How should the school handle this?

[SEC=UGA]

THURMONT, Md. - When students filed in to Thurmont Middle School on Wednesday, they were missing one classmate, and 12-year old Cameron Mears would miss his favorite class---gym.

 

"I play run and jumping and basketball," the youth told us as he acted out the activities in place.

 

Diagnosed with autism at the age of three, Cameron’s hands are always moving and he finds joy in simple things like seeing his reflection in a window.

 

But when he became difficult, acting out in class, he landed in the guidance office Tuesday where he allegedly landed a blow on the vice principal.

 

"I'm sure Cameron... he's upset, so I'm sure he actually hit him, but he wasn't trained,” said Gina Mears, Cameron’s mother, “You shouldn't be putting yourself in a situation where you're not trained, and that's the thing with the school system---there's not enough trained people working with these kids with autism and disabilities."

 

Cameron not only received a one-day suspension. The school wants to press charges, and now the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office plans to refer him to the Department of Juvenile Justice where he’ll face one count of disrupting school activities and a separate count of battery.

 

"Anything that has to do with hitting, they definitely suspend,” said Cameron’s father, Eric Mears, “There's no questions asked about it, but then to bring up a charge against an autistic child when they know he has problems?"

 

The school district maintains it has no zero tolerance policy, but Spokeswoman Marita Loose says special needs students don’t receive special treatment in cases like Cameron’s.

 

"We apply the same disciplinary guidelines to our special education students as we do to our so-called mainstream students," said Loose.

 

Now, Cameron is left of re-live a tense moment that grew out of his disorder.

 

"I'm trying to stop her calling my Mom, and Mr. Shill, he tried to stop me," recalled the child, typically challenged by the classroom who will now face a new challenge in the form of a courtroom, "I told him, 'Please, I hit him... accident.'"

 

 

 

Cameron’s parents say in addition to school administrators, they don’t believe the school resource officers are trained to deal with an autistic student---setting the stage for them to be treated like criminals.

[i_am_the_swammi]

Not sure I agree with treating him "like a criminal"....but I also don't think a public school, where he potentially could act out in a violent way on fellow students, is the place for him either. Probably a good thing that his first reported uncontrolled act of violence was against an adult.

 

The kid needs a place to go where trained professionals can deal with his special needs...the local public elementary school is likely not the place.

[Hugh 0ne]

This pretty much sums it up for me: "there's not enough trained people working with these kids with autism and disabilities".

 

Game. Set. Match.

 

And pressing charges is a f*cking joke.

[untateve]

Not sure I agree with treating him "like a criminal"....but I also don't think a public school, where he potentially could act out in a violent way on fellow students, is the place for him either. Probably a good thing that his first reported uncontrolled act of violence was against an adult.

 

The kid needs a place to go where trained professionals can deal with his special needs...the local public elementary school is likely not the place.

 

If the public school system is not equipped to manage an autistic child, the school system is required to foot the bill for the 'special' school that this child requires. Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that the school system will state that they cannot manage this child.

 

Regarding pressing charges, well that's plain stupid. Additionally, I highly doubt that this child is competent to proceed given his apparent limitations.

[matt770]

Schools are out of control with the zero tolerance. I've heard of girls with menstrual cramps getting suspended for possession of Pamprin. Sure, rules are rules, but common sense should prevail. Obviously charges should not be filed in this case, it's beyond absurd. These people seem willfully ignorant of the needs and care of autistic kids.