GUILTY AR - Malik Drummond, 2, Searcy, 23 Nov 2014 - #1

[margarita25]

"The main thing is for him to be home safe, it's not to get anybody in trouble. The main thing is to just bring my son home," Clifton said."

http://www.katv.com/story/27463658/missing-police-searching-for-searcy-toddler

 

[Shay]

This is one frustrating case. I feel so sad for this child. It seems odd to me that dad was asleep, step mom was bathing, and older sibling was not home. I had 2 littles ones and only a year apart. I can't imagine leaving kids wandering around in a house.

IIRC, Malik's older sibling is bio mom's. We don't know if they have the same bio father, do we?

 

[paris_paris]

Searcy police department says Malik has never been tested for autism.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Searcy-Police-Department/357099801070928

I also found a Find Malik Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/findmalik?ref=br_tf

 

[margarita25]

Searcy police department says Malik has never been tested for autism.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Searcy-Police-Department/357099801070928

I also found a Find Malik Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/findmalik?ref=br_tf

"Update:
While the search goes on for Malik, we'd like to clear up what's been previously reported. We at the PD were told by certain family, as was the media, that Malik has autism. The facts are he's a 2 year old child and has never been tested for autism. None of us are medical professionals and our training about autism tells us there are many levels and types. However, the described behavior reported to us, doesn't definitively point to autism. We're looking for a missing little boy, plain and simple. Thank you for all volunteers and continued prayers for his safe return."

 

[margarita25]

interesting.

 

[margarita25]

(why go out of their way to say this? just to be clear on the facts? or to possibly hint at deception?)

 

[katydid23]

"Update:
While the search goes on for Malik, we'd like to clear up what's been previously reported. We at the PD were told by certain family, as was the media, that Malik has autism. The facts are he's a 2 year old child and has never been tested for autism. None of us are medical professionals and our training about autism tells us there are many levels and types. However, the described behavior reported to us, doesn't definitively point to autism. We're looking for a missing little boy, plain and simple. Thank you for all volunteers and continued prayers for his safe return."

I wonder who originally told the PD that Malik was autistic. I assume it was one of the parents? Did they diagnose him themselves? Or is he being tested currently but not officially diagnosed?

 

[paris_paris]

My grandson is 3 1/2. If he went missing a year ago, I would have told everyone he was autistic. He was only tested and officially diagnosed a week ago, but we've know for a long time that he was.

 

[margarita25]

(I believe my first words in this case, after "Oh, no", was "wow, early diagnosis at 2".)

 

[skibaboo]

(why go out of their way to say this? just to be clear on the facts? or to possibly hint at deception?)

Hmm that is interesting, why have they said this? I have no idea.. Does make you wonder, and gives that post by Mom's friend on fb a little credit. I have considered the autism thing was added to maybe give them reason for an AA?

 

[Ontario Mom]

My grandson is 3 1/2. If he went missing a year ago, I would have told everyone he was autistic. He was only tested and officially diagnosed a week ago, but we've know for a long time that he was.

But if your precious grand baby went missing would you have said "he's autistic" or would you have said "we think he might be autistic but he hasn't been officially diagnosed" ? I would think it has to be absolutely critical to the investigation & search to know *exactly* who they're looking for with all the facts. In this case, we have searchers out looking for what they were lead to believe was an autistic boy - so I will naturally assume some or even many of them were using different kinds of approaches based on *that* when in fact, he may not be autistic at all.

If that's the case, you have to wonder how much energy was wasted searching *the wrong way* (if in fact there are different things they do when searching for autistic children, and I don't know that there are) when they could have been searching a different way? I hope that makes sense.

 

[paris_paris]

In this case LE said "However, the described behavior reported to us, doesn't definitively point to autism."

With that statement in the back of my mind, I would have said my grandson is definitely autistic. He's a runner, knows no danger, and doesn't respond to his name. Why would I take the risk of someone else saying "oh he's probably fine."?

 

[skibaboo]

"Update:
While the search goes on for Malik, we'd like to clear up what's been previously reported. We at the PD were told by certain family, as was the media, that Malik has autism. The facts are he's a 2 year old child and has never been tested for autism. None of us are medical professionals and our training about autism tells us there are many levels and types. However, the described behavior reported to us, doesn't definitively point to autism. We're looking for a missing little boy, plain and simple. Thank you for all volunteers and continued prayers for his safe return."

Reading that again especially "told by certain family" I'm taking it as they are calling someone deceptive. Might be wrong but JMHO!!

 

[Ontario Mom]

In this case LE said "However, the described behavior reported to us, doesn't definitively point to autism."

With that statement in the back of my mind, I would have said my grandson is definitely autistic. He's a runner, knows no danger, and doesn't respond to his name. Why would I take the risk of someone else saying "oh he's probably fine."?

I don't think anyone would think he was fine, I mean pretty much everyone goes into panic mode when they hear about a missing toddler - autistic or not. I just think it's crucial to be completely honest with LE so they have the correct facts to begin with.

MOO.

 

[SavvyRose]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152865138573554&id=68455493553

 

[SavvyRose]

Searcy police department says Malik has never been tested for autism.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Searcy-Police-Department/357099801070928

I also found a Find Malik Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/findmalik?ref=br_tf

I'm slow. You found it first.

 

[katydid23]

I don't think anyone would think he was fine, I mean pretty much everyone goes into panic mode when they hear about a missing toddler - autistic or not. I just think it's crucial to be completely honest with LE so they have the correct facts to begin with.

MOO.

It is possible that he has many of the characteristics but has not been formally diagnosed. There are some comments from neighbors/friends saying that he was almost nonverbal, they only heard him say something once. I dont know how often they saw him, maybe he was just shy. But then again, maybe he is on the spectrum and his family knew it. IDK

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

(Slightly O/T) Upstream there has been the mention of pets (I wonder if they have any dogs?).

I was reminded of when my foster dog/friend's dog took off running and went missing...he had gone to the doggie spa a few miles away where had recently been groomed! He loved his day so much at the doggie spa he went all the way back! :biggrin:



:beagle:

:beagle: :bath: :heartbeat:

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Oh my. The autism has bothered me from the get go. Yes 2 is very young for a diagnosis. So many symptoms of autism at that age are simply symptoms of being 2 ( non verbal, fear of loud noises etc). A confirmed diagnoses at age 2 would probably mean someone presenting as severely autistic and not just on the spectrum. None of the pictures seemed to show this IMO. And from the FB I have seen it doesn't seem that there was much knowledge of any autistic traits or behaviours. I noticed that the police were careful to write in the missing flyer that he was "reported" to be autistic from the beginning and they didn't engage any specialized searchers who are autism specialists to search for him. So they probably had an inkling from the beginning that there was some deception there. Wonder who made that claim? It wouldn't have made the police search any less desperately for a merely missing non-autistic toddler. It was planted there for a reason. To possibly explain away any later discovery? To excuse any behaviour? What else is there deception about? No likey .

 

[24Roses]

Wow, I really thought Malik would of been found by now (if he really did wander off). However, now with the info. coming out that he is not officially autistic, I don't know what to think. If he was autistic, I thought maybe the rain would of been interesting to him since I've read that autistic children are drawn to water. Also, if the sister was traumatized about what might of happened to him, she may not share what she does know. I work with children 5 and younger. A lot of the 2-year-old's don't really talk a whole lot. However, I think what certain adults involved are saying happened, may be the clue in what happened to Malik (iykwim). Just a lot of random thoughts and all :moo: