Angry mom sends letter to family of autistic child telling them to have him euthanized.

[gigastar]

Then again, there are some people who find it funny to joke about throwing a crying baby out of a plane, so clearly some adults have a screwy, selfish mind.

It's ignorent and selfish to take a baby on board a plane, the eustachian tube is soft and often compress in babies when they are exposed to those pressure differences and cause immense pain to the baby.

Followed by 2-8 hours of endless screaming and the smell of urine and fecal matter in an airtight vessel.

Surefire way to piss off anyone who hasnt lost thier ability to smell and hear.

 

[Lilani]

Maybe that's why the kid is always outside, the parent is aware of the screaming and it annoys them, so they find it more peaceful if the kid is outside while they're inside. It's just a guess but the article doesn't exactly give us a reason why they're outside so much anyway. The point is they're outside a lot and making a lot of noise while they're out there.

The kid may be loud, but he still has to get out every now and then. It doesn't matter what sort of a mental state the child is in, being cooped up in the same place for a long period of time is never good for them. They need outings and fresh air, just as every other child does. Perhaps the parents felt the screaming was more tolerable outdoors than echoing on the walls indoors, but regardless the child still needs to get outside.

Also I didn't mean restrain as in bind him up with rope and toss him in a corner. Just discipline him a bit, maybe take away his candy if they're too loud or stand in a corner for a bit. You can't just let the kid run rampant and declare "welp disciplining just makes things worse may as well do nothing".

You don't seem to understand what severely autistic children are like. There is a point where they are simply beyond discipline. They aren't thinking rationally or obeying the rules of cause and effect--thus why they are screaming incessantly and for no reason at all. "Discipline" as we know it does not work. There are times when they are consciously doing things to wind you up, just like all children do, but screaming is not one of those things. I had a friend who worked with autistic children for several years at an elementary school. There was one boy who had a broad range of problems, but she could tell when his misbehaviors were deliberate and when they weren't. And you can bet his parents knew, as well. Again, if there were any way to console him or get him to stop screaming, you can bet they've already investigated it.

 

[FuzzyRaccoon]

However, if the child is outside and constantly wailing, there is something wrong. The article lacks a hell of a lot of context, but it gives me the impression that the child is not getting the care and attention they need, if they really are constantly wailing.
Then again, this article is too vague. I understand the difficulty of being in an apartement close to people making a lot of noise (music, babies, sex, etc.) but this person seems to have gone over the edge.

I don't mean to be rude, but this paragraph indicates that you've never actually had to deal with someone with autism that's on the more severe side. Sometimes a person can just become inconsolably angry and react and there is absolutely nothing you can do. This often is a result of some frustration the person feels that can't be expressed properly. They react in the only way that they can and this ends up being unpleasant for those around them. So it's not as simple as the notion that the autistic peep in question was being mistreated, it can just happen and it's no ones fault.

But yeah, wow, what a selfish jerk of her to send something like that.

 

[Keoul]

The kid may be loud, but he still has to get out every now and then. It doesn't matter what sort of a mental state the child is in, being cooped up in the same place for a long period of time is never good for them. They need outings and fresh air, just as every other child does. Perhaps the parents felt the screaming was more tolerable outdoors than echoing on the walls indoors, but regardless the child still needs to get outside.

No arguments here, they should get some time outside and fresh air is always good for you. Still, the parent could do a number of things, letting them out less is one, taking them out further away to places like parks is another. Not saying they should be locked up, just that the parent could consider reducing the time the kid spends outside until they behave a bit more.

You don't seem to understand what severely autistic children are like. There is a point where they are simply beyond discipline. They aren't thinking rationally or obeying the rules of cause and effect--thus why they are screaming incessantly and for no reason at all. "Discipline" as we know it does not work. There are times when they are consciously doing things to wind you up, but screaming is not one of those things. I had a friend who worked with autistic children for several years at an elementary school. There was one boy who had a broad range of problems, but she could tell when his misbehaviors were deliberate and when they weren't. And you can bet his parents knew, as well. Again, if there were any way to console him or get him to stop screaming, you can bet they've already investigated it.

