St. Lucie County Schools, Vote Wendy Portillo Out

I was thoroughly disgusted when I read about the abuse of a kindergarten student by teacher Wendy Portillo at Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Florida. After making five-year-old Alex Barton stand in front of the class as punishment for misbehavior, Portillo told the other students to list what they didn't like about him and then encouraged them to "vote" him out of the class. When she did this, Portillo was aware that Alex had developmental differences and was in the process of being tested for an Asperger's diagnosis. She also knew that his family had recently moved, which would cause any young child—and especially an autistic child—to feel anxious and vulnerable.

Alex's mother, Melissa Barton, reported that he was so upset afterward that she had to withdraw him from school because he started screaming when he saw the building. Police investigated her report of child abuse, but no criminal charges were filed. The St. Lucie County Schools and the Department of Children and Families also are investigating.

There is no excuse whatsoever for a teacher, who ought to be setting an example of positive values, to instead teach a group of kindergarteners to bully and ostracize an emotionally vulnerable child. Wendy Portillo needs to be removed from that classroom immediately, so that she cannot abuse any more children. The St. Lucie County Schools must also be made aware of the need to review and strengthen the school district's policies on preventing bullying and other abuse, as well as training teachers about neurological differences. Contact information is provided below:


Morningside Elementary School Principal:
Mrs. Marcia Cully
cullym@stlucie.k12.fl.us
(772) 337-6730

St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent:
Michael J. Lannon
4204 Okeechobee Road
Ft. Pierce, FL 34947-5414
Phone: 772/429-3925
FAX: 772/429-3916
lannonm@stlucie.k12.fl.us

St. Lucie County School Board Chair:
Carol Hilson
772-519-0397
hilsonc@stlucie.k12.fl.us

Vice Chair:
Judith Miller
772-528-4545
millerj@stlucie.k12.fl.us


The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is asking all those who write to express their outrage to cc: info@autisticadvocacy.org so that ASAN can keep track of the strength and sources of the response.

Update, May 26: There is an excellent post about Alex Barton and Wendy Portillo on Daily Kos, with hundreds of comments.

Update, May 27: The St. Lucie County School District has removed Wendy Portillo from contact with students while district officials conduct an investigation into her behavior. Also, here is another Daily Kos post with contact information for sending toys and cards to be forwarded to Alex Barton.

Avoiding Abusive Counselors and Support Groups

From time to time, I’ve come across horror stories about counselors and support groups. And it occurred to me that although I have seen many articles that provide lists of "red flags" for identifying potentially toxic and abusive romantic partners, I haven't seen any similar checklists giving advice to autistics (and others with neurological differences) on what to avoid when looking for support and counseling.

People who are looking for a counselor or a support group often are emotionally vulnerable and are at risk of ending up in an unhealthy situation which, just like a marriage to an abusive spouse, will drain away their self-esteem and leave them feeling inadequate and dependent. Here's my list of danger signs indicating when a counselor or support group is becoming abusive (and yes, I've seen every one of these mentioned somewhere; I didn't just make them up. Please feel free to post your own suggestions in the comments, along with links to similar articles if you know of any.)


(1) Instead of being treated as an individual, you are given a lecture about what is wrong with "people like you."

(2) You are advised to make extensive changes to your behavior and lifestyle so as to become indistinguishable from your peers.

(3) When you talk about your concerns, you're dismissed as paranoid, unreasonable, or too sensitive.

(4) If you happen to be unemployed, you are told that you're just a lazy slacker and would have found a job by now if you'd tried harder.

(5) You mention something positive that you've accomplished relating to a special interest, and you get ridiculed or told that you are displaying poor social skills by bringing up a topic that nobody cares about.

(6) If you haven't found a compatible romantic partner, you are told that it's because nobody wants to date people like you and that the only way you'll find a girlfriend or boyfriend is to pretend to be completely different.

(7) You say that you feel dissatisfied with a job that does not challenge you intellectually or provide opportunities for career advancement, and you are told that you should shut up and be grateful anyone was willing to hire you at all.

(8) If you express a positive attitude regarding any aspect of your neurology, you are told that this is a psychological defense mechanism and that it's clear you are in denial about the true extent of your misery.

(9) When you disagree with the counselor or group, you are told that you are being childish and that your contrary behavior is a symptom of your disorder.

