned punch to the face and a kick in the nads seems like a better response. Save the state for when it gets really violent.

The other thing that catches my attention is the idea that this kid was “emotionally scarred” or otherwise damaged for life. Well, I’m sorry folks, but noone guaranteed everyone would be your friend in life. I had to deal with all sorts of nastiness in school as I’m sure you all did, too.

I can’t imagine being told by your entire class that you’re not liked is particularly good, but no doubt, they told him that on their own, as well. Kids generally don’t censor their opinions. In case people haven’t noticed, kids are good at spotting the ones who don’t fit in. Kids are also good at tormenting the ones who don’t fit in. It’s part of life. I’m not sure we need to send the state in to fix that, either. It might even be good for character in the long term to deal with your conflicts on your own. Who knows?

In any case, the retards should be educated in special classes and away from the normals.

Enjoy-Paul R. Bear

Cindy, the other kids weren’t afraid of Alex because he has AS. They were afraid of him because he was physically aggressive towards them. Everyone is focusing on the AS, but it seems like Alex may have some other behavioral/psychological problems as well that need to be addressed.

Igor, I agree with your points about bullies in the classroom. Having special needs is no excuse for violence towards other children.

To rick @ May 29th, 2008 – 10:38 am

Your comments are simply not true. Einstein, Newton, and Bill Gates (just to name 3 people with the syndrome) did not have smooth sailing in school, and in fact, were deemed “troublemakers” or “retarded”. Their brilliance is what made them succeed IN SPITE of disparaging attitudes against them, not because of those attitudes.

They need to separate these special needs kids. They just cause the rest of the kids not to learn. My wife teaches and has several “special” kids in here classes.
The parents keep saying to here she need to spend more time with there kids and they he will behave. Her smallest class is 32 kids. That equated to less than 2 minutes per child. When she has one of these special needs kids they usually take almost 1/2 the class up to even get then to sit down and she has to make a special test up just for them. That right there say they are not equal. It also cost the other kids a chance to learns. It’s like the whole idea of no kid lest behind. Translates to The slowest kid sets the learning. Great way to promote a sub par generation.
I am sorry if your kid has a problem but to try and legislate equality is just stupid. Your kids that are “special” will never be equal no matter what you do for them. That is the way of the world, there is always someone smarter and prettier or maybe we should lobotomize genius kids and disfigure attractive ones.

What of inner city school systems where less than 40% of a particular color graduates? Shouldn’t we remove these awful children too, separate them from the normal children? And the 75+% teenage pregnancy rates of those certain inner city girls of a particular color, should they be granted lifetime welfare, or mandatory sterilization?

I am sorry for this kid, but this is a very complicated situation. I believe the parents of these children are in denial about their children’s needs. My nephew has been in the class with a child who has this syndrome for two years. This child is not only a disruption in the classroom, but he has repeatedly threatened other children and physically attacked them including my nephew. This year a group of them decided they were sick of being bullied by this kid and ganged up on him. His mother hides her head in the sand and thinks that he should continue to be integrated in a non-special needs classroom situations. This is not helping this child. I have observed him over the years and he is increasingly angry and withdrawn. He is a tragedy waiting to happen and I have no doubt that he will someday hurt himself or others. No one wins in this situation. These children need to be in specialist schools with people who are trained to deal with them. This is totally different than a physical disability. My nephew is going to a private school next year to get away from this child because the school will do nothing about the threats (the boy held him down this month and told him he was going to slice his throat) because they are too afraid of the mother of this child. Most kids don’t have the luxury of getting away to a private school.

Let’s think for a moment about what is the purpose of education in this day and age. Do we want people who spend most of their time sitting quietly, doing everything by rote, regurgitating facts? Or do we want people who are creative, insightful, capable of solving problems, and able to work well with others? If the latter is true, then we need to re-think the approach that has all kids learning silently in neat rows. Good education can be exciting, stimulating, involving, engaging, hands-on and also teach compassion for others. The good news is, when we work toward having a school environment that works well for kids with “special needs”- the more typical learners benefit as well. It may be challenging at first to get used to classrooms that challenge our paradigm of how education should look, but the proof is in the results. Educators who realize that ALL kids learn differently from each other & honor those differences can create amazing classrooms if they have the proper training & resources. The kids are engaged in the learning process and even test scores go up without having to spend half the year teaching to the test. That’s the kind of classroom this boy deserves (as do ALL kids).

The Internet, thanks to the anonymity it offers, is like an x-ray into the human soul. Reading some of the evil comments here reminds me yet again that an ocean of rot swells within us collectively. God help us.

Re: “Logic Here”

The reason that people like Bill Gates and Albert Einstein were successful is because they were extremely intelligent and because they worked hard. Saying that they’re successful because they have a particular disorder is like saying Stephen Hawking is a brilliant physicist because he’s in a wheelchair. These people have succeeded in spite of their disabilities, not because of them.

Also, just because a kid is a troublemaker in school doesn’t mean that he’s a super-genius or that he has a bright future ahead of him. Sometimes all it means is that he’s just a troublemaker.

To Bill C whose wife is a teacher: I sure hope she’s brighter than you are. Your spelling, grammar, and syntax are atrocious. And oh yeah, I hope she’s a nicer person than you are, too.

I know! Those mean rotten stinking little kids that voted disruptive little bastard out of class need to be taught a lesson in behavior and tolerance. They must be punished! They must all be tied to their chairs while all the bleeding heart parents of special needs kids come in and order them to learn to tolerate and get along with disruptive, unruly kids or die trying.

And then, all the little children will learn from those very special people that it is perfectly OK to be unruly and disruptive in class and they will grow up to be an unruly disruptive menace to their fellows and turn all feral and lose out on an education. If we must force all to accept the disruptive influences won’t they all just give in to their emotions? Do you think it will lead to more 14 year old girls killing their mothers with hammers?

I’m voting to give disruptive unruly kids a pair of scissors and telling them to go for a run. Good exercise and the chance to do something constructive if they should run into some construction paper.

To RR: No offence, but judging by what you misread into my post, you have a reading comprehension problem. I said that Einstein, Gates, and Newton succeeded because they were brilliant and persevered. They did not succeed because they were bullied and terrorized by classmates and teachers.

Like it or not, those with Asperger’s tend to be smarter, particularly in mathematics and the sciences, than so-called “normal” people. Asperger’s also allows them to concentrate on a particular problem in larger capacity than those who do not have Asperger’s. Those are facts.

Reason #1,000,0001 to consider homeschooling—for both Alex and his classmates.

R.R.,
Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair doesn’t affect how his mind is wired. Asperger’s, on the other hand, does. Asperger’s children and adults have a wiring that allows them to make astounding headways into specific fields, such as science and math.

R.R.,

Your logic is faulty: Stephen Hawkings’ wheelchair doesn’t affect how his brain is wired. Asperger’s does. Asperger’s children and adults have a higher capacity for certain fields and tend to be extremely intelligent. Do all intelligent people have Asperger’s? No. But do all Asperger’s people have a higher intelligence and propensity towards certain fields? Indeed, most do.

One thing that I have not seen mentioned is that often Asperger kids do not experience empathy in the same way most of us do. They are often not easily able to put themselves in another person’s shoes and imagine how they would feel in a given situation. While this teacher’s “intervention” may have resulted in a change in behavior for a neurotypical child, this child does not yet have the ability to extrapolate from their comments how he should change his behavior, nor would he be able to make those changes without a more supportive environment.
Asperger kids can and do learn how to behave in more socially acceptable ways, but not through traditional therapy or stricter parenting. As for just smacking the kid, quite often Aspergers occurs along with sensory disorders that would make corporal punishment ineffective. Usually social learning for these kids requires memorizing how to respond in various situations where those responses would be automatic for most of us. It takes time and patience, but it can and does happen. People need to think beyond the obvious answer of “get rid of the problem” and look at solutions. Children need to learn problem solving, not problem avoidance. If a child is disrupting the whole class and making it impossible to learn, then that is absolutely a problem that needs to be addressed. But tossing the child out should never be the first answer. Parents, teachers & specialists need to come together to figure out what works best. There are lots of creative solutions if people are willing to search them out.

There is no doubt that the teacher’s actions are represhensible. She should without a doubt be fired.

Make no mistake, though. There are probably some teachers reading this story who are, at least to themselves, saying “good for her”. I have several friends who are teachers and they have to devote an inordinate amount of time to their special needs students, at the expense of the rest of the class. While most teachers would never do what this woman did, I bet a lot of them, on some level, sympathize.

Don’t discount the voting choice of the kids, either. I know these are little tots, and “kids are cruel” but that was also a brutal display of honesty. They are probably just as fed up with dealing with that student as the teacher was.

Growing up, I had “mainstreamed” special needs students in some of my classes. Despite the best hopes of their parents, they were never going to lead normal lives. I think many parents do this to their special needs kids to make themselves feel better. Sorry, but it’s hard to focus when some kid in your class is constantly acting out, and then using his “problem” as an excuse to escape any discipline.

As a taxpayer and dependent on smart young educated people to complete my mission, I believe that the basic fact is the kid is disruptive. If his behavior can not become acceptable by counseling or medication he needs to be removed from the classroom so that the other students may learn and become productive members of society.

Like it or not, this country is just about BANKRUPT! In a year or two wasting resources will not be tolerated. Since when does the state assume the responsibility to educate children who can not be educated? I know, it’s a modern ruling/act.