Yeah you got me there, honestly I don't know what severe autistic children are like.
They do sound pretty bad, is there seriously nothing people can do to control them? From what you've described, the angry letter doesn't sound so far fetched with it's description of a "wild animal kid". I suppose I'm just too optimistic that things will work out.

 

[BartyMae]

I'm a...bit autistic. As a child, I would scream and cry at everything. Grass frightened me out of my wits - different foods touching would be the end of the world - people I didn't already know were to always be feared and hated - and foods I hadn't already tried...well, I wasn't about to try and change that. There was no reasoning to what I did or liked or didn't like...I just was. My mother, at the advice of family members and friends, starved me for two and a half days when I was like 3-4 in an attempt to get me to eat something new. Suffice to say, it did not work, and from then on, she didn't try to discipline me for my "failings" as much as she tried to simply work around them. I had a tendency then to drive everyone who wasn't my mother to near lunacy, I guess.

So I guess I sympathize more for the family with the autistic kid...although I get the basic sentiment of the letter writer, I don't think such cruelty is warranted.

 

[Hagi]

Hmm... Sending hate mail is hardly the right way to act in such situation. Your very first action should be talking to the parents of this child and explaining your position. If they manage to successfully calm him down, then problem solved.

If not, however, then she should have filed an official complaint, backed by petition of other people, living in this zone (sorry, I don't know how things work in USA, but you get the idea). Then court, because needs of many are far more important then needs of a few, rules that this child is to be sent to special institution for special people. Neighbours are sattisfied, parents can visit their kid whenever they want, everybody wins.

This is the USA. The only special institutions for special people they have are called prisons.

And that wouldn't even be needed if basic mental health care was provided. Screaming outside isn't all that severe for low-functioning autism, chances are fairly high that with the support of a cooperative and affordable mental health care specialist you can see great improvements.

But this is the USA. Mental health care is at a third world level.

So, most likely you've made a somewhat accurate prediction. People in the area will file an official complaint of some misbehavior of the child, committed not out of any ill will but as a simple symptom of his disorder, the courts will get involved and he'll be send to a special institution for special people, jail.

 

[FuzzyRaccoon]

The kid may be loud, but he still has to get out every now and then. It doesn't matter what sort of a mental state the child is in, being cooped up in the same place for a long period of time is never good for them. They need outings and fresh air, just as every other child does. Perhaps the parents felt the screaming was more tolerable outdoors than echoing on the walls indoors, but regardless the child still needs to get outside.

No arguments here, they should get some time outside and fresh air is always good for you. Still, the parent could do a number of things, letting them out less is one, taking them out further away to places like parks is another. Not saying they should be locked up, just that the parent could consider reducing the time the kid spends outside until they behave a bit more.

You don't seem to understand what severely autistic children are like. There is a point where they are simply beyond discipline. They aren't thinking rationally or obeying the rules of cause and effect--thus why they are screaming incessantly and for no reason at all. "Discipline" as we know it does not work. There are times when they are consciously doing things to wind you up, but screaming is not one of those things. I had a friend who worked with autistic children for several years at an elementary school. There was one boy who had a broad range of problems, but she could tell when his misbehaviors were deliberate and when they weren't. And you can bet his parents knew, as well. Again, if there were any way to console him or get him to stop screaming, you can bet they've already investigated it.

Yeah you got me there, honestly I don't know what severe autistic children are like.
They do sound pretty bad, is there seriously nothing people can do to control them? From what you've described, the angry letter doesn't sound so far fetched with it's description of a "wild animal kid". I suppose I'm just too optimistic that things will work out.

Uhm, I'm not the original person for this, but about your question, there are some things that can be done, but they might just not be particualrly feasable. For example, a very rich family might be able to employ an experienced psychologist that is constantly up to date and trained in the emerging therapies related to autistic children and ready to implement them in a way that doesn't interfere with the fear of change most autistics have. They'd identify what works for the person and then utilize those techniques to help them. Obviously this just isn't the case for most people. The common peep is lucky if they can afford a care worker like one of my best friends that comes in and lightens the load for a beleaguered family.

