Family of autistic boy asked to leave Ontario community - or have him euthanized
 

Wow..WTF... whoever wrote the letter better realize that once they are found out...they will be chased out of that community very quickly...but who can chime in on autism and the different effects it has on kids?





NEWCASTLE, Ont. - An Ontario community is rallying around the family of a 13-year-old autistic boy after his grandmother received an anonymous letter telling them to either leave the neighbourhood or have the boy euthanized.

Brenda Millson, of Newscastle, Ont., said she was shocked when she read the letter, which arrived in her mailbox on Friday.

The author of the typed one-page letter claimed to be a mother who lived in the neighbourhood and was upset at the noises Millson's grandson Max made when he was outside.

The letter went on to say the boy's "noise polluting whaling," scared the author's "normal children."

It also included statements such as "he is a hindrance to everyone and will always be that way" and "do the right thing and move or euthanize him."

Millson said she immediately reported the letter to police.

She said Max lives with his parents and older brother in Oshawa, Ont., but he had been visiting her home in Newcastle.

She said the author of the letter may have assumed she is Max's mother.

"At first I couldn't believe what I was reading," she said, adding that she was shaking in disbelief.

"It's just so sick."

Durham regional police said they have been investigating since Friday and that they are taking the letter seriously.

Max's mother, Karla Begley, 44, who is in a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis, said police told her they had never seen a letter "that despicable."

The only hostility the family had sensed in the Newcastle neighbourhood was four years ago, she said.

At the time, Max loved to throw a ball in the backyard and as he often threw it over fences, Millard had written her name and address on it, Begley said.

One day it arrived in the yard tattered, she said. "They took the time to shred the ball with scissors and throw it back over."

Begley added the family did not know what yard the ball was thrown into.

Millson said Max is a wonderful, sweet and lovable boy with a 16-year-old brother who was "infuriated" and "disgusted" by the letter.

Millson said the letter is "pretty gutless."

On Sunday night, at least 120 people waited outside the home for more than an hour in order show their support, Begley said. Families with autistic children drove in from Oshawa to show their support.

"Max was high-fiving everyone. He didn't understand but knew it was for him," Millson said.

Begley said support for the family following the letter has been "bittersweet," adding it's too bad it took such a letter to bring attention to a special needs child.

"It's just a reminder, you know, you've got to treat these kids like they need to be treated," Begley said. "They just want to belong."


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The person who wrote the letter sickens me. On the other hand, I'm not sure if the parent of the autistic kid really lets her kid outside making noises everyday that can constantly be heard by neighbourhood.

Accepting and loving an autistic kid is one thing, but tolerating everything he/she does is another.

Someone ignorant enough to write this letter will be dumb enough to brag to others about it. I have no doubt this idiot will be found out and when they are Karma will be a bitch.

Wow that makes my insides boil. So much hate.

writes the letter with her computer, ignores the spell checker


it would be awesome if they found out who wrote it and the community ostracizes her but i wouldn't be surprised if there was more than one person who felt the same way lots of p.o.s. out there

where is the compassion? the writer of the letter is sickening. big POS

Why would they call police for this? There are no threats in the letter.

what an asshole.



probably gonna get failed for this but legitimately curious. anyone else feel like an asian person wrote it?

the grammer mistakes in the letter are pretty common for ESL students/people (e.g. use of articles a/an/the).

just sayin...



:pokerface:

Definitely not Asian. Asians typically get their singular/plural and tenses mixed up. This is obviously not ESL, but EFL (English as a First Language, but still can't get it right).

pretty sure it was a bitch that wrote it and doubt it was an asian, asians like to mind their own business unless there's a kerfuffle where they can gather around and watch

Only in Ameri...oh wait.

I wonder if this letter was written by someone who was completely serious or if it was a prank pulled off by a dare of some kind. Not that it really matters, either way.

Some people. :facepalm:

Nah, just a well written hillbilly.

Honesty time.

We had this kid move into the neighborhood that barked. We heard him come up the street every morning, and down the street every afternoon. And it was loud. Now, it was the day that I looked down and he's whacking the trees and bushes in the yard with a stick that put me over the edge.

So I went and had a chat, or "chat" with his handler. She barely spoke english, and would just stand there and watch him.

Now...prick move? Maybe. It's not "my" street, but its disrupting a lot of people. It was NEVER the kids fault, but that of the handler(and parents that hired her).

Point is, the letter is a PRICK move. But I also get where people just lose their shit.
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But you suggested for the handler to perhaps intervene when necessary and deal with the child in a more appropriate manner, you didn't tell the handler do euthanize the kid......
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I have done a lot of work/volunteering with children and adults with autism, I also have a foster child with autism.

First, individuals with developmental disabilities don't have 'handlers', they have support staff, family members, friends and volunteers who work passionately to help improve the quality of life for them.

The letter itself is brutal, but I suspect the author has his/her own mental health issues..so it doesn't really make me angry..more I feel sorry for the writer that he or she has these internal issues going on that manifested as hate towards the poor boy and his grandmother.

Wouldn't this fall under some sort of hate crime laws?

People who have never spent time with people with autism have no idea what autism is, and the challenges the support network faces.

Totally NOT in any way justifying the letter or its contents.

This woman was a handler. She did nothing but stand there and wait for hhim to finish and then move on.

I asked her to vary the route that they took to and fro. She did. Maybe the kid didn't move into the neighborhood, but kicked off of other streets. Like, I cannot emphasize enough how loud a kid barking all day can be.
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Malicious people should be "euthanized" (beat to death with a baseball bat), not those with disabilities that are an inconvenience for others.

The thing is, from my experience with it (friends siblings or children with it) it seems no one really has any idea what autism is. It seems like so many of the various degrees and types have no explanation or understanding about what causes it, how bad it is or isn't, or how to help those with it.

Just to add, Autism is a spectrum disability where you can range from very high functioning to being completely dependent on others.

People who are interested should also look up Asperger's syndrome which is very similar to that of highly functioning Autism.

Heard it was an inside job by autism Canada to raise awareness
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probably a Zionist...

all srs though thats pretty fcked up!

if the contents of the letter stayed within the margins of politly asking that his volume/consistency be managed it would be understandable..

sure no one wants to put up with that if they dont have to.. but the rest of the letter is just disgusting!

Most certainly not.

sometimes anger drives people to do or say things beyond their norms.

i'm sure many can recall some hurtful words said out of anger. not defending that letter by any means but its far from what i'd classify as a crime.

Meh. Freedom of speech. No actual crime here.
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