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Anaheim police arrested two parents Tuesday night who they say kept their 11-year-old autistic son in a cage, possibly in an effort to control his violent outbursts, officials said.
The parents were arrested after child protective services and police were dispatched to their home on a tip that a boy there was being kept in a large dog kennel, said police Lt. Bob Dunn.
“Sadly, we do see this” say specialists at the Center for autism and NEURODEVELOPMENTAL Disorders in Santa Ana. Sometimes, parents who have no access to treatment will get overwhelmed. They may see this, as crazy as it may sound, as a safe way to contain a violent child. It speaks more to the lack of availability to treatment than to evil parenting, they add.
“Was the cage to help the child or the parents?” asks one of the family’s neighbors, who swears the child never acted up on his daily trips to and from the bus. Another neighbor chimes in, adding that none of the three small children looked abused, or unhappy.
Police are interviewing the couple, and the children with the help of Vietnamese interpreters. Anaheim law enforcement has no record of cages being used as containment for autistic children, but off camera, one officer says he’s seen parents of violent autistic children call police for help.
Agencies/Canadajournal
