Children with Disabilities being abused in schools

Remember when I talked about a young boy named Akian? He was being bullied by his teachers? Do you remember me talking about the abuse of children with disabilities at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center (JRC)?

Here are the links to those to entries:

http://csullivanwatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/04/teachers-bully-kids-with-special-needs.html

http://csullivanwatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/06/occupy-jrc.html

I feel stupid; I had originally thought these two stories were isolated incidents. Unfortunately, they are not isolated incidents, and with that being said, I feel I need to speak up about this. All of this, every single story I have heard is very disturbing, and I’ve heard so many stories, it’s unbelievable! The amount of abuse I have heard about in the past year is horrifying. What’s scary is that the schools try to cover it up. I will show you a couple of the stories I have found. Please note: The stories may be hard to read.

Here, Jacob Garcia, a 7 year old student with special needs, was abused by the principal and a security guard. He was found on the side of the street where they had found him. They violently assaulted the child and took him back to school where they restrained him using Velcro straps. They claimed that Jacob tried to commit suicide by jumping in front of traffic. All he was trying to do was to go home in the middle of the day, there’s no excuse for assaulting the kid and restraining him. Besides, this begs the question, how did he get out of the school unnoticed anyways? I know a school for kids with disabilities, some do wander, and I know they have locks on the doors so they won’t get out of the school unnoticed, so I don’t see how this could have happened unless they were just not paying attention.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/special-needs-student-abused-les-principal-guard-suit-article-1.1325745

There is a school for children with disabilities, Katy ISD's Exley Elementary School. The children that attend there have severe disabilities and have been emotionally and physically abused. There was one teacher that was terminated. There were a couple of teachers who were charged, but the charges were dropped. There was one child who tried to commit suicide because he was scared. He wasn’t scared of the students; he was scared of the teachers! He was scared of the very people who were supposed to protect him, teach him, and not abuse him!

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/23273114/2013/08/27/children-with-disabilities-tortured-in-katy-isd-elementary

Here’s something else that’s very troubling about this. Some of the students are non-verbal and are unable to talk about what happened to them. Some of the students are able to talk but are afraid to talk. These teachers are bullies and there should be no tolerance for any kind of bullying. Not only that, these teachers are supposed to be professionals and I have to say, abusing their students are far from professionals. These stories I’ve shown and the stories I’ve talked about before don’t even begin to scratch the surface. Here is an article that lists the schools that have a history of abusing children with disabilities.

http://www.examiner.com/article/does-your-school-have-a-secret-history-of-abusing-disabled-children-find-out-here

I have seen a Facebook page suggesting that we should put video cameras in the classrooms. I actually think it’s a great idea, considering how many schools actually have a history of abuse towards children with disabilities. Here is the Facebook page I am referring to

https://www.facebook.com/CamerasInSpecialNeedsClassrooms?ref=stream

And there is a page suggesting that we put video cameras on school buses.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cameras-In-All-School-Buses/209187065875403?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser

Schools are supposed to be a safe place, but unfortunately, there are schools where students are not only bullied by students, but their own teachers as well. Should we have video cameras in classrooms and school buses? I think so. 

Until next time, God Bless. 

- Chloe

On abuse and neglect towards people with disabilities...

It is far too often that I come across a story where someone with a disability is abused and neglected. It’s unbelievable! I have found stories of parents or caretakers abusing and neglecting children and adults with disabilities. Warning: The stories I am sharing may be hard for some people to read.

