I have aspergers which is a form of autism and i have to admit the shyness you face and anxiety is 1 billion times more dauting than you can possibly imagine, I know because I have thankfully excelled through the years.
as someone with aspergers syndrome i was surprized at how the documentary was made without bothering to describe the key points of autism such as being able to understand expression, body language and tone of voice etc
also i was amased that many of the good points of autism where missed out such as high interlectual abuility. almost every asperger i have met has been highly inteligent and the chance of an asperger geting a nobel prize or going to oxbridge is far higher than for most people
thats because autism comes in many forms, its much more effective actually showing people rather then telling because it's hard to tell people when there are diffrent forms of autism
the three people in the programme were telling the audience, such as alex not knowing what to talk about when with new people and wanting to do everything by the book have a structer that is like me, if i dont have a structer the world is confusing and i panic
I have a teenage son with Autism and completely relate to the people in this film which was very touching. As a documentary I thought it's understated charm defined it as the best film of it's kind on Autism I have seen.
I couldn't watch this prog past the point where Tom's mum confronted him about this girl he was seeing. What a fucking bitch. She clearly couldn't cope with the way he was growing up and was trying to keep him the nice smiley under 10 rather than the difficult teenager.
When she discovered the card I thought she would be happy that Tom had found a girl and that he was actually doing ok - but instead she saw it as a threat and tried to hold him back.
It is very hard being the parent of a teen with autism and Tom's mum was doing what she thought was for the best. I don't agree with the way she dealt with the card situation, though I can understand why she did it. I was also shocked when she sent him away to school as I simply can't imagine ever doing that with my daughter, though Tom seems happy at his new school so I suppose it turned out for the best. My very best wishes for the future to all the young people invoved in this documetary.
I'm a 24 year old with AS and I know I was (still am) a difficult son, but I thank god my parents weren't as awful to me as Tom's mum is to him. Another example was when she was looking through his heavy metal and said he only liked it to fit in with his peers; that's clearly just her projecting her wish for him to be a little boy again, how did she know he didn't like it?
For someone who supposedly didn't have autism she was spectacularly insensitive to his needs.
I wasn't defending the way Tom's mum was behaving, as I actually don't agree with very much of what she did, I was just trying to point out that no gets a manual on how to be a good parent even for a so called "normal" kid never mind one with extra difficulties. I agree with you that she seemed very sure about Tom's motives, when i don't think she really had a clue. I respect my daughter's right to like whatever she likes regardless of my opinions, as she is an individual just like anyone else
Heh, yeah sorry I was still frustrated from watching the programme so you got a bit of a rant.
I can appreciate the uncertainty and worry that goes with parenting - and that it's easy for outsiders to nitpick, I just think that her motives were more selfish than in his interest - that was more what bothered me, not that she'd made a mistaken decision.
Yeah, I agree, I think that Tom was really difficult and angry and cross because his family were smothering him. He was 15 years old, he deserves to have a private life if he wants one! She had no right to stop him from seeing his girlfriend!
No that's just a lame excuse for overprotective smothering behaviour. Autism or not he was 15 and that's old enough to be allowed some privacy and social independence.
The risk of him running away/being violent increases with her attempts to limit his self expression.
Someone please give brilliant Oli a job! Hes so sweet. Also I thought it was wrong for the cameras to be filming the whole date, that blatantly contributed to poor Alex's nerves.
well we're all entitled to our own opinions but i cannot imagine a neutral audience having a positive opinion of autism after watching this documentary. Can you?
It just frustrates me that they didnt show the progress that is made by each individual or even talk about it with the parents.
I run a Facebook community for Aspergers Awareness (Aspergers Awareness On Facebook). We have 15,000 members, and one of our members kindly posted the full version of this documentary on our wall. I have to say, I think it is very well put together. It doesn't, in my eyes, give a negative impression on the young men featured, but more a bad impression on society for not being ignorant to disabilities. I think the issues raised were spot on.
