October 28, 2009: National Post - In wake of teen's death, expert warns of pressure placed on families

In wake of teen's death, expert warns of pressure placed on families - by Matthew Coutts, National Post

Raising an autistic child can put great pressure on any family, autism experts said yesterday following the death of a 15-year-old Mississauga boy whose parents had argued over how best to care for him. "It's heartbreaking, but there are hundreds of thousands of families out there managing to cope without this end result," said Suzanne Lanthier, executive director of Autism Speaks Canada. Tony Khor, a severely autistic teen, pictured, was found slain in a Mississauga hotel room over the weekend. His mother, Seow Cheng Sim, has been charged with first-degree murder. Peel Regional Police are investigating what, if any, role the boy's condition may have played in his death. Neighbours said the teen's parents were arguing about sending him to a care home, which his mother was opposed to. Tony's death comes less than a month after an Edmonton father killed his 11-year-old autistic son, before committing suicide.

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2152966#ixzz0VR3s35Wm