Transcripts For ALJAZAM America Tonight 20141215

On america tonight the Weekend Edition. Stunning confessions from the fortress of faith. A blockbuster report backs up about conclusions of an america tonight investigation into the Flagship University of christian fundamentalism and how it dealt with victims of sexual assault. It confirmed my worst nightmare. It was something about me, in my thoughts. America tonights sarah hoye met victims, who received abuse confirmed the pain of their assaults. And now a follow up as Bob Jones University officials admit they made mistakes. Game on. A full on sexual assault. You were threatened by rape, murder. Your husband was threatened. Who what why where and when they were going to murder my husband. It was to personally destroy the woman that was critiquing them. America tonights adam may on game esh gate. Gamer gate. A backlash against those who dared to speak up. And tuning in. New research that could mean break through for children with very early signs of autism. Michael okwu on efforts to reach into their world and break the silence before its too late. Good evening, thanks for joining us. Were america tonight, the Weekend Edition im joie chen. Flagship university of christian fundamentalism, allegations seemed stunning almost unbelievable. Leaders at Bob Jones University blamed sex assault victims for their abuse shaming many into walking away. But now a blockbuster review, confirming what america tonights sarah hoyes first investigation reported, that sex assault victims at bju suffered a second time at the hands of those they were supposed to help. I think they should have not heaped more shame on me because i was already filled to the brim with shame. I didnt need anymore. Reporter katy landry is putting the piece is of her life back together. Its been nearly a decade since she left the Bob Jones University the flagship of christian fundamentalist education. And she says a place that fails rape victims like herself. I love my teachers, i love the school. Im not sorry i went there. But what i am sorry about is that they seem they seem so unwilling to acknowledge when theyve done wrong. Reporter so heres the socalled fortress of faith. Bob Jones University in greenville, south carolina. Theres almost 4,000 students who go here to this private college. The teachings follow a pretty literal teachings of the be bible, the tenets are pretty strict, no watching tv, no hand holding. And a little bit could get you kicked out. She was working for an ambulance r company. When she was raped. I felt the prick of a needle and he came over and took my cloafts off. Clothes off. I could still speak i was telling him no and he remained. I could feel the tears but i couldnt wipe the tears away. Landry returned to work. He raped me again. Two weeks later i left for my freshman year at Bob Jones University. Raised in a conservativ conservativemenonnite university. I didnt understand why he had picked me, i thought there must have been something about me. Was it something that he saw that said it was okay to do this to her, was there something inside of me . And then, i thought if he could see it, does that mean other people can see it as well . And i just i needed help. I needed help really bad. She was referred to jim berg for counseling. The dean of students at the time. But she says he blamed her for the assault. He asked me if i had been smoking pot. And i really i started to get this almost dizzy feeling. And then he asked me if i had been impure with this man, had i had relations with this man. And i kept telling him no to all these questions. But he either didnt believe me or he hadnt heard or he wasnt going to help me. And he said we have to find the sin in your life that caused your raich. Anrape. And i just ran. I ran out the steps of the Administration Building and he confirmed my worst nightmare. It was something i had done. It was something about me. It was my thought. Now 31, landry said she wanted to come forward when she learned other students at bob jones shared her experience. In 2011, a bob jones trustee resigned when news reports surfaced that he had allegedly covered up the rape of a 15yearold girl and forced her to confess her sin in front of her fundamentalist church. Godly response to abuse in the christian environment to conduct an investigation into the schools sexual abuse reports. Grace, a grandson had spent the last two years talking to victims, students, faculty and administrators. 