My fear for young Black boys

As many of you know, I have plans to adopt at some point. My first feeling is that it will be an African American boy, and from foster care. The reasons are a whole ‘nother blog post. Once that became clear to me, other realities did also. It’s in the forefront as we face our racial struggle in America with young black males and the relationship to law enforcement and the alarmingly high percentage of young black males in prison.

This post is not a thesis or academic piece so I’m not going to reference everywhere or make this formal. This post is simply to express some very real concerns I have regarding young black boys today and particularly the impact of autism and social language disorders. Firstly, I’m fearful for our boys. Before you click away because you’ve heard this on the news and disagree, hear me out. I work in the trenches. I’m not influenced by media – I think it’s biased and works to create a direr and more skewed side in cases. I also know there are cases they do not share that would be educational in topics. I grew up voting Republican. I grew up with many prejudices against young black men. See, hear me out. I have something to say. I’m coming from the little that I know – but my personal experience and what I see. As Dr. Leah Gunning Francis so beautifully and simply stated, “our eyes cannot unsee what they have seen.”

I do both speech and language (SLP) and behavior therapies (BCBA). I work with all races and ages who have language, social and behavioral impairments secondary to syndromes, autism, delay with no etiology, you name it. I’ve worked privately, in non-profit and in school districts. Daily, I address behaviors which are aggressive in nature, much of which is due to a lack of communication or deficits in social language processing. Who do I worry about most right now? Young boys with autism and other pragmatic (social language) disorders. Particularly, I worry about OUR young black boys.

As I looked into the creamy brown eyes of one of my clients, I feared for him. This delicious, full-of-life, sweet, hug-you-til-you-drop boy with brown skin who has a significant impairment will someday be out in the world. When he begins to drive and gets pulled over for something, will he understand what the officer asks of him? Will the language be simple enough? Will the officer repeat his question louder or will he rephrase assuming a lack of comprehension? If my client is faced with a gun, will he run like he does when he’s afraid or doesn’t understand how to navigate a situation? Will the officer shoot, assuming evading the situation due to guilt?  

Will my client be “out-talked” or misled to admission of guilt? When many of my clients can’t understand the language or the higher level of processing it requires, they default to agreeing with me. They take my perspective and use my words. It’s easier. They just don’t always have the resources to allocate to navigate the question, especially when in distress, or they yell “no” over and over and over again just to get the questions to stop. They can no longer listen – they need it to simply stop. Language can be overwhelming. When the language doesn’t stop When we don’t stop talking/interrogating/questioning, they can lash out. For some, a physical reaction is the only way that has been successful for them in conveying thoughts and feelings. We haven’t respected their words. Further impairments result in their brains not sending out that signal that we often get that says “not such a good idea right now!” in response to whatever action we are thinking about.  I wonder in times like this: Can we just take a break and come back later?

With autism, many individuals have difficulty processing language. If an officer asks something as simple as “Can I see your license and registration?” will that individual truthfully and wholeheartedly say no? NOT because they wouldn’t grant permission but because they think literally. No, the officer cannot “see” the license because it is housed in his wallet or glovebox or somewhere else, out of sight. This individual would take it out if he had been told, “give me your driver’s license.” Or what happens if he processes this and reaches over to the glovebox to take it out?? Does he lack theory of mind which tells him that the officer’s brain is going to give him the perspective of “reaching for a gun?”

With a growing number of individuals diagnosed with autism, we have to be prepared for this. I know several police departments have welcomed specialized training in autism – recognizing it, responding to it, and keeping those individuals safe. Thank you to those departments and officers who reach out and respond to such trainings. It’s a learning process for all of us.

We know the percentage of language disorders among prison populations is much higher than the general population. We know many don’t have the eloquent language to finesse their ways through interviews, the “vague” language to use in order to avoid being misled. What if we taught them their Miranda rights in plain simple English? I promise you that many have no idea what they are being read. It’s spoken too fast for comprehension and for processing for immediate and future repercussions. Is it also provided in writing for those with auditory verbal processing disorders? I believe in consequences (the right one) and getting “the bad guy” but I also believe in suspects understanding so that we CAN get the “right guy.”

I also feel strongly about officers. I’ve grown up respecting law enforcement and will continue to do so. I know of so many personal and safety sacrifices they make in order to keep us safe and to do what is right. I also know that MOST are making up for lost time and reputation due to a minority of “bad cops.” Those poor representatives of what law enforcement is and should be are strewn all over our TV screens leading us to believe that they speak for the majority. We know it, officers. A few bad ones cannot overshadow the majority of good.

We have a lot of intelligent “bad guys” in prison, I get that too. I’m only particularly worried about those with language disorders and pervasive delays such as autism. This can also apply to our immigrants with limited English skills and lack of cultural fluency in this country. It’s personal to me in so many ways.

Look at this sweet face who is now a (semi) young Black male

freshly immersed in American culture 

Luba made it more personal & more tangible to me

I guess I keep thinking of how can we all work together? Parents, therapists, mental health professionals, law enforcement, teachers, and the list goes on…..how can we make the world safe for officers and youth? Perhaps as Dr. Leah Gunning Francis also pointed out, we should bring in the parents. No panel on TV has a mom as part of the discussion. I can’t believe I never noticed this as I’ve watched mostly MEN who are political and highly educated argue over the cases at hand. Moms of black boys, come to the table. We need you.

This is just the tip of the iceberg but I hope the next time you watch a police shooting clip, you don’t immediately think “he shouldn’t have resisted arrest” or say “well, he ran.” I know some of you think them, I have in the past. I had “until me eyes could not unsee what they have seen.” If we can all think and process more holistically, can we find more ways to refine the process? Can we not respond in an exasperated manner because these “thugs” we see on TV were once young black boys who smile, dance, hug you til you drop, giggle, and hope? I would venture to say that they never set out to disappoint, to be imprisoned, to be failed in our public schools and special education system.

