Mike McConnell of 700WLW in Cincinnati: Get Your Autistic Kid Out!

By Tom Lewis

On his July 14 program, Cincinnati radio talk show host Mike McConnell (of AM powerhouse WLW) addressed the topic of autistic kids. Among other things, McConnell opines that parents with autistic children should immediately remove misbehaving children from restaurants so the remaining patrons can enjoy their meal. ("Misbehavior" apparently means anything from mild crying on up.)

As McConnell put it: "it boils down to one word: 'manners'."

Find the podcast for Mike McConnell's 7/14 broadcast HERE and listen to the end of hour 2 and throughout hour 3.  About 10 minutes into hour 3, this clearly ignorant host begins to pontificate about how we should not have our kids mainstreamed into public schools. Also, many callers have disturbing insights. One even claims to have friends with an autistic child but chooses not to go out with them because the child’s behavior upsets him.

Every single day, there's a story somewhere about one of our kids being tossed out of a business, or a school, or a church. It's like being punk-slapped over and over and over again. Well, I think we need to start making it clear that we're not going away, and that we have rights too. And we have long memories. We won't forget those who have treated our children well, or those who have hurt them or turned them away.

Please tell this dolt how you feel about his comments. E-mail him at midday@700wlw.com.

McConnell's boss at WLW is Program Director Darryl Parks. Tell him what you think at dparks@700wlw.com.

Finally, WLW is owned by Clear Channel. The head of Communications/Media Relations is Lisa Dollinger, who can be reached at lisacdollinger@clearchannel.com.

Tom Lewis is a Cincinnati, OH editor and writer with three children, 
one of whom is on the spectrum.

Comments

[Joan Lingg]

I think Mike McConnell is one of the smartest people on the radio...He can make a mistake now and then. I think that if children act up, they should be moved someplace where they don't bother people. We can tolerate some misbehaving, but come on........

[Michael Stuart]

No one has the right to disturb the peace of others in a private or public place. Any child that disturbs others, either in a restaurant, house of worship, theater, or whatever, should be removed immediately. Those so-called "parents" who do not, have no child raising skills and should not have had children to begin with. My wife and I have an autistic child who has on rare occasion acted up in public. We definitely remove him ASAP out of respect to others. Those of you who do not appreciate the logic of this should not be parents.

[debrarae]

I listened to a number of McConnell's podcast, and assumed incorrectly that he was conservative. He claims to be a libetarian.

The truth is he is a HATE MONGER.

I listened to both of his POD CASTS about Autism, OR a lesson in IGNORANCE from a FIRST CLASS BIGOT.

I emailed him to complain about his inaccuracies, and how the right to free speech should not GIVE HIM the right to libel and slander people with autism, CHILDREN with Autism, or their parents.

THIS JERK proceeded to ACCUSE ME of LIBEL and SLANDER and to call ME a retard because I happen to have ASPERGERS.

Never mind that my children and I are completely responsible and accountable for our behaviour. NEVER mind that none of us have violent tendacies.

The LITTLE CORPORAL thinks it's OK to say and do anything to try to take our rights away for a NORMAL LIFE.

The fact is it doesn't MATTER who you email. NOTHING will be done about him.

TO the TALK RADIO community people who have challanges to live with are FAIR GAME, and what EVER they can do to DEMEAN US to HUMILATE US, to IGNORE the ADA and the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT they WILL CONTINUE TO DO!

And when WE DARE TO COMPLAIN in order to protect our kids from the very discrimination that these MORONS are SUBJECTING US TO, they call US the CRIMINALS and the WHACKOS.

As I have said in the past, I'm not 'asking' for compassion. I AM DEMANDING JUSTICE!

