Time To Take Autism Seriously - Utah Man With Severe Autism Found

Even the cases of two young men with severe autism implicated in homicides, one involving his mother, are not enough to shake some "joy of autism" Neurodiversity followers from misrepresenting the realities of autism. Even some well intentioned, polite people just don't get it. They just refuse to see the harsher realities faced by some autistic persons.

In Utah another event highlighting the serious realities facing some with autism and their families has developed since Sunday evening when severely autistic 20 year old Justin Bailey went missing. It is now being reported on ParkRecord.com that Mr. Bailey has been found and appears to be OK.

Autistic children and adults go missing with some frequency. My own severely autistic son went missing while I was occupied on a business phone call several years ago. He crossed a busy commercial street near our home before a Good Samaritan stopped his vehicle and took him to an adjacent convenience store where the police were contacted and where I was able to retrieve him after calling 911.

Last year we were all relieved to learn that an autistic man, Keith Kennedy, was found alive in the woods and was OK almost a week after he wandered away from the camp at which he was staying in Wisconsin. It does not always end as well as it did for Keith Kennedy and Conor Doherty and as it apparently has for Justin Bailey.

Wandering, and the dangers of every day life that some severely autistic persons do not understand, are very real challenges that should not be ignored in an effort to present a "posautive" view of medical disorders, of autism disorders. We must continue to provide ABA to help autistic children develop to their fullest potential. We must seek even more effective treatments ..... and cures ..... for autism disorders.

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We Must Be Realistic About Autism

The importance of a realistic approach to autism is made clearer every time tragic news is received of an autistic child or adult wandering into danger, and sometimes death. We can have all the fine pseudo-intellectual discussions about labeling and the strengths enjoyed by some autistic people. But we must not, as some would have us do, embrace autism as a joy and ignore the harsh realities confronting some autistic persons and their families. Fortunately Keith Kennedy was found alive in the woods a week after walking away from camp. The stories of wandering, missing autistic people do not always turn out so well as illustrated by the tragic drowning death of a five year old autistic girl in Florida.

In Autistic child's death renews effort to keep kids safe Jennifer Rivera reports on reaction to the death of Kaitlin Bacile who drowned in a canal after wandering away from her home Saturday afternoon. Kaitlin left home through a door to the garage that she was able to get open. The article mentions some of the steps parents can take to protect their autistic children, including locked doors, alarms, tracking bracelets and teaching autistic children to swim. Do not assume that all autistic children are naturally good swimmers.

Personally I believe it is important to be realistic about your child's autism disorder and the challenges it presents and be proactive in preventing harm in coming to your child. Be alert, ever and always alert, to dangers presented by the everyday world of motor vehicle traffic, strangers, water and other hazards. And hope for the best.

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Autism's Neurotypical Heroes

"Neurotypical" is a term used by some persons with high functioning autism and Aspergers to describe persons who do not have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Wikipedia entries claim that

"While originally coined among the autistic community as a label for non-autistic persons,^[2] the concept was later adopted by both the neurodiversity movement and the scientific community."

One of the points not often stressed in the heated and sometimes angry world of internet autism "discussions" is the heroism of the "neurotypicals" from parents who sacrifice and struggle to raise their autistic children and care for them to the teachers, aides and other educators who try to educate autistic children, accommodate the diverse challeges they present, and in some cases deal with physical harm inflicted by those they try to help. These are real, every day, "neurotypical" heroes.

There are also professional neurotypical heroes like Dr. Paul McDonnell, professor emeritus (psychology), clinical psychologist and the mentor behind New Brunswick's (New Brunswick, Canada) evidence based autism service delivery system. Dr. Mickey Keenan in Northern Ireland and Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh in the United States. These are but a few of the many dedicated neurotyical professionals who use their education, experience, time and effort to actually help persons with autism.

I was very impressed recently with the heroic efforts of the neurotypical volunteers who worked for a week to ultimately find ,and deliver to safety, Keith Kennedy the autistic gentleman from Minnesota who wandered off and was lost in the Wisconsin woods near the camp he was staying at. These people sacrificed a lot of their time and comfort to help this autistic man they did not know.

As a neurotypical father of a severely autistic 12 year old boy I give thanks today, not because it is a "thanksgiving holiday" but because I choose to do so, to the many "neurotypical" fellow parents, professionals, educators, therapists, politicians and civil servants who have helped to make life better for my son.

