Author Topic: My son is currently at Aspen Ranch  (Read 42784 times)

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Offline Anonymous

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My son is currently at Aspen Ranch
« Reply #45 on: February 25, 2006, 12:52:00 PM »
Quote
On 2006-01-09 05:39:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Amazing how the People who have only POSITIVES to say always hid behind "anonymous".... anything you say is simply not worth listening to? If you really know what your talking about come forward and stand up for your convictions with a real name!"


Want to know why that is, people? It's because there's a handful (at least) of rabid anti-any-school posters here who talk like they are a menace to anyone who has a different opinion.

I'm talking threats of finding disagreeing posters, coming to their homes and raping and killing them---and their children.  I've seen that here.

More important than just words: these type of posters take action, posting people's personal information so their fellow psychopaths can harass people in their personal lives.  

As a result the  people who are identified may get threatening calls in the middle of the night,it's happened. They end up having to talk to lawyers and police, and put call-traps on their phones so that if the psychopaths call back there's a chance of locating them. Maybe these brave anti-school characters carry a label here, but they get a little shy and do not identify themselves when they call, you can be sure of that.

As far as I know nobody's been actually killed by a fornit's type so I guess that's something to be thankful for.

So that's why you don't see many positive opinions under an identifiable label. Who wants that kind of trouble.  

Look around this site: there is very little hope of intelligent discussion, meaningful, respectful disagreement.

The only reason I've personally even posted here is because I want to give an alternative opinion to any parents with a kid in trouble who might be surfing around and looking for a school. We know from our own family experience that much good can come of placing a child in a residential program after all other alternatives have been tried.

If parents who stumble onto this site only saw the negatives they might get a really lop-sided view point.  When we put our child in a program we were lucky enough to have been unknowledgable of the internet, hence we were spared the rantings constantly posted here.

To other parents, we have a wonderful outcome in our family, I beg you: talk to real people when making your decision.  Don't go by a site like this. Aside from the obvious psychological problems of many of the anti-school posters, you can't even tell on a forum like this whether the people are real or playing some kind of malicious game.

And to other parents: in my opinion at least, you're making a big mistake if you post your name or other identifiers in the hope of direct communication as a source of information.  Some of these posters are really scary, you don't want them contacting you if you decide to use a school and ignore their one-sided advice.

The site's owner seems to have no interest in removing personal information that gets posted here, by the way, so if you post your name or number or email, it may be for good, as will be the case if somebody else posts it.  

So be careful. The site's owner seems to think that she is immune from consequences because others have posted this kind of info, even though she's the one who leaves it up even when there are threats associated with it.

Ultimately it will be a court (not a forum owner) who decides what is illegal or even criminal. On the Hidden Lakes Academy (HLA thread) you'll find posts by a crazy named Overlordd or something like that: Hidden Lakes ended up getting lawyers to force removal of his posts associated with that school (the posts in question are now gone due to the legal action although discussion of the whole legal process that occurred remains).  

So we parents who are harassed do have recourse under the law, some of us are working on larger solutions like federal ways to discipline site owners, automatic money damages.  

But anyone should think really long and hard before self-identifying here: ask yourself :"How much time, effort and money is it worth to me, do I really want to be associated with the madness that is Fornit's?".
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #46 on: February 27, 2006, 10:46:00 AM »
Thanks for the advice.  I actually stopped posting here because it was futile to have any kind of rational discussion... I didn't remove myself from watched topics and so this one popped up and my curosity got the better of me and I clicked over.

Thanks for the warning... All I know is that a good program can work wonders -- if we as parents had the answers our kids would not be there in the first place.

This is what we do when we have exausted all of our knowledge -- it is the hardest thing that I have ever done but albeit the best course of action for my son.

He actually likes it at his program -- you see he feels a whole lot safer there than he did running the streets.  

I'm actually going to spend the weekend with him this weekend -- we are going hiking (alone) and get to spend one on one time -- quality time where he is sober and we can talk - alone.

Geeee that sounds like quite the prision doesn't it....

Whatever people...
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Offline RobertBruce

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« Reply #47 on: February 27, 2006, 02:18:00 PM »
You know whats interesting? The only people who on the HLA thread at least that try or threaten to release personal information are the pro-HLAers. I cannot comment on your personal experience or Aspen as I dont know anything about either one but I can tell you that it is the attorneys and stooges of HLA who try to use scare tactics and threats as a means of keeping the truth quiet.

Please dont make generalizations about situations you know nothing about.
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Offline Antigen

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« Reply #48 on: March 07, 2006, 03:36:00 PM »
Quote
On 2006-02-25 09:52:00, Anonymous wrote:

As far as I know nobody's been actually killed by a fornit's type so I guess that's something to be thankful for.


