I Have Autism, Who Will Be My Voice?: A Mother's Search for Answers by Mary Ann Puckett

Author:Mary Ann Puckett [Puckett, Mary Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Education, Special Education, General
ISBN: 9780976795513
Google: ARXXswEACAAJ
Publisher: BOOKBABY
Published: 2017-09-21T04:00:00+00:00

For example, the five ulcers Stephen had in 2012 that went untreated for seven months and caused him to lose seventy-seven pounds. He could not keep food down and was no doubt suffering great pain from the ulcers. Wouldn’t it have been nice if Stephen could simply have told us the reason he was unable to eat and keep his food down? Unfortunately, Stephen’s limited expressive language did not allow him to say, “Mom, when I try to eat, my stomach really hurts.” Like Alex, and so many other children with autism, Stephen suffered in silence because of medical neglect.

Another area that needs to be addressed in support of our children is better training for police and first responders to situations where an autistic person is having a meltdown. In some police forces they are beginning to train crisis intervention team officers to be first responders. These officers have been taught to understand the violence that some people on the spectrum can exhibit, and that their violence may have an underlying medical cause, versus choosing to be violent or non-cooperative. Without proper training in place for professional emergency services workers, a call for help for a person with ASD could turn deadly. This needed training is close to my heart because police officers have been called to our home, sometimes multiple times in a twenty-four-hour period, due to Stephen’s violent outbursts.

I have spoken to groups of police officers and first responders about what to expect when they arrive on the scene involving a person with autism. I emphasized to the officers that people like my son are not acting out because they choose to act that way, they are simply victims of their own disability. In Stephen’s case, when he has a meltdown, it’s usually because he in pain and needs a medical evaluation or medication adjustment for seizure activity. On many occasions after Stephen’s encounter with police, and after his medication takes effect, he will cry and say, “I’m sorry officers, please shake my hand.” He then repeats over and over, “I’m sorry momma.” It makes me so sad to hear him apologize for something that is not his fault, and I always reassure him that it’s okay.

When Stephen was still able to walk, there were times when the police would arrive and he immediately charged the officers, along with name calling, cursing, kicking, hitting, and trying to bite them. When this happened, Stephen didn’t stop, and the officers had no option but to handcuff him and sometimes shackle his feet. As the officers would begin arriving after the 911 call, I would always quickly begin to explain to them that Stephen was having seizure activity that brought on his aggression. It’s extremely difficult, as a mother, to watch your child in such a state, being handcuffed on the floor and screaming. Not to mention the numerous abrasions and injuries he has suffered over the years during physical battles with police. On one occasion he ended up with a broken thumb and multiple rug burns to his face after a confrontation with police.

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