Saturday, April 20, 2013

April is Autism Awareness Month: The history of disability treatment in the US by Kathleen L. Maher



April is Autism Awareness month. The latest statistics indicate that as many as 1 in 50 boys (1 in 88 people in general) have a form of autism. To honor people like my charming, creative, and sensitive son, I salute the journey with all of its bumps and twists toward compassionate and enlightened treatment of disability. 


This photo depicts a turn-of-the-century facility, prosperous from the outside. It has landscaped grounds, crisply painted exterior, a fine-graveled drive, all surrounded by a working farm. Its large and sprawling buildings appear well maintained. Who would guess that inside, in the recesses of the basement, that the indigent and people whom society regarded as "idiots" or “lunatics” were routinely chained by night in cells, and worked in farm labor by day?

What remains of this building, a buckling behemoth of brown brick, now lies less than two tenths of a mile from my home in upstate NY. Sadly it is not unique among its kind. Built in the mid nineteenth century, places like this promised refuge to the poor and mentally challenged. "Alms houses" like these flourished under the progressive, benevolent movement of the late 1800’s.
By 1880  almost 140 of these institutions had been built by private philanthropists across the US, such as the elaborately gardened Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts, (pictured at right) incidentally which occupied the same grounds as the Salem witch trial of a prior century. It was hoped that a beautiful facility, inspiring vistas, exercise, and fresh air would rejuvenate the mind and spirit. This philosophy bore the term "moral treatment."

As private money dried up and populations came into complexes but never left, states assumed responsibility for the upkeep of these sprawling institutions and their residents. Staff-to-patient ratios fell from plumb, and the spa-like atmosphere gave way to labor camps and prisons. Facilities like these became "snake pits" and asylums, warehouses for populations as diverse as geriatrics, alcoholics, the mentally challenged, and the criminally insane.

Over the turn of the century and the subsequent decades, new options in treatment came and went, including psycho-surgery, electroconvulsive therapy (which is still being performed in certain cases), and the wave of antipsychotic drug therapies of the mid-20th century.

But during WWII, a breakthrough in humane treatment came through an unlikely source. Conscientious Objectors, pacifist men of religious conviction, were exempted from the war and relegated to civic duty. Many thousands of these men came to serve in these asylums and found deplorable, cruel and violent conditions. Under the influence of their unique blend of faith, compassion, and pacifism, they invented humane and dignified methods to manage the care of these patients.

In the last several decades has there been a move away from institutionalization to community based residential care facilities. Reporter Geraldo Rivera got his start as a young journalist by exposing the horrors at a Long Island asylum called Willowbrook. This media exposure, plus the move to include parental advocacy, brought about a more homelike and enlightened atmosphere for people with neurological and psychological issues. Finally, the introduction of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis brings hope that integration is possible for all individuals into society.


Kathleen L. Maher’s novella Bachelor Buttons releases May 1 as part of a Civil War sesquicentennial collection by Helping Hands Press. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest, and finaled in several others since 2009. Represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency, Kathleen blogs about New York State history.  She and her husband live in a 100-year-old farmhouse in upstate NY with their three children, two Newfoundland dogs and a tuxedo cat. 

Kathleen is offering a pdf copy of her novella to one lucky commenter today, plus an Irish goodie basket.




38 comments:

  1. Wow, powerful post, Kathleen. Thank you for sharing. God bless you and your son. :)

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    1. Thanks, Debbie. He is a blessing, and my world has broadened because of him. :)

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  2. It's difficult to imagine how treating people like that could have ever been considered acceptable. It makes me wonder how much was turning a blind eye, financial eye. If possibly the money situation at the times just made people ignore what they didn't want to or couldn't afford to pay for?

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    1. Keen insights, Stephanie. Out of sight, out of mind. But I am heartened by the changes. If only Andrew Cuomo will reconsider cutting aid to those with developmental disabilities.

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  3. Hi Kathleen, thanks for sharing this post. Great information and it makes me very glad for the changes in helping people with disabilities.

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    1. Thank you, Carrie. I agree--we have come a long way by the grace of God.

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  4. "Under the influence of their unique blend of faith, compassion, and pacifism, they invented humane and dignified methods to manage the care of these patients."

    God bless those men!

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    1. Amen! I am eager to learn more about these men, and explore the theme of "we are never here by accident." God places us in the areas where we can have the most influence for good, just like Joseph. For good, and not for evil.
      Blessings!

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  5. It's sad to think how cruel people can be toward their fellow humans. When I was a teen, I volunteered at a home for mentally-challenged children. Since then, the facility has been closed and the children returned to their families. Thanks for an interesting post, Kathleen.

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    1. wow, Vickie. What an experience that must have been. I rejoice with you that they are in their homes where they can be loved.

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  6. Hi, Kathleen. I have read Carrie Fancett Pagels book and I am getting ready to read Murray Pura's book in this series. I would love to win this one.

    deamundy(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Hey, Deanna
      I am thrilled tha tyou are enjoying these Civil War novellas. I am really enjoying the other authors' stories, too. Good luck on this giveaway! Will announce the winner after midnight tonight.

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  7. Thank you for an informative focus. These institutions were virtually torture chambers for the afflicted. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume of The Cry of Freedom Series. The first two were excellent!

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    1. Hey, Nancee
      Thanks for coming by today! I have been blown away by the first two--Murray Pura's and Carrie Pagels' stories. I had a lot of fun writing mine. Hope you enjoy!

