My degree is in Theatre, Music and English and involvement in local theatre is how my husband and I met. Over the summer, I did a production of “Footloose.” Tim brought the boys to visit me at a music rehearsal. Sean (who has PDD-NOS) sat down and started singing the alto part with us. He knew it better than some of the altos! He had learned it just from overhearing me practice at home. I saw this as a sign (in addition to being told he loves karaoke at school) that he might be ready to do his first show.
The Beverly Hills University Club Scholarship Foundation is an 80+ year old charity of which I am on the board of directors. They do an annual musical as their primary fundraiser. This year’s production was “Wizard of Oz.” I helped Sean prepare for his audition. He sang “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” He did so well he was called back to read for speaking roles and was cast as a Munchkin and in the Lollipop Guild.
He did very well at music rehearsals. He could sit and sing for 2 ½ - 3 hours and not lose focus. He had a harder time with rehearsals where staging was involved and they would run the Munchkinland scene several times. The cast and creative staff were very welcoming and understanding towards Sean. He was allowed to take sensory breaks when he needed to. Honestly, the Munchkinland scene is quite long for a little kid to stay focused, autism or not. He did much better once we were doing run-throughs of the show and he only had to do his scene once a night. The director had him staged where he could leave the scene without disruption if he needed to and I was waiting in the wings for him every night in case that happened. I was nervous “tech week” because I was afraid the lights, costumes, orchestra and sound system might be overwhelming for him sensory-wise, but he was a champ.
He made a point every night to go up to each actor and tell them they did a great job. He wanted everyone to feel good about themselves and they were all really touched by that. He did great performance-wise and behavior-wise and everyone was so proud of him, especially our family and all the school staff that came to support him! Sixteen of his teachers and therapists came to the show. They sent a laminated 8x10 with all their photos and a photo of Sean, telling him how proud they were of him. Considering he could barely speak before he came to the autism program at his school, this was huge for him. I'm glad the staff were able to enjoy the fruits of their hard work.
Children with autism respond to music, visual art and theatre as far as social interaction and expressing emotion. I also think it's important for parents, not just autism parents, to try to incorporate kids into your life outside of the home. Sean's teacher says it's amazing what our kids can do with some hard work, a little help and a lot of patience! Sean can’t wait to do another show!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Assistive Technology
On a positive note, today was Todd’s IEP. The main purpose of today’s IEP was to determine whether he still needs services. I was definitely not worried about that, because it’s very clear he does.
He has exceeded all goals set this school year. Even though he is still non-verbal, he has improved as far as completing tasks, such as puzzles and sorting shapes. I have noticed at home he has become more communicative in his own way: bringing me a bottle of juice and a cup when he’s hungry, bringing me a diaper when he wants to be changed, etc. This morning after I changed him, he saw that my husband was in the laundry room and brought his dirty pajamas to his dad. Little things mean a lot!
At the IEP, we were told he finally was approved for assistive technology. The training will start the first day of summer school and after a few weeks, he will be allowed to bring the equipment home. Other parents I have spoken to have raved about how much the technology improved their child’s communication. This is used in conjunction with his picture schedule, task book and iPad. I am looking forward to having my own little Steven Hawking!
He has exceeded all goals set this school year. Even though he is still non-verbal, he has improved as far as completing tasks, such as puzzles and sorting shapes. I have noticed at home he has become more communicative in his own way: bringing me a bottle of juice and a cup when he’s hungry, bringing me a diaper when he wants to be changed, etc. This morning after I changed him, he saw that my husband was in the laundry room and brought his dirty pajamas to his dad. Little things mean a lot!
At the IEP, we were told he finally was approved for assistive technology. The training will start the first day of summer school and after a few weeks, he will be allowed to bring the equipment home. Other parents I have spoken to have raved about how much the technology improved their child’s communication. This is used in conjunction with his picture schedule, task book and iPad. I am looking forward to having my own little Steven Hawking!
