By coincidence on Channel 7 an 18 year old youth with Autism and his Mum were interviewed.
Previously the Mum had been interviewed when the boy was 3 years old and coudn’t talk at all. Because he couldn’t talk at all he screamed a lot. He didn’t show any signs of violence (not on camera anyway). He was put in an early intervention program. He now talks as clearly as other people do. Using only his laptop as he doesn’t have any high technology equipment at all, he is now composing music and has contract with a company in Italy that he sells it to. He said he doesn’t know yet whether he will be able to make it a full time career or look at other options. Another thing he is interested in is fashion design.

The answer to this is not as straight forward as “wow what a horrible woman” the answer to this is more like ‘What a crushed, exhausted & desperate woman with no support to turn to. The reality for these families are heartbreaking, after years of struggling and begging for health services (basic help) shes probably realised the safest place for him is home. You cannot simply takes these kids to do some quick christmas shopping, this woman has probably never done anything quick and easy for the last decade, its funny when mums of toddler lament their desire to go to the toilet unaccompanied…well the joke runs dry after the first 15 years. Every moment of every day and every night you are on high alert, & the government couldn’t care less.

I feel sorry for that Paul what is the child things changed up to a bed while the mother went shopping I don’t understand why she didn’t take him with her shopping that must have been so traumatic for him

How could any mother chain a child up , no matter how old or what disability they have. People like that should not have kids or give them to someone who will love them no matter what the disability is. These kids are special kids sent by God.

Argh this makes my blood really boil as I know for a fact there are quite a few community based programs including regular free respite care and childcare programs available to families in need so this kind of thing, albeit horrifically extreme and torturous is far from necessary! I pray that appropriate loving care can be found for this poor child and that it’s not too late!

Child abuse is never ok.

wow that is unreal! this is the first time that i am hearing about this.

Poor boy, there is always a better alternative than chaining up a child! There seems to be an alarming amount of similar happenings, such as the school teacher who locked a student with autism in a small blacked out room. So sad

I heard. Really terrible. I hope the child will finally get some help and, in particular, some consideration.

This is so sad, that poor child to be treated as an animal. How desperate must that mother have been to do that to her own child. The child may not be well but he still needs to be treated with love and respect.

I hope the boy isn’t too traumatised by this. We all know how the public take to children (autistic or not) being treated like this. I hope that the family can get some support/counselling to work out how to cope together.

Lke va

I cant believe this happened poor boy should not have been treated like that but it could be a cry for help from the mother as she might not have been coping. The mother might have been a single mum and needed time out but i know there is other ways she could have gone about it.

This is so sad. But it should highlight the fact that there is not enough support for people with teenagers with autism. My sister is a single mum and can’t get respite care for her autistic daughter because her daughter is too ” complicated” .

As a mum of a special needs son who is an adult I can attest to the fact that if my son was a runner and I had no support or help I would probably do the same. This is an indictment of the disability services not the mother. Social Workers are trained to help people in this situation for this very reason! And to those that judge this mother, shame on you! I would like you to take this teenager with autism out shopping and see how you get on!!

Such a sad, sad story. Poor boy & mum was obviously struggling and didn’t know any coping mechanisms. And perhaps there is a lack of support for them.

Gee must be hard for MUM & SON where has all the kindness gone the neighbour that would pop in and babysit for 1hr or 2 or the Family to give this family a break for this Mum to have to resort to this is just terrible or compassion for seems to have gone very sad

While I don’t think this is right and I would never do it to my children, you shouldn’t judge til you hear the full story. She may have been struggling to cope, a single mother perhaps, it may have been her wish of keeping him safe

Very sad all round – both for the boy and for his mother who must have struggled coping.

How can anybody do that to a child, I have twin 9yr old boys with autism and I know how hard it can be but I would never ever do something like that, it’s despicable. Shame on her