The comments by the general public on news stories online and in the media that pertain to someone on the autism spectrum are mean spirited. It is very disturbing to me as the parent to two boys on the autism spectrum to continually come across these here and now in 2008.

It appears quite regularly on websites for magazines and television shows whenn someone with autism has been profiled or a tragedy, accident or other incident has taken place. These online trolls post cruel messages toward those who are on the spectrum and their families.

Then we have the professionals who are paid to care, transport and teach those on the spectrum; yet they forget a child on a bus for an entire day or call police to taser a young teen who takes too long in the bathroom. These incapable "so called professionals" open the floodgates for those who do not comprehend autism to verbally attack and criticize the families struggling on a daily basis. Keep hitting us when we are down for the count.

The degrading comments on the incident involving the police officer tasing the boy in the bathroom poke fun at the boys size, criticize the law that allows special needs students to attend school until the age of 21 and several made reference to autism being an excuse by parents for out of control children. Clearly we are failing our children in promoting autism awareness to the masses at large.

These people see nothing wrong with the police being called because a student is in the bathroom for a long period of time. Are these the same parents whose children are bullying kids on the schoolbus and then get irate when another student captures the incident on their cellphone?

Parents should be outraged that the police seem to be called before the parents. Children with special needs have a legal document called an IEP that needs to be adhered to. It is so imperative for parents to have a behavior support plan in place, as well as know and have a copy of the school discipline policy. What is the protocol for notifying the police, what is the emergency procedure if a child is injured or hurts someone or inflicts injury upon themselves?

I have seen in the past on the television news a report of girl about six years old in Florida sitting in the Principal's office handcuffed. Also happening in Florida was the boy being voted out of his classroom. I am glad I moved away from Orlando when my son Nicholas was six months old. I did not like the lizards on the street and glad I never met any of these snakes who call themselves teachers.

There was a story here recently in California where the Mother to a twelve year-old girl went to battle with another girl on her daughter's behalf. Thankfully a videotape of this fight was caputed and she is being charged with endangering a child.

Young teens die after being restrained while others commit suicide to stop the constant bullying. Several instances have emerged where after violent attacks and killings it is mentioned the person either had or might have had autism.



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