There appears to be a simple solution. I’ve heard that schoolboards recieve between 4000 to 20,000 dollars a year to educate each child. Devide the number in half and let the parents/private school get half the money the state spends to educate. That way the school district saves half of the money it would have spent and the parents can provide the proper training themselves or find an institution that can! The school district would then have even more money to provide the first class education public schools are know to provide!

This is what Amy posted this afternoon: “I have avoided reading most comments sections of articles because once I get through a few comments I am too depressed by the lack of education, lack of personal responsibility, and just plain crudeness of many posters.”

She has identified the basic problems expressed in this story. “Lack of education” (some believe this is in part due to the disruptive outbursts of special needs children).

There is also a “lack of personal responsibility”. I can see that this also is true. The mother feels no personal responsibility and dumps her alleged problem on school. The school feels no responsibility and dumps the problem on the teacher who feels no personal responsibility and dumps it on the 5 year olds who, being 5 years old and not yet brought to the necessity for heightened sensitivity for disruptive out of control bullies, vote him out. Selfish weren’t they?

“Plain crudeness” is much less admirable than special crudeness. Everyone must be forced to learn to tolerate special crudeness but we cannot allow any of the plain variety.

I find it very interesting that all these posters who demand that kids like Alex need special exemptions and added tolerance express zero tolerance for the posters who would argue that regular kids have rights and that those rights are ridden over roughshod by the people that don’t care what impact placing their special needs child has on them or their education. They continue to demand that society be faithful to their kids rights and simply reject any argument that this has negative impacts on society. I see that a lot of them also claim that Einstein and Newton and Bill Gates clearly had AS and I’d ask them to prove it or stop making the claim. OTOH, when I went to school any kids that made a nuisance of themselves could be and were paddled by the teacher or the principal and perhaps there is some feedback mechanism within humans that equates disruption with pain and slowly but surely learns to stop being disruptive. It seemed to work well if the nuns caught you young enough.

But then, these posters are really horrified that anybody would paddle their precious. Others are outraged that anyone would even propose such child abuse and make the argument that classroom education is somehow fostered by disruption and that too much time is spent with the children silent as they are taught facts by rote. Well that’s what education and learning really boils down to. Memorizing the times table, learning to read, reading quietly, learning to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Sure there’s time for group projects and that sort of thing but the only way to learn is to hear the instructor speak and to ask questions in turn. There isn’t a single one of the ‘mainstreaming’ posters that makes any acknowledgment of this simple fact. They only put up feeble demands that their child has rights that trump everybody else’s.

It is very weird and creepy that some posters think the solution is to provide one-on-one strokers for each little kid who acts out in class. How is this less disruptive? Sure the teacher is free to instruct the children who can’t help their attention wandering over to the corner where little Alex and his personal attendant are holding both sides of a hissy fit. Perhaps the stroker uses some other technique than argument and reason. Perhaps he has a taser and uses it. Still that would be pretty hard on Alex but he might learn the consequences of in-class bad behavior. I’m pretty sure that isn’t the case.

So anyway Amy, thanks for making it clear to me. I think we can all agree that anybody who interferes with my kids education is heartless, crude, rude and mean and lacks any personal responsibility.

Well, the first mistake is calling these kids with problems “SPECIAL.” It is not only a cruel lie, but it evokes resentment in those around them. Note that the little boy was grieving to himself “I’m NOT SPECIAL!” after the odious classroom incident involving the dumb school teacher scapegoating Alex because he was different. (It was unclear from the story whether he was grieving because his unique title of being SPECIAL was taken from him by the classroom incident, or whether he himself was DISPUTING that “special” title because he wants to be considered NORMAL!!)

Why must the parents and “system” insist on redefining troublesome conditions to make them sound APPEALING? A kid with autism or asperger’s is NOT SPECIAL; he is troubled, problematic for society and himself, disadvantaged, socially and sometimes emotionally/mentally CHALLENGED (another euphemism, but one truer than “SPECIAL”)… These kids have a hard enough time without being LIED TO by parents & society, and coddled into thinking they are “SPECIAL.”

Another point: It sounds like asperger’s syndrome is more a case of SOCIAL BACKWARDNESS (from lack of training & experience) than anything like RETARDATION. The child should be coached & trained BEFORE he is mainstreamed, to help him adjust socially to his surroundings. Otherwise, he’s just a disruption, a pain in the a** and not very welcome, wherever he goes!

Calling him SPECIAL and inserting him into mainstream programs instead of properly training him in social skills is setting him up for disaster (as well as dragging down the whole class). Please STOP doing that.

Hey, Rusty! :-)

Wow, I have to wonder that all these bleeding hearts will be quite upset when little Alex gets a job as a teenager. Imagine the bleeding hearts waiting in line at Starbucks while their coffee gets cold and teenager Alex mouths off to one of them. Oh yes, watch the sparks fly then and will we hear the same compassion? No, most of these people couldn’t give two sh**ts to find out the facts once it affects them and theirs. I’m neither far left nor far right so screw the bigots (yes, I agree Sharpton, et al would come out of the woodwork) and screw the save the gay, baby, starving, homeless, whale types too! Some of you didn’t give a damn about things like fuel prices until it hit you in the wallet.

Think life is hard for Alex, try putting him in a big public school in the UK where I grew up and he’d have got his ass handed to him by his peers, no question. Yes, it’s tough but the media loves this type of controversey since it gives them better ratings. Someone stated the obvious earlier; don’t take things for face value especailly from the press.

For the record I work for a renewable energy company and served 9 years in the US Army. Try a little perspective before you call foul and get both sides of the story.

The teacher certainly handled the situation in the wrong way and should be disciplined for her actions.

Still, it is moronic to put a kid with autism in a regular classroom. I would be angry if my kid was in a class with an autistic kid and the teacher constantly had to hold the class back and be distracted dealing with a kid that had a disability (or whatever you want to call it) like that.

Kids with these issues are NOT normal. If they were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation to begin with. That’s not to say they should be singled out like this boy was, but they certainly shouldn’t be interfering in the education of the rest of the kids in their class.

This is such a sad story, and to think our children are supposed to be safe at school> The sadder is the disgrace you people leaving this idiotic comments about Autistic children. I have an 8 yr. old Ayutistic boy who is beyond the age of 8 as far as his learning capabilities go. Why don’t you learn about the disorder before you start shooting off these ass-nine remarks making our children seem like monsters. That is what has made our world go to hell you people teaching your children it is not ok to be different or they must be better than everyone else! Well wake up you IGNORANT FOOLS there are more children being diagnosed with Autism daily then with cancer,aids or anything else. How about Albert Einstein? He was a brillant Autistic man. One of these children you people are dimoralizing could be a future president. So you can kiss the Asses of our wonderfuly brillant Autistic children and I will certainly teach mine to knock yours on there ass if you can not teach them any more morals than you obviously don’t have!!!

This sad story has been a test. The test is to learn one of most important qualities anyone in life can learn — compassion. I’m distressed to read so many people stress their selfish concerns above the ability to understand and/or empathise with the problems of the less fortunate. The anger, hatred, resentment, and self-pity expressed by so many comments shows where education in this country has really failed — emotional education.

This is addressed to SillySociety.
The label special is in realtion to special needs. Meaning simply that these children have needs that are different from their peers. “Special” needs- not shared by the nonimpaired children.
My son has autism- and he is a very special child- as is my daughter who is non impaired. Making a child, who faces many difficulties, feel good a bout themselves is not wrong.
What is wrong is ignorant assholes like you posting about children that you don’t know- have no experince with and obviously are ignorant about what is even wrong with them.
How can any reasonable adult call a child- any child- and pain in the ass who is not welcomed?! I think they reserve a special place in hell for your type.

GG- Emotional education is the responsibility of the parents not a public school. School is where you learn facts…not emotion.

If a child had trouble reading, would you remove them from all contact with books? If a child has trouble socially, you don’t remove them from social contact with neurotypical peers. Most kids with Aspergers are not violent. Like any other human being, they can become violent if backed into a corner, bullied, humiliated, misunderstood, etc. If given a proper education with teachers who understand the condition, they can thrive and be very productive members of the class, and society. There really are very successful programs out there that do an amazing job educating a wide variety of kids. I wish some of the naysayers would do some research about them before proclaiming that anyone who doesn’t fit in a narrow little box needs to go elsewhere. For whatever reason, Aspergers is becoming more prevalent. If we shun these kids, they’re going to be a lot more disruptive to society than if we educate ourselves & do what’s right. If we do our jobs right with these kids, a lot of them will be the ones inventing, building & discovering things that your kids and grandkids will be very grateful for. I agree that charter schools are a good step in the right direction. If enough parents “get it” they can help create schools that will really make a difference….and get good test scores to boot. I also question how much of this child’s disruptive behavior was the result of a teacher who just had no clue how to handle him. From my experience, an Asperger child’s behavior with a good teacher vs. a clueless one can make a world of difference. With a good one, the whole class learns and benefits.

These special needs kids do have every right to an education… in a school or classroom dedicated exclusively to special education. They should not be permitted to disrupt a class of 15, 20 or 30 normal ability children and interfere with their education.

“So anyway Amy, thanks for making it clear to me. I think we can all agree that anybody who interferes with my kids education is heartless, crude, rude and mean and lacks any personal responsibility.”-Curtis May 29th, 2008 – 3:57 pm

Next time you quote me please bother to try to accurately comprehend what I wrote.

