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(Un)Ethical Standards 101

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One of my living nightmares is seeing how people lower on the social totem pole will be getting treated like crap and people on the higher levels of the social totem pole will have 99% zero-accountability.

And the reason why I am saying this is my day program (that I am still in a few hours on a single day x/week) has been changing. I’ve been told my the manager that the program basically has to changed to meet “the State’s” rules for these programs. The abstract is basically smaller groups = more one-on-one = allegedly more accountability to staff.

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Me Vs. The Town Of Merrimack, NH – Conclusion

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Several things occurred near the end of summer of 2015 in this holy war against an alleged intolerant Police Department in Merrimack, NH.

In August, the PD hosted a “Coffee with a Cop” program at the local Starbucks (this has occurred at other locations in the past, this time it was here. I met with a detective, whom I don’t remember the name. He explained the police reporting system, that a criminal report is filed on one computer, and incidents as mentioned in the complaints were filed on another system tied to the police’s IP network. Unless someone can do a backdoor hack, then could someone see my record. Typically most reports, according to this detective are filed with full name + date of birth (similar to full name + medical record numbers in healthcare.) He explained smiliary to what the DRCNH told me that higher ranking officers need to log things for accountability, but unlike Mr. Zigra, he told me “not to minimize your concerns, but please be assured” that such report wouldn’t be used in background checks, etc.

Chief Doyle was at Starbucks, and most of them left around 11:00 (if memory serves me.) I stayed low, I didn’t approach him, but he didn’t approach me (perhaps a court order demanded him of a gag order with me?)  What was kinda disturbing, about a minute or two after they left, I decided to go to the nearby mall, before you get there as a pedestrian, you need to get to some crosswalks.

Well, just as I hit my foot to the crosswalk, I saw that same Ford Five Hundred gold sedan with someone that looked like Chief Doyle.  I tried to make eye contact with him to cross, but he just kept on creeping past the crosswalk and didn’t even see me. The Chief of Police was distracted and didn’t pay attention. If I was a reckless walker, he probably would’ve ran me over.

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Code of Ethics: Ethics Schethics

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One organization I am very skeptical of is the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, or should I say the National Alliance for the Need of More Cold Hearted People. In July, a couple of New Yorkers (from the upstate – you couldn’t tell with their downstate snootiness) came to the second largest city in New Hampshire to talk about “Code of Ethics for Direct Support Professionals” or DSPs (or also or previously known as “caretakers”, “staff”, etc. DSPs are not used in the special ed system, but similar skills could be applied to that logic.

From what I’ve gathered was these people also lived in a University bubble at the University of Minnesota, which has a large research unit for developmental disabilities (I might be mistaken – so many different special interest groups, I’ve lost track.)

What disturbs me is three different things: One is this perverted theory a client can do whatever they want, whenever they want and however they want and the DSPs have to be very gentle in redirection. Second is to have a distant relationship with the client. So the “second family” away from home logic will disappear when Federal laws become law in 2019. Third, is another sick-puppy logic to think a bottom to top leadership will work. Um, have these men ever worked in a corporate environment? I’ve never seen a clerical worker ever be seen as a leader. Bottom to top leadership (meaning the DSP would be held to the highest standard) is so backwards, that it only enables white collared crime such as corruption and dishonest behavior. To be fair, respecting people at the bottom at the workplace level is not a bad idea, however this gets diluted since DSPs work with clients directly. Sadly a lot of special needs organizations are often degrading DSPs and clients at the management level because honestly – they don’t give a damn!

There are key components like respect and dignity, which some DSPs, I’ve worked with this year in my day program treat clients like they are dogs. On that part, that should be common sense.  Secondly privacy and confidentiality is very important. Basically I was taught, if they talked about me without me knowing, then that would cross a boundary believe it or not, even if say a manager was talking to my DSP about concerns. I brought this up during the course out loud, so the entire room found out about a situation I had a few years ago.

