Horrorcow Susan Schofield Cabana, Cory Cabana, & Michael Schofield / Schofield Productions / @bipolarnation - A Tragicomic Tale of Psychiatric Munchausen's by Proxy

[multiverse]

Rate me late if this has been posted already; I don't remember seeing it, but I also had to step back from the thread around the time it was published...

https://casetext.com/case/la-cnty-dept-of-children-family-servs-v-susan-s-in-re-jp

Ah, yes, that time when Susan accused Michael of starving their son to death... while he was in her sole custody.

Thankfully he was taken around 3 weeks later but things definitely got a lot worse before they got better.

 

[Ronnie Rocket]

There's a LOT of juicy details...

On July 3, 2019 the juvenile court ordered Dr. Suzanne Dupee to conduct a 730 evaluation to determine, among other things, whether Susan's mental health impacted her ability to care for her children, including her ability to accurately observe and report the children's behaviors and medical symptoms to treating professionals.

Dr. Dupee interviewed each family member, B.K.'s stepfather, his foster mother, and friends of Susan. She also reviewed the children's medical and educational records, as well as videos of the children Susan had posted on the Internet. Dr. Dupee's report included much of the Department's report, a history and intimate details of Susan and Michael's marriage and divorce, and impressions from her interviews with J.P. and B.K. Dr. Dupee observed B.K. was "non-verbal" during his meeting with her and spoke only three to six words. Dr. Dupee concluded B.K. was "as stable as he possibly can be and is doing relatively well in foster care."

With regard to Susan's mental condition, Dr. Dupee found Susan showed no signs of "psychosis, mania, depressive, anxious, obsessive, or compulsive symptoms" and characterized Susan's judgment as "good." She reported Susan "has dedicated her life to the children, despite significant public criticism and denigration and now being accused by her ex-husband and the Department of a serious psychiatric illness . . . ." (9) Dr. Dupee observed that Susan could be "abrasive" and "overbearing" and that, while "the children looked overmedicated (on the internet)," Dr. Dupee did not believe Susan intentionally overmedicated her children. Dr. Dupee also stated she "found no evidence that [Susan] has a desire to have her children stay ill." She concluded her report by stating, "While I have no concern about [Susan's] ability to parent the children and make well-intended medical decisions, it is recommended that the children be monitored in their current environment for a further six months."

(9) A Department of Public Health doctor who reviewed J.P.'s diagnosis and records expressed concerns that Susan suffered from Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, "'a condition whereby a parent secretly causes the child's illness in order to attract attention or sympathy.'" (Leslie O. v. Superior Court (2014) 231 Cal.App.4th 1191, 1196, fn. 5.) The juvenile court originally ordered an expert in the condition to conduct the 730 evaluation, but after that expert proved too expensive, the court appointed Dr. Dupee.

The juvenile court originally ordered an expert in the condition to conduct the 730 evaluation, but after that expert proved too expensive, the court appointed Dr. Dupee.

 

[formerfatcow]

Obviously J.P. is Jani and B.K. is Bodhi, but are the P and K their middle initials?

 

[multiverse]

Ah, let's play every narcissists favorite game: shifting the goal posts!

Susan proclaimed time and again that it was impossible for the children ever to go to Minnesota because they could not fly without her; because Bodhi would inevitably melt down on the plane (helped by mama!); and because she didn't know "how to drive in the snow" despite the fact that Minnesota is totally without snow for half the year and her presence there was not required as a driver.

But when asked by a social worker? Totally new goal posts!


So in her mind, it was absolutely imperative that her kids never go to Minnesota because Michael wouldn't dump benadryl down their throats to wash down their pills, which means they would OBVIOUSLY murder Michael's baby, which means he would definitely call the cops on his older kids and send them to jail forever!

Uh, maybe not try future tripping so hard, Susan. I don't even want to count the number of total assumptions you made in all that mess.

Edit: Bodhu immediately improved across the board once he wasn't on meds - except that he was experiencing the shits due to withdrawal.



More people observed the immediate improvement in Bodhi - and the fact that Susan was paranoid of her own children, and that she saw meds as a first resort, not a last.



Edit: Susan went med seeking within 2 weeks. He was doing fine and everyone else agreed this was the case. She demanded meds because she imagined her 10 year old child would be jailed without them. Who is paranoid and hallucinating, Susan?



