The Kirton Family, My Thoughts on Autism x 6

Okay. So did anyone watch Autism x6? A show on Discovery Health about Amazing Families. We did. I have seen the Kirton family they pictured on other interviews before. They have their own blog Autism Bites (not liking the title any) and foundation. Hopefully some of the home renovations from this foundation would go towards their own home. I know these parents love their children very much and yet I found much of what was going on very disturbing.It may seem odd to care so much but when people watch these shows they will think that this is what life is like with all Autistic children. Even worse, they will think that some of the tactics used within this household are acceptable. This show was a giant step backwards in the advocating for special needs children.

Here is a bullet point list of what I found disturbing.
*In the interviews I saw and the show the children never have bedding on their beds. The reason being that they have accidents or tear the bedding off. Why not as sit the children in learning to keep the bedding on? Buy clips or sheets that wrap totally around the mattress to protect it and keep the bedding in tact. It looked terrible and can not be comfortable.

*The children are allowed to tear at the walls, removing it little by little. One little girl in particular was said to do this as she layed in bed. The wall was torn down to the brown board. Is it too hard to redirect an autistic child so that they have something else to rip and tear? Something appropriate could be used. If a child is being allowed to destroy a wall that child is not being watched carefully. The child may require sleeping in the parents bedroom until the behavior can be stopped.

*A little boy was shown belted onto a kitchen chair as the dad cut his hair. The dad explained that he would be squirming all over the chair if they did not belt him in. There are more appropriate ways to do this. A booster seat with a built in belt would look a lot better and would certainly be more comfortable/safer than the dad's belt. This one really concerned me. We all advocate and work very hard for our children never to be held down or tied down and then they show this as being a great technique. It made me sick.

*The father at one point made a comment about working hard to make her daughter "more human". Ummm.....need I say more as to why this is inappropriate language when discussing Autism?

*The parents have a large piece of wood that closes off the kitchen to the children. Once again, is this a farm? Why not use one of the many baby gates that can be purchased inexpensively to restrict this area? When I saw the wooden divider that was as tall as the parents I was shocked. Not only is it unsafe because a child and adult can not even see through it but it looks like they are caring for farm animals not children. If one thinks I am focusing on what something "looks like" well, yes I am! It is very important not to treat people like they are animals no matter what their physical or mental challenges are.

These are just a few of the concerns I had in regards to this program. The family is looked up to as an example of how to care for Autistic children. I am sure the family was chosen due to the large family size and that all of their children are Autistic. The deplorable conditions in the house also adds to the sensationalism of the show.

The family is being studied. I do hope that includes complete genetic studies on the parents and children. This family could be a huge help in that area. It would seem to make sense that there is a huge genetic possibility going in within this family. Unfortunately, I doubt that is part of the study.

My final thought in regards to this show will upset some people. I don't mean for it to do so. Obviously, this family is overwhelmed. They have their hands full. All six of their children are Autistic and of varying degrees. Why do people have more children than they can afford to take care of? Why do they have more children than they have the energy for? Raising a child with Autism is very expensive. Raising six children with Autism would be beyond expensive. It is no wonder the family struggles to afford proper tools in the home to assist with the care and direction of these children. They mention in the link above that they have no space in their 1, 100 square foot (3 bedrooms, 1 bath and no basement) home for these six children. Why would one not consider the fact of not having enough space for six children before having six children?

It is beyond my understanding when so many children in this world go without homes and care that people give birth to so many children and are unable to care for them properly. Oh, I so know I will upset people with that comment and I am sorry. But, it just makes sense to me to limit the amount of children we have so that we can care for each one in the best way possible.

The Kirton family has their hands full. I am sure the blessings are huge and the challenges as well. I hope that their family begins to focus more on the blessings within their family and sharing that on their blog.