You are all heroes, each and every one.

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Autistic Man Keith Kennedy's Survival Story Won't Be Told

Keith Kennedy Transported On Stretcher
(AP Photo/Inter-County Leader, Priscilla Bauer)

AP reports that Keith Kennedy, who is autistic and is also a kidney transplant recipient, had only hours to live after being lost in the woods of Wisconsin for 7 days. Doctors say he is in stable and improving condition. How he survived is, and probably will remain, a mystery. Mr Kennedy has very limited language skills:

"How did he survive? He's a very lucky young man," said Dr. Timothy Whelan of the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.

Even though he hadn't taken anti-rejection drug for a 1995 transplant since he disappeared, Whelan said he was optimistic that the kidney Kennedy received from his father would recover.

Bruce and Linda Kennedy also wonder how their son managed to survive a week in the woods without the skills to fend for himself.

They'll probably never know the answer because Keith Kennedy can speak only four words.

"We're not anticipating him communicating anything about this," Bruce Kennedy said. "He's never spoken in the past tense in his life."

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"He's Right Here", Missing Autistic Man, Keith Kennedy, Found Alive In Wisconsin

Keith Kennedy, the missing autistic man from Minnesota, has been found alive a mile from the Wisconsin camp from which he went missing a week ago. Mr. Kennedy was found, curled in a fetal position, severely dehydrated and covered with sores and ticks, just before searchers were to decide whether to start scaling back on search efforts according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. It was the fourth sweep of that area by searchers who were amazed to find him:

"We were yelling for the other guys because [the woods were] so thick," he said. "Suddenly we came to a clearing and Jim said, 'He's right here.' I said, 'Who?' and Jim said, 'No, he's right here, the one we're looking for. He's right here.'"

Congratulations to all the searchers who made such a determined effort to find Keith Kennedy. Incredibly, and thankfully, this has ended well for Keith Kennedy and his family.

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Desperate Search Continues For Missing Autistic Man Keith Kennedy

Keith Kennedy, a 25 year old autistic man from Minnesota, has now been missing a week from Trade Lake Camp, a camp for developmentally disabled adults in Wisconsin. The search area has been expanded. With the passage of a week, and Mr. Kennedy's need for medication for his kidney, WCCO Minnesapolis reports that the search has become desperate and that his family is praying for a miracle. "It's especially challenging since Keith can be scared off by loud sounds and probably will not respond to his name."

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When Autism Isn't A Joy - Missing Keith Kennedy Won't Call Out

Keith Kennedy

Somewhere tonight, perhaps at an art gallery in Toronto, or a literary event in New Jersey, there are some who will celebrate the joy of autism. But in the woods of Wisconsin, Keith Kennedy, an autistic man from Minnesota, with serious physical health issues, is still missing and it is feared he will not call out if he hears his name. Keith's mother told the StarTribune.com that:

"her son has been a wanderer since he was very young. She said that some camp officials didn't know he required constant vigilance."

You won't see much about some of the negative realities of the autistic persons, children and adults, who go missing, in the rhetoric of "Autism" Rights ideologues like Michelle Dawson, Ari Ne'eman or Alex Plank. Most parents of severely autistic children though, including me, are all too aware of the need for constant vigilance.

I have felt the fear of a severely autistic son gone missing; although for a much shorter time than the Kennedy's have endured. It was the most intense fear I have felt in my life. I hope it turns out well for Keith Kennedy and his family.

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Autistic Man Still Missing in Wisconsin

Keith Kennedy

Twin cities.com is covering the search for a 25 year old autistic man in Wisconsin who walked away from a camp for adults with disabilities Sunday evening. Keith Kennedy has missed five "episodes" of anti-rejection medication he is required to take for a kidney transplant he received in 1995 and concerns are growing that his kidney may start to fail. Kevin Harter reports that the searchers have adjusted their search methods because of Mr. Kennedy's autism:

Officials had been using planes and all-terrain vehicles in their search. But concerns how his autism would affect his reaction to the vehicle noises prompted a call for searchers on horseback. Search dogs are also helping.

The fear of an autistic son or daughter going missing are shared by many parents, including me. It is autism reality for many families with autistic members.

I hope it turns out well for Keith Kennedy and his family.

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