IN - Couple charged with abandonment of adopted child after legally changing her age, Sept 2019

[Linda7NJ]

Good for her. These are very noble people. They didn’t have to step forward.

I’m curious if they came forward before now but the media hyping the story chose to not follow up until now.

 

[Linda7NJ]

So it looks like according to the DuPauls Natalia has diastrophic dysplasia. Not Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. They’re saying in the video that the doctor who claimed to have treated NB for years doesn’t even know her actual form of dwarfism.

As a laymen, trying to educate myself a little on dwarfism I was overwhelmed with the lack of specificity. Even within each kind of dwarfism the presentation can vary greatly with all sorts of other issues can maybe present or not. I could find no cookie cutter presentation.
I also attempted to find a well known expert, I could not. I tried to find somewhere that studies dwarfism exclusively- I could not.

 

[Linda7NJ]

As for Kristine Barnett's report of threats, Starbuck said the threat was a social media post.

Tippecanoe County sheriff's Lt. Brian Lowe told the Journal & Courier two weeks ago that the threat wasn't credible, but Lafayette police and Tippecanoe County sheriff's deputies provided escorts to ease Kristine Barnett's anxiety.

Michael and Kristine Barnett's adopted daughter's mental records released to attorneys

 

[felineblue]

What are the odds Kristine’s son was not formally diagnosed with autism, or the severity of it was overblown?

 

[Meloni88]

So it looks like according to the DuPauls Natalia has diastrophic dysplasia. Not Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. They’re saying in the video that the doctor who claimed to have treated NB for years doesn’t even know her actual form of dwarfism.

This is huge. Their main expert witness for changing her age can't differentiate types of dysplasia and diagnosed her incorrectly on her primary medical issue. He says her past records are unreliable but must have never read them. Why would Kristine go around saying she has a different type of dwarfism? Natalia herself said she had SED in the affidavit. I thought that was the one thing everyone could agree on.

Diastrophic dysplasia
A relatively common form of dwarfism (about one in 100,000 births) first differentiated in 1960; before that, diastrophic dysplasia was thought to be a different form of achondroplasia. The condition is often characterized by short-limbed dwarfism and, in some cases, cleft palate, clubfeet, hitchhiker's thumb, and ears with a cauliflower appearance. Respiratory problems are sometimes present in infancy, but lifespan is normal. Serious orthopedic problems often require numerous surgical procedures.

She definitely has the hitchhiker's thumb and the IEP mentions her breathing problems.

 

[ioethe]

What are the odds Kristine’s son was not formally diagnosed with autism, or the severity of it was overblown?

I would be entirely unsurprised to discover that he had speech delays and possibly some sensory processing issues, that’s not uncommon in gifted children. I haven’t read the book, but there’s an excerpt on Amazon where she talks to a special ed teacher, and the whole conversation is just off. I would need more to say that Jake isn’t autistic, but I think you’re right to question.

There certainly seems to be some confusion surrounding the kind of autism Jake has - it seems to alternate between Asperger’s Syndrome, which is mild autism, and severe autism, which is a whole other kettle of fish, but that may just be the press’s general ignorance of autism rather than KB.

 

[mickey2942]

I would be entirely unsurprised to discover that he had speech delays and possibly some sensory processing issues, that’s not uncommon in gifted children. I haven’t read the book, but there’s an excerpt on Amazon where she talks to a special ed teacher, and the whole conversation is just off. I would need more to say that Jake isn’t autistic, but I think you’re right to question.

There certainly seems to be some confusion surrounding the kind of autism Jake has - it seems to alternate between Asperger’s Syndrome, which is mild autism, and severe autism, which is a whole other kettle of fish, but that may just be the press’s general ignorance of autism rather than KB.

Autism has specific characteristics, and can only be diagnosed by a qualified child psychologist. I can't begin to tell you how many children who are developmentally delayed or have other neurological problems are labeled "Autistic" by their parents, because some how to these folks they are sure that their child is a brilliant savant, AKA "Rainman".

Whatever. And of course, it is always the teacher's fault if this is not happening.

 

[squareandrabbet]

It also a good timeline of her clear age progression. And yet some will stay claim that young adult’s faces can change like that. And adults can have baby teeth.

I don’t understand the commitment to the Barnett’s narrative. Why?

