Judge Rotenberg Center workers wear belts with shock devices correlating to the many different children and young adult clients in their vicinity. When the worker reaches for the shock belt to give a harsh and painful zap to a client, often several other clients see this and start acting out in a terrified manner not knowing whether or not they will be the jolted victim. At times, these clients, who didn't previously act out in any negative manner, get blasted with electricity just because they acted out in fear of being shocked. It's barbaric enough to cause fear, intimidation and pain upon autistic clients for undesirable behavior, but it's even worse and of no possible benefit to cause this same fear and intimidation to a large number of clients who just happen to be in the vicinity of another client with a behavior that may be considered undesirable. This wholesale fear through electric shock must be banned.

I have posted an extensive response to Ms. Gonnerman's article in the forum under the main article at http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/school_of_shock.html Matthew L. Israel,Ph.D. Executive Director Judge Rotenberg Educational Center www.judgerc.org

To Mr. Israel: It's interesting how the sadist himself is so eager to defend his torture methods. If a child is self-injurious, that child is extremely unhappy and has zero self-esteem. Causing that child even MORE pain just destroys that child further. Over 100 research studies have shown that this kind of corporal punishment is not effective, and backfires in many ways by making the child more depressed or angry or unable to learn. Obviously, Israel, in cahoots with his mindless (and probably abusive) supporters just wants to keep his ugly torture prison going rather than actually helping these most vulnerable human beings. He's making big bucks with his methods, and probably gets off on the sadism, so why change?

Hi. Mother of autistic son that is a student at JRC. My son failed 6 previous placements at schools specifically trained to deal with Autism, and the last one he was in: The League School of Boston, asked me to get him out of there because he was attacking students and staff and causing terrible harm. A very small percentage of these children present as so violent as my son, but they do exist and he is one of them. This program saved my son's life, as well as the staff that care for him,his school peers, and my family. He came very close to killing my son and his girlfriend while on the highway one day as he took his seatbelt off and attacked them severely. My son tried to take a hunk out of my 82 yr old grandmothers shoulder at a family holiday gathering. This program has been the only one able to stop him in his tracks. So PLEASE back off. Or I will drop him off at your house and relinquish all guardianship rights. And I am dead serious.

