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Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Update On Colin Frates Original story located here. Charges against Clovis High student dropped By Erin Kennedy The Fresno County district attorney today dropped assault charges against a 15-year-old boy who shoved his special-education teacher and threw two chairs against a wall.
Prosecutor Houry Sanderson said in court this morning that Clovis High student Colin Frates has Asperger's, a form of autism, so he is unable to help in his own defense. Sanderson said the case reached court only because the District Attorney's Office did not know Colin had a neurological disorder when police submitted their case. People with Asperger's have normal or higher-than-normal intelligence but do not understand social situations, have trouble deciphering facial expressions and have a poor grasp of complex conversations. Although Sanderson asked for dismissal of charges, she stressed that did not mean that the assault did not occur last March at Reyburn Intermediate School. Sanderson said the District Attorney's Office will work with Colin's parents, Mike and Kathy Frates, to seek professional help with his social skills. Colin's attorney, David Mugridge, was so choked with emotion after the case that he was unable to speak for several minutes. "This was a very unusual case," he said. "I had never heard of Asperger's before this. ... Parents with similar children came out of the woodwork on this saying, 'Oh, my God. Could this happen to our child?'" Mugridge said it was clear from the district attorney's response and sensitivity once prosecutor's learned about Asperger's that parents don't need to be afraid. The case first went to court Sept. 15, with prosecutors seeking an opinion on whether Colin was competent to stand trial. The case has drawn criticism from psychologists and mental health workers, some of whom sent letters to the District Attorney's Office condemning prosecution. Two psychologists, who conducted court-ordered evaluations of Colin, found that he does not understand court proceedings and that he did not have control or understanding of the consequences of his angry outburst. The reporter can be reached at ekennedy@ fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6197. Autistic Boy's Death Under Investigation This is just so sad. Autistic Boy's Death Under Investigation Who is responsible for the death of Kasey Warner? The battle lines appear to be drawn between Franklin County Children Services and an outside contractor. The 13-year-old boy died October 8 in a west Kasey Warner's autism was so severe he had never spoken a word. His mother believed --indeed was promised -- that her son would have constant one-on-one supervision at the group home. Why then was he left alone to die in a bathtub in 12 inches of water? Francis Mensah was alone that night with three autistic children. He says he was never told Kasey needed constant supervision. Mensah, employed by ViaQuest, told 10TV over the phone that Kasey was restless during the night and even knocked over a dresser. At A ViaQuest supervisor answered questions about his company that runs group homes, and the employees who work for them. “In that house, 1:3 is sufficient,” ViaQuest regional director Mitch Snyder said of the required staff-to-client ratio for the But Franklin County Children Services executive director John Saros says ViaQuest was required to provide one-on-one care for the autistic children in that house. Saros showed 10TV a contract for Kasey's care. It started October 6, the day Kasey entered the home after being brought here from another facility in ViaQuest would be paid $340 a day to provide for Kasey, and the boy would get his own staff member -- one-on-one supervision -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “I do not have a one-on-one contract for Kasey. That I’m certain of,” Snyder said in response to Saros’ claim. In fact, ViaQuest did not have the finalized contract because it had not been signed yet. “This is really an administrative technicality as far as I’m concerned,” Saros said. That’s because, according to Saros, two weeks before Kasey went to the group home, Children Services and ViaQuest met to discuss the boy’s needs. The outcome of that meeting, the agreement to care for the boy, was a legally binding oral contract, Saros said. Saros says if one-on-one supervision was not provided, then there’s an issue of responsibility on the part of ViaQuest. In the meantime, Francis Mensah, the ViaQuest staffer in the home the morning of Kasey’s death, has been placed on leave. And Kasey Warner has been buried. The Francis Mensah also told 10TV that the night Kasey died was his first night on the job at the Colin's Statement This is a partial excerpt from the Fresno Bee - Opinion section because I could not access the whole article:( Colin Frates, 15, probably had little understanding of his profound courtroom statement on Wednesday: "I want to thank you for all your time." Justice was served, wisdom prevailed, all charges dropped and Colin was right to be grateful. But this community is also indebted to this disabled child for showing many of us how much we have to learn about mental disorders. Friday, October 08, 2004
Wax On, Wax Off DJ started karate classes this week. He's been talking about it since, well, since he started talking. So I figured I'd better get my ass in gear and get him signed up. I've been backing out of it because the classes are SO expensive and with DJ's dx and all around behavior, I was seriously afraid to waste the money, ya dig? I mean, money doesn't grow on trees around here. My cousin gave me a sheet of paper for the community center in neighborhood. They were offering karate classes fro $25/month. A one hour lesson once a week. Yep, $25 is right up my alley. AND I don't have to purchase a uniform for at least two months to make sure he really wants to stick with it. Thursday night is now karate night. This means no Survivor for me. Dammit! Oh well, I need to cut back on the reality tv anyway. Good news, I have a page and half written on my research paper! Go me! I only need another 1 1/2 more pages to go and then I'll be finished. Yippeee! PIC was teasing my ass. She told me it only gets worse. I really didn't want to hear that. Come on, I'm a technology major. Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch DJ keeps calling me Honeybunch. What's up with that? Hey, honeybunch, is dinner ready yet? Last night, I put DJ to bed. Read him a story and I did write 2 paragraphs for my research paper. I even have a picture in there as well. Go ME! Tonight, the Vice Presidential debates are on. I can't wait! No matter who you vote for, you need to vote this year. I think everyone here knows the way I side, but, just rememer all politicians are slimey :) Monday, October 04, 2004
Video Release Tomorrow, Farenheit 9/11 is coming out on dvd/video. Only Me I decided to get up off my fanny and go to the library to start working on this research paper. Of course, when I get there, it's closed on Mondays. Then, after I come home I get a phone call: Me: Hello Caller: DJ Me: DJ who? (I'm wondering who is this adult calling my son) Caller: DJ X Me: Who is this? (Who the hell is this crazy person and what do they want w/ my kid?) Caller: It's Aunt Annie Me: Hi Aunt Annie, It's Wendy, DJ's at school Do I really sound like my son? PIC thought it was hilarious.