I clearly was remarking to comments sections linked to many various articles as a whole – not just this one.
However, it still does apply to this set of comments. I am amazed at the foulness of many comments – not what viewpoint they were coming from. In fact, from my limited knowledge of this case I would have to side with Alex needing a different classroom environment.

What I do not understand is those blaming Alex for the adult teacher’s decision. Personal responsibility means taking responsibility for your actions. No one should be blaming Alex for the teacher’s poor decision.

In addition, arguing that Alex is a “retard”, the teacher a horrible you know what, and blacks good for nothing only goes to show the ugliness in those posters hearts.

Steve(May 29th, 2008 – 2:54 pm) put it into words much more elegantly than I did:
“The Internet, thanks to the anonymity it offers, is like an x-ray into the human soul. Reading some of the evil comments here reminds me yet again that an ocean of rot swells within us collectively. God help us.”

This has absolutely nothing to do with which side we agree with. This is a very complicated issue. What I take issue with is the extremely rude comments being made on both sides of the issue. How an adult can refer to a child as a “retard” is beyond me. (Please don’t bother writing and saying that you can call him a retard because he is. At least put a little thought into your posts.)
Now I know why my daughter’s private classical school emphasizes learning how to argue intelligently. It’s obviously lacking in society.

No one is saying Alex doesn’t need a special class. What we are saying is that Alex’s “teacher” behaved horribly by trying to shame him for having Asperger’s.

There are many ways of handling this, some better than others, but what Alex’s teacher did showed extremely poor judgement, cruelty, and an appalling lack of social skills on HER part.

Fire her and get a real teacher in her place.

MAC May 29th, 2008 – 4:34 pm

GG- Emotional education is the responsibility of the parents not a public school. School is where you learn facts…not emotion.

****************************

Please! School is where one learns a myriad of things! Are you telling me that one is to be bereft of “emotion” while learning poetry, the wonders of science, or social studies? How can one study about the Holocaust without having “emotion”? How can one begin to comprehend anything worth learning without having some “emotion”?

The true test of all the opinions being expressed here would be the posters’ willingness or unwillingness to speak them aloud in the presence of others. I am certain the vile and coldhearted ones would never be expressed outside the veil of anonymity.

Dylan’s Mom, you seem to not understand what a lot of people are getting at here. You are too hung up on trying to defend your kid’s illness to realize that it can create problems. I’m not saying people should just shove autistic kids aside and not educate them or anything of that nature. However, to deny that these children are a disruption in a normal classroom is asinine (not ass-nine, mind you).

No one here is saying it’s not ok to be different. It’s perfectly fine for them to have autism, and it’s not like they have much choice in the matter anyhow. Still, it is NOT perfectly fine to put such kids in a classroom with anywhere from 10-30 other kids that are trying to learn if those kids are a regular disruption and hindrance. If a kid is in a classroom blurting out all kinds of random chatter (like the kid in the video was during the interview), getting out of his seat and roaming around, or otherwise getting into mischief, then he should not be kept in that classroom.

Lorione, your analogy shows a complete lack of understanding of the process of education. If you have a kid that has trouble reading, obviously you wouldn’t take all books away from him, but you probably wouldn’t want to waste your time trying to make him read a complex novel when he has trouble getting through a picture book.

Similarly, if you have kids that can’t sit still or keep quiet to get through a normal class session, they probably shouldn’t be kept in the room to distract the other students and to disrupt the lessons.

It has nothing to do with “not fitting into a narrow little box” as you put it. “Able to sit in a chair for 45 minutes without being a complete distraction” doesn’t really qualify as a “narrow little box.” Really, that’s a pretty darn broad category of people that encompasses people from all walks of life and backgrounds and accounts for the vast majority of people. I would say that “unable to sit still or control speech outbursts” is a much narrower box than the first option.

Not everyone is the same, as you’ve pointed out. The next logical step in that observation is that not everyone should be educated in the same way. You might think that’s mean or unfair or whatever else, but that’s life. People ARE different and there are times when it doesn’t make sense to try to integrate everyone into the same system. To argue otherwise is truly ignorant.

Amy,

Be disgusted at the ugliness of the comments but do not fall prey to asking for people to be politically correct. Let people show their true colors and be glad they can and do. It protects us by letting us know who is who. By forcing people to use “PC” words we simply give them a vocabulary to assimilate so their bigotry can permeate in other ways.

In addition, we don’t need to use politically correct as a term since the word respect does just fine. Given the state of politics it’s absurd that this term is still used.

Also, your remark of how your daughter’s classical, private education enables her to argue intelligently sounds like one of privilege, congratulations you are lucky.

If everyone in the world tried to be like Amy, people like Alex, nor anyone else for that matter, would never be marginalized. May her tribe increase.

Steve,

Maybe IF people had the same opportunities in life as Amy they would. But then again IF my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle.

I too hope to be part of her tribe, wouldn’t it be great?

NYC, some of the best people I’ve ever known were poor.

NYC,

Good points. But, I am not asking anyone to be politically correct. I’m just expressing my shock at what has been revealed to be in the hearts of so many that have posted here. And, shock at the inability of many to communicate without using profanity and personal insults. I am not talking about those who think Alex is a disruption. I am concerned with those calling the teacher a ni****, calling Alex a “retard”, calling people who disagree with you a moron.
I supposed this is getting far off topic, though, so back to the issue of Alex.

Steve,

Well said and I’ve had the same experience.

Amy,

Not trying to attack you and yes these this quickly spiral downward. It is shocking to read some of the remarks but then again there’s a lot of keyboard activists out there.

The one’s making the outlandish comments do so in a safe environment and others are just trying to wind us up, all to the benefit of this website of course.

Best,

Scott

I too hope to be part of her tribe, wouldn’t it be great? -NYC May 29th, 2008 – 6:10 pm

Just to clarify something. I do not live a life of privilege. I am your average soccer mom. My daughter goes to her school on her grandfather’s dime and it is very reasonable tuition (<$5,000). My other two girls are homeschooled. We live in a modest home and live a modest life. I grew up going to public school. I wish that I live a life of privilege. I am thankful, though, and know I am fortunate to have what I do.

Amy,

Thanks for clarifying and I respect your efforts and lifestyle (not that my respect matters). I wish you and your family the best.

I am the mother of an autistic child. He is not a retard, he is not aggressive, he does not sit in a corner and spin ,pick his nose or rock back and forth,and he does not flap his hands. He was speech delayed and his cognitive skills are not on the same level as the typical 5 year old. You people who do not have children with special needs do not understand the fact that if your child does not go to public school they can not get the therapy or the help they need to learn. Services are not offered in a private scool setting and in the state I live in there are no day schools for children who are at the age to enter school.Do any of you have any idea what one week of speech therapy costs? It has taken three years for my son to finally be able to have a four turn conversation with my husband and I and he has been in speech therapy since he was 2. Basically I am ticked!!! I want to send this mother money to get a lawyer and get this teacher fired. What if she did this to one of your normal kids who pick their noses? I just recently had a meeting with the “transition” group for the kindergarten the only requirements for my child are to sit close to the teacher and have one on one instruction of the given assignment. I don’t think this is taking away from any other child’s education since most normal five year olds have to be told several times what to do anyway. It easy to judge others until you walk a day in their shoes. Instead of criticizing this mother should be praying for her. You do not know what it feels like to know that evveryone even your closest family members look at you and your child as if there is a big red X on your forehead.

Amy,

I apologize for inferring you were asking for PCness, you were clearly not. I was just trying to make a point, unfortunately at your expense.

<>

Personally, as a former teacher, I think expecting any kindergartner to sit in a chair for 45 minutes is just bad teaching. Little ones learn best by doing. Even early elementary school students need to be up and around more often than that. Any expert on developmental education will tell you that the best practices for kids who have trouble sitting still are also the best practices for more typical learners. They retain more, they are more engaged, and they develop a love for learning and an ability to problem-solve. I’m not suggesting that kids should be allowed to wreak havoc in a class. Sure, there are kids whose needs would be better met in a separate class. But I know from experience that a well-run, developmentally appropriate class with a teacher who knows his/her stuff does tend to minimize the disruptive nature of most special needs kids while at the same time enriching the experience of the typical learners. In the right environment, these kids thrive. Not all, but most. And a regular classroom is the best placement for kids who can function there. They need exposure to what “normal” is like. They are often quick learners who, with the right help, will start to memorize what the appropriate behaviors are. By the end of the year, you’ll often see them tutoring the other students in their fields of expertise. In the case we are all commenting on, this teacher clearly has no working knowledge of Aspergers. No wonder the child was disruptive. I’d love to see what this child would be capable of with a teacher, and in a classroom/school where his differences were valued and his strengths were built upon.

The teacher obviously made a huge mistake and should be punished accordingly, but that child obviously has severe developmental disabilities and should never have been placed in a regular classroom. I’ve taught school for years and I can tell you a kid like that has a crippling effect on the entire class and their collective ability to learn. Also, it’s blatantly obvious that the mom is a high-maintenance pain in the butt; something tells me she’s going to milk this for WAAAYYY more than it’s worth. I’m sure we’ll see her on Oprah within the next few weeks.

I have to respond to Kelly’s comment. Did you not get the part about Asperger’s or Autism? These children do not always understand what’s socially acceptable. I have 10 year old twins with autism, and if it happened to my kids, I would not hesitate to contact the media, the school board, or anyone else to get the situation rectified. If you don’t live with someone who has autism, you can’t being to fathom the reactions you get from the uneducated public. Thank goodness for the excellent understanding teachers in my sons’ school. They love my boys and they do their best to help them learn as much as possible, both academically and in self help skills.

