From the News Journal, November 11, 1979:
On August 7, 1979, The News Journal reported that Massachusetts had made plans to withdraw their two students from Au Clair and move them closer to home, despite the wishes of at least one of two parents.. Au Clair begged that state to not disrupt the students' lives through such a huge transition. MA responded that if they arrived at Au Clair, they likely would not find a facility that met their standards. They justified their reasoning by explaining that new facilities that could meet these children's needs had been established closer to their families.
From the News Journal, August 16, 1979:
Mazik was feeling the pressure. Through his attorney Rammuno, the possibility of appealing the original report was frequently mentioned. Yet, Mazik was unapologetically working to meet the requirements that the state had laid before him if he wanted Au Clair to continue operating. However, Mazik and the state were struggling with one requirement - the hiring of an autonomous program director to "formulate, direct, maintain, and implement therapy programs. (NJ 8/7/79). Rammuno represented Mazik as afraid he would loose control over his program.
By August he had provided the state with a report that he believed addressed their concerns. Mazik claimed to have hired additional staff and was in the process of setting up individual therapy plans for each child/resident. He also offered emergency procedures for the "use of strong punishment only under specific circumstances." The state felt that fidelity to the emergency procedures was the lynchpin to Au Clair's license.
The state in turn reached out to the three independent evaluators, who had helped craft the original report that resulted in the license denial, to evaluate Mazik's plans.
The News Journal reported on September 14, 1979, of a most unusual meeting between state education officials and Matthew L. Israel, president of the Behavior Research Institute Inc. in Providence R.I. to discuss, of all things, opening a special program for Delaware's own children with autism. Israel's schools were based on the same theories implemented at Au Clair including painful aversives. Israel was as controversial as Ken Mazik, but in a turn of events, the public learned that two of Delaware's children were residing in Israel's care in R.I. The state was paying $44,000/yr in tuition. And just like Au Clair, Israel's R. I. school had been removed from New York's list of approved providers - for questionable practices around the use of painful punishment, although Israel was touting reinstatement. Mazik, it appeared would also earn its status back.
Meanwhile, attorney Rammuno continued to publicly bemoan the state's process and the very long wait for a verdict on the liscening documents.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Word Verification May Be Case Sensitive