Here is a story about how 36 year old Sakinah was tied to a bed, naked, in her caretaker’s home. She was found with sores all over her body and was very thin. Sakinah has Schizophrenia and a mental capacity of a 10 year old.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=9209804

Here is a story about a young woman who had been left in a hot car by her mother. Her name is Rebecca and she has Cerebral Palsy and cannot communicate. She weighed only 55 pounds.

http://wreg.com/2013/08/21/disabled-woman-left-in-hot-car-weighs-55-pounds/

These stories are still developing, but I hope that both stories end with a happy ending. Unfortunately, there are some cases that end in tragedy. For instance, a little girl named Aliyah was born with several disabilities and her mother neglected to provide for her needs. Not only that, child services had failed to protect this young girl before she was killed by her mother. Here is a link to the story, but again, a warning that this may be hard for some of you to read.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2397606/Florida-mother-Chelsea-Huggett-killed-disabled-daughter-Aliyah-Marie-Branum-2.html

Abuse, in general, is very disturbing. I have never understood why people would abuse another person. There is another story I have recently heard about. The ignorance of this one person is so thick; you could cut it with a knife. There was a family who received a letter that targeted a teenager with Autism. His name is Max. A woman who claimed to be a mother living in the neighborhood sent Max’s grandmother a hate-filled letter telling her to either move or euthanize the teen. Police are saying that this is not a hate crime. If this is not a hate crime, then I don’t know what is. This is a hate crime! I am providing a link to the story so you can see for yourself. The link also includes a copy of the letter. Warning: There are some very strong words said in the letter, including the R-Word.

http://www.680news.com/2013/08/20/letter-targeting-autistic-teen-not-a-hate-crime-police/

I think we all need to try to understand these people that have disabilities instead of being so judgmental. They did not ask for these disabilities. They deal with them the best they can. They need our love, our patience, our support. They don’t need people telling them that they’re worthless. Here’s a newsflash for you, they are not worthless! I also think we need to protect those with disabilities, so they won’t be abused, neglected, or murdered by those that are supposed to care for them. 

I hope that we can get some justice for these people.

Until next time, God Bless

- Chloe 

Please, don’t use the ‘R’ word

There are some people who may not know how hurtful that word is. I hate saying that word, I hate hearing or seeing that word, I just hate that word. I’ve been called that word so many times and it hurts. I have had friends who have been called that word. Some people may not know how hurtful that can be. Okay, I’m gonna make a few people mad, but you know what, to those who would be mad at me for this, you don’t know how hurtful this word can be. There’s this saying, sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. That’s not true. Words do hurt. By the way, it doesn’t matter how you use it, I know what you mean when you use that word, but it is still offensive. It is just as offensive as using a racial slur.

For those who are not sure what word I am talking about, here is a link:

http://www.okddc.ok.gov/r_word.html

I want to encourage you to click the link above and understand why this word is so hurtful. Here are a couple of news articles that were included in the link above:

http://specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/the-hurtful-effects-of-the-r-word/

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-shriver22-2008aug22,0,7263175.story

The first link I provided also includes a few videos explaining the R word and why we should not use that word. I hope that someone would learn something from this post.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

Bacon is the secret to a long, happy life?

I saw this article yesterday; a 105 year old woman claims that bacon is the secret to a long, happy life. She loves bacon; she eats it every day and at every meal.

Here is the article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/pearl-cantrell-bacon-105-year-old_n_3230095.html

Bacon is, as a friend of mine would say, a BIG smile. Bacon makes everything better, right? I’ll be honest though, I’m not sure I’d recommend eating it every day at every meal. I think bacon in moderation is okay, though. I’m not sure what the secret to a long, happy life is, I don’t think anyone does, but sometimes I do hear people claiming that something is the secret to a long, happy life or a long, healthy life. I once heard someone say that butter is the secret to a long, happy life. I know someone who said a beer a day is the secret to a long, healthy life. I also know someone who says a glass of wine every day is the secret to a long, healthy life. I honestly don’t think any of that is really true and I would also like to recommend that you not touch alcohol. I’ve seen what it does to people, especially if someone is an alcoholic. If you do drink, please don’t drink just to get drunk and please, don’t ever drink and drive.

I think we should all just stick to the food pyramid (or the food plate?). I found some guidelines that gives more detail about being healthy (pictured below):

Note: The picture above may be hard to read. Click the link below to see an enlarged copy of this photo.

http://food-pyramid.org/usda-food-pyramid

Of course, I know there are people, who either have a gluten free diet, has food allergies, or is a vegetarian or vegan, etc. That’s not my point. This is just a basic guideline for us to be healthy.

