Hello everybody, this is George Harvey (aka The Autistic Blogger).
The views I’m about to express are specifically my own, although they may also be yours too – depending on how much you agree with me.
On March 22nd (2016), BBC One aired its first episode of a new drama series called The A Word. The story follows a dysfunctional Lake District family and their five-year-old son (Joe) who’s Autistic. From his initial diagnosis to the parents’ reactions, the series attempts to show us the effects of Autism, common misunderstandings about it and, most importantly, how to cope.
As the drama is heavily focused around my condition, I decided this would be a perfect opportunity to talk about Autism and its portrayal in the media. Like many real-word issues, there’s no better way of raising awareness than through TV, social media and other forms of mass communication. When it comes to disabilities and conditions, however, it’s important to represent them correctly. Both the benefits and set-backs should be addressed. If one mood overshadows the other, audiences could get the wrong idea about disadvantaged people and unintentionally mistreat them.
Over the years, different mediums have attempted to communicate Autism. Some better than others.
I hate Channel 4‘s The Undateables because it feels too negative. I understand the people taking part agreed to have their lives filmed. But all we’re show are the struggles they face and how disabilities prevent them finding love. There’s nothing to suggest Autism has any good points to it. In fact, people watching the show might feel worse about themselves. I know I did when I saw two grown men with Autism playing Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
The Autistic Gardener communicates things more positively. It still talks about the difficulties people face (e.g. prioritising and social communication), but it also highlights the benefits of having the condition; a creative mind, good organisation skills and perfectionism. More importantly, it shows how they use these traits to make unique contributions to the world of work. In other words, The Autistic Gardener helps Autistic people find employment – it doesn’t ruin their chances at love because their condition supposedly classifies them as Undateable.
Books and stage plays also do their part to raise awareness. Not only are there helpful guidebooks (e.g. The Asperkids Secret Book of Social Rules), but some stories allow us to see exactly what goes on in the Autistic mind. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a good example of this. I’ve not read the book myself. But the stage adaption really does Autism justice. The actors and visuals show us everything we need to know – without even naming the condition once.
When creating Autistic characters, it’s important to get their portrayals right or else people will take offence. Holby City recently featured a side character with Autism. I think the actor did an amazing job, because his dialogue was well-written and everything about his performance – from the way he talks to the way he behaves – feels believable. It makes me proud when the media represents Autism so accurately.
With all that being said; what are my thoughts on The A Word?
To make sure I don’t spoil the series too much, I’m only going to talk about what happens in the first episode – and maybe a bit of the second.
The episode begins with Joe walking alone, listening and singing to music on his headphones. This immediately defines his character. Throughout the series it’s made abundantly clear that Joe is obsessed with music. He refuses to talk or co-operate with anyone, unless it’s song-related.
When you’re Autistic it’s very easy to become obsessed with the things you love. They become your source of comfort and you never want to be without them. The series shows us why this can be a problem. Because Joe is so absorbed in his music, it’s nearly impossible to get his attention. That’s why he struggles to follow simple instructions and barely takes notice of the people around him.
There’s no doubt Joe’s music is an issue. Especially as his headphones are the perfect tool for blocking out reality. But one thing I really praise the series for is showing the benefits of his obsession, too. Because he listens to music all day, he’s memorised the lyrics of every song he’s ever heard. Plus, he can tell you a song’s title, the artist, who wrote it and what year it was released. Keep in mind he’s five-years-old! (I’m almost 22; I could never have this kind of encyclopaedia-like knowledge.) Furthermore, it’s mentioned that Joe does well in school and is smarter than most kids his age. These small details are essential. They make it clear to the audience that having Autism doesn’t mean you’re stupid or inferior. It just means you’re gifted in some areas and need additional help in others. Two people who don’t seem realise this are Joe’s parents (Paul and Alison Hughes).
Going back to the episode: it’s Joe’s birthday. And mum and dad are throwing him party. They try to get him involved, but it’s clear he’d rather be listening to music. He even makes a fuss whenever the stereo is turned off.
After the party, the whole family is gathered. Among them is Nicola – the partner of Paul’s brother, Eddie. She asks the parents if they think Joe’s behaviour is because he has something. Almost immediately they lash out. Paul excuses his son’s behaviour as being normal for five-year-olds. Whilst Alison is furious Nicola would suggest such a thing.
This scene is important. It highlights the most common feelings parents have when they first consider Autism: fear and denial. Paul and Alison obviously love Joe with all their hearts and want him to have the best chance in life. Just the thought of there being something wrong with him is frightening, because they know it means he won’t grow up like normal children. Worst still, they think he won’t grow up happy at all – which of course is completely wrong.
Not wanting to face the possibility of Autism, they try to continue their lives as normal. But Joe’s symptoms soon become overwhelming. Eventually, his grandad (Maurice) can’t stand the lack of action and takes Joe for a medical assessment – without Paul or Alison’s knowledge.
