Mother and Son Leave Circus Show Due to Misunderstanding
The mother of a non-verbal autistic child has reported feeling "embarrassed" and compelled to leave a circus performance midway after staff did not comprehend her son's behaviour.
Kendra Hazlett and her five-year-old son Albie were seated ringside at the circus event on Wednesday evening.
Kendra stated that after being asked twice to have Albie "put in his seat," they felt they had no alternative but to exit the show early.
Tom Duffy's Circus responded by affirming their commitment to "making reasonable adjustments for all audience members" while maintaining safety protocols.
"We had not been aware of Albie's disability in advance and didn't have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment, offer more suitable seats, or inform our staff of his needs prior to the show starting,"the circus said.
They further indicated that they have since contacted Kendra to discuss her and Albie's experience.
Previous Visits and Seating Choice
Kendra explained that she had booked a ringside cubicle for the performance held in Londonderry on Wednesday.
The family had attended the circus "three or four times before," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.
"Any time we've went before, there's never been an issue. It's always been great,"she said, adding that Albie enjoys "the lights" and the ringside cubicle allows him to "be up close and see everything."
"He likes to stand up and just basically watch that from start to finish."
Interaction with Staff and Behaviour Explanation
As the show began, Kendra recounted that a staff member approached and said,
"Put him in his seat."
She attempted to explain that this was not feasible given Albie's needs.
"I tried to explain Albie's needs and that I would have a close eye on him. He wasn't anywhere that he shouldn't have been."
She described Albie's behaviour as:
"He wasn't hanging off railings or anything like that. He was just jumping and stimming, slapping his arms and making noises. That's how he shows how happy he is. So he was very, very happy."
According to the National Autistic Society, stimming, or self-stimulating behaviour, includes actions such as arm or hand-flapping, finger-flicking, rocking, jumping, spinning or twirling, head-banging, and complex body movements.
The staff member approached a second time, again requesting that Albie be "put in his seat."
"I was left so embarrassed because there was other people as well. Then we had to take Albie out because we knew that he wasn't going to stop stimming. You can't expect an autistic child who's excited to stop stimming and just sit still.
It's physically not possible. So we felt like we had to leave - that just caused Albie complete distress at that point."
Tom Duffy's Circus Statement on Reasonable Adjustments
In an official statement, Tom Duffy's Circus emphasised the importance of providing a "safe and inclusive environment" for all audience members.
They noted that before every show, audiences are advised to remain seated and keep their hands within the ring fences.
"Our staff are also trained to advise audiences of these safety protocols when seating guests in ringside areas, and to provide polite reminders during the performance if there are concerns about individuals leaning or reaching over the fences."
The circus explained that these measures are intended to protect performers and ensure an enjoyable experience for all attendees.
"The circus would like to emphasise that these requests are made in the interest of safety and are never intended to cause offence or result in a negative experience."
Tom Duffy's Circus reiterated their commitment to making reasonable adjustments for audience members and encouraged patrons to communicate any special requirements in advance.
They have offered Kendra and Albie a one-on-one tour of the circus and shared plans to improve the overall customer experience, including updated autism staff training.