New phone scam (well, new to me)
I received a strange call at 8:30 this morning – the caller ID said "unavailable," so it went to voice mail. The message was garbled like a bad cell phone connection, but the caller said his name is "Dave Brown," "your name popped up," he was calling about a lawsuit, gave a claim number, said a restraining order was involved, our attorney had 48 hours to object and we had to appear in court within 48 hours. If we had any questions, he left a number: 570-983-0544.
At first, we suspected it was related to the trouble we've had of late with our next door neighbor harassing us because we have two special needs kids. But - there were several red flags - our names were never mentioned, the company associated with the claim number was never mentioned and the fact that a complaint or restraining order is served in person, you are never notified by phone.
I Googled the name and number and learned this is a debt collection scam by a company called Central Processing Services. They are a low-level collection agency that buy “old debts.” They were looking for my brother for a debt that was paid decades ago. It’s common practice with these “firms” to call family members or anyone else who may have contact information on the person they are looking for and sometimes even try to get the family member to give them money.
For fun, I called the number. They claim to be a law firm and answer the phone "litigation department." He pressed for my Social Security number and stated I could be in huge trouble in relation to this lawsuit if I didn't give him the number (LOL). When I pressed him for the court number or the name of the attorney at his "firm" handling the case, he admitted there was no lawsuit. I told him I work at a law firm and to forward any legal documents to my attention. With that, he immediately apologized and said he would remove my number from their call list.
I want to pass along some advice in case you ever receive one of these calls - don't answer the call, let them leave a message and write down all the info they leave, then report to the FTC, as well as the Illinois Attorney General Amy Madigan's office (or the attorney general for your state). The FTC and Attorney General usually end up shutting down these companies, but a few years later, another “company” will come up with another scam. I would also recommend if you receive a strange call from an unfamiliar number, Google it. If it is a scam, people are probably already talking about it online.
At first, we suspected it was related to the trouble we've had of late with our next door neighbor harassing us because we have two special needs kids. But - there were several red flags - our names were never mentioned, the company associated with the claim number was never mentioned and the fact that a complaint or restraining order is served in person, you are never notified by phone.
I Googled the name and number and learned this is a debt collection scam by a company called Central Processing Services. They are a low-level collection agency that buy “old debts.” They were looking for my brother for a debt that was paid decades ago. It’s common practice with these “firms” to call family members or anyone else who may have contact information on the person they are looking for and sometimes even try to get the family member to give them money.
For fun, I called the number. They claim to be a law firm and answer the phone "litigation department." He pressed for my Social Security number and stated I could be in huge trouble in relation to this lawsuit if I didn't give him the number (LOL). When I pressed him for the court number or the name of the attorney at his "firm" handling the case, he admitted there was no lawsuit. I told him I work at a law firm and to forward any legal documents to my attention. With that, he immediately apologized and said he would remove my number from their call list.
I want to pass along some advice in case you ever receive one of these calls - don't answer the call, let them leave a message and write down all the info they leave, then report to the FTC, as well as the Illinois Attorney General Amy Madigan's office (or the attorney general for your state). The FTC and Attorney General usually end up shutting down these companies, but a few years later, another “company” will come up with another scam. I would also recommend if you receive a strange call from an unfamiliar number, Google it. If it is a scam, people are probably already talking about it online.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Nickel & Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Nickel & Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Barbara Ehrenreich is an established author and magazine writer with an educational background in biology. One day, while meeting with and editor from Harper's to discuss future projects, she came up with the idea of doing an old-fashioned journalistic investigation by plunging herself into a specific environment and then recording her observations.
Actually, her original intention was for someone else to do the project, but the Harper's editor insisted she was the woman for the job. This method is an anthropological technique where the researcher is a "participant observer."
