Post by Eustacia Cutler, mother of autism advocate Temple Grandin from The Daily Beast.
While in the throes of compiling a history of the social impact of autism, I came upon a story that I wish weren’t true.
A young male adult with autism took his computer in for repairs. The repair shop found child pornography on his hard drive and turned him in to the police. In court he was adjudicated a “predator”—a legal label he will wear for life. A label that will bar him from any job that involves children, and from any “assisted living” home for an adult such as himself.When child pornography hits the law the law is not friendly, no matter the circumstances—nor the understandable dysfunction of the perpetrator. One psychologist described to me her court experience with an adult autistic male. The Judge pointed at her and said: “You should be dealing with this before I have to deal with it.”One of the least understood and least discussed aspects of male sex offenders is the sexual response of those who live with autism.
A young male adult with autism took his computer in for repairs. The repair shop found child pornography on his hard drive and turned him in to the police. In court he was adjudicated a “predator”—a legal label he will wear for life. A label that will bar him from any job that involves children, and from any “assisted living” home for an adult such as himself.When child pornography hits the law the law is not friendly, no matter the circumstances—nor the understandable dysfunction of the perpetrator. One psychologist described to me her court experience with an adult autistic male. The Judge pointed at her and said: “You should be dealing with this before I have to deal with it.”One of the least understood and least discussed aspects of male sex offenders is the sexual response of those who live with autism.
Temple Grandin's mother (Eustacia Cutler) has joined the parade of people who proclaim expertise about autism and use that "expertise" to suggest that Autistics have criminal proclivities. http://paulacdurbinwestbyautisticblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-disturbing-trend-we-cannot-ignore.html
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