Bodhi TALKS y'all!


Edit 2: Bodhi has scarlet fever at one point and Susan decided it was a psychotic episode and not a medical thing.

 

[another idiot]

It seems like that Isaac Mongia guy who made that shitty video from previous page is teaching Jani to become a "warrior" too.



It's funny how Jani who has been drugged for most of her life and whose education was neglected until two years ago has so much better grammar and spelling than the guy who calls himself a producer and claims to work for NASA.

Also, this definitely happened

Obviously J.P. is Jani and B.K. is Bodhi, but are the P and K their middle initials?

Yes. January Paige and Bodhi Keith.

 

[cuddle striker]

Going through it now she lost her appeal is what it comes down to. Jani was over 18 and not under jurisdiction and they stated her aguements about Bodhi had no merit.

Diagnosises listed:
Jani - Schizo at 7. Removed Schizo. Rediagnosed as Autistic.
Bodhi - Autistic at 2.
Susan - Bipolar II
Michael - Chronic Depression

Michael was not a party in this appeal. He also refused to take custody of hte children when they were removed.

Early in the case they truly felt in 6 months time they would be giving the children back to Susan until they realized that the woman who did her 730 was not objective and never did a real assessment.

"Susan's visits with B.K. generally went well, but that on several occasions B.K. asked to end the visits early."

Two counts against Susan that are still active in Bodhi's case:
Count b-2 alleged Susan failed to provide B.K. with "ongoing and necessary treatment for the child's medical condition in that [Susan] overmedicated the child and/or failed to administer the child's medication as prescribed. Such medical neglect of [B.K.] on the part of [Susan] endangers the child's physical health and safety, and places the child at risk of serious physical harm, damage and danger."

Count b-4 alleged Susan "has mental and emotional problems, including a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, which render the mother unable to provide regular care for the children. Such mental and emotional problems on the part of the mother, endanger the children's physical health and safety and place the children at risk of serious physical harm, damage and danger."

Expired count:
Count b-1 pertained only to J.P., over whom the juvenile court terminated jurisdiction following her 18th birthday.

Dismissed count:
Count b-3 alleged Susan's conduct in connection with a custody dispute with Michael endangered J.P. and B.K., but the juvenile court dismissed that count.

The court deemed it too expensive to have an MBP 730 done:
"Department of Public Health doctor who reviewed J.P.'s diagnosis and records expressed concerns that Susan suffered from Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, "'a condition whereby a parent secretly causes the child's illness in order to attract attention or sympathy.'" The juvenile court originally ordered an expert in the condition to conduct the 730 evaluation, but after that expert proved too expensive, the court appointed Dr. Dupee."

Bulleted Details for those that don't want to read a large court document:

Spoiler: Details

"In December 2018 someone reported to a child abuse hotline that J.P. burned her leg and thigh after Susan made her stand in a hot shower "'because she talked too long on the phone with her father.'" The Department's investigation revealed J.P.'s "burn" was likely caused by chronic bedwetting, a side effect of Clozaril and lithium, which J.P. took for schizophrenia. "

"At the time the Department began its investigation, B.K.'s diagnosis was autism, psychosis, and intermittent explosive disorder. B.K. was prescribed Clozaril 350 milligrams (mg), Thorazine 250 mg, Depakote 500 mg, and an additional 50 mg of Thorazine "as needed.""

"Michael said that several doctors examined B.K., confirmed his diagnosis of autism, and refused to prescribe medications for schizophrenia, but that Susan took B.K. to multiple psychiatrists until one eventually prescribed Clozaril. Michael said Susan took B.K. to emergency rooms and urgent care centers in search of medication for him. He said Susan "misinterprets normal autistic 'meltdowns' as signs of psychosis.""

"Michael said Susan had not dealt with her mania and depression and had "an altered view of reality." Michael also expressed concern Susan would not accept B.K. was not schizophrenic unless she received mental health treatment."

"Susan also said that, "if a child looks like a zombie but they are not violent, then they will be safe. If a child is aggressive, the police will taser the child or worse.""

"B.K. slept a lot at school and did not exhibit aggressive behaviors. B.K. was not fully toilet trained, but was improving."

"On January 22, 2019 B.K.'s white blood cell count decreased. He was taken off Clozaril and admitted to a hospital for possible serotonin withdrawal syndrome. The hospital also discontinued Depakote and Thorazine."

