Theatre asks autistic boy to leave

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"James is part of society and we have got to say we are not going to be treated like this”
Karen Geater [boy's mother]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-14727779

If I was a care-giver during the performance, I would also start making noise just to spite those people! I make noise when I wanna make noise!! ! Its my religion! "Make a joyful noise upon the lord"! HA! Can't stop me now!

But on a serious note. They should not have been so... strict. they KNEW of the boys disabilities, and should not have attacked them as they did.

I agree, it's not as though it was a thought provoking play of international acclaim, it was SHREAK.

Yeah it's really annoying when someone is informed of a person's autism and then freaks when said person begins to display autism behaviors. It's like "doi, I didn't know THAT was autism!" Good god.

Hallueigh first of for the idea of defying those people just because of the fact they had been informed of his condition, and Ameh to the person Iceveela

I read the article. The theater was within it's rights to ask them to leave since the kid was being disruptive. The theater has an obligation to look after the benefit of ALL of the patrons and that means providing a non-disruptive viewing experience, even if it means culling a few of them out.

Last edited by Raptor on 04 Sep 2011, 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

How loud were the boys and how loud was everyone else?

I know in plays you are to be quiet and not get up and move around. If you make noise, bye bye. If everyone else was quiet and those boys weren't, then the theatre had the right to kick them out. Having autism isn't a privileged to be disruptive and everyone has to buck up. They paid lot of money for those tickets to see the show, not be disrupted.

It be like me taking my baby and then getting kicked out because he wouldn't stop making noise and my defense be he is just a baby. Babies make noise and don't know any better, people are so intolerant of babies.

Well they shouldn't be at a play, same as young children and autistics if they can't behave. I have the tenancy to talk too because I get lost in the play and what is going on and if I can't be quiet, I shouldn't be there either. Same as if someone had a small bladder since it's rude to get up in the middle of the play before half time.

^This.

It does not matter why a person is being disruptive in a theatre; it only matter that they are being disruptive.

Autism is not a free pass to annoy others, especially when those others have paid the price of a ticket to enjoy the show, and not endure disruptions, no matter what the cause.

It was a children's production of Schreck, fer crimony's sake! I thought kids were supposed to show their approval by clapping and laughing!

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

That was my assumption too.

Again, I don't get how the theater personnel didn't see this coming when they were informed of the boy's autism ahead of time.

So you're saying they went after him just for being autistic?
Bit paranoid are we?

I've been in theaters lots and lots of times from Florida to Alaska and several points in between and the only time anyone has ever been marched out was for being disruptive (e.g. running around, bothering people, crying babies, fighting, excessive cell phone use, making noise at inappropriate times, etc....).

They probably didn't have any idea what constitutes an autistic behaviour when they gave the ok. Why would they know? It isn't their responsibility to google "autistic behaviors" when they sell the tickets to a group. It's the responsibility of the carers to inform them what to expect. Perhaps they did. But I bet they underplayed it because they didn't want to be denied- although I don't know if it would even be legal to deny them.

In any case, as League Girl noted, once the disruption happens and doesn't stop, it becomes the theater peoples' responsibility to end the disruption for the sake of others.

Indeed.

+1

I have had to leave restaurants because my infant son was making too much noise. Either my husband or I take him outside until he calms down. And if he doesn't calm down, we go home. No one has to ask us to do it. We respect the fact that the other patrons in the restaurant don't want to listen to my screaming child, even though as an infant and can't help it.

I get the feeling that this kid was being REALLY loud in the theatre. They had every right to ask him to leave the theatre and return when he had calmed down. It's not like they kicked them out of the building.

No, but I do think they should have shown him some more leeway because he's autistic.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

It's a business; the majority of the customers have to be thought of first IF you want them to keep coming back.