I find that interesting, given the Town of Merrimack had basically made an opinion of my run in with the town Police Chief without letting me know the full story, and blamed me for not agreeing with their opinion. (The final chapter of that story is still in draft)

On the other hand, over use of privacy and confidentiality can cause a culture of secrecy. Since most special needs organizations are funded by tax dollars, any question that isn’t directly related to named individuals has been a confidential type of response. By acting like jerk and say “that’s confidential” when responding about a generic question of how a school program works, what types of disabilities, you in return are actually covering up the bad behaviors. The Londonderry School District and Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative at the time a decade ago were also very notorious for overprotecting reasonably appropriate “right to know” questions in the name of secrecy, using “confidentiality” rules and laws for political purposes

However, there’s a catch to all of this. I do not like what I perceive is a “hands-off” approach. DSPs now must become Switzerland, not show much emotions, must resepect the client the full day or whatever schedule, and do whatever they want. Is that how the real world works? Should the client be selfish 70% and be selfless 30% of the time? Sorry that’s just common sense, which now needs to be regulated.

I know a thing or two about ethics. At GLEC, it was known by the circles for being notoriously ethically challenged – in the c-suite at their central offices. The corner offices around their Broadway offices was designed so perfectly that the handful of administrators could be so distant from the students, since all the school programs were in adjacent buildings. It was all about social capital for the thousandaires running the show. Did any of the managers ever get fired in a timely manner? Never! Did anyone get charged by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office? Nadda! Were they so arrogant to think all the GLEC children would be naive to see the corruption taking place? Hell Yeah!

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About 8 years ago, the Town of Londonderry (that I once grew up) attempted to pass a Code of Ethics ordinance for all public sector agencies of that community. (To remind readers, New Hampshire requires any non cities to have equal power on the municipal level. In Londonderry, there are 3 separate government entities, the Library – accounted separately, but funded and supported by the town, and the Londonderry School District – SAU 12, taxed by the Town side – as a collections agency; which then turn funds them through a check. But all three are legally firewalled unlike a city.) A while back the Library was cited for being ethically challenged, so the Town attempted to put Code of Ethics that was basically shot down by various former and current board members at that time.

In memory, the Code of Ethics for that town to me was attempting to make town employees more like robots and more distant to their citizens they served. In Merrimack, the Town Council is so robotic (because they have a Code of Ethics) that they are out of touch of what citizens go through. In fact in theory, if you have a Code of Ethics, lack of emotions or compassion or sensitivity can be very likely. (On top of looking like a pompous – rear end.)

In New Hampshire our culture isn’t just being First in The Nation for Presidential Primaries; it’s also the value of community, where we value DSPs, but DSPs aren’t just the authoritative figures to a certain degree, they are people too. Public sector workers that also want to serve the people but also contribute to the community as well. You can’t do the latter and only the former when you legislate Code of Ethics. Code of Ethics destroys the sense of “community”, the fact it enhances quality of services is far from the fact. In fact Code of Ethics have only enhanced public sector corruption (human service agencies, school districts, etc.) and sadly such high standards have made white collared jobs more snooty, and more out of touch of the common folk. 

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If these idiots are right, if there really is a shortage for DSPs, and if we do consider these people white-collared, should street crime go down? So should towns like Merrimack and others cut the police force because if there is going to be more professionals, professionals do not commit street crime – right? So is this federal laws coming in 2019 mean the FBI and the Marshals will need to have larger budget, since the FBI is the agency of record to investigate white collared crimes? It’s pretty amusing to continue to read a newspaper and see all the street crimes that take place in Manchester or Nashua but never the white collared crimes that take place in towns or cities that have Codes of Ethics and yet no one has the guts in the media to call them out.

These New Yorkers (who are actually from upstate but come off as snooty types you’d expect near The City) are in my opinion preaching on really perverted agendas that in theory will work.

In any life experience in a career, management typically destroys quality of life, not a rank and file, and not a DSP. Until these hucksters start to train management specifically and try to humanize these robots, New Hampshire will become a hopeless state for anyone with a developmental disability. New Hampshire is probably the state with the most robots in the area because we have regulated people to the Stone Age to the point where reasonable emotion, compassion, and passion to special needs is now politically incorrect and is “unprofessional”. This type of logic has been an SOP at SAU 12 and at GLEC in previous years, and this SOP created the basic layer of my brain and heart to be “hopeless”

My goal in life is to stop corruption, and break the dishonest, unethical nature of management. “Code of Ethics for DSPs” is a slap in the face to the people who directly work on the field with people like me, and its just enabling bad behaviors to the tried and true of “at the top”.

