[by Jill Escher, president, Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area, From SFASA 12/15 newsletter]

I have a fervent wish for Santa this year, aside from the usual prayer for world peace, stability of the polar ice caps, and enduring good health so I can care for my autistic kids til I'm 120. My wish is that some semblance of sanity and rationality descend upon this wacky world of Autismland.

No, I'm not pointing fingers at our special kids, I'm talking about regular adults acting out-to-lunch about autism. Here are some recent examples.

• Criminalizing Cognitive Disability. Just when you thought it was bad enough that neighbors sued to have a boy with autism declared a "public nuisance," in Monterey, another legal nightmare is playing out. A young autistic man is being prosecuted for assault based on a predictable and disability-caused outburst at a public library, when he was supposedly in the care of trained special ed staff (see the father's media release, below).

• Medicaid Mischief. A group of self-advocates are providing "trainings" on Medi-Cal policy, pushing a narrow interpretation that would undermine group-oriented living and support options for our adults with autism. Medicaid (which is Medi-Cal here) dollars pay for roughly half of adult autism services in our state. Customized group solutions, as opposed to generic community settings, remain vital options for many adults severely affected by autism, and we must support access to those options.

• Budget Blues. In Sacramento, the legislature has seen no progress toward restoring funding for our beleaguered adult developmental disability services. If you can, join the rally December 10 in Sacramento (see calendar, below). Without community services funded at sustainable levels, our ASD adults are left to languish, with our threadbare system growing more frayed as the ASD adult population skyrockets.

• Bonkers Book. A pop science author would have us believe there's no true increase in the autism numbers (the 28-fold increase in California Dept of Developmental Services autism cases? just an illusion, people!). Our epidemic of neurodevelopmental disability warrants the most urgent response and not a complacency-generating manifesto, but here we are. Sigh.

So, Santa, grant me the wish to open the floodgates to a rich and varied landscape of options for the ever-growing numbers of ASD adults. Let's stop treating adults with autism like criminals. And let's fund basic services for those who cannot care for themselves. Please restore sanity to our upside-down autism world. Amen.

Jill Escher
[email protected]

PS: SFASA is delighted to welcome a new 16-person Board of Directors! Please get to know our fabulous group here.

Come spread your invisible wings and reach for the stars. You can join Special Needs Talent Showcase as an individual or as a group. All types of performances are welcomed – musical acts, dancing, comedy, magic acts, martial arts, acrobatics, etc. Participation medals will be awarded to every contestant. Trophies and prizes will be awarded to all finalists at the Final Competition. All individuals with developmental disabilities are encouraged to try out and have the chance to enjoy an extraordinary experience!
Preliminary Auditions: January 31, 2016 at 1pm at Friends of Children with Special Needs Dream Center 2300 Peralta Blvd Fremont, CA 94536

Entry Form here

Contestant Eligibility: Children or adults with developmental disabilities (Regional Center client or student with IEP in the school district – Please include a copy of the front page of your child’s most current IEP or IPP for verification.) Past final winners cannot compete in the same winning act/group. For example: If you have won as a solo pianist, you cannot re- audition as a solo pianist. You can, however, audition with another instrument or play as part of an ensemble. Or if you won in a group, you may not compete with the same group, but the group members can do individual solo acts.

Special needs performers cannot be accompanied by any non-special needs individuals. For a musical group performance (e.g. instrumental or singing), only 1 non-special needs person is allowed as a conductor or director.

A contestant may enter multiple performances, up to a total maximum of 4 individual and/or group acts.
All performances will be video-taped. The parent/individual will be required to sign a photo/video consent form at the time of the audition.

A maximum of 5 minutes will be allotted per act. During Preliminary Auditions, performances will be stopped at 2 minutes. Please note that only the first 70 entries sent in by the January 16, 2016 deadline will be accepted to audition.

Entry fees: $20 per solo act; $10 per person in a group act

Ten finalists will advance from the Preliminary Auditions to the Final Competition. The top 3 finalists will win a promotional video and $500 cash. Tickets ($20 per ticket) to see the Final Competition are available for purchase.

[Editor's note: The following is a media release issued by the parents of Paul G, an 18 year-old young man with autism who is being charged with felony assault.

Your comments on this alarming case should be sent to the prosecutor Dean Flippo (below) since a hearing on the charges is upcoming, and/or to local newspapers to raise the awareness across community boundaries. The opinions of ASD families count not just because of the struggle to provide services and supports to eliminate such outcomes but also as taxpayers (and voters) who pay the salaries of public servants who see it as their job to criminalize autism. If this prosecution goes forward without protest, what is to stop other counties from doing the same.]

An Important Message to All Families With Autism:

Autism Can Be a Felony

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office insists upon prosecuting our
autistic, 18 year old son, who is under a conservatorship. He is charged with felony
assault because he pushed a disabled woman down at a local library, while in the
middle of an episode of panic behavior, more commonly called a meltdown. He
was at the library to receive Home and Hospital instruction, while awaiting
acceptance to a residential treatment center that would address Paul’s behaviors
and education needs.

The unfortunate incident was the result of a behavior that was
in his Behavior Intervention Plan. It is the same behavior determined to be caused
by his disability, per a manifestation determination by the local school district. The
Assistant District Attorney, Brian Jones, will only offer that our son plead to the
felony, which would give him one strike under the California Three Strikes Law,
simply for behavior directly caused by his disability.

We strongly believe this case has implications for all families and groups that care
for people with developmental disabilities, such as autism. Please refer all
questions related to the criminal case to our attorney, Thomas McMahon, and all
related to his education case, to attorney Daniel Shaw. Case, court details, and
contact information are listed below.

Thank You,
Steve Gordo (11/19/2015)

Court and Judge:
Monterey County Superior Court, Department 3
240 Church St., Salinas, CA 93901
Phone: (831) 775­5400
Mailing Address:
240 Church St., Salinas, CA 93901
Hon. Pamela L. Butler
Supervising Judge, Criminal Division
Felony Trial Department
Appellate Division, Presiding

Contacts:
Monterey County District Attorney:
Dean D. Flippo
Address: 230 Church St # 3, Salinas, CA 93901
Phone:(831) 755­5070

Please contact either of our attorneys for more information:
Our criminal defense attorney is Tom McMahon of Margolin and Lawrence, LLP., and
(352) 359­1961
email: [email protected]

Our special education attorney is Daniel Shaw of Ruderman and Knox, LLP., and may
be contacted at:
(805) 704­ 2433 or
email: [email protected]