Posted August 10, 2015
    My children's tss worker has just been fired. I found out from her, and the agency has yet to call me over this to tell me that my children who have had this woman for 4+ years has been fired. They say she over billed. But as for me always having to sign the papers for her I am the one who dropped off my children and pick them up and I also have has the insurance company send me copies of all the paperwork which I have signed all of them. How does someone over bill if I'm the one signing for her to bill the ins and I said I signed all the paperwork but yet they still do not listen nor have they yet to call me about the changes which my children have pad and as purges. Is there something I can do for her and have this agency investigated because I have a 3 year old who now goes through them and they said he received services he did not get. Who would I call in Pennsylvania to have this cleared up

    Victoria
    Wilkes Barre pa


    Posted August 9, 2015
    I represent a vulnerable autistic adult who cant' speak for himself. And by no fault of himself he has a degree of disability can't help that he may urinate himself and require 2:1 support services to get him them services and supports he needs to get prompt medical care and supports that keep him free from self harm. (LANTERMAN act). But somehow, this law ignores the rights of disabled in California. For example, as a citizen of California, my autistic adult non verbal autistic son was told he can't attend a sleep study for sleep apenea because he "voided" in his diaper and the technicians felt they couldn't accomodate such "people' due to their staffing expertise. Well, I said look you low level thinking pukes, if you can't accomodate autistic adults yet will bend over for a transgender or black person patient, we have a situation that you can't ignore. As a result of me saying this I was suddenly shown that indeed my autistic adult son could get the test..amazing. I don't hear any politicians showing insight into the discrimination faced against autistic adults who can't speak for themselves. For that reason alone I would never vote for any politician who hasn't come up with solutions on how to HELP autistic people.

    Jenny



    Posted July 28, 2015
    My family and I just returned from our summer vacation Sunday, July 26, 2015. We didnt have any food in the house so I decided to do some grocery shopping with my kids including my 21 year old autistic son. We just passed the entrance to Shoprite Berlin when I heard somebody yelling "wash your hands! you touched your nose, so wash your hands!" So I looked behind me and saw my son being scolded by an asian lady possibly Chinese or Vietnamese. I came to her and told her my son is disabled and she just shushed me and turned around and walked away. I was ready to let go since that's not the first time I encountered ignorant people. But my son started to throw a fit, probably confused and unable to express his emotions after what that lady said to him. He started pinching his brother and me and I tried to calm him down. It took a few minutes and when he did, we continued to shop for what we need. Then on the way to the counter I saw that lady again and I came to her and said, "Look, my son is disabled..." but before I could finish she started to yell, "if he's disabled keep him home. why you take him out to public place. keep him home!" so I started to yell at her and said "you're ignorant! you have no right to say that! you are discriminating my son!" then a staff from Shoprite came to me and promised to speak to the lady. The lady walked away at that time I was aproached by a staff. I never saw her again. I don't know if the staff talked to her. Until now 'm so emotional and I regret I didn't get a picture or any info about that lady so I could formally file a complaint.

    Maria Abillar
    Voorhees NJ


    Posted July 16, 2015
    My son, now 23, worked as a camp counselor for Camp St. Patrick in Smithtown, NY, in the summer of 2007 and loved it. He worked hard, never missed a day and was always on time. He was not invited back, not even interviewed the following summer. He has applied for a camp job there for the last 8 summers and been turned down. We have been active volunteers in that parish since 1998. The camp director, Cindy Marsh, denies that it is because of his autism and learning disabilities, saying "how could I know that?" but she is lying because she used to tutor him. She has been so cruel to him and entire family yet we did nothing wrong. His autism has no impact upon his ability to be a successful and nurturing counselor.

    Mary Peck
    Hauppauge NY


    Posted July 3, 2015
    Today I took my son to Great Clip Shop into the local barber in Miami, Fl. Shoppes 14681 SW 104th St, Miami, FL 33186
    My son has a mild condition of autism and can't speak. We were waiting our turn just like everyone else, as any parents wih autistic children know they easily become agitated and try to verbalize there feelings so he was making what to others may be noise but in reality its his way of expressing himself. As me and my husband and son (6 yrs old) were waiting our turn like everyone else an employee or management approached us and told us we could not wait inside he shop that we had to step outside and wait for the child is bothering them. We felt discriminated and outraged and it only magnified the everyday day struggle of being autistic and not accepted in the community. Please help me re-share this post to expose such discrimination against a child with special needs. It can happen to anyone else...even someone you love. #Hearbroken #help #supportautism #Ilegal #WeAllHaveRights #equality #autism #support #outrageous #JusticeForAll

    Ingrid Saliba
    miami, fl


    Posted July 2, 2015

    I am a young adult with Mild Autism/Asperger's, I am able to live my life without too much hindrance. I am also mature, bright and independant. I also have decent grades from education, I always work to the best of my efforts and always doing better than expected. I am a good national citizen of my country with a clean record, no criminal or behavioural offences or anything.

    Sounds good? Nope, things are still messed up. All I can say is that being an Autistic adult is the bane and stigma of my life. My life would probably be so much better without if I wasn't Austistic...

    It it so difficult to get anywhere in life. I've applied for countless jobs, apprenticeships and other work schemes to help find employment. But I still have no success, I always get the same patronising excuse which is always linked to my Austism despite my it being under control. Yet I've noticed these places will happily take on "normal" people even if they have no motivation, a bad attitude, lacking in skill and generally not suited. I've even seen immigrants who -most likely haven't been in the country long- don't speak the official language of the country (or speak it VERY poorly) whilst refusing to learn/improve even get placements. I just don't understand why these people get more priority over a humble, hard-working and passionate Autistic person...

    With the way many "normal" people treat me, I feel like I am unable to achieve my life ambitions and unable to live a normal and successful life. I'm starting to lose confidence in myself and feel bad about myself for having Autism even though it's something I cannot change. I'm even afraid to have children of my own because I don't want to risk passing my Autism onto them and for them to have to suffer in a similar way I did. I've also developed anxiety and depression, even considering self-harm and suicide at times. I CRINGE when I have to tell people that I have a form of Autism, because they will most likely assume I have the "Classic Autism" and that I am a weirdo with a few screws loose and constantly need to be monitored (therefore being a liability). I just feel so pathetic and hated, just like some sort of punching bag for society.

    It's ALWAYS such a serious issue when race, sex/gender, sexuality and religion is discriminated. So why are people with disabilities just ignored and frowned upon? A lot of these places preach "diversity this and diversity that" but I suppose it doesn't apply to people with disabilties, my mistake for assuming otherwise...

    I am sick to death of being demonized and patronised by society, even though I'm constantly trying my best to improve myself. It's bad enough my family often put me down and treat me like I'm stupid and useless, just because I'm struggling to find a job/placement and not being like my "normal" siblings or other "normal" relatives. I don't want any "special treatment" or to be treated like some kind of angelic saint either, I just wanted to be seen as an equal human-being and to be given a fair chance in life without being judged for my condition.



    Moon
    London, United Kingdom


    Posted June 27, 2015
    I live in a 55 and older community with my autistic son. My son is now 26 years old and the older people hear are trying to kick us out of are home based on the fact they do not like that my son is different. I am my son's full time caregiver they are hiring an attorney to kick us out. My son who rarely comes out of the house has done nothing wrong has broken no laws. He suffers in silence. These people are cold and hateful my neighbor when she sees my son calls him a retard. She has cameras around her home and claims my son goes on her property at night and wants a restarting order on him. She is unable to show even one bit of proof of her claims. My son is terrified of her. This same neighbor has also gone to other neighbors and now they are coming after us. My son is held as a prisoner and all he did wrong was he caught Autism.

    Karie Lee Mcewen
    San Marcos Ca


    Posted June 9, 2015
    My 9 year old daughter, Macey, has autism (Asperger's). She was excluded from the end-of-the-year school carnival at her elementary school (in Michigan) on June 4th. She was the only child in her class of 27 students who was excluded. The carnival is supposed to be a reward for children who have not had any discipline write-ups. I don't think a child with autism is on a level playing field with children who do not have autism or other disabilities. The principal then called me on the day of the carnival to let me know that my daughter was having a difficult time. I expressed my concern about the principal excluding my daughter. The principal feels justified in her decision. I will be contacting the superintendent today to set up a meeting with my advocate and go from there. I am appalled at the actions of the principal.

    Kara Rohn
    Vassar, MI


    Posted May 28, 2015
    I am writing this on behalf of my 9 year old autistic nephew. He is currently a 3rd grade student of Syracuse City School District. We have been trying to get him into a OCM Boces program called SKATE. Syracuse City School District has admitted that they do not have the qualifications or programs that my nephew needs to thrive. He is intelligent, funny and needs an alternative way to learn that SCSD does not offer. We have been trying for 3 years for SKATE and he keeps being denied or taking off the waiting list without any notice. Just today we found out he was turned down due to his geographic location. What happens is most suburb school districts such as Liverpool pay a yearly fee so they always get open spots based on that. SCSD is unable to pay a yearly fee continuously, however SKATE program does receive grants from NYS. They do not base admission on the needs of an applicant but by financial gain. My nephew is being discriminated against because of where he lives. He is unable to get the services he needs from the SKATE program even though they themselves say this program would be a perfect beneficial program to help him thrive. If he lived in a school district that pays continually every year he would of been accepted with no questions asked. What ever happened to NYS Education Department motto of no child left behind. Currently throughout the who program only one SCSD student is in the program. My nephew is being denied his best chance to get the education he needs because of money. When did money become more important than a child's educational needs? No child should be denied if they are a better fit for a program just because of the lack of financial assistance. Please please help me fight for my nephew who is unable to speak for himself to seek change in how he is being discriminated against and losing his best opportunity to learn in a way that will help him thrive.

    Valerie LaTour
    Syracuse NY


    Posted May 9, 2015
    My wife runs stand for my daughter softball league and my teenage stepson with Aspergers helps.A school office employee who helped my wife one went to the league and told them that if he works again she will not and her friend did thesame.A school employee who we are taxes to help!

    Gary Conti
    Sharpsville Pa


    Posted May 9, 2015
    Anne D. it's because people are posting their real names, that the facts are getting out there. It's because people are posting real names, that we're able to prove that the discrimination against adults and children because they are Autistic, have HPA, or have Aspergers are happening.

    The main stream media isn't covering our stories. According to 'them', 'we' are not a priority.

    When I was discriminated against while trying to seek employment, they demanded 'full disclosure'.

    I did tell them that I have Asperger's syndrome, but my 'symptoms' were completely under control.

    The next thing I knew, the manager stopped reading the applications ...compared me to a B8tch about to turn on it's owners; and had me 'escorted' at 'gun point' out of the building.

    Never mind I don't have 'violent tendencies'. Never mind I had excellent reviews from my past jobs. The only thing that mattered was that I had "Aspergers". And that was good enough, for this rat's A** to stop treating me like a human being.

    I called the DA of my state. The clerk (in spite of the fact I was cool, calm, and my voice stable) screamed at me that "I" was not a priority and hung up on me.

    The DA never acknowledged my complaint against the employer, against the clerk, or against the state in which I was discriminated against.

    Yet when I posted 'here', using my 'real name'; people listen. And I'm able to offer resources that in turn help them; when they need.

    Yes there are 'risks' to using our real names, yes ... someone could try to defraud us.

    But if we don't ... then there's no way to verify if the incidents of discrimination are true.

    The Autism 'organizations' have their own agenda; and it's 'not' to 'advocate' for us. They don't represent us.

    They don't support us. We are completely on our own. Lawyers won't take our cases, law makers say we're not a priority, resources which we do have ..are not made available to us; unless we research it for ourselves and publish the info on this site; hoping the people who need it most... get it.

    So I do hope that you're not offended when I say to you {regarding your advice}; thanks ...but no thanks.

    Debra Steinman
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted April 30, 2015
    My son received an educational verification of ASD while in the Headstart program. He is currently in 3rd grade and I have actively participated in his IEP meetings, providing information and making recommendations. In the last few meetings, it had been brought up that he requires more challenges to keep from being bored. The recommendation that he be placed in a higher reading group was dismissed on the basis that he "wouldn't be able to catch up with the grammar". I was not happy with this, but felt it could be readdressed later.

    Additionally, last year, my son's stimming behavior manifested in destructive clothes chewing. I personally researched solutions to this problem and purchased a necklace designed to accommodate chewing and "fiddling" for ASD persons. The necklace was confiscated at least twice by school staff because he was chewing and fiddling with it, despite his attempts to explain. He became paranoid about them taking the necklaces and stopped taking them to school.

    Yesterday, I received a letter explaining that my son was being suspended indefinitely due to his "tearing pages from several text and reading books". When I asked him about this (because that is NOT something he normally does), he said he gets bored and jittery and tears small pieces out of the corners of pages. Upon further discussion, he said he would like to have the necklaces again.

    Meanwhile, I have been trying to get a hold of the school principal to set up the meeting that we have to have before my son can get back to school. I am still waiting to find out if I can (maybe) get a meeting on Monday. I did get the school counselor, who gave me the run-around and hung up on me when I protested the school's callousness towards my son's ASD issues. I eventually called the superintendent, who is trying to get us the late morning meeting on Monday.

    I have tried to explain stimming and the need for challenging material in my son's IEP meetings several times. I have provided non-invasive methods for him to deal with his stimming urges and the staff saw fit to take away his property without the benefit of the doubt. His teacher and most of the staff seem to be completely ignorant of the idea that he would need something different than the other students, despite these same people being responsible for and (often) participating in his IEP planning meetings. His IEP seems to focus ONLY on activities and such that pull him from the regular class with NO solid plan or methods for dealing with him in the regular class. He has a different teacher for his reading class, who seems to have even less understanding of him.

    I am reaching a breaking point and really need some ideas of how to fix this. My son has mild ASD and is being treated like a criminal-waiting-to-happen, and no one has told me about these problems. How can I get them to integrate more of the solutions to his regular class social issues into his IEP?

    Sarah
    Nebraska


    Posted April 21, 2015
    My name is Bri, and I have spent my life taking care of and protecting my younger, nonverbal autistic brother. Sean is a unique case. He is sweet, but very good at being what he wants. Because I was always the best at controlling him, that had always been my task. Each morning before school I would wake up to ready my brother for school and put him on the bus so that my parents could go to work, and after school I would be home to receive him again. Sean was often not the easiest to control. A public tantrum is easier to explain, and it is easier to avoid stares in public places when your autistic child is a child. but when an eighteen year old does so, bystanders are less understanding He is barely two years younger than me, so by the time he was fourteen he has greatly surpassed my mother and I in size, making our jobs as caretakers more difficult. Now, I am hundreds of miles away at college, and my job as second-mother to Sean has fallen to my 12 year old sister. This is my greatest regret of leaving home for eduction. But, taking care of Sean grows more difficult. With Sean, with age has brought new challenges. Along with behavioral difficulties too numerous and strange to include, he has picked up some new medical issues. He now has several seizures day, which we are still struggling to control with medicine. He was recently also forced to leave the school where he had been content for years, with the helper he had since toddlerhood, and his behavior immediately changed. It was obvious that he was having difficulties with his new teacher. Several times a week my mother would leave work to pick Sean up from school, simply because his teacher couldn't handle him anymore. Sean would fight my mom to get on the bus, unwilling to go to school, and Sean had always loved school. My mom entreated with the school system to have Sean's circumstances changed, but to no avail. This past February, I received a call from my dad saying that DSS had come to investigate our home due to accusations of abuse and neglect on behalf of my parents. She said that Sean was unruly and violent. The teacher reported bruises, scratches, and violent tendencies that Sean "must" have learned from home, that he would arrive at school without shoes, or wearing a thin tshirt during the winter. She shamed my parents for giving him sedatives to control the outbursts from which he was continually being sent home for. Sean had bruises because he would hurt himself to show displeasure with his teacher, he had cuts because he would scratch up and down his arms and legs when she would yell at him. If Sean were not wearing shoes it was because he took them off on the bus, and someone let him exit barefoot in the cold, and the same with his coat. The blame for Sean's behavioral difficulties, while placed on himself and my family, were nothing more than an agitated and confused autistic young adult acting out because, he, himself, was uncomfortable in his environment and with how he was being treated. His teacher, previously a remedial english teacher, moved to special education, simply had no understanding of what being autistic means. Her ignorance has cost my family time, undue stress, and lawyer fees. Too many educators still remain completely ignorant of the simple facts of autism, and therefore unfit to be the individual responsible for the care, and progress of the individuals in her classroom. Many others, too are ignorant of the special needs of the people who are do to soon become a calculable percentage of the national population. This fact is disheartening, and currently underestimated.
    When individuals like Sean are forced to graduate at 21, they lose even the often questionable services that the school provides, in the case of our system it appears to be little more than a day care service, but nonetheless, such a change is catastrophic to severe ASD individuals like my brother, and to the families of them - - and at this point, there is no long term solution besides a room in a state institution - where my brother would be disconnected from the world, and from his family - - stuck somewhere in storage, where these people won't bother anyone. This societal perception of the fate of the severely disabled sickens me.
    This story is but one of many with a world that remains uneducated to what may become one of the most pressing problems of our generation.
    This is a personal admittance and not intended to patronize special educators, or others responsible for the well being of people like my brother, but to highlight observances supported by national trends, and scholarly evidence for the necessity of the advocacy of autism, the importance of its research, and to provide an example of misunderstanding and discrimination of autism from the lens of a daughter, a big sister, a student, and a devoted advocate.


    bri



    Posted April 6, 2015
    Hi my name is Valerie, my sister in law took my 15yr old son Edgar to go get an ID at the Melrose Park DMV in Illinois, she did me this favor because I have to work. She called me while she was there saying that there was a lady who worked at the picture ID section who was so disrespectful and rude to my son saying why couldn't he talk right and what language does he speak, having my son with autism to tell me the lady was mean to me makes me sick to my stomach. I really need to know is there some way I can get the people who were rude and horrible with my son in trouble for their bad attitude? I really need help with this situation, I'm so upset that a facility that deals with so many people on a daily basis would be so bad with a person with a disability . I'm sure it was not the first time or the last and I want to make sure no one else goes through this bad situation.

    Valerie Rivera
    Stone Park , IL


    Posted April 5, 2015
    I have a son with HFA. However, this is not a story, but important and sound ADVICE for those of you posting all of your personal information on here.

    First of all, do NOT post your real name, your location, or any other PERSONALLY identifying information on ANY forum on the Internet or any other public place. EVERYONE in the world can read it, including criminals in prison, people who are looking for victims to scam, and all sorts of bad people trying to take advantage of persons with disabilities - especially when the disability affects the person's ability to reason quickly and thoroughly and when it leads the person to be gullible, such as autism and Asperger's.

    Please, please use common sense and do NOT give particulars about yourself! You have to PROTECT yourself to the maximum extent possible. If YOU don't do it, no one else will!

    Anne D.
    Santa Clara, CA


    Posted March 29, 2015
    I am the Petitioner in a Domestic Violence/ Divorce/ Custody case in the Superior Court of California. My case was filed in August of 2013. 2 months ago my husband decided he wanted to higher an attorney and wanted to visit and have custody of our child.

    On 3/26/15, in court, I was made to feel as if I was doing wrong by asking that the judge order that my Autistic child who has ASD and PICA only be allowed monitored visits with her father if she has specialized care. The judge scoffed at me openly and said he would order no such thing. I would like to state for the record that when the previous judge had this case my husband did everything to let her know that nothing was wrong with my daughter and I had to literally fight and get every assessment and report into court to prove that my daughter was disabled.

    The judge told me that the medical paper I presented about my child needing specialized care was “here say”. He went on to explain to me that if a document wasn’t presented as a formal declaration than it is considered “here say”. I had not known that nor am I schooled in the law. I have asked for advocacy for my child and me since the beginning and there is none to help us.
    The judge told us at last hearing that the next time we came to court he would get to the bottom of the CPS report. He asked my ex-husband and me to get the report. I tried to get it but was told that I couldn’t and only the judge could do so. I brought the email from CPS to legal aid and they told me to bring the email to the judge. Today both my ex-husband and I told the judge that CPS would not release the report to us. But my ex-husband’s lawyer elaborated by saying that he felt that the report had no meaning because he had heard nothing of it. After that the judge also said he too assumed that…but would make a ruling that my ex-husband and I be allowed to get the report.

    The Judge told me in the last court session to bring proof that my ex-husband drinks, as he had told the court that he doesn’t drink at all. The judge told me to bring proof of the abuse I suffered because my ex-husband said that he had never hit me and had never been arrested for doing so. Before I brought those documents I asked everyone in the court (the bailiff, legal aid and another legal clinic outside of this court) how to present them and they said to just show them to the judge during the proceedings. When I told the judge I had the proof he asked me to bring, he said he didn’t want to see any proof and that I should show it the next time I came to court. He was already decided that he wanted to let my ex-husband have visits with his daughter. My ex-husband’s lawyer called me to the side the last time I was in court and he also told me that the next time I saw my husband and he, they would have been granted a visit with my daughter despite my case.

    I feel like my daughter and I don’t matter and nor do my concerns in this case. My child and I are being marginalized because we have no advocacy or the money to get representation. The case trial is in less than 2 months and I’m very overwhelmed by this. I have to cancel some ABA therapy and time with my child due to running after court issues. I’m fearful that my child will be abused by my ex-husband and if that is not bad enough she is now being abused by this judge and this court.

    Evelyn E
    Long Beach, Ca


    Posted March 25, 2015
    My son Reed Aragon made the Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsimore, Ca JV baseball team. He is 16 and loves baseball. Well, he is the only player on the team that hasn't played in a game. He is benched all five games so far and his coach said that he's just lucky thAt he made the team. I had a meeting with the athletic director and principle and they both told me that the coach can bench him all season and there is nothing thSt I can do about it. Meanwhile the coach is letting freshman little boys play and Reed is much better than the freshman. The freshman is playing because of him and his parents being good friends with the booster club. We gave donations over $250 to the boosters also and Reed is the only one without a helmet. The freshman even got a helmet and I feel that Reed is being discriminated against. Please contact me. My name is Irene Campos

    irene campos



    Posted March 19, 2015
    I really need help. I am a 19 year old male with Aspeargers syndrome living in Big Bear, California. I was recently fired from a company known as Stater Brothers. The reason I was let go as I was pulled aside a few days ago this week by an assistant manager, as well as told by other employees, was because the mananger wanted me for a position that I verbally turned down. I was the sent to GMC school (the second week of my employment) without being told why or for what position, until talking to the manager the next week which I was informed that what he had in mind was known as bread clerk, that stocks shelves and orders bread at 2am, which I had explained before even being hired I was in college still and that would put too much stress on my workload. After that, which was this week, he retaliated by working me each day early morning shifts (5AM) and had me terminated today. They did not give me a reason other than probationary termination. I had never once called out or was sick and didn't show up to work, I had completed tasks as instructed and broke none of the stores policies. This termination was explained to me by many including the assistant manager (not during the firing process, as there was another witness) that it was because I "didn't make him happy because I didn't work the position like he wanted." After talking to several employees and an old manager, the current store manager has had a history of doing this sort of retaliation, in the form of making work unbearable for certain employees, cutting hours on employees, increasing work load on the same or less hours, etc. In my case I was still on probation, and should not of even been considered for a promotion, let alone sent to schooling for it. I need help with finding advocacy to fix this problem. It has always been extremely difficult to find a job with my problems socially and with my high anxiety, and living in such a small town it is nearly impossible to get a new job. I have bills for schooling and for living, and I am reaching out for help to you guys to get this problem fixed. I thank you all very much for at least taking the time to read this.-Auston Lewis



    Auston Lewis
    United States


    Posted March 11, 2015
    My 10 year old Grandson on the spectrum ,was expelled from the private school he attends .It started in PE class he got upset over something and then went to the other side of the room .The teacher try to talk to him and he said he has ADHD ..trying to tell the teacher to give him a break to calm down .Which they agreed to do in a meeting.So 3 kids went to the principal said he said he would harm the school .The principal said to his Mother those gets a very trust worthy and took their word ,altho the teacher said she couldn't hear anything.So he expelled him .When the Mother wrote an e/mail to the principal if he heard my Grandsons side ,the Principal said no it wouldn't have made a different in the situation.The Principal has No prove to the accusation.He only took the Kids words and he himself didn't hear it either.I feel he discriminated against my Grandson for he was unfairly treated not the first time by this man.

    E White
    Rouzerville,Pa


    Posted March 3, 2015
    I'm Annie and I have autism. In fall 2012, I got a job at a small local toy store in my neighborhood. I do price tagging, stocking and organizing toys on shelves. Plus I helped the customers and I treat them like they're a family. My boss doesn't know much about autism and she understood mine for the most part. In general, work has been good and I enjoy my job. However there are downside to it with my boss. I wanted to learn to work the cash register and the computer price scanner because I wanted to develop more skills at work and I was a volunteer cashier at a volunteer job previously. I talked to my boss about about me working the cash register like everyone else, but she didn't want me to. Everyone at work gets to work the cash register and the computer price scanner, except me. Even the new workers at the toy store get to work the cash register. Not only did my boss didn't have the effort to train me to work the cash register, she never gave me chance. In the middle of 2014, my boss told me all of a sudden not to help the customers anymore. She also said my co-workers do it and if I help a customer, it would hurt their feelings. I was shocked to hear this because I helped the customers for about two years. My co-workers never had a problem of me helping the customers and they think I have great customer service. Only my boss has a problem with it, which it bothers me because I did nothing wrong. I'm the only worker in the store, who doesn't work the cash or help the customers due to my limitations from my boss. Two weeks ago, I got an email from my boss that my hours were cut and I only work once a week now for two hours. I was shocked by this and it put a toll on me. All my other co-workers didn't have their hours cut and this is unfair to me. I feel my boss is discriminating against me because I have autism and she doesn't want to deal with me anymore because my job isn't good enough for me. I work hard at my job and everyone think I'm doing wonderful. Another issue at work is there are tensions going on with my boss in the last month. She became insensitive, impatient, critical and over bearing with me. Plus when she's stressed out, she gets her anger out on me. I never see her treat my co-workers this way, except me. Today at work was rough because my boss was difficult with me. At end of my shift, she criticized me over a small mistake I made. When I apologized to her, she wasn't forgiving me. Instead, she scolded at me and was being rude to me until I left. When I got home from work, I was in tears. Right now I am sick of my boss treating me this way and I'm thinking of quitting my job. Plus I'm afraid of getting another job because this could happen again, where I have to work with a difficult boss.

    Annie Bauer
    Portland, OR


    Posted February 21, 2015
    I'm a single parent with an autistic son who turns 17 in June. I work as a long term substitute teacher. I normally do a good job of keeping our days very consistent. We have the same schedule basically, which is nice.

    I sometimes get off schedule if I'm sick or exhausted & I think this is a contributing factor to his declining behavior. Though he can have meltdowns for reasons I can't associate with anything. For 8 years he has gone with his mom 2 days every other weekend, no extended summer or holiday visits.

    I'm tired. He requires a lot of effort. No amount of attention I give him is ever enough. Lately he has turned violent, like he thinks he can & should fight. I hate this for several reasons. My dad used to kick my ass a lot, so I've never spoken to my son in the way my dad did, he would challenge me to a fight over nothing. I don't know where this comes from, I'm not a fighter, I've been in a few fights my entire life. I am also worried he'll do this aggressive thing with someone in the world & get his ass kicked really bad.
    What bothers me the most is his short fuse where if I say or do anything that isn't understood an outburst might ensue which means he can might try & attack me. As if I'm his enemy. All the laundry, cooking, cleaning, & constant helping are hardly appreciated.

    The local non-profit support organization is the RCRC or Redwood Coast Regional Center. We've had zero respite care in years. No behaviorist in 8 months either. Obviously his behavior isn't their fault but services sure do help. As a single parent I cannot give any more than I do. I cannot adhere to a strict inflexible schedule & get everything I need to do without being adaptable. I need help, but there is none.

    Eric



    Posted February 18, 2015
    My son, Johnny, is 13 years old and attends Middle School in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. He attends eight grade. He is on the Autism Spectrum. He has a one-on-one aide who assists him in school. His aide was absent yesterday, 2/17/2015, and my son apparently passed a note to another student and was suspended from school for 3 days. My son has never physically nor verbally hurt anyone. He has been bullied in the past at the middle school and the school was made aware and never punished those students.
    He profusely apologized to the principal, the staff, and the student. He was looking forward to going on a field trip today to a museum with the other eight graders. He is distraught and remorseful for what he did.
    He is also failing some of his classes. The middle school and Linda Mood Bell have assessed him and both agree that he has difficulty processing information. We have asked for help from the middle school and they have neglected to provide him with the specialized help that he needs.
    I truly feel the punishment was extremely harsh. He has been crying all day. He feels terrible.

    Theresa
    Rancho Palos Verdes, CA


    Posted February 17, 2015
    I can not find a home health agency in Northern Kentucky that will accept the Michelle P. Medicaid waiver payment for respite. I do not understand why they are not making reasonable accommodations to serve the developmentally and/or intellectually disabled population who receive this waiver.

    Veronica
    Butler KY


    Posted February 15, 2015
    Hi my name is natalie.My daughter deish has ppd autism.on december 23 my daughter had climb out of her stroller when we were walking to the store and went into the road and was hit by.by a car.Ilooked over to grab her i was to late.At the hospital upon her realse was a meeting set up with her dad and myself regaurding where she was gonna stay during recovery.when i arrived my daughter dad and cps were there.i was told that they would be making her awArdof. The court but but living at her dads.The reason i couldnt have her was cause of nelgect since injuries.Its been a nightmare with court dates no visits.Her dad and cps dont have in school and nothing is being done about it I have her in private school finally it took 3years to get her into .AT Meeting i told not to screw up her private schooling my moving her out of district.They told me
    Would not dp that In the meantime my parents own my home .Where we live i told cps .They turned around And my parents number to my daughters dad who has a cps record It has caused me to go court and now homeless.what can i do now .Please i know not having my home is a is the worst thing it could be for the timing But i cant give up now .i am at pre trial alreAdy .My next court date is coming up.please help desperate and heartbroken from one mother to another please god bles natalie lemieux

    natalie lemieux
    phx az 85022


    Posted February 13, 2015
    I'm a health science instructor with a student (senior in high school) recently diagnosed with Autism and Aspergers. Our students are required to attend clinicals in a local hospital. This particular student became fixated on a newborn in the NICU. Against our rules, the student went to the hospital on a Saturday to see the baby. She was stopped by nurses and we were contacted. The hospital has since barred the student from areas of the hospital w patient contact due to safety coming first. Along with the district's SPED Dept, we worked out a plan for other areas in the hospital for her to gain her clinical hours. This student is no doubt obsessed with this particular newborn. The parents are fighting for her to have patient contact again by threatening to sue the hospital for discrimination.. I feel the student cannot be trusted just as risk mgmt feels in the hospital setting. Patient safety is first. We have gone above and beyond under the rules of the hospital and the student's IEP. We are at a wall and are now facing this clinical privilege being taken away from our other 79 students. At what point is the parent held responsible for realizing what is appropriate for their child and what is not? She cannot tolerate the stressors presented in this environment and has had no behavioral therapy or any other therapy to our knowledge. We teach in fear every day with the weight of being targeted sitting firmly on our shoulders. This student has no place in this program due to the safety risks which are obvious. It should be said I am trained and experienced with the behavioral issues that come with this territory. We are well trained in managing Autism spectrum. Let me say, autism is alive and well in my own family. I am not oblivious. I receive my phone call on a nightly basis at 8:04:36 p.m. from my beloved 43 yr old cousin who has been referred to lovingly as our own "rain man". I've known it my entire life, even before a diagnosis. My family would have never allowed such situations to occur. What is the right answer? Do our other students have the right to fight for their education? Where do we, as educators, draw the line? I'm so afraid for all of our futures.

    Lynn Lyles
    Senatobia, MS


    Posted February 9, 2015
    https://www.change.org/p/federal-department-of-transportation-amend-the-acaa-for-autism-air-travel-for-all-equally

    Beth & Vivie
    NYC, NY


    Posted February 6, 2015
    My son is 22 now. He works with voc rehab in our state. He has had 4 jobs that haven't worked out. I would just like to know if there are any companies that will hire & work with people who are on the spectrum.

    D'Anne
    SLC,Utah


    Posted February 6, 2015
    Help my 8 year old granddaughter has started undressing at school. She has autism, bipolar,days. Please help

    Deborah Rosen
    Ofallon. missouri


    Posted February 4, 2015
    Hi my name is Lisa. I am a single self employed mom of 2 boys 11 and 13. My youngest was diagnosed at the age of 2nd with cerebral palsy and recently with sensory deficit disorder. His doctor says he also shows signs of autism. I have for many years now been battling with the grand erie district school board on my sons legal rights to be provided an education which he deserves but apparently nobody is qualified to do so. In the past i have been threatened with modified school days so i transferred him to a different school thinking a change might be good. My son can not speak verbally so gets agitated quickly when not understood. Since march break of last year he has been at his new school which seemed to be going well and now he's back to bad behaviors again:( Last week the principal suspended him for his behaviors for 2 days then suspended him for the rest of the week. I have had children's aid society working with me to assist in getting help on this issue and nothing has panned out as of yet! If this board can not teach my son somebody needs to but who?????? I am currently waiting to hear back from a human rights lawyer to discuss this matter. If i was an unfit mother and just decided to not send my children to school i would be arrested but the school can kick him out day after day? Ridiculous!!!!! I hope to seek justice on my sons behalf for discrimination on his pyshical and mental abilities and also 13th pain and suffering it has caused my family and i. If u are thinking of becoming a special needs teacher or assistant in the future make sure u are cut out for the work !!!!!!! Its grwat that everywhere ive turned for help has not been able to do so!!!!!

    Lisa
    canfield,ontario


    Posted February 3, 2015
    Searching on google on violence towards autistic people only gives you articles talking about how autistic people are violent monsters. The actual hate that a lot of autistic people face is severly erased to allow people to believe autism is the boogeyman.

    Mio
    Helsingborg


    Posted January 31, 2015
    Please someone help my Autistic daughter in a group home in Tenn I ask to change RPD and beause I wanted it done the director is like a child couldn't get her right to keep the ruthless RPD We got court otters to go to court and they DiDD of Tenn is trying to take our daughters rights saying she can't ask for a drink tell what she wants to eat and the Dr. signed this and they put in the court order that the conserter can control who visits her and DiDD making false acusation against us as parents that is not true so I called the Autism society and they gave me a no that made issues worse. Tenn is a buddy buddy system so everything is against us as older parents.

    Shirley Miller
    LaFollette Tenn


    Posted January 19, 2015
    I was in high school with Autism. I have seen students with special needs get mercilessly picked on by regular students on a regular basis. High school students there are pretty mature about it, but when you get to the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders... God.

    Now, I was in a school that treated special needs kids very well, but when it came to other students, especially if that kid is trying to integrate to regular ed, they'll jump you... Crap, if you stood out in anyway they'll jump you. I, and a handful of kids worst off than me went through it. There wasn't a single day we didn't get picked on.

    Good luck if your taking a regular bus, you'll be lucky if you manage to get a seat without a group of douches picking on you. I was tempted of snapping a girl's leg at one point because of her treatment towards me, blocked my way towards the back. Oh, and you better not say anything in retaliation either. One cuss word out of me; straight to the principal office! Forget that everyone else were saying things worst than what you said out of anger, you did something out of line.

    I was lucky. I went to a school that tried to accommodate me and my special needs. I know that other special need kids in these other school will not be so lucky. They may not have loving parents like I have, or were taught by loving teachers like I was. States today are trying to change that, in fact it's a lot better than it was years ago.

    For those who are trying to raise someone with special needs, hang in there and seek help. Let that child that you love them.




    H
    Louisiana


    Posted January 19, 2015
    My name is Gregory and I am a 33 year old male with fully functional autism and I want to share my story. I have been dismissed, denied,discouraged and disrespected due to my autism. I get told that I am coldblooded,inappropriate, inadequate, inaccurate and idiotic. I have been put down, cut down, chewed out and screamed at for being different than most people. I am not a monosyllabic person when I answer a question someone asked me because I was confused about the saying "It's just a real simple yes or no question" To make matters worse, the reason I don't smile or smirk in pictures is because I had my "nervous smile" slapped out of me when I was a little kid so hard to the point to where I had nerve damage around my face leaving me with me an angry look. People would get nose to nose in my face telling me to fix my face and I was also told to not look at people if I talked to them because I have a boggle eyed stare (which is because I lost vision in my left eye due to conjunctivitis aka pink eye). I lost my mother who was my rock of Gibraltar in 1997 and she was my autistic whisperer as she taught me people skills, how to read and write and she stood up for me no matter what. I have bad emotional outbursts if my routine gets interrupted or I have to do something different that I don't like to

    Gregoru
    corpus christi,texas


    Posted January 16, 2015
    My autistic and developmentally delayed daughter is 12, and is 5 ft 5 inc, and 164 lbs. The weight is from the Resperidone and Tennex. Both of these drugs she takes to control her extreme aggression. She is getting in home services from CT DDS and goes to a special needs school. As she is getting older her aggression at home has become out of control. She is constantly punching , pinching, head butting and scratching me and others. It's become so bad at home, I have to hide in the basement from her. I can't physically restrain her, my husband still manages, although, he looks like he is ready to drop . We are not young parents so this is extremely physically and emotionally taking a major toll on us as well as our relationship. We are trying to get help from medication management with psychiatrist so far with limited control. My child's intellect is very low and emotionally she is a 3 or 4 r old. I am to the point where I want to call 911 when this is happening and just let them take her, but my husband tries to handle it here. DDS of CT has a long wait list for group homes and it is extremely difficult to get her on the list. CT has continually cut the DDS budget. Life is getting unbearably hard here at home. Sometimes I think, just run away from it all! And find Peace. Yale has an autism child center however, they don't except insurance, strictly cash. So what good are they, Yale as a psychiatric center for children , who does take Husky however, after on a couple of months trying to stabilize my childs medication, they have pushed us out the door and gave us names of 3 other places who take Husky and DDS kids who are autistic. I found one on this list that would take her and she was put on the list with a 3 month wait. Now we are almost near her appointment date. I just hope they can help her and us. This is my nightmare life. When do I wake up from it?


    sue
    ansonia ct


    Posted January 15, 2015
    I am 29 years old I graduated from high school in 2004. I've tried doing so many things and have faild every time I end up needing help but couldn't get any so I end up giving up. I am now trying to learn a religion called daoism but haven't had any luck I started with books, videos and chatrooms and when that didn't work I started looking for a teacher but there aren't any in the US who teach religios daoism only martial arts. I've also looked into going back to school to take an asian studies course but I'd don't know how I'm poor and don't have the money. I was tried raising the money to go to teacher in china but faild because every one in the Facebook group I was in overwhelmed me with what they think I should do. every one think that because it is a simple religion that I it should be easy to learn but it's not for me and I do need a teacher but no one will help me. in stead they keep telling me I should give up and do something else and I don't want to because I've given up on so many of my other dreams when they got hard to do . people also keep telling that I don't need a teacher they also don't under stand why I want to become a priest after learning every thing I can but I haven't been able to learn any thing at all because no one will help me and I an getting depressed about it. I don't know what to do.