[Doug]

It is amazing how little people pay attention . First of all he said that a child, not a child with autism, that is acting up the parent should remove them. But anything to get someone to pity you as the parent of an autistic child is what you really want. Come down off your cross and realize nobody is asking you to take your children into the woods and leave them, it is just common courtesy if your child is acting up take them out of the resturant. I take my kids out and if they act up the littlest bit we go sit in the car while my wife enjoys dinner with our other children. For all of you that think this is an attack on your child because they have special needs, think about it who is really looking for pity, not your child IT IS YOU.

[Brothers keeper]

I can see how some might feel that the article somewhat overstates the host’s views (for instance, he didn’t come out flatly against mainstreaming, but said that mainstreaming was fine “up to a point,” without specifying what that point should be). However, in my judgment, his comments make it just a little more likely that someone is going to tell my son to go away, rather than to take a moment to try to understand and help him.

Insurance companies, schools, churches, and businesses are all too ready to tell disabled kids to get lost . . . and while you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who believes that disabled children should be able to do whatever they want in public, I think the host’s comments encourage people to become upset when confronted with disability instead of encouraging people to take a step back, be a little flexible and compassionate, and—as a previous poster put it—to try to focus on the struggling child underneath the noise rather than the noise itself . . . .

Rather than this host “giving permission,” so to speak, for people to feel personally inconvenienced by a child who has obvious problems, it would have been a real public service for him to encourage others to do the Golden Rule thing and ask if there might be a way to help before calling the manager and requesting to have someone removed from the premises.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if someone went on the radio and sent the message that, when you see someone who may be autistic melting down, give support to the parents and the child, rather than become angry . . . . all it takes is one supportive voice to defuse a hot situation . . . try this and you will see the parents’ pain at being judged melt away.

On the very day the post went up on Age of Autism, there was a news story about a doctor in Ireland who slapped an autistic child because the boy was touching the doctor’s computer . . . and a second story about an autistic boy who wasn’t allowed in a store because his special stroller was too big and “Sunday is our busiest day” . . . stories like this are easy to find . . . they might be a little less common if the media put out a stronger message of compassion and understanding for disabled kids rather than encouraging the public’s “natural tendency” of exclusion . . . .

[Diane]

I was just going through my kids' school projects from this past school year. (They pile up, you know.) I found the project that my daughter made for Martin Luther King day. It said:

I have a dream that people are nice.

[Michelle's Choice]

Michelle-- Few are aware that the warm-up to the Final Solution was when civilian doctors and psychiatrists undertook-- at their own behest-- a campaign to round up and exterminate all the disabled children in Germany and territories. They were so enthusiastic about the murders that even Hitler was embarrassed and called a halt to the gassings and poisonings between 1941-1942. Then he decided to adopt the methods-- machinery, staff and all-- to kill the more well-known victims of the Holocaust.

Guess how the campaign of extermination got its start? Increasing, incremental segregation. If this particular camel's nose wedges itself any further in this direction, someone could decide that your child's spasms or speech impediments or gait or incontinence were ruining patron's appetites, despite the fact that your child may not be able to help these things nor are you able to correct them to bystanders' satisfaction. And where does it end? I'm sure back before WWII, as disgust with the disabled (the "nutzlose esser" or "useless eaters" as Hitler called them) began to rise as the economy worsened, families of the disabled may have fearfully begun to distantiate and draw lines about how their child's disability or inadaquacy wasn't as "horrible" or "disturbing to the public" as another child's. It's a way of grovling for amnesty from an increasingly intolerant society and offering up alternative victims.

So face it. In an analogy between the behavior of those involved in the recent event in the restaurant and the spineless behavior of certain capitulating individuals in nazi Germany, you don't fare very well.

[Michelle]

I think this article POORLY discribes this situation. the city of Cincinnati does a HELL of a lot for autistic children...I am the mother of a child with Cerebral Palsy, and if you want to talk about people being inconsiderate, try going to a resturant that you can't even patron because it's not wheelchair accessible.