There are some foods that are actually super-foods. What are super-foods? They are powerhouse types of foods that are loaded with nutrients that are crucial to living a long, healthy life. There are several super-foods that are not only loaded with nutrients; I’ve heard that some of them can also help with your moods. For instance, dark chocolate is good for if you’re feeling depressed. There’s just so much information out there, I found one website that has a lot of information about the super-foods.

Here is the website:

http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/

Also, did you know that exercising is not only a great way to get fit, but it can also make you feel better? For me, either working out at a gym or taking a walk while playing my music does wonders. I call it a natural high because it instantly makes me feel better. Thirty minutes of exercise can be enough to lift those moods up temporarily. This can be just as effective as an antidepressant. Please note that this is not a replacement for therapy, but it can help when you are trying to recover from depression.

So, I don’t know the secret of a long, healthy life, I just know that these things I listed can help you to have a long, healthy life.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

The Benefits of Counseling and Therapy

http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/blog-party-learn-more/

For years, I have been crying out for help. I have been crying out for help since I was 14 years old. That’s when my depression started. I knew I needed help. I had been suicidal on and off since I was 16. We never found a good counselor, until I went to college. After college, I was told we could not afford another counselor. Unfortunately, I’m still crying out for help, I know I need help, I just have no way of getting the help that I need.

I may not be able to get the help that I need, but I still want to encourage those who may need to get the help that they need to go get some help. Did you know that 1 in 4 people have a mental illness? I know there’s some stigma to mental illness. You probably think people may think you are insane. You probably think you’re insane. I know the feeling as I have a mental illness as well. Trust me when I say, you are not insane. You are not alone. If you think you cannot be helped, that is not true. No one is beyond the point where they cannot be helped.

I know what some of you are probably thinking. You feel like you cannot be helped or even if you feel you’re willing to try, you might be hesitant. Why? There could be a number of reasons. Maybe you’ve had bad experiences, maybe it’s hard to trust someone, or maybe just trying to find a good counselor is just so overwhelming, you do not know where to start. I feel I should really stress this, if you feel you are a danger to yourself or others and/or if you are suicidal, let someone know, get some help, call 911 if you have to, call a crisis hotline, I will give you a link to some crisis hotlines in this post, just do not ever try to commit suicide.

Going to therapy is a very good thing. Going to therapy does not mean they just push more medications on you. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, medications are not in my area of expertise, my point is, there are other options that people may or may not know about, but they still include getting professional help. There are other therapies out there that may help in your situation.

I did a little research to give you some good links to check out. This first link lists all the types of therapies and it has links in that page for you to learn more about the types of therapies.

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counselling.html

This second link shows you how therapy can help and gives you tips on how to find a good therapist.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/psychotherapy_therapist_counseling.htm

I know, I know, these two links have a lot of information, right? It seems overwhelming, doesn’t it? I cannot suggest one therapy over another because everyone is unique. One therapy may work for one person but not for the next. It is up to you to look through this information and get some help.

If you’re not sure where to look or what to do next, how about asking someone you trust to help you search for a good counselor? You may find a good counselor that you trust on the first, second, or third try or you may not find one until your tenth try, just don’t give up, it’ll be worth it.

One other thing, I want to talk about emotional support. If you know someone is depressed or anxious, don’t just brush it off. It can be hard to support someone like this, but that’s a true test in life, that friends and/or family members are willing to not give up on each other, no matter what. And to those who are depressed or anxious, I encourage you to talk to those you trust, ask them to help you. If you need help but you're not sure where to go from there, talk to a friend, a family member, or someone you trust. Ask them to help you find a good therapist. It may help to have someone go with you, for moral support.

Here is a link to a crisis hotline that you can call. It is available 24/7 and when you call, you will be able to reach a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center near your area and it is free. But I strongly suggest that you do not use this as a replacement to therapy.

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you are not alone. There is someone out there who cares. I'm probably just a stranger to most of my readers here, but even of you think there’s no one in your life that cares, I care. I really do. This is why I do this, I’m bringing the information to you, because I care, very much, and I know how it feels, I've been there.

