I-Team: 8-Year-Old’s Hospital Stay Highlights State’s Challenges In Autism Care

http://media.boston.cbslocal.com/CBSBOS_1506201523182600000AA.mp4 WEYMOUTH (CBS) – An 8-year-old child spent four weeks at South Shore Hospital, but he wasn’t sick.  Tyler is autistic and there was nowhere else for him to go. The I-Team found his case is not unusual.  Vulnerable children in Massachusetts wind up being “medically boarded” simply because there is not a bed available to meet their psychiatric or behavioral needs.  For autistic children like Tyler, the problem can be even more extreme. Tyler’s mother, Melissa Andrade, shared her story with WBZ-TV. “He just started hurting himself and screaming and attacking me and himself,” she recalled.  “I just was very desperate at that time for help.” She called 911 for help because she could not calm him down or stop him from harming himself. “He’s a big kid for his age and very strong so I just couldn’t keep him safe,” she said. Tyler was taken to the pediatric emergency room at South Shore Hospital.  Andrade thought it would be a short stay. However, four weeks later, the I-Team visited Tyler and Adrade in his hospital room.  It was stripped down so he could not create a hazard for himself.  There was a security guard outside the door.  Tyler, who is non-verbal, could not leave.  He could not go to school or go outside. The problem was that there was nowhere for Tyler to go.  There is no hospital in Massachusetts with a dedicated program to treat autistic...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health i-Team Local News Syndicated Local Autism CBS Boston Children David Matteodo Hospital Lauren Leamanczyk WBZ Source Type: news