Saturday, July 23, 2011

State to regulate Rotenberg Center's shock treatment

By Taylor Bigler

BOSTON —

Sen. Brian A. Joyce, D-Milton, called the therapy “pseudoscience” and “barbaric.”
 
Brian Avery, a Canton resident who experienced the treatment, disagreed, calling it a “two second shock.”
 
The arguments made for a decade or longer were made again Friday at a hearing before officials of the state Department of Developmental Services, which has proposed regulations that would ultimately phase out the distinctive shock-treatment practices of the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton.
 
The center uses aversion therapy to curb severely aggressive behavior among developmentally disabled students who are in danger of injuring themselves or others. It is the only school in the country to regularly administer electric-shock treatment to modify the behavior of students.
 
Opponents of the center call the therapy inhumane and a violation of human rights. Advocates say it is the last resort for developmentally disabled children who are violent and aggressive.
 
Gov. Deval Patrick made his views clear when he recently bypassed the Legislature and issued an executive order to regulate the practice.
 
The shock therapy at the Rotenberg Center has been the target of proposed legislation for a quarter of a century, but the Legislature has refused to go along with banning it.
 
Now the Department of Developmental Services, in response to the governor’s order, has proposed regulations that would bar the use of shock therapy with new students, and create strict oversight for those who currently receive it.
 
At a public hearing Friday, representatives from civil and human rights organizations argued in favor of the regulations, while members of the Rotenberg community defended the treatments.
 
Henry Clark, counsel to the Rotenberg parents association, said that the regulations are a “giant step backwards in protecting the civil rights of the emotionally disabled.”
 
He said that parents should have the right to choose what treatments their children receive.
 
“Do not take away the parent’s ability to choose therapy that works for their children,” said Dorothy Fletcher, a clinician at the Rotenberg Center.
 
Some parents said the shock treatments are the only hope for children with severe behavioral problems.
 
Lauren Emmick, whose 17-year-old daughter attends Rotenberg, said the treatments were the only effective method to alter her severe behavioral problems.
 
“She is a whole new kid who is experiencing life for the first time,” Emmick said.
 
Avery, a former Rotenberg student, said he received 13 shocks over four years, and it was the only thing that stopped him from self-destructive behavior.
 
“People think it’s this horrible torture thing,” Avery said, “but in reality, it’s a two-second shock to the surface of the skin.”
 
Opponents to the shock therapy all mentioned there is no research suggesting the shock therapy is effective long-term. They said the shocks are painful, cruel and inhumane.
 
“If we allow aversive procedures, we are no closer than the savages,” said Robert Shierson, board member of the Disability Policy Consortium.
 
Joyce has been trying to end the shock treatment at Rotenberg for 12 years. He called the treatments “pseudoscience” and said that there is no proven benefit to the shocks.
 
“Massachusetts is such a progressive state that it has led the way for civil rights, yet this barbaric practice continues. It’s shocking to me that this continues in 2011,” Joyce said after the hearing.
 
He said that he is happy with the regulations, but that he would prefer to see an outright ban of shock treatment.
 
Charles Fiske of Brockton Area Multi Services, Inc., said that the regulations are a step forward for the disabled community.
 
“We simply want to see things keep moving forward,” he said. “We do not want to go backwards; it is not easy, there are not quick solutions.