Last night there was a programme on Channel 4, titled Young,Autistic and Stagestruck.
I have watched a lot of programmes made about autism. The recent ones have followed children and young adults in their daily lives and the struggles they have to deal with.
What I have always found is that they do not show the most severe types of autism. All the children featured have good speech and language and therefore the person viewing, the ones who have no understanding of autism, not the ones who, like me are watching to learn more about their own autistic child) presume that all autistics are the same.
This does nothing to bring to attention the many children and adults who have poor language and communication.
The programmes last night was the first one that didn't get me angry at the portrayal of these special children. Yes, most had excellent language, but this time the film makers showed two children who had difficulties with understanding and communicating.
The programme premise is about getting a group of children performing a stage production.
But, what it also does is to show the real plight and suffering they endure.
One boy, who I took a shine to, was incredible with his verbal communication, but this then highlighted what he feels internally. His mother was a rock, and listened to him talking about wanting to kill himself as he hated the way he felt inside and what his autism did to him.
Now, I have always said, even though I wished my J wasn't afflicted with autism, that I am glad he is more severe and in my opinion not aware he is different to neurotypical children. But, this boy made me think. Does J know he is different, struggle inside, and wish he was neurotypical, but unable to communicate this to me or anyone? If so, then it has made me even more determined to make his life a fabulous one.
What I also saw were teenagers, in the grip of hormones, desperate to have a relationship with the opposite sex, but struggling to make these bonds.
Two such teens, bonded. However, you could see the stilted, awkwardness about them when trying to get close. They both knew that people cuddle and kiss a person they like, but when they both cuddled each other, they were almost robotic in their movements and I could tell they were not really enjoying it, as a neurotypical person would, but it made them both feel they were achieving something that both they and their parents thought would elude them.
I also loved seeing the children, when not being filmed directly but in the background, doing their little 'auty' things, like flapping, dancing, body jerking, etc. These children really are special, and I have my very own one!
