Carol Nesteikis: Autism and the Justice System

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Carol Nistakis shares her family's painful journey through the justice system after her autistic son was manipulated into illegal activity by a neighbor.

Her decade-long fight for justice led her to cofound D3, an organization helping families navigate the unique challenges autistic individuals face in legal proceedings.

• Began advocating when son was diagnosed at age 2, ensuring proper education and support

• Son functioned at age 10 level but was active in Special Olympics and held a part-time job

• 2012 incident led to 19 felony charges that were eventually reduced to one misdemeanor

• Court showed little interest in son's diagnosis despite extensive documentation

• Plea deal resulted in 2 years probation and 10 years on registry

• Son lost access to Special Olympics, recreation activities, and eventually his job

• Family was separated as son could no longer live at home due to restrictions

• Financial burden depleted savings meant for son's long-term care

• After 10 years, Carol secured a pardon and expungement without legal help

• Advocates for special courts with judges trained to understand autism

• Stresses that behaviors are manifestations of disability, not criminal intent

• Current autism rate is 1 in 31 children, making justice system reform urgent

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