Until next time, God bless.

- Chloe

Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. But it seems that Awareness isn’t enough. I don’t want to just make you guys aware of Autism. I want to encourage you guys to accept people with Autism. Okay, so do you guys even know about Autism, or what it is? Let me give you a link that gives a little summary here:

http://clearingthefogaboutautism.org/autism.html

I didn't know about Autism until my freshman year of high school. That’s when I met my highschool sweetheart. We still keep in touch and he’s like a brother to me. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a mild form of Autism. He’s taught me a lot, whether he knows it or not. His perspective on life is inspiring and I’m proud to call him my friend and brother. 

Not only did I become aware of Autism, I accepted it. Maybe I automatically accept people with disabilities because I have one (a disability, I mean, but not Autism), maybe it’s because I’ve been around people with disabilities when I started going to a private school for people with disabilities since the 6th grade, maybe it’s both. I don’t know. All I know is that everyone that has a disability has a potential to be successful in life and sometimes, they may even surprise you. 

There is a difference between awareness and acceptance. Let’s see, how can I explain this? People who are only aware of Autism would possibly know a few facts and get people to do this or that and say it’s for Autism. Truth is, sometimes they may think they know all about Autism but really, they may just know the basics. Acceptance is acknowledging the person, making time to actually get to know the person, not the disability. It means trying to understand the person. It does not mean trying to change the person.

I don’t claim to know everything about Autism, especially since I do not have Autism in the first place. I’m not around people with Autism 24/7, I’m not a sister of someone with Autism, and I’m not a caregiver (and I’m not a parent), so I’ll admit that maybe I don’t know the inner workings of someone with Autism on a daily basis. All I know is that when I met my brother/friend, I just wanted to accept him for who he is. Whenever I meet someone with a disability, I tend to see the person, not the disability. 

Awareness is easy, but acceptance takes quite a bit of work.

Until next time, God Bless. 
- Chloe

Disability Day of Mourning (part 2)

Warning: Contents of this entry may be triggering, please keep that in mind while reading and clicking on the links below.

Last night, I participated in the virtual vigil to remember the lives of people with disabilities that were lost by the hands of their family members or caregivers. Thank you to Savannah for hosting this. I will post a series of links that we have shared last night.

Here is a list of names of people with disabilities who lost their lives by the very people who they were supposed to trust, dating back from 1993 to December 2012. The list is incomplete, there are many others whose names we do not know, and we mourn for those lives as well. This link also includes how they died, so read with caution.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1hJ27oRDChuQBZ5ybpmh5HcXD1caE_-lHHASEY7pJrXv5piFePijHns0dyq0Y/edit?usp=sharing

Here are the links to the writings that were shared. Some of these are pretty hard to read, so read with caution.

http://yesthattoo.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-day.html

http://www.wussu.com/poems/whafb.htm

http://www.autistichoya.com/2012/03/not-human-anymore-is-this-what-ally.html

http://disabilityrightnow.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/murder-not-mercy/

http://www.thenthdegree.com/proudpoem.asp

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1Y1IvvUtS_u5tDU9a1y1BVcSoCOSNlYNYSrUjVg8ylzkxQzP2dGSMMkB5b__A/edit?usp=sharing

http://ollibean.com/2012/03/20/lives-not-worth-living-by-amy-sequenzia/

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0EoNfuMGypXTVgxd0dOby1YM0E/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1

http://disabilityrightnow.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/the-death-of-al-bing/

http://nightengalesknd.livejournal.com/85048.html

http://www.inclusiondaily.com/archives/04/03/29.htm#dupree

When is enough going to be enough? We all need to speak up because this needs to stop. It’s just wrong, on so many levels. Honestly, I do not know what else to say.

