Posted on 05/25/2008 1:36:54 AM PDT by LibWhacker
PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.
After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.
Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
Port St. Lucie Police no longer are investigating, but police officials are documenting the complaint, she said.
Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident took place.
Portillo could not be reached for comment Friday.
Steele said the boy had been sent to the principal's office because of disciplinary issues. When he returned, Portillo made him go to the front of the room as a form of punishment, she said.
Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marcia Cully.
Children diagnosed with Asperger's often exhibit social isolation and eccentric behavior..
Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disability, Barton said. After the family moved into the area and Alex and his sibling arrived at the school in January, Alex spent much of the time in the principal's office, she said.
He also had problems at his last school, but he did not have issues during his two years of preschool, Barton said.
School and district officials have met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan to address his difficulties, she said. Portillo attended these meetings, Barton said.
Barton said after the vote, Portillo asked Alex how he felt.
"He said, 'I feel sad,' " Barton said.
Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said.
Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.
"He was shaken up," she said.
Barton said the nurse told her to talk with Portillo, who told her what happened.
Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school.
Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special" over and over.
Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.
The other students said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said.
"He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."
St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment.
Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside but said he could not elaborate.
A very true statement. As someone who has seen Aspergers very close up I can tell you that one of the effects this disorder has on those who have it is that you want to be part of the group but don't know how. Thus a sign like this when all you want to do is fit in would be devastating and very frustrating.
I'm not sure that many people on this thread understand the difference between Aspergers and Autism. Although Aspergers is a offshoot of Autism, people with Aspergers often display high intelligence and perform very well in society as many can teach themselves how to interact with others once they become old enough to understand the disorder.
Individualized Education Plan.
You are talking about a LOUSY teacher. And probably an equally pathetic school administration that put him in a general education class.
Nonetheless, this is kindergarten. She was teaching the class that they could gang up on and emotionally bully one child who has enough problems.
Everthing they really needed to know they did not learn in that kindergarten.
“Well, I don’t speak “autism rules”. Sorry.”
Or you mean you just never bothered to look.
It's been my experience that "normal" kids behave far worse sometimes. And it's also my opinion that this teacher totally stepped in it. I doubt seriously that this is the documented manner in which she should proceed with a problem student.
This teacher needs to be fired. Her proper course of action would have been to take Alex to the principal’s office and then lock the classroom door.
Clearly, there needs to be separate classrooms (and maybe separate buildings) for kids who are constant distractions and who are incapable of functioning in a normal group setting. It is not fair to the rest of the kids to have to be subjected to kids who cannot control themselves.
Kids like Alex need to be warehoused together and supervised by people who can deal with them. Mental health professionals can then determine if there is hope for a return to a normal school setting for these kids and if so, develop the appropriate program. Those kids who cannot be normalized should remain in the holding pen and given whatever meds they need and whatever instruction they can handle, sort of like a typical inner-city school. As long as the hours are the same as they are for the regular school, the parents probably won’t care.
Wrong again. I did look. I still don't see, in the article, where it says they are trying to put him in a special class. It just says they are trying to set him up in an IEP. Which MAY not mean a special class.
Give it up. You cannot sell me on the idea that this woman isn't gaming the system for her brat.
“So where were these kids placed prior to the mainstream rush that’s taken place in the last several years?”
When my son was four, the neurologist who was supposed to be diagnosing him told us to have him institutionalized, and forget him.
I invited the dude out for coffee for one, and pistols for two.
Kids with Asperger’s Syndrome are usually of normal or better intelligence. He'll know. He already does, in fact, according to the article.
Nonetheless, this is kindergarten. She was teaching the class that they could gang up on and emotionally bully one child who has enough problems.
Everthing they really needed to know they did not learn in that kindergarten.”
The school administration has to be excused here, as this kid doesn't have a diagnosis confirmed, or an IEP, just yet. They are working on it, and he's new in the school. Otherwise, multiple bulls-eyes.
“Kids like Alex need to be warehoused together and supervised by people who can deal with them.”
Nope. We’ve tried that already. It is VERY ineffective. What we’re doing now may not be good, but it is at least better.
For who?
Give it up. You cannot sell me on the idea that this woman isn't gaming the system for her brat.”
Setting him up for an IEP is where they will determine what is the appropriate placement for him. The placement options are a continuum from regular class to hospitalization. If you understood the process, you'd know that. The parents, the school administrator, the classroom teacher, and the special ed teacher are the minimum IEP team to make that decision.
In this case, the classroom teacher is an obvious disaster. She just painted an X on her classroom floor,and the district's taxpayers wallets, too. Mom might want to see just how accommodating the district can become before she sues, but I can't blame her for continuing to consider it.
For the kids. Some folks want to warehouse them, some want to institutionalize them, and some want them euthanized. I want to turn them into taxpayers.
WHICH kids?
The handful of lousy-parented, totally undisciplined kids who can't or won't control themselves, or all the other kids in the classrooms who get cheated out of instruction time because they have to sit through all the nonsense?
I don’t blame you. Sounds like some of the “professionals” we dealt with early on in the process. They don’t actually know anything. They just read a lot of books.
I have more problem with a classful of kids who, guided by their teacher, think they can collectively attack a single child than with the individual child who is being tested for something as serious as autism. Kids can be the cruelest people on earth; it’s up to the adults in their lives to teach them civility. These kids didn’t get that.
I agree with you 100%.
Which is why I maintain that Alex needs to be warehoused with other headbangers and given proper supervision.
In most cases, a child with autism would be in a small class with a few students, a specially trained teacher and aide. I’d prefer not to consider that ‘warehousing.’ They don’t know yet if he’s going to be diagnosed with autism and, if so, how severe it is. A kid I grew up with certainly acted like he was autistic, but today is a successful attorney. No one suffered from being in class with him.
In today’s public schools boys can’t act like boys, and if they do they are handed a label ... and usually ritalin. It may be that Alex is seriously autistic, or it could be ADHD, or it could be that he is simply overly energetic. Clearly his parents are trying to achieve some kind of diagnosis and it is hard to imagine they have not met with the school’s administrators.
In any case, he did not deserve the treatment he received from his teacher and classmates.
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