Help My Autistic Daughter Before She Kills Herself

A DESPERATE Scots mum is pleading for someone to help her autistic daughter, who can’t stop punching herself in the head.

Medics believe April Bremner’s behaviour is triggered by her autistic condition.

But her mother Samantha is convinced the seven-year-old has another medical problem.

In the past two years, the distraught mum has seen April break her nose and fracture fingers as she punched her own head.

Samantha said: “If someone had assaulted my daughter they would be arrested and locked up, yet it is perfectly acceptable for the authorities to continue to send her home and force me to sit and hold her while she torments herself.

“I have to try to help my daughter before it’s too late and she ends up killing herself.”

The 36-year-old single mum wants more medical checks on her daughter and is fighting for a place in a residential school for autistic children.

The mum of two has the backing of the National Autistic Society Scotland’s national director Carol Evans.

Carol said she had only come across one other case in Scotland as extreme as April’s.

When Samantha tries to restrain April by holding her hands, she beats her head off any solid object within reach.

Samantha added: “It breaks my heart watching her hitting herself and not being able to do much about it.

“I’m often on my knees crying and pleading with her to stop but she doesn’t understand.

“She definitely has a pain in her head and she’s trying to relieve it by striking herself. She hits her temples and eyebrows constantly.

“The doctors said that it’s to do with her autism but I think that’s a cop-out.

“She last had an MRI scan 18 months ago but I want them to do a top-to-toe check to see if there’s an underlying problem.

“She could have a tumour or something else that is causing her to react so violently.

“She has trouble communicating so she can’t say what is wrong with her.

“April is not getting the specialist help she needs and I have nowhere else to turn.”

April was diagnosed with autism aged two but it was not until she turned six that the self-harming began. The violence got worse and, last November, April broke her nose.

The youngster attends Kingspark, a special school in Dundee. Samantha – who also has a 14-month-old son, Frankie – gets support one night a month from a respite unit in Forfar and from autism charity Spectrum.

Samantha has had numerous meetings with representatives from Angus social services, education chiefs and NHS Tayside but says her daughter’s needs are not being met.

She said: “Apri l’s GP sent her into hospital to get her most recent injuries checked on Wednesday and we expected to stay in overnight for a full check-up.

“But that didn’t happen and we were sent home without any real explanation.”

Samantha’s problems are compounded by the public’s reaction. She said people assume she has abused April.

She added: “I see the looks all the time and there’s nothing I can do. People immediately think I’ve caused the bruises. If only they knew the hell we’re going through.”

Samantha is also looking into trying to get April into a residential home. But she claims social services and health chiefs are trying to force her to send her daughter to Ochil Tower special school in Auchterarder, Perthshire.

The school caters for children and adults with a wide range of disabilities. Samantha said: “Ochil Tower is a fantastic facility but I want April to go to a specialist school which deals specifically with children with autism.

“I’m concerned that the local authorities want to send April to Ochil Tower because it’s more cost-effective for them.”

Samantha wants April to go to New Struan School in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. It caters for autistic children.

Autism expert Carol Evans said that although sufferers do sometimes self-harm, it is not one of the illness’s main symptoms.

She said: “I’ve only seen one example of self-harmon this level involving a child.

“The patient reacted to visual stimuli and beat himself around the head and face.He damaged one of his eyes so badly that he blinded himself.

“This little girl needs help fast and she needs to be examined by a specialist who has dealt with extreme cases.

“We need to know what happens before, during and after each bout of self-harming to help us work out what is causing it.” She said April should go to a specialist autism school.

She added: “Autistic children have very particular needs.”

The Record spoke to NHS Tayside about April’s case. A spokeswoman said: “We are aware this child is going through a period of assessment for specialist residential school.

“Her mum has requested a further medical assessment and this will now be arranged.”

An Angus Council spokesman said: “No decision has been made on the residential placement. It is still being considered by a team of specialists.”