    Nathan leblanc
    fitchburg mass


    Posted January 8, 2015
    When I was 12 I was expelled from school and arrested for having a meltdown in the school counselor's office over a change in routine. My meltdowns are very physical and can look violent, but I have never attacked another person while having one. The counselor "felt threatened" and sent me into the system.

    Years later, working at a McDonald's, I was fired, also for having a meltdown, also over a change in routine. I didn't know anything about recourse for workers with disabilities at the time, however I did ask them to "promise me" when they said I would not be fired and they did; I was suspended and spent no time looking for a job despite a complete lack of income because in my mind, I had a job, I was just waiting to go back. They brought me back for a meeting at the end of the suspension only to tell me that I was fired after all.

    I have since found a niche working as a support person for adults with disabilities, but even in this job, which should be compassionate, I have had problems. Last year, I disclosed my autism to a new administrator while I was seeking advocacy. I did not have a meltdown but came close and exhibited stimming behaviors and obsessive patterns because I was stressed about something. I was then placed on a "leave" which lasted nearly two months, most of it unpaid, while I was forced to get new documentation of my diagnosis (I was originally diagnosed in childhood), despite having no insurance and no money, resulting in a bill I couldn't pay, and much deliberation over ADA accommodations, many of the ones they decided on being basically just rules for me about what I am not allowed to do (e.g. if I have a meltdown at work I have to calm myself in ten minutes or go home, and I have to use my PTO if I leave so it's basically punishment, not help). I was finally reinstated but the worst part was how, when I was suspended, I was escorted off the grounds and told that I could not be on the property during the leave, as if I were some kind of criminal.

    Gabriel
    Atlanta, GA


    Posted January 6, 2015
    Back in September 2014 I realized my wife was not committing to taking care of our son fully and now with her being out of the equation since my son has been diagnosed with Autism/adhd and he is only 3. Between his mood swings and extreme outburst which tend to happen daily had him removed from the daycare I put him in and not a single daycare center/ or private will take him. Even most of my family do not want to really take him and is a continuous fight with them to have him watched. I am currently at risk to lose my job cause I am about to totally lose a sitter for him. The less hours being a single father are already sinking us financially and he is getting on board with a TSS/Counselor/ center based counseling and his IU13 needs which are getting more disruptive to me working. I honestly don't know at this point what sets him off but when he goes totally off he is self harmful to himself (hitting, throwing himself down on ground, screaming, even slapping himself in on his head). At this point I have no where to turn considering I may not even have an income even though it is getting less and less for taking care of him.

    Chris
    Lititz, PA


    Posted January 2, 2015
    I have two sons on the spectrum. Both have college degrees and both graduated with honors. This is the reason my 20 something sons are having difficulty in the working world. They look good on paper but when they get the job are either fired or quit after about a year. My question mostly concerns my 25 year old right now. He has never had friends (still doesn't)and has difficulty communicating his thoughts without sounding demanding or angry. He scared his last boss to fire him immediately.

    My question is this: Should I tell his present boss that he autistic? He is already having problems with co-workers and bosses. He doesn't want anyone to know his is on the spectrum but I feel it would be better if his present boss knows about his disability. The way things are going he will be fired from this nationally known company for inability to get along with co-workers. He takes his work very seriously and does not know how to have fun or even just small talk. He is very good looking, and smarter than most and this is the problem...he talks down to people and gets angry at times.

    Mary M Kirpes
    tucson, AZ


    Posted December 30, 2014
    My daughter has autism and is in a group home and they are refusing to let her speak and scaring her to say things because she said she wanted to leave and be where I could visit her.

    Shirley Miller
    LaFollette Tenn


    Posted December 29, 2014
    I have Aspergers and I feel I have fallen through the cracks all my life and was never given a fair chance to meet my full potential. In my youth, I went to special needs schools and was never accepted into mainstream schools. I now have two undergraduate degrees and am very frustrated with the employment world.
    I was a psychology major and the head of the psychology department was weary about me doing an internship because of my aspergers because I could be a liability. I pushed her to let me. At the internship I did for my senior year in college, I was babied by my supervisor and given less hours and free reign than the rest of my peers. Also the internship had nothing to do with my major. The first couple of jobs I had I felt I faced some sort of discrimination. At one school I worked at was the special needs school I went to for children with autism. The principal did not want to hire students who used to go to that school for the school year. That was what I heard second hand. But I worked in the summers. Also I was a TSS and once I disclosed my aspergers, the recruiter immediately had me work as a floater at a special needs school with less responsibilities than a TSS solely because of my aspergers. I h It seems any more, how well one does on the personality test or job interview are like the bouncers to get into any job. I was hired at a special needs camp because they were looking for autistic counselors who would make good liasons between the autistic campers and neurotypical counselors. However, after I worked for two summers there, they decided I was emotionally draining because of too many check ins, too many questions etc etc that many people on the spectrum deal with. I fight hard to break those habits in certain situations.
    I went through the system of getting job support and told them I had aspergers, but a lot of the jobs they helped me with was jobs that require good social skills, and doing things very fast, and multitasking. I am capable of doing all those things but not up to speed as what people seem to demand. I felt people were trying to conform me. Every job even the bagging job and the ones I felt like I could be a good fit for I was turned down for until I was hired at this job at a store for three hours a week. But they mostly had me do mental tasks in the back away from customers. I got along fine with customers. My boss refused to train me to do cashier because her business was not going well and ended up cutting my hours. I quit the job and went and found a job on my own without a job coach and found a part time job in a preschool which is going well. I went to some driving schools. A few instructors gave up on me because of my aspergers and one was verbally abusive because of it. I reported the abusive instructor. I am so guarded because I feel being marginalized and taken advantage of is a way of life for me and desperately want get out of the trap. I do not want to live as a liability and burden to society. I can learn those things and flourish when I am given a chance. I have proved it at my job, classes, and volunteer gigs.

    Casey Munch
    Philadelphia


    Posted December 17, 2014
    I read online the HRC uses funding from Autism research is this true? They voted I cannot visit my Autistic daughter that I had to put in a group home by being fasley Acused and she is adult and I cannot visit her home and have call restrictions. How do I protect her???? I am 64 not able to take care of her but would like to see she is taken care of. She signed a form for me to know about her health they the agency family focuse is not trying to help me.

    Shirley Miller
    LaFollette Tenn


    Posted December 12, 2014
    My son Riley is turning 5 years old Febuary, he is suspected to have autism. There are a ton of red flags. He has not yet been diagnosed due to insurence purposes. He is non verbal and doesn't understand much.
    Me, Riley, my son Rowan, and my boyfriend Tyler all live in a 2 bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor.
    In our apartment complex there is a quiet time which starts starts at 10pm and ends 8am each day. In those quiet time hours you are supposed to remain quet, no loud noises, no laundry going in those hours. If someone is bothered by noises you are making in these hours they can call security on you and you will receive a complaint that the landlord will see the next day. I've had security called on me numerous times regurarding my son Riley. Recently I got a 10 day notice or vacate on my door regurarding to Riley crying at quiet time hours. Riley sometimes gets frustrated he cries, he wines, hits and screams. There is nothing I can do but try and calm him. It doesn't always work sometimes me trying to calm him just makes the situation worse. I can't control when Riley decides to have these outbursts.
    I talked to my landlord explaining to her that Riley is special needs and I can't make him stop crying. Her response to me was that I'm responsible for every tenant in my house and responsible for the noise that they make. It's considered disturbing the peace. i really think that is unfair. I'm getting threatened to be kicked out for my special needs son crying? This is something I can help, nor can he. I really don't know what to do. I'm at risk for loosing my home because my autistic son crying sometimes at night at quiet time hours. I really don't know what to do at this point.

    Brianna
    Vancouver, washington


    Posted December 8, 2014
    my 10 yr daughter with low function autism was suffering from Pneumonia, i called ahead to the medical center in ELMA WA and made them aware that there was a VERY sick handicap girl about to arrive and that getting her into the the hospital was impossible due to her being combative and have a great fear of hospitals, i asked if a doctor could do her eval in the lobby, the staff told me that she had to walk into the back rooms, she Refused and Screamed and fought i asked again, can a doctor please just come out and see her out in the lobby. they told me "i don't know what to tell you buddy" i told them to think about what she was feeling and they said ... WE CANT HELP YOU, and that a doctor "probably" wouldn't come out so they refused to even ask, we left and she received ZERO treatment i want to know what i can do so NO other parent gets turned away like this due to LACK of exp with handicaps

    David Gakin
    Aberdeen WA





    Posted December 6, 2014
    My son is 16 and I pushed for him to be able to quit school this year. He fell behind in 2nd grade when I was forced to medicate him for adhd. The meds only depressed him. In his zombie-like state, his teachers were happy to not be bothered and continued to pass him despite straight Fs. His iep was useless and the increased autonomy of Jr high caused him to feel stupid and lost. He was constantly being ridiculed but was unable to articulate the words he needed to express himself. His favorite response to everyone was "I didn't know". I pleaded w/his Dr that something more was going on with him and was referred to a so called specialist who asked my son 3 questions, one being, "what do a train and a bicycle have in common". My sons response that they were both transportation as opposed to they both have wheels, was an average response and the specialist told me to put him in military school because he was only immature and needed structure. I said to he'll with doctors and took him off the stimulants because his growth was being stunted and he was bullied for being "weird" and very small. Age 14, onset of puberty was terrifing for him because he didn't understand what was going on in his body. I was worried he was going crazy. He had to be institutionalized because highschool caused massive panic attacks and the school kept calling me to come get him. He was then diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, Relational Disorder, BiPolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Depression and Mood Disorder and prescribed antipsychotics. Side effects were horrible and he was noncompliant with no improvement. I took him off the meds and insisted he has a form of autism, but no one is listening. He is super sensitive and I felt like I was being cruel forcing him to go to school where he was ridiculed by staff and students. I've gotta figure out a plan for him to get his GED soon but am happy to say he is much easier to live with now there's no school and slot happier. I still can't get him to comply with everyday demands or take any kind of responsibility whatsoever. Asking his to rinse his bowl is a battle I cannot win unless he is motivated to do so. He's always been this way. When younger, I knew he was different when no amount of instruction, pleading or demanding could motivate him. He was in his own little world, preferring to be left alone with legos. Talking wasn't a priority for him either. He would rather point and grunt. I had given up on getting him diagnose, but was worried how he would make it on his own. To everyone else, he appears normal (withdrawn), shy, but myself, my 2 daughters and husband know that he is not exactly normal. I only stumbled across Pathological Demand Avoidance while researching for my brother. I felt validated when I read the diagnostic criteria and hopeful that there is at least management techniques for us, and a community who shares similar experiences. I'm letting go of the guilt for failing my son. I don't feel like I'm going crazy anymore. I was feeling I was just must be unable to cope with my child who fell through the cracks. Then the system that failed, points their fingers right back at me insisting my child is normal which to me, translates to "you're doing something wrong".

    Amy Shaffer
    Minden, LA


    Posted December 5, 2014
    I am a Mother with a Son who has PDD/Autism. I am also an Author. Recently My Publisher and Editor In Chief came to me with a proposal to Use my Son for Marketing Purposes to show that His Company Had a Heart By Raising Autism Awareness with my son. I believe in Autism Awareness, I have Advocated for my son for many years, he has a speech impediment and is socially awkward, and often times if I don't speak for him no one will. MY editor then suggested to create a Freak type anthology featuring my son's story. I naturally told him My son has Autism and is not a Freak.No One with Autism or any other Disability should be labeled a Freak. After My refusal to allow the company to profit from my son's Autism, I have been discharged. We must be ever vigilant in protecting those with Autism from Exploitation.

    Lisa Dabrowski
    Lorain, Ohio


    Posted December 1, 2014
    My grandson who is 3y old has non verbal autism he goes to nursery monday to friday and has been alocated a helper for 1hr each day on several days the helper has not been there and my daughter has collected him and he has been upset what can i do i thought if he was given the helper he or she should be there

    Fiona
    scotland


    Posted November 20, 2014
    Im a mother with aspergers and I was falsely accused of not being able to raise or take care of my newborn baby boy and I would do anything to get that right back I just don't know how long it would take to get them to see that I can do anything every normal person can even take care of a kid as well as myself so if anyone could help me I would appreciate the help with my case so that I can get my son back

    Misty R Smith
    Salem , Mo 65560


    Posted November 17, 2014
    I was fasley acused of abuse about 2 yrs ago I had to put my daughter in the group home because the Didd APS ask for me to let her go for 30 days then now I can't go to my daughters group home. So I got Email from my daughters isc saying Shirley Miller can't visit her daughters group home. My daughter was crying but I didn't know why so I called her RPD and she said my daughter was fine but I say my daughters is crying because she knew she better sign this form. We bought are daughter anything she wanted or needed this is not happening now. She came last week to visit us and did not have her coats that we bought so it was a heated meeting. Theses agency has to much power over Special needs kids / adults.

    Shirley Miller
    LaFollette Tenn


    Posted November 17, 2014
    My teacher as I walked into the class moved me to the front of the class and I thought nothing of it until I asked them my teacher told me it was because of my ADHD and that this is what everyone with adhd does in his class he moves them to the front and then when I tried explaining that I work better with my friends he wouldn't even give me a chance i have done nothing wrong but he has singled me out just because I have adhd is this descrimination?

    Jack whitty
    Flintshire


    Posted November 9, 2014
    To Mother Conserned in MD,

    I'm in New Mexico, I'm a mother with Aspergers, raising two daughters with Aspergers.

    But I'd like to help.

    One thing I suggest you do is to go to your clergy, they might have more resources than the three links I just found.....................

    http://advocatesforspecialeducation.com/find_maryland.html

    http://www.mdpirc.org/advocacy_groups.php

    http://www.abc4lifesuccess.com/

    Hang in there, you can connect with me on my facebook page if you like. I'm the one who does pine needle baskets.

    Oh I almost forgot Facebook has online support groups for those of us, with Autism and Aspergers and even groups for parents raising kids with Autism and Aspergers. Sometimes they have links, and resources that will far exceed anything I can post online.



    Debra Steinman
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted November 9, 2014
    To Jerrilyn Chee of Phoenix, AZ

    Of course your 'team' wants everything to be Hush, hush. They don't want everyone 'else' to know that they are discriminating against your child, and working to make that child fail.

    Please know that you aren't alone.

    http://www.azed.gov/special-education/

    http://www.acdl.com/New%20Logo%20Guides/SE2%20Guide%20English%20New%20Logo.pdf

    I would suggest that you go to these links, and go to that meeting with a advocate so that you and your child will be 'protected'. I would also let the advocate know about the obstructionism displayed by the school district.

    You and your child have rights, and they can not be summarily dismissed.

    All my prayers are with you, and your family.

    Debra Steinman
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted November 9, 2014
    To Shari Pharo

    I forgot to include this link. I believe that it can help you, and you can contact WI department of Labor board and tell them what was done to your son.

    http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/

    Debra Steinman
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted November 9, 2014
    To Shari Pharo of Johnson's Creek, WI.

    Please know that what McDonald's did to your son is a violation of the American's with Disabilities Act, and can possibly (as McDonald's said it wasn't their problem that your son had 'issues') be a violation of the Hate crimes law.

    I urge you to go to the ACLU and tell them what happened to your boy.

    Although, they haven't pursued many cases involving people with Aspergers; it seems to me that you may have a strong case.

    Even if they refuse to help you, you can contact the labor board and file a complaint with them (I would urge you to do this even if the ACLU 'does' help you).

    What was done to your son (with the mgmt team knowing his issues) was inexcusable.

    All my prayers are with you. Never forget that your son has the same rights as anyone else in this nation.

    Debra Steinman
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted November 9, 2014
    T, MO

    I am sorry that you're going through this. And that the school is unwilling to deal with your son. The answer is ... you have to be your son's advocate. That means 'you' must go to the school, and demand a emergency IEP (I would strongly suggest that you bring a lawyer or a Autism Advocate with you).

    You must demand a IEP, and insist on proper accommodations for your child. In MO, they are supposed to have accommodations for your child. And it seems like they are refusing to grant them to you.

    http://education.missouri.edu/orgs/parentlink/Parents%20of%20children%20with%20Special%20Needs.php

    I found this link. I hope it helps you. FYI in refusing to accommodate your son, they are also in violation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). So I would absolutely call a lawyer and demand that this school comes to heal with the ADA act (instead of refusing to do their jobs as educators.) ... in assigning one on one assistants, quiet places when he has melt downs etc..... and so forth.

    Remember in this age where those of us with Aspergers, and Autism are considered to be freaks and pariahs ...thanks to universities who take it upon their selves to disregard years of proven research and results to say we have a mental illness (when in fact it's a neurological disorder (making it a learning disorder)) you must advocate for your child. Because if you do not, no one else will.

    Debra Steinman



    Posted November 7, 2014
    my son was shoved through the system due to no child left behind he learned at his level and he is autistic ,he has an iep but when schools wont comply or teachers lie and say he is fine ( then you get report card and he has f"s or d"s by the way they assume a d is good enough , i fought them monthly and got no where he was passed with a 1.6 gpa i fought them he is now in a 12 + program because instead of teaching my child anything he can live with ( go onto college or get a good paying job ) they put him to work in goodwill ( called it a work program ) all they did was exploit him and used him to further their money , they never addressed any transition services . now 3 years later and wanting to go to college his gpa is holding him back ,i have fought them and reread his ieps they wont do new one they keep going off a 6th grade eval he lost 3 years of schooling 90 hours in a work program and lost all he had learned in school do not let them put your child in a work study or program .to get ahead and your child the learning he deserves contact a disabilities cordnator in your state also look into wrights law they are lawyers who know the schools are lieing and will do little to nothing to help your child achieve .they think working at goodwill is all he /she will amount to so why help them .thank you , amanda

    amanda clark
    sioux city iowa


    Posted November 1, 2014
    my child got suspended from school for writing death to america on a best friends notebook.he has aspergers they said he induced panick im fighting it,he has never evan had a detention in his whole life and is now a senior.they're juding him hashly because of recent events in other schools,he never recieved a warning for anything in his life and boom suspenion,this is not right,i need to find a way to fight for his rights.

    Jody Lopez
    United States


    Posted October 30, 2014
    Hello,
    I'm 26 years old and I have Asperger's Syndrome. Growing up was very difficult. I was bullied a lot, and my school had this horrible policy of bullying. They said, "If somebody is hitting you ignore them and they will eventually stop." That is creating victims. The school did nothing, so one day I snapped and broke the kid's nose. I got suspended and no one bullied me again. I started working when I was 16. My second job came after I graduated high school, at a place called Papa Gino's. It's a chain in New England. I worked at the store in Newburyport, MA. It was stressful, customers where rude, but he management was the worst. Shortly after I told them I have Asperger's one manager kept telling me he would promote me IF I let him sleep with my mom. He kept doing it for a year. He did it in front the entire staff. They thought it was funny. I have a lot of allergies, and my General manager thought it was hilarious threaten my by saying that he would shove Guinea pigs down my throat if I make any mistakes. They kept claiming I could not make any of the food because of lack of experience and my allergies, which was bull crap because they just let any idiot off the street make the food. So one day I pried the truth out of the manager who kept "offering" me a promoting. He flipped out and said I'm not allowed to touch the food because of my Asperger's syndrome. I called another manager on his level and told her I quit. She talked me out of it and said she would take care of it. I had my doubts and suspected that she was lying. Two weeks later I got a call from my General Manager. He claimed that I was plotting to use my Autistic disorder to sexually harass the new girl they hired. He went on saying said girl filed the complaint and that she also claimed that I was plotting mass murder, and that I was banned from the store until further notice. After almost suffering a nervous break down I quit. I filed a complaint with the corporate office, which they just brushed under the rug. A few years went by and I was still angry of how I was treated, so I submitted a second complaint. I sent a very angry email to the corporate office, and after a few months of phone tag I spoke to somebody in Human Resources. I told them My story, what you read here, and they started an investigation of my GM. I heard nothing back again, but I saw his position was open on a job site. Needless to say, I got him fired.

    Anonymous
    Amebury, MA


    Posted October 27, 2014
    Hi I have a 14 year old daughter. In the past 3 years she has attempted suicide 3 times because of bullying and unsuitable classes. I have been fighting with the schools and getting nowhere. I need help to help my child. She go through harassment every day and the teachers thinks it's no big deal do to my draughts lack of emotion. They steal from her they call her names they tease her they have gone as far to say why don't you do it right next time so we don't have to see your retarted face anymore. Talking about her attempted suicides. I cannot get the school to do anything. She has an IEP. But it a joke. They have her in regular classes that set her up for failure. Because the noises in the. class room Pervent her from listening to the teacher. The bullies will set right beside her and the teacher does nothing. They almost act like they hate having her in their classroom. This school has nothing set up for functioning autism children. I am at a lost as to what I can do for my child. Please help. Thanks you.





    Posted October 24, 2014
    My sister in law has a low functioning, non verbal , non potty trained, 15 year old autistic boy Kenny, whom we love dearly. She has also been recently diagnosed with MS, and is a recent widow. A veritable trifecta of bad luck. Like a lot of other autistic children, Kenny gets noisy despite any & all attempts by his mother to quiet him. She has moved 4 times in the past few years in order to placate her less than empathetic neighbors, and now it looks like it's time to pull up stakes again due to her present neighbors complaining about her autistc child's outbursts. It seems that the consensus view is that parents of autistic children should be doomed to living a nomadic lifestyle to accommodate the more fortunate folk. Be ashamed people. Be very ashamed.

    Stephen j Mcgann
    Massapequa ny


    Posted September 24, 2014
    My son is six, in grade one, he has autism and is legally blind, he is very affectionate and fairly mild tempered. I am a working single mom striving for my ticket in welding, I have been searching for a daycare or dayhome or stay at home mom who can provide before and after school care for him for an hour and a half on the am and a half hour in the pm, I have all the funding in order for him to receive any funds for special help as per issues in his environment and EVERY single form of care in Edmonton's south side has said no. There is plenty of space when I call and say he's six, he has bus services, then when they meet him and I say its autism they act like I said I brought u the plague. My most notable observation in all of this is that I have not seen one autistic child yet, it seems that they are kept away at home hidden in shame because of their behavior in public. I am told by many families of autism that they make great efforts to ensure that there is a family member at home at all times with them when not in school or drs offices. If we all hide our children away in safety and fear they will not get the exposure they desperately need but the public gets no exposure to us! go to the park, flap your hands, enjoy the sun, play with other kids, its what being a kid is all about. My son won't judge you for being "typical" and predictable so why should anyone judge him for being different. None of us got to choose our bodies, parents or conditions to burdened with, I could have just as easily been born autistic.

    jessie
    edmonton, alberta


    Posted September 18, 2014
    My son was recently diagnosed with Asperger's att school (July 2014). We've been having a lot of behavioral issues since he started 9th grade and most of it was triggered when he fell in love with this girl who is 2years his senior. At first she was enjoying the attention but soon felt uncomfortable and reported it to the school authority. We didn't know about this report that a certain officer spoke to my son and told him "she" feels uncomfrtable near him. Of course my son didn't mention it to us. As far as i know it he didn't really anything to make her feel this way. Of course he told some people about his love for this girl. Now my problem is, starting last week he's been missing school again..Just didn't want to go back again. He said people talk about him..Of course it seems the girls told a lot of people that he was stalking her. He's frustration he brings at home. There's this non stop arguement to make him come back to school. Last Monday during our meeting with the IEP personnel and other staff, I saw him at the hallway.. He was so glad to see and and what a concidence that we saw the girl too. I guess he had the courage to finally ask for her number and he introduced her to us. We realized that night that she gave him an invalid number which made him so sad and disappointed, not wanting to go back to school again..Since we are told that not going to school in not an option that we can seek the help of police to pick him up or just scare him enough to go back to school..So police came, made him more angry and he punched the wall. he calmed down and went to school but just spent the day in her admin office. next day he won't go again.He went the next day but talked to the admin again and admin said he needed to be picked up bec he verbalized he wanted to hurt himself. The school called the police and ambulance. We went to the hospital but he was cleared. MD said he's not going to harm himself not other people. All i know is the talk he did with the admin is for him to make them probably let the girl and my son have a talk. he thought that they will think him talking to this girl will make him go back to school. The real problem now is a police officer called us. He claimed that the mother of the girl filed for a restraining order for my son not to be near her daughter. We asked what made them do this? because he didn't do anything to her. he doesnt even see her a lot anymore. Police said we will receive a letter from the Juvenile court. We called the school and asked them about it. They said they know about it but its up to the parents. My concern is that i feel that the school and the police had a breach of information and told the Mom about whats going on in our household which doesnt really affect her daughter. My son never hurt anyone nor hurt himself. he's a very sweet boy. And now the school even called us saying since this is homecoming week and she's running for homecoming queen, it would be best if my doesnt doesnt come and attend. They even told us today that the school can't handle our sona nymore and now referring to CIEP. They just diagnosed him July this year, it's only September and now it feels like they dont want my son anymore in that school. I feel there's a huge discrimination issue here. they wanted my son, my Aspie son who they diagnosed to adjust.. I told them we're the normal ones supposedly and you all wanted him out of the school to protect the girl who is the "normal" one? Now my son doesnt want to go back to school. Now he has to face the judge for doing what? I feel lost.

    ness escala
    Laurel


    Posted September 12, 2014
    I have a child with Aspergers and the school keeps calling me to pick him up because of unsafe behaviour and giving him "at home detention" what do I do? He is very well behaved at home however school seems to trigger him. How can he do well in school if they keep sending him home.
    I need help!



    T
    mo


    Posted September 4, 2014
    are there any schools that take children with autism that will actually help them? i have been trying to find one for many years now. I don't have excessive amount of money a yr for specialty schools but i need help. my child cant do regular school or classes and basic special ed is still too much for her. She can't handle so many kids in a school & the noises in a setting like a regular / normal school. Is there someone we could hire to home school instead? How do we go about doing that or finding a fitting placement for her?

    mother concerned.
    MD


    Posted August 15, 2014
    I just received a call from my six year old son Noah's one and one aid.. He tells me he got fired..After months with my son, they let him go for writing notes and goals and getting ready for Mondays parent meeting on a copy of the IEP..The most important info on the sentence is COPY!It doesn't begin here.. I've struggle with this school through kindergarten.. I've wrote letters to the District office for my sons constant suspension.. And heard a teacher was dicriminating behaviour toward my son..And teacher and aid tells me Principle wants things to be hush hush when I walk in.Next Mondays IEP meeting the school is determine to push my son out the school to a class off campus which they call a Behaviour Controlled Class..And Im doing everything I can keep my son in the general class.. When will some one turn an ear to listen and offer support for DISCRIMINATION.

    Jerrilyn Chee
    Phoenix,Az


    Posted August 3, 2014
    our son has { asphbergers and adhd} . he is a great kid. we CHOSE this little guy through adoption,when he was 5 weeks old. we KNEW when we adopted him he would have some long term issues.we KNEW however he was our child. we had already adopted a daughter ,she was 2 when we brought him home.we dealt with " withdrawels" with our newly adopted son for approx, 9 to 10 months. he had challenges as a small child { mostly behavioral} , we homeschooled our kids ,and was able to work at his behaviours. we chose NOT to medicate him. that choice is NOT for everyone but it was a choice we made. having adhd he never really fit in with kids his own age { he did best with younger kids or adults}. with the asphbergers , he had to have everything in order, he still has a VERY hard time with CHANGE of ANY kind. we have heard from people who thought they would give us advice as he was growing up, here are a few of the comments we endured: { #1- " hes not yours anyway, give him back and get a new one"- " #2- beat him in to submission and he will know you mean businness , and then will behave himself"}. THOSE are 2 of the SICK comments we heard about our son. THEY assumed he was a BAD kid. THAT was SO FAR from the truth. we LOVE AND ADORE our son. he HAS asphbergers and adhd, with that comes MELT DOWNS NOT TEMPER TANTRUMS!he IS a kid WORTH FIGHTING FOR. he has PROSSESSING issues, and is VERY impulsive. we work with him DAILY through melt downs and how to process them calmly. its NOT always easy but he is our son and he IS a GOOD BOY. our son turned 17 years old and got a job at the Mc Donalds near our house. i went with him for the interview, they spoke to me privatly. i explained some of his situation. they HIRED him. he was so excited. we were so proud of him. people DO NOT always understand these kids. { they can be leaders or followers depending on the situation-because they want to fit in}. he has had his ups and downs there. there is one manager however that seems to continually set him up for things that stresses him up for a MELTDOWN. well this manager set him up big time last week and after 3 years working there ,he was FIRED. he was so up-set. i talked to mcdonalds and asked what happened , they explained and i explained to them how our son saw it. they said his issues were NOT their problems. and that i should NOT be making excuses for him. its SO SAD when a company that large CANT work with people . it would have been 1 thing to fire him and explain to him why they fired him so he could understand. they were RUDE and just fired him. SHAME ON MCDONALDS. i PRAY that people would try and understand these kids and how they see things.THANKS FOR LISTENING TO MY RANT

    sheri pharo
    johnson creek wisconsin


    Posted July 17, 2014
    My son is six years old and was diagnosed with autism at the age of four. My son can be violent at times, these violent acts consist of breaking things,banging his head into the wall and hitting others. He will be starting medication in September. This has been an uphill battle due to other people who do not understand his condition. Just today we took our son outside during a massive attack and a neighbor lady started shaming us, acting like we were hurting him. We explained he has autism and cannot control his behavior, she still continued to make us look like the bad guys and call the police. I wish people would become more educated and accepting of those who are autistic. We just want what is best for him.

    Ariana
    Wisconsin


    Posted July 17, 2014
    I am just an Autism Mom! My autistic teenager, Tristan, is not a runner, but I know many parents whose children ARE “runners.” So I am emailing every organizations in LA who helps children with autism to PLEASE help find this autistic teen, Romario Snow de la Torre.

    He has been missing, since Friday, JUNE 27!! That was 21 days ago! Have you heard about this?

    I have seen NOTHING in L.A. media about this... WHY NOT?? How is it that an autistic boy in NYC goes missing last year and the whole country knows about it, and NYC practically shuts down while people search for HIM?

    WHAT IS WRONG IN L.A. WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENS AND NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT???

    Today, I personally talked to the detective who is working this case, and she is at her wit's end, she has had no help from the media, and she even goes out when she's not working to look for him!! If you have ANY media contacts, PLEASE call them and tell them to call Det. Mercado with LAPD at (213) 996-1808 and ask for the information to so that we can get the word out so that EVERYONE can be looking for him!

    Here is the link for the poster from the NCMC site:

    http://www.missingkids.com/poster/NCMC/1234535/1#poster

    THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS MISSING TEENAGER WITH AUTISM! PLEASE CALL THE DETECTIVE MERCADO IF YOU CAN HELP HER GET THIS TO THE MEDIA (WHO SO FAR HAVE PRETTY MUCH IGNORED THIS!).

    IRONICALLY, IF HIS PARENTS HAD KEPT HIM IN A DOG RUN CAGE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SPLASHED ALL OVER THE TV AND INTERNET AND MADE WORLDWIDE NEWS!!!





    Wanda Rapp
    los angeles, CA


    Posted July 13, 2014
    Hello,
    I am a mother to ASD/Non Verbal twin boys who are 4 1/2, just this paste week I was arrested after one of my twins ran to a home 2 houses away and was playing on their porch, I am being charged with Endangerment of a Minor and I dont know what to do.
    Both of our boys 'Elope' whenever there is a chance to do so, unfortunately my 8 year old son locked the door after coming inside but did forget one lock at the top of the door, I asked if he locked the door properly he stated he had so I went about using the restroom and changing my clothing, in that time my ASD son 'Eloped'. By the time I was finishing using the restroom my 11 year old daughter screamed that the Police were there, one was raising his voice at me while the other wouldnt speak, they accused me of Neglect and became rude when I explained that I had locked the doors but my older child unlocked them and then locked the door back up after playing outside but forgot the top lock, it didnt matter to them I was a Bad Mom simply not doing enough to keep my Special Needs children safe, even with one officer standing infront of my open screen door he allowed the same ASD child to run out of the house, he looked at me simply and said Hey do yo want him to leave the house, my son was already gone, I had to chase him as the police stood and watched me, they would not help me and then wrote that I had left my children and they were taking care of themselves, I was so humiliated I couldnt say or do anything about their behavior, I have family who can testify how many times a day one of my ASD sons will run outside if he sees the chance to do so. Now I have a court date set and I am being charged, I am a good mom, I have witnesses who can testify that I hardly use cell phones, pc's or any other form of distractions, I dont drink or do drugs, I have high moral values and try to watch my children as well as I can, this was not a case of pure neglect, My Husband and I have taken many measures to keep our children safe but even then I am being labeled as a bad, neglectful mother, it just isnt right we need help!

    Rebekah
    west suffield, ct


    Posted July 4, 2014
    My son Michael has autism and he will soon be 22. he is nonverbal autistic and has the typical autistic behaviors such as handflapping he likes puzzles and had elopement issues as young child. my grandson matthew is also autistic and hes 3. he has now starting to get out of my daughters apartment and will nto sleep. the landlord at my daighters house wont let them change the locks to keep him safe and told them if they couldn't figure something out they would have to move. they just moved in there about a week ago. she said they wont cooperate with the ada.isnt this discrimination and what can we do.


    Lisa M Joyce
    Dixon springs tennessee 37057


    Posted June 5, 2014
    My son is 25 years old and has Asperger's. I have worked hard to help him get on a career path so one day he can take care of himself. He worked very hard and graduated November 2013 with a license in massage therapy. He has an amazing ability to remember and recall things. He is the only one in his class that isn't working. He was called back to a Massage Envy three times and told by a friend/classmate that he was getting the job. That was weeks ago. Why doesn't anyone want my son? He is so gentle and kind. All he needs is a chance.

    Irma
    Linn, MO United States


    Posted May 29, 2014
    So I am not sure what to do. My younger brother has been working for a local restaurant for a little over two years not. He would get about 15 hours a week and he really enjoyed it. After two years (we assume the government incentives ran out)his work started telling him that they were very slow in the winter months so he would get 4 hours every 2 weeks. Now we are at the point where its been over 3 months since he has lasted worked. He does not want to get a new job because when he goes to visit they say they are just slow (it is summer time and very busy, just no work for him). Is this some type of discrimination? They have not let him go or fired him, but they are not working him and suggesting to him that they will be a good reference for him if he wants to find another job. My mother are I are starting to become discouraged because this job kept him out of the house and social and we are noticing he is becoming withdrawn because he tried college and it was not for him and he loved high school and this job, but he is now noticing that he can not trust his boss.

    Megan S.
    Tigard, Oregon


    Posted May 28, 2014
    I am the proud mother of an awesome 7 year old autistic boy. In the last 6 months we have endured what I feel has sadly been a lack of compassion care and understanding by our counties public school system. My son has constantly had to be picked up from school suspended and even locked in a confinement room due to his out bursts and tantrums as to which at 80% could have been avoided. I feel that he has been forced into switching activities and lesson plans when the teacher could have taken the time to bend the schedule to suit what my sons needs we're at that time. I feel as if when working with a child that has special needs u have to be able to expect and accommodate that child and force them into doing something that you know will provoke their behavior issues.