This goes out to Wendi and Suzanne!!!
Finally someone who really gets this!!! A day in our shoes is not easy but I would not trade it for any other!!
——————–

Let’s all remember the child special needs or not is the main focus. No child should have to be put through such cruel treatment. All of you with unimpaired children step back and ask yourself if the whole class told your child they did not want them in the room because they may be overweight,not dress the same or just act a way that others thought was weird. Would you not be rushing to that school asking what does it matter how my child acts or looks? This little child deserves the same rights as any child!! God bless this mother for taking a stand for her child!!! Yes we will hear this for the next few weeks to come but what’s the difference then having to listen to all the hollywood babble and drama about who divorced who and who got arrested for what! At least this is a topic worth taking stand for!! ANY CHILD IS WORTH THE STAND!!!!

The people that vote at the NEA need to read that the vast MAJORITY of people are fed up with the needs of the one “misfit” outweighing the needs and the RIGHT to an education of the MAJORITY of “normal” BEHAVING kids.
Alex was a “misfit” because of his BEHAVIOR and the 5 year olds were asked to make him aware of which BEHAVIORS they did not like. I can only assume this was the intent of a very frustrated and inexperienced teacher. I wholeheartedly agree she used very POOR judgement but being a veteran teacher myself I can see why she tried to use this method to help make Alex aware of how his behavior was perceived by his peers. Every human being has a breaking point and those of you who do not deal with a public school setting every day have no right to JUDGE this teacher before all of the facts are out. Please be aware the school, the teacher and the Disrict will be under a gag order now and their side will not be allowed to be heard. The constant stress of dealing with inappropriate behavioe is why most teachers leave the profession within 5 years. The demands and stress are astronomical and ANY student who steals the right of education from the majority for ANY reason should be sent to another program. The thing that concerns me most about kids like Alex is their inability to relate to others. Their lack of empathy can cause them to become violent and agressive at any moment. I do not think regular education teachers and students should be FORCED to be in the same classroom with any student who may harm them. Alex’s behavior is not only robbing his classmates of an education but it is also endangering them. Most parents are completely unaware of how many unsafe children their children are FORCED to be in overcrowded classrooms with. Our laws need to change in favor of “normal” kids who deserve an education that is safe from violence and constant disruptions. These pervasive problems are why our schools are failing. Schools have become a free babysitting service with teachers serving as juvenile detention monitors rather than professional educators because there is no PARENT accountability anymore.
Alex’s mom is a perfect example. It appears she has not cared to have her son in the best environment for him but rather in the one that will make her feel better about his condition.
Just think how much our “normal” children could accomplish without the financial drain of special services needed by the few students with special needs. (The largest budgets in CA schools go to Special Ed and ELL programs while the MAJORITY of “regular” students have almost no money left over. Forget about the GATE programs. They are almost not funded at all anymore. Our best and brightest children are being shoved aside so we can focus most of our efforts and money on the few who are least likely to become productive citizens. I know this sound cruel and harsh but Alex would be safer in a smaller environment for children with special needs and his needs should not be allowed to hinder the RIGHTS of the 16 other students who DESERVE a quality SAFE educational environment. Our laws about inclusion are being misinterpreted to the eventual detriment od our society.
I wish Alex and his family the best but I also care about the wishes, aspirations and SAFETY of the other 16 children and their families and I am tired of not being able to reach the “average” and “GATE” kids becuase I am so busy dealing with BEHAVIORAL issues. (Notice I said BEHAVIORAL—I am not just saying children like Alex with disabilities but ALL Children whose PARENTS have not instilled in them moral, respectful norms for behavior. As an educator, I do not care what the reason or the diability is that causes the misbehavior, I just want the Misbehavior removed so I can reach the MAJORITY of chilren who would love to have an opportunity to learn and be safe.
In real life we do not FORCE average citizens to work in jail cells with CRIMINALS but in school we are FORCING all of our children to learn together in the same classrooms. Common sence should reveal there is a problem with this current practice. Only the outcrys of the MAJORITY of parents to our elected officials will protect our children and their right to a good, safe education.

Please vote accordingly and let the NEA know your position regarding children with disabilities and non-citizens stealing the funding from the MAJORITY of our precious children!!!

Courtney spouted off as follows:

“What is wrong is ignorant assholes like you posting about children that you don’t know- have no experince with and obviously are ignorant about what is even wrong with them.
How can any reasonable adult call a child- any child- and pain in the ass who is not welcomed?! I think they reserve a special place in hell for your type.”

Well, you Ms. Courtney are the a-hole here!, and an arrogant one at that, thinking YOU and your sister-and-fellow-Autism-as-Genius-Apologists have ALL the answers and are the only ones who “KNOW” about autism! Just so happens this particular person grew up in the SHADOW of a severely autistic sibling and knows whereof he speaks! Hell have a special place for me? Yeah, been there! Done that! It’s called *MY CHILDHOOD* as a sibling of one of these severely retarded autistic kids who GOT EVERY ONCE OF ATTENTION AND ENERGY OF THE PARENTS. And PAIN IN THE ASS is *exactly* how others look at these defective kids who are “mainstreamed” and called “SPECIAL” by the likes of you!

So go stick it up your arrogant a-hole, you self-righteous witch!

Courtney spouted off as follows:

“What is wrong is ignorant assholes like you posting about children that you don’t know- have no experince with and obviously are ignorant about what is even wrong with them.
How can any reasonable adult call a child- any child- and pain in the ass who is not welcomed?! I think they reserve a special place in hell for your type.”

Well, you Ms. Courtney are the royal a-hole here!, and an arrogant one at that, thinking YOU and your sister-and-fellow-Autism-as-Genius-Apologists have ALL the answers and are the only ones who “KNOW” about autism!

Just so happens this particular person grew up in the SHADOW of a severely autistic sibling and knows whereof he speaks! Hell have a special place for me? Yeah, been there! Done that! It’s called *MY CHILDHOOD* as a sibling of one of these severely retarded autistic kids who GOT EVERY ONCE OF ATTENTION AND ENERGY OF THE PARENTS. And PAIN IN THE ASS is *exactly* how others look at these defective kids who are “mainstreamed” and called “SPECIAL” by the likes of you! They are deeply resented because they deprive everyone around them of a reasonable chance for a peaceful, productive life. But to assuage YOUR ego, the system is allowing these kids to be mainstreamed rather than giving them the SPECIAL education they need–regardless of the harm to the larger group.

Well, you can go stick it up your arrogant a-hole, you self-righteous witch!

Courtney spouted off as follows:

“What is wrong is ignorant a**holes like you posting about children that you don’t know- have no experince with and obviously are ignorant about what is even wrong with them.
How can any reasonable adult call a child- any child- and pain in the a** who is not welcomed?! I think they reserve a special place in hell for your type.”

Well, you Ms. Courtney are the ROYAL a-hole here!, and an arrogant one at that, thinking YOU and your
sister-and-fellow-Autism-as-Genius-Apologists have ALL the answers and are the only ones who “KNOW” about autism!

Just so happens this particular person grew up in the SHADOW of a severely autistic sibling and knows whereof he speaks!

Hell have a special place for me? Yeah, been there! Done that! It’s called *MY CHILDHOOD* as a sibling of one of these severely retarded autistic kids who GOT EVERY OUNCE OF ATTENTION AND ENERGY OF THE PARENTS.

And PAIN IN THE A** is *exactly* how others look at these defective kids who are “mainstreamed” and called “SPECIAL” by the likes of you! The other children in the classroom deserve a reasonable chance for a peaceful and productive life, but this is prevented because YOUR EGO needs to be assuaged by calling and treating YOUR KID as SPECIAL.

Go stick it up your own arrogant a-hole, you self-righteous witch!

WHY are there so many autistic kids in the news lately? Is the incidence of autism up, or just the political activism, or what?

If the incidence of autism is UP, why is that so? Is it from a toxic environment, or hereditary, or what?

Does anyone know what CAUSES autism?
Does it run in families?, i.e., parents had it, now their children have it?

Would appreciate some answers if anyone knows. It is obvious from the postings that autism affects MANY more than the individual person diagnosed with it. And some of them are affected their entire lives.

Thanks for any clarifications about the causes, incidence, etc., as questioned above.

To Why:

Current thinking is that Asperger’s and autism are autoimmune disorders, triggered by something (vaccinations for one) in those with the gene. It’s linked to any other autoimmune disorder, such as Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, lupus, or families where lots of genetic cancers are present. In other words, if you have any of those disorders in your family, you could have a child with autism or Asperger’s (or any other disorder on the spectrum).

I have Tourette’s Syndrome, and when I hear about stories like this, I feel like wringing some necks and anybody who takes up for the teacher in this one is a million times more mental than the child with the disability. The teacher and the principal both need to be fired. The principal needs to be fired for allowing this type of stuff to go on. I was in regular classes throughout my K-12 school career and had graduated high school with a regular diploma just like the normal kids. I had volunteered to return to my high school as a coach of the Special Olympics high school basketball team after graduation. I am now an A+ certified PC technician running my own on call repair service through facebook. Man, I can’t stand these types of people.
Ben

Silly Society: There are therapists who could help you with your problem. Just saying.

