First of all Autism is not a mental illness. It is a disability. My daughter is autistic and I don't see her mentally ill. It depends of the degree. These children are absolutely brilliant in certain fields. My daughter learned to read at 3 1/2 without anyone teaching her. And she has a lot of musical skills even if she never learned. Autistic children learned differently than us but to say that are mentally ill is not right and it bothers me a lot hearing that.
People are so misinformed about it. It is pretty difficult for a parent to accept it trust me, but these children are so amazing. I wouldn't change my daughter at all. She is like she is and that's the beauty of it.
This is a great post and I agree, autism is not a mental illness. The son of one of my friends is autistic and last year he achieved a degree in mathematics. He loves wood carving and makes beautiful things.
Autism is a very serious subject. and I would like to see it explained in a well-researched documentary; but I would not find it entertaining in a soap.
Exactly. We're currently watching the bi polar sl with Stacey, and I think it may be slightly over kill if autism was covered in a sl as well.
I just don't get how it'll be entertaining or enjoyable for the general public to watch.....
How could they make that sort of storyline a ratings winner and get people to tune into it?
This is a great post and I agree, autism is not a mental illness. The son of one of my friends is autistic and last year he achieved a degree in mathematics. He loves wood carving and makes beautiful things.
Amazing. They are able to achieve amazing things:)
Exactly. We're currently watching the bi polar sl with Stacey, and I think it may be slightly over kill if autism was covered in a sl as well.
I just don't get how it'll be entertaining or enjoyable for the general public to watch.....
How could they make that sort of storyline a ratings winner and get people to tune into it?
Well to each is own but I would prefer a story like that than some murdering plots. Just saying. But it's a fact that when something doesn't touch you directly it's not something you would want to watch. Just saying.
But the fact that a show would do a storyline about it (correctly and sensitively) it could informed people how these children or adult having this kind of disability are in real life. How they behave. It is a really complicated thing. How these person thinks.
It's pretty interesting and if you learn something about it itself it could help to understand some things about the disability itself. But as my doctore said, people doesn't want to understand sometimes. And it's ok. They are scared of what these people could do to them. And I am not being sarcastic about it it is the truth.
The last thing Corrie needs is to start ticking more boxes. People have already complained about their other "poor" issue based plots and Roy Cropper doesn't need this storyline, he does fine the way he is. Not everyone needs to be lumbered with something.
The last thing Corrie needs is to start ticking more boxes. People have already complained about their other "poor" issue based plots and Roy Cropper doesn't need this storyline, he does fine the way he is. Not everyone needs to be lumbered with something.
..... but Roy does have Aspergers Syndrome and has had for over 20 years since he began playing his character. See my earlier post, plus David Neilson's article here.
The actor says he owes the idea to his wife. However, David purposely didn't want his character to be labelled. He wanted to show that yes he is very much unique and has a whole array of idiosyncracies, but it's possible to see him for who he is - a colourful intelligent, eccentric, who just gets on with it and happens to have Aspergers Syndrome.
..... but Roy does have Aspergers Syndrome and has had for over 20 years since he began playing his character. See my earlier post, plus David Neilson's article here.
The actor says he owes the idea to his wife. However, David purposely didn't want his character to be labelled. He wanted to show that yes he is very much unique and has a whole array of idiosyncracies, but it's possible to see him for who he is - a colourful intelligent, eccentric, who just gets on with it and happens to have Aspergers Syndrome.
I know, but I don't want them to make it "official" in the show and actually diagnose him. Like making an actual storyline out of it. I am fine the way it is without Corrie deciding to "highlight" the issue just to tick boxes and attempt to score brownie points.
Exactly. We're currently watching the bi polar sl with Stacey, and I think it may be slightly over kill if autism was covered in a sl as well.
This is why more awareness is needed Stacey is currently suffering from postpartum psychosis her bipolar is for the most part an unrelated coincidence (although people with bipolar are more likely to get postpartum psychosis).
There is more than 1 person with disabilities in a typical community.
just don't get how it'll be entertaining or enjoyable for the general public to watch.....