REGARDING A DISTORTED PIECE OF WRITING AND OVERT OMISSION OF FACTS, CLEARLY BIASED TO SENSATIONALIZE FOR PERSONAL PROFIT AND GAIN — WITHOUT REGARD TO THE FAMILIES WHO GIVE OF THEIR LIVES, AND TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO GIVE OF THEIR HEART, TO CARE FOR THESE VERY SPECIAL NEEDS HANDICAPPED CHILDREN. I am a speech and language pathologist and audiologist who entered my profession before the birth of my handicapped identical twin nephews Matthew and Stuart, and have worked more than 30 years with special needs children and adults. We must not dilute the issue. We must be certain that a given treatment of last resort for a given condition is made available to those identified who require it. In the case of a self-mutilating, self-blinding, child with a compulsive, self injurious behavior--SIB as it is known in the medical community—where all other interventions have failed (medical, behavioral, chemical, physical, etc.) we must utilize the treatment of last resort. We cannot allow that child to blind himself, cannibalize his own body parts, or excoriate himself to death. I know of no one who has worked with my sister’s identical twin sons Matthew and Stuart, or has known the inexhaustible sufferings of our family, that has voiced opposition to the use of aversive interventions -- the only therapy that has kept my nephew Matthew alive. On the contrary, they emphatically supported these interventions. There are syndromes in which an individual will compulsively eat off their own fingers (Lesch-Nyhan syndrome for example) — and even when restrained they will chew off their own lips, rip out their own fingernails or even pull their own intestines out of their rectum. The professional nomenclature defines stereotypic movement disorder with the sub-class of severe self-injurious behavior (SIB), obsessive-compulsive behavior, and oppositional defiant disorder. Although not commonly known to the general public, there is legitimate, documented, unbiased, medical information available about these conditions and syndromes and their co-morbidity. Some individuals with these rare, but known conditions, like my identical twin nephews Matthew and Stuart, will engage in acts so horrific they are incomprehensive to people like ourselves. Repeatedly, my nephew Matthew smashed his head into sharp pointed or spiked objects, and finally, strong enough at the age of 16 years, he successfully impaled his head on a sharp point and split it open—necessitating a 5-1/2 months hospital stay at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He was kept barely conscious on multiple drugs and guarded 24 hours a day one-to-one, and yet he re-split his head smashing it directly on the wound and requiring re-suturing. He managed to run into the isolation room of a patient with a deadly contagious disease. And a teacher sent to his room refused to return after just one brief interaction with him—when he grabbed her head and attempted to slam it into the corner of a wall. Although he could be discharged after surgery to repair the gaping hole in his head, no one would take him in fear of his self-mutilating and deadly behaviors, and he languished in Lenox Hill Hospital those many months. My sister, Matthew’s mother, was asked by New York State to sign away his right to an education because they had no placement for him. She refused to do so. Her husband, Matthew’s father, feared for the loss of the family home when he was told by the insurance company that they would no longer pay for Matthew’s hospitalization. Matthew had no education—he had no life. On the contrary, the adverse effects of the psychotropic medications he was forced to take—the writhing movements that he endured—distorting his mouth, face, body, and limb, caused him to become completely unintelligible. He had been a verbal child, but for years he could not tell us his pain as the drug-induced dyskenias contorted his mouth and face. Our family members watched his tortured body and suffered with him. All of us in this family have traveled the agonizing course of waiting every moment of the day and night for one of my sister Lorraine’s, tormented and frantic telephone calls. As a professional and academician who has worked with special needs individuals more that 30 years, rarely have I encountered such monstrous self-mutilation, debilitation and suffering at one’s own hands —in the educational or medical arena. Yet there is an intervention, a two second surface skin shock inhibits the behavior, and reverses years of physical and mental damage, destruction and self-mutilation. Matthew entered Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts where such intervention is utilized to save a child from chewing off their own fingers or tongue, or blinding or excoriating themselves to death, a “treatment of last resort” when all other interventions have failed. The families of our children may, for decades night and day experience the fear of their child’s torment—and the fear of their child’s death—a slow and tortured death by self-mutilation like J.V., or an immediate death by riding a bicycle into a moving truck like K.B. Fear through the night and every waking moment of the sound of your child’s head crashing through a pane of glass, or in Matthew’s case—a sharp, pointed spike-like projection. It is a matter of public record that J.V. (whose obituary appeared in the New York Times) and K. B. are two children who died when they were withdrawn from this type of therapeutic intervention. K. B. was returned to a New York State facility and drove his bicycle off the grounds into the back of a moving vehicle. J. V. compulsively ripped his flesh to the bone losing the use of his legs and confined to a wheelchair the last year of his life, when his infections could no longer be medically controlled, as the New York Times reported it, he died at the age of about 25. If the therapy is not available to those who desperately need it, others will die just like they did. No one would take Matthew until he was accepted at Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) where he now resides. When all other treatments have failed, JRC uses a COURT ORDERED, PARENTAL APPROVED, 2-second skin shock therapy, which Matthew has received to control his life-threatening, compulsive self-injurious behaviors (SIB) condition. Matthew has remained not only drug free in his current residence at JRC, he can speak clearly because his twisted and tormenting body movements gradually subsided as he was weaned from the drugs. Shortly before this posting Matthew called, as he freely and frequently does, to talk about his interests and activities. He enjoys his hobbies, dinosaur collecting, birds, his telescope, reading, visits and vacations with his family. Family members frequently visit Matthew on unannounced visits and are always welcome. Matthew participates in life and tells us he is happy and safe. Stuart, Matthew’s identical twin, resides in a residence within New York State. Skin-shock therapy is legal in New York State, but it is unavailable, (which is why New York State sent Matthew to Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts). Because of the medications Stuart is forced to take to "control" his behaviors, he new suffers some of the movement disorders his twin brother Matthew no longer has. These same "drug cocktails", none of which have been approved for use in these conditions, have not altered Stuart’s behaviors, but have only complicated them. Although never having been an epileptic, the medications have altered his brain so that his seizure threshold has been lowered and he has dropped unexpectedly in the New York City subway system -- we were called to an emergency room during a 12-inch snow storm recently because he was unconscious. Despite the medications, Stuart has had multiple and dangerous New York State approved aversive “take-down” procedures. He has been handcuffed and removed from his residence by the police, and has had 5 emergency psychiatric hospitalizations in the past few years. On one occasion he attempted to hold someone's hand over an open flame--almost setting the two of them on fire. We know Matthew is alive, enjoying his life, and safe. He tells us he is happy. We have pleaded with New York State officials to have Stuart placed with his brother at Judge Rotenberg Center. As of this writing, Stuart, (who once worked a full-time job in the community, but has deteriorated in a “positive only” program), is at this moment, in diapers, in an acute care psychiatric facility in New York for having bolted into city street traffic because (as he tells us) a string on his favorite chair was displaced. We know Stuart can die at any time, and Stuart tells us he is miserable. Stuart, like his identical twin brother Matthew, needs the same COURT APPROVED life-supporting skin shock therapy. We would like both boys to be with us. We would like both of them to have a safe and happy life. There is no issue. There is no controversy. No one who has not experienced or witnessed the "Sophie's Choice" brought upon our family should presume to decide for us, or to even consider withholding the only treatment that has kept one of our twins alive. Dr. Phyllis Klein 08/26/07

