Spectrum Perspectives

Suzi Suares-Liquid Church Special Needs Ministry-Part 1

Suzi is the mom of a son with Autism and Epilepsy who began a dynamic ministry for Special Needs kids at Liquid Church in New Jersey. They offer Sunday School classes and get thousands of volunteers to be their buddies for life. They offer Parent Night Out every month as respite to families, and Parents Day Out on Black Friday so parents can shop hassle free. In February they host the “Night To Shine”, a prom for Special Needs kids and adults sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. It’s open to the community where they host 1,000 guests, with 1,000 buddies and other volunteers.

Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis-Sponsors Emma's Law and Billy Cray's Law

Michele is an Assemblywoman from District 21 in New Jersey. She is a prime sponsor for Emma's Law (to add GPS and video cameras to school busses) and a 3rd prime sponsor for Billy Cray's Law (to add video cameras to group homes). Listen to find out why she cares so much about helping the Special Needs Community, especially those with Autism. This interview is a follow up to the interviews with Jennifer Love (Emma's mom) and Martha Earl Cray (Billy Cray's mom).

Jennifer Love-Disabled daughter's school bus disappears for hours

Jennifer’s daughter has autism and epilepsy, and at 11 years old was diagnosed with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome. Some of her seizures were uncontrollable crying episodes. Emma is completely non-verbal and during the pandemic she didn’t understand virtual school and cried because she saw her friends and couldn’t understand why she couldn’t see them in person. Emma goes to a school an hour away from her house and Jenn had multiple battles with the different transportation companies. When a new company took over the route and sent a new driver, they got “lost” for 5 hours. The state police found them in Camden. Now Jenn is pushing for legislation to make sure that all busses have a GPS, a communication device (a phone) and cameras on all vehicles transporting Special Needs kids.

Aileen Rivera-Son beat up in group home- Part 2

After both of their sons were abused and beaten in group homes, Aileen and Martha Earl Cray (our previous interview) worked together and were instrumental in getting Stephen Komnino’s Law” passed. The law states that caregivers must report any injuries or abuse in group homes and must pass background tests and be drug tested regularly. Now they are working on getting “Billy Cray’ Law” passed in the senate. This law will allow video cameras in group homes if the members so choose. Cindy shares her own experience with requesting video cameras in her son Robbie’s group home to monitor him to make sure he didn’t have a seizure in his sleep, but she was denied by the state stating that it was an “invasion of his privacy”. Yet in the end, Robbie actually did die of a seizure in his bed. They discuss how a choice of video cameras should be allowed to save the lives of those in group homes. To see photos, visit our YouTube channel "Robbie's World" to watch the video version.

Aileen Rivera-Son beat up in group home- Part 1

When Aileen’s 36 year old son Daniel was very young, her insurance was running out, so her Doctor recommended giving him all his shots at once. He got a fever, became sick, and she began to see changes in his behavior and he was diagnosed with Autism. When he turned 21 they placed him in a group home where he was abused and restrained for hours, and staff would try to cover it up. They removed him from that home and put him another home where they beat him up and punched him in the face giving him two black eyes and fractured teeth! So they removed him and put him into a supervised apartment where a caregiver smacked him. When his father arrived and confronted the caregiver he became verbally abusive, but Daniel’s dad recorded the altercation. Daniel now resides in his own apartment where Aileen has a caregiver of her choosing care for him, all under “Self Directed Care” through the State of NJ.

Martha Cray-Son found dead in group home, Billy Cray's Law- Part 2

In part 2 Martha recounts the day that 2 police officers showed up at her door to tell her that her son Billy was found dead on the floor of his closet in his group home. He was taken for an autopsy done by a medical examiner employed by the day program, without his parents’ knowledge or consent, where they determined his death was from “natural causes”. Now she coaches other parents to make sure that it’s written into their child’s IHP that in case of a death that they should be notified immediately. She is now pushing for legislation known as “Billy Cray’s Law” that will allow video cameras in group homes. Some are fighting against it, but parents believe it will save many lives.

Martha Cray- Son found dead in group home, Billy Cray's Law- Part 1

When Martha’s son Billy was a very big boy, beginning from the day he was born at 10lbs 11 oz. After he was diagnosed with Autism he sent to several different schools but continually had to leave due to temper tantrums that were especially difficult to handle due to his size. He started hurting people including his teachers. When Billy was 8 years old riding on the bus and he was harnessed into his seat, he got up and pulled the entire seat out of the bus to get to the bus driver. That’s when she received a letter from the state of New Jersey saying that he could no longer be transported by anyone in the state and Billy was expelled from the school. Eventually the state stepped in and said Billy was a danger to his family and needed to be placed into a residential facility, at only 10 years old. This is when his abuse began as he was moved to 6 different facilities, sexually assaulted 3 times, thrown into walls, bruised, and if he told his mother what they did, they abused him again. Eventually Billy died in a group home which we will discuss in part 2.

Soma Mukhopadhyay - Creator of RPM, The Rapid Prompting Method- Part 2

Soma explains how the brain works, and what is going on inside the mind and body of Autistic children and adults and how she is able to work with them to get them to learn using her Rapid Prompting Method. Eventually people who have never spoken before are learning to communicate and eventually even to speak. Her method can also be used with people who have had a stroke or have other disabilities.

Soma Mukhopadhyay - Creator of RPM, The Rapid Prompting Method- Part 1

Soma has a son with Autism. When in India she developed the Rapid Prompting Method that taught him to communicate by first using a letterboard, then to write, and then to type, and now he can speak. She then came to America and began teaching other students using her methods. After appearing on 60 Minutes and other new channels, it spread like wildfire. Listen while this brilliant woman explains how the method that has helped thousands of families works.

Katie & Houston-Author of "The Book of Heaven" Part 2

What is really going on inside the mind and soul of a non-verbal Autistic boy? You’ll be fascinated as Katie continues her story about when Houston begins to communicate with RPM and starts telling his mother about supernatural things he is seeing and experiencing. Things like feeling others’ emotions, hearing their thoughts, “seeing” music and colorful auras around people and angels surrounding certain people. He also takes trips to heaven where he has seen angels and Jesus!
Since we did this interview in 2021, Katie has released her book with the full account “The Book of Heaven” by K. & H. Asher, available on Amazon, and they were featured on The Telepathy Tapes. View the video version on our YouTube channel, Robbie's World.