Riddle Me This: Has Autism Awareness Turned into Abandonment? - AGE OF AUTISM

Riddle Me This: Has Autism Awareness Turned into Abandonment? - AGE OF AUTISM

By Cathy Jameson

Autism Awareness month will be half over this week. In those first two weeks of awareness, one of the biggest news stories about autism included tragedy: a three year old non-verbal child went missing in Canada. After a few days of searching for Adam to no avail, the young boy was presumed dead. Officials called off the search when it was apparent to them that a search and rescue would more likely be a search and recovery. Unfortunately, the search and recovery of the young child’s body was called off, too. (HERE) Distraught parents were left to find their missing son on their own. In the blink of an eye autism awareness turned into abandonment.

Another child of the autism epidemic is missing--a little boy lost. Possibly lost forever. Adam’s family is devastated while a community watches in shock. A blanket of fear covers me with this story because my son has also wandered away from me. When Ronan has ducked out of sight I’ve felt those first few minutes of terrorizing agony. I wonder aloud, “He isn’t here anymore, is he?” Deciding which direction to go as I bolt out the door—is it to the left up the street or through my neighbor’s backyard to the fresh water lake—flood my thoughts.