Spa owner yells at Mom of Autistic child-Facebook Firestorm

pinkledoodledoo

A lot of people on here act like autistic children/people don't deserve to go where other people go...that is SOOO wrong!! If the mother is paying the money, and she has been a client there and they know how the child is, there should've been no issue!! I hope that woman's business sinks!!

Who said that an autistic child shouldn't go where other people go? The child being autistic has nothing to do with the fact that children in general do not belong in a spa atmosphere.

KatLifter

Recently something like this happened at one of my son's sporting events. The Coach yelled at a little boy who was trying out and he began to cry. The Mom ran out crying and my husband and I followed and tried to comfort the parents. The Dad said what I already had observed from watching his son because he reminded me of my son. He said "he is autistic". We both felt their pain and tried to comfort them. I did not even know their names but felt a kinship from the shared pain.

Okay, this is a child's sporting event - a completely different situation than an upscale ADULT salon.
I'm sorry that happened, but it really isn't comparable.

vdobbs28

A lot of people on here act like autistic children/people don't deserve to go where other people go...that is SOOO wrong!! If the mother is paying the money, and she has been a client there and they know how the child is, there should've been no issue!! I hope that woman's business sinks!!

We know this because a random person on the internet told us? Let's hear some reliable facts before we start the Witch Hunts, as NinerBuff said. This post is full of righteous Indignation.

It doesn't matter, autistic people have just as much of a right as anybody else!!

More rights than the other people at the spa?
Believe me, I'm all for equal rights and have worked with autistic kids, but the onus is on the caretaker to make sure that they take the child to appropriate places where their behavior won't cause as much of a disturbance.

It seems like the only person it disturbed was the owner..

totalsham

upscale spa, her business, her rules. dont bring kids...

I am wondering what kind of spa it was... at the spas I go to where I spend over $100 it's supposed to be a relaxing atmosphere and I don't know why anyone would bring kids. I would be mad if I spent $100 to have someone bring their kid, autistic or not, just so I can hear crying during my manicure.

Although if it is a place that offers kids haircuts, then crying kids could be expected.

Also don't see what being autistic has to do with it. Sounds like she didn't know he was autistic before she yelled, so she wasn't yelling at him for being autistic, and children without autism cry all the time during haircuts anyway.

very good points.. and everyone here is being way too anally PC about a point that didnt matter. The owner didnt say get that special kid outta here. the owner was mad the kid was being too loud and the parent failed to control it.

plain and simple. yet you "sick" people wanna make a mountain out of a mole hill.

parent should take the kid to super cuts, not a upscale spa.

1. There are no rules that children are not allowed

2. The woman had been a client there for 2years and her son getting his hair cut there for the past year - the owner knew he was autistic

3. The status was written by a bystander who said he wasn't even being that loud

4. This owner has had made a reputation for herself over the past 5 years due to how poorly she treats clients. Her employees are what keeps her in business

5. A friend of mine has worked there for 5years - she resigned today because that incident was the final straw

1. silence is the golden rule of the spa

2. there is a broad spectrum of autism, we dont know if the kid had Rett syndrome, PDD-NOS, Asperger's and childhood disintegrative disorder. so we dont know if she was able to tell he was autistic by looks, or if the owner knew outright the info,since this was stated as newly being diagnosed. Also, she never said anything about the kids condition, just his behavior in her place of business.

3. its a spa, see golden rule number 1

4. its her business. her money, her life. if she made it past 1 year, she is doing it right.

5. in this economy, im sure the business owner had 40 applications to fill that one new paying seat

BeinAwesome247

We're hearing one side of the story.

Apparently, the owner didn't know the boy was autistic till after the tongue lashing. I hear people speak of children while waiting in line for whatever, about how bad other people's children behave without inquiring if the child is autistic or not.

Just in defense of the owner, maybe she was having a bad day and it set her off. Somehow that doesn't happen to good people?

I've handled things bad on occasion due to being miffed at something else. Nothing personal against the person it was directed toward, it was just anger that I vented wrong.

