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>>> KEEPING THEM HONEST, A
REPORT ABOUT A SCHOOL STORE
AUTISTIC STUDENTS.
IT'S CALLED THE JUDGE ROTENBERG
SCHOOL IN MASSACHUSETTS.
IT IS THE ONLY SCHOOL THAT
ROUTINELY USES SHOCKS TO HANDLE
THE STUDENTS.
THEY COME TO THE SCHOOL FROM
MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN STATES.
THE COST TO TAXPAYERS, ALMOST A
QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS PER
STUDENT PER YEAR.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU A VIDEO THAT
THEY TRIED TO KEEP IT SECRET FOR
YEARS.
WE DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
SEE LITTLE BIT OF IT.
IT SHOWS A STUDENT BEING SHOCKED
31 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF
SEVEN HOURS.
[ SCREAMING ]
>> HIS NAME IS ANDRE McCOLLINS.
WHILE BEING SHOCKED HE WAS AT
ONE POINT STRAPPED DOWN.
HIS MOTHER SAID HE WAS PUNISHED
FOR NOT TAKING HIS COAT OFF WHEN
ASKED.
SHE SAID SHE WAS CATATONIC
AFTERWARDS.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE HE WAS BURNED
FROM SOME OF THE SHOCKS.
SOME OF THE STUDENTS DO HAVE
HISTORIES OF HURTING THEMSELVES
OR OTHERS.
SOME SAY THAT THE TREATMENT IS
THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS THEM
FROM HURTS THEMSELVES OR OTHER
PEOPLE.
THE SCHOOL WAS USING SKIN SHOCKS
ON STUDENTS QUOTE, FOR BEHAVIORS
THAT ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE, HEALTH,
DANGEROUS OR DESTRUCTIVE, SUCH
AS NAGGING, SWEARING AND FAILING
TO MAINTAIN A NEAT APPEARANCE.
THE REPORT SAID THE SKIN SHOCKS
RAISED HEALTH AND SAFETY
CONCERNS.
ABOUT HALF THE STUDENTS WEAR THE
ELECTRODES ATTACHED AND THAT
THEY CARRY IN THE BACKPACKS.
WHEN THEY MISBEHAVE, IT'S
DELIVERED BY REMOTE CONTROL.
AS RECENTLY AS TWO DAYS AGO, THE
SCHOOL USED THE WORD APPROVED ON
THE WEBSITE.
WE CALLED THE FDA.
THEY TOLD US THEY CLEARED AN
EARLIER VERSION OF THE DEVICE
BACK IN 1994, BUT THEY HAVE
NEVER APPROVED IT.
IN 2010, INSPECTORS FOUND THEY
WERE USING A MORE POWERFUL
VERSION OF THE DEVICE.
AS A RESULT, THE FDA SAID THAT
THE DEVICE WAS NO LONGER CLEARED
UNDER THE RULING.
NOW THE FDA CLAIM HAS BEEN
REMOVED FROM THE WEBSITE.
THEY TOLD US AFTER THEY SAW THE
REPORT TWO DAYS AGO THEY
REALIZED IT WAS AN INACCURATE
CLAIM.
OKAY.
THE LAST YEAR MASSACHUSETTS
ADOPTED REGULATIONS BANNING THE
USE OF SKIN SHOCKS AND OTHER
SO-CALLED AVERSIVE THERAPIES,
BUT THEY CARVED IT OUT FOR THOSE
ENROLLED BEFORE SEPTEMBER OF
2011.
TODAY, THE STATE SENATE TURNED
THE REGULATIONS INTO LAW AND THE
BILL PASSED IN THE SENATE.
IT HASN'T PASSED IN THE HOUSE.
JOINING ME IS THE BILL'S
SPONSOR, DR. JOYCE AND ONE WHO
SERVES ON THE BOARD OF THE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND
ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY.
SENATOR JOYCE, A LOT OF PEOPLE
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IN 2012 A
SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES IS
ALLOWED TO ELECTRICALLY SHOCK
DISABLED STUDENTS WHEN PRISONERS
AREN'T ABLE TO BE SHOCKED WHO
ARE MURDERERS WHO ARE UNRULY.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS?