I agree totally with David Oaks. I'm also appalled that educated people such as 'doctors' would prefer to have their children electrocuted (or drugged) when there are other, effective, ways of treating children with these problems without the use of fear and cruelty and ample parents across the world who have children with those problems who make use of those alternative methods successfully. Absolutely appalled. Using electric shocks to modify behaviour is draconian, cruel, outdated and totally inexcusable in the 21st century and should be a CRIMINAL OFFENCE. WELL DONE to Mother Jones for exposing cruelty to vulnerable children who have no control over how they are treated by adults. FINALLY, in the UK there has been a lot of calls to ban the use of similar devices for behavioural control of dogs. At the end of the parliamentary debate here: http://www.publications.parlia ment.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/c m070427/debtext/70427-0004.htm an analogy has been made using an example of cruelty to children. IT SAYS (at the end): "Mr. Khan: The hon. Lady makes an important point. There is clear evidence that when people torture and harm their children, it can lead to their children torturing and harming others when they become adults." HOW COULD PEOPLE DO THIS TO THEIR OWN OR OTHER'S CHILDREN?

What people have to understand is that this program works or seems to work for the most severe behaviors; as I have seen when I worked there. The GED's are weaned off as the students get better meaning that if a student gets there and is exhibiting major bouts of agression and self destruction then they have a definitive plan that they can follow to learn not to keep doing the same behaviors, of course, I am oversimplyfing. Over a time, I have seen marked improvements; one only has to view the website to see the before and after videos. It's not for someone with a weak stomach. The parents are the ones that should chose what treaments they want for their kids. Noone else should judge; unless they have a child like this and know of the enormous burden this is to a family; to have a nice place to come to; that are truly experts in this kind of treatments. Dr. Israel is not a monster; or a quack that likes to see students suffer; quite the contrary.

When dogs gnaw at their own skin and people see that as unhealthy, people may put a collar around the dog's head. Maybe people could likewise put lightweight, freely moving armor on children to prevent them from harming themselves.

Geez, for the upteenth time; I worked in the office and I never had to admininster any kinds of treatment. I am just explaining to you; how I saw the treatment work and how I saw significant improvements in those students. I am not apologizing for anything I have said; nor do I need too. Zapping is only used in the editor's article for sensationalism. The devices are simple and effective. What you have to understand that these students don't just have mental disorders. They have a multitude of behaviors that are life threatening. I guess maybe you have never been to a mental hospital ? This is a far cry from that. These students have 7-8 things wrong with them and change day to day; sometimes. Its too bad that most of you; don't know how good they treat the students and how much they want to help them. They don't relish in the fact that they have to discpline them for their own benefits. I am very confident that the school will be here for a very long time and that there will be more students to benefit from Dr. Israels's expertise.

Both Gina Green and Brian Iwata are hypocrites because they both have been affiliated with the New England Center for Children (NECC), which is even worse than the J. Rotenberg Center (JRC). At NECC they have a staff-intensive unit for children with self injury - the problem is that most intakes into the staff intensive unit come from other least restrictive units at NECC. That means that they are the ones reinforcing self-injury. Then after they have built up a huge history of reinforcement for these behaviors over the years, and the kids become bigger and the behaviors less manageable, who do they call to take these children? - The Judge Rotenberg Center.

MATT ISRAEL - a PSYCHOLOGIST. Giving modern evidence of how unintelligent and cruel psychologists can be. How can people this cruel just get away with it? http://scienceblogs.com/corpuscallo sum/2007/03/arch_gen_psychiatry_torture_vs.php "Conclusions Ill treatment during captivity, such as psychological manipulations, humiliating treatment, and forced stress positions, does not seem to be substantially different from physical torture in terms of the severity of mental suffering they cause, the underlying mechanism of traumatic stress, and their long-term psychological outcome. Thus, these procedures do amount to torture, thereby lending support to their prohibition by international law."

Surely the challenge that Dr Phyllis Klein poses should be pondered by everyone who simply condemns Dr Israel's work without a full understanding. There does appear to be a need for full accountability and transparency at the Judge Rotenberg Centre as public funds running into millions of dollars seem controlled by one man. Additionally, claims that students were shocked for minor infringements should be thoroughly investigated. Finally, such treatment given in extremis can be salvific as Dr Klein reports on her nephew, Matthew, but it should NEVER be used arbitrarily!