50 selfidentified victims have come forward to tell their stories to grace investigators. One surveytaker commented women and girls are taught they must confess the part of sexual abuse they enjoyed that they probably enticed their abuser. According to the independent report survey takers were also discouraged for making police reports. With one commenter saying she was told its best not to make a big deal about this for good of the school. Some of the assaults took place on campus. Some didnt. But bju students who come forward says theres a culture of victimblaming by School Counselors and administrators. Before the report was made public on thursday bju president steve pettit said he was sorry, we didnt live up to their expectations. We failed to honor our own core values. Those surveyed for the report describe bjus response to their abuse as hurtful and the schools culture as blaming and disparaging. This former students asked we conceal her identity out of fear of retaliation. While growing up she says a Family Member repeatedly raped her. I grew up in a very conservative christian home. And one of the things that we were taught was to obey. And i didnt understand what this was. I didnt even know what sex was at that point. Didnt know any anatomical terms. Nothing. All i knew was that it hurt. And that i didnt like it. When she started at bob jones in the late 2000s, she thought she would finally be able to get help. She was referred to professor pat berg for counseling, the wife of jim berg, the former dean of students who counseled katy landry. She was told the repeated rapes were her own fault. She talked about my sin regarding it. One example would be she would repeatedly say that if i had ever experienced pleasure at any point while he was doing this to me, that that was sin that i needed to repent of. I remember her looking at me, and saying you know that the nightmares are your own fault. Because youre choosing to replay pornographic thoughts in your mind. During the investigation grace reviewed a number of materials including Court Documents and emails from pat berg calling the former student to call her rapist and ask for forgiveness. You being advised i think it would be best to say to him that since you have been at bju this year god has been working in your heart. God has shown you that you were wrong, not to forgive him, as christ has forgiven you. I had to ask to forgive him. Forgive you for what . Because i had surveilled for not asking him to forgive me. She had to call her are apist. It was so incredibly hard. Picking up that phone and calling him was one of the most gutwrenchingly hard things that i ever had to do. It didnt bring me healing, it didnt bring me closure. Its like sticking a knife inside and twisting it further. Jim and pat are noarc known r their counseling on and off campus. This is why we say, you do what you do because you are what you are. To change what you go you must cooperate with god to change what you are. The grace report recommends that jim berg be banned from counseling entirely and that the campus bookstore be stripped of all materials associated with him. This former student continued with counseling at bob jones despite the unsettling nature of the sessions. The reason i continued to go is because i was still so desperate for some ray of light, for something to help me better. If this is what my life is going to feel like i dont want to live anymore. Finally, after graduating she took matters to her own hands and reported the rape to police. He was convicted of rape of a child under 12 years of age. If you had told me that dark day when i walked out of his office with no hope that one day my rapist would be convicted and sentenced to prison that i would be little a stable, successful life and that i would be healing from my abuse i would never have been able to believe you. But those are the miracles that i have seen my god do. Reporter others have taken the hard step to come forward are waiting with a hope and a prayer change will come. Some day i would like to see a world where universities, churches, schools, families, friends, stand alongside the victim. And not cover up the abuse. Reporter sarah hoye, al jazeera. After the break Sandwich Shop workers in a serious pickle. I cant work at a gas station. I cant work at a mom and pop shop. I cant work at subway, panera, anything like that. A controversial worker that keeps even low wage workers in line. Can they be forced to sign . It could have been them fault lines, ferguson race and justice in the u. S. One hour special only on Al Jazeera America talk about being sandwiched in. Workers at the bottom of the pay scale with few options for employment now some facing an extra challenge. Tough legal documents that include socalled nocompete clauses that keep them from moving on to other jobs. Some workers there are fighting back. In an america tonight exclusive, correspondent Christof Putzel talk to two workers in their first ever interview about what keeps them on the sandwich line. This is the jimmy johns blt, there is nothing anyone that would consider a mystery unless you are jimmy johns. To them this simple sandwich is a trade secret to be protected at all cost. For kaitlin and emily, that mindset has placed a virtual job lock on their job prospects. Emily is an significant manager at a store near chicago. Her hourly pay amounts to less than minimum wage. Until recently, kaitlin also worked at a local jimmy johns. We met them at a nearby restaurant. We wouldnt be able to work here. You wouldnt . No, end of discussion. They have a list of sandwiches. Kaitlin is talking about this. An agreement which all jimmy johns workers must sign. For two years it forbids former employees from working at a place that derives more than 10 of its revenue from switches. Youre not allowed to work . Yeah, so waiting tables is pretty much