More Joy of Autism. Another Autistic Teen Male Accused of Violent Murder
Posted Mar 15 2009 12:00am
By Kim Stagliano
How many stories of violent deaths allegedly at the hands of autistic teen males will we have to read before the world either A) embraces treatment for autism as a medical ailment or B) paints all autistic males as dangerous killers and locks them away a la 1955?
In February, Sky Walker of NE Ohio was indicted on charges of beating his mother to death HERE. He remains in jail. Now, Henry Cozad of Bunker Hill, OR is charged with killing his father's live in girlfriend HERE.
I don't believe that Sky or Henry are mentally ill. They each have severe autism. Not HFA and certainly not Asperger's. I think the DSM IV classification of autism as "other psychoses" is bu#sh!t.
Autism is not violent insanity.
I dread a world in which we go from "No treatment is necessary because autism is a natural state and there is no epidemic." to "Holy shit, he's 265 pounds and out of control, we'd better chemically (or worse) restrain him."
Our cute little (manageable) boys and girls are growing up. WAKE UP.
Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.
How many stories of violent deaths allegedly at the hands of autistic teen males will we have to read before the world either A) embraces treatment for autism as a medical ailment or B) paints all autistic males as dangerous killers and locks them away a la 1955?
In February, Sky Walker of NE Ohio was indicted on charges of beating his mother to death HERE. He remains in jail. Now, Henry Cozad of Bunker Hill, OR is charged with killing his father's live in girlfriend HERE.
I don't believe that Sky or Henry are mentally ill. They each have severe autism. Not HFA and certainly not Asperger's. I think the DSM IV classification of autism as "other psychoses" is bu#sh!t.
Autism is not violent insanity.
I dread a world in which we go from "No treatment is necessary because autism is a natural state and there is no epidemic." to "Holy shit, he's 265 pounds and out of control, we'd better chemically (or worse) restrain him."
Our cute little (manageable) boys and girls are growing up. WAKE UP.
Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.