Sadly unlike DSPs, there will never be a shortage for nitwits, but always be a shortage for true help.

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Town of Merrimack NH’s SOP: React, not Respond

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During the Long Summer of 2015 (where of this writing, drafted on November 6th – the temperatures are typical for late summer), I felt very isolated. No one from the Town of Merrimack ever contacted me unless I would send something that would cause them to respond with quick actions (in this case “react”) and not respond (with thorough discussion with their citizen) or worse not inviting a private discussion face to face.

Immediately about a day or two after getting an email copy of the certified letter, I went to the source, not the messenger, the assistant to the Town Manager and went to Ms. Harrington directly with this email:

Screen Shot 2015-07-09 at 5.05.31 PM ET

 Apparently the Merrimack Town Council wasn’t interested in discussing other issue than “Kinder Morgan” (aka the Tennessee Gas and Pipeline company) and their pipeline which has been an issue all year around. even though I could care less about Kinder Morgan/Tennessee Gas Co., I’d don’t go and deny other people from speaking out, and my issue is also pressing because if Autism Speaks is causing a propaganda for misinformation – in NH –  then that explains shortages for special needs professionals. People are probably too scared to work with autistics in community of Merrimack, again a community with a significant population of developmentally disabled unlike other towns in the area (like the town of Apples?) albeit to be fair such population is not a majority.

A while after, the following next email was yet another attempt to reach out to see if they would react (err “respond”) again:

harrington email pt 2

Regardless, Ms. Harrington (or Mr. because she refers to herself as “Chairman” – with a very deep voice – so I’ll call s/he “it”!) would send yet another robotic email. I’m sorry there is professionalism, sensitivity, and being a plain pompous ass. I believe all the Town officials I’ve run into the last eleven months are the latter. Or should I say the City of Merrimack, New Hampshire.

Dear Mr. Ayotte:

               I am in receipt of your agenda request regarding communications. Before I can place your concerns on the agenda, I need more information about your specific concerns. As you are aware from prior correspondence, if you intend to make allegations of employee misconduct those allegations must be handled in a different forum. Accordingly, I have set aside your agenda request until you can provide more information about your specific concerns. Therefore, please be advised your concerns will not be on the agenda for the Town Council’s August 20, 2015 meeting. Thank you very much for your patience and anticipated cooperation.

Sincerely,

Nancy M. Harrington

Chair – Merrimack Town Council

Since when do people use email to send legalese memos? And who in the hell indents the way I show the beginning of the paragraph in today’s modern world of SMS texting? What a bunch of old bushy faced tight right conservatives or liberals!

Again the Merrimack Town Council never spoken to me, never have seen me and they are basing this not email per se- just “letters”. Back in the days when the IBM Selectric typewriter ruled the world, people could easily gotten lost of the “tone” in the multi page memos people were ordered to type. Some people would think “it’s email and people don’t understand.” The medium isn’t relevant, its the message. The message is to copy and paste probable responses and not deal with the problems and treat citizens like they are dog crap.

I’ve felt the Town of Merrimack, New Hampshire was bullying me for personal enjoyment, both the Chief of Police, the Town Manager and the Town Council.

After digging up emails by calling the compliance desk at extension COMP, I realized “communication” was referring to a separate agenda item request I did in response of the deflective, and arrogant attitude of the Town Manager and Council against the citizens in a June or July meeting, where citizens were asking for information and Ms. Cabenal was blame the citizen and say “it’s public” “it’s on our website [you fool].”

I felt that it wasn’t just me that was experiencing anti-citizen behavior. So as a result I wanted to know, how should I contact town employees, what is their methodology in responding, and what to do when they don’t give you your desired outcome because in New Hampshire municipalities, it’s the citizen who should be right, not some pompous ass town employees

Mr/Ms. Harrington and the Town Council apparently thought that this agenda item request was a backdoor attempt for me to expose the Police Chief and Town Manager, which if that’s what they believed (in an opinion) it was false (as a fact.)