"The doctor expressed the Department's concerns that Susan was overmedicating B.K. and said the hospital (Kaiser Permanente) had received phone calls from concerned viewers of a YouTube channel Susan created where she posted videos of J.P. and B.K. Susan "became defensive and said [B.K.] tried to throw himself off the balcony before he was on medication and wouldn't that be a concern for [the Department] and Kaiser.""

"The new psychiatrist also recommended Susan stop posting videos of B.K. online because they could cause B.K. to act a certain way to get attention. Michael also asked Susan to stop posting videos because they invaded B.K.'s privacy. Susan said that, as an advocate for mental health and a reporter, she planned to continue posting videos of B.K."

"Michael accused Susan of maintaining the channel for advertising revenue. According to one of Susan's friends, Susan had about 29,000 followers and promoted herself as an advocate for children with mental health conditions."

"After the appointment Susan told the case social worker she was afraid to allow the children to visit their father out-of-state because J.P. or B.K. might do something to Michael's newborn baby. Susan expressed concerns that Michael and his wife would call the police and that J.P. and B.K. would be taken to jail."

Removal of Meds from Bodhi caused : "I was having conversations with him and he was commenting on his environment. It was exciting. . . . His behaviors are typical of autistic children. He does drop to the ground and cries but it is nothing that we cannot work with. "Prior to the meds wash, it was tough for [B.K.] to say a full sentence. He stuttered and could barely get out a word or two. . . . The majority of the time he was in a fog and it was hard to get his attention or to get him to respond to a command." The supervisor said about Susan: "She seems fearful or timid of [B.K.] and relies on [our] staff to handle his behaviors. . . . She gives him [an as-needed dose] of Benadryl as opposed to deescalating by prompting.""

There are multiple instances here of Susan attempting to remedicate Bodhi and stating that he needs it or he will go to jail. No one else sees anything negative in the changes in him and only see him beginning to act like a normal autistic boy.

After her youtube was taken down she made threats that if Bodhi was not remedicated she would reactivate the account:
"Susan demanded the medical director "get involved," threatened to reactivate her YouTube channel, and accused the medical director of being friends with one of B.K.'s previous doctors and the talk show's host, saying "they support private prisons that incarcerate mentally ill people.""

"Over the course of the next several days Michael learned Susan had procured a prescription for Seroquel for B.K. after complaining he had been "biting himself, screaming, and throwing himself to the floor." (The record does not indicate who or what facility prescribed Seroquel, an antipsychotic medication. The record is somewhat difficult to follow during this time frame, in part because Susan arranged for B.K. to see many different medical professionals in multiple locations between January and March 2019 before the Department detained B.K.)"

"B.K.'s new doctor eventually rescinded the prescription for lithium and Thorazine, but only after Susan had already filled it."

Two weeks later Susan was still giving this medication to Bodhi.

"On March 1, 2019 a nurse from B.K.'s school district, B.K.'s teacher, the assistant principal of B.K.'s school, the Behavioral Learning Center supervisor, and a coordinator of student services for B.K. called the case social worker to inform her they all had "'grave concerns'" about Susan's recent request to give B.K. lithium at school."

"The nurse said, "'We were told the doctor that prescribed the medication is no longer treating [B.K.] and therefore we cannot accept the order.'"

"On March 8, 2019 the Department detained J.P. and B.K. and placed them in shelter care where they did not receive any medication. Michael declined to take custody of the children, but continued to visit them and speak with them or their caregivers by phone."

"On March 14, 2019 the juvenile court removed J.P. and B.K. from Susan, ordered various assessments of and services for the children, and granted Susan monitored visitation."

"The juvenile court ordered B.K. assessed as an inpatient for 30 days at the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, where he was admitted on April 3, 2019. The attending psychiatrist diagnosed B.K. with autism spectrum disorder and intermittent explosive disorder. B.K. had no medical issues, displayed no symptoms of psychosis or schizophrenia, and ate "well." B.K. engaged in some self-harming behavior (biting his hands), and his "agitations" sometimes "escalated to tantrums," for which he was prescribed Thorazine 25 mg as needed (one-eighth the amount prescribed prior to the Department's investigation) and guanfacine 1 mg for hyperactivity and restlessness at bedtime. (B.K. remained in the hospital past his 30-day evaluation until the Department could secure a foster care placement.) Susan visisted him three times."

