"I don’t want my kids to be like that. I want normal kids."

[Wandered Off]

Just heartbreaking...

An Irving mother accused of strangling her two children with an antenna wire told a 911 operator that she killed them because they were "not normal."

Saiqa Akhter "Both are autistic," she said. "I don’t want my kids to be like that. I want normal kids."

Saiqa Akhter, 30, was arraigned this morning on a single charge of capital murder in the death of her 5-year-old son Zain, who died Monday. Family members have said the boy was autistic and had a speech impediment.

Irving officials canceled a second arraignment this afternoon in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Faryaal, who died Tuesday evening a day after she was revived and placed on life support.

Akhter called 911 about 5 p.m. In the 911 tape, released today, Akhter admits to wrapping a wire around the children's necks until they turned blue. Before that, she said she tried to make them drink bathroom cleaner.

"I put in their mouth, but they don't drink it," she said.

Police found the children lying on a bed in the family's second-floor apartment along with an antenna wire they believe was used to kill the children, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Also listed among the items removed from the home were a pillow, a section of mattress and a bottle of household cleaner.

Akhter's uncle said his niece had been depressed since moving into the new apartment and reported "strange things" inside the family's home.

"It looks like she had mental problems," said Wasimul Haque, who did not elaborate on what Saiqa Akhter said she had seen. "I don't understand why she did it."

Zain, the 5-year-old, had autism and suffered from a severe speech impediment but had been improving, the uncle said. He said the boy had been in speech therapy.

Faryaal also had health problems and was rushed to the emergency room last year with a respiratory issue. A stethoscope was also taken from the home.

The children's father, Rashid Akhter, emigrated from Pakistan in the late 1990s. He married Saiqa several years later, and she then moved here. He works as a computer technician.

"He did whatever he can do with his wife to keep her happy all the time," Haque said.

The family was the subject of a Child Protective Services investigation last year after Zain was left alone at home while his parents rushed his sister to a hospital to be treated for breathing problems.

An agency spokeswoman said there were no signs of neglect or abuse.

Irving mom accused in children's deaths to 911 operator: 'I want normal kids' | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas News on Yahoo! | The Dallas Morning News

 

[Cypress]

I can understand the emotional situation of this woman.
It is hard enough to have a child with a serious health problem even when it is curable.
But to have a child with an incurable affliction such as autism is a terrible thing to deal with.
And when you have two chlidren with this problem...
I didn't know how to deal with this if I were in this situation.

 

[.lava]

wow what a terrible thing and two kids? i wonder if couple were relatives

.

 

[LuisDantas]

How sad. It is very difficult to raise children without proper support, so I guess I understand. But still.

 

[Smoke]

I can understand the emotional situation of this woman.
It is hard enough to have a child with a serious health problem even when it is curable.
But to have a child with an incurable affliction such as autism is a terrible thing to deal with.
And when you have two chlidren with this problem...
I didn't know how to deal with this if I were in this situation.

I hope you wouldn't consider strangling them one of the options open to you.

 

[Cypress]

I hope you wouldn't consider strangling them one of the options open to you.

No, I wouldn't.
But I do think she was not sane when she did this.

 

[Smoke]

No, I wouldn't.
But I do think she was not sane when she did this.

That's what's so cool about murdering your kids. 95% of the time, people really want to believe you're not responsible for your actions.

 

[Rakhel]

"Normal?" "Normal?" "Normal?" What the **** is "normal" anyways?
When one considers the statistics, autism is "normal."


Disgusting how "normal" the world is, huh?

I am so mad I can spit. Do these idiots realize...what am I saying. Of course they don't realize. "******* mistakes" is all they see. "Why not rid the world of them?" "Oh!!! I know!!! Let's make the world a perfect place with daisies and pretty pink ponies" AHGGGGGGG

 

[Nanda]

I come from a family with several autistic members, and I can't believe some of the responses in this thread.

And no, my parents aren't related.

 

[Vasilisa Jade]

I don't have any family members with autism, but...

my half-sister had a son that I was very close to growing up. He was an awesome person and she loved him and her other two children a lot. She would always find a way to make special trips to visit me and my dad and take us all out on my birthday, even though she didn't have much money. Her son was cool as hell. About 8 or so years ago he went into the military, and while my sister was talking to him on the phone he put her on hold and never picked the phone back up. He was either shot in the head or he committed suicide. Him and his girlfriend were fighting but he was always on good terms with his mom. THe military did an internal investigation but wouldn't tell her if he was shot or if he killed himself.

