Expert: Tim Runner - 9/6/2008

Question
My brother has had autism since he was little. He has been to school and graduated from a school for people with special needs. My brother never had any problems at the beginning of his school career. Around the time when he was 15-16 he started doing things like screaming , biting his hand. Well when he turned 18-19 our parents divorced. My brother now lives with my mother and my father has recently went to prison. Now that only my mom and brother stay together he has totally changed. He is no long as happy looking as he usually was. He is 5'9 ,,280lbs. He is very muscular built. My brother now has episodes were he will run out of the house and run in the middle of the road screaming all the way down the street. He will run to neighborhood houses and bang on their doors yelling and screaming. He grabs knives and places them on his wrist and neck and says " CUT CUT, hurt yourself". He attacks small children, attacks my mother, and anyone that is in his path during an episode. He gets aggressive in the malls, stores and bangs on the glass display cases, bangs on cars in the parking lot. My brother has a small vocabulary. He doesnt understand crossing the road by himself or looking both ways. One day while i was watching him, i took a nap and woke up and he had snuck out of the house and went to the store and stole a snickers bar and was caught. The question I have is what can we do?? My mother works during the day 3-11p, and I work also.. We want to get him into a home for people that have special needs but it is so hard, and we can't find what we are looking for. My mom is too old to be fighting or holding a bat for protection. I want my mom to be safe and my brother.. I live in Delaware and I am in need of HELP!!  blkvixon@gmail.com

Answer
Tia,
You need to contact your local mental health agency and ask them to help your brother. You may also need to call the police and have him put in a mental health hospital. He sounds like a time-bomb about to go off by hurting someone and ending up in jail.
I wish you and your brother the best,
Tim Runner, Education Advocate
You can learn more at my web site:
www.special-education-answers.com