Only On 9: 6-Year-Old Autistic Student Criminally Charged After Alleged Assault

She's probably a scumbag looking for big money, easy.

I thought they (teacher's aide)were suppose to be trained on how to safely restrain if need be in case of injury to self or others. If she did not know about Autism and its Characteristics, which can be aggression, then she should not have taken the job.

Before teachers and aides even take the job, they should undrstand the conscequences that comes with it. Some autistic children do not know how to sit down and talk about how they feel, they sometimes take their aggression out on people, then afterwards they are sorry about what they have done. It is very common, so the teachers and aides should already know this and should know how to handle these types of situations!

In kids with autism aggression usually equals pain. Whatever language they have for external events they do not seem to have for internal ones. The experience of pain they do not understand and cannot communicate is very frustrating.

I work with students with autism. I will tell you that this is NOT isolated, I spent a good deal of time dealing with the rediculous allegations of a teacher who told a child to stop, and he did. She told him to sit down. And he sat immediately on the carpet. She continued to stand, 5'10 within a foot of this child as an aide (5'9) approached him from behind. he swung his had out at the teacher in front. He is non verbal. he can't tell you to get away or identify you are in his personal space. What else was he to do?

I don't know the whole story and see that Ch.9 is obviously slated in favor of the child.
If the child is not to blame then why is the court letting this go through? Why is the school backing the staff member? Also why is the student allowed to be intergreted into a kindergarten class when he is obviously a violent individual and could pose a serious threat to the other students. Is it fair to put the other students in danger?
I cannot make a judgement call on this matter but how is this student going to be held accountable to their behaviour in the future?
I will admit that I think age 6 is a little young but if it stops this childs behaviour in the future then it is well worth it.

BUCKFUSH wrote:

She's probably a scumbag looking for big money, easy.

How does she stand to make money by filing a criminal charge? She doesn't. There is no mention of a lawsuit in the article. Also most judges are considered intelligent and would not allow such a lawsuit to proceed.

Two Sides wrote:

<quoted text>
How does she stand to make money by filing a criminal charge? She doesn't. There is no mention of a lawsuit in the article. Also most judges are considered intelligent and would not allow such a lawsuit to proceed.

1. It's called workman's comp.
2. Case dismissed for the nonsense it was.

Two Sides wrote:

I don't know the whole story and see that Ch.9 is obviously slated in favor of the child.
If the child is not to blame then why is the court letting this go through? Why is the school backing the staff member? Also why is the student allowed to be intergreted into a kindergarten class when he is obviously a violent individual and could pose a serious threat to the other students. Is it fair to put the other students in danger?
I cannot make a judgement call on this matter but how is this student going to be held accountable to their behaviour in the future?
I will admit that I think age 6 is a little young but if it stops this childs behaviour in the future then it is well worth it.

Here's hoping YOU will someday have a handicapped child. Maybe then you'll get a clue.

I live in the Dayton ,ohio area and I just saw a clip on this story on the 11:00 news. this is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard of! As a mother of 8 children , 3 with severe handicaps , it shocks me that such ignorant people are working with these children! there are many disorders that have children who react in this manner. But,take the handicapped issue aside. Do we really believe that a 6 year old child has any clue what the consequences are for their actions that they should be drug through a court system??? This is a HUGE black eye on this school system and I hope that this national attention will have the school system looking at who they hire and educate themselves! Frankly this community makes me ill!

If Nathan is aggressive in that form he shouldn't be in a regular Kindergarten class. Sorry to say, but I wouldn't want my child in the same classroom with another child who is capable of wrestling down a grown woman. I know people will be offended by my comment, but I can't help wondering what might happen to a "defendless" child.

Thing is when your not properly trained nor fully informed about a special needs child and their needs then how do you know how to react to that child? Bracken Schools are not able to handle children with special needs nor do they bring in proper staff. That kid is crazy and really does need help! He is VERY dangerous!!! The aide do a good job, and was protecting herself and the other children.

cutie of bville wrote:

Thing is when your not properly trained nor fully informed about a special needs child and their needs then how do you know how to react to that child? Bracken Schools are not able to handle children with special needs nor do they bring in proper staff. That kid is crazy and really does need help! He is VERY dangerous!!! The aide do a good job, and was protecting herself and the other children.

i'm going to pray to god everynight that you have an autistic child. No i take that back i hope you have a child thats very violent and mentally insane. That bitch didnt know how to handle an autistic child then why did they leave her with one?

You made a few good comments. First, so far the courts have not found anyone guilty. People can file charges all day long. Charges against this child will mean nothing to any 6 year old, let along one with autism. Those are not the kind of consequences any 6 year old will comprehend. Violent behavior in those with autism is a reaction to surroundings, not a premeditated action. Due to that, assault charges wont at all prevent this from happening again. They will find this child incompetent to understand the charges against him.
Second, schools are union, and they always always back up their employee's no matter what.

