ASPBERBER’S CASE IN MASS. | ADHD Information
BUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just wanted to bring this to everyone's attention. John turned 17 on Sunday and in Mass. he has been moved to an adult detention holding facility. He had been writing to me and expresses his thank you's to all who signed his petition. He thinks you are all awesome.
John is aware of what is happening, but through his brilliance, he still has a much younger mindset than a 17 year old.
He unfortunately has to survive with adults. I worried for him when he was with the juveniles, but now the adults can really hurt him. John has not been found guilty, but has not been offered bail. At 17 even though you cannot drink or vote, etc. here in Mass, you are tried as an adult?! Go figure. John is a disabled young man.
I just wanted to ask you all to pray for John and his family. It is amazing how the children in America are treated. Do you know that America and Somalia are the ONLY countries to try juveniles as adults?! We are with a 3rd world country, how do you like that!! Is that what we really want for our children, especially with a form of autism, that is just disgusting!
Phil Spector has been out on bail for several years now (5?) now. John has not been found guilty, his trial is still pending with no court date, but he sits in a cell. What is up in America??
Please sign the petition if you haven't yet.
Many, many thanks!
how sad. I have a 10 year old who was bullied from same kid since kindergarten. I always told them if the school didn't take control of the situation, something would happen. My son became a C student from an A student and depressed and hated school. Previously he loved school. This year that bully left the school and he is loving it so far. I pray for this child. he is not an adult he is a child in maturity. They need to do a maturity evaluation before determining his fate. Not to mention why aren't people stepping up to do something about the bullying facing our children today.I forgot to add the link to the petition - here you go and thank you again!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/681310220/inserted ?visitID=0&oi=3,70
John has my prayers. Hopefully they will keep him in a seperate unit..I agree with you, the system sucks and it just makes no sense.. What are these people thinking?...
Thank you for acknowledging my post.
Please pass it on to those you feel would consider signing it!
For some reason I feel this could be any one of us.
Regards,
Beth
I signed it, exactly for the reason you said... this could be any of us.I signed it and will send it to as meany people as I can. I will note the urgency of the matter! I can't belive that this poor Jellybean slipt through the cracks! My heart is breaking!! This very well could be my jellybean!
Sending all my love and prayers!Hey meli!
Thank you for signing the petition!! As sparklijellibean metioned, John's parents got in touch with both of us. They truly need all the help we can provide.
You can only imagine what is happening to John in the Youth Detention Center, it is horrible. He truly does NOT belong there.
Please email/tell as many people as you all can about this archaic situation. John belongs in a special hospital. He is truly suffering.
We will update you in a post once we have discussed it with his parents and attorney, we are asking their permission first.
The laws in this great state of Massachusetts are behind the times. People with disabilities, such as these, are imprisoned. They are also sending to prison instead of mental hospitals children with disabilites!
Please, Please help him. Remember he suffers from Aspberger's, ADHD, sensory integration, depression and they are all worse due to not receiving his sensory blanket and medication. And new conditions are occurring. He does not belong there, everyone knows this.
Remember he is only 16 yrs old with the social skills of a 8-10 yr old. He does not even remember what occurred. He is a loving boy that has been bullied for many, many years! And NOONE did anything to protect him!
His parents are asking for our help - come on guys rally around this! We can make a difference in a child's life! Please get it out there as much as you can
Again, here is the link to the petition!
And thank you all for what you have done and continue to do!!
Beth
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/681310220?ltl=1177 776493
I signed the petition a while back. I just forgot to post that I did. I hope we can make a difference. Ds is ADHD and it could have been him. It also could have been any one of us or our children.
Hi there lovemyboy, thanks for replying. Brilliant and thanks for signing the petition. Do you fancy emailing the attorney or even writing to Johns parents??
We need to show this family that the asperger/asc community are supporting him and that care needs to be taken with these children, that is all after all John is, a child.