I looked up the phrase "participant observer" on the Internet. The website for the International Institute for Sustainable Development describes the technique this way: "The method derives from the insight that you derive from a community's values, dynamics, internal relationships, structures and conflicts best from their observed actions, rather than from their (normative) statements of what "is". The participant observer attempts immersion, to the extent permitted, in local life in order to understand and document how things work." I also understand that this methodology sometimes involves consulting individuals within the demographic to be observed to get their opinion as to the steps of the process and the specifics proposed. I don't believe the author did this. I believe she asked the opinion of colleagues and friends, and used her own opinions and assumptions to decide on the specifics for this project.
Like any research technique, there are benefits and drawbacks as to the ultimate accuracy of the outcome of an observer's research. Participant observation is more accurate than surveys or statistics, as the research is hands-on. Being thrown into an environment reveals a bigger picture than words and numbers on a piece of paper.
The down side to this method is that the observations are subjective. The experiences of one observer can vary widely. Each individual human being has their own unique experience in life, and although there are commonalities in situations and environments, the view can become skewed if it is from only one perspective and not a wider sampling.
Barbara Ehrenreich began her research by first choosing a specific area of the United States in which to do her research. The locations she chose were in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota, three completely different areas of the United States and seemingly objective.
She would then look for a job. She specifically looked for entry-level type jobs for people without college degrees or special skills. To hide her education and impressive job experience she would state
on the job applications that she was a stay-at-home mother returning to the work force after a long period of time. This part was very believable. It's a typical scenario: A woman gets pregnant young, doesn't go to college, gets married, years later gets divorced, enters the work force for the first time at an older age with no experience, skills, or education.
This part was the most interesting of the project. Although I believe one month is not enough time to truly absorb what life is like for a person in a specific profession and/or job, I do believe one month was enough for a general idea, or a window to what life is like for the person she was pretending to be. I say this for several reasons. True exhaustion builds over time. Someone working eleven hours a day, six days a week for a month has an easier experience. If a person knows they only have to live this way for a month, it’s easier to live with, as there is an end in sight. The situation and mind-set is much different for someone who has no end in sight, and faces the strong possibility that the rest of their life will be just like this. The latter grim realization can cause a deep exhaustion; both depression and physical exhaustion combined.
Feeling truly jaded develops over a long period of time. The person she was pretending to be may have had a difficult childhood, had parents with similarly grim work experiences. There's a pain and desperation that only a person who has lived too long a certain way can feel. That said, I think her observations did give a general idea of how people feel and live in her chosen situations, through her personal experience and her observations and experiences with the people she encountered on this journey. I think she absorbed enough to write about it and give the general public a perspective on the specific professions observed.
Ms. Ehrenreich would take little breaks from her alternative lives periodically. She would share her observations with her friends. At one point, her friends opined that they were surprised she could have intelligent conversations and have things in common with the people she was dealing with. In her defense, she did chastise her friends who held that opinion.
Circumstances have nothing to do with intelligence. A person can have rotten luck in their lifetime. There can be unfortunate circumstances that lead to a lack of opportunities. Bad things happen to people. An intelligent person with poor circumstances that lead to a lack of educational opportunities can self-educate his or herself and actually carry on quite intelligent conversations. On the other hand, someone with a low I.Q. can graduate from Yale because of his or her family connections and not from any real merit.
She would then look for an affordable place to live. I believe this is the area where the author made assumptions. She calculated about how much she would be earning and searched for what would be considered typical housing for someone employed in the chosen profession of her research. What she assumed was that she could find something decent in her price range. This is also the one area where I disagreed with her process. She always looked for furnished apartments, as she was only staying there for a month. Generally, furnished apartments are hard to find.
People with a low income usually live in apartments that come unfurnished and furnish the space sparsely themselves. They generally have several roommates to share the rent, or move in with a relative.
Even though I disagree with some of her methods, such as the apartment issue, I believe her research was valid, useful, and fascinating. I also enjoyed her sarcasm toward the mundane, soul-killing practices of large corporations such as Wal-Mart and Menard’s. To get a true picture of a low income person’s life, one would have to live that life, but I think her brief experiences at least gave her readers a window into the realities of other lives.
