Ignorant JRC parents.
May 2006:
To whom it may concern,
We are the parents of a disabled child who is enrolled at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC). We are writing in support of the school and how much good this program does for some very difficult children and adults. JRC became the only option for our son, now 25, who could no longer be treated at his prior placement, nor accepted by any other program, due largely to his behavior issues.
Our son, Andrew, is a complex individual. He requires special food and attention at mealtimes. He has seizures daily. He functions at a 3 year old level, and in addition, he is very aggressive towards others when even the smallest demands are made.
While living home, Andrew, at a young age, was placed in early intervention and day programs, and we were trained in and used behavior modification therapy. At age 9, these proved insufficient, and Andrew was put in residential care at Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire. This school provided him with both a residential group home and schooling. Initially, he did well, but at the age of 16, and after 7 years in a school that used traditional restraint techniques, behavior modification, and drug therapy, his behaviors became extremely dangerous - from attacking staff, hair pulling, biting, and tipping over furniture, etc. We could not have him home for visits as we feared for the safety of ourselves and his younger brother. He could no longer participate in school activities or field trips, such as Special Olympics, and he was sending school staff, trained in physical restraint, to the hospital on a regular basis. His life was a mere existence – alternating from “zoning out” or being aggressive towards people - depending on the level of drugs in his system. The staff who had once loved our funny, congenial son was now afraid of him.
As his behavior spiraled out of control, the doctors began adding psychotropic drugs to calm him down - he would be strapped to a papoose board for hours when he became aggressive. He remained at the group home in a drug-induced stupor, but even this did not stop his dangerous behaviors. The years of physical restraint techniques, and behavior approaches used by Crotched Mountain were now ineffective, and his behavior became so uncontrollable that the only option the school had was to expel him - the school told us we would have to agree to either have him dropped off at a local jail “for his own protection”, or to have him put in a psychiatric hospital.
We opted for the psychiatric hospital as the more humane option, but meanwhile we had to find a new placement for him. Working with the Newton school district, the Massachusetts Department of Education, and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation, we spent months calling and/or visiting dozens of residential schools in search of a new placement for Andrew, all to no avail. He was being turned down by one after another due to his behavior and complex issues. It was at the psychiatric hospital that someone mentioned JRC as an option. We were told they had a proven treatment program and that it may be a good option for Andrew. As it turned out they were the only program that would take him in.
Andrew has been at JRC for 5 years. The difference is like night and day. He no longer injures people, he is alert and happy, and is no longer restrained for hours at a time. Now, when necessary, his aggressive behaviors are treated in a quick and controlled manner by a mild skin shock, and he is redirected to the task at hand. He is well cared for and we are so glad to have our old son back and functioning as a real person.
It is important to understand that the students at JRC are a small percentage of those students needing special education that are very difficult to manage. Traditional therapies have not helped them, many programs have expelled them, and their families cannot keep them at home. Most people have not heard of, nor can they imagine the violent behaviors and/or the self-abusive behaviors these students demonstrate.
It has been shown many times that aversive therapy in addition to a positive reward program breaks the cycle of aggressive and self-abusive behavior. The students then begin to participate in academics, receive vocational training, live in community group homes, and are able to be part of their family again! We have seen this to work with Andrew, as well as other students at JRC. This is the ultimate goal for families and educators.
Aversive therapy, carefully monitored and controlled, must continue to be an option for struggling families. It is the least restrictive and most effective therapy for this small group of very difficult individuals, such as our son Andrew.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Sincerely,
Louisa and Robert Goldberg
West Newton, MA
April 2006:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter because my mind cannot rest until I submit my comments about JRC. My daughter is Crystal Cofield and she is currently a student at JRC. For the first time since Crystal was born, everyone in the house sleeps at night knowing that Crystal is well taken care of. My daughter was considered a danger to herself and others prior to attending JRC. She was on seven medications, and the only thing they did was impair her vision and almost cause her to become diabetic due to the weight gain. Crystal will be 19 in May, and for the first time she is showing progress that no other school has ever been able attain. Yes, the skin shock therapy is absolutely harsh, and the decision to sign for this treatment was one of the hardest choices I ever had to make; however, she was removed from our household for her safety. Crystal has no fear of anything and the only one she listens to is me; however, since I cannot and will not be around her for the rest of her life, I decided to give JRC the chance to help her. Society does not care about my child or other children like her. For 17 years, I received no help from any agencies, especially OMH and OMRDD, who couldn't say anything except let me know she did not fall in their category for help. All the doctors did was use up her Medicaid for their money-making purposes. Now, after all these years of nobody giving a damn about what we went through, as a family, everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and say that we, as parents, are treating our children inhumanely. Antwone's mother has every right to disagree with her child's treatment plan. As Crystal's mother, I disagreed with the treatment plan she had in another residential school; HOWEVER, I DID NOT GET A LAWYER, I GOT MY DAUGHTER OUT BY GOING AND PICKING HER UP AND BRINGING HER HOME! Crystal loves JRC. When she comes home (which is often) she wants to know "When am I going home (meaning JRC)?” For the first time in her life, she has friends; not only staff but, other students as well. She feels safe there and she participates in more activities there than at home.
