Husband of Search

Melissa barton

St. Lucie scoop: interview with Alex’s mom

It’s 11:00 and I should be packing for my trip tomorrow, but I was fortunate to be able to talk to Melissa Barton, who’s doing a bit of getting ready herself.

Melissa and Alex are scheduled to be on the Morning Show (CBS) tomorrow.

“It makes me nervous. But it’s for Alex and I would do anything for him,” Melissa told me.

The news we’ve so far gotten from the MSM has been scanty. Melissa filled me in on some background which will be helpful for readers wondering like I was how it came to pass that a kindergarten teacher could do something so cruel and abusive as to encourage a classroom of five year olds to criticize one particular student and then vote him out of the class.

Melissa and her two sons moved into the St. Lucie school district in January, coming from a Martin County school where Alex had had some behavioral problems. The principal at his new school was helpful in beginning the assessment process which would result in an IEP - but Melissa notes, “it had been dragging out since February.” In the meantime, school personnel relied on what Melissa called “a makeshift IEP” - an informal program to help Alex which involved an assistant coming in three times a week to help Alex stay on track.

Melissa Barton - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Melissa Barton is an independent writer and editor based in Colorado, focusing in science and travel writing and academic editing. She has a B.A. in geology and specializes in …

As Melissa describes his behavior, Alex sounds a lot like my child with autism (who happens to have Down syndrome as well), with inexplicable behaviors that make no sense to us “normal” people but which seem to serve some sort of stress-relieving function. Alex’s behaviors include hiding under a table and eating paper and crayons.

Melissa Barton, Writer » Biography: Melissa Barton
As far back as I can remember, I have loved writing, science, and museums. I grew up in Oregon and spent much of my childhood exploring the landscape of eastern Oregon and rural …

As weird as these may sound to parents who don’t have autistic children, what’s important to note is that these are not actually disruptive behaviors. And as Melissa notes - there is a big distinction between the-kid-can’t-help-it harmless activity and actual threatening, damaging, or disruptive acts.

“When Alex hums or spins, it’s like being on auto-pilot. It’s not unruly.” As a mother of a child with autism, I agree - these are behaviors that cannot be helped - although with a plan we can work to modify or redirect them - but these are not unruly or harmful behaviors.

Evidently this distinction was lost on the teacher. As were other fine points like the behavior modification plan for Alex in which he was rewarded with tokens which he could accumulate and use for things like the lollipop he chose one day and put in his backpack to take home for his brother. When Alex took it out, the teacher took it away from him. You just can’t fool around with a behavior mod program like this and expect it to work.

Melissa Barton suebug37 Reunion.com Member Profile
Melissa Barton, Find profile information on Reunion.com member Melissa Barton; view pictures, blogs, and general interests of Melissa Barton

When I asked Melissa if the teacher’s Kids’ Tribunal came out of the blue, she said yes - it had taken her completely by surprise.

But then, in retrospect, she remembered a Hispanic parent telling her on a field trip that she thought the teacher was mean to her child. Melissa brushed it off - which she now regrets.

Now she remembers being at the kindergarten Mother’s Day program, where the teacher was obviously very disturbed by a younger sibling who made baby sounds - not crying or screaming - and everyone noticed the teacher glaring. Alex picked up on the teacher’s anger and asked his mom, “Why is that baby getting in trouble?”

“Now I’m dealing with the consequences of not being proactive,” Melissa says. “I wish I’d seen the signs - the rudeness to parents, the rudeness to kids - and said something to her. But I never stood up. I didn’t want to rock the boat.

“Now I know that is wrong. It is the parent’s place to stand up and say something. I try to protect my kids - teach them about stranger danger, evaluate their movies and TV - but one person I would never think I’d have to worry about would be a teacher.

“That was foolish.”

Melissa is getting the usual mixture of criticism/praise dished out to any whistleblower. A couple teachers have told her privately that Alex’s teacher is known as “the meanest teacher on staff.” Ouch. I’m thinking that’s not a good placement for kindergarten, is it?

So far the school administration and law enforcement officials have refused to take any action on Melissa’s complaints. We’ll see if that changes when the story airs nationwide on TV tomorrow morning.

As for Alex, since the school year is now finished in their district, he will return to his summer camp at the Boys and Girls Club, where he has gotten along fine during summer and after school.

But first tomorrow, he will go to the nearby CBS Studio to do The Morning Show with his mom. Then to an appointment with his psychologist, who Alex has not seen since the traumatic incident.

“Right now he is under a lot of stress,” Melissa says. “I want to shield …

Related posts: Comsat, Crazy monkey games, Lsu tigers, Newsok.com, Medulla

Filed by husbandofsearch at May 27th, 2008 under General