Please try to get information on the missing young girl in the Philadelphia area. The police waited too long to begin looking for her and are blaming it on a language barrier with her Spanish speaking foster mom. The missing girl is autistic and bipolar.
The mom has made the media aware that she did convey that the girl had mental issues (not emotional issues which the police claim and made them treat her as a typical teen runaway). According to the mom they didn't even want to take the photo of the daughter that she tried to supply It was nearly 48 hours before the police began a real search. As far as I know she has been missing for nearly a week now.
Having watched my mom's struggles with my autistic brother, too often it is suggested that they are emotional children or children with behavioral problems, not children with mental disorders or disabilities. How much education does it take for us to recognize the mentally disabled and treat them appropriately? Why is this struggle the hardest with the people that are supposed to be advocates for children, schools, other parents, pediatricians and many levels of our community services?
It is a shame that disabled children and their families become victims of this discrimination.
Can't wait to read your story. Please post a link in Daughters when you are done with it and I'll also add it to my article on Daughters and autism.
