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Autistic child kicked off flight
This is an unbelievable story. It would also make you think we live in old communist Russia, not a country priding itself for valuing diversity.Yes, a mother and her child were kicked off an American Eagle flight because she "wasn't able to control her toddler."
According to ABC Eyewitness News, the mother says she was "doing all she could to calm the autistic boy," but got "no sympathy from the flight crew."
The flight attendant kept coming over and tugging the kid's seatbelt to make it tighter. He, in turn, kept wiggling around and trying to get out of his seatbelt. And, according to the mother, the flight attendant kept coming over, reprimanding him, and yelling at him until he got really upset and started rolling around on the floor. At which point, everyone involved lost it.Then, the pilot apparently made an announcement that there was a woman and her child on the plane and the child is uncontrollable. He turned the plane around and headed back to the terminal.
American Airlines (American Eagle's parent), of course, had a different story. They said the mother was pitching a "raging fit" and refused to comply with FAA regulations.
My question is: what did the other passengers do? Did they try to help the mother? Did they offer to wait until the child settles down? Or, do we live in a world where independent judgment and flexibility have vanished?
Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 22)
StoneThrower Jun 25th 2008 8:41PM
Let's hope you stay perfect in you little glass house and your family as well. Heaven forbid your judgemental ignorant comments cause you the worst possible retribution. Go karma! Why don't you take some medication and get comatose and save anyone who knows you from your garbage.
sheryl Jun 25th 2008 8:39PM
When you have an autistic child, setting boundaries and rules do not work with autistic kids. They are in their own world not ours so rules and boundaries mean nothing to them, they don't comprehend things in that way. Unfortunately when they do have tantrums there is nothing you can do to stop it until it runs its course. This can be typical of autistic kids and not the mom's fault. Eventually they will stop but in unfamiliar surroundings and if it is out of their routine, this behavior is usually pretty common. The pilot did the right thing no matter how wrong people think it is, you can't have other passengers being subject to that behavior especially when you are paying those prices too fly. I feel sorry for the mom, obviously she really needed to get somewhere or I don't think she would have flown with her son.
StoneThrower Jun 25th 2008 8:41PM
Another point: if you knew a damn thing about autism you would understand that you cannot "discipline" an autistic child the way you would a typical one. So how dare you judge that mother and make assumptions on her ability to parent? I can't stand self-serving idiots that parade behind comments. As I said before go karma!
Dawn Jun 25th 2008 9:01PM
Wow, you clearly know nothing about parenting a special needs child. Simply disciplining a child with unique sensory reactions is hardly cut and dried. For autistic children, overstimulating (like yelling at them or pulling his seatbelt too tight) sends them over the edge into fits of terror, not misbehavior. His mother has dealt with these types of fits likely hundreds of times, and if there was a quick fix (like your "magic pill" theory) guaranteed she would have used it. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you make ignorant overgeneralizations like that.
As for all flight crews and attendants: we know your jobs are extremely trying, but with the meteoric rise in autism in this country, it may behoove your superiors to give you some crash-courses in how to assist in those situations. It will save you stress, the mother will be loyal to your airline forever (and tell everyone she's ever met), and all the other passengers, too, who undoubtedly were not thrilled to be returned to the gate.
D Jun 25th 2008 9:01PM
You are a freakin idiot if you think for one minute that you can force an autistic child to behave by using discipline and boundaries. If you have never had an autistic child of your own or been close to one then you have no idea and need to keep your uneducated comments to yourself.
angie Jun 25th 2008 9:33PM
I am sorry, what makes you the autism expert? Do you even realize what it takes to take your autistic child anywhere???? Discipline has NOTHING to do with how an autistic child behaves!!! The more traditional discipline you give an autistic child, the more likely they will "go into their own little world" and throw the tantrums. It actually takes a different type of "discipline" and patience that you evidently would never understand. Every minute of every day with an autistic child is work. You are teaching every moment of the day, and when you aren't working, you are driving to therapy to get them the help. I have a 5 year old with autism and I am sure I speak for every autistic family when I say that it is hypocritical people like you that make families that have an autistic child unable to take their children anywhere to get used to an unfamiliar situation. Everything an autistic child does has to be role-played in advance so they are comfortable about it, and even then, you can't guarantee that the way you practiced it. (which on an airplane you can't simulate the noise and experiences) And for your drug comment, that was totally out of line. I would never drug my kid up to a comatose state just for your flying pleasure. You obviously have NO KIDS of your own, and if and when you do, you better hope yours is not 1 in the 150 kids who get autism.
Stephanie Jun 25th 2008 9:46PM
It is obvious you have not done any research because you show absolutely no knowledge of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Why don't you take some time to do the research first and THEN make your commentaries.
Also, the correct term is not "autistic child." It is a "child with autism." But then again, you probably didn't know that because you have no background on the spectrum.
I have been a teacher for over 10 years now, and I am also the parent of a child with autism. I found your diatribe smug and full of ignorance.
bigfish Jun 25th 2008 9:41PM
You know nothing about autism so please say nothing
Lisa Jun 30th 2008 1:31AM
My reply is mostly to the responders to your ignorant post:
Thank you. As a mother of a child touched by autism, Thank you. As I read an uneducated rant about things that the person obviously has no personal experience with, my heart sank because I encounter this type of ingorance every day.
