05-28-09 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing of the La Porte Zoning Board of Adjustment

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.... Southeast ~I Family Resource Center 5901 Long Dr. 2:J~ Houston, Tx 77087 Office: (713) 970-4300 Fax: (713) 970-4373 MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY May 12, 2009 To Whom It May Concern: Baylee Walker is currently followed at the Southeast Family Resource Center on the Children's ACT team for severe mental health issues. She suffers from a severe autistic spectrum illness, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, with marked social delay, poor ability to relate to others, extreme difficulty to handle change, problems with anger, anxiety, depression, and aggression. During the course of her treatment her mother, Lisa Walker, discovered that she related much better to animals, and we have encouraged this interaction to assist her in handling the extreme stress she endures from even a typical day for a normal child. Caring for her farm animals has been a very calming activity, which also gives her a source of accomplishment she has difficulty achieving in her relationships with people. Working with animals will also give her the opportunity to be more self sufficient as an adult, as she is not expected to perform well at any job that requires social interaction and understanding with people. Her attachment to her animals has also been a way to help calm her when she is frustrated or having to deal with changes in her routine, which for her would previously cause severe outbursts and aggression. Medications alone cannot help with these symptoms, and this experience of raising farm animals has been an important toll in assisting her. To remove this family's animals would be extremely detrimental to her emotional well being and mental health, and could cause a serious regression in the progress she has made. Please consider this factors as you decide upon this very unique case. ~ Michae cGinnis, MD Medical Director, SEFRC - CAS ACT