People judging

I ,too, can see the problem from both sides, as an Autistic person.

Because I have Autism (Asperger's type), I sometimes have outbursts of bad temper when I will scream, shout, slam doors and throw things. I know that the neighbours must hear this noise because the walls are paper thin, but when I am in the midst of an outburst, this is the last thing on my mind. Our neighbours have never complained, probably because my outbursts are very rare, although extreme when they do occur.

However, if I was the next door neighbour, I think I would get angry at the noise because of my noise sensitivities. It is not so much about a lack of empathy as a real physical response to noise. I would imagine that some non Autistic neighbours will also have a low sound tolerance, as we all have different thresholds. What time, may I ask, was your son having the tantrum? I can understand why someone would not be amused if it occurred in the middle of the night. Was the neighbour's tone aggressive or gentle?

On the other hand, your son has Autism and cannot control his outbursts. THey are not his fault, but the neighbour might not understand this. Unfortunately walls are often paper thin, an endemic problem in our built up society where people are expected to live in such close proximity, despite having different needs and lifestyles.

I think you should try and see your neighbour's point of view, while encouraging the neighbour to better understand your predicamment. There is no right or wrong here, but empathy requires both sides to understand each other's needs - your neighbours need to sleep, and your need to have your son's disability accomodated and understood.

I ,too, can see the problem from both sides, as an Autistic person.

Because I have Autism (Asperger's type), I sometimes have outbursts of bad temper when I will scream, shout, slam doors and throw things. I know that the neighbours must hear this noise because the walls are paper thin, but when I am in the midst of an outburst, this is the last thing on my mind. Our neighbours have never complained, probably because my outbursts are very rare, although extreme when they do occur.

However, if I was the next door neighbour, I think I would get angry at the noise because of my noise sensitivities. It is not so much about a lack of empathy as a real physical response to noise. I would imagine that some non Autistic neighbours will also have a low sound tolerance, as we all have different thresholds. What time, may I ask, was your son having the tantrum? I can understand why someone would not be amused if it occurred in the middle of the night. Was the neighbour's tone aggressive or gentle?

On the other hand, your son has Autism and cannot control his outbursts. THey are not his fault, but the neighbour might not understand this. Unfortunately walls are often paper thin, an endemic problem in our built up society where people are expected to live in such close proximity, despite having different needs and lifestyles.

I think you should try and see your neighbour's point of view, while encouraging the neighbour to better understand your predicamment. There is no right or wrong here, but empathy requires both sides to understand each other's needs - your neighbours need to sleep, and your need to have your son's disability accomodated and understood.