Special needs student with autism chokes to death at Brooklyn school

An investigation is underway into the choking death of 21-year old high school student Dyasha Smith at her Brooklyn, NY high school. Smith had autism and was supposed to be under constant supervision, especially on the school bus and during lunch time.

According to Catherine Smith, Dyasha's mother, the school was informed of the special needs of her daughter and was carefully instructed to cut up all her food into small pieces, and soak any bread in water before she was allowed to eat them. Otherwise, Dyasha would put too much into her mouth and swallow everything whole.

"The school really has to be held responsible because this child should not have died in that school," she said about the death of her daughter.