Those with autism spectrum disorder commonly “wander or bolt from safe settings,” according to the National Autism Association. The mom says the punishment is 'outrageous.'
A mother of a 14-year-old boy with autism alleges that, instead of staff being punished for failing to notice her son had wandered out of his school last week, her son was disciplined, receiving a five-day suspension.
Michael, a student at Elwood Middle School in Suffolk County, New York, left the school and was missing for an hour. Staff remained unaware of his disappearance until Michael walked home and his mother, Carrie, returned him to school. Those with autism spectrum disorder commonly “wander or bolt from safe settings,” according to the National Autism Association. However, as a result of wandering from the school building, Michael, and not the adults in charge of his well being, is being punished.
Michael was suspended for five days following the incident and will miss all end-of-year activities planned for the eighth-grade class. His mother says it is “unfair” as he is missing out on the eighth-grade picnic, getting his yearbook signed by his classmates, and the practice walk for graduation.
“Actually, it’s outrageous,” Carrie said during a press conference. “that the school has actually said is that this poor boy who ended up in the East River two years ago didn’t matter — that when the federal government decided to legislate on that boy’s behalf, it didn’t matter — because we’re still looking at children with autism as they have a behavior problem.
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