To Why,

There is no exact reason for the cause of Autism today!! Some say vaccines some say this or that!!! As far as being hereditary, usualy it is not passed on from say an Aunt to a niece or nephew etc but it is known that more than one sibling may be affected. My son is now 8 yrs. old and his signs was well apparent to us before the vaccines was given at say age 2-3. We do not have any other mental disorders in either families as well as no other serious medical concerns. My son was 5 weeks early and could not breath. His little body was so overtaken with a multitude of infections and so much oxygen rushed to his brain at birth our Doctors have stated this was most likely the factor for Autism. He is now with lots of work and tender loving care High functioning and most would not realize that Autism has affected us but believe me it never goes away . It is something that a pill can not cure and they do not out grow it! Thank you for asking why and I only wish I had answers myself but, Doctors,scientists and parents all have their own views and ideas as to why etc…. I would like to say we have not taught our child he is special for no more reason than any other parent tells their child. He does not know the word Autism and we have taught him all people are different. Which we are. WE all have different body features,different views ideas etc. No 2 people are alike and we strive to teach our child he is created equal and he should and does create all equal. He does not get treated better or differntly with kid gloves just because it may take him longer to understand why we can not go to the pool today when we said we probably could. Life is precious and we have taught our son that you need to be kind,respect,not call names etc and I would hope that others remember my son as the well respected boy who shakes your hand and tells you “nice to have met you” and not the boy who has Autism!! AND GUESS WHAT THEY ALL DO!! It is all in what you teach your child and morals you instill into them whether they may have a need that is considered special to some and nothing to others!! God bless to all who have voiced any feeling they have had on this issue!! No one will ever all agree on everything that come along in our lives! I guess that is why they call it freedom of speech!

Some jerk wrote:
“There are therapists who could help you with your problem. Just saying.”

What a smart-a**ed thing to write! Are YOU one of those smug parents who thinks your autistic kid is SPECIAL and a GENIUS-TO-BE whose “special needs” should prevail over all the other kids’ needs in the room? Probably! YOUR type is the type who CREATES problems that go forward into (others’) lives, and you don’t even realize it–or care. Then you smugly assert that the victim of your selfishness “needs help.” Shame on you!

“Just saying.” How crude. (And stupid.)

To Dylan’s Mom:

Some possible causes are discussed in wikipedia:

“Many causes of autism have been proposed, but its theory of causation is still incomplete. Heritability contributes about 90% of the risk of a child developing autism, but the genetics of autism are complex and typically it is unclear which genes are responsible. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Many other causes have been proposed, such as exposure of children to vaccines; these proposals are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses have no convincing scientific evidence.”

Speaking from personal experience, *oxygen deprivation* can be the cause. That’s what happened in the case of our sibling: The cord was wrapped around his neck at birth, depriving his brain of oxygen.

Parents, doctors, specialists, educators, researchers, etc. (including online posters!) do not realize, I think, nor respect, the DEVASTATING effect it can have on other siblings to grow up with an autistic kid in the family.

Parents who have one autistic child should do serious soul-searching before having additional children and should educate themselves on the likely lifelong scars those younger children will have to bear.

PS “Just saying”! :-)

PPS Curious, the way Courtney’s post was allowed “foul language” but my earlier post which quoted her post was denied posting until HER nasty words were asterisked out in my post!! Very curious.

To Why, and to Dylan’s Mom:

Some possible causes are discussed in wikipedia:

“Many causes of autism have been proposed, but its theory of causation is still incomplete. Heritability contributes about 90% of the risk of a child developing autism, but the genetics of autism are complex and typically it is unclear which genes are responsible. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Many other causes have been proposed, such as exposure of children to vaccines; these proposals are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses have no convincing scientific evidence.”

Speaking from personal experience, *oxygen deprivation* can be the cause. That’s what happened in the case of our sibling: The cord was wrapped around his neck at birth, depriving his brain of oxygen.

Parents, doctors, specialists, educators, researchers, etc. (including online posters!) do not realize, I think, nor respect, the DEVASTATING effect it can have on other siblings to grow up with a severely autistic kid in the family.

Parents who have one autistic child should do serious soul-searching before having additional children and should educate themselves on the likely lifelong scars those younger children will have to bear.

PS Curious, the way Courtney’s post was allowed “foul language” but my earlier post which quoted her post was denied posting until HER nasty words were asterisked out in my post!! Very curious.

Found this on incidence of autism:

Rep. Noble Ellington, D-Winnsboro, said that six years ago, one in 10,000 children were born with autism. Now, one in 150 children are born with autism.
“That’s what I call an epidemic,” Ellington said.

Source: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/19380374.html

This sounds like an environmental-toxin-induced epidemic! Now, WHAT/WHERE is the toxin???

It’s disgusting to see this oozing emotional sobfest from the sensitive types on the Left. The fundamental issue is do we drag down the normal kids with the messed-up ones? Education is rotten enough in the US without sticking the retards in class with the rest of the kids. Just how far does the system need to go to satisfy retards’ parents at the expense of normal kids?
Enjoy-Paul R. Bear

Special needs kids means what exactly?

How about a special teaching regime in a special classroom with other special kids? You know; special.

Most folks here don’t see “special”, and insist that their “special” kid has some sort of right to receive “special” instruction in classrooms alongside pupils who are not “special” irregardless of what their presence may mean to the education of the vast majority of their age-mates who are in school “TO LEARN”. Nope, argue these parents of “special” students, “our little [special pupil's] need for peer socialization outweighs your non-special kid’s right to a public education.” Oh, and that teacher better be fully qualified, trained and certified to teach “special” kids or else.

I’ve enjoyed the teachers who’ve chimed in with their descriptions of public schools. Oddly enough, none of their educating peers from the private school system have entered the debate. It’s terribly shy they must all be.

All of those who have insisted that the teacher be fired and the principal too….why not demand that the school board be sacked, tarred and feathered? And what about the state board of education? Are they blameless? Can we not hold an auto-de-fey ? Is sacking too good for them or can we burn them alive?

This comment section includes a spell checker. When you see a wavy red line under one of your words…..you didn’t spell it right and the mouse in your hand can help you how to figure out something that you didn’t learn when you went to school and which your actions are making it harder for our kids to learn while in school.

I feel for Alex and his family – the way he was treated was humiliating and barbaric. Having said that, I can also appreciate the teracher’s frustration (though it doesn’t excuse how she chose to deal with it) and agree that it is unfair to the other classmates to have so much attention diverted from their education because of a classmate’s disruptive behavior. The movement toward inclusion has gone too far and is detrimental to all – you can’t force acceptance or foust undesirable behavior on others without there being negative consequences.
What I find really disgusting in all this though is some of the racially divisive comments being made about the teacher. This has nothing to do with race – bad teachers come in all colors and from diverse backgrounds. Using this issue as an excuse to espouse bigotry and hatred in this fashion is absolutely reprehensible.

You know, arguing on the internet is much like racing in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you’re still a retard.

Some of you people here are worse then that pathetic excuse for a teacher! That women is in the position of authority over those kids and IMHO she abused her position AND that sweet little boy! It is called CHILD ABUSE! She needs to be FIRED and then some! I can’t believe how angry this makes me. This is a perfect example of why I homeschool my children!!!!!

While you’re homeschooling, be sure to teach your kids the difference between ‘then’ and ‘than’. (and ‘woman’ vs. ‘women’).

Wow. I tried to read it all but became nauseated about a quarter of the way in. It’s quite apparent we have angry people out there. It’s also apparent we have quite a bit of ignorance happening. If what is being reported about the incident is accurate, not only should there be disciplinary action taken toward the teach, but also the principal and school district. I find it sad that it’s hard to find good teachers or when we find them, they get burned out. Maybe if we paid and revered them as much as we do professional athletes making six figures, or even the top sales executive of some fortune x company who is enticed with thousand dollar dinners and five star all expense paid vacations for their performance, we would at the least have administrators within a school system that would/could act immediately on such a tragedy. This should never be allowed to happen again, but it will. It will if only because there are a lot of teachers out there that are simply tired.

I am wondering if the whole exercise of having the other kids tell tell Alex what they didn’t like about him (or his behavior) was part of a classroom exercise where each student went through the same thing? Or was Alex the only student specifically picked out for this? Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there’s a way to find out.

My initial reaction was that this was a very poorly planned empathy exercise that ended up blowing up in everyones’ faces.

As someone stated above, people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) generally aren’t capable of empathy in the way non-ASD people are. They can’t put themselves into another person’s place and figure out how their actions will make them feel.

I do know (from dealing with my nephews) that children with Aspergers Syndrome (AS), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Autism and ASD require lots of structure and routine, along with sensory adjustment therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and even sometimes physical therapy. They also need a familiar and quiet environment (I think much of Alex’s “fidgeting” and wriggling and talking over his mother on the video was due to the unfamiliar surroundings and the overwhelming sensory overload the lights, microphones and strangers of the studio) for the most part. This said, they need to be exposed to new places and experiences (like eating at restaurants, going to a movie theater, riding a bus, standing in line at a grocery store, shopping and so forth) which is why I am ambivalent about presenting homeschooling as the solution of choice for ASD kids. It is too easy for them to not get the socialization practice they desparately need to get by in the real world. It’s not easy, especially because when things get to be too much and the kid melts down, bystanders look at you like you are the parent or aunt from hell with the demon kid in tow.