If the child was in inclusion Kindergarten, that is the schools blame, not the child's. Schools all over throw kids with autism into inclusion rather than a different class setting, saves money. They put children in classes where there WILL fail, the best example is this article of the disservice to those with disabilities within the public school. Look at the school for that fairness to other students.

Two Sides wrote:

I don't know the whole story and see that Ch.9 is obviously slated in favor of the child.
If the child is not to blame then why is the court letting this go through? Why is the school backing the staff member? Also why is the student allowed to be intergreted into a kindergarten class when he is obviously a violent individual and could pose a serious threat to the other students. Is it fair to put the other students in danger?
I cannot make a judgement call on this matter but how is this student going to be held accountable to their behaviour in the future?
I will admit that I think age 6 is a little young but if it stops this childs behaviour in the future then it is well worth it.

It's the DA that allows court cases to go through, not Judges. Many DA's are more ambitious than they are intelligent.
It seems to me the person is in the wrong line of work if they were unable to redirect the child.

Two Sides wrote:

<quoted text>
How does she stand to make money by filing a criminal charge? She doesn't. There is no mention of a lawsuit in the article. Also most judges are considered intelligent and would not allow such a lawsuit to proceed.

AS an Autistic teacher I want to know where we draw the line. I have seen my fully trained, experienced Aide be assaulted by a student several times and the student has also ran down the hallway with a pencil in hand saying he's going to kill everyone. Is this considered Autistic behavior? I love my job and my autistic students, but do we as fully trained educators not have a leg to stand on when it comes to protecting ourselves and the entire student body?

Autistic Teacher wrote:

AS an Autistic teacher I want to know where we draw the line. I have seen my fully trained, experienced Aide be assaulted by a student several times and the student has also ran down the hallway with a pencil in hand saying he's going to kill everyone. Is this considered Autistic behavior? I love my job and my autistic students, but do we as fully trained educators not have a leg to stand on when it comes to protecting ourselves and the entire student body?

As an educator, I have always put the children first but this means "ALL" the children. The child in this situation is not accountable but the parents and school administrators ARE. Educators and students have a right to work and learn in a safe environment. This was not the only staff person that the child attacked and adults can also be injured beyond repair. Yes, the child should have been provided an appropriate education but not at the expenses of the other students' and educators' safety.
The principal of the school should have taken appropriate action immediately after the first violent attack. Only when this employee took public action and the administrators were humiliated did they finally try to solve the problem. From what I understand this employee sacrificed her own reputation to finally force the principal to do her job. Her action was simply to protect the other children and get help for the child with autism. Those of you who are criticizing her actions should get the facts. Parents, why would you want any child to be allowed to violently attack any person without consequences?

mom of child with Autism wrote:

I thought they (teacher's aide)were suppose to be trained on how to safely restrain if need be in case of injury to self or others. If she did not know about Autism and its Characteristics, which can be aggression, then she should not have taken the job.

I agree with you completely. I have 2 children that are autistic. Staff that work with our children should be well trained. It is a liability on the schools behalf not us as parents, or the child/children. I am not saying the we the parents are not responsible to a point. If our child goes out into the community and does something illegal then it is our fault for not maintaining control. But this child was in a controlled environment where he should have had trained staff caring for him. It is the schools responsibility to make sure people are qualified to care for our children, That is why the aids that care for our special needs children get paid more money, or atleast are suppose to, to my understanding.

Autistic Teacher wrote:

AS an Autistic teacher I want to know where we draw the line. I have seen my fully trained, experienced Aide be assaulted by a student several times and the student has also ran down the hallway with a pencil in hand saying he's going to kill everyone. Is this considered Autistic behavior? I love my job and my autistic students, but do we as fully trained educators not have a leg to stand on when it comes to protecting ourselves and the entire student body?

As you fully know there is a wide spectrum to autism. Depending on the degree of his disability and what is being done at home and outside of the home, would determine who is responsible for this incident. I just came across this topic when I typed in Autism. I am not familiar with this case or what happened or how many times. If this is not the first incident then yes steps should have been taken to prevent this from happening again. Also what is the right way to discipline a child with these problems and this kind of behavior. Do you think court, and maybe being taken out of his home and the only routine he has ever known is the correct action to take. What is a parent to do? I have to autistic children and thankfully my children do not behave in this manner, maybe it is the different up brinings the different ways of discilpling, the difference in the spectrum. My children are High Functioning, When first diagnosed also believed to be mildly Mentally challenged. The second part of the diagnosis did not stick, but they are autistic without a doubt.

It was the saddest day when our education system was forced to educate these types of students with the regular kids. It is such a disservice to our good students and gifted students to have to be in a classroom with "monsters" like these who cannot function around others. If I were a parent of a child in that class, I would be demanding that they be removed for their own safety. Students like that hold the rest back. The teachers are constantly dealing with them while the other kids have to wait. Such a tragedy...