LogFAQs > #977251945

heres an article about the boy's mother giving another perspective to the situation. basically, he is autistic and was given too many drugs that affected his brain. in no way is the mother defending what happened, she's just explaining why it happened:

https://flaglerlive.com/brendan-depa-my-son-story/#gsc.tab=0

Brendan Depas Mother Tells Her Sons Story

It saddens us when things in our schools dont always go right or as planned. Our family is filled with concern for Ms. Joan Naydich, and we continue to pray for her swift recovery. Our whole family was horrified by what she endured. Nobody deserves this. We are sincerely sorry for our sons actions. We support the needs of students, educators, and staff to feel secure in their school environment.

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At the time of the incident at Matanzas, he was on six psychiatric medications, all of which can have devastating side effects. Bupropion HCL XL: irritability, false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts, having extreme distrust of people, seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there, trouble concentration. Clonidine HCL: anxiety, holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts, irritability, mental depression, seeing or hearing things that are not there. Ziprasidone HCL: agitation, irritability, abnormal behavior. Lamotrigine: agitation, irritability, other abnormal behaviors. Topamax: memory problems, nervousness, trouble concentration, unusual tiredness, aggression, agitation, discouragement, feeling sad or empty, irritability. Propranolol: anxiety, nervousness.

These are just one of the combinations of trials and errors he has been on over the years. While each of these medications are meant to improve psychiatric conditions, they can make them worse.

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Understand: what I am saying here in no way diminished my sympathies and regret for what Ms. Naydich endured at my sons hands. It was a horrifically violent act. It was an inexcusable act. But it was not an inexplicable act. And the determination for the acts consequences should not depend more on what media sensationalism and public demands for revenge have made of it than on at least some consideration for the weeks and months and years of ordeals and challenges that seemed to converge in that eruption last February, with Ms. Naydich paying the heaviest price.

The problem starts with insurance companies denying hospitalizations until families are at a breaking point and denying continued treatment before patients are ready to be safely back in the community. Additionally, intensive behavioral group homes lack better schooling options for children with intensive behaviors. Lastly, the schools missteps with the IEP and behavioral support plan, which was designed to ensure Brendans and staffs safety, were not of small consequence.