Sue Grimm, the mother of two autistic children, says Karen McCarron may have felt hopeless in efforts to care for the autistic daughter she's accused of murdering.
Authorities Tuesday would not discuss a motive for McCarron allegedly suffocating her 3-year-old daughter, Katherine, but they confirmed the girl had a history of autism.
"The news saddened me, but didn't surprise me," Grimm said. "I'm afraid this kind of thing is going to happen again unless central Illinois starts providing more support services for families with children who have autism."
Grimm and her husband, Mark, have two sons with autism who attend Morton High School.
"The biggest challenge families like us face is support services here are woefully inadequate," she said. "Even though autism is the most common childhood disorder, you often feel so alone."
Grimm said she considered committing suicide 10 years ago, but the thought of leaving her children stopped her.
"That's the kind of hopelessness you often feel. You don't even have the option of suicide," the Groveland woman said.
Grimm credits Answers, a Peoria-based autism support group, with helping her work through her thoughts of suicide.
"It's difficult for parents to deal with autism, especially when their kids are younger," she said. "You're isolated socially because of your child's behavior. I've been scolded many times in public because people think my kids are having a temper tantrum.
"Also, an autistic child's diet is very restrictive," Grimm said. "When my kids go out with their friends, I send their food with them."
After McCarron was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, her neighbors were reluctant to talk about the case, saying they didn't know the family well.
By Steve Stein
of the Journal Star
she should be prospcuted to the fullest extent of the law...autism is not a living hell as they say, don't they realize that the child has feelings and can hear pain...but then again, they say autistics are just lab rats to do whatever they want with since they lost their souls. what a stupid myth.
"It's difficult for parents to deal with autism, especially when their kids are younger," she said. "You're isolated socially because of your child's behavior. I've been scolded many times in public because people think my kids are having a temper tantrum.
So who's the the bad guy here? The innocent child with a social development delay or adults who should know better than to give rude, unsolicited advice.
"Also, an autistic child's diet is very restrictive," Grimm said. "When my kids go out with their friends, I send their food with them."
sure, if you're on the gfcf (fill in the blank-free) diets. i was given everything that my family ate as a child, although i stopped drinking soda for personal reasons. i bet they based this off the dan doctors, etc, becuase many autistics eat whatever they want (as in not on the quack diets).
but i belive there are foods none of us should be eating. if anyone had a restrictive diet in my family, my brother did, he does not want to eat any type of vegtavle, etc...
Who cares how she felt? She murdered an innocent child. I hate it when the news tries to play for sympathy for people who do horrible things like that.
God, the way the media talks about it, you'd think kids on the autistic spectrum are the most horrible little monsters devoid of any joy who are hellbent on robbing their parents of every iota of happiness previously in their lives.
Funny, I don't really get that impression from most of us.
God, the way the media talks about it, you'd think kids on the autistic spectrum are the most horrible little monsters devoid of any joy who are hellbent on robbing their parents of every iota of happiness previously in their lives.
i know that i wasn't bent on destroying joy in my family's lives. they should talk to the parents that belive autistics were the greatest joy in their life instead of a nightmare. and no, what the mother did was wrong, she was a human being, not a monster like the curebies would like you to belive.
i think this has to do with the whole can propdagnda they talk about in the media, with autistics being protrayed as mosters in children's bodies.
Having seen some of that Autism Speaks video last night, in the end I had to look away because it was so offensive and distressing, people will be given the impression that autistic children are monsters, and parents will naturally be driven to extreme action.
:cry:
Here's the news story
http://news.pajamasmedia.com/2006/05/16/...ave_.shtml
"MORTON, May 16, 2006 (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News delivered by Newstex) --
A 3-year-old Morton girl who died Saturday may have been smothered and police are investigating her death.
Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said asphyxiation was the preliminary cause of death for Katherine M. McCarron, of the 300 block of East Idlewood Street in Morton. The girl was pronounced dead just before 5 p.m. Saturday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
Karen McCarron, the girl's mother, found her lying in her bed unresponsive an hour earlier, Ingersoll said previously.
The family told Ingersoll the girl had a history of autism. Ingersoll was not aware of any prior incidence of treatment before Saturday.
Ingersoll would not comment further Monday, and referred all questions to the Morton Police Department.
Police Chief Nick Graff said the investigation into McCarron's death is continuing. No arrests had been made as of press time Monday. Graff would not comment on whether police have a suspect.
Newstex ID: KRTB-0166-8685619
Newstex logo"
Maybe this Grimm woman should just shut up and let the police investigate. She is just using the tradegy to promote her cause.
When was the mother arrested and charged with murder?
Sue Grimm used the murder of a three year old as an opportunity to do a bit of lobbying for her cause. How callous. How tasteless. How disrespectful.
she should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law...autism is not a living hell as they say, don't they realize that the child has feelings and can hear pain...but then again, they say autistics are just lab rats to do whatever they want with since they lost their souls. what a stupid myth.
Hear Hear!
But has the mother actually been charged with murder? Seems to me that it is being based purely on circumstantial evidence at present and yet there are all these people jumping in and saying the mother definitely is guilty. Shouldn't we wait until more information comes in before acting as judge, jury, and executioner?
The bloggers at Autism Hub have created an online memorial to the child by posting about her today (Wednesday May 24):
http://www.autism-hub.co.uk
Wish she had killed herself. It would have been much safer. I think the only person not to blame for this is the one that ended up dieing. It's such an ironic shame.