The Boston-area special needs school, which is called the Judge Rotenberg Center, enrolls students ages 3 to adult, all of whom are either autistic children or are struggling with severe emotional, behavioral or psychiatric disorders. Those students who display undesirable behavior, reports ABC News, are subjected to a treatment which the United Nations is calling “torture.” All of the Judge Rotenberg students are subject to shock treatment.
’Aversive therapy’ for autistic kids isn’t torture, claims JRC
Calling the JRC’s treatment of autistic kids in extreme situations torture is akin to calling a physician using a scalpel on a patient assault with a deadly weapon, according to JRC representatives. They claim that shock treatment in short bursts is humane when compared with the alternatives of either allowing emotionally disturbed or even autistic children to cause themselves or others physical harm or otherwise medicating them into a lobotomized state. Head JRC doctor, who’s Matthew Israel told ABC the real torture for autistic children and others is the latter. He stated that JRC’s shock treatment “has no detrimental effects whatsoever.”
Just a two second skin shock
The Judge Rotenberg Center uses a small device that administers a shock when necessary as a form of behavioral therapy, says Israel. Students are only subjected to the device after a court and (in the case of autistic children) parents or caregivers approve. Allegedly, the short shock hurts just enough to dissuade JRC students from destructive behavior. After periods of good behavior, students are rewarded with points that they can use to purchase prizes. In total, the Judge Rotenberg Center houses all of these students for $200,000 per year, taxpayer financed.
UN condemns treatment
Eric Rosenthal, who is an advocate for the disabled, created a report that prompted the United Nations to become involved in the JRC’s activities. Massachusetts Sen. Brian Joyce has tried to shut down the Judge Rotenberg Center but has been unsuccessful thus far. The United Nations reference America’s international treaty stance on torture when they are referring to the JRC’s shock treatment of autistic kids and other students. The argument appears to be that if the United States shouldn’t be administering shock treatment to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, how can any home soil organization be allowed do it to kids?
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ABC News
abcnews.go.com/Nightline/shock-therapy-massachussetts-school/story?id=11047334
Surgeon Sherwin Nuland discusses the development of electroshock therapy (Editor’s Note: A small amount of NSFW language is used):
youtube.com/watch?v=oEZrAGdZ1i8
