I had just met my mum and my middle son O from the train station, with J and toddler W in tow with me.
We all walked to the shop and my mum waited outside with all three of my boys, her grandsons.
I could hear J singing and chattering in his gibberish language, but it was not loud or aggressive.
I got to the front of the queue to be served when my ears suddenly tuned into a woman behind me making verbal remarks, out loud, about a "horrible boy".
This is exactly what she said, and I can state this as I asked her to repeat herself, which she did, as she thought I was going to agree with her - she didn't know I was his mum!
"That child is the worst child I have ever heard. What a horrible boy. Listen to those stupid noises he's making. Idiot"
At the point where she had finished, she looked at me in glee and waited for me to agree.
You can guess I didn't do that can't you?!
I very calmly told her that that child was my son. That he had autism. He had learning difficulties. And that he was non verbal apart from echolalia and learned phrases for the most part.
She said "I apologise" but it was not heart felt.
However, the woman in front of her, facing me, had a glint in her eye which I read as "you go girl" directed at me.
I told the ignoramus that I receive a lot of prejudice in regards to my son, and it is usually when he is with me, so to hear him still being attacked when he is not present, is not only hurtful, but shocking - shocking that I still have to face people with no decency or human kindness. Surely the fact that she saw he was not a toddler should have been a clue he had special needs if all he could do was make random phrases which were not coherent.
I walked out the shop, shaking, but proud I had not raised my voice or become aggressive in tone or words.
I told my mum instantly, and she poked her head in and made a remark to the woman, I can not recall exactly what she said, but again it was not rude, more just her shock at me coming out and blurting out what I had just heard being said about J.
As we got to the end of the road the woman cycled past us and her face was full of arrogance. I like to think this was bravado and not continued ignorance.
The woman in question was only in her mid thirties I'd say, my age, so it did knock me more, as I usually get abuse from OAPs and their pearls of wisdom such as they never had that kind of thing in their day - to which I usually reply in some form of the following -
"well you used to lock up mentally disabled children and adults in mental hospitals where they were locked away forever, abused, tortured and never given the slightest bit of love, care or respect. Well done on being a part of that society. My generation are mostly more educated and compassionate and believe every child has a right to a normal happy family setting and to not be locked away. If you find it offensive to see my child out in public, I suggest you go and live on the moon where you'll find it nice and quiet."
1-0 to me I think with that ignoramus shop woman.