"J.P. also went off all her medications in March 2019, and by June she showed no symptoms of psychosis. J.P. later was diagnosed with autism, not schizophrenia."

"Dr. Woodall also had concerns Susan used "as needed" medications too often and warned Susan not to increase her children's medication without speaking with the prescribing doctor. Eventually, Dr. Woodall stopped providing services to the family "due to the parents' outrage[ous] behaviors with staff.""

"In its jurisdiction and disposition report, dated May 3, 2019, the Department said that it could not state conclusively Susan "maliciously and intentionally overmedicat[ed] [B.K.]," but that she "may have influenced [B.K.'s] prescribed medication and treatment plans." The Department also expressed concern for Susan's mental health, but stated it had not been able to interview Susan's psychiatrist to confirm her treatment plan. "

"The Department suggested Susan's mental health compromised her ability to provide B.K. appropriate care by causing her to exaggerate B.K.'s symptoms to procure a diagnosis of schizophrenia and obtain "high doses of anti-psychotic medications.""

"On August 2, 2019 the court received Dr. Dupee's report into evidence but stated it had "serious concerns" about Dr. Dupee's "lack of understanding of . . . her charge." The court stated Dr. Dupee spent "more time talking about the dynamic between the parents and choosing a favorite parent as opposed to evaluating [Susan] in the way that she was ordered to do." The court noted Dr. Dupee reached a conclusion on the issue whether Susan's mental health impacted her ability to care for her children, but "spent very, very little time analyzing that issue." Thus, the court gave the evaluation "very little weight.""

"Susan's expert, Dr. Nair, suggested the Department's involvement was necessary to mitigate the risk Susan's behavior posed to the children."

"The court concluded Susan had "exaggerated the situation and symptoms which has added to the difficulties of getting the correct diagnosis for the children, keeping them on the appropriate [medications] and giving them the appropriate dosages." Although the court found Susan "well-meaning," the court also found she "excessively relied on medications to control the children or as she says, to keep the minors safe.""

"Susan's visits with B.K. generally went well, but that on several occasions B.K. asked to end the visits early."

Six Month Review:

"Susan visited B.K. three times a week. Ms. C. reported that during visits Susan "focused on the negative, and consistently speaks about suing everyone.""

"In September 2019 Susan accused Ms. C. of being responsible for the bruises, after which Ms. C. said she no longer wanted to monitor Susan's visits."

"On December 4, 2019 the juvenile court reduced the duration of each of Susan's visits with B.K. from two hours to one and made Ms. C. a co-holder of B.K.'s educational rights."

"Also in February 2020 the Department asked Susan to visit B.K. at the Department's office, where she could read books and play with him, instead of meeting in fast food restaurants with a "jungle gym." At her next visit a monitor asked Susan to stop bringing sugary snacks for B.K. because the Department believed too much sugar could be causing B.K. to have "episodes repeatedly following the visits." Susan became "agitated" at the suggestion and yelled, "This is bullshit!" before "storming off to the visitation room.""

"According to the Department, B.K. sensed Susan's agitation, which resulted in meltdowns, leading monitors to end visits early."

"The court found Susan's compliance with the case plan substantial, but agreed with the Department that Susan had not yet shown sufficient insight into her role in her children's circumstances. The court also found the Department had complied with the case plan by providing or offering or making reasonable efforts to provide or offer reasonable services to enable B.K.'s safe return home. The court also continued Susan's monitored visitation. Susan timely appealed from the jurisdiction findings and disposition order (case No. B300757) and the orders at the six-month review hearing (case No. B305539)."

good old wooddall. it's a pity they didn't pursue the MbP charges; he has a lot to say about this train wreck.

 

[Clockwork_PurBle]

There's a LOT of juicy details...



The juvenile court originally ordered an expert in the condition to conduct the 730 evaluation, but after that expert proved too expensive, the court appointed Dr. Dupee.

I forget the actual wording but there's a saying about getting 5 psychologists to diagnose the same person and getting 5 different answers.

It is also generally accepted in court cases (usually homicide) that if the defense is trying to blame muh insanity or mental illness for the accused's actions, they will get a psych to support what they want.