    Summer
    Arrington va


    Posted May 27, 2014
    My older brother is autistic I am 19 and he Is 24. So it goes without saying I've always known he is different but that has never made me feel bad for him if anything I admire him for it. But my problem is that I introduced a girl (my now ex girlfriend) to my family and she laughed at him made fun of him this has been my first negative encounter with an ignorant person like this. Can someone give me advice how to deal with dirtbags like this

    Paul Aguilera
    Whittier ca


    Posted May 20, 2014
    my son is 5 years old he is twins with his sister he has got an autism spectrum disorder the head teacher is bullying him yesterday my husband went to collect him he has been told by his teacher he is in the HT classroom he went he find my son on the floor a woman sitting in the chair behind him and the head teacher he has very miserable face my husband told her what happened she is sticking in this word this is not the right school for him and he bites another child from his classroom she is putting a pressure on us to get reed of him and to send him to special school and he has got a full time statement what i can do

    sara
    london


    Posted May 14, 2014
    My 8 year old autistic son was recently slapped at school by a teachers assistant who claims my son "ran into" her hand. This incident was following a series of complaints made to the school months prior concerning some verbal abuse my son was experiencing from the same person. I am both shocked in disappointed by the lack of resources that are available to protect our children. Although DCF and the Sheriffs office did investigate, my son was pretty much labled a liar and the case was closed. This person got away with verbally abusing and physically assulting my son, and now she gets to assinate his character.

    Arita
    Orlando, FL


    Posted May 3, 2014
    My nephew has Asbergers Syndrome. He got his first job at 17. He was so excited, and we where excited for him. He came home everyday telling us how his boss call's him stupid, ugly an how he looks like S--t. He liked cutting him down in front of the other workers. For someone that has low self esteem, it's even lower now. This boss finally fired him. Is there something we can do for the way he was treated. It doen't seem fair for some one to be able to get away with treating someone with a learning disability. Please tell me who I can contact to report this . So it doesn't happen to another innocent person.



    Belinda Shankle
    belleville mi 48111


    Posted May 3, 2014
    My nephew has Asbergers Syndrome. He got his first job at 17. He was so excited, and we where excited for him. He came home everyday telling us how his boss call's him stupid, ugly an how he looks like S--t. He liked cutting him down in front of the other workers. For someone that has low self esteem, it's even lower now. This boss finally fired him. Is there something we can do for the way he was treated. It doen't seem fair for some one to be able to get away with treating someone with a learning disability. Please tell me who I can contact to report this . So it doesn't happen to another innocent person.



    Belinda Shankle
    belleville mi 48111


    Posted April 29, 2014
    My name is Robert Mikesell, I was a respected Industrial Hygienist and discriminated against my autism spectrum impairment by ***** ******* of Michigan OSHA, now a part of MI Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. I have tried to get the discrimination ended but Michigan state government in every manner and form has treated me like trash over the last 19 years, no one anyplace has ruled on the merits of the hostile work environment I suffered that continues to leave me with suicidal ideation. what has made it quite crushing is learning Michigan state government protected a man named Arthur Andrews, who costs Michigan state government $60,000 due to sexually harassing a woman 25 years younger. Michigan kept him employed where he has lied about reinstating me upon suppying him a Psychological Evaluation then harassed and slandered me where I would had killed myself at the time had my mother not been alive. You can check my facebook page Robert Mikesell, for documentiaon of my impairment including a 1962 kindergarten report card showing a record of autism. I have written to Governor Rick Snyder proposing a resolution to end the discrimination. Anyone who feels expressing support would be appreciated.

    robert mikesell
    kentwood, mi


    Posted April 29, 2014
    Stop Yuma Arizona's Autism Discrimination - See the Story

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Yuma-Arizonas-Autism-Discrimination/607462412670853

    betsy boggust
    Yuma, Az


    Posted April 27, 2014
    I have recently discovered (thru online research)that my 17 yr old daughter has PDA and possibly ADHD as well. Psychiatrists and psychologist she went to misdiagnosed her each time.They did not listen to me and her father when we described all the unusual behavior and delayed development. We want and need her to function well enough to take care of herself and get along with people. Our schools did not offer to place her in special program. I had to find out about the program and demand it. Her high school truant officer advised my ex-husband to withdraw our daughter so he did not get into trouble with the state like I did for all of her truancy. Withdrawing a child gives a school false graduation and drop-out rates to the state and school reports that are sent to parents. I had to find (thru Lone Star Legal and The Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy) free to low-cost us lawyers to get the truancy charges dismissed. The school district failed us, though they ask for our help to raise money for them. Find help here and help them stop bullying and unaccountability by schools: 713.313.1159 or 713.313.1139 or email ecattorney@tmslaw.tsu.edu(www.earlcarlinstitute.org‎) with the subject line “INTAKE”. This law school has a project that needs more voices heard to have these changes made into law. Lone Star Legal www.lonestarlegal.org(713) 652-0077 is in Texas, but, your state should have something like this to help you. Contact the 2 places listed above, ask them for referrals for your state. *[Now, I am trying to keep a 20 yr old man in California from luring my disabled daughter from running away to him. Where do I start to have some sort of restraining order against contacting my child in Texas against a young man in California?]* I am searching for a special therapist for her in the mean time to teach her about herself and living skills. She cannot finish high school neither because of her PDA.

    Doris Wesbrooks
    houston, tx


    Posted April 18, 2014
    I am 53. I have a cleft lip. I always believed that the reason I felt and was treated differently was because of the facial disfigurement. I have alwaysw been wary in the company of "full on humans" as I would call them. I would, and still do, get anxious, agitated, fidget and want to leave. I viewed this as a weakness of character rather than a phobia.

    I got divorced 18 years or so ago. I found this traumatic. I'd relied on my forst wife totally. I'd been a successful lawyer, like my dad, I'd always found academic work easy. I was a naturally gifted lawyer and made loads of money winning all my cases. When we split I disintegrated. I fell out with my brother big time as well. I isolated myself for 17 years from my family, friends and two children. I was given a tablet of MDMA at Christmeas this year and took it. I empathised and thought about my family and loved ones. Within a couple of weeks I rang my dad. I corresponded and telephoned for a couple of months. I found out both my oldest kids are autistic, my sisters kids are, my brothers oldest is autistic, my brother is bipolar. My brother had serious issues and was hospitalised after we fell out. My father, who I hadn't seen for 17 years, presented as odd. My mother believes herself to be autistic. We have al taken the AQ and the EQ and the IQ tests.

    The upshot is we all cope much better now. The main issue for us all is the social phobia and failure to read peoples reactions (until too late) faux pas and mawkish (inappropriate) humour and the tendency to isolate. The isolation seems to ease with self awareness though.

    I think self awareness is more important than diagnosis. Once identified we are subject to labelling and discrimination. The normatives envy our intellect and ability to focus. But they take advantage of our gullibility and genius. We are not "disordered" at all. High Functioning Autistics are, once aware of their strengths and weaknesses, undoubtedly more capable than normatives.

    It taps into the whole debate about nurture versus nature and intelligence. This is a highly contentious area of political dispute. Becuase of our superior intellect we are feared. The only treatment as such is SSRI or TCA antidepressants. Both decrease intelligence.

    HFA is good. Be proud, get working and get rich. I was before the trauma. Controlling the anxiety is the key.

    Ivor Griffiths
    Lancaster, England, UK


    Posted April 14, 2014
    I was diagnosed with Aspergers when I was 22 years old, but the idea of me being autistic has been there since I was born. The reason why I had al late diagnosis was to avoid discrimination.

    Social problems with bullying and friends never been much of an issue. I had to deal with a lot of people making fun of me being different, but physical bullying didn't really happen to me since I have Always been. 10cm (4 inch) taller than my classmates. People Always talk about big bullies and small weak victims. This is just not true. Bullies always find weaknesses. And since I am not a violent person I rarely started to get physical. And if I did get violent towards a bully I was always immediately stopped since people were afraid I would seriously hurt them. I have always been a big guy after all.

    The real problems started during college and finding a job. I had a large interest in military life. The discipline and stucture may have given me a good preperation for later in life. But when the suspicion of me being autistic became known I was told: (literally) "If you have aspergers you are simply unfit, it is a metal sickness." I was rejected without a proper test.

    Despite stories about Aspergers, I am not much of a techical person. I tried but was not happy about my technical studies and work. And I kept being rejected for being different. The same happened when I tried nursing the elder hand handicapped people. I loved the work but found the way people were treated not very fitting for a nursing job. Elders suffering from Alzheimer's were intimidated and made to freak out by shocking them. And afterwards laughing them in their face. At the time I mentioned these things I was praised but afterwards fired for 'not fitting in'.

    Helping people is a thing that has always been my thing. After a long way of helping people online and working as a buddy I became a trainee in Social Work. Since that time I have been working with different type of clients. From psychiatric to severely metally challegend to people suffering from burnout and depression. I never seem to have problems communicating with my clients, and I NEVER had any complains about my way of working with them. I was even praised for my sense of listhening, comforting, calming nature and giving advise.

    Communicating with colleagues seems to be the real problem at holding a job. 'Not fitting in' can create a lot of confusion for both sides. I may not always understand what my colleagues want from me, but the same can be said about them. And since I was the one with Aspergers, it was I who was shunned for it. This has been a reason for being kicked out of a job or internship too many times. The actual job does not seem to matter anymore these days..... For ***** sake, I have had some occasions I calmed a terrified psychodic person down instead of just talking about medicine or isolation!! A severely autistic girl used to clang to me all the time. Most people seemed to see her as a nuisance and wanted to keep her quiet and in a corner. But I just knew the noises she made were not just noises. It was a desperate attempt to communicate.

    I was in a relationship with a woman in a wheelchair once. One thing that struck me was how our family and friends reacted. I was expecting remarks about her being in a wheelchair, but this did not happen at all! She was accepted in an instant. But I cannot say the same about myself. At that time it was no secret I had a diagnosis as a person with Aspergers. She had to stand up to me more than once and had to deal with remarks like. "You shouldn't be with a guy like that." Or "he sucks" or "Did you fall in love with an alien?" Note: The only 'inappropriate' things I did were being a bit more silent and not offering help at a time that was expected.

    I wish I could me more specific about reasons for being rejected or shunned. But these are examples where no specific reasons were given to me when I asked about it. If a reason other than simply 'not fitting in' or 'we like you, but we don't want you.' was given I do not consider this discrimination against Autism.

    Sometimes I wonder who is the one being socially handicapped..... I have met few autistic people who I would consider Socially handicapped.

    ps: excuse my grammar. English is a second language to me.

    Matthew
    Amsterdam Netherlands


    Posted April 10, 2014
    My son was diagnosed with ASD mild to moderate at 16 months of age. I already had him in speech therapy for speech delay before the diagnosis. Hunter spent pre head start, head start, and almost his whole kindergarten year. With only two months left in the year Hunter is now being home schooled. The school district has moved him to EVERY school available, 4, not including all the classes they moved him around in as well. For no reason the teacher got frustrated in Hunter's " Noises" well if she had any knowledge she would understand that is called stimming and he does it when he is excited. He has had not one report of behavioral problems, doesn't take medication, he just has Autism. His only problem is speech delay. My problems are a lot bigger. Not students, but the school district has bullied my child this entire school year. My arbitrator and Hunters therapists went over his IEP and he has met 65%, 75% and even mastered several goals. He isn't up to par with neurotypical children only because of speech delay and not reading yet. I am not racist but in the same schools their are students that don't speak English and cant read but our tax dollars provide them with resource teachers throughout the whole day and school year. I want to take these bullies to court. Not for money, to make a law, change a law, or start enforcing laws. The Arbitrator brought to my attention the school district has broken several Federal laws. Please someone email me and give me some advise on what to do. They have broken over 15 federal laws, we stopped counting there. Please help!

    Stephanie
    Russellville, Ar


    Posted April 10, 2014
    http://www.starbeacon.com/breakingnews/x493457040/Sixth-grade-teacher-is-accused-of-abusing-autistic-student

    Anonymouse
    Ashtabula, OH


    Posted April 8, 2014
    Hello , I live in florida for 10 years. It was the best thing i did for my daughter now 17 with Asperger's. I lived in NY and that is not a place for special people with autism. My daughter has not been bullied out here. Teachers are not trained too well to deal with children with Asperger's . They treat her like a normal girl and they say that is best for her because she haves to revolve her self in a normal society. Other teens exclude themselves from being around her. It hurts her heart but she says shes used to it. No one bullies her but don't really associate with her either. I tried my best as a parent to do what i can to avoid her getting bullied. First make my presence known that i wont tolerate my daughter getting bullied because i'm a bully eliminator lol, moving out her to florida, Dressing her up to fashion, enrolling her in fashion shows which she loves but needs practice lol. She loves to sing and haves a very pretty voice. But the loneliness is still there. We spoil her with what ever means we have. I'm not rich but I try to get her anything she wants. We spoil her with affection and love. Yea she's spoiled in that area lol. I would like for schools to educate students more on people with disabilities . It could teach them to be more compassionate towards them. I have been trying to get a grant to fund a summer camp for my daughter . To also fund my son who haves ADHD. It's been very difficult. I contacted Autism speaks but i think they are a big scam. I've also contacted other resources. Nothing. I must be doing something wrong. My proposals are probably not up to par.... I'm stressed out . She's already 18 . If anyone knows anything email me at millievipmanagement@gmail.com


    Its all Love love
    orlando florida


    Posted March 24, 2014
    This happened in 2010 as my youngest daughter (who like me, her sister, and several other relatives live with Aspergers) was preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. A huge part of that was picking a service project, and implementing it.

    The service project she thought of by herself, and implemented it by herself.

    Unfortunately, many people in the synagoge didn't think 'that' was good enough. I was confronted by a 'member' at the local farmer's market. She demanded I 'tell' her about what my daughter was doing for her project.

    I was polite, and courteous in the face of this rabidly mad woman screaming (as well as 'inadvertently' spitting in my face) at me that my daughter wasn't doing enough, that the project wasn't good enough. etc...

    Never mind that the with previous Bat Mitzvah; the girl's mother made the product, sold the product, collected the money for the product and then the 'girl' took the 'credit' for 'her' service 'project'.

    Yet because we have Aspergers, my daughter doing all the work herself wasn't good enough?

    I'd ask 'in what world' ......if I didn't already know the answer.

    I wish to remain annoymous
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted March 24, 2014
    Recently Vanderbilt University took it upon their selves to 'change' what Aspergers means. That means thanks to them the 'term' Aspergers no longer 'exists'. Instead Autism is now considered a 'mental illness'.

    Just after 'that', a military recruiter called to make contact with my eighteen year old daughter. Upon hearing that she had "Aspergers", he became belligerent, rude, and condescending saying "People with Aspergers are not welcome in 'this' military."

    Please note that while my eighteen year old daughter doesn't care about this, my youngest daughter has aspirations of entering the military as a life long career.

    And in her IEP she made it clear that's what she wanted to do with her life. I had to tell her what the 'new' guidelines (as referenced by the 'recruiter' was) ..that because she has Aspergers or Autism she can't serve.

    As a honorably discharged veteran, who happens to have Aspergers and is raising two daughters with Aspergers; it's breaking my heart to know that my girls will enter a work force which deems them not only to be a 'unwelcome' challenge but also (not to have a learning disorder) ... but a mental illness.

    My children deserve better, so do all of us with Autism. Whether we are high or low functioning, we deserve better than to be libeled and slandered to the point where we are no longer welcome to serve in the military... and possibly ...the workforce in general.

    Debrarae
    Los Alamos, NM


    Posted March 23, 2014
    I'm AS and I never heard churches exclude autistic adults.😯 I've sang in two choirs. They put up with my mood swings. And meltdowns. It's hard to be mocked, and struggle with coordination. Everyday is good or bad.

    Judy Bowen



    Posted March 8, 2014
    I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 2009 at the age of 15. I always getting suspended for "touching girls sexually", fighting in self-defense against bullies, and for my condition. The dean says that he has been working for kids with autism for over 30 years. I seen myself that he was mistreating people like me by suspending harshly. I got smacked by a girl once who was competing in a beauty contest for "touching her sexually". In reality, I only touched her water bottle that was next to her. I got suspended but not her. Then I started to make revenge against everyone who hurt me at that school. I got arrested by being aggressive against my family. I was in jail for one day. In court the judge didn't let me have the right to speak for the rest of the trial. My dream is to become a film director and writer. Right now I'm writing a film script. If I become rich for being a film director and writer, I'll always help poor families, children with cancer, and my family. I don't have a girlfriend but I want one. I want to say to the parents of kids with autism and other disabilities: Always protect your children if they're suffering in schoool or everywhere else. Make sure you have a lawyer and sue those who hurt your child. Keep fighting so everyone should respect one to the other. Don't forget.





    Posted March 8, 2014
    This month in our “faith community,”a bunch of mostly neurotypical people who make their livings in the social service and religious administration sector are trumpeting "inclusion”. I used to believe in this. No more. Inclusion in the home of one of the biggest trumpeters of this, happens, for our family, in spite of the official programs "supporting" it. So I am commemorating the month with a petition – because what many in the communal services field call inclusion, is inclusion in name only. I will chalk it up to my own ASD self and my eternal hopefulness that it has taken me so long to realize this.

    Inclusion, living as typical a life as possible interacting with all kinds of people, has always been our goal for our youngest son. After all, we reasoned, the days of institutional living are past – he will be living in the world. From early on, we have taken the approach “ As much as possible,just treat him like a KID, because he IS a kid. Don't overtherapize. Don't overmedicalize. And use regular activities to accomplish therapeutic goals whenever possible.” At times his physical issues and independent development schedule have made this difficult, but I have sought out second and third and fourth opinions, we blazed our own trail, and mostly managed to succeed, and his progress has amazed many professionals in the field. When institutions have actually worked WITH our family instead of rigidly within their own norms, he has been, on the whole, pretty happy – pretty good for a person who started out his life with 10 days on life support in the NICU, and who we were told would not survive at all.

    Once upon a time, what seems like a lifetime ago, our son was 12 years old. Before that time we had struggled with a school that underestimated him, and an “inclusion” program for Hebrew school that would not permit a cross-trained aide for a physically and learning disabled student in the mainstream – requiring TWO adults with him at all times (guess what, no Hebrew School for him). The day camp preaching inclusion, whose staff was racist toward his PCA and ignored the other kids' bullying him, inadequate medical care based on discrimination because of his assumed cognitive impairments, a synagogue whose President asked us to stay away when his family had a “simcha” (life event celebration), and others. The previous summer he had finally attended a day camp in which I believed he was really included. Sure, he had been sent home a few times for “inappropriate behaviors” but on the whole he was happy and enjoyed himself. He had met kids and even recognized them when we went to the swimming pool or other places in the community. These were positive steps. Life was Fat, as one of my friends used to say.

    That September, we hired a new personal care attendant (PCA) for our son. He was a newcomer to the area and a perfect match for what we and our son needed, and our son loved him. His mom, a survivor of head trauma, was a fantastic woman, versed in organic gardening, childbirth, many other useful things, and we became friendly. So, of course when the “Inclusion Director” from the institution sponsoring this summer camp told me she was planning an organic garden on the grounds for the next year but did not know about organic gardening, I thought of this newcomer. I made the match, and she went over to speak with the Inclusion Director, as I had naively considered this a possible consulting gig for my friend.

    The next time I talked with my friend,she was seething. The gist of what she had to say was that this institutional employee, in the name of “including” “adults with disabilities” was using them for free labor and this garden was going to be more of the same. OF COURSE SHE WOULD NOT CONSULT WITH HER. No reason to be complicit in such abuse, using, disrespect. That was a really big turning point for me.

    That year, I started working on a photography project which became A Part or Apart. Little niggling issues started to trouble me, but I was committed to an exhibit at that very institution that was using free labor in the name of inclusion. First, when I was looking for people in addition to my son to photograph, the “Inclusion Director” claimed that “we include children so well that their parents do not want them “outed”as disabled.” What. The. Hell. As if having a disability was something bad.....This was not a true inclusive attitude. So, the youngest person included in the exhibit and book was my son.

    Next, the “Inclusion Director” touted her volunteer program, of which I was already a bit suspicious. She was evasive about where volunteer work took place for some of the participants, and only after taking many images of them in the gym, did I find out that these participants essentially were “volunteering” in a secluded sheltered workshop type situation.

    Only in retrospect do I notice that the “Inclusion Director” angled herself into photos. Of course she said pretty words: “Everyone benefits, when we are seen for who we are, appreciated for what we have to give, allowed to give in a manner that is accommodating and respectful, and ultimately embraced by our community.” But wait –who did she really see program participants as being? And how did she define respectful? And were participants embraced as community members or out of pity? My friend's words made hers rankle....but it really WAS a technically good photo so it stayed in.

    As I was scheduling shoots, I noticed other things too. Some of my subjects attended a “cafe” that was set up in large measure, I think, because some of their friends attended and some other events in the community were inaccessible. They asked me to come and take pictures of them enjoying themselves in this context. I was told that I could attend because I had a label, but that I was not permitted to bring my camera because they would not permit photos to be taken. Obviously, I did not attend. I was not interested in the program and only wished to attend to photograph particular people from whom I had already obtained model releases.

    The following summer, my son attended a four week camp, “included” in a program focused on community service. Only after the “Inclusion Director” decided, unilaterally, that he would not participate in some activities, was I informed of this. There was a pattern, too. “The other people will be upset seeing a special needs person touching food, or in their environment, or at all.” Perceived possible upset of those included for real in the community trumped real inclusion all the time. And, on only one occasion (that one legitimate because of health department related issues) was I consulted before the activity.

    Now my son was growing up. I started noticing that when he approached females of close to his age who he had met at camp, the “inclusion director” would insert herself between him and them. The fact that my son has to come close to figure out who someone is due to vision issues was ignored and her fear that he was a pubertal boy and might somehow see them in a sexual light trumped accommodations. She insulted me by offering us a free week of segregated field trips. I said, “Hell no,” my son had another inclusive activity that week. She had no clue.

    As time went on, in the name of inclusion more and more segregated programming began to appear. When I asked about it, I was told that they had to do this because “parents wanted it.” “Did the people other than parents want it?” No answer. A “special”camp was included for young teens with special needs. Typical teens were recruited to provide role models there, at lower cost than the target group. Inclusive? NOT. The Special Olympics appeared as“Inclusion.” Sorry, that is inclusion only in the sense that it uses the same facility as everyone else. How many people without labels participate as other than as volunteers in Special Olympics?

    The same summer as we turned down the “special” camp session, the Theater camp disaster occurred. 19 months later, the situation continued unresolved, with the Director of the Inclusion Program not being permitted to advocate, the administration refusing to work with us in taking steps recommended by a therapist, and our son feeling that his participation even in Scouts, over which the Inclusion Director has no control, is tentative at best because of its location.

    The administration has pretty much apologized for the inconvenience while denying any responsibility for their employee's actions, and thinks that if they let our son attend a sports camp for free, we will think they are including him. That's nice, but misses the point. Last summer he only agreed to attend that program after I assured him that the Inclusion Director would be on vacation and out of town that week, so that she could not possibly throw him out and it would be safe to attend. He still panics at least half the time when he knows he needs to be in their building. “Can we go to the pool?” has become a thing of the past. Inclusion, effectively is gone. And the community, so called, cares not.

    The administration is not of course changing their tune. They have presented our family with the same one sided contract of adhesion, that holds them responsible for nothing and has no consequences for them, that they did last year. They have done this in the name of "setting goals for our son". My response to them was (edited to remove names)

    This has nothing to do with our goals for our son.

    It has everything to do with their attorney, the organization's desire to bully and control, and the accuracy of the Jewish Sages' opinion of those in power. Rabban Gamaliel, in Pirkei Avoth, put this succinctly: “Be cautious in your intercourse with the great;” said Rabban Gamaliel,“they seldom confer obligations on their inferiors but from interested motives. Friendly they appear as long as it serves their turn, but they will render no assistance in time of actual need.” The Rabbis' definition of "great" is "those in power."

    Our goals for our son are that he 1. feel safe 2. have fun and 3.improve soccer, cooperation, and leadership skills in an inclusive environment.

    Feeling safe is the first and foundational goal, and it is one which can only be accomplished with the guarantee that your "Inclusion Director" stay far away from him and have no control over OUR STAFF or HIS PARTICIPATION. We were given that agreement orally in last year's meeting which is the ONLY reason we signed anything.

    Any agreement that actually is an agreement must have consequences for both parties. And it must have requirements for both parties. Due to the administration's refusal to work in collaboration with **'s therapist to mitigate the PTSD resulting from your staff's actions, the only way in which we were able to lower his anxiety enough for him to attend Scout meetings at your facility was to get a letter from the Scout Executive stating that your staff member was not an enrolled Scout Adult and had no authority over any Scout events.

    The organization actually provided the soccer camp, (once safety was accomplished by your staff's being out of town) handled the second and third goals admirably. They added the leadership goals by presuming a level of competence in ** that your staff have NEVER presumed, as they are all working on a deficit based model, and utilizing him to assist in teaching the youngest program participants. In this environment, in which the administration took no part, he blossomed. This is the only reason we even considered **'s attendance at soccer camp, and if he knew that your staff had any control he would refuse to participate.

    In **'s limited definition of "evil" he considers her "evil." I prefer to think of her as ignorant, biased, and uneducated about our son, disability rights, autism, visual impairments and true inclusion. However, the administration has also refused to admit that education could improve the situation for all.

    Jane





    Posted March 8, 2014
    Unfortunately, my 20 yr old son was lured by an "undercover mom aka victim aka minor" after 3 days of texting. The "victim" initiated the texting, no photos were exchanged, no solicitation, the "victim" made the invitation to meet. My son responded, can this wait til tomorrow, thinking it was friends pranking him. Well my son shows up at the park, and arrested. 1st competency screen questioned competency and recommended Autism screening. 2nd competency screen declares competency, but also recommends Autism screening. Court would not further evaluate for Autism. Because we knew he could not assist with his defense (low cognitive ability) during trial, plea bargain accepted, Stalking, Registered Sex Offender. We immediately had 2 full days of examinations. New Labels Autistic and Mildly intellectually disabled! The labels we had at home were "Bob will be Bob" or "That's Bob for ya" Case would have been different with disabilities labels. Stalking it a social type crime, and we all know ASD characteristics. The latest discriminatory acts 1) Court refused to further evaluate for ASD, failed to protect his civil rights, 2) my son attends a psychological testing session, when he said he didn't understand the 10-page consent form, psychologist decided there were too many issues with his labels, guardianship, and pending litigation. He was sent back to probation. Two days later, 12 armed and shielded US Marshals and County Probation Officers arrest him for Violation of Probation. "said defendent attended the appointment, but failed to successfully complete the scheduled examinations" Furthermore, when I tried to tell Marshals of my son disabilities, before he exited his residence, (I didn't want them to shoot if he made a wrong move) I was called confrontational! My son did not refuse to take the tests, he could not take them because of his disabilities. Still sits in jail, probably going to state prison.





    Posted February 28, 2014
    I have been diagnosed with Aspergers/Autism since 1998 well this year I decided to re-apply for the supported living payment in New Zealand because I was on it when I was around 18 and turning 26 this year,a lot of people with Autism/Aspergers in New Zealand are denied job opportunities or even access for payments as well

    Alex
    Lower Hutt


    Posted February 21, 2014
    My son Kevin is a beautiful person. He's tall, 6' 3" and has both Autism and mental health issues. He's an artist. He's shy and often misunderstood. He received a standing ovation from his peers when he received a certificate of completion from high school last year. He was attending a transition program in his local community and taking City College classes.

    In November 2013, one week before his 19th birthday, he checked himself into a psychiatric facility in Ventura, California. He was having trouble with a change in medication and realized he needed help. While at the hospital, his main medication was not administered for the first two days. There was a mix-up in dosages of other medication.

    He was upset about missing Thanksgiving and had a total meltdown. I was relieved as he was "safe" in a hospital setting. He threatened some people verbally while in an agitated state.

    The psychiatrist nurse made a "Tarasoff Report" to the people he threatened. The Sheriff was also notified. This is a mandatory reporting requirement. The report went to a teacher who we filed a complaint against 18 months prior.

    The Sheriff's in our community know Kevin. The detective told me he wanted to down play the incident, but felt the teacher may file a restraining order.

    The teacher went on a mission to create hostility in our small community against Kevin. She took out emergency protection orders (EPO's) and later restraining orders. She completed restraining order forms on behalf of a special needs student using her own email address on the form.

    My son was isolated and shunned. He was put on a very restrictive educational setting. No one from the school met with him except his one on one aide (who he also indirectly threatened). Since, he has been moved out of California and his home town to Ohio. Rumors flew that he was the next Adam Lanza. Hysteria spread throughout our small community.

    The teacher brought the entire class and parents to court to watch her civil proceedings against Kevin. I receive hate email from parents.

    Kevin can't even tie his own shoes. We are going to court in Santa Barbara Superior Court April 14, for our 3rd continuance. Even though Kevin is out of the state, the teacher insists on filing restraining orders.

    After seventeen years in this community, I'm moving too. Even though the community as a whole has been supportive, a few people can create so much hostility and fear.

    Restraining orders can devastate a person with Autism. They can hurt his opportunity for jobs and housing. They can have many lasting effects.

    You can read Kevin's story at http://the-art-of-autism.com/special-ed-teacher-convinces-student-with-down-syndrome-to-file-restraining-order-on-autistic-student/

    We have a facebook set up for stories about Autism advocacy and discrimination - www.facebook.com/EndAutisticDiscrimination.

    I'm working on a documentary and book about Kevin.

    People with Autism don't belong in prisons and jails. They have a civil right to be in their home community. They have a right to attend their home educational program.

    Thank you for this page.

    Debra Hosseini
    Carpinteria, CA


    Posted January 20, 2014
    Dear Tia Sharp from Reno,
    Just wanted to clarify that the post to which to were referring was not comparing African Americans to Autistic children. That post was saying that if the United States has enough morality to end prejudice based on race or orientation, then we should also have the morality to end prejudice against our mentally disabled. Please do not feel any racism against your ethnicity. Secondly, I would like to ask to you not be so judgemental of the author of that post. You do not know the circumstances of their son, and neither do I. Therefore, we can not rightfully tell if they are doing anything wrong in the raising of their son. Thank you for understanding.

    MF



    Posted January 16, 2014
    Hello, I am twenty two years old and have Aspergers Syndrome. I am livid, because all I want is to be is a Navy Seal. So, I drive over to meet with a recruitment officer. The woman asked me simple questions, how are you? I'm well. How are you? I'm alright, she says. I give her a complement on her nails, she had had a manicure, it seemed. She told me, "first rule of combat, do not make advances towards a female officer" in my head head, I was thinking "jeez, take a complement gal". I was only being friendly. Then she continues, what is your birth year. I told her 1991. She asked me if I have any handicaps, I said Aspergers Syndrome. Though I don't view it as a handicap. She said "you are not fit for this line of work". Then told me "that is that" meeting over I guess. Listen I have fifteen years of Krav Maga training, and ten years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. I have no health problems. I'm also sick of seeing that guy Liam Neeson parade around as a CIA agent. He's like, sixty two years old. I could throw him across Gillette Stadium, no problem. He probably has dimentia, and Alzheimer's. I am discriminated against, because of a label. I transcend labels. Life sucks big time.

    Cory
    Framingham, MA


    Posted January 10, 2014
    i am a adult with aspergers. i am attending a church of england church. one of there leaders run a choir in the community. i was being bullied withing the group and then when i asked the support worker who attended with a group of people that i did not want her there and explained why to the support workers bosses it was granted. as a get back at me as i had a issuie with this support worker as i employed her as my baby siter for my children. she assults my daugher and gets away with it. because of her power but how i got her away from the group was the evidence i sent to her employment. i receved a lovely letter back saying she was been withdrawn from the group because i had rights to attend. it is a choir that is open to folk with mental health and learning disabilites music is my whold life i am talented with it arnt we all on the spectrum? well most or maths or something!!! then this support worker decided to tell someone all my busness who had mental health problems. i was being intimadated and bullied i tryed to sort it out i had my socail worker present and a contract was signed by all 3 partys that this was not going to go no further ect. but it did. even the choir leader allowed it to happen. so with how too honest i was i sent her a few messages some she responded to about it and the truth behind it. a few months on she decided to block me and nothing was going to be done so i left as i felt she did not like me either. so i email the rev at the church i attend explaining it all to him. aparently they have to safe gard there leader and me so i have to arange a support worker to attend or i can not go. i just signed up to godspell in hope that all would be fine i did take a support worker with me who can take me to things but we have a limited budget so when it comes close to performing in april and i have to attend more to sing with the people in the play i will have no support that is a fact so i can not go and i had a real passion about this and this was strange very strange i feel very discrimanated agast here why i got no idea. but it is because they have to protect us both and put it all down to misunderstandings on both parts with me and thi s leader who is also running this other choir that is open to the public they say it is the churches polcey and i asked for a copy of the polisy. why a support worker if this leader does not like me then what can i do i have rights to attend i have friends there that love and accept me who no nothing of what is going on as i do not spead my personal live around very few no and aske dme to try to go to godspell. but it is not working for some reason. i bought a book and found out to day that i will not be allowed to attend. this is my stroy and i stil want to go but they wont let me and i love my church and i love to sing and as it is all on my door step i have nothing nothing at all to attend like a good choir because this leader runs them all in hinkley wither its a specail one or public one i use to be in the gospel choir to but she runs that.

    the reason it all came to this too was another part of my story i was sitting in the grave yeard of where my best friend was berried and asked if any one could spend about 10 minents talking to me i text the leader and a couople of others that belonged to the church or friends i have now lost all them friends altother. i am more lonely than ever now. the leader told socail serives i was thinknng of commiting sueside i was not even thinking that all i needed was a chat a prayer a coffee maybe and go home. i have a teen child and she hurt me that night and all i wanted was a bit of company all i got was a call from socal serives who asked me if i was going to harm myself i said not but i just want to run away and hide and now i am going home as i reaalise i have no friends and take a bath and go to bed!! that was the end of that. that was very horrible and now worse still i can not go where i have friends. dont the people have rights who attend to vote on the matter? not the leader i no they would back me up if they want me there. i only have one group i go to now a band in the city i have to travel to to get there and that is it i will be at hoome and nothing to do i will lose the support out in the community as i can not attend anything at all i well be home alone every day and i no i will get depressed. i no this is my story but what are my rights does anyone no i am from the uk so i not sure if any can help but you the only place i can tell my stroy i have kept names and places out so i do not incrumatdate any one thanks.


    pigletsfriend
    leicestershire uk


    Posted January 4, 2014
    My Son who is six and a half has been diagnosed with Tuberous sclerosis complex epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder.He is non verbal and exhibits extremely destructive and violent behaviours.We have been engaging in support services however they have not been a constant occurrence,he was supported through a respite care facility and only entitled to 50 days a year due to his age. They are now booked until 2015 and we are unable to find any more support. Our family are no longer able to provide us with additional support as he is difficult. However my two sisters are very ignorant and quick to accuse my self as a child abuser because my son needs are to extreme to be dealt with in normal circumstances. His room permanently smells like urine despite professional carpet cleaning 3x a year due to nappy removal and peeing on carpet stage prior to his recent toilet training. His room has constant holes and he has gone through five beds as he has broken them to the point that they are unable to be slept in. His curtains have been broken multiple times and my sisters both ignorant of autistic behaviour feel this is abuse because his room portrays no nice furniture and the carpet issue. Its frustrating trying to explain the lengths Autism takes Lucas to the point that anything nice he has gets broken, I feel embarrassed that my own family think so lowly of me, when I am forced to deal with such extreme behaviour by removing nice things from his room, and un able to afford to pay for new carpet, to the point that in their eyes its negligence

    sarah
    New Zealand Hamilton


    Posted January 1, 2014
    I have been battling a policy of economic disability discrimination since 2005, the year my son was diagnosed with autism. Around 1994, an autism policy was engineered by numerous public and regional center agents to only provide evidence-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment to children who were deemed by government representatives to meet best responder criteria (age, IQ, spoken language ability, white race, college education of parents, etc.). The policy was created, in large part, because of the rural/agriculture communities and demographics of the population (47%+ Hispanics/Latinos/Mexicans0Blacks/Filipinos/Indian/Pacific Islander, etc.--what we in the trenches of autism advocacy in the San Joaquin Central Valley call the "brown people"--as I myself am one.)

    These criteria have never been demonstrated in the three decades of ABA research to be research variables related to actuarial responder outcome. For the past 7 years, I have been putting together my thesis/dissertation, knowing that my ultimate educational objective is to obtain a doctorate in philosophy in this area. I have a bachelors degree in legal studies and I intend to pursue a masters degree in public administration beginning in May 2013.The gap, or absence, rather, in literature regarding best responder outcomes of children being denied access to evidence-based treatment is illustrated in the studies of Bibby, Reichow, Callahan, Simpson, Smith, and more. Despite their recommendations for further research, no path has been carved out. The children who do not meet government criteria, do not gain access to evidence-based autism treatment. Because of this, their future employability and independence is uncertain, and it will likely have an enormous social, economic, and political impact. The overwhelming rise in autism/ABA lititagation is well documented.

    My accomplishments have been in advocating against harmful legislation. In 2008 and 2010, I corresponded with our State legislature and former Gov. Schwarzenegger to veto/return 4 autism bills. Last month, I contacted Gov. Brown to return 2 autism telehealth bills. All 6 bills were substanially the same in that it would alter The Lanterman Act and authorize non descript members of an autism task force to "deem eligible" children worthy of evidence-based autism treatment. All 6 bills were returned unsigned.

    My literature review over 7 years is a compliation of 45-50 scholarly works.

    The core of my advocacy is found here: http://autismreform.tripod.com/

    My hope and desire is to be aligned with a university policy center or non-profit organization whose objectives are to improve the access rights of underserved disability populations. This particular autism policy is, in my opinion, a flaring rebirth of "separate but equal" as evidence-based treatment is given to strong performing autistics. The weak ones get special day class (SDC) --treatment not based on empirical evidence.