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  8. It is so appalling and heart-breaking to read about these places of inhumane treatment. I pray that no one today is experiencing such living conditions.
    may_dayzee (at) yahoo (dot) com

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    1. Thank you, Kay. Me, too. My husband has worked with the developmentally disabled for over a decade and thank God, things are getting better and better for them. I love it when god's people see a need and use His creativity to meet that need. I was very inspired by the Conscientious Objectors.
      Thanks so much for coming by today.

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  9. Thank the Lord we have come a long way since then. I shudder to think what would have happened to my Mother if she had been living back then. She died from Alzheimer's in December.

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    1. My deepest condolences on your mom's passing. Yes, I am thankful, too that compassionate people used by the Lord have brought about changes for the better. WE have a ways to go, but it heartens me to know how far we've come.
      Blessings, and good luck on the giveaway.

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  10. Thanks for sharing - I learned about much of this type of inhumane treatment when in college, and am so glad we have and are moving away from such awfulness! I am looking forward to reading this book as well :)

    bettimace(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. hi, Betz, so nice to have you here. Are you a psych or human services major? I find this both fascinating and encouraging in a way, to think of how far we've come. I am proud of our country that we have a higher standard of care for the least of these.
      Thank you so much for coming by and leaving a comment. Good luck on the giveaway!

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  11. Interesting blog entry - so glad disabilities are being looked at differently now. Before retiring, I worked for a number of years in a children's home in which the children had not only been abused in all ways, but had autism & other forms of disability. It was so gratifying to see the children start opening up & reaching out to those trying to help them!

    bonnieroof60@yahoo.com

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    1. Bonnie, you are my hero for the day. How wonderful to share your time and giftings with these kids. What stories you must have to tell! I;d love to hear some of them.

      Good luck on the giveaway!

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  12. Thank you for your post, Kathleen. What a terrible thing for people to be so poorly treated due to a little understood illness. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Thanks, Nancy. Isn't it wonderful how we are uncovering the amazing mysteries of how we are all fearfully and wonderfully made? I think of the many autistic savants, and how their special gifts can be a blessing to society. I appreciate you coming by today.

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  14. Wow I am so glad we have progressed since then...it's so sad to think of what some people went through. truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thank you for coming by today, Eliza. So many of us are touched by a loved one with a disability. I am thankful it is no longer a taboo subject and that we are learning more every day.
      blessings, and good luck on the drawing

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  15. My friend's son is autistic, and I hate to think how he could have be institutionalized in the past. He's such a cute, loving, and smart little boy, and my son's best friend. I'm so glad that God brought along people who would make a difference!

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    1. oh, give your boy a hug for befriending him! your son is someone making a big difference! That blesses me. So often these kids struggle socially, and friendships are very challenging, but sooo longed for.
      Yes, thinking on the past makes me want to fight like a mama bear to consider my boy being so misunderstood. Thanking God for His people who have been salt and light.

      Blessings, and good luck on the drawing

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  16. Kathleen, it always makes me sad when I hear of those who treated people so cruel like they don't matter or don't know. I think of how bad the blacks were treated in the slave days. They were looked upon as cattle by so many. I can't even imagine them doing what they did. Even auctioning them off, and men being to touch them all over like animals. I think some of our institutions now are pretty bad. But glad for any improvement. A mo. or so a couple of people wanted the people in a resturant to make a family to leave because the little girl had Downs Syndrome. The waiter ask them to leave and not come back as long as they felt like this. He figured he might get fired, but didn't It made headlines on our TV. People called him a Hero. They acted like he was contageous. I would like to win.
    Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com

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    1. I remember that story, yes, that waiter was a hero. Sadly there are still people who refuse to see the humanity in people who are different. Jesus was such a revolutionary--he championed orphans, the poor, the weak, the leprous, women, children. . .people whom society deemed worthless. Every human rights movement has its roots in His teachings.

      Good luck on the giveaway, Maxie. Nice to see you here today, as always. :)

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  17. Kathleen, thanks for this post. What a shame that the handicapped suffered from those they relied upon for care. How interesting that conscientious objectors helped change the treatment of these patients. Janalyn

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    1. Thanks, Janalyn. I love it when history shows God's people as the agents of good in a degenerate culture. This was a great case in point. God's people are awesome like that!

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  18. Wow Kathy, that was really interesting. It's so sad that people suffered so through the centuries. I remember seeing one in a nearby town when I was growing up.

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    1. and yet, there is hope for better understanding and treatment all the time. I am thankful for the continuing progress and breakthroughs. Thanks for commenting! :)

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  19. And the winner of my novella and Irish goodie basket is Nancee! Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly for your mailing info.
    Thank you everybody for visiting today. Lord bless~
    Kathy

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    1. Kathleen, thank you sooo much! I'm so grateful to have won your contest, and look forward to reading Bachelor Buttons, and the Irish goodie basket sounds wonderful! As soon as I've read Bachelor Buttons I'd be happy to leave you a review. Thanks again!

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  20. I have always been saddened by the treatment of these poor people back in the day. I'm sure it's because they didn't have the resources, medical histories or knowledge we do. Thank you for a wonderful post full of history!
    Susan

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  21. Kathleen, I wonder what would have happened, had my wife and I not treated our older son like the intelligent and sweet kid that he is and did our best to help him overcome his challenges. We would never know the joy of a kid who studies twice as hard as anyone else to make A's and stay in accelerated classes, who loves baseball and is known by his teammates as a contact hitter, who loves music and is about to travel to Europe with his marching band, and who is one step away from Eagle Scout.

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