I found this book interesting and relatable in the sense that you can never really walk in someone else's shoes, but you can get a taste. Those of us living on the spectrum have a special understanding of each other. I think if someone lived my life for a week or a month, they would get a taste of what it's like - maybe just the difficult things, but hopefully see some of the joy and the things I'm grateful for.
http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0805063897
Barbara Ehrenreich is an established author and magazine writer with an educational background in biology. One day, while meeting with and editor from Harper's to discuss future projects, she came up with the idea of doing an old-fashioned journalistic investigation by plunging herself into a specific environment and then recording her observations.
Actually, her original intention was for someone else to do the project, but the Harper's editor insisted she was the woman for the job. This method is an anthropological technique where the researcher is a "participant observer."
I looked up the phrase "participant observer" on the Internet. The website for the International Institute for Sustainable Development describes the technique this way: "The method derives from the insight that you derive from a community's values, dynamics, internal relationships, structures and conflicts best from their observed actions, rather than from their (normative) statements of what "is". The participant observer attempts immersion, to the extent permitted, in local life in order to understand and document how things work." I also understand that this methodology sometimes involves consulting individuals within the demographic to be observed to get their opinion as to the steps of the process and the specifics proposed. I don't believe the author did this. I believe she asked the opinion of colleagues and friends, and used her own opinions and assumptions to decide on the specifics for this project.
Like any research technique, there are benefits and drawbacks as to the ultimate accuracy of the outcome of an observer's research. Participant observation is more accurate than surveys or statistics, as the research is hands-on. Being thrown into an environment reveals a bigger picture than words and numbers on a piece of paper.
The down side to this method is that the observations are subjective. The experiences of one observer can vary widely. Each individual human being has their own unique experience in life, and although there are commonalities in situations and environments, the view can become skewed if it is from only one perspective and not a wider sampling.
Barbara Ehrenreich began her research by first choosing a specific area of the United States in which to do her research. The locations she chose were in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota, three completely different areas of the United States and seemingly objective.
She would then look for a job. She specifically looked for entry-level type jobs for people without college degrees or special skills. To hide her education and impressive job experience she would state
on the job applications that she was a stay-at-home mother returning to the work force after a long period of time. This part was very believable. It's a typical scenario: A woman gets pregnant young, doesn't go to college, gets married, years later gets divorced, enters the work force for the first time at an older age with no experience, skills, or education.
This part was the most interesting of the project. Although I believe one month is not enough time to truly absorb what life is like for a person in a specific profession and/or job, I do believe one month was enough for a general idea, or a window to what life is like for the person she was pretending to be. I say this for several reasons. True exhaustion builds over time. Someone working eleven hours a day, six days a week for a month has an easier experience. If a person knows they only have to live this way for a month, it’s easier to live with, as there is an end in sight. The situation and mind-set is much different for someone who has no end in sight, and faces the strong possibility that the rest of their life will be just like this. The latter grim realization can cause a deep exhaustion; both depression and physical exhaustion combined.
Feeling truly jaded develops over a long period of time. The person she was pretending to be may have had a difficult childhood, had parents with similarly grim work experiences. There's a pain and desperation that only a person who has lived too long a certain way can feel. That said, I think her observations did give a general idea of how people feel and live in her chosen situations, through her personal experience and her observations and experiences with the people she encountered on this journey. I think she absorbed enough to write about it and give the general public a perspective on the specific professions observed.
Ms. Ehrenreich would take little breaks from her alternative lives periodically. She would share her observations with her friends. At one point, her friends opined that they were surprised she could have intelligent conversations and have things in common with the people she was dealing with. In her defense, she did chastise her friends who held that opinion.
