aww, too bad they can't just let Tom stay away. He would be better off without his family. They suck. They kind of remind me of mine. I have aspergers syndrome. I have moved away, am saving for college and haven't spoken to my family in well over a year. I'm a much happier person for it. I wish I had a different family, but I've learned to cope with just having great friends.
I do know of aspies who have wonderful family's though.
@Dokurochan85 I would like to adopt a child with autism someday to give them a loving understanding family and a life they wouldn't have otherwise had. Tom's family are a great example of how not to parent a kid on or off the autistic spectrum. :(
People are very hard on Tom's mom. She is doing the best she can and she does care. One should not judge her unless one walks in her shoes. Looking from the outside it is easy to see how she could react differently in some situations. In her daily life she will not have the chance to step outside off herself.
"I want you to write 'I have autism' in that little acknowledgement of disability box there" ... "Great, now you're out of the family and we can focus on your better siblings that we actually wanted."
...
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if you just dropped 1000 people with Autism off into a ghost town. I bet you they'd all learn to 'get on' really well.
I don't like their parents to be quite honest... none of them really treat their children like people or any form of respect which is probably why Tom rebels so much... you can put a certain degree down to the autism but i think the majority of the blame for not letting them behave like individuals for example when Alex's mum says at the begining "just meeting it's not a date yet, just meeting to say hi"... what a bitch be more encouraging. my best friend has autism. he's way better than me
@TheNinjassin: I am getting that same feeling about Tom's parents. They seem like one of these dysfunctional arrangements where everyone are hating eachother, except here there happens to be an Autist thrown into the middle.
My boyfriend has moderate aspergers and he is in university studying to be a neurosurgeon......the only reason most people with aspergers/austism don't succeed is because people (especially medical professionals) keep telling them they can't. It's NOT true.
"alex is lucky enough to work part time for a local security company" what the hell? Every person with aspergers is at LEAST of average intelligence. People need to stop thinking autistic people are underneath us intellectually.
@Makethembeautiful Ditto! Even as a child it seemed as if people wanted me to fail. I wanted to be a veternarian and as young as third grade I was told iI should focus on being a vet tech because the math requirement would be too hard for me.
@Makethembeautiful Well said! Even social skills should not be underestimated. Believe me that someone with autism learns a lot about social interaction when he/she is pushed around alot.
My parents and professionals always said I would never be able to study psychosocial work and I would have to experience failure myself if I wanted to go trough with it. But afterwards it seemed I was very good at social work and dealing with psychological issues. This is what I call ironic.
@Makethembeautiful I hate how people think Asbergers/Autistic people are stupid or are like little children when that's completely untrue. Parents also treat their kids with the condition badly and I find this worrying. Problems like this start at home with the family.
@Makethembeautiful Very true. By the time people become adults they're usually too numbed and insecure to think of themselves any good. It's affecting me too and I hate being aware of that. I can thank goodness for being outspoken and quickwitted or I would not even make it out in the world right now.
@Annique You're right Annique; autistic people are constantly exposed to prejudices by us neurotypicals. It is unfair AND illogical to suggest that being autistic is any more of a detriment than being a neurotypical with a lazy attitude. Being different does not mean you are not capable of contributing to society, it actually means you more likely CAN because you're able to think clearly and logically without emotions attached to your thoughts.
@Annique The sad reality is that parents of austistic (or AS) child(ren) do not understand their child and their child's needs. Instead of working on strengthening the childs capabilities, they protect them from trying to accomplish anything the parents believe their child will not succeed. A learned behavior is just as valid as something that comes naturally. Thank you for your reply.
this is the same crap that i've been reading from popular american HFA and AS books. if you lived in another country, you might understand that this is not the only way to deal the problems. Without parental guide to work your weaknesses, I probably wouldnt have any friends at all. Eventhough I don't require much socializing and cannot connect with people, I still want to be with people and have normal life. So maybe it's time for you british and americans to see things differently for a change.
@Makethembeautiful I'd have to agree.I wasn't diagnosed with Aspergers until I was like 15.If I had been diagnosed from the getgo I would have been treated like a little baby my whole life,and never would have become as normal as I am.I have only known the nuerotypical world.While that world is frustrating and full of suffering for me,there are also rewards for all this suffering.I've gotten to the point now where most people don't know I have a disability.