Personally, I was lukewarm on the still pictures and found them inconclusive; but young miss DePaul did a great job with the video. The zoom onto the images clearly boosts everything you said about the pictures based upon my knowledge of children, to which I inadvertently paid a lot of attention to, due to my only sibling being 10 years younger than I, and being around lots of her peers when I was in high school - the irregular arrangement of the teeth as they come in, the facial features, even the luminosity of Natalia's prepubescent skin - really everyone "on the fence" should watch this video before they make any decisions; and I'm appalled at the reaction of the idiotic YouTubers characterized in the screenshots. The comments are so much worse than anything you all alluded to in generalities...

The Barnetts are diabolical, there's no other word for it. They so plainly created a farcical narrative THEY believed in, and tried to make the reality fit the narrative; to the point where they even have their bio kids (IMO) brainwashed into believing it.

This is so clearly an exemplar of the phenomenon my own therapist calls "Othering" on the part of the Barnetts, that I feel it should be the visual illustration of this condition. This entire narrative consists of **their** believing that N is an abnormal freak; and then digging for so called "experts" to dragoon into their lane. To be frank, I trust a physical therapist, expert in musculoskeletal conditions (and who would at least have studied in-depth once getting Natalia as a client), about 1000% times more than I trust a suburban general practitioner family doctor (no offense intended to suburban GPs).

Living in NYC, I actually see quite a few people of diminished physical stature moving out and about on the streets (the apartment complex where I live, even has a pair of female adult twins); and disregarding the twins, I doubt I've seen more than a dozen individuals with dwarfism walking down the street in my 20 years. I don't think it is a common type of thing you see in anecdata; and I don't think if you weren't an "expert" in it, that you would know anything about it, to be frank - simply because you wouldn't need to.

 

[Meloni88]

Just read McLaren's letter again.

He says "because she has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia... conventional methods of determining age are not useful". And he says she was seen by an orthopedist and endocrinologist (Dr Riggs??) and that neither specialist could "help substantially" with an age assessment. A bald faced lie! They gave age assessments! He basically says we can't age her because of this [incorrect] diagnosis of dwarfism but still testifies that she is 22 based on a psychologist(?!) saying she is "fully grown", a dentist saying she has "adult dentition" and the girl allegedly admitting to being 18 after being committed to a psych ward which is surely hearsay and not a meaningful statement considering the environment she was in. This man is an absolute quack and should be flogged in the street.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Kristine IMO
Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorder

 

[Dawn Day]

Kristine IMO
Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorder

With the classic dyad of being paired with a Borderline Personality Disordered husband. That man is a drama queen IMO.
(I have a loved one with BPD. With proper treatment and motivation, a person with BPD can lead as normal a life as anyone. Unfortunately, men suffering from this disorder are likely to remain undiagnosed and untreated as it is overlooked and thought to be mainly a female disorder)

 

[gitana1]

As a laymen, trying to educate myself a little on dwarfism I was overwhelmed with the lack of specificity. Even within each kind of dwarfism the presentation can vary greatly with all sorts of other issues can maybe present or not. I could find no cookie cutter presentation.
I also attempted to find a well known expert, I could not. I tried to find somewhere that studies dwarfism exclusively- I could not.

But the doctor who wrote on their behalf is a doctor. Not a layman. She had a specific diagnosis and a family with dwarfism would understand the differences.

 

[gitana1]

What are the odds Kristine’s son was not formally diagnosed with autism, or the severity of it was overblown?

That’s what people are suggesting in reviews of her book.

 

[gitana1]

This is huge. Their main expert witness for changing her age can't differentiate types of dysplasia and diagnosed her incorrectly on her primary medical issue. He says her past records are unreliable but must have never read them. Why would Kristine go around saying she has a different type of dwarfism? Natalia herself said she had SED in the affidavit. I thought that was the one thing everyone could agree on.


She definitely has the hitchhiker's thumb and the IEP mentions her breathing problems.

It all makes me profoundly sad for her again. The diagnosis described a “delightful five year old”. The IEP described a child who worked hard in her PT sessions but experienced pain.

What they did to this little girl is horrific. And she’s been through so much change and rejection.

 

[Meloni88]

It all makes me profoundly sad for her again. The diagnosis described a “delightful five year old”. The IEP described a child who worked hard in her PT sessions but experienced pain.

What they did to this little girl is horrific. And she’s been through so much change and rejection.

Yes and how much she tries but struggles to walk far and needs to rest and be carried frequently. And there we have Kristine all PO'd on the first day because this child is wanting to be carried so much. She claims no one told them she had problems walking(?!)

 

[gitana1]

I would be entirely unsurprised to discover that he had speech delays and possibly some sensory processing issues, that’s not uncommon in gifted children. I haven’t read the book, but there’s an excerpt on Amazon where she talks to a special ed teacher, and the whole conversation is just off. I would need more to say that Jake isn’t autistic, but I think you’re right to question.

