thanks for your post. i too was on the wwasp parents board, searching for something to quel that urgent sense that something just wasn't right about that place, why hadn't they thought my son was "good" enuf to speak to me yet, what could he have done that was so terrible after 3 weeks he couldn't speak to his mother?
? he never did drugs, drank, always knew where he was, with whom, their parents, always called when he was running late, he was there for skipping school, and for being disrespectful. and, what if my son is mentally ill and i hadn't fully explored that possibility (i have now, and he is) and what could putting a mentally ill child in that situation do for their illness, (physical abuse, mental abuse, restraints) my son had a breakdown. he told me the first thing they did was take him to a room, buz his hair, wrestle him to the ground, said the guys stomach was on his face and he couldn't breath, the guy telling him not to think he was a tough guy or try anything, his agressor was the state champion at wresting. His first freakin day, actually, i was still there, talking to the director, first 1/2 hour there. if i'd only known!
AT that point, poor nathan didn't even have a clue what was in store, he thought he was going to a boys' school to get his grades back on track, make friends with kids that had the same problems as him that could relate, academic problems, etc, get his life back on track, that maybe he'd be on their soccer team, he played soccer for ten years and he is good, that he'd be a shoo in for the team.
for three months after he came home, nobody, not at home or when he went to my sisters' houses, to his dad's house or anywhere could anyone use the bathroom without nathan standing outside, waiting for them to come out. this really freaked my sister out, she said what is with that, why does he do that? his teachers at school commented on his behaviors, saying specifically, he never exhibited these behaviors before he went to the NY school. his explanation for the reason he does certain things is "at school you have to wait till they are done with the bathroom" his reasons always started with "at school". I would wake up hearing him screaming and crying in his sleep. I was alarmed getting up in the middle of the night, my son, tears in his eyes, just standing there outside the bathroom door. what in the Fu_k happened to him there??? i remember the looks on those kids' faces, lined up in the hall when i went there to get him, i will never in my life forget. nathan was there for 3-1/2 weeks. my god, think what mental state he'd be in if he had to endure that for a prolonged period of time? He has never been the same since that place. i don't think i'll ever forgive myself
