A friend of mine asked, “How did schools deal with unruly students before electronic torture devices were invented?”  How indeed?  Usually through the application of communicative de-escalation techniques ranging from “verbal judo” (which cops used to rely on and, as… Read full post »

Ann Bauer’s continuing series in Salon about her adult son’s autism, while not perhaps educational, is still valuable to read. I find myself drawn to it because her son’s troubles mirror a small but significant percentage of my own clients’ experiences, a decompensation that I/…

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A man whose botched suicide attempt caused the deaths of 11 commuter train passengers in 2005 was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in a Los Angeles court today. Judge William Pounders, of the California Superior Court of Los Angeles County, called Juan Alva… Read full post »

California continues to remain at a budget impasse over a deficit of some $15 billion in program funding and expenditures. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to temporarily reduce the wages of 200,000 state employees to the federal minimum wage, as well as terminating some 22,000 retired annuitie… Read full post »