A Critical Examination of State Agency Investigations into ...

Jonathan’s parents reported that as Jonathan grew older and larger, managing himat home became increasingly difficult. Jonathan wore diapers or “pull-ups” on a full-timebasis and did not seem to understand the purpose of the toilet. Their efforts to toilet trainJonathan failed and they were concerned about caring for him as he continued to grow.Although it was difficult for the Careys to place their son two hours from their home,Lisa Carey explained, “Before too long, he was going to be really difficult to changephysically, and it was getting hard at age nine to change his diapers and things.”It was also hard to keep residential habilitation for various reasons, including thefact that Jonathan “was very difficult to care for,’’ the Careys’ Medicaid ServiceCoordinator stated. She added:It was really hard. For Lisa especially. I remember one time her calling mehysterical, ‘He’s all over the place. I don’t know what to do. I’ve had it.’You know, her nerves were fried.In December 2002, Lisa Carey reported that “Jon has become very aggressive,’’that “at this point the behaviors are unmanageable,” according to meeting records fromthe Bethlehem Central School District’s CSE. She also asked that her son move to aresidential program at the Anderson School “immediately.”The Careys had heard that the Anderson School was successful in toilet training.They toured the school in the fall of 2002. They learned that the school’s toilet-trainingmethod was to cease the use of diapers or pull-ups and place the students in underwear,with frequent trips to the bathroom.55