A Letter To The President

Earlier in the week a story came across my news feed about a 13-year-old autistic boy who has been bullied. Physically bullied. Verbally bullied. His autism was even being mocked online. 

The story went on to say that the boy's school authorities had been flooded with 100 or more e-mails from parents....DEFENDING THE BULLIES!!!!!!!!

Wait a minute....

Let me see if I can get my head around this.....

Here is a boy, a 13-year-old boy with autism.

His physical movements are being mocked online for all of the world to see. He's been pushed and shoved and who knows what else!

Here is a quote from the lips of the young boy:  “People tell me to run into things and I don’t really like it,” said Null, who also has ADHD. “And I tell them that I don’t want to and they just laugh at me, whenever I do it.”  (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/11/21/2979471/autism-bullying-iowa-school/)

And here is a quote from one of the parents who are in defense of the bullies. I still can't get over this! “Three-fourths of this stuff he brings on himself,” he said, “and probably a fourth of it is bullying that shouldn’t be going on.” One implied that he was asking for it: “This kid has done things to get people mad that I think he could probably control.” ( http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/11/21/2979471/autism-bullying-iowa-school/) 

In a nutshell--"he was asking for it!"

Having been through this type of scenario myself, as a kid and as a parent, I decided to do some looking into the stats and numbers of bullying among the autism community. What I learned saddened me. What saddens me even more is the ignorance that continues to be shown toward autistic individuals. Autism and its related disorders are the hand(s) dealt to families throughout the world. It does not give a rat's hat whether you pull in a six figure income, what your race, color, creed, religion, etc. are. What your last name is does not come in to play. The cause or causes for autism will no doubt be a bone of contention long after I am just a memory. Autism is not a choice. We the parents did not choose it. And without a doubt the individuals with autism did not choose it! 

This is a little of what I learned. 63% of students with autism are bullied. These are kids ages 6-15. Kids like this young man as well as my son who deal with ADHD  on top of ASD are more likely to be bullied. 40%....40% of ASD children have been punished by administration as well as school staff for meltdowns or outbursts that have followed bullying. 40%!!!!!

Zero tolerance?

Yeah...right....for who? 

I sat down and put these facts, figures, and issues in a letter to President Obama. I pleaded with him as a parent as well as an American. I pleaded with him to try and imagine if one of his daughters were victimized for something she could not control or help. I pleaded with him to try and imagine the pain and helplessness he would feel watching his babies hurting. I just plain pleaded with him. 

It has to stop!