911 Call: Mom Didn’t Want Autistic Kids; Murdered Them.

By Kim Stagliano (Warning profanity alert.)

As Gulf sea turtles are having the oil cleansed gently from their shells and birds are feeling the soft touch of gentle hands wiping their feathers clean, two children with autism felt the paralyzing crush of their mother's despair, anger and abuse. Saiqa Akhter killed one of her children and badly injured a second (who later died), then called 911 (the call is in the Fox News report below, if you can stomach it.) The good news is that it happened in Texas and with any luck, unlike Andrea Yates who drowned her five babies, this bitch will go to her death courtesy of the Texas Justice system.

Children are not appliances that come with warranties and guarantees. Some have autism. Others are hit by a car and paralyzed. Some develop cancer. We don't get to murder them because they do not meet our standards. We don't get to murder them because we are exhausted beyond sanity. We don't get to murder them because we don't know what else to do. Period. I wrote a HuffPo earlier this year, when other parents murdered their children, Autism Should Not Be A Death Sentence.  It shouldn't.

I've shoved Gianna into the garage and slammed the door on her at 2:00 O'clock in the morning when she would not stop screaming. "One one hundred, two one hundred, three one hundred"-- I'd count until my blood pressure was low enough to open the door and guide her back to bed. It was the safe thing to do for both of us. I've left Mia wracked with the finale of a stream of seizures, postictal on the bed and stepped into a steaming shower to sob and shake and scream. I used to take crying Bella out of her crib and plop in her front of a tape loop that ran Teletubbies in the middle of the night so I could catch a few precious hours of sleep. Never in my darkest hour (and I've had many of them, I promise you) have I ever been driven to such rage (or despair) that murder crossed my mind. Not them. Not myself. Never.

I don't care if you're a Curebie rolling an IV drip of DMPS around your house or have "Risperdal-To-Go and ABA R US" on speed dial. Surely we can agree that our children have value and deserve more than a silk lined box and a shovelful of dirt?

Published : Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010, 4:15 PM CDT

Adapted for Web by Tracy DeLatte, myFOXdfw.com

IRVING, Texas - The Irving mother who strangled her two children earlier this week told a 911 operator she did so because they were both autistic and she wanted normal children.

Police said 30-year-old Saiqa Akhter strangled 5-year-old Zain and 2-year-old Faraal.

She then called 911. Listen to the call.

She can be heard in an audio recording repeating, “I kill my both kids. They are died.”

Read the full story at Fox Dallas Fort Worth.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism. Her book from Skyhorse Publishing, All I Can Handle I'm No Mother Teresa; A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism is available now for preorder and debuts November 1st. Contact her at kimstagliano@gmail.com to schedule a Skype book club or in-person appearance this holiday season. Visit her website at www.kimstagliano.com.

Comments

[Adolfin]

Every Child is Special
Psalms 139:13-17.
You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You because You are to be feared; all You do is strange and wonderful. I know it with all my heart. When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother’s womb, when I was growing there in secret, You knew that I was there----- You saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in Your book, before any of them ever began. O God, how difficult I find Your thoughts; how many of them there are!

Children are a wonderful gift from God, who sometimes packed with beautiful patterned paper, but often wrapped in opaque envelope with no color. But whatever the circumstances, a child is absent as such, she valued and its presence always brought a message or a separate learning for parents.

I have a niece her name, Felicia, will enter the age of 12 years, since childhood she had autism. She was so cute and not fussy. Her parents think Feli as "angel" small gift of God. When the age of 2 years ahead, we feel there are not normal in our niece. Feli can not focus, almost no eye contact when asked to communicate, and take a joke when there was no expression on her tiny face.
Autism is a complex developmental disorder in children, whose symptoms had occurred before the child reaches the age of three years. The cause of autism is a neurobiological disorder that affects brain function so that children are not able to interact and communicate effectively premises outside world. Symptoms of autism vary widely, some hyperactive and aggressive behavior, but some are passive. In general, people with autism tend to be difficult to control his emotions, crying, raging, laughing, angry without cause, even hurt yourself.
Many people with autism can be cured, of course, with intensive care. The first thing parents should do is: "should GFCF diet." "GFCF is Gluten Free and Casein Free". So autism was not allowed to consume foods that contain wheat, wheat, and dairy cows. Feli most needed is the support and affection from parents and family.

