Little Alex is not "austic" as I wrote in the headlne. He's "autistic." Must be dsyexlia settling in for the winter.

Now do you understand why democracy is a bad thing? Now do you understand why our Founder feared the concept of democracy and instead gave us a republic?

But hey, keep btiching about the electoral college, it's fashionable to do.

Individual rights are not negotiable and not subject to the whims of the majority.

That is just cruel.... regardless on whether or not the child was disrupting his classmates... She should have talked to the parents about his behavior (if she didn't do so already)... Now I am not the type that is all about doing everything under the sun, moon and stars to boost a childs self esteem (ie shielding children from failure) but this is was just cruel...

"Individual rights are not negotiable and not subject to the whims of the majority.

#2 | Posted by member2586 "

Unless you're gay.

IF this is the whole story, she should be let go immediatelt

but there is still due process..............well at least for awhile..

Cry me a river. If the little shit, would act normal maybe people would be able to stand him. Blame his parents.

QCP=POS

This teacher must have a guaranteed pension already because retirement is at hand.

Add QPC-The poster that put #6 up is obviously a sensitive and caring individual. That would be the one that doesn't give a living shit about anyone or thing but him/her self. Congratulations asshole your application for a Darwin Award is being fast tracked as you are a shoe in. By the way, is it possible that your personal IQ score places you in that select bottom 1%. Don't worry, it isn't that high even. Blame your parents for raising such a prick.

Now do you understand why democracy is a bad thing?

Do you live in the U.S. member? I was going to ask if you were American or not - but from that comment the answer was more than obvious. Of course allowing people to vote themselves other peoples money is a bad thing but the other 99% of a democracy is a GOOD thing.

Unless you're gay.
#4 | Posted by LetUsPrey

Gays have rights that normal people don't?

"Gays have rights that normal people don't?"

No, they don't have rights we married people get to take for granted.

The world of autism is one cruel world. I married a woman that has autistic twins. They are great boys, 12 yrs old, but they are dumber than dirt.

The bad thing is that they are both good looking guys and you would never know they have an illness.

A child with CP or Downs looks like something is wrong so no one gets upset that they require special treatment, but autism is not that way. People expect them to be normal because they look normal.

This teacher deserves to be fired. There is a system in place to handle cases like this, and she thought, with her small brain, that if the classmates all told him what they thought, that magically, he could stop his disease from being a nuisance.

I would be willing to bet also, that if you went to his house, you would find that his parents never bothered to instill any social norms in the child because he was 'retarded'. I have seen it over and over again among parents of 'special' children.

It's like saying, 'I will never be a billionaire, so what's the use in working at all'.

The teacher is an idiot and went about it the wrong way.

But the other kids on the class are there to get an education, not to watch little Alex carry on all day. If the kid has a disability that compels him to constantly disrupt the class, he shouldn't be in the class in the first place.

It wouldn't bother me if the teacher were fired. But she probably wasn't hired to teach special needs children and probably doesn't have a certification to teach special ed. So if I were her and they were putting those kids in my class knowing full well that the kid shouldn't be in there and that I am not trained to handle them and then they fire me for not handling them correctly, I'd sue.

I agree...this teacher handled this poorly. You do not take any child put him up in front of his peers and have them say we don't want you here.

However, I do have a question...was the teacher informed of this process to diagnose his problem? While it would not in anyway shape or form make her actions right (you don't do this to any child imo... Asperger's /autism or not)...not informing her is a major issue. If the child's behavior is continuously disruptive (as he seems to be according to the article)to his peers and no one is informed of his diagnosis how is someone to know if he has a condition or if he is simply not listening? Knowing this most definitely changes how the adult has to handle the situation and how future situations should be handled (although I reiterate never should is be handled like THIS)

I remember several years ago when I worked in a camp/daycare facility. Another girl and myself were given 40+ children of a specific grade to watch and care for. Some of these children's had problems (ie physical and mental disabilities) that we were informed of so as to handle any issues that may arise or pay special attention to these kids...some of them were just god awful brats (ie hit another child with a bat for beating them in a game...only to pretend to cry and be comforted by the parent who was called to pick them upno inherent problemsjust a severe case of "oh not my child's fault").

