Comments on: Autistic adult left in van on hot day, dies of exposure http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/07/autistic-adult-left-in-van-on-hot-day-dies-of-exposure/ Autism news and opinion Wed, 23 May 2012 20:17:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jerebear http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/07/autistic-adult-left-in-van-on-hot-day-dies-of-exposure/#comment-92512 Jerebear Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:34:09 +0000 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=5919#comment-92512 My wife worked as a residential counselor in a much smaller facility. This case is cut and dried: Two counselors, one the driver, chaperoned three patients on a field trip. When they got home, they simply forot about one of the patients and he roasted in a closed van for several hours, dying in the process. This cannot happen. There is no way to blame anyone but the driver/counselor and maybe the other counselor. Of course, the facility is legally responsible for their actions as well, but not criminally culpable. You're looking at two out of work counselors who may do jail time, and a huge settlement from the facility, bottom line. My wife worked as a residential counselor in a much smaller facility. This case is cut and dried:

Two counselors, one the driver, chaperoned three patients on a field trip. When they got home, they simply forot about one of the patients and he roasted in a closed van for several hours, dying in the process.

This cannot happen. There is no way to blame anyone but the driver/counselor and maybe the other counselor. Of course, the facility is legally responsible for their actions as well, but not criminally culpable.

You’re looking at two out of work counselors who may do jail time, and a huge settlement from the facility, bottom line.

]]> By: Dawn http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/07/autistic-adult-left-in-van-on-hot-day-dies-of-exposure/#comment-92469 Dawn Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:30:54 +0000 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=5919#comment-92469 @David N Brown: well, reading the comments under the article, most are blaming the center and/or the caregiver(s). No comments blame the victim. The poor man was stated to be a lovable person, with severe disability but able to walk. What I, like many of the commenters find unforgivable is that NO ONE missed this person for 4 hours! He missed lunch and no one looked for him until 4 pm when he had medication due. Poor soul. Given his level of disability, he may not have known how to get out of the van or even that getting out would help (it seems he was not buckled in, or he had the ability to unbuckle a seatbelt, since he was found on the floor of the van.) @David N Brown: well, reading the comments under the article, most are blaming the center and/or the caregiver(s). No comments blame the victim. The poor man was stated to be a lovable person, with severe disability but able to walk. What I, like many of the commenters find unforgivable is that NO ONE missed this person for 4 hours! He missed lunch and no one looked for him until 4 pm when he had medication due. Poor soul.

Given his level of disability, he may not have known how to get out of the van or even that getting out would help (it seems he was not buckled in, or he had the ability to unbuckle a seatbelt, since he was found on the floor of the van.)

]]> By: David N. Brown http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/07/autistic-adult-left-in-van-on-hot-day-dies-of-exposure/#comment-92438 David N. Brown Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:37:48 +0000 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=5919#comment-92438 It will be hard to get around a "blame the victim" angle on this. Two issues that could put this in a little perspective: Autistics can be overly passive, and in some cases not very sensitive to pain. It will be hard to get around a “blame the victim” angle on this. Two issues that could put this in a little perspective: Autistics can be overly passive, and in some cases not very sensitive to pain.

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