First of all My heart goes out to all of the parents, who despite your bests efforts to raise a child in a nurturing and loving enviornment.Only to discover the child is a monster. I in no way mean that as an insult. I have seen specials about these situations in which the parents tried to convince authorities to put their behind bars because it was evident that the child was going to kill someday.Only to have their fears realized.One father came home to find his wife bludgened to death in the bathtub. Killed by their son. I don't know why you can't get it through the thick heads of the critics,That these are not just average kids.They are the worst of the worst...why can't you get that through your head. It is such an insult to the parents of these kids for others to compare their situation to allergies, or a simple skin condition as (David W.Oaks)would like to believe. this story makes me so thankfull for the children i have. My main point is: is it's an antichrist concept to simple blame,shame,and punish anyone trying to do good. The author of this article should be ashamed of her self imposed profesionalism.Sensationalism has replace good honest fact finding.Maybe they should put Ms. Gonnerman in a house with five of these CHILDREN for a week without their electrodes.Food and water would be provided just like always.However the door would be locked with no way out, so you would really know what their parents feel. I WOULD LOVE TO READ THAT STORY .... How about it Jennifer; are you ready to put you money and life where your mouth is.. Reading this article I also see room for improvement on the Judges part. the technology does exist for one remote to be used for all with laser precision. And yes as a matter of public funds an audit should be called for.To acess how much is actually being spent on each patient.For $200,000.per patient. Why wouldn't all you critics open another clinic. Same concept,more compassion.I'll tell you why. Your to lazy to take any initiative yourself because your to wrapped up in your own petty little problems to try to help someone else.It's easier just to b!@#$ about someone else. On another note, maybe it is time for mr.Isreal to step down. the burnout rate in this kind of proffesional field is second to none..

No one person can understand the pain that a family must undergo- watching a child working at destroying himself. That said- how is knowing that your child is being shocked- literally- into good behavior any better? Do you truely believe in your heart of hearts that this electric shock doesn't hurt? If it didn't would it have any effect? Didn't the center invent its own shock device because the one in common use wasn't effective because it wasn't strong enough? How many of the staff and family are ever actually shocked and how many have ever even felt the shock of an electric fence? Bee sting- balderdash !!! The shock they deliver in some cases burns and scars- there would be a weakness post shock preventing a response other than compliance. Police tazer criminals and the public cries out in outrage that this is dangerous and barberic. Yet there in Massachusettes judges give permission for even non-verbal disabled children to be shocked. Kids who have violated a rule are forced to dump a portion of their food. Not to mention the old practices- hitting, pinching and twisting limbs. I don't know about the allegations that Matthew Isreal has become wealthy on the shock riddled bodies of his charges- but that would be no surprise. Parents cannot admit to themselves the horror that they have unleashed on their children so they must defend it. When you are desperate you resort to desperate means. I have however seen the families that no matter what would never let this happen to their child.And yes they are dealing with the horrific things seen in the videos. Right back at you- what is better? Being in a stuperous daze from medications or being hit with the shock of a cattle prod for even small offenses or even worse when a staffer makes a mistake and pushes the wrong button? Looking at the photo gallery- seeing the faces of children attached to the belts of staff- on the shocking devices made my heart weep. WHAT HAVE WE BECOME TO ALLOW THIS???

I must point out that this article by Jennifer Gonnerman is a one sided hatchet job that gives great emphasis to just about anything negative you can think of about JRC and Matthew Israel and gives zero emphasis on all of the positives that far outweigh all the negatives. Ms. Gonnerman deliberately designed this article so that it would anger the readers. She set the tone of the article right from the first sentence, opening with “Rob Santana awoke terrified.” In response to this unfair article, many people lashed out at the school. The very few parents and former student whom had the courage to come on here and tell their story were quickly greeted with snide remarks and viewed in the least favorable light possible. Early on, a former student had the courage to come on here and tell his story. In return, several people made snide remarks towards him, made fun of him because his spelling wasn’t perfect, and one person even assertively suggested that this former student was really a staff person hired by Matthew Israel to pose as a former student whom benefitted from the treatment. If I were to read this article with no previous knowledge of JRC or Matthew Israel, I would lash out at the school and I would certainly waist no time in lashing out at those who dare say anything positive about JRC or Matthew Israel. In June of 2006, Geraldo Rivera, host of the FOX newscast, Geraldo at Large, did a story on JRC, and although in his closing summation, Mr. Rivera expressed his displeasure for the treatment, he equally presented both sides of the issue, which is what Ms. Gonnerman should have done, but did not. I believe that both Rob Santana and Antwone both deserve a fair amount of attention, however, those who support and benefitted from the treatment deserved equal amount of attention, and that did not happen. Those who so intently oppose this treatment either do not have the ability to have an open mind or have established their unwillingness to have an open mind. It is possible to have an open mind and in the end, still disapprove of the treatment. Those who read this article and wish to post negative comments about the school should first take the time to look at the school’s website “www.judgerc.org.”

Do it you worthless filth do it. Your existence isn't worth anything and the world will be