After Clash with State, Son with Autism Finally Allowed to Move Out of Parents' Home

Cindy Burke and her son Casey
 unpack personal belongings in
 Casey's new bedroom in a group home.

BANGOR, Maine — A Hermon couple who clashed with the state over moving their autistic son into an assisted-living facility finally has an empty nest.
Gary and Cindy Burke spent this week lugging boxes to The Getchell Agency in Bangor, their 24-year-old son Casey’s new home. The move marks the end of months of frustration in the couple’s dealings with the Department of Health and Human Services and the beginning of a home life free of Casey’s increasingly violent outbursts.
“Casey left home this morning and we were both pretty emotional because we know he’s not coming home tonight,” Gary said Wednesday. “We know it’s the right thing to do, we know it’s right for him and for us, but it’s hard to let go of 25 years of 24/7 care.”