Bethann is doing all the hard work and I am sure she would be very grateful of anyones support. Thanks again
Hey everyone, I have heard from Johns mum and dad, bless them they are worried to death. The situation is dire for John. I am heartbroken. Please everyone will anyone write to John or scream and shout on his behalf. This is a travesty. Beth is working so hard in the States, I feel worthless in the UK but I am sure that there are more voices in the USA that could shout. Please help.
I am very surprised to learn that there would seem to be a big cover up in the USA, the Virginia Tech killer was diagnosed Autistic!! Splashed all over the papers here but not there????
Please help everyone. We need to keep this pot boiling. It is not all about ourselves or our children sometimes it is about other peoples. Only then will we be able to help our own.
Here is the link below.
She too repeatedly referred to the killer as "son of a bitch" or ... Yang-Sun revealed the eight-year-old was diagnosed as autistic soon after his family ...
www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/ tm_headline=we-are-glad-he-is-dead-by-cho-s-family--&met hod=full...
BUMP!
JUST WANT TO KEEP THIS UP FRONT FOR READING DUE TO THE SITUATION!
THANK YOU!!
YEA WAY TO GO BETHANN!!! Come on everyone on the boards!! We MUST keep this lad in our thoughts, no good just nodding and feeling sorry we have to ACT!
We have the address so we can write to JOHN. PLEASE everyone, Beth has brought this to everyone's attention, please let us, the ADHD/ASPERGER community speak up in support of John.
BUMP the thread, just keep it up there! Beth, carry on the good work and everyone PLEASE HELP US TO HELP HIM. It maybe one of our kids, there for the grace of God..................................xx
Hey guys, I just wanted to bump this back up there.
John has a hearing Monday, April 30th. I just want to keep this "out there" for anyone to read about and maybe even sign the petition.
This boy needs treatment, not prison with adult convicted convicts who know what they are doing, unlike John.
Please email/tell anyone who may share the same compassion for such a sad and unfortunate situation.
Many thanks to you for all and any support in this matter!
Beth
yea go for it Bethann!!! KEEP THIS STORY AT THE TOP OF THE PACK.
Thanks for keeping us all posted, we ARE still with you on this and back you all the way. Thank goodness for souls like you!
Saying prayers for John.
Love from all of us here in the UK
Hey sparkle!
You put a smile on my face when it is totally consumed with worry for John!
Thank you!
Beth
And you Beth restore my faith in other human beings. You are an inspiration.
The thanks are to you my friend x
Oh Bethann! Thank you for bringing this lad's plight to the boards. OMG how terrible, I am in tears reading about him. We call those on the AS jellbeans and NT's marshmallows. I want to hug this little red bean who simply got pushed in the wrong direction and bounced on top of someone with horrific results.
What this little jellybean needs is understanding, TLC and compassion. He must be scared out of his wits. I so wish we could give him a big hug and tell him all will be ok.
I am in the UK and have signed your petition and send it to all my friends. I am working heavily in the field of AS and have some impressive colleagues in the AS world, I will be informing them aswell, maybe with international support your petition will grow at huge rates! We are all on your side.
Is there any way of communicating with him, send letters etc with lots of support and TLC? Feel helpless, is there anything else we can do?
Thank you for signing the petition Steffy and Susieb, it really means a lot!
Susieb, I have such hopes that this "Great Liberal State" that I live in, and believe me, it is tough sometimes, will make a decision NOT to harm this child, but get him help. My biggest fear is that this will become a political case, if you know what I mean.
It is so obvious that society is so ignorant when it comes to these disabilities, including ADHD. We as parents see it daily in society, the way they treat and look at our children, as well as in the schools, by having to fight for an education for them as well.
I pray that all defending this child, including the judge making the final verdict, really understand his disabilities, so that he is sent to the right facility for treatment. He needs to understand what he did was WRONG.
This child also has ADHD and sensory intergration, as well as aspbergers. His attorney is having to fight for his medication and heavy blanket, all doctor prescibed. The sheriff at the Youth Center wasn't allowing the blanket nor was he receiving his meds. I am not suprised. Imagine how this boys days were without his meds. See how they treat even the youth, denying his meds - what a disgrace!
He is currently being held at a Youth detention center, but still having to survive in there each day has to be SO much worse than the bullying he put up with at school.