>> I CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT EITHER,
ANDERSON.
IT'S 2012.
THIS IS A PROGRESSIVE STATE.
THIS WOULD NOT BE ALLOW TO THE
MOST HEINOUS OF CRIMINALS.
IF OSAMA BIN LADEN HAD BEEN
CAUGHT ALIVE, WE COULD NOT APPLY
THE SAME TORTURE TO HIM THAT
WE'RE NOW APPLYING TO INNOCENT
AND DISABLED CHILDREN IN
MASSACHUSETTS.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE.
>> DR. KRAUSE, I HAVE TALKED TO
PARENTS WHO ARE AGAINST THIS
CENTER, BUT I TALKED TO PARENTS
WHO SAY, LOOK, THIS HAS SAVED MY
CHILD'S LIFE.
THIS HAS, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE
REJECTED FROM ALL OTHER PLACES.
MY CHILD WAS BANGING THEIR HEAD
AGAINST THE FLOOR, WAS GOING TO
WIND UP DEAD AND THIS HAS
ALLOWED MY CHILD TO LIVE.
TO THEM, WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> YOU KNOW, EVERY PARENT THAT
HAS AN AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CHILD
LOOKS FOR A MAGIC WAY TO TRY TO
HELP THEM.
THEY'LL FIND SOMEBODY AND
THEY'LL BELIEVE IN THEM.
WHETHER THERE'S ANY SCIENTIFIC
BASIS BEHIND IT OR NOT.
I FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO
BELIEVE THAT THESE KIDS CAN'T BE
HELPED IN OTHER PROGRAMS.
I WORK IN A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM
THAT TAKES CARE OF
HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISTIC
CHILDREN, I WORK IN A DAY SCHOOL
WHICH HAS LOWER FUNCTIONING
AUTISTIC CHILDREN.
I HAVE SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER
WITH A HUGE VARIETY OF AUTISTIC
KIDS.
THE CONCEPT OF USING AVERSIVE
THERAPY IN THESE POOR KIDS THAT
HAVE ESSENTIALLY NO VOICE IS
SIMPLY BARBARIC.
THESE TYPES OF ADVERSE TYPES OF
TREATMENT APPROACHES, THEY WERE
USED BEFORE MEDICATIONS EXISTED.
BEFORE A LOT OF OTHER TREATMENTS
EXISTED.
BEFORE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
WORKED WITH THE KIDS.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME WITH ALL
WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US TO HELP
THESE CHILDREN, THIS IS JUST
SIMPLY WRONG.
>> THE CENTER SAYS, DOCTOR, THAT
-- WELL, LOOK, SHOCKING THESE
KIDS IS BETTER THAN DOPING THEM
UP ON PSYCHO TROPEIC MEDICATION,
WHERE THEY GAIN WEIGHT AND
THEY'RE AT HEALTH RISK LONG
TERM.
>> YOU KNOW, THEY CAN USE ANY
JUSTIFICATION THAT THEY WANT.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
JUST MEDICATION.
WHEN YOU WORK WITH THESE
CHILDREN, IT'S WORKING WITH
INTENSIVE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE
THERAPY, WORKING ON POSITIVE
BEHAVIORAL PLANS, WORKING ON AC
TIVETIES OF -- ACTIVITIES OF
DAILY LIVING.
HELPING THEM TO EXPRESS
THEMSELVES.
WHEN THEY'RE ANXIOUS OR UPSET
ABOUT SOMETHING, NOT BEING ABLE
TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.
IMAGINE HAVING THAT HAPPEN AND
INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY TRYING TO
HELP YOU, THEY SHOCK YOU.
THE CONCEPT SIMPLY DOESN'T MAKE
ANY SENSE TO ME.
WE USE MEDICATIONS, ANY TYPE OF
MEDICATION HAS A POTENTIAL SIDE
EFFECT.
BUT THESE ARE MEDICATIONS THAT
ARE FDA APPROVED WITH VERY
SPECIFIC PURPOSES IN HELPING
KIDS.
SOME OF THEM DO HAVE WEIGHT GAIN
AS A POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECT.
BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
>> AND SENATOR -- GO AHEAD.
