Young,Autistic and Stagestruck.

[LetThereBeRock]

Will anyone be watching this documentary? It's on Channel 4 at 8.

I'm watching with interest. I'm hoping it shows children across the wide range of the autistic spectrum and that families who have no experience get a better idea of the issues families with an autistic child face. My DS is on the spectrum

I'm watching it. I'm finding it incredibly interesting. There does seem to be a massive range of difficulties.

I'm a trainee teacher but I've never come across any children with autism, so I'm hoping it can give me some sort of brief insight into what it can be like.

The parents are already amazing me (in a good way!).

Interesting mix of young people. And yes the parents are inspiring.

We watched and found Ben heartbreaking Ho hard must it be to live with HFA and have an understanding like he does?

We are trying to get dx for DS2 so it was a glimpse into his future.....

LOVE Andrew's parents. They are lovely. As is their son. All the children and young people seem very fab, actually.

I thought Andrew was incredibly touching. But it's also very sad that he's so obviously desperate for female affection and is going to find it extremely hard to have a relationship (programme said he can't dress himself, leave the house alone or use money).

Must point out that the amount of sad faces is that it really close to home.

Have posted on the thread in special needs, but I watched this with a lump in my throat and burst into tears when Andrew showed his Thomas trains.

Like MoM I find it kind of a glimpse into the future. I found I could see a trat DS has in almost all of the children involved, and felt great empathy for the parents too.

Made for very emotional TV viewing for me.

SlackSally, I am happy to hear that you are watching it from a Teacher's POV and hope others are too. I really wish that teachers had access to traing on the autistic spectrum (this is in no way at all a dig at you) it is such a broad spectrum and it must be hard for teachers too as well as the children and families sturggling through the education system.

Yes amazing parents and wonderful children too. Ben's youngest brother has Downs Syndrome ... It was a very humbling programme; heartbreaking yet inspiring too.

I watched with a lump in my throat, too. Ben is my DS.

Wonderful programme, beautiful wonderful children.

I know Ben and his family. Harry, Beckys second son, has Downs Syndrome and the youngest son Charlie has ASD and is in special school. I found it odd that Charlies ASD wasn't mentioned in the programme as he had diagnosis years ago.

I watched with interest too as my ds is low functioning. Thought that the variety of the spectrum seems well represented.

How proud you must be to be Ben's Parent, he is one fabulous boy!

Oh no, sorry, Ben isn't actually my son. He just reminds me of my son

tibni, Ben's mum should be very proud of him - gorgeous, thoughtful, amazing lad.

She has 3 fab children. I know she is very proud of Ben and his participation in the programme.

I did think that I may have read it wrong as I posted! Well, be very proud of your son too! Very thoughtful great strong boy is ben!

DD1 who has HFA has asked to watched this but I havent yet, woould you let your 7 year old watch it? She knows she autistic btw

I watched it and saw my Ds1 in Ben, although my Ds1 doesn't have a dxd of ASD at all. The hospital refuse to assess him. He does the whole 'I'm crap' 'everyone hates me' 'I can't do anything right' thing too

I agree gothkat, could see ds1 in him too. its like banging your head against a brick wall when noone will listen-what part of the country are you?

Herts, he has a dxd of Cerebral Palsy and the hospital hate duel dxds, and although they have said he has ASD traits, they say they are possibly due to the CP and damage to the brain.

Lisad is there any chance you can tape it, I think if it has a positive outcome and your DD is aware of her HFA DX she may find it positive viewing to see other children with similar traits to her acheiving.

Sparklygothkat that's rubbish isn't it! Is there no way of getting around it to get an assessment?

SGK - We are really having to push for an ASD diagnosis too. The consultant diagnosed DYspraxia with ASD tendancies [hm] - for us, especially after watching that programme, that is just not good enough. It's not that i WANT him to have autism, it's that i know that that is what he has and with a proper diagnosis i can help him better.

I watched like this

DD2 watched like this

we're going to have to talk about it some time. We're waiting for PDDAG assessment snd he know's there's a possibility of ASD. I'm wondering how much of herself she saw in some of those people.

I'm also because Ben, Andrew, Lea's and the other parents interviewed were so brilliant. and I'm not.

Watched with interest, DS1 is on the spectrum but was in the kitchen (couldn't get him to miss gadget show for anything ). But DS2 (NT) wandered in at the start and stayed fascinated and glued to his seat for the whole hour. He's only 7 but was interested in the range of abilities and I think gave him a chink of an idea of how his brothers head can work, they clash a lot as DS1 can be very loud and controling.

I loved Baa Baa Black Sheep at the end, what a great bunch of people.

MOM I also have a son with Dyspraxia (or DCD as his cons calls it) with a side order of ASD and ADHD, happy days eh!