The story seems to have become a firestorm all over the internet.  My S.O. pointed out tonight that now the shoe is on the other foot.  The teacher gets to experience public humiliation, have many people tell her things they do not like about her and reasons she is a bad person and then they have a vote whether to kick her off of teacher island.

...anyone think to bring popcorn?

I wonder what this kid's classmates thought he did to deserve this?

I dunno what he did wrong. Something.  But the other kids were only 5 years old, right?  Even adults are reluctant to openly go against the opinions of the majority in a room.  So if the first 6 kids said bad things, the 7th kid is going to join the game, especially if the teacher said to.

Thought I'd direct people over to this thread (http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthre...#pid210408), as I could use some help on preparing a petition...

This teacher has abdicated her responsibilities as a teacher and as an adult.  She needs to be fired, her license revoked, and then tarred, feathered, and ridden out on a rail.

I can imagine this happening to my son now - the school might think Oh this is a good way to show the kid that when he (well he doesn't do this but) blurts out in class or waht have you it is distracting or when the teacher has to remind him to go to page 56, 3 or four times it takes away form the rest of the class - or in his case when he was 5 years old - when he touches the girls hair sitting in front of him during circle time - she doesn't like it.  I think if the teacher asked a bunch of kids to say things out loud about my kid they could come up with a couple things he does that are annoying - it would be the wrong way to go about it though and hewis 11! not 5

The teacher forgets to use simple positive reinforcement techniques with daily communciation with the parents - and takes things into her own hands - I don't think it really means shse is a horrible person (per se), just not properly trained and/or ignorant. (The shame is the child will not forget the humiliation so the teacher needs to understand the gravity of her power position and how badly she misused it)

The only thing I can guess is the teacher was trying to do it like a group therapy circle or group intervention where other people who are affected explain to the offender how their behavior is making them feel.

Unfortunately, humiliation has been a time honored tradition for discipline in US public schools for generations.  I've not seen a dunce cap but I remember elementary students in my school having to wear a large sign around their neck that said "BABY" into the lunchroom if they misbehaved, or having to get paddled in front of the rest of the class and I remember boys getting their nails painted with bright polish if they bit their nails.  Even as late as 8th grade I remember a guy having to stand in front of the room with a huge wad of gum stuck on the end of his nose as punishment for chewing gum.  Such things were pretty ordinary when I went to school.

This is the ONE reason that I can think of now - that being labeled can help. My son is (since last summer) now "classified" and that can benefit him with respect to untrained teachers.  The school makes sure he is not with untrained personell. Without the official label and an offical IEP he is not protected under the law from these kinds of tactics - with his IEP spelled out mind you - that he is not allowed to be humiliated by any teacher - he is protected under the law.  Without it, the regular kids are without protection - many are harmed and those that seem like they can "take it" (the belittling) end up passing on to others what they have learned.

Not surprisingly, the story has been Farked

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments...nk=3626158

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008...class.wptv

News video of the case

in the comments section of this story at TCPalm and The Palm Beach Post, many of them are actually defending the teacher.  they said things like "thanks for standing up against political correctness" and "this child was impending on the other's right to learn" and stuff like that.  it's disgusting.  thankfully, others are chewing these people out.

One of those mentions that the problem was that he chews on stuff.  How is that disruptive?  I chewed on and or ate pretty much everything during my elementary school years and I turned out fine.  Relatively.  Anyway, certainly nobody felt the need to do anything this nasty.

I wonder whether he was chewing on other people's things. Or perhaps he spits out the pieces of whatever he chews on.

If he has CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder) or TMJ (Temporo Mandibular Joint) problems, then he may need to chew things in order to be able to concentrate. Personally, I hate to chew gum, but it might help him. If he doesn't hear and understand what is being said in a noisy environment, he will always be a disruption because he will not respond quickly or appropriately.

If he needs to use his major muscles when the other kids are supposed to be settling down for a quiet activity, he is likely to be unable to sit or stand still. He may have problems with proprioception, that is knowing where his body begins and ends, and for some kids it is knowing which way is up. Progams such as, "How does your engine run" are helpful for all kids, not just those on the spectrum.

Temple Grandin has written about her squeeze machine. She uses it to apply deep pressure when she is stressed. It helps her to alleviate the stress and calm her thoughts and actions, and she can communicate more effectively. In private, I lay on the floor and wriggle around to press my back as flat as possible.

Some programs use weighted garments or rugs to apply pressure where the person feels the most benefit. They might wear a jacket or lay under a weighted quilt for a few minutes and feel considerably better. The amount of weight and time is usually determined by an occupational therapist. Personally, I like a weighted lap rug.

For some people, seeing someone else chewing is really offensive. It is like feeling ill when someone is chewing with their mouth open or talking with their mouth full ... not just a social nicety but also an adverse physical response.

I wonder what the treatment protocol will be for Alex, in view of all the media attention.