Drowned Girl Update

Autism in The News
March 3, 2008

Xuan Peng, 36 was found guity of second-degree murder in the drowning of her autistic daughter, Scarlett. The automatic life sentence carries a minimum 10 year sentence. Reports indicate that the Peng had suffered from depression and bipolar disorder. Scarlett's father and grandmother appeared to be holding it together, so to speak. Scarlette, 4 at the time of her death, had spent time in her grandmother's care. Peng had called her husband several times on that fateful day. I have to question the family's level of support or help from their community. Where's the social workers? Where's the respite services? Did the family ignore these options or were they even aware of the services available? Were they on a waiting list? I'm just wondering if the family was going it alone. The stress of raising an autistic child can make a stable person crack. It's a fact. Xuan Peng, with her psychological problems, must have been a ticking time bomb! The key is to know when to ask for help.

See the news story here:
http://news.therecord.com/article/317383