Updates on Upsetting Special-Needs News Stories

In recent weeks, I've reported on three unsettling stories involving boys on the autism spectrum -- a teen taken from his parents, a preteen barred from a church, and a kindergartner voted out of class. Here are the latest developments.

Nate Tseglin: A petition to return Nate Tseglin, a teenager with Asperger syndrome, to his parents' custody was a Site of the Day here in March. It's taken this long, but according to a post on the blog Adventures in Autism, Nate is finally going home. Unfortunately, the mistreatment he received while in state custody -- including the medication his parents lost custody for trying to avoid -- will likely take an even longer time to overcome.

Adam Race: The autistic boy who was barred from his church by a restraining order is attending another church with his family now, according to a report in the Wadena Pioneer Journal. Meanwhile, the diocese has brought in a mediator to try to work out issues between the Races and their home parish.

Alex Barton: This past Monday's Site of the Day was an action alert on the case of the kindergartner whose teacher urged his classmates to share what they disliked about him. According to reports in the TC Palm, the teacher has been reassigned to an administrative post pending an investigation, and an email address has been set up for those who want to send Alex some encouraging words. The blogs AutismVox and A Room of Mama's Own have growing lists of posts on the subject from around the Web, including some expressing discomfort at how vehement attacks on the teacher have become.

Have you seen additional news on any of these stories? Share it in the comments.