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Monday, February 25, 2013

LYNN BERGMAN: LESSONS FROM SANDY HOOK - KNOWLEDGE AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY LACKING

PBS’s Frontline, in collaboration with the Hartford Courant, has aired “Raising A*** L****” (mass murderers want their name in lights). This is perhaps the best piece of investigative journalism in a decade. Everyone should view it to get an insight into the numerous mistakes that have to be made to result in these horrible events. Rather than a review of the documentary, the following are suggestions for preventing recurrence.

 

Autism Spectrum Disorder – Insuring Optimum Outcomes

 

Parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can all but eliminate the chance of their child becoming a mass murderer if they take the following steps:

 

  1. If you do not live in a community where higher education offers coursework in foreign languages, higher mathematics, or similar challenges, move to the nearest such location as soon as your child is diagnosed. Your child will need the security of a single secure home to live in throughout personal development through about age 21.
  2. Do not divorce (or at least delay divorce until your child finishes college or high school, as per your child’s decision). Your child needs the predictability of two parents and each of you will need an occasional break from the responsibility of raising your child. The exception would be the event of a violence-prone parent.
  3. Change schools only as necessary; each change will be a difficult one for your child; the presence of friends from a previous school will likely be very helpful.
  4. Join one or more group(s) of other parents of children with ASD and regularly attend meetings.
  5. Do not allow violence to enter your child’s world, especially television and video game violence.
  6. Lock up all weapons (and items that may be used as a weapon) out of sight and do not encourage your child to participate in shooting sports until they are an adult (21 or older) and choose themselves to do so. Do encourage participation in all recreational opportunities but let your child make the final decision on each opportunity. Remember that any child’s physical clumsiness may be a source of bullying, so avid sports in which pressure for perfection is rampant.
  7. Be especially sensitive to your child being bullied in school… encourage your child to report such incidents to you. When the child reports such incidents, allow the school authorities to handle it… they are much more proficient at it in 2013. Be in tune to repeats of bullying and nip it in the bud as many times as necessary without making your child the object of ridicule due to your publicly expressed anger. Complain calmly but firmly to school officials behind closed doors for maximum affect.
  8. Offer your love but understand that closeness may be difficult for your child. Love, but be patient with touching and physical affection. Accept the physical love your child can handle; don’t force it.
  9. Be tuned in to your child’s activities with friends, especially in high school; exposure to violence or weapons is to be avoided at all cost.

 

If you follow each of these suggestions, you will have a one in a trillion chance of your child becoming a mass murderer… with the added benefit that your child will likely make very important contributions to society derived from their God-given special gifts.

 

If you avoid every one of these suggestions, sleep with one eye open and let the local authorities know of your decisions so society can protect itself. The mother of the killer was the first victim and the father must live with his regrets. If we all do not learn the child rearing lessons from this national tragedy, we deserve no better.

Click here to email your elected representatives.

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