Shocking Moment Autistic Girl Asked to Leave Plane Because She Made the Pilot Feel 'Uncomfortable' [VIDEO]

An Oregon family traveling with their 15-year old autistic daughter was asked to leave a flight this week for what the airline calls a "disruptive" situation, according to reports.

The girl's mother, Donna Beegle, was shocked when officers explained why they had to leave the plane.

"He said, 'Well, the captain doesn't feel comfortable flying to Portland with your daughter on his flight," Beegle told CBS News.

Donna Beegle's 15-year-old daughter, Juliette Beegle, was less than three years of age when she was diagnosed with autism. According to Beegle, her daughter has an exceptionally high IQ, but communicating with others is still a very difficult challenge for her.

Video shot by a fellow passenger and posted to YouTube showed Salt Lake City airport police removing the family from a United Airlines flight last Tuesday, after the pilot made an emergency landing.

"I know her. When she gets over hungry or over thirsty, she really struggles," Beegle described.

Her mother says Juliette is a picky eater, so she asked a flight attendant if she could purchase a hot meal from first class -- and says she was told no.

"Well, I said, 'How about we wait for her to have a meltdown and then she is crying and tries to scratch -- and then you'll want to help her,'" Beegle said she told the flight attendant.

Beegle said she wanted to promote understanding of autism and ensure that all airline employees have the right training to help them work with passengers who have the condition.

A spokesperson for the airline said: "After working to accommodate Dr Beegle and her daughter during the flight, the crew made the best decision for the safety and comfort of all of our customers and elected to divert to Salt Lake City after the situation became disruptive.

"We rebooked the customers on a different carrier and the flight continued to Portland."