Not trying to be a conspiracy theorist but I would not be shocked to find out some CPS agencies intentionally seek out psychs that will be more likely to say the parents are A-OK so they could send the kids back ASAP, then use price as an excuse for it.

 

[Fullmetal Autist]

I forget the actual wording but there's a saying about getting 5 psychologists to diagnose the same person and getting 5 different answers.

It is also generally accepted in court cases (usually homicide) that if the defense is trying to blame muh insanity or mental illness for the accused's actions, they will get a psych to support what they want.

Not trying to be a conspiracy theorist but I would not be shocked to find out some CPS agencies intentionally seek out psychs that will be more likely to say the parents are A-OK so they could send the kids back ASAP, then use price as an excuse for it.

It would be the court who decides the psych, not CPS, but yes--the goal for CPS and family court is usually reunification between child and parent (at least in my state). I don't really know how anyone could look at Susan and say she is mentally healthy, or "dedicated her life" to the kids. I mean she did dedicate her life to destroying them but I'm sure that's not what they meant.

 

[MirnaMinkoff]

It would be the court who decides the psych, not CPS, but yes--the goal for CPS and family court is usually reunification between child and parent (at least in my state). I don't really know how anyone could look at Susan and say she is mentally healthy, or "dedicated her life" to the kids. I mean she did dedicate her life to destroying them but I'm sure that's not what they meant.

It’s amazing that one of the idiot doctors CPS contracted with (Dupree) seemed to think Susan was a-ok, even after watching her the YT channel. Even Susan’s own expert thought she was a danger to the kids.

Here is Dr Dupree: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/debra-dupree-coronado-ca/38621
She seems old and slightly unhinged. She’s a marriage/employment counselor so seemed to believe the marriage issues between Susan and Mike were the real problem. I’m going to bet Dr Dupree has several ex-husbands she loathes.

Susan’s advantage was being raised in a middle class home and being a thin white lady. As a result can present the veneer of respectability to doctors. If Susan was a large black woman, a trashy recovering meth addict, a fat Mexican lady, was a HS drop-out and spoke inarticulately, etc..I doubt she would have ever gotten as much compliance to her insane demands for chemically lobotomizing her children. Being a Karen in an affluent LA suburb was her super power.

I had the horrifying thought that almost anyone could do what Susan has done if they are just willing to lie to doctors. All Susan had to do was bring her zombie kids into the ER and claim they were violent, self-harming, psychotic and she was handed fistfuls of anti-psychotic drugs without much trouble. Anybody with a bit of effort could chemically lobotomize their kids, and if they just keep it off YT will probably never be noticed. (Even putting it on YT probably won’t matter, they can just profit from it.)

 

[large_farva]

Her lack of insight was mentioned so much I had to do a count
"insight" was mentioned a whopping 17 times in the summary.
Her regaining custody of B hinged on her gaining any amount of insight into why the kids were removed, and accepting the new dx and treatment plan. Even with special needs parenting classes and therapy, she still failed.
Even the shill doc Susan hired instead of a real forensic/MBP psychiatrist said she still couldn't accept she was the reason her kids were taken.

 

[limegreen]

Video from that weirdo channel, concerning Bodhi.
The guy narrating can't even get his name right, keeps calling him Brody.

 

[MirnaMinkoff]

Her lack of insight was mentioned so much I had to do a count
"insight" was mentioned a whopping 17 times in the summary.
Her regaining custody of B hinged on her gaining any amount of insight into why the kids were removed, and accepting the new dx and treatment plan. Even with special needs parenting classes and therapy, she still failed.
Even the shill doc Susan hired instead of a real forensic/MBP psychiatrist said she still couldn't accept she was the reason her kids were taken.

They might as well put Susan in therapy to make her realize she’s a iguana. Susan constructed her entire identity around being the super famous warrior mom of the worlds most dangerous schizo children. She is so invested in that delusion that it would actually be easier to convince her she’s an iguana instead of a deranged abusive mother who causes the majority of their problems.

I’m sure the autism Dx will now be permanent for both Bodhi and Jani. I can believe Bodhi was born with a degree of autism but Susan made it so much more severe and reduced his potential so exponentially it’s sickening.

I still don’t think Jani is autistic but it’s probably the best Dx to give her for the type of help she will need for the rest of her life or it’s possible that Susan managed to make her daughter autistic via mania mom child rearing and all the medication. I will never get over the descriptions of Susan’s care for Jani as a newborn and it only got worse from there.

