Olive Garden Diner Shows No Amore for Autistic Child

NBC Miami ^ | Tue, Aug 10, 2010 | Jessica Sick

[time4good]

ICAM! Last Friday I was having lunch and a few feet away there were these people with 3 small children. One of the them wouldn’t shut up and was screeching adn carrying on.

I don’t think that child had autism but I don’t know. The point is; all too often in our society we just let kids and their behavior slide.

What is ICAM!? (Sorry, computer guy but don't know all the web-acronyms).
I'm an expert at recognizing the spoiled brats instantly (even in their 40's), my wife takes longer. But I have learned to observe for a while first before jumping to a conclusion. If that was my son, and he was being disobedient by choice - (thing of the heart) not a chemical imbalance (believe me, I'm not a in-vogue-excuse-of-the-day-psychobabble) then I'd give him one or two warnings, then we'd take a walk outside where a God-ordained hand of influence would be attributed to where he sits (I'd spank his bottom - [Oh horrors! says the PC crowd]).

If the situation got too unreasonable to allow myself and other patrons to enjoy a reasonably expected time of dining, we'd leave. It's not fair to them. But like I said before - it's balance and good judgement - and, admittedly, I'm still learning patience and wisdom.

[time4good]

Bingo! If you read my other posts, you’ll see I wouldn’t tolerate that in a heartbeat. That’s a heart issue - enabled by the mother - NOT an Autism thing. My son is similar age but he’s learned a long time ago, in spite of Mommy treating him special that Daddy will discipline. The way you describe it, that kid is going to have a bad life, and the sad thing is, because he’s Autistic and there really are frustrating things going on inside his head, he won’t be cut a break when his heart does something vicious and the Autistic reasoning of his brain will be able to cope less with the hand of the Law and Society repercussions than even a ‘normal’ person would barely be able to.

[ml/nj]

Didn't think so.

REALLY clever riposte. REALLY, I'm so impressed with your wit. Go threaten someone else you schmuck.

ML/NJ

[ml/nj]

Funny. They used to have separate eating for blacks. Now we are so enlightened, we have separate eating for smokers/nonsmokers and want separate locations for kids/adults.

Funny that you would equate those who actively disturb others, with people who just sit there and have dinner. Or are you actively disturbed by people who are not of your kind?

And also funny that you would have this comment on your FR Page:

"At the core of modern liberalism is the spoiled child - miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats ."

ML/NJ

[dfwgator]

That’s how I feel, heaven forbid if a family with an autistic child have something resembling a normal life once in awhile.

I think anytime I would be bothered by the child, I would always come back to “There but for the Grace of God...”

[al_c]

And, hey while we're at it - the Irish, too - they should all be locked up..............

Watch it there, laddie!

[mylife]

I just thought it was curious that society is so busy segregating us in the name of progress.

[SCalGal]

Yet this story describes an out-of-control kid who would more likely be diagnosed as OCD or as having oppositional defiance disorder.

Nothing worse than a spoiled special ed kid. I teach special ed; I see a lot of them.

But this article doesn't give enough information - there's no way to tell what was going on.

[SCalGal]

PS - I never let my son become a little monster, not even a whiney snot when we’re in a public setting. As a parent of such, I know I have to apply the constant balance of consideration of what’s going on in his frustrated little brain and cut some slack and when it gets beyond what reasonable, patient patrons would not appreciate.

You are teaching him to behave appropriately in social situations and to control himself. This is invaluable.

[bigredkitty1]

Thanks for the cackle.

[goseminoles]

That’s an a-hole thing to say. You’re personal comfort is more important than societal norms and acceptance. There are all kinds of people you meet in public? Would you say the same thing if it were my 94 year old grandmother that is talking nonsense because of her age?

[bigredkitty1]

Is it too much to ask that a person be able to eat a meal in peace? This really struck a nerve with me. I don’t dislike children. Well-behaved children are a joy to be around, even the slightly mischievous one. It’s the heathens that get my blood to boiling.

[BobS]

The Olive Garden near where I work seems to be a loud women’s place for lunch. On salary. They need a bunch of guys to go in there for lunch and infiltrate those babes. “Let’s do lunch together”, “Is this seat taken?” etc.

[Tammy8]

You are just plain nuts.

[Vicki]

One time, and I must emphasize one time only, my kids acted up in a restaurant. Rather than ruin everyone's meal besides my own, I immediately removed them from the restaurant.

I gave them swats with my hand on the butt all the way out to the car as a woman from a nearby apartment yelled at me for abusing the children. I had been going through a real difficult time during that period of my life, actually the worst and I yelled at the lady to come down if she had a problem.

The kids never had a problem in a restaurant again.

[Rodamala]

There are absolutely certain foods/additives that set my son off so artificially that as soon as his behavior starts going whacky, I ask my wife 'Did he have candy/gum/food with aspertame or a red-dye additive?'

This is important enough to cut/paste to repeat because I didn't see anyone pick up on it throughout the whole thread. Something like 80% of these OCD/ADD/ADHD "cases" are from this crap they put in food (probably additives combined with insufficient discipline by parents)... but, by God, some pharmaceutical company out there has a drug to control these "disorders", and they have a team of lobbyists working overtime so they can prove it!

[SampleMan]

It sounds to me like you are doing a great job of balancing raising your child and being considerate.

I would encourage you to let people know that your daughter is autistic, as other people need to know ho to respond as well. Its a matter of expectations, and the person who would have patience for a three-year-old’s actions has none for the same actions from a ten-year-old, unless there is some reason to.

[SampleMan]

Interesting take. I’ve taken my kids to stores since they were born, and I’ve never “turned them lose”. They are well behaved, because they don’t have another option.

They have never put an item in the cart and they have never gotten candy in the check out.

[time4good]

I'm like on the opposite end of New Age whackos (eat cat's claws from the Andes Mountains and you'll be 'balanced') and my wife and I stay away as much as possible from any drug taking for flus, colds unless absolutely necessary. Having said that - I can't stand and have seen parents give their little Johnny Ridalin because he was out of control. Kid wasn't Autistic - just wired (ADHD?). I do believe earnestly that God has made foods or substances out there that can balance these conditions better. But, as I posted, it does take level-headed observation and rules to pay attention to what my son eats. He becomes a drama queen with one stick of my gum, no exageration. That's why I wonder what is in these preservatives that effect his delicate balance and what is it doing to me (wife says that's why I get cranky - LoL - 'cause of my Extra gum). You know that all the nitrites and other crap additives, it's got to be doing some long-term thing to us.

But, back on context - I have to be the responsible parent and consider what he's dealing with but at the same time what's considerate to normal people - not some selfish intolerant idiots.

[ml/nj]

You’re personal comfort is more important than societal norms and acceptance.

The norm is or used to be that people have a right to expect not to be disturbed in their personal space. Maybe you remember the adage, "Children should be seen, not heard." I didn't make it up. I like kids; in their place. I certainly don't mind them in a restaurant as long as they are not disturbing people at other tables. I feel the same way about your grandmother; or the yuppie who wants to run the world from his cell phone; or myself even. (Does anyone here think I have a right to be drunk and start talking loudly about sexual fantasies at the table next to their kids?)

ML/NJ