If I were the state’s AG I’d be pressing charges against this board who gets away of abusing citizens to the whole world, as all meetings from the government access channel are available for public consumption on YouTube. You can see how testy they get within minutes of a public hearing.

As of October 2015, I got more information about the decision, and they didn’t believe in me. The conclusion of this sobering narrative including the denial of grievance by the leader of a rich Caucasian racist organization at the NHDRC will follow later.

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A Step In The Right Direction

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I was in my day program the other day; and a lady (not sure if she’s a staff or client or what have you…thanks to HIPAA laws on both the programing and HR, I probably won’t know) was there and I haven’t seen her since I departed in the “art” group back in the spring time. The lady and I spoke and conversed. She noticed my Boston Bruins lanyard and asked if worked.

IMG_1062

 

I also have this – a badge to notify people to keep a reasonable distance (typically for the “beautiful people” at the local Whole Foods and Market Basket who cut people off in the store asiles like they’re on the highway.)

I basically said, I do IT work on the side, and it’s my ID badge (and keycard, but was too lazy to state that.)  She followed up by asking, if she needed someone to fix her laptop to come to someone like me. And I replied with a yes.

I’ve never had the confidence to extend my various self-employed (I mean I’d make so little its barely even close to employment, it’s extra disposable cash.) I’ve tried to do internal projects and trying to work with family but the problem is it’s always a challenge because most often my mother would do it in favors (free lunch, breakfast, and other things that would be considered illegal like “bribing”.)

So basically my mother would not be the best investor.

But this is a step up. At least I am taking my venture more seriously and not make it some dummy company (which legally it is and probably always will be) but at least I am trying to seriously make a dent in a world where everyone is a techie and trying to follow my basic dreams for the last few years now (to no avail – at least so far.)

Transitions? OMG That’s an Awesome idea…

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…but why are you 10 years behind the 8 ball?

I sit on a planning committee of an annual conference for families who live in my state -the state I live in, and I sit and have to listen to a couple hours almost every month about people presenting ideas about transition planning.

And I sit there quietly like a wallflower.

I sit like I have severe autism.

I remain quiet.

I don’t like to come off as threatening or combative.

I just sit there.

And hopefully people of the intellectual class and the professional class gets their heads out of their rear ends and understand that while this is good for the second or third generation of autistics (or developmentally disabled people) in my state, the state I live in – what about the thirtysomethings who are limping around the system just trying to get through a day? Some may not be able to verbalize because they can’t put their concerns into words, or they have been severely manipulated by a bunch of racist psychologists who think its OK to ruin a child’s brain at their teenage years, and screw them off as they become adults and not have any clue what unintended consequences they do to these people.

Excuse me for being crass: I could care less about the goddamned spoiled rotten brats in special ed! Who gives a flying bleep about “the children!” What about the goddamned adults that the professionals could care less about?

I wished I wasn’t a monster, but I sadly became one in many ways thanks to the goddamned idiots running SAU 12, GLEC and dare I say “Doctor” Teresa Bolick who with all their failures caused me to become a scary person. Now I know why people run away from me. It’s these nitwits that should be on death row!

The controlled rants are over. 🙂

If you’re new to this site, let me be clear: I live in a state where we were the first in the nation to close a statewide “school” for autistic like people; but its also the same state where people have pushed “progressive” agendas that have resulted in “regressive” actions. I also live in the most richest towns probably per capita and those communities have absolutely zero tolerance for people with developmental disabilities (if you are under the age of say 21.) You (or your child, your “friend” from elementary school, or family member) has basically been hopeless since entering middle school; and some of these people have been hopeless as early as the end of the 20th Century. 

“It’s too like Laconia” – Is Community Based Supports a Reversed “Cookie Cuttered” System?

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I’m going to pop a question: Is “Community Based Supports” just a glorified word for a reversed cookie-cuttered system?

I’m not an advocate, but I am active in the special needs community more than I have before. Some families have opted to keep their children or individuals to be in what some will say it resembles of Laconia State School. It’s even scandalous to the point where the Bureau of Developmental Services will question families or agencies because the federal funds are supposed to be used in “community based supports.”

But why in the hell are we telling families what they can or cannot do? Isn’t just as bad if authorities tell every family to put their able bodied child into an institution because that’s a one sized fits all?

