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therapist, as well as a male aide. It developed that
Keaton needed to be out of class and moving when
he became restless. He walked the halls to release
nervous energy. This resulted in his being discovered
by the principal and taken to the principal’s office for
discipline. The speech therapist found Keaton doing
push-ups as punishment. She called Pam that evening
and a meeting with the principal, parent, and therapist
was scheduled. The principal was instructed that the
push-ups were inappropriate action to require of
Keaton. Keaton’s breaks were directed and supervised
by his aide after the incident with the principal.
Handwriting has never been a skill that Keaton
mastered. In a later school system he was allowed
to use a recorder, alpha smart, and also a laptop
computer. In the third grade, however, his teacher
graded his handwriting. This, too, was a practice
that was addressed and stopped. It was noted that
he was receiving therapy for fine motor skills. Fine
motor skills are slow to develop in autistic children
and sometimes limited at best. Keaton still prints any
written material.
One occasion when Keaton was riding the school bus,
the driver found Keaton’s movements a distraction
for her. A minor accident occurred, and the driver
claimed that Keaton had been the cause. After
reviewing film of the interior of the vehicle it was
determined that he had not been the cause. However,
Keaton was secured in a seat belt after that. The
family was agreeable to the seat belt, and Keaton felt
important as he wore it.
During the time in which Keaton’s family lived