    My linkedin profile is here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/autismspecialneedsadvocate

    If this project is compelling for your organization to support, fund, or advance,please contact me.

    Very truly yours,
    Mary Ann L. Fiedler

    Mary Ann Fiedler
    Ripon, CA


    Posted December 8, 2013
    Hello autism advocate. I just have to say what are u implying. I am African. I was born this way, the same as you are caucasion, I presume that's what u are. I am not autistic . I am Neurotypical. I don't consider that there is anything wrong with me because my skin is dark. Only some caucasions like you consider it abnormal to be black, as you call it. Sorry your son has severe autism, maybe you should think outside the box and consider some biomedical help.
    The F.d.a won't advocate biomedical cos they would lose too much money prescribing their drugs.

    Stop pandering to your son and take him to the adult section and read the childrens book to him there.
    If he only eats hot snacks, put some soup in a flask. Train him to eat it at home first, then introduce it as a meal when u go library.

    Good luck and stop equating people with disabilities as the same as someone who is dark skinned.

    Tia sharp
    Reno


    Posted October 22, 2013
    34, late diagnosed with autism, immediately excluded from all activities in a church due to autism. They gave me a document that essentially excluded me. They never brought me under church discipline which they claim to believe in and practice. Now after having been a non-member, ONE mistake, and now they are barring me from even attending worship services. They claim to believe in grace, but this cannot be how grace works?

    Anonymous
    Undisclosed, Alabama


    Posted November 16, 2013
    We love the San Diego County Library. It has been a blessing to our family in many ways. From the vast resources of books, to the kindness of staff, to the beauty of the setting. This is why we’re more than shocked at what happened today.

    On 11/16/13, at approximately 4:58 pm, my severely-autistic son's nurse informed me that an assistant librarian at our local librarian told him to move to another area because our autistic son was "scaring little children." This occurred while the nurse was reading our son books in the children's area because our son is very childlike. He likes to be read children's books. And like many autistic people, will flap his fingers and giggle when happy. There is nothing scary about our autistic 24 yr. old son. He's nonverbal, sucks his thumb and has the mentality of a 1 yr. old. He doesn't have any “scary” behaviors. So the assistant librarian’s comment was cruel and insensitive. Other little children in the library shriek, cry and run around, so why target our autistic son who is like a child and has special needs?

    As if this comment wasn't bad enough, the assistant librarian then asked the nurse "How long has he been this way?" and then further stated the nurse couldn't use the microwave available to public to heat up our son's food and stated, "Can't you just bring him a sandwich or something?" Is she a doctor? Does she know his medical or nutritional plan of care based on his disability?
    Our son is severely autistic. Like many autistic people, he prefers foods to be a certain temperature or he won't eat. If he doesn't eat, we can't get his seizure medications down. How dare this librarian suggest what he should eat! Is she really that ignorant?
    This outrageous incident occurred at a San Diego County library. The assistant librarian's name is IRMA PENA.

    Consequently, my son's nurse said he felt "unwelcome" the entire time he was there today. He reported this assistant librarian gave him and our autistic son dirty looks. "Looks of disgust" said the nurse.
    I find this behavior from a librarian to be highly offensive. And sad, in light despite all the hard work done by groups to safeguards the civil rights of disabled, we find this person working in a county library! This is a public library. Our son should not be subjected to discrimination. Nor should his nurse be made to feel unwelcome. Finally, the last straw was when the assistant librarian admitted to me that she did in fact say all this, and admitted it with a glowing grin on her face, as if proud of her comments. Is she insane? This is truly shocking and outrageous. This woman needs sensitivity training towards the autistic population. Her comments are extremely disturbing and violate my son’s civil rights. Can you imagine if he were African American or Transgendered and she said he was “scaring children?” So why is it STILL OKAY to say these things about an autistic person? Our son was treated unequally to others, as if he’s a second class citizen. He can’t help the way he is. I'm so tired of autistic people being subjected to discrimination based on things they can't control, like making noises, being childlike for their age, or having to eat certain foods. What a SHAM this nation is in saying we've done so much for civil rights. The autistic population suffers more discrimination than any other group of people because people still DO NOT understand what it's like to be severely autistic or what it takes to help and support a severely autistic person. No wonder so many parents of severely autistic children just give up. Check out. They are faced with apathy, cruelty and discrimination even within our OWN government systems. So sad. When or when will people at least try to understand instead of passing such harsh judgments? Why not HELP instead of HURTING others who are already suffering? Have we become that selfish? That callous? That cold?



    Autism Advocate
    San Diego, California


    Posted September 12, 2013
    My 10 year old son has autism, attention deficit and an auditory problem. He was kicked out of his karate class because his differences annoyed the teacher, even though he is very smart and was able to keep up with all the material being taught. My son is brave. He will go into another karate class, he will get better and he will kick butt in the competitions. He's pretty good actually. He is just different. It was sad, because I had to sit down with him and explain the history of ignorance and prejudice and how many different types of people had to deal with it and over come it. I am happy that this boy is strong in the face of so much sadness in his life. You know one time he told me, "Mommy one day when I die, I'm going to be one of God's warrior angels." For now however, he views this world as his training ground. He sees himself one day getting his black belt and going to University. I couldn't be more proud of my son. I just hope one day this world begin to see not just with their eyes but with their heart as well.

    Nicole. C.
    Ontario


    Posted August 14, 2013
    My five-year-old son and I are both high-functioning autistic. We have faced discrimination together in many places, but no place has been so damaging as the discrimination we have received in various churches.

    Most churches are subtle in their discrimination. Most people say nothing, just sit there and glare. A few people have made loud comments to others about "permissive parents and their spoiled brats" while staring at me and my son. On a few occasions, some mothers have requested that I make my son behave because he's setting a bad example for their children and thus making their job harder. There have been some people who have attempted to be pleasant about it, saying things like, "You know, you and your son might be happier if you sit in the lobby/cry room." (Segregation, no matter how well-intended, is still discrimination.) Some incidents of discrimination are blatant and outrageous.

    In one small Anglican church (40-50 members), a prominent member scooped my son up during the service, carried him outside, dropped him on the ground and walked back inside! When I complained about this, the priest said, "Well, your son is disruptive and you're very inconsiderate to allow him to behave the way he does." I told him that I wasn't aware his behavior was causing any distress, as everyone had been so accepting of his autism and associated behaviors up until now. To which the priest responded that he'd never heard any mention of my son being autistic. I was shocked because I'd made a point of informing him, as well as everyone else, of our conditions when we first started attending! The priest claimed I had never said a thing about it to anyone and all the other members of the church backed him up in his assertion! I might have started to believe that I'd imagined it all if my mother, father and husband hadn't been present for all of these conversations and confirmed that, yes, I most definitely spoke to everyone and that mine and my son's autism were common knowledge.

    And then there was a recent incident in a Mormon church in which my son was barred from Sunday school simply because he was having a bad sensory day and couldn't wear his shoes. They told me point blank, "Yes, we understand that he's autistic, but that's no reason for him not to wear shoes. Perhaps you should improve your parenting skills?" When I yelled at the woman who said that and called her an elitist snob, her husband came over and tried to hit me! Other church members pulled him back, but then a few others told me that I "had it coming" for being disrespectful to his wife. When I pointed out that all I was doing was objecting to the discrimination of my autistic child, they said, "Why didn't you say he's autistic? If we'd have known, of course we wouldn't have made a big deal about the shoes! You didn't have to get so aggressive." I pointed out that I did tell them he's autistic and they said they didn't care, to which they responded, "Oh, well, since you're autistic, too, you probably just didn't understand what they were saying."

    I'm scared to bring my son to church, any church, now. I feel like there's no place in the world that wants us around. I can't take him to restaurants, to the park, to the grocery store without getting dirty looks, unsolicited parenting advice, or hateful comments. Church should be a safe, loving place, where all people are welcome--even those who can't "act right." But they're not. It's almost as if all churches have a universal Jesus-hates-autistic-people doctrine.

    Sarah
    Jacksonville, FL


    Posted August 7, 2013
    My 12 year old son, and our family were vacating in Cape May, New Jersey. We stayed at the Montreal Inn for 5 days. On the morning after our arrival, I was met with a knock at the door. It was the hotel manager. He said that the other guests next door where upset at the early morning noise. My son when he is happy sometimes makes a sound when excited. I told the hotel manager this and I apologized and he said " I wouldn't want the other guest to leave because of the loud noise." I said I was sorry and I will do all I can, and he left. Then I thought about what when on, and told his grandparents who are staying there also. My father was really angry and upset and went and told the manager that. He said we will leave and go to a different hotel it he refunds the rest of our vacation money. He said he would talk to the owner and get back to us. He never did. We stayed the rest of our vacation, and vowed never to go there again.

    Frances Hilbert
    White Haven, PA


    Posted July 18, 2013
    My son has Autism he can't talk or go to the toilet, he is a runner once in a while he gets out scares some people who don't know him he is 20 years old the local Police department want to place him in a home and is forcing us to surrender him to social services is there anything me and my wife do to prevent this?

    Chris Becerra
    Westminster Colorado


    Posted July 17, 2013
    We have a similar story as the one in the previous post. Our 8 yr old son who has autism was swimming at a private community pool when he had an accident in his swim suit and he exited the pool with no clothes on. The owner/manager was irate and not understanding at all and kicked my son, his younger brother, and older sister (17) out of the pool. My wife tried to reason with her and educate her on our sons disability but all the woman was concerned with was the continued profitability of here business. We do understand the manger/owners concern for the safety of her other patrons but feel the way she reacted was totally inappropriate. We have contacted the local media and they are planning on investigating for potential violations of the ADA.

    Glen
    York, PA


    Posted July 16, 2013
    My son is now 8 years old, autistic and diagnosed as "Mentally Retarded" in accordance with the DMS-IV for Mental Retardation by the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO.) He took part in the Government of Ontario's Autism Intervention Program and ultimately dismissed due to developmental disability and not ASD. He made progress across all domains but his slow progress in his non-cognitive abilities impacted his "rate of learning" and therefore, was not fast enough for their program. As a result of his denial of services I have had no other option then to take the matter to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. In Ontario, Regional Service Providers provide intervention services through contracts with the Ontario Government.

    The sad part of this is not the act of discrimination but the fact that while many Canadian Organizations out there claim to advocate on behalf of others, yet fail to provide any supports to further a cause. Everyone out there is will to offer moral support but no one is willing to help with the legal costs. I take this fight on at my own costs and for the benefit of others but I stand alone financially in this fight. I'm not asking other parents to help; they have enough issues with paying for services. I contacted two dozen Canadian Human Rights organizations and got two email responses. One offered moral support and the other pointing to American organizations.

    It's sad to say but we stand alone in our struggles to be treated equally.




    Dave
    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


    Posted July 14, 2013
    My son is 23 years diagnosed autistic when he was 5. In 2008 developed Epilepsy which doctors told me was quite normal quite withdrawn but stunning young man. He struggles to read and write. Very repetitive. At the age of 17 we moved states due to his dads work and struggled enormously with the change. I took him to our local ice rink for some fun. He decided he was going to be an ice hockey player, but was told he had to learn to skate first. Ice Hockey went to Figure Skating in 3.5 years he was novice in Singles 9 months after that he was senior in dance and has 3 videos before his is a level 1 coach. Inspirational yes. But his dream has always been to skate for Disney on Ice. They won't say it in words, every coach saids his talents are remarkable he even does wedding fairs as a model all the avenues we search to suit hid disability. Disney uses every excuse possible not to put him in as a cast member. If you saw his letter he wrote to them with help from a friend you would cry. He never wants to tell anyone what he has or who he is to the point he wants to change his name so he can get a fair go. Thank you Disney On Ice for killing a dream and a wish for accepting diversity.

    Anita Gordon
    Australia


    Posted July 11, 2013
    My son was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy and then autism
    Through research I learned his autism was caused by these silent seizures
    The seizures caused severe aggression and self injury
    Now as his seizures and psychosis are treated
    He is doing great!

    Caren Lisa
    New York


    Posted July 11, 2013
    Gathering my heart together right now. Today my son was denied a haircut because of his autism at "Fantastic Sam's" I and my son's therapist walk into "Fantastic Sam's" and ask the lady cutting another gentlemans hair how long was the wait and if she could cut my son's hair. She said about 10 minutes. I and my son's therapist kept him entertained with Ipad, went for a little walk, took him to the bathroom and waited in the waiting area. He was not screaming nor crying nor running around..he was excited to get a hair cut. I howed him pictures of little's boy hairs. Another worker asked, are you waiting for her? I said yes, then she said come in. She put a booster seat my son sat down excited and happy. He was looking at himself in the mirror. I told the stylist my son has autism he is nonverbal but can understand. Then she said,"WHAT!" I found it odd but did not think much of it. So I repeated myself politely. She then said "well Your going to help me with him!I began feeling something was not right. I said oh of course that's why were here. So I proceeded to show her that haircut I would like..then she looked at it and said,' well what are your going to do with that! Just put gel on it! I said uhh yes. So then she said. "I can not cut his hair". Words can not explain what I felt. I saw my boy looking in the mirror happy and willing. I took the sheet off him grabbed his little hand and guided him off the chair. I left without saying a word. I feel really sick to my stomach. This has truly and deeply hurt me. And although my son can not communicate he knows what happened. I can feel it. He became quite and just had an interesting stare in his eyes. If there was a sign in the door refusing to cut peoples hair who have autism would have been more appropriate. I do not feel good about this. Can you help guide me in the right direction? And help me avoid this from happening to anyone else? If I would not had told her that he had autism. She would have continued to cut his hair. I should have told her he was def. Please help.

    Sonia Camacho
    San Diego Ca


    Posted July 9, 2013
    Frustrated mother I am. I have a handsome 10 year old autistic son. He attends a local boys and girls club for the summer. Last week the program went on a field trip and my son had a tantrum moment due to the routine changing which is very common if he is not prepared in advance of the change. Tomorrow another trip is scheduled and I've already payed and motivated my son of the trip for preparation. I received a phone call tonight from management stating my son will not be able to go on the trip or future trips for a while. I was instructed he needs to get use to the facility before he is allowed to attend another field trip. As a mother I was immedidately angry and I cried tonight. This facility was well aware of my son's diagnoses from the beginning. And as a result of his disability their way of dealing is to not deal at all. I'm an angry mother who wants to take action. Any advice please email me. I need all the advice I can get.

    Katrina
    Brunswick, Georgia


    Posted July 3, 2013
    It happened in Barton springs pool Austin Texas as me and my 10 years old son were actually kicked out by a young inexperience lady manager that didn't want to show any understanding or compassion towards my son as he was called
    A danger to the public when he kept his swimming goggles on and pulled his wet pants down as he exited the pool.
    And yes police was called as this egoistic ignorant manager wouldn't want to lose face as the crowd gathered watching my son crying uncontrollably and saying sorry mommy. It was a heartbreaking picture of discrimination and the struggle we feel on daily bases facing not only autism but individuals such as this lady that have nothing to fear of as they continue their cruel act of eliminating any possible situation that could potentially hold the liable or damage their business.
    Shame shame shame

    Safa Nabavi-Noori
    CA


    Posted July 2, 2013
    My son, Tristan is 5 his birthday is 9/5/07. He has been in school for two years at a K-4 and K-5 program. He graduated from those programs with recommendations to proceed onto 1st grade. As with an Autistic child the road has not been easy and his TSS, his behavioral therapist, his teacher and his school councelor all feel it would be a detriment to put him in Kindergarten again. His home school district made us appy for " early admittance to 1st grade" due to him missing the cut-off by 4 days. He has been tested by a school psycologist x 2 who indicated he was extremely gifted and should proceed on with 1st grade. However the school district had an unexperienced new graduate test him who has no experience dealing with autistic children and did not follow his IEP who recommended putting him into Kindergarten. My son can count, knows his numbers, letters, add, and site words, can even read some basic books. BUt, because he is Autistic, is discriminated against due to behavioral problems.. I need help from somewhere before my child slips through the cracks and becomes a victim to reverse descrimination....

    Dana Shade
    harrisburg, pa


    Posted June 26, 2013
    The label of 'Autism' Is used as a way of keeping people down, and controlling them.

    People with autism have an integrity, intellect, or insight that is unique right?

    It is clear that many so called 'important people' in high positions will see autistic people as well, competition. they possess the brainpower to break the mold. has neurotypical, and infact autistic, society been constructed to be ignorant, and often hateful of their perception of what autism is?

    Why do I have this theory? - I won't bore anyone with personal details, but from my own personal experience, and what I have seen of others (in person) and on the internet, including this blog, is that autism hate seems to be radical. all our brothers and sisters are being murdered at worst, or at best, traumatized to the extent they hate themselves...

    The bottom line is: People these days are materialistic. they don't care about their soul, they care about money, or power, or both. and clearly, autistic people are a group that can rival the mainstream industry and way of life. they target us because of this! - This is just my theory, yes, but It seems logical. Society has been brainwashed into begrudging autism! This is a HOLOCAUST!

    Adrian Polo
    London


    Posted May 25, 2013
    My name is Kaitlyn Mai Balesdent,
    I have a feeling I will be called a liar and an attention whore for posting this here, as that is usually the case no matter who I tell. I will warn you now, this is tramatizing.

    I am fifteen years old. I was put in the hospital by my school when I was twelve. I am in a regular public school. They sent me to Foothills Hospital in Calgary, saying it would only be for two weeks.

    I have Aspergers, OCD, Tourrettes, ADHD, Insomnia, Parasomnia, Severe Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Depression, Chronic Pain, and sensetivity disorders to light, sound, smell and touch.

    I was twelve. I had low self esteem, I was cutting, but I was getting better thanks to my loving boyfriend. I still had tantrums at times, but that can't really be helped. Lots of noise, crowds and flashing lights set me off.

    I was sent to the psych ward for 'two weeks', just to have my medication straightened out.

    In response to my Aspergers and mood swings, they put me on a blood thinner. Not an approved treatment, The dose was so high they damn near killed me. I was always locked in High Observation, only allowed out once every few days. I was restricted from being around people, having books, even having paper to draw on. *If* they gave me a meal, I was only allowed a spoon. Plastic. Spoon. Amazingly effective for eating salisbury steak! /Sarcasm Then they'd call me a slob if I ate with my hands. They weren't giving me much of a damned choice.

    They restricted my phone calls. Wasn't even allowed to call my mum. They would force sedatives on me if I so much as started crying. They threatened to call the cops on my boyfriend because of a perfectly legal age gap. They threatened to have my mum thrown in jail over the state of my bedroom.(It's a bit of a mess, but I clean it once every week. It's hard to clean it when I'm not home, and the family borrows my stuff sometimes.) They lied on my paperwork. I stated that if someone annoyed me I'd get the urge to hit them but I have good control. They wrote down "Likely to injure others if annoyed. Psycopathic behaviour." Not those exact words but pretty damn close. If I could find my certificate I'd scan it and prove it.

    They restricted what I was allowed to wear if they didn't like the colors or the way it fit-I usually wear mens clothing because it's comfortable but they said that's "Extremely innapropriate" for a girl my age-, they called me a liar, forced me on diets, and called me a fat ass. If I was in tears because of pain, they'd force me to move around more and restrict any pain meds becaause apparently I'm 'lying to get high'. I have NEVER abused drugs, legal or otherwise!

    They destroyed my personal property, including one of my sketchbooks. They gave my $30 electric toothbrush to another patient because "If it's on site it's free game". I had it TUCKED AWAY IN MY CLOSET.

    Then, the real kicker came. This still haunts me to this day, I still have nightmares about it.


    One of the male nurses forced me to strip down for an unwarranted "Full check". There was no female or guard in the room. This is illegal. I had done nothing to require a full check, and the reason he gave me was total bullshit. In that he didn't give me any reason. He had this unnerving look on his face. I refused to take my sports bra and my panties off. He threatened to call security in and give me another sedative. Not wanting that-I get blistering rashes at the injection site-, I stripped down. He looked me over, just kind of stared, then said I could get dressed. But I had to wear hospital clothes. Which always fall off and come lose on me. This nurse had previously been physically abusive, but never like this, and frankly, I can handle getting slapped around a bit.


    I called Alberta Health Association judges. They came in a few days later. Reviewed my case. Listened to what I said. Nurse said I could have been hiding weapons. Complete BS, I was never allowed off the ward and was always watched, where would I get a weapon!? I tried to defend myself. They laughed at me, called me a liar and an attention whore, and left.

    The abuse continued for a few more weeks, with other nurses joining in verbally and psychologically. Finally, after two and a half months, I was allowed to leave.

    I wasn't suicidal when I was admitted. When I left... Let's just say I'm very glad I have great friends..

    It's been ages since I was there, and there has still been no justice. I still cry myself to sleep some nights. I still have to shower twice every day when before I never had to, just to get the filth of his eyes off me. I'm still haunted, and disgusted.




    I have gotten better, but not by a whole lot. I have tried to get a job but everyone turns me away. My attendance in school is poor but my grades are higher than average. I'm still bullied. I'm still ignored. I'm still treated like dirt. Simply because I have autism.

    Why is this justified.


    Kaitlyn Balesdent

    silverhowler.deviantart.com

    Kaitlyn Balesdent
    Innisfail, Alberta, Canada


    Posted May 11, 2013
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oq5wCPeoNM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGsYlKOtHWA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
    Our twin children, Madison and Blake, both have diagnoses on the autism spectrum. I have three children, twins 11 years old, and my oldest son is 21 years old. I graduated as a registered nurse in 1996. I have, as all parents with disabled children, have done extensive research, regarding anything and everything r/t autism. My daughter, Madison, is HFA and verbal. Madison's twin brother, Blake, is moderately autistic and mostly non-verbal, however, understands receptively, very well. Our son, Blake, is very, very ill. He weighs 65#, down from his peak of 78# over the past 8 months. He is now totally bed-ridden, unable to have control over bowel and bladder, does not even attempt to speak any further, chronic severe pain, changes in autonomic nervous system include tachycardia and bradycardia, low blood pressure, frequent dehydration, secondary to pain, maximum assistance to walk to bath tub, with weak, unsteady gait, dialated pupils, breathing pattern changes, sleep pattern disturbances, extreme visual and acoustic hypersensitivity, mental status changes, pallor, anuria, oliguria,etc..we have findings from MRI's of his entire spine, however, a couple of the local doctors in charge of Blake's care(pediatrician and neurologists) are impeding prompt and adequate care for Blake. Blake has spent a very large portion of the past 6 months in the hospital and or ER. The general pediatrician and her colleague pediatrician who "rounds" on the pediatric patients, while Blake is in-patient, do not believe there is anything wrong with Blake. In fact, they do not believe he has pain. They deny mri findings, despite my own observations and the observations of "outside" experts, who are located out of state. Blake has, luckily, been under the care of a psychiatrist and behavioral therapists for many years. These professionals know Blake well. They have determined Blake's issues are NOT behavioral. Despite these professionals opinion that Blake is not experiencing "behavioral" issues, these local doctors are unfairly mistreating Blake during hospital admissions and will not and have not provided adequate and or equal care of that which would be given for a neurotypically developing, verbal child. They question my authority as Blake's mother and advocate to determine when Blake is having pain. They make asking for muscle relaxants and pain medication time-consuming, creating unnecessary suffering, on behalf of Blake. This has been noted every time, during the hospital admission, under the care of these doctors. The ER doctors provide the necessary care and do treat Blake with respect and dignity. However, these other doctors have created so many instances of suffering, which were completely unnecessary. In fact, during one admission, Blake was in such severe pain, that he jumped up, out of bed, grabbed the hospital closet doors, opened and slammed them shut as hard as he could, and it took most of the tip of his thumb off. Blood everywhere, no one knew how or what to do. I told them to send to ER or bring ER to our room. After an hour of waiting, we finally had a resident glue his thumb. The same pediatrician, was responsible for making Blake wait each time he had pain, to receive pain medication, and even then, inadequate medication. Blake was diagnosed 1 and 1/2 years later with a potentially fatal systemic yeast infection. Luckilly, I kept Blake on an OTC anti-fungal supplement. Once Blake began to recover from systemic yeast, we began observation of pain in his head. During the SYI, was the only time in his life, in which he engaged in self-injury. Blake, now has a most probable chiari malformation as noted a tonsillar ectopia in his recent MRI. They deny it is relevant to Blake's condition. We have two experts for his possible chiari in New York and TMJ expert in CA. Everything takes time. His health is very poor. Blake is extremely debilitated and cannot attend any normal functions, therapy, go outside but remains bed-ridden 24/7, unless we carry or assist to bath tub. He cannot even sit to have a bowel movement. He has had a couple recent admissions for anuria and oliguria. And yet they still are not listening to me. The psychiatrist is prescribing his necessary valium so he may eat, drink, urinate. I have offered for the doctors to speak with the psychiatrist and behavioral experts and attempted to set up a phone conference, to understand Blake and the very debilitated state of health that Blake is in. The behavioral experts have been very willing to explain their observations and how they rule out behavioral issues vs. medical. Friends, family, school, therpists, some doctors, have known and watched Blake's very significant decline. I have shared videos of Blake and how he is such a joy, active, happy little boy, when he is healthy and not having pain. They refuse to believe me. What would your recommendations be to assist Blake in receiving his rightful and effective medical care? Blake has suffered severely, due to these doctors and their biased judgements. My daughter has faced similar issues in hospital. She went to ER for 9 stitches between her toes and the ER doctor started stitching without anesthestic to her foot. Another doctor, stated she was displaying behavioral issues, when she truly had cardiac issues, prolonged QT rhythm. I would really appreciate your time and consideration.

    Thank you,

    Dawn L. Ingold
    309-202-7276
    Rndawn10@comcast.net
    115 E. Kingwood Street
    Morton, IL 61550

    Dawn L. Ingold
    Morton, IL


    Posted May 5, 2013
    I was diagnosed with Aspergers and ADHD at a young age and I attend a community college. During my childhood, I was sent to day camps during the summer time because I didn't socialize as much as the other kids. During my time at day camp, I was bullied by other kids because I didn't act as "normal" as the other kids and that gotten me into fights with kids and only I was gotten into trouble. I remember one time at day camp, I believe I was 8 years old, anyway, I was playing Halloween with a few friends and I literally said the words "Mother F worder" and one of the counselors heard me and I got in trouble for saying that. But my nightmare didn't really began until I entered high school and due to my disabilities, I would act off differently and because of that I was a target by three kids. From Freshman Year to Junior year, I would get into conflicts with these three. This caused me to have occasional suicidal thoughts and thoughts of really wanting to seriously hurt them bad. But that eventually stopped when I entered my senior year. One of the three, who I was really of, I got back my coming with comebacks that finally made him shut up and I finally gain his respect; the second one he finally stopped bullying me wanted to make a truce on which I gladly excepted; the third one was actually the first person that thought that I was going to insult back but I simply said that I wasn't going to do that I finally gain the respect I was aiming for. Senior year was the best thing that ever happened to me and I was lucky enough to have a prom date who was willing to go with me. But the dream so ended when I failed my SATs and my mother felt that I didn't get the classes I needed to pass so she did some research and school principle mentioned something called super senior where I stay for another year and I get be a mentor for other students who are struggling. So in June of 2011, my mother developed a contract and had me sit in my guidance counselor's office to sign the contract. As my mother was going to hand over the contract to me, my guidance counselor snatched the contract and screamed to me that I wasn't going to graduate if I signed the contract. After hearing that, I panic and screamed at my mother for not telling me that I wasn't going to graduate and I stormed out. During my few minutes being absent, my mother screamed at my guidance counselor for not having the right to do that. After calming down, I went back to hear my mother out. As I got home, my mother told me to sign the contract and I told my mother that they would treat me horribly but after two weeks of arguing I finally signed it. After signing the contract, we went back to the school and made arrangements for me to join the rest of the class of 2011 in the graduation ceremony. As I said my final goodbyes to my friends and after the summer was over, was back in high school. I gotten to choose new classes and was able to experience college but joining the LEAP program. The LEAP program is a program where Juniors and Seniors both take college course classes. As my mother as my advocate, I felt like I was wrong for doubting my mother's ideas. But it turned out that I was right all along when the guidance counselor put me in classes for freshman and I felt discriminated. During the whole year, I subjected as the mouthing psychopath because I swore a lot and spoke my mind out in way that wasn't "normal" for them. Because of this I was sent to the Medical Center for psychotherapy. The therapist said to my mother that I was just a normal teenager. After having medical clearance, I soon returned to high school. When fighting against the school's ways, my mother began to have panic attacks which resulted going to the hospital and missing two weeks of school just to make sure my mother was doing fine. After suffering the hellish nightmare I was having, I finally gotten my diploma and I was out. Although I didn't get my academics, I felt free to be away from that school. There were a few shining stars in the hell I was in which were the friends I've already made and new friends I had made and my culinary arts teacher. I spent the last five months of the new school home and I finally got off my feet and started in the spring semester in community college.

    Enduring that hell only a few things came out of that. Such as my mother getting the guardianship and getting the SSI. My mother regretted putting me through that hell on which I soon forgave her because I knew she was trying to help with getting my academics.

    Schools are supposed to be about just passing, it supposed to help students with their dreams of becoming something in this world.

    Discrimination against people with Autism should be declared a hate crime I mean if people can get congress to declare anti gay a hate crime then why not anti autism.

    That is my story and I hope no have to endure no one would endure the similar experience I had.

    Anonymous
    Jersey City,NJ


    Posted April 9, 2013
    Tonight, my 23-year-old, autistic son was asked to leave a fitness class because "he made other people uncomfortable". The class started at 8:00 PM and he had been looking forward to it all day. He got there a few minutes early and was pacing a little bit before the class started. My guess is that he was probably flapping a little bit too, because he was so excited. By 8:10 PM, he called and told me that he had been kicked out of class. He wasn't sure what he had done wrong and he sounded heartbroken. The Manager and Instructor basically told us, "He didn't do anything wrong. People probably didn't realize that he is disabled. They thought he was there to cause trouble when they saw him pacing."

    Jenny
    Buford, GA


    Posted April 5, 2013
    In 2005 I was blessed with the adoption of my 2 year little princess from Russia,born at 1.9 lbs, survived a Russian orphanage,malnutrition,abuse and neglict and unknown failing kidneys.When she came home she thrived so well, happy all the time, talking and developing. Many Dr. appts and specialists. She was a trooper! When she entered prechool she was diagnosed with high fuctioning autism. It was excepted and we got her the help she needed.She still thrived. This year in 2013 and the entrance of 3rd grade she went down hill and fast. All I heard was how children were bulling her on a daily basis.Calling her COO-COO, FREAK,and words I would never repeat in this story. Every situation was addressed and changes were made with her IEP. IEP team is great. I started to see bruises on her arms, little round circles. She never said what happen when I asked. My after school care told me they did not like the way she was handled by the bus drivers and staff on the special needs bus. Too rough with her. I called to have her change routes.... no call back... Next thing I know I have a severely depressed child, losing weight, no care for the way she looks. She is clinically depressed and withdrawn.... She told me that she was treated mean and disiplined for screaming because she could not tolerate the swearing. The para, told my daughter she would be kicked off the bus and have to walk home. She was so happy because she wanted off that bus bad. She couldnt find her way home if she tried. How can this happen so fast when I have done everything by the book?? I never ignored her statements and listened to every detail of her day with a lesson to follow. She lost trust that someone would protect her and gave up.Please watch for the signs of the affects of bulling and torment of a special needs child.I have wrote my state senator for tougher bulling laws for special needs children . It can be life changing and they could never recover emotionally or mentally.
    Being bullied by children and picked on by adults when you are special needs can be emotionally devastating and damaging. 7 years of hard work by her and I went down the drain fast. She is in possible need of inpatient treatment for depression at age 9. She went through enough her her first 2 years of life and survived, very unfair that certain individuals ignorance can be so damaging to her health.
    A very upset Mama BEAR!


    Traci Gunderson
    minneapolis


    Posted March 23, 2013
    My child with autism is in a self-contained special education classroom. My son's special education teacher was transferred to a different program. The school administration did not notify parents regarding this matter. Were they legally obligated to notify parents that a new special education teacher would be assigned to his classroom? Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Niki

    Niki
    Sugar Grove, IL


    Posted February 18, 2013
    I have aspergers and am now 28 years old. I have finally found what I want to do with my life and that is be a pastry chef. I was reported by a student at my culinary school who didn't like me and was then booted. The reason was making social mistakes and swearing. My swearing was not directed toward anyone. I just have the habbit of doing it as part of my speech. I am also confused because I work in a kitchen and it's accepted and even expected over there. I feel I have been discriminated against because I was the only one kicked out for something nearly everyone does at the school. I have been nothing but kind to every one and don't understand why this would happen. Now my dreams are shattered. Of course this happened in the America south where it seems people are living in the 1950s. I was warned once to not swear and stopped but had a meltdown after someone bullied me and the F bomb slipped 9 times. They recorded it and I didn't even know that they did. Life is not fair and people are cruel. Even more cruel to someone that is socially inferior like a person with aspergers. I have little self esteem due to the school system from my childhood. Now I get the same from higher education.

    Aspie-baker
    Alabama


    Posted January 24, 2013
    I forgot to tell the rest of my story. Every time I applied at the job I was interested like in grocery stores, sometimes they call me in for an interview, and it went very. However, they still won't cooperate and hire me because I have a history of developmental disorders. Every employer I want to work for kept on discriminating against me because some of them always think my job performance will not be any good despite knowing that I have autism. Also I went through a job referral to work at one of the grocery stores, and they still refuse to accommodate and accept me. I'm really at my breaking point, and my human and legal rights have been violated so badly that I don't know what else I can do.

    Nickolas Duncan
    Greensboro, NC


    Posted January 22, 2013
    I'm diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, and I am high functional; I always wanted to work at a grocery store, and I've been trying to find a full-time job for almost two years with no success. My job coach and I have been trying to find a suitable for me to work at, but most of the employers do not accommodate at all, and therefore we are at a disadvantage of finding a job. At my current job, my hours were cut severely, and I was upset because of unfair wages that I couldn't attend my college classes. It always feels like I've been discriminated when most people think I can't do the job because of my mental disability. I always wanted to live independently, support myself and others, and get education, and we really need more support for high functional autistic people and for our supported employment partners.

    Nickolas Duncan
    Greensboro, NC


    Posted January 20, 2013
    My son was diagnosed with Aspergers (High Functioning Autism)when he was in the 4th grade. This was a blessing for us, as we finally knew what we were dealing with in regards to his tantrums and communications issues. His school also identified him as intellectually gifted about the same time. Since then, his 4th grade teacher refused to see anything but his "Bad behavior" despite telling us she understood autism because she had taught an autistic child before. Her nagging drove him to the hospital for suicidal thoughts and actions at nine years old! She still makes condescending comments to him when she sees him in the hallway. That same year, a PE teacher told my son he "ran like a six year old.

    This year, he loved his regular education teacher. His music teacher however, told a classmate that my son was "weird" and the classmate passed it along to him. Friday, we received a call from his principal that she had suspended him for "making a poor choice" in regards to a female classmate who has caused him trouble before. He never touched the girl and the teacher saw nothing. She refused to listen to his side of the story. The principal has, since his suspension, found other instances which are autistic actions (rocking back and forth, hugging his sister) but that she has decided are sexually deviant behaviors and has threatened my son with sexual battery charges if he does them anymore. She has also changed his classroom to an Inclusion classroom so he can be monitored, even though he has thrived in regular classrooms. The thing is, he has an IEP which includes "Social Skill Instruction" but no one is giving him that. This was the first time he had ever been in trouble, nothing happened, and he was suspended and labelled. For a kid trying desperately to fit in, this was devastating for him. The principal refuses to consider any other evidence and will not speak with us about it. We have yet another IEP meeting this Thursday with the hopes of adding safeguards to prevent this from happening again, but the damage has been done. I'm also following due process for filing a complaint, but I really feel he has been discriminated against for his autism. I am even more frustrated because I have two daughters who go to school there, I volunteer and substitute teach and eat lunch with my kids. I am constantly communicating with their teachers to make sure everything is fine. Not one negative incident has ever been reported to us. In addition, a peer called my son "gay" a few months ago, which could be construed as sexual harassment, and he did not get suspended, so how did my son get suspended when he did not do what was accused? This has all been very trying.

    Jody
    Smyrna, TN


    Posted January 17, 2013
    I wish to remain anonymous... I am witness to a beautiful family of 4 literally being torn to pieces because two of these family members are very young boys with autism. The one boy is in elementary school; the other, not quite old enough to attend. The father is a gifted school teacher who has achieved teacher of the year for the past few years. The mother is unable to work so as to care for the children. These two parents have the patience and understanding of Saints. What most outsiders don't see, is the anguish they are going through. They can hardly sit down to eat together as one or the other takes his or her turn chasing down one or other child to try to keep them focused or engaged in something so as to keep them calm. Visiting anyone... taking the younger boy out of his accustomed environment, means absolute chaos with screeching reaching unimaginable decibel levels. A true embarrassment to the parents. Behind the scenes, you'll see the father crying (physically) to one of his close family members as the mother may engage in a conversation, of course, centered around her dire situation. It is without question, without a doubt, that these two parents love their children more than 1000%. That they are giving more than 1000% of there energies to their children; but, they have absolutely "zero" normalcy to any facet of their lives... neither one will ever enjoy what so many of us enjoy within the family unit and all the social gaieties that interaction with other families or social functions might bring. So when is enough, enough. Only the two of them will know. They must, as husband and wife, realize that 1 and 1 don't make 2... rather "1"... their unity! Hopefully, each will keep open a highway of communication with each other and knows what each other is feeling. With such pressures being placed upon them, it may be easy for one or the other to "break" and flee. Flee mentally and or physically. They should know all avenues of help and assistance available to them. Honestly, having gone through a situation with placing a mother with Alzheimer's into a nursing home, it was one of the toughest decisions of my life; but I see now, that she is getting so much better care than either my wife or I or any of our other family members could have offered. Her quality of life and care is over 100% better. Perhaps, it might be advantageous to every member of this family, that the children be placed in a hospital that may properly care and educate them.


