In The Politics of Autism, I write:
People with disabilities are victims of violent crime three times as often as people without disabilities. The Bureau of Justice Statistics does not report separately on autistic victims, but it does note that the victimization rate is especially high among those whose disabilities are cognitive.
The FBI said it is in contact with authorities in Las Vegas after a woman said her Jewish son, who has autism, had a swastika carved onto his back.
"We are aware of the incident and are in regular contact with local authorities. If during the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal civil rights violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate," the agency said in a statement Saturday.
The woman told COLlive.com that her son, a student at Clark High School, came home on March 9 with the hate symbol etched into his skin. The woman, who told the outlet that she wanted to remain anonymous, said the 17-year-old is nonverbal, uses a service dog and has someone to assist him at all times.
"My son is the only student I know of who wears a Kippah at the school," she told the outlet, referring to the cap worn by Jewish men and boys.
The mother said she emailed the school about what happened and then filed a report on March 13 with the Clark County School District Police. She also alleged that her son's service dog's equipment bag had been tampered with, COLlive.com reports.
The school and the district police could not immediately be reached by NBC News on Saturday. School officials told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a statement that police conducted an investigation which included interviewing staff and reviewing camera footage and found "no evidence that would indicate the origin of the injuries."