I honestly think Jani would have actually graduated from a normal high school and be going to college or job training in the fall if she had been removed from Susan and Mike’s care as an infant. Jani is one example of how badly mentally ill parents can fuck up their kids. The worst part is how many doctors allowed Susan to x100 the potential damage by giving a batshit crazy mother mountains of anti-psychotic medications to destroy her brain.

Susan really thinks the only way to keep everyone safe from her monstrous schizo psychotic kids is to make sure they are drooling zombies at all times. She has projected all the worst fears she has about her own insanity on to her children. If only Susan had been the one drugged into a stupor 24/7 the kids might have had a chance.

Also, Corey is such a nasty, slimy, useless piece of shit.

 

[Muttnik]

I think both kids are autistic, just to varying degrees. But both parents were just THAT stupid, manic, and inept that they maximized it all by a thousand. I think the kids would have always been doomed unless they'd been taken away from the cradle. Add baby shaking, utero strokes, and severe neglect to the list and there really was no chance for them to be completely normal.

Either way, anyone can see that Susan is a loon. If apathetic YouTube commenters can, so can a licenced doctor.

 

[formerfatcow]

It seems like that Isaac Mongia guy who made that shitty video from previous page is teaching Jani to become a "warrior" too.

View attachment 2271639 View attachment 2271640

It's funny how Jani who has been drugged for most of her life and whose education was neglected until two years ago has so much better grammar and spelling than the guy who calls himself a producer and claims to work for NASA.

Also, this definitely happened
View attachment 2271650




Yes. January Paige and Bodhi Keith.

Anyone who boasts about conducting a "witch-hunt" should not be taken seriously.

edit: I understand he's claiming witchcraft is being done on children. That's exactly my point. Anyone who legitimately believes in witchcraft should not be taken seriously.

 

[MirnaMinkoff]

View attachment 2273585View attachment 2273587

Anyone who boasts about conducting a "witch-hunt" should not be taken seriously.

He’s not boasting a witch hunt he literally thinks witchcraft is being practiced on children and CPS are child sex trafficking demons.

It’s good Susan managed to find someone as crazy as herself in her campaign against CPS. Very on brand.

 

[Constellationzero]

I'm very skeptical about autism DX. Especially as a person who worked in SPED and with students who have autism. Thing is, autism is the all new ADHD. Evvvvverrryyybody has it. Everybody mysteriously needs drugs and sensory devices and safe spaces and excuses to "melt down" (God, what a stupid phrase--it's a person, not a Goddamn rod of Cesium)

Parents seem to be encouraged these days through social media, moms groups, TV, podcasts, even some doctors and educators to pathologize E-V-E-R-Y damn thing a child says or does. That Dr. Dupree sounds like she's in need of a padded room herself...why does anybody listen to or value what "mental health" "experts" say?
More often than not, you discover that the therapist, psychologist, psychiatric doctor, and too many social workers to count are head cases themselves. Many have completely bought into whatever flavor of stupid Pearson shits out for professional development. No one ever stops to realize there is an agenda attached.

Maybe the children have autism, but maybe they don't--and never have. We'll never know because Susan and Michael pumped damn near lethal amounts of 1950's style psych drugs into their developing systems.
And Susan gleefully overanalyzes and pathologizes every single thing down to the tiniest minutia with both kids. Because she should never have been in charge of raising a Kitty Caryall let alone a REAL child--and because real children have real needs and wants and are not robots from Hammacher Schlemmer that will go into sleep mode when you ignore them, she pathologizes their every move and then poisons it into submission.

So that "autism" is either perfectly normal garden variety childlike wonder and behavior, the end result of years of poisoning a developing mind and body, or both. But as for me, I just cannot buy that either one were naturally "autistic" because no one will ever know.

 

[Muttnik]

The kids still seemed slow for their age even when Michael was in the picture. Bodhi was verbal but far behind boys of his age. Jani was antisocial and fixated on numbers, complete with vivid stimming. Now, all of this could have come from meds at an early age. But I don't know. They both seemed slow and stunted even as little kids.