out of the question, i guess. And is this a place youd like to work . Yeah, im sure people would tip well here. Under the jimmy johns agreement, caitd lyn kaitlin any cant work for any Food Establishment in any capacity. Not just employee, but owner, investor, advisor. This map shows how limited their job prospects are. Anywhere theres red they cant work for a competing business. I cant work at a gas station. I cant work at a plom and pop shop. I cant work at subway, panera, anything like that. Anything that basically serves sandwiches. For kaitlin and emily, jimmy johns was an entry level job. Both would like a higher paying job. This lawsuit is the first of its kind and this is First Television interview. Why do you think they had you sign the noncompete agreement . Well its to make sure you dont share trade secrets but how much really is in a trade secret about making a blt . Reporter did you think anything of it when you signed it . I assumed you know it was all necessary. I knew i had to fill out the w2s, i had to sign my name on the dotted line. I just needed that job. Hello, jimmy johns. Jimmy johns here. What took you so long . Jimmy johns is one of the biggest restaurants changes in america. Employing more than 80,000 workers. The average in store worker makes about 8 an hour. Its also one of the Fastest Growing chains. There are now more than 2,000 jimmy johns stores located in 44 states. The sandwich makers National Footprint has big consequences for its former employees. Remember for two years they cant work within three miles of a jimmy johns anywhere. A noncompete provision makes life even more difficult for a demographic that is already struggling. Kathleen chavez is the attorney representing kaitlin and emily. She says Noncompetition Agreements not only limit future Employment Opportunities but the ability to negotiate for better pay while still on the job. Kaitlin and emily says jimmy johns has denied them promotions and raises. I dont know why anyone would have a nobody skilled employee sign on a noncompete agreement. You dont know why . Its baffling. The only reason would be to somehow box them in and control them. Its a way of controlling individuals and essentially subjecting them to whatever Employment Practices you want. Jimmy johns declined our request for an on camera interview. We followed up with an comeal e. Why do they have to sign . They declined that request as well. Workers from hairstylists to summer camp counselors to yoga instructors are now being required to sign such documents. Thats gotten the attention of congress. Limit workers options and force them to stay in low wage work. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez as well as 36 of her colleagues recently wrote the federal trade commission and the department of labor asking them to investigate. I thereto it was ridiculous. You are talking about workers on probably the lowest end of the pay scale. These are not Corporate Executives that have inside information and trade secrets. And its using fear and intimidation to try to control what employee choices are. As for kaitlin and emily, both would like to go away to college. Kaitlin recently got engaged and wants to become a vet. Emilys thinking of pursuing a degree in social work. As students, a Part Time Job would help them with college expenses. I want to try to leave and try to find Something Different but i feel like scared to leave. I dont know if ill be able to find anything else. Whether i was thinking of leaving the when i was thinking of leaving the first couple of times i was looking at other serviceindustry jobs and then i would have the reminder over my shoulder that i cant leave. Were being treated like were property of the company. Essentially like we can only work there and all the experience we have there is useless anywhere else. Youre just a tool for them. Reporter now because of jimmy johns even a job in the College Cafeteria could be out of the question. Christof putzel, al jazeera, chicago. Ahead on america tonight inside gamergate. The word of misogyny brutality and trolls and how even in the open forum of the internet some voices are silenced. You were threatened with rape, murder, your husband was threatened. Who what where when and how. They were going to ruin me. The woman who was critiquing me. America tonights adam may and one of gamer gates critics why she is speaking out. And whether this could lead to a cure for autism. Dime of the clients. Greed. Bernie was stealing every nickel but he wasnt trading anything. And entitlement. You took my grandchildrens future away from them. Youve heard of them of course, call of duty, assassins creed, grad theft auto, blockbuster games that have become household names. Last year they spent 22 billion on games. But as gaming goes increasingly mainstream a darker side of the industrys also emerging. America tonights adam may reports on the culture called gamergate. Some of the images in his report are graphic. We are having a full on war and its a war that has been put on hold for years. Brianna wu is one of the warriors. A female video game designer in mostly male world. She created revolution 360. A game of women