Autistic kids can face a difficult path in life. (Photo: Strollerderby)
The Boston-area special needs school Judge Rotenberg Center enrolls students ages 3 to adult, all of whom are either autistic kids or are struggling with severe emotional, behavioral or psychiatric disorders. Those students who display undesirable behavior, reports ABC News, are subjected to a treatment which the United Nations is calling “torture.” Judge Rotenberg students, including autistic kids, are subject to shock treatment.
‘Aversive therapy’ for autistic kids not torture, claims JRC
Calling the JRC’s treatment of autistic kids in extreme situations torture is akin to calling a physician using a scalpel on a patient assault with a deadly weapon, claim JRC representatives. They claim that shock treatment in short bursts is humane when compared with the alternatives of either allowing emotionally disturbed or even autistic kids to cause themselves or others physical harm or otherwise medicating them into a lobotomized state. Head JRC doctor Matthew Israel told ABC that the real torture for autistic kids and others is the latter. He stated that JRC’s shock treatment “has no detrimental effects whatsoever.”
A two-second skin shock
The Judge Rotenberg Center uses a small device that administers a shock when necessary as a form of behavioral therapy, says Israel. Students are only subjected to the device after a court and (in the case of autistic kids) parents or caregivers approve. Allegedly, the short shock hurts just enough to dissuade JRC students from destructive behavior. After periods of good behavior, students are rewarded with points that they can use to buy prizes. In total, the Judge Rotenberg Center houses such students for $200,000 per year, taxpayer financed.
The U.N. and advocates for the disabled condemn the treatment
Eric Rosenthal, an advocate for the disabled, created a report that prompted the United Nations to become involved in the JRC’s activities. Massachusetts Sen. Brian Joyce has tried to shut down the Judge Rotenberg Center but has been unsuccessful. The United Nations reference America’s international treaty stance on torture when referring to the JRC’s shock treatment of autistic kids and other students. The argument is that if the United States shouldn’t be administering shock treatment to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, how can any home soil organization be allowed do it to children?
Sources:
Surgeon Sherwin Nuland discusses the development of electroshock therapy (Editor’s Note: A small amount of NSFW language is used):
I suggest you read the story on a blog titled, “Controversial Adjunctive Therapy for Autism and Self-Injurious Behavior: Part Seven” it’s at autismseizureselfinjuriousbehavior.com. The autistic child in this story once used skin shock, and it stopped the self-injurious behavior. When the skin shock was stopped, because state officials wouldn’t use it in his group home setting, he eventually suffered a hematoma to ear, which required two surgeries to repair, and now he’s back home with family and their trying hard to get him back to where he isn’t hitting himself again. I don’t think they’re using skin shock now, however, as he’s too old now perhaps? Not sure. The blog article cites Kitty Dukakis and ECT therapy.
I'd say the people who are harshly condemning shock therapy haven't seen cases like those on YOU TUBE under CDFoakley or kgaccount. There's one in particular called "severe autism: cases that require extraordinary help" that show probably why famlies end up having to place their kids in places like JRC because they were never given the right supports and help for years, so be careful how you critique…not saying shock therapy is great, but for gods sakes people wake up and see what some families are going through and how little our government cares
Thank you for this video. its nice that can help those people which need help…the main aim of treatment is to cure.
So they’re basically treated like animals in need of a shock collar treatment? Doesn’t sound right to me, however way it’s portrayed.