BBC4 tonight Monday 13th August. Documentary on Autism. Growing Children.

[LottieJenkins]

My mum is away but rang me to tell me it is on! Looks interesting!!!

Troutpout - I thought she was frightened, too. As if she was about to mouth "help me" or she'd just been caught doing something she shouldn't and was wondering what the reaction was going to be.

I score pretty highly on the AQ tests, btw, but I find that I'm OK with empathy for children. I have to work at it with adults, but then the adult responses I'd be witnessing are less simple than those of kids because they're clouded by more past experience and learnt responses.

As for the literature thing - I was always pretty much a straight A type of student, but barely scraped a pass in O level Eng lit because I did find so much of it to be so breathtakingly bullshitty.

I think my epithet should too many words!

Considering they only had an hour, I think they did very well - though maybe the 'diagnosis' footage could have been replaced with a girl - I had mixed feelings about the inclusion of the diagnosis footage and recording the parents' reaction.
I totally agree with Michael - it was a picture of someone with a blank expression on her face.

I am a 16 on the AQ test so very average.

10 here. Two kids on the spectrum and neither of us scored very high on the test at all.

DS (diagnosed with AS at 12, now 17) did one of those AQ tests the other day and scored 19! Hearing his answers I realised just how unaware he is of how he comes across to other people. Made me realise that although a high score means it might be worth investigating a low one doesn't necessarily mean you haven't got it. DH did it at the same time and scored 25 and DS and I both think he has lots of traits. (I scored 30).

I thought the portrait looked like a girl on the edge of tears. Asked Ds1 (11, dyspraxic with some Aspergers traits) without telling him what I thought and he said she looked like something bad had just happened to her.

Yeah DH and I are low on the AQ but my dad was pretty high haha. Would love to get Fil to do it but it might upset him.
Did anyone see the Daily Mail today? (I found one in a pub honest) - it had a surprisingly nice article about women with Aspergers and the hidden-ness of the condition. Also an interview with Gary Numan that said he has dx'd himself with Aspergers.

On the AQ test I scored 42 that just about sums up why I am as as sociable as a plank of wood when someone just turns up at the house to say hi lol but then yesssss I kind of knew that already

Nb I struggle with sympathy rather than empathy! I understand when people are suffering but get cross when they do nothing to help themselves! Might be nurture rather than nature though.

STILL havent watched it still waiting for it to download from iplayer the net is so slow I have another 26 hours to download DOH!

I though portrait girl looked accusatory/reproachful!

I was ok until Tonys mum said "I could die in a car accident tomorrow and he will be fine", that woman has clearly given her whole life to her son
As for Zanes I felt she needed someone to help her, she is shattered and when she said "we feel worse for him because we just dot know where his headed ect" I thought surely she should know what she is doing second time round and so know she hasn't had enough support.

If anyone is planning on going to the girls and woman with autism conference be warned, it's very negative and horrible to listen to and the only speaker I think was good is the last one of the day, which is a shame as most mums had left in tears by that point

I agree zzzz I found myself liking Tonys mum because she clearly got it and knew how to teach him, find ways in ect. I found Jake and Zanes mum just did things that werent going to work and even make a slight show iyswim. I'm sure she's not like that all the time, but especially the home movies. Maybe she needs more help than she's getting but know if I was in Dds face saying what she did I certainly wouldn't get far.

Just got eldest DD to take the test and she scored 29.

That sounds like an awful tough going conference lisad :(

zzzzzzz - I scored 36 - degree in Chemistry and part of a postgrad diploma in computing (abandoned when the boys ate my brain). DH score 28, degree in computing, works as a software developer. We're both highly maths-y, as is DS1. Even DS2 is fascinated by numbers and can clearly count because if he has 10 of something, he'll turn the room upside down to find the missing one if there's supposed to be 11!

The geek runs strong in this household.

Haha coff33pot! Was chatting with our neighbour, the other day. He said "your DH is very quiet, isn't he? Keeps himself to himself, like and doesn't chatter much. You chat more than he does!"

Dd1 got 42 on the AQ test, dh got 29 and I got 11. Haven't done it for dd2 yet but think she would likely score higher than her sister.

Every talk had a negative point so eating disorders, self harm, relationships, even woman within the prison system. There were speakers with autism and all but one was very negative and blamed Asd on the reason their life was so bad.