Mother says she was sent shocking letter about her autistic child

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) A nasty letter found its way to social media, according to a local mother. It all started in the Mayfair neighborhood when neighbors complained about noise from a family's little boy with autism. The letter contains language that many may find insensitive.

Bonnie Moran's son Ryan seems like a happy 3-year-old. He's well-known among the neighbors on their block in Mayfair. Most know that Ryan is autistic and have been supportive, which is why a letter recently left for them was so shocking.

"Put the mail down, opened the letter and stood there just stunned," Bonnie explained. "Just utterly stunned by the third sentence. My stomach just turned."

The handwritten anonymous letter criticized both Ryan as a child and Bonnie as a mother and the part that hurt Bonnie the most was the apparent mocking of her child's medical challenges.

FOX 29's Bill Anderson went and spoke to neighbors on the block and they were as shocked as Bonnie They say the people who left the letter is not a fair representation of their neighborhood.

The letter wasn't threatening or illegal. It was anonymous so there's no real recourse except to spread the word and hope that others realize the challenges that children with special needs often face.