School of Shock

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Beowulf

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I found this article in my documents, and though it is slightly over a year old, I find it pertinent.
"Eight states are sending autistic, mentally retarded, and emotionally troubled kids to a facility that punishes them with painful electric shocks. How many times do you zap a child before it's torture?" School of Shock: Inside the taxpayer-funded program that treats American kids like enemy combatants
This made me want to puke, and still does.
 
Yes,
This sounds really horrible. I think that no child diserves to be treated like that.

Unfortunately if you are after biddable children corpral punishment does have good short term result. You get the same result if you slap your partner about too. They become very biddable. That's why bank robbers use physical method as you can spend all day asking the cashier to hand over money but get the right force and they are more likely to agree to it.

Unfortunately what you gain in short term use you would probably lose in long term emotional damage.

It is very sad that some autistic children are being exposed to this sort of treatment.
 
There are no words to describe how much this article disgusts me. :pissed: NO child should ever have to experience this kind of torture -- especially those who are schizophrenic or bipolar (since these are psychiatric disorders that cannot be helped). What children need is love, understanding and positive reinforcement. The staff members of this school ought to experience the very torture they are exposing these poor children to. Perhaps then they would understand how cruel and unhumane this "behavior modification" really is. :mad:
 
Wow... Uh, This article is disturbing. It definitely has tugged my heart. It just disgusts me because I don't think I could ever let my autistic son experience such thing like this.

The shock may help for only on a temporary basis BUT why would it be allowed to go any further when it is not even helping at all? They should be getting to the backbone of the problem with a psychiatric treatment.

As I keep reading this article, I am far more unimpressed with this theory of using different kinds of physical abuse in order to make these kids behave. It is clearly an imitation and instilling fear in these kids. I can understand that some of the kids were out of control but at the same time, was ammonia shoved under the nose, pinching the sole of the foot, smacking them with a spatula necessary?

It's unbelievable when they hook up the GED on a kid as young as 9 and 10 years old. How in the world would the kids at that age understand why the GED is necessary to help them improve their behavioral problem?

It's just appalling. :mad:
 
On the other hand, what about those severely autistic kids who do things like bang their heads and cause personal self injuniry.....a shock can prevent something like that. But I do believe that if something like this is used, it should be used sparingly and only in severe cases.
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, what about those severely autistic kids who do things like bang their heads and cause personal self injuniry.....a shock can prevent something like that. But I do believe that if something like this is used, it should be used sparingly and only in severe cases.
Click to expand...

If an autistic child displays the kind of behavior you describe above, sedatives or antidepressants can be given.
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, what about those severely autistic kids who do things like bang their heads and cause personal self injuniry.....a shock can prevent something like that. But I do believe that if something like this is used, it should be used sparingly and only in severe cases.
Click to expand...

When a severely autistic child/adult self-inflicts harm, it is because they are trying to communicate or are being overwhelmed.

It is the sensory stimulus overwhelming them to the point where they cannot cope with the senses.

It is like 100 senses going on all at once and you try to cope with it. Being told that you are going to be zapped for the best of your well-being because you cannot cope with the sensory stimulus has to be a real travesty of their human rights.

It's very disturbing.
 
Hear Again said:
There are no words to describe how much this article disgusts me. :pissed: NO child should ever have to experience this kind of torture -- especially those who are schizophrenic or bipolar (since these are psychiatric disorders that cannot be helped). What children need is love, understanding and positive reinforcement. The staff members of this school ought to experience the very torture they are exposing these poor children to. Perhaps then they would understand how cruel and unhumane this "behavior modification" really is. :mad:
Click to expand...

Totally agree. This cannot even be classified as "behavior modification." No ethical educator or psychologist would ever support this kind of inhumane treatment. I can't beleive they are able to get away with it legally.
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, what about those severely autistic kids who do things like bang their heads and cause personal self injuniry.....a shock can prevent something like that. But I do believe that if something like this is used, it should be used sparingly and only in severe cases.
Click to expand...

There are much better ways to control someone than shock them into submission. If this was an animal, you'd have animal rights activists all over this like white on rice protesting and what not, but because we're talking about children, it's OK.

I think that's messed up.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
There are much better ways to control someone than shock them into submission. If this was an animal, you'd have animal rights activists all over this like white on rice protesting and what not, but because we're talking about children, it's OK.

I think that's messed up.
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Exactly. Peta protests electric shocks being given to animals all the time in scientific studies.:roll:
 
:shock:

Wow at that article. It is very disturbing. No children should have to go through this. :mad:
 
This is the most heinous act that I've ever heard in school. I'm totally disgusted by this. :mad:
 
Oh, that's SO disgusted about put kids with autism, mental retard or emotionally issue into shock, it's very cruel and unnecessary.
 
Mrs Bucket said:
When a severely autistic child/adult self-inflicts harm, it is because they are trying to communicate or are being overwhelmed.

It is the sensory stimulus overwhelming them to the point where they cannot cope with the senses.

It is like 100 senses going on all at once and you try to cope with it. Being told that you are going to be zapped for the best of your well-being because you cannot cope with the sensory stimulus has to be a real travesty of their human rights.

It's very disturbing.
Click to expand...

Indeed, My son is like that way too when he tries to communicate. His autism is not severe but in the mild range. Some of the time he would cry or try to bite. It is because he could not express his emotions, so he then turns it into trying to do something else.

I also would think that by being zapped tops it off for the over-stimulation. It just doesn't work like this.
 
I thought corporal punishment was illegal?

I have an extensive behavior modification training/experience background but nowhere close to this!
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, what about those severely autistic kids who do things like bang their heads and cause personal self injuniry.....a shock can prevent something like that. But I do believe that if something like this is used, it should be used sparingly and only in severe cases.
Click to expand...

I don't think it should be used at all. It's inhumane.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
There are much better ways to control someone than shock them into submission. If this was an animal, you'd have animal rights activists all over this like white on rice protesting and what not, but because we're talking about children, it's OK.

I think that's messed up.
Click to expand...

Totally!
 
BradB08 said:
I don't think it should be used at all. It's inhumane.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. People protest when animals are mistreated in this manner, so why is it acceptable to imploy eletric shock as behavior modification on a child?

Sounds sick if you ask me!
 
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