Helping Zakhqurey Price's Family

I heard about this story from Robin Hansen, the Special Education Examiner

Zakhqurey Price is an 11 year old boy with autism who is a student at Beard Elementary in Fort Smith School District, Arkansas.  In 2008, he spent some time in a residential placement.  When he enrolled at Beard, the recommendations for his educational support were not met.

Specifically, the family requested a full-time aide, a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and a Positive Behavior Plan (PBP).  None were provided.  However, authorities did call the police on numerous occasions.

On Oct 30th, Zakhqurey exhibited behaviors manifested by his Autism, which led to restraints. The police were called. In the process of attempting to restrain him, two staff members were injured and filed felony charges against the 11 year old child. They cornered him and tried to take him down, he fought back. There were very minor injuries to principal and teacher. The fifth grader was taken away in handcuffs and booked with juvenile criminals.  He has an IQ of 68.

The family is represented by Zakh's grandmother, Carole Reynolds (go to Carole's Facebook page)  They have not been able to retain an attorney or an advocate, and they lack the funds to continue Zakh's therapies or to attend to his legal issues.

Other than Robin Hansen's report, I haven't found other verifying reports.  School officials or district officials haven't yet commented.

Anne M. Zachry, who is the CEO of  KPS4Parents, Inc ("Making Special Education Work") has a blog post explaining the special education law issues that arose from the conduct of the Fort Smith school district prior to Zakh's arrest.

The local television station has a discussion board.  Some of the comments are just vile.

http://community.kfsm.com/service/displayDiscussionThreads.kickAction?as=97523&w=225196&d=337833&ac=new

Other Supporters:

Robin Hansen (Special Education Examiner)

Karen Halabura (tweets at 333autismnews)

Trisha Kennedy (tweets at trishinspace)

The Zakh Supporters Facebook Page

Donation website at The Zakh Appeal (http://zakhs.blogspot.com/)

Faces of Autism

Update from Trish at the Autistic Women's Network

Well, I had a long conversation with Carole earlier today and I'm in shock at all that has been done to this child and family. They were not given an iep when they requested it and were not given an aide when asked for. They gave the school specific instruction on how to prevent meltdowns and then how to calm him down in case of a meltdown and the school did not follow any of the instruction. They specifically asked the school not to call the police on him, but they did it anyway.

This is a family trying so hard to keep it together. There are four autistic boys in this family and they are a very loving group with much support from other family members, including Carole, their grandmother. Zakh was taken away over 2 yrs ago and put in an istitution where he was heavily drugged and denied an education or social interaction. When Carole and other family members told medicaid that Zakh was regressing in that environment, they stopped paying his coverage there and was finally released and able to go home.

During his time there though, his 3 yr old sister passed away. He was allowed to go to her funeral, but was sent there in dirty old clothes and was not allowed to mourn with his family. Now he is scared to death because he is facing having to be taken away from his family again as a result of this school's mistreatment of him. No therapy or support has been given to him to help him work through the past two years of his life and the losses he's suffered.

The family is terrified and feeling very much a victim to the system where they live. They fear for the other children as well. They know that what is happening is wrong, but are receiving no support or help from the community that they are in. They wanted to just leave the school system and homeschool, but a judge denied them that right. They tried getting legal help, but were told they would need a $3000 retainer and simply don't have the money.

We're in contact with ASAN and hoping that there is something that they can do to help this family. I fear that if he is put in an institution again that he may never recover from the damage. Please offer this family your support and any resources that you may know of. If you need to get in touch with them, please email me and I can give you their contact information. Carole gave me permission to give out her information. She is so stressed out and desperate for help at this point.

Comments

[Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents]

Carole has located a volunteer lay advocate to assist her and will be speaking with him on Monday, Jan 5, 2010, from what I understand. However, I'm unclear as to whether he can help with any legal proceedings.

[Tricia Kenney]

I'm having Carole on my show tomorrow, Jan. 5th, to talk about this incident and all that has taken place since as well as updates on what legal help they need. here is the link

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/embraceautismnow/2010/01/05/saving-zakhqurey

[Ylanne Sorrows]

I'm a woman with Asperger's who would love to help in any way I can. Unfortunately, while I am well versed in legal matters (due to the nature of my special interests and activities), I'm neither a law student nor lawyer, nor in the Arizona area, so I'm afraid I can't do much from afar other than offer my support and willingness to do anything I can. Email [email protected] if there's anything I can do.

