December 6, 2014 Goya Dmytryshchak

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has intervened in the case of a man with autism who has been shackled to a hospital bed for two weeks.

James Pascoe was taken by police to The Northern Hospital in Epping on November 21. He has been sedated and restrained in his bed since then.

Mr Pascoe had moved back to his the Greensborough house of his parents, Bronwyn and Allan Pascoe, in August after his Department of Human Services accommodation closed.

Minister Mary Wooldridge - Missing in Action

24 November 2014

This is our beautiful son, James.

What is wrong with him you may ask? Nothing - unless the Department of Human Services can be classified as a disease.

Our son has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Despite our attempts to protect him throughout his life, the authorities we entrusted with his care have caused him trauma throughout his life. From being locked in an empty courtyard at Bulleen Heights School, to being shackled in a hospital, James has rarely had the benefit of the expertise our health system, disability system and school system claim.

In September 2013, from sheer exhaustion due to the lack of support from DHS, we asked DHS to accommodate James. At the end of August 2014, still without permanent accommodation, DHS told us that at the end of the week the house he was staying at would close and he would be transferred to a house that we had already deemed unsuitable. When we objected, DHS gave us three days notice that they would be bringing James home. Three days notice of a major life change for a person with severe Autism. Three days notice for parents who both worked and had to prepare a house.

By Stephanie Corsetti

The death of a central Victorian autistic boy under Department of Human Services care was a tragic accident and not the result of a lack of care, a coroner has found.

Michael Patrick Ormsby, 9, died in 2010 when he ran away from his carer at Kyneton and was struck by a car.

In November 2009 DHS requested the child attend weekend respite care after the school week.

BEFORE Michael Ormsby got into mischief, his big brown eyes would dob him in. They would start smiling and people knew he was up to something.

He'd wander off, out of sight, chuckling at his plans. Delighted at how clever he was.

He liked getting into strife almost as much as he loved oranges, the smell of eucalyptus and being king of the castle.

EXCLUSIVE

Children with dyslexia and autism could receive assistance at Victorian schools for the first time under an Andrews government, with Labor to announce it would review the controversial funding system.

A Labor government would introduce sweeping disability reforms after reports by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and Auditor General revealed the education system was failing students with disabilities.

Labor will announce on Wednesday that if elected it would:

Education Authorities in Victoria persist with inappropriate methods for children with special needs. Previous reports are here and here. Disability advocates may have delayed the latest expansion accordingf to the story below, but for how long?

Agency pulls ad for school aides with martial arts training

August 13, 2014

Henrietta Cook, State Political Reporter at The Age

Please be aware of the petition at http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/he-was-tied-up-to-a-chair-and-left-there-end-this-abuse-of-disabled-children-in-schools

"This haunts me every day of my life… the things that happened to me - like being locked in small rooms, being pulled to the ground by my neck and having someone hold me down when I can't breathe, being tied up, this is not ok."

25 Jul 2014 — we have 1715 signatures support for our cause is growing and yesterday we emailed the Minister for Education Martin Dixon, the shadow parliamentary secretary for Education Colin Brooks, the member for Yan Yean Danielle Green, the member for Mill Park Lily D'Ambrosio, the liberal candidate for Yan Yean Sam Ozturk and the greens candidate for Yan Yean Daniel Sacchero to let them know that support for our cause is growing and to ask what a vote for them in novemb

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