June 11th, 2012 Dear Friends, Family and Follow Neighbors, I am writing to plead for support from my friends, family and follow neighbors for my son Mickey, who cannot speak for himself. I am here acting on his behalf and represent his voice. Mickey is currently at the Devereux Residential Placement Center and he is being forced to be discharged on Friday, June 29. Devereux gives no justification in writing why Mickey is being discharge. While at infant age, Mickey had already began injuring himself physically by continuously banging his head and constantly screamed at night. At the age 3, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia had diagnosed Mickey with low functional classic non-verbal autistic and separation anxiety. My son, Mickey is loved very much. I have dedicated every waking hour of the past ten years of my life to his care, to his life. My family has arranged every facet our lives around Mickey’s needs. The furnishings in our home, the ability to leave the house, the food we eat and the friends we have (or don’t have), all revolve around Mickey. There are no decorative item in our house as Mickey throws and breaks things during uncontrollable fits of rage. We do not go to movies, parties, museums, or child attended functions because Mickey presents a danger to others. His anxiety toward new places creates a hostile (often violent) response and places those around him in danger. Mickey gets easily frustrated because he is not able to expressively communicate well. When this occurs, Mickey will act out by screaming; perform acts of physically aggression such as scratching/picking, slapping and attempting to bite adults and children around him. He will also do these same acts to himself if allowed. I had high hopes that Mickey would improve as he got older but unfortunately his behavioral disorders only get worse and are essentially unbearable. Mickey needs to remain in a facility that is better suited to deal with him on an hour-by hour basis. In spite of his obvious care requirements, the Devereux officials insist on discharging him to my care at the end of this month. We have maximized all available resources to extend his care there but to no avail. We had countless TSS and BSS workers come into our home to care for Mickey in the past. However, each and every one subsequently quit because of Mickey’s extreme behavior. I worry for my daughter Alaina’s safety and emotional well-being if Mickey returns home. She has been hit by Mickey and spends a lot of energy avoiding him in our house. It breaks my heart that she is so unhappy and that her environment cannot be made safe or comfortable. Nothing is more important to me than the safety of BOTH my children. I am pleading with Devereux officials to keep Mickey in a facility where is will be safe, cared for and in time, hopefully Improve. Mickey needs continuous one-to-one care by professionally trained specialists who know how to give him that special care he needs and clearly deserves. By signing this petition you are helping me speak for my son, whose voice cannot be heard without your help. Mother of an autistic child, Susan Ho Puscar