Posted on 05/18/2008 6:54:58 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
The mother of a 13-year-old autistic boy who was banned by a court order from attending services at a Roman Catholic church in Bertha, Minn., woke up Sunday determined to take her son to mass.
But Carol Race changed her mind when Todd County Sheriff Pete Mikkelson met her at the end of her driveway Sunday and told her she would be arrested if she brought her son, Adam, into the Church of St. Joseph.
Instead, Race took Adam and her four other children to mass at Christ the King Church in nearby Browerville, Minn. "It occurred to me that if I step foot in [St. Joseph], they will arrest me and I won't end up going to mass anyway," she said.
She is scheduled to appear in court today over a citation she received last week for violating the restraining order by taking Adam to church on Mother's Day.
The dispute has drawn attention to what Race and advocates for the disabled say is a lack of education and understanding about autism. Race said that even though her son, who is home-schooled, sometimes acts up in church, the experience benefits him.
"He has a sense of the routine," she said. "That's one of the beautiful things about the Catholic mass for autistic individuals, its routine."
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I think that’s a good summery of the situation.
LOL you think they might lose their tax exempt status for protecting parishioners? Funniest post yet!
Susie
So many sensitive people on the internet lately. This is a very common problem in many autistic kids. There’s no comparison to NT’s. However he may have other things going on aside from autism. This label is getting thrown around way too much lately. Sure they can put a Depends on him. Doesn’t guarantee it will stay. He’s likely to rip it off & give it a fling. Issues with autistic kids are just not solved as easily as some people think.
It doesn’t appear his parents are making much effort to deal with his behavior. They excuse his behavior because he has a disability. Or so it appears from what we’ve heard so far.
Yours is the sensible and considerate decision...separate Masses. We did this for years when we had four children under six years of age. Let’s face it, families can’t all be together all of the time.
This woman is inconsiderate and self-centered. It’s really all about her, isn’t it?
It does appear to be that way. My guess is what the family needs is found in here somewhere
http://www.co.todd.mn.us/PublicHealth/TODD%20COUNTY%20RESOURCE%20BOOK.pdf
I found this in about a minute & I’m not even from Minnesota.
;
Aside from yelling, spitting on people, urinating in public, and getting into other people’s cars and revving their engines, he is no problem.
OH yes: and he runs fast knocking down those in his way...
normal 2 year old behavior...except he is 200 lb and six foot.
Parents were asked not to bring him, but they stood on their rights to put others in harms’ way.
Maybe because I spent 8 years working at an institution (when they still exisited) I can appreciate how dangerous these kids appear to others...even though those of us who worked with them know the behavior is harmless...usually...I’ve also seen a lot of our staff injured.
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