By the way I have to say this quickly. I just love that Christopher Eccleston plays Maurice in the series. What can I say, I’m a sucker for any actor who used to be in Doctor Who. Anyway…
The Hughes are, understandably, upset by Maurice’s actions and tell him to stay away. However, it turns out the assessment was a good thing, because it’s confirmed that Joe does have Autism. Mum and dad are still doubtful, but they listen to the doctor’s prognosis.
This might be the highlight of the whole episode for me. Everything that’s described about Autism here is very accurate. The doctor mentions how it’s not just one condition, but a series of conditions that affect different people in different ways. She also talks about prioritising, repetitive behaviour and how it’s difficult for these people to process what they hear. I felt a genuine connection to the series after this, because it sounded like she was describing me. Many other Autistic people can also relate. (If there’s any scene worth watching in the episode it’s this one.)
Following Joe’s diagnosis, the reality is almost too much for Paul and Alison. They think there’s obviously been some mistake and want to get a second opinion. Even Maurice is sceptical.
“He talks, he laughs, he looks you in the eye, he smiles; how is he Autistic? I don’t understand.”
This sums up the main problem people have with Autism. Because everybody is effected differently, it’s near-impossible to pin-down specific behaviours. They think if someone doesn’t act a certain way it’s proof they don’t have Autism – which isn’t necessarily true.
Maurice then asks if there’s a cure. To which Alison immediately (and correctly) responds: “It’s not a disease!”
The point of Autism isn’t to cure it, but to understand its effects on someone. Once you do, you’ll be able to come up with a plan – specifically tailored to that individual – which gives them the exact help and encouragement they need.
However, there’s a right and wrong way to handle Autism. And Alison, unfortunately, chooses the latter. She’s so afraid of “labelling” Joe, she thinks the best course of action is to make sure nobody else finds out about his Autism – she doesn’t even want the word mentioned in her house.
This is the absolute worst thing she can do. When somebody is Autistic, nothing is more important than letting others know about it. Many parents don’t understand this. They think if they hide their child’s problems, their son or daughter will be able to live a normal life. Quite the opposite. They’re allowing a small issue to grow into an even bigger one.
Let’s put things into perspective.
If people don’t know a child has Autism, they’ll think he or she is acting strange on purpose and want to avoid them. Maybe even bully them. If teachers don’t know, they can’t give that child the support they need in lessons. They’ll blame bad grades on lack of effort – rather than learning difficulties – making the child feel stressed and miserable about themselves.
To put it simply, refusing to acknowledge someone’s Autism, actually prevents them from living a normal life.
On the other hand, if people are made aware of the Autism – and they’re given a proper explanation of it – it will help them to understand why the child behaves the way they do. They’ll learn to accept it and be more willing to engage with them. Plus, if the child is given support in school, they’ll learn to get better overtime and eventually not need it anymore.
Eddie tries telling Alison the first step is honesty. But she ignores him, saying he doesn’t know anything. (Newsflash mum: neither do you!)
The episode ends and the preview suggests Alison is going to handle things a lot worse; she’s thinking of home-schooling Joe and taking away his music.
So do I think The A Word is a good series? Absolutely. There are just so many things it gets right about Autism. And a lot people agree with me. The episodes have been praised numerous times on social media for their subject matter and quality acting. I don’t know if Max Vento (Joe’s actor) has Autism in real life, but his performance is right on the money.
There are many things I share in common with Joe. When he sings, he sings loudly and doesn’t consider he might be disturbing nearby people. I sort of do the same thing when I’m listening to YouTube videos. Also, Joe wanders the playground, allows the smallest things to distract him and occasionally references lines from movies like Toy Story – all things I’ve done in my life at some point.
However, there are differences between me and Joe, too. When I was younger, I never had problems making friends and I was always invited to birthday parties. I also did a lot of outrageous things, but it never got to the point where I slapped anybody or broke something in frustration. (I think Joe is portrayed as having a slightly higher form of Autism than mine.)
Another thing I love about the series is its sub-plots. We see Joe’s sister feeling like she’s invisible; Eddie and Nicola having relationship problems; Maurice getting stalked by his music instructor, etc. Each one is believable and adds something different to the drama (e.g. humour or tension). It really shows how Autism effects not only the person diagnosed, but the people around them.
In conclusion, The A Word is a beautifully crafted masterpiece and I highly recommend it to everyone. The series may not tell us everything about Autism. And Joe shouldn’t be used as a template for all Autistic children. But it’s an essential piece to watch if we aim to make this world a more inclusive place.
That’s it for this post/review. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Please remember that April is Autism Awareness Month. Do whatever you can to show your support on social media.
#EmployAutism (Ambitious about Autism)
#TheAWord (The A Word)
Be sure to check out the other material I’ve written for this blog and Autistic Blogger Reviews (https://autisticbloggerreviews.wordpress.com). If you have any questions, leave me a comment – I’ll be happy to answer them. And as always, keep an eye out for the next post. Stay tuned.
(Image courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/the-a-word)
The Autistic Blogger 