Do you be polite, or keep walking?

I work with people who are mentally retarded and/or developmentally disabled. As you say, they are people too. They have feelings, thoughts, hopes, and dreams like any other individual. I do not think it would hurt at all to just say hello when they speak to you. It is such a small act that may mean very much to them. Many people with these types of disabilities have poor impulse control or lack tact or other social constructs. Most of the time this is not their fault. Just say hello, do not look at them as any different. It means the world to them.

I would like to spend time with those people. May be someone's little attention make them little happy, so I would try to help them in this. But if someone is rude I can't deal with that. I always want to stay away from rude people.

You're right, most likely he is not able to make the distinction between appropriate conversation and behavior and being rude due to his mental problems. But that doesn't mean that you have to subject yourself to it. I would do the same thing and just keep walking. You're not being rude yourself, you're just removing yourself from a situation that you don't want to be involved in. If there is someone who you want to exchange pleasant words with from the same home, that's a different story. It's up to you. Your way of dealing with him is better than someone who would say nasty things to him and possibly provoke him to get angry or upset.

I have always led by this...a simple hi will not hurt, but anything more I tend to avoid. When I was living back home there was a duplex rented out as a home for those with mental challenges. They were allowed out for a walk each day, and always said hello, to which I always replied back with a simple hi, but then one of them got the idea that we were more than just two people on the street...this is why I say to keep it simple. They don't realize that what they are doing can become harrassment, assault etc. If this one man is rude to you often, I agree that the best thing to do is just walk on.

Even I am down with the sane sickness but I know When u have seen and feel so much of brutality in ur life u tend to behave like that occasionally ,extremes is decided on the basis of ur mental status. So i would like to add here,that we people need ur love cuz love is cure for any sort of mental disoder

If he is rude them by all means walk away, however if anyone else who tries to speak to you is pleasant then what is the harm of simply saying hi? I mean if they are being nice and you just keep walking it is you who is being rude. Even if you have no time to talk simply offer a smile, sometimes people forget what power the smile really has. This could change the entire course of their day for the better. I mean if 100 people just walk by you like you don't exist it hurts, but if just one takes a second and smiles it can make some feel important. So next time maybe just give smile, if you have no kind words.

Is there any reason why you do'nt want to deal with him? What do you mean by rude? I would talk to them, but then I have experience working with disabled people.

First time, I talk to him...because from that I know the character of him and so on usefull matters...if I feel he Is not a good to maintain relationship from the first or second time, I should polite myself...

just say hi, good morning or something like that and walk away, but when you have the time, talk to them.

as you say it might he may not know that he is rude just say hello and keep walking and I know this probably puts that alarm botton to working but if it gets worse you could go to the people in cahrge and find out what his main problem is then try to deal with it in the best way possible

I would say hi as I walked by, but there is no reason to keep talking to anyone who is being rude. Is he with the group and a group leader? What kind of things is he doing that is rude? Does your encounter scare you at all? Maybe he needs to be reported to the group home leaders to prevent any problems down the road.

just smile and answer some short reply then go ahead. that will somehow make them feel recognized instead of rejected.

If you feel uncomfortable talking to him because he is rude, then you dont have to talk to him. For myself.. I usually dont mind talking to them.. I also have a childhood friends that have this kind of problem.. so Im kinda used to it :)

you dont to be angry with them.always learn to be friendly and put on a smiing face

Dear Sissygrl, i know this kind thing is bothering you little bit but its better if you say something to him in polite ways and words. try to make him understand that you dont like his attitude. if its still not work, then better you just keep walking.

My cousin Sean has Down Syndrome and I try to talk to him and converse with him, but I cannot. I cannot understand him whenever he speaks.

i think it is okay if you greet them with a smile, they can be really persuasive, you must understand that and be more patient with them just dont mind if they get irritating.

Nextdoor to my house is a larger home which use to house mentally handicapped people. They had several different problems, but basically they lived there because they couldn't live on their own. I use to talk to them all the time when they'd come outside. A lot of them were lonely, we had a few who were rather rude also, but I just assumed it is because they really didn't understand they were being rude, and as you said they are people too. I don't think it was ever their intention to be rude and if something they said offended me, I just ended the conversation as politely as I could.

I think that I would smile at him and just keep walking. But if I ever started feel that maybe he would harm me in someway because of the comments or if they were just too offensive, I think I would attempt to find another route or walk on the other side of the road. I don't think I would subject myself to it day after day, he can't change his ways but I could change mine.

If you'd rather not deal with them, just move town. You're not obligated to care for these people. But if you DO want to really help these people, I thinnk there are organizations set up to do just that, and joining one of those would be a better help than just "talking" to them. (Though you can also do that, its a free world.)