James Pascoe turned 21 last week.
But instead of blowing out the candles on a cake, surrounded by family and friends, he spent the day shackled to a bed.
His mother Bronwyn Pascoe says that just two years ago the young Australian man, who has autism spectrum disorder, was well enough to happily walk around SeaWorld with his grandmother and aunt.
But two years ago — after his beloved nana passed away — James began to experience grief and loss issues, which his parents believe were triggered in part by the memory of losing his baby sister years prior.
The young man embarked on a spiral of disintegration involving self-harm and aggression, and his parents say they begged the Victorian government for funding to keep him at home, where they could give him the support and therapy he needs with the help of trained professionals.
But the Pascoes claim the government refused to fund James’ support needs properly, and that they were told by the state Department of Human Services that if their son became aggressive they would have to simply call the police, “who then have no alternative to admit to hospital”.
As a result, the Pascoes claim, James has now endured a painful two-year cycle of being sedated and shackled, continually passed between respite houses, hospital and care facilities — with no effective treatment plans for James’ ongoing issues.
It’s a “a cycle of trauma” with no end in sight, Mrs Pascoe told the Daily Mail.
“He is a prisoner in that room, he isn’t allowed (to) go out because they can’t risk it, and he doesn’t get to see daylight, he’s maintained in one room,” Mrs Pascoe said in interview with the Daily Mail. “Prisoners actually get treated better, and why should he have less because he’s an autistic child?”
“I’m sure if he had normal abilities they wouldn’t be able to treat him like that,” she added.
The Pascoes have now launched a Change.org petition begging newly-elected Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to address the needs of people with autism like James.
“He needs a proper treatment plan and help so we can bring him home,” the pair write in the petition. “We also don’t want to see this happen to any other people with autism – the government should really provide adequate funding for people with autism, their families or carers who need urgent help.
“He does not require medical treatment, he requires understanding, love and support being shackled and chemically restrained contradicts the care that he requires.”
While the Victorian department of human services told Mamamia it could not go into personal details about the case, it confirmed that “James was admitted to the Northern Hospital by his family”.
“His family and a consulting physician are making decisions about his care while in hospital,” the statement said.
“While several options for support have been offered for James’ long term care, these options have not so far been accepted by his family. The department will continue to work with James and his family to make sure he gets appropriate and quality care.”
You can find the petition here.
Top Comments
Why is he being referred to as a 'boy' and a 'child'. He is an adult - in the physical and legal sense. Stop diminishing him by using juvenile terms.
Hi there. I am an autistic person. 25 year old and I understand how he feels. Love and family are very important to him. With the love and support of my family I wouldn't be were I am today. From a autistic persons perspective i can feel how he feels. An autistic person is a very big people person. Without others around it makes it harder for them to cope. They love the hugs they get. Especially from there mums and dads. They are very kind people would take there shirts off for others even there enemies. All is needed is love, affection and kindness. With this kind of behaviour the hospital is doing nothing but making the situation worse. Being shackled too a bed and not being able too see family. I'd like to see what you would do if you were shackled too a bed and told you were a danger and no one was too see you. Not only does he need the love of his family but also needs someone too show an interest in him. Want him to be able too see that someone understands his pain his thoughts and his processes. It's not just saying that you understand you have to prove that you do. Why not just sit down and talk with him. Talk about anything his passions, his hobbies what he would like to be doing. Make him smile, if nothing comes back just hold his hand and tell him that you care and just smile at him. Bring him a gift show him your compassion and your understanding or help him remember the happy times through stories. Make it an adventure. They understand the attention to detail so be clear. Say it with a smile on your face and imagine you were there. In other words if he got his licence show him the good memories take him on a trip down memory lane through things like buying a gift of memories whether it is the music he would sing along too with his mates or the time he took the car down to the beach and attempted surfing and the funniest thing was falling off the surf board.
A loss isn't an easing thing too cope with for anyone. Everyone grieves. However we Aspergers people take things onboard and try and mathematically break down a series of events. Remember me saying attention to detail is strong. When remembering that someone you loved and trying too understand what happened too them makes the pain stronger and harder too let go. He needs to see that people feel his pain and that together with love, compassion and strength that we can all get through this together. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you find the way. I hope I could help. In all honesty maybe the people who chained him up like this should put themselves in his shoes cause only then they may see the light and the thought.
Take care and stay safe. But most importantly stay strong, because a family that stays together, fights together and wins together whatever the cost as long as you have each other.
Spot on and thanks for sharing. You are inspiring with your courage to speak out.
I am an Asperger's person, too. One difference, though, is I hate being cuddled or held, I am happy around people who share my passions, though. My mother couldn't understand me and even predicted such a future for me as this young man is facing at the present time. You're right, we do find it difficult to let go of things and we do analyse things differently. I wish my mother had understood me better or come to realise that her son has a disability that needed to be handled differently to her way. She tried to make me into something I wasn't. I was always the member of my family who read books and I was distant from my family, too.