A Delaware behavior technician who dedicates her life to working with children is speaking out after witnessing something upsetting at a karate class. According to her account, a child with autism was asked to leave less than five minutes into the session. Believing the child was treated unfairly by the instructor, she’s now sharing her experience online, and her story has sparked strong reactions.
Allahanda (@smilewithla) claims that she had a less-than-ideal experience at a karate class in Delaware. She is a behavior tech who was working with a child with autism and wanted them to get to experience the class. However, she states, “Less than five minutes into a trial karate class, a child was asked to leave.” She believes what the child endured and how they were called out is nothing short of disrespectful.
Allahanda wanted to join the child on the mat but was not permitted to do so. However, the teacher agreed to bring the child back to her if there were any behavioral issues after class started. Five minutes into the class, the karate teacher (the owner’s wife) brought the child back to Allahanda.
According to Allahanda, the teacher told the child, in front of the other parents and children, that she couldn’t handle them, reportedly stating, “This is not the type of autism I’m used to dealing with.” Allahanda believes the teacher could have continued the class for the remaining 40 minutes and discussed the situation privately “afterwards.” Instead, she claims the instructor singled out and humiliated the child in front of everyone.
In part 2 video, Allahanda explains that the parents of this child already spoke with the teacher about their child before arrival. They asked her, “Are you well-versed in working with children with autism?” They expected so much more when it came to the service but left disappointed. Allahanda states of the experience, “What stayed with me was the lack of patience and the comparisons to other children with autism.”
Many commenters agreed with Allahanda’s sentiment and applauded her for standing up for this child. They agreed that, when a business claims to be inclusive, they need to follow through with that. One commenter shared that they know the business that Allahanda dealt with personally. She shared, “The stories I’ve personally heard about that place. My oldest won free classes and I was like ‘no thanks.’ This just tops it. I would have LOST MY MIND.” Another added, “We didn’t have the best experience, either. My kiddo has ADHD and ODD. Frank has no patience and was mean to the kids that I saw.” She adds, “My son never wanted to go back.”
Many commenters had opinions about how the situation was handled. One commenter shared, “This is so sad. Even if it didn’t work out – the way it was handled was completely unprofessional and demeaning. I’m sorry this happened to you.” Other commenters suggested actual inclusive karate classes so Allahanda’s clients could have a fresh start.
As reactions continue to pour in, the incident has sparked a wider conversation about how children with autism deserve to be treated in public spaces.
