Mum claps back after receiving 'bullying' note about autistic son

Magenta Quinn, from Brisbane, Australia, is a single mother to a 17-year-old boy. Severely autistic and non-verbal, she is his sole carer. 

After moving to a new area, she received a note from a neighbour. It was requesting that her son stay indoors during certain hours, as the noises he makes were disturbing. 

Taking to Facebook, Quinn shared a  now-viral picture of the note. 

"I would kindly request that you consider your neighbours and try to limit the amount of time that is spent in the garden such that we do not have to listen to the disturbing noise daily and sometimes before 6am," the stranger wrote.

"I am giving you the opportunity to help us live together in this community without it becoming a constant battle. If this continues at the regular intervals it has been, I intend to make formal complaints against your address to council to help resolve this issue. Yours sincerely, Neighbour."

Quinn was having none of it, and wrote an open reply to the Neighbour on Facebook. 

"Dear neighbour who left me this note,

"While I appreciate the odd noises of a mentally ill person can be disturbing, I can guarantee that you have no clue when compared to living with it 24/7 for 17 years.

"Having 3 police turn up at my doorstep at 10:30 at night when I'm new to the area may have made you feel you are avoiding confrontation, but for me it was alarming to say the least.

"Talking with council won't help, he's not a dog, it's a person. If you'd like to take him on a holiday so I can get some rest that would be awesome. Otherwise, please feel free to come and chat with me, there's a lot you do not understand.

"Have a great day!" 

Later editing the post, Quinn thanked those who showed her an "outpouring of love". 

Speaking to local media, Quinn explained that her son has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old and his language is "exceptionally" limited.

"The noise they're referring to is that he hums and occasionally yelps. It's a calming mechanism, and without it, he would get very frustrated and aggressive so I'd prefer the humming," she said. "It's not okay to control and bully other people."

The teenager had recently finished school and is having trouble coping at a "lifestyle centre" and they are working to adjust to this new stage of life for him.

"Do I lock him in the house from 8 at night to 8 in the morning? What do they expect? There's no compassion from these people," she said, speaking to ABC.

"It's like people who tear their hair when feeling anxious, or flick their nails. It's exactly the same as breathing to him. It's a natural part of who he is … he doesn't do it all the time."

The post has divided commenters, man supporting Quinn and her son, others questioning if her son being noisy in the garden so early is disrespectful. 

Speaking to ABC, Autism Awareness Australia CEO Nicole Rogerson said she was disgusted by the letter.

"By all means if you had a noise next door that was disturbing you, you have every right to enquire.

"But once that enquiry results in you understanding someone in your community is dealing with a child with a significant disability, if that isn't enough to just shut you down and look at your own life and count how lucky you are, then it's just awful — a mum who is battling anyway to raise a son on the autism spectrum … that she'd have to tolerate a neighbour showing such a lack of understanding.

"It must just be soul crushing."

What do you think? Were they right to complain orr does the neighbour show a lack of understanding to a mum in a difficult situation?