Circumstances have nothing to do with intelligence. A person can have rotten luck in their lifetime. There can be unfortunate circumstances that lead to a lack of opportunities. Bad things happen to people. An intelligent person with poor circumstances that lead to a lack of educational opportunities can self-educate his or herself and actually carry on quite intelligent conversations. On the other hand, someone with a low I.Q. can graduate from Yale because of his or her family connections and not from any real merit.
She would then look for an affordable place to live. I believe this is the area where the author made assumptions. She calculated about how much she would be earning and searched for what would be considered typical housing for someone employed in the chosen profession of her research. What she assumed was that she could find something decent in her price range. This is also the one area where I disagreed with her process. She always looked for furnished apartments, as she was only staying there for a month. Generally, furnished apartments are hard to find.
People with a low income usually live in apartments that come unfurnished and furnish the space sparsely themselves. They generally have several roommates to share the rent, or move in with a relative.
Even though I disagree with some of her methods, such as the apartment issue, I believe her research was valid, useful, and fascinating. I also enjoyed her sarcasm toward the mundane, soul-killing practices of large corporations such as Wal-Mart and Menard’s. To get a true picture of a low income person’s life, one would have to live that life, but I think her brief experiences at least gave her readers a window into the realities of other lives.
I found this book interesting and relatable in the sense that you can never really walk in someone else's shoes, but you can get a taste. Those of us living on the spectrum have a special understanding of each other. I think if someone lived my life for a week or a month, they would get a taste of what it's like - maybe just the difficult things, but hopefully see some of the joy and the things I'm grateful for.
http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0805063897
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Bertucci's
Due to a Groupon that was about to expire, we had dinner last night at Bertucci’s in Palos Hills.
There was no hostess and there was a small crowd of people waiting to check in or be seated. A man who appeared to be an owner or manager finally came over, seeming very frazzled. We were seated within 20 minutes of our arrival. They have a pretty outdoor area, but we weren’t offered the option of sitting out there. It was probably just as well – during our meal, I saw several people come in from outside, holding their bill and looking around as if they had not been attended to for some time. Our server was excellent. She was managing a sizeable station quite well. She asked if she could bring our soup out prior to the appetizer, as they were about to run out and she wanted to make sure we didn’t miss out on the cream of broccoli, which was yummy. I thought that was a nice touch.
I probably would not bring my autistic kids to this restaurant. The tables are close together, very European in style. There are no booths. When we’re out with our kids, we generally like to sit in a booth as “pinning” them in seems to help in avoiding problems when attempting to dine out. It’s an attractive restaurant, but I think the noisiness would also get my kids worked up. There isn't a kids menu and there's a fee for splitting entrees.
For an appetizer, we had salami, fontinella and olives, tasty combination.
I had the veal piccata. It was a bit cold when received, but it tasted good, the lemon sauce was very nice, even though it could have used some capers. It was good, not great.
My husband had the breaded steak and rapini. He loved it. I tried some of the rapini, which was delicious and perfectly seasoned – cooked and seasoned just the way bitter greens should be prepared.
There was a sign outside that they are looking for servers. I think the problems we encountered were due to understaffing. I’ve also noticed in past experiences that many people redeem Groupons the day before they expire, so it is better to use the Groupon sooner than that date. I would return to Bertucci’s for dinner on a date night or with a group of friends, but most likely not with the kids. Their menu and prices can be seen at www.bertuccis.net.
![]()
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/2/866104/restaurant/Chicago/Bertuccis-Palos-Hills">![]()
alt="Bertucci's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/866104/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" />
There was no hostess and there was a small crowd of people waiting to check in or be seated. A man who appeared to be an owner or manager finally came over, seeming very frazzled. We were seated within 20 minutes of our arrival. They have a pretty outdoor area, but we weren’t offered the option of sitting out there. It was probably just as well – during our meal, I saw several people come in from outside, holding their bill and looking around as if they had not been attended to for some time. Our server was excellent. She was managing a sizeable station quite well. She asked if she could bring our soup out prior to the appetizer, as they were about to run out and she wanted to make sure we didn’t miss out on the cream of broccoli, which was yummy. I thought that was a nice touch.