An autistic child in the place he is right now since January among all criminals, makes no sense, even for the Liberal state of Massachuesetts.
Imagine how his parents feel all day and night long. How do you even sleep when your child is where he is?
Susieb, I went to your link, that is a great place. Do you recommend any one in particular for this situation?
Thank you all!
Beth
I signed, too. It's amazing to me that nobody in the great liberal state of Mass (disclosure: I'm a registered democrat) understands the affect of bullying on self-esteem and the possible repercussions of it. Sheeeeesh!I have to say, reading this sickens me. I would hope first of all that this kid has an IEP I'm sure he would. Second, he should have emotional support checked on it, if it isn't shame on the school. There are options out there and the school has many they could have implimented. I found hat the school systems don't "offer" information, ou have to find out about it and ask for it, some times even demand it.
It's a shame. I agree. this poor boy is headed to a dangerous place, and I see nothing good coming out of that. I hope for his sake he gets sentenced to a medical facility so he can get the help he needs. Prison isnot the answer here. My prayers are with him and his family.
oh I forgot to tell you I signed the petition also..
I signed it, good job for sticking up for this poor child.Hey Beth
Does Mr " Sherrif" know what Endangering the Welfare of a child means? Or how about wreckless endangerment? or how about he's just a jackass!! Sorry had a bad day...I don't know how these people sleep at night...
sparklijelibean,
Thank you for your response AND support. Boy this child and family could use it!
I would LOVE any and all support in the matter!
I don't know if any letters would be given to him at the Youth Facility cuz I have thought the same thing! But, what about getting in touch with his attorney?
His name is Jonathan Shapiro, http://www.sswg.com/text/john.html
I have linked his picture and mailing address. I hope this works! In case it doesn't his firms address is 90 Canal Street, Boston, MA 02114-2022 617/742-5800
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will not rest until I know this boy is safe!
Please PM me or post anything that you guys can do to help this child!
Sending you all many hugs!
Hi, I am sending the link everywhere here in the UK!!! I have PM's you Bethan.
All the love in the world. We are all with you, thinking and proactive!
Hi Beth,
Well I have emailed the attorney and emailed the NAS press office aswell. This is terrible. I thought that the US was a civilised place! My dad is US which makes me half US. I am not sure I like the way your country operates with disabled children in mind!
I think we should highlight this as an international incident and alert the ASPIE community. If we all stand up and scream surely someone will hear this.
Of course I feel sorrow and compassion, buckets of it for the victim BUT I have 5 kids on the spectrum and it could have been one of mine just as easily.
Looking at this kid's face you look into the eyes of a young scared and lonely boy not a man.
Oh before I get deluged, I do not like the UK's way of dealing with disabled kids either! My son 11 ADHD/DAMP/epilepsy/dyspraxia/tourettes has been headlocked/armlocked/brought to the floor by the HEADTEACHER during epileptic seizures! My son has been out of school for a year, the HT is still at school! So the UK is no better.
Oh and yes I am taking the county and the headteacher to Judicial Review. I am a nurse and have an inbuilt desire to want to help, how can we teach kids not to bully if we as adults do it to them in the first place, great role modelling eh!
I agree with what you said, the victim did NOT deserve to be killed. However, there is so much to this case. The school system really failed him.
John is 16, and like you he does NOT have the social skills of a 16 yr old. He would never survive in an adult prison.
By trying John as an adult and sending him to the maximum security prison mainstream would be more cruel than killing him! He would NEVER survive.
My condolensces have been going out to the victim's family as well, however, by doing something as horrific as trying John as an adult to be convicted of this crime that he doesn't even realize he did, would be just another horrific part to this horrific story.
I read an article that aspies are very concerned that society will think that ALL aspies are violentt. I disagree with that. I think society doesn't know enough about the disorder and are just plain ignorant. I also haven't read anything about any one other than aspies themselves believing this.
John probably has the social skills of a 8-10 yr old. He is definetly not deserving to be tried as an adult.
Two wrongs don't make it right!
I just wanted to thank ALL of you for reading my post and signing the petition.
