Saturday, April 25, 2009

Are You Aware? XXII

I am the mother of an autistic child. My baby is autistic. He is now seven years old. We are working hard to help him, to support him, to give him the tools he needs to survive, thrive, and be a part of society, to enjoy his talents and his strengths and overcome his challenges. This is, as far as I know, what parents do.

And as a parent, there are things that keep me up at night, wondering. Is it enough? Will he be OK?

I have been weighing the idea of going down to the police station and seeing if there is anyone I can talk to about Joey. See, Joey is a runner. Not a predictable, tries-to-go-all-the-time-impulsive runner (which would be terribly hard). He's a get-mad-want-to-go-somewhere-else runner, or sometimes a thinking-of-something-across-the-street runner. He's the kind that would follow a dog into the woods and not know he was lost, until he was seriously lost. It is completely unpredictable. Some days he runs. Most days he doesn't. We keep the door locked, but yesterday, Andy got the keys down with a broom handle, how long until Joey figures that one out? It isn't a question of if I need to talk to the police and make them aware. It's a matter of when. And I want that when to be before I or JoeyAndyDad is arrested for child neglect because someone reported Joey being in the street.

We hear of other families facing ignorance, being arrested, their loved ones abused or worse, and for what? Because you can't see a disability?

Don't read these if you need a good night's sleep. Because these are the kinds of things that keep me up at night, and many other parents I know.

The Chicago Incident
Kevin Lazare in Brooklyn
Not moving to Minnesota.
Alva, OK. Why do people tape this stuff? Do they really think this behavior is OK?

2 comments:

Sally's World said...

I can't imagine being faced with this kind of pressure.....i have huge guilt over the fact that there where times that i was almost grateful that Aaron was a wheelchair user and couldn't run off without me...i don't actually admit that often, but as a mother of a child with the same tendency, i know you'll get what i mean!

perhaps there are family liason officers where you live, i certainly think that your consultants would be able to advise you. i do think it is a good idea, but are they actually going to be too busy to listen now...are they going to say that they can't do anything, even create a file unless something has actually happened.

how does the system work with social workers liasign with the police???

sending you strength to deal with a whole set of issues that most mums dont even have to consider....

Casdok said...

I had this talk with my local police and they were very understanding.