One mum felt awkward at a play area with her child; she shouted harshly at another child for repeatedly knocking down anything her child created before the child’s mum confronted her and revealed that her son was autistic. Now, the mum feels guilty for her actions in a situation that divides opinion.
A Kerfuffle in the Playground
This mum, Irene, was having fun with her 2-year-old daughter, building a wall with plastic blocks.
A slightly older boy tried to knock it down. Irene kindly asked him to stop, but he ignored her and continued his disruptive behavior.
Even after politely asking him multiple times to stop and look for his parents, who were nowhere to be found, Irene’s frustration grew.
She couldn’t understand why the boy was acting this way and could not hold back her irritation, she raised her voice and firmly said, “STOP!” Surprisingly, the boy walked away.
He Child Had Special Needs
In a surprising twist, another woman, who we’ll call Gwen, approached Irene, furious and yelling at her. It turns out the boy she scolded was her child with special needs, who happened to be autistic.
Gwen criticized Irene for raising her voice, pointing out her son’s difficulty with social interactions.
Irene couldn’t believe it and wondered why the other mum had left her son alone, as she would never do that with her own child.
The confrontation escalated with hurtful words exchanged between them.
You Can’t Expect Strangers To Assume His Condition
Seeking different perspectives, Irene reached out to her family and friends for their opinions.
They firmly believed she was not wrong, emphasizing that Gwen should have been more responsible for her son and not expect strangers to assume his condition.
Irene then witnessed something troubling as Gwen, still angry after their confrontation, returned to the wall with her son and encouraged him to continue doing whatever he wanted.
When the boy walked away again, she settled him in a corner to play with a balloon.
All Good Intentions
During this time, Irene noticed distinct behaviors that indicated the child’s autism, which she hadn’t recognized before.
She shared a heartbreaking incident from a previous job where she had lost her position after gently guiding a low-functioning autistic boy to safety at a trampoline place.
Despite her good intentions, the boy’s parents complained, and she was unfairly fired.
Because of these past experiences, Irene now feels guilty for her actions, turning to Reddit to see if her feelings are justified or if her family is correct to stand by her.
“Autism Is Not a Free Pass For Bullying Others or Being Generally Destructive”
Some Reddit users think she shouldn’t be too hard on herself, “Autism is not a free pass for bullying others or being generally destructive… and if your autistic child has those tendencies, then as their guardian, it is your job to ensure the safety of them and others who share their environment, NOT mine,” one user argued.
Other users also questioned the parents in this situation, “This kid seems like he probably has pretty high support needs so his parent should be watching him more closely just for his own safety.”
Would you have acted differently in this situation? Get involved with the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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The post A Mother’s Regret: The Heartbreaking Moment She Misunderstood an Autistic Child first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
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Source: Reddit