Do you watch the Big bang theory? I not hop onto over to E4 it probably on now and pay attention Sheldon.
How could they make that sort of storyline a ratings winner and get people to tune into it?
By showing the effect a person's disability has on the people around them and how they work around it look at all the possible options:
Linda clearly has an issue with running her children's lives and practically smothered them take her reaction to Johnny sexuality it was not due to homophobia, what the neighbours will think or religion her issue was that it forced her to think about Johnny as a sexually aware being which in turn resulted in her thinking about how she could micromanage his sex life to protect him and she could have avoiding having to think of her son sex life if had a girlfriend instead. We then have Nancy we have Linda’s a nail sticking out hammer it down reaction to Nancy not conforming to traditional ideals of femininity (I sense this was why she tried to join the army) as well as her mother overprotecting her due to her epilepsy. We then have Lee who is not as overprotected as his siblings for some reason. If Oliver had autism Linda reaction would be interesting as she will almost certainly go into denial and something or someone is to blame for ‘damaging’ her ‘perfect’ child.
Kat would probably be similar to Linda reaction to Oliver.
With Tamwar we could see Nancy learning to live with it while his family brush over the issue.
Then with Stacey one of her children could have it and the effect it has on their already complex live.
Take Lily reaction if it was Arthur - could she resent him or maybe Lily has autism as girls with autism is even more under represented in the media.
Because there is a spectrum I'm wondering where on the spectrum a soap would put a character. I would imagine a soap would put a character low on the spectrum so that the majority of the audience can relate to the character. I agree that Roy is Roy and doesn't need diagnosing this late on in his story. If there was an autism storyline I think it should be with a new family and with a younger family member, maybe an early teen who struggles to socialise but is very intelligent. Maybe we could see how their parents and siblings handle things too, as in with a young autistic teen and all the other growing up "problems" they have like crushes, appearance and other teens.
I know, but I don't want them to make it "official" in the show and actually diagnose him. Like making an actual storyline out of it. I am fine the way it is without Corrie deciding to "highlight" the issue just to tick boxes and attempt to score brownie points.
Exactly, and there have been plenty of such documentaries/news items/newspaper and magazine articles etc over at least the last 10 - 15 years.
Frankly, if the subject still requires 'awareness raising' then those people who apparently live in caves and are still not aware of this, (and many other serious and quite widespread issues), need to start watching/reading these factual items and stop expecting the purely for entertainment soap operas to spoonfeed them the basics in easy to digest chunks. :kitty:
Well, Cancer keeps getting covered in the soaps and the public are already aware of the different types of cancer, aren't they?
Depression gets covered in the soaps and people are already aware of it.
Is there a reason why people think autism is more bleak than these other two subjects? Perhaps some sort of underlying prejudice?
I would like to see autism tackled in soaps with a new character, rather than an established character, preferably an older child, teen , or very young adult.
I know Roy's autistic, but it will be more interesting to see the stuggle of a young person who is far more severely affected than Roy and the affects on their school-life, social-life,homelife, sleep , self-esteem etc. Roy's autism is barely noticeable, so I don't find it engaging tbh even though he's a lovely character.
Is Autism a disability? I don't think Aspergers is, not on application forms I've seen, more of a medical condition.
Asperger's i think no longer counts as a disability i think, in my eyes i don't count it as a disability but do think it would be an interesting topic to be covered in a soap.
Well, Cancer keeps getting covered in the soaps and the public are already aware of the different types of cancer, aren't they?
Depression gets covered in the soaps and people are already aware of it.
Is there a reason why people think autism is more bleak than these other two subjects? Perhaps some sort of underlying prejudice?
Certainly not more bleak - nobody dies from autism - it's more a case that according to the latest figures, 50% of people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life, which basically means it directly or indirectly (family etc) affects 100% of the population one way or another and it would therefore be totally unrealistic for it not to crop up in soaps.
