Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Persons with developmental disabilities are at high risk of injury or death in certain environments. These include proximity to bodies of water, machinery and equipment, crowds and noisy places, and any unfamiliar situation.
Aside from insufficient mental development, autism spectrum disabilities pose additional challenges. Many persons on the spectrum have difficulty reading facial expressions or estimating risks, and are easily upset or confused by loud noises or quickly-changing stimuli.
It is the duty of the parents or guardians of persons with such kinds of disability to proactively teach them safety rules and see that they follow them, for their own protection. When traveling or vacationing, they should cooperate with persons in authority in enforcing good safety practices.
For its part, Plantation Bay will also cooperate in trying to provide an enjoyable and safe stay for all its guests. Children with developmental disabilities should always wear a life vest when in or near the water, avoid boisterous play, and should refrain from making or being exposed to loud noises. See https://sparkforautism.org/discover_article/what-do-we-know-about-noise-sensitivity-in-autism/ If your child is genuinely on the autism spectrum, you already know this. If you are falsely claiming a disability, you don’t.
In all cases, cooperation is a two-way street. Some parents regrettably take the attitude that because they have a developmentally-disabled child, they should be exempt from any rules. We don’t agree. Don’t make us a party to your parental negligence. If you and your child refuse or are incapable of following rules for your own safety, please don’t come to Plantation Bay, where the water hazards are everywhere.
There was a well-publicized incident in 2020 in which a mother with emotional issues, estranged from her husband, and disappointed by a failed attempt at reconciliation in the resort, falsely accused Plantation Bay staff of rudeness. No one was rude to that woman or her child. For unknown reasons, the child screamed once, so loudly that lifeguard staff from a hundred meters away came running. They courteously reminded the mother that screaming is discouraged because it distracts lifeguards, who may not respond to a real emergency. That was the end of the incident. Some time after checking out of the hotel, the woman apparently decided she needed to lash out at someone in frustration at her husband’s disinterest in a reconciliation. Thus, she invented the “rude lifeguard” story.
Later, the hotel learned that the mother was experimenting with a different gender identity. We feel for the child, who is clearly just a pawn in the woman’s emotional moods.
Every now and then, a Filipino guest will try to intimidate our staff out of enforcing rules by threatening “do you want a repeat of the autism incident?” Our response to this is “if you believed Plantation Bay was at fault then, why are you here?” Without fail, this induces them to back down.
There are enough parents who genuinely care for their disabled child’s safety, that we don’t feel any strong obligation to deal with parents who don’t.
The law instructs us not to discriminate. We don’t discriminate. We enforce our safety rules uniformly.