The woman at the root of this, the mother of the 4 year old child who was asked NOT by the resturant, but by the chief of police of Jackson, South Carolina, who demands that it is and excuse that her daughter is autistic...when is enough enough? When is it enough, how much does society have to conform to autism? I don't think it is appropriate for ANY child autistic or not to sit in a resturant screaming and carrying on, while a parent just allows it. Children with autism need discipline just like every other child. When we were growing up we were told that if we didn't quiet down we were going to go outside or go to the bathroom till we worked it out. So we didn't bother the other patrons....I guess according to parents of kids with autism their behavior should just be excused. I myself will be emailing Mike McConnell APPLAUDING him for saying what he did. Because I agree 110%, a child autistic or NOT should not be allowed to act any way he/she wants to act. I worked with autistic children in school and when a child was acting out he/she was REMOVED from the classroom and given a break...did it ever occur to this family that the child may be overstimed? or having anxiety? I am all one for letting these children experience and learn how to socialize among peers etc by not hiding them away...but it's common courtesy...I don't eat out after 6 with my children because I don't think it is appropriate because adults need their time away from children and I don't want the mom and dad accross the resturant who paid someone to babysit their children to then have to listen to mine...

[Angel]

If he wants to talk about manners....he should be banned from radio...we try to teach or children to speak nice words about others.

[Karen Atlanta]

Wow, I guess we need heathcare reform AND a civil rights movement.
Maybe we should collectively have a Rosa Parks
restaurant day with ribbons.
Most of us know you can do everything possible to thwart a meltdown and they come.
As they do with 2 and 3 year olds.
Annoying as it is as a patron or airline passenger you grow up and deal with it.
Perhaps if Autism/ADHD wasn't blamed on parenting so much, the stigma would not prevail.

[Bob Moss]

The media savaged Don Imus who with his wife have done so much for sick kids and I imagine this butt-head has remained unscathed? There is a fairness issue here.

[samaxtics]

There was an incident recently where the family of a child with autism was tossed out of a restaurant in western Canada. After the mom made a public stink in the media, the family was apologized to and now all the staff of the restaurants in that chain in that city are supposed to undergo training on autism and sensitivity; a bit of a silver lining I guess you could call it.
http://tinyurl.com/594mxq

My thoughts on the restaurant issue are this: Yes, we try to be considerate of the other patrons. Yes, I will do everything in my power to calm my child down including taking him outside for a few minutes. But the operative word in the term “Family Restaurant” is “Family”. If someone wants to go out for a “quiet” meal perhaps they should elect for something a little more upscale than a “Family Restaurant”.

[Jack]

We're here.
Sometimes we're loud and throw tantrums.
Get used to it.

I was working on a slogan that rhymed, but gave up.

[dumb reporters bug me]

Does this apply for typical kids? If you are not at a 4 or 5 star restaurant there is always a kid acting up. Always.

Hey Mike - spend a little cash then taking your honey to Chilis or Dennys and you may get your peace and quiet.

[Angela Warner]

Ya know... this reminds me of a Target visit three years ago this month. Nathan had just been diagnosed, who is more severe of the two I have on the spectrum, out of a total of four. Few or no vaccines for the younger two - the boys saved my girls.

Anyway... My older son was in summer school, Nathan was 3 1/2. Target. I love Target :D Target trip before picking Isaac up from school. Late... shiznit - looking at my watch. Nathan had picked out a treat and didn't realize that it was in one of the bags. We HAD to go. He was still extremely limited in his communication ability. He was screaming for his thing and I was trying to tell him it was in the bag and I did buy it and would give it to him when we got to the van. I was pushing the cart through the breezway exiting the store and he ran in front of the cart and tried to climb on the cart to find his treat and the wheel hit his foot. Of course he was wearing sandals... priceless. He fell to the ground screaming in pain (some days high tolerance to pain - some days low tolerance to pain) and I know it barely touched his foot.

