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 assume the doctor resigned because of the move to Cumbria, which in turn was motivated by the need to get away and have a fresh start as well as Eddie's need for a job. i don't think that makes her idle.

I like the doctor. I just think the device of getting her to see her affair partner was implausible. Why didn't she just send the mum?

I can't stand the way the mum unilaterally decided that everyone was going to home educate him. - whether they wanted to or not. So bossy! I thought this was implausible too - and then I thought of my sil.

I think the resignation is part of a Grand Gesture - giving up everything - but that it makes her understandably frustrated.

I like the way it strands lots of different stories together, actually.

I'd love to have my entire family involved in HE-ing our DC. What I wouldn't do is draw up a timetable, insist everyone signs up to it & then expect them to do non-descript educational stuff with them without any guidance. I'd have liked to see them do a bit of research & have a good go at HE before realising he wanted to be in school. It just seemed like they were trying to show what a silly idea HE is. It works for some people!

I find her idle because she spends all her time standing around smoking with a sulky expression. Why is she applying for nurse posts not looking at speciality doctor training in Cumbria eg GP training schemes/ paediatric training schemes or whatever she wants to be?
I think HE was a poor idea for that boy as he seems to like being around people even if he isn't interacting normally with them. I think HE just makes isolated children more isolated.

Not if it's done properly 2rebecca! There's a huge HE community around here - people from all walks of life. My DC get to interact with a wide cross-section of society, including those who'd be in specialised schools if they were "in the system" who my DC wouldn't see otherwise. They also have the opportunity to make friends with anyone of any age & aren't restricted to just those who happen to have been born in the same academic year. It's one of my favourite things about HE!

DH and I loved both episodes so far. I was hesitant about watching because most things about ASD make me want to put my foot through the telly. I agree that the HE thing was silly and possibly a bit insulting, maybe they will go back to it later and do a better job of it. Small things like the ring pull and playing the exact same but if music over and over were really good

There are too many niggles now!

So, Joe gets up & dressed & takes himself out every morning & the van routinely brings him back??

He can't cope without music at home but can at school?

It's not at all unusual for children with autism to present differently in school.

I suppose it's the thought that he does a whole school day & a few mins at home & he's not happy.

Diddl when my son was younger he would manage a whole day at school and then meltdown awfully at home. It isn't uncommon

U

One of the big problems in getting help for children with autism is precisely the fact they can hold things together during the school day, but the stress of that builds up and all comes out in a big meltdown when they're back in a safe space at home. So you get the more ignorant professionals claiming that it must be a parenting problem and nothing more.

I'm watching it as a drama - not because I have any knowledge of the (ostensible) main feature of the plot. I'm enjoying it because - I love the music, I always like watching Lee Ingleby (although I prefer him with his Sgt Bacchus hair) and it's great to see Greg McHugh in something else (although I keep thinking, aww, it's nice Howard found a job). And I hadn't noticed an "emphasis on sex" - it's a relationship drama, of course there should be sex. The only point that left me incredulous was the 5-year-old-walking-along-the-road-on-their-own bit.

The whole masking and managing at school is such an issue.

My DS does manage to an extent (has been known to have odd meltdown at school - managed one for over an hour the other week!)
But schools seem to be accepting now that a child can be autistic even if they manage school - and using the "it's normal to meltdown at end of day due to coping" as a way to still a vapid putting in support to make day more manageable and not just a coping mechanism.

I think the young actor playing Joe is extremely good. I see bits of my DS in him. (DS is 11yo now!)

"But this isn't a drama about autism. It's a drama about a highly disfunctional family", I remember someone from Family Carars' coming to talk to us parents at NAS group and rather hesitantly suggesting that having a child with ASD made the family dysfunctional. We all just laughed and readily agreed. In this programme there's just one, half sibling, a daughter. She's much older than Joe and has a good relationship with him, accepting him as he is and willingly taking on the sibling carer role. My situation was/is very different with 3 DS siblings of DS with ASD, the 4 of them all within 6 years in age. Anyway, my point is that, with all the additional tensions of having a child with ASD, it is nigh on impossible for the family to be anything other than dysfunctional. But hats off to any who have managed it.

Joe walking in the road on his own with headphones on, I can relate to. My DS used to escape, especially between the ages of 4 - 6. Of course it wasn't ideal, but it sometimes happened and what can you do except alert everyone you can think of and hope and pray that they will be found safe and well and be very thankful and grateful to all concerned when they are?

So, for me, these 2 things are believable.

My issue with the walking alone wasn't that it happened - I know full well it does and have always thanked my lucky stars that my 3 haven't been runners/escapers - but that the parents accepted it so calmly.

No worrying about it, no trying to stop it, nothing. Not even any alerting everyone that it's happened again in a matter of fact, routine way. Nothing at all, just a cheery thanks when he was returned, and a hug and a pat on the back for Joe for being so clever. That's the bit that was unbelievable.

Agree there was no concern about a young child with no road sense regularly walking down the middle of the road and feeling that maybe as parents they were responsible for his safety and Joe proofing the exits they seemed proud and smug about it..

Yes with the walking I thought maybe they just let him do it (!) in the first ep as they didn't seem to tell him off or anything when he was brought home.

I am liking this ok but I am wondering if it is a bit harmful maybe as it does seem as if Joe behaves in a specific kind of way (obv) but people may be will associate that with autism and not then be able to spot it in a child behaving very differently? Its like after the Mark Hadden book the stereotype was of a very literal, unemotional, robot type kid. I suspect my DS has autism (but not diagnosed or anything, so I am very possibly talking out of my hat here) but he is so very different from Joe (he is very smiley, jumpy, cuddly, etc) its hard to make the connection.

If anybody is still interested in this programme the next episode is on tonight

I will watch the third episode but some things are grating. The mum just saying right, we are home schooling without doing any research. Joe just being left with a book by his dad - that's not home schooling! My DS (5) has not been diagnosed but when he melts down he really melts down; I found it unbelievable that Joe didn't kick off when his mum dragged him away from his crisps.

Ds's school are heavily involved in helping him to cope with the mainstream and I also can't believe that joe's teachers wouldn't be aware of his issues. They'd have written a letter, surely? So why the parents aren't working with them I don't understand. I don't mind the more soapy bits. I just don't really get the parents behaviour - I can't wait to get a diagnosis, to me it will be a huge relief.

I agree with the not kicking off being dragged away from the crisps. My DS (12 with lf autism) would have thrown himself to the floor and lashed out. Crisps are his life!

I also am in shock with the eloping - if that had been my DS he would have drowned in that lake or fallen from those mountains. Unrealistic that he can keep himself safe walking about imo. On the whole though I quite like the programme.

I'm liking tonight's episode. It flowed a lot better.

And I'm glad someone has stood up to Joes mum.

Poor Rebecca :-(