I wanted to bring this sad, unfortunate case to light. So many things being printed in the newspaper are not true. One even called him the bully. But since then, students are coming forward and telling just how badly HE was being bullied.
Thank you all so very much!
Such a sad story.
I will keep you updated as the trial begins. Please keep John and his family in your prayers.
Many Thanks!
Beth
Well, I'm an Aspie myself, with the social skills of a twelve-year-old (and, thankfully, the linguistic skills of a college student)... and weirdly enough, I disagree with most of you here. Let me explain.
I may be mildly autistic, but I know the difference between right and wrong; I've known it since I was a child. Being an Aspie doesn't stop you from knowing the rules--in fact, many Aspies enjoy rules, since they make life more predictable.
I've been bullied at school, though only moderately. However, I can understand what it's like to be severely and physically bullied because that's what my stepfather did to me at home. Technically, it was "child abuse", but it might as well be called bullying. It had the same effect.
So I know what it's like to be mistreated, to have your rules of fairness and justice repeatedly broken; and I know what it's like to want revenge.
Eventually, I got my revenge: My stepfather was caught trying to counterfeit money, and I grabbed the evidence before my mom (who is afraid of the police taking her children away) could destroy it. My stepfather got two weeks in jail and five years' probation. He couldn't hit me as much anymore after that, because he knew I could've called the police, and he would've been in jail again.
It's not all that unrealistic that an Aspie could murder someone who has been bullying him for years. But it wouldn't be fair--the bully probably deserved, at worst, a few years in juvie. He didn't deserve death.
If you assume that this kid did indeed stab his classmate, and that he did it willfully, then what he kid did was murder. Being an Aspie doesn't change that.
Now that I've said that part of my opinion, here are some points on which I agree with you guys:
1. He shouldn't be tried as an adult. Aspies are easy bait for bullies, and a lot of the people in prisons (and some of the guards) are bullies. This child wouldn't survive very long in a prison--chances are he wouldn't even know how to properly show signs of submission, so as to protect himself that way.
2. The fact that he was provoked--probably grievously--should be brought up at sentencing. This is a mitigating factor along the lines of a battered wife who kills an abusive husband... Definitely something to consider.
3. If this boy actually feared for his life from the bully--which could have been the case--then he has a valid self-defense claim. This could be enough to drop the charges, or at least reduce them to less than first-degree murder.
Also...
Nitpick: It's spelled "Asperger's". (As in, "You know you're an Aspie if you correct people when they misspell "Asperger's"!)
Callista39181.4628356481
That's horrible!
I don't know why the courts think they have any right to try ANY child as an adult, much less one with aspbergers.
I just wanted to bring to the boards attention of the case going on here in Massachusetts. A boy 16, with aspbergers is being tried as an adult. He has the social skills of around a 10-12 yr old. He had been bullied for all his years in school. He unfortunately stabbed a classmate, who died. Now Massachusetts wants to try him as an ADULT and send him to adult prison to be raped, abused, and ultimately killed.
I am forwarding a link for all to read and decide if they would like to sign. It doesn't mean that it will change this case, but it may change future cases. John will hopefully be tried as ajuvenile and be sent to a mental hospital for treatment. He needs to be punished for his crime, but not with the HARD CORE criminals.
Thank you to all who read and think about John. I can't imagine having ADHD and Aspbergers and being in a adult prison. He must be so confused. It really touches my heart to the point that I have to try to help him from my level. Having a son with adhhhhd, I can't imgine what the family si gong through.
From what I know about the case, this poor boy has been bullied for all of his school days. How can they have thought to try to main stream him without a 1-on -1 aide? Something is missing and something has been tried to pass the buck!
Thank you to all my board friends for helping John and his family. For some reason, I feel like this could happen to any one of us!
Regards
Beth
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/681310220/inserted ?visitID=0&oi=3,70<l=1175790171
BETHANN39177.4365625I think about these people every day and my heart breaks. I truely know how they feel as I am going through the same situation...The system is horrible..Steffy351 - That is awful, how are you going through the same??
xx