So this ignorant woman (there's another reserved word for women like this - I think we all know what that is... :D) probably in her late 60's walks by me as I'm helping my son recover from this incident (still myself having no idea the full extent of the impact of autism and its manifestations)... this bitch (there's still another word I'll refrain from) has the audacity to walk by me and say LOUD enough for EVERYONE in the checkout lines to hear: "HE JUST NEEDS A GOOD SPANKING!"
I was mortified!

Mike I think you're an ASSHOLE and YOU NEED A GOOD AUTISM SPANKING!!!!! I will extend to you a dinner invitation as well. Hell, let's go to Target too! You're not man enough. Of that I am certain!

Enjoy the taxpayer fallout already happening because our kids can't get treatment because of ASSHOLES like you!

[Teresa Conrick]

To Mike,

Our society has become impatient and intolerant but when it starts happening with the disabled, or the elderly, this is a warning sign. For you to go on the air and ignorantly share your disgusting opinion indicates that either Daryl is also an idiot or he needs to put your butt on probation, if he doesn't fire you first.
An on the air apology may suffice. Knowing that you are incapable of true compassion and enlightenment, just try to fake it and maybe they'll let you have a job behind the scenes. People like you do not deserve freedom of speech as it is a message of hate that you spew. If you do get canned maybe you can try out for the "clean up in aisle 4" job.

[kim]

i have to agree with sorsha. my husband managed restaurants of many different kinds before we had kids at all and he SWORE up and DOWN we would NEVER take our kids to a restaurant at ALL EVER and this was BEFORE the "A" word hit our lives. we have gotten over that, but i would be the first one out the door at the hint of a meltdown, or sign of disturbing others. sue me, but i also work for a DAN doc, i'm not an idiot about this stuff. it's just the way i see it. they don't have anything appropriate for our kids to eat there, anyway, right? i should be able to take my son on a plane to get to grandma's funeral or disney, oh, and speaking of disney, they cater to us like crazy! have you heard about the sensory rooms and gluten free menus there? we have a teaching opportunity at the grocery, at church, in the mall, but i agree this guy is not so evil to ask for a nice restaurant experience...

[curt linderman sr]

once again, my post isn't my post on this page. I addressed the website that allowed us to hear the radio show. I was under the impression at the time that mike had a guest host on at the time that the remark was made, but I in't pay close enough attention to the dates. The remarks were made rather stupidly, but I don't think it was on the same level as peets remarks. these are just remarks from a man that has no clue...amanda's are hurtful and ignorant as well as soon to be on a national scale.

[Heidi]

Steven Hawking called, he wants to know if Mike McConnell will allow his augmentative communication device to be used in the restaurant or will that annoy Mike as well? OH, and Hitler's ghost appeared to me and gave Mike the thumbs up on this very slippery slope attack on civil rights philosophy. Where do you stop Mike? Just Autism? why don't you throw in Tourettes, BiPolar and Lung Disorders as well? Those oxygen tanks are very unsightly and that wheezing sound, well, who wants to hear that while you enjoy your meal? If anyone sees four flying horses with riders, give me a shout please.

[Stagmom]

It's TOM LEWIS' post! I just wrote the preface. Tom deserves the credit for bringing the situation to our attention.

KS

[Kathy]

Kim .. I love your post! Perfecto! I can't help how my brain wishes autism on him and that Amanda Peet. Sounds like I'm the devil ... but damn it, I swear I have never worked so hard and so deligently trying to regain health in my son that was so profitibly ripped from his tiny body. It's criminal and someday I hope they are all in jail ... the problem isn't going away until they stop making our kids so sick. It's so not their fault .. story after story after story ... but they really aren't stories ... they are LIVES.

[Cindy Keenan]

"I think we should use these situations to turn the media's eyes towards Big Pharma... Tell them to stop the poison and people can have quiet churches, plane rides, bus rides, restaurants, and no search parties looking for lost kids!"

