Abusive babysitter
The abusive babysitter was a babysitter in Chris's neighborhood by the last name of Roach who watched Chris when he was 18 months old.[1] According to Cole, Roach was "unfit" as a babysitter, yet Barbara and Bob left Chris alone with her every day for years anyway while they went out drinking.[2] She allegedly locked him in a room filled with toys while she babysat him. Chris was so traumatized by this incident that he didn't talk for 6 years.[1] He blames this event for his autism, although evidence suggests that it is a hereditary disorder rather than a disorder induced by emotional trauma like PTSD (generally speaking, the symptoms of autism begin to show around that age anyway[3]).
The irony of it all is that now Chris locks himself in a room filled with toys, albeit for several days on end.