protagonists. Women are heroes like men are in other games. Once the domain of adolescent boys and men, the appeal is shifting, nearly half of gamers today are women but most games are still designed by men and critics like wu are calling out game designers for way they portray women. If. You have 30 years of this traditional male gamer being told he is the center of the universe. Women when we exist are sex symbols. Now that women are gaming, youre seeing all of that start to change. Its making all these people over here very uncomfortable. But wu has also become a lightning rod for gamers who see these criticisms as an attack on their identity. She says she was forced to flee her home after receiving Death Threats from angry gamers. You were threatened with rape, you were threatened with murder, your husband was threatened to be killed and cut his genitals off. You see these threats . They said who what why where and when they were going to murder me and my husband. The goal was simple, to destroy the woman who was critiquing the them. Had you here for the whore . No. Anita sarkissian. These are designed to function as environmental texture while titillating males. This is the essence of what accusing game designers of misogyny unleashed a hatefilled backlash. One person crated a game allowing users to virtually punch her in the face. Sarkissian also cancelled a personal appearance in utah state, railing against what feminist lies and poison have done to the men of america. Much of the vitriol appears on gamer gate. It has grown into a loose movement, associated with the worst of Online Harassment of women. Gamergate is like a nut that youre dragging through the ocean. And it kind of picks up the worst gamers possible. Youre basically creating this really angry anonymous mob. And i think you cant control a mob. So far, three women say they have been forced to leave their homes targeted by an onslaught of online threats. Its dumbfounding, when you are looking at it, were talking about video games and youre threatening to rape and kill her for talking about video games. Can you hear me . Deanna zant stirred thnt stue of women in technological. To reduce women on social media. Thats okay, they cannot or should not be able to say im going to come rape you and kill you. You know, thats where we start to cross the line a little bit. Reporter she attributes some of the viciousness of gamergate to the fact that the Gamer Community feels under attack. When we find a culture that we fit into, that makes us feel good even for messed up reasons like beating up pursuit prostitn grand theft auto, people are going to react in really horrible culturally sanctioned, frankly, ways. Too bad she followed up. America tonight was given a rare glimpse into the mind of those who consider themselves part of gamergate. Although they say no one here has never threatened anyone. Any group large enough, theres always going to be a portion who take it too far. They share a passion for video games. You guys are really into this right . Why are you into this . I get stressed out, i go play video games, its a medical low baseline you can return to. They down play the sex and violence. It can be catharsis. It is very relaxing. It is something anyone can do, anyone can join. You can include all of new york city. You can get lost in that. Joes new york city apartment is a shrine to his favorite, giganta. He and his friends are lost in grand theft auto 5. How much do you say you would spend on video games every year . Probably 4,000 everyyear. Each game after it comes out is 60 for a aaa. Video games have grown into a 100 billion industry. Overtaking Motion Picture movie sales. Video gaming press is powerful. A bad review can make or break a game. So when gaming milks printed articles about gamer gate, with titles gamers are over, and its a horrible time to consider yourself a gamer tensions flared. People were pretty offended. It was a flatout assumption that anyone who played games were misogynistic. Which they fear could lead to censorship. If you start saying you cant have this in a game because it offends this group and you cant have this to me it seems like a slippery slope. Like where would we stop . Anita sarkissian has come up with a number of criticisms like women are oversexualized in these games. What do you feel she had to say . I watched some of her videos and it seemed a bit biased personally. When she started getting involved in video games, guess what her hits were in the millions. She goes to the media and shes like oh im a victim. Brianna wu has also faced these charges. Some gamergate supporters have accused o you of exaggerate rating, because youre trying to drum up publicity about your game. Everything ive said is absolutely accurate. The reason i talk about this is somebody has to take a stand. This scenes happening over and over and over again. I will answer any question anyone has about anything. Working this this male dominated space. An industry where 90 of game designers are male, wu hopes that acting as a role model and speaking out against Online Harassment shell provide cover for other female game developers. The thing at stake is