    Palm Coast Fl


    Posted January 9, 2013
    One of the most disturbing abuse cases involving a vulnerable non verbal autistic man is found here: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/28/caregivers-stand-trial-abuse-case/ Caregivers include an Rn who is repeatedly caught eye poking a vulnerable autistic man in left eye that caused an infection. Just horrific. Other caregiver, an MA, is seen on camera kicking, punching the autistic man in face and stomach. Clearly, if USA is to be seen as a compassionate country, this case will fully prosecute the evil men who are caught on camera abusing this defenseless autistic patient.

    Jan
    San Diego USA


    Posted December 29, 2012
    In a case that gives everyone in autistic community hope, two caregivers, Michael Garriton and Matthew McDuffie, who are clearly caught on tape abusing an autistic man, must stand trial. This is a case where we see caregivers showing ZERO REMORSE for what they did. No remorse. No empathy whatsoever, as if the autistic man, simply being autistic, is open season for abuse. Meanwhile, the defense, as is typical in these cases, results to insults and mockery of mothers of autistic children who dare to report crimes committed against their children by portraying them as "high maintenance" "attention seeking" moms. And if that doesn't work, they try the old diversionary tactic of "what we see on the video might not be real", as if we're all stupid enough to buy that. Apparently, from a psychological standpoint, the caregivers are so mentally weak, they can't accept a shred of accountability for their dastardly abuse against the autistic man. An autistic man who can't speak up or defend himself. Yes, the defense is desperate. What you see these caregivers doing to the autistic man is so horrible that the only hope the defense has is to invent crazy diversionary tactics to shift focus off what is shown on videos capturing the abuse. If that doesn’t work, the defense and the caregiver's family will most likely result to low class attacks of the mom’s looks, and portray her as an overly protective mom, as if it’s not bad enough the family is suffering from the trauma of seeing their child secretly being abused by trusted caregivers. It's a shame when families of autistic children report crimes they are retaliated against by the very people caught abusing their autistic children. These evil caregivers will pay for their cowardly, covert, cruel crimes against this defenseless autistic man. The defense will crumble. Truth and justice will prevail. Never be afraid to stand up for your autistic child's right to not be abused. Do not be intimidated by personal threats or attacks after you report the crime. It is not okay to prey upon a vulnerable autistic adult. It is not okay to punch and kick an autistic person. It's not okay to poke your finger in their eye and risk blinding them and introducing an infection. It's not okay to pull their hair and slam them into ground and risk breaking their neck or skull. Yet, the caregivers, the defense and the caregiver's family members, seem to think this the way you can treat autistic people.
    http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Caretakers-Accused-of-Abusing-Autistic-Man--184975321.html

    Aspiemujer
    Los Angeles, California


    Posted November 24, 2012
    A disabled student urinated in the class of the complutense university from madrid and nobody did not help her. She went home crying. The Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities (Cermi) announced today in a statement to denounce to the Spanish Ombudsman, the decision of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) to cut the support resources to several students with disabilities
    The Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Community of Madrid, Madrid FAMMA-Cocemfe, considers that is an inhumane and immoral attack on the integrity and integration of disabled university students of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and requires immediate that Cristina Velazquez, vicerector for Educational Community Care, to be fired.
    http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/11/22/madrid/1353580961.html

    http://www.cocemfe.es/noticias/vernoticia.php?id=9233

    http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/sociedad/noticias/4419256/11/12/El-cermi-denunciara-ante-la-defensora-del-pueblo-desatencion-de-la-complutense-al-alumnado-con-discapacidad.html


    student
    uk


    Posted November 13, 2012
    Mrs georgette jones son Karl Jones was diagnosed with autism and asperges syndrome when he was four and a half years old and attended a special needs school. He was settled and happy in his own way but quite difficult to handle at times. At 23yrs old in 1997 he was arrested and chargEd in Preston Crown Court with rape on a boy/man and sentenced to 5 yrs in prison.After serving this time he is still in prison 15 yrs later. His mother has been fighting for justice all thins time to no avail. I have just this week heard about this horrendous and cruel story and cannot believe that such an injustice can still happen in our country, considering how many people in this country get away with practically murder for less! This family live in Preston, Lancashire and I am desperately looking for a decent solicitor who has experience with special needs and human rights, especially as I have just read on this 'back to home' site that it is illegal to imprison such a person with special needs where I firmly believe this lady and her son needs help.

    Please if anyone can help in any way I await your comments or suggestions that I will pass on to this lady. my details are below. thank you.

    Maureen Watt
    Brighton, East Sussex


    Posted November 12, 2012
    My Daughter
    She is 3 years old she has been diagnosed with autism , we just moved into an apartment , I work nights .
    She goes to school pre k , she comes home from school , she goes to bed at about 9:00 then she wakes
    up at about 2 or 3 oclock . But she goes back to bed crying ,
    My neighbors are complaining to the landlord and I have just recieved a call today , from the landlord , saying that the crying of my daughter is disturbing the other tenants , she wants me to stop my daughter from crying , and there is nothing I can do , I have no control over her crying at that time .
    I fear , i may be tossed out of my apartment because of my daughters autism

    I need help . what can I do ,this is my story.


    oggy
    Chicago, ILLinois


    Posted November 12, 2012
    My brother in-law has Autism he is high functioning but needs supervision, he is 21 years old and my husband and I have recently gotten guardianship. My husband and I have donated blood regularly for years, and we went to a blood drive that was in our home town. John, my brother in-law, decided he wanted to donate blood and one of the nurses told us that he could donate then if he wanted, my husband asked questions and told her that John would need to have us help him answering his questions because he has a hard time understanding large words. The nurse that we talked to said that it would not be a problem as long as we had the guardianship papers showing that we could answer his questions. We said we would schedule an appointment as soon as we confirmed that it would not go against his heritage since he was part Native American.

    After talking to his family members who are also part of his tribe, to confirm that it would be OK for him to donate blood. I scheduled an appointment at the main office for the blood center that held the blood drive in our home town. When we got there they told us that we could not help him answer the questions much less be in the room with them when they tried to go over the questions with him. They stated it was HIPPA that prevented us from being in the room, having worked in the medical field I know that is a bunch of crap, the Guardianship gives us all rights in regards to his medical information and to answer his questions. He wasn't in the room with the nurse for more than 2 min. before they brought him out. He was in tears, they had told him because he could not understand the questions.

    The blood center gave him a t-shirt and a battery operated hand held fan thinking that would make him happy. But if anyone knows someone with Autism they know that once something is in their head its in there until they get to do it. Since then, John has apologized for not being able to donate blood. It brakes my heart every time I hear him say that. Because its not his fault that they are so blind and ignorant.

    I followed up the appointment with a phone call to the main office and asked questions. I got a totally different answer from them than I did at the blood center. They quoted FDA regulations. The regulations that they quoted are only recommendations they are not law, I showed this to his Attorney Guardian ad lid em and she felt that it was a case of discrimination and suggested we contact a local Representative and see if they would take up the cause. I sent an email to one and I have yet to hear back from him. Now I don't know what to do any suggestions?


    Stephanie Stover
    Rockford, Iowa


    Posted October 30, 2012
    There was a case involving my 10 yr old son who is blind/autistic. A teacher was charged with simple assault against my child in may2012 it is now october and i found out this wntntas going on. My son was not medically treated nor were we told. he cant speak for himself the case was closed in july we guess because no one came forward but no one knew about this and both principle and teacher still works there.

    Jennifer Harper
    charlotte,NC


    Posted October 22, 2012
    hi i have a 7 year old autistic son and i was just wondering if it was right for the bus driver to kick him off the bus after my son threw his bookbag at him and then the bus driver told my son he was bad and that he wasnt picking him up in the morning....please help so i know what to do thanks

    stacy ellerby
    fort plain,ny


    Posted October 20, 2012
    The public school threw my 9 year old autistic child out of school and placed her on homebound. School started in september its only october. Last year my little girl was in a 8.1.1 class at a different school with in the same district. They felt since she was high functioning and doing good this year she could go into a 12.1.1. She regressed in the summer time as well as showing signs of pre puberty (breast buds) Hormones can be a big factor in the change. I was in touch with the school daily with calls to come get her she would just scream in class if paper crinkled or things like the time changing on the clock. She is not violent but she has a loud scream. I had a cse meeting and they just said dont bring her back to school they would send a teacher to the home to do homebound and try get her in a day facility where doctors can study her for a 45 day evaluation. She has autism she been in school since she was 3... i dont feel she needs to sit on a bus a hour each way from 845am to 500pm in traffic for someone to study her.I told the school in the mean time where is her speech services where is her ot services. I guess they forgot what in her iep and are sending me more services. I told them put her in a smaller class. They said they did not feel it fit her needs. I later found out the real reason there programs are full in class size so they have no room is the problem. They are just passing her off. My daughter has a right to be included and be part of school and i am beside myself. I took her to a child pyciatrist paid for by the school because that day treatment program wont accept her without a pyciatric evaluation. the doctor was mad that the school wanted to send my child to the day facility because its for severe problem children and after evaluating her she was like no way am i agreeing to the school sending her there. Im fighting .I called up my ny state department of special education department and they want me to file a complaint if they dont place her back in school. its crazy. I just want my child placed with people who know what there doing i dont want to fight with anyone.


    patricia
    moriches ny


    Posted October 15, 2012
    My 5 year old grandson is in a special need school kindergarten. He attended this school for preschool and it went very well. Now he is always having a problem per this new teacher.
    He is not combative or nasty. He speech is limited he does urinate when put on the toilet but still does not have bowel control. When he has a bowel problem the note comes home that he had a large bowel movement and it was up his back nothing about how he handled it..
    So the latest note stated he was having a bad day last week, teacher was not there just the aides and she understood from the aides that he was hiding under the table.
    I am an RN and I do know this is not his usual behavior as he does go other places for additional speech therapy and they love to work with him, hugs and good bye, etc.
    I know in children all behavior is communication, espeially with autism and inability to complain. Should we be concerned and pursue the possible cause.

    Charlene Ryan
    Chicago, Ill


    Posted October 8, 2012
    My family and I have an issue we need assistance with. We do know the law does discriminate against Autism. Most people have little to no knowledge of the condition and try to lump all cases into one set definition, which does not work - Autism symptoms vary person to person.

    Our situation is thus...

    Thurday 10/04/12, I received a call from the Public Middle School my cousin attends. I am on his contact list and am to be given all information if my Aunt cannot be reached. I was informed to just make sure my Aunt calls the school, they would not give me any information, so I was not aware anything was wrong. I managed to get in touch with my Aunt within ten to twenty minutes of the call and informed her they were trying to get ahold of her to talk. Come to find out my cousin was arrested and Baker acted.

    My Cousin is Classic Autism of the Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as legally blind as he has X-linked Retinitis Pigmintosa, his eye-sight is not correctable at all with glasses nor contacts, he cannot see clear at all even with help. He is high functioning to an extent though he is very severely handicapped with the Autism alone, to some may appear normal but quirky because he tends to be quiet at first. He has very little, if any comprehension of actions or concepts, he will never be able to function in society, he will always require care, he is mentally incompetant. He does pick up behaviors from others, good and bad behaviors from him are learned, he is a mimicker but easily manipulated as well. He has some OCDs, all learned - some good, some bad. He will ask the same question a million times, sometimes different ways, regardless of the answer never changing. When you tell him something, he takes it very literal, he cannot make a guess or assumption, every detail needs to be included. He is very sensitive with verbal tones used due to his dimished eye-sight and the Autism. Schedule disruptions are a trigger, loud environments are a trigger, offensive smells are a trigger for him, someone sick around him can be a trigger. He can be a danger to himself and others in his fits. My cousin's handicap has been well documented since he was three years old, he has been in the school system that long, because it was the only way to get speech therapy and assistance with the vision, but they're failing him.

    My cousin has been attending Public Middle School for the last couple years, this was his third year attending. The School for this year and last will not allow CARD in, nor meet his specific needs - They believe he is less severe than he actually is, and would be cured if punished appropriately severe enough(an ass whopping is not going to cure him). It has been a constant fight with this school to get him what he needs and they're not doing even that. He is not in a contained unit, and the aide he has nor his teacher are trained in Autism, his aide is not there most of the time as she has multiple charges. There is nowhere for him to go and calm down, no one there recognizes when he needs a break, his electives are mainstream, which he is not suppose to be in. They will not approve Home Health Care, it has been asked for repeatedly. The School will not conform to what is set in the IEP. He is in a class full of behavioral and ADHD kids, picking up negative behaviors from those children, he is truly handicapped, not just disabled. Other problems that have been faced in the school, he has been bullied since beginning Middle School, they never catch the other kids, but he gets caught when he goes through the roof in a fit. This is a kid that cannot lie, and we have no proof of the bullying other than his word. My cousin has learned if he says "I want to kill myself" or "I want to die" he gets to go home and they suspend him, ZERO tolerance in Florida. He doesn't get what it means, even the psycologist agrees that he doesn't understand what suicide is, the school constantly has threatened to baker-act him while putting him in an environment that encourages the outbursts. The school has lied to my aunt and told her if she withdrew him, she would go to jail for allowing him to be truent. There is so much more the school has done, too - especially discriminating against him for his other handicap. We do have a school about an hour away that deals with low functioning Autistic children, but they cannot deal with the vision. The blind school will not take the Autism. He's stuck with Public School and they will not give him Home Health.

    The situation is thus...

    The School has put him in a situation that could have been dangerous for him or others students. My Cousin managed to bring a knife to school in his binder. Which my aunt is beside herself because she does watch him so close, and yet it happened(He's had an obsession with knives since this school year began, we believe he was told by someone they were going to stab him, again no proof). He did not pull the knife on anyone, but it fell out of his binder and created a chaotic situation, there was yelling and kids and teachers grabbing for the knife - of course, he freaked. He picked it up and held it up from them, he didn't threaten anyone with it though. The teachers got the knife from him and he was taken to the office and questioned in such they asked him if who he was going to stab, not if he was going to hurt someone, but who, and he told them the name of a kid that's been bullying and ostricising him and had him mad that day(Zach will say the name of whomever has him mad at that moment, if it had been me at that moment, my name would have been said). My aunt was not present for the questioning. He was arrested without my aunt present, and read miranda rights at that time. My aunt still has not been informed of his miranda rights(illegal since he was arrested, he's a minor and doesn't understand his rights). The cops baker-acted him and took him to a local mental health facility, he was held for 48 hours then released into my aunt's custody, the psychologist even there said he is mentally incompetant and doesn't understand. The parents of the child he named, because the school had to inform them of the situation, are pressing charges. The School's negligence created this mess, this situation, and since it's been a constant uphill battle, we feel they were trying to push him to this and suceeded, for every fit they threatened to Baker-act in front of him over the last two years plus some. Not to mention, when my Aunt went infront of the Judge for the incident on Sunday, he told my cousin directly, if he had been eighteen he would have been put in prison for eighteen years for this and wouldn't consider throwing it out, the Judge had no comprehension of the extent of my cousin's handicap. My Aunt is getting a lawyer for the Criminal offense.

    We need a good lawyer in Ocala FL, or surrounding area, that can go against Marion County balls to the wall.

    If anyone has anyone they can recommend or anything, Please email me.

    Thank you.

    JJ
    Dunnellon, FL


    Posted October 7, 2012
    I have a 3 year old with A.S.D.N.O.S. We enrolled our 3 year old in a christian day school in our area for 3 days a week for 3 hours a day, just to help her socialize. I was very certain to explain every thing about my child to the director. The director in formed e that her son has Autism and that she understood and that they would do everything for her. That director left the school after my child had there her for 4 weeks. The new director came to my house and tried to get me to join their church. The next week she stopped me in the hall and said that my child was causing too much of a fuss in class and wants me to pick her up at 10 on the days that she comes. The next day she stopped me in the hallway and said that she couldn't come at all. WE have no reason to believe that she is acting up and her teacher says that she is doing great. Do you think she is being discriminated against?

    jessica
    south carlina


    Posted October 4, 2012
    I have an 10 year old son with behavior autism. We are haveing some issues with the schooling system. He has been with this school for almost two years. They only have him going to school for 3 hours a day. He was recently placed into a behavior residential to get his medicine straighten out. The school has never once tried to give me counseling or any other suggestions with his behavior. I recently began to stand up for him at his IEP meetings.They were trying to make my son look like a monster. I went on all his field trips in order for him to be able to join. I have been around all of the other children and feel that my child does not have behavior problems like them. He is a lonier, he does not interact with other children much. I am just wondering if it is the school responsibility to place my child in a school to meet his needs if that school can not. By the way he does not even eat at the school he attends, the reason is we want him to be around as less kids as possible and I was told the only way he could eat lunch was is a certified teacher was in there not and assistant which he has. Most of the people that have this problem just up and move with their children. should I do the same?

    Salena
    Lawrence, ms


    Posted October 1, 2012
    My daughter is 34 years old and is in a supportive living apartment here in Washington DC. There are no services for the autistic here in Washington DC, & the funding agency here in The Disabilities Administration. According to their law 2-137, services are to be provided to the intellectually disabled. DDS (The Disabilities Administration) will not render services to an autistic adult. They are giving very sparing services to the children,but the adults have no where to go for services, unless they are diagnoses as intellectually disabled. At that point, the intellectual disability is what drives the services.
    I currently am facing a guardianship hearing to make sure I can make no more demands via advocacy for my daughter. I understand my daughters problems with verbal comprehension, so I adjust the way I communicate with her according to her ability to comprehend, that is considered meddling & "telling her what to do & say.
    My daughter is violent as many autistic folks are, they have blamed me for that as well. November the 15th is when I go to trial for my daughter, & I could use some experts who could vouch for the need for autistic specific speech therapy, autistic specific behavioral therapy, occupational therapy to enable my daughter to be more independent.
    I am also seeking to have her close to her family, to teach her her indigenous traditions, to support her religion as a Buddhist. Are there any ideas or resources for me

    Louise Thundercloud
    Washington DC 20001


    Posted September 30, 2012
    Elizabethe Katherine Isawakë

    I trust that I might post this here.
    I wanted to let you know that the case I currently am undergoing has many layers. I am an advocate who has loudly confronted the lack in services for the autistic in the District of Columbia, in my daughter's case, specifically. For that, the thrust is to remove any possibility of having say so over what happens to my daughter away from me. The fact that they decided to come after me on the 28th of August because I smudged, & because in July I gave my daughter herbal teas, I believe are smoke screens to what is currently the actual problem. I do believe that any of us who know herbs to use that will lessen the need for psychotropics, run the risk of having problems, & we need to be aware that we have some powerful enemies out here, because we do threaten their money sources, not to mention the "sensibilities" of the agencies that might be involved in the "care" of our loved ones, because we dare to make choices that will lessen the need for drugs. I am currently having problems with the Washington DC city government, because I am demanding services be rendered for the autistic.My daughter is both autistic & mentally ill , so I have advocated for cross services for her. For that I am currently facing a guardianship attempt by the District of Columbia. This case is going to hopefully spotlight the lack of services for autistic adults in the District, where one would believe the services would be better in the Nations Capital, and to spotlight the woefully inadequate advocacy for services provided by the District provided advocates. This will be cross posted because I do want people to understand this case, & that my case actually is not isolated, I am just determined to fight, & ask for your support.

    Pilamiya

    Elizabethe Katherine Isawakë
    District of Columbia, Washington D.C.


    Posted August 26, 2012
    My 5 year old autistic son Brandon has been in special ed for the past 2 years. This year (3) he has started kinder but still special ed. Its a new school which he had to be transfered to in hopes it would help him be with students who are less severe as he is....So far ut hasn't been going well at all. On a daily bases I have been getting reports of how he does in class and its always bad.:(. He's throwing more tantrums everyday, running out of class and my last report said he was put in time out 4 times, he ran out of the class room and hid from an adult and ut said he exposed himself in the bathroom for the boys to see...I know when he uses the restroom he pulls his pants completely down to the floor even to urinate, and when I asked him he was trying to talk but he still has speech issues but he said the older kids laughed at him...I am worried and am going to talk to his teacher on Monday since I wasn't the one who picked him up from school on friday. He has never acted like this before and u know most of it is that its a different school and he doesn't like changes. I need advice because the last thing I need is for the school to call cps or whatever they do. He's never acted like this at his other school and his frequent tantrums and running out if class is scaring ne because they never call me when he does.someone please I need advice.

    kay
    w.covina


    Posted July 13, 2012
    I've been looking for childcare for an autistic seven year old for over a year. When I take him to different places to see if they'll accept him, he doesn't misbehave but he's still denied entry to daycare (for summer care or camp). I keep being told "we're trained to care for autistic children, but we can't pay that much attention to him", so he's just not going. i haven't been to work in three weeks and have complained to the city of chicago. I was told by reps at the mayor's office to just find a shelter they can't find help for a child just because he has autism....... they can't find help for him because of autism, but it's LEGAL to not allow a child to participate in childcare because of autism. They've just found a very convenient place where they made it legal to not serve autistic people and not have to give a damn that they're not being serviced.

    Pissed and taking legal action
    Chicago, IL


    Posted June 13, 2012
    My son is diagnose with autism. my son is six years old and he was diagnose at four. my local school district 5 is the worst in helping me getting my son the proper help. my sons first years in kinder were horrible. the teacher he had was not a spacialist or had a degree in specializing with kids with autism. i was not sure of what and how IEPs work. Nobody ever read me any rules at the begining of every IEP evaluation. i wrote a letter to have his IEP reevaluated on september 15, 2011 and my son is now in 1st grade with an awesome teacher but a non caring district with people who denied my son the right to be properly placed at a school for children with autism and a one on one behaviorist. The IEP meeting was just done on June 1st when i wrote a letter to be done as soon as possible but they kept post poning the dates and no one has ever read me my rights and i found out that they were supposed to put his IEP reevaluation in progress ten days from rturning from winter break so he can get the help he was supposed to. the district 5 LRE specialist lied to me through out the whole meeting. And said that other districts like to make themselves sound so much better but i know your son needs to go to this school the teacher is more qualified and he can teach your son to better himself.the psychaitric team called was called to my sons school and she has the nerves to say, your son belongs in general ed. im sorry but i know that they just don't want to pay the extra money for my sons rights. I am reading the laws right now but in order to have a proper written paper for due process i need extreme help. i know that in this story it seems sloppy but i am so angry the this school has been deniying my son proper schooling and the right help he deserves. i am an always will be my sons only advocate but i need help. i need a good lawyer and the right school to help my son's behavior. it can get worst and he will only get bigger and stronger. he needs proper social skills and ap, ot, a bi in the bus, a one on one specialist, and the right school with a caring district. i want this district to hire new people. any child has the right for a good school with caring people not people who only wait for a paycheck. i always say, OUR CHILDREN MIGHT BE DISABLED BUT THAT ONLY MEANS ITS A LITTLE EXTRA WORK SO STOP BULLYING US THE PARENTS AND DENYING OUR CHILDREN THEIR RIGHTS. please if possible i need as much legal advice.

    Veronica Leon
    Los Angeles, California


    Posted May 10, 2012
    I'm new to this and in need of help!!!! I have a 14yr old who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 4, during the time he started school he wasn't put on an IEP I had to fight until 1st grade to get help. During the fight to get him help he was retained in kindergarten due to missing days of school because of severe asthma. during the year after an IEP was put into place he was still struggling a bit but had definitely improved and his asthma subsided completely. Fast forward to age 10 we moved to a different city and the schools put OT in place for him along with smaller classes, small group lunch therapies with peers, private transportation and therapy. During the time we resided in the new city thing started looking up for my son and we were happy, in 09 at the end of his 6th grade year I decided we were going to move and I informed my son, he didn't handle it very well and started acting out a bit no violent behavior just shut down a lot. He was expressing these same behaviors in school and the staff had become frustrated with him and cut back his services in the new IEP which would go to the new school only providing therapy and recommended him to be retained again. I dint understand IEP's at the time and didn't know if I hadn't signed it his services would still be in place.When he started in the new school I informed them his previous Iep had a lot of support in place and I didn't understand how he was going to succeed going from 6th grade learning on a 4th grade level to normal 7th grade academics, The school soon understood what I meant and changed his IEP 3 times during the first school year which changed his classes and schedule several times. My son was failing all of his classes and he started to have severe asthma again and missing school. During the school year tutoring was offered for him which I thought was great until my son wasn't coming home on the late bus he was strolling in around 8 sometimes 9 at night. I called the school with concerns about his grades, the help he was getting along with the fact that my child wasn't coming home on time. The school reply he has to take responsibilities for his homework and being on the bus, if he doesn't get on the bus after his tutoring its not our responsibility. After investigating the situation I came to find out my son wasn't at tutoring at all he was leaving school grounds and then returning to take the late bus or just leaving the school grounds and hanging with peers so I started taking him to Sylvan Learning Center on my own during the weekend.During this time period my son was being bullied on the bus when he was on it, being smacked by one child, and racist comments were always being thrown in his direction. When we attempted to resolve the situation the staff who was informed made things worse and my son got into his first fight having to protect himself. The day he returned to school his teacher told him she could have him thrown out of school for the fight even though it didn't happen on school grounds instead of asking him if he was okay. The teacher who is in charge of the tutoring was also his special education teacher for reading,and ELA. This teacher had him in class for two period during they day and refused to hold him in class for tutoring because it wasn't her responsibility. The teacher wasn't pleasant when talking to her she was very rude comparing how many children to myself and after talking to my son she was sending him to the office for accusing him of certain things he wasn't doing, he always had the guidance counselor on hand that helped him through this but he could only do so much. The school year comes to an end and my son was suppose to be retained or attend summer school due to failing one of his classes, the teacher of the class wouldn't contact me about concern with my son so he passed without summer school but I was still concerned about the following school year and his classes. I asked that he be pulled from classes with the teacher because she talked down to my son an the school refused informing me she is the only special ed teacher available for the classes he takes so he had to remain in her class because she teaches 7th and 8th grade I asked if he could be placed in a smaller school because this is too much for him to handle and she said it couldn't be done. My son started the school year failing every class and still not coming home after school, one day he shows up with a tattoo and tells me his friend did it and I'm old school with my children if I don't know the parent you aren't allowed to play with my children so it was no friend of his and still remains a mystery. The school nurse calls and asked me if I was aware of it and I said yes but I'm really upset, we move on and during the school year my son is still failing the special ed teacher wont contact me and at this point is telling my son to shut up in class, when he asks a question she will reply why are you talking to me and several rude and discouraging remarks toward him sending my son into a serious depression and he gave up. I informed the principle of what was going on and her response was its his word against hers and noting could be done about it even though she was targeting specific children in the class and complaints of bad behavior were coming from only that teacher only in her written reports verbally she is telling everyone my son is doing so good this year which I don't understand because his grades are all f's which until he started this school I have never seen on his report card. During this school year my son has spent more time with his guidance counselor than in her class he doesn't like conflict and when people are unkind to him he will shut down. The guidance counselor contacts me one day and informs me he thinks my son has the characteristics of autism which made so much sense to me with all of the sensory issues he has, fascination with spiders since introducing him to books, lacking social skills, and unable to cope with change in his routine. I received the diagnosis in March after another failed IEP meeting where they refuse to put his services into place that were helping my son, and I still complained about his teacher because his depression was getting worse and the horror stories were too. The week after April vacation I refused to send my son back to school due to the fact he was being abused, discriminated against, and neglected. I contacted the principal of the school and informed her of my dessication because I have never seen him in such bad condition and he is too loving to deal with the situation.I also informed the superintendent of the special education department and informed her of whats going on and she promised she would fix this because looking at my sons test scores hes brilliant and his IEPs have gaps and she didn't understand what was going on. She informed me that he would be retained this year and I was upset but I let her know if he stays back he cannot continue his education in that school he must be put into a school that can help him and out of his special education teachers reach, she told me its hard to make that determination until the meeting but if he is placed in the school with services he must attend, and I let her know my son will not attend classes with an abusive teacher his anxiety is the cause of asthma and several other issues, my words to her"If I was neglecting and abusing my children someone would file a report on me, I don't have anyone to report her to so he cannot continue to be abused by her I wont stand for it! A meeting was set up for 5/9/12 for his IEP the previous week I sent him back on Thursday because I was aware of the upcoming meeting and they were aware of his diagnosis so I'm figuring they would take care of my child better, the day I send him to school he doesn't come home on time I call the school inform them that after letting them know he was diagnosed with autism they would watch over my son more carefully they didn't he wouldn't be going back; he was okay on they way to school he spotted a free singer sewing machine and wanted to bring it to his grandmother and he carried it 1.5 mile home sweet but not good. Tuesday afternoon after letting the school administration know in advance why I wasn't sending my child to school I receive a letter in the mail from DFC with accusations of neglect and physical abuse on all four of my children which through me off because two of my boys have been seeing the same therapist for two years, I'm at all the school meeting activities, dances etc.... Also all my children are in different schools and the only one failing is my oldest, they are separated by two doctors who has been seeing them since birth??? On Tuesday during the meeting none of the administration confronted or told me anything about a report but the principle wasn't present and after everything that went on they were more than happy to put his services in place and send him to another school. When my sons therapist came on Wednesday she informed me it wasn't her but have them contact her because she felt something is suspicious about the report. My son was just diagnosed with Autism at the age of fourteen and I protect and advocate for him the best I can, I'm scared for my family at the moment because I'm new to this and feel as if someone is retaliating against my family to protect themselves from the neglect, abuse and discrimination against my child.

    JADESKY
    Weymouth, MA


    Posted April 25, 2012
    My grandaughter is asperger, adhd, biopolar and manic depressive. She was at school on the swing andhad her feet hanging down and didnt realize she had it to low. When she stop she bent her ankle back and she sprang it. Shy got off the bus and was limping. My husband told me she was limping took her to the er that night. I kept her out of school for 24 hours to get some of the swelling down. Took her back to school and told the princpal what she done. He look at the camares and pull her in the office and told her she was lying about hurting her ankle and if she quit lying to him he wouldnt kick her out of school. I had of heck of time getting her to go to school everyday.

    suzan carr
    miami ok


    Posted April 11, 2012
    Today April 11,2012
    We signed up at 24 hour fitness in Huntington beach because there is a child care center. We pay 4.00 per child and we have two boys. Today my husband and I decided to drop Gio ( our three year old, autistic son) and our baby lue (1 year old) off for an hour. As we arrived, because it was a rainy day, there was about 10 kids and two helpers. They took the boys and thirty minutes later we get intercomed. We come down and one of the employees (who is familiar with the boys) tells me Gio is not listening. She put him on time out and he would just run away and she kept telling him to look at her, and anyone whom is familiar with the behaviors understands autistic children don't look into others eyes. She then stated the reason she called is because he was trying to play with the blocks on the slide and he is not lustening to her. II told her that Gio is autistic. She then said out loud I front of other members, " if you would of told me this, we wouldn't of taken him in?" she then asked, "is it in his file?" I said yes... I left in tears... I was completely embarrassed of her insensitive remark.. My son couldn't continue playing and all is was saying is, " no home, playground." I spoke with the manager but he just wanted to give us a "free" month of child care. My husband and I cancelled our membership but yet I feel so discriminated. Because my son is autistic, they couldn't accommodate him? We spoke to the police to make a report in hopes in changing the policy and making the employees at 24 hour fitness knowledgeable about handeling these situations, yet we couldn't make a report because "no crime was committed." we spoke to attorneys but this case isn't relevant nor did they want to fight against a huge corporation like 24 hour... This is horrible. This happened during autism awareness month! I feel alone and sadden... How unprofessional and inappropriate was this employee...

    Maritza Rigali
    Huntington beach, ca


    Posted February 28, 2011
    My name is Shining Star and I am Native American
    It is sad to know we live in a world where there is so much discrimination and hate. I worked as a caretaker for a family who also where Native Americans and their family it was Grandfather , Grandmother,daughter and her Autistic 16 yr old son...he was the one I worked with although they could never get any of the agencies to provide any help, nor the state, nor the county I worked alone and many hours because no help and the family is not able to care for him without help on account of disabilities, This boy grew up without friends no one in the county would bring their children to play with him. they even went to a food bank to get help with food and was turned away,because they weren't part of a church organization so not only does he get discrimination from all these for being Autistic he gets it for being an American Indian Cherokee. I am like most parents when I started there I had no idea about Autism or what to do and never got any help although ask for some training fell on deaf ears but I learned on my own what little I did I have come to the conclusion the states and the government and communities we are on our own with these kids cause all they want to do is pass the buck and spend the money as long as they don't have to go deal with the child face to face all the time to earn their pay...so sorry if I sound bitter but I see what years of discrimination does to helpless folks who cry out for help....>>>--->SS



    debra
    O'Brien,Fl


    Posted April 25, 2012
    My grandaughter is asperger, adhd, biopolar and manic depressive. She was at school on the swing andhad her feet hanging down and didnt realize she had it to low. When she stop she bent her ankle back and she sprang it. Shy got off the bus and was limping. My husband told me she was limping took her to the er that night. I kept her out of school for 24 hours to get some of the swelling down. Took her back to school and told the princpal what she done. He look at the camares and pull her in the office and told her she was lying about hurting her ankle and if she quit lying to him he wouldnt kick her out of school. I had of heck of time getting her to go to school everyday.

    suzan carr
    miami ok


    Posted March 17, 2012
    My son, Chase, who is 11 participates on his archery team at school. This is the first sport after many different that he really enjoys and has really held his interest. He is farely good and obeys all the rules without assistance. My husband took him for the second time to an archery shooting club for fun and help him keep up with his skills. This morning they made my son, husband, and oldest daughter 16yrs leave because of his disability. They admit that he did nothing unsafe, they just felt that he would be needing extra assistance that they didn't want to offer and that there were too many other children there. Our son has participated at a competition with hundreds of children with no extra assistance and did great. My husband was so heartbroken, he had actually pulled over and went into a restroom to cry so the kids wouldn't see him. I have never encountered this situation before. I immediately called the place and talked with the owner just to make sure I had the full and correct story and he actually said that he was turned away because of his disability and that he thought he might be unsafe and might cause a disruption. I am so angry!!!!Does anyone have any advice??? I feel like picketing outside his business and letting other families know that someone was turned away because of their disability!

    Kelly Cannon
    Covington, GA


    Posted March 7, 2012
    My son Danny was diagnosed with Autism when he was two. I had to fight for his pediatrician to listen and finally I went around him to obtain an evaluation. Even after loosing the few words he had learned and the many red flags, sometimes you need to go with your instinct and ignore the "wait and see" approach.
    Danny is non-verbal and for quite awhile had no means of functional communication. Through early intervention in our home,(which is often offered through your local area agency), he began requesting simple items through the use of photographs. It was amazing to have Danny communicate his need to me. They introduced me to ABA therapy or applied behavior anaylsis and through this method Danny most successful. We were fortunate enough to have a BCBA also involved in the program (which I feel is imparitive to such a program for proper oversight). As time went on his play skills and picture use very slowly,but successfully increased.
    AS Danny turned three it was time to enter the public school; good intentions does not makes a program appropriate. I cannot emphasize enough that the school honestly thought that my son was ready to benefit from what they had and they did not understand his true needs. My son has a lack of safety awareness, often bolts, at the time had little comprehension of spoken language, and that does not address his difficulties in communication,sensory, social,play skills, life skills and cognitve skills. He has a lot of needs that simply cannot be meet in a public school setting, even a special ed. classroom. Danny began to withdraw, tantrums every morning ( a child that did not really have tantrums hardly ever)it was awful. All the progress he had made just started to disapear and now my son was starting to disapear too.
    The one contingency we had when signing our IEP was an outside evaluation, as our intial was inaccurate, but we asked that his overall needs be evalued. As everyone expected, Danny needed more. He now attends a school that is staffed with Five BCBA's an OT, SPL and offers 1:1 instruction were the programming is ABA based. They do home visits, trips into the community to work on whatever skills the child needs. With in one week of being at Birchtree, my son was better than ever.
    My son is six and has a PEC's book that is so filled with words, he knows what they are and how to use them. Yes some children with Autism learn to speak, some don't, the hard part is not knowing what to do until you figure it out. Autism can be such a waiting game, you fight for this then wait for that. The right group of people who understand your child is what matters, that is what makes this school so unique;the people in it.

    Now there is talk he may be "ready" to go to his older brothers school, my non-verbal little boy who has no academic skills can pretend with a book, not sure who that would benefit but I know its not Danny and it will not happen while I am still breathing, not this year!

    Only a Mom
    NH


    Posted February 15, 2012
    I was watching Conan this evening and he had a stand up comic named Myq Kaplan on today. I'm very annoyed about one subject in particular that he made jokes about-people with autism. He should be ashamed of himself poking fun at people with disabilities and I refuse to watch him any time he appears on television. The guy disgusts me. I hope Conan doesn't have him return either.

    Mary Rzepka
    River Grove, IL


    Posted January 30, 2012
    My Vincent is 7 years old. He was diagnosed with Autism when he was 2 1/2 or 3. When I first brought him to daycare at the age of 2, they said he just sat in the same spot and didn't get up the entire day and thought he suffered from reactive detachment disorder and had some serious problems and wouldn't let me take him back there. He could not speak, and he could not walk, he did not communicate with others, whatsoever.