None of the parents who wanted their children are born with a defective condition. But whatever the reality, the child is a blessing from God to the husband and wife, who must be cared for and brought up in love. Surely there are lessons that will mature the faith and character of older people, especially those who have children with disabilities. Do not throw away a disabled child, because they are the same values and the enormity of events with normal children (Psalms 139:13-14). Trust that God also put good seed in their lives, so they can grow into children who have the privilege itself. Is there anything impossible for God and the believer?

[WarriorMom]

Great job, Kim! You inspire me.

Bonnie, I'm sorry, but *lovingly* calling your child a brat? Emotionally abusive. An intellectual debate? Where's your intellect? Your child drives you in sanity? I'm confused.

[Bonnie]

I am not going to get into intellectual debate on why this woman did it or what caused it and that is why we should forgive her. I will just say that I appreciate your honesty about how you have dealt with things and take from this horrible episode that I am not as bad an Autism Mom as I often accuse myself of being. My son, who I adore, can drive me to complete in sanity at times, and I have acted out in ways that are more queer than abusive, and I look back and go "Am I nuts or what?". But I find myself trying to take it all in stride, and coming back after an episode to kiss that babyface and squeeze him (even at 11 years old) and tell him affectionately what a brat he is!!! The thought that someone can have even the thought of killing their child, unless they are schizophrenic or have some other brain problem, is unfathomable and inexcusable to me!

[Richard Froiland]

I have heard, from an English physician that autism is severe narciscism.

[Stagmom]

Jon, the photo is a reflection of the Texas justice system and their willingness to use the death penalty. A needle with deadly chemicals would have confused our readers since well....

[Jon Petch]

I'll concede there was opinion in your article... tacky pic tho'.
Thankfully her children are beyond sadness. I hope she fully realises what she's done. If I ever accidentally killed a child (my own or another's), I couldn't continue to live knowing that. That she has said she killed her kids and is alive with that knowledge, suggests to me she is probly beyond sociopathic. Mothers that kill their own children are usually better-protected in prison than your average child-murderer. If she is insane then her just punishment will be to exist insane in a prison or prison-hospital until she dies. If she isn't insane she will eventually emotionally realise what she has done and not be able to live with it. I don't value any justice here that might be served at the hands of others - be they judges and governors or - the other high and mighty - prisoners that merely killed adults.

[Jon Petch]

Yeah, I think sticking a picture of an execution chair on your article is a piece of journalistic snake-charming magic to elicit emotional responses your mere reportage didn't merit.

[F Salim]

I too am from Pakistan and my first reaction after reading about this act was horror. I will have to agree with Libby that this woman is likely neither educated nor assimilated into the culture. From the sounds and looks of all I have read and heard she needs help. What she has done is wrong - and something that was probably avoidable, but I can see where the stigma of having "not normal" kids (that is how it is viewed in the masses from that culture - not the elite so to speak)and possible lack of a support structure may have caused her to just snap. As one medical professional on this case said that a woman who kills her kids is in essence ending her own life too - that is not untrue - this woman has no life after this - either she is in prison, or given the death penalty and I would think the worst - she recovers and realizes what she has done. My condolences to the dad and family and prayers for those little, innocent kids, who never got a chance.

[jen]

good luck with your book, Kim, I can't wait to read it!

[Benedetta]

Harold Rongey PhD!!!!!

You hit the nail on the head. All the educated people do the low fat, oat bran diet - yeap that was my family. All nutritionally mis- educated and fully overly vaccinated.