I probably would not bring my autistic kids to this restaurant. The tables are close together, very European in style. There are no booths. When we’re out with our kids, we generally like to sit in a booth as “pinning” them in seems to help in avoiding problems when attempting to dine out. It’s an attractive restaurant, but I think the noisiness would also get my kids worked up. There isn't a kids menu and there's a fee for splitting entrees.
For an appetizer, we had salami, fontinella and olives, tasty combination.
I had the veal piccata. It was a bit cold when received, but it tasted good, the lemon sauce was very nice, even though it could have used some capers. It was good, not great.
My husband had the breaded steak and rapini. He loved it. I tried some of the rapini, which was delicious and perfectly seasoned – cooked and seasoned just the way bitter greens should be prepared.
There was a sign outside that they are looking for servers. I think the problems we encountered were due to understaffing. I’ve also noticed in past experiences that many people redeem Groupons the day before they expire, so it is better to use the Groupon sooner than that date. I would return to Bertucci’s for dinner on a date night or with a group of friends, but most likely not with the kids. Their menu and prices can be seen at www.bertuccis.net.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The bad news, then the good news
After being questioned in regard to the alleged vandalism incident, it was obvious which neighbor was the complainant. This neighbor is a renter, but is a relative of the owner of the unit, who is very vocal about what awful parents we are and coincidentally works for our village police department.
The detective I spoke to was incredibly rude. He made me feel like I was a murder suspect on a TV show. He stated he “knew I did it” because I obviously cannot handle my special needs children and “snapped.” He basically said if I admitted to something I didn’t do and paid to fix the car, nothing would happen, but if I told the truth and continued to deny I did this, terrible things would happen to me.
My husband and I went to look at the “vandalized” car, which looked like it had been in an accident. My husband and I suspect the car owner may have been in an accident, fled the scene and was now trying to blame the damage to her car on someone else. Frame us into paying for the damage to the car, intimidate us out of the neighborhood, kill two birds with one stone! All this because one neighbor finds my special needs children annoying!
Finally, something good happened. I received a phone call from our village police chief. He was very nice and apologetic and wanted to get together and talk about the insensitivity of his officers. The meeting was very positive. I brought printouts through links from Autism Speaks that specifically address autism awareness among first responders. We came home with a bag of toys for the kids and a much higher opinion of the village we live in.
Yesterday, May 29th, I received a phone call from a disability rights specialist at the Attorney General’s office. I told her at this time, I did not want to pursue any action against the police officers who treated me poorly, at least right now. We’ll see what happens. What this taught me was that there are still people out there that feel it’s socially acceptable to mistreat special needs families and that we somehow ask for it. I am even more motivated now to spread awareness and provide support for all special needs individuals and their families!
The detective I spoke to was incredibly rude. He made me feel like I was a murder suspect on a TV show. He stated he “knew I did it” because I obviously cannot handle my special needs children and “snapped.” He basically said if I admitted to something I didn’t do and paid to fix the car, nothing would happen, but if I told the truth and continued to deny I did this, terrible things would happen to me.
My husband and I went to look at the “vandalized” car, which looked like it had been in an accident. My husband and I suspect the car owner may have been in an accident, fled the scene and was now trying to blame the damage to her car on someone else. Frame us into paying for the damage to the car, intimidate us out of the neighborhood, kill two birds with one stone! All this because one neighbor finds my special needs children annoying!
Finally, something good happened. I received a phone call from our village police chief. He was very nice and apologetic and wanted to get together and talk about the insensitivity of his officers. The meeting was very positive. I brought printouts through links from Autism Speaks that specifically address autism awareness among first responders. We came home with a bag of toys for the kids and a much higher opinion of the village we live in.
