Dain Fitzgerald reports:
With the so far month-long disappearance of autistic teen Avonte Oquendo from the streets of Queens, New York, Sen. Chuck Schumer is proposing that voluntary tracking devices be placed on autistic kids in the event they wander away from caretakers.
A program funded by the Justice Department is already in place to track those suffering from Alzheimer’s, noted the high-ranking Democrat who thinks it’s time to consider a similar action for those equally disposed to distraction, confusion, and sadly, separation.
Read more on Politix.
Some parents might find this a welcome idea. Others might not. As long as the decision is made by the minors of a parent child, and assuming that the child is severely impaired (and this shouldn’t be confined to just autism spectrum disorders but other disorders involving profound language or cognitive disabilities), this might be a valuable service for some families.
But then…. what if schools start demanding that all students diagnosed with ASD, selective mutism, profound language or intellectual disability, or severe behavior problems be fitted with such trackers in case they run away from school? Would that be okay, too?