Everyday there was a boy whom would throw tantrums, scream, and fight with other children both verbally and psychically. Everyday he was usually sitting next to me cursing at me and the other girl and throwing himself on the ground while in "time out." Everyday I would inform my boss and his mother of this behavior...nothing was said or done. It was not until 3 months later that while in time out for punching another child that I caught him biting himself and nearly drawing blood. Horrified I called the boy's mother and prevented him from leaving any more bite marks on his arm. Finally his mother admitted that he was emotionally/mentally disturbed and at times violent to others and himself...she had special medicines and processes by which to calm him when he flew off into a rageshe didn't think informing us of any of this was a needed or "big deal."

I had spent months ripping my hair out trying to understand why this child acted as he did...if a child has special needs those who are caring for him/her need to be informed so they can properly care for them.

Unless you're gay.

#4 | Posted by LetUsPrey

Where does the "right" to be gay come from?

"Where does the "right" to be gay come from?"

The same place the "right" to be straight comes from.

Where does the "right" to be gay come from?

#13 | Posted by reinsurelaw at 2008-11-20 12:48 PM

or the same place the right to be an ignorant prick comes from.

"""Everyday there was a boy whom would throw tantrums, scream, and fight with other children both verbally and psychically. """

Wow. Like reading minds, levitating chairs and bending spoons?!?! Coooool.

Lol Thanks. Physically I meant of course...

"Now do you understand why democracy is a bad thing?"
-member2586

"Cry me a river, blah blah blah"
-QCP

Yup. Got it.

this is a great example of why the majority ought not determine rights for minorities. California bigots should take note.

You guys are overlooking the fact that an entire class room benefited from removing a problem. Should everyone suffer because this kid can't control himself?

While that may be true QCP Should this child be made to feel like an outcast because he has a mild form of autism? If he is causing a disturbance and hindering the other children in his class...yes of course it should be addressed...but not by plopping him down in front of his peers humilating him...

...but not by plopping him down in front of his peers humilating him...

Why not? Maybe that will make his little "autistic" brain realize that no one likes his spoiled brat attitude.

My guess is this kid and the bulk of the other "mildly autistic" kids out there are just antisocial little shits who'd benefit from being told no once in a while. They get given these diagnoses so the parents don't feel bad about their lack of parenting skills and so the drug companies can make money. And yes if one kid is always causing a problem then by all means single the kid out. How else will they learn?

"whom would throw tantrums, scream, and fight with other" ..... bloggers?

It resembles a bunch of lefties on this sight.

Nobody is overlooking ANYTHING, QCP, except you.

The decision did not lie with the teacher, nor the students, and benefiting the class at the emotional expense of an already marginalized kid is not the fucking answer. Obviously.

There are options available to teachers in cases such as this.

Christ, never mind QCP. You really are a hopeless asshole.

Christ, never mind QCP. You really are a hopeless asshole.

Nah man, I got hope. I voted for Obama and everything.

Why not? Maybe that will make his little "autistic" brain realize that no one likes his spoiled brat attitude.
#22 | Posted by ChickenInOven

My guess is this kid and the bulk of the other "mildly autistic" kids out there are just antisocial little shits who'd benefit from being told no once in a while.
#23 | Posted by qcp

Dang, what a couple of morons - Asperger's Syndrome is a REAL condition that affects people for their entire lives. One of the main parts of Aspergers is that kids don't develop normal social interactions like "normal" people do; they are prone to not care about other people and be very socially awkward. Sounds like the kid in the story! By blaming his problems on bad parents or brattiness shows a lack of basic understanding for mental disorders and a general lack of empathy for those with such disorders.

Aspergers and autism in general are real. My wife has a friend whose husband has the disorder. He loves to talk and be social, but he is very awkward about it; he talks for long periods of time and about subjects that are generally not interesting to anyone else. One interesting side note about Aspergers is that those with it realize they have it and often try to overcome it on their own (without drugs, etc.) Having people like QCP and Chicken say Aspergers is merely bad behavior is idiocy at its best. Why don't you educate yourself a little on the subject?