    A little history, My Vincent is my grandson. He was born in my home to my Daughter - who suffers from psychotic disorder - sociopath - same thing. They lived here for the first year. I moved her out and they were on their own for about two years. For the entire two years, I picked up Vincent from his mom, brought him home, fed him, bathed him, he didn't look like she cared for him at all. For the last six months before he turned three, each time I would get close to her house, he would know, and start screaming, once we got in there, I cried my eyes out every time I left him there. Her apartment had glass sliding doors, he pounded on the doors with his fists and his head and the tears literally streamed from his eyes, wanting me to come back and get him. So one day, when I couldn't take it anymore, I did just that, filed for custody and won.

    The first night I was crying and talked to him for hours, no he couldn't speak, but he was actually watching me talk, and clinging to every word. At that point, I do not know how, but I knew there was hope.

    I read everything on autism and ABA, getting down to the child's level etc etc etc. I worked with him myself for over 2 years doing just that. The first year was awful, the self destructive head pounding, etc, bloody noses, made me wonder again if it would always be like this. But you know what, I didn't give up.

    Well he is 7, he talks a blue streak, he is loving, always wanting hugs and giving hugs, he has a sense of humor, he laughs a lot, he is so so happy all of the time, he asks tons of questions. He tells me stories of when he was little - how he could think - but couldn't talk. He desperately seeks approval from his peers and it upsets him that he doesn't have a lot of friends, he wants a brother or a sister. He calls me mom, I didn't know that he remembered, but he calls his mom his sister, but says that he knows she is his mom, but he loves me and wants to be with me.

    He calls my husband dad, but also says he knows his real dad is dead, but he says he loves us to be his mom and day "because I love you both so much" is what he says.

    I have 5 grown normal children, and I never had this kind of attachment, he is truly special :)

    now the bad....

    Vincent started school when he was 4 - in preschool, he has survived through kindergarten and first grade, he had a special needs teacher who was really in tune to Vincent's needs and Vincent did not too bad the first two years. Well this year in 2nd grade, they moved the teachers to another school, so Vincent is around several different teachers every day, they move him around alot, I'm not so sure what is going on there, Vincent tells me this one kid picks on him and shoves him and Vincent reacts by punching him back, well of course, Vincent is the only one who ever gets in trouble. Both Vincent and this other child are special needs and they do not get along but the school insists on keeping them together. When they do not like Vincent's behavior - they lock him in a time out room - cement wall and floors :(. They stand on the outside of the door and hold it closed so he cannot get out. Vincent has begun pulling his hair and hitting himself in the head - behaviors which had long been in the past. He is regressing.

    He has also been kicked out of school, this is going on his third week. In this third week, I have noticed Vincent coming out of the regression, getting back to his happy self, now never wanting to go to school again.

    I do not know what to do.

    Christine Perry
    Beaver Dam, WI


    Posted January 30, 2012
    My Vincent is 7 years old. He was diagnosed with Autism when he was 2 1/2 or 3. When I first brought him to daycare at the age of 2, they said he just sat in the same spot and didn't get up the entire day and thought he suffered from reactive detachment disorder and had some serious problems and wouldn't let me take him back there. He could not speak, and he could not walk, he did not communicate with others, whatsoever.

    A little history, My Vincent is my grandson. He was born in my home to my Daughter - who suffers from psychotic disorder - sociopath - same thing. They lived here for the first year. I moved her out and they were on their own for about two years. For the entire two years, I picked up Vincent from his mom, brought him home, fed him, bathed him, he didn't look like she cared for him at all. For the last six months before he turned three, each time I would get close to her house, he would know, and start screaming, once we got in there, I cried my eyes out every time I left him there. Her apartment had glass sliding doors, he pounded on the doors with his fists and his head and the tears literally streamed from his eyes, wanting me to come back and get him. So one day, when I couldn't take it anymore, I did just that, filed for custody and won.

    The first night I was crying and talked to him for hours, no he couldn't speak, but he was actually watching me talk, and clinging to every word. At that point, I do not know how, but I knew there was hope.

    I read everything on autism and ABA, getting down to the child's level etc etc etc. I worked with him myself for over 2 years doing just that. The first year was awful, the self destructive head pounding, etc, bloody noses, made me wonder again if it would always be like this. But you know what, I didn't give up.

    Well he is 7, he talks a blue streak, he is loving, always wanting hugs and giving hugs, he has a sense of humor, he laughs a lot, he is so so happy all of the time, he asks tons of questions. He tells me stories of when he was little - how he could think - but couldn't talk. He desperately seeks approval from his peers and it upsets him that he doesn't have a lot of friends, he wants a brother or a sister. He calls me mom, I didn't know that he remembered, but he calls his mom his sister, but says that he knows she is his mom, but he loves me and wants to be with me.

    He calls my husband dad, but also says he knows his real dad is dead, but he says he loves us to be his mom and day "because I love you both so much" is what he says.

    I have 5 grown normal children, and I never had this kind of attachment, he is truly special :)

    now the bad....

    Vincent started school when he was 4 - in preschool, he has survived through kindergarten and first grade, he had a special needs teacher who was really in tune to Vincent's needs and Vincent did not too bad the first two years. Well this year in 2nd grade, they moved the teachers to another school, so Vincent is around several different teachers every day, they move him around alot, I'm not so sure what is going on there, Vincent tells me this one kid picks on him and shoves him and Vincent reacts by punching him back, well of course, Vincent is the only one who ever gets in trouble. Both Vincent and this other child are special needs and they do not get along but the school insists on keeping them together. When they do not like Vincent's behavior - they lock him in a time out room - cement wall and floors :(. They stand on the outside of the door and hold it closed so he cannot get out. Vincent has begun pulling his hair and hitting himself in the head - behaviors which had long been in the past. He is regressing.

    He has also been kicked out of school, this is going on his third week. In this third week, I have noticed Vincent coming out of the regression, getting back to his happy self, now never wanting to go to school again.

    I do not know what to do.

    Christine Perry
    Beaver Dam, WI


    Posted December 7, 2011
    Myy child has finally received a diagnosis of autism after three years of trying. During our fight we have experienced discrimination/false accustions from my workplace/day care. I work for a well-known fitness club as an instructor. My income is very low, so low that I can no longer afford seperate day care, therefore I have to rely on the free child-care offered by LA Fitness Kid's Klub staff. Unfortunately, Elijah has been in trouble for doing things that are trademark with his diagnosis (anti-social behaviors such as biting, scratching, and yelling at other kids for no apparent reason and then laughing about it). There have been many parents complaining about it, and staff have been negligent to explain the difference between my child and theirs. Recently, corporate has enacted a new rule as a result of the many compaints. From now on if a child bites once, they lose their Kid's Klub privilages for 3 months. If this happens to us, now only with I have to quit my job with no hope for unemployment, but Elijah will lose one of the activities that he enjoys (his excitement increases when he knows we are going to Kid's Klub).
    There is not anything that I am not willing to do for my son, one of them and not the least of which is to ensure that he does not feel left out because he is different.

    Aimee Stone
    Milton, WA


    Posted November 27, 2011
    I can relate to the stories that I have read here in this forum. My brother was diagnosed as Austic NOS and MR at the age of 20. At 5 he was diagnosed with having selective mutism. I strongly encourage the parents and caregivers of family members with Autism to have courage,continue to fight for the rights of your loved ones and be their strongest advocate. For those parents who have children that bite and fight as a result of not being able to express themselves, speak calmly to your loved one and let them know that you understand what they are going through but it is difficult for you to understand when they act out. Then ask them, "If you understand knock on the table 3 times. If this occurs, you know that your loved one understands you. Then provide a simple way your child can let you know he or she is upset without the biting/fighting. I can personally relate that this technique works. Arguing doesn't help even if your child is at fault and they deny the wrong doing. Sometimes you have to join them in their world.There is also medication that your child can take to calm aggressive behaviors. Seek a neurology psychiatrist to seek medical attention. These are trained specialists that are very familiar with Austism. For those parents who have stated that they have been wrongly mistreated by educational institutions, you have a right to consult the Department of Education in your state. Legal aid may also represent those that cannot afford a lawyer. Sometimes bringing attention to the school, by taking your story to the newspaper or local media can also allow investigations into your personal matter. For those parents who have had rights of your children violated, you can file charges with your District Attorney in your area. If your child has been molested, abused physically or emotionally by an employee of an agency you need to contact the Office of Citizens with Developmental Disabilities in your state and ask to speak to the Complaints Department. I can speak from experience that they advocate for you. Your child has a right to receive services without gaps or discrimination from any worker. The law can work for you if you know your rights. You must stay informed. For those that have lost their children to foster care, obtain knowledge about your rights and your children's rights. You must be strong and not give up. My heart goes out to each of you. As a caregiver, I advocate daily for my brother. Advocating for equal rights is not a chore but a process in which all citizens regardless of race, age, disability or nationally are entitled. Be uplifted and encouraged as you read the stories and remember that you are not enduring the journey alone. Reach out to your support groups.

    Mechelle
    Louisiana


    Posted November 9, 2011
    I have been discriminated against since I can remeber. My name is Leslie I am 21 years old here is a list fo what happened to me.Its easier to dsipel my life that way.

    1. Granted SAT accomdation but School refused to follow it
    2. Professors have blatnly called me retarted in claases and some have failed me on purpose in high school
    3. I had to fight to get accomdations in High school my mom even had to jump across a table to get
    her point through to a teacher. I was in emotional support and we had feild trips andthe teacher refused to grant me a make up assignment.

    4. I was not allowed to go to Italy on study abroad at my college cause they said with my Autism I waould be the next Anna Cox
    5. RA's have targeted me and have harrassed me indirectly and directly in the dorms and the adminstration did nothing about it.
    6. I have had stuff stolen by bullies who knew I was Aspergers and that I was an easy target
    7. I was beaten, harasssed all through elementary school and middle school..one time I came with a ige gash and bruises on my arm from one girl who got a bunch of other who ganged up on me while the gym teacher wasnt looking and beat me with feild hockey sticks
    8. When I played softball in practice I had a girl who threw a softball in my overies and said "now you cant produce anymore retards!"
    9. Some professors refuse to follow the disablity letters and say its 'coddling'

    I am trying to apply for law school now to get my JD in disability law for we have a consitutional right to be protected. If I get it I will be more than happy to help protect fellow sufferers'. If not well Im off to grad school and try to run for office as a legislator to ensure that there are specific rules to protect us. If that doesnt happen either well Im going to be a lobbyist so I can use my dominering personality and loud mouth/smart ass intellegence to get what we need.

    I am presently writing a paper on Autism and the vaccination scare and how it has had an effect/or a shaped the perception of Autism. If you know anything ro where to find these documents my email is laa001@lvc.edu

    Leslie
    Hummelstown,PA


    Posted November 9, 2011
    my brother is 40 & autistic He never had the opportunity to be schooled by experienced teachers who specialize in kids w/autism & was subjected to public schooling. God Bless Em, but the experience in public schools for children w/autism was Nil to say the least. My brotheris very special to me & our family We have had a very difficult time trying to find a facility to educate nuture Adults w/autism.We could not find any especially in the early 80's & 90's.Are there any options we have for him? He is so bright funny polite & sweet! He deserves a chance! Help!!!! sincerely his loving younger sister!

    Susan Primorac
    Los Angeles


    Posted October 24, 2011
    I am heart broken to here all these sad stories regarding the discrimination to our Children who are touched by Autism.

    My son Gianni Azrriel is 4 years old and is under the Autism Umbrella. I was always scared about the fact that he had to ONE DAY go to public school and have to deal with the way this new generation bullies and discriminates against our special needs children.

    HOWEVER God has blessed me with the BEST school in the world. Gianni attends PROMISED LAND ACADEMY in Homestead Florida, this is the most amazing school EVER. All the children they have are children with special needs, the staff is amazing, they love and care for the children as if they were their own. Gianni LOVES going to school, and HATES to leave in the afternoon. I am soooooo happy that god has blessed me with the presence of these WOMEN of GOD.... it is not easy dealing with children with disabilties, BUT this school makes it look so easy.

    The staff is amazing, Gianni hugs and kisses them and is HAPPY when he sees them in the morning, during the weekend he gets upset because he does not go to school!!!!!! I am so sorry for all you mommies that have had their little angels discriminated upon. their should be a law against this kind of treatment against a child not only with disabilities but for ANY CHILD PERIOD. If you live in the SOUTH FLORIDA area I recommend PROMISED LAND ACAEMY. you will NEVER take your child out once you have them placed I GUARANTEE YOU 200%. Hang in there moms there is always a light awaiting for us at the end of the tunnel, God has choosed US to take care of these amazing children for a reason, BECAUSE WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!!!! God Bless you all
    LOVE GIANNI & NILDA JUAREZ

    Nilda
    Homestead, Florida


    Posted August 30, 2011
    Hello, I am a mother of a Full Blown Autistic child, Somewhat mute. He is a repeater though. ( good thing, sometimes).
    I don't know where to start, except that I am dealing with the school from the bowels of hell.
    I have went several rounds with these idiots, especially the "school nurse".
    If I have a dispute with her over my other child in the school, she decides too.. Take it out on me through my disabled child, Because she knows she don't have a leg to stand on when it is about the original child in question. I lay down all my facts, I put it right out there when I bring up a topic, I make sure I have everything documented so good that if Cochran was alive he couldn't help her.
    On a certain topic concerning my non autistic child, she out of the clear blue no where, demands me too "put socks on my autistic child" keep in mind this is a public school, (that's part of the problem i am already aware). He is too wear socks, with his sandals! I asked her why? She huffed and puffed and said because I said so. I tried too remain calm, it didn't work! I asked her if she was even qualified to work with children with disabilities? and if she was.. then why wasn't she aware that it is hard enough to keep clothes on a child that is autistic, let alone socks. I know none of this is as bad as what most of you are dealing with, but this is normally how the abuse all starts. I had dropped my kids off at school and my non autistic child was too take the autistic child too the classroom that child is in. My non autistic child informed me after school that.. as they walked into the door, the principal of the school looked down and said where does this one go? My non autistic child gave the teachers name, then the principal said Ah, The crazy class, Ill make sure he gets there. So... After school the kids are sitting here having dinner and my non autistic tells me all of this, but before the crazy class was even mentioned in the sentence, the autistic child said I crazy, crazy class. My autistic child can out curse a sailor! All learned at school! Apparently by the teachers, cause the class the child is in, half of them just scream and make noises they are not verbal. Anytime I report it, they sweep it under the rug. I am sorry I didn't mention my name or kids names but I am seriously thinking of documenting all this legally. My children are Hispanic, Native American, and African American. (I am Native American Blackfoot tribe, from Pine Ridge SD., Migrated too Missouri). My autistic child has also came home saying F@#k Them N&^%$#rs. I know for a fact that wasn't ever said in my home by anyone, or there would have been a bar of soap in someones mouth, child or adult. I don't go for racism or potty mouths.
    Not only is Racism a epidemic at this school so is discrimination. I am forced by state laws to send my children too a just recently proven by the No child left behind board too be a LEVEL 1 school, to be discriminated against. With no one to turn too, or report it too. The list goes on with this school! But the child that gets the most grief is a 2nd grader and non autistic. Thanks for reading, I have no one else too vent to. And the ones that I do vent too wants to go too the school and make a scene. I guess sometimes you got to make a scene too be heard.
    Any advise?






    Summer Sky
    Fenton, Missouri


    Posted November 9, 2011
    my brother is 40 & autistic He never had the opportunity to be schooled by experienced teachers who specialize in kids w/autism & was subjected to public schooling. God Bless Em, but the experience in public schools for children w/autism was Nil to say the least. My brotheris very special to me & our family We have had a very difficult time trying to find a facility to educate nuture Adults w/autism.We could not find any especially in the early 80's & 90's.Are there any options we have for him? He is so bright funny polite & sweet! He deserves a chance! Help!!!! sincerely his loving younger sister!

    Susan Primorac
    Los Angeles


    Posted October 24, 2011
    I am heart broken to here all these sad stories regarding the discrimination to our Children who are touched by Autism.

    My son Gianni Azrriel is 4 years old and is under the Autism Umbrella. I was always scared about the fact that he had to ONE DAY go to public school and have to deal with the way this new generation bullies and discriminates against our special needs children.

    HOWEVER God has blessed me with the BEST school in the world. Gianni attends PROMISED LAND ACADEMY in Homestead Florida, this is the most amazing school EVER. All the children they have are children with special needs, the staff is amazing, they love and care for the children as if they were their own. Gianni LOVES going to school, and HATES to leave in the afternoon. I am soooooo happy that god has blessed me with the presence of these WOMEN of GOD.... it is not easy dealing with children with disabilties, BUT this school makes it look so easy.

    The staff is amazing, Gianni hugs and kisses them and is HAPPY when he sees them in the morning, during the weekend he gets upset because he does not go to school!!!!!! I am so sorry for all you mommies that have had their little angels discriminated upon. their should be a law against this kind of treatment against a child not only with disabilities but for ANY CHILD PERIOD. If you live in the SOUTH FLORIDA area I recommend PROMISED LAND ACAEMY. you will NEVER take your child out once you have them placed I GUARANTEE YOU 200%. Hang in there moms there is always a light awaiting for us at the end of the tunnel, God has choosed US to take care of these amazing children for a reason, BECAUSE WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!!!! God Bless you all
    LOVE GIANNI & NILDA JUAREZ

    Nilda
    Homestead, Florida


    Posted September 2, 2011
    Hi my name is Cristina Maria Kassama Bag, my son was diagnosed just before he complete 3 years old!! Ibrahim was in serious condition of autism and hyper, and was completely nightmare, we couldn't sleep for many years, our life was devasted!! To look after one special child with one syndrome is already terrible but 2 syndromes so exhausted!! Then we focus about SCD , Stone Age, and GAPS diets, DAN protocol, HBOT and many others things!! Why we tried so hard to treat him because of discrimination as well, is not funny to bring our son to playground and hear jokes like he looks like monkey or monster!! PPl don't try to understand well what's going on, specially children were trying to stay away from my son!! When he wake up from autism, he tried so hard to approach with them, he introduced himself and used to say : Hi my name is Ibrahim can I play with u????????? answers .............. no answers all of them used to take their own toys and bring to another places just to stay far away from Ibrahim!!!! I cried so much in public and at home!! but he is fine now, can communicate well, and most of children sometimes can not realize that he used to have stronger signs of autism and hyper!! Some adults who used to watch him in stranger way, now feel surprised!! So that means ppl should judge anothers better and don't make joke about us and watch us in stranger way because is painful its hurt us so much!!! I still have plenty of pais in my heart, and ppl shouldn't judge our children in anyway as possible , they should understand and give support for us!! Our special children are really sensitive, they need LOVE and all treatment require patience patience and more patience!! we need all support as possible . I hope in the future autism decrease or disappear because is heartbroken and painful !!

    cristina maria kassama bag
    sao paulo


    Posted August 31, 2011
    Hello,
    My son is nine years old. He was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. We began the early intervention process and got him into a wonderful headstart program with teachers that were just pure amazing! When it was time for kindergarden we had to move him to a new school because we lived out of the school district. He has been at the same school since then, he is now in fourth grade. He has an aide that is there to help with the things he struggles with most, which is social skills and reading comprehension. Our school system is very low funded, now his aide is also the aide to atleast five other children all in different grades. Now how could she possibly help all of these disabled children in the ways that they need help?? The answer is she can't. Its impossible for one aide to give each child what they need and deserve. The children are the ones that are suffering. My child does not receive the help that he deserves. He did not ask for this life, he did not ask to be autistic. We have teachers this year that have never had an autistic child or apparently any children with any diabilities. They seem to show little concern with any issues that he has. Really wish we had more options for education, we do everything in our power at home, but today in most families both parents have to work, and that is exactly our life. really wish the teachers could just love and care about my son as much as i do.


    christina
    Alabama


    Posted August 30, 2011
    Hello, I am a mother of a Full Blown Autistic child, Somewhat mute. He is a repeater though. ( good thing, sometimes).
    I don't know where to start, except that I am dealing with the school from the bowels of hell.
    I have went several rounds with these idiots, especially the "school nurse".
    If I have a dispute with her over my other child in the school, she decides too.. Take it out on me through my disabled child, Because she knows she don't have a leg to stand on when it is about the original child in question. I lay down all my facts, I put it right out there when I bring up a topic, I make sure I have everything documented so good that if Cochran was alive he couldn't help her.
    On a certain topic concerning my non autistic child, she out of the clear blue no where, demands me too "put socks on my autistic child" keep in mind this is a public school, (that's part of the problem i am already aware). He is too wear socks, with his sandals! I asked her why? She huffed and puffed and said because I said so. I tried too remain calm, it didn't work! I asked her if she was even qualified to work with children with disabilities? and if she was.. then why wasn't she aware that it is hard enough to keep clothes on a child that is autistic, let alone socks. I know none of this is as bad as what most of you are dealing with, but this is normally how the abuse all starts. I had dropped my kids off at school and my non autistic child was too take the autistic child too the classroom that child is in. My non autistic child informed me after school that.. as they walked into the door, the principal of the school looked down and said where does this one go? My non autistic child gave the teachers name, then the principal said Ah, The crazy class, Ill make sure he gets there. So... After school the kids are sitting here having dinner and my non autistic tells me all of this, but before the crazy class was even mentioned in the sentence, the autistic child said I crazy, crazy class. My autistic child can out curse a sailor! All learned at school! Apparently by the teachers, cause the class the child is in, half of them just scream and make noises they are not verbal. Anytime I report it, they sweep it under the rug. I am sorry I didn't mention my name or kids names but I am seriously thinking of documenting all this legally. My children are Hispanic, Native American, and African American. (I am Native American Blackfoot tribe, from Pine Ridge SD., Migrated too Missouri). My autistic child has also came home saying F@#k Them N&^%$#rs. I know for a fact that wasn't ever said in my home by anyone, or there would have been a bar of soap in someones mouth, child or adult. I don't go for racism or potty mouths.
    Not only is Racism a epidemic at this school so is discrimination. I am forced by state laws to send my children too a just recently proven by the No child left behind board too be a LEVEL 1 school, to be discriminated against. With no one to turn too, or report it too. The list goes on with this school! But the child that gets the most grief is a 2nd grader and non autistic. Thanks for reading, I have no one else too vent to. And the ones that I do vent too wants to go too the school and make a scene. I guess sometimes you got to make a scene too be heard.
    Any advise?






    Summer Sky
    Fenton, Missouri


    Posted June 13, 2011
    My son is Matthew. He is in the Autism Spectrum Circle. He has delay in speech and cognitive skill and Sensory Integration Dysfunction.
    It is very difficult. Matt screams a lot and is a huge safety concern. He beats his head on the floor. runs out in traffic with no fears, but has severe anxieties.
    Recently our Special needs daycare closed. We do not have a lot of options when it comes to child care. No one wants to care for a child that screams, and is a safety hazzard. My mom has high blood pressure and loves Matt with all her heart but cannot watch him for long.
    Anyway we took Matthew to a well known Daycare called Club Kid in Edina MN. I filled out a card telling and explaining Matt's behavior and issues before dropping him off. We usually only leave him for 1-3 hours. Well, we left him for half a day on Thursday and he did well. We dropped hm again Friday and my husband dropped him at 10:30am. The owner called my place of employment at 3:00pm and said "We need to discuss your sons behavior. He has been screaming all day and he ran out our back door two times." My response was I told you ahead of time everything about Matthew and there was no problem and I let you know of his screaming. She told me," well it was very busy. I don't want to tell you you can't bring him back but..."
    Well I am sure that is what she was saying. I told her I would not bring him back and she was very happy to hear that. She treated me as if I was the problem and my child was a nuisance. I felt terrible! What do you do when there is no where to go? I wonder how they treated him that whole day???? Do they turn away 1 out of 10 children? Why not learn and help? They called my husband and told him he HAD to pick him up.

    Nadine Monge
    Minneapolis, MN


    Posted May 17, 2011
    My son David is now 10 y/o. He was first diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder at the age of two. I have never stopped with getting him help and services, in and out of our home. He was doing so well, even though we had our ups and downs, that when I got remarried and moved to VINELAND, NEW JERSEY they realized, as did I, that he was too high functioning for their self-contained autism class. They had told me upon registration that they don't send kids out of district. Well, I do know quite a bit about the IDEA and the NJAC's special ed code so I knew if we got to that point I could fight it but hey, if they have a program in district, its closer to home, lets try it. (And the other school wasn't only for autism anyway so maybe this would work.) Well he had actually started 1st grade in that autism class but by november of that year he mainstreamed into an in-class support program. He did amazing. He had friends and for the first time ever I saw something that I wasn't sure would ever happen, he was invited to birthday parties. He finished that year and was so excited to go back. But then in 2nd grade, the 3rd week of school he came home one day and asked me "Mommy am I weird?" Well I gave him the best mommy talk I could, ya know, all of us are different in our own way and when people don't understand us they start to say mean things like that. Things got worse and worse and it was coming from the same two boys, and a little girl. I went to the school, his pyschitrist went to the school, his play therapist went to the school and we all demanded something be done. What they did was tell tell me that they didn't feel my son was autistic because they had never met a child like him on the spectrum. He could give it as well as he could get it and that it was age-appropriate "teasing". All the while the segragated him by making him sit all alone in a corner of the room and told him he was just a bad kid making bad choices. He started to regress dramatically and was even smearing feces on the walls in his playroom all in hidden areas so we couldn't see it. Then they tricked me into putting him into a class that offered "emotional support" which ended up being a BD class, which is a class full of children with behavior conduct disorders. Now he is a target. His new doctor has pulled him out on home instruction and our attorney has filed a discrimination claim against them. I will not stop fighting to help him get back to where he once was. All that time I worked with him and got all that help for him, I will get my son back! Everyone needs to hang in there, DO NOT GIVE UP. Go to the Board of education meetings and make sure they know your name and your face and they know that you are not going away. My board knows that I will take this as far as I need to in order to get what my son needs. I don't care if I have to go through the special ed code with a fine tooth comb, but I am not going away and I am not just handing my son over to them to do what they want. He is my son and it is my calling to advocate for him and to protect him!!!!!



    Kellie Almeida
    VINELAND, NJ


    Posted April 25, 2011
    I invite you to take a minute to review the poorly inspired video posted on You Tube this past Eastern Holiday.
    This was MTV Brasil´s tribute and contribution to autistic children parents´ efforts to enhance awareness and acceptance of their sons´ and daughters´ condition.
    Great timing since we have recently had Autism International Awareness Day, on April, the 2nd.
    This is also to let you know that parents grouping up at Rio and São Paulo (Brazil) will do everything in their power to prosecute MTVBrasil as well as to have them go on public retraction and to terminate the insulting show called Autistics´House. MTV Brazil is a Viacom company. Do you think we could also make Viacom accountable??

    Here follows the link:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1sFU_b9bt0&feature

    This was supposed to be a comedy show…


    Vera Lúcia Barroso Alves Frascino
    São Paulo, Brazil


    Posted February 28, 2011
    My name is Shining Star and I am Native American
    It is sad to know we live in a world where there is so much discrimination and hate. I worked as a caretaker for a family who also where Native Americans and their family it was Grandfather , Grandmother,daughter and her Autistic 16 yr old son...he was the one I worked with although they could never get any of the agencies to provide any help, nor the state, nor the county I worked alone and many hours because no help and the family is not able to care for him without help on account of disabilities, This boy grew up without friends no one in the county would bring their children to play with him. they even went to a food bank to get help with food and was turned away,because they weren't part of a church organization so not only does he get discrimination from all these for being Autistic he gets it for being an American Indian Cherokee. I am like most parents when I started there I had no idea about Autism or what to do and never got any help although ask for some training fell on deaf ears but I learned on my own what little I did I have come to the conclusion the states and the government and communities we are on our own with these kids cause all they want to do is pass the buck and spend the money as long as they don't have to go deal with the child face to face all the time to earn their pay...so sorry if I sound bitter but I see what years of discrimination does to helpless folks who cry out for help....>>>--->SS



    debra
    O'Brien,Fl


    Posted January 6, 2011
    I live in a very small town in Northern Ontario. My daughter is ASD\GDD\NOS. We are about to start genetic testing for FXS and have an MRI for seizure disorders. I tried putting her in a mainstream public school for her first year of school. That lasted all of 5 days and it was 5 days of hell on earth for both her and myself. I won't name names, I'm not naming the town I live in for privacy reasons.

    It started with a phone call on the second day of school and a request that she only come to school for 1.45 hrs a day rather than the full day because she is too disruptive and too much to handle and won't sit still and listen. The staff member went so far as to say she would head lice check her and send her home (indicating that it didn't matter if she found head lice or not). Then the daily logs of her "bad behavior" were sent home under the guise of logging all the issues for a transfer to a different school for exceptional children (to which I have done and am utterly satisfied with the staff and school there). She was put in time out all day long and segregated from the classroom.

    I had to contact CAP\Sick Kids T.O patient advocacy and Autism Ontario to help me find resources and ideas on how to deal with this issue. They utterly treated her like a pariah of both the school community and classroom. I got the distinct feeling that they just didn't want to deal with her at all in any sense of the idea. It was disheartening to see her treated like that, like a non-human who wasn't worth a minute of time or compassion. I'm happy to say though, her school she's in now has every resource available to her and much more and the staff and kids there treat each other with respect, dignity and honor. Even the bus driver gives my daughter a smile every morning and shows compassion and love for her as if she were her own child. It was a rough start with a happier ending but not everyone has this happen. I want others to know to keep their chin up and keep fighting that fight. Don't give up and don't ever give in.

    SMB
    EL, Ontario


    Posted December 23, 2010
    As I read all the heart wrenching stories I have no other recourse but to evalute my life and the lives of the people around me. My son nicholas is turning 3 soon and was diagnosed autistic almost a year ago. We have come a long way through help of many doctors, teachers, social workers, family, and friends. I do not have any horror stories to tell but I am very aware that as we approach the school years I will. I am grateful for the strength all of you posess in order to share with me. I will take from your strength to make me strong and to keep my eyes open. I know it is coming and with all of us united we can be vocal and fight for our kids and our families. We all have the right to be at peace. God bless all the children young and old.

    Patty
    Connecticut


    Posted November 30, 2010
    to the lady below who wrote about the YMCA and discrimination. Do not feel bad at all, it happened to my child also. He had a BM in their bathroom and made a mess on the toilet. Since he was six years old, they did not want to deal with it. I guess it was okay for the todlers, but not the disabled. The sad thing is, I was the one who cleaned up the mess by my own request. I did complain to the YMCA... that fell on deaf ears. I think as a "family gym" they should be more receptive to the disabled and their "not so perfect behaviors" that come along with autism! YMCA get with the program... Autism is here...learn to deal with it :)

    Fed up
    wichita, ks


    Posted November 19, 2010
    Hi everyone and thank you for taking the time to read my story , my son have Asperger as a result 8years old he have a severe Feeding Disorder , he only eat for 8 years cheese Pizza, at the school he was descriminate and they principal of the school refuse to respect the IEP and the doctors medical recomendation for my son, the only accomodation was to kindly warm up his lunch for 40 second an a microwe , However that never happend she have connections at the School Board and district and my daugther 25 years old , she follow all the proper steps for Justices , my son end up at the ICU in the hospital as a result the school never respect the doctors letters and recomendations that my son Medically need it , the sicological abuse him and now my son is with a sicological trauma and school Phobia , the problem is that he is scare that all schools are the same , he is very inteligent and good conduct , I need justices and no one have help me to resolve this matter , now my son is at Home with no education and he is AMERICAN . he was place 1/2 school and 1/2 HOMEBOUND However he refuses to go to school because he thinks that they will do the same abuse, I am a single mother , I am looking for legal help , Attorneys charge 250.00 per hour on civil cases, can someone suggest me with any other ideas of what to do, belive me we contact many agencys of avocacy centers and they told me that it is iligal what the schools system have done , but they do not want to get involve because of politic issues, I can not belive that in USA in 2010 we still experiences discrimination with childrens with special needs. Sorry y english it is not the best .
    Thank you
    Marcela from MIami Florida my e-mail sanmartinmarcela@yahoo.com


    Marcela
    miami florida


    Posted November 3, 2010
    I have an autistic sister. She is 29 years old and lives in Brasil (she is Brazilian). I'm an US citizen living in the US and so is my younger sister.

    Our parents always visit us (with their tourism visa), and so wanted my sister. So they requested her visa so she could visit us. They denied her visa.

    She has been going to a special school in Brazil for over 20 years, she owns real state there, has many banking investments and other things that prove she would not try to illegaly immigrate (specially considering that we could apply for her green card if she wanted to).

    To me thats a clear discrimination that makes me extremely sad since it comes from my own country.

    Monica
    Tampa, Florida


    Posted August 26, 2010
    Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities-ENABLE -United Nations

    All members of society have the same human rights - they include civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.  Examples of these rights include the following:

    equality before the law without discrimination
    equal recognition before the law and legal capacity
    freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse
    right to respect physical and mental integrity
    freedom of movement and nationality
    right to live in the community
    freedom of expression and opinion
    respect for privacy
    respect for home and the family
    right to education
    right to health
    right to work
    right to an adequate standard of living
    right to participate in political and public life
    right to participate in cultural life

    All persons with disabilities have the right to be free from discrimination in the enjoyment of their rights, including their right to an education. This includes the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of disability.

    The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty that identifies the rights of persons with disabilities as well as the obligations on States parties to the Convention to promote, protect and ensure those rights. The Convention also establishes two implementation mechanisms: the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, established to monitor implementation, and the Conference of States Parties, established to consider matters regarding implementation.

    States negotiated the Convention with the participation of civil society organizations, national human rights institutions and inter-governmental organizations. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on 13 December 2006 and it was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. States that ratify the Convention are legally bound to respect the standards in the Convention. For other States, the Convention represents an international standard that they should endeavor to respect.

    The Netherlands has signed on to the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, yet discrimination is still rife throughout South Holland.

    Article: UN criticises Dutch Treatment of children:

    ”Children with problems are...placed too readily in institutions”.
    “It is the third time that the Netherlands has been called on to report to the UN on its observance of this treaty” (UN Covenant on the rights of the Child). “Puras criticizes the “excessive institutionalization” in the Netherlands”-and states that there are long waiting times for assistance, and that children are not better off in institutes.

    The Netherlands – ANED country profile (Academic Network of european Disability experts
    The information contained in this summary was compiled by the Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED) in April 2009.

    Academic networks and resources
    Disability studies is not a developed field of academic study in the Netherlands and is not supported by an organized academic network. Research is being conducted to explore the feasibility of developing disability studies. Several people and institutions are involved in doing disability research, but mostly in isolation from each other.

    Statistics for people with special needs in The Netherlands
    The Sociaal Cultureel Planburo estimates the number of persons with some degree of a physical disability in the Netherlands to be 3,377,000 persons, or 22.5% of the population (SCP 2007, chap. 2, table 2.1, p. 33). The number of persons with a moderate to severe physical disability, including visual and auditory impairments, is estimated at 1.7 million people, or 12% of the population. The number of persons with an intellectual disability is estimated at approximately 110,000 (EUMAP).

    Disabled people
    The principal foundation of Dutch government's policy on people with a physical, mental or sensory disability is that they have the same rights and duties as anyone else.
    The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport encourages people with disabilities to be as independent as possible. They must be able to use the same facilities as anyone else. Special measures are needed only when this is not possible.

    In the past, people with disabilities were often regarded as medically unfit. Services and aids were provided on that basis. The current policy is not to shut them away in institutions, but to give them a place in the community.

    In 2002, parliament unanimously approved a bill on the equal treatment of disabled and chronically ill people, prohibiting discrimination against them in the field of employment, training and transport. This law, the Equal Treatment on the Grounds of Disability or Chronic Illness Act, came into force December 2003.

    “The argument is that, if we try to look for explanations of behaviour and development solely in terms of the characteristics of condition such as autism, this will lead us to ignore individual characteristics (treating the person as 'autistic' rather than a person with autism, in effect). Even more importantly, we may ignore the fact that the social situation and attitudes of others may be creating the difficulties we observe” (p. 29, Jordan, 1999).

    Teacher Training
    The budget available for ‘on the job’ training is often underutilized. Training of teachers and other staff in the education sector is not yet seen as a matter of course. It is the employers who administer the budget; staff themselves state that they would appreciate more training opportunities than currently available. The various Collective Labor Agreements for the education sector include target figures for the proportion of working hours to be devoted to training, but these targets are not being met.

    This underinvestment in training is a matter of concern and is likely to stand in the way of
    any further professionalization. If responsibility for administering the funds is organized
    differently, if may be possible to make better use of the existing training opportunities.
    Specific training funds or ‘personal budgets’ seem worthy of consideration in this context.

    Raising public awareness

    There still exists misconceptions and negative attitudes towards people with disabilities. Therefore, in an awareness campaign, the aims should include:
    3.reinforcement of positive attitudes towards people with disabilities.
    4.motivation through example, knowledge, understanding and common sense.
    5.show how anything is possible by knowing a positive lifestyle.
    6.introduce empathy.
    7.how to act when meeting someone with a disability.

    For centuries people with disabilities were thought to be helpless, indigent citizens, and were forced into institutions and asylums without equal opportunity or equal protection under the law.

