[Sue Perkick]

True. People unfamiliar with special needs kids & autism in particular have no clue (which is evident). In many states a diagnosis of autism means the child HAS to be “mainstreamed”. The parent has no choice in it. People who don’t like it can complain to their lawmakers or homeschool if it’s possible. But to believe criminally charging a 6 year old autistic child makes me wonder who has the real “defect”.

These kids are placed with teachers who are poorly trained & too inept to handle it.

[DelphiUser]

True. People unfamiliar with special needs kids & autism in particular have no clue (which is evident). In many states a diagnosis of autism means the child HAS to be “main streamed”. The parent has no choice in it. People who don’t like it can complain to their lawmakers or homeschool if it’s possible. But to believe criminally charging a 6 year old autistic child makes me wonder who has the real “defect”.

Which is why I kept my son in a private school until he was 9. By the time he went to a public school, the heavy workload of the kids being thrown at the system were handled and he is in a smaller classroom, not to mention that he has acquired more skills than most who just go through public school can achieve (he actually graduated from the school I had him in because he achieved a normal vocabulary, from being non verbal, achieved normal spelling, reading, and was in their top social skills class) Now he attends a "public school" and has special classes afterwards that I have found for him, in one, they do things like go bowling and learn the rules of social behavior out in public. It's been really good for him.