The ability to work has nothing to do with intelegence. It's true that most people with autism/aspergers can work but only 18% do, coz it's usually very hard to find work when you've got autism. And it isn't always the case that they can sucseed. Look at Oli; it's very clear that he's finding it very difficult to sucseed employment. I have autism & I need an awful lot of work to be able to get what I ca out of life. Some ppl with autism are more impacted than others.
@Makethembeautiful "Every person with aspergers is at LEAST of average intelligence." - Not true. High functioning doesn't mean intelligent compared to normal people, it's compared to low-functioning autistic people. You can have an IQ of 90 and still have Asperger's.
Autism was just a word until I first watched 'The Autistic Me' on television. I've been on a few websites, in order to understand the disorder a little more. I do hope that Oli, Alex, Kirsty and Tom have a bright future and I wish them all the good luck and understanding they deserve. It would have been well good if they'd show Tom playing his guitar!
olies a champion
sebaswildboy 1 day ago
It's easy for everyone to go on about how rubbish the parents are, but until you experience it yourself I don't think it's fair to say that.
Jessicana08 1 week ago 2
aww, too bad they can't just let Tom stay away. He would be better off without his family. They suck. They kind of remind me of mine. I have aspergers syndrome. I have moved away, am saving for college and haven't spoken to my family in well over a year. I'm a much happier person for it. I wish I had a different family, but I've learned to cope with just having great friends.
I do know of aspies who have wonderful family's though.
Dokurochan85 1 month ago
@Dokurochan85 I would like to adopt a child with autism someday to give them a loving understanding family and a life they wouldn't have otherwise had. Tom's family are a great example of how not to parent a kid on or off the autistic spectrum. :(
Dokurochan85 1 month ago
Toms mom is fucking hot.
Kevinpwnz 2 months ago
@Kevinpwnz Agreed. I would destroy that ass.
bobdy9988 5 days ago
Alex,you're already so cool. I swear you're the only guy I know that tells a joke with a straight face.
mspunkrockmetal 2 months ago 3
The employment rate for people with Aspergers is MUCH higher than just 15%.
macrent2 2 months ago
Alex's mom is really ugly
dania4510001 2 months ago 2
omg alex is so cute
dem eyes <3
TheThugclub 3 months ago 3
Aspergers doesn't make people retarded.
RafixNFD 3 months ago 8
his dads probably a cheated douchebag
malis96 4 months ago
People are very hard on Tom's mom. She is doing the best she can and she does care. One should not judge her unless one walks in her shoes. Looking from the outside it is easy to see how she could react differently in some situations. In her daily life she will not have the chance to step outside off herself.
seeshore99 5 months ago 2
@seeshore99 Tom might be autistic, but her mom is batshit crazy.
pedarikarhu 4 months ago
"I want you to write 'I have autism' in that little acknowledgement of disability box there" ... "Great, now you're out of the family and we can focus on your better siblings that we actually wanted."
...
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if you just dropped 1000 people with Autism off into a ghost town. I bet you they'd all learn to 'get on' really well.
It's a different way of seeing life. Bah.
sketch2k 5 months ago 4
Tom's mum is buggered
barghart 6 months ago
OMFG 7:50
issylunar001 6 months ago
He shouldn't have left that blue-tak there! He will need it to stick his poster up at school :)
livingsocks 10 months ago
Why do they play the same music everytime Tom is on it's so annoying
jaydy11 11 months ago
i love when alex reads his messages off to his mom its cute
Allyattackattack 1 year ago
Alex is such a cutie! :D
everkins 1 year ago
8:18 BLOW YOUR FLIPPING NOSE WOMAN.
stephengriifith 1 year ago
I don't like their parents to be quite honest... none of them really treat their children like people or any form of respect which is probably why Tom rebels so much... you can put a certain degree down to the autism but i think the majority of the blame for not letting them behave like individuals for example when Alex's mum says at the begining "just meeting it's not a date yet, just meeting to say hi"... what a bitch be more encouraging. my best friend has autism. he's way better than me
TheNinjassin 1 year ago 15
@TheNinjassin: I am getting that same feeling about Tom's parents. They seem like one of these dysfunctional arrangements where everyone are hating eachother, except here there happens to be an Autist thrown into the middle.
CDB8510 1 year ago
It infuriates me that we look at autistic people differently. Grrr.
