Spencer's New Home

Bradley E. Clift

The Hartford Courant

A new group home for Autistic and Retarded children opened in the fall of 1991 in Bloomfield, CT. For parents who could not longer care for their children, the home was a god send. For the children, it was frightening, not a home. The new home is controviersial because unlike most group homes, there isn't much choice for the residents. These children have no choice, except for their parents. The story chronicles Spencer Rothstein's first week at the home, how he deals with loneliness for his family and a visit from them. An Unfamiliar Place--Spencer Rothstein lives at a group home for disabled children and mentally handicapped children. He moved there last week when the home first opened. He was one of the first residents of the new experimental home. He misses his family and is not sure where he is. He is autistic and mentally retarded. He also misses home.

Bradley E. Clift, "Spencer's New Home," in POYi Archive, Item #19651, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/19651 (accessed November 23, 2024).