Family Kicked Off Flight After Daughter With Autism Deemed 'Disruptive'

[TheOldSchool]

United did the right thing. PERIOD. Their spectrum problem is not worth the lives of 250 people trying to get to their own spectrums.

And is that the new word for uncontrollable handicapped people? SPECTRUMS?

Wow you don't even know why I used "spectrum." Don't unsubscribe! Then how will your ignorant ass learn anything? Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie

 

[Godboy]

Plane rides are an especially difficult thing for children with autism. There have been kids I've worked with who we spent weeks talking about things like the pressure changes and appropriate behavior for plane passengers. I've heard of some extreme cases involving kids, but this seems like the airline not being reasonable.

There are other modes of travel.

Oh......sorry......we must all give in to the insanity because she's handicapped.

My mistake.


Btw, nothing is worse than an angry passenger on a long flight.....no matter what their problem is.

If i had to put up with one second of that horse shit, i would want my money back from the airline. For the amount i pay for a ticket, i expect there to be order on the ride.

I'd rather sit next to this girl and her family than an asshole like yourself.

No... you wouldnt.

I would. I can tolerate a child with autism. I can't tolerate shameless assholes.

If you sat next to me, you would have no reason to think I'm an asshole. I would respect your space and I'd be polite. I might even share my snacks with you.

You would definitely prefer to sit next to me.

 

[Gracie]

United did the right thing. PERIOD. Their spectrum problem is not worth the lives of 250 people trying to get to their own spectrums.

And is that the new word for uncontrollable handicapped people? SPECTRUMS?

Wow you don't even know why I used "spectrum." Don't unsubscribe! Then how will your ignorant ass learn anything? Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie

Don't call me again. I have no clue why you use spectrum, don't care. Fuck off.

 

[TheOldSchool]

There are other modes of travel.

Oh......sorry......we must all give in to the insanity because she's handicapped.

My mistake.


Btw, nothing is worse than an angry passenger on a long flight.....no matter what their problem is.

If i had to put up with one second of that horse shit, i would want my money back from the airline. For the amount i pay for a ticket, i expect there to be order on the ride.

I'd rather sit next to this girl and her family than an asshole like yourself.

No... you wouldnt.

I would. I can tolerate a child with autism. I can't tolerate shameless assholes.

If you sat next to me, you would have no reason to think I'm an asshole. I would respect your space and I'd be polite. I might even share my snacks with you.

You would definitely prefer to sit next to me.

Oh ignorance is bliss I'd suppose.

How about this, I'd offer to switch seats with you if you were upset about a child with autism sitting next to you. Not for your sake, but so the family wouldn't have to deal with an ignorant rube. Deal?

 

[TheOldSchool]

United did the right thing. PERIOD. Their spectrum problem is not worth the lives of 250 people trying to get to their own spectrums.

And is that the new word for uncontrollable handicapped people? SPECTRUMS?

Wow you don't even know why I used "spectrum." Don't unsubscribe! Then how will your ignorant ass learn anything? Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie

Don't call me again. I have no clue why you use spectrum, don't care. Fuck off.

Yeah Gracie, ignorance is bliss.

All respect lost for you. I liked you for a very long time. No more.

 

[jon_berzerk]

And maybe you can tell me why?!
While our government(i understand that there are two words to describe that - "Double Standards") are trying to make lives of one part of our society better, they forget about other...
How long will we see such incompetence?!
An Oregon mom has filed a complaint against United Airlines after it removed her and family from a flight because it said her 15-year-old daughter, who has autism, had become "disruptive."
Family Kicked Off Flight After Daughter With Autism Deemed Disruptive - NBC News
The woman, Dr. Donna Beegle of Tigard, Oregon — a prominent advocate for anti-poverty programs who frequently consults with state and federal government agencies — was returning home with her family from a trip to Walt Disney World last week when her daughter Juliette became agitated because she was hungry during a layover in Houston, Beegle said.

timslash

"While our government(i understand that there are two words to describe that - "Double Standards") are trying to make lives of one part of our society better, they forget about other...
How long will we see such incompetence?!"

Is this going to be another idiotic claim that its Obama's fault?

