Are You Autistic - Channel 4 telly programme

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Biscuitman
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29 Mar 2018, 5:34 am

Are You Autistic was on last night in the UK. 2 Autistic girls presented it and it was a discussion around breaking down stereotypes, giving a focus to women on the spectrum, pushing the idea that many more people may be on the spectrum without knowing and they also had 2 people interviewed throughout who believed they may be on the spectrum.

I only saw the first half of it and read up this morning on how things were left with the 2 people who thought they were on the spectrum. From what I saw I thought it was really well done and may be of interest to other on here to look out for.

I thought Jo, one of the 2 people who thought they may be on the spectrum, was a reasonable representation of me. You would assume they were NT, but she struggles with socialising, finds things overwhelming, wants to be alone a lot etc. She was diagnosed at the end of the programme with Aspergers.



elsapelsa
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29 Mar 2018, 5:54 am

Thank you, i will hunt for it on iplayer.


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carlos55
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29 Mar 2018, 7:55 am

Thought it sugar coated autism too much. After watching a NT person would assume that having autism was no big deal, even a positive thing in a way.

Sadly the reality is very different, im all for empowering those with disabilities but not when it misleads which can be dangerous for those that need help.

Sadly all the statistics show a different picture, learning difficulties among half, high suicide, high unemployment, lower life expectancy and lower independence levels and more.

Those they showed were probably on the extreme end of the high functioning spectrum.

Maybe what do i know im NT but my son is autistic what does anyone else think?


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MrMacPhisto
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31 Mar 2018, 11:18 am

I watched it all the way.

I think it should not have been a one-off programme. I think it should’ve had a 3-4 part series.

I felt it was rushed in a lot of areas where they could explain things better. I think they spent much time on those 2 people who were going through the process of being assessed which obviously was designed for TV.

They looked at Autism as being a positive which one light it is. But I also think they should point out the negatives as well.



Biscuitman
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31 Mar 2018, 12:24 pm

carlos55 wrote:
Thought it sugar coated autism too much. After watching a NT person would assume that having autism was no big deal, even a positive thing in a way.

Sadly the reality is very different, im all for empowering those with disabilities but not when it misleads which can be dangerous for those that need help.

Sadly all the statistics show a different picture, learning difficulties among half, high suicide, high unemployment, lower life expectancy and lower independence levels and more.

Those they showed were probably on the extreme end of the high functioning spectrum.

Maybe what do i know im NT but my son is autistic what does anyone else think?


Caught up on the 2nd half.

I understand your point on the extreme end of HFA, but I think that was kind of the point of what they were doing it for, breaking the rainman myth and showing that regular seeming people that could be around you at work or in the street are actually dealing with ASD.



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31 Mar 2018, 2:07 pm

carlos55 wrote:
.....After watching a NT person would assume that having autism was no big deal.........Those they showed were probably on the extreme end of the high functioning spectrum......


I didn't think it was very good really for similar reasons.

Whilst I am not suggesting that any of the people who took part have been wrongly diagnosed, I think the two people who were being assessed as part of the programme would probably just confirm in the minds of many non autistic people that autism is being over diagnosed. Most people would probably see nothing "wrong" with them besides a few minor difficulties and quirks.

It certainly felt rushed and lacking in depth to me. It would have been better to have found a couple of people who would have allowed a more in depth, behind the scenes, look at their lives. That could be difficult of course with autistic people but as it was I would agree with carlos55 that it gave the impression that being autistic was no big deal.


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flibbit
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31 Mar 2018, 7:14 pm

Wish we got BBC in the US. :? Not the crappy "BBC America" they have here but actual BBC. And BBC seems to be catching up rapidly with all the IP masking programs available. Sucks. Seriously, why can't they just make an app and charge people internationally who want to watch it? (I'm sure there's a reason but it's frustrating not to have access.)


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01 Apr 2018, 3:07 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgPN6uFJME


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Ichinin
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01 Apr 2018, 3:44 am

I skipped the part with the mom and her child because i cant bare to be subjected to children's screams.

* The story they used was obvious, everyone is not that low functioning.
* It was obvious that the kid was annoyed by the robots child scream.
* Everyone does not stim. When i get overloaded/overstimulated i seek solitude and tell people to piss off.
* Everyone does not love routine. I like being free of routine. We are individuals, not a sect.


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01 Apr 2018, 11:18 am

Channel 4 have blocked it, even though they are in my country. *Shrug*


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01 Apr 2018, 12:52 pm

Does anyone know where I can find the full results of the survey?

They were talking about how surprising it was that a little over half of the people who the test deemed autistic were actually girls but they never took into account the total girl to boy ratio of the people who took part, and as it was carried out on social media my guess is that it probably wasn't 50/50.