I have a 23 year old brother who has AS and didnt think much to this documentary. I thought the BBC deliberately chose to air the scenes that would give a negative impression to an audience unfamiliar with Autism.
spaceman360 it is not a series but it is being repeated again today and tomorrow. erm i had same problem i couldnt speak not very well i would only say a word but now i can speak full sentences i enjoyed the documentary
I don't think its a series, but I really hope that they make a sequel in a few months time, so we can see how the three of them have got on since last time.
Kirsty, I cannot wait til 11th of August so I can see the show. I will be proud to tell my family and friends you are my friend. Love Diane (DeeDee) x
It's a documentary, it's supposed to be factual and neutral. How you respond to it is up to you. I think you told us more about yourself than anything else.
well, the cause of all this is Channel 4, which was invented to push the boundaries of taste and decency. basically all TV channels are imitating Channel 4....
i have an obsession with cards for some reason. i have stacks and stacks of the things. my clarity can be really bad some days. and yes i have never kissed a girl
What do you mean the 'sympathy' vote? Surely you mean the jealousy vote; those on the spectrum are not so unaware of other people that they don't know non-autistics see the awesomeness and want it themselves.
It puts so much pressure on a person knowing that everyone is going to come to you for answers to a crossword or the exact chronological events of last summer's blockbuster or true but generally non-useful facts like nothing actually being black; just the closest approximation to black.
how can people with Autism want to get a sympathy vote..?
Autism is a form of learning disabilities like Dyslexia.. and some others!
I have a brother with Autism, also cousins and couple of friends i talk to online, and they are in some ways normal people, but depending on which part of the spectrum depend on the difficulties of learning etc.
i have and know some people who do not talk with autism, i know some people who are smart and have aspergers syndrome.
i did get bit yes, because unfortunatly there are people out there who do not understand it possibly like yourself..
there are people out there on the net that use 'cancer' for a sympathy vote - and thats something i see more of. why would someone pretend to have autism..? just doesnt really make sense... mind you nothing makes sense, but you cant just go around judging people.. its not really fair!
Yeh I know what you mean about "people who dont talk". I'm told that when I was younger, I didnt speak until the age of about 2-3. thats when my parents decided to take me to some place where I'd be.. whats the right word.. Examined? Like tested for if I had an Autism?
aww i go out with alex he reminds me of my first bf he has asburges syndrom
Vodkakickgirl21 6 months ago
I know the feeling......
RFyle119 1 year ago
haha what is he doing with his foot at 2:35
stoxocube18 1 year ago
All the people in this documentary were a real inspiration!
bakwaasjunk 1 year ago
i have autistic and what he did was very brave
jonesyemo 1 year ago 2
i wish the bbc would upload the full of ' the autistic me' on youtube as i think it is very interesting
90kevigilante 2 years ago
This may sound stupid but can anyone tell me where Alex's zip top tracksuit jacket thing came from? Thanks!
TeamHeavySuck 2 years ago
Haha, I know what you mean, I hate being Autistic, actually its odd looking at it through videos, you sort of notice it more....
TheThoughtfulCloud 2 years ago
I have aspergers which is a form of autism and i have to admit the shyness you face and anxiety is 1 billion times more dauting than you can possibly imagine, I know because I have thankfully excelled through the years.
W0lfster 2 years ago
ppl wif wot i short form asd
arnt all lyk dis
kaz271 2 years ago
that isnt afilm, its just a clip and they didnt want to shopw al clip or it spoils it.
flippwinch 2 years ago
2:12 is so sweet!
TeamHeavySuck 2 years ago
what an awkward moment..
metalheadseb 2 years ago
as someone with aspergers syndrome i was surprized at how the documentary was made without bothering to describe the key points of autism such as being able to understand expression, body language and tone of voice etc
also i was amased that many of the good points of autism where missed out such as high interlectual abuility. almost every asperger i have met has been highly inteligent and the chance of an asperger geting a nobel prize or going to oxbridge is far higher than for most people
tommatdan 2 years ago
there are diffrent types of autisim
thelashers 2 years ago 2
Alex was just awsome. ^^
SupaOssimNinjaz 2 years ago 9
hey peeps dont be out of order to my mum shes lovely really just bbc3 just catched on bad scenes and stuff shes not mean
thomstanding 2 years ago 3
Tom's dad needs to go and do a team teach course on how to restrain. Shouldnt be laying on top of him.
