Prayers
A prayer to love and protect people with autism and their carers, very often their parents:
“An Enlightening Love”
How, Lord, little by little, I forgot to spend your love, not mine,
On the children who wear me away, like water on a rock, rising
Early, even midnight or four in the morning, ready to play and
Rock the day, ready to play and wear me away, ready to play day
By day, when I am no longer ready to play but ready for a rest.
Dear Mary, you were alert at the marriage feast and knew that
The wine had run out and that we needed an extraordinary help
In the gift of your Son taking the waterless jars used to wash
And, just as we used up that water to clean externally, to rinse
What can be rinsed off, and to soak what can be soaked off.
Dear Joseph, you were close to running out of goodwill when the
Angel spoke to you of a divine gift of accepting a child not your
Own but your wife’s and to live that love of Him as if it was your only Son,your most precious son, yet the son you adopted amidst
The adoption of other children, too, which were not your own.
Oh Joseph, you needed the help of an angel to see beyond a child,
Not your own, mysteriously conceived in the womb of Mary, your
Betrothed, knowing that the child was not your own but, by angel
Grace, knowing that this child was divine and was given as a grace
To help the human race and so, like Mary, you took up the task.
Oh Mary, you needed the help of an angel, too, to accept the truly
Mysterious nature of a uniquely holy conception, wholly holy, in
The very embryonic reality of Jesus Christ, the Son of God made
True man, come to unfold the path of redeeming love for all who
Live, traversing human life from conception until an untimely death.
And you Lord, in the garden of anguish,confronted with an inescapable possibilityof a terrible suffering, an angel came to
Strengthen you, giving the strength that comes from the presence
Of God Himself, making us realize that in our hour of desperation,
When it is impossible to be patient, that the angels are there to help.
Lord, may you and your holy Mother and spouse, St. Joseph, all
Of whom have known the help of an angel, press into service for each of us,our guardian angel, given us by God to be exactly there,
At our side, in order to turn our hearts into helpers especially when
Our goodwill is spent, we are tired, and the child is in danger too.
Let your word, coming as it does more freely than psychiatric
Assessments, more routinely than a regular appointment with
The doctor, revealing more than an x-ray and opening,more discreetly than we can be, what untold stresses are in our hearts
And hammering at our door, day in and day out, to ask for help.
And so we pray, Lord, not just for ourselves but for those we love
And care for, that we need the vigilance of our Guardian Angel
So that, on call more than any monitor, our angel may help us to
Seek the help that we need to be of help to others without the snap
And crack of wear sending us to prison to get the help we needed.
by Francis Etheredge Catholic married layman, father of 11,3 of whom are in heaven, and an author.Just published: The Word in Your Heart: Mary, Youth, and Mental Health
General Articles and Commentaries
Homicide Incidents Involving Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as Victims Reported in the US News Media, 2000–2019 by Joseph Guan, Ashley Blanchard, Carolyn G DiGuiseppi, Stanford Chihuri, and Guohua Li Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders May 13.2021
Autistic Children and Teens Who have been Murdered
Australia
Articles and Commentaries
Mother, autistic children among 7 shot dead in Australia by Sara Shayanian UPI
British woman 'obsessed with serial killers' murdered autistic teenager in Australia to feel 'euphoria' by Rebecca Le May and Greg Roberts The Independent
Canada
Articles and Commentaries
Murder-suicide of B.C. mom and autistic son shows need for more support: family by CBC News
Charles Blais, 6, Murdered by Mother by Council of Canadians with Disabilities
Gaza
Articles and Commentaries
Israeli child with autism found dead with grandmother at Gaza border; 3 family members still missing by Britt Clennett and Yael Benaya ABC News
Hong Kong
Articles and Commentaries
Hong Kong man 'kills autistic son because burden of caring for him was tough for whole family'by Caroline Mortimer The Independent
Ireland
Articles and Commentaries
