GorillaOffTopic, Everything But Gorilla Trades

What would you do if you had a child who suffered from autism? Life is hard enough for kids, but when you throw in the disorder of autism, it makes everyday life that much more difficult for the child and for the parents too. Life was hard enough for Melissa Barton, who was in the process of having her son Alex evaluated and diagnosed with autism. But Barton is facing an even greater challenge today. You see, 5-year-old Alex was “voted” out of his kindergarten class by his fellow classmates at the urging of his teacher on Wednesday. By a 14 to 2 margin, the kids voted him out, and Alex was told that the class no longer wanted him there and that he would need to leave the class. In addition, each student was allowed to say what they didn’t like about Alex, while he stood in the front of the class! The comments included “disgusting” and “annoying.”  The event followed a disciplinary measure taken by the teacher because of Alex’s disruptive behavior in class, which involved a trip to the principal’s office; a place that the boy frequented often this year. Upon his return to the classroom after the visit, the teacher decided to take action herself to “teach him a lesson.” That is when the vote occurred. Melissa Barton filed a complaint with the school immediately upon hearing about the incident, and says that Alex is “traumatized” by the incident. She says that the event follows a series of disciplinary issues Alex has had because of his condition. He suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome; a type of high-functioning autism.   Alex began the testing process in February at the suggestion of the school and Alex’s teacher- the same one who initiated the vote- was present and was aware of Alex’s condition. Unfortunately, the state attorney’s office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed. That won’t stop Melissa Barton, who says that her son “did not deserve this” and that he’s reliving the moment over and over again.  “He was incredibly upset,” Barton said. “The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this.” Melissa Barton has withdrawn Alex from the school for now and is planning on filing a lawsuit against the school.  

Autism is not something uncommon and it is a disorder that affects nearly 1 in 150 kids. The disorder causes children to act in a disruptive manner and is often isolating for the child. So the question is, “what action should be taken against this teacher who acted so inappropriately?” That is exactly what the school board officials are trying decide at this time. In the meantime, the teacher has been removed from direct contact with children in the school, while a debate ensues. People are just outraged by this incident and everyone is left wondering why this happened to this poor little boy. Some think the teacher should be fired, others think she needs to take a leave of absence, and many people feel she should have her teaching license revoked altogether. But this is NOT all about the teacher; it is about an innocent little boy, who was hurt and traumatized forever by the actions of this irresponsible teacher. For more information about autism visit www.autismspeaks.org. Chances are…you know a few kids with this condition!