WELCOME TO JIM'S AUTISM BLOG





Hi everyone and thanks for visiting our blog. My wife and I created this blog to chronicle our experience while raising a son with Asperger's syndrome. Since our son was diagnosed with an ASD at age 5, we've had a lot of questions. Lucky for us we have a great support network in place. And our blog gives us an opportunity to share what we've learned with our readers. We hope you find our blog informative and interesting. Thanks again for visiting.


"It seems that for success in science and art, a dash of autism is essential." Dr Hans Asperger 1906-1980



Friday 27 April 2012

ANOTHER FAMILY'S BATTLE WITH AUTISM

I was reading the news on my computer when I came across an article that really hit home.  It's about an autistic boy who's been living in a hospital for 5 months.  The boy has autism and is prone to violent outbursts.  The outburst have even resulted in personal injury, which led the family to bring the boy to a hospital.  The hospital says that the boy in question is physically fit to leave, but the boys parents are in fear for the safety of their other children. 

This brings to light a question that all parents of kids with autism face; what will happen to our child when they grow up?  I couldn't imagine Jacob being an adult and having to face the world alone.  This story really hit home with me and can be read here.

6 comments:

  1. Oh God. I can't go there. Maybe later but not today. Sometimes it gets to be too much. But I do know our kids will be the best they can be with us standing behind them....or that what I tell myself and why I CAN NOT DIE.

    We have had some aggression with meltdowns and it scares me. Scares the ever living life out of me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know Liz. It's a parents worst nightmare. After reading this I really began to consider opening a RDSP for Jacob. I hope that because my wife and I are young that we'll be able to help him for a long time, but you never know.

      Delete
  2. Thank you for sharing this Jim! I'm with Lizbeth - this is so tough for me. I'm not ready to cross that bridge and thank goodness I have some time before I do. And I pray (and I'm not a praying woman) that it gets better; that the system will learn from these stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we all get scared by this type of thing, because none of us know what the future will bring. I hope that my son is able to be a fully functioning adult, but if he's not, then I'd like there to be as many services available as possible.

      Delete
  3. The states always go back to the issue of funding when it comes to these kinds of things. As a Social Worker myself, my biggest source of frustration was never being able to find adequate resources for people needing help. No matter what the issue, it always seemed that the resources for help were scarce, had unreasonable waiting lists, and staff that were overworked and underpaid. I definitely agree that these types of programs need to be looked in to, and need to be funded appropriately; however, it's all about what our government feels are priorities in this country. Unfortunately what is considered priority to our government, is not the same as we feel it is. I wish I knew a way to correct this injustice and be able to set up resources for people in need. Even as a Social Worker, the frustration is immense. There's never enough funding, never enough resources, never enough placement options, and just too many people who need help. The social services in this country are more than despicable.

    I wish I had an answer. I think the best thing we can do is work on voting those into office that care about matters such as these and are willing to push to make some change. I definitely can't say I know what you all are going through, or the worries and frustrations you all are feeling, but I can say that I do understand the lack of resources. Keep pushing forward, Jim.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jewel. I can tell that you know what people are talking about. The sad thing is that there will likely never be enough resources for those affected by ASDs. Simply because the spectrum is so vast. All we can do is keep pushing forward.

      Delete