4-Year-Old on the Autism Spectrum Denied From Boarding Southwest Flight
Last week, Adonis Roman, a 4-year-old on the autism spectrum, and his family were prohibited from boarding their Southwest Airlines flight to Boston because Adonis required accommodation, according to his mother, Jocelyn Roman.
Posting her family’s story on Facebook, Roman shared:
My 4 yr son Adonis is autistic and simple everyday tasks like waiting in lines, and being in unfamiliar places can be extremely overwhelming for him. Visual calendar, countdowns, and keeping him in the know are essential to his development. With that being said certain accommodations must be made to avoid certain behaviors and or meltdowns. I tried to explain this to their ticket agent, who quickly cut me off, slammed her hand on the counter, and made my family and I step to the side.
“The only accommodation we ask for is to board the plane before it gets too crazy,” Roman told The Mighty. “Typically right after the wheelchairs and supported walkers.” After being told to step aside, Roman tried to explain to the ticket agent why boarding early is imperative for her son. The agent repeatedly denied Roman and her family from boarding and asked for documentation and proof that her son is on the spectrum, Roman told FOX25.
As the Roman family waited, Adonis began getting anxious, rocking back and forth and stimming orally. “The attendant at this time called for back up via supervisor, security and deemed it necessary to have EMS evaluate my son for some sort of contagious illness.”
Emergency Medical Services quickly cleared Adonis, and once again, Roman attempted to explain her son’s needs to flight staff. “Instead the supervisor proudly told me that no accommodations would be made and due to my attitude my son would suffer and we would have to wait for the next flight,” Roman wrote in her Facebook post.
Eventually, Roman was able to talk to a manager, who apologized, but the family still missed their flight, forcing them to stay another night in St. Louis. Southwest payed for their hotel, offered $200 flight vouchers, and eventually reimbursed the St. Louis-to-Boston leg of their flight.
The company has since been apologetic, but Roman said there is more airline companies can do to support families on the autism spectrum. “Just respect the diagnosis,” Roman told The Mighty. “It’s not contagious, it’s a developmental disorder. Something as easy as boarding the plane first would have allowed him to have a couple extra minutes to get comfortable and acclimate himself with an unfamiliar environment.”
Update: A spokesperson for Southwest told The Mighty:
Southwest Airlines is committed to providing courteous and efficient service to all customers. Prior to the flight, a customer became ill in the boarding area and our employees contacted paramedics for help. Our employees then re-booked this customer and his family on a non-stop flight while also providing them with a hotel and travel vouchers. If we have reason to believe that a customer will need medical intervention during a flight, we may require a medical certificate and/or evaluation from trained medical professionals to safely clear the customer for travel. We reached out to the family and we hope they will give us another opportunity to serve them in the future.
Jordan Davidson is The Mighty's Managing Editor. Follow her on twitter @JA_Davids or email her at jordan@themighty.com.
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