If we as a society are just going to accept that one side of the story is completely right without objectively listening to the other side, then we're back to witch hunts again.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Bad reviews & complaints regarding this owner go back 5 years

It was not the mother who posted about this - a bystander did

The owner refuses to comment and so far I personally know one woman who has resigned.
This was more like the final straw

Also like I said before, this was NOT the boy's first time at this salon, he had gotten his hair cut there for the past year

wineplease

The child being autistic has nothing to do with the fact that children in general do not belong in a spa atmosphere.

Then they shouldn't have made his appointment.

gzus7freek

:explode:

KatLifter

A lot of people on here act like autistic children/people don't deserve to go where other people go...that is SOOO wrong!! If the mother is paying the money, and she has been a client there and they know how the child is, there should've been no issue!! I hope that woman's business sinks!!

We know this because a random person on the internet told us? Let's hear some reliable facts before we start the Witch Hunts, as NinerBuff said. This post is full of righteous Indignation.

It doesn't matter, autistic people have just as much of a right as anybody else!!

More rights than the other people at the spa?
Believe me, I'm all for equal rights and have worked with autistic kids, but the onus is on the caretaker to make sure that they take the child to appropriate places where their behavior won't cause as much of a disturbance.

It seems like the only person it disturbed was the owner..

Says one person from the other side of the spa?

newdaydawning79

Holy moly!

The fact that this has gone so viral just blows my mind. Portage, MI, isn't far from me. In fact, I was just down the street from this place on Friday.

BleedsCoffee

Whether or not it was an "upscale" spa is rather irrelevant. Yelling at the mother of the autistic child was in no way appropriate. Asking her to join her in the rear and quietly letting her know that his crying was viewed as disruptive and that she'd like them to leave would have been far more reasonable a response.

That said, I don't feel that exclusion is fair. I have provided care for a little guy with Angelman syndrome in the past and his response, when getting haircuts, was about the same. It has never been an issue. In fact, most hair dressers find him to be incredibly sweet once all is said and done.

I wouldn't mind hearing the other side of the story as well, but I don't think simply shaking your head and commenting that the behaviour was out of line (based upon what you've read) equals righteous indignation. At least, I haven't lit my torch yet.

TwinkieDong

Oh no. I would have said something, though I am a man so I may be more quick to anger. Wait I say short people are quick to anger since the anger has less room to travel.

It is so sad that people would be so cold, and not understand that the mother didnt wish to have a child born with autism, the child didnt wish to be born that way. There are things in this world that are completely out of your control. To bash a child let alone one with autism is sickening. If there is a cause to be upset at, this is one of them. Where is the group Autism Speak on this issue?

out of all this, I would think there might be a niche market for a hair and nail salon that openly and is geared towards people with autism and their families.

BeinAwesome247

Autistic or not.... Why should any paying customer have to put up with getting yelled at & publicly embarrassed??

Plus, this is an "upscale" salon in a town of 40k maybe
I have never considered this place upscale just over priced

pinkledoodledoo

We're hearing one side of the story.

Apparently, the owner didn't know the boy was autistic till after the tongue lashing. I hear people speak of children while waiting in line for whatever, about how bad other people's children behave without inquiring if the child is autistic or not.

Just in defense of the owner, maybe she was having a bad day and it set her off. Somehow that doesn't happen to good people?

I've handled things bad on occasion due to being miffed at something else. Nothing personal against the person it was directed toward, it was just anger that I vented wrong.

If we as a society are just going to accept that one side of the story is completely right without objectively listening to the other side, then we're back to witch hunts again.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Bad reviews & complaints regarding this owner go back 5 years

It was not the mother who posted about this - a bystander did

The owner refuses to comment and so far I personally know one woman who has resigned.
This was more like the final straw

Also like I said before, this was NOT the boy's first time at this salon, he had gotten his hair cut there for the past year

Actually if you look on TripAdvisor you'll see that all of the reviews prior to this incident (which has sparked a slew of false reviews based on this story) were positive.

vdobbs28

A lot of people on here act like autistic children/people don't deserve to go where other people go...that is SOOO wrong!! If the mother is paying the money, and she has been a client there and they know how the child is, there should've been no issue!! I hope that woman's business sinks!!

We know this because a random person on the internet told us? Let's hear some reliable facts before we start the Witch Hunts, as NinerBuff said. This post is full of righteous Indignation.