(10) If you mention that you have thought about leaving the counselor or group, the immediate response is an outraged tirade to the effect that if you are irresponsible enough to do so, you'll inevitably waste the rest of your life as a worthless burden on your parents and/or society.

This Is Not Who We Are

I recently had the privilege of attending an event where I was able to see, in person, the next President of the United States (if we have the good sense to elect him), Barack Obama. In discussing why we all need to get motivated to take back our country and restore our national values, Senator Obama spoke about the disregard for human rights shown by a government that sees nothing wrong with torture. This is not what America stands for, he said. This is not who we are.

Although he was talking about the mistreatment of terror suspects by the Bush administration, those words are equally applicable to the Judge Rotenberg Center, a Massachusetts institution that routinely uses electric shock on children with developmental disabilities. There have been several administrative and legislative attempts to put an end to this heinous abuse of our society's most vulnerable children, but so far, the place is still in business.

Many bloggers and human rights groups have asked why the State of Massachusetts can't shut down the Judge Rotenberg Center. It's for the same reason, as I see it, why the people of America haven't yet shut down Guantanamo Bay—too much apathy among the voters and too little insistence on demanding accountability from our elected officials. We lack full awareness of our personal power as citizens of a democratic nation to force our government to conduct itself in a decent manner. People talk to each other about such things and say, this is terrible, or that is awful; but then we just sit back and wait for someone else to deal with it.

Ultimately, it is our responsibility as citizens and as human beings to ensure that those who represent us in government will never commit, or allow others to commit, human rights abuses. If you live in Massachusetts, contact your state legislators and ask them if, like Barack Obama and Gov. Deval Patrick, they are ready to turn the page on this shameful era in American history and to take an unequivocal stand against government-sanctioned torture under any circumstances. Ask them if they will firmly commit themselves to enacting legislation to outlaw the use of electric shock and other abusive behavior modification practices.

If the answer is anything other than yes, GET YOUR BUTT TO THE POLLS AND VOTE THEM OUT! There is no excuse for politicians authorizing the torture of children with developmental disabilities. None. Zero. Ever. And there is no excuse for voters being so apathetic as to let them stay in office when they do.

This is not who we are.

Child Abusers Convicted

On Friday, a jury convicted Michael and Sharen Gravelle of four felony counts of child endangering, two misdemeanor counts of child endangering, and five misdemeanor counts of child abuse. (Unfortunately, the jury acquitted them on several other counts.) The charges were filed after authorities learned that the Gravelles had forced some of their 11 adopted special-needs children to sleep in chicken wire cages. Witnesses testified that the cages were filthy and lacked bedding. The Gravelles lost custody of the children in March.

According to a news article about the trial, the Gravelles tried to claim that the cages had useful behavioral purposes:


During the trial, their defense included testimony from a social worker and others who said they never witnessed abuse and said the children's behavior improved because of the cages, which were painted bright blues and reds.


I'm reminded of the Judge Rotenberg Center, with its brightly painted rooms designed to distract visitors' attention from the electric shock devices and other tortures inflicted on its students. But unlike the JRC's child abusers (who are still in business), the Gravelles soon will be going to prison where they belong.

When the Gravelles are sentenced, they will get 1 to 5 years in prison for the felony counts. I have a suggestion for the prison officials: How about painting their cells in bright blues and reds, giving them no bedding, and observing their behavior to see if it improves?

You Don't Know What You're Talking About

After I wrote a post about the horrific abuse at the Judge Rotenberg Center, I got a couple of comments from JRC apologists (both anonymous, no surprise there) who sang the praises of using electric shocks on children. One of them snidely remarked, "I wouldn't express such strong opinions on subjects I know nothing about."

It's interesting how often autistic activists are told that we know nothing about how people like us ought to be treated. Although we have a lifetime of experience being autistic, we're told that the only people who are qualified to say anything about us are those who study, or work with, or take care of autistic "patients" or "subjects." Even when we are talking about the most basic human rights, there's always someone who is quick to proclaim that we just don't understand that the usual rules for humans do not apply to some of us.

Of course, this sort of attitude is nothing new in history. Oppression always has been rationalized in one way or another. I've put together a list of just a few examples...

Roman Emperor: What do you mean, it's inhumane to throw people like you to the lions? It's a very effective way of maintaining civic discipline and morale. If too many of our citizens followed your dangerous way of thinking, we would be overrun by barbarians. Sending a few people like you to the lions is in everyone's best interests, even yours, as you would understand if you had any common sense.

