The "A" Word

Nina some people with ASD do have some odd behaviours but so do some neurotypicals! Its OK. Life can be complex enough around ASD without worrying about being politically correct! Relish the persons individual perspective in life. I've learned a lot from the independent thinking of people with Autism.

Sorry if the "oddities" reference offends anyone, it's just the term we use as a family. People with autism aren't odd I know.

S was diagnosed a year ago at 24. One primary teacher mentioned to me at a parent evening that X "had no friends other than a boy with mild learning difficulties" and that she thought they were an odd pairing (S is high functioning) other than that there was no mention all through school. We didn't suspect at all, we put his "oddities" down to just being him.
He plays his music loud

I watched it, and so did my grandson's mother.
I asked her about it, and she said she could recognise lots of things in it that she could identify with. So could I. But there were other things that we thought odd, like the loud music.
I know they are all different, but that seemed strange.

Yes rose. It does mean strategies can be put in place early and his learning properly geared to his needs. Hope all goes well in the future.

Luckily our DGS was diagnosed at nursery age, it makes all the difference.

In our adult ASD diagnostic team the average age of referral was 38. Oldest referred was 84. Virtually all of them said they wished they'd been diagnosed earlier. Children's services either seem to hesitate to 'label' children or don't have the skills to diagnose the subtler cases or - och I could go on about this forever! Must shut up.

And now we see his hidden talents, after they first presented him as a hopeless case...that's TV for you

Which he is.

The specialist treated him as an intelligent human being.

His piano playing was lovely.

Yes, the young man seeing the specialist is so nice and so sad, but why was his autism only diagnosed four years ago?

I'm watching that too, roses. It's hard to see what sort of job he or the other young man could actually do successfully. So hard, as they both really want to work.

Ah, he did always have Tourettes, but very low level and he used to be able to control it.I did think that was odd, his wife saying he used to be fine.

I think Tourettes must be the worst thing in the autistic spectrum.

Am watching now, about the man with Tourettes.Amazingly, he was not like that at all when they married and a while after. So it's obviously something that can just occur with the brain.Poor man, it's awful, his brain just racing
And so anxious.

But children are always bright in these programmes, with special talents. This isn't always the case. Many have severe or moderate learning difficulties.

What I thought was good was how hard the family found accepting the boys special needs. He is bright enough to be in mainstream with support, especially as he is so young.

I haven't watched it yet, but a young friend with an autistic son has asked her friends if anyone would like to watch it as it could give people more understanding of her son - who is lovely and quirky and has been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum.

I have recorded it to watch, but think I won't like it ( could be wrong , often are, ) as you say Phoenix.

All the things that Hilda says.Having a high functioning autistic grandson in our lives and seeing his classmates etc you realise that there isn't an 'autistic person' unlike all broken legs are broken legs, all autistic children and adults are different.My DGS still has screaming meltdowns ( not as often as they used to be) but has a sense of humour, a great vocabulary and also shows real perception, he also still sees nothing wrong in running around in the buff (inside our house) after a bath, and has to be caught to put pyjamas on, will not wipe his own bottom, and only came out of nappies when he was seven. He is eleven now.

I hope that in my op I acknowledged that Autism has many levels, and of course this particular programme will not reflect all of that, after all it is a drama, not a documentary, but I found it engaging and will be watching the next episode.

Here's a snippet of life with a 7 yr old Aspie.
Out with mum and siblings, plus another family of friends, on passing Waitrose DGS 1 decided they should go in for chocolate. When mum said no, he marched off down a very busy high street shouting "Waitrose, Waitrose mummy is an a**eh**e, at the top of his voice! He was studiously ignored until it passed!

here it is

I watched this with interest, as our DGS's teacher told DD that he was possibly "on the very edge of the spectrum". Thankfully he is nothing like the little boy in the programme, although I sort of get where he's coming from (the teacher that is). I did enjoy it though.

We watched it and found it very stereotypical. I have 2 and probably 3 DGS's on the spectrum. DGS 1 has been diagnosed as having Asperger's, DGS 2 is awaiting diagnosis of high functioning autism and DGS 3 is just like his big brother! We wondered where the "meltdowns" were and why there was no humour associated with the little boy. My DGS's can be really funny, especially no. 1 as he has a huge vocabulary, and uses words appropriately, and comes out with the most marvellous sayings. He has ear defenders, but only uses them in extreme situations. I think that people forget that autism is a spectrum disorder and no child is the same as the next one, just as in the neurotypical population.