How to Talk to an Autistic Child about Death

As a guest blogger, I have been popping in from time to time to try to learn about autism and to help those who may be too scared to ask their own questions. Today the topic is death. I have several questions, and I'm hoping some autistic moms will help me learn the answers.

First, let me explain, my own mother has been diagnosed with malignant melonoma cancer. She's been given six months, per doctor diagnoses, as an estimate of how long she may live IF she takes chemo and radiation to help slow the cancer growth.

So, when I popped in today I noticed I had not been active lately on Tammy's blog. Because of my mother's condition, it was easy to come up with a topic.

Do autistic children have a different understanding of death? Is there a special way to talk to an autistic child about death? Does the child have different reactions after losing a loved one? How do you help your autistic child cope with the death of a loved one, or even of a pet?

Thanks to anyone for your willingness to help me understand autism and those it affects.

Fatalities Of Children Left In Vehicles During The Summer

Every year, summer sets in, hot days fill our weeks. We know it’s summertime when we want to walk through the sprinklers to cool down. We also know it’s summer when the news starts reporting on a child found dead in a car.

It’s shocking for me that parents will still leave a child in their car, with temperatures outside in the 80’s, 90’s and above. I’ve always believed that is one of the worse kind of child abuse. The sad thing is, it continues to happen each year.

Researcher Jan Null has been tracking data of fatalities due to hyperthermia, since the late 1990’s. He has already documented 18 fatalities this year, with 8 of them having been reported since June 13. Not all of these are because of a parent leaving the child in the car. Some were from children going back into an unlocked car, and getting locked in.

“In Portageville, Mo., 2-year-old twins Allannah and Alliya Larry were found dead in their grandmother's car on June 16 as temperatures pushed into the mid-90s. New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens said the children apparently got into the unlocked car on their own and were locked inside the vehicle for two hours.”(WRAL)

The following are statistics I pulled from http://ggweather.com/heat/index.htm, a report posted online by Jan Null, CCM, Adjunct Professor of Meteorology,San Francisco State University. Out of the 463 children that Null reported have died since 1998, he records that 30%, or 133, of these children were under the age of 1.


“STATISTICS
Total number of U.S. hyperthermia deaths of children left in cars, 2010: 18
Total number of U.S. hyperthermia deaths of children left in cars, 2009: 33
Total number of U.S. hyperthermia deaths of children left in cars, 1998-2010: 463
Average number of U.S. child hyperthermia fatalities per year since 1998: 37
Circumstances
An examination of media reports about the 443 child vehicular hyperthermia deaths for an twelve year period (1998 through 2009) shows the following circumstances:
51% - child "forgotten" by caregiver (228 Children)
30% - child playing in unattended vehicle (131)
18% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult (80)
1% - circumstances unknown (4)”

Tragic Death On Fort Bragg

2 contractors and a soldier were shot yesterday of Fort Bragg in NC during a live fire training exercise. One of the contractors that was shot died at Womack Army Medical Center. Both contractors work for Echota Technologies Corp., a private corporation that helps military personnel operate tactical ranges on Fort Bragg. The names of the contractors have not been released.

Both OSHA and the Army are investigating the incident. OSHA is conducting it’s own investigation because of the civilian contractors involved.

This tragic accident is sad and unfortunate. It is also a part of life in the military. Our soldiers train with live ammunition, under circumstances that are designed to mimic those of real life situations they may find themselves in. Our soldiers need this training. They place themselves in line of fire, in hostile environments, to protect us. It’s sad when there is an accident because of friendly fire and during a training exercise.

It is also a credit to them that there are not more accidents. Given the amount of training accidents that our military conducts on a daily basis, the occasional accident is expected. Unfortunate as it is, and as sad and heartbreaking for the families of those that are victims to training accidents, the military should not be blamed or harassed because of them.

I continue to support the men and women that serve in our military. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in this latest tragedy. I hope God gives them strength to move on after the latest tragedy on Fort Bragg.

SeaWorld Killer Whale Not to Blame for Trainer's Death

On Wednesday, February 24, 2010, Dawn Brancheau was killed by Tilikum, a 6-ton orca at SeaWorld, Orlando. Original reports said that Brancheau was swimming with Tilikum when this happened. Videos have shown that she wasn’t actually swimming with the killer whale. She was laying in a slide out area of about 4 inches of water.