Autistic children 'killed by mother' by Irish Independent
India
Articles and Commentaries
Jamaica
Articles and Commentaries
Police having tough time solving murder of autistic MoBay child by Hopeton Bucknor Jamaica Gleaner
Malaysia
Articles and Commentaries
Mexico
Articles and Commentaries
In Mexico, Mother of Child with Autism Killed after Seeking Help from Authorities by Carlos Ríos Espinosa Human Rights Watch
United Kingdom
Articles and Commentaries
Murder of Olly Stephens by Wikipedia
United States
Articles and Commentaries
Why You Should Care About Black Autistic Lives And CESSA by Jennifer Jay Palumbo Forbes
Miami-Dade mother accused of drowning autistic son in 2020 gets new judge by Christian Colón NBC Miami
Desperate Act: Mom Accused of Trying to Kill Autistic Daughter by NBC News
Missouri mom charged after teen daughter with autism killed, burned in a pit by mgshare CBS17
Police: Autism was motive in Colo. child’s killing by The Associated Press/Skyline News
Autistic child dies; aides charged with manslaughter by John McIntyre Spotlight
Springfield Township woman charged in murder of adopted son, who was autistic by Aaron Valdez Cincinnati Enquirer
Karen McCarron by Murderpedia
Mother who drowned 4-year-old autistic son sentenced to life term by CBS8
Pakistani-born American woman strangles own children by Tribune
The Case of Xavier Yap and His Twin Sons Is Heartbreaking. Piling On His Wife Isn’t Helping. by Kimberly Lim Rice Media
Michigan parents charged with murder of autistic son by Matt Gotsch WNDU
Silverdale woman charged with murder after her autistic twins found dead in her home by Peiyu Lin Kitsap Sun
Mom who killed 7-year-old autistic son on hike outside Las Vegas sentenced to minimum of 28 years in prison by MayhemInTheDesert Reddit
14-year-old autistic boy Mason Schermerhorn ID’d as one of 4 killed in Georgia high school shooting by Patrick Reilly and Allie Griffin New York Post
Louisiana parents accused of letting autistic daughter die plead no contest to manslaughter by Sudan Britton and Bonnie Bolden CBS42
Film provides glimpse into life of autistic teen killed by his mother by CBS News
Tennessee father killed his 5-year-old autistic son then hid his body, police say by Nate Rau and Chris Gadd The Tennessean
Deaths of mom, autistic child confirmed as murder-suicide by WAFF 48
Dad allegedly beat 5-year-old nonverbal son to death, leaving boy with brain bleed and ‘bruises from head to toe’ by Jerry Lambe Law & Crime
Mom blogged about son with autism she’s accused of killing by Ashley Fantz CNN
Mom who killed son with autism in New York City hotel room gets 18 years by ABC7 New York
Mother, godmother plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter of severely autistic teen by John Garcia ABC7 Chicago
Texas Mom Described Strangling Her 2 Autistic Kids by ABC News
California man charged with murder in drowning deaths of his 2 autistic sons, prosecutors say by Talia Kaplan Fox News
Dallas mom, Saiqa Akhter, killed her two children because they were autistic: 911 recording by New York Daily News
Kids Strangled Because They Were Autistic: Woman's 911 Call by Frank Heinz NBCFW
Deputies killed 15-year-old boy with autism after he ran toward them holding gardening tool by WHSV3
Miami-Dade mother accused of drowning autistic son in 2020 gets new judge by Christian Colón NBC Miami
Dad Charged With Murder After 9-Year-Old Is Killed by Gunfire – He ‘Was a Beacon of Joy’ by Colleen Dilthey Thomas Cafe Mom
Parents respond to murderous mother by Autistic Journalist
Mother charged with first-degree murder in 2020 Safford cold case killing of autistic daughter by Gila Herald
Statement on the Sentencing of Alex Spourdalakis’ Murderers
by Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Newsweek: Did son’s autism drive a woman to murder?
by Paul Raeburn Knight Science Journalism October 29th 2014
Prunedale dad charged with autistic daughter's death takes plea deal
by Ricardo Tovar KSBW8
Neighborhood shocked over murder of autistic teenager
by Chancelor Winn FOX19NOW
‘A talented, goofy kid’: family of Ryan Gainer, autistic teen killed by police, speak out
by Sam Levin The Guardian
Michigan woman found guilty of murder and child abuse in starvation death of son
by The Associated Press/WBTV
NYPD Officer Found Guilty of Killing Son, 8, with Autism After Making Him Sleep in Freezing Garage by Glenn Garner People