Yes, that's one important difference between the troubled parent industry and your critics. Indeed, count your blessings and say a prayer for those less fortunate.

I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment, to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure.
--Clarence Darrow, American lawyer

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Offline Antigen

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« Reply #49 on: March 07, 2006, 03:57:00 PM »
Another very illustrative difference:

Quote
On 2006-02-25 09:52:00, Anonymous wrote:

Aside from the obvious psychological problems of many of the anti-school posters, you can't even tell on a forum like this whether the people are real or playing some kind of malicious game.


When you're in one of these programs, not just reading about it, there can be no mistake. You know, unambiguously, that they're playing some kind of malicious games!


You're just a wealth of information, anon!

A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows.
--Samuel Clemens "Mark Twain", American author and humorist

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Offline Antigen

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« Reply #50 on: March 07, 2006, 03:59:00 PM »
Quote
On 2006-02-25 09:52:00, Anonymous wrote:

So we parents who are harassed do have recourse under the law, some of us are working on larger solutions like federal ways to discipline site owners, automatic money damages.


If you think you've been harassed then you may have recourse against the person doing the harassing. But trying to put it on me makes about as much sense as blaming the phone company for harassing calls or the postal service for junk mail.

Please see http://DCHfans.org/ Please do help me build my collection.

How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate, they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.
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Offline kk

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« Reply #51 on: March 27, 2006, 02:04:00 PM »
Just thought I would let everyone know what has been going on.  My son has been home now since pulling him from Aspen in December.  He is at the public school on a 504.  He is getting all A's.  He is on the Forensics team, is back in Japanese, will be back on the Debate Team, is studying for his ACT's, is still on medication, and going to a great therapist, along with myself and the rest of the family when needed.  He try's to keep in touch with some of the kids from Aspen.  Other than normal teenage stuff he has been fairly respectful.  As long as he is happy and moving along with his life, doing the things that he needs to do to make him independant one day I am happy.  That is all.  Thanks for being here to help me.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #52 on: March 28, 2006, 01:59:00 PM »
KK why did you decide to bring your son home, and why did it take so long to let people know?
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Offline kk

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« Reply #53 on: April 09, 2006, 09:44:00 AM »
I brought my son home because, as I stated in the first place, I was not really happy about Aspen Ranch.  My son was not being tortured there, but he was in a behavior modification type program that was a one size fits all.  I thought I was spending all this money sending my son to the "best Doctors and Therapist" and he would get specialized one on one help, and it was a bunch of bull.  Aspen is just a money making cattle ranch.  His therapist was trying and there were some people trying but overall, it was like just rope in a bunch of rich drug doing kids and will take your parents money and we will keep you here and teach you a lesson and you won't ever want to do drugs again because you won't want to come back here.  My son didn't do drugs, he really was not a bad kid, the whole pissing on the picture was just a prank, he had some anger issues, but he was diagnosed with high functioning autism, anxiety disorder, OCD not ODD that is what all the kids are labeled at Aspen. He also has a verbal I.Q. of over 140 that was being wasted at a place that does not really care about academics. Anyway I am rambling.

The reason it took this long to write back is because I have been very busy I have 3 other kids,
and just keeping my son on the right meds and at his therapist appointments and he is studing for the ACT's etc.  I just have not had time to let everyone know that I pulled him out.

I will say that I spent from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. sometimes wondering around every part of Aspen Ranch ,came there without letting anyone know and they were fine with it.  So if you have a really out of control situation it is not bad for a few months, I have to admit just the shock of him being away and seeing all that I think gave him alot to think about.  I have asked him if he felt violated or abused in any way and he did not.

Anyway, if you  have any more questions I will be happy to answer.  Sorry about the punctuation, I am to tired for paragraphs!

KK:)
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #54 on: May 03, 2006, 11:32:00 PM »
Wow, this site is ridiculous.  i was curious to find out about what people are saying about the aspen schools because i know someone who is concerned about her cousin and is not sure what to do.  i went to swift river academy years ago and it was completely out of control.  i didn't like my experience there at all and like many of the postings here, i noticed that many rich parents sent their kids away to get them off their backs - not out of any sort of real love or concern.  in turn, their kids were spoiled, cruel brats - the kids that most students run from high school to get away from.  some of these kids were clear reflections of their parents.  but what i find so interesting about the comments on this forum is that they sound just like those kids.  laughing at a statement about her son urinating on her picture???  wow, that's pretty mature.  maybe that person needs a little re-education.  anyway, for the mom who's having trouble with her son... i don't think a forum such as this is the best place to come for advice.  why don't you go to an ed. consultant to find a boarding school that fits your son's needs better?  and maybe the ed. consultant can help you find a good family therapist and if you think he's mildly autistic, get a diagnosis and find a place for him from there.  there are programs that cater to autism - i imagine they run around the same tuition cost as therapeutic boarding schools, but search around.  how did you hear about aspen ranch?  ed. consultants usually have a lot of information about a variety of programs - more than postings on a forum.  and if you can't get good information from someone in your area, search in bigger cities and make some phone calls - the bay area and ny have a wealth of information and services.  
http://www.education-options.com/articl ... ulting.htm
http://www.strugglingteens.com/ec/index.html
http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/con ... ectory.php
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Offline Troll Control

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« Reply #55 on: May 04, 2006, 09:26:00 AM »
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why don't you go to an ed. consultant

dumb advice.


