AUTISM FIGHTS BACK!
A tale about a real man's struggle with blatant disregard for a special needs child from the NC school system. A parent nor their child should ever have to go through what these two merely overcame.
They diagnosed this young lad at age five; the odds were against them already, as the man and his boy lived alone and had been since the boy was two. A single parent, doing his best to raise his son alone. Dad knew that one horrible fact existed among children, that kids often pick on kids; with disabilities, such as his son's Autism.
Chance entered the second grade, and of course, the inevitable happened. The boy had come home from school upset because he was getting pushed around. So over Chance's 2nd-grade summer, dad teaches him some things that may help him if he had to defend himself. Dad, as a youngster, was a high-ranking belt in Martial Arts. So, they had all the tools necessary. Chances' dad would tell him all about how standing up for himself; was an important thing in life, that he had to do so for people to respect him as a man; his dad had told Chance that kids were going to be more apt to pick on him probably, because of his Autism; that's something he will have to. When he started the 3rd grade, the very first day, Chance came home with a fight story to tell dad; as a father, he felt fabulous; because his son had stood up for himself, and even better, he came out on top. Tyler's dad couldn't have been prouder. Throughout the first 2 or 3 weeks of school, Chance would come home at least 2-3 out of 5 days with another fight story. After a few weeks of fighting almost daily, it died down. Most everyone became friends. It was a colossal relief to dad, as it was for Tyler. Dad realized all the fights in grade school, except for one or two, wasn't because of anything concerning his Autism, more; just young kids being kids. It wasn't until the 6th grade that the attempted "bullying" because of his Autism; began. In middle school, the children are bigger; naturally, the fights are bigger and more violent. A group of kids in (West Iredell Middle School) in a small town in the South had the hobby of abusing disabled children. The aim of this despicable diary; is to report on the school's actions. Tyler Chance again had been coming home with more fight stories; His dad; always asked, "Where were the teachers?" Tyler told him that something must have distracted them. Something always seems to distract the teachers. Tyler's dad didn't understand how or why the teachers could always be diverted from such seriousness. There was one week when Chance came home three different days in one week with stories of violence. The next Monday, he comes home telling a story about one of those kids trying to steal his coat. Of course, it led to a fight. Tuesday, he came home with another battle story.
So, Wednesday. The boy's father called and spoke with the officer that worked at the school. He told the cop about it all. The officer told Chance's Father that he would check into it and call him back. He never did. The very next day, Chance came in crying. Dad asked what had happened. Chance handed Dad a paper to show where he had been suspended.
The teacher tried to pair Chance and another student up to do a project. The other child said he didn't want to work with an "Autistic dumb*ss." He used his hand to push Chance's face back. Chance ended up hurting the other child badly. The next day the two went to the school. The officer and the Vice Principal said we had to hurry because Chance was a suspended student. And being a suspended student, he wasn't allowed on school grounds. His dad described many occasions that his boy had to fight because kids from this group kept messing with him. He told them that Chance had a hard enough time learning in school. He sure didn't need the setback of being suspended for three days. It didn't matter. They told him that since Chance struck the boy back, he's also at fault, that it would be possible that he could have criminal charges if it happened again. The dad replied that… Everyone knows kids with disabilities, such as Autism, are more than likely going to be bullied! One finally stands up and defends himself and gets punished!
"So, if my son doesn't sit and take a beating by anyone who wants to give it, he will be penalized?
Dad raged!
"Yes, he will, and he may go to jail." They replied.
There was not much of anything Chance and/or Dad could say or do. Nothing at all. The following Tuesday, Chance returned to school from being suspended. He came home that day, had said nothing, and the next morning his dad got up with Chance to get him off to school. Chance was. Dad already knew why he was saying this; at least he thought he did. He told his son that he had to go to school and just deal with things the best he could. He went on to school. This bothered the father terribly, and all the other things that had happened already. He called to talk to Principal Ivey. He had to leave a message. Finally, the principal called back, and Chance's Father told him about what Chance was saying and how he acted that morning. He also told the principal about the incidents prior. Ivey told Chance's father that there was no need to worry about Chance and the other boy having any more confrontations because he had put the other boy on a different schedule, to where he and Chance would never see each other in passing. The Father was glad to hear that. But then he began to wonder,
"How could such a strong action already have taken place just because of two kids having a regular fight?" Ivey right off attempted to debunk everything that Chance had been telling his father. The principal said, concerning the jacket incident, that there were witnesses that all said; that the other child wasn't trying to steal his jacket. That the boy by accident; thought he was picking his jacket up instead of Chance's. And that it was an innocent mistake on the other boy's part. Ivey then continued to talk about Chance saying that he was "Nervous about going to school." He said that kids do that sometimes. They wake up and just don't feel like going to school. Chance's father now was furious because Ivey was saying/implying that his son was just being deceitful and lying about everything.
Later that day when Chance got home, his father told him what Ivey said about the boy only picking up his jacket by mistake. Chance responded with great surprise. He said to his father that he doesn't know how the boy thought it was his coat, because he already had his coat on! He said that the boy quickly snatched up the coat and said that,
"This was his sh*t now!" Later that day Chance told his father that the boy he fought with on the previous Thursday got ISS, "In-school suspension" for bringing a knife to school on Tuesday. The father was furious and said it's obvious that was the reason his son was nervous about going to school that day! Because they had caught the boy with a knife, on his first day back from suspension. Chance was afraid for his life. It then registered in the father's head that, THAT was the reason for the drastic action by them keeping the other boy and his son completely away from each other. Mr. Ivey didn't mention that part to Chance's father. He only said that "Chance just didn't feel like going to school that day." Still, the boy and his father sadly were helpless to do anything about this travesty.
T. Chance is now enjoying his summer, looking forward to going on to the seventh grade next school year. Let's wish him our best!
Now some time has passed. Chance will begin the eleventh grade this fall and is now working at McDonald's for a summer job. He has been contacted by several colleges already.
"We're so proud of Tyler Chance!" 08/08/2021
