1.10.2010

Please Help Zakhquery Price, Please Help Him Now

I am hoping you have already heard about and taken action on behalf of Zakhquery Price, the Arkansas fifth grader with autism who was charged with a felony (at last report the hearing is Tuesday January 12th) and whose family (which includes three other children with autism and who have also lost a young daughter) does not yet have the funds to fight their son's legal battle. But just in case you haven't, here's three starting points:
Please donate to Zakh's legal fund if you can, but if you can't, you can still help by emailing this or another article from this page, or tweeting about it. And if you know anyone in the media (as Age of Autism, the self-declared "Daily Web Newspaper of the Autism Epidemic" hadn't touched the story as of today, 11 days after it broke), please bring the story to their attention. The more eyes, clicks, and donations we generate, the better the chance that Zakh and his family will be able to stand up for themselves, and keep Zakh from institutionalization and regression.

For those who want more details, Liz Ditz -- a dear friend who is frequently my adjunct brain -- gave me permission to swipe the info below from her January 5th post Update on Zakhquery Price's Case: ASAN Action Alert:

[Liz] told you about Zakhquery Price on January 3. Tricia Kennedy, who hosts Embrace Autism Now interview with Zakh's grandmother on January 5th 2009. 
at Blog Talk Radio, had an

[On January 6th], I received the following action alert
This is another ASAN Update for bloggers in the Autistic and disability rights communities. ASAN has created an Action Alert regarding the case of an 11-year old Autistic boy in Arkansas named Zakhqurey Price, who has been charged with felony assault after a school restraint incident. There were no serious injuries, and the incident occurred under circumstances where the use of restraint would not have been legal if recently introduced federal civil rights legislation to protect children in schools had been in effect. We are asking that you take action by contacting the school principal and superintendent to inform them of your concerns and by reposting the ASAN Action Alert set forth below.

As always, we encourage you to contact us with your comments, and please let us know if you would prefer to receive these announcements at a different address or to be removed from the list.

Best regards,

Meg Evans
Director of Community Liaison, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
email  mmevans@woh.rr.com


By Ari Ne'eman, ASAN President.

Hello,

In the past, we've written to you about advocacy issues relating to the rights of adults and youth on the autism spectrum. Our voices have made a difference on all manner of policy concerns and have sent a clear message that those who seek to deprive Autistic people of any age of their rights will have our community to answer to. Now we'd like to ask you to help us take action to help protect an 11-year old Autistic boy in Arkansas named Zakhqurey Price, currently being charged with felony assault after fighting back when two staff members restrained him in response to behavioral challenges. The school has ignored repeated efforts from Zakh's grandmother over the course of the last five months to obtain needed IEP supports to improve his educational options and manage his behavioral difficulties.

According to the suspension notice, the restraint was in response to Zakh destroying school property - something beyond the scope of what would be allowed under recently introduced federal civil rights legislation around restraint and seclusion in schools. Disability advocates, including ASAN, are fighting to pass this crucial legislation that would broaden the protections available to students like Zakh as well as those with other disabilities and with no disability at all. We have asked for your help in passing this important legislation, and together we can succeed in bringing proposed civil rights protections into law - but not in time to help Zakh. That is why we need you to take action now. Find out how below:

School Principal:

Pam Siebenmorgan (One of the charging parties in Zakh's felony hearing - polite but firm calls and e-mails encouraging her to drop the charges would be helpful)
Phone: 479-646-0834
E-mail: psiebenm@fortsmithschools.org


School Superintendent:

Dr. Benny Gooden (The Superintendent runs the entire school district - polite but firm calls and e-mails communicating how this situation is damaging Fort Smith Public Schools' reputation would be helpful as well)

E-mail: bgooden@fortsmithschools.org
School Board Office: 1-479-785-2501 Ext. 1201


We recommend that you both e-mail and call if you can. If necessary, e-mail is the preferable option. If you would like your e-mails to be passed along to Zakh's grandmother, please bcc: info@autisticadvocacy.org. Please stress the importance of Fort Smith Public Schools taking the following steps:
  • Drop the charges against Zakhqurey Price
  • Work with his grandmother to put in place an IEP that will fulfill Zakh's right for a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
  • Improve training for school personnel to prevent future such incidents and to ensure that students on the autism spectrum as well as with other disabilities are included, supported and educated in Fort Smith Public Schools.
  • If Zakh is declared incompetent as part of the hearing scheduled for January 12th, state law requires that he be placed into a mental hospital for at least 30 days. His grandmother fears that, due to the negative repercussions of being taken out of the community and being forced into an institutional setting, Zakh may lose skills in such an environment and not be returned to her indefinitely. That is why we need you to act now. Please distribute and repost this action alert. Thank you for your time and your advocacy, and as always, Nothing About Us, Without Us!
Thank you.

6 comments:

  1. Shan: Left a note on the blog http://autism.healingthresholds.com/ -- I've know her (virtually) through my work with www.HBWM.com for many years. I hope she picks up the cause and helps this young man's family.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Would you mind if I copy/paste your info? I'm short of time to write up a whole new one, but would like to help spread the message. I'll credit you obviously ( :

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Amber,

    No problem, as long as you cite Liz Ditz as well -- all the info in italics comes from her.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh that poor kid. It breaks my heart. I imagine what if that happened to Leelo and that is just horrible, such human rights abuses just accepted by the school district, the institution that Zakhquery was stuck in until Medicaid stopped paying... really heartbreaking.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Posted this info to Healing Thresholds FB/Twitter pages (Healing Autism). Please keep us updated.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9:23 AM

    There is more to this Zakh story. There has got to be. Did he get his meds that morning? I applaud the school for putting thier foot down and filing assault charges. They are crying out for help.I’d rather be injured during a restraint while addressing the situation than blind-sided. What would you do with other kids in the room and with projectiles flying? Oh poor Zakh. What about the defenseless student with CP in the same room or little girl at her desk trying to understand how to carry the one?
    The legislation is bunk… it will cause more stories of kids being taken away in squad cars and institutionalized. After the de-institutionalization movement… this is a really creative way of re-institutionalizing which will be less theraputic. Police don’t just “ignore the behavior” or use PBS strategies. I am looking forward to the “fall-out” backlash when that happens. Let’s keep our kids safe. It is too bad that so many are focused on the poor kid with a disability who was subjected to appropriate consequences rather than what you are really truely asking the legistation to do... good luck dealing with the judicial rather than the school system.

    ReplyDelete

Respectful disagreement encouraged.