At some point, she lost it and she ate a ton of sleeping pills and also fed a ton to her other son and daughter, both around 8-12 years old. Before they overdosed she snapped out of it and rushed them to the hospital and they all had their stomachs pumped.

She is still in prison. I know she isn't going to try and hurt anyone. She was never like that and her kids were always happy and healthy and mentally stable. These mental breaks can happen to anyone with the right triggers under high enough stress. I just wish this lady would have snapped out of it before the children were killed.

 

[Cypress]

@Saint Tigeress: Thank you very much for sharing this story with us. :namaste

These mental breaks can happen to anyone with the right triggers under high enough stress.

This is most certainly true. :sad:

 

[NeilPye]

I understand that taking care of autistic is very hard and rather depressing. My friend knows a couple with autistic children, and the mother takes anti-depressants.

I'm just sorry it had to end the way it did for those kids. They didn't deserve that ending.

 

[Nanda]

Autism is a very broad spectrum, ranging from people who will have to be in diapers for the rest of their lives, to people who are only slightly socially awkward. Without more information, there's no telling how "difficult" it would have been to raise these children. Not that it matters in the slightest.

 

[Kathryn]

I understand that this mother was overwhelmed and had some sort of mental meltdown most likely. However, that doesn't excuse this in any way, nor does it excuse the family members around her who KNEW long before this that she needed help.

Before she committed this crime, probably months before, she knew that she was struggling emotionally and feeling and thinking abnormal things. Not only that - her family members noticed her very odd behavior.

They are all guilty to some degree in this matter. I keep thinking about the NASA guy in Texas whose wife drowned all five of their kids. He had known for months that she needed help - and in my opinion he should have been charged with endangerment to a child AT THE LEAST because he knew it was dangerous to leave his children alone with her, and yet he did so anyway.

The blame lies somewhat on her, but not solely on her. What a tragedy.

 

[Smoke]

They are all guilty to some degree in this matter. I keep thinking about the NASA guy in Texas whose wife drowned all five of their kids. He had known for months that she needed help - and in my opinion he should have been charged with endangerment to a child AT THE LEAST because he knew it was dangerous to leave his children alone with her, and yet he did so anyway.

The blame lies somewhat on her, but not solely on her. What a tragedy.

The Yateses were also dupes of the Quiverfull movement and a particularly noxious preacher who kept telling them that they had to have as many children as God would give them and that Russell's "worldly" career at NASA created an environment unfit for children. Her first psychiatrist said she could guarantee that if the Yateses had any more kids, Andrea would have a psychotic breakdown, and they had another kid eleven months later.

 

[.lava]

And no, my parents aren't related.

they don't have to be. after all it is about genetics.
around this region marriage between close relatives has caused many births with disorder. it's been an issue for decades. when it happens there is no otherwise, it is for sure their kids would have disorders. there are families like that, their all kids have disorders and they can't take care of themselves. the only reason is their parents being related by blood. i am not sure if autism is a disorder though or if autism could be result of that kind of marriages. i don't have knowledge on this subject but wondering as i read both of her kids have autism

.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

My 13-year-old son is on the autism spectrum. As difficult as it has been at times nudging him to mainstreaming or holding him back because it's too much, not once have I ever, EVER, felt like this woman did.

Parents of special needs children are not martyrs and should not be given different consideration. We don't give a pass to children who care for aging parents with dementia. This story breaks my heart.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I can understand the emotional situation of this woman.

Not unless you're insane [as she is...].

 

[MissAlice]

Wow I can't believe some of the responses in this thread, almost makes me sick.

I'm on the spectrum myself and I don't see I'm anymore abnormal than someone who killed her children. Sorry but I don't feel for the mom. Might as well go with the eugnenics and get rid of anyone who cannot completely conform to the standards of their current society.

Just my two cents.

 

[Rakhel]

I think it is time to redefine the word normal where society is concerned. We waste too much time trying to fit in, to be normal that we forget who and what we are. Normal is over-rated. normal is boring. being normal is a not normal, and forcing people to be or act normal is so wrong. It is more damaging than we think

And you want to know why a lot, not all, of mothers with special needs kids, not to mention the kids, are on psychotropic meds?
Because of the word "normal"
Yes it is hard and yes I am in the exact same shoes as Mystic. You push for mainstream(or typical) because you want them to be able to make it on their own, knowing full well that they may not. You don't want to see them fail, but you know they might. You want them to go beyond their limitations and tell them they can, but you also have to tell them that those limits can hold them back because "normal" people won't try to understand how hard they had to work.
We don't need meds because raising these kids is hard. We need meds because "you" make hard on our kids to have hopes.