Priest bans autistic child from church

Daily Globe ^ | May 19, 2008

[silverleaf]

I'll bet your time in the crying room never was frequented by a 6 foot tall, 225 pound child who was spitting, peeing cursing and grabbing other kids while his parents tried to manhandle him into a prayerful attitude!

The kids has an excuse for his dementia-type behaviors- the parents who are in denial are the ones who are truly nuts.

[Azeem]

“A handicap is not carte blanche to do anything you like, anywhere you like.”

I remember this was a storyline in South Park and Family Guy.

[MozarkDawg]

She said her son makes spitting faces but doesn't spit and acknowledged he has occasional problems with incontinence. She says that she and her husband sit on Adam because their weight calms him down, which is why he pulled the girl onto him.

She also said they do use soft straps to bind Adam's hands and feet on occasion because it calms him, as does the revving sound of engines, which is why he started the cars.

You have to SIT on your child? And because you must do so, you thought it perfectly reasonable that he pulled a girl onto himself?? Occasional problems with incontinence??

Any adult with these problems would not be allowed unfettered access to a public place such as a church -- are we to proclaim any time the safety of the public outweighs the personal needs of one individual it is always discrimination, unfair, mean??

Last time I checked, the cry room was provided so that the concentration/praying of rest of the congregation would not be interrupted by infants. I don't believe that for a 225-pound youth who is unable to control his actions unless his parents are sitting on him, this is a reasonable option.

My mother was physically unable to attend Mass for several years -- Monsignor Cronin brought Holy Communion to her every week, and I recall a few occasions where he said Mass in our home, other family, neighbors attending. This family does not have to disrupt an entire church this way in order for them to practice the Faith.

[Between the Lines]

My church I went to growing up had a crying room for just such occasions.

This church does too and the family sometimes used it. I can only speculate that the boy also caused disruptions in the cry room.

Carol Race said the family of seven, which has attended St. Joseph since 1996, typically sat in the cry room or in the back pew to keep avoid disrupting the services

[Between the Lines]

It is a simple problem to fix, use adult diapers.

[Between the Lines]

If it calms him down to sit on him, perhaps they should use him as a pew.

[definitelynotaliberal]

You know you’re going to get castigated for that one, don’t you?

Thanks for the laugh.

Yours insensitively,
Most Definitelynotaliberal

[Niteranger68]

Dear Parents,

The world is not your daycare center.

[GovernmentShrinker]

At 6 feet tall, he’s overweight, but not necessarily obese. Given the way he behaves in church, I can just imagine what happens at home in the kitchen if anyone tries to stop him from taking whatever food he wants. Scary thing is, he’s 6 feet and 225 pounds at age 13! He’s still growing! These parents need to get a clue, and understand that their son is soon going to need to be either institutionalized or drugged into a stupor 24/7. Arguing about whether he should be allowed to attend Mass is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Malacoda]

I know that I have a nine-month old, and we avail ourselves of the crying room for a bit almost every week. I don’t think I’d be happy with a 225-pound maniac hitting people, hollering and p*ssing all over the crying room.

[wideawake]

The parents admit that the child wets himself during Mass, that they have to tie him up sometimes, and that he physically assaulted a girl at Mass.

While I applaud their efforts to mainstream their son and while I feel for their difficulties, I don't see how their pastor could allow this behavior to continue - especially when you have someone assaulting other parishioners and breaking into cars.

He says he offered accomodation: what did he offer?

[Petronski]

I’m not sure if 6” and 225 pounds is “obese.”

[Petronski]

Actually, six inches tall and 225 pounds is extremely obese.

But I’m not sure six feet tall and 225 pounds is obese.

[spunkets]

"The church isn't bad," she said. "But it's what some individuals do within the church."

No kidding. Wake up lady!

[Bigg Red]

The world is not your daycare center.

&&
I have seen parents of this type. I always get the feeling that they are mad at the world and think the rest of us should share in their suffering.

I feel for these parents, and I am sure that their life is difficult, but their fellow-parishioneris should not be held hostage to this kind of behavior.

[OpusatFR]

Restraining someone 225lbs. is awfully difficult. I thought was pretty capable until the first time a mental patient, male, about my size threw me across the room.

The family needs to leave him at home. It is unreasonable to expect society to adapt to a clearly out-of-control adolescent.

[WildcatClan]

I saw this kid and he is not obese. He is huge and looks like he would be tough to handle. He is over six feet tall, broad shouldered and I can definitely see people fearing for their safety if he got out of control.

[El Laton Caliente]

I saw video of the story on Fox this morning. He reminds me of an autistic boy that grew up a few doors from us. That kid ended up 6’-6” plus and over 250 lbs with all the social skills of a two year old. They can get VERY disruptive... Autistic children are seldon intentionally violent, but can easily cause harm without ever understanding what they have done...

[Jrabbit]

They were offered a private room behind the altar....they refused.

[Between the Lines]

They were offered a private room behind the altar....they refused.

'Nuff said.