BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Autism Spectrum Disorders Death ends teen's lifetime of struggles

This is a very sad story of a teen on the spectrum who committed suicide in November. He was quite successful with his studies, at church and in basketball, but his size was smaller than other kids and his mother is a Judge and he was known as a narc.

One thing missing from this tragedy is how the family went about promoting awareness to autism. He also suffered a bout with depression at age 14 and was in the Hospital for that.

This really scares me of what could happen to my HFA son who likes animals more than people. He talks constantly about animals. He is well liked and very popular now in 4th grade, but middle school concerns me.

This is why I want to get him into the Los Angeles Zoo High school magnet. It would be perfect for him - we have talked about going there and looked at it online, etc.

He can volunteer at shelters and the Zoo once he turns 16 and is looking forward to that. He gets really upset about his younger brother who is nonverbal. That might push him over the edge as he gets older, but hopefully we will have behaviors under control and can manage newer ones as Matt gets older.

This really gives insight into how a teen on the Spectrum thinks so literally and what goes on in school, etc.

Article

This article makes me think of Michael, as it is often teasing or "mocking" that sets him off. But instead of being suicidal - he strikes out at whomever he feels is his tormentor. (I happened to get in the way of his rage after he had an episode at day program).

But even today, visiting him in the hospital, there was an incident that set him off, because another kid on the unit was calling him foul names. Michael blows up and attacks. There's no reasoning with him.

Instead of having a dead child, I worry I'm going to have one that winds up in jail. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

This is so sad... I worry about depression with my lauryn. I suffer from depressive bipolar disorder. So suicide is always on my mind, she does not have rage, but some depression. from being tesed sometimes..