We are fortunate to live in a small town, actually that was by design. When we got Teen Queen's diagnosis, I researched the educational possibilities, large urban schools, small rural schools, homeschooling. To be honest, I chose not to homeschool because I need a break. And I'm sure they need a break from me too. But the services offered by large schools opposed to small schools are the same by law, the difference is in student to teacher ratio (the girls have had personal aides throughout their schooling) and in the student population. You can't control or influence the behaviors of a large student body, but you can come close in a small one. There are less than 200 students, pre-K through 12, and 90% of the students have been here their entire school careers. Which means, they've grown up with the cute chicks, they KNOW the cute chicks, I have been educating the student body and their parents about Autism for the last 14 years, since TQ started PPCD. If there is a bullying situation, it usually comes from a new student who hasn't run up against the girls' posse. I have had a few run-ins with ignorant parents, but they usually survive the experience wiser and more tolerant. Usually. I will continue to educate, enlighten, and if need be, "counsel" the population.
"Some of those defending the teens who posted the video have turned to shaming the autistic victim. Levi Weatherly, a parent of one of the accused teens insisted his child was not wholly in the wrong. “Three-fourths of this stuff he brings on himself,” he said, “and probably a fourth of it is bullying that shouldn’t be going on.” One implied that he was asking for it: “This kid has done things to get people mad that I think he could probably control.”
But this sentiment betrays a basic ignorance of autism. According to advocacy group Autism Speaks, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are “characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors.” Like Levi Null’s Asperger’s syndrome, his repetitive movements and difficulties socializing are not voluntary, and he cannot turn them off at will."
ReplyDeleteWhile bullying is terrible and school officials ought to have helped Levi (as the law obligates them to), the article seems to have omitted a few key facts:
- Levi brought bullets to school (and was suspended from school as a result)
- Levi threatened his classmates
- Levi swore at his classmates
- Levi was suspended for HITTING a classmate.
Dawn -- Levi's mom -- seems to confirm this, as she left this comment on the original article:
"My son has had help mama since he was 7yrs old once again I DIDN’T CALL the news he has a phycitrist and a counsellor that he sees regularly he is punished more than obviously any of u know and he takes meds on a regular basic thank you as far as this bat incident unroll today on her NO ONE HAS EVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT THAT . As far as the bus barn and house the were taken care by police and courts as far as bullets were empty shell casings ha enough from his dad’s home that he hid in his bag when he shown the kid the school took them he was suspended for 2 days and he was grounded at home now my son does get punished what about the other kid on the bus who hit him or the kid that hit him in the head during p.e repeatedly because Levi asked him to not touch his bag or the kids that use to push him up at the park till he would freak I’m NOT saying he is innocent I’m saying there is a lot going on and it needs to stop and sending my son to a different school won’t change what is going on"
http://whotv.com/2013/11/18/teen-bullied-students-post-video-online/
If the above is true, the parents who are rallying behind the BULLIES (vs victim Levi) might not be horrible monsters -- they could be good parents wishing to protect their kids from a dangerous (albeit disable kid), Levi.
My wife has a cousin with an autistic girl . The last time I went to her family reunion, all of them freaked out when she came over and sat next to me. I never understood why until I started reading your blog---Ray
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