Amicus Letter for Nate Tseglin

[Guest guest]

*At the request of the Tseglin Family, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network

sent the following letter yesterday for use in a court hearing to determine

the future of Nate Tseglin. If you are as of yet unfamiliar with Nate's

case, please visit

**http://www.getnatehome.com/faq.html*<http://www.getnatehome.com/faq.html>

* for details. Please feel free to distribute.*

**

To Whom It May Concern:

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is an international organization

of adults and youth on the autism spectrum, including Asperger's Syndrome,

working to promote the interests of the autistic self-advocate community

through public policy and social change advocacy. We are writing as friends

of the court to express our concern about the treatment of Nate Tseglin, a

young adult with a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome who has been taken away

from his family and placed in an institution under heavy psychotropic

medication.

The right of individuals with disabilities to live in the community has been

well established by the United States Supreme Court under the landmark

Olmstead v. L.C. decision. The ruling requires states to shift funding from

institutional placements to community living supports. Given the clear

evidence that institutional settings and the indiscriminate use of

psychotropic medication negatively impact the quality of life of autistic

adults and youth, we are concerned by Nate's continued placement under

restraint in a residential facility where he is isolated from his family,

his community, and any meaningful educational or social opportunities. The

overwhelming consensus of the scientific community indicates that such a

placement is inappropriate, unnecessary, and counterproductive.

Scientific studies have not found that autistic persons are more likely to

commit violent acts or violent crimes than non-autistic persons despite some

media sensationalism of isolated cases of violence (Murrie, Warren,

Kristiannsson, & Dietz, 2002; Barry-Walsh & Mullen, 2004). Autistic persons

are, however, more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and low

self-esteem, for which cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and one-on-one talk

counseling are the recommended interventions (, Barnard, Pearson,

Hasan, & O'Brien, 2006; Sofronoff, Attwood, & Hinton, 2005). Autistic

persons also require positive support systems, frequent encouragement and

praise, and living and learning environments that are compatible with their

cognitive strengths, challenges, and preferences in order to achieve success

in their life pursuits and gain a high quality of life (Renty & Roeyers,

2006; Plimley, 2007). Psychotropic medications should always be used with

extreme caution with autistic persons as typically these medications are not

specifically tested on this population in clinical studies, and psychotropic

medications may cause substantial harm if used in an indiscriminate fashion.

Nate's current placement does not meet his needs and is likely to result in

long-term physical and emotional damage. We urge the Court to recommend that

Nate be removed from the Fairview Developmental Center and returned to the

community.

Regards,

Ari Ne'eman

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network,

President

1101 15th Street, NW Suite 1212

Washington, DC 20005

aneeman@...

on

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network,

Vice President

srobertson@...

*References:*

Barry-Walsh, J. B., & Mullen, P. E. (2004). Forensic Aspects of Asperger's

Syndrome. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 15(1),

96-107.Murrie, D. C.,

Warren, J. I., Kristiannsson, M., & Dietz, P. E. (2002). Asperger's Syndrome

in Forensic Settings. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 1(1),

59-70.

Plimley, L. A. (2007). A Review Of Quality Of Life Issues And People With

Autism Spectrum Disorders. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(4),

205-213.

Renty, J. O., & Roeyers, H. (2006). Quality of life in high-functioning

adults with autism spectrum disorder: The predictive Value of Disability And

Support Characteristics. Autism, 10(5), 511-524.

Sofronoff, K., Attwood, T., & Hinton, S. (2005) A randomised controlled

trial of a CBT intervention for anxiety in children with Asperger syndrome,

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46 (11) , 1152–1160

, M. E., Barnard, L., Pearson, J., Hasan R., & O'Brien, G. (2006)

Presentation of depression in autism and Asperger syndrome: A review,

Autism, 10 (1), 103-116

--

Ari Ne'eman

President

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

1101 15th Street, NW Suite 1212

Washington, DC 20005

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org