Aspergers discrimination -- son refused spot in acting class

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I am so sad about this, I can hardly think.

I had read many, many times on this site about people having taken acting classes, and feeling like that was very helpful in their understanding of NT's.

So, our local area has an outreach program with the Civic Light Opera in our city where they will do therapeutic acting classes for kids on the spectrum. So, I immediately signed my son up, and he got in. Initially there were almost 12 boys in the class. After four weeks, we are down to six. Right away, two boys were extremely disappointed in the class -- either they thought it was too babyish, or they thought it was an ACTing class, meaning they thought it would teach them how to behave with others, not how to ACT. One kid came out of class and had a really rather severe meltdown, throwing furniture, etc.

On the opposite side of that, my son LOVED the acting class. Can't wait to go. I was planning on signing him up for acting summer camps through this group, and thought that the therapeutic acting class would be a good initiation for him -- it he liked this, he would be ready to do more, and would be used to the location, etc.

Well, yesterday's acting class was fine, until the end, and I guess my son and two other boys were acting silly, and they all fell down, and one boy got a little bit hurt (no blood, no bruises, was happy as he walked out of class). My son was very upset, because he had "gotten into trouble." My son is going through this stage where he cries whenever there is a perceived threat by an authority figure. He didn't get into full crying mode, but he was tearing up quite a bit. The teacher gave me a very cursory explanation of the incident, and that was it.

UNFORTUNATELY, I also handed my application for TWO summer camps that day.

I get a call today, and the academy will not take my son, with the explanation that they don't have the staff or experience to handle special needs students. I actually felt bad for the poor girl at the reception desk having to make this call. Must have been embarrassing for her. She also mentioned the "incident" that happened yesterday. What just kills me, is that I would have sent in an application even if my son hadn't done this therapeutic class, and he would have been accepted just fine.

My son goes to a regular school, attends a regular class without an aide, and only has a "special needs" communication arts class. He sings at church, he has sung in the school choir, and he plays not only in band, but in a much smaller school jazz band. He sings constantly at home, and I've been telling him for a month that we were going to sign him up for this summer camp.

I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.

Kris

Mind if I ask where you folks hail from?

Pittsburgh, PA

http://www.campresource.com/camps/spec_ ... bcatid=124

Wow. That sucks.

Hope things work out better for him. How old is he anyway?

So your son had a "moment" in class and "got in trouble"? This is part of the planned therapeutic acting class specifically for kids on the Spectrum. Okay
Next, the summer classes you signed him up for (and he is denied a chance to go), are these meant for kids on the Spectrum too? Or were these meant for any kids?
Next, did you ask for any additional "stuff" for your son? For instance, you point out that he needs special handling because of his AS?
If you haven't and you've just mentioned that he is an Aspie, they are discriminating. I don't know what protections your son might have with an org. But if he doesn't have any special accomodations, then they are flat out discriminating. Will they give your deposit back (if you've paid already)? Demand it.

Did they kick your son out of his current class?
I would write a letter to your newspaper. A lady did that here because the YMCA kicked out her son (afterschool day care) and got her way. And technically speaking, the Y was in the right. But they do NOT like bad publicity.

That is just terrible!

Would it be possible to take this up with the program director or someone a little higher up? Perhaps get some further clarification as to what challenges they had with your son that they think will be problematic in the future?

It sounds like blanket discrimination to me and totally unfair! My husband was a cub leader for 2 years with boys from 8-11 years old. Even the most normal and mellow NT boy can have "incidents" under the right circumstances or with the wrong influences! Was it just the "one" issue they had with your son?

Could you perhaps see if they could do a trial day with your son in the regualar program? Let them know that he is mainstreamed without additional support in school, and does participate in a choir.

I hope you can figure it out, I know if it was my son he would be heartbroken and I would be devistated too!

I think Anemone form Eureka Seven has the perfect thing for you to say to these lowlifes:

(sorry if i offend you this statement, but discriminatory people really piss me off and i think they all deserve to die. Please forgive me.)

Roxas

This isn't AS discrimination. Your son played a roll in hurting another student. Schools take this sort of thing very seriously.

I can understand if the boy had malicious intent behind the injury, but form the looks of it they were jsut palying around and she got hurt and that he said he was sorry. If the school still bans him after that... well I think Anemone already covered that in my last post.

Well, first of all, the "roll" he played with this situation was they were supposed to be acting out "hugging". They hugged a little too much, and the child that got "hurt" is very hyperactive. Not saying my son didn't have a role in his getting hurt, because he did -- basically they all fell, and my son's head hit this kid's head as they fell to the floor. Wasn't anything he DID on purpose to hurt the other little guy.

My son just turned 11.

He has NO accomodations made in regular school, other than he sits in the front of the class (has to be reminded to pay attention). Basically he gets mostly A's, a few B's, and has to take tests outside of the classroom. Other than that, his friends are mostly NT, with the exception of one kid with Asperger's.

I am waiting for a phone call from the director. Don't have a lot of faith in my ability to talk him into this, but I will try.

I'm sure that I could sue. Wouldn't want to do that, mostly because I can't imagine the group treating my son nicely if I did so, even if he was allowed into the classes.

The summer camp is NOT for kids on the spectrum -- it's for NT kids.

I didn't ask for any additional "stuff". He doesn't need it. The incident was probably pretty much like what any little boys could get into -- don't think it was related to "spectrum" type behavior.

I also didn't put on his application that he was special needs. He is in a cub scout group, and does fine there. He goes to church, and does fine there. He is in a regular classroom, and does fine there. I honestly didn't even think about it.

Kris

"1, I think autism is considered "special needs" in most communities. That Civic Light would have a program just for that or at least advertise as such and then say they're not equipped to handle these situations is disingenous at best.

If it were me I would probably Mea Culpa all I could and work the phone with them or even in person to see if there was anyway to retify the situation.

I don't believe in suing, but I think embarassing them is good. I'm serious. Was the other boy barred from camp? I would push the issue that you have not asked for special accomodations and ask them specifically "why is my son not allowed?"
"We don't have the resources" isn't a valid answer
"I didn't ask for resources. Why is he not allowed?"
Write it down and then write that letter. They are probably getting kickbacks and/or tax breaks for hosting the therapeutic acting classes. They are getting good press and publicity for it. Time to knock down that wall.

It's discrimination and nothing but. If you aren't comfortable talking to someone then a strongly worded email or letter usually does the job. Don't take any crap from them.

Oh no, you caught me in a spelling error. I am so embarrassed. Clearly my spelling error is a point in favor of your argument. This is known in formal logic as an argumentum ad orthographiam.

Anyway, NT or AS, your son DID hurt another child while participating in a program that he enjoys access to due to his disability.

Schools and related programs are very careful about keeping children safe and protecting themselves from legal liability. They don't want to hear about whose head bonked whose and who is hyperactive.

If this summer camp had admitted your son despite knowing about his AS, and he had hurt someone else, do you think they would have exposed themselves to a lawsuit?

They really should have gone into more detail on why your son was banned.
It could be just the fact that they thought he was a liability.