Medieval Inquisitor: We had no choice but to burn those heretics at the stake. It was for their own good, to free them from the devil's clutches. Although we tried other methods of curing the disease of heresy, nothing else was effective. Surely you don't think we should have been so cruel as to let them fester in their heresy.

Colonial Settler: You just don't know what it's like to be in a primitive country full of savages. Yes, we kill some natives from time to time, but it's the only way to keep them in line. In a few years, they'll thank us for making decent Christians out of them.

Slave Owner: Who are you to criticize the way I run my plantation? You don't know anything about how to make those uppity negroes behave properly. Keeping them in bondage is an act of kindness; they wouldn't be able to take care of themselves if they were free.

Wife Beater: There's nothing wrong with the way I treat my wife. I love my wife. I've been taking care of her for years, providing for all her needs. I want only the best for her. It's just a fact of life that women are weak-minded and need firm guidance and discipline.

Abusive Cop: Okay, so I was caught on videotape beating a handcuffed suspect. Don't get all moralistic about it. You don't have a clue what it's like out there on the street. Those criminals aren't people, they're animals. If we didn't show them who's boss, they would be breaking into your house and raping your daughters.

War Criminal: You don't have any idea what it's like to be stationed in a war zone. Those people don't act decent and civilized, like us; they're nothing but vicious terrorists. Sometimes we have to use aggressive interrogation techniques to get information to keep our troops safe. Yeah, maybe we killed and maimed a few civilians, but that's war.

Judge Rotenberg Center Help Wanted Ad

I recently googled Filthy Child Abusers Inc.—oops, I meant the Judge Rotenberg Center—and noticed that a large number of help wanted ads came up in the results. Looks as if they may be having a problem with staff turnover. Hmmm, I wonder why? Maybe it's hard to find people who are so sickeningly depraved as to enjoy torturing disabled kids for a living? Naa-a-ah. More likely, their personnel department needs a little help drafting more precise ads to bring in applications from just the right candidates. I'm feeling charitably inclined today, so I'll offer them, free of charge, a few suggestions for a well-targeted ad:

Ability to tell creative stories. No, sorry, the Judge Rotenberg Center isn't looking for kindhearted staff who enjoy telling bedtime stories to the kiddies. The sort of creativity that's needed here is a talent for inventing plausible explanations for injuries, such as claiming that burns from electrodes all over a child's body were caused by medical conditions. Staff at the Judge Rotenberg Center must also be able to repeat the Big Lie with a straight face, that is, the claim that electric shocks are necessary to prevent severely disturbed youths from maiming themselves through self-injury. Pathological liars are strongly encouraged to apply, as this whopper of a story is becoming much harder to tell now that the mainstream media are reporting the truth. (For example, as reported by the Boston Herald, Antwone Nicholson, a teenager whose mother has filed a lawsuit against the school district that was responsible for sending him to the Judge Rotenberg Center, was routinely shocked whenever he swore or did not cooperate.)

Math skills helpful. It appears that some of the creative storytellers at the Judge Rotenberg Center are a tad mathematically impaired. They're claiming that Antwone Nicholson had 5,000 violent episodes a week before they started shocking him. Let's get out our calculators, readers. There are 10,080 minutes in a week. That means the kid would've needed to have a "violent episode" every two minutes, around the clock, for an entire week, without ever stopping to eat, sleep, use the toilet, et cetera. No matter how creatively a "violent episode" may be defined, we're getting into the realm of mathematical impossibility here. (But hey, what's a little perjury and evidence tampering among friends, right?)

Not easily flustered. By bothersome little annoyances like children screaming in extreme pain, tort lawsuits, child abuse investigations, the occasional homicide investigation... heck, it's just another day at the ol' ball yard.

Equal opportunity employer. Male, female, any race, color, creed or national origin are welcome to apply. (No need to mention the disabled. They're not people, are they?)

Preference for veterans. Extra bonus points on the application will be given to those who have experience interrogating prisoners at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay.

And the most essential qualification for a job at the Judge Rotenberg Center?

Total lack of human decency.

Accomplices in Abuse

In a notorious child abuse case involving a couple who adopted a large number of special-needs children and kept them in cages, a social worker who knew of the abuse and failed to report it has been charged as an accomplice to the crime.