 

[BlisterInTheSun]

Man that was riveting. I know the report really didn't tell us anything we didn't know but I am glad it is all validated by others. It was interesting that the school district actually took a stand and said, "Bohdi clearly functions better when he is off the huge doses of medication." They may have always thought that but they had the opportunity to actually "see" it and document it through behavioral reports, speech therapy progress, academic goals, etc. before and after meds (i.e., Susan).

It just makes me gleefully happy that Batshit can never, ever touch Bohdi again. I hope he can achieve whatever limited potential he has left and every time he calls his new foster parent "mom" a chill goes down Susan's spine.

 

[MirnaMinkoff]

I'm very skeptical about autism DX. Especially as a person who worked in SPED and with students who have autism. Thing is, autism is the all new ADHD. Evvvvverrryyybody has it. Everybody mysteriously needs drugs and sensory devices and safe spaces and excuses to "melt down" (God, what a stupid phrase--it's a person, not a Goddamn rod of Cesium)

Parents seem to be encouraged these days through social media, moms groups, TV, podcasts, even some doctors and educators to pathologize E-V-E-R-Y damn thing a child says or does. That Dr. Dupree sounds like she's in need of a padded room herself...why does anybody listen to or value what "mental health" "experts" say?
More often than not, you discover that the therapist, psychologist, psychiatric doctor, and too many social workers to count are head cases themselves. Many have completely bought into whatever flavor of stupid Pearson shits out for professional development. No one ever stops to realize there is an agenda attached.

Maybe the children have autism, but maybe they don't--and never have. We'll never know because Susan and Michael pumped damn near lethal amounts of 1950's style psych drugs into their developing systems.
And Susan gleefully overanalyzes and pathologizes every single thing down to the tiniest minutia with both kids. Because she should never have been in charge of raising a Kitty Caryall let alone a REAL child--and because real children have real needs and wants and are not robots from Hammacher Schlemmer that will go into sleep mode when you ignore them, she pathologizes their every move and then poisons it into submission.

So that "autism" is either perfectly normal garden variety childlike wonder and behavior, the end result of years of poisoning a developing mind and body, or both. But as for me, I just cannot buy that either one were naturally "autistic" because no one will ever know.

The old cliche about five psychologists can give the same person five different diagnosis is true and that’s a major part of the problem.

As much as people want to believe psychology is a “science” it’s not, not by a long shot. It’s rife with biases, idiots and opinions. At least half of the people I knew who majored in psychology in college did so because they suffered from a mental illness.

It is not difficult to have a perfectly normal child Dx with a whole range of mental illnesses. A parent can report all sorts of bullshit to a doctor to get them meds or a Dx they want, as batshit Susan so ably demonstrated with her schizo kindergartener.

If the kid is actually given the time to be examined and observed by a psychologist bad, abusive parenting will result in a child exhibiting problematic behaviors that can get them Dx with any number of things depending on which psychologist examines them.

90% of a (non-DD) child’s psychological “problems” are usually the result of bad or inept parenting. Of course parents will rarely accept they are the problem and just demand their kid get a Dx and some pills to “fix it” when they are the root of most of the problems. Even not being patient enough to enforce normal boundaries and routine schedule will screw a kid up.

The kids still seemed slow for their age even when Michael was in the picture. Bodhi was verbal but far behind boys of his age. Jani was antisocial and fixated on numbers, complete with vivid stimming. Now, all of this could have come from meds at an early age. But I don't know. They both seemed slow and stunted even as little kids.

Mike was as delusional as Susan for most of their marriage about their kids and fed them a diet of toxic meds. He wrote a whole book about how totally schizo his five year old daughter was because she liked numbers, had imaginary friends and didn’t seem to acknowledge the wants and desires of her parents.

Only after Mike left Susan did he slowly wake up to the fact that his wife was the psychotic delusional danger - not his children.

The seemed slow and stunted as little kids because Susan was drugging them with Benadryl from their first month on earth and anti-psychotics before they could talk. Any of Jani’s “weird” behaviors could easily be explained by a small child trying to cope with having a turbo manic mother. As a newborn Susan pushed her around a loud shopping mall for hours, talking to all the employees, to “calm her down”.

 

[GenociderSyo]

When children are neglected/abused and it stunts their development they tend to show autistic type traits. This probably is why her diagnosis was changed to that. She probably shows repititive behaviors and fixations and in a way the diagnosis is a good thing it could be used to get her out of her situation but not opening up that can of worms.