We're on the same wavelength, Tanner's Dad. I wrote to Mike McConnell earlier suggesting he ask Pharma, the CDC, and the AAP why so many kids have autism and what they're doing to provide appropriate medical care and support for affected families so he and others like him won't have to be disturbed by our children's behavior. Think he'll bite? I won't hold my breath.

[Kubatwork]

My wife, 7-year old autistic son, and I don't go out to eat all that much. When we do it's always at a place where we know we can sit within view of the front door. Most of the time the people coming in and out keep my son occupied while we wolf down our food. I've never had anyone with big enough kahoona's to comment when my son melts down. Remember friends: Opinions are like buttholes, most everyone has one.

[Elucidatus]

Dear Mike McConnell,

Sometimes its best to say nothing at all but this time you put your foot in your ass and then directly into your mouth. I have no pitty for assholes like you and I hope to one day cross paths with you in a restaurant with my Autistic child. That way you can see and realize that not all children with Autism have meltdowns.

The crazy thing about all of this is that I used to be a JERK just like you. If I did not have a child with Autism I too would have said what you said. So therefore I cannot 100% blame you for your ignorance. You have no idea what its like to be a parent with a child with Autism until it happens to you.

Mike you are a pathetic person and you should apologize publicly over the air. Do the right thing pal and next time think before you say something stupid like that again.

[Shannon]

I feel that children whether typical or having symptoms of autism should have appropriate behaviors to attend events. I have removed my NT child and my son recovering from vaccine damage when they didn't have appropriate behaviors. However with that said, the agencies who have buried the information and continue to ignore that our children are ill need to support the families already in this mess so that we can get the interventions we need. If families dealing with autism happen to be sitting by someone who works at the CDC, it might be a good idea to drive people nuts at that restaurant. Whatever gets their attention. Restaurants aren't really a problem for us because we have yet to find a place that uses good organic unrefined oils, no preservatives, no additives, no gluten, no casein, no corn, no soy, no eggs,no sugar, yet only serves organic produce and provides properly combined meals with sprouted non gluten grains. For anyone who thinks that we parents aren't working hard, you have no idea.

[Tanners Dad]

Tanner, Grandpa, and I went out after church last Sunday. Up until now Tanner has been reasonably calm in social situations. Since he has been non-talking (I hate to say non-verbal because he has always made all sorts of sounds:))he as never had big issues in restaurants. Well now that we have been doing the biomed thing for about six months... He took this Sunday to be as loud as he could in the restaurant. I just thank God that Grandpa had gone to the restroom. This story could have been written about us. All eyes were upon us. I was as torn as I could be, I have been waiting six years to hear that voice and now I have to tell him to be quiet?
Reading the comments... I get the feeling they want to put us in a leper colony.
I think we should use these situations to turn the media's eyes towards Big Pharma... Tell them to stop the poison and people can have quiet churches, plane rides, bus rides, restaurants, and no search parties looking for lost kids!

[Richard]

I guess now it will now be politically correct to discriminate against 2 groups: Christians and autistic kids.
What if the autistic child is black or is the child of a gay couple? Would the restaurant still pursue evicting the child? I wonder..........

[curt linderman sr]

I went to the show link and saw that it stated that "sloan fils in for mike". was it mike that actually stated this? I've already sent an e mail to him stating how I feel about his statements that I got off of the AOA page. Hope we're not crucifying the wrong guy!

[Keith]

This must be a hot topic memo floating around Clear Channel stations since it works up people and get "ears" (which seems exactly how talk radio shows thrive).

This same issue was discussed on the Darla Jaye radio show about a month ago. I stumbled upon it trying to find info about severe weather that was moving. I heard about 2-3 people and changed the channel.