Loved the programme.
lukerochdale 2 years ago
I completely agree but I felt that it was a very bad portrayal for people that dont know anything about autism, I was quite disgusted.
XE0G 2 years ago
excuss me i am autisic and i thought i wasnt an act, they were true autisic people
thelashers 2 years ago
I didnt mean that I thought it was an act, I meant that I didnt like the way the film scenes were put together.
They didnt give any proper information about autism (for people watching that didnt know anything) or any help information.
XE0G 2 years ago
thats because autism comes in many forms, its much more effective actually showing people rather then telling because it's hard to tell people when there are diffrent forms of autism
thelashers 2 years ago 2
the three people in the programme were telling the audience, such as alex not knowing what to talk about when with new people and wanting to do everything by the book have a structer that is like me, if i dont have a structer the world is confusing and i panic
thelashers 2 years ago
is there going to be another episode? seems only half finished!!!
boddahchris 2 years ago
hello peeps
and hey matt thanks for filming me :)
this films help me get back to life abit and now going to college there's going to be a follow up soon :)
text me or phone me matt when ur going to do that :) and thanks peeps for watching The Autistic Me! :)
thomstanding 2 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
peeps? seirsly tom wtf? (hi im jonathan from school)
pielord16 2 years ago
i have asperger syndrome i find this programme good
veloso4united 2 years ago 2
Tom is my friend =P
OmaFooknGawt 2 years ago 3
I have a teenage son with Autism and completely relate to the people in this film which was very touching. As a documentary I thought it's understated charm defined it as the best film of it's kind on Autism I have seen.
TheJeffNeil 2 years ago
I couldn't watch this prog past the point where Tom's mum confronted him about this girl he was seeing. What a fucking bitch. She clearly couldn't cope with the way he was growing up and was trying to keep him the nice smiley under 10 rather than the difficult teenager.
When she discovered the card I thought she would be happy that Tom had found a girl and that he was actually doing ok - but instead she saw it as a threat and tried to hold him back.
I want to find her and give her a talking to
JonathanBloggs 2 years ago 3
yeh, she was a total fucking bitch.
arnolddisco 2 years ago
It is very hard being the parent of a teen with autism and Tom's mum was doing what she thought was for the best. I don't agree with the way she dealt with the card situation, though I can understand why she did it. I was also shocked when she sent him away to school as I simply can't imagine ever doing that with my daughter, though Tom seems happy at his new school so I suppose it turned out for the best. My very best wishes for the future to all the young people invoved in this documetary.
naepalz 2 years ago
I'm a 24 year old with AS and I know I was (still am) a difficult son, but I thank god my parents weren't as awful to me as Tom's mum is to him. Another example was when she was looking through his heavy metal and said he only liked it to fit in with his peers; that's clearly just her projecting her wish for him to be a little boy again, how did she know he didn't like it?
For someone who supposedly didn't have autism she was spectacularly insensitive to his needs.
JonathanBloggs 2 years ago
I wasn't defending the way Tom's mum was behaving, as I actually don't agree with very much of what she did, I was just trying to point out that no gets a manual on how to be a good parent even for a so called "normal" kid never mind one with extra difficulties. I agree with you that she seemed very sure about Tom's motives, when i don't think she really had a clue. I respect my daughter's right to like whatever she likes regardless of my opinions, as she is an individual just like anyone else
naepalz 2 years ago
Heh, yeah sorry I was still frustrated from watching the programme so you got a bit of a rant.