Even so, I love my nephews dearly despite how exhausting it is to deal with them (even just one of them, much less all three) on a regular basis and would love to know how my sisters manage to keep it together. Three cheers for them.

Justice Has Already Been Served!

This teacher should NOT be fired. As I said in previous posts, I am profoundly autistic myself. This teacher was probably untrained in how to deal with folks like me. However, there was no call for humiliating this boy and encouraging others to join in. With that said, this teacher has been publicly humiliated in front of this nation, and so has her school. They got a taste of what this boy gets every day in his life at school. Now that they got a taste of how it feels, they should work to get this boy into an appropriate learning environment. The staff and faculty of this school should also get a bit of extra training.

Not all types of students belong together. There are those who are autistic, “normal,” “slow,” “advanced,” “retarded,” or just plain troublemakers. Forcing those who clash to be in close quarters with each other invites trouble. The cookie cutter approached used by the public school system may work for a majority of students, but it does not produce the best and the brightest overall.

PS Curious, the way Courtney’s post was allowed “foul language” but my earlier post which quoted her post was denied posting until HER nasty words were asterisked out in my post!! Very curious.

Yeah, that is pretty weird. Wondery WHY? (maybe Courtney has something to do with whoever moderates this thing…?)

To all of those trying to make this a Left/Right issue, I got the link to this webpage from Breakpoint.org, which is a Conservative Christain site.

“Just so happens this particular person grew up in the SHADOW of a severely autistic sibling and knows whereof he speaks!

Hell have a special place for me? Yeah, been there! Done that! It’s called *MY CHILDHOOD* as a sibling of one of these severely retarded autistic kids who GOT EVERY OUNCE OF ATTENTION AND ENERGY OF THE PARENTS. ”

Silly Society-
I am sorry that your childhood was so affected by autism. However- your experience it not the same as others and everyone’s autism not the same. We put a lot of time into taking my son to therapy and appts. I also take time to spend with my daughter doing things she enjoys. This experience has obviuosly biased your judgement.
I plan to mainstream my child-working with the school and his teachers- to give him the tools he needs to live. He deserves an education- just like every other child. I pay taxes so both my children can benefit from the PUBLIC school system. Those of you who think your kids shouldn’t be in class with kids like ALex- take them out and you pay to put them in private school.
My child is not retarded or disruptive. I can’t say the same for you. I may be self righteous witch- but my job as a parent is to stand up for my child- and I will no matter who likes it.

P.S. I have no idea who moderates this board or why my post was not censored- I was as surprised as anyone!

I doubt seriously that you are “profoundly autistic”-

Well, the bottom line is that the kids’ votes WERE counted and the 14 to 2 results clearly represent a mandate for change.

The next step in the democratic process should be to hold a vote on how to let the little retard help raise money for his school.

Option A – The Short Term Option – Strap the little retard to a gurney and harvest his organs. A healthy child’s organs will go for roughly $80,000 to $100,000 on the black market.

Option B – The Long Term Option – Chain the little retard to the monkey bars outside the school – sell tickets to the public to come and gawk at him as he runs around in circles drooling and jabbering to himself.

Stories like this obviously rouse much emotion. There’s lots of heat here, I’d like to shed a bit of light.

FACTS:
1. Like it or not, Asperger’s is a legitimate disease, not a result of “poor parenting” as some have suggested. It is a difficult disease to treat, but treatments are available. They usually include a combination of social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy and medication for coexistent conditions.
2. The disease causes a variety of physical and emotional behaviors that are essentially beyond the control of the individual. Primary among them are difficulty in communicating and socializing.
3. Ms. Portillo was aware that the student was in the process of being evaluated and was participating with the evaluation team in that process.
4. After the evaluation has been completed, a team will have a wide range of possible actions from which to choose as they create an IEP (Individual Educational Program). Recommendations might include having an aide to assist Alex, suggestions for Ms. Portillo, reassignment of Alex to a special class or school, and a host of other possibilities.
5. The video does not include any indication of the extent, or lack thereof, of Alex’s disturbances in the classroom. His behavior could have ranged from very mild to extremely distracting. Prudence suggests that in the absence of information we should not make any assumptions on whether or not a qualified teacher could have modified the behavior.
6. Mrs. Portillo’s actions violated the precepts of acceptable teacher behavior of the NEA (National Educational Association) and of the district in which she was teaching. Both require that teachers protect students from being subjected to any form of public humiliation or embarrassment.
7. Ms. Portillo’s actions were intended to point out to Alex that he was “special” to the extent that he should be evaluated by his peers regarding his worthiness to remain in the class. She achieved her intended goal in that he internalized his being “special” and attempted to reject that label. His responses indicate he was distressed by the series of events.

I’m not sure which disturbs me more, the fact that a teacher subjected a student to this kind of public humiliation or the fact that so many uninformed people have callously opted to support her without first learning more about the disease or the case.

History is replete with societies that have chosen to isolate or remove those who are “different” from their midst. (ancient Sparta, the Third Reich in the 30’s and 40’s, etc.). None of these is a culture most want to emulate. To think that someone in a position to influence the thinking of children would not only subscribe to such thinking, but go so far as to encourage it in others should be repulsive to anyone with even a modicum of human decency.

One can only wonder who should set such standards and how they should be established. Should a child with Tourette’s Syndrome be permitted in the classroom or excluded? Then there are those with cleft palates. Is there presence distracting enough to warrant their exclusion? The list is endless.

Philosophers have struggled with such concepts for centuries. One concept that continues to make sense to me is that societies can be and, in fact, are judged by how they treat their most vulnerable citizens. I shudder to think that Ms. P represents the level to which we have sunk in dealing with those who are “different.”

Fortunately, I do not believe her behavior is representative of how most of us think and feel today. I pray that my feelings are accurate. I also pray that Ms. P will not at some point be placed in front of her peers so that she can be informed about the things others dislike about her and then voted into or out of some group with which she wishes to be identified. To create such an experience would be sub-human and something to which no one should be subjected.

I hope you are just trying to piss people off with a post like that. IF not, you obviously lack an ounce of kindness or empathy. I could say a lot of things that would be lost on you- but what a waste of time. I will say that Karma is a bitch- be careful you might not like what she throws back at you.

Courtney’s obviously in denial and also thinks only SHE and HER KID deserve compassion. Anyone who is damaged by autistic kids, SHE labels ‘retarded’ and ‘disruptive.’ ?!

Sort of figures.
That is what the majority of posters in these threads on this & similar topics are objecting to:
Your sense of ENTITLEMENT and SPECIALNESS, where NOBODY COUNTS BUT YOU AND YOUR HANDICAPPED KID.

Neil, great,great post!!!

[...] http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=103693 [...]

I agree with Neil’s post- very well thought out- and not too emotional (unlike mine!).

One last comment to Silly Society. My son has Autism- he is not handicapped. The only limits he has is life so far are the ones placed by people who judge him and want to decide where he belongs without ever knowing him.

I do plan to mainstream him- as stated before it it his right to a public education that my tax dollars support. However, IF he has MAJOR problems or causes them- I will discuss it with his school/teachers and do what is best for ALL involved. I know many kids with Autism who are mainstreamed and do just fine- most in their class don’t even realize they are different. What I have a big problem with is everyone saying things like “these kids” belong here or there. I heard a saying once…If you’ve met one autictic child- you’ve met one autictic child. Every child is affected differently by autism- so to assume every child with autism should be mainstreamed or everyone one should be in special ed is just crazy. That is why they have Individuallized Education Plans- everyone is different and must all be evaluated as individuals.
I do apologize for my name calling- reading all these posts where kids with autism are called retarded or made out to be second class citizens makes my blood boil!! My son is 4 years old- for anyone here to assume they know him or where he belongs in the school system that is wrong. I don’t think his needs trump everyone elses BUT if you say that then you have to agree that others kids needs don’t trump his. It is not all or nothing. You can’t send him away because he is different. I’m glad for those of you who don’t have kids with autism- but to say my kids deserves less because of his Autism is not acceptable.
For this situation, I don’t know what the kid did- but it couldn’t have justified what the teacher did. She could have done many other things first. We should ALL be appalled that a teacher can do this to ANY kid- because it could always be ours.

SillySociety- just wanted to clarify a point…
I previously stated that my son wasn’t disruptive or retarded and I couldn’t say the same for you. I don’t know you- except what you post here, so I can’t make those judgements. You don’t know all Autistic children- yet you presume to know all of them. That was the point, sorry you missed it.

I also find it disturbing that you seem to have no sympathy for those with special needs, when your own brother is in that group.

Must be a liberal web site, cause there’s a whole lot of mean people here. None of the do gooders seem to mind that the interview frame labled the child. That the school year is over (just about) and “they are in the process of being diagnosed”. Those minor points aside, it seems that the nicest thing offered for the teacher is to get fired…. after a year of dealing with disruptions that the parent isn’t doing anything about EXCEPT demanding that the child be taught just like everyone else…..what do you expect from a normal human who goes to work everyday and tries to do a good job. And this lame group wants to string her up, fire her, etcetc. Don’t hear a bit of sympathy expressed towards the other children that had to sit through the crap ALL YEAR LONG. One child might have been embarassed for 5 minutes, but a whole class had to put on their best faces and be the kindest and gentlest they could be ALL YEAR LONG. Those ‘other’ children, the ones ignored buy the do-gooder likes of this crowd behaved the way they did ALL YEAR LONG, because they had a loving, caring teacher who taught them compassion and understanding ALL YEAR LONG. Just hope that when you didn’t get any sleep cause of job stress building ALL YEAR LONG, your peers have a little more tollerance of 5 minutes of non-perfect performance.