Everywhere I turn, I find people who don't know my child or care about her, trying to dictate to us, as parents, what's best for our children. JRC is best for my child and they have proven it. We, as parents, have taken the necessary steps to help our children. All of the reporters and politicians should mind their own business, or better yet, do something about all the children that are being neglected and abused by their families at home. At least I know my child is doing fine.
Susan Handon - Mother of Crystal Cofield
Jamaica, NY
April 2006:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to you to tell you about a facility named Judge Rotenberg Center located in Canton, Mass.
My son, Malcolm Harrison has been a student there since 1999. Malcolm is developmentally delayed. Before going to JRC Malcolm was placed in several schools in New York. One of those schools had only students that were placed in Special Education. Malcolm had all sorts of behavior problems such as running away, hitting others, breaking windows and numerous others types of behavior. I remember telling the doctors when he was younger to put Malcolm on the right medication, to stabilize him. That he should be home with his family. The doctors told me that I should place him in a facility, that he was getting older and stronger and that I would not be able to handle him. Not too long after that, Malcolm jumped out of a second story window in an attempt to go outside when I told him not to. Malcolm had no impulse control. Whatever his mind told him to do he did it. He also said that he heard voices in his head. Malcolm was on different medications like Ritalin and other physco therapy drugs. After being in the a mental hospital for over a year the New York Board of Education told me that they couldn’t find a school that would take Malcolm. It was because of his behaviors, age and IQ at the time. I gave permission for them to look out of state for a school. Thank God I did. They introduced me to The Judge Rotenberg Center. I love that school and the students are treated very well there. Malcolm is not on any drugs (only the ones for seizures). In the beginning Malcolm would call me and say he want to come home. That he didn’t like the school. But kids will say those things when they can’t get their way all the time. I am very aware of the aversives they use on the children. When you go to the school they explain the aversives they use. I, myself, have tried the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED). They use as a last resort for certain dangerous behaviors. There are people who want to stop the use of this device and to stop the New York Board of Education from sending our students to JRC. But I say “ JRC works and why fix something that’s not broke.” Unless a person has a child like Malcolm, you don’t know what we as parents go through. In some cases the systems failed our kids. They get lost in the shuffle. There are facilities that will drug our children. Making them into zombies to control them. Or abuse them physically and then say the child did it to themselves. One of the main reasons why I love JRC is because every one is being monitored, staff and students alike. Cameras are everywhere. And the fact that they don’t use meds to control the students. There is so much I could say that is positive about The Judge Rotenberg Center. I really wanted to make this letter brief but there is one more thing I would like to say. I really wish there was a school exactly like The Judge Rotenberg Center right here in New York State. If there is anything that you can do to make that happen I would really appreciate it. But for now, I feel that JRC should remain a school of choice for New York State children. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Loretta Harrison
Jamaica, NY
To Whom It May Concern:
I am the mother of a child that has Autism. My daughter at the present time is living at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts where she is receiving skin shock treatment therapy for behavior modification
Before my daughter was sent to the Judge Rotenberg Center, she received a number of medications such as Resperdol, Ritain, Aldol, Vuspar, Topamax, and Seriquel. None of these medications worked. I also received services from several agencies in the Bronx to help me with my daughter and her aggression.
I got the point where I saw no hope for her or for myself. I was so overwhelmed with our situation and the fact that I could no longer handle her. Many of the agencies stop sending me help because of her violent behavior. Of the many Residential Habilitators that would come to my house to help, only one was able to try to control her. I could not even go outside with her for a walk or to buy necessary groceries because she would spit and hit strangers on impulse on the streets. Many times, I would get into arguments and altercations with total strangers because they did into understand why my daughter did what she did. She would also self-inflict injuries toward herself and become extremely aggressive and it continued to get worse. I could never have family or friends over to visit us because they were afraid of her. I was even banned from bringing her to a neighborhood McDonald’s because she posed many safety issues with the customers.
Since my daughter’s placement at the center, there has been a huge change in her behavior. She no longer self-inflects injuries toward herself, she is able to sit next to others without hurting them, and behave in a manner that she was not able to do before.
Please continue to help my daughter and others like her at the center from being sent back to New York. New York does not have facilities that can help and accommodate children like my daughter.
Thank you, sincerely,
P. Higgins
16 Mar 2008, 2:38 pm