Thank you Bartimus. As an actual Aspberger's case myself (go ahead QCP, say something else asinine), I am willing to bet I am not the only autistic person on this thread.

You nailed it pretty straight, by the way, when you said we who are aware of having it work hard to overcome it on our own, without drugs. And I can assure the trog of this thread, my Mom was quite the authoritarian. Surprise surprise, it's not a discipline issue.

The sad thing is, I was a full grown adult before I was diagnosed. Growing up it was blamed on everything from a high IQ to bad nutrition to being psychopathic. Lotsa fun, let me tell you.

I recommend, by the way, a movie called "Mozart and the Whale". While it does ham up some of the more rare aspects of autism for cinematic effect, it still paints a pretty accurate picture. First time a date movie ever made me cry, that's for sure....

"Should this child be made to feel like an outcast because he has a mild form of autism?"

He was being made an outcast because he was being a distraction all the time and preventing his peers from getting an education.

Either the kid has problems that he can't control and he needs to be in a class that is equipped for such students. Or he should have enough control of himself to live up to the same expectations as all the kids in his class. Putting him in a class where everyone else is expected to behave a certain way but he's given a free pass because of his condition isn't fair to the other kids for a variety of reasons.

I actually went to a Catholic school as a kid where the nuns would constantly humiliate kids in front of the whole class. And they picked on the kids who needed the most help (just like Jesus would have done I guess). So I understand that this isn't a good way for teachers to behave. But allowing one kid to monopolize the teacher's time with constant distractions isn't reasonable either. He wasn't singled out because of a diagnosis. He was singled out because he's a giant pain in the ass who makes learning impossible for everyone else. Just because the teacher screwed up doesn't mean that the school should lose sight of that. Something needs to be done to address the kid as well as the teacher.

I say sue the teacher under Americans with Disability Act to teach her a lesson she will never forget.

As an actual Aspberger's case myself (go ahead QCP, say something else asinine)

Ok, here you go, it's spelled Asperger's. You'd figure someone with a condition could at least spell it right.

All I'm saying is the normal kids in the class benefited from kid leaving. The needs of the many out weigh the feelings of the problem child.

They have a special room and bus for those kids for a reason.

Exactly, QCP, and they also have proper avenues of action to get those kids there, none of which this teacher followed. Throw the book at her, and then beat her with it till she loses consciousness, because frankly, what she did only shows that she should be nowhere near kids of that age.

As for the spelling, touche. I am human and misspell things sometimes.

On the other hand, I usually spell it assburgers, but that's just because it makes my kids laugh.

I'm a teacher. The pay is lousy, I get little respect, and, nowadays, it's dangerous. Why do I do it? Like most teachers, I love it. It's an honor to teach.

"because frankly, what she did only shows that she should be nowhere near kids of that age. "

Thats a little ridiculous. She is a tenured teacher with a history of good review/evaluations. Considering the Superintendent isn't outright firing her as a huge legal liability speaks to her record as a good teacher.

Suspended one year without pay?

Fired would be more like it.

Of course, the parents probably aren't through with this idiot in civil court yet. Teechur (Florida spelling, mmkay?) is gonna get an education when that happens.

Actually Sully I agree with you. I worded that wrong.

I don't think she did it because he had a problem (I questioned if she even KNEW that he was being diagnosed earlier). The thing is I don't think what she did was right for any kid...Aspergers, autism, or badly behaved. If a child is distracting another child or group of children within the class it should have been addressed outside the class between the parents/principal/teacher/
adults not thrown to kids barely old enough to attend school themselves...