UAL is a private company and is not under the control of the govt.

the government has a lot of control over UAL and others like it

in fact down to the number of times that certain nuts & bolts on the air frame have to be inspected

 

[Gracie]

United did the right thing. PERIOD. Their spectrum problem is not worth the lives of 250 people trying to get to their own spectrums.

And is that the new word for uncontrollable handicapped people? SPECTRUMS?

Wow you don't even know why I used "spectrum." Don't unsubscribe! Then how will your ignorant ass learn anything? Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie

Don't call me again. I have no clue why you use spectrum, don't care. Fuck off.

Yeah Gracie, ignorance is bliss.

All respect lost for you. I liked you for a very long time. No more.

Ok. Now stop calling me.

 

[Gracie]

Intolerance to intolerance. Nobody wins.
I'll make it easy on you to continue to dislike me because you refuse to SEE what I am saying. On iggie you go. Now you can call me all the names you want and @ me and I won't see it.

It's too bad, too. But...that's how you want it.

 

[featherlite]

I guess the girl needed to have hot food. The mom was unable to carry that kind of snack on board. There was a delay so the mom asked the staff for a hot sandwich that she could buy. From what I read they weren't being very helpful. I'm sure with a packed plane stewardesses were busy enough and most likely didn't have a clue about dealing with special needs people. The girl did finally get a hot rice dish and she was content.
On one hand I admire the family for taking her so many places. I do pt work in therapeutic riding and from talking to parents know they are constantly feeling isolated and just want their kids to have the best life possible.
Still...I've seen a couple older teen boys have "frustration meltdowns" sometimes for no apparent reason and it can get live real quick.
Not sure how severe her issues were, but being stuck in a crowded plane wouldn't be a good scenario.
I think the mom is trying to encourage more training
( awareness) for this type of thing.

I understand all your points; however, people with a child like this do not have the right to disrupt a plane full of people, 1, 2 or more hundred people. Flying is stressful, especially these days. It isn't just the annoyance and discomfort with all the noise of a child acting up...these days any kind of hint of violent behavior on a plane is anathema to what should be happening...that is what most or all passengers feel, I believe.

And I believe that is why the pilot turned the plane around and put the family out, though she may have been quiet at the time. Keeping people on a flight who suggest the possibility of violence is something a pilot does not have to and should not entertain.

I fly often, and often long distances. It's very, extremely, important for a flight to be calm and for passengers to feel safe and comfortable.

I think subjecting a plane full of people to the training of your child is not appropriate. Also, it is not an appropriate situation in which to inform or educated people about the problems of an autistic child.

Oh I agree. We had a parent willingly take their son out of our program ( for severe behavior issues) and the whole place is geared for this.
This might sound awful, but I might have asked her Dr for a mild sedative to give her.
Crowded planes are bad enough just under normal circumstances.

A sedative is what we gave our autistic son before the flight. People can be so judgmental about that, saying we drug our kid so we don't have to deal with him. Bullshit. We dope him up so the rest of the people on the plane don't have to deal with him.

>>>>>>
I probably would too. For other passengers sake, the childs sake and myself lol.
Its not like you can remove yourselves if things got out of hand.

 

[Esmeralda]

The girl is 15, 120 lbs according to the mother. Normal flight from Orlando to DC is about 2.30 hours. Seems that this could have been prevented simply by the parents feeding the child 'hot food' before they left.

From the mother's comment she claimed she had a bag full of the girl's 'favorite treats' but she said she became agitated because of hunger and would only eat hot food.

This is all very weird.

You've never had to deal with an autistic child. They are EXACTLY like that.

I've taught many autistic special needs children. I currently work with 3 autistic young adults. Exactly like what, are you implying?

I've no doubt she became distraught over hunger and quickly was placated when fed. I don't think that the family should have been removed from the plane based on the story thus far. It sounds like she had regained control.

My question though was why was she on a plane for a relatively short flight, hungry? The mother said that the daughter will only eat 'hot food.' Ok, could have packed something in thermos, but why not have just grabbed a meal before boarding? More to the point, the mother later wrote a comment, in reply to comments directed towards her, stating that they had a bag full of daughter's favorite treats. Being reasonable, perhaps the daughter will eat 'non-hot' food, after a meal? Still begs the question why she wasn't fed before boarding.