I can appreciate the uncertainty and worry that goes with parenting - and that it's easy for outsiders to nitpick, I just think that her motives were more selfish than in his interest - that was more what bothered me, not that she'd made a mistaken decision.
JonathanBloggs 2 years ago
Yeah, I agree, I think that Tom was really difficult and angry and cross because his family were smothering him. He was 15 years old, he deserves to have a private life if he wants one! She had no right to stop him from seeing his girlfriend!
TeamHeavySuck 2 years ago
easy for you to comment but it is a child protection issue if she hadn't protected all involved. Have some sense!
mryoshywarrior 2 years ago
No that's just a lame excuse for overprotective smothering behaviour. Autism or not he was 15 and that's old enough to be allowed some privacy and social independence.
The risk of him running away/being violent increases with her attempts to limit his self expression.
JonathanBloggs 2 years ago
im 16 by the way :)
and thanks for sticking up for me
thomstanding 2 years ago 3
how was you're date dude?
potatoface13 2 years ago
Someone please give brilliant Oli a job! Hes so sweet. Also I thought it was wrong for the cameras to be filming the whole date, that blatantly contributed to poor Alex's nerves.
gorillaz220 2 years ago 3
well we're all entitled to our own opinions but i cannot imagine a neutral audience having a positive opinion of autism after watching this documentary. Can you?
It just frustrates me that they didnt show the progress that is made by each individual or even talk about it with the parents.
D1Zard 2 years ago
...cont
on the BBCi Player. We have many members wanting to see this. Can someone please help to share this with people outside UK
Thanks so much for posting this! =)
gema777 2 years ago
I run a Facebook community for Aspergers Awareness (Aspergers Awareness On Facebook). We have 15,000 members, and one of our members kindly posted the full version of this documentary on our wall. I have to say, I think it is very well put together. It doesn't, in my eyes, give a negative impression on the young men featured, but more a bad impression on society for not being ignorant to disabilities. I think the issues raised were spot on.
I am so disappointed this is only available in UK
gema777 2 years ago
alreet mate, this was on the televizzle last weak in the uk
ignisProductions 2 years ago
I have a 23 year old brother who has AS and didnt think much to this documentary. I thought the BBC deliberately chose to air the scenes that would give a negative impression to an audience unfamiliar with Autism.
Channel 4 would have done alot better job.
D1Zard 2 years ago 3
I hope that last was sarcastic.
hollium 2 years ago
no, why think that?
D1Zard 2 years ago
after watching this video i'm facecard sad :(
nuffzx 2 years ago
why are u sad?
flippwinch 2 years ago
this scene in one tragic sentence: "do you like set routines?"
fuckpetelarson 2 years ago 3
spaceman360 it is not a series but it is being repeated again today and tomorrow. erm i had same problem i couldnt speak not very well i would only say a word but now i can speak full sentences i enjoyed the documentary
flippwinch 2 years ago
This was very interesting to Watch, is it still being showed as a series or was it a one-off kinda thing?
spaceman360 2 years ago
I don't think its a series, but I really hope that they make a sequel in a few months time, so we can see how the three of them have got on since last time.
gorillaz220 2 years ago
the guy with the emo hair made me cry :(
Stefan1826MV2 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
that girl was a dick. and it broke my heart
ELASTICAMAN 2 years ago
people who name call dont know anything about us and are weak so what u say is not going to offend me and alex.
flippwinch 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
spaz
MyStaticAge 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
idiot
Clarkey9209 2 years ago
I'm looking forward to watching this tomorrow.
misstvtype 2 years ago
Comment removed
flippwinch 2 years ago
well done this is a good thing to put out, well done Kirsty best of luck from Tim DJ.
bilbo44uk 2 years ago
Kirsty, I cannot wait til 11th of August so I can see the show. I will be proud to tell my family and friends you are my friend. Love Diane (DeeDee) x
doeybeg 2 years ago
hey dont b so cruel thats me in that documentary me with autism meeting him with aspergers. at least we want to raise aytism awareness.
flippwinch 2 years ago
This is great, I have it too although I have got better with it as I have got older. All the best.
