The suspicious circumstances of Van Ingraham's death as reported on California Watch is not easy reading for me as the parent of a severely autistic 16 year old son. The pictures posted with the report are also very moving. I am sure it is not easy for Kim Oakley as the parent of a severely autistic son to provide her comments but she does so and her thoughts should be read and considered by anyone facing similar challenges, including public authorities responsible for caring for severely autistic adults.
I strongly recommend both the California Watch report by Ryan Gabrielson and the comments on the report by California autism advocate Kim Oakley who never shies away from highlighting the challenges faced by those living with severe adult autism realities. One point emphasized by Kim Oakley is the need for hidden surveillance in ALL rooms of institutions for those living with severe adult autism realities. Without surveillance there is little way of knowing what happens to a severely autistic adult who dies or is injured under suspicious circumstances.
I commented on August 19, 2007 on a Newsday report of a severely autistic adult woman who was severely beaten by attendants who were only caught after the assaults were captured on video cameras. The Newsday report stated:
"Newsday, August 18, 2007
An autistic resident of a Long Island group home was beaten with a shoe and a wooden coat hanger, slapped in the head and kicked by several employees whose vicious assaults were captured by a hidden video camera, Nassau County police said.
The helpless 50-year-old victim was battered repeatedly at the PLUS Group Home Inc. by at least four employees after one of their co-workers alerted police to possible mistreatment of the residents inside the Uniondale facility, police said.
Group home management then installed the camera inside air conditioning vents at the home, according to Terri Cancilla, executive director of the PLUS Group Home Inc.
...
Authorities said the victim can not speak or convey emotions or pain because of her disease, which is characterized by impaired social interaction."
In my 2007 commentary on the Uniondale facility assaults I made the observation that:
"This poor soul could not speak for herself. And the animals who savaged her knew it. Perhaps video cameras in all areas of institutions with non communicative residents should be mandatory. So that the videos can speak for them when they are subject to abuse."
I agree with Kim Oakley. Video surveillance should be mandatory in all rooms and areas of facilities providing residential care for persons with severe autism and other communication challenges. If they were mandatory in California before Van Ingraham died he might be alive today.
