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That's terrible of course. It reminds me of a novel a friend of mine wrote based loosely on a true story about an epileptic (I think) boy who was smothered to death during a church service by people trying to "drive out the demons". Really sad that these things happen...

Also, from a historical/religious perspective, it sort of annoys me when people suggest that people in the Bible just thought all insane people were possessed, or called it "demons" because they weren't advanced enough to understand it. Even before the time of Christ people actually did know what insanity was and treated people for it medically. Mental defect or illness was considered to be a separate thing from any sort of demonic activity even by early Christians.

It's definitely spiritual abuse, though it sounds more like neglect and buying in to superstitions. I hope the person described will get treatment for AS. I feel so bad for her.

No what I'm saying is spiritual abuse is the mother denying her daughter proper treatment for her illness and basically trying superstitions to try to "fix" her of it.

I'm also on the Autistic spectrum. I have nonverbal learning disorder and I think what this woman is doing to her daughter is terrible. Had she been my mother, I would be depressed, still be walking with crooked feet, still duck when a baseball would come towards me for fear of getting amnesia, still be clueless about nonverbal communication, and overall, be just plain miserable.
Treatment works. I'm better with coordination, social cues, anxiety, and all my other flaws now thanks to a bunch of specialists, like psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. Ever since I was diagnosed with NVLD at age 9, things improved. My behavior, my grades, my coordination...
I think really the only way Sarah can get help is if her teacher suggests her daughter give her proper treatment. I can't imagine what the mother does with Sarah's IEP reports, just throws them out without even glancing them?
I'm rambling here, but I'll keep Sarah, my little Autistic spectrum sister, in my thoughts and prayers, as well as other kids in her situation.