With a red face of fury, a woman had a shockingly aggressive reaction to autistic children at a restaurant. Many were furious and called her discriminatory and ableist.
A TikTok user, @bamskye2426, shared a video of what some deemed a “Karen” attacking her over her and her companion’s children. The mother implied in the overlay text that this accusation that her children were misbehaving is false.
In the clip, viewers could see the aggravated individual engaging in a heated argument with a TikToker. @bamskye2426 overlay text stated that the woman expressed her belief autistic children should not be allowed in that space. It was a dive restaurant.
This lady that the TikTok user was in an altercation with asked if she was taking a video of her, to which she answered affirmatively; the said “Karen” responded that it was good because she was right. Some of the TikToker’s overlay text read: “Also note the kids aren’t yelling she is, the kids didn’t leave the table to bother anyone, she did. No one had a fit except her.”
@bamskye2426 expressed that the children were only talking among one another and laughing. She also shared with her viewers that the woman who was angry reportedly demanded food free of charge.
A seeming majority of the comment section sided with the mother. Many expressed that the individual she filmed was behaving completely inappropriately, with a lot of individuals accusing her of discrimination against the autistic community.
Many believe she may be a fraudster who uses this method to obtain free meals. Others believed that she was within her right to be upset.
Responding to these naysayers, the mom put up a clip of her kids, Miley and Bentley enjoying their time at the dive diner without disturbing anyone. The pair sat smiling in their secure chairs as they giggled and tickled one another.
In a second video, the TikToker elaborated on her reasoning.@bamskye2426 claimed her children displayed better behavior than the woman who confronted them. The mother claimed that Miley and Bentley did not leave their table, nor, the TikTok user expressed, did they disturb individuals at any other table.
The person’s anger could have stemmed from a misunderstanding of autism and autistic children generally, which is that they are typically bad-behaved. North East Autism Society states: “Oftentimes what’s perceived as naughty is a set of behaviors in response to sensory changes.”
Sensory changes refer to when an ASD individual may experience a situation in which their sensitivity to sensory input takes over. Sensory overload can lead to a meltdown.
The seeming idea that certain individuals should not be allowed into specific places isn’t unique. In Australia, using a legal loophole and their beliefs as a rationale, religious educational institutions can be prejudiced against employees.
They can effectively push LGBTQ+ people out of these spaces. However, there is a proposed reform in the state of Victoria that, if implemented, would ban religious schools from kicking out staff based on their sexual or gender identity.
Many faith-based institutions are against this proposal, claiming that it would take away their religious rights. As these contentious issues continue to be debated, the doors of restaurants and schools remain revolving.