Psychic Claims Autistic Girl "Abused" -- School Reports to Child Protective Services

Updates at bottom of post

Victoria Nolet is an 11-year-old girl with autism who lives in the province of Ontario, Canada.  Victoria does not have much expressive language, and attends a class for autistic students at the Terry Fox School, operated by the Simcoe County School board.  Victoria has eloped from school several times.  The school seemed unable to keep track of Victoria, so her mother,  Colleen Leduc, had her outfitted with a GPS unit that also records an audio trace.

May 29th, Victoria's classroom aide visited a psychic, who told the aide that one of the students in her classroom was being sexually abused.

The classroom aide reported the psychic's assertion to the school, and the school in turn reported the mother to the local child protective services association.

And so a case worker came to the Leduc home to discuss the allegations of sexual misconduct, only to admit there wasn't a shred of evidence that anything had ever happened at all. They labelled Leduc a "diligent" mother doing the best she could for her child under difficult circumstances, closed the file and left, calling the report "ridiculous."

The school cannot keep Victoria safe by preventing her school elopement behaviors. The district has not provided intensive behavioral intervention.  But responding to a psychic's allegations?  Up to speed.

No wonder parents of children in special education are often angry and frustrated.

Update--from the local paper:

The situation has aggravated Leduc on many levels.

"A, I don't believe in psychics. B, (Victoria) is not around people who are those ages (mentioned by the psychic)," she said. "C, she has GPS with a listen-in device. And D, it's an insult to me as a parent because I'm so diligent with her and who she's around."

More from the local paper

With Victoria out of school, the stress level at home has been compounded.

"These children strive on structured days," Leduc said, adding her daughter is now more prone to emotional meltdowns, stimming (repetitive behaviour), as well as sleep and feeding issues.

Leduc, who's on stress leave while she gets her daughter's life in order, met with school officials yesterday afternoon, but said the meeting was "a lot of fluff, about how we have to work together. I just sat and listened."

No apology was offered, she added.

"The [local school] board has been very difficult to work with," Leduc said. "Very uncooperative, very evasive. I think they require more education about dealing with an autistic child."

Sources

CityNews
Toronto Sun
BoingBoing

Barrie Examiner (local paper)

Special Education Law Blog: Recent School Elopement is a Dangerous Situation Requiring A Proactive Solution

Reactions

• LBB: "This, right here, is why belief in spooky mind powers isn't harmless fun."
• Ryan Coke: "I wonder if the psychic knew all the trouble she would cause when she started all this?"
• Some Canadian Skeptic: Write the school board (he gives the address), and the psychic should be charged with public mischief and false allegations
• Joanne Jacobs: Psychic Stupidity
• Angry in the Great White North: Some predictions
• Stifled Mind: Psychic Nonsense
• Mike's Weekly Skeptic Rant: Read the Letter
• Autism Vox: Leduc Needs More Than A Mere Apology
• jliedl.ca " lay charges against the psychic for her reckless and unjustified claims."
• Yes. Well. Right. "I'd also fire all the officials involved, and force them to go back to school to learn something about science."
• Special Education Law Blog: "At a minimum, any call to child protective services also needs to be grounded upon a reasonable basis."
• Skeptico: This is a textbook example of "cold reading"
• Unscrewing the Inscrutable: This has to be a joke!
• PZ Myers:  "This is what happens when a culture tells people that reason and evidence are optional, and faith is touted as a virtue."
• Orac: "When psychics attack autistic children"
• Steve Novella: "The next time someone says that psychics, even if they are not genuine, are harmless - think of this story. Believing in magic is never harmless."

Comments

[Some Canadian Skeptic]

I just stumbled upon this entry through Skeptico. Thanks for linking to my site (I did the same to this entry), and extra thanks for helping get this news out there!

Skeptical Ranger Action Squad, AWAY!

[Psychic]

I am apalled that a psychic would conduct themselves in this manner. It really gives a bad bname to the entire psychic community. I am truly sorry that any parent especially one that has the increased difficulty of having to deal with the issues of autism was affected in this way by a spiritualist. However, the school boards in there rush to judgemnet should hav known better! They should be held accountable for any and all damages incurred by this parent including punitive damages.

[Psychic Reading Al]

That is a sad and sickening story. Inexcusable. I wonder how things have unfolded since then, cant find much on the story anywhere else..

Al

[Accurate Psychic In Denial]

That's pretty pathetic. There are some good psychics out there, but this isn't a good example of ethics. What a shame.

[Adam]

Ethics and psychics? What is even more sad is that people believe in psychics. There never has been and there never will be. Harry Houdini spent the later part of his life debunking every psychic out there - not one could beat him. If you doubt this, go see Penn and Teller in Las Vegas. Penn does unbelievable hot reads and cold reads. He then shows you how he did it and how the "experts" do it using techniques that are centuries old. He did Jonathan Edwards act better than Edwards does (which isn't saying much). If you can get a hold of the pilot episode of their show Bullshit they do a whole half hour on how it is done and they even catch one of the "experts" doing it. James Randi has a standing million dollar offer to any psychic that can come in and predict something in a controlled environment (away from the smoke and mirrors). Nobody has come close to getting his money. What does that tell you?

[Psychic Readings]

This is just sad. I think the school district should be held accountable for conducting themselves based on heresay. Psychic or not, you can't accuse someone based on rumors.

[free psychic reading]

A sad story. In fact it shows what humain can do and can be. Evil but can alos be good, there are also good examples to follow.

[psychic]

since i last posted in 2008 was there ever a resolution in this? just wondering as i have followed your site closely.

[Psychics]

I'm also curious what came of this. I feel it's a bit too presumptuous for a psychic to make such claims; especially if he/she hasn't met anyone else in that classroom. In order to give a valid reading the psychic would need to take in the energy of all others who contact Victoria; even then it's a bit too risky to make such a bold claim.

- Michelle

[psychic reading]

This is so sad. My heart goes out the the parents and the struggle they are going through.
Parenthood is the hardest job in the world..

[Meryem]

I don't like people calling themselves psychics do such acts. Psychic readers are expecting to give readings even more sensibly in such circumstances without any falsification facts.