Family seeks damages amid allegations boy with autism locked in 'cage' at Sydney school

By bobb |

The operator of a private school for children with autism is being sued by a Newcastle family that alleges their autistic son was locked by teachers in a structure akin to a cage.

The family alleges the boy was put in a lockable fenced structure he called a cage at an Aspect-run school in Sydney in 2012.

The family has since relocated to the Hunter Valley and is seeking damages from Aspect in the Newcastle District Court.

The family has alleged negligence, assault and wrongful imprisonment.

'You won't get anywhere in life': autistic girl proves teachers wrong

By bobb |
AGRON LATIFI

Kayla Sterchow had lots of reasons to celebrate on Thursday when she turned 20.

But she couldn’t get her “traumatic’’  high school years in the Illawarra out of her head.

Bullied by other students and kicked out of seven schools, the University of Canberra student was constantly told by teachers she “wouldn’t get anywhere in life’’ because of her autism.

The Dish Shines Blue for Autism

By bobb |

This week, the iconic Parkes Radio Telescope will join a host of significant buildings and landmarks across the world being lit up for 'Light It Up Blue For Autism'.

The Currajong Autism and Special Needs Group (Currajong Disability Services sub-committee), in conjunction with Parkes Shire Council, have worked with CSIRO to light up the local landmark to raise awareness about the condition as part of World Autism Awareness Month.

School boy with autism stranded in Dural

By bobb |

Warren Thomson

A MOTHER was left “mortified” after her son who has autism was kicked off a bus and left on his own in Dural.

Melissa Hewitson’s 16-year-old son Tyler routinely catches a bus from Old Northern Road, Dural to Pennant Hills Station as part of his morning commute to Hornsby TAFE four times a week.

But on Friday, March 17, Tyler’s Opal card had insufficient funds. Instead of letting him tap on and stay on the bus, the bus driver told him to get off.

“I was mortified that they could chuck a kid off the bus,” Ms Hewitson said.

FaCS worker Lennard Michael Downes faces court accused of assaulting disabled boy, 9, at government-run home in the Illawarra

By bobb |

An Illawarra FaCS worker accused of beating a mute autistic boy was brought undone when the child's parents grew suspicious and sent him to respite care with a tape recorder concealed in his bag, a court has heard.

Police will allege disability support worker Lennard Michael Downes, 35, can be heard verbally and physically abusing the boy on the recording, which was taken over a two day period at a government-run care centre in November last year.

Constantly suspended autistic children being ‘denied an education’

By bobb |

ASHLEIGH GLEESON, The Daily Telegraph

AUTISTIC students are being forced to miss huge amounts of class time with hundreds of suspensions dished out at NSW schools every day, according to several mothers of autistic children.

The mother of an eight-year-old autistic boy in Western Sydney missed a whopping 43 days of school in the first half of this year, while another mum said her six-year-old received a 15-day suspension when he reacted to a teacher wrongly restraining him.

Davidson deaths: Police confirm murder-suicide after family of four found dead in Sydney home

By bobb |

A family of four, including two children with autism, who were found dead in their northern Sydney home died as a result of a murder-suicide, police say.

Police said it appeared the family died of gas poisoning and are asking the public for help to discover the motive behind the deaths.

Davidson deaths: Family gassed in suspected murder suicide

By bobb |

THE Davidson family found dead in their home yesterday are believed to have been deliberately gassed to death with a poison that was released using devices throughout the house.

Mother Maria Claudia Lutz, 43, was found in one room with one of her children and her other child was found alone in a separate room.

Fernando Manrique’s body was found in another room in the house.

Boy with autism locked in 'cage', NSW school being investigated

By bobb |

By Louise Milligan

A private school for children with autism is being investigated after allegations a boy at the school was being held unsupervised in a lockable fenced structure he called a "cage".

Key points:

  • Lynda Jordan says she saw her son, Toby, locked in "the cage"
  • School investigation disputes Ms Jordan's interpretation
  • NSW Greens say dozens of parents have similar complaints