Odeon Cinema Disablist Abuse

[insanityscratching]

My older ds 24 took ds 18 and his two friends all with autism to the cinema where they were subject to abuse, mocking and threats of violence by two morons who had picked up on their differences.
No staff in the screening and elder ds didn't feel able to leave the boys to summon help and instead ended up threatening the perpetrators with violence to get them to stop. Luckily he looks suitably threatening and that put an end to it but he had previously asked them politely making it clear that the boys had a disability, told them to stop and then threatened them.
Can I make it clear they were not disturbing anyone's viewing so there was nothing to provoke this.
I have contacted the cinema, no response as yet, but can I ask what could he have done in the circumstances? Has it happened to you and how have cinema's dealt with it?
Older ds was really shaken but thankfully the boys were unaware of the mocking and thought ds was talking to the morons because he knew them

The only thing he could have dome was to have got a member of staff which, as you say, was not appropriate as it meant leaving the boys alone.

As an aside, posts using the word "moron' to describe thick twats is usually shouted down as being offensive/disablist.

How upsetting for your DS1. I think the cinema will say that he should have reported it to a member of staff at the time, as they can't really do anything until they know there's a problem. I do understand your DS's dilemma, though. If it was a first aid emergency, you would send someone else to get help, but I appreciate that would also have been hard for your DS to do in the circumstances, if he was trying to protect your DS and his friends. Perhaps he could have sent your younger DS to find a member of staff?

It was just ds responsible for the three boys with autism, he couldn't have sent one of them and he couldn't go. Had he text me I would have alerted staff but I think he was so stressed he didn't think. He came home and cried because he was so upset and he's not cried in years just the realisation of what the boys are up against and the frustration I think.
He takes them out alone because ds feels "normal" going out with his mates and his brother, it's important to all of them because it doesn't feel to them that they are being chaperoned by parents or carers.
They talk about it for a week or two afterwards and then start planning the next trip. Ds's brother is pretty cool (to them anyway ) and he's great at managing them without being obvious IYSWIM.

And not a single other soul in the whole bloody cinema did a thing to help?
Not one of them?
Typical.
Your poor DS, the tears are probably a consequence of wanting to clobber them and knowing he couldn't. The sheer powerlessness.

Yeah, don't know your younger DS's issues well enough to know whether sending him would have been an option. Using his mobile would be a good solution for next time (if there is a next time.) It will give him more confidence to continue taking them if he has a plan B up his sleeve.

Had DS2 (ASD) reading over my shoulder, had to tell him that your DSs had met some bullies at the cinema, and try to explain how you should deal with them. DS2's current method is to scream in their faces, which embarrasses DS1 no end.

Mine used to roar. It worked as a deterrent.

A bloke sat behind ds and the boys said "shame on you" as they left and asked if Ds was ok and walked out with ds and the boys to make sure there was no trouble outside. But he didn't offer support at the time which would have been most useful.

Thankfully the boys were oblivious to the mocking so they weren't upset. I suppose the autism is useful in some circumstances

Its such a shame that these people can't just enjoy the experience at the cinema without picking fun or teasing others. Something similar happened to one of my friend's kids in our local cinema, which odeon cinema did this happen in?

Well I've had a nice email with an apology and an assurance that such abuse won't be tolerated as well as complimentary tickets for the boys to visit again.
If ds had been able to alert a staff member the abusers would have been escorted out but unfortunately there wasn't a staff member there that time. It's been suggested that I email ahead so that checks by staff can be more visible and regular and eldest ds would be able to alert someone at the time.
Should there be a next time, hopefully not though, he would think to text me and I would phone to alert the cinema.
Happy with the Odeon response though so will continue visiting there.

Give him a whistle and tell the cinema that if he or his charges are being abused, he'll blow it loudly until the staff notice something is amiss.

Good for the Odeon, I must say I'm pleasantly impressed.

I think the Odeon are pretty good on the whole. Once I was with my sister and she had a seizure during the film, the manager came and was brilliant.
Also they do the autism-friendly screenings and there are only ever a few of us in there so they can't be doing it for the money!