Teacher has students vote special needs child out of kindergarten

I first saw this at Mommy Life a few days ago, but I just got to it today. A kindergarten teacher brought little Alex, who is being diagnosed with Asberger's Syndrome, up to the front of the class and encouraged his peers to say to his face what they don't like about him. And then she had them vote to kick Alex out of class.  This is so outrageous, I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been confirmed by the teacher herself.

Hot Air has the video Melissa Barton and her son Alex from their appearance on CBS's The Early Show this morning:

My daughter has special needs. She's got hypotonia, otherwise known as low muscle tone. The short story is that her muscles simply don't have the tone or the strength to support her body weight. She's three years old on June 8th, and she's just now taking steps with the help of a pediatric walker. She also has speech apraxia, which means there's a disconnect between her brain and the ability to speak. In other words, she understands everything you say to her, and she knows what she wants to say, but she simply can't make her muscles in her mouth to make the sounds.  Her receptive language skills are sky high, but her expressive language skills are at about an 18 month old's. 

My biggest concern for my daughter is being made fun of when she starts preschool and kindergarten because of her disability.  If one of her teachers were to ever do this to her, let me tell you, there would be hell to pay. I would come down on that teacher's head like a ton of bricks, so to Alex's mom, I say, you go girl.

Comments

[Darla]

You go girl is RIGHT! Sheesh, how inappropriate.

[Jill]

Kim,We Jerry Gotts and I have a daughter Mikala who also has Asberger's but more mild than others and believe you me she has also been teased but if a teacher or school ever did what they did to this boy I would personally be down their throats and up their behinds quicker than anyone could think.

[AWTM]

I saw this yesterday and was outraged....

I too have a son with probable Aspergers, he is hyperlexic, but obsessive in nature, lots of compulsivity issues, and hand flapping and other self stimulatory behaviors...I sent him to a private school this year out of FEAR.

After talking to the public school teachers and informing them of his issues...they pretty much told me, if I sent him to a public school, they would need a hard diagnosis...something the pediatrician and I thing is premature at this time, and the teacher also told me, they might evaluate him for medication...

I felt trapped and like i had no options...

our school was a Godsend, and I do not say that lightly...

He managed very well this year. I attribute this to staff, but also the fact that in his school they go from k-12 , the older kids LOVED my son, and were amazed at his academic ability. Their enthusiasm helped his peers, staff and teachers...but mostly it helped my son assimilate into a community.

I am scared about him starting public school next year. I really am, and after seeing this, it breaks my heart.