Research and Current Practice
Florida Teacher Allegedly Lets Kindergarteners Kick Autistic Boy Out of Class
This is disgraceful if true. Reportedly the teacher has been reassigned.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,358956,00.html
Florida Teacher Allegedly Lets Kindergarteners Kick Autistic Boy Out of Class in 'Survivor'-Like Vote
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Hundreds of parents of autistic children are signing an online petition to get Florida teacher Wendy Portillo fired for her alleged tactics toward a 5-year-old boy that mirror the reality show “Survivor.”
Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Fla., alerted Melissa Barton this year that her son, Alex, suffers from a high-functioning form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, FOX 29 reported.
Barton claims that Alex was punished for symptoms of his disability, such as humming and eating his homework. She says Portillo went too far last week when she kicked Alex out of class, and then allowed the other students to vote on whether he should be allowed back in.
Each student was also allowed to say what he or she did not like about Alex. By a 14-to-2 margin, the students voted Alex out of class, according to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“She said this was her way of correcting his behavior,” Barton said. “I asked him how that made him feel and he said, ‘I feel sad.’”
Barton has filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele told the Sun-Sentinel.
But the state attorney's office decided the matter did not meet criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
The teacher has been disciplined, however.
“Ms. Portillo has been reassigned outside of the classroom at the district offices until any further action may be determined," St. Lucie County School District said in a statement.
Alex has not returned to school since the incident, and Barton says he won’t be going back.
"He was incredibly upset," Barton told the Sun-Sentinel. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,358956,00.html
Florida Teacher Allegedly Lets Kindergarteners Kick Autistic Boy Out of Class in 'Survivor'-Like Vote
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Hundreds of parents of autistic children are signing an online petition to get Florida teacher Wendy Portillo fired for her alleged tactics toward a 5-year-old boy that mirror the reality show “Survivor.”
Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Fla., alerted Melissa Barton this year that her son, Alex, suffers from a high-functioning form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, FOX 29 reported.
Barton claims that Alex was punished for symptoms of his disability, such as humming and eating his homework. She says Portillo went too far last week when she kicked Alex out of class, and then allowed the other students to vote on whether he should be allowed back in.
Each student was also allowed to say what he or she did not like about Alex. By a 14-to-2 margin, the students voted Alex out of class, according to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“She said this was her way of correcting his behavior,” Barton said. “I asked him how that made him feel and he said, ‘I feel sad.’”
Barton has filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele told the Sun-Sentinel.
But the state attorney's office decided the matter did not meet criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
The teacher has been disciplined, however.
“Ms. Portillo has been reassigned outside of the classroom at the district offices until any further action may be determined," St. Lucie County School District said in a statement.
Alex has not returned to school since the incident, and Barton says he won’t be going back.
"He was incredibly upset," Barton told the Sun-Sentinel. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by mellow on -
That is incrediably inhumane on so many levels. Anyone who does something like this is not fit to be a human let alone teach young impressionable minds especially have power over one who has special needs. It makes me sick to my stomach.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike on -
This makes me so mad I'm going to have to take my blood pressure medicine. This lady should have to teach while wearing a "Stupid" sign. This would have been a terrible thing to do to a NT child but to do this to a kid with AS shows complete ignorance on her part. She has obviously not been trained or even opened a book about autism. THIS IS WHY TRAINING FOR TEACHERS IS SO IMPORTANT AND PART OF MY CONSTANT FIGHT. Though there is no training to cure "Stupid and Mean". I hope they fire her ignorant butt because she obviously has neither the heart nor the education to equal her kindergardners much less teach them. This is a complete disgrace!!!
-
Permalink Reply by Janis Alexander on -
This breaks my heart. As if these kids don't have enough to deal with already. That woman should NOT be allowed to teach anymore. I'm so grateful that my son has a lovely, understanding teacher (he's in grade 4) but I do worry about things like this happening in the future, mainly because there are so many people who just don't believe that these disorders exist or that they can be cured or simply overcome by sheer willpower.
About
Badge
© 2009 Created by ariane321 on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
