ABA Journal

I wonder how the school would have responded had he taken any means necessary to stop the bullying attacks.

It seems to me that with almost a black belt it had the means and motivation to stop the spitting and smacking attacks.

When the school chooses to take no or inadequate steps to stop the bullying, it does not seem unreasonable for the bullied to dissuade ,,, by ►any◄ means necessary.

By #1 Jim-OH 2010-03-22 1546 −0400 ! ... any means on 2010 03 22, 2:52 pm CDT

Bullying a person with a disability has been added to the other categories of Hate Crimes, and the schools are supposed to be mandatory reporters of criminal acts against their students.  Sadly, few in the System take either facet seriously, and when it becomes publicized that a person with a neurological condition has been the target of systematic bullying, the response by school officials is usually more alingned with damage control than proactive action.  Typically, they either blame the target for bringing it on themselves or else downplay the bullying with some trite response along the lines of “boys will be boys”. 

To answer Jim’s rhetorical question, had this boy chosen to repsond to the provocations using the skills he learned in martial arts, it is very likely that HE would have been the one prosecuted, he would almost certainly have been expelled, and God only know what else would have happened to him.

I am of the opinion that not only should the school district have to bear the full brunt of the civil penalties awarded in this case, but the bullies need to be prosecuted as well, and the administrative staff at the school in question should be summarily dismissed for malfeasement.  It is a true shame that it takes draconian response to make people understand that they are not above the law and to take their resposnibilities seriously.

By Dad Fourkids on 2010 03 24, 8:05 am CDT

A student once asked me, “Why did Hitler and the Nazis hate the Jews?”
For some reason, people do not tolerate differences in other people.
Many students would send their fellow students into concentration camps, because they are somewhat different from the great majority, if they had the opportunity. Making friends with a single bully might work, if there is only one bully. Self-defense might be another solution, when there are only a few bullies. However, when the great majority are bullies, then the only solution is to avoid and evade them as much as possible. You can discipline one student; perhaps a few; it is as difficult to discipline the great majority for bullying as it was to enforce the regulations dealing with Prohibition. If tolerance is not taught in the home, the school cannot do everything.

By stephen winkler on 2010 03 25, 2:52 pm CDT

OOHH MY GOODNESS!!! My daughter is almost 19 years old, and diagnosed with the same thing, Asperger’s. She was bullied so bad in 9th grade, she had an emotional breakdown and cut her arms 21 times. I live in Kentucky, and I thought we were the only family that has gone through this. My daughter has never been right since. She could never go back to school, she lost most of the things she had been taught and retained…like counting money, telling time, cannot do adding or subtracting in math, and ordering at McDonalds. She was doing so well until 9th grade. The kids harrassed her with sex toys, and called her names, made fun of her, etc…She did not know what the sex toys were and they laughed at her and kept giving them to her. She litterally had a breakdown from these things. I could not make the school get it to stop. At times, the teachers were even mean to her because she couldn’t understand something and they thought she should…they kept calling her a liar. I have advocated for her, her whole life. It has been rough! She was really close to suicide. I walked in on her right after she cut her arms…thank goodness. I am so sorry for anyone who has and who will go through this.

By Delores Roberts on 2010 03 25, 5:21 pm CDT

The problem with bullying and aspergers and autism….you cannot physically see the disability.  In addition, schools don’t listen to you when you report issues with this problem, I pulled my daughter out of her middle school because she hated school, was scared of a student who bullied her and others.  He was suspended multiple times and the school did nothing.  He send crazy emails that threatened students….I told the school and they told me it wasn’t their problem because it didn’t happen at school, I should call the police.  Keep in mind this bullying child had caused other kids to transfer out of classes and the school still did nothing.

This is a sleeper community where nothing ever happens and people pride themselves on being “upper middle class” and winning 3 state football championships.  The school will wake up when something sad happens like mentioned above or worse, this school had no services for my daughter, even though they received money for her AU diagnosis.  Worse they protected the bully not the kids that were bullied.  Notice I say kids, not just by daughter, what was sad was this kid targeted kids with disabilities. 

I didn’t fight it, I just pulled her out because I knew it wouldn’t do any good and wanted to keep my daugter’s emotional and physical damage to a minimal…she had gone through enough in her life. 

What is so sad….we shouldn’t have to do any of this:  lose children, damage children to the point where they will never be the same or remove them from their schools…..all because of this….

PARENTS DON’T DISCIPLINE THEIR KIDS THESE DAYS and SCHOOLS ARE AFRAID TO STEP IN AND DO IT. FOR FEAR OF GETTING SUED.  WELL GUESS WHAT THEY GET SUED ANYWAYS and THE INNOCENT DIE, ARE FOREVER SCARRED and ALL STUDENTS LEARN LESS AND LESS.

By Bonnie Murphy on 2010 03 29, 9:35 am CDT

I have a younger brother with autism that was bullied to the point of moving schools and I could not believe the apathy that was displayed by the very school that I had graduated from years prior. I am saddened that other families around the country experience the same disheartening discrimination and I hope they can find a community that is supportive and understanding of their child’s needs.

We must remember that proactive education is needed even/especially for educators and administrators. I am very surprised to not be aware of some organization that specifically advocates for children with disabilities rights and is ongoing for public institutions.

By Lauren on 2010 03 30, 11:57 am CDT