So, I leave you with this quote:

“Mourn for the dead and fight like hell for the living.” – Mother Jones.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

Disability Day of Mourning

Today, March 1, 2013, is a day of mourning for people with disabilities who have lost their lives at the hands of their family members or guardians. You may remember me posting about this last year. I’m still saddened that this type of tragedy happens. There are no words for this, but we need to all speak up about this. We need to stop this, but also remember the lives that are already lost. Did you know, when a person with a disability loses their lives at the hand of a family member, it’s the family member that gets the sympathy? Want to know my opinion about this? I am disgusted by those family members who would choose to do this sort of thing. In my eyes, that means they just gave up on the person! They give up! It’s like their lives had no value! Here’s the thing, they do have value. Every single person’s life here has value. Every single person on this Earth has potential. They do have dreams. We, as people with disabilities, have rights, and we will stand up for those rights! We, as people with disabilities, will want justice for those who have lost their lives, especially in the hands of the people that they trusted!

Like last year, I plan to join the virtual vigil. Of course, there are several vigils around. Here is the link to a list of vigils:

http://autisticadvocacy.org/2013/02/disability-day-of-mourning-remember-lives-taken/

If you would like to join me at the virtual vigil, here is a link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/148504241980265/

I plan to be there at around 6pm or 7pm EST. I hope that you guys will join me, not to support me, but to remember the lives that have been lost.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

American Girl Dolls embrace disabilities and differences

We all know about the American Girl franchise, right, the dolls, the books, etc.? I grew up on those. I collected the books. I think I still have at least some of them. I even had a bitty baby (pictured below).

Recently, I’ve learned some news about the American Girl franchise. They are putting the spotlight on disabilities and differences. This makes me very happy.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/11/29/american-girl-dolls-embrace-differences-and-disabilities/

In a way, I guess I’m still a child at heart, how else can you explain that I’m 22 years old and I still want a doll? But I am very excited about the news. For me, I think that one of the best presents I could ever receive in the future would be an American Girl Doll, blonde hair, blue eyes, and wears a hearing aid:

Why a hearing aid? Because I am hearing impaired and I have been since birth. And like the American Girl Dolls, I like to embrace my disabilities because it is a part of who I am.

Until next time, God Bless.
- Chloe

Happy New Year! 2013!

Hi everyone! I feel I should apologize for not posting very often lately. I’ve been going through different issues. All I ask is for your patience while I’m dealing with everything.

Well, Happy 2013! Every New Year’s Eve, I look back on my life. Usually it’s mostly painful. This time, I can safely say that 2012 was probably my best year yet. Technically, it all started in December of 2011.

Let me start from the very beginning. I’ve mentioned my internet family a few times. I met them in 2005, my teen years weren’t the best and it was nice to have somewhere to escape. I did not know then how much they would mean to me in the future. It was my first time venturing out into the internet forums, and that place was my first internet home, the CW forums. Well, I went away to college and was mostly away from the CW forums for two years, then I came back, but it felt different. This was during the summer of 2011, right after I graduated from college. I wasn’t sure if they remembered me, and I was probably at my lowest at that point. One day, I got a private message on that site from a friend. We barely knew each other at that point, and yet, he sent me an invitation to a Facebook group. I eventually made my secondary Facebook page, NiChloe Sullivan, and joined that group.

Soon after, the CW forums suffered a boardfall. It was soon after that, December 19, 2011, when we made The Evicted. So, this past year, 2012, have been full of wonderful moments for me. I made new friends and the friendships I already had only grew stronger. They are like a second family to me, and I like to think that I am a better person because of them. They mean the world to me. We recently celebrated our one year anniversary and I’m sure we’ll all be together for many years to come.

It was right after Christmas that we heard that the NBC forums suffered a boardfall as well. Our offer still stands and will always stand for any displaced members of the NBC forums, we are more than willing to invite you in as our brothers and sisters, our family members. We hope to see you guys soon. Also, we are still looking for our lost family members from the WB and CW forums.

You'll find us here:

http://displacedcwloungefan.proboards.com/index.cgi 


As a favorite character of mine once said, “There will always be adventures for another day.” (Chloe Sullivan - series finale pt. 2).

Until next time, God Bless.

- MissNiChloe