women being in Game Development or not being in Game Development. And as an industry we have a choice right now. We can keep our head in the sand or we can address this issue and kind of make the industry a safe place for women to work. If you support gairmin gamers that automatically make you one of the bad guys . Right now the outcome of gamergate i use this word cautiously, its terrorism against women. I think the venue itself is unredeemable. Theres no indication that gamers are logging off any time soon. Like i really wanted to stand up for it, video games have been under a lot of heat and i dont want to see them changed. The battle for the future of video games is far from gameover. Adam may, al jazeera, new york. Right after the break, a treatment that could change life for millions of americans with children living with autism. Why do you think this was successful . First of all, young brains are incredibly ready for learning. Second being able to work at the beginning symptoms may be particularly powerful point to work. Because some later symptoms may actually be consequences of early symptoms. America tonights michael okwu, on what could be a break through for the very young. Good evening everyone im Thomas Drayton in new york. Braiking news out of Sydney Australia. Hostage situation started just before 10 00 a. M. , that would be 6 00 p. M. L local standard time. They have blocked off the streets as you can see right there. This is from Australian Television news service 7. Nearby buildings have been evacuated. We understand hostages are standing at windows with their hands up. This is at a Lindt Chocolate factory. Once again breaking news out of Sydney Australia i tonight, a major police operation, several people inside a chocolate and cafe have been seen with their arms in the air. An ardent man is holding hostages. These images coming in from Australian Television. Hundreds of armed police have sealed off martin place, sydney business district. New south wales have asked people to avoid the area. Sid inopera house has been evacuated and we understand the air space has been shut down. Well continue to follow the situation at 8 00 p. M. Stay with us. Fp it can be a frightening andi. More than 2 million americans now live with autism and the rates been rising steadily for the last decade. At the same time, though, treessmenttreatments have been g with one suggesting its a cure. America tonights michael okwu now on an intensive Treatment Program thats giving some parents hope. Like most fouryearold boys, noah hinson loves bouncing on the trampoline, playing card games with his siblings and exploring things. But when he was an infant, he had his mother worried. I felt like he wasnt engaging, we were pretty sure we were going down that road. That road was autism. Kristin and her husband an air force pilot had been down it before. Their two older sons are both autistic. Had you a couple children already who were autistic. And i have to imagine that it was no less, i dont know, a sad feeling. Yeah. To experience that. Definitely. It was hard. It was hard. Autism now affects one in 68 american children. But for kids with an autistic sibling the risk goes up dramatically to one in five. Thats according to research from the u. C. Davis mind institute. Three years ago kristin brought her kids here to participate in a study of children with autistic siblings. Parallel is in a high risk because he has two siblings who already have it and he is a boy. Children in that constellation has 50 risk factor for developing the disease himself, he was in the highest risk group and he showed early signs. Professor sally rogers evaluated noah when he was nine months old. Detecting the telltale early signs. Not responding to his name. Noah, noah. Not mirroring her gestures. Can you do that . Can you do that . But heres where things take a turn. Rogers was also embarking on a groundbreaking study to see whether intervention with high risk babies might help. Model and by giving it to you instead of just taking it. So she started training a small group of parents. We were not talking with parents about spending hours a day of doing therapy with their children. We were talking about some focused interactive techniques that really would feel pretty natural to anybody doing these, i think. Natural, except whats natural for autistic babies, is not to respond. They taught me kind of how to use the songs to engage him and pause and wait for once he learned the songs wait for him to look up at me or vocalize or be there to reinforce any form of communication. If you have children with autism, its theyre not reinforcing you to continue to do those things and as a parent you want to make them happy. Its more natural for a child with autism to let them play. At the risk of oversimplifying this, it is like you are compelling yourself to be in his face all the time. Totally. But you wait for the response. The group evaluated noah and the other babies for the first 12 weeks. Things were remarkable. Things were going downward a little bit and were like oh whats that . We know that pattern is the pattern that is the beginning or the precursor of the onset of