Nine-Year-Old with Autism Still Being Kept from Father

I’m sorry to have to provide an upsetting update from my previous article, The State vs. Autism Families. Nine-year-old Ayn Van Dyk, who was taken from her home after being safely recovered after a wandering incident, is still in the hands of Canadian authorities. The tragedy began in Abbotsford, British Columbia on June 16th, when the Ministry of Children and Family Development came calling after Ayn was found safely playing in a neighbor’s pool.

Her single father, Derek Hoare, recently stated the following in an interview with Care2.com:

"After 18 days of no contact from the ministry as per Ayn’s well being or whereabouts, I received a call from a worker at the MCFD on Monday July 4, who informed me that Ayn had been crying for the 18 days and would I please bring in a picture of myself to help calm here down. I agreed and went in to the ministry office where I spoke with the worker, to express my concerns over Ayn’s well being, her being medicated, access to Ayn, and receiving written reports as frequently as possible. I was informed at that time that Ayn was now out of the hospital and in a foster home. Our next meeting was on Wednesday July 6, where I was informed that Ayn was to be returned to the hospital for a much longer 6 week psych evaluation, there is a wait list and it could take anywhere from 2-8 weeks for her to get that evaluation. She has been drugged against my explicit, reasoned and repeated wishes, with Risperdal, a drug with many known side effects, some of which are fatal."

Derek is a single father to Ayn and her two older brothers. He has totally devoted himself to her to well being, engaging himself in every aspect of parenting a child with autism. This whole ordeal was brought on by a moment’s inattention during which she disappeared from their backyard enclosed with a six foot high fence and is every parent’s worst nightmare. 

By logical extension, every time a wandering incident ends in a child’s death, parents should be charged with negligent homicide. And every time it ends
well, the child should be removed from the home. The fact that this poor little girl can’t see her daddy and is being drugged with anti-psychotics is outrageous and an abomination.

If you’d like to lend your voice to the campaign to bring Ayn home, there are several options, including signing an online petition posted here.