Maybe they tried and she wouldn't eat before boarding and then AFTER boarding suddenly decided she was hungry. You talk about all your expertise with autistic children, but as a father of a real autistic child, nothing about this story strikes me as odd. My son is wired the same way.

The two main issues here are, imo, that the 'child's' behavior is unpredictable. For a 2.5 hour flight, though she may have regained a calm appearance at the beginning of the flight, the pilot does not know if she will stay that way for 2.5 hours. The other important point is that this 'child' weighs 120 pounds. She is the size of an adult woman, and probably just as strong. If she became violent, and the mother said there was potential for violence, what might have happened? We don't know, but the pilot has an obligation to all the passengers and crew on that plane to remove the potential of violence and continue with a safe and calm flight. Safety first.

I don't blame the child, of course, but I think the parents made poor decisions.

 

[Gracie]

It's pretty damn sad that some folks decide to not like ya any more because someone disagrees with something.
And if it is that easy to do for a topic on a message board, I can imagine what COULD have happened on the plane with 250 passengers and possibly one very out of control autistic child.

It may seem or even be intolerant of folks who paid for their ticket to ride and safely land without having to deal with what the parents of this child deal with every day, but that is the way it is. It does not mean nobody is unsympathetic, either. It means one versus 250 and what MIGHT have happened.

What if someone were heading home because a loved one died or was dying in a hospital and the anguish they are feeling, doomed to watch this girl blow a gasket in a plane where everyone is crammed together? Do they not count because the girl has a handicap and the mother didn't feed her a "hot meal" before boarding? Or those who worked 70 hours a week to pay for a vacation from their very stressful jobs to get a plane ticket to take them to peace and quiet only to be fucked watching and listening to MAYBE the kid having a hissy? And what about the captain, the crew? Nowadays, flying is dangerous. And stressful. She should have fed her kid what the kid wanted and gave her a pill to keep her calm just like folks do when they have to go to the dentist. It is not abuse to keep the kid happily sleepy and those in close proximity STUCK on a plane 30,000 feet in the air not having to deal with her.

But...those who say these things are awful, horrible, unsympathetic human beings and shame on us, I guess.

Not.

 

[Esmeralda]

This story is starting to smell. Given how fast the mother got her face on TV, and given how well she knew her young adult's behavior patterns, seems like a lawyers dream. "Young adult" now trotted out as a "child".

They may not win a case but big corporations will settle for anything less than a million because in the long run it's cheaper than a drawn out trial. Lawyers get a third to a half and the Mom walks away with a nice bag.

It smells. Call me cynical.

I disagree about the young adult thing. A fifteen year old is not a young adult. However, in size (weight) she is the size of an adult female, and that could be an issue if she becomes violent.

 

[Gracie]

I hope the airline stands firm on their decision. Refund their money in good faith that they are sorry it had to come to that, but it HAD to be done for the safety of other passengers. Period.

 

[Esmeralda]

It's sad how terrified people in this country are of people with autism; as evidenced in this thread. Thank goodness awareness is increasing.

I don't think anyone on this thread (though I do disagree with some posters'comments) is 'terrified'of people with autism. If you fly regularly, you are aware of the perspective of regular passengers regarding a calm, orderly and safe flight. The mother herself warned of the potential for violence.

This issue is not about being afraid of autism. It is about how this type of situation should be handled by the parents so what happened here doesn't happen.

 

[Esmeralda]

It's sad how terrified people in this country are of people with autism; as evidenced in this thread. Thank goodness awareness is increasing.

Having an autistic grandchild, I certainly agree. However, most people just don't understand. They just see a weird or unruly child the parent can't control. If you haven't had to care for an autistic child, it's really hard to understand just how exhausting, frustrating, and heartbreaking it is. A few years ago, I took my granddaughter to the zoo. Normally, she is complexly docile and pays little attention to other people. However, this day she saw something that upset her and she just went nuts. We had to carry to car screaming all the way. Except for one zoo attendant no one offered to help. In fact, most turned and walked away from us.

I truly don't think this issue is about being scared of or not understanding autistic children. It is about how such a situation should be handled so there is no problem flying with your child. Apparently the child either refused hot food before the flight or the mother forgot to feed her. Therefore, the mother, knowing what might have happened, made an error in judgement in boarding the flight anyway.

 

[Gracie]

The mother herself warned of the potential for violence.

