AS a parent of a child with autism, I felt great sadness to read John Cobb’s comments about putting a disabled child into an institution ("Cobb would ‘get rid of’ disabled child”, 20/20).

My sadness comes from my personal experience battling naivety and ignorance in places where people should know better, such as schools and in health services.

Regardless of the intent or interpretation of Mr Cobb’s original comment, his reported response to the criticism – that a child with a disability is a “disruption” to a family – dug him into a bigger hole.

Families are dedicated to helping their children achieve the highest levels of independence and ability they can.

A disability generally means that extra assistance, concentration and time in this pursuit are required, not a total revision of family membership.

In some quarters, this is called love, something you can’t find in any kind of institution, or in the fine print of support programs.
Alan Archer
Murrumbeena, Vic

Source: The Australian [LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]