While I am not a teacher myself I have close friends and family members who are and deal with situations like this often...and often find that the administration that is supposed to be helping them handle the child are more apt to say "go back to class" then to actually help solve it. This teacher handled this wrong no doubt in my mind but is there more to this story than is being told? If this boy is so disruptive and distracting that he is incessantly being sent out of the class (which further disrupts them) why is he constantly being placed back in with a teacher that may not be trained to handle his unique situation? This does not help him, his classmates, or the teacher at all. Why did it take legal action to get the administration to recognize a problem exists and needs to be addressed?

"Now do you understand why democracy is a bad thing?"
-member2586

Certainly why the Founding Fathers didn't give 5 y/os the vote. Not sure that a bunch or elitists fears about the lumpen proletariat is still valid (except for ditto-heads who shouldn't be allowed to vote)

This woman should have known better. Kids have a herd mentality and the majority will continue to feel they can ostracize this kid. If she felt she needed peer to peer for the kid (not that it would likely work) she should have had them tell him. If the kid is a behavioral problem, the school needs either a special class, or an EA for him.

Yeah, and California passed a ban on same-sex marriage. That's what happens when you let people with the mental capacity of a 5 year-old vote...

"Why did it take legal action to get the administration to recognize a problem exists and needs to be addressed?"

From what I read, the aren't addressing the problem of the kid being the wrong class. They are addressing the problem of the teacher humiliating the kid, which they should. My bet is that the parents of this kid insist that he doesn't need to be in special ed and the school is too chickenshit to say otherwise because the minute you bring a story about school administrators "picking on a disabled kid" in front of a jury, that school is going to be bankrupted. So all the kids in the class suffer. That is what excessive litigation and political correctness does.

"You guys are overlooking the fact that an entire class room benefited from removing a problem. Should everyone suffer because this kid can't control himself?"

Yes, the kid can't control himself. Yo uare right, but this is not a willing act. This is because of a physical disability. So should he be ostricized and humiliated because of it? It is one thing to remove a problem, but quite another when it is done at the expense of another.

"...but not by plopping him down in front of his peers humilating him...

Why not? Maybe that will make his little "autistic" brain realize that no one likes his spoiled brat attitude."

Lemme guess, Michael Savage fan?
You realize that autism is not being a "spoiled brat". Autism usually manifests itself in an inability to guage a social situation and react accordingly. The are usually "savants" in one particular area. This is not something that can be caused by "poor parenting", it is a birth defect. Literally it is an imbalance in the brain hemispheres.

So shut up if you have no idea what you are talking about.

I have a son who has been diagnosed with Asperger's. Going through the school system, let along life, has been a constant string of challenges.

Asperger's is a relatively recent diagnoses. Maybe all of about 25-30 years. It is mainly characterized as having very poor social skills. Those having it tend to test high in math/sciences where other areas, where language skills are more important performance is poorer.

The neurologist who gave us the diagnosis told us that Bill Gates is the poster child for the condition. I don't know if it is true or he was just trying to help us cope.

Part of the struggle is bouncing in and out of "mainstreaming" in educational environment. The individual suffers in each environment. Understanding is the best tool and those systems and teachers who make the effort are the most successful and deserve the highest recognition.

It's not an excuse for bad behavior. In fact, the individual needs to greater help and requires modeling to accomplish this. Once it is accomplished they are usually the best behaved of the bunch since they tend to be compulsive.

How it was handled was wrong for all involved.

The two children who did not vote him out deserve special recognition. To be that right at that age in what must of been incredible peer pressure is quite remarkable.

My wife, being a good caring human being devoted to helping people, (unlike me, who prefers to apply firepower to solve "issues") works with a range of developmentally challenged kids. Aspergers is amazing. These kids really don't develop the social skills needed to interact. And, from what I have seen and read, these kids are above average to greater intelligence. They don't have the scripts running through thier head that help them undertstand societal norms. My wife rehearses vingettes to help them learn how to act.

Mainstreaming the kids is almost a requirement everywhere. The "least restrictive environment" is a condition laid down by law. These kids are constantly in a state of conflict with thier classmates. Often times they don't even realise there is an issue with thier classmates.

If self awareness leads to the potential of personal growth then maybe something positive can occur for all involved in this incident. Either that or only the lawyers benefit.