Autistic teen charged in alleged teacher attack

(CBS News) 

A 13-year-old autistic student is facing felony battery charges in Florida for allegedly hitting a middle school speech therapist in the head with headphones.

According to the Pensacola News Journal, Conner Brown was charged on Jan. 2 for battery on a public or private education employee, considered a third-degree felony. He was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at the Escambia Regional Juvenile Justice Center.

Kathy Roupe, 57, a speech therapist at Ferry Pass Middle School, filed the charges against Brown. In the arrest report, Roupe claimed Brown hit her in the head with a set of headphones last month during a group activity at the school, according to the News Journal.

Roupe reportedly told deputies that the student hit her "with so much force, it felt like my skull cracked."

Brown's mother, Kathy Pack, said her son told her he threw the headphones at a fellow student, who was bothering him with noises, which set off Brown's autism symptoms. According to her, a five-day suspension that was handed down by the school should have been sufficient.

Pack also said that Brown and the speech therapist had worked together for two years and there had never been any problems previously. She also said that Brown had visited a psychologist prior to the event for behavior improvement.

"Basically, he didn't have control," Pack told the News Journal. "She made it sound like he intentionally hit her."

The schools superintendent, Malcolm Thomas, wouldn't divulge the particulars of the case, according to the News Journal.

Roupe did not answer a message left by the newspaper.

[getoffmee]

This is insane, hitting, biting, pulling hair, screaming, all comes with the Autism territory. I am angry that they are even considering charging this child, a suspension should have sufficed. He was reacting to something that set off his Autistic tendencies. As a mother of a child with Autism, I get hit, pinched, yelled at etc. I know though that this is my child's way in handling things, are we teaching him how to express his self in other ways, yes but he still reacts just as this child did. For this reason alone is why my son will be home schooled. The teachers are not educated on handling students with Autism. Until SE teachers are required to get training on Autism, unfortunately this will happen again. If the shoe would have been on the other foot, the teacher would have most likely received a slap on the wrist.

[psyjohn]

I have worked with children and adults with autism for well over a decade, and during that time I have been hit, kicked, bitten, spit on, etc. What I understand, and apparently this therapist does not, is that these behaviors are a form of communication for someone who often has no other way to communicate. Filing charges against the student is ridiculous. People with autism have a lot to offer and they can be successful in an inclusive educational environment. However, it takes effort, patience, and understanding on the part of everyone involved with the student to achieve success. If you want to see positive behavior you have to teach it! I can't tell you the number of times I have had a teacher or therapist tell me that a child with autism can't learn, only to have that same child independently doing well in the classroom 2 or 3 years later. Sometimes one teacher who cares enough is all it takes to make that difference.

[lukastalks]

Well said, charging this kid is ridiculous.

[lybrown]

Hi, my name is Lydia Brown, and I am an Autistic person and advocate currently in Washington D.C. If there is anything I can do to help in this case, please let me know. I've recently written two petitions (one of which resulted in a successful outcome, and the other one which has had over 163,000 signatures so far) regarding other cases with Autistic students and school issues. Please contact me at [e-mail] .

[ALICIA_GIL_7]

change.org anyone can petition to have the charges reduced. This young boy does not deserve to be punished with a felony. In her profession she should have expected one of the children to react like this. Each child has their own tick that sets them off, its hard to control Autistic children in a group setting with minimal adults available to help calm them before it escalates.

[Jolo1956]

The School System is not set-up for Autistic kids. I will say it again and again these kids don't have behavior problems the people just don't know how to teach each child. You can't just group them up together and feel like you have done something. That is not the way to deal with these kids. They are all very gifted but you have to be able to know where each one is gifted in what area. The School are not prepare for these kids and why are they trying to put them in these System or School that was built for regular children. These kids are not regular kids but very very educated kids that always think ahead of everyone else.

[meatrex1]

10 minutes to Wapner.

[fareastphillips]

School districts are notorious for failing to provide adequate behavioral support by performing functional behavioral analysis when problems arise. By finding the function of the behavior, and manipulating antecedents and consequences, behavior can be shaped to avoid the vast majority of these issues. Instead, they try to muddle through with bad information and a bad behavior intervention plan.

[maurine9]

I doubt any parents with a child with autism would be surprised that this child did what he did. People better get used to this as it is so commonplace in autism. A felony? I hardly think so. What the teacher did is really over the top, unless she is brain damaged as a result of having something thrown at her. She shouldn't have ever been working with children on the spectrum.
Put her in a neurotypical pre-K classroon where she belongs.
MMeleck SC
grandmother to 2 vaccine injured boys-one recovered thru bio-medical treatments, no psyche meds.

[RatPackSixGun]

Why did it take her almost a MONTH to get around to reporting it and filing charges? Sounds like someone is power tripping and wanting to lord it over someone..Like the teacher over the parent..

Why is it that educators are suddenly a protected class citizen where a disturbed child is charged with a felony in this case whereas the rest of us non-priliged peon civilians could file only a misdemeanor?

[sdemaggie]

This is, what's the word, stupid!