I am posting a link to this article, in the hopes that many will read it and have their eyes opened. I love my own Logan so much. He is sweet and funny and kind and smart. He also has days where he is overwhelmed with frustration, cannot control himself, and screams and is in general difficult to deal with. It's not his fault, and it's not his choice. It's how he's wired.
I do not condone what this woman did. But I can completely and unequivocally understand her desperation and frustration. I'm sure that in her head, she felt like what she was doing was the only option left to her. I wish someone had reached out to her, held her hand, told her she wasn't alone. The fact of the matter is that sometimes autism is violent. It's painful and physically taxing for the caregiver and the individual being cared for. Logan has come such a long way in being able to communicate and do things that other kids do. When he was younger, things didn't look so rosy. He would climb on my back and hit me. He would try to harm himself. I have a cracked rib that healed improperly from one of his temper tantrums years ago. He was laying on the couch and as I bent down to him he kicked me. There are still times when his frustration is incredibly great, and he tries to harm himself. It's scary. It's heartbreaking. And it's incredibly difficult to make people understand how exhausted you are, how much of an adjustment you've had to make in your life in order to deal with this.
The other issue is also how difficult it is for the person who has autism. Logan cannot maintain control over himself all the time. He knows this. It angers him and it makes him sad. He cannot express adequately to me, or to anyone, why he is screaming, what he needs, or that he is sorry for a certain behavior. It's frustrating for everyone. When you add to that the dearth of services available for autistic individuals in the state of Texas, it becomes a problem that will soon overwhelm many aspects of our society and educational system. There are many, many families like the Stapleton family. Families who do not live normal lives, and who exhaust every avenue available to them in hopes of finding some sort of relief or help for their troubled children. I hope that when you read this, you will be made more aware of the people around you...not just the ones struggling with a disability, but anyone in your life who may need a little extra love and support.
For myself, I can only be thankful. I have a wonderful family who loves Logan and helps us out as much as they can. Logan has excellent teachers at school, and we have a great support system within our own church of people who have taken the time to get to know us and Logan, and who have made a concerted effort to educate themselves on his disability. I have many friends through social media who reach out to me often, with articles or listening ears or simple affection. I know I am loved and I know my family, including Logan, is loved.
My prayers and thoughts go out to this family in Michigan.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/desperate-act-mom-accused-trying-kill-autistic-daughter-n155816
