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Airline apologizes - forced autistic boy to take COVID test

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ASPartOfMe
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13 Aug 2021, 6:27 am

Ryanair apologizes after staffers force 12-year-old autistic boy to have COVID-19 test: report

Quote:
Ryanair, the Dublin-based, low-cost airline, said in a statement Thursday that it regretted learning about the "stress" caused to the family of a 12-year-old autistic boy who was reportedly forced to have a COVID-19 test by its staffers at an airport in Spain.

The BBC posted a video of the boy, Callum Hollingsworth, seen getting emotional while medical staffers explain the procedure. A voice could be heard off-camera explaining that the boy has ADHD and autism. The person also said that he had a letter of exemption from a general practitioner.

She said the boy’s father had to "physically restrain" her son.

The airline told the BBC in a statement that its policy is to fully comply with the EU and government travel restrictions."


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DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


League_Girl
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13 Aug 2021, 11:41 am

So the airline was following their policies but didn't have the policy to exempt autistic people from the test so they had to apologize?


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Son: Diagnosed w/anxiety and ADHD. Also academic delayed and ASD lv 1.

Daughter: NT, no diagnoses. Possibly OCD. Is very private about herself.