autism. In the first three months of the little bit of slow down, the babies in our study turned the corner. If you look at the data and every single child shows this turn in their developmental lines. No matter what, the lines go up for almost every baby the normal range. By 15 months noah was he just started engaging. His language started coming. And i just i remember just thinking, i think hes getting this. By 18 months, the infant sibling center, they didnt see really any concerns anymore, either. The is noah showing is noah shoag any signs of autism now . No. None . None. Today noaaie naturall noah ih everyone. Hitting normal developmental milestones. Why do you think this was successful . First of all, young brains are incredibly ready for learning. Second, being able to work at the beginning symptoms may be particularly powerful point to work. Because some later symptoms may actually be consequences of early symptoms. Third, autism changes the social environment. A child who has autism who is not initiating interaction with parents, after a while, the environment around that child changes. And the messages stop coming because the child has left the circle of the family. This intervention appears to be very poe potent. Of course, the authors are well aware there are some limitations, the biggest one being that there were only seven children and that they really didnt have a large, well matched control group to see how similar kids would have done without the intervention. Debra fine at the university of connecticut says rogers results are promising but shouldnt be interpreted as a cure. She has found that while older children do overcome autism, their brains do not function as regular kids. The optimal kids, were not using the same brain areas as the typical kids. They were apparently compensating by overacting other areas of the brain. So for that one reason if not the other, i wouldnt say it was likely that these kids were cured. Whether or not the intervention cured these kids it has changed lives. The idea of a cure for autism it kind of depends on what you mean. We dont have biological tests that predict and diagnose autism. We look at behavior. And autism is a disability. It impairs everyday function. So if you dont have an impairment in your everyday function, its pretty hard to say somebody has autism. As for kristin hinson, she is hopeful noah will tur stay probm free. She is turning her attention to nine month old lucy. At the end, good news. Lucys not showing any early signs. Terrific i got to imagine theres something bittersweet about this. Had you known about this earlier when you had your two other kids you polite have been able to engage them in the same way. Sure, yep. Hindsight, right . Weve its hard, its a hard place that we try not to go there too much but it would have been very beneficial for justin, especially. He didnt start receiving therapy until he was four. So earlier intervention for him, especially as an infant i think, really if i had known what i know now, i think hed probably be struggling a lot less. Whats native land do you remember . Home land. Rooj ersrogers says she expes autism to improve. To get treatment like for cancer or infections. But until then, she will continue. What are the chances that we can get rid of autism . I say this is what i want for your child. I want for your child to feel successful and competent and loved and happy with his or her life. Is that enough . Absolutely it is all i want for any of my children. I say well lets focus on that. Are you pretty confident that one day there will be a cure and that cure may very well be connected to this treatment . I think so. I think were getting closer. I think i would love to say yes. I think that this this oppositopensa lot of doors. Michael okwu, al jazeera, sacramento, california. When we return, another view of autism from the prince of the promenade. He inspired others to live independently. Now his friends and family must say goodbye. We remembered Brandon Kramer coming up. Police are pressing the use of body cameras. America tonights michael okwu visits one of the first departments in the nation to use them. Will they make a difference . The death toll could be much higher than anyone known. Posing as a buyer. People ready then. Mr. President who should answer for those people before the break we told you about a groundbreaking effort to fight autism in children. We end this hour though with the look at the life of a man who grew to adulthood with autism. He had other health problems, and recently passed away, not before blazing a trail for others with autism. America tonights chris bury brings us his story. In santa monica, the community honored its own. Theres a lot of tears, a lot of heart. Brandon kramer made a distinctive unusual mark here, standing up with others with autism. It disturbed me a little bit, he was a clipper fan and im a laker fan. And they took notice. Local activist jerry rubin organized the service. It was the right thing to do. If santa monica promenade were a three block long island, it could rightfully and properly being named Brandon Kramer island. This was Brandon Kramers world in many ways. In