Did you read all the comments? Many people hear feel sorry for the other children and don’t think their educatin should suffer for one child.

<>

A person can be both compassionate and yet suffer lifelong injuries from the ravages of autism; try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes for a change instead of your kneejerk anger and name-calling…which only elicits similar responses from your target.

I said the poster SEEMED to have no sympathy (my perception). I did tell the poster I was sorry for his childhood experince. My point was that you can’t throw all Autistic Kids into a group and treat them all the same- they are not all the same. Assuming everyone in one group is exactly alike and assigning negatives- sounds a lot like racism.
I can only comment on my son- who is not mentally retarded. I have no doubt if the poster says his childhood was that bad- it was (again I told him I was sorry for that). However- every family with Autism isn’t like that. The basic problem I see with everyone saying ALL these kids should go here or there- is you just can’t make assumptions based on one child for all childern.
Those of you who don’t have children with special needs will never understand those of us who do. Your “normal” children, some of you think, deserve everything and our “retarded” ones nothing- so you try to show some compassion. I said previously that if my son caused problems in class we would look at it and decide the best course of action- that could be as simple as reminders in class (pictures/schedules with times) or it could be moving him to another class. I can’t comment on what might happen- we aren’t even close to it yet. I have a child who is nonimpaired- so I can see both sides. I just don’t assume every nonimpaired child is a perfect kid and every kid with autism is retarded and disruptive.
That being said- I am done with this commenting back and forth. Apparently, it is okay to call kids with Autism names- but not the adults who do the name calling in the first place. So call me all the names you want, while you condemn me for doing the same.

CALLING someone an a**hole is calling names. Referring to a retarded person as “retarded” is NOT calling names; it is describing a person who has some mental deficiency of some sort. There is no hatred or negative judgment going on (except in the minds of those who are hypersensitive to realistic labels and prefer euphemisms).

The logic in some of these posts is naive. Suppose to them, referring to a person who has DIABETES as a DIABETIC would be considered “NAME CALLING”!

to rick

Of course I didn’t read all the posts. That would imply a commitment of thought and mind that expands much further than the steam I was blowing off for this particular article. In hindsite, I probably should have signed with the other alternative to Richard :)

Logic did dictate though, that with 450+ responses there was probably some ‘dialogue’ going on. Am glad I’m not sitting on the board of education in that FL town. I enjoy my life a little less ruffled.

Calling all autistic kids retarded is name calling- because autism isn’t synonymous with retarted. Diagnosing a child with Autism isn’t the same as a diagnosis of mental retardation. Adults callings kids affected by autism- retarded and implying that they deserve less of anything because of an ILLNESS is ridiculous and in no way defendable.

You guys either cannot read or cannot think–or maybe you just don’t want to (or can’t) admit when you are wrong. Nobody in any of these postings has ever said that “ALL” autistic kids are retarded.

YOU are inserting that in the postings yourself, for some reason. The most anyone has said is that *they* grew up with a SEVERELY RETARDED AUTISTIC KID and it severely impacted their life. (Can’t you permit that poster to KNOW and express the fact that his sib was SEVERELY RETARDED AND AUTISTIC? Were you there?!) Instead of any of you pausing to consider GEE, WONDER WHAT KIND OF HELL THAT GUY DID EXPERIENCE?, some of you have bent over backwards to DEFEND against an imaginary statement that somebody must’ve called ALL AUTISTIC KIDS “RETARDED”!

Pathetic. You are WAY TOO DEFENSIVE. Please remove the chip(s) from your shoulder(s), and let people discuss their experiences if they wish, without so much hyperdefensiveness.

And yes, COURTNEY started the name-calling, no matter how she tries to back-peddle it.

By the way, the official definition for RETARDED is: “slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress.”

Asperger’s is an Autism Spectrum Disorder….it is in NO WAY a parenting disorder. Autism is a neurological disorder. You wouldn’t blame parents for thier child’s diabetes- which is an endocrine disorder. You can’t blame parents for this………………….

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“Asperger’s is an Autism Spectrum Disorder….it is in NO WAY a parenting disorder.”

It could be BOTH, especially if the parents also had Asperger’s or autism. For example, if the parents are afflicted with either disorder, they might NOT BE CAPABLE of adequately socializing their child, and the child might therefore be extremely “retarded” (i.e., developmentally arrested) in social interactions–which is a HUGE component of Asperger’s.

Why always insist that it is an either/or situation? More often that not, there are MULTIPLE factors at play.

Just wondering: Did the mother of this child have a husband? Was there a father in the house? Or is this another of those “single mothers” trying to raise a son without a father, with all the social dendritus that accompanies those situations?

IF the parents are affected by the disorder than they probably have difficulty socializing..so they can’t teach that to their son. The mom seemed okay in the video. When you call it a parenting issue that implies bad parenting. If the parents are affected too- you can’t call them bad parents for something they can’t control. You can’t just discipline kids with ASD disorders like you kids without- they may not understand a lot of the same things. They could be great parents, doing exactly what they should. There are generally multiple factors involved in most things in life BUT somethings are black and white.

[...] Special Needs Kid Voted Out Of Class By Fellow Kindergartners 05-28-2008 3:16 pm – CBS’ ‘Early Show’ Dateline: Port St. Lucie, Florida CBS: Melissa Barton says Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo had her son’s classmates say what they didn’t like about 5-year-old Alex. She says the teacher then had the students vote, and voted Alex, who is being evaluated for Asperger’s syndrome — an autism spectrum disorder — out of the class by a 14-2 margin. 298 COMMENTS | | SHARE Source: Special Needs Kid Voted Out Of Class By Fellow Kindergartners [...]

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33909.asp

What is WRONG with this picture???

WHEN will these *victim-women* begin to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for their own foolish mistakes??
Sounds like another “Single-Mother-in-Denial,” where EVERYONE and EVERYTHING is in the wrong except HER and her two AUTISTIC kids.

If the husband showed ZERO INTEREST in her first kid, why’d she have a second one with him? If her first kid was autistic, why have a second one? If she has family in another state, why doesn’t she move there and get some help from them, instead of draining State funds to support her wreck of a family? She seems WAY TOO PROUD of her DYSFUNCTIONAL MESS, and even purports to ADVISE OTHERS on how to function in similar messes.

People need to be more responsible–and more honest. This entire lifestyle is DISHONEST.

A silent hush falls over the crowd… silenced by the piercing sound of TRUTH.

Kelly

It is obvious that your not a parent. If you are then you are part of what is wrong with this society today. Children with Asperger’s syndrome aren’t always able to control how they react, such as talking at inappropriate times.

You should be ashamed of yourself for your comments and your obvious bigotry.

Also, “exclusive” does not mean that she was paid for the interview, it is possible however that she only wanted to tell this story once and not have her child put through interviews with several news stations.

As a parent of a child with a disability, this teacher needs to be fired immediately and her teaching license revoked so that she will NEVER step foot into a classroom again.

Jim wrote: “As a parent of a child with a disability, this teacher needs to be fired immediately…”

This misplaced modifier suggests the TEACHER is the PARENT of the disabled child.

Bet you’re a homeschooler, eh?

This retard is just another failed abortion. All hes going to do in life is sit on his butt and live off his family, who are too stupid to realize he is useless. If he was being stupid in class then he shouldn’t be aloud in said class. End of story.

Hey, this kid posts on my site!

There are too many kids labeled with “special needs” these days. I’m not speaking for people I don’t know and I can hardly hear this, but the proportion labeled this way is ridiculous. These days some people find it autistic for a kid to be free-spirited, have a bit of a different gaze, and have a good rote memory. How very ridiculous! Most kids can live without being pathologized and I think that much of the time this “Asperger’s” thing is an excuse to pathologize difference. However, I’m not speaking for that particular child because I don’t know him.

HOWEVER. . .
Special needs child or no special needs, it’s absolutely not appropriate for a teacher to do what this woman did. This was atrocious.

special needs Asperger’s all lies.
grow a pair and stop being a wimp.
this come from a guy whos mum thinks he’s Aspergers and as a result had a talk given to the rest of the class becase of it.
The most embassing thing to happen in my sorry life

I have my own challenges and weaknesses like any other person. But I had other strengths. Nonverbal communication was difficult for me to understand when I was quite young. I had trouble with understanding teasing, and body language in particualr. In short I was diagnosed as having a non verbal learning disability. However I was quite good at Social studies and history and I had a pretty good memory. It took me longer to develop my fine motor skills; writing was a bit difficult…

However I wasn’t disruptive and I did work and play well with other children.

I did have my own Individual learning plan.. but I needed help like any other student that has difficulty with a certain topic. It took me a bit longer to master certain skills but my other strengths compensated.

I was not disruptful nor did I eat crayons, hide under tables, pull kid’s hair, yell and scream randomly etc. I did however hide in a closet after being bullied but that’s not really out of the norm considering the circumstance.

I think what the teacher did was innapropiate. But think like the children in the class. Would you want a student that’s disruptive? I know it’s a bit cruel but knowing from experience certain children with severe mental retardation, ie low function downs sydrome, etc can be very disruptive and can have a negative effect on the other students. If the child can’t adequetely fit into the class then placing the child in a special class would be appropiate. At my high school there was a classroom specifically made for children with special needs that needed assistance that one teacher with a class of 29 other students can’t provide. Fact is some of the several mentally challenged children will never be able to understand the full curiculum. Some of these children will never find ’success’. It’s sad but it’s true. What we can do is find a way of providing the best possible education so that these children can integrate into society to the best of their abilities.

