School Woes

As most of you know, our son is autistic.  He is high functioning, but he struggles heavily with social issues.  It has been a very difficult transition for him school wise - he went from an elementary school in Minnesota where things were very community oriented and classroom friendly, to a middle school in Texas where things are run by a lot of yelling.  ("SHUT YOUR MOUTH" is often screamed at by the teachers to the students here in TX.)

Today Corbin came home and told me that he is upset by some things that happened at school today.  He told me that his science teacher told the classroom that she will stalk each person to make sure that they get their homework done.  Now, I understand that she didn't mean that literally.  However, Corbin does not understand this.  It upset him to the point where his train of thought was that stalking is illegal and he would call the police.  (That is the autism talking.)  What she said next concerns me, though.  The science teacher told the students that if they didn't get their homework done, that they will have to do 100 pushups in front of the class.  Now this is a threat to the children.  Especially to a child with autism who takes things literally.

Corbin also told me that there was a student who was misbehaving in choir class today.  The teacher called an "assistant" to help with the child.  The "assistant" started slapping the child, and in Corbin's words, "the teacher didn't care."  Now Corbin has said to me, "I am concerned for my safety.  I had to put my backpack in front of me as a shield."

On the flip side, Corbin scored 100% on a social studies test, and the teacher gave the students who scored 100% full-sized candy bars.  Corbin came home with a full-sized Kit-Kat bar yesterday.  So, apparently the teachers at this middle school believe in corporal punishment, as well as bribery.

I have a call into the school counselor to address my concerns.  I would like to know what their side of the story is, regarding the teacher's threats of pushups, the slapping, and the bribery.  After all, I do realize that my son is autistic and may have misinterpreted some things.  Autistic children are not stupid, though.  He is very smart, and my gut tells me that the things he relayed to me are really happening.