Keiran and Meagan
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘These kids with potentially high intellect are being so badly treated.’
Meagan is in her 60s and was diagnosed with autism a few years ago. She told the Royal Commission being autistic explained many difficulties she had at school.
‘I couldn't handle the school. I failed at school … I didn't talk until I was about seven or eight years old and … it was the autism, I know now.’
Despite her problems at school, Meagan excelled in a number of careers, including nursing, where she worked in an intensive care unit.
‘Because of my autism traits, my hypervigilance, they chose me to do those things. They could see that I was really good at it. And I would never be allowed anywhere near those places now [after the diagnosis].’
Meagan is ‘up on the latest research’ in autism. She advocates for her grandson Keiran, who’s in primary school and is also autistic.
‘Before he was going to school, he could read age-appropriate books. He knew all of the letters of the alphabet. He could count backwards and forwards … He was ready to go to school, but the education department in their wisdom put him in a special ed unit.’
The unit was noisy and Keiran, who loves maths and reading, sat alone for several years and received little education. His behaviour deteriorated.
‘If I asked you to read “Mary Had a Little Lamb” every day for three years, how angry would you be?’
Meagan said when she eventually confronted the school, the teachers weren’t aware Keiran could count and read to a grade 5 level.
‘I said, "Do you understand that he has that capability?" and they went, "No." And I said, "Well, how much formal education do you do in this special ed unit? … No wonder his behaviours are escalating. He's bored.”’
Keiran’s parents enrolled him in a new school where he was put into a mainstream class. Meagan said ‘everything was good’ until a new teacher took over and insisted on controlling his behaviour by punishing him with isolation.
‘We pulled him out when he stopped eating, stopped drinking, had excruciating stomach pains and was wrapping himself in a blanket.’
Keiran’s parents enrolled him in a country school.
‘[It had] a fantastic learning assistance program. They had a fantastic parent participation program … He's overcome most of his trauma … and he is actually doing grade 4 and 5 schoolwork in little patches.’
Meagan said few teachers know how to work with autistic children.
‘They don't have the support in the classrooms. Quite often the parents of these kids don't even understand the autism themselves. So okay, I get that, [but] they're taking advice from the education department, [which is] is so archaic that it causes more problems.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.