to expect parents to controll their children or at least apologise when they bully another child they dont know in asda?

[jennybensmummy]

When we were in asda yesterday i got my first experience of children bullying ben for being different - he is autistic, 3yrs old and has veyr few words, a little boy who was about 5 walked past ben and ben said hello whilst also signing it. the little boy just glared, so ben wanting to talk to him said his ultimate phrase of "bin lorry day" - ben says this to everyone and its him trying to make a conversation about his favourite thing but he never says anything else (not that this time he was given the chance anyway) the little boy just looked at ben with discust and told him "shut up you little freak" it nearly brought me to tears and totally hurt. i just said to the little boy "that wasnt very nice now was it" (whilst actually wanting to scream at the child f* off!!) and gave ben a hug, his family seemed none the wiser except an older sister (aged about 7 or 8) who just laughed and walked off with him. You see this is why i want a school which is very up on bullying and tries their best to see all children as not entitled to treatment like this, imagine if that happened at school!! and i am sure it will!! i know it was bizarre that ben said bin lorry day but didnt warrant that little outburst i just wanted to take ben home and cuddle him all day to make it better, even though i dont think he had the slightest understanding what the boy was saying!
so am i being unreasonable to expect parents in asda to not tolerate their child doing this (im pretty sure they heard and they certainly heard me saying that it wasnt nice!) and at least if their child does to apologise to me and ben for it not just walk off smirking! its really hurt as that was yesterday and its still going round and round in my head

cat64 my dd is 14 and my nt ds is nearly 17 so the age thing doesn't wash, I am well aware of what older kids say. but am still shocked when little people come out with crap.

It is possible that the boy himself has some mild form of SN and genuinely does not understand what a normal child would. Have just spent some time with a 5yo who I suspect has some developmental delay; he has lovely and very careful parents, but does say some unexpected things. Fortunately not very rude words as he does not meet older children enough to hear them, but I expect that might come when he goes to junior school. His parents keep shushing him, but to little effect; he does not seem to understand their feelings. Not evil, a lovely little boy, but with something of the anarchic attitude of a much younger child.