This article from the Guardian shines a light on the treatment of children with autism in France, describing how the outdated system often places children into psychiatric institutions and removes them from the care of their parents. The article tells the story of Rachel, a mother whose six year-old son was placed by the state into a psychiatric hospital day unit. According to the article, Rachel said she would take her children elsewhere to be assessed and the hospital called social services who removed the children from the home and placed them into care. She has not won back custody two years later. The article cites a recent UN report which states that "parents who oppose the institutionalisation of their children 'are intimidated and threatened and, in some cases, lose custody of their children'”.
