Comments on: School of Shock: Don't Tase Me, Teach!

By: Matthew L. Israel

Matthew L. Israel — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:42:06 +0000

Ms. Gonnermanâ€™s article â€œSchool of Shock,â€ which appears in the September/October issue of the Mother Jones magazine, is an entirely one-sided and biased account of the court- and parent-approved behavior modification therapy used at the Judge Rotenberg Center to successfully treat, without drugs, severe (sometimes life-threatening) behavior problems of children and young adults with special needs that have not responded to any other form of treatment. For readers who would like to hear the other side of this story, please see http://www.judgerc.org/ResponsetoGonnermanArticle.pdf

By: Mindpimp

Mindpimp — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:24:07 +0000

Harsh though it may be, negative feedback invariably gets better results than positive feedback. Noone gives suspected terrorists a cookie every time they tell something the army need to know; they torture them until they've said everything and have started making stuff up. Take the classic little albert experiment of classical conditioning for example; the child was conditioned into non-natural responses due to fear. This could be the same thing happening here, the autistic and to a lesser extent, retarded kids are being forced to behave in a manner not natural to them though fear of pain. If it gets results and it doesn't cause permanent damage (unlike torture) then it may be worth continuing.

By: Persephone

Persephone — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:13:38 +0000

Any parent who thinks about putting their child in this dungeon of torture (a true oubliette for some of these families) should have to undergo a week of regular shocks, food deprivation and probings.

Then if they still want to put their child in this hell, they should have their child put in a decent facility, their parental rights terminated and they should be sterilized.

By: kerozene

kerozene — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:13:36 +0000

That kid in the picture looks so scared.

By: sickb*stard

sickb*stard — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:05:55 +0000

This is sick, utterly sick.

On the other hand, I'm not going to raise a special needs child for someone else, so if the parents are willing to let their offspring be subjected to mild torture I say let them.

By: Akiro

Akiro — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 23:42:22 +0000

I must say this is pretty over the top and I am in the psychology field. Although in no way would I dismiss the great benefits of electric shock for a last resort for severe and harmful behaviors, this is just way too much and really terrible.

This place seems to be using shock as a psychological punishment instead of a physiological one by having those picture belts...

By: jules

jules — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:17:05 +0000

I jut finished reading the full article. The man forces total control and conformity on the students their through fear and pain. I can not see how anything in there could possible be justified.

the Saddest thing is that each year Massachusetts tries to stop it but is blocked by the parents of the kids who want to keep them there.

By: ted

ted — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:26:40 +0000

Why that's just shocking.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:27:26 +0000

WMD.
Weapons of Mass Defibrillation.

Desperate parents and families indeed. A sad post.

By: L

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:23:48 +0000

Punishing people who can't understand or control their own behaviour? That's just sick. I've heard about this place before. I can't believe it's still allowed to operate.

By: lynne

lynne — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:33:36 +0000

I agree with Leahs comment.My son has special needs,the picture above made me want to cry,and that was before I had read the article.

By: Leah

Leah — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:17:26 +0000

As the parent of a special needs child, just reading the info on Neatorama makes me want to vomit. How any parent can allow their child to be treated so cruelly is beyond me.

I don't know if I can bring myself to read the full article.

By: Richard Lalancette

Richard Lalancette — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:14:49 +0000

Well, this is one cruel way to punish.

I can't believe this is where they are at now.

Where is this world going to???

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:34:34 +0000

I think this is one heck of a bad idea. Anyone remember the "Stanford Experiment"? Give a person power over another who has no way to retaliate from abuse or worse and things go very bad. It's plain human nature.

By: Powell

Powell — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:53:15 +0000

That is the worst thing I have read in a long time. I am not sure how this is considered "neat" in any way..
The guy who runs the place sounds criminally insane.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:27:21 +0000

I highly suggest reading the entire Mother Jones article. This place sounds like it's straight out of a Philip K. Dick novel.

By: brett

brett — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:05:00 +0000

Wow, they are doing this to autistic and metally retarded children. These kids need special attention, not over the top punishment. I have to say that is pretty cruel; how this place is still around is amazing to me and in Massachusettes no less.

By: John J.

John J. — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:26:08 +0000

Pretty cruel treatment for someone you just want to teach. Makes you wonder what sick motives lay behind shocking the students.

Aversion therapy is nothing knew. Psychiatrists have been tormenting their patients with this kind of thing for about a hundred years now.

By: Nora

Nora — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:17:28 +0000

I don't think I condone such harsh methods but I do wonder how effective it is. Hmmmmm