autistic

Published on: July 10, 2023

DUI Suspect Left Blind Child Outside Car Near Busy Road

A reportedly intoxicated mother in West Virginia is facing charges after the police allegedly found her with a disabled youngster standing outside her vehicle near traffic on a busy street.

On June 28, a child’s legal guardian had to take her husband to a medical appointment, and she left the boy’s birth mother in charge of taking care of him while she was gone. The guardian reportedly made it clear that they were not to leave her McDowell County home in her absence.

Between midnight and 1:00 am, members of the Logan County Station volunteer fire department went to help a woman that accidentally locked her keys in the trunk of her car. When they arrived, they reported that they saw a child in a diaper and tee shirt standing outside the car. The youngster was allegedly close enough to the road that he could be hit by a moving vehicle.

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Published on: January 30, 2022

Couple Locked Autistic Child in Shed without Sufficient Food and Water

by Staycie R. Sena

A man and his girlfriend have been accused of regularly locking a boy in a shed for extended periods without necessities and proper facilities.

44-year-old Harry Richard Shoemaker, and his girlfriend, Jennifer Ann Hines, 36, reside in Arcadia. Shoemaker has a 14-year-old autistic son.

The teen’s grandmother recently became concerned about the way he was being cared for, and she placed a call to DCF (Department of Children and Families) to see if they could check on her grandson.

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Published on: November 4, 2020

Autistic Man Scalded Two Toddlers

by Staycie R. Sena

A Utah man who reportedly told the authorities that he felt bad about injuring two toddlers by pouring hot water on them is facing charges for allegations of child abuse.

On October 1, 24-year-old Austin Woolsey was reportedly babysitting two toddlers, ages 2 and 3.

While providing care to the youngsters, Woolsey allegedly took hot water and poured it on each of the children, which, according to medical staff, left them covered with second-degree burns.

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Published on: May 18, 2018

School Bus Driver Pleads Not Guilty to Allegations of Abusing Autistic Child

by Staycie R. Sena

In early February an incident between a school bus driver and an 8-year-old autistic child was captured on video displaying the driver mocking and putting her hands on the child. The video was publicly released, and the driver is facing criminal charges.

64-year-old Kim Cheryle Klopson drives a school bus for the Vacaville Unified School District in Vacaville, California. On the morning of February 6, she was charged with driving the special needs children to Browns Valley Elementary School.

While the bus was en route to the school Klopson reprimanded an 8-year-old autistic girl who was on board and allegedly told her that if she continued to block the aisle with her feet she was “going to be on the window,” as heard on the surveillance equipment installed inside of the bus.

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Published on: April 10, 2018

Autistic Child Charged with Battery for Hitting Teacher

by Staycie R. Sena

A second-grade special education teacher was allegedly hit in the face by a student with autism in her class when she removed his iPad from his possession and he became upset. The teacher has filed battery charges against the child in response to the incident.

DJ, an 8-year-old boy who suffers from autism, is a student in the second grade at the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Autism is defined as a condition which can present itself in a multitude of ways affecting social skills, communication, and behavior. The varying symptoms and manifestations of those with autism have been linked to “different combinations of genetic and environmental influences.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that as many as 1 out of every 68 children in America are diagnosed with autism.

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Published on: March 31, 2018

Mother Accused of Using Bow Saw in Attempt to Behead Autistic Son

by Staycie R. Sena

A mother in Maryland is facing charges after allegations that she used a saw to try to decapitate her 11-year-old autistic son when she became overwhelmed with concern about the child’s future.

46-year-old Kristina Petrie and her husband of 15 years share a home in Aspen Hill with their two autistic sons. Kristina is a stay-at-home parent while her husband Andrew reportedly has a full-time professional career. One of the Petrie’s neighbors stated that Kristina appeared to spend many of her days taking her children on outings and working outdoors maintaining her yard.

On the afternoon of March 12, Petrie’s 11-year-old returned from school to find his mother allegedly having mood swings that took her from crying to laughing within minutes. The child saw his younger brother in tears on the sofa and he proceeded upstairs to his room to play video games before beginning his homework.

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