Re: Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

[Guest guest]

Totally depressing, school are training them for stuffing envelopes! Still, school here are training for care home so some improvement I expect.

Why did Louis Theroux ask one mother if she would like her son cured, did he know in advance she was going to say "No, he's special"?

All in all I would say there was nothing new whatsoever in this programme, it was more of a gawp fest similar to the undateables.

Vicky

Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

There was plenty of junk food and obesity, though, sadly.I was sorry there was so little about the school's education approach and no discussion of behaviour management.

Margaret

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> > Did anyone see this programme, "Extreme Love", about a school in USA for autistic kids on BBC 2 this evening. It's good to get some exposure in this "autism month". Have there been any articles on autism in the press in the UK so far this month?

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> > Grandfather of Luke

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[Guest guest]

Totally depressing, school are training them for stuffing envelopes! Still, school here are training for care home so some improvement I expect.

Why did Louis Theroux ask one mother if she would like her son cured, did he know in advance she was going to say "No, he's special"?

All in all I would say there was nothing new whatsoever in this programme, it was more of a gawp fest similar to the undateables.

Vicky

Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

There was plenty of junk food and obesity, though, sadly.I was sorry there was so little about the school's education approach and no discussion of behaviour management.

Margaret

> >

> > Did anyone see this programme, "Extreme Love", about a school in USA for autistic kids on BBC 2 this evening. It's good to get some exposure in this "autism month". Have there been any articles on autism in the press in the UK so far this month?

> >

> >

> > Grandfather of Luke

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>

[Guest guest]

I think it's only useful mainstreamed and awareness if it shows these children can be improved with the right interventions and this school did not show that at all.

The highest functioning child's mother put her sons improvements down to a miracle from God, she did not say the school were instrumental.

There were no clips of speech therapy, OT, SI or any of the things we fight for in fact it gave the impression that this school achieves best outcome.

Personally I dont give a care what the supermarket shoppers think of my son but I'm deeply concerned that a school should be aiming for envelope stuffing.

Vicky

Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

There was plenty of junk food and obesity, though, sadly.I was sorry there was so little about the school's education approach and no discussion of behaviour management.

Margaret

> >

> > Did anyone see this programme, "Extreme Love", about a school in USA for autistic kids on BBC 2 this evening. It's good to get some exposure in this "autism month". Have there been any articles on autism in the press in the UK so far this month?

> >

> >

> > Grandfather of Luke

> >

>

[Guest guest]

That may be the case but I wish my sons school had a mock 'shopping high street' so that he could practice his life skills as they did.

Also, whilst we all aim for higher things for our children rather than envelope stuffing, just remember, the last programme we saw showed parents in this country PAYING for their children to work in a garden centre!! Not much worse I grant you but......

I think it's only useful mainstreamed and awareness if it shows these children can be improved with the right interventions and this school did not show that at all.The highest functioning child's mother put her sons improvements down to a miracle from God, she did not say the school were instrumental.There were no clips of speech therapy, OT, SI or any of the things we fight for in fact it gave the impression that this school achieves best outcome.Personally I dont give a care what the supermarket shoppers think of my son but I'm deeply concerned that a school should be aiming for envelope stuffing.Vicky

Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

There was plenty of junk food and obesity, though, sadly.I was sorry there was so little about the school's education approach and no discussion of behaviour management. Margaret> >> > Did anyone see this programme, "Extreme Love", about a school in USA for autistic kids on BBC 2 this evening. It's good to get some exposure in this "autism month". Have there been any articles on autism in the press in the UK so far this month?> > > > > > Grandfather of Luke> >>

[Guest guest]

Yes, I understand that, but the school was being held up as best practice, whats interesting about the mock high Street, we have that in colleges like Tointon [sp] these places exist to try and make up for the wasteland that is special ed. For the higher functioning we have colleges which have special courses, again to make up for what hasn't been done in school, my oldest is on one of these courses.

The garden centre in Moncktons programme was an outrage!

It's not that I don't get what your saying because has just come home with this years class programme and it has Bollywood in 3 different sections including communication work!! All 6 of the children in his class are very profoundly autistic and non verbal, so Bollywood? The target Being????

That's why I proably naively hoped this programme was going to show us something considerably better than it did, people need to know what our kids can achieve, most especially those at the severe end if the right therapies and interventions are available, our kids are worth spending money on, not throwing another Big Mac at to keep them quiet.

Anyway I'll shut up now, but I was in a bad mood anyway after reading school targets and realising that 2 non contact days are given to come up with this total BS.

Vicky

Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

There was plenty of junk food and obesity, though, sadly.I was sorry there was so little about the school's education approach and no discussion of behaviour management.

Margaret

> >

> > Did anyone see this programme, "Extreme Love", about a school in USA for autistic kids on BBC 2 this evening. It's good to get some exposure in this "autism month". Have there been any articles on autism in the press in the UK so far this month?

> >

> >

> > Grandfather of Luke

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I, and my eldest son (who has obviously grown up with his autistic brother), both thought the programme was a blast of fresh air. It showed autism as it is - how it impacts the individual and the knock on effect on the family and how strong the love, connection and committment between child and family is. Surely that is the message that we want to get out there?

"Outsiders" (who know nothing or very little about autism) were the target audience of the programme. They will have received the message loud and clear that autism is devastating and that individuals and their families need and deserve understanding, attention and help. That is a great starting point from which we can draw attention to what our children need in terms of educational and therapeutical (including medical) input. Importantly the programme's content provides an excellent counter balance to the popular "social model of disability" which says the "disability" is a product of society's reaction to autism. The programme showed very clearly that however much society (in this case family and school) bends over backwards autism remains a devastating condition.

Both my 24 year old son and myself found the scenes where young was restrained unbearable.. But the message it sent out in the context of the entire programme was that , even with the most loving family and committed experts, this condition was so pernicious this was the best that could be done. I know that we know there are better ways of dealing with such situations but the understanding and empathy such scenes will produce in the general viewing public is a good thing for us in our endeavours to improve our children's lives.

Thank you Louis!

Re: Louis Theroux's Autism programme

There was plenty of junk food and obesity, though, sadly.I was sorry there was so little about the school's education approach and no discussion of behaviour management.

Margaret

> >

> > Did anyone see this programme, "Extreme Love", about a school in USA for autistic kids on BBC 2 this evening. It's good to get some exposure in this "autism month". Have there been any articles on autism in the press in the UK so far this month?

> >

> >

> > Grandfather of Luke

> >

>

[Guest guest]

That may be the case but I wish my sons school had a mock 'shopping high street' so that he could practice his life skills as they did.

>>I Agree, Sam does that in community with residential but actually practising WORKING in the shop would be great

Also, whilst we all aim for higher things for our children rather than envelope stuffing, just remember, the last programme we saw showed parents in this country PAYING for their children to work in a garden centre!! Not much worse I grant you but......

>>Indeed, I think those of us with kids 16 or over see this programme slightly differently, however, Vicky gives us different perspective as she has two affected kids who are getting older

Mx