To be upset about a close adult relative....

[Eliza22]

For making jokes and comments about their friends looking like "someone who has autism" while they were pulling "stupid" faces on selfies, posted on Facebook. Describing someone's haircut as looking like a "special needs kids haircut" and other such "hilarious" comments about friends looking like a "spaz"?

My son, their step brother, has autism and classic classic needs.

Yuk. How awful for you. You're not being oversensitive. At all.

That is pretty insensitive, have you spoken to them about it?

No, I don't think you are being unreasonable to be upset at all. It is hurtful.

However I wouldn't waste your energy on being upset by this....it just draws attention to it. You want their 'jokes' to fall flat. There always seem to be people who enjoy being offensive. People's reactions are what they crave. It speaks of their own flaws.

Don't waste your brain power trying to process it. Concentrate on your immediate family and making life good for them. What you don't think about cannot upset you.

Is your partner their parent?

If so, could he/she have a word about how offensive it is for you and many others?

I would post a comment

Awful, unkind, unacceptable, discriminatory...the list goes on. Post a comment and challenge them on their idiocy.

If it is your step son? Tackle it. Youngsters often behave like this not excusable but not not out of the ordinary for youngsters going OTT. have a word and talk about how this affects their step brother and other people too.

I wonder too, if this is result of resentment/jealousy over the attention their step-sibling gets (which would be expected in order to help them overcome their difficulties). Even though it is a negative emotion, they might be finding it difficult sharing their father's attention. They could be 'hitting' out at the whole family situation.

Severe case of twattitis. They aren't incurable but in the meantime can you talk to them and say how those comments make you feel.

YaNBU.

It's a while ago. My husband's daughter. A well educated, degree student of 20 yrs. I've only just seen it. It's particularly upsetting as ds (13) is now really very poorly again and I worry about him "when I'm gone" and what kindness will he find, in the world. Apparently, very little (and that from someone who knows him, how ill he's been, is especially hard). She was always jealous of the attention he used to get from her dad and would describe my son as "so precious!" But, to know that she and her equally well educated/well brought up friends think disability is funny sickens me.

I think I will NOT comment and just continue to dislike this young woman who is "blessed" with very good fortune in many many ways yet sadly, appears to be lacking in basic human kindness.

Thanks all.

I'd pick her up on it (my eldest is severely autistic). Politely and calmly, but I'd tell her the comments were unacceptable.