JamieKiter 2 years ago
The guy was very mature and reserved considering his autism :)
matman16 2 years ago
the BBC aint what it used to be....these days it's run by morons who think it's cool to make fun of people with disabilities...SHAME on you all
9thprotocol 2 years ago
It's a documentary, it's supposed to be factual and neutral. How you respond to it is up to you. I think you told us more about yourself than anything else.
matman16 2 years ago 2
well, the cause of all this is Channel 4, which was invented to push the boundaries of taste and decency. basically all TV channels are imitating Channel 4....
iamthestig1 2 years ago
that is me on there :)
flippwinch 2 years ago
haha (: btw you have a piece of chocolate there..
i lol'd
ryanc0llins 2 years ago
good luck ! even thought his happened like last year but still yeah! all the best
Seathicle 2 years ago
poor lad !!! honestly i would lv to be friends with people like that lol i hate people that talk alot so we wud get on great :P
ZildjianBassRocker 2 years ago
Comment removed
OL1V3R666 2 years ago
i have asperges syndrome
i have an obsession with cards for some reason. i have stacks and stacks of the things. my clarity can be really bad some days. and yes i have never kissed a girl
MEEP012 2 years ago
i have aspergers :(
FaithxHopexTrust 2 years ago
oh!! lovely!!
lgh0515 2 years ago
when was this on telly?
BlueBubbleGumButter 2 years ago
it hasn't been on tv yet. it's gonna be shown on 11th august. can't wait!
lovesbth 2 years ago
My first date was similar and I 'm not on the Autistic Spectrum! Good luck to the couple.
gwerger321 2 years ago 7
im autistic =[
gayboiPhil 2 years ago
now, dont wish to sound rude here, but are you telling the truth here. or are you tryin to get the sympathy vote?
iamthestig1 2 years ago
What do you mean the 'sympathy' vote? Surely you mean the jealousy vote; those on the spectrum are not so unaware of other people that they don't know non-autistics see the awesomeness and want it themselves.
It puts so much pressure on a person knowing that everyone is going to come to you for answers to a crossword or the exact chronological events of last summer's blockbuster or true but generally non-useful facts like nothing actually being black; just the closest approximation to black.
aManApathetic 2 years ago
how can people with Autism want to get a sympathy vote..?
Autism is a form of learning disabilities like Dyslexia.. and some others!
I have a brother with Autism, also cousins and couple of friends i talk to online, and they are in some ways normal people, but depending on which part of the spectrum depend on the difficulties of learning etc.
i have and know some people who do not talk with autism, i know some people who are smart and have aspergers syndrome.
it aint like they dying u know
samanthaosman 2 years ago
Comment removed
iamthestig1 2 years ago
i did get bit yes, because unfortunatly there are people out there who do not understand it possibly like yourself..
there are people out there on the net that use 'cancer' for a sympathy vote - and thats something i see more of. why would someone pretend to have autism..? just doesnt really make sense... mind you nothing makes sense, but you cant just go around judging people.. its not really fair!
samanthaosman 2 years ago
ah, right. sorry bout the judging people bit.....
anywho, major misunderstaning on my part.
iamthestig1 2 years ago
Yeh I know what you mean about "people who dont talk". I'm told that when I was younger, I didnt speak until the age of about 2-3. thats when my parents decided to take me to some place where I'd be.. whats the right word.. Examined? Like tested for if I had an Autism?
spaceman360 2 years ago
Aww bless
manaf17 2 years ago
It's not an 'aww bless' situation, being condescending's hardly going to make autism more generally accepted is it?
hollium 2 years ago 4
Remove the chip from your shoulder..
LeedsLunatic 2 years ago
I was saying bless to them, not to the whole of autism.....
manaf17 2 years ago
Comment removed
D1Zard 2 years ago
cute but or-quid
starpower101 2 years ago
first view !
Autograph44 2 years ago