Autism & Isolation 

Can we please get him out of solitary confinement. This man does not deserve this.

This video brings tears to me. My son is autistic with severe learning difficulties. He will be 26 this year, he has a mind of a 2 yr old. I manage to look after him on my own since my wife died nearly 3 yrs ago. He can be very difficult at times but I hate the thought of what will happen to him after I am gone.

I really feel this. I’m autistic and spent 13 months in a psychiatric unit. I was prescribed medication that made no difference. Because it was the wrong environment, it was loud and busy and bright and I couldn’t cope, but they thought I was just unwell. I was, but I’m also autistic. I now live in supported living with a charity that supports people with autism and learning disabilities and I’m making more progress in the 4 months I’ve been here than I ever made in hospital

Ashley was relocated to a house in 2018 and is reportedly "immensely happy". It was quite unacceptable he was kept in seclusion so long, far longer than anyone else. That stated this is obviously reported from the point of view of his advocates, particularly his parents, and I heard (albeit at second hand) from nursing staff that he could be aggressive and difficult. But it's great he is out.

As the parent of a young adult with Asperger's I am saddened, heartbroken, and enraged beyond any sense of reason by this story. To call it inhumane is being generous.

Isolation ordered by psychiatrists - who do they think they are to limit parental visits to one hour a day? This saddens and angers me so much. Shame on New Zealand's mental health system. My heart aches for the loving parents whose rights to care for their son were stripped from them by un unfair, ill-prepared system.

It was Extremely difficult to watch this video. It's inhumane.

It's abuse. he doesn't understand the way he is

Such lovely parents, love to see him jump and sing with joy!

As an autistic man, my heart is breaking watching this.

I am living in New Zealand currently going through the diagnostic process with my psychologist to find out if I am autistic (level 1 without intellectual impairment), & I am completely shocked by this video! I had no idea self seclusion practices are being carried out in our mental health facilities, this is appalling! Once I get my diagnosis I am going to work towards helping the ASD community with creative arts therapy to help with self expression, that’s what we really need!

seclusion could cause mental illness. plus in seclusion the victim gets a sense that they don't need to look after themselves or need to be looked after. I think what the workers are trying to succeed in is to force Ashley to not be as excited about life which could make him experience depression. isolation might make him more calm but he still is going to be excited about life.

This is cruel and pure torture! How can this be within human rights? Most people have a certain tipping point to what they can stomach in terms of input before they become irritated but imagine you haven't got any filter and it all just becomes too much. To lock him up is just horrible and I am shocked that this is officially regarded as "ok" :(

I am Aspie and like three other diagnoses--one quite serious. I just want to tell people before you get pregnant and want to have babies that there is a possibility that you can have a child like me that took a MASSIVE toll on my family and decades of extra time and and money and work by my parents. If you are not up for that with a child, don't have a baby. Parents of autistic children have a massive divorce rate. It's sweet to say, "Oh, I can handle anything--it will be my child" but will you really or will you want to or have to dump them in some horrific place like this because your life will be hell trying to take care of someone like me? There's 7 billion people and really no need to make new kids--be careful for what you wish for. Sometimes having a pet or doing volunteer work for existing children is just as meaningful as making a new child.

when i heard him saying " we are very happy" , i felt like i was happy with him. his eyes tell that he has a pure heart.

I have two children with autism... i could not imagine them living a life like this. We have secluded our children from the world and live in the middle of no where on acreage just so they can live a normal life away from judging eyes. People have no idea how to think or treat children with autism. Its thought of so negatively when all i see is the beauty in it. I wouldnt have my children any other way. Life, to them, is so beautiful and perfect. They dont see gender, color or religion. What i see as a boring rainy day, they see as an excuse to go outside and play in it. I wish him and his family the best!

here in Norway he would have gotten his own apartment in a complex made especially for ppl with asbergers or autism, there are nurses and doctors on call 24/7 that are specialized in treating and caring for them, on top of that they are not locked up they can get picked up by family or have them vist at anytime.

I'm so angry watching this to think they put this poor guy in seclusion. How on earth is that going to help him. If anything is has probably regressed from where he was!