    Working with school children-As Carol Gill, a chief disability rights advocate, observes, “We have been viewed too much in terms of our diagnoses and too little in terms of our person hood…Most of our problems are caused not by our bodies but by a society that refuses to accommodate our differences.”

    Families have experienced difficulties in taxi transport (overcharging parents for taxi fares), funding, finding their way through the maze of organizations that are put in place to help, budget cuts, inadequate staff, resources at schools, KDC's, MKD's, been given outdated and inappropriate advice about autism, waiting lists, lack of therapists (speech and language, OT, PT), children are denied their right to an education, public awareness remains low, therefore myths and outdated information about autism and behavioral issues are misunderstood and children are not offered appropriate services, expat newspapers wanted money for advertising before accepting articles about children with autism and their needs, Haaglanden education dept for police contacted, but never received a reply to my emails, letter or telephone message. I had offered free training for staff at KDC in Amsterdam, but my offer was rejected.

    Among other offensive behavior, these are common occurrences here:

    -untrained staff at schools, KDC's and MKD's
    -taxi driver threw out bags and screamed at a child with autism
    -professionals asvise parents to put their children into institutions
    -castration advised to another parent with a special needs child
    -high stress levels of parents (especially expats)
    -seclusion and restraint still utilized
    -scarce knowledge about behavioral assessment and intervention among staff, doctors
    -public awareness is almost non-existent; needs to be widespread and included in newspapers, television/news stories, radio, more regular exposure to information may lead to greater understanding or conditions of special needs children and their families.

    Bullying, segregation, myths, outdated information all contribute to the suffering of the child, who is already vulnerable.

    I have offered Community Awareness and Supports such as training and information sheets for police, fire, emergency services, doctors, dentists, and hospitals in what autism is, and how to work with people on the spectrum in daily life and critical situations which occur within the community. Also, I have offered training seminar/workshops to school, KDC's and other organizations about the most current, scientifically sound interventions including: the SCERTS model, PRT, current research, individual schools, KDC's, health organizations.

    Parents are consistently being over-charged by taxi firms to transport their children to and from school. Parents also experience long waiting lists, they receive outdated information about autism and how to treat it, are advised to place their children into institutions, trouble with funding and budget cuts, encounter untrained staff at schools, KDC's and MKD's.

    And yet, in the end it is only the vulnerable children who suffer.

    Children with special needs are consistently denied their right to an education, and instead are placed into KDC's or MKD's with untrained staff, a lack of resources, and strict holiday schedules that impede normal family holidays.

    Bullying, segregation, seclusion and restraint are common practices due to the lack of knowledge of behavior analysis and modification techniques. Children are not seen as 'humans with a special needs', they are viewed as second class citizens, and I have done my best to curtail this by offering training, information sheets, and feedback to organizations willing to learn and become better informed about children and their needs.

    Do you have a story about a positive or negative experience with the Dutch system? If so, contact me at kelly@specializedautismservices.com, lets work together to raise awareness for these precious children!


    Kelly Redden



    Posted August 14, 2010
    From my blog
    http://blogs.chron.com/autisminthehouse/2010/08/freedom_contingent.html

    Leslie Phillips
    Katy, TX


    Posted July 23, 2010
    My son was teased and bullied in elementary school. Depite a letter to the school by his psychotherapist that the verbal bullying needs to be adressed there were no changes. It got worse and he eventually was physically assaulted every day in class, kicked by kids in the legs. I discovered 35 nickle size bruises on his upper thigh and his shin on the same leg also had bruises. I filed criminal charges. The teacher claims not to have known anythingabout this daily torture. An "investigation" revealed that it could not have happened the way my son said it did.
    This drove him over the edge and he wanted to commit suicide. He ended up in a mental hospital which was actually a blessing, he was put into a different class and fishished the school year without further incidences. The bullies stayed in their class but Child Protective Services got involved, the parents of the kids needed to meet with officials of the school district etc.
    My son is doing better now.

    K V
    texas


    Posted July 14, 2010
    I have three girls and one of them with autism. Her story might be not as severe as some others such as arrested, physical abuses, and etc; however, emotional abuse can be the beginning of the further abuse.

    I rarel take my autistic daughter to YMCA, but there were a few times, I left her with her sisters at the nursery. After a couple of times, I learned from my older daughter that my autistic daughter was treated different. Especially, one of the employees at the nursery was mean to my daughter by putting the toys away if she wanted to play with, screamed at her, verbally expressed that she could not stand my daughter in the presence of all the children and other employees at the nursery. They did not let her go out to the playground while others were out and one time, she was out, but they dragged my craying daughter in and etc.

    I wanted to share this episodes with employees in the state of SC to let them know that my daughter is struggling and need some supports. Even though the employees at the YMCA discriminated against my daughter, I understood that they were not trained in the area of special needs; therefore, I kindly asked them if they could describe the events happened under their care, so that I could submit. Not only they discriminated against my disabled daughter, but they also denied to support my daughter for gaining more services.

    Forms of discriminations come from many different sources and in different ways, and this is sad that the families with autistic children face the roadblocks in every direction. If I did not send my autistic daughter with the other two, I would have never known and we live in the fear, what about other places that how many more people have been treating her in this way and how many more would be?

    Ironically, the YMCA in Beaufort, SC has a motto on Christianity; how often, do we put the fake sheild on the surface to cover it up the beyond?

    Kim Nelson
    Beaufort, SC


    Posted June 30, 2010
    Please, read this I am unable to give my name and more details of my story with my 10 year old autistic limitedly verbal, midly delayed son. Know that after i fought hard to get my son in a day approved private school in N.Y., the school did not really appreciate parent involvement as they claim they do in their trainings, website, and representative of their teaching methodology. As a parent they have mistretead me, disrespected me and worse it impacted on my son. He has been getting written up every other day, accussing him of over active, aggressive, non- compliant. this is a school that "specializes" in children with autism, their top billing and other developmental disabilities. I was vocal, i continue to advocate for him. It is hard, I am the sole supporter as a single parent of one child with special needs. I am getting phone calls from school constantly, being harrassed, nervous, I cried and sadly i pity myself and my son at times. I just want to say that there is a lot of red tape, lots of lip services from agencies, schools advertising themselves to help families with autistic children. I am telling you that if you find it difficult, it is harder more difficult if you are a minority and do not have influences or connections. I am unable to get him out of the school that i so much wanted him to attend because unfortunatelly most public schools in N.Y. for autistic chldren are not the best, very few are. My son is on medication on their account because they always complained about his behavior, he has a para now for some time and still. Are they not trained? their organization/school gives trainings in positive behavioral support! the point is that i am told they are working to get him out of the school and that is why he is being constantly written up for a long, long time. I feel so depressed, a functional depressed mother still working, crying, hating to feel like a victim but
    hurting much more for my son. He is not able to tell me what happens in the so called "incidents"
    I have tried to get help, but not really to avail. There is more that i am unable to say, but i am sure my story may resonate with others and i think i have given enough identifiable info. for where we reside, but i just felt too compelled to vent my sadnes, anguish, frustrations and anger.

    M. Olivetti
    New York


    Posted June 28, 2010
    I am submitting this story on behalf of my son and family who due to my son's diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (highly functional, intelligent, capable with supportive environment) he and we have experienced many many situations that have been blatant discrimination (civil rights violations) and situation's that have been more subtle - stating that because others do this it is ok or right.

    He has suffered at the hands of untrained and unknowing school personel - who refused to get additional training, who stated that seclusion and restraint and the use of adversives were treatment modalities that were appropriate for those "like" my son. The School "fired" the Autism consultant that told the school what they were doing was not right or correct. He has been excluded (not to his wishes) from numerous school activities many times through being asked to leave the classroom and stand outside the door while the teacher "talked" to the other students - so that my son did not have the same information as they did regarding attending class trips, social events, assignments, knowledge, and ect. He was left alone in the classroom while his class went to recess or to lunch and was left in the lunchroom while the class went to recess or their next activity. We were asked to remove my son from one school and attend one of the other schools given the reason that the special education teachers were located at the other school. However these same teachers came regularly to his original school to work with other students (not more than 1 mile apart from one another). He obtained "high" enough grades in his classes to make sure he passed and would not be eligible for speical services. We as a family were "called" names under hushed voices, and while at IEP meetings there were many times when the teacher's would kick each other under the table when certain topics were brought up such as testing for additional supportive services (as his grades and testing did not match - so my son was denied FAPE under IDEA. (ie. He was getting an A in math, yet when we had our own testing done which forced the school to test hime, he was in the bottom 2% for math. My son was the only child ever to be denied access to the school's Charter School; and then again denied during enrollment to attend a nearby school districts school for which his sister was not denied open enrollmet to that same nearby district. In not so subtle terms we were told that they would not approve his open enrollment under appeal (which they hired an attorney) however at the same time they would not provide supports and accomodations necessary. My son who was moving into the middle school (and they clamed he was miraculusly "cured" and did not require any supports he had at the elementary level. If he would have stayed - he would have failed (which is what they wanted) - so they did get what they wanted in the end - we moved at our great expense. His school experience included 7 different school placements in 7 years. He was removed or "asked to leave" 3 different Boy Scout troops (not tuckig his shirt in - not attending an overnight camp-out which the troop leaders dogs ran unleased - not playing competive games with the other boys), an exercise and fitness center (for being accused of soiling the bathroom which others were using the facility), a family resource center program as other boys "bullied" him. I could tell many more instances - however I think you get the idea and the struggles we have had in this regard.

    Thanks


    Peggy Helm-Quest
    Merrimac, Wisconsin


    Posted June 27, 2010
    One time we took our son to Six Flags St. Louis. He was about 8 years old.
    Because of his autism, he had difficulty waiting in lines.
    Because of his autism, he loved rides. (they provide sensory stimulation)

    It took all of my son's nerves to wait in line for the "Tom's Twister".
    When we got inside, my son was anxious because he wanted the ride to go.
    The twenty year old working the ride stood over him and looked at me and
    said that he couldn't ride. I said that he was just anxious waiting for
    the ride to start. He refused to let him ride. My son melted and we could
    barely get him out of the park. He was so traumaticed by this young man
    telling us that he couldn't ride, that he has never ridden a ride since then.
    He interpreted this young man as not wanting him to ride because of his autism
    and because he was different. The young man thought that I was trying to make
    my son ride something that he didn't want to ride. Meanwhile, my 10 year
    old daughter who was hemming and hawing over wheter she wanted to ride it was
    not given a glance by this young man. I told the boy that he was discriminating
    and that he wanted to ride very badly and he said no. My son won't even go to
    a small town carnival now, though it would help his sensory dysfunction to be
    able to ride rides.

    Shirley
    Highland, Il


    Posted June 26, 2010
    My granddaughter is an 11 year old autistic child. She is very talented musically and enjoys all forms of music. She loves singing and learns new songs easily. She is in public school in a SDC and is mainstreamed for language arts. The language arts teacher has been unhappy with her being in the class since the beginning of the school year. At the end of the school year, her language arts class was preparing a spring sing in the school cafeteria for parents. When I became aware of the program, I asked the teacher if my granddaughter could participate as she had learned all the songs. The teacher clearly did not want that, but said ok as she was caught off guard. The next day was the performance, and we all came to see the spring sing. My granddaughter was aware and excited to participate. When we arrived at school, the principal stopped us and told me that they would not allow my granddaughter to perform. It was a very painful experience for us all.

    Diane Brower
    Redondo Beach, CA


    Posted April 30, 2010
    Help!
    Helllooooo, Helllloooooo, Helloo, Hello!! (Hands cupped around mouth- calling into the vast unknown… if only we had a Tarzan call!) Halen (a funny teenager with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder or Fragile X) and I need our community!
    I need moms and people who know school systems and people who know law and people who know halen and fragile x, autism or aspergers, and people who know me, (and people who don’t) to please stand with me and help me understand a system that seems to have no place for us and face a very difficult time with courage and serve my son and the community by advocating for fairness.
    I need your input- your support- your stories- your resources…… I need your VOICE to be heard with mine and echo that we are here, our loved ones are important, and we have invested way to many sleepless nights, shed too many tears, read too many books, seen too many doctors and faced too many difficult challenges to accept anything less than at least being given the chance to be heard with as much volume as the individuals who study the disability in textbook form. Our kids are so much more than lists of characteristics-
    Here are the cliff notes to my oh-so-long story:
    15 year old Halen was at my house waiting for aunt Maurdi after his school had suspended him (I got the call at 7pm at night)- dad called school- school called cops- cops investigated and said no problem(misunderstanding)- Halen gets suspended again- cops call me- I called out cop for being mean- cop files bogus report- case reopens I get charged with misdemeanor child neglect-Halen gets suspended again- and again- and again- (because of exhibiting behaviors associated with his diagnosis during transitions etc) School hearing- find that it is his disability and he needs more supports- have an evaluation and explain the misunderstanding and say doc says he's ok- mom says he's ok- grandma says ok- dad says ok- neighbor says ok- DSPD coordinator says ok- (he WAS ok...) She tells me she is worried about my lack of remorse and will work on a treatment plan for me. (huh? This was pre-plea… am I already guilty? What kind of treatment can they give me for believing after 15 years In The Trenches with my child that he WAS safe?? ) Today they called and changed the charge to contributing to the delinquency of a minor………. ???
    So sad…. So frustrated…. Feeling so alone in this big world
    How can a society be so advanced in embracing technological wonders like droid phones and WII systems, still seem to be so-so far behind when it comes to understanding, accepting and helping our precious communities of individuals with special challenges instead of making it even more difficult?? I feel like I am missing the boat in communicating and being heard here.
    :"((

    please- I don't understand the system- they don't understand halen. If anyone can help or point me to information please let me know or consider forwarding this message on… I know I’m not alone, I am just not sure how to find you-

    (Desperate and begging)
    Gretsel Ungerman
    Sandy, Utah


    Gretsel
    Sandy, Utah


    Posted April 21, 2010
    Please view the news coverage of my autistic son's arrest. Go to Youtube and type in 'Autistic Man Arrested'. Tell others about his story because we have to end discrimination against someone because they have a diagnosis of autism. My son was taken out of the hospital in handcuffs and was staggering, drooling, and seizing. He said to the policeman, "But I am a good boy officer". He was taken by ambulance last week to a hospital in Ada, OK after a Judge signed an order that the charges be dropped and that he receive treatment. Stephen is now missing a front tooth since being in jail and should have never had to go through what has happened to him. Not to mention the heartbreak it has caused for his father and me. Sincerely, Mary Ann Puckett

    P.S. Stephen was diagnosed in 1995 with Early Infantile Autism by Dr. Rimland. We lost a wonderful advocate for people with autism when Dr. Rimland died in 05.



    Mary Ann Puckett
    Oklahoma City, OK 73120


    Posted March 16, 2010
    Hi, I am the parent of grown up girls and my wonderful 15 year old son who was diagnosed with Autism, OCD, anxiety disorder and as he gets older is becoming bi-polar.
    We have gone to many doctors, we are still trying new medications, so we can control his behavior. He is in a Boces class for life skills and in the afternoon he is in a 6-1-1 class for academics. He has been at this new school for 2 years now. He is also connected with a job development program that teaches him job skills for whatever he wants to do. School has been the toughest job for Nick. He is so misunderstood because of his inappropriate social skills. His depression and anger has us all worried. I wish there was a magic pill to make my son smile and be happy. He has gotten into the habit now of running away when he gets upset. He left school and no one new where he was and the teachers had to take the cars and look for him. He was trying to go to Burger King but did not know how to get there. Everyday is a struggle and a baby step of learning how to be appropriate in public. This is my life and I would not change one second. I believe that everything I have experienced has made me more gentle to people's feelings and extremely more patient Thank you for listening.

    Pattie Argento
    Elba, New York


    Posted January 2, 2010
    This is about my autistic child who is in states custody. I am being threatened of him getting placed up for adoption all because of lack of services. I am open for any recommendations. The situation I am facing is difficult to explain but I will try my best. My son and I have endured many obstacles. His name is Daylin, he is a 12 year old child with a diagnoses of Autism, disruptive behavior disorder, mood disorder NOS, and MR. He is aggressive, smears fecal matter on self and siblings, he is self abusive, screams constantly, sexually inappropriate, and wonders off. I am having a difficult time with caring for my son who is a high needs child. It is imperative that I get help with him in order for him to successfully live with me and his siblings at home. He has a chronic condition that needs supportive one on one services. He is a high needs child that is at a tier one. I don’t want my son in foster care, but I am in desperate need of help with him.

    He was taken into protective custody on abandonment charges in April of 2009 (Even though I was a patient with my very premature baby at Wesley Hospital which is documented). Not to mention, I had arranged care for Daylin on that day and three weeks after with the Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization and their contract agency. In laimense terms he was supposed to be in someones care while I was in the hospital. That supportive care worker quit that day. She stated it was because of a physical incident that happened that day. The incident was witnessed by another driver who called 911; an officer was reported to the scene. The caller reported Daylin was being physically attacked in the vehicle by an unknown perpetrator. When the officer arrived she informed him she was being attacked by Daylin and she was defending herself. The officer released her since the crisis was over. Daylins worker was advised she would be able to take him to latchkey (after-school program), and that’s when she called her supervisor and said she was giving her notice that day. At the time, I was checked in to the mother baby room at Wesley Hospital. I was required to stay 24 hours with my newborn to learn the apnea and heart monitor that was connected to him. I made numerous frantic phone calls to my case worker and family, but either they were working or I was unable to reach them. Since nobody was able to pick him up from latchkey, he was placed into custody and I was accused of abandonment.

    I am currently seeking access to mental healthcare, but have been denied repeatedly. Daylin is currently on the MR/DD waiver and gets those services through the Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization (mental health and developmental health services are separate). The SCDDO contracts out meaning they hire other companies to help take care of the people who meet services (which is my autistic child). Those companies are at there own discretion to hire employees to work for them in my home or at their centers. Those employees choose the hours they want to work, and sometimes the children to work with. Most of the time those employees are college kids with minimal training. They are under-paid and don’t have the ambition to stay with the companies for a long duration. Being a mom of a severely autistic child, I have had to rely on these services to properly raise my child. I have been in a constant battle with getting help for him, keeping help for him, and doing most of it on my own for twelve years. I found (with a lot of heartache) that I could not rely on these organizations for a range of different reasons. He gets a certain amount of supportive home care hours from the SCDDO that is either not getting filled or is not consistent. I struggled to raise him on my own without his fathers support, family support, and with minimal or sometimes no support from the SCDDO.


    In my case, I would request services be filled for certain hours of need. Example, I would need someone to be at my house to get my son off the bus at four pm. I would not be off work until six so it was a must that I have reliable care for Daylin two hours everyday. What would usually happen is the person would not be at my house on time. I would have to take off early and get my child and risk loosing my job. When I would call the contract companies for a replacement staff, the companies would tell me they don’t have anyone to work. I suspect that meant that nobody wanted to either work with my son or those hours. If the hours are not utilized for any reason, the SCDDO reduces them assuming the family must not need them. In other words either you use them or you loose them. It was frustrating because majority of the time it was at the contract companies discretion to find help. I spoke with Chad VonAhnen at the SCDDO on many occasions about my concerns. He advised me that they could not make these agencies hire help for me. Months would go by and I would be raising my son and his siblings with no help. I would cry myself to sleep asking why me, a cure for autism, and for some help!

    In my opinion, the most severe children suffered the most. It was hard to get new employees to not only work with my child, but to keep them working with my child. Daylin would have full blown temper tantrums. Daylin was an aggressive child and would sometimes lash out at those around him. I speculate it was because of the new faces. Change is hard for autistic children. I also believe some of his aggression was due to taunting Daylin. Because of this, staff who would mistreat him due to lack of training on dealing with those behaviors. I have walked in on staff lying on top of him trying to restrain him. I have seen serious questionable marks on his back. I would call and make complaints to the agencies and take pictures but nothing was ever resolved. To add injury to insult I would be questioned by SRS about the marks on him.

    The staff has not only been suspected of abuse but I had staff steal from my home on many occasions. I would report it to the agencies; nothing was resolved from those incidents. Because of the abuse, the theft, or the “no shows”, I would be accused of being to “picky” and would be blamed for lack of staff by the very agencies who were supposed to help me. And in many cases I remember actually settling for this behavior just to keep staff and not be blamed for being “picky”. I was told by a staff member at rainbows that there was a prejudice against Daylin and myself. She also reported it to my case worker at the time. She said the frustration of the high needs for Daylin was the cause of the problems I was having.


    I was told by many agencies that in order to get help for Daylin and the services he needed, and for them to be consistent, I would need to take him to an organization that is equipped to deal with his aggression. They said the MR/DD waiver is for developmental issues not for his aggression. I was told to take him to Comcare CMHC. On three different occasions I took him to that agency for him to be evaluated and for services. All three times I was turned down. To this day he is in foster care. I am trying to fight for him and his rights. I love my son with all my heart and want him home.


    Misty Rhymes
    Wichita, KS


    Posted December 6, 2009
    I have two children with the autism spectrum disorder. recently my 3 yr old with pervasive developmental disorder was hospitilized due to repitory problems. He refuses to eat anything, other than stage 2 baby food. It has to be green beans and bannanas. The hospital didn't like this idea and neither did they like the idea he has to have a bottle to go to sleep at night. I know it is bad for his teeth, I am a good parent, I know what is best for my children. I have three already grown and well established. This was so heart breaking to happen right here in the United States. The doctors and nurses discriminated against me and my family over the eating habits and the bottle, so bad that they kept my son in the hospital for two days longer to observe how I was feeding my child. The hospital would not let us go home nor take out the intravneous needle in his arm until they could teach me the proper way to handle my child and his nutrition to suit their needs. All children are different, but especially these children. My child would have cried so hard and melted down so bad he would have really gotten his breathing into more of an uproar.

    We go into stores and when they misbehave, and even at hospitals, or dr offices. I get told that they are normal looking kids that has to be normal and not autistic. I feel so at loss. I have no idea what to do. I tell these people it is autism, arent you aware of it as a doctor or nurse or teacher? Apparently they are not!

    Regina
    summertown tennessee


    Posted November 15, 2009
    I have a sweet little blessing from God. He gets very emotional when I tell him to put down the tape or tuna can and as I work my way around the store or place (where-ever) it may be... people stare... is uncomfortable and I wonder if people cannot just have respect... Autism should be just about in everyone's minds... even people in small towns or who don't watch tv. He's a person too. I am not being a bad mother. Is his way to vent so I let him just vent out. He cannot say "I am pist" or "I am angry". He's on a special diet as he learns to comunicate more and more he still is Autistic.

    I also want to mention the inconsiderately UNPROFESSIONAL bus driver in Staten Island NY who on 9/10/09 told me to give him a break and his bus aide who grabbed my son through his under arm/shoulder because he was having a moment of angry... He pulled up with the bus door open away fromt he house and I had to remind him that this is not the way to do it for safety reasons. Then he did it a 2nd n 3rd time. Give him a break? He is older n should have known better. SHAME ON YOU!!! He works for the bus company called Staten Island bus company. I called the bus company that day and Supervisor Peter hung up on me after I asked that my son be brought back. I told him he is being kidnapped because he was forced into the bus saying no bus. Unfortunately the bus driver slammed the door n hit the peddle zooming down the street with my son just barely in the bus not even on the seat n seatbelted. Peter who told me was the supervisor I reported to the OPT in S.I. after he hung up on me. I had to call the police. Now my son has a different bus driver but after this I watch buses, including the one my son's rides in the morning. I trust nobody when it comes to my kids. Trust is earned. I have seen buses from all bus companies big buses n small buses running stop signs, red lights, speeding, cutting people off. AMAZING.

    Martha MyKids1st
    Richmond County for now, NY
    (looking for a nicer~safter place to raise my kids AWAY from here... any suggestions? www.myspace.com/0humancontact

    Martha MyKids
    Richmond County NY


    Posted October 8, 2009
    While returning on a United flight from Hawaii to San Francisco with my 14 year old son Ryan who is Autistic, his brother and mother, I was stopped at the check in counter when I was told that my flight had got cancelled. With 10 minutes left to board the last flight back home, I started panicking.I pulled out my confirmation number, e-ticket number and even seat assignment but the agent said the reservation numbers did not match.I them tried to explain that I had my son who has autism and was getting restless and her response was " what is autism?'. With this wait, Ryan started pulling on his mom's hair and scratching her face. After much persuation and explaining to them that my son's tantrums would just get worse the more we waited,another senior agent stepped in, printed another ticket and signalled me in with the rest of the family. I cautiously kept Ryan close to me and at the scanner, he followed me through. This upset the security staff and I tried to explain all about Ryan to her again so we could make it to the baording gate. After I walked through, I signalled Ryan to follow me and as he made it past the officer, he leaned forward to give her a "high-five" and the security office yelled to another agent that "the boy hit me". Once again, I tried to explain things to her but she went on to make it known to all around her of this.At that point, I turned over to Ryan's mom and told her instinctively that "they will not let us get on this flight".We passed a Burger King and picked up fries, Ryans favorite, as a way to calm him down and appraoched the boarding area with great relief as we had finally made it on time for this last flight home for the day. Ryan settled into his assigned seat next to me, put on his seat belt and I propmtly handed him his blanket and magazine to keep him occupied. During the whole time, I tried hard to keep close to Ryan and he behaved well and was now smiling at me.I looked around me and it was a full flight and we would be heading home shortly. Just then, a United Airlines staff approached Ryan's mom, seated in the front seat before us and I could her begging the staff to please let us stay on this flight. To convince her further, she asked me for my business card, handed it to the staff and kept repeating that I was returning from a dental convention and needed to be in the office the next morning to see patients and the kids had school and this was the last flight to our final destination. The staff left and almost all passengers were in their seats by now when another staff approached her again and this time insisted that all 4 of us had to leave the plane. When I intervened, the staff told me that she totally understood but it out of her control. She then told us that the plane would not leave until we left and that she would have to call security to get all 4 of us out if we did not leave. I tried telling the staff that Ryan was upset because they did not have me in their system even though I gave them the confirmation number and all and they were responsible for causing Ryan's tantrums. Amongst all other passengers comfortably seated and relaxing, my family was being singled out or discriminated against because of Ryan's Autism.I even gave assurances and offered to speak to the pilot that Ryan was not going to be a security issue and that we really needed to stay on this flight going home. My options seemed clear - leave the plane voluntarily and wait for connecting flights to my destination or be forcefully removed by security and have Ryan dragged along that could nmake the situation worse and possibly have him detained as at 14, Ryan looked more like an adult. I looked up to Ryan, grabbed his hand and had to literrally force him out of his seat that he rightfully deserved. He screamed and everybody just stared at us. Being a dark-skinned Pacific Islander, I got strange looks and wished I could do more to keep my family on the plane.I felt so helpless and humiliated and as we exited the planes doors, I turned back one last glimpse and to my surprise, saw the United Airlines staff give a thumbs up to her fellow flight attendants with a big smile. In our rush to board the plane, we had skipped lunch thinking we would be home for dinner. Ryan got flat on the floor on our arrival at LA Airport and started kicking and rolling to the laughter of over 200 passengers waiting to board a United flight to Sydney, Australia. Tired and exhauseted, I kept running after Ryan and recalled how he was handcuffed by LA airport security after he ran over to press an elevator button during an earlier trip. This is just one of many instances but so far the most blatant discrimination with total disregard for the wellfare of those discriminated against. Our family has learned to live with these and at times I feel we give in to so much without a cry and maybe avenues as this vent our frustration and anger and give us courage to face a new day with a smile and compassion so why can't our kids get the same?





