BBC1 ::::::::::::::::The A WORD:::::::::::::::::::::::

[RTKangaMummy]

I think this is going to be good

www.radiotimes.com/episode/d2ycmd/the-a-word--series-1-episode-1

Five-year-old Joe is a smart, musical kid. He spends his time with headphones on listening to alt-rock classics and knowing every line of the lyrics. He can be a bit quiet and uncooperative but nothing that overly troubles his parents – or at least, nothing they’ll admit to…

As we meet Joe and his clan in Peter Bowker’s well-worked drama (adapted from an Israeli series) it is the day of Joe’s birthday. Around him a wider family battle simmers nicely as Joe’s interfering grandfather (Christopher Eccleston) and humiliated uncle strike sparks off each other.

That domestic cut-and-thrust might be enough in itself, but we know the real driver of the story will be Joe’s condition. It’s only the slightest of spoilers to reveal that, as the title hints heavily, Joe has autism. His grandfather’s attitude is old school: “If there’s a problem with my grandson, we need to get it fixed.” It won’t be that simple.

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME
1/6. New series. The various generations of the Hughes family, who all love, work and fight like any other clan, find they must learn to communicate all over again when the youngest member is diagnosed with autism. The opening episode of the drama sees the extended family reunite in the Lake District for Joe's fifth birthday party, but tensions soon rise among Alison, Paul and patriarch Maurice. Starring Morven Christie, Lee Ingleby and Christopher Eccleston.

CAST AND CREW

CAST
Alison Hughes Morven Christie
Paul Hughes Lee Ingleby
Eddie Scott Greg McHugh
Nicola Daniels Vinette Robinson
Joe Hughes Max Vento
Rebecca Hughes Molly Wright
Maurice Scott Christopher Eccleston
David Nowak Adam Wittek
Pavel Kaminski Tommie Grabiec
Linda Michelle Tate
Jane Joanna Bond
Sea Lily Verity Henry
Ralph Wilson Leon Harrop
Louise Wilson Pooky Quesnel
Martha Catherine Kinsella
Terry George Bukhari
Dr Eshell Siri Ellis
Dr Waite Mina Anwar
Receptionist Denice Hope
Dr Graves Daniel CerqueiraCREW
Director Peter Cattaneo
Executive Producer Patrick Spence
Producer Marcus Wilson
Writer Peter Bowker

I hope parents don't get the diagnosis like that!!

Is there going to be some bigger backstory that explains the fast diagnosis?

its getting better the kid is great

Also who turns up to a second appointment with a different doctor and doesn't know what the appointment is for?

DS had salt and then the ados assessment. We found out at second appointment. Our pathway was v. Similar to Joes.

Was that an ADOS assessment with one clinician? Don't you need more than one to make a diagnosis? That's how it worked for my child.

One clinician. Report from school to GP, GP referral, SALT, and then Ados with paed. Took 12 months from GP referral to diagnosis aged 5. And 9 months was waiting for SaLT appointment.

DS is very similar to Joe. Only DS talks a LOT

Poor Joe. Fuck 'em all.

Too- was your SALT report like Joes? Did it have centiles? My younger undiagnosed child doesn't and I wonder if I have been fobbed off?

Wrath I can't remember as it was nearly 5 years ago, but it was substantial. I have a copy of it in a folder somewhere, will try and find it. It was two pages long, substantial and did list points which pointed to autism

DD is five we're going to our third child development centre appointment in the am. I wish it would be that straight forwards here for us.

DD sings, knows every word almost straight away but my goodness shes monotone. Everyword in the right order, she even gets the rhythm but no tune.

The birthday party no return invites, I invite the world thing brings back so many memories of when DS1 was little.

The twist will be grandad is on the spectrum too.

Thankyou Too. My child's is about two sides but more like a flowing narrative without centiles.

Well that was interesting. Ds1 is asd, was diagnosed aged 3, also has significant learning difficulties, didn't ever present in any way like Joe.
I was worried I'd find it difficult to watch, but it was so far removed from my reality that it was just a story, and not a particularly gripping one at that.

I think the grandad will be on the spectrum too, especially as joe's dad kicked off about being his father where I assume he isn't Rebecca's biological father?

Just found it. It is bullet point summary, compromising of a group session highlights, a CC2 questionaire and we have a General Communication Composite score and a Social Interaction Deviance Composite score. It was 2012, so he was 5.

We have no centiles on ours. Just finding his other reports.

I did remember, we were diagnosed with social communication disorder in the autumn 2011, which led the referral to salt and Ados

Well that seemed a bit easy to get diagnosis. They just kind of stumbled into that appointment and it was handed to them.

I want to like it. I will reserve judgement for a while.

There is a Louis Theroux programme about Autism on Bbc4 right now.

Just found his first clinic report. We have centiles yes - locomotor, personal and social, eye and hand coordination and performance.

He scored 25th on the first two, 75th in second two. He was 5yr 2 months.

This is the closest I've ever seen a story to ours.

Found it a bit clunky but if it promotes awareness it can only be a good thing . Just asked DH if I can be fierce like the mum in the play . He replied yes sometimes....
Having a child with ASD does bring out the tiger like protectiveness I think . Especially when your child doesn't 'fit in'.

Fantastic soundtrack and scenery, the little boy is an amazing actor, as is the mum. Chris Eccleston feels way too young to be a grandpa though!

Some of the scenes felt way too stilted and unnecessarily formal as if they were ticking public service boxes.

Too I don't have a breakdown like that.....the report I have is much more general.