And that is what caused the red flags to wave and the captain to make the decision he did even though he probably knew shit was going to hit the fan as soon as Mom got near a phone or media camera.

 

[TheOldSchool]

It's sad how terrified people in this country are of people with autism; as evidenced in this thread. Thank goodness awareness is increasing.

I don't think anyone on this thread (though I do disagree with some posters'comments) is 'terrified'of people with autism. If you fly regularly, you aware of the perspective of regular passengers regarding a calm, orderly and safe flight. The mother herself warned of the potential for violence.

This issue is not about being afraid of autism. It is about how this type of situation should be handled by the parents so what happened here doesn't happen.

Out of dozens of flights this has been the only incident. Sounds to me like these parents did something right while raising their daughter.

And the article does not indicate violence. I've said plenty of times on this thread that I'd have to be there to know what really happened, but it saddens me how many people immediately condemn the girl and the parents. None of you have ever had to walk in their shoes.

 

[Esmeralda]

It's sad how terrified people in this country are of people with autism; as evidenced in this thread. Thank goodness awareness is increasing.

I don't think anyone on this thread (though I do disagree with some posters'comments) is 'terrified'of people with autism. If you fly regularly, you aware of the perspective of regular passengers regarding a calm, orderly and safe flight. The mother herself warned of the potential for violence.

This issue is not about being afraid of autism. It is about how this type of situation should be handled by the parents so what happened here doesn't happen.

Out of dozens of flights this has been the only incident. Sounds to me like these parents did something right while raising their daughter.

And the article does not indicate violence. I've said plenty of times on this thread that I'd have to be there to know what really happened, but it saddens me how many people immediately condemn the girl and the parents. None of you have ever had to walk in their shoes.

I didn't say they were doing anything wrong in raising their daughter. I did say that in this instance, the mother made a poor decision to board the flight even though her daughter hadn't eaten while the mother knew to keep the child calm, she should have eaten before the flight.

IMO, this is not about people being afraid of or tolerating children with autism. I think you are overreacting on that point. I can't read Gracie's posts as I have her on ignore, but I doubt very much I have the same perspective she does, and I wish she would stop agreeing with me.

This is about a situation where there is potential for a violent, out of control situation on a plane thousands of feet up in the air with probably around 200 passengers on board, all putting their lives in the hands of the pilot and crew. No matter who it is, adult or child, the possibility of something happening because a passenger is out of control in their behavior, the pilot has a right and an obligation to eject that passenger from the flight. People have been put off planes for being drunk and rudely boisterous. People have been ejected for non-physically violent behavior. The pilot has a right and obligation to do all he can to insure a calm, safe and secure flight for everyone. He had a right to put these people off the plane. Period. It is not about autism.

 

[Gracie]

IMO, this is not about people being afraid of or tolerating children with autism. I think you are overreacting on that point. I can't read Gracie's posts as I have her on ignore, but I doubt very much I have the same perspective she does, and I wish she would stop agreeing with me.

Can someone quote me since she has me on iggie, just this once?

Esmeralda....I agree with a LOT of what you say because a LOT of what you say is well thought out and makes sense. Sometimes, I do not agree. My comment to you in other thread was about children, too. All I said was "Esmeralda must not have children" and you got angry. Then I got angry. And that was the end of that. I put you on iggie too, but you say too much stuff that does make me rethink my own thoughts. So I took you off. It's a shame that those we agree with more often than not, use posts as some sort of weapon or punishment when disagreements take place. It kind of bugs me that you and I do not speak any more but I respect your wishes. I, myself, do not hold grudges. I don't expect anyone else to do that..its just my own way and mine alone.
I will not agree with you any more if it bothers you so much. And I am sorry you have written me off. Probably as much as I am sorry Old School did as well. But if that is what you want...then ok. Consider it done. As much as I don't want to do it since you DO post some really good posts, I will put you back on iggie too cuz I will probably forget and either click Agree or Thanks on one of your posts and I don't want to be a liar when I say I will stop doing that.

 

[aaronleland]

I grew up with autism, and I admit I'm divided on this issue. I can see why the airline would remove the child, but it never should have come to that. Why couldn't the airline provide a child with autism a first class meal? Not for the sake of the other passengers, but for the sake of not being another heartless corporation.