West Virginia Autistic Six Year Old
There are many parents of children on the autism spectrum who are worried about sending their children off to school. While I greatly value the school experience, and think it’s important, I also understand the concern.
In October 2018, a six-year-old child in West Virginia was attending a school in West Virginia. Normally this is an exciting, milestone type of experience for a child. But this child was crying. Then she started coming home with bruises.
The child, on the autism spectrum, was non-verbal. She did not have the ability to communicate with tablets or other devices, either. So there was no way to figure out what was going on.
Until her mother, Amber Pack, figured out a solution. Amber bought a recorder and tucked it into her daughter, Adri’s, hair.
What got recorded was shocking.
It wasn’t just about Adri. It was about ALL the children in Adri’s class. In essence, Amber uncovered horrors that every single child there was undergoing. Amber was just the one who took the steps to figure it out.
It wasn’t just one lone teacher. The teacher had aides. All of the aides got involved in the abuse. Then the principal tried to cover it up, too.
If you are a parent or guardian of an autistic child, you are their defense. You are the one who has to protect them. Be alert. Be vigilant. I don’t think that homeschooling is the only option – but whatever route you choose, be aware.
West Virginia grist mill image sourced from Pixabay / artist dafacct