The problem with the group-think of the out of state special interest groups, is families can have a “choice” but that “choice” may differ to what the family feels living in their own closed-minded community.

It is very important to focus on the state I live in, and that Pittsburg is very diferent to Salem; just like how Claremont is very different to say Dover. The problem is all the “progressive”, “let’s take down Laconia like places for our own political capital!” doesn’t go well for the entire state.

The progressive movement will refuse to believe any “regressive” agendas (such as lack of training, tolerance or understanding) in actually the largest communities in the state, just an hour north of the Boston, Massachusetts city line.

And that’s the real problem. People can talk all day about forcing other adults to accept autistics, but the problem is you cannot, and will not change a vast majority of adults of how they view developmentally disabled people. 

Also many autistics, or Dev Disabled people, stick to their own group. If they feel comfortable being in their own groups (say a Special Olympics outing/event), then why are you insisting that’s “not good enough”?

Sadly a lot of this agenda comes from the many special interest groups, which I’ll leave nameless, but any of them on US302, NH Route 3 and the side streets of Downtown Concord, which I think you got the picture.

Why I’m not in a Career

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I’ve just joined Instagram about a few months ago. In fact the reason why I didn’t have such account was that I was running a 3 year old operating system and a phone that would barely handle iOS7. I got a new iPhone in June (5s, 16GB on a LTE network.) My first “SOS” for help from “adults” was in late that month when made the “#HopelessAutistic” on the sand, with a signature on the lower right, to claim a picture esque moment. When I noticed the two younger ladies doing something with their phones, I wasn’t sure where it would go.

So to be “ahead of the curve”, I posted it on Instagram, after registering an account.

The account had morphed into criticizing the Town government, selfies of hopelessness, and technology, mostly of telephony.

A reciprocal follower named patch_cord_pbx, a person, thing or it from the area (from what I can gather) asked me this recently:

“[Avaya’s IP Office] Server edition is crazy awesome @stevenclickford ,, your interest is great why don’t you work for telecom[?]”

I did not respond because I felt there was much needed story to go without posting it all on Instagram.

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Police, Autism Speaks, and Anti-Autism Agendas

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This blog, I found from a conversation I had with someone on Twitter who was offended by an earlier post on one word I used to describe a significant advocate. (Of which I standby, because people use words to describe things and if they’re unsure, well what other words can they describe…lighten up.)

I want to post something positive from this writer. On the blog, a post last month described their frustrations against a walk at the National Mall in D.C.  As with many of the autistic advocates, they have pushed the same narrative over and over “Autism Speaks doesn’t allow anyone with autism to speak and they let only 4% of the budget to go to families and/or individuals”. This makes people like me sleepy of hearing the same thing over and over and over.

However, these individuals were targeted by police. Let’s quote a paragraph on this issue:

The people who donate to Autism Speaks, by and large, don’t know any of this. I spent the majority of the protest talking to people and handing out informational flyers. Almost all of the people I interacted with were shocked at how poorly Autism Speaks serves autistic people. Others were happy to learn why some people don’t like the organization, as they had been curious. A few people brushed us off entirely. We didn’t press them. Most of our group stood silently, occasionally making friendly gestures.

here’s what gets interesting:

Then, the rally organizers called the police. I don’t know what the Autism Speaks organizers told the officers about us. Given the amount of hostility we faced, it probably wasn’t good. 3 armed police officers were sent to deal with 6 people holding damp cardboard signs. They told us to move to a less visible spot across the street. After a quick discussion with Rachel Best, the leader of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network DC chapter, we decided to comply with the officers’ request. We tried to move to a different location with better visibility. We were told to move again. The second time, we were told that if they saw us again, they would arrest us.

Now lastly, this is how not to advocate:

 This was not my first protest. This was, however, different from any other protest I’ve been to. When I marched with Black Lives Matter and Slutwalk, there were hundreds of us. We filled the streets. We obstructed traffic. I felt powerful. I felt like I was making a difference. Being one of a handful of protesters standing against an event that attracted thousands was demoralizing. I was happy to spend time with other Autistic people, but I couldn’t help feeling some despair. When there are so many of them and so few of us, how can we change anything?