a visit last february, Brandon Kramer gave america tonight a tour of his world. What is this promenade . Its easy for me because i can walk everywhere and its nice. Good place for you to be independent. Exactly. Everything for me to do. Brandon spent his days walking the crowded streets of santa monica because epileptic seizures left him unable to work. Fewer than one in ten awe autisc individuals work. I would see him daily on the promenade when i either walked or rode the bike down the promenade and he would make a bee line to me with a smile, tell me what was going on on the promenade. He would always gravitate towards us and it was such an amazing person, such an amazing man, to see how happy and content he was with his life despite his challenges. So he always brought hope to everyone that he touched. Thanks for letting us come to your apartment. Youre welcome. Appreciate it. Brandon lived here in a small but cozy apartment in a Public Housing project. This is my stereo and Entertainment Center. Your Entertainment Center is right here, nice. My chair and my bed and my light and my computer table. Oh nice on his own for 16 years, brandon treasured his independence. Yes, i like it a lot because i can like come and go as i please. I feel happier. You dont have to worry about anyone checking on you, youre your own man. Exactly. One of his favors was this bright red button from a tv commercial. He said it brightened his mood. That was easy. That was easy. And then i have this too. But things were not easy for are brandon or his mother amalia. As a newborn he was tiny barely five pounds and by the time brandon was a toddler his mother knew he wasnt developing like other children. I noticed his speech or lack of it. Words would come out. Jumbled. I thought it would be good to pus him in nursery school. When i did that, the teacher said, he wont play with anybody, he plays by himself and he does one thing over and over and over been. By the time brandon was 9 he was having seizures, the diagnosis, epilepsy. Back then the doctor urged his mother to keep it secret. But brandon struggled in school, socially an easy target for bullies. He wanted to play basketball but his eye hand coordination was so poor that he had very slow movement and therefore, couldnt make a basket couldnt catch the ball and the kids were smart. They knew he couldnt catch the ball so they would throw it in his face and he couldnt stop it in time. He had broken his nose several times. Eventually brandon was diagnosed with autism. Cant make a friend, had communication difficulty. Had all the attributes of an autistic person . Every single one. I remember being so relieved and yet saddened at the same time. For a amalia, some provide se support until age 22. Then the families are on their own. Whats it like for parents of autistic children when that educational support suddenly ends . Parents are scared to death. The number 1 question is what will happen to my children . Or my child after reply husband and i die . An i rpt sf. Over the last 10 years, cases have exploded by 40 . That means a tidal wave is on the way, half a million in 10 years. Brandons mother is on a mission to help others carve out a path to independence. At a conference in orlando, more than 1,000 parents and professionals showed up to hear a keynote speech. How could we be anything else, we are codependent. We allow our children to grow. Theyll have a better life now than after we are gone. Reporter and after living on his own for years, brandon had advice for others dealing with autism. What do you say to other autistic adults who are a little worried about leaving mum and dad and going off on their own, what do you tell them . I tell them look at me, look at what i have done. Reporter last month brandon died in his sleep, aged 41. He came here to serve a purpose. He came here to show people that when you are different, you can still be accepted and be beautiful. He came here to live an independent lifestyle. He concurred it. It was his mission. He did a good job. And he left in peace. Reporter here in a community that accepted brandon and all his quirks, he left a lasting impression, serving as a model for other autistic when and women, able to live on their own, as adults we remember Brandon Kramer, and history for independence. Thats america tonight, if you would like to comment on stories seen, log on to the website aljazeera. Com americatonight. You can meet the team and look ahead at stories we are working on now, and tell us what youd like to see on the programme. You can join a conversation on us at any time on twitter or facebook. Goodnight, and well have more america tonight this week. Good evening, everyone, this is Al Jazeera America. Im Thomas Drayton in new york. We are beginning with breaking news at this hour. An armed man is holding several people hostage at a cafe in the Central Business district of sydney as we look live here. Witnesses say hostages are standing near windows in a chocolate shop with their hands up. A black and white flag with arabic writing is on display, the affiliation has not been confirmed. Police station, however, confirm the surrounding area has been evte