    Dr Vishnu Shankar, DDS
    Los Altos, California


    Posted July 10, 2009
    My son was diagnosed w/PDD (mild pervasive developmental disorder/borderline autism) at age 2 1/2, 27 and 1/2 months after I started trying to get answers from the pediatrician for what I saw were abnormal or lack of responses from my son. We finally got "early intervention" and with a good ABA program at home, my non-verbal son had made great progress with knowing his alphabet, primary shapes and colors and numbers 1-thru-10, and could complete a 16-pce puzzle...so when therapists said he could succeed in kindergarten, I sent him to the autism-support class, which had 6 kids ranging from age 5 to 8 and from my son's 45 lbs to the largest child's 155 lbs. My son being non-communicative with the others all speaking you would think would help him progress with speech. Instead, when I would make surprise visits to the classroom I found him sitting alone in the back of room, crying, facing the wall. One time I walked in and 3 adults were in what looked like a huddle and 5 children were leaning over their desktops with looks of shock and fright toward the huddle of teacher, classroom aide, and occupational therapist. I could not see my son anywhere and started to panic...then the adults, seeing me, stepped aside and there in the middle of them was my son, sobbing, and looking horrified..as was I. He looked like he was in a potato sack, only his head was exposed and the neckline had a drawstring through it and was tied at the neck. I got my son out of there in a hurry, asking the teacher frantic questions, she replied that that was a "body bag" that my son was in. Like a corpse!! Later she said it was a "body sock," a "tool for occupational therapists to calm autistic children." Penna. law is that they needed parent(s)' written permission for this in advance and if ever considering using it, parent(s) need to be notified immediately before doing so, and only with current permission. I had no idea. Well, it turned out, this was not the beginning of my son's abuse. He had quit potty training at home in his pull-ups altogether. We reverted back to diapers. Sent a supply of diapers to school, but they never ran out. My son quit drinking almost altogether and quit wetting his diapers at home. The only time he would let go of his urine was upon entry into his bathwater. I asked teacher about not needing new diapers, and she said he never wet in school either!! I took him to 2 different urologists, one was a pediatric one. The first one wanted to do surgery on my son, said he would need 3 before the age of 12, saying my son's urethra opening was "too small"...my husband said he was crazy. The second doc and his 2 interns in tow, expressed shock at the doctor who said that. He even did an ultrasound, my son was normal with no blockage. So my son got to where he would only urinate every 3rd day, which was always in every 3rd bath; one time he held on till the 4th day (bath)! I could not figure this out. Then one day the school van driver, a man with a non-verbal autistic 13 y.o. granddaughter he often babysat for, and would tell me anecdotes about, brought my son over an hour late home from school. This was 8 months into the school year, and he was so prompt you could set your clock by him. The trip to and from school/home was 15 mins. So I had been frantic and called the school; luckily the principal was there late and he called the school teacher at home to ask what happened to my son. She said he had left at the regular time from school with the same driver, no problems. I called school transportation,dispatcher said he had no idea why the driver would be late, but called the police and hospitals to see if there had been an accident reported and was told no from all so he called me back to report this. Then I thought my son must be kidnapped! An hour passed, and shortly after the van pulled up to my house. The van driver, for the first time ever, would not look at me nor speak, but kept looking straight ahead down the road as I opened the side sliding door of van. I was shocked to see my baby boy almost hanging by his neck by the seat belt, because obviously he was trying to escape...his legs were folded under him almost completely on the floor, his knees almost touching the floor...but the worst thing was the look in what used to be his big hazel innocent eyes---they looked terrified, bulging almost out of their sockets! Quickly releasing the seatbelt at the same time I was saying to the driver "What happened?" He actually answered: "What do you mean?" I said "you're over an hour late! I called everyone! No one knew where you were!" He gave me a simple explanation that I knew was a lie because the dispatcher had already told me that he did not dispatch this driver to another student location to transport with my son. I did not get to ask him or say to him anything else, because as soon as I released the seatbelt from my son, he lurched at me with his two hands trying to strangle me! Took my son into the house and took off his diaper to run bathwater, always trying to give him that magical bath to hopefully get him to release urine, when I saw sketching on his bottom! Also signs of trauma. I took him directly to his pediatrician, 15 or 20 minutes away, and told him everything. He whispered to me that he did not want to put my son through an exam twice, but would call the new in town pediatric forensic pathologist, because "she would know what she is looking at". He said "Go home; wait by the phone for her call. Her name is: ______, and she'll know what to do." I waited while my daughter (11 yrs her brother's senior) and I tried to keep my son calm, but we learned quickly we had to whisper and tiptoe, or he'd start flailing his arms and screaming in terror. He also refused to keep on his socks, which was the opposite of an obsession of his, to always have his socks on. The phone finally rang 3 HOURS LATER!! My son nearly leaped out of his skin! Then the pathologist dropped a bomb: she would not see my son till two days later! I could not believe this; a girlfriend I called came over to look at my son and she realized we should have my son's injuries photographed because they might fade before being seen by this doctor. I did not even consider initially to take my son to the emergency room because his history was that he resisted going into any new or large or busy building or room...it had taken months to get him into his pediatrician's office without a big struggle, and even then he wouldn't wait long before trying to flee. Since he was very visibly shaken and terrified, I wouldn't even try that. My friend did not have a working camera, and neither did I so no photo was taken. My son clung to me, and I held him for the two days then went to the new doc in town. She interviewed me for about two hours in an office that was not "set up" yet, and she was pregnant, told me she was due any day now. She asked me what at the time I did not understand were pertinent questions, about my son's history since conception, all the family data, and about my son's school program, the building and classroom physical description, the school personnel involved with my son, including the van driver; about my friends, etc. The whole time I was holding my son who was fidgety and wanting to leave. Then she led us to an examination room. She asked me to undress my son and lay him on table and tell me what I saw. I did not understand the question which she repeated almost the same way over and over till I just answered but still not comprehending what was going on. Then she said, dress him, go home, and she would send her findings (report) to the pediatrician, who would then contact me and discuss it. I felt sure that the van driver was being picked up by police within minutes after leaving her office. I thought that was her job, to contact them after seeing the evidence. Only thing is, the "sketching" or marks on my son had disappeared before the doctor saw my son, remaining was the traumatized area, all red, black and blue three days before, now were faded to purplish and pinkish and blue. She asked me at the "exam" if my son had ever been constipated, and I said yes, but thought it was a strange question. I was sure that upon leaving her office that day, I could rest assurred she was having the van driver picked up, handcuffed, and charged by police. Well, days, weeks, and 6 months passed without a word from this doctor to my son's pediatrician, or so he told me whenever I called and repeatedly begged for her report. He said several times he would call her again and ask for it, and admitted he did not get return calls nor a report. I had called the police myself when I had realized neither doctor had, so on the 4th day after the attack on my son, two policemen came to the door and separated my daughter and me, asking us both questions. All of a sudden the policeman with my daughter disappeared upstairs a long time. The policeman with me was asking me all these weird personal questions about why I wanted to divorce my husband (I hadnt even told him we were separated), and it got weirder and weirder; he did not ask me anything about what I had tried to start telling him had happened to my son...he wasn't the least bit interested! I got the feeling something was wrong about my daughter and the other cop going upstairs, where my son was sleeping, and I started up the stairs against the protest of the cop with me. I found the other cop in my bathroom! My daughter looking perplexed, standing behind him. I asked him,"what are you doing?" He said "counting toothbrushes"! Then it hit me; these two cops were there to "find out" whatever they could about my living conditions since my husband left...because they were really there for him! It dawned on me that at least one of them was an acquaintance of my husband's that he had mentioned to me, saying he tore up a ticket for him once. I told them I wanted them to leave, and I asked "aren't you going to arrest that man?" and they said "No." In the meantime, I lost my job because I had to stay with my son. I had sent him back to school because the pediatrician insisted I should, almost immediately after the incident, although it was against my judgment; but, of course, I drove him. Well, about ten days after the incident, I got a call to the school by the principal, who said "Come pick up your son...he's been tantrumming." I went to the school after some discussion, and found my little boy surrounded in the room by adults but with no other children in sight..my son was semi-sitting on a beanbag chair, his shirt all bloodied with dried smears of blood, blood above his eye and in his hair, his two eyes were totally black and blue, and one eye was completely swollen shut, he was sobbing and shaking and his hair and clothes were totally saturated. I bent down to him to pick him up, and said "WHAT HAPPENED?" The teacher bending next to me, smiled in my face, and replied "Nothing." I felt like I was surrounded by evil; and I grabbed up my son, asking "You can't tell me what happened here?" No one answered..but the teacher said "Last week he broke my necklace." She repeated that at least once more, and I said "I heard you! Did anyone not ever tell you to not wear jewelry around autistic children?"!!
    All I could do for my son was to get him away from those people. The classroom aide followed out to supposedly help me. Down the hall, I tried to question her as we walked to my van; she told me something but stopped short of what finally happened that caused my son these injuries. I only wanted to have my son safe; he was sobbing in between screams and gasps for breath. I drove across the street from the school to the hospital and in the e.r. my son was now in terror thrashing at me and scratching me all over and pulled on my blouse so hard it ripped and the buttons popped off, while I tried to tell the triage nurse what happened. She immediately called police and told them to bring their photographer. They arrived, never saying a word and stared at me and my son totally indifferent and now and then would snap a photo. I was told there were dozens of students from a local college who were injured in a catastrophe and it would be hours before my son could be seen. I tried to sit with my son but I had to try to hold my blouse together and hold him while flailing and kicking and trying to bite me and screaming, and hours passed. I could not take it anymore and my teen daughter was home alone panicking about her little brother, so I left and made calls around to try to have my son seen by some other doctor anywhere, but no one would. So I called my estranged husband, told him something happened to our son, and since he was living only a block away, I told him I'd bring our son to him and I needed his help. When he saw him he acted very peculiarly, which I won't go into here, but called his lawyer on his cell phone, and drove away with his girlfriend without a word to me or to his son or a hug for him nor a kiss or anything. I went back to the e.r. to start waiting again, and 7 hrs later the doc saw him, called the forensic pathologist who had seen my son that one time, who told him "Sometimes autistic kids abuse themselves....and ___________ (my son) has a history of constipation." !!!!!!!!! WHAT? My son was so terrified he was trying to throw his little body off the bed; I was trying to hold him on the bed and at one point he succeeded it thrusting his body so hard upward he went over the edge and I caught him just a breath from hitting his head on the hard floor. The doctor started examining him and cut his turtleneck shirt off him, and exclaimed: "He didn't do this! and pointed to the back of my son's upper arm..I went around to look, there were bite marks all over his arm! What the doctor said was so strange, I then realized that he had begun the exam thinking he was looking at self-abuse, even ahead of time! I had never even heard that term before he repeated it from the call to the forensic pathologist, and I still had no concept of what that meant. The doctor counted the bite marks--I was so shocked that I wasnt certain what number he said, but it was in the double digits, either 12 or 16 was what I thought he said, but I could only see 8 from my angle. Then the doctor said to me: "He couldn't have done this, and most are definitely not from the same teeth, there are different mouth sizes and teeth patterns...and they are mostly or all from adult mouths.." Then he said they are going in different directions on his backarm, and my son could not reach where they were to do it himself, even if they were a child's teethmarks, but they weren't. Then he walked away and was busy with other patients. I finally asked someone if there was a phone I could use to find out where my almost-ex was and when he would be getting to the e.r. I had almost fainted at what the doctor said and I felt nauseous. A tech had put restraints on my son because I couldn't hold him down any longer. My ex had gone to his night shift job and said he was trying to get a ride there, but I found out later he had no such intention. The doctor never came back to talk to me and kept the shirt or tossed it, and then I was handed a discharge paper which I don't remember if I ever looked at that night...some time in the future I looked at it and it said "Diagnosis: Self-Injuries/Autism" !!!!!!!! So then I was carrying on at home with a traumatized child daily who would not allow his socks or shoes on him nor go near the exit doors of the house, wouldn't go out in his fenced in yard to play on his swingset or in his sandbox or wading pool or anything that he used to love doing. It used to be it was near impossible to keep him in the house before this. He just huddled in a corner and woke up during the night screaming...for the next FIVE YEARS! No policeman, the pathologist, no one did a thing for my son. Then truant notices were being placed in my door every morning at 7 a.m. after a truant officer would ring the doorbell and leave before I could answer. Then a subpoena! I called the supervisor of special education to say there must be some mistake. He says "Why?" I say "oh, I guess you don't know of the incidents that happened to my son." He nearly deafened me screaming back in my ears, blaspheming God and denying the incidents ever happened, even claiming I was lying about having called the police in and about my son going to the e.r.! I found myself in front of a magistrate who looked at me like I was a monster! Then the school teacher and principal and supervisor of special education gave their "testimonies" and they were not only outrageous lies, but they all contradicted each other. I thought the judge would slam them for their obvious lying but quickly realized she wasnt paying any attention to their stories. She would not let me tell her the facts, as I tried to start she ordered me silent and asked me "Did you call or go to the police? OR NOT?" I said "Yes." I could not afford a lawyer but I had been put in touch with a friend of a friend who had a law degree but was not a lawyer. He had told me this would be thrown out of court because it was not mandatory for a special needs student under state laws in Pa. to go to school till they were 8 years of age. I had voluntarily sent mine early because of the progress he had made at home in discrete trial (A.B.A.) therapy...but that still didn't make it compulsory for him to continue going until he turned age 6, which he still hadn't reached. So I brought this up to the magistrate, and she declared "I read the law, and I am ruling that it is mandatory!" Then she sent this to family court to hear. I thought it would be thrown out of there, but when I arrived in family court about five weeks later, the judge showed bias because of my and my husband's separation and pending divorce, because apparently my husband's lawyer was trying to say behind the scenes that I was a bad mother because I was not getting my son educated by keeping him home. I presented the doctor's note that prescribed "homebound schooling" dating back to the assault on my son. The doctor, however, did not mention abuse or trauma to my son, instead he wrote on the prescription that the reason was "Autism"; which, of course, the school denied, because, in their words, "Autism" is not an excuse to stay home. The doctor kept changing the rejected prescriptions to try to meet with regulations but for allowing my son to stay home to recover from his trauma...so he eventually put on a note and sent directly to the school district: "Homebound Schooling/Diagnosis: Autism Self-Abuse" !!! Unbelievable news to me! But that was when the supervisor said to me"Oh, now that's more like it". My son was never self-injurious. The judge listened to the school district and I had to try to get a concise recall of events in but he wouldnt allow it. He started shouting at me and then ordered my son to be taken to a foster home. Then he added to go get my 17 and 1/2 year old at home and put her in foster care, too! I couldnt believe what was happening and started yelling at the judge, demanding he hear me, and I shouted that "This is America!" You have to hear me and there needs to be justice...for my son!" I went on and explained how I left a good job with local government to take care of my son, and now he was coming out of his trauma, was potty trained, and was starting to have glimpses of calming down. He was back in discrete trial program at home and thriving in it. Then when I mentioned the name of my former boss, who was the brother of the county President Judge, he totally changed his demeanor and dropped everything! ---- My daughter had a nervouse breakdown after this and a phenomenally gifted child, now suffers chronically from this trauma we all experienced. She dropped out of school and threw away her future, not trusting anyone ever again. My son wet the bed and woke up at night and wouldnt leave my side for the next five years. Nobody was ever arrested back then and I call the district attorneys at least twice a year now, but it used to be more often, trying to get someone to reopen the case to do the proper investigation that was never done. No one ever calls me back. I called the county children's services and they say they did an investigation back then (Hell, it was court ordered on me! They never investigated the van driver, his being late, the dispatcher's conversation, the marks on my son, the other things that followed...nothing! I think that because the pediatrician never examined my son and never reported to police which he was compelled to do by law, and the pathologist likewise, who had had her firstborn baby very very shortly after seeing my son two days after "the incident" and took time off and never did a report...they all broke laws and all refused to tell the truth or even talk at all to children's services as far as I know. I just don't understand how you could try to become the best mother to your children, one of them very difficult to figure out how to help, do all the research, start the programs, make progress, and then have the world fall in on you without any one ever caring to really listen and do something that is right. I just saw a lawyer that out of at least a hundred I've contacted, said get the medical records and we will look at them and decide if you have a case...I was only asking how to get a criminal charge with the crime against my child that took place ten years ago?....she told me by doing what I've been..."call the district attorney's office and ask to speak to one of their detectives"...so I had to ask how to get medical records since I had phoned for them many times and always got an interrogation as to why I want them and was told "no" plain and simple. She said call back and DON'T ASK, TELL THEM that you want copies sent to you covering this dateline, and ask what the fee is and send it to them in a check or money order..." So I just did that with a lump in my throat and in my stomach, afraid of what I might read on the records that would upset me and retraumatize me, I opened them and was shocked to read that my (now ex-) husband had made a phone call to my son's pediatrician during our separation, claiming that his wife (me) was going to undergo investigation for child abuse" !!! That was right before the incident that happened!! Now I understood what happened and why everyone treated me like they did, which was incomprehensible back then, and totally unjustified. They all were listening to my ex who was the abusive drug-addicted alcoholic who had physically assaulted me and almost killed my daughter and me in our car on the highway, who had broken protection-from-abuse orders several times, breaking into the house through the cellar, and who said when we separated that he was ashamed of our son "I thought he was just autistic and hoped he might be a savant, but now I've realized he's also retarded...and that's something I can't handle." This is the brilliant nutcase behind all the innuendoes (never a formal accusation against me of anything) that set up everybody against me before I even knew what was happening. I wouldn't be surprised if he paid the van driver to do whatever was done to our son, or if he himself did it, paying the driver to bring our son to him. Something the driver had said that day as an explanation of why he was late leads me to be convinced of this; a little detail the driver mentioned that seemed to be a "Freudian slip". There is no justice. Just last summer my son was abused by his first and only babysitter that I finally found and thought we would try to trust again. The doctor at the e.r. did not even examine my son and children and youth once again refused to investigate or report, because my son is non-verbal and there was no evidence, just circumstantial. My son was raging, a very big boy now, and trying to bite everyone's head off after this incident. He was thrown onto the only psych ward in Pa they claimed to be able to "handle developmentally delayed", but on an adult ward where he was pretty much on his own. I visited him twice a day staying at a Ronald McDonald House nearby. By the 3rd day I was livid! My son hadn't had his soiled shirt or any clothing changed and was already bearded and his teeth were never brushed. He hadn't been bathed at all, not even his face washed. When I started demanding answers, I was told that he hadnt ASKED for these things either to be done or for the supplies to do it himself! My son is totally dependent on me to do these things because of his severe proprioceptive disorder which renders him very uncoordinated and unable to handle tools (like a toothbrush, soap dispenser, razor).He lost 17 lbs in the 8 days he was there!! When I asked every day what did he eat? they answered he didn't seem to have an appetite, but when questioned further as to who cut his food up and chose for him, I was told that a cart was brought up with trays of different food items for the patients to choose from and my son never chose anything! When I asked what kind of food that they presented, it turned out it was food that he either was totally unfamiliar with or was restricted from because of his restrictive gluten-free and GERD (gastric reflux disorder) diet! (which they had been informed of repeatedly by me)! He was suddenly taken off his meds he had been on for 7 yrs and put on two new ones all in 3 days, and discharged. My son got tic movement disorder from this. I got him off these with his doctor who put him on one that gave him fevers. I kept reporting the fever to the docs and they let it go on. Turned out to be a serious side effect, which left him convulsing for breath, then led to a grand mal seizure. My beautiful son is so violent that he is destroying the house with his head butting and we are being abused at the e.r. when taken there because they are fed up with not knowing what to do for my son. I was physically shoved out of the e.r. room because I did not want them surrounding his bed with 6 adults scaring him to death but was cautioning them that if too close he would bite them. I was barred from the area and found out hours later that he was closed up in the room banging his head the whole time on the glass doors. When i asked if they had fed him, they said my non-verbal son hadn't expressed the desire to eat. Then he was thrown out of school months ago and he has been home 24/7. Because I turned down an MRE (more restricted environment) I was contacted by children's services (strategy of the school district) and now they are pushing to put my son into an RTF (residential treatment facility). It is a constant battle and all my child's civil rights have been ignored. After losing another 40 lbs, my son was put on new meds and lost the muscle contractions and jerking and tics, one of so many fervent prayers of mine the good Lord has willed to be. He is still home and is becoming paranoid about people when we have to be around them and he tries everything to avoid leaving the house...I just got behavioral staff into the house to try to get him acclimated to visitors and to get him out of the house. These people who did this to him probably have no idea of how they have committed triple murder (my two children and me), because they took all quality of life from us. They have put me at the bottom of the socio-economic class, unable to ever work and make a penny because of being tied up at home, and in Penna. you DO NOT GET PAID to do the 24-7 nursing, chauffering, bathing, dressing, cooking, feeding, cleaning, advocating, teaching, entertaining, etc. for your own disabled child. And to top all of this off, I was just told by Social Security that because I haven't worked outside the home in the last ten years, I am not eligible for SSD (Soc Sec Disability) even though I would be eligible otherwise, due to an injury. I am not even eligible for the rent-rebate disabled adults get, since I do not get SSI for myself, although my son gets it. Go figure.

    kathryn Mineo
    Wilkes-Barre, PA


    Posted May 8, 2009
    I am a Special Ed teacher in Texas. The people who oversee our special ed programs do not like it when I explain to parents what alternative placement options are available for their children. I am crushed that I am expected to hide important information from my parents. I am a special ed teacher, these are MY kids too, I WANT the parents to know ALL their options. Have any of you, as parents of special ed children, experienced this type of secretive behavior at your schools?

    Saddened Special Ed Teacher
    Texas


    Posted March 3, 2009
    When my son went to kindergarten for the first time, he was glowing with excitment. He could barely contain his enthusiasm as his dad and I watched him settle in for his first big-kid circle time.

    Within a month, he was sitting alone at a table, facing a wall, in the back of the classroom. The teacher kept insisting he needed medication to "calm him down." Thje principal refused to believe the teacher was misguided and the school counsellor told us over and over that he was a bad boy who needed firmer boundaries.

    Even now, years later, it is hard to write this without becoming angry.

    What options exist for struggling families? It took three years for Group Health to finally authorize an assessment to get the diagnosis so the school, his third in as many years, would provide his much needed support. We can't afford attorneys. We have medical coverage but nothing that covers "specialists." What can we do?

    My son's eyes died that year. I don't mean he went blind, but I mean that spark of his soul disappeared. To this day I look in his eyes and occasionally catch a glimpse. But he is changed forever.

    Laura Lawrence-Mobbs
    Olympia, WA


    Posted January 24, 2009
    Yo vivo en El Salvador, mi hijo tiene 9 anos, hace 6 meses buscamos ayuda con un neurolog pediatra y tuvimos el diagnostico de "sindrome de asperger", debido a las conductas "diferentes" que habiamos visto en nuestro hijo. Ya ha pasado por 5 escuelas regulares contando la actual y siempre tiene problemas porque los ninos lo molestan, se burlan de el y los maestros no tienen las herramientas pedagogicas para adecuadas para cuidarlos, actualmente asiste 3 horas a la escuela regular y 2 horas a terapia diariamente, toma el medicamento indicado y hace un gran esfuerzo por enfreentar el dia a dia. No me gusta que cuando algunas personas se enteran de su estado lo traten como "enfermito", porque seria justo que lo trataran como a los demas y le apoyaran cuando lo necesite.

    Elisa.
    El Salvador.


    Posted January 12, 2009
    I have two sons with Asperger's, which is much like autism, they are 15 and 11 years old. My oldest son went to school on September 19th, 2008 and has never returned home. It is now January 12th, 2009 our family misses him overwhelmingly!

    On that day in September, a teacher decided to deny my son's wish to eat his food alone. This was after being told that he would not be allowed to watch a movie with the rest of the class because he didn't finish his school work earlier that week. The teacher then took his meal away and told him to go to the time-out room until he calmed down (he was upset when his food was removed). He became very vocal and another teacher passing by grabbed him and shoved him into the time-out room. They struggled over the door (pushing it back and forth) and my son, being 5'6" and slightly over 200 pounds, was finally able to push the door open and escape.

    Three teachers tackled my son and physically restrained him until he finally calmed down. At this point, the teachers called the police and pressed charges against him for "charging" at the teacher on the other side of the door. Although the teacher was not injured, our state has a "zero tolerence" policy for students abusing teachers. He was arrested and has spent every night since then at the detention center two towns away from here.

    My mother hired an attorney, but the judge was late for her lunch break and pushed the testimonies through as fast as possible then found him guilty. He is now awaiting his sentencing hearing where it will be determined if he will spend the remainder of his childhood in the Department of Corrections or a long-term treatment facility. Whichever place he is sent to, it will be a minimum 2 hours drive one way, just to spend 30 minutes or so with him. As a single parent to several children with only one income and no child support, this will put a significant strain on our lives in all ways imaginable.

    I'm hoping that he is not sent to the DOC, as I have been told by many professionals that children like my son do not survive that type of environment. I believe that I was being told that he would not leave the DOC without serious physical and mental injuries or even death.

    Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, a bit of a miracle will do us good right about now.

    Sharon
    Illinois


    Posted January 10, 2009
    I am too upset to sleep tonight, because our rights has been violated.
    I have been living in Monterey County for last 31years.
    Today I had worse nightmare in 20years as mother of son with Autism.
    Our right has been violated and discriminated, Not only by some ignoran white male, moreover by uniformed military policeman!
    Since 2004 as part of our son's IEP goal (how to order lunch at the fastfood place),We have been going late (about 3PM) lunch at BergerKing in POM(Presidio of Monterey: Fort Ord).
    Yes, my son can be loud sometimes.....but never told to get out of the place, need to be locked up...by strangers.
    These two white male ,one is in late 30's and early 20's made told my son and me to get out of their county. The man who is in late 30's used very colorful words...called me names " B....F...."
    He even tried to hit me when I got upset and talked back to him for our right to have a lunch where my son wants.
    I phoned my husband to call for MP(military police).
    Even, MP treated my son and I as secound class citizen.
    MP ordered me to go stay away from him while he is talking to the man in his 30's first, after all I am the one who asked for MP.
    MP told me that in "America" people have right to say whatever they want "so call freedom of speech" so I should left the BergerKing with my son.
    Yes, I am an Asian American and I've been an American citizen last 26years by my choice.
    I know that In America, We have same rights regarless of our skin color or disablilties.
    Please help us to get our rights back!
    Susie Post.

    Susie Post
    Marina, CA


    Posted October 15, 2008
    This is happening in our community - we are grateful to the work of the Wyatt Holliday Foundation and a steadfast parent - Bernie Dalien - for bringing it to the public eye.

    Below is an article from The News Tribune newspaper from Tacoma, WA .


    PARENTS PROTEST SPECIAL-ED ACTIVITIES AT PUYALLUP HIGH SCHOOL
    SCHOOLS SAY THEY'RE TEACHING RESPONSIBILITY

    DEBBY ABE; debby.abe@thenewstribune.com

    Is picking up trash, weeding or collecting recyclables part of an appropriate education for special-education students?

    Not if their parents don’t give permission, says Bernie Dalien, a father in the Puyallup School District.

    Dalien has been picketing district headquarters and Puyallup High School since last Monday to let the public know that he believes special-education students are, as his signs say, “doing janitor work without parent’s knowledge.”

    He says his son, 17-year-old Colton Dalien, was routinely collecting recycling paper throughout Aylen Junior High two years ago, but the father didn’t find out until two students told him earlier this year. He wonders if the youth might also have been collecting litter.

    Dalien says he plans to picket all junior and senior high schools in Puyallup.

    “The demeaning treatment of these students has to stop,” Dalien said. “Most children with disabilities don’t have the ability to self-report, and the district takes advantage of that.”

    Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/506988.html
    Originally published: October 13th, 2008 12:55 AM (PDT)


    Denise Fulton
    Lacey, WA


    denise



    Posted October 6, 2008
    I have a son with not only autism but Down Syndrome. Try getting a child dual diagnosed. Most Dr. do not even have a clue that the two can co-exist. My son was nine years old before he got a true diagnosis. However therapist that work with autistic kids would approach me and ask if my son were autistic even though his physical appearance was Down Syndrome. At the age of 3 my son started having unusual behavior. He stopped responding to his name, started toe walking, slapping himself, rocking his body, stemming, stopped sleeping through the night, and would scream inconsolably for no reason, and he does fecal smearing. I have taken my son to experts that have told me that they do not treat autistic children. I have had eye Dr.'s tell me that they could not do an eye exam because my son cannot follow instructions or respond to their questions. Funny. How do these DR.'s ever declare that an infant needs glasses? Especially since babies cannot talk either. I had a teacher tell me to accept my son may never learn to write or his alphabet. I had a school therapist tell me that she though it was a waste of time to try to teach my son to write. I told the school I did not want her working with my child. Well I taught my son his alphabet and now we are working on writing letters. I have believe in my son when no one else has. As his mother what kind of mother would I be if I just gave up. I will not give up on my son until I am in my grave.

    Cyndi



    Posted October 3, 2008
    Families across America with children who have Autism are being systematically raped. It begins in the medical field when doctor give you the diagnosis of Autism on you child and then says, “I'm sorry to tell you that you child has Autism and there is nothing that can be done for them.”

    You then turn to your insurance companies to seek help in providing services to meet their biological and physical needs, only to be told, “Sorry we don't cover Autism, you will have to pay for those services privately (out of your own pocket).

    When you child reaches school age, you think, “Whew, well at least now my child will finally get the services and help they so desperately need.” Wrong again, as the majority of school districts will fight you tooth and nail NOT to provide services or programs that help to meet you child's “unique” needs. While this is against federal law (IDEA 2004), what can you, as a parent on a very limited low income, do to stop it – very little.

    NCLB (No Child Left Behind) mandates that ALL school districts (whether they are Title I or not) be held accountable for academic achievement for ALL students. However, there is a loophole that was developed by the National School Board's Association that allows ALL school district to developed a “N Size” for subgroups (special education is one of these subgroups). What does this mean? It means that if your child is in a subgroup, then the school district can get around the accountability clause mandated under NCLB by NOT counting their testing scores in with the rest of the school district's testing scores. By not having to count those subgroup scores, a school district and/or campus is NOT penalized for not meeting AYP (adequate yearly progress) on ALL students, and thereby can reach the desired rating (“exemplary,” “recognized,” or “academically acceptable”) for that particular school. In the meantime, your child in such a subgroup is not meeting AYP and the school district is NOT being held accountable for it. You child will be passed on grade to grade without meeting the content standards set by your state and their achievement gap will grow with each year's passing. Where will your child be at graduation time? An adult who will have the necessary educational and life skills to be able to function in our society.

    Until this loophole is permanently closed, no child with Autism will ever have the afforded chance of receiving an “appropriate program or service s that meets ALL of their unique needs in order to show progress and receive educational benefit.”

    What can YOU do? Write the President, Secretary of Education, Congressmen, Senators and any other political power to be and DEMAND changes in the “federal” laws that will close this loophole and fully protect our children with Autism. Also educate yourself on the laws found in IDEA 2004, NCLB, State Board of Commisiona, local State Codes, in order to advocate for your child at ARD meetings to ensure that your child's IEP is appropriate and meeting ALL of their needs. Finally, NEVER give up on that fight until ALL of your child's needs are met.

    Finally, believe in yourself and your child, and always remember find a support group to help you along your endeavors during this process!

    "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength but by perseverance."
     
    Jewles


    Jewles
    Plano, Texas


    Posted October 3, 2008
    I have four children on the spectrum. I have MANY Stories!!! When My son Matthew, who has severe autism, was 3, we stayed at a hotel over night in GA. on our way to Disney World. The stay included a buffet breakfast. We woke the next am and went to the dinning area. It was not very loud but you could hear silverware scraping and tapping plates. Matthew was very uncomfortable and made it known to us the only way he could...by screaming. My other children were eating, Matthew was even eating in between screams. A waitress came over to our table and asked us to leave because other guests were uncomfortable because my son was so loud. I wanted to stand on the table and scream at "the guests" the reason my son was loud. We told the waitress that we weren't leaving. My son had just as much right to eat as the other guests. My husband told her she could call the police if she wanted to but if she did, we would file a lawsuit!!! We stayed until all of my family finished eating!!!! I was SO ANGRY!

    About a year later, we tried to attend a movie. Matthew was doing fine and all of a sudden started melding down. My husband took him out of the theatre to calm him down and was going to bring him back in after he was calm. He never came back in, and the movie ended. I went out to our van with our other children to find my husband very upset. Apparently on the way out of the theatre, a woman observed my husband carrying Matthew, kicking, thrashing, and screaming. She called 911 and reported my husband was obducting a child. Matthew was calm and my husband was about to come back in when 5 police cars surrounded our van. They made my husband get out of the vehicle. An officer got in our van to "talk" to Matthew who had no words at the time. The officers had to verify that Matthew was our son. They could not recognize that he had autism, only that he didn't respond. ("A normal frightened child may act the same.") We didn't have any pics in our wallets because pics were extremly difficult to take. 45 minutes later the police called my husband's place of employment to verify that we had an autistic, non-verbal son. Our family members couldn't be reached at the time. They were finally convinced Matthew was ours. 5 minutes after the police left, the news crew pulled in! My husband was too upset to talk to them. I wish I had been there to shout at the camera!!!!

    Things like this are so heart breaking!!! As if autism wasn't enough in and of itself!!!! I've learned that many people need far more teaching, and are far more impaired than any of our precious children that have autism!!!!



    Virginia Blevins
    Orange, Virginia


    Posted September 18, 2008
    I have been fighting for my son to have a classroom that he can handle. He is sensitive to fluorescent lights and cannot tolerate strong chemical cleaners or molds. School system persists in characterizing me as overwrought hysterical mother who has endless list of demands which are nothing but "excuses" for my child's behavior "issues" . I tell them that he would not have these "issues" if he were in appropriate lighting and clean air. We are now homeschooling and it has really helped my son develop. The school never listens to my assessments of what my son needs, refuses outside assessments and continually put him in placements of their choosing despite my misgivings. As a result my son has had serial placement failures which are blamed on his "not wanting to go to school". The ignorance and game playing of special needs placement politics is unendurable.

    Evelyn



    Posted September 17, 2008
    Hi - I'm so glad this forum exists for me to share my story. I am the very proud mother of Kyle, a 15 year old boy with autism. Kyle has been through a lot since coming into this world 12 weeks early and weighing only 2 lbs and during these many years I have encountered numerous doctors with varying degrees of experience with children with special needs. On Thursday, Kyle broke his wrist in gym class. The school did not call me (another long story) but I finally noticed he was favoring the hand/arm after dinner. He went for xrays at the local ER and they gave me a splint and told me to follow up with the local orthopedic group the next day to have the wrist set and casted. Kyle had his wrist set at 1 PM on Friday. By 7 PM that night he had managed to pull the short forearm cast off of his arm (he was quite proud of himself and told me that he "shook it off"). Anyway, I called the answering service for the orthopedic group who had treated him earlier that day and was connected to the doctor on call. I introduced myself and said I was hoping we could arrange a convenient time for him to meet us later that night in the ER to reset his wrist and apply a longer cast (closer to the elbow) that would be more difficult for him to try to remove. The doctor immediately told me no he wouldn't do it as he didn't feel it was an emergency and that I should tell Kyle to keep the splint on and I could have his wrist reset in the office anytime between Monday and Wednesday. I explained I was concerned that Kyle would cause more damage to his wrist by overusing it and that he would not keep the splint on - it was only secured with velcro strips - no challenge to remove for someone who just slid a cast off their arm. I explained Kyle had autism and thought the longer cast would help. His response to me was, "a child with autism is like an animal - he can't talk, you can't use logic with him and he is going to be uncooperative. What do you want me to do?" I replied, "did you just call my son an animal?" He said, "are we having an argument or did you call me for advice?". I said, "I do not want your advice and do not want you to treat my son." The physician hung up on me. I have since filed a formal complaint with the NYS Dept of Health for professional misconduct as well as with the local hospital Bd of Directors. Later on that evening I took Kyle to another hospital and he did have his arm reset and a longer cast applied. The nurse and doctor who treated him both cried and hugged us when I told them our story. The doctor said the other one was wrong to even suggest that a wrist fracture could wait that long to be set and he said a few other things about him as well! If this doctor had no or little experience with a child with autism then be honest and say so but there is no reason for that type of disparaging and hurtful remark to a mother seeking medical care for her son.

    Melissa Keeports



    Posted September 20, 2008
    My daughter Sydney, soon to turn 6, has autism. Last year she was having fevers, and swollen lymph node on her neck. Her balance worsened over the course of several months and she held her ears constantly, she was constantly tired and laying down. Her pediatrician whom I thought well of at the time, found nothing wrong with her and ignorantly labeled her symptoms as typical for autism.

    One morning she awoke and her left eye was red, however no drainage. I took her to school and within 5 minutes of dropping her off I received a phone call from the school nurse telling me that she must leave school and see a doctor for her pink eye. I told the nurse she doesn't have pink eye, this is stemming from her other symptoms that her pediatrician believes is part of her autism disorder. The school nurse still insisted I come and get her and take her to the doctor. I was infuriated as it just so happened we had an appointment with physician in Austin on the following Monday and that day was a Thursday. As most families with autistic children, we are on one income and I could not afford to take her to the doctor on that day as well.

    Well as the day progressed her symptoms worsened. She was slamming into walls, tripping over things constantly including her own two feet. I called the physician's office around noon and they said to go on and bring her in. It turned out that Sydney had a horrible double inner ear infections that had been active for quite some time. Not middle ear infections, but INNER EAR! This means past tympanic membrane and then past the oval window, not the typical eustacian tube ear infection. You can not see an infection like this with only an otoscope. The physician immediately began intense antibiotics and steroid regiment along with supplements.

    Sydney was on the road to loosing her hearing and her pediatrician blew off her symptoms and chose to blame them on the autism. We now see physician only! He refers us to a specialist if and when neccessary. It took Sydney's infection 3 weeks to clear up.



    Austin


    Posted September 20, 2008
    This was posted on my blog at www.debstake.wordpress.com shortly after this happened. I tell you this because of the time variations. Apparently my son has not been the only child with autism that has been discriminated against by this so-called "Christian" organization. My husband and I are seriously thinking of filing a lawsuit against the the local Y and the National offices.

    Deborah
    ===================================================================================================

    Last Tuesday the 20th of August, I along with my son and his BT (behavioral technician or TSS) went to the Carlisle YMCA for some recreational swimming. Well it seems there are issues with JR going into the ladies changing room with me since he is aging. Of which I completely understand. What I don’t understand is how anyone can consider a bathroom a “family changing room.” Below is my letter to the director of the Carlisle Y terminating our membership. I wanted to make this issue public to the local autism community in case you contribute money via United Way or have a membership with the Y in the event that this offends you as much as it does me.

    ===================================================================================================

    28AUG08

    To: Executive Director YMCA

    Carlisle PA 17013


    My family and I are terminating our membership with the Carlisle YMCA. I believe you have a right to know why. Initially it was lack of use and cost. However, after the events of 20AUG08 there is another reason to add to this list, discrimination.

    On the 20th my son, his TSS and myself came to swim (around noon) during the recreational swim time. As it turns out while we were getting ready to leave a gentleman (slim build, 5′8″ reddish short hair) informed me that I can no longer take my son into the ladies changing room, due to the uncomfortable nature of the situation. Of which I do understand, however the “family changing room” that the YMCA has is a bathroom pure and simple and no amount of superficial surface modification to a bathroom is going to turn it magically into a family changing room. Furthermore, it is insulting to think that modifying a bathroom would somehow make it ok. It doesn’t.

    Now, I will admit I should have sent my son in the men’s changing room with his male TSS, however typically when we do come to the Y it is usually my son and I and frankly I didn’t even think to ask his TSS if he would take him into the men’s changing room. My son cannot go into a boys changing room alone as he has autism and he is non-verbal. Being non-verbal makes him an easy mark for any pervert who may have a membership to the Y.

    In my opinion what the YMCA, under your direction is practicing is nothing short of discrimination. According to dictionary.com one definition of discrimination is: “treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.” Your condoning; even encouraging, of the policy of the YMCA falls under the “category” (a disability; i.e. autism) of discrimination.

    Enclosed with this letter is the form required by the YMCA to terminate our membership. In addition I am enclosing an article that was in Saturday, August 23rd’s Sentinel is a piece on autism and discrimination.

    As a parent of a child who has autism, I have been dealing with this sort of thing since he was first diagnosed at the age of 3. Frankly, I am tired of it and refuse to abide by societies narrow-minded attitudes when it comes to the autistic community. Our children are unique and intelligent (and no, most are not mentally impaired) individuals, however they have issues that make it difficult for them to process sensations the way you and I do. Everything comes into their brains at one time and they have difficulties separating sight from sound, from touch, from smell.

    I will be informing, via my on-line group, the on-line group of the Harrisburg chapter of the Autism Society of America and my blog that families in the area who have a child with autism may want to reconsider their financial contributions and their memberships to the Y as well.

    ===================================================================================================

    So is this discrimination or am I being overly sensitive to the situation? If you care to express your opinion to the Carlisle YMCA please go here.

    Deborah A Delp



    Posted September 12, 2008
    My grandaughter who is age 9 was a victim of discrimination while we were on a Carnival cruise this summer. She was denied the right to be with the other kids in the onboard KiDS CLUB because they did not have time to deal with one child with issues. She was only welcomed if we stayed with her the entire time and supervised her ourselves. When asked if she could stay in the play room with the younger children and read books, we were told they would allow her to stay one hour. So we told them to forget it and we did not need them! We will never take another cruise!

    Brenda Zumo



    Posted September 12, 2008
    My son was denied a free appropriate public education. He was placed in a temporary classroom for children with autism, and the teachers had no experience with autism. A typical child would not be placed in a classroom where the teachers did not know how to teach a typical child. This was an obvious case of discrimination against my child and all children in his classroom with autism.`

    Jenny Cochrane



    Posted September 12, 2008
    The Standards of Care for children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders)set by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) suck! Too many doctors are unaware that many metabolic disorders are being misdiagnosed as brain disorders such as autism, ADD, ADHD, bi polar, PDD etc. These Standards of Care are negligent toward children and a provide no help toward finding the cause of their symptoms. If the Standards of Care were improved to include metabolic tests, then many children will not be incorrectly labeled and left behind. Once a child gets a "brain disorder" label, their medical needs are tossed aside and that child is left to rot away unless their parents pay to figure out the problem on their own. The testing the AAP needs to include is as follows: Food Allergies and intolerances, organic acid test, comprehensive stool exam, urine porphyrine and hair analysis to test for heavy metals. There are more tests that would be helpful, but these few tests are rather inexpenisve and have proven very helpful in diagnosing our son. Our son is normal as long as we keep certain proteins out of his diet. He has occult blood in his stool and high inflammatory markers showing that he has some sort of bleeding somewhere in his intestines. His heavy metal tests show heavy mercury toxicity, and our pediatrician is now referring us out for chelation and to a pediatric GI specialist. This would not have happened if we didn't investigate his health on our own. The AAP has been negligent towards these kids. Also, the psychiatric community should be called to the mats before they label any other children with brain disorders before they have been tested for metabolic disorders. Even the Mayo Clinic says that too many metabolic disorders are being misdiagnosed. Doctors and pychiatrists need to confess they have been wrong for many, many years and then fix their inadequacies. These children have been abused and neglected by the very people who have sworn to help them. It is a shame!!! Shame on the people who have turned their backs on these kids for arrogant and/or political reasons.
    SHAME ON YOU!

    maggie wallace



    Posted September 12, 2008
    My beloved 5-year-old son has autism. He has a severe delay in speech and some social issues, although he becomes more social daily. I have had to fight doctors and educators tooth and nail for all the services he has received and I am happy that he has been in Early Intervention since 18 months. It took a while to convince his doctors that something was wrong with my son, finally after months of telling me how their opinions as doctors outweighed mine, they signed a "prescription" for early intervention. I have since removed my son from their care and signed up with a DAN doctor and a pediatrician that understands the DAN protocol. I thought being in a language-based program was part of the puzzle for him and was happy until he reached age 5. At that time my district wanted him in their program and no matter what I said, they remained adamant that he be switched. I visited their program and saw that it was not appropriate for my son and stated this at the meeting with school officials. I prepped, brought doctor’s notices, etc...I might as well have been speaking another language, they remained steadfast and had to audacity to tell me, a mom, they knew what was best for my son, a boy they never met. I have my son in a new district now and he continues to grow everyday. Although I can't forget that one woman on the board told me that she was going to suggest that my son be "ungraded" (he is going into first grade) because she said "most of these kids don't graduate high school so it won't matter". I remember crying about that and my husband wanting to go down to the school and lay into them... in the end, my mother, the voice of reason and her grandson's biggest advocate said,” you should've asked her for her lottery number picks since she can predict the future, people like that are the ones who need extra help". LOL. Every time someone says "he'll never do this, or be that, etc.", I just smile because he surprises me everyday with just how much he does know.

    Deb Stone



    Posted September 12, 2008
    My name is Donna and I have a 14 year old autistic son named Ryan. Not sure if this fits within the realm of what stories you are looking for, but wanted to submit this anyway. Back in May I was with my son at a Greyhound bus station in Baltimore waiting for my daughter's bus to arrive. We were inside the station, away from the passengers waiting to board buses and away from the sitting area. We were standing at a pair of double doors looking out to where the buses pull in. My son was having sporatic outbursts. Suddenly I kept hearing someone shouting "ma'am, ma'am", then he proceeds to say "I understand the situation, but you need to leave". First of all he "understood the situation", but proceeded to tell us we have to leave. Didn't ask us to leave, but said we had to leave. After the shock wore off, about a day later, I really got angry about the situation. I wrote Greyhound a letter expressing my concerns and disbelief, I sent one to the station where I was waiting and the corporate office in Dallas. All I wanted was an apology and I have never gotten any response whatsoever. I tended to wonder, if a woman was sitting there in the waiting area with a crying baby, would she be asked to leave and wait outside?? Not to mention it was a damp, rainy afternoon. Thank you.

    Donna Dulski



    Posted September 9, 2008
    Accepted practices are sometimes among the worst because they pass as wisdom. In their time of open-ended acceptance their destructive influence creates a pattern of intolerance – a kind of ubiquitous bigotry.

    We operate under these intractable ideas for such long periods of time we almost begin to believe they are the norm and we are the abnormal. It’s only when we step back that we see them for what they are: social injustices.

    I have two sons with autism, 10 and 13. I also have two attorneys, one for each boy. Each year at the annual IEP (individualized education program) ten to twelve people sitting facing each across a divide that cannot be breached. On one side are the many teachers, administrators, school officials and their legal counsel. On the other side my wife and I sit with our lawyer, surrounding by fat, 3-ringed binders and other assorted materials.

    It has taken us hundreds of hours of preparation to arrive at our position. We make our requests, outlining what will, and will not work, and why. Then watch as each is denied. Well-documented educational tools that would help my boys are denied out of hand.

    The prejudice of the school officials becomes a small hard knot in my stomach. Deep down they believe children with autism are not capable of growing and learning. They are “professional” educators and the sooner families with autism understand the intrinsic limitations of their children the better.

    As much as possible we pursued the denied therapies and our sons make good progress. But the bigotry our boys face daily will only be corrected when education includes addressing the unique challenges our children face.
    My sons deserved to be treated and accorded the same rights to an appropriate education as other children. It may take slightly different forms, but please don’t deny the ideas and therapies that help.

    Ed Arranga