Speaking of PIC, I'm so jealous:) She was offered a new position. Five weeks vacation, two weeks off at Christmas and Easter, free medical benefits and more MONEY. Yay. She's moving in sometime next month to the complex. I can't wait! Dad is really pissing me off right now. I'm Procrastinating I have a research paper due in three weeks. We have to pick a country of our choosing, other than the US, and write a paper. I've evidently been out of school too long. I have writer's block. I decided to write on Italy, my origins. Right now, I'm supposed to be working this paper getting some of my paragraphs down. Later I was going to the library to do some more research and write some more of my paper. I don't even have a page written. Instead, I'm sitting here surfing the net trying to put it off. Why? I can't think of anything to write. I've known about this project for four weeks and for four weeks I haven't written a thing. Something is wrong with me! I Can Only Shake My Head Sunday, October 03, 2004
Should Have Knocked On Wood Remember all that shit I was talking in my other entry about football? Yea, well I SUCKED this week. Right now I only have 14 correct out of a possible 37. There are two more games I'm waiting on. Thankfully the Rams are kicking some major booty right now. No $48 for me this week. Hopefully I won't be knocked back too far in the standings though. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I ran into this link on the forum I go to. It's a test researchers at Cambridge University developed to measure autistic traits in adults. Of course I took the test. The average score for women is 15, men 17. Most people with Asperger Syndrome or HFA score a 35. I scored 37. What??????? Now, what do I do? I guess I need to talk to my family doctor. I was really hoping the test was flawed. I had PIC and my cousin take it. PIC scored about an 8 or so. My cousin had a 15. Nope, not me. Oddly, ever since DJ was dx'd, I 've read DOZENS of books on the subject and am still reading. I know they say alot of autism might come from certain aspects of the parents. I did see many of the traits in me but I am extremely functioning. Trust me on this. I don't do well in social situations though. I never know what to say. Online is so easy. But face to face I usually don't talk. I mean, I talk to PIC and DJ and stuff. I do talk to my co-workers, but I have to reach a comfort level. If there is someone new working at my job, I won't talk. I figured he got a few things from me, but me having Aspergers...no way! Now I need to rethink this whole thing. So far, I've only shared this with PIC.
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all about me Wendy Full time mommy Full time student Warning! Leads extremely boring life Photo Album Cast Page 100 Things About Me Come with us as DJ takes us all on an Asperger Adventure! daily reads 6767 Adventures in Autism The Aspie Diaries The Aspie Life Autism Diva Bloggg California Hammonds Domestic Pschology dooce Go Fug Yourself Hidden Laughter Is This The One? Left Brain Right Brain Mom With Attitude Mommy Guilt Moody Mama My Son Has Autism The Narcissist's Secrets Our Aspergers Teenage Boy Our Journey to Rescue Alec Penisnews Ponderethereal A La Aspie Pre Rain Man Autism specialneedsmom.com Sometimes Holland Feels Like Hell Stories of My Family Talking.to.Sweetface This Mom Tiny Voices In My Head daily links AutismLink Autism Key Autism-PDD Resources Network Autism Society of America Autism Today Center for the Study of Autism Child Find ED Law Feingold Program Floortime Future Horizons Getting The Truth Out OASIS The Out of Synch Child The Source US Autism & Asperger Association daily archives August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 Copyright © lil bit O'honey productions daily inspiration Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew God Sent Me An Angel Patron Saint Welcome To Holland Heaven's Special Child A Special Little Boy daily details You are visitor number: Thanks for stopping by!  Above image created by Dawn Stealing is encouraged! daily rings and things |
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