The first step, I believe, is to listen. I didn't believe a lot of this actually happened (HOW? I still ask) until I saw it and until Luba came. I'm hopeful. Together, we can. 

Love,

Danielle

Wednesday

Wednesday....what a treat!

Wednesday morning, we met at the Boland school for Autism with Christelle, the school psychologist, to discuss some of our observations and brainstorm on ways to increase communication and sensory activities throughout the day. It's always fun to brainstorm with others especially overseas yet it requires some creativity and "out of the box" thinking due to difference in resources and manpower.

That night, we went back to participate in their fundraiser: A Christmas Concert. HOW FUN! The staff and children reenacted the Christmas story. It was full of humor and excitement, and of course, many unexpected moments (the mic was stolen on a quite a few occasions for some "ad lib"). This concert was the highlight of the day. Parents were able to come see their children's hard work as well as shop for some items that would benefit the school.

Thank you, Boland, for inviting us out to this event. 

Christelle, Joey, Jaco, and Amorei, you are my heroes!

Keep on, you inspire us and most importantly, you instill hope and inspiration into and love "our" children!

For American supporters, you pulled together an extra R1000 at the last minute to add to our R8000 that we wired before left. This is around $1000 USD. I wish you could have experienced the giving, but know that you are appreciated from waaaaaaaaaay over here by many little faces, staff, and parents. 

Enjoy some pictures from the evening:

Too grateful for words

Danielle

A visit to the autism school

On Friday, Candice and I headed off to the Boland School for Autism to see how we may be of service. To be honest, I went in with an inflated ego. I have some good years of autism experience under my belt as an SLP in the USA and I am half way through my behavior analyst classes. Candice is an OT and just top notch in all things OT (in my humble opinion). Together, us, as a self-proclaimed dream team could go in and give many suggestions and drop off our supplies that many of you graciously donated. Piece of cake.

One of the teachers, Jaco, picked us up at our guesthouse and briefed us on the way. I had been to the school before in 2010 to paint it so I was a little familiar with the children and the school site. They rent a few rooms from a church so the school is housed within the church building. Now, we immediately loved Jaco. He has this bubbly personality and you know immediately that you'd never grow tired of working with him. You can also see how much he loves his job as he describes the school and the children.

Friday is a slow and easy day at the school so we arrived just as the children were finishing a baking project with another teacher, Joey. When the children finished baking and eating lunch, they went outside to play which gave us a chance to sit down and speak with Joey + Jaco and in turn begin to think through our suggestions.

These teachers are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I was humbled by the sheer emotion that exudes as they describe each child. I was almost devoured by love, if you could imagine it being so tangible. They love their jobs. The children love them. You can see it. You can feel it.

[insert repetitive sounds of glass shattering as my ego fell into a million pieces]

As I listened and watched their interactions with each other and the children, I wanted to shrink down in my seat with feelings of inadequacy. I was humbled.

I hope that we will be able to help them with some practical suggestions. Many of the suggestions could require manpower that they just do not have right now. We will go back next week to meet with the school psychologist and debrief a bit. 

Here's the other bit of it. Much of what I saw that was needed does not require some fancy degree or extra letters behind your name or even a trip out here to do something. It just requires donations. 

I have looked up their website in the past year several times and have seen "fundraisers." We were also invited to one next week for the children's concert. I thought to myself, "this is a lot of fundraisers." Now, if you are accustomed to doing fundraisers, you know they are not fun. They are stressful and they take time away from your life when they are due. Imagine doing them OFTEN because your school depends on it? Then, when you think about the reality of it, imagine doing them because your salary depends on it?!?! For me, I need security of knowing that my paycheck is coming. I need to know that I have supplies to use to do the best I can with my job. I have the luxury of depending on parents to purchase most needed or dire supplies. Not here. The school is not yet government funded so they rely on donations to pay teachers and provide what is needed for the school. The children are able to come there at a lower rate than other places. Many cannot afford private schools and even government schools have years-long waiting lists. 

I just looked at all the lovely little faces in the school and imagined them not having anywhere to go. Tuition is R600 per month which to us at the moment is ~$70. Many families barely have that and they surely do not have more than that to go elsewhere. 

The school needs our help!

For those that donated supplies, the teachers were very grateful. Please know that just an item or two here and there brought so much appreciation.  When was the last time YOU were stoked over glue??! 

We are hoping to do more while we are here. If we get any additional financial donations while we are here, then we are going to buy some supplies. We noticed that there are a few rooms that have yet to have blinds placed. This area can get HOT in the summer so I know the children must barely be able to stand being in the class with no air conditioning, the heat, and the sun in their eyes (remember that some children with autism have certain sensitivities anyway). We would love to make sure that blinds are purchased to cover those windows. 

Thank you for what you have done so far for this school and please let me know if you have any additional questions or would like to assist. THIS is a great place to put your bucks.

Here are some pictures from the day:

 a couple of the windows that need blinds

 the "orange room" [1 of 2 classrooms]

 the "blue room" [below]

 a volunteer comes in during the week, bringing her own supplies, and makes crafts with the kids

This small area is where they do their baking -- all of the children were squeezed in to participate

 Joey, Candice, Danielle, Jaco

 computer room [I do not think this room is up and working yet]

 things we don't always think of : we donate large items like printers which is GREAT but then we forget that it costs $$ to purchase cartridges...

 again, large items that still require supplies such as dry erase markers (which we brought) and the sheets

If you wanna help, donate to my gofundme account here.

For more information on the school, you can visit the website.

Grateful,
Danielle