It doesn't matter, autistic people have just as much of a right as anybody else!!

More rights than the other people at the spa?
Believe me, I'm all for equal rights and have worked with autistic kids, but the onus is on the caretaker to make sure that they take the child to appropriate places where their behavior won't cause as much of a disturbance.

It seems like the only person it disturbed was the owner..

Says one person from the other side of the spa?

And I'm glad that you were there. Being someone that has supposedly worked with autistic people, you should support the mother who it happened to. You should know from experience what it's like. I have 2 autistic cousin's and they have gone to nice places without any problems and with throwing fits and NOBODY ever said ANYTHING to them because they could see that they were autistic. It's call RESPECT and some people are just so low that they don't have any.

Blacklance36

i thought the spa was a place to send mom and dad to get away from screaming kids....

Dude......So you hate kids, we get it! Enough already.

totalsham

And I'm glad that you were there. Being someone that has supposedly worked with autistic people, you should support the mother who it happened to. You should know from experience what it's like. I have 2 autistic cousin's and they have gone to nice places without any problems and with throwing fits and NOBODY ever said ANYTHING to them because they could see that they were autistic. It's call RESPECT and some people are just so low that they don't have any.

its you who wants to make it about autism... its about a parent not taking control of their kids behavior. you keep skipping over that fact that you dont even know which autism the kid has.

title of story, Loud kid make spa owner upset.

KatLifter

A lot of people on here act like autistic children/people don't deserve to go where other people go...that is SOOO wrong!! If the mother is paying the money, and she has been a client there and they know how the child is, there should've been no issue!! I hope that woman's business sinks!!

We know this because a random person on the internet told us? Let's hear some reliable facts before we start the Witch Hunts, as NinerBuff said. This post is full of righteous Indignation.

It doesn't matter, autistic people have just as much of a right as anybody else!!

More rights than the other people at the spa?
Believe me, I'm all for equal rights and have worked with autistic kids, but the onus is on the caretaker to make sure that they take the child to appropriate places where their behavior won't cause as much of a disturbance.

It seems like the only person it disturbed was the owner..

Says one person from the other side of the spa?

And I'm glad that you were there. Being someone that has supposedly worked with autistic people, you should support the mother who it happened to. You should know from experience what it's like. I have 2 autistic cousin's and they have gone to nice places without any problems and with throwing fits and NOBODY ever said ANYTHING to them because they could see that they were autistic. It's call RESPECT and some people are just so low that they don't have any.

Just saying we can't judge the situation based on someone's Facebook status.
See they're autistic? Really not that easy - I have 2 cousins and you can't 'see it'
Sorry, it's on the caretaker to bring their child to a safe place during a potentially traumatic event.

craigmandu

Ok...I'll give you my story on a similar incident.

My son's first haircut, he was about 1 I guess, it was traumatic for him and he wasn't happy. He was crying loudly....the hairdresser who still does his cuts to this day (he's 16 now) was being as cordial as she could and trying to be as gentle as possible.

A lady who was there said "Get him under control" in a snarky tone. My wife says to the woman, "it's his first haircut, he's scared".

The woman says, "I don't care, I don't come here to listen to whiny brats". This is a family haircuttery...lots of kids...and most people understand that it can be a scary thing to a young kid. Anyhow, the owner of the place comes out and says to the woman, "Calm down, he's a baby." The woman says...."I just don't think I can come here again if this is how it is going to be". The owner says, sorry ma'am, your haircut is free, you can leave". The woman was about 1/4 way through her haircut with her hair pulled through some hood or something. They stopped her cut right there and she was escorted out.

My wife started to tear up a little, and the owner said to her..."It's not your fault, some people think they are the only people in the world". We have never gotten a haircut anywhere else, ever.

Ashshell

upscale spa, her business, her rules. dont bring kids...

Um...the kid was receiving a haircut. If kids weren't allowed, why was the stylist cutting his hair? If the owner has an issue with crying children, she should put up a sign that says "No Children Allowed" and tell her stylists to stick to the rules.

totalsham

i thought the spa was a place to send mom and dad to get away from screaming kids....

Dude......So you hate kids, we get it! Enough already.

where did i say i hate kids? its more about rules we have on behavior in public places.