Quote
http://www.strugglingteens.com/ec/index.html


dumbest advice ever.
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Offline kk

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« Reply #56 on: May 16, 2006, 05:08:00 PM »
I used an Ed Consultant, that is what got me in this mess to begin with.  She is the one that suggested Aspen, and then after I got the diagnosis of High Functioning Autism, OCD, Depression, etc. she would still give me names of places that were so of the wall, and not at all for my son's needs.  She would get all huffy and explain to me that I was just asking for too much that a school could not provide everything for my son.  I beg to differ, when I am forking over well over 120 thousand dollars a year in tuition alone that school better cater to every last need of my child health, physical mental well being.  That is why I never sent him away.  That is why he stayed at home.  He is in therapy, and his meds are carefully watched, we have an open and honest relationship.  We talk all the time.  He told his therapist he did not want to lie to me and that he felt that it was important that it was in th open that he had recently expermented with marijuana at a party and he felt bad if it came up and he didn't want to ever lie to me.  I gave him credit for that.  I told him I don't condone it in the house and I do not want it to effect his grades or school, and he should never drive under the influence.  We talked about the health dangers etc.  He knows it is not something I was happy about but he says it is something is doing in moderation, I am a realist, there isn't to much I can do.  I am happy he is honest.  That is more than I can say for Ed Consultants or any of the schools the whole industry is a bunch of horse shit.  Some people might be trying to do good, and a different enviroment is definetly a good choice but, send a kid to a strict aunt if you have and a good therapist.  got to go
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #57 on: May 26, 2006, 03:08:00 PM »
I'd love to see what all these posters would do should they be 1) forced to give up their anonymity, and 2) actually be truthful about their personal experience with any of these places/programs.  What I see is a lot of whining about what they think they ought to whine about.  A big bucketful of lemmings.

Our daughter is at Aspen Ranch.  She's relieved that she's getting the help she needs (and never was jammed into the mentioned diagnosis buckets).  She finds the horse work soothing.  The staff keeps to some structure, but is caring and decent to deal with.  We can communicate with staff daily, with no complaints.

I won't discuss her reasons for being there other than to say she was severly traumatized, causing problems far beyond what home and local therapy could handle.  She's working on things without undue pressure, no punitive measures, likes the environment and is very cooperative.  And talking to us on the side, "Parent Week" isn't a big show, with conditions being miserable the rest of the time....it actually is fine the rest of the time.

So my take - don't listen to these snivelers.  If your child needs help, Aspen Ranch is a nice place if it's a good fit style-wise with your child (i.e. some don't relate well to the "ranch/outdoors" idea and might be better suited to a more "gussied-up" urban environment).

 :tup:
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #58 on: May 26, 2006, 05:40:00 PM »
And if you believe that load, i have a bridge to sell you.
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Offline AtomicAnt

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« Reply #59 on: May 26, 2006, 07:33:00 PM »
Quote
On 2006-05-26 12:08:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I'd love to see what all these posters would do should they be 1) forced to give up their anonymity, and 2) actually be truthful about their personal experience with any of these places/programs.  What I see is a lot of whining about what they think they ought to whine about.  A big bucketful of lemmings.



Our daughter is at Aspen Ranch.  She's relieved that she's getting the help she needs (and never was jammed into the mentioned diagnosis buckets).  She finds the horse work soothing.  The staff keeps to some structure, but is caring and decent to deal with.  We can communicate with staff daily, with no complaints.



I won't discuss her reasons for being there other than to say she was severly traumatized, causing problems far beyond what home and local therapy could handle.  She's working on things without undue pressure, no punitive measures, likes the environment and is very cooperative.  And talking to us on the side, "Parent Week" isn't a big show, with conditions being miserable the rest of the time....it actually is fine the rest of the time.



So my take - don't listen to these snivelers.  If your child needs help, Aspen Ranch is a nice place if it's a good fit style-wise with your child (i.e. some don't relate well to the "ranch/outdoors" idea and might be better suited to a more "gussied-up" urban environment).



 :tup: "


Condemning anonymity while hiding behind it. Brilliant.
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