[CarolynKylesmom]

I have a deal for you. If you can work to get all of us families compensated for the vaccine damage done to our children and the hundreds of thousands of dollars lost and yet to be incurred for EACH child, we will PROMISE to bring a trained autism specialist out with us to every dinner OR we will feel comfortable --and be able to afford the top dollar such specialists cost--leaving our children home now and then!!! What do you say? Remember--the child who misbehaves the most have parents who desparately need a break the most (80% divorce rate among parents of autistic kids!)--and it is REALLY hard to find sitters for those children. Want to volunteer? (By the way, we do our best to take our child out of the restaurant when he acts up. All of us do. But sometimes, you are just at the end of your rope and you have to sit still for a minute, and nothing you do works to calm the child down. Or you want your child to participate in a family event or you've been housbound for months and this is your first chance to get out. Have some compassion, sir. Have some compassion. And restaurants: Why not have family sections where parents of all young children can relax!

[Diane]

This reminds me of the older woman in supermarket. My daughter wandered away when I was checking out. She then, when asked to come back to me, tried to squeeze between the woman's cart and the checkout aisle thingy. The woman wouldn't let her through because she was waiting for her to say "excuse me". When I asked the woman if she could get through, she said, "Yes, but it would nice if she had some manners."

MANNERS??????? Are you kidding me????

I shared my thoughts with her on this, but not necessarily in a lady-like manner. I don't think she'll do that to any child again. In fact, I think she felt like a complete a**hole.

[Sorsha]

Why the knee-jerk reaction to the idea that all normal activities aren’t appropriate for autistic kids all of the time? Any kid screaming and creating a scene in a restaurant should be removed. We have bigger fish to fry than the ‘right’ to disrupt dinner service at a restaurant. How about things like air travel or subway travel meltdowns etc..where we don’t have the option of removing our children from the situation? These are the circumstances we need to be creating awareness for. Digging our heels in over optional dining-out situations makes us look foolish. Just because our kids have autism, doesn't mean we display perfect parenting 100% of the time.

[randy]

My wife and I were sitting in what used to be our favorite Friday after work dinner spot (a small local Italian eatery - which has since been torn down to make way for a big box development) with our then 3 year old son - shortly after his official Autism diagnosis. And shortly before we started trying any dietary interventions, and also shortly before restaurant meals became a thing of the past, for the most part.

Aside from the few other couples and a small groups of adults at various tables, there were 2 other families there that night, and their kids were chasing each other around the place, making tons of noise, and generally having a great time, to the apparent dismay of the other patrons. I have to admit, I was getting a bit annoyed too.

Towards the end of our meal, a sweet elderly couple approached our table on their way out to their car - they stopped and proceeded to tell us how "incredibly well behaved" our little boy was during our meal, and how impressed they were by his behavior (and how cute he was, of course). We didn't say anything about the recent autism diagnosis, or how much we actually wished he could run up to those other kids, jump right in and go nuts right along with them, if he only knew how. We just thanked them for their kind words and smiled at the irony. That night in the restaurant the kid with autism was the best behaved kid in the house.

On th eflip side, we've had our moments, sometime out in public, and always a result of some sort of pain and/or frustration. But it's always the same sweet kid underneath it all.

Mike McConnell can't see the pain or the confusion or the innocent kid struggling to cope with constant assaults - to him it's just noise - much like his opinion.

[L Land]

Going out in public, there's a challenge.
My policy is never explain because if I do that gives them something to attack me with and then move along as fast as I can.

Once as we were walking out of Red Lobster my son grabbed something off a lady's plate. Pretty bad. I apologized, admonished my son (for the show to the offended party and the rest of the people in Red Lobster because he didn't really understand) and offered to pay for her meal. She unfortunately accepted (what I couldn't really afford) and I couldn't really blame her. BUT, she certainly could have been more gracious about getting a free meal.

The last family vacation we took we changed hotels several times so I would not have to worry about complaints. I have had people bang on the wall and even call the front desk because my children would not go to sleep early enough to suit them.

Flying, I have not done that in many years. On one flight my child was bouncing in the seat too much and the woman behind him reached forward and slapped him on the arm.

