- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,117
- Purraise
- 2,892
I feel bad. I feel bad for not recognizing that a kid was simply having difficulties. I feel bad for thinking the worst of the mother.
I was in the restroom and I heard a child screaming. This wasn't a bratty scream, these were screams of pain and terror. I actually wondered if there was a sexual assault happening in the stall. Mostly wordless screams but sometimes "no", but never anything referring to a parent or other caregiver which I was listening for.
When I finished my business I called out "Is everything okay?" The mother opened the stall door, they were both fully dressed which was the first thing I looked for, and said the boy is autistic. Then I understood, the toilets all have auto-flush and I know that lack of control and sudden unexpected noise can be terrifying. Especially since these toilets have a tendency to flush repeatedly while you're in there.
Still, I have a kid that was that bad off at a similar age. I should have recognized it right off. I shouldn't have been making such terrible assumptions.
I was in the restroom and I heard a child screaming. This wasn't a bratty scream, these were screams of pain and terror. I actually wondered if there was a sexual assault happening in the stall. Mostly wordless screams but sometimes "no", but never anything referring to a parent or other caregiver which I was listening for.
When I finished my business I called out "Is everything okay?" The mother opened the stall door, they were both fully dressed which was the first thing I looked for, and said the boy is autistic. Then I understood, the toilets all have auto-flush and I know that lack of control and sudden unexpected noise can be terrifying. Especially since these toilets have a tendency to flush repeatedly while you're in there.
Still, I have a kid that was that bad off at a similar age. I should have recognized it right off. I shouldn't have been making such terrible assumptions.