Thad Lacinak, former head trainer at Sea World, stated that there was a protocol in place when he worked there that trainers do not lay in the slide out area when working with the whales. “Sometimes we get too comfortable when working with these animals. …We all know the risk and Dawn certainly knew the risk.” Lacinak commented in an interview with ABC News. Lacinak also states that “She made a mistake.”

According to the videos of this tragic event, while laying down in the slide out, Dawn Brancheau’s hair floated out towards Tilikum. Tilikum grabbed it and that is when the trainer was pulled in and eventually was killed. Tilikum will continue to be a part of the SeaWorld Parks family. "He's been a part of our team and he will remain a part of our team," SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment President Jim Atchison told reporters.

We go to these shows and think how adorable and fun these animals are. We need to remember that there is a reason why they are referred to as killer whales. Should these animals be held in captivity and made to perform? This is a question that is, and will continue to be, passionately argued.

Should Tilikum be blamed for reacting in a way that is inherent in his nature? I don’t think so. I tend to agree with Thad Lacinak. Dawn Brancheau was a veteran trainer of 16 years. She should have known better than to let her guard down. It is a tragedy that this experienced trained lost her life. I think that SeaWorld is making the right decision in not making Tilikum pay for this with his life. For me, the ideal situation would be that these majestic animals were not held in captivity. Since they are, they need to be given the respect they deserve and trainers should always be cautious when interacting with them.

Reportings of Bill Cosby Death and CNN Screen Shot Picture

Bill Cosby, legendary comedian and actor, is being reported dead from a heart attack. This latest celebrity rumor started when someone on Twitter allegedly posted a fake CNN screenshot that reports the news of Cosby’s demise.

I did a search on CNN’s website and could not find any reports of this. I’ve searched other sites and have found people reporting that he is and that he isn’t dead. There are no official reports stating that he has passed away.

This appears to be one, in a long list of celebrity death hoax rumors on the internet. It is horrible that people do this. I hope that CNN can do something about the fake screenshots that keep appearing on the internet. There are people that actually believe these to be true.

There is a report floating around that Bill Cosby was found passed out in a chair while watching the television. It is reported that his wife, Camille found him and called 911. It goes on and says that the EMT’s report indicated a cardiac arrest and that he was pronounced dead at Baystate Franklin Medical Center on February 6, 2010. None of this has been confirmed by official means. As of right now, this is just a rumor.

All My Children Actor James Mitchell Died

“All My Children” fans have lost a favorite character and the world has lost a great actor. Actor James Mitchell, known to fans as Palmer Cortlandt on “All My Children,” died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. He was 89 years old.

Mitchell appeared in over 300 episodes of “All My Children“, with the last one being the show’s 40th Anniversary show. The first one was in 1979. Before “All My Children,” Mitchell starred in the movies “The Band Wagon” with Fred Astaire, 1954’s “Deep in My Heart” and 1955’s “Oklahoma.” he also performed in Broadway musicals and danced with the American Ballet Theater.

James Mitchell’s character, Palmer Cortlandt, was a ruthless businessman. Over the years, he has mellowed out, but his animosity and competitive relationship with the character Adam Chandler, played by David Canary, continued to be a source of great amusement for fans of all ages.

James Mitchell’s passing will leave a whole in the heart of the show and it’s fans. He was a great actor and had become a part of the family for many. He will be greatly missed.

Brittany Murphy's Death is a Wake Up Call

Yesterday, the country was shocked by the sad news that Brittany Murphy had passed away. The official autopsy report is not in, but it is said that she had a heart attack. Although this is not in question, people are questioning why a woman of 32 years of age would die of a cardiac arrest.

Gossip is going around the internet that the reason is related to her weight or drugs. My response to this is, “Why does it matter?” The fact is, a beautiful, talented, and young woman has lost her life far too early. This is not something that should be fodder for the tabloids. This is a time for remembering her and praying for her family.

For those of us with a special needs child, it is also a time to realize that life is far too short. We think we have a lot of time before we need to prepare for the care of our child when we are no longer here. Unfortunately, Brittany’s death reminds us that this is not true. It is never too early to put your affairs in order. It is a difficult thing to do. It is difficult to think about what will happen to our beloved child without us to look after him.

As your child’s parent and advocate, it is important to face the possibility that a time will come and you will not be there. You need to make arrangements for your child’s care and financial security. Do you really want to leave it to strangers? I am guilty of putting this off. I can’t imagine a time that I won’t be here for my son. It is time that my husband and I started talking to family members and a lawyer. I can not leave my child unprotected. Brittany Murphy’s death has served as a wake up call for me and I will not ignore it.