I had a fellow student in my Grade 6-7 split class that was diagnosed with downs. He is a very nice guy and quite friendly but I admit he was disruptful and he was a handful and required much attention from the teacher and the teacher assistant. While other students were studying ancient Egypt and basic algebra, he was colouring or working through very basic mathmatics. 1+1=2 kind of stuff.

In my cooking class in Grade 11 there were 3 special needs children present. I had no problem being in a classroom with them.. but 2 of the 3 did absolutely nothing in class. They were practically sitting in their chairs colouring or just observing the other students. What use does a severly mentally challenged teenager have with a cooking class? Is he/she ever going to be able to live independently?

People need to see the reality of certian conditions. Living in a fantasy world where people who are severelly handicapped are on the same level as the average student is ridiculous.

I did have my own difficulties but I was never described as being retarded in any way or form .I would have preffered it if I wasn’t diagnosed with some problem but rather that I was a late bloomer in certain aspects.

As a 20 year old young man I live like any average young man. I am a bit introverted. If you were to meet me in person you would probably determine that I am just an average man. If you were to meet a person who is mentally challenged it would be easy to see if he was indeed challenged. Those kind of people can be easy to spot.

My point is children like the boy with aspergers are better suited to a classroom and a teacher specfically tailored to children with special needs.

There has to be a reason why the children voted for his removal. People don’t agree to get rid of someone if there is no reason, even 5 year olds.

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Aspie

LULZ!

He got Pwned

Awwww….boohoo, get over it. The only ‘atrocious’ thing is that they called the kid ’special needs’. Do you guys even know what asperger’s is? It does not mean that the kid is RETARDED or anything he just has a social disorder…and its a quite annoying disorder so I understand why she would but the kid outside the class (Oh no…how DISGUSTING of her) I would know because I have a family member that has this disorder and he is one of the most annoying guys I’ve ever met, but he is most definitely not SPECIAL needs are RETARDED. He has a very high IQ actually.

Good thing they got rid of the distraction because, you know, kindergarten is some really though stuff. You need full concentration to pass that grade, it’s sooo rigorous.

The entire point of kindergarten is pretty much a social education. So remember, kids, if you think a kid is weird, cut all ties with him and call him a dick!

And yes, I don’t believe he’s a special needs case, but come on, you don’t kick the kid out of the entire class, just put him in the corner.

And of course 5 year olds would vote him out, to them it’s hilarious.

“This isn’t survivor, this is reality” She says. Well, the reality is her kid’s behavior has annoyed and irked everyone around him, and judging by her disposition she probably knows how easy it is for him to get on peoples nerves. I say more power to those kids, they got rid of an element that was holding back thier own education. there is enough distraction in public schools as it is, and we don’t need “high-functioning” Aspies mucking it up for our children. I applaud that teacher and what she has done, finally, someone who can take a stand against this kind of thing.

Why is everyone mean to these poor special needs kids? After all, Autistic kids rock! (lol)

XD
Pwned by kindergardeners

Asbergers is a joke and an imagined wikipedia, self-diagnosed, helicopter parent collection of nonsense.

Those other kids in the class deserved an education, but they have to suffer this twat’s idiocy instead because of this nonsensical label.

Socially inept? That’s called being stupid, annoying, and an unlikable douche who is only concerned with himself. I’m one of those but I’m not so blind as to dare to “diagnose” myself with some self-inflating “I’m special” nonsense.

True, the teacher didn’t do well to put the child on the spot, but oh boy was she on the right track getting that kid out of there.

Humanity is pathetic. Every one of you that defends this little moron and his idiot mother who doesn’t have the stomach to tell her son to SHUT THE HELL UP when she needs to are simply adding to the corruption of Western civilization that has become so rampant in the world.

I hope you all die in a fire. Maybe then people with sense, people who don’t excuse every failure committed by a person and instead hold them to higher standards that, *gasp*, they might IMPROVE THEMSELVES, will finally come to make this world a better place.

I could rant on about real handicaps… when I got my master’s in teaching they did their best to indoctrinate me with “EVERYBODIE IZ EQUALS” nonsense but I’m not stupid: PEOPLE ARE NOT EQUAL. They require different things. Sticking a kid who needs help in a classroom because it’s PC, because their damnable parents want to feel like wInnArs, does nothing but hurt the kid in question, the teacher, and everyone else in the class.

Pathetic. Nobody is held to any sense of self-responsibility anymore. Excuses for everything.

Woden, we’re all equal in the eyes of God, we all have our merits and pitfalls, and we’re all sinners. That said, though, it’s true that we shouldn’t be throwing the label at every kid who has the periodic table memorized and is routinely rude to Aunt Amy. It’s difficult to have a lot of sympathy for someone who tells sob stories about being rebuked for saying that someone’s fat. Maybe that doesn’t sound very charitable, but it’s the way I feel right now. I’m being honest. I don’t believe that it makes people “autistic” to be crude enough to talk about their ED or go into detail about their bathroom habits. There may be some legitimate cases, but most people can learn how to relate to other people. 90 percent of cases are probably frauds.
What you said about excuses is somewhat true. I remember several periods in my life when my mom tried to make excuses for me. I didn’t need or want excuses made for me!
Good for you for not wanting to be pathologized, but it’s not good to hope that people die a horrible death. I know you were probably exaggerating, but still.
That said, I stand by my statement that it’s awful for an adult to do that to a kid. How can an adult teach impressionable kids to ostracize a peer? Young people have to deal with enough of that garbage. Besides, kids trust adults. A betrayal from an adult is much worse than a bit of rudeness from peers.

Your “special needs” kid is not a special, unique snowflake.
These children diagnosed with so-called “@ss-burgers syndrome” need
to be put in a “special” school where trained professionals
can either facilitate their growth into normal, albeit sub-average,
members of society. We do not need IM SO SPESHUL!!11oneone!!!11
kids running amok in our public schools, further dragging the
educational standards of this once great nation into the proverbial gutter.

Oh, by the way.. if you don’t know what Asperger’s is,
I suggest taking a look at the following INTERNETS webpage.

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Aspergers_syndrome

DO IT FOR TEH LULZ

DESU, it’s mostly the intelligent kids being pathologized this way. People in this nation are also being deliberately dumbed down. Look at the website, deliberatedumbingdown.com. It’s not just the website because I’ve seen some evidence as well. I’m not stupid enough to think that most of the stuff the school psychologists do is meant to prepare kids for high-end jobs in the future.

LOL KID GOT PWNED.!!!!

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Phil, I just listened to this for real this time and that’s not what she’s saying. All she’s saying is that if people don’t believe they’ve done something wrong that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

why did she bring up al qaeda? What a nutjob.

She brought up Al Qaeda because Al Qaeda strongly believed in what it was doing. If people who are devoted can be wrong and not believe it, then anyone can. If people can commit such atrocities and not believe themselves to be wrong, then people can have that mentality in other aspects of life. She was using extreme examples to make a point. I don’t see why so many people don’t understand that.

Asbergers is not a real condition. Alex was just social inapt and acted out to get attention and his mother just wanted an excuse for her pathetic parenting.It probably didn’t hurt to get to go on all the major networks and cry about how her child “has a disability and can’t be judged ever in his life for any mistakes or failures as a person he makes”. It sad what kids can get away with today

lulz.

I personally think it’s pathetic that someone be so dead set on their child “being treated like everyone else” that they’re willing to hold others back for it. It’s basically the same thing as having a poorly behaved child terrorizing the neighborhood or whoever else is around you.

If you want your child to be treated the same as well-behaved children, teach them to behave themselves. Otherwise, you’re a bad parent.

Look at him! He cant do kindergarten, im in a class with a special need kid, he slows down the class, reads like a blind person, and isn’t just right. The teachers child doesnt deserve a thing.

Look, I think this situation was handled badly. However, the mother had no business making a spectacle of herself and her child. It also appears that Alex’s behaviour was extremely disruptive, and that something did need to be done about him (though preferably not that). A lot of the time “special” kids would indeed be better off in a “special” class. It’s not an insult, just a statement of fact. You can’t just magically make these kids normal by wanting them to be.

I am, in fact, getting a little tired of the politically correct wish-fulfilment statements that topics like this invariably inspire.

So, let’s get some things straight: Autism– yes, it does exist!– is a serious developmental disorder, not a “gift”. While it is possible for a person with certain forms of autism to be highly intelligent, the two are by no means synonymous. People with it are not members of a superior breed, nor are the bulk of humanity’s great thinkers among them. By selective reporting, you can make *anyone* sound like they have it– but that proves nothing. Saying “Einstein was one of us” 300 times won’t make it true, sorry.

Besides, all that silly master-race boasting is not helping improve the public image of people with the condition one bit, and it’s about time they understood this. All it’s doing is making them sound arrogant and delusional, not to mention providing fodder for sites like ED.

Finally, has anyone noticed the number of people who came to defend poor, handicapped Alex… and stayed to cast racial slurs on the “nigger” teacher? That’s some very selective PC-ness operating there.

Why, among all the outraged reactions, has no-one been shocked by *that*?

Al Qaida? Seems like the mom might have a little asspie in her too.

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