Posted on 09/23/2007 7:43:27 PM PDT by Graybeard58
A six-year-old autistic boy has been charged criminally after an incident inside his school where he allegedly assaulted a teacher's aide.
It's a story you saw first on 9News.
The incident happened earlier this month at Taylor Elementary School in Brooksville, Ky., located in Bracken County.
He is in kindergarten at Taylor Elementary, but 9News was told that due to his autism and other conditions, his mental capacity is the equivalent to a child half his age.
But despite that condition and his age, it still hasn't stopped a school employee there from holding him accountable: criminally.
Whether it's playing outside with his parents, or coloring SpongeBob Squarepants pictures, Nathan Darnell isn't much different than other kids his age.
But two things that do make him different from many other six-year-olds is his autism – and his criminal rap sheet.
"We are not denying that he did what they are saying, but we are denying he is culpable," said Tony Darnell, Nathan's father.
It was just last week when Nathan's teacher's aide, Glenda Schiltz, filed a juvenile fourth degree misdemeanor assault charge against him.
"What human being with a heart would do that to a six-year old?, asked Cathy Darnell, Nathan's mother. "Seriously, who would do that? I know I wouldn't."
According to the affidavit which 9News obtained, Schiltz alleges that on September 5, Nathan grabbed her by the shirt, pulled her backwards and began punching and kicking her.
"He admits to shoving her down, but he says he didn't pull her backwards," said Tony Darnell.
"She is no small person, she can defend herself," said Cathy Darnell.
So what does the school have to say about the matter?
Superintendent of Bracken County Schools Tony Johnson would not appear on camera but did say in a statement, "I believe we followed proper procedures and I have full faith in my staff".
Despite being autistic, Nathan is integrated with all kindergartners at Taylor Elementary.
His parents believe Schiltz and other teachers there are ill-prepared to handle special needs students.
His mother openly questions Schiltz's credentials.
"[She believes] you need to take him behind the woodshed and teach him something," Cathy Darnell, said. "That is her mentality, beat it out of him."
"Most of the time it [Nathan's behavior] is whining and screaming. I am sure that is hard on teachers and stuff, but we find a way to deal with it," said Tony Darnell.
On Wednesday the family went to the county courthouse, where an inquiry was held and it was decided the criminal case against Nathan will indeed move forward.
It's likely then that Schiltz will have to be there.
But until they get a chance to tell her personally, Nathan's family, in the meantime, does have something they want to say to her.
"She is a cold-hearted woman, that she has made every teacher look bad," said Cathy Darnell.
Repeated attempts to contact Glenda Schiltz were unsuccessful.
9News also was in communication with several school board members and none wanted to comment on the matter.
This is all heading to a proceeding scheduled for next week in which six-year-old Nathan will appear in juvenile court as a defendant.
That’s interesting.
And I’m glad you mentioned it because (you’re going to slap me) it reminds me of a casual conversation on the 4th of July 2006 with a guy who, IIRC, had an autistic son. He said when the TV went on you could just watch the life drain out of his face. I forgot about that.
[float that anecdotal evidence theory now]
Actually, I’d like to hear why they thought there was a connection?
What do you think?
You derive way too much satisfaction from pestering people whose problems (blessings) you can’t understand.
You evidently don’t believe in Karma.
Best of luck to ya!
[Hmmm, where did I ever tell you my age?]
Where did I ever ask you for it?
That’s not a very kind compassionate statement.
Maybe I have an undiagnosed disability and I’m allocating their limited attention resources so I can overcome it.
“His parents believe Schiltz and other teachers there are ill-prepared to handle special needs students.”
Yep, that would be about right. As a teacher myself, and one who has a severe autistic student in my own regular ed. classroom for an hour a day, I AM NOT qualified to work with this child. Secondly, this child should NOT even be placed in a regular ed. classroom where he sings Christmas songs, makes noises or pretends he is other people and animals (he can’t distinquish fantasy from reality), etc. You better believe his behavior impacts the learning of the other 25 regular ed. kids. NOT RIGHT and I have no choice as the child’s parents have a lawyer on speed dial just in case our school district doesn’t comply with the parents’ demands.
“Yep, that would be about right. As a teacher myself, and one who has a severe autistic student in my own regular ed. classroom for an hour a day, I AM NOT qualified to work with this child. Secondly, this child should NOT even be placed in a regular ed. classroom where he sings Christmas songs, makes noises or pretends he is other people and animals (he can’t distinquish fantasy from reality), etc. You better believe his behavior impacts the learning of the other 25 regular ed. kids. NOT RIGHT and I have no choice as the child’s parents have a lawyer on speed dial just in case our school district doesn’t comply with the parents’ demands.”
Are you on his ARD committee? Also what grade, and what subject do you teach.
You are overcompensating for something.