The world is full of not nice people. I just try to get away from them as quickly as I can.

[Robin Nemeth]

I've often wondered if parents of children with severe autism keep them out of the public eye on purpose. I've often felt that if they didn't--if the public were suddenly faced with the real numbers, it might be a very surprising revelation to them. In fact, I've often thought that it might be a really good idea to encourage parents of children with autism to take them out where they will be seen. Maybe a 'take your autistic child to dinner' national holiday would be good, altho I wouldn't want the idea limited to just the one day.

Certainly they have every right to have their children out and about with them. It makes me sick to think that there are people who believe otherwise. Maybe when families dealing with this are getting the help they need, then might be the time to think about 'manners', and whether or not other families ought to be entitled to a nice relaxing evening out at a nice restaurant. But from what I've seen we're a long long way from that point.

[Andrea]

Infuriating. Only had time to listen to part one and probably only the stomach for that too.

Welcome to our kid's future. This is pretty much how society sees them- not even worthy of eating a meal in public.

Mike McConnell isn't going to believe the sh*t storm he created by his words about this.

I predict 700 WLW is going to regret McConell every brought the subject up.

Somebody should share this with Imus. He would have a field day with this imbicile.

[Craig Willoughby]

Again we see these people that don't want to deal with our children. Apparently, parents of autistic children should be punished and not allowed to go out in public. We're unclean, outcasts from society because we had the gall to go out and subject the rest of the world to our children. Grow UP! These kids, and their parents, have every right to go to restaurants and public places. What, does he think that we gave our kids Autism on purpose? That we did it just to annoy people like him?

Accomodations are made for every other type of handicap, so why can't they just suck it up and deal with it with our children. What annoys me so badly about this creep is that he has absolutely no comprehension of what Autism is. To him, our kids don't really have anything wrong with them that strict discipline won't fix (my mother-in-law and I had a nice fight about that one).

I wonder what he's going to say in a few years when this epidemic gets so bad that nearly every child will be autistic.

[Monica]

Great Letter Kim!

I wonder if he feels that way about typical children, should they misbehave, or does he just want the autistic kids thrown out?

Some people disgust me. I watched a show last month about the mom who was kicked off the plane with her autistic son. A caller actually called in and said if the mom knew her child has autism, she shouldn't fly, but drive instead! He said autistic people and others with "conditions" should not be allowed to fly!

ohhhhh the ignorance! >:(

Just last night, at the mall, they had some big bouncy thing, which Jade desperately wanted to jump on, and kept trying to run in. The ticket man (that is the nicer version of what I really think of him) said, "wait, hold on, you can't just run in" and when we did, she started tantruming, (the full hitting herself in face trying to peel her skin off as if it were a mask). He said she needs to calm down before she can enter. I told him she is autistic, and will calm down, once she can jump on the bouncy thing. He asked if she is retarded, and said that she can't jump because of her condition! WTF!

people...

It's a good thing I don't own guns...

[Stagmom]

Hi, Mike. I'm Kim. It's nice to meet you. I'd like to extend a dinner invitation to you. I have three pretty girls. They have autism. And manners. They say please (well, two who can talk do.) They eat politely (well, the two who can feel the insides of their mouths do, the other has a little trouble with gauging when her mouth is full and tends to stuff.) They can drink from crystal goblets with no problem (well, one of them can, another doesn't have the oral motor ability to drink from an open cup yet and her sister's depth perception issues mean she might slam down the glass, spilling water onto your light blue leisure suit. It IS cleanable isn't it?) You might find them objectionable, Mike, as I'm sure you are accustomed to children who are perfect angels. My girls ARE perfect angels, and when we go out to dinner, even if we have a fiasco and every diner stares at us, I am proud that the girls are out and about and always working so hard to hold it together and join the world. Dinner's at 6:00pm. We're serving GFCF foods. What's that? No, I don't know how to cook squirrel. Sorry.