Auditory therapy would help way more. Just know your son appreciates you never give up trying to get him out. (I have high functioning autism).

I can't imagine how it would have been like for me if I was treated like that when I was a young Autistic boy, seclusion is the worst way to integrate an Autistic person into society. Sure, Autistic people often need their space, most of us are very introverted, but that doesn't mean that they should be shut out of all of life, away from the love and support of their families and community. I'm absolutely shocked that a country like New Zealand could be so regressive towards something like this. I hope some progress has been made since this video has been made. Only real criticism I have for this video is that the music is too loud.

This is digusting. How dare the psychiatrist insist he stay in seclusion.

It's difficult all around when adults can be dangerous. I feel for them, their families and also the caregivers at risk. I hope Ashley is in a different environment that works for him.

If that was my kid, I'd have walked him to the car and left.

please help this guy someone.he doesnt deserve this

I have an autistic son. Ashley seems like a fantastic human being, and has great parents, and has such great features all around him - farms, rural space, ocean, surfing, etc. Kind of crazy that NZ is doing something so archaic as seclusion. That's not even humane for criminal prisoners. Crazy.

My child has autism and working on his PHD yes he's hurt me in past due to sounds and don't fear him love him have faith in him. He's going to UW of Seattle Washington!!!

This was hard to watch ,I feel for him and his parents! Inhuman unfair treatment being locked up like that ! I think a better program like working with animals which he loves very much would help a lot!

I sincerely hope that Ashley will be let out of solitary confinement, what has occurred to him is nothing short of a complete ethical and human rights failure made possible by sheer malpractice due to a staggering dysfunctional psychiatric care of New Zealands part. This is truly mind boggling from a psychiatric perspective. Shameful.

Was Ashley ever able to get out? I want an update. That's not a hospital, that's a prison! Guantanamo Bay inmates are treated better!

Why not use ear plugs? I have Asperger S. and find that this helps a lot. A quiet room is preferred but not solitary.

It’s really the saddest thing.. but people do not understand how violent they can be when there overly frustrated and angry. It’s dangerous to others and he’s a big guy. He can not be out in society like that but at the same time the facility should have better ways of treatment. It’s inhumane and disgusting. No one should be locked up for that many hours everyday. That is not helpful at all it’s lazy!! They just don’t want to deal with it

My daughter is 13 and has high functioning autism. You are right about the isolation sadly. Her confidence and social skills are her biggest problems with ASD and it makes me want to cry every day, watching her struggle with everything regarding anything outside of the comfort of home.

This is a sad disorder I know exactly how this is because I feel locked up by myself and feel really alone since I have had trouble fitting in and have bad social anxiety because of having ASD

My son is autistic.he lives in a marvelous group home.they keep him safe and happy.im very lucky i was able to fight for his rights to b eligble to live in this place!❤

He’s so happy just to be outside 😩

Ok. What crime has this man committed? To have been born different? So was I! Having been mis-diagnosed with several psychiatric disorders, I have been involuntarily hospitalized multiple times. This was in USA, prior to being correctly diagnosed with ASD. I have been locked in the quiet room a few times. It is Hell!!!! The walls are padded and sound proofed. The door is locked and there is nothing there but a mat on the floor. The staff take away your clothes and put you in a hospital gown with snaps. You are there for hours (luckily) with no contact with anyone, only your own thoughts. This is supposed to be calming! It is anything But calming! Placing a person in seclusion (solitary) should be a human rights violation. In a lot of cases, a person with ASD or mental illness are stripped of their rights, and treated as criminals, when in reality, they are some of societies most vulnerable people. Too often seclusion is punitive or for the convenience of the staff. How is this meant to treat/help anyone?

I'm devastated because the treatments of our special needs children I'm just 😥!!!

THIS IS FOOLISHNESS HE NEEDS ONE ON ONE CARE AND SOMETHING TO CLAIM HIM A LITTLE

Solitary confinement is torture!

