Mike Kirby: A crucial ruling coming on 'aversive' treatment
The legal battle began in an Attleboro courthouse back in the mid-1980s. Two students had died in group homes in Attleboro and Seekonk run by the B...
The legal battle began in an Attleboro courthouse back in the mid-1980s. Two students had died in group homes in Attleboro and Seekonk run by the Behavior Research Institute, which used a controversial therapy for autistic students called 'aversive conditioning.' This included pinches, slaps, water pistols and an electric device strong enough to sear skin. The state attempted to shut down BRI, but a landmark ruling by Judge Ernest Rotenberg of Attleboro in January 1987 overturned the aversive conditioning ban.