I used to work with mentally disabled adults in a live-in facility. An autistic woman very nearly broke my arm. She was a terror.
A 19 year old disabled *man* shouldn’t be in public school.
“Riley said her son has been aggressive in the past, but never a danger.”
This is a mother who is not seeing that her innocent son *can be* a danger.
Incidentally, we never once had a problem with a person who had Downs Syndrome. Not one incident. But the autistics gave us hell. Violent outbursts, public masturbation when we took them on day-trips, smacking staff, attacking other clients who *somehow* set them off, outbursts because the food was set on the tray wrong. They needed their schedule and any variation on that schedule provoked a temper-tantrum. (Sorry, kid. Another client needs an ambulance right now. Fine. Go ahead and break the lamp.)
One thing that I did figure out fast is that autistic people are not stupid. They get overwhelmed and can lash out, but they have a pretty good capacity to figure out what’s going on. They’re just completely lacking the ability to handle it.
Not saying that I didn’t love ‘em, but it was work and I ended up on the receiving end of a tantrum more than once. I had no authority or training to restrain, so the best I could do was place my body between the violence and the other client that they were trying to beat or stand as a barrier between the client and whatever they were trying to do that would cause them injury.
Sometimes, talking worked. Sometime it did not.
Autism was handled well before the 80’s came along.
This is not uncommon for disabled children. Most of them stay in the public school until they are 21, and I know in my state they are not only allowed but the school can not forbid them. Remember they are mentally disabled and it takes them much much longer to learn things. Most of these kids, like this man has the mental capacity of a 10 year old if that. Some of them it does help to stay in school longer. Some of them I don't think it does a bit of good and it's not their fault I truly believe it's the school's fault in not being able to help them.
“Incidentally, we never once had a problem with a person who had Downs Syndrome.”
If God himself came down from Heaven and told me I was pregnant BUT had to choose either a Down Syndrome baby or Autistic one. I’d take the Downs baby!!!!
“Incidentally, we never once had a problem with a person who had Downs Syndrome.”
If God himself came down from Heaven and told me I was pregnant BUT had to choose either a Down Syndrome baby or Autistic one. I’d take the Downs baby!!!!
To others let alone himself.
I have seen autistic and other disabled children do horrendous and danagerous things to those trying to help. Somehow parents seem to think the “job” will be easier for the staff then what they experienced with their child, and why they usually institutionalized them because they could no longer handle nor endure..
A family worker has worked years in ER trauma centers and said the only way you can handle the stead flow of tramatic situations is you learn to block it out so that you can do what needs to be done....but when a "special needs" individual comes in it throws the entire medical team unless they sedate them.
I am one for sedating these people even if we don't feel comfortable doing so...medical staff , no matter how well trained, should not have to endure physical attacks and such from out of control "patients". Doing so causes the medical team to "burn out" and that at rates which create shortages of help they could otherwise work..and that effectively.
Mrs. BN used to manage a group home for severely & profoundly retarded children. They used a "PIC Hold" (sorry, I don't remember what the acronym stood for) to restrain violent kids and prevent them from hurting other children or the staff.
I agree that anyone that old should not be in public school any more.
If they qualify for continued public education because of being *special needs* ESPECIALLY autistic for the reasons you mentioned, they should have a special program for them.
They are too disruptive otherwise.