Joshua Titus

Joshua Titus (1990-2016)

Joshua Titus was 25 years old and had autism. He lived in Auburn, Maine. He was born in Romania on October 14, 1990 and was adopted as an infant by Andrew and Carolyn Titus. Joshua Titus passed away on April 6, 2016, from cancer. He served as the manager of the Edward Little High School Basketball Team and became a national inspiration when he entered the final home game of the season and scored 9 points. His story became one of the top 10 high school sports stories on ESPN in 2009 and he inspired the Maine McDonald's Games Spirit of the Game Award that is named after him. Joshua Titus worked for Bates College. He is survived by his parents Andrew and Carolyn Titus and his brother Nathan Titus.

Links about Joshua Titus:

Obituary: Dignity Memorial Obituary for Joshua Titus

News:

• Maine Man With Autism who Played in Famous High School Basketball Game Dies (Boston.com, Amanda Hoover, April 7, 2016)
• Josh Titus, Well Known Basketball Inspiration from Maine, dies at 25 (Boston Globe, Danny McDonald, April 8, 2016) 

Jonathan Shay

Jonathan Shay, 13 years

Jonathan Shay was 13 years old and had autism. He was from St. James, Missouri. On July 9, 2015, Jonathan went missing in a rural area near Dry Fork Creek. He wandered out with his cousin Xavier Baylor. Xavier was found a day later but there was no sign of Jonathan Shay. Several searches by volunteers and law enforcement were conducted during the weeks when Jonathan Shay remained missing. His remains were discovered on February 21, 2016 on property near where he was last seen. Jonathan Shay's mother is Melissa Perkins.

Links about Jonathan Shay:

Blogs:

• JINO Leads New Search for Jonathan Shay (The Carthage Press, Natalie Sanders and Paul Hackbarth, September 7, 2015) 

• Why Wandering Can Be Dangerous for Children with Autism (Autism Daily Newscast, July 23, 2015)

News:  

• Human Remains Identified as Jonathan Shay's (13KRCG, Meghan Lane, March 10, 2016)

• Update: One Boy Found, Another Still Missing (13KRCG, Dan Claxton, July 10, 2015)

• Weekend of Searching Fails to Turn Up Missing Teen (OzarksFirst.com, July 13, 2015)

Daniel Joost

Daniel Joost, 18 Years

Daniel Joost was 18 years old and had autism. He was from Oak Forest, Illinois near Chicago. Daniel Joost and his mother Margaret O'Leary-Joost were discovered murdered in their home on February 8, 2016. Daniel's father, David Joost, allegedly was responsible for the homicides and was found in the garage having committed suicide. Daniel Joost is survived by a sister, Kathryn Joost, who was away at college during this tragic murder-suicide.

Links about Daniel Joost: 

Blogs:

• Autism Memorial 

• Autism News, Science and Opinion

News:  

• Father Strangles Autistic Son and Wife in Oak Forest Murder-Suicide (Oak Forest Patch, Lauren Traut, February 9, 2016)

• 3 Family Members Dead in Oak Forest Murder-Suicide, Officials Say (ABC7 News, Jessica D'Onofrio, February 9, 2016) 

• Family Dead in Murder-Suicide Struggled with Financial Problems (Chicago Tribune, Nick Swedberg, February 10, 2016)

Danielle Jacobs

Danielle Jacobs (1991-2016)

Danielle Jacobs was 24 years old and had the form of autism known as Asperger's syndrome. Danielle had become famous for a video she placed on YouTube in 2015 which went viral and showed an event when her dog Samson calmed her when she was having a meltdown. On February 4, 2016, she was shot and killed by police, who were called to her home in Mesa, Arizona. The officer involved shooting is under investigation.

Links about Danielle Jacobs: 

Blogs: Autism Light

News:  

• Woman Killed by Police Had Viral Autism-Awareness Video (CBS News, Febrary 5, 2016) 

• Woman with Asperger's Syndome Shot Dead by Police in Arizona (The Telegraph, Daid Millward, February 6, 2016) 

• Woman Killed by Police Had Popular Online Video (Associated Press, February , 2016) 

Jayliel Vega Batista

Jayliel Vega Batista, 5 Years

Jayliel Vega Batista was 5 years old and had autism. He lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He wandered away from a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2015. After an intensive search his body was discovered on January 2, 2016, in the Lehigh Canal, located a quarter of a mile from the home he went missing from. His parents are Gilberto L. Vega and Yelitza I. Batista.


Links about Jayliel Vega Batista: 

Obituary: Legacy.com Obituary for Jayliel Batista

News:  

• Funeral Set for 5-Year-Old Allentown Boy (NBC10.com, January 4, 2016) 
• Body of Missing 5-Year-Old Pennsylvania Boy With Autism, Jaylel Vega Batista, Found (NBC News, Elisha Fieldstadt, January 2, 2016)
• Tragic End to Search for Autistic 5-year-old in Allentown (Lehigh Valley Live, Steve Novak, January 2, 2016) 

Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho

Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho (1987-2015)

Jonathan (Jonno) Grinstein-Camacho was 28 years old and had autism. He lived in Searport, Maine. He was born on November 10, 1987, in Concord, New Hampshire. He died from an accidental drowning on December 3, 2015, in Belfast, Maine. His mother is Christina Camacho and his father is David Grinstein of Searsport, Maine. In memory of Jonno, his family established a non-profit named Jonno's Place, which will build a center in Belfast, Maine where adults of all abilities can reside.


Tribute to Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho:  "Jonno was a gifted child, extraordinarily intelligent, very sweet, shy with people but loved dogs and loved his vegetables (Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho's Obituary)."

Links about Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho:

Obituary: Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho's Obituary (The Free Press)

News:

• Police Identify Man Found Dead Near Stream in Belfast (Bangor Daily News, December 4, 2015) 
• A Grieving Family Blames Broken MaineCare System for their Son's Death (Bangor Daily News, March 31, 2016)
• In Wake of Autistic Son's Death, Family Strives to Build Community for Those Who Struggle to Belong (Bangor Daily News, December 27, 2016) 

Aiden Rodriguez

Aiden Rodriguez, 6 Years

Aiden Rodriguez was six years old and had autism. He lived in Humble, Texas and had survived heart surgery in 2014. On November 15, 2015, Aiden wandered away from his family and ran out of the Napalitos Dona Maria restaurant in Highland, Texas and into a busy road where he was hit by a pickup truck.

Tribute to Aiden Rodriguez:  "He was just a very beautiful boy with the sweetest heart (Greg Rodriguez, Aden's Father)."

Links about Aiden Rodriguez: 

News:  

• Family mourns autistic son, 6, killed after wandering into street, (Click2Houston.com, Syan Rhodes, Novvember 17, 2015)
• Traffic Accident Claims 5 year-old's Life (Baytownsuncom, November 18, 2015)