|
|
|
 |
|||||
|
February 23, 2004 Sheila Matthews National Vice President www.ablechild.org New Canaan, CT. 06840 (203) 966-8419 Fax: (203) 966-2840
Mr. Theodore S. Sergi Commissioner of Education Connecticut State Department of Education Division of Educational Programs and Services Bureau of Special Education and Pupil Services 25 Industrial Park Road Middletown, CT 06457 Fax: 860-807-2047 Dear Commissioner Sergi: We hereby request that the State of Connecticut immediately discontinue the Task Force on Attention Deficit Disorder due the fact that there is no valid test to validate such a disorder. We request this for the public safety and well-being of our American Children. We also request the dismantling of this task force, based on the fact there is no accountability for the misdiagnosing of children with this “subjective” label within the education system as well as within the department of family services. The State has already violated basic informed consent policies regarding the misleading and dangerous information that it has allowed the Association of School Psychology to distribute to parents on the validity of Attention Deficit Disorder (see attachment). In addition, The State of Connecticut Special Education is allowing the Association of School Psychology to use invalid testing on children in order to traffic these children into the mental health industry and business of psychiatry. The State has failed to protect the basic rights of our children. We would be happy to provide case-by-case examples. The State of Connecticut must protect public health. By allowing this task force which includes members of special interest groups- i.e., the psychiatric industry and drug companies, to continue, it fails to protect the safety and well-being of our children, and does not afford equal protection under the law. We request that the State dismantle this task force immediately. We also make this request on constitutional grounds. It is unconstitutional to diagnose children based on a list of behaviors or on characteristics that they possess. The State of Connecticut must not endorse “research” as valid when it has not yet met the burden of proof in science. We request a written response via fax (203) 966-2840. Due to the current FDA hearings on the safety of the use of antidepressants in children, we urge the State to consider this request urgent. Respectfully, Sheila Matthews National Vice President cc: Governor Rowland Secretary of Education: Rod Paige Diane Badgley, Special Education Federal Government Jack Dolan, The Hartford Courant The Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights Alliance for Human Research Protection John Purdy, State of Connecticut Attorney General State of Connecticut Attorney General Federal Government Bishop Lori, President Commission on Mental Retardation
|
||||
|
Copyright © 2001 Ablechild.org (Parent for Label and Drug Free Education). All rights reserved. Web Hosting, Web Marketing, and E-Commerce by Outflow Technologies
|
'01