Woman calls special needs boy a 'bas***d' and his mum 'useless for giving birth to him'

A mother was left shocked and upset after a customer at the 7-Eleven outlet at Killiney Road started yelling at her son, a special needs child, because he had gone behind the counter at the store.

The mother, Elaine, regularly goes that 7-Eleven outlet as her 11-year-old son, who suffers from Williams syndrome, has speech therapy lessons in that vicinity.

"Even the counter staff know my son, and they are very patient with him," said Elaine.

However, a woman started questioning her when she saw the child go behind the counter.

Thinking that it was an off-duty member of the staff, Elaine apologised and explained that her son is a special needs child.

However, the woman responded by calling Elaine an incompetent mother for being unable to control her son.

The mother tried to explain why it was difficult to control her son at all times, but the woman refused to accept her explanations and kept yelling at her.

Elaine then realised that the woman was not a staff member, and started to take a photo and video of her.

The woman responded by blocking her face with the hat she was wearing and a piece of cloth.

She can be heard saying, "You want to take photo, take ah."

The woman is also heard yelling at Elaine, "You are useless, why must you give birth to a special needs child."

Elaine then realised that her 11-year-old daughter, who was next door, had started crying after seeing what was happening to her mum and brother.

So she walked out to comfort her daughter, and the woman followed her outside to yell at her.

She then walked away, and coincidentally, police officers walked into the store.

Upon being told of what had happened, they went to look for her but were unable to find her in that vicinity.

She subsequently shared the photo and video of the incident on a WhatsApp chat-group for parents with kids who have Williams syndrome.

A friend of hers, Janet, also a parent of a child who has Williams Syndrome, shared the clip and image in a Facebook post about the incident.

In her post, Janet mentioned that the woman called the child a 'bastard', and also called Elaine 'useless'.

"It is  good that the government raises awareness for this, but there are some people who still don't know anything about the problems special needs kids and their parents face," said Elaine.

We found some information on Williams Syndrome from the williams-syndrome.org website.

The website states:

  • Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic condition that is present at birth and can affect anyone. It is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. These often occur side by side with striking verbal abilities, highly social personalities and an affinity for music.
     
  • Unlike disorders that can make connecting with your child difficult, children with Williams syndrome tend to be social, friendly and endearing. Parents often say the joy and perspective a child with WS brings into their lives had been unimaginable.
     
  • But there are major struggles as well. Many babies have life-threatening cardiovascular problems. Children with WS need costly and ongoing medical care and early interventions (such as speech or occupational therapy) that may not be covered by insurance or state funding. As they grow, they struggle with things like spatial relations, numbers, and abstract reasoning, which can make daily tasks a challenge. As adults, most people with Williams syndrome will need supportive housing to live to their fullest potential. Many adults with WS contribute to their communities as volunteers or paid employees; often working at assisted living homes for senior citizens, hospitals and libraries, or as store greeters or veterinary aides.
     
  • Just as important are opportunities for social interaction. As people with Williams syndrome mature – beyond the structure of school and family activities – they often experience intense isolation which can lead to depression. They are extremely sociable and experience the normal need to connect with others; however people with Williams syndrome often don’t process nuanced social cues and this makes it difficult to form lasting relationships. For more information on Williams Syndrome, go to: https://williams-syndrome.org/what-is-williams-syndrome