Justice? Severe Adult Autism Reality In California

Kim Oakley author of  Autism, Epilepsy and Self-Injurious Behavior has broken the autism feel good cliche glass, again, in No Justice for Severely-Autistic Adult in California a comment about Van Ingraham "a severely- autistic man who had his neck broken in 2006, while living at Fairview Hospital, one of California’s Developmental Center’s that serves the forgotten population of adults with severe autism and behavioral issues."   Oakley's comment highlights  excerpts from a report  titled Basic police work ignored in autistic patient’s suspicious death by Ryan Gabrielson published February 24, 2012 on California Watch,  Founded by the Center for Investigative Reporting.


The suspicious circumstances of Van Ingraham's death as reported on California Watch is not easy reading for me as the parent of a severely autistic 16 year old son.  The pictures posted with the report are also very moving.  I am sure it is not easy for Kim Oakley as the parent of a severely autistic son to provide her comments but she does so and her thoughts should be read and considered by anyone facing similar challenges, including public authorities responsible for caring for severely autistic adults. 


I strongly recommend both the California Watch report by Ryan Gabrielson and the comments on the report by California autism advocate Kim Oakley who never shies away from highlighting the challenges faced by those living with severe adult autism realities.  One point emphasized by Kim Oakley is the need for hidden surveillance in ALL rooms of institutions for those living with severe adult autism realities.  Without surveillance there is little way of knowing what happens to a severely autistic adult who dies or is injured under suspicious circumstances.


I commented on August 19, 2007 on a Newsday report of a severely autistic adult woman who was severely beaten by attendants who were only caught after the assaults were captured on video cameras. The Newsday report stated:


"Newsday, August 18, 2007

An autistic resident of a Long Island group home was beaten with a shoe and a wooden coat hanger, slapped in the head and kicked by several employees whose vicious assaults were captured by a hidden video camera, Nassau County police said.

The helpless 50-year-old victim was battered repeatedly at the PLUS Group Home Inc. by at least four employees after one of their co-workers alerted police to possible mistreatment of the residents inside the Uniondale facility, police said.

Group home management then installed the camera inside air conditioning vents at the home, according to Terri Cancilla, executive director of the PLUS Group Home Inc.

...

Authorities said the victim can not speak or convey emotions or pain because of her disease, which is characterized by impaired social interaction."


In my 2007 commentary on the Uniondale facility assaults I made the observation that:


"This poor soul could not speak for herself. And the animals who savaged her knew it. Perhaps video cameras in all areas of institutions with non communicative residents should be mandatory. So that the videos can speak for them when they are subject to abuse."

I agree with Kim Oakley.  Video surveillance should be mandatory in all rooms and areas of facilities providing residential care for persons with severe autism and other communication challenges.  If they were mandatory in California before Van Ingraham died he might be alive today.  

Severe Autism Reality 2007 Flashback - Long Island Autistic Woman Beaten by Attendants in Group Home

Here in New Brunswick, Canada,  we have made little progress in providing decent residential care and treatment for severely autistic adults.  The recent case of the Nova Scotia autistic man locked in his room for 15 days and left to urinate in a corner reminds us all of how desperate life can be for autistic adults particularly those who are too severely affected by their autism disorders to be able to tell their stories when abused by those who are supposed to provide them with care. 

Few stories have been as revolting  and disheartening though as that of the two staffers at the Plus Group Home facility in Long Island arrested in 2007 for repeatedly beating a 50 year old autistic woman with a coat hanger and a shoe. Another employee witnessed the assaults and torture and informed police.  A recovered video camera recorded the assaults  as reported by the New York Daily News:

Two staffers busted for beating autistic woman

BY BRENDAN BROSH AND JOTHAM SEDERSTROM DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Sunday, August 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Cops nabbed two employees of a Long Island group home - and are looking for two more - who repeatedly beat a 50-year-old autistic woman with a coat hanger and a shoe as a hidden camera taped the attacks.

Nelly Gedeon, 20, and Johny Djhon-Felix, 33, employees of Plus Group Home Inc. in Uniondale, L.I., have been charged with torturing the disabled woman at least four times between Aug. 9 and 16.

The attacks were caught by a video camera cops installed in a vent.

"These people are hired as health care professionals and their job is to care for these people, so it's unfortunate they've abused their position and mistreated this patient," said Nassau County Police Sgt. Michael Williams.

The abuse was first caught on tape Aug. 9 when the employees were taped hitting the woman on the head. Three days later they were taped kicking her in the buttocks, hitting her in the head with a wooden coat hanger and hurling it at her head. Gedeon was also seen hitting the woman on the head with a shoe, police said. An Aug. 16 video showed Djhon-Felix hitting her on the head and shaking her while pulling her hair.

"The defendant [Djhon-Felix] noticed his actions were being recorded by a hidden camera that he disconnected and stole," cops said. The camera was recovered.

Plus Group Home Executive Director Terri Cancilla said an employee notified police of the suspected abuse.

"Safety is a priority," said Cancilla. "We hope this sends a message that this kind of abuse won't be tolerated."