I would love to write to Ashley’s parents. When I saw Ashley in the forest I recognized how nature makes him almost like what most achieve through drinking or taking drugs. He is high on forest air. Nature, especially the sound and feel of water, soothes him. I am autistic myself, and have worked with autistic children for 7 yrs. It was the best time of my life. I learnt more in those 7 yrs than in all others together. The psychiatrists and other mental professionals sadly are still under the impression that autistics need to be cured or change, but not once have I heard that the so-called neuro-typicals should try for once to be more focused on deeper things in life with less noise. In stillness is where we connect to the source of life and when this happens we become very creative. Ashley‘s parents are exactly the kind of humans any autistic child would need. It shows by how much they love him, and how much he loves them. They know that in a peaceful environment Ashton would thrive. He is intelligent, funny, and caring. I love that he saw himself still as a little boy. He allows his inner child to play. It breaks my heart to hear about the place he is treated like a criminal. 6 yrs have gone by since this video was posted and I hope that he lives in nature now, in a fishing hut.

The parents need to say thank you to doctors and nurses who are looking after their disabled child on every day basis. Otherwise the parents have a chance to take care of their own son by themselves.

This is the chief of the geneva convention, please arrest the advocate for further investigation. Gross and severe violation of Ashley's human rights. Severe form of discrimination.

omfg..this hurts me. I am a mother of two kids on the spectrum and it is torture to keep a mind that is constantly exploring or wondering locked behind walls. I used to have a room that same size when i was in my Residential treatment center. We had two types of confinement as well: Isolation and Quiet rooms. ...Still affects me til this day. He exudes a light in him and they were trying to snuff it out. I am so glad his parents have continued to be the beacon to guide him.

This story was great example he’s don’t wants live this life but its coming a quickly btw he’s human too even if he’s struggling with this situation.

Carl, Noah needs to get back home, where I had him on a path to independence; can you and your people help move us?💓

I work with autistic patients in a hospital and patients like him are so sweet but incredibly dangerous because they can become aggressive due to other people kicking off, loud noises and feeling unsafe. They usually attack members of staff but this does mean he deserves to be in seclusion! He needs to have a good doctor and social worker looking after him and he needs to be moved to an appropriate hospital where it is quiet and with less people to trigger him.

i feel so sad and sorry for these parents and their son.

This hurts my heart so much... my son has autism and I can’t imagine him ever being taken away from me no matter how old he is 💔 I’m so scared for my sweet boys future.

It does say that he gets out.. but then assaults staff members and is put right back. Also his assaults on the public were the reason the police were called in the first place. Very sad, but complicated 🙁

The music is way too loud compared to the audio, it makes it difficult to hear what people are saying.

Why is he being kept in seclusion??????? He's a human with a development disability, he's not a serial killer or something! This is heartbreaking and so incredibly sad. He doesn't deserve this treatment.

Hope everything works well for Ashley!

free Ashley !

I would think that getting used to being in seclusion would make his ability to deal with crowds even worse. Is there a technique to gradually get him accustomed to this? We know a lot more about autism than we used to.

I don't get it, I would love living in that room and as far as I know that is because of autism. It sounds like paradise, meal on schedule, daily rigid routine... It ticks all the boxes that give me trouble by having to function in the normal world. Seems to me that someone "normal" HATES that they can't force someone autistic to be normal.

This is what has happened to me even though I am a mental health occupational therapist, whom created the turning point program

He is very smart and I hope he gets the care he needs.

I hope you are doing well Ashley. 🤗

God bless you. Amen

This is a great guy.

I have autism and it’s pretty curable which angers me there’s funding therapy and support groups but the government normally denies the funding

And why can't his parents chose to take him out?

Ashley update please?! someone mentioned he finally got out of this awful situation in 2018? he's clearly an intelligent man (im not even seeing an intellectual disability) with plenty of knowledge to give

Any updates on ashley's situation? I really hope he gets the life he deserves.

This is definitely a human rights violation and I suspect that eventually, that "rehabilitation" facility will be held accountable and made to change those isolation practices.

12:54 They recognise that this is an adherent practice. What methods are there for the status quo to compel those with the ability to change this practice?