You cannot just block traffic, and act like a brat and be above the rules. What this advocate did in the first two paragraphs are within reason, and why did the police question or threaten arrests? This is one side of a story, there maybe another side.

I wanted to post this because I want to prove the Merrimack, NH Police Department and the Merrrimack, NH Town Council that my advocacy against Autism Speaks (Not “ANTI-Autism Awareness”) was within reason – and I am not one of those people cited above. I don’t care if you are black, a lesbian, severely autistic, suffer with CP, you must follow the rules, and always listen to the cops. If you want to question them, you do it after the fact. Social media and email in my case made my problem worse. In my situation, I was on town right of way, on the sidewalk, but I think what bothered the Chief of Police was I had “a camera mounted on a tripod” that caused him to question me (and insult my town – again with a number of developmentally disabled people) within an hour by Retweeting (and perhaps posting a link on Facebook) to Light it Up Blue. And all emails I’ve sent were professional and didn’t contain threats or inappropriate languages.

If you want to be taken seriously, you must follow what these individuals or what I did. Stay on point, change the narrative at times, and understand that some people may still believe in Autism Speaks and sadly you can’t change their views. All you have to do is move on and hope to find other people who share the same thoughts.

Health Issues of being a Hopeless Autistic

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Since my teenage years, my health resulted in two major issues (since resolved)

  • Severe acne, (due to a large dairy intake), which resulted in migrating away from day to day dairy intake, to the infamous acne medication which can cause massive issues if you accidentally knocked up a woman (which I’m forgetting the name and the FDA program for a moment)
  • A case of an underbite. My mother has kicked herself for not addressing the problem sooner, and this also caused my teeth to be worn because of grinding at night. Regardless, we waited to get a mouth guard till I went on a surgery that moved my upper jaw forward along with a second round of braces. This also rebooted my confidence and gave me a smile that people remember me when I was younger. The underbite (or TMJ) made my face look very different. While the surgery was for substance, not worrying about “jaw clicking”, etc., this was necessary.

Both cases were from my father’s genes/side of the family. I’m not going to finger this on the father I have no idea who the hell he is, and not the diet, that is stereotypical autistic diet, but more of what happened in 2004 to 2008.

I was on some medications I shouldn’t had been on to begin with. The medications caused me more anxiety and paranoia, that I feel had a contributing factor to why I was not developing like my other teenage peers. The fear of messing up, the fear of being targeted for mistakes, the fear of being a creep among remaining in one piece for 7+ hours on weekdays factor in my legitimate case of autistic behaviors had perhaps 80% of the physical damage on both the acne and underbite – again even if it was genetic from my father. 

I’ve made a lot of notes from recollection of those painful years (in some cases the worst years of my younger adult life) to convert that energy from pain to preventable measures. And those doctors are well aware of that.

Where I am going at is despite all the analytical gathering I’ve complied and made conclusions; of if I changed my diet, laid off medications, and alike, that I wouldn’t be where I would become. No, I do believe a very oppressive, and depressive support system, that was “support” in legal name only had a lot to do with my regression. (And no, I’m not talking about just the regression of my first 16 months out of school ether.)  I’m almost as smart, bright or functioning as some of my peers of 10 years ago today. I could’ve had a brighter future if it weren’t for being in a system where people had no business working in.

These treatments were very expensive and luckily my mother’s healthcare plan had me in the system because of my “pre existing conditions” that basically, in my mothers recollection began months after birth.

Estimates of an autistic’s lifespan for services and medical expenses alike will average $2 to 3 million dollars. Do I want to be a million dollar man? No. If you put adequate supports with people who really mean what they are doing, professionals who only care about the students when they are “on the clock” and aren’t just following the robotic SOPs, and poor planning in logistics, etc., maybe some people wouldn’t need to go to Boston and stay a few nights or go into a very complex anti acne treatment. Maybe my teeth wouldn’t be as short as it is.

Of course, my solution to the problem is, love, respect, happiness, and mitigating problems over “curing” but of course showing respect to students would be “unprofessional” as they have to be the control freaks because by law that’s what they get paid to do, destroy your dreams “say no” because “you’ve never heard ‘n’ or ‘o’ too many times” and other BS which needs to be destroyed.