ALLENTOWN – The Walt Disney Company says its refusal to permit entry to its Disney Store in the Lehigh Valley Mall to an autistic seven year-old child was only due to his not wearing a face covering to protect customers from COVID-19, and not due to his disability. Shea Emanuel (as parent and natural guardian of N.B., a minor) of Northampton filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Sept. 22 versus The Walt Disney Company of New York, N.Y. “N.B. suffers from nonverbal Autism Spectrum Disorder, a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although ASD severity runs along a broad spectrum, common symptoms of ASD include impaired social and communication skills, repetitive behaviors, insistence on sameness, and sensory intolerances. Many people with ASD, particularly children like N.B., are highly sensitive to touch, especially on their faces,” the suit stated.