A McDonald's franchise in Miami received criticism last week for allegedly firing an employee after less than a week due to his autism.

Alex Martinez, 19, was allegedly fired from McDonald's due to having "shaky" hands when anxious at work. This led his sister, Angelica Martinez, to accuse the fast-food chain Saturday of discrimination with a Twitter post that received over 80,000 retweets and nearly 160,000 likes.

"My brother was fired from McDonald's slowly [sic] based off discrimination," Angelica Martinez wrote on Twitter. "He has mild autism and was super excited about starting his first day. Not even a week in and they let him go. Their reasoning? 'His hands were a little too shaky when he gets anxious.'"

Many Twitter users called the situation "heartbreaking" and "sad," with some claiming they would leave a complaint about the McDonald's restaurant on it's Facebook page or contact McDonald's to file a complaint.

Alex Martinez told BuzzFeed News the McDonald's restaurant was aware of his autism before he was hired. He also said that he was sent home early on his fourth day and was told he shouldn't worry because he wasn't fired. He also said he wasn't directly told he was fired and learned from his grandmother a day before his next day of work.

"I really tried to have a job since I didn't want to stay home and always ask my mom for money," Alex Martinez told BuzzFeed News. "I had to take two buses to get to my job. I was on time every day and sometimes there even before I had to start.

"I did nothing wrong — I was always careful while handling change, my registers always had the right money. I don't like that they didn’t tell me personally. I feel like they weren’t treating me like a normal human being and made me feel like I was inadequate and worthless. I still haven't gotten paid for the time I worked and they still haven't told me when I will get paid. I just don't understand."

The owner of the McDonald's franchise said he would investigate the incident.

"We have investigated these claims made on social media regarding an employee of my restaurant and I am working with my restaurant team to fully understand the situation," Anthony Greenwood Sr, the owner and operator of the McDonald's, told Buzzfeed News. "At my restaurant we have a long standing history of creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace. I am committed to providing training and development opportunities for all and value the contributions of all members of my crew."

Entering the workforce as an autistic individual frequently poses challenges. Since the developmental disorder affects the ability to interact and communicate, many with autism find themselves struggling to keep up with required work tasks. This can result in a loss of employment.

Autism, formally known as Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a commonly diagnosed developmental disorder. Affecting more than 200,000 people in the United States annually, it can either last over the course of several years or for a lifetime. It can occur among people within all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but boys tend to be diagnosed with autism more often than girls.

Roughly 1 in 68 children in America have been determined to be autistic.

A representative from McDonald's did not immediately return International Business Times' request for comment.

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