Bloody hell! Prolonged seclusion is the WORST possible thing for people with autism. They are not criminals, nor do they deserve to be punished. Even criminals don’t deserve that kind of treatment. It is not treatment, but torture.

Right I do not agree with the solitary confinement. They have to just put heads together. & figure out a way so that the people around the patients do not get hurt. Without putting them thru seclusion...i would think that would make behaviors worse.

Reminds me of Lennie from "Of Mice And Men".

Not right having people in confinement due to mental health. I hope hes doing well 🙏

My 5 year old has autism. He is awesome, I had a hard time watching this but people need to know to help change the situation. What can we do to help?

he’s a very kind person who can’t communicate to others and I feel really bad he been that palace for 10 ten years and it really annoying that they are not letting them film the place he stay and not letting to talk about his care it not very good at all and he doesn’t have the freedom to get out to see the world he is bright and he can do something on his own with support it should be stop to lock up people who got disability I’m really mad and up set the way they miss disrespect they should have a right to be free they should have a normal life and not to be lock up people that they are not normal it should be the law to not lock up people with disability and special needs they should have a better life when they can go in to the world do skills and learning with support I care about people who have special needs and learning disability I have special needs it time to stand up to learn disability and special needs 😀

I have autism and anxiety but I do know that people will understand that they will not be able to talk and help me or give them a hug and a high five and a community worker i know what they do it's not a fatal disease or an illness and I know being autistic makes me who I am sometimes it is in a different race

I really wish the sound in this videos was better. Most of the time the back songs are so loud is imposible for me to really enjoy them.

I would rather have down syndrome than be painfully aware of having my autism and not being able to make deep connections with anyone or function properly

Beginning to understand "THE SPECTRUM" part. Is there research to show a graph based on years since it was first defined? And any correlations to chemical environmental or other factors that could affect people?

And this is exactly why i dont trust anyone with my autistic child. I have so many fears around how he could be treated by neurotypical people.

What the hell is this? How can we treat a fellow human being in this way? a mass murderer has more rights and is treated better

Heartbreaking.

I relate to rhis to much cant watch....

Wow I thought having people in “seclusion” only happened in jail these days.

So much energy lol sweet, 😘😊

To attitude - can you please let me know how Ashley is doing?

Is Ashley still in Isolation? Is there anything I can do to help? Petitions, letters? Please let me know.

Their son Ashley or however it's spelled can't help his autism, but I'm pretty sure he lost his right to freedom the moment it became apparent he's the kind of autistic person who attacks people for talking in a way that bothers him. What autistic people and the people who care about them often don't realize is that there are plenty of people who wish they could assault the autistic person to finally get them to shut up. Except, most of those people do not. If they do, likely they'll be autistic themselves. Regardless of whether or not such people can help it, the public deserves to be protected against such danger. Autistic people grow up, just like anyone else. They become physically stronger as they grow, just like everyone else. The damage they cause is real. He could easily have made the guy permanently disabled or disfigured. No one deserves that for just talking too loud. Parents that opinionated about what's right for their child should have done their utmost to prevent such a thing, instead of complaining about how badly their violent child is supposedly being treated.

Autism isn't fun. A lot of us "high-functioning" live lives of quiet desperation.

This is a forensics facility. Why didn’t this documentary identify what crime was committed. You can’t be in a forensics program without being charged, and going through court process. This doesn’t give the viewer the entire picture.

Ashley is out of the mental unit now and I am wondering if the parents love and care about his son why they don’t take him to live with them. Caregivers and support workers look after Ashley instead of loving parents? I don’t believe what parents saying.

God bless you and yours

Did Ashley get any help???

My daughter is autistic and this is horrifying!

I'm autistic and it's like I get treated like a alien 👽 or some thing It's just horrible

This is so sad :,(

What a nightmare

Can you make the documentary without this classic music?

i seen that place before did this get put on tv ages ago i know i seen them buildings before

I feel like RU-vid is telling me something.

Ashley Darwin

Here in singapore

Is this genetic? Looks like he does so much better with more exercise to get rid of his excess energy.