As eloquently as I would like to state this, the direct route is rather preferred: this is fucked up.

MotherJones.com has an amazing and infuriating story available that looks into the Judge Rotenberg Center, a school in Massachusetts that specializes in behavior modification for both low and high functioning children with mental disabilities and/or behavior disorders.

That there is a school specifically for this is not that amazing, but that this school relies almost exclusively on electroshock aversion therapy is! One child was shocked upwards of 5,000 times in a single day before staff at the school concluded that he was not likely to respond to such methods.

Give the entire article a read. It’s definitely worth it. When you’re done, come back here for some other gathered info.

Obviously, this school hasn’t just been doing this recently. It has been going on for decades with little ongoing public outcry. The school has been challenged several times and has managed to come out the victor. Interestingly, New York as a state has outlawed the use of electroshock therapy for these types of treatments, but the state itself facilitates the placement of some of its children across the state line for admission into the JRC. The Massachusetts legislature has recently introduced a bill that would also eliminate electroshock, but it has yet to go anywhere. Judging by the potential political influence of the multi-million dollar center and the vocal advocation of the parents of attending students, it is possible that said legislation could die and the JRC could continue on its merry way.

Of interest are the following links:

http://www.kevinleitch.co.uk/wp/?p=374 - A blog entry that discusses a number of topics regarding the JRC. Be absolutely certain to scroll down to the comments and check out the information left by “Jeff”, and then scroll down further to “ann”, a one-time JRC employee, who talks about why the JRC isn’t as bad as everybody thinks. Another former JRC employee then pipes up to let “ann” know that things aren’t as rosy as she remembers them being.

http://www.judgerc.org/ - The Judge Rotenberg Center home page. Looks pretty pleasant, doesn’t it? The image at the top of this entry is from the site. It shows two kids out enjoying a bike ride in the sun, which would seem a pretty happy thing until you notice that both are wearing backpacks chock full of batteries and the devices that administer electric shocks to their limbs and stomach.

http://archive.seacoastonline.com/news/06012006/health/105752.htm - An AP article from last year covering largely the same ground as the Mother Jones article. Again, we see the electroshock backpack on a student. This photo, however, seems to show that there is a shock device attached to the straps themselves to ensure that the student receives a jolt if he attempts to remove the pack.

http://www.wbur.org/news/2006/JRCReport.pdf - A report put together by the New York State Education Department of what was observed at the JRC during an unannounced visit in 2006. Half of the students sent there by the state of New York were approved for shock aversion therapy.

http://judgerotenbergcenter.blogspot.com/ - A blog of testimonials from JRC supporters.

http://www.judgerc.org/ResponsetoGonnermanArticle.pdf - And here is Matthew Israel’s response to the Mother Jones article!

It’s chilling to know that there are parents out there who approach their children like a lot of people approach their dogs - by strapping them with a shocking collar to punish bad behavior - but I guess the larger question is this: when a child becomes a severe danger to him/herself and every one around them, what is the final recourse? Medication to the point of constant sedation? Severe physical isolation? Does this level of aversion therapy have some degree of utility?

As I’m married to a special education teacher who has focused on autism in her career, I can imagine I’ll get some first hand input as soon as she reads this or as soon as I bring it up in conversation. I’m curious to get her take on it from the educator’s perspective.

Speaking of perspective, let’s close this out with a picture of a JRC student receiving a gift from Santa Claus … while he’s wearing a fanny pack containing his electroshock gear.

The CDT has an article today on the impending removal of the McCoy Dam midway between Bellefonte and Milesburg. Having kayaked Spring Creek, I can say that the Dam was a major pain in the ass, and I’m happy to see it go.

Though, I do have to say that it’s an interesting site due to its age, so maybe go visit it while you can.

The plans have been on the table for a few years now to remove it and turn it into a creek access point. With the removal of the dam, this stretch of Spring Creek will become a rapid four foot drop in the creek level which means it will turn into a popular spot for whitewater paddlers and playboaters. The plans also include putting in some parking as, right now, the site is accessible only by either paddling to it from farther up the creek (from the Sunnyside Paddle Park) or by parking on the road and walking a narrow dirt path down to the site.

Residents downstream express concern about the increased sediment that will flow once the dam is removed, but what they should really be worried about is all of the garbage that has piled up in the water to the sides of the dam from the variety of local fishermen who frequent that location. McCoy Dam has been very popular as a fishing spot as trout swim upstream and are blocked in at the foot of the dam. This actually is a bad thing for the trout population, but a very good thing for fishing enthusiasts looking for an easy catch (all fish caught at this location must be thrown back).

I’m really looking forward to seeing this spot developed into something useful. As it is now, most people don’t even know it exists. If you drive by, you’ll see the top half of what was the generator station and not see anything else. It isn’t until you climb down there that you see the rest of it and see the dilapidated state it is in.

As for the kayakers and canoeists who actually run the dam… they’re nuts.

And now, because the CDT archives stuff far too soon, here is the article in full:

Read the rest of this entry »

If I had to distill this New York Times article down to one sentence, it would be, “Fatties, get a bike.” If I were to take more time, it would be, “You don’t need to be thin to be a good cyclist, as opposed to runners who have to bounce every extra pound up and down all during their run, so if you have such weight problems, cycling is an excellent way to keep fit without causing excessive discomfort.”

But honestly, I like the first sentence better.