Reading some of these posts, there seems to be a disconnect between the story and everyone's opinion. The child is autistic. I don't know how many of you are really familiar with that condition. It is not something that can be "disciplined" away. I agree that an otherwise normal child who is misbehaving should be disciplined in this situation. An autistic child is different. They, nor their parents, cannot necessarily control their reactions to certain situations. And Buffalo Bob, it is not something a parent may know will be passed genetically.
My son has asperger's syndrome, which is a mild form of autism. It is my firm belief that it was caused by mercury used as a preservative in his MMR shots when he was little. Along with that comes OCD, which includes behavioral idiosyncrasies. There is nothing you can do about it. No amount of discipline, threats or cajoling will stop it.
Autism spectrum rates are skyrocketing (
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html ) . Do you want to just lock these children away? Do their parents not deserve to have a night out occassionally? Do the children not have the right to enjoy a modicum of happiness and exposure to the outside world? People like the operator of this restaurant are quick to judge at times. The thing is, it was just a simple cafe', it wasn't some joint that charged $100.00 for a glass of wine and required a black tie.