Using my psychology degree here, so apologies if I go off on one. For the 'is Autism a mental illness?' debate:
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder. . In people with autism, it has been found that there are abnormalities in the cerebellum (and cerebral blood flow), frontal lobe among others. Autism or ASD, is in itself, not a mental health condition - but by the same logic, nor is early-onset schizophrenia (they both have a genetic and potential neurological cause). Like bipolar disorder, it cannot be cured, but drugs (such as haloperidol, risperidone, and fenfluramine) can be used to reduce the symptoms and help manage it.
Essentially, ASD isn't a mental illness (but only due to technicalities) - it has many similarities to them.
As to whether soaps should cover it, I think that there is no shame in featuring autistic characters but there is no real need to cover it as a massive storyline. There are ways of doing a storyline: Perhaps it could be revealed that Ollie (Carter) has it, and Linda could struggle with this? You can do a storyline, but it wouldn't be the biggest, most dramatic rating grabber - because as a topic, there isn't too much you can do with it.
Autistic Spectrum Disorders are hard to define, trust me I know since I have AS, Anxiety, Depression and Schizoid Personality Disorder.
On the Soaps, both Holby City and Casualty have featured chracters with ASD's: there was a girl recently in Casualty and you have Jason in HC who is Serena's nephew. I have thought for ages it would be nice if one of the big Soaps features someone with an ASD and it should be a young person where the SL feature on Diagnosis and how they deal with situations
Is Autism a disability? I don't think Aspergers is, not on application forms I've seen, more of a medical condition.
It depend on what your asking exactly is it from the view point of someone with Autism or an overall view?
From the view point of someone with Autism I would say it is more the world seems needlessly complicated with emotions clouding basic logic and reasoning although disabled would not be the first word I would use to describe myself.
But on an overall view autism spectrum disorder (it include Aspergers syndrome) is defined as a lifelong developmental disability http://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/asd.aspx is a spectrum disorder which don't forget means that it includes rain man type characters too who are people who no one would argue are disabled but it get more complex with the Sheldon Cooper of this world although they are some older people who are not politically correct would consider him defective (the previous no longer politically correct term which covered lifelong developmental disability).
Then legally Autism is treated as a disability under The Equality Act 2010 or Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (for Northern Ireland as the Equality Act was not extended there for political reasons) does and to be fair practically every other medical condition are as well if you could be discriminated against for having it.
Asperger's i think no longer counts as a disability i think, in my eyes i don't count it as a disability but do think it would be an interesting topic to be covered in a soap.
No it still count as a disability although I personally prefer to look at it as being differently abled.
Well, Cancer keeps getting covered in the soaps and the public are already aware of the different types of cancer, aren't they?
Depression gets covered in the soaps and people are already aware of it.
Is there a reason why people think autism is more bleak than these other two subjects? Perhaps some sort of underlying prejudice?
I think many people have complained about Cancer and Depression being included in Soaps on the grounds that they want to be entertained and not deal with such serious subjects. Also, many have complained at the way they are handled, having characters 'get over' them too quickly, die too quickly and 'cleanly' or sensationalized with Cancer often becoming a storyline about Mercy killing.
That is the other thing, they tend to be shorter term storylines, usually a few months with people either dying or getting the correct treatment and recovering. Autism would be long term. The character might be shown to manage the condition (that would be great) but would always be part of them and whilst personally I'd be fine with that, many viewers seem to tire of anything like that quickly. Look at all the comments about being 'bored' with Stacey's Mental health Problems, basically having done the storyline 7 years ago, they don't want it revisited, even though it is actually a different problem and even if it wasn't, a Bi-Polar relapse would be very true to life.
Certainly not more bleak - nobody dies from autism - it's more a case that according to the latest figures, 50% of people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life, which basically means it directly or indirectly (family etc) affects 100% of the population one way or another and it would therefore be totally unrealistic for it not to crop up in soaps.
I know, that is why I implied that it should crop up.
Asperger's i think no longer counts as a disability i think, in my eyes i don't count it as a disability but do think it would be an interesting topic to be covered in a soap.
I agree, I would call it a condition rather than a disability.
