ABSTRACT
Entering the Judge Rotenberg Center is akin to walking into a dazzling gallery of lights, color, and form. Though the Judge Rotenberg Center serves a wide range of students from individuals who are high-functioning, but have psychological and emotional problems, to students who are low functioning with developmental delays and severe behavior problems, the Center is best known for its near-zero rejection policy. The Rotenberg Center does not expel individuals because of difficulty with their behavior. The chapter reviews the Center's innovative reward systems, its reduction and elimination of psychotropic medications, its highly effective wellness programs, its development of computerassisted instruction, and its system of continuous monitoring and data collection. It considers the ethical and practical challenges of using punishment in the treatment of persons with autism spectrum disorder, particularly in terms of the right to effective treatment.