Yesterday, May 29th, I received a phone call from a disability rights specialist at the Attorney General’s office. I told her at this time, I did not want to pursue any action against the police officers who treated me poorly, at least right now. We’ll see what happens. What this taught me was that there are still people out there that feel it’s socially acceptable to mistreat special needs families and that we somehow ask for it. I am even more motivated now to spread awareness and provide support for all special needs individuals and their families!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I haven't written on here in quite some time, but due to recent events, I realize I need to. Please see the below e-mail I sent out last week to various people in authority in the village where I live. Follow-ups to this story soon.
I am a mother of two children with autism. My younger son suffers from
hyposensory issues and engages in repetitive behaviors such as kicking and
hitting walls, doors and windows. My son’s teachers and therapists have
taught me methods of redirecting him away from the behavior, but at times,
nothing works. I often apologize to my neighbors for this and am always
assured they understand I am doing my best and that the noise is only heard
minimally and does not bother them.
That said, we have had two autism-related wandering incidents that
thankfully were resolved quickly, but have been reprimanded harshly by our
neighbors, who don’t understand how unfortunately common this is with autism
kids, despite the best efforts of autism parents. We have burglar locks and
alarms on the inside of every window and both our doors have triple locks
that require multiple keys.
On Sunday, May 20, 2012, at around 10:00 a.m., I was sorting laundry and
was startled by a knocking on my bedroom window. When I opened the blinds,
there was a police officer standing there who said he needed to come
inside my condominium. He stated he had rung our doorbell several times. I
suffer from hearing damage, so I often do not hear the doorbell. Friends
and family generally call first so I know to listen for it. The officer
stated there had been a noise complaint. (Pursuant to our condo association
bylaws, noise is prohibited only between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.) He also
said, “I’ve been out here before, my partner’s been out here before…” which
is incorrect, as this was the first I had ever heard of any noise complaint.
He asked me many irrelevant questions as to my activities and the activities
of my children that day. While he was there, my son started kicking the
patio door. The officer commented, “see, that’s glass, that could be
dangerous.” Really? He said my neighbors did not want to deal with my
child’s noise and that I should move. (Ironically, I found out later the complainant is a renter.
I'm an owner.) I replied that our condo had been on
the market for nearly two years, so we were doing our best to leave. After
he left, my children were crying and very upset by his rude, confrontational
behavior and it took me nearly two hours to calm them both down.
My husband was upset and called the police department. They verified this
was the first time any officer had come out to our home, but many noise
complaints had been made via telephone by the same person. They could not
give him the name of the person for obvious privacy reasons.
On Monday, May 21, 2012, at about 6:30 p.m., we were sitting down for
dinner. My husband said he wanted to check our mailbox before we ate. When
he opened the door, there were three officers blocking his way. They
asked if they could come in as they were barging their way into our condo
anyway. They told us there had been an attempted break-in to our building
and alleged vandalism to a car. We were grilled with questions as to our
activities that day (we were both at work most of the day). My husband saw
the garage door in question was open when he left for work at 3:00 a.m. I
saw the garage door in question was open when I left for work at 8:45 a.m.
and the allegedly vandalized car was not in the garage at 8:45 a.m. I was
reprimanded by an officer, “why didn’t you tell your neighbor her garage
door was open?” My husband was not going to knock on someone’s door at 3:00
a.m. and why would I knock on someone’s door when they weren’t home? If the
vandalism occurred in the garage, why did she wait until dinnertime to
report it? Isn’t it possible the vandalism occurred during the day,
wherever she was?
I didn’t see that anyone else in our building was questioned in regard to
the alleged occurrence. Is the autism family automatically suspect of
criminal activity for some reason? I felt harassed and bullied by the
officers and felt violated the way they barged into my home, interrupting a
family dinner.
Bullying of autistic individuals and their families has been prominent in
the news of late. The Chicago Police Department and several suburban police
departments have participated in autism sensitivity programs. I think this
would be in the best interest of this Police Department to avoid future
litigation regarding harassment.
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