May 26, 2008 4:52 PM
Alex Barton and mom on CBS Morning Show Tuesday
News flash
Alex Barton and his mom Melissa will be on the CBS Morning Show tomorrow.
Posted in Alex Barton | Permalink
Comments
Thank you for posting this info... I am reposting it on my site to pass the word and will link back to you!!
Posted by: Angela | May 26, 2008 5:56 PM
Melissa, I am writing to you because I saw your son's story this morning and I was outraged, How could a teacher be in the school systems when you do that to a Special Child, that person should not be Teaching at all, Do you imagine the Trauma this will be for your son especially for him that they seem to retain all the bad things that would happen, I believe in my opinion that you should hold not only the teacher but also the School dsitrict in your area for this mental Anguish they have caused your child. As a mother I think of a Special child my son is now 16 yrs nd ADHD with severe LD, I am outraged and I believe that you should do a petition to have this teacher decertified forever she should not have done this especially to a 5 yr old child.
Sincerely,
Esther
Posted by: Esther | May 27, 2008 2:23 PM
Watched this morning....I cried...I taught autistic children in a K-1 class, and the children in the regular classes were so welcoming and loving...i cannot imagine the horror they felt when they had to vote on such a thing...I am just horrified!! I want to do something!!! I think a civil suit is definitely in order to say the least...Don't see why they won't file criminal charges though...Civil suits brought by all the parents in that class might open some eyes....I just want to see what the school system will do with her...believe me, an autistic child can remember the smallest details far better and more accurately than most, which is even worse for Alex...PLEASE POST WAYS WE CAN ALL HELP!!!!
Posted by: Janice | May 27, 2008 5:26 PM
Hello my name is Trisha I saw your story on cafe mom
And I cried. I have a little boy who now is just starting to talk good
He has been in pre k since he was 3 He doesn't really play with the other kids in his class. And its sad how the kids at that age can tell another kid is different. I want you to tell Alex I think he is the sweetest little boy and The Gagnon family is thinking about him!!
Posted by: Trisha | May 27, 2008 9:18 PM
We have been having issues with the Fort Worth ISD and our special needs child for the last two years.
To start with, our child is 5 years old and was diagnosed with epilepsy in November of 2004.
He was placed in the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) in April of 2005. There were many
difficulties at this school including twenty minute "time outs" in the bathroom (which
led to difficulties in potty training), coming home with bruises from being restrained (after which a doctor's
note was acquired stating that physical restraint of our child should be avoided as it may cause seizures due
to stress), and the teachers and aides blatantly stating that they did not like our child. The principal called
me almost daily to come get him out of school and when at an ARD meeting she kept stating she didnt get the paper
work and Bryant would tell her it was all in the folder. Our child, unfortunately, was not the only child that
experienced these things while in the PPCD program at the Elementary. All of the staff involved at the
school are still currently employed at this school.
He then was sent to another elementary but I had to pull him from there because the teacher said restraint
was used to get students to get to know the routine. She told me to make him take a nap, she laid her legs across
him so he couldn't move and he finally went to sleep. The next day she grabbed his wrist to drag him in line to
go get breakfast so I took him home, and he never went back there. This is a teacher that has the window on her
door blocked so noone can see what shes doing (she says its to get rid of distractions)
He was then placed in the Behavior Improvement Class (BIC) at OUR request at another Elementary School for the
last 6 weeks of the school year. This was under the condition he would only stay 6 weeks (the principle stated
she was afraid of epilepsy) This program and the teacher and aides involved were a success. His behavior
improved and he was learning on a daily basis. He attended summer school immediately following the school year at an Elementary school under the direction of the same teacher. At no time in the last 6 weeks of the regular school year or the summer term, did he come home with any marks or bruises on his body, and his spitting CEASED!
This year, they stated that our child could not attend that Elementary because the BIC class had students
that were well beyond our child's age. At an ARD meeting, he was placed into yet another elementary in the BIC
class. The very first day, the teacher and aide put their hands on our child to restrain him, despite the fact
we have a doctors note stating that this should not be done. On September 4, 2007 our child came home with a
bruise on his nose and a statement from the nurse stating that it was a rug burn. It is obviously not a rug
burn, and anybody would be able to tell this. On September 5, 2007 our child came home on the bus, and as we boarded the bus to get him, he was being restrained by his wrists above his head by the bus aide. When we got
him off the bus, we noticed red marks around both wrists as well as his shirt was on inside-out. When we removed
his clothes to put them in the laundry, several marks and bruises were found in and around his armpits and shoulders.
This made two days in a row that he has come home with sometime of injury on him. When the bus staff was questioned regarding the shirt being on inside-out, they could not provide an answer. On 10-02-07 I got word from CPS the camera was not and had not been working on the Special Ed Bus he was on. I really cant believe we let our kids on these buses,
some of these kids cant even talk or move on their own (some are mentally challenged, autistic or invilants.,,
with total strangers and there is NO working cameras!!!!!
Our child was 5 years old with a 3 year old's mentality and cannot verbally inform us of what happened. We called
the police and filed an information report. This is to add to our last 3 years of documentation of the abuse our
child has endured at the hands of the Fort Worth Independent School District. We are not really sure what
direction to go in, or action to take to resolve these issues and allow our child to get an education without
being abused because of his disability. CPS is being contacted as I type this as well to get further documentation.
We feel that this needs to get out to the general community of Fort Worth because most parents of these children
with disabilities have no idea of what their children are having to endure at the hands of these "professionals".
We contacted the governors, senators and news here and nothing was ever done about it. I hope something comes of
this not only for Autistic children but for all our special children.
Posted by: dawna | May 27, 2008 11:56 PM
This is to dawna, I wish I knew what to say...All I know is just do not stop...Legislatures and government officials do not like loud voices, but they will eventually listen...Your child has rights...I woudl pursue this to the end of time ...I have a great passion for your plight...Do not let down...and know we are all out here, even if thousands of miles away, rooting for you!!!!
Posted by: Janice | May 28, 2008 10:31 AM
Please tell Alex that he is very special to all of us!!!
Posted by: Theresa Sachs | May 28, 2008 12:30 PM
when I saw this story on cnn i couldnt even speak i was so mad. Educators make a commitment to take care of children not hurt them. This teacher should be decertified for not only the abouse and scarring inflicted on alex, but also on the other children, like spencer and his classmates
Posted by: hannahbanana34@msn.com | June 1, 2008 1:04 PM