 

[FuzzyRaccoon]

Hmm... Sending hate mail is hardly the right way to act in such situation. Your very first action should be talking to the parents of this child and explaining your position. If they manage to successfully calm him down, then problem solved.

If not, however, then she should have filed an official complaint, backed by petition of other people, living in this zone (sorry, I don't know how things work in USA, but you get the idea). Then court, because needs of many are far more important then needs of a few, rules that this child is to be sent to special institution for special people. Neighbours are sattisfied, parents can visit their kid whenever they want, everybody wins.

This is the USA. The only special institutions for special people they have are called prisons.

And that wouldn't even be needed if basic mental health care was provided. Screaming outside isn't all that severe for low-functioning autism, chances are fairly high that with the support of a cooperative and affordable mental health care specialist you can see great improvements.

But this is the USA. Mental health care is at a third world level.

So, most likely you've made a somewhat accurate prediction. People in the area will file an official complaint of some misbehavior of the child, committed not out of any ill will but as a simple symptom of his disorder, the courts will get involved and he'll be send to a special institution for special people, jail.

Thats simply not true. There are plenty of facilities like the one they are talking about. They are generally known as "assisted living". Depending on the severity of someone's mental or physical disorder, there is also a matching degree of care. Some places fully care for the individual, some function as a kind of halfway house, with someone supervising and seeing to the individuals extraneous needs but not seeing to their personal needs.

 

[Keoul]

Uhm, I'm not the original person for this, but about your question, there are some things that can be done, but they might just not be particualrly feasable. For example, a very rich family might be able to employ an experiences psychologist that is constantly up to date and trained in the immersing therapies related to autistic children and ready to implement them in a way that doesn't interfere with the fear of change most autistics have. They'd identify what works for the person and then utilize those techniques to help them. Obviously this just isn't the case for most people. The common peep is lucky if they can afford a care worker like one of my best friends that comes in and lightens the load for a beleaguered family.

Dang, sounds like a handful, definitely for the poorer families.
Well this thread has certainly been enlightening for me.

 

[Doclector]

I find it surprising how most people who claim someone born a certain way should be killed deserve themselves to be murdered in a most horrifying way.

And believe me, there are no words to accurately describe the kind of painful death this foul woman deserves.

 

[Hagi]

Thats simply not true. There are plenty of facilities like the one they are talking about. They are generally known as "assisted living". Depending on the severity of someone's mental or physical disorder, there is also a matching degree of care. Some places fully care for the individual, some function as a kind of halfway house, with someone supervising and seeing to the individuals extraneous needs but not seeing to their personal needs.

And all of them either cost a lot of money, thus not always available, or are funded by local charities, thus again not always available.

It's no secret that many of those with severe mental disorders in the US much more often end up in prisons than in mental health care institutions simply because there's no money for those institutions. Thus the people that depend on those institutions end up hurting themselves or others and consequently end up in prisons.

There's plenty of research on the subject, a quick Google Scholar search should turn up plenty, I'll let you find it yourself if you're so inclined. Linking rarely seems to be taken as a trusted source anyway.

If you're looking for something more easily accessible this could be interesting: http://ackermangruber.com/trapped/

 

[I-Protest-I]

Is it acceptable behovior from an adult? Hell no. Then again, there are some people who find it funny to joke about throwing a crying baby out of a plane, so clearly some adults have a screwy, selfish mind.

That sounds fucking hilarious though

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Hmm... Sending hate mail is hardly the right way to act in such situation. Your very first action should be talking to the parents of this child and explaining your position. If they manage to successfully calm him down, then problem solved.

If not, however, then she should have filed an official complaint, backed by petition of other people, living in this zone (sorry, I don't know how things work in USA, but you get the idea). Then court, because needs of many are far more important then needs of a few, rules that this child is to be sent to special institution for special people. Neighbours are sattisfied, parents can visit their kid whenever they want, everybody wins.

