"make me normal" Ch 4 Thursday

[bunny2]

tv programme about teenagers living with ASD

Todays Indie gave it a good write-up.

it's awful to watch isn't it TC, you just want to do something to help

WMF shame no name credit though

It's a thankless task

We all love you

I stumbled across this programme and was gripped.

I thought it was totally refreshing, and an insight to a world that, I admit,I am generally quite ignorant of.

That headteacher did come across as quite remarkable... but equal credit must be given to all the support staff there.

I, also wondered what would happen if they're excluded from this school... very sad.

Only saw a tiny part, can't take it These kids are relatively high functioning, certainly compared to DS who is going through a particularly bad patch at the mo.

davros

Just watched this with dh. I kept wondering what would happen to Roy when he left school. I know that there's very little help out there for adults with AS/ASD. Roxanne's friend Liam reminded me a bit of ds1 with the way he spoke and generally allowed himself to be led around.

I was very moved by this, and was so in awe of the staff who work there. And it was a revelation that kids with autism know they have it. Like others, i was moved to tears.

my nephew has autism he is 21 and he is lovely he also wishes that he didnt have this condition and i too wish i could take it away i totally understand what u have all posted unfortunately i missed the program hope it will be shown again

Davros -

The only thing is, this is sooo far from autism as I know it that I don't want everyone to think that this is what it is always like. If my DS even knew what a friend was, never mind wanted one, I'd be cock-a-hoop

Oh Davros but at least this was a good portrayl of one of the many sides of autism. At least it wasn't all 'rin man-ish' iykwim.
I know what you mean both in the fact that this wasn't a programme exploring lots of different aspets of being / living with autism and I know what you mean by niot wanting people to think autism is only about what they saw tonight.

They could put on a prog about autism every night for months and we still wouldn't all really see what it can be like.

Feeling for you tonight mate. TC x

Thanks TC, I agree with you, its just a bit raw today I know only too well that people with autism who are "high functioning" or verbal etc have very many problems, the problems are just different. It never usually bothers me and is something I understand and accept and you're right, it wasn't the Rain Man cliche again (who is just as valid but not any more representative than any other portrayals of ASD).

Message withdrawn

Nothing like my experience of autism (these kids were whole avenues of streets ahead of ds1) but I actually thanked whoever for once that he is so unaware. Living with the emotional aspects of autism must be dreadful (which sounds a bit strange0 but I only have to live with my - extensive- emotional aspects- ds1's emotional aspects extend as far as bebing cross that something is "wrong" not desperately wanting girlfriend's/friends or anything).

Someone I went ot college with comissioned this prog. - will try and email him tomorrow.

I can understand what you mean jimjams, the knowing what was happening and hating it about themselves is what I found the hardest thing to watch. That cut me up more than anything else. When Roy kept saying he wished he wasn't autistic throught his little smile and ... fuck, can hardly type about it without properly crying, i feel so angry for him, and so hurt and so useless. Fucking sick awful shitty unfair autism
I just feel like jacking my job in and getting a job working with kids like roxanne and roy and trying to make life a tiny bit easier for them.
Why is life so bloody nasty and sick and twisted sometimes?

I liked Roy, but worry desperately for him. I can see him getting it all terribly wrong and ending up in all sorts of trouble.

i thought he was lovely too, but I know exactly what you mean. His anger in the playground and his then hatred of himslef, his desire to have a girlfriend and the rejection he felt. So sad when he didn't know the words for hurt and upset, but knew the word angry.

although I would say anger is a common autistic emotion across the spectrum. Ds1 is baging his head against the wall angry a lot of the time.

I am at work so missed this.
But just wanted to say that yr post Davros about yr ds no even knowing what a friend is made me so
I can have no idea of what you and jimjams and others here cope with on a daily basis but all I can say is that my heart goes out ot you all.

poor roy, his constant questionning of the programme maker "is that right?" was heartbreaking.

I didn't come back on after watching but it bought me to tears a couple of times.

When Moneer was talking about missing his mum and being sad for the times he made her cry

Also as somebody else said - their awareness of the fact, the girl sat in the chair(didn't catch her name) talking about being picked on in the playground and not having any friends it seemed a common thread through the program - the desire to 'fit in' as it were.

sorry I have no direct experience so am quite naive. Opened up an interesting discussion between myself and dp as he'd never really heard about it before, he thought autism was all about doing huge math sums and memorising phone books. He'd not even heard of AS. I think it really opened his eyes.

After watching it I didn't know if I was glad I did or wish I hadn't - we are still waiting on an assessment for DS but alot of what I seen in the little boy who lost his Mum is what DS is like ( although not as aggressive as that - yet!!)- we were left wondering is that what DS will be like at 12 (he is 5 now) - I wonder how much help or support that little boy had before that stage - we had thought that if they get help and support early that they do not end up with all the anger/frustration? Am I being naive? I was hoping that when DS gets assessed and gets the help he will settle down well in school and learn how to deal with his behaviour? It was so sad how that all spoke about autism saying they hated it and know they were different from 'Normal' people - ATM we have not told DS that he is different but he did ask for the first time the other day why he had sticker charts in school and at home and the other kids in his class and his friend next door didn't - what do I say - should I be telling him he is different?

You see it has opened up alot of question for us and has shown us that we really need to get early intervention ASAP so that DS anger/frustration does not build up in him. Maybe it has opened our eyes too and we were being too naive!!!