Not football related Asda Badge.

Just read elsewhere that Asda employed a young lad as a cashier with Autism. He wore a badge which said "I have Autism please be patient"

Is it great that they have employed someone with Autism and giving them a chance where others wouldn't and asking people to be considerate as he is doing the best he can while serving people or is it disgraceful that a young lad has to sit in a public place wearing a badge highlighting that he has this condition because some people are rude and intolerant as it may take slightly longer to get served.

I first thought Asda were to be commended for giving the lad an opportunity and helping him through then the more I thought about it I wasnt sure. Any thoughts.

 

I’m not an expert on autism but I’d say the badge is as much to protect him as it is to inform the public.

If he was a little short with them, or appeared to be behaving what they perceive as strangely, people may have reacted and had a go, potentially he may not have had the ability to filter and deal with that effectively.

Wearing the badge for him might not be seen as ideal, but it might be necessary to enable them to employ him. They have to consider his well being and can’t subject him to unreasonable abuse, sadly he may have been.

I applaud them for granting the opportunity to a lad who clearly deserved it, it would have been much easier not to have bothered or maybe used him as a shelf stacker rather than directly customer facing. I see it as positive, hopefully the social interaction is good for the lad. The independence of earning his own money will certainly be.

 

My thoughts - regardless of what you do someone will take offence.

 

Should a person be made to wear a badge singling them out though only because of the intolerance and impatience of others . It's the lack of empathy in others not the person with autism issue, maybe some of the customers at asda should walk around with a badge on saying I am an inconsiderate tw#t on it. I think it's a tough question and I don't disagree with your post.