The problem is that soaps often do these things so badly that it's not worth bothering. I only watch Corrie but Hope's cancer storyline was done badly (she recovered too quickly and they made more of Tyrone's debt issue) and Max's ADHD is rarely mentioned apart from to ask him if he's had his pills.
I like the way it's done with Roy, in that it's not spelt out that he has Asperger's, but he does have characteristics of someone with that condition.
Is Autism a disability? I don't think Aspergers is, not on application forms I've seen, more of a medical condition.
They are both classed as disabilities, I don't mean to sound crass but you can claim disability living allowance for them.
Aspergers is after all a high functioning form of autism. Also disability and condition are interchangeable terms. If you look up the word disability, condition is one of the synonyms.
Comments
This is a great post and I agree, autism is not a mental illness. The son of one of my friends is autistic and last year he achieved a degree in mathematics. He loves wood carving and makes beautiful things.
I just don't get how it'll be entertaining or enjoyable for the general public to watch.....
How could they make that sort of storyline a ratings winner and get people to tune into it?
Amazing. They are able to achieve amazing things:)
Well to each is own but I would prefer a story like that than some murdering plots. Just saying. But it's a fact that when something doesn't touch you directly it's not something you would want to watch. Just saying.
But the fact that a show would do a storyline about it (correctly and sensitively) it could informed people how these children or adult having this kind of disability are in real life. How they behave. It is a really complicated thing. How these person thinks.
It's pretty interesting and if you learn something about it itself it could help to understand some things about the disability itself. But as my doctore said, people doesn't want to understand sometimes. And it's ok. They are scared of what these people could do to them. And I am not being sarcastic about it it is the truth.
..... but Roy does have Aspergers Syndrome and has had for over 20 years since he began playing his character. See my earlier post, plus David Neilson's article here.
The actor says he owes the idea to his wife. However, David purposely didn't want his character to be labelled. He wanted to show that yes he is very much unique and has a whole array of idiosyncracies, but it's possible to see him for who he is - a colourful intelligent, eccentric, who just gets on with it and happens to have Aspergers Syndrome.
I think he's slightly more of learning difficulties than actually autistic.
I know, but I don't want them to make it "official" in the show and actually diagnose him. Like making an actual storyline out of it. I am fine the way it is without Corrie deciding to "highlight" the issue just to tick boxes and attempt to score brownie points.
This is why more awareness is needed Stacey is currently suffering from postpartum psychosis her bipolar is for the most part an unrelated coincidence (although people with bipolar are more likely to get postpartum psychosis).
There is more than 1 person with disabilities in a typical community.
Do you watch the Big bang theory? I not hop onto over to E4 it probably on now and pay attention Sheldon.
By showing the effect a person's disability has on the people around them and how they work around it look at all the possible options:
Linda clearly has an issue with running her children's lives and practically smothered them take her reaction to Johnny sexuality it was not due to homophobia, what the neighbours will think or religion her issue was that it forced her to think about Johnny as a sexually aware being which in turn resulted in her thinking about how she could micromanage his sex life to protect him and she could have avoiding having to think of her son sex life if had a girlfriend instead. We then have Nancy we have Linda’s a nail sticking out hammer it down reaction to Nancy not conforming to traditional ideals of femininity (I sense this was why she tried to join the army) as well as her mother overprotecting her due to her epilepsy. We then have Lee who is not as overprotected as his siblings for some reason. If Oliver had autism Linda reaction would be interesting as she will almost certainly go into denial and something or someone is to blame for ‘damaging’ her ‘perfect’ child.
Kat would probably be similar to Linda reaction to Oliver.
With Tamwar we could see Nancy learning to live with it while his family brush over the issue.
Then with Stacey one of her children could have it and the effect it has on their already complex live.
Take Lily reaction if it was Arthur - could she resent him or maybe Lily has autism as girls with autism is even more under represented in the media.
I agree. I think the whole idea is awful.
Autism is not a mental illness.
Well, Cancer keeps getting covered in the soaps and the public are already aware of the different types of cancer, aren't they?
Depression gets covered in the soaps and people are already aware of it.
Is there a reason why people think autism is more bleak than these other two subjects? Perhaps some sort of underlying prejudice?
I know Roy's autistic, but it will be more interesting to see the stuggle of a young person who is far more severely affected than Roy and the affects on their school-life, social-life,homelife, sleep , self-esteem etc. Roy's autism is barely noticeable, so I don't find it engaging tbh even though he's a lovely character.
Asperger's i think no longer counts as a disability i think, in my eyes i don't count it as a disability but do think it would be an interesting topic to be covered in a soap.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder. . In people with autism, it has been found that there are abnormalities in the cerebellum (and cerebral blood flow), frontal lobe among others. Autism or ASD, is in itself, not a mental health condition - but by the same logic, nor is early-onset schizophrenia (they both have a genetic and potential neurological cause). Like bipolar disorder, it cannot be cured, but drugs (such as haloperidol, risperidone, and fenfluramine) can be used to reduce the symptoms and help manage it.
Essentially, ASD isn't a mental illness (but only due to technicalities) - it has many similarities to them.
As to whether soaps should cover it, I think that there is no shame in featuring autistic characters but there is no real need to cover it as a massive storyline. There are ways of doing a storyline: Perhaps it could be revealed that Ollie (Carter) has it, and Linda could struggle with this? You can do a storyline, but it wouldn't be the biggest, most dramatic rating grabber - because as a topic, there isn't too much you can do with it.
On the Soaps, both Holby City and Casualty have featured chracters with ASD's: there was a girl recently in Casualty and you have Jason in HC who is Serena's nephew. I have thought for ages it would be nice if one of the big Soaps features someone with an ASD and it should be a young person where the SL feature on Diagnosis and how they deal with situations
It depend on what your asking exactly is it from the view point of someone with Autism or an overall view?
From the view point of someone with Autism I would say it is more the world seems needlessly complicated with emotions clouding basic logic and reasoning although disabled would not be the first word I would use to describe myself.
But on an overall view autism spectrum disorder (it include Aspergers syndrome) is defined as a lifelong developmental disability http://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/asd.aspx is a spectrum disorder which don't forget means that it includes rain man type characters too who are people who no one would argue are disabled but it get more complex with the Sheldon Cooper of this world although they are some older people who are not politically correct would consider him defective (the previous no longer politically correct term which covered lifelong developmental disability).
Then legally Autism is treated as a disability under The Equality Act 2010 or Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (for Northern Ireland as the Equality Act was not extended there for political reasons) does and to be fair practically every other medical condition are as well if you could be discriminated against for having it.
No it still count as a disability although I personally prefer to look at it as being differently abled.
I think many people have complained about Cancer and Depression being included in Soaps on the grounds that they want to be entertained and not deal with such serious subjects. Also, many have complained at the way they are handled, having characters 'get over' them too quickly, die too quickly and 'cleanly' or sensationalized with Cancer often becoming a storyline about Mercy killing.
That is the other thing, they tend to be shorter term storylines, usually a few months with people either dying or getting the correct treatment and recovering. Autism would be long term. The character might be shown to manage the condition (that would be great) but would always be part of them and whilst personally I'd be fine with that, many viewers seem to tire of anything like that quickly. Look at all the comments about being 'bored' with Stacey's Mental health Problems, basically having done the storyline 7 years ago, they don't want it revisited, even though it is actually a different problem and even if it wasn't, a Bi-Polar relapse would be very true to life.
I know, that is why I implied that it should crop up.
I agree, I would call it a condition rather than a disability.
The problem is that soaps often do these things so badly that it's not worth bothering. I only watch Corrie but Hope's cancer storyline was done badly (she recovered too quickly and they made more of Tyrone's debt issue) and Max's ADHD is rarely mentioned apart from to ask him if he's had his pills.
I like the way it's done with Roy, in that it's not spelt out that he has Asperger's, but he does have characteristics of someone with that condition.
They are both classed as disabilities, I don't mean to sound crass but you can claim disability living allowance for them.
Aspergers is after all a high functioning form of autism. Also disability and condition are interchangeable terms. If you look up the word disability, condition is one of the synonyms.