It's about time. On far too many occasions, the most horrendous abuses have been ignored or even sanctioned at all levels of government, just because the victims had some sort of disability label and therefore were seen as less worthy of human rights. The infamous Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts, which routinely administers electric shocks to autistic children and deprives them of food for prolonged periods, does so under the authority of court orders obtained pursuant to state regulations.

A more insidious form of abuse often occurs when doctors and psychologists make extremely negative and unfounded statements upon diagnosing a child. Parents may be told that their infant or toddler will never be able to communicate or to live independently, although of course there is no way anyone can accurately predict a small child's future. Traditional IQ tests, which rely heavily on spoken language, grossly underestimate the intelligence of autistic children. As a result, many children are denied educational opportunities and are forced to lead segregated and restricted lives.

There are strong parallels between our society's current attitude toward autistics and its treatment of the Deaf in previous generations. Historically, many Deaf children were thought to be mentally retarded because they could not communicate orally. They made easy targets for eugenics schemes. In 1925, a deaf-mute black teenager in North Carolina was accused of rape. Because he could not speak in his own defense, he was found to be incompetent, castrated under the state's eugenics laws, and locked up in a state mental hospital for 69 years. It wasn't until the 1990s that the authorities realized he could not hear.

Just a horror story from the bad old days? I really wish I could believe we're all more civilized nowadays, but frankly, I doubt it. The latest disgusting quackery being promoted by the biomed cultists is the use of chemical castration drugs on autistic children in conjunction with chelation treatments. The more things change...

Every one of the chelation doctors ought to be in prison for child abuse, as well as health care fraud and other crimes. (I was going to compare them to voodoo doctors, but on second thought, that comparison would be an insult to voodoo doctors. If the chelationists were practicing good old-fashioned voodoo, they wouldn't be doing nearly as much harm.)

Ultimately, the blame has to fall on the mainstream medical profession for creating an environment in which autism is dreaded as an incurable plague. If doctors and psychologists gave truthful and unbiased information to parents of newly diagnosed children, these parents would not feel the shock and desperation that drive them into the greedy clutches of the quacks.

Physicians, heal thy ignorant selves.

Autistic Slave Labor

Originally posted November 2005

Michelle Dawson is not the only person who is hopping mad about this outrageous violation of human rights. In a recent press release, the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), which has been soliciting funds from unsuspecting parents for a "cure" and using the money to fund prenatal testing eugenics research, disclosed that it is using the labor of institutionalized autistic adults, including those at the infamous Eden Institute in New Jersey, to stuff its solicitation envelopes. (Follow the "hopping mad" link to find the URL of the press release – I'm not giving those bastards a link.)

Eden is an aptly named organization; it's a paradise for sadists who enjoy torturing the most vulnerable people in our society. It is on the watch lists of human rights groups such as the Autism National Committee, the Family Alliance to Stop Abuse and Neglect, and TASH, who are lobbying for a ban on the use of aversives, that is, behavioral modification methods that involve the deliberate infliction of physical pain or discomfort. This New Jersey advocacy site gives a graphic illustration, taken from an actual behavioral plan, of how aversives are used on helpless residents of institutions such as Eden:

"When Roy becomes person or object aggressive he is to be placed in arm restraints and seated. Staff are to ask, "Roy, your behavior is irresponsible. Are you ready to accept responsibility for your behavior?" If Roy responds "yes," he is to be forced to inhale ammonia for three seconds, sprayed with water for thirty seconds, and again forced to inhale ammonia for three seconds. Roy is then to thank staff for their help. If Roy responds negatively and does not accept responsibility for his behavior, staff are to repeat the ammonia, water spray, ammonia sequence. If, asked again to accept responsibility for his behavior, he again refuses, the aversive sequence is to be repeated twice in succession."

As Michelle Dawson points out, autistics who are held captive in such hellholes, in addition to being forced to comply with all activities that are included in their behavioral plan (such as stuffing NAAR's envelopes for long hours without pay) must also display a suitable amount of enthusiasm, as determined by the behaviorists, while doing so. The closest historical parallel is the experience of African-American slaves on plantations in the Old South, who were often made to sing, by an overseer standing nearby with a cat-o'-nine-tails, while they picked cotton.

The only significant difference is that the cotton picked by the black slaves, unlike NAAR's research, wasn't intended to be used as a means of committing a worldwide genocide against the slaves' own people.

For those readers who think it's too farfetched to speculate that autistics might someday be kept in labor camps and forced to work toward the extermination of their own kind, like the Jewish prisoners of the Nazis – it's now a fact that some of us already are.