Autism In Tasmania - Autistic School Children Are Being Denied ABA

Autism activists in the Australia island state of Tasmania, Action for Tasmania's Autistic Children, are angry over the failure by the Department of Education to provide applied behavior analysis for autistic school children in Tasmania. As reported by ABC Tasmania, and in the ATAC Media Release of February 24, 2008, the group's secretary, Roger Law, claims that some aides for autistic children are being taken away and the department is avoiding providing ABA for the children:

""The only effective treatment for autism is applied behavioural analysis and very intensive, and because it's costly the schools have avoided it"

It seems that, no matter the jurisdiction, professional "educators" simply will not acknowledge that many autistic children need Applied Behavior Analysis to learn and develop. I would not be surprised if the Tasmanian "educators" trot out the old "one side does not fit all" cliché to justify their failure.

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Autism Hell - The Most Painful Autism Decision

In Take My Son - A Family's Painful Autism Reality I commented on the story of Teresa Abernathy of Arizona who made the painful decision to give up her severely autistic son to the care of local authorities when they could no longer care for - or prevent his violent assaults on family members. The decision turned out well for the Abernathy family including the autistic son Colin who has prospered in care and has enjoyable visits with his family.

In Hell of autistic boy's mum Mercury, the Voice of Tasmania, presents the story of an Australian mother who had to abandon her 15 year old severely autistic son to Tasmanian state government officials. The mother attended a meeting with her son and the officials and then simply walked away from the meeting - leaving her son with the government officials. The mother claimed that the boy had been sexually assaulting her, his baby brother and his sister ( who herself has Aspergers ). The state in that area reportedly has not provided services to autistic people and their families leading to such drastic solutions. The mother does not believe she can take her son back but she would like to remain a part of her son's llife.

This mother made the most painful decision on behalf of her family - and her son. I hope it turns out as well as the Abernathy family's situation in Arizona.

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