I know! You are deficient of HUM-IL-I-TY.
Now go post on other threads dealing with subjects you know nothing about. Like brain surgery and thyroid disorders. I’m sure you will be quite the wealth of sage advice you were on this thread.
I only pray that other recipients of your advice see through you and your fellow travelers.
Here's the scoop. You have no idea of what you are talking about. You are in way over your head. Grab another lite beer and watch your pay per view monster truck race.
Honey, you agreed with me that when your son was at his worst, he should not be in a regular public school class. You agreed. I have no idea why you are flying off the handle, but you'd better figure our what your issues are. Get counseling or some medication.
You copied into your post to me as though I had said it: Offense is in the eye of the beholder and was not intended. I believe I have spoken the truth and for that I will not apologize.
You then responded: Boy, i just continue to hit those bulls eyes with my algorithm, don't I.
Uh, since I didn't make the statement to which you responding, it seems pretty clear you are a very confused individual. I will leave you to your hysteria. Perhaps you will get tired of it one day and get the help you need.
Proper behavior modifications only change behavior over the course of time. That doesn’t stop a single incident from causing harm. With all due respect to the teachers at your son’s school, those children aren’t this child. Each case is unique. This is just another example of passing judgment on school employees without having walked in their shoes.
You have passion confused with hysteria.
I went to school with many students. I never feared the special education students.
The teachers did fear them for reasons that only they can explain/excuse. They shunned them and avoided them at all costs.
The same teachers would never dream of disciplining the disruptive doped up brats who made school more like a prison than a temple of knowledge. They would sit by and let the brats do whatever they wanted. If the brats wanted to beat someone up the teachers sat by like cows as the brats threatened their targets in class. You would have thought the teachers were Anne Sullivan when the dope heads gave some half correct answer in English literature.
I have no sympathy for those who complain about special students with all bull manure going on in our schools. If you had to pick, believe me you would rather your beloved child sit next to a carol singing Autistic than a little jerk who cusses them out every day under the indifferent gaze of the “teacher”.
No, it's hysteria. The individual is copying stuff said by others into his/her posts to me, then responding as though I said it. He/she is also 'responding' to comments he/she has either made up or is hearing from the voices in his/her head.
He/she needs some help.
I would like to help him see to it his kid gets the same services and consideration we give the other more dangerous and disruptive students that use public schools have been given.
I think normal kids would rather see the druggies and thugs be sent to special classes and the less than perfect take their place.
I already addressed when it was implemented in subsequent posts, and IDEA (EHA actually) did not go into effect until ‘77 and even then states were slow then to implement the law. The 80s was when the law started to take shape, but children were still designated to the “SpEd” rooms in the basement and farmed out to institutions for their education (of course they are still being farmed out today, but instead of insitutions they are called “private schools”).
Reagan was responsible for EI, parent training, state funded resource centers, high school transition to the work force, etc.
My post was in reference to Reagan’s compassion for special needs children.
“Proper behavior modifications only change behavior over the course of time. That doesn’t stop a single incident from causing harm.”
They’ll never work if they’re not used. The risk of harm can’t be taken out of anything. Districts lower that risk by giving teachers the proper training and the resources needed to teach each child.
“With all due respect to the teachers at your son’s school, those children aren’t this child. Each case is unique.”
Again, that’s why each child has their own individual IEP.
This kids ARD committee determined he could be mainstreamed, now what other things he needed, I have no idea, but whatever they were, the district is obligated to provide them.
“This is just another example of passing judgment on school employees without having walked in their shoes.”
If this is about the post to rwfromkansas, you should check out rwfromkansas passing judgment on a disabled student. The teacher also seemed to pass judgment on an entire program, not one unique case at a time.
Not exactly. ABA protocols formulated by a certified BCBA (who have conducted FBAs on that particular violent or agressive behavior) can tell you what the antecedent is to the behavior, and what steps are to be done — consistently and by competent personnel — to immediately diffuse the behavior or completely avoid it by redirection.
An autistic child acted out in a classroom because there were no behavior modifications in place. I don’t need to walk in anyone shoes to know that was the case.
I have no problem with high-functioning autistic kids being in regular public school. If the kid does something wrong, they should be punished just like a non-autistic child.
Please tell me what school district it is that is actually afraid and falls in step with a parent’s attorney, because I will sell my house and move there tomorrow.
SpEd directors do not fear or bat an eyelash at attorneys who represent special needs children.
If that child cannot do inclusion, he should not be doing inclusion. Parents are only one part of the IEP team. Teachers need to document his behaviors and call for a team meeting to show he just isn’t ready for inclusion yet.
You really are all over the place here. Prenatal screening would have determined what? that the child could possibly have Downs Syndrome? Are you stating that NP and his wife should have chosen abortion, because I see no other reason why prenatal screening is being mentioned here.
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