My son's story...

For so long we have been conditioned in the world of education. We have been told their way is the best way, or in some cases the only way. We have been told they know our children better than we do. We have been told our children are menaces, when in fact they were extraordinary and it was lost on the narrow minded thoughts of the administration.

Anthony has Aspergers and went through hell all through his public school years.We were always assured he was safe in their hands.

Anthony was degraded by teachers, principals, special education, and of course his peers for being different. He is a tactile child and had been called a "budding rapist" because he touched a girl's puff paint on her shirt. He had been called a "serial killer in training" He drew blood on a hunting picture and "guns", that were in fact needles used for saving the hunter's life in the ER because he was shot. He had a vocal tic and was even told by his teacher she wished she could throw up on his shoes because the sound made her sick! The final straw was a teacher who gave a child a squirt gun to wake my son (who was under the influence of ADD meds because she "couldn't handle him".). He had an instant melt down. She jerked him up by his arm and forced him into a corner and cried himself to sleep!

My son has been through hell and back! The education system is NOT prepared to deal with Asperger children. They are looked upon as unruly and disruptive. They are considered learning disabled, when in fact they are "little geniuses".

On the day I finally, once and for all, removed my son from public education he informed me he was going to take his life if he had to continue on. His needs were NEVER met, and the lies were multiple.

I now have him home and educating him myself through unschooling. Never again will I put my child through that kind of torment and hell!!

Gretchen Herrera
Lexington, SC