My spirit is lifted reading the abundant responses of people who have walked a mile in my shoes, or are walking the mile currently... Thank you. It is heartwarming to know that there are more people recognizing this life challenge for what it is.
I wouldn't change a thing about my son, or the growth and learning opportunities that I have been blessed with through this hand I have been dealt. I have lived with the scrutinizing looks, the muttered comments and the disapproving attitudes for many years; not to mention the unsolicited advice...from people who think they know how to "fix" my son. I can't say that I have stood like a rose through it, but I have definately learned that there is beauty to be held in this experience.
Once again.. Thank you to those who are understanding and empathetic towards those who are different than themselves. Bless you, you are the kindred.
Lisa
Suzen Jun 25th 2008 10:16PM
Ja, you obviously have NO IDEA what an autistic kid is like! They can be sweet as candy one minute, then "the black cloud" rolls in, with no warning. I hope you never have to deal with one of these kids...they go through enough without having to deal with people like you.
It's no fun for the parents, either, especially when some ignorant a** makes a remark about their child and they have to stifle themselves.
Try looking at it from their point of view once in a while. You might walk away from it with a little more education on the matter and compassion.
Wendy Jun 26th 2008 2:06PM
Apparently, you are completely uneducated. People who are not educated should, well, just not speak or make generalizations. I am a mother of a 5 year old autistic son, and I could only wish you had any experience in the matter. Maybe the mother should have realized the child's limitations, however, you are obviously one lousy and unintelligent individual. I would bet that you are farther from perfect than the average person, those like you are more likely to cast judgements than others. Next time you should keep your rediculous comments to yourself.
Melissa Jun 26th 2008 3:55PM
Obviously you have no clue. Dont assume the mother wasnt doing her job. Looks like she was attempting to with an uneducated flight attendant. Maybe the airlines need to do a training.
Educate yourself before you post please.
Tree Jul 7th 2008 11:19AM
Autistic children are medicated. They also don't tolerate strangers coming up and trying to do thing THEIR way. Let the parent handle to situation. The preparation that families with autistic children go through to even go to the store, let alone fly, is unbelievable. I have a friend with an autistic son. He works very hard at keeping it together in stores. This woman in the store decided to get in his face and "correct his behavior since your mommy won't" got slapped by the boy. Mom had asked her to leave him alone and that he was fine, but "mother of the year that knows it all" just couldn't butt out. When she got slapped, my friend looked at her and told her she was warned. The store managers know them and have become comfortable with telling other patrons to leave him alone. To you its a discipline problem.. for that child, its an overwhelming influx of noise, colors, textures, smells that they want to desperately try to experience while their parents are trying to minimize the amount of stimulation that child gets.
Plus who says the parents didn't work with their doctors to medicate the child on the plane but due to delays.. the medication started to wear off. Also, this is not a child that should be seated first then wait for the rest of the passengers to board... they should be allowed to be that last ones to board so that everyone else is settled and less stimulating to the child.
rubu Jun 25th 2008 8:23PM
I AGREE WITH PILOT
tom sheridan Jun 25th 2008 8:40PM
you do NOT agree with pilot. NIET! NEIN! NO! E-mail me at tomp1253@msn.com
Dave Jun 25th 2008 9:23PM
I also agree with the pilot, if I had been on the plane I would rather return to the gate than to listen to some screaming kid the entire flight. I flew American recently and there was a screaming kid on the flight two seats in front of me, the flight attendant took care of it after three attempts to get mom to do something about it. Everyone around us was grateful and thanked the attendant.
Packrat Jun 25th 2008 8:24PM
Thanks for the link, and if the mother plans to travel with autistic child, she needs to be prepared,not expect everyone else to bend.
Some preplanning and coordination with the airline might have headed off the problem.
And the rest of the passengers paid to travel ontime to their destination.
mike Jun 25th 2008 8:23PM
I for one will never fly American. I have an autistic child and NorthWest and Contential have policies for child with "special needs". They are the only autistic person friendly airlines as far as I am concerned. They ask if there is a problem you explain the reason for the behavior and they ask if they can assist you in calming the child down they dont ever reprimand or touch the child. I for one think the pilot should have found out what was going on first hand and the attendant should be fired for antaganizing the child.
Chris Jun 25th 2008 8:31PM
It doesn't matter if a child is autistic, not autistic, that is not the point. IF a parent can not control the child, no matter what is wrong or not wrong with that child then they need to find other means of travel. The pilots, and any other airline personel first concern should always be the safety of everyone on the plane. If a situation causes the pilot to have to divert his attention away from flying the airplane then the only answer is to return to a terminal and escort the mother and child off the plane. Theycan fly again when they can control their child. OMG I see a huge monetary lawsuit in the making.
Kam Jun 25th 2008 9:04PM
Enjoy the liberty of removing an unruly child from various sites and modes of transportation for the time being. There will be laws requiring accomodation of any child with physical and mental deficits in any and every location and transport. This will be regardless of inconvenience to every other person involved. Look no further than the school systems, that have to, by law (IDEA & FAPE), accomodate any child with a disability, even if it interferes with the education of all other normal children. Look at the laws (ADA) demanding the accomodation of any person with physical and mental handicaps even if it interferes with everyone else. Think this will not be expanded to include every form of transportation and place of public access -- think again.