Parents call for better autism education after Facebook row

Tue, 23 Aug 2016

People on the Isle of Man need to be better educated about autism so they don't automatically brand children with the condition as 'naughty'.

That's the opinion of parents who've spoken out after a Facebook row erupted last week concerning so-called 'badly behaved children' in restaurants and cafes.

Sara Mattio is a director of Action 4 Autism - her nine-year-old son has severe autism; she says it's 'sad' that people don't understand the complexity of the spectrum.

She says there's a clear difference between children who are having a tantrum and those who are suffering from a meltdown - something often triggered by a sensory overload: