A rather rigorous autism program—enough?
August 27, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
G. Thomas Kattouf, special education director at Altoona Area School District (Pennsylvania), states that “”We have established what we believe to be a rather rigorous program to support autistic students in our district.’” Kattouf is quoted in an August 26th article about a new autism school that is opening in State College. The school has six students enrolled so far and is run by Northwestern Human Services.
I am wondering at Kattouf’s refrence to a “rather rigorous program”: Why not simply a “rigorous” one—-why the “rather”? And what is the type of program that Kattouf refers to?
I am reminded of something in one of those John LeCarre novels, when the British spy, redeemed from horrible captivity in Progressive Russland, told what had happened to him after having been captured.
As best as (os?) I can remember at this moment, the character said something like, “They used psychology, and they used muscle. Some of the muscle was done, er, electrically.”
Not, er, so “Progressive.”
“Rather” to soften “rigorous”.