AUTISM FIGHTS BACK!

A tale about a real man's struggle with blatant disregard for his special needs child from the North Carolina 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, against them already; as the man and his boy lived alone and had 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 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. Chance’s dad would tell him all about how standing up for himself; was an important thing in life, that he had to do 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 overcome. When he started the 3rd grade, the very first day, Chance came home with a story to tell dad; as a father, he felt fabulous; because his son stood up for himself, and even better, he came out on top! Tyler's dad couldn't have been more proud. 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 6th grade that the attempted "bullying" because of his Autism; began.

Terrible Tale from a Small Town.

In middle school, the children are bigger, naturally, the fights are bigger and more violent. A group of kids in North-Eastern middle school, in the 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; something distracted them. Something always seems to distract the teachers. Tyler's dad didn't understand how or why the teachers could "always be so 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 what was going on. The officer told Chance's Father that he would check into it and call him back. He never called back. 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 was trained to defend himself. He ended up injuring the other child. The next day the father and son duo went to the school. The officer and Principal Richard Less said we had to hurry because Chance was a suspended student, and wasn't allowed on school grounds. Dad described many occasions; that his boy had to fight because kids from this "gang" kept messing with him. He told them that Chance had a hard enough time in life. He sure did not need the setback of being suspended for three days. It didn't matter. They told him 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. Dad replied that: Everyone knows kids with disabilities, such as Autism, more-than-likely are going to be bullied, and one finally stands up and defends themselves; and then gets punished! Dad stormed with contempt.

"So, if my son doesn't just sit and take a beating by anyone who wants to give him one, without striking back, he will be penalized?

"Yes, he will, and he may go to jail," said Principal Less.

There was not much Chance or his father 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 to school. Chance was nervous. 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. Chance agreed and went to school. This bothered the father along with all the other things that had happened already. He called to talk to Less but had to leave a message, very anxious, spending the next hour in silence, only the sound of his own rapid hear-beat. Finally, Less called back, Chance's father told him about what his son was saying and how he acted that morning. He also told the Principal about the incidents prior; Less told Chance's dad there was no need to worry about Chance and the other boy having any more confrontations as we put the other boy on a totally different schedule, to where he and Chance wouldn’t see each other in passing. The father was glad to hear that but after he hung up, he began to wonder:

"How could such a strong action already have taken place just because of two kids having a regular fight?" Less 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. The boy by accident thought he was picking his jacket up instead of Chance's, and it was an innocent mistake on the other boy's part. Less then continued to talk about Chance saying that he was "Nervous about going to school." The Principal 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 Less was implying, his son was being deceitful and lying about everything.

Later that day when Chance got home, his father told him what Less said about the boy only picking up his jacket by mistake. Chance responded with great surprise. He said to his father, that he didn’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 shi* now!" Later that day Chance told dad that the boy he fought with on the previous Thursday got ISS, for bringing a knife to school on Tuesday, implying it was meant for Chance. Dad was devastated and said how it was obvious, that was the reason his son was nervous about school that day; because they had caught the boy with a knife, on his first day back from suspension. Dad realized his son was afraid for his life. It then registered to Dad that, THAT was the reason for the drastic action of the schedule change! Mr. Less didn't mention that 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. Within a months-time, Chance was expelled and sent to an alternative school because they refused to deal with Tyler Chance’s Autism.

Six months later, the father and son duo came out of a shopping center to get into the car. Chance saw a little black book lying on the ground. He showed dad; dad began to smile as he flipped through the pages of the book.

"What is it, Dad?" Chance asked.

"Well," he answered, as they were pulling out, putting his wrist over the wheel, looking across the parking lot, with a vengeful smile. Chance reiterated.

"You'll never guess," dad replied, he explained that it appeared to be Principal Less’s book. It was full of account numbers and safe boxes. The two looked at each other.

Tyler joined his dad's anxious gaze, surveying the lot from side to side. "What do ya think Tyler," dad asked. "You know what I think," he replied. They arrived at the bank; they had the proper numbers to get into the private room. "CHK-CHK," the key turns. Dad gently pulls the box out from the wall of hidden treasures.

"What is it, Dad?" Tyler asked before dad could open it. Then they saw folders and a stack of cash. "OOOHH..." Dad said," Tyler smiled, "What are we gonna do Dad," dad shakes his head and grins with his eyes big. However, in dad's mind, he had an obvious moral dilemma. But for dad, a 'USED-TO-BE-CRIMINAL,' it was extremely hard, for him to turn down free money. He asked Chance:

"What do you think, buddy?" Chance told his father that they shouldn't steal. Dad had to agree, wanting to teach his boy right. They opened the folder. "What is this," Chances' father replied. Then Chance pondered the same question.

The folder had all kinds of numbers for different accounts. After the two studied the file, they concluded that it all looked shady, and maybe they should turn it in.

"How are we going to do that," Chance posed, "Without them knowing we broke into his box?" Father responded that they would figure something out. They ended up taking it down to the station. Dad told Chance to wait outside in case there was trouble.

A detective came out to talk to Chance's Father, and by this time, Chance had snuck into the station, he saw his dad. He saw that he no longer had the folder. The detective then appeared and handed his dad a small piece of paper. Chance's dad smiled and came back to his son, then they went home.

Chance kept asking what they said. His dad told him that the detective said he had an open case where funds were being misused at that school. It had been reported that numbers were not adding up. Chance asked what it was that the detective gave him.

"Bam!" his father exclaimed, as he flashed the check in front of his son.

"20,000 dollars! Yes!" the lad gasped. There was a reward for helping.

They went to dinner that night, they had a marvelous time discussing the day’s events. The next day they were watching the news, and they saw where cops flooded the school parking lot. They charged in and brought Principal Less out in handcuffs. The one officer bumped Less’s bald head as he introduced him to the back seat of his patrol car. Chance and Dad nodded at each other in silent agreement, that justice had been served. Richard Less, still in prison ‘til this day, still wonders how the authorities had gotten his files. A fresh principal started, and set in motion, a new "special program." So that all kids were better watched-over, and that every kid would have the same opportunities; no-matter what their disability.