There certainly seems to be some confusion surrounding the kind of autism Jake has - it seems to alternate between Asperger’s Syndrome, which is mild autism, and severe autism, which is a whole other kettle of fish, but that may just be the press’s general ignorance of autism rather than KB.

Oh no I think there’s no ignorance with her at all. Kid was diagnosed with something mild maybe and this woman exaggerated it to epic proportions. Just like in her book she exaggerated the 2008 recession to people everywhere burning furniture for heat and how the ailed at Walmart looked like a hurricane had hit and the shelves were barren. People who lived in the area at the time of all that who read her book said none of it was true.

She’s exaggerated many things. Like being able to do 40 hours of work each day. Every day.

 

[gitana1]

Personally, I was lukewarm on the still pictures and found them inconclusive; but young miss DePaul did a great job with the video. The zoom onto the images clearly boosts everything you said about the pictures based upon my knowledge of children, to which I inadvertently paid a lot of attention to, due to my only sibling being 10 years younger than I, and being around lots of her peers when I was in high school - the irregular arrangement of the teeth as they come in, the facial features, even the luminosity of Natalia's prepubescent skin - really everyone "on the fence" should watch this video before they make any decisions; and I'm appalled at the reaction of the idiotic YouTubers characterized in the screenshots. The comments are so much worse than anything you all alluded to in generalities...

The Barnetts are diabolical, there's no other word for it. They so plainly created a farcical narrative THEY believed in, and tried to make the reality fit the narrative; to the point where they even have their bio kids (IMO) brainwashed into believing it.

This is so clearly an exemplar of the phenomenon my own therapist calls "Othering" on the part of the Barnetts, that I feel it should be the visual illustration of this condition. This entire narrative consists of **their** believing that N is an abnormal freak; and then digging for so called "experts" to dragoon into their lane. To be frank, I trust a physical therapist, expert in musculoskeletal conditions (and who would at least have studied in-depth once getting Natalia as a client), about 1000% times more than I trust a suburban general practitioner family doctor (no offense intended to suburban GPs).

Living in NYC, I actually see quite a few people of diminished physical stature moving out and about on the streets (the apartment complex where I live, even has a pair of female adult twins); and disregarding the twins, I doubt I've seen more than a dozen individuals with dwarfism walking down the street in my 20 years. I don't think it is a common type of thing you see in anecdata; and I don't think if you weren't an "expert" in it, that you would know anything about it, to be frank - simply because you wouldn't need to.

Yup. But what’s interesting is this man didn’t bother to review the medical records that actually diagnosis her. Something one would think is important before claiming she’s made a “career” out of pretending to be a child and cheating people.

Oh and BTW Barnett’s? Kids don’t grow much when they don’t have love.

 

[gitana1]

With the classic dyad of being paired with a Borderline Personality Disordered husband. That man is a drama queen IMO.
(I have a loved one with BPD. With proper treatment and motivation, a person with BPD can lead as normal a life as anyone. Unfortunately, men suffering from this disorder are likely to remain undiagnosed and untreated as it is overlooked and thought to be mainly a female disorder)

My MIL and an aunt by marriage. And it’s a hellscape. I’ve also encountered too many in my line of work. And I don’t know one who has gotten treatment. It’s always everyone else’s fault.

 

[Errrr]

Just read McLaren's letter again.

He says "because she has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia... conventional methods of determining age are not useful". And he says she was seen by an orthopedist and endocrinologist (Dr Riggs??) and that neither specialist could "help substantially" with an age assessment. A bald faced lie! They gave age assessments! He basically says we can't age her because of this [incorrect] diagnosis of dwarfism but still testifies that she is 22 based on a psychologist(?!) saying she is "fully grown", a dentist saying she has "adult dentition" and the girl allegedly admitting to being 18 after being committed to a psych ward which is surely hearsay and not a meaningful statement considering the environment she was in. This man is an absolute quack and should be flogged in the street.

IIRC, she said she was “at least 18” which makes me wonder what question they asked her, and how they can cherry-pick declarations of “truth” in a psych ward? Was she tossed in there after the age adjustment when dear mother told her to tell people she looked young, (maybe at least 18)?

 

[gitana1]

Yes and how much she tries but struggles to walk far and needs to rest and be carried frequently. And there we have Kristine all PO'd on the first day because this child is wanting to be carried so much. She claims no one told them she had problems walking(?!)

It’s so sad. Damn it. Really horrible that she couldn’t have been adopted by that lovely Dupaul family. Poor N had the luck of getting the bizarre Barnett’s.