That mother needs to calm down. Clearly the santa was saying "J. La Salle", as in a J. La Salle bow for violins (new window).

serpent_sky: I don't buy for ONE second that the kids were doing nothing but a "happy dance" and hugging Santa for his reaction. This story could not be more one-sided if they tried.

Dito that.

serpent_sky: I get the impression that the mother thinks slapping on a "don't judge me, I have autism" shirt excuses anything and everything that her kids do, and makes every person who dares look, comment, or otherwise not act like she has a perfect little cherub in tow is a horrible person.

I've run into plenty of those. For example, there used to be this great hobby shop in town where they had a huge table set up for miniatures gaming and a row of computers set up in back for games like AVP. Then came along this cocktail waitress used to drop her handicapped son off there before going to work. The kid was angry and hostile. He'd mess around with the miniatures gamers and then go in back and join a PC game in progress uninvited. The store's owner was a saint because he had a handicapped kid too. But after a couple weeks of this, he started losing business and asked the kid's mom to leave him some place else.

She exploded. She went into this big dog and pony show about how other people should understand what she was going through and give her some help.

I shot back that this was a hobby shop and not a medical facility. The kid needed help, but he wasn't going to get it from this bunch. It was pretty apparent that the only reason she was dropping her kid off here was because she didn't want to pay for a sitter.

And she was a very hot cocktail server working at one of the then flagship properties on the Strip. If she could afford to wear Gucci, she could afford a sitter for her kid.

Never saw either of them again after that, but before she left, she told everybody in the store how horrible they were, even the little kids who were waiting to buy Pokemon cards.

stpauler: He's not autistic, he's just a ginger. Misdiagnosis.
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Wow, I thought you were all joking about the t-shirt. I feel bad about the guy losing his job, but hopefully wherever he ends up he won't have to be on the receiving end of this hambeast and her spastic familiars anymore.

GAT_00: Pretty much. That shirt demands 'excuse anything I do, no matter what.'

Yeah, the shirt annoys me on the mom's behalf. It's not the idea of being understanding that someone has autism, I wouldn't mind if someone TELLS me "oh yeah, he has autism," but... something about making the kid wear that shirt (is it from Autism Speaks?) just bugs me for some reason.

Coelacanth: I shot back that this was a hobby shop and not a medical facility. The kid needed help, but he wasn't going to get it from this bunch. It was pretty apparent that the only reason she was dropping her kid off here was because she didn't want to pay for a sitter.

Heck, people do this with "normal" kids at the library all the time too. If your kid is not with it enough (including due to age) to amuse himself or study quietly without bothering other patrons, he needs a minder. Meanwhile, if the kid wanders off and gets into some sort of trouble, no, you can't blame the library or store personnel - they are not being paid to be custodially responsible for your kid. Kid at the library means kid on his own and being responsible, use your judgement about whether that's something he can handle.

*sigh* I ran into a mom and kid like this at the beach. The boy looked to be about 9 - 10, and was high functioning and fully verbal. He would throw a fit if anyone came anywhere near his sand castle. A screaming, freaking out fit. Toddlers would wander near him and he would start up. Having worked with the disabled and having a disabled sib, I am about as tolerant as they come towards wacky guess-the-diagnosis behavior. But the mother was not only doing nothing, she was actually chastising the other children, and demanding that all the other parents at the beach keep their children away from her son.

Having a disabled kid does NOT absolve you from being a parent. Teaching basic appropriate behavior is mandatory. Yes, it's often very difficult. But it's not optional.

That said, if you take a job as a Mall Santa, you need to suck it up and be the Jolly Fat Guy no matter what. It's part of the job. I recommend vallium.

namegoeshere: That said, if you take a job as a Mall Santa, you need to suck it up and be the Jolly Fat Guy no matter what. It's part of the job. I recommend vallium.

Yeah. IF he had to snark, he should have snarked at Mom, who is the one behind the shirt.

I have no idea what the situation in Australia is, but around me some of the places will make a notice that they put their more "experienced" and understanding Santa actors out at certain times or places or with some restrictions on the lines, so if your kid is likely to melt down, for his own sake you might consider those hours/locations, or whatever (local theaters will show movies with the lights on and a "talking during the movie 100% okay" policy at odd morning hours, same sorta deal, everyone is forewarned.)

serpent_sky: Because the underlying attitude (since he apparently ALSO wore it to see the Santa) is "put shirt on, behavior excused", and that's that.

That PLUS, it's like making the kid wear that sort of douchey message when it might not be his own thoughts on the matter. The kid might honestly not be able to help himself, but damn, doesn't need a shirt like that on top of it, y'know? "Look at me, I have Issues, AND, my mom is advertising it in an annoying self-righteous way."

serpent_sky: She's carving out an identity for her child that is nothing more than his diagnosis. That's teh really sad part, if you ask me.

...and there I think you have put your finger on that spot I was reaching for. Yeah. That's totally it.

Always let dad take the kids to see Santa.

News Flash: Santa off his meds or is low on the alcohol that powers his red nose and jollyness.

/Heres to hoping that 'Santa' is not a cop in his spare time.
//'respect my santa authoritae'

My kid has Asperger's, but I'll be damned if he's allowed to use that as an excuse in any situation. He knows how to control himself, and we've given him plenty of therapy to help with this. Jumping up on Santa or not listening to instructions? Your good day is over, kid. I get that the kids are different, but they can be taught to handle themselves with appropriate parenting. "Oh, gee, look, he has autism, and he gets a free pass," is not appropriate parenting.

I'm reminded of a woman in our area who thought that she, too, was special because of her daughter, who was born without digits on any of her limbs. She'd cut in line, talk over people, demand discounts on things, and so on, all because of her "poor" daughter. You deal with what life has given you, and if someone offers you charity, that's fine. But it stops being charity when you forcefully take it from someone.

/he's a hyper little ginger too

serpent_sky: There's just a LOT more to this story and I can't help but think the mother has "autistic child attention whore syndrome," herself.

How hard is it for Santa to say "okay, you're done Timmy, ho ho ho, NEXT!"? Then an elf will grab the little imp, send him on his way and there's no incident.

Eddie Adams from Torrance: Joey, have you ever been in a... in a Turkish prison?

You ever seen a grown man naked?

stpauler: The_Sponge: FTFA:

Tammy Sleeth said her two sons, Cameron, who has Asperger's syndrome, and Liam, 7, who has autism,


Somebody has bad luck.

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You and Marge ain't cousins, are ya?

Actually, numerous studies have shown that parents that produce an autistic child have about a 25% chance of producing another if they have more children. This has been known for some time. To me that screams bloody farking genetic cause due to the odds pretty much following a single allele cross. For the non-scientist, recall your middle school Punnet Square. Instead, we have had a decade of vaccine BS.

I understand that there's a lot of trolling going on in here, but smart ass santas don't get make fun of disabled children. Do your job and STFU.

The_Sponge: itazurakko: I have no idea what the situation in Australia is,


Down there, Autism is the complete opposite of what it is in the Northern Hemisphere.

They spin and flap in the opposite direction?