>> IF I COULD ADD, THE DOCTOR IS
EXACTLY CORRECT.
THIS IS BASED LARGELY ON A
DISCREDITED PSEUDOSCIENCE FROM
70 OR 80 YEARS AGO.
IT WAS USED TO -- AND I SAY THIS
IN QUOTES HERE TO CURE
HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE 1930s.
TO DEADEN HOGS PRIOR TO
SLAUGHTER.
IT'S NOT BEEN PEER REVIEWED BY
ANY SCIENTIFIC OR MEDICAL ENTITY
OR INDIVIDUAL WITH CREDIBILITY.
IT'S SIMPLY A BARBARIC, OUTDATED
PRACTICE WHICH HASN'T CHANGED
SINCE THE CENTER OPENED AS THE
BEHAVIORAL INSTITUTE IN 1971.
THE INITIAL QUESTION WAS A GOOD
ONE.
HOW THIS PRACTICE CAN CONTINUE
IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2012
SIMPLY DEFIES LOGIC.
WE HAVE NOW PASSED THE BAN IN
THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE SENATE.
MY HOPE AND PRAYER IS THAT FOLKS
WILL CONTACT THE MASSACHUSETTS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND ASK
THEM TO JOIN US IN THIS BAN.
>> DOCTOR, I MEAN, I HAVE ASKED
THE SCHOOL THIS MULTIPLE TIMES,
BUT IF THIS WORKS SO WELL, WHY
ARE THEY THE ONLY ONES WHO USE
THIS?
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE
ANYBODY ELSE HAS ADOPTED THIS
TECHNIQUE.
>> YEAH.
THERE ARE NO OTHER PROGRAMS THAT
I AM AWARE OF THAT USE THIS.
I THINK IF YOU TOOK A THOUSAND
PEOPLE OFF THE STREET, EVERYBODY
WOULD LOOK AND SAY THIS SIMPLY
IS BARBARIC, HOW CAN YOU DO
THIS?
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WHEN YOU
LOOK AT REALLY GOOD PROGRAMS
THAT WORK WITH AUTISTIC KIDS,
WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS THAT ARE
BEHAVIORALLY DISRUPTIVE, WHEN
THEY MIGHT HIT SOMEBODY, HIT A
TEACHER, THE FIRST REACTION THAT
THE TEACHERS GIVE IN EASTER
SEALS IN CHICAGO ARE USUALLY WHY
DIDN'T I PICK UP THE ANXIETY?
WHAT WAS IT THAT SET THE CHILD
OFF?
WHAT CAN WE DO SENSORY WISE TO
HELP THE CHILD SO THAT THEY'LL
GET LESS ANXIOUS, BE LESS
BEHAVIORALLY DISRUPTIVE?
WHAT COPING STRATEGIES CAN WE
TEACH THE CHILD?
THE REASON MOST AUTISTIC
CHILDREN HAVE BEHAVIORAL
OUTBURSTS, SOME LEVEL OF
ANXIETY.
SOMETHING AS THEY PERCEIVE IT.
>> SO DOES THE SHOCKING MAKE THE
ANXIETY WORSE IN YOUR OPINION?
>> WELL, EXACTLY.
THE CONCEPT -- THE BASE PROBLEM
IS ANXIETY AND THEN THEY SHOCK
THEM?
MAKES NO INTUITIVE SENSE IN THE
END.
I MEAN, IF ANYTHING, YOU KNOW,
HOW CAN THIS NOT CAUSE SOME TYPE
OF TRAUMATIC REACTION?
>> THE OTHER THING THAT'S
INTERESTING IS THEY HAVE
MULTIPLE ELECTRODES ON THEM AND
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SHOCK
-- WHAT PART OF THE BODY THEY'RE
GOING TO GET SHOCKED ON AT ANY
ONE TIME.
WHICH SEEMS TO ONLY ADD TO THE
ANXIETY.
>> I MEAN, THAT JUST SOUNDS
ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING.
FRIGHTENING TO ME.
>> SENATOR?
>> IT IS TRULY A HOUSE OF
HORRORS.
IT IS JUST INCOMPREHENSIBLE.