This is the USA. The only special institutions for special people they have are called prisons.

And that wouldn't even be needed if basic mental health care was provided. Screaming outside isn't all that severe for low-functioning autism, chances are fairly high that with the support of a cooperative and affordable mental health care specialist you can see great improvements.

But this is the USA. Mental health care is at a third world level.

So, most likely you've made a somewhat accurate prediction. People in the area will file an official complaint of some misbehavior of the child, committed not out of any ill will but as a simple symptom of his disorder, the courts will get involved and he'll be send to a special institution for special people, jail.

This isn't the USA actually, it's Canada.

Not to say that what you're saying about mental health institutions in the US being terrible is false, just that it has absolutely no bearing on the OP, since this took place in Ontario Canada.

You know, maybe you'd know that if you read the article instead of jumping on every chance you get to bash the US.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I was going to amke a joke on how canadiens arent this way unless they're from alberta but it didnt quite sound as good after I typed it (ive been told alberta is full of the "rednecks"). I do think its a little funny reading it cause it sounds like a 12 year old fresh off getting his ass stomped on halo would sound then I realized how sad it is a grown woman is saying this.'

I dont know. I think its disgusting and even if its missing context (to me it just sounds like the kid is noise int he backyard which eh, cn be annoying but nothing you cant solve by turning a tv up a little [and really how loud can one little kid be?]) you're a grown woman, there's better ways to handle this. She deserves the shame, because she should know better, even if the kid doesnt (never met soemone who i knew was autistic so not sure what that all entails).

 

[Hagi]

This isn't the USA actually, it's Canada.

Not to say that what you're saying about mental health institutions in the US being terrible is false, just that it has absolutely no bearing on the OP, since this took place in Ontario Canada.

You know, maybe you'd know that if you read the article instead of jumping on every chance you get to bash the US.

You'll note that the post I was responding to was talking about the USA?

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Dats bad.

Hopefully they can find out who sent it so they can be publicly shamed dealt with amicably. In case anyone needs this explained to them, telling parents that their kids should be killed is not cool brah. Either voice a complaint with the parents in a polite fashion or buy some noise-cancelling headphones or something.

And speaking as someone with a whiny, loud, normal pre-teen sibling, I'm pretty sure most non-autistic kids are like that.

 

[SonicWaffle]

One wonders how many people in the community quietly support whoever sent that, even if they'd not gone the step of writing their own hate speech.

...well that's a bleak way to look at things. They may want the kid to shut up, but do you really think they want the kidd dead?

Is it acceptable behovior from an adult? Hell no. Then again, there are some people who find it funny to joke about throwing a crying baby out of a plane, so clearly some adults have a screwy, selfish mind.

How does having an awareness of the difference between jokes and reality make one selfish, out of interest? You realise people are using humour to address a tense situation rather than actually suggesting throwing a baby from a plane, right?

While it is a very angry letter, I can't help but wonder if the child really was being a nuisance...

Kids are a fucking nuisance. It's what they do. I was a nuisance, the neighbour kids I grew up with were nuisances, my younger siblings and cousins were nuisances, nowadays my nephews are a bloody nuisance. Most kids run around and scream and break things, and those who are quiet are only quiet because they're plotting something and trying not to get noticed. The woman says she has kids of her own, "normal" kids, so she's probably used to them being a pain in the arse, running around and yelling. The fact that she's writing hate mail to her neighbour about their "worthless", "retarded" child suggests she's a fucking bigot using the kid's wailing as an excuse to vent her bile.

 

[Thaluikhain]

One wonders how many people in the community quietly support whoever sent that, even if they'd not gone the step of writing their own hate speech.

...well that's a bleak way to look at things. They may want the kid to shut up, but do you really think they want the kidd dead?

Want him dead? Perhaps not. Want him to no longer be alive, on the other hand...

Hell, just look at some of the comments on this thread, some people are quietly overlooking the murder bit and taking the side of whoever sent this.