[MelSue]

I just became aware of this situation. I was outraged. So, I have sent the following letters to the school and my local papers.
...........
Re: Treatment of Autistic Children in the Fort Smith School District, and more specifically, Beard Elementary.

I am utterly dismayed at the lack of knowledge and training regarding Autism and Asperger's disorders displayed in the Fort Smith School District. With the current rate of such cases in the general public, there is no excuse for what has occurred in your schools. Not only does this demonstrate woeful ignorance of these conditions, but, should alert all parents to these archaic practices.
I will be forwarding the complete story to my local newspapers.

[lisa]

I am sending this email to the principal of that school. They should be ashamed of themselves:

Hello,
I am asking that you take another look at the circumstances surrounding your staff and Zach Price.
Under no circumstances should this 11 year old be charged with any crime. He's done nothing wrong except for act the way he is...a 'child with autism' who has not had his IEP implemented with proper supports and services as needed.
This child has an IQ of 68, yet you may be willing to have him sent to a psychiatric hospital for 30 days AND charge him with a crime? The only people who should be charged here are the adults who cannot and has failed to help Zachary in his placement with providing what his family has asked you to do and implement his IEP. Just wondering if you people down there have any special training with dealing with children with autism? What if this were your child? Would you think this is fair to ruin his life?
He's already been in a residential facility and is trying to make it in the society that we live in today. But how can he, or any other child with autism or any other disabilities 'make it' in today's society when all you want to do is punish him for a 'manifestation' of his disability?!
Shame on you.
Please do the right thing and get Zach the proper supports and services so he can become successful in his own environment and in society. These children depend on you for support and you are letting this one child in particular down. He already has a hard enough life as it is; do you want to harm him more by filing charges on him...especially when he probably doesn't even realize what's happened!

Lisa in Massachusetts

There are 1 in every 91 children in the United States who are living with autism and need our help. Chances are, you or someone you know is living with autism today.

AUTISM: : Help find a cure. This statistic just released October 2009

[Tara Myers]

This is clearly a failure of the school system itself, as evidenced by their total and complete lack of preventive actions. A Functional Based Assessment and Manifestation Determination would go a long way in identifying triggers and antecedents that can be avoided. If a child ultimately "acts out", then this means YOU have failed the child.
Your goal is to enable the child to feel safe, accepted and comfortable. The school seems to have done everything to distance the child, and cause them great emotional harm.
I will include you in my prayers.
Tara from Pennsylvania

[David Bobb]

My name is David, father of an Autistic child, I would like to share with you the letter I sent:

Miss Siebenmorgan and Dr.Gooden,

My name is David Bobb. I am an employee of the Federal Government, a former United States Marine and the father of an Autistic boy. I respectfully request that you drop the Felony charges against Zakh. An Autistic child defending himself against what, in is his world, may be misconstrued an attack by two adults, rather than "restraining" is absolutely no grounds to press felony charges against him.

The world that you see through your eyes and the world he sees through his eyes are just two completely different realities. There are ways to handle an Autistic child so a happy medium can be met, and from what I've read to this point, those requirements were not being met. Cornering ANY child or even any adult triggers a fight or flight reflex we have that is intrinsic. Especially an Autistic child that you have given no effort to try to understand denying yourselves in the process the tools you need to be able to cope with Autistic behaviors.

The bottom line is that Zakh's needs were not met... (a full-time aide, a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and a Positive Behavior Plan (PBP)). And now the repercussions of the School District's failure to comply with these needs and apparently distancing yourselves as far from Zakh as possible, results in a scared little child facing Felony charges. Zakh is an 11 year old boy with Autism and an IQ of 68 who has had a rough life to this point, including the death of a 3 year-old sister.

Please provide Zakh with the help he needs and rightfully deserves. My prayers are with Zakh and with you, Miss Siebenmorgan, that God will open your heart and make you realize you have a responsibility as an Educator to meet Zakhs needs and not to sweep an 11 year old child with Autism under the rug.

Regards,
David Bobb

[adriponso]

A family member maybe suffering from a Jealous delusional disorder and the rest of the family do not know what action to take or how to go about helping them. They hope that the episodes will simply go away. How do you the person suffering from the disorder? How do you help the rest of the family deal with a mental illness in the family.