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Parents get court order allowing shock therapy

By MICHAEL GORMLEY
Associated Press Writer

September 8, 2006, 5:57 PM EDT

 
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Parents of autistic and disabled children obtained a temporary court order Friday to continue "skin shocks" of their children at a special school in Massachusetts.

The federal court opposed the New York state Education Department's restriction on shock therapy for children the state sends to the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Mass. The children are sent there at a cost to the state of about $50 million a year because there is no room for youths in New York facilities.
 

Although shock therapy isn't performed on these disabled youths in New York, it has been done at the Rotenberg Center with parental permission.

The New York state Board of Regents has sought to severely restrict the use of shock therapy after complaints and newspaper accounts of the practice.

The court order requires the issue be argued in a pretrial hearing on Oct. 19.

"We are so grateful to the judge for allowing our son to continue to receive the treatment he needs," said one of the parents who sued the New York state Education Department. "He has made enormous strides at JRC, and aversive therapy is a critical part of his program."

"The court refused to grant the broad injunctive relief requested by JRC," said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for the Education Department, which has jurisdiction over the students.

"Instead, it issued a very narrowly tailored preliminary injunction that applies only to those student plaintiffs that meet specific criteria established by the court," Burman said. "The injunction does not prevent the regents from proceeding with the adoption of regulations at next week's meeting of the board."

The court order sets requirements for children to continue treatments. It could apply to 45 children. The state usually has about 150 children at the school.

Earlier this year, a state Board of Regents committee recommended the state prohibit the use of automatic shocks _ triggered by getting out of a seat, for example _ and for shocks administered while a student is restrained. The school has also used automatic, multiple or restrained shocking methods.

Parents and students say the shocks, similar to bee stings that last a couple seconds in weekly sessions, have been more effective than medication for students.

 

 

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