Makethembeautiful 1 year ago 2
My boyfriend has moderate aspergers and he is in university studying to be a neurosurgeon......the only reason most people with aspergers/austism don't succeed is because people (especially medical professionals) keep telling them they can't. It's NOT true.
"alex is lucky enough to work part time for a local security company" what the hell? Every person with aspergers is at LEAST of average intelligence. People need to stop thinking autistic people are underneath us intellectually.
Makethembeautiful 1 year ago 51
@Makethembeautiful Ditto! Even as a child it seemed as if people wanted me to fail. I wanted to be a veternarian and as young as third grade I was told iI should focus on being a vet tech because the math requirement would be too hard for me.
PinkPunkyKat 1 year ago
@Makethembeautiful Well said! Even social skills should not be underestimated. Believe me that someone with autism learns a lot about social interaction when he/she is pushed around alot.
My parents and professionals always said I would never be able to study psychosocial work and I would have to experience failure myself if I wanted to go trough with it. But afterwards it seemed I was very good at social work and dealing with psychological issues. This is what I call ironic.
Yodan82 1 year ago
@Makethembeautiful I hate how people think Asbergers/Autistic people are stupid or are like little children when that's completely untrue. Parents also treat their kids with the condition badly and I find this worrying. Problems like this start at home with the family.
snooki93 10 months ago
@Makethembeautiful Very true. By the time people become adults they're usually too numbed and insecure to think of themselves any good. It's affecting me too and I hate being aware of that. I can thank goodness for being outspoken and quickwitted or I would not even make it out in the world right now.
Annique 9 months ago
@Annique You're right Annique; autistic people are constantly exposed to prejudices by us neurotypicals. It is unfair AND illogical to suggest that being autistic is any more of a detriment than being a neurotypical with a lazy attitude. Being different does not mean you are not capable of contributing to society, it actually means you more likely CAN because you're able to think clearly and logically without emotions attached to your thoughts.
Makethembeautiful 9 months ago 3
@Annique The sad reality is that parents of austistic (or AS) child(ren) do not understand their child and their child's needs. Instead of working on strengthening the childs capabilities, they protect them from trying to accomplish anything the parents believe their child will not succeed. A learned behavior is just as valid as something that comes naturally. Thank you for your reply.
Makethembeautiful 9 months ago 2
this is the same crap that i've been reading from popular american HFA and AS books. if you lived in another country, you might understand that this is not the only way to deal the problems. Without parental guide to work your weaknesses, I probably wouldnt have any friends at all. Eventhough I don't require much socializing and cannot connect with people, I still want to be with people and have normal life. So maybe it's time for you british and americans to see things differently for a change.
apxeli 6 months ago
@Makethembeautiful I'd have to agree.I wasn't diagnosed with Aspergers until I was like 15.If I had been diagnosed from the getgo I would have been treated like a little baby my whole life,and never would have become as normal as I am.I have only known the nuerotypical world.While that world is frustrating and full of suffering for me,there are also rewards for all this suffering.I've gotten to the point now where most people don't know I have a disability.
AtheistFMD518 6 months ago
Comment removed
sketch2k 5 months ago
@Makethembeautiful
The ability to work has nothing to do with intelegence. It's true that most people with autism/aspergers can work but only 18% do, coz it's usually very hard to find work when you've got autism. And it isn't always the case that they can sucseed. Look at Oli; it's very clear that he's finding it very difficult to sucseed employment. I have autism & I need an awful lot of work to be able to get what I ca out of life. Some ppl with autism are more impacted than others.
ChocolateisIsNice 5 months ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
@Makethembeautiful "Every person with aspergers is at LEAST of average intelligence." - Not true. High functioning doesn't mean intelligent compared to normal people, it's compared to low-functioning autistic people. You can have an IQ of 90 and still have Asperger's.
420chilldude 1 month ago
alex is super fun
LaBellaa1984 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Autism was just a word until I first watched 'The Autistic Me' on television. I've been on a few websites, in order to understand the disorder a little more. I do hope that Oli, Alex, Kirsty and Tom have a bright future and I wish them all the good luck and understanding they deserve. It would have been well good if they'd show Tom playing his guitar!
l1k1j1h 2 years ago
@l1k1j1h
It is showen in the follow up!
ChocolateisIsNice 4 months ago