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Dad publically calls out his mates for excluding his autistic son

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PHOTO: thelifeofreilly.org
PHOTO: thelifeofreilly.org

A dad from Newcastle in the UK has become an overnight internet sensation after taking his friends to task for not inviting his six-year-old autistic son to their children’s parties.

The boy’s mom, Christine Stephenson, shared her husband Shane’s strong-worded message on her Twitter profile. The post has garnered more than 7 000 likes so far. 

“My husband’s message to his mates breaks my heart,” she wrote with the post.

Shane’s expletive-filled post reads: “Right, this has been brewing for some time so here it goes and you can like it or f****ng well lump it. My son Reilly has autism, not f***ing leprosy; he is 6 years old and my so-called friends who have kids also have kids’ parties.

“Not ONE invite, not f***ing one. Think about that... have you any idea how hurtful that is?” Shane asks. 

He ends the post with: “Just for the record: in future, don’t bother – he’s not an afterthought, he’s my every f***ing thought.” 

The message has attracted widespread support from other parents of autistic children who find themselves in the same position.

Christine told HuffPost: “Reilly is pretty much nonverbal and he’s an awesome little guy. 

“Shane was incredibly upset at the thought of Reilly not being part of his circle of friends. This incident was just the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she added.

“Inclusion is a big problem for autistic people. Reilly may not speak but he listens and he understands.

“Every message I have received has the same words: ‘This happened to my son/daughter/granddaughter/grandson too, my child was the only one not invited,’” she told HuffPost.

Her message to other parents facing similar challenges? “Yes, it’s upsetting